Chapter 27: Heart to Heart

Chapter 27: Heart to Heart

After watching Lucy put down enough fruits and vegetables to feed an elephant, Thomas tracked down and explained the situation to Drake. When she learned that the person he had been raving about for the past year had their gender swapped, she laughed like there was no tomorrow. Fortunately, she had no qualms about engaging the Straw Hats in a 'mock battle,' weighing anchor and leading the way in the Hind while the Going Merry struggled to keep up.

During the brief voyage, Drake surprised Thomas by calling him into her Cabin and saying, "I think you should join the Straw Hats..."

Blinking in surprise, Thomas instinctually responded with a confused, "Pardon?" before furrowing his brows and asking, "Are you serious...?" Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Nodding in affirmation, Drake, sitting behind her desk, linked her fingers together, saying, "Before you get too upset, let me explain my reasoning. If you disagree with me, we'll continue to do things as we always have..."

Inhaling a steadying breath, Thomas suppressed his growing anger and frustration, stating, "Let's hear it..." in a dull monotone.

With an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face, Drake said, "I've been watching you for the past year, Tom. In that time, I've come to understand many things about you. First and foremost, you didn't come to this world to experience your own journey. You came here to experience 'their' journey..."

Before Thomas could respond or try to defend himself, Drake raised her hand to silence him, adding, "Secondly, you're obsessive and have self-esteem issues. You're constantly fretting over one thing or another, and you can't help comparing yourself to the rest of the crew. Not only does that stress you out, but it also forces us to measure our actions so that we don't upset or offend you somehow."

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Drake declared, "Put simply, you're holding everyone back. Instead of focusing on your journey and making the most of your situation, you're constantly pushing yourself to try and catch up to us and people you haven't even met yet. By joining the Straw Hats, you'll be able to grow alongside them without having to worry about constantly being in our shadow. Furthermore, that frees us to travel into areas of the sea you simply aren't ready for."

Pulling out the guidebook Thomas had written for her, Drake added, "We already have a general understanding of where you'll be heading during your journey, so we can make preparations for the future while you focus on the present. That gives us the chance to grow without having to worry about your safety, and if shit 'really' hits the fan, you can always call us to your side using a Command Spell."

Setting the guidebook on the table, Drake wrapped up her pitch, stating, "This isn't a permanent arrangement. Once you reach Sabaody, we'll be primed and ready to pick you up at your leisure. We could also meet up sometime after the Paramount War. I have a few ideas in mind about how we can most benefit from that situation, and I can't implement them with you acting as a leash."

Though Drake's argument was fairly compelling, Thomas's brows remained firmly furrowed as he asked, "So, that's it? I'm in the way...?" Without sugarcoating things, Drake nodded her head, answering, "Yes, though, keep in mind, I don't blame you. By your admission, the world you came from was a mundane and perfectly 'ordinary' world. Even after a year, you haven't truly adapted to life within this world. The Hind offers you too many advantages, and you've never really had to struggle. You train hard, sure, but you always act with the knowledge that we will bail you out the moment shit hits the fan. While that's true, to an extent, you'll never be able 'reach the pinnacle' so long as we're babysitting you."

"..."

Before Thomas could question her, Drake regained her smile as she said, "There is a method to my madness. If you have Musashi kill Blackbeard, it will completely derail the 'plot' you're familiar with. And if Ace doesn't die, at least for a short while, Lucy and the Straw Hats won't feel compelled to train during the two-year 'time skip.' I don't mind if you want to accelerate things, but if you enter the second half of the Grand Line early, you risk never crossing paths with characters such as Kinemon and Momonosuke. You also imperil the 'prophecy' of Toki, so no matter how much you loathe Blackbeard, you should do your best to tolerate his existence. He is one of the many whetstones that will help you and the Straw Hats reach their full potential."

"..."

Realizing that Drake had likely memorized everything he wrote in the guidebook, Thomas asked, "Just how long have you been thinking about getting rid of me?"

Adopting a mischievous smile, Drake replied, "From the moment you first summoned me. I don't like to be bound or restricted, so even though we have a Master-Servant relationship, I've wanted to do my own thing from the beginning..."

Rising to her feet, Drake walked around to the front of her desk, stopping just in front of Thomas as she added, "Like you, I came to this world to experience the thrill of a new adventure. I initially planned to share that adventure with you, but you have far too many 'attachments' that prevent you from making the most of the opportunity we've been presented. That may change in the future, but only after you leave the proverbial nest and figure out what you 'truly' wish to accomplish in this world..."

Fixing Thomas's collar, Drake's smile softened as she said, "You wouldn't have been able to summon me if we weren't at least a little similar. Once you embrace that aspect of your character and blossom into the man you wish to become, I'll be waiting. That's one of the perks of being a Spirit...I never have to worry about getting old. Even if you spend the next century trying to figure things out, I'll be ready and waiting to accompany you on whatever journey you have planned. Just make sure it's exciting..."

Retracting her hands from Thomas's collar, Drake gave him one last look before walking around him, revealing, "We've reached our destination. Do your best in the upcoming battle. Even if the outcomes appear similar, there is a difference between 'joining' a crew and 'accompanying' one on its journey. If you want to stand on equal footing with that Lucy woman, don't be afraid to punch her in the face and prove your worth...both as a man and a potential partner..."

Finished with what she had to say, Drake pushed open the doors to her Cabin and departed without looking back. In her wake, Thomas lowered his gaze to the ground, his mind uncharacteristically empty except for the words Drake had just spoken. He honestly wasn't comfortable with hitting a woman, but for the sake of his future and to earn Lucy's respect, he was prepared to give it his all...even if he was 'very' likely to get his ass kicked. After all, even if he charged up for a full hour, he wouldn't be able to level a normal-sized building, much less a five-story pagoda...

...

..

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(A/N: For those who are apprehensive about the novel following the canon timeline, don't be. While many of the locations and people will be the same, everything Thomas does will create ripples that affect events later down the line. Lucy's gender will also factor heavily into how events play out, so treat this as a 'spin' on the original story. One with adult themes and a lot more killing xD...)