Chapter 99: Bloody Thorns

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Catherine, who was spending since Vlad's group arrived on her island most of her time, trying to study and copy all sorts of books she thought to be important for the education of the islanders, the kid's education and their growth. She sacrificed her time, along with her most trusted aides who didn't question her decisions, and in 8 days of hard work, she could see how her book collection was growing.

Her knowledge about the plants was improving because of some rare almost ancient books that Vlad had in his library talking in depth about how plants work.

Being a guest inside the Caravel, she tried to keep herself and the group she was leading as quiet as possible, without disturbing the inhabitants that might want to relax before journeying out to their next location, which she understood to be Briss Kingdom.

The hosts also weren't as bad as she believed, especially the attitude of the white-haired man who kept watch over them, Dalyon síl Silvelar, who was interested in her group.

Initially, it started with her, attracting his attention but over the days, things changed visibly since the approaching between her trusted right-hand, Adra, and the Lunarian.

She thought the 8th day to be the same, the start of a new week for her Island where she would constantly gain knowledge and experience, yet life wasn't always milk and honey, and what she thought would stop, reappeared again.

Pirates …

Akin to moths to a beacon of fire, they kept on flocking toward her island and destabilized the hard work she kept on doing for the betterment of her people.

*CANNON SHOT*

Dalyon who was inside the Library with the guests heard the sounds of the artillery raining down toward the Island and even missing the Caravel, froze for some seconds, confused about what had just happened.

"Hahh, not again." called out Catherine who placed down a book she was reading, placing her hand on her forehead before her expression grew colder.

"Could it be? Mistress, are we attacked again by pirates?" asked one of the Handmaidens who had a panicked expression, as the Caravel started shaking from the waves hitting its walls.

"Who else would be so stupidly brave to attack Rosande?

While the Marines are also pieces of shit, they still follow certain rules, meanwhile? Our suicidal moths are only attracted by the dim shine of the Rosande, which by how stories propagate inside Midras Archipelago or Norland Republic."

"We can't delay acting, Mistress." said another of the Maidens who stopped any transcribing from Vlad's books.

"Mhmm, I know. Adra, I want you to go back to Rosande, and assure the Elders that everything will be fine, and in a couple of minutes those pirates will be wiped from the World."

Adra, who was beside Dalyon working together on transcribing a book nodded at Catherine, and while shifting her head at the white-haired youngster, she told him before raising him to accomplish her mission.

"Be careful, Dalyon."

"Wait, you don't need to do anything. No need to risk yourself getting hurt by some random bullet or cannon debris."

The brown-haired Maiden couldn't help but get wormly touched by Dalyon's remark as he wanted her to be safe, and turning her head at Catherine she saw her eyes remain the same cold ones.

"I need to tell the Elders so they can keep the people aware that we know about the situation."

"And I tell you to remain here, I'll go take care of those Pirates."

While the sound of cannons being fired toward the island was slowing down, and the atmosphere inside the Captain's Cabin was slightly tense since Dalyon got in between Catherine's orders, from the outside, Eleine kicked the door of the Cabin open, being followed inside by Bonney and Titania.

"While I love drama, I also hate stupid people. There's no need for any arguments.

Ten ships, led by some ugly ass, are blasting on your island from the North side. They keep on approaching toward the Harbor."

"Exactly as Eleine said, we need to group up, and defeat those pirates." added Titania who was standing on Eleine's shoulder with her expression looking serious, unlike her peaceful and cheerful demeanour.

"Understood." replied Catherine who got on her feet, beginning to walk off from the Cabin, while moving past Eleine, as if she ignored that she was standing close to the door.

"Bitch, we got to work together and take them down in a flash, if you don't wish for any of those fools to ever return to your island."

"I know what I am doing, little girl." mentioned Catherine showing a personality switch to Eleine, who was used to Catherine being a nerdy girl, meek and shy.

This time, the red-haired woman was wearing a long red skirt that was a large opening revealing her delightful legs and thighs, while her bosom was kept together by a white shirt with floral decorations, with a red undervest wrapping her curvaceous upper body.

In those moments she showed a trait that only leaders akin to Vlad showed, full confidence in their abilities to defeat their enemies.

Eleine followed after Catherine and saw her release a long thorny vine that made her fly off the Caravel to land toward the anchored ships belonging to Rackham's Pirates.

"Tch, that bitch thinks that she is Vlad who can just do as he wishes. Oyy, flaming chicken Dalyon stop filtering with your girlfriend and come help me take down those stupid parasites." called out Eleine inside the Cabin where Dalyon was on his feet, in the crossroads of what he should do.

"... She … What about that bastard, Dracul? Where is he? This is his Caravel not mine. Why should I defend it?"

"He is busy with something else, and gave me leadership responsibility while he is busy.

Meaning, I am first in command right now. Besides, if you display your powers, it would make you even more manly. Don't you think, young lady?" asked Eleine as she focused her black eyes on Adra, who blushed when this matter of her liking of Dalyon was so obvious to everyone.

"Mhm, he is already manly."

"Okay, I will do it." mentioned Dalyon in a flash, without even contemplating further as he walked off the Cabin, followed by Adra and the other maidens spotting the fleet of pirate ships, and even managing to spot the pirates who laughed like maniacs and were already celebrating their win.

"So, you want to join the slaughter?"

"Obviously. It's been about one month since the last time I killed someone. That sensation is quite trilling."

"I will also join." added Bonney who also wanted to face the pirates, only to be declined by Eleine and Titania, who didn't want to risk getting her in danger, yet Dalyon didn't care and while preparing himself to depart for his targets, he also grabbed the young girl by her waist.

"Stop it! Drop her down, the risk is too high for Bonney."

"She will be okay since I've seen her progress. Right, little girl?"

"Mhm, I am strong. Vlad's favorite student."

With Dalyon using his aerial ability to fly toward the fleet of Pirates, his back ignited in flames, which reminded the girls about the time Dalyon fought against the frozen puppets controlled by Nihiloor, and he wasn't a pushover being capable of fighting against their Captain.

While being transported by the Lunarian, the girls noticed various pieces of wood being thrown in the direction of the pirate fleets with a red-haired woman jumping from plank to plank, avoiding the water that could spell doom to her to touch her, while pulling the planks she left behind using various thorny vines that came from her hands and body.

"She is a Devil Fruit user like me." commented Bonney, who noticed the impressive abilities of traversing on the sea shown by Catherine.

"So she wasn't a weak bitch. Still, I wouldn't care if she gets herself done by those pirates." remarked Eleine with a cold tone, following the movements displayed by Catherine, who was getting closer and closer to the pirates.

Then at about the same time, Dalyon appeared above the Pirate Ships, Catherine also extended her arms toward the ships and sent a long sharp wine that stabbed itself in the wooden structure of the ship.

"I'll take on the Flagship, you three deal with the smaller ones. Can you survive a fall from this high?"

"You bet." replied Eleine full of confidence, being sent flying by Dalyon who threw her toward the ships on the west flank.

"What about you little girl?"

"I'll manage it. I hope so."

"Then good luck. This is your first test against real humans. Kill or incapacitate them. I'll check on what happened after ending those lowborns."

Bonney received some "encouraging" from Dalyon who threw her toward the East flank, where Catherine stabbed her thorny vines, getting closer by each second with those pirates.

"Use the sword to catch the crow nest, Bon Bon." suggested Titania who remained together with the young girl, to be her guide in this chaotic situation.

Yet before she could stop her free fall toward one of the many pirate ships, from the crows' nest vines started sprouting, and to both girls' surprise, it caught Bonney by her stomach, stopping her fall.

"Is this?"

Before Bonney could realise what just happened, the screams of pain and the death of the pirates ensued with a red-haired woman unleashing hell on those fools stupid enough to attack her island.

"Bitch, who are you?" screamed one of the guys at Catherine who killed dozens of the pirates in quick succession using her sharp thorns akin to javelins.

"The one in charge of the island you are attacking?"

"Wait, you are that red-haired slut who was said to be a meek bitch incapable of leading this Island?"

The pirate who questioned Catherine and even called her words, suddenly felt a maddening pain as a thorny vine stabbed his way out from the floor of the main deck, piercing his stomach, before many other vines got created, piercing his whole body, removing all signs of death.

"A Meek Bitch? A Slut? Not wanting to suck the dick of some dirty magot? Doesn't mean I am a meek bitch? Maybe I am just too picky with who I want to settle down with."

The pirates on the ship watched as their commander got himself killed so easily by Catherine who took over the ship using her Devil Fruit powers, focused their attention on the red-haired woman, beginning a volley of bullets on the woman who turned into something akin to a monster as the spots of the body targeted by the bullets morphed into vines that opened up.

"She has the powers of the DEVIL like the Captain!"

"Arghhh, stop firing!! You've hit me you motherfuckers!"

The cries of the people who got shot in the friendly fire, thanks to Catherine's mysterious powers, disappeared from the location she was standing before, looking invulnerable to the bullets shot in her direction.

Moments later, she appeared behind a group of pirates coming from the floor of the ship in her thorny vine form, and in a scary scene for Bonney she filled each of those pirates with thorny vines, exploding them from inside.

"..."

"She is … scary … just like Vlad." commented Bonney who watched the massacre from the crow nest, while a barrier formed of thorns and vines kept her away from the conflict, in the act of protecting her from the chaos and hell Catherine unleashed.

"I wonder what Devil Fruit power is this…" remarked Titania, who watched how invincible Catherine looked against those pirates who couldn't even hurt her, as she was even capable of turning the ship into a weapon of destruction.

"I don't know but it's for sure an amazing ability, unlike mine."

Titania patted the head of the girl who wasn't even able to get in the spotlight, to test her own abilities, since the leader of Rosande City was a unique woman, where they couldn't even discover the first layers of her skin and personality.

"Don't worry, Bonney. Trust in Vlad's training and you'll also be unstoppable against those stupid pirates."

The screams of agony and pain resounded even from the other ships, a clear sign that Dalyon and Eleine weren't below Catherine when it came to killing.

From the Flagship, she could see flames being set off while the screams stopped any of the cannon firing from the lower deck, something that happened in the ship she was being held from the moment Catherine lunged her vines into the ship.

Continuing on watching the red-haired woman fight against the pirates, she was merciless, even killing the ones who decided to escape on the sea, by throwing javelin-like thorns into their hearts.

In a monstrous form where flesh and thorny vines mixed together, the red-haired woman turned her head up at Bonney, and asked in a cold tone.

"Little girl, this isn't the time for you to fight and risk anything for me. I am grateful enough that your Leader allowed me to study from his books, so this will be a reward for his gesture. Now, excuse me, but I will have you remain there for a while."

It was clear that what Bonney was seeing was the true face of Catherine, and while moving toward the second ship, the same catastrophe washed over the pirates who got attracted by the so-called wealth of the Rosande like moths to flames.

Minutes passed, and while she was trying to learn as much as she could from this experience, even commenting with Titania about how the fight was going, another voice tagged along, which scared both girls.

*Yawn*

"Who is winning?"

"Obviously, our group." commented Bonney out of habit as if it was a question thrown by Titania, only to be scared when she turned her head to see Vlad rubbing his eyes while wearing some casual clothes that he slept in.

"Vlad?! What are you doing here?!" asked Titania, who saw Vlad jam his hand in the thorny vine construction and make his way inside the crow nest, to sit there with the two girls.

"Obviously … I just woke up … in a lot of noise. *Yawn*

Still, to think I got to see something unique this time. Isn't this a Logia Type Devil Fruit?" mentioned Vlad while watching the fight between Catherine and the pirates using his Observation Haki, taking note of the various details he saw in the powers of the beautiful woman.

"Actually no … It looks more like a Paramecia. Wait, what? That's new, she is showing signs of a Logia User and even Paramecia."

"What about Eleine and Dalyon? How are they doing, since I can't see that far."

Hearing Bonney's question that was reinforced by Titania, Vlad moved his eyes first in the west direction where Eleine was covered in blood from head to toe, but he could tell it wasn't her own blood, but instead of the enemies, she slew in cold blood.

"Eleine is fine, since those pirates are not on par with her abilities."

"And Daloyn?"

"Is there even a point in asking about that arrogant brat?"

"Yeah, because he is actually contributing for the team." said Titania, who didn't forget how Dalyon took the initiative in his own way to defend the Caravel.

Rolling his eyes at this request, Vlad moved his attention to the flagship, a burning spectacle happening in the ship.

He noticed a man who had features of a Hog with sharp tusks that might be sharper than swords, being played by the brown-skinned youngster with white hair who was slowly burning the Hog down.

"Another Devil Fruit user. My, my, let me tell Dalyon not to kill the pig yet, and to allow me some time to prepare my tools for the experiment."

Excitement could be seen on the face of the devilish man who got up from his seated position and blasted open the cage created by Catherine to protect Bonney, which stopped the red-haired woman from killing a pirate as she shifted her eyes at the first ship she took over.

"Who?"

Seconds later, a strong gust of wind passed past her, and a large man appeared before her as he stabbed his hand in the heart of a pirate.

"What a delightful surprise, Lady Esthil. While in our first interaction you remained shy and reserved in showing your powers, this time you are really spoiling my eyes."

"Mister Dracul? I heard you were busy with your research."

"Ohh, that? How could I research during such an incident? Don't mind me, I will move to the Flagship. Also, a request from you, if you get there don't kill the pig, until I give you the okay."

"... Okay?"

"Perfect."

A strong tremor took over the ship Catherine was fighting on, with Vlad disappearing from her side, seeing a shadowy figure as it was moving toward the burning Flagship.

On the other hand, on the Flagship the fate of the pirates was sealed in Dalyon's hands, with only an individual remaining that attracted his curiosity, in the Captain of those attacking Pirates, who was faring from Migas Archipelago.

This pirate who was rendered into a flay individual, akin to a pig placed on the slaughter table, was boastful, arrogant and believed he was the best, only because he had the Devil Fruit powers, someone with a decent bounty of 55.000.000 𝔅 from the words of the dying man.

"How could a person like you exist? What Devil Powers are those? Black Wings? Flames?"

"Ask your ancestors about the ones who ruled over them."

"NO! Don't kill me! I, John Auger, can serve under you. I will help you become a Great Pirate."

"Bad luck. Not interested."

A flaming spear appeared out of nowhere in Dalyon's hand and motioned with a piercing attack to end the clash between this pirate and himself, only to sense from his left a greater presence that he got accustomed to feel daily.

Vlad who appeared like a ghost to "save" the dying pirate who opened his eyes to see the tall, black-haired man wielding a black longsword block the flaming spear.

"I am saved?"

"Dracul, what's the meaning of this?" asked Dalyon who scared shitless the pirate who returned to his human form, appearing to be a fat man with burnt marks caused by the same Lunarian.

The pirate's expression crumbled immediately when Vlad's cold, detached voice spread around at the questioning of the white-haired one.

"I want this pig to be alive for a bit more. Don't kill him now."

"Why should I cooperate with you? Killing this Hog is something to satisfy my hunter's spirit."

"Boy, don't throw a fittle on me right now. Just listen to me, play around with this pig until I return back, afterward you can kill him for all I care."

"... It better be something worthed."

"It will lad. Besides, I will put on a good word for that girlfriend of yours when I see her on my return to the ship."

"She remained on the ship?"

"Yeah, with the rest of the noisy girls who didn't let me sleep."

"Heh, good on them."

Getting the young Lunarian to agree with him, he turned his head at the pirate who had a disgusting appearance which reminded him of some of the Boyars at his Court that were consumed by greed and gluttony beyond belief.

"Please, don't kill me. I am sorry for coming here and attacking the island. I have a family waiting for me at home."

"None of my business." added Vlad with disgust in his tone, as he departed from the burning flagship, appearing in the sky and with some ghostly movements he started flying toward his brown-black Caravel, leaving the pirate in Dalyon's hands as he started breaking his bones.

Meanwhile, Vlad ignored the maidens who accompanied Catherine and stormed over to the kitchen, looking around for any possible fruits but he had none there. Moving toward the supply room, he failed to see any fruits.

"None? Fuck, let's get to the market in this small town and buy everything they can offer me."

Creating a strong wind that almost blasted the girls on the main deck off, Adra watched with shock at Vlad who made his apparition inside the city, being able to run a distance of one km in short moments and not stopping at all from utilizing the 'Phantom Steps' he scoured all of the streets of the town until he stopped in front of a stall where an old man with crooked appearance was selling fruits.

"Where did you appeared from, young man?"

"Not important. I want to buy all of your fruits."

"... Can't do it, young man. What would I sell the rest of the people if you come to buy all my goods?"

"Does it matter? In the end its you who makes money."

"Sorry, can't do. There's a limit for each citizen so we keep steady rations, if anyone is in need, we'll help."

"Sure, be saintly and all, is all good by me. But not right now. I want to buy all of the fruits, NOW." saying that Vlad took from his pocket 50.000 𝔅 that he slapped on the counter that shook around, a clear sign that he was getting impatient.

The old man didn't look to be in any hurry and simply scoffed at that sum of money.

"You want fruits? Okay, I got you. I will give you enough for this sum of money."

"Good, now hurry up, old man."

"I can't hurry. When you get to my age, you'll understand how important it is to do things carefully and in balance."

"Old man sincerely, I didn't pay you to hear to rhetoric."

"Tch, you young people, so disrespectful nowadays. When I was at your age, I was working hard at the orchard, helping my elders with the seasonal picking."

Vlad, who was clearly not in the mood for any stories, and to be slowed down looked at the old man murderously, wanting to help this gentleman to ascend to heaven, yet he didn't want to sully his hands with the flesh of some foolish old man.

The feelings the old man was picking from Vlad was enough to tell him, he gives two shits about him, and only cared about the fruits, and to take revenge on this disrespectful act, he moved to open a bag with spoiled fruits, where he started throwing in the mix some fresh fruits.

'This will teach you a lesson, little shit to not act disrespectful with your elders. Now if you have a nasty diarrhea, don't come to complain to me. I told you to not rush me.'

"This is it, young man. Hope it will suffice."

Handing the bag of fruits that Vlad was weighing using his senses, he looked at the old man for a brief moment before disappearing like a ghost, which surprised the old man, who began rubbing his eyes.

"Have I began hallucinating from all the sun hitting my bald head? HEY! Shawn, did you see that disrespectful piece of shit who was all about wanting to have a fist fight with me?"

"Yeah, but I doubt you could have defeated him in a fist fight."

"Bah, I am the Island's Boxing Champion. Of course, I could defeat an foreign merchant."

"You are just an old stinky piece of bags."

"Piss off, you shit. Do you want a taste of my fists?"

"Not interested. However, you really gave him a full bag of fresh fruits?"

"As if! I've given him the bag with rotten fruits and sprinkled some fresh ones on the top layer so he doesn't tell, that I ripped him."

"Hehe, you crook. What if he complains to the Mistress?"

"Little Catherine? How could that darling be upset with me? I make sure to delight her with all the sweet fruits from the orchard. Afterall, she is working hard to keep us safe from those motherfucks coming from the north, those dirty pirates of Midas Archipelago and Norland."

Vlad was already in the air, moving toward the burning flagship of the Pirate John Auger, he wasn't aware of the actions taken by the old fruit seller, nor did he care because, after all, this was research, and adding to the mix a variety of parameters was amplifying the scope of this test.

Dropping from the sky, welcomed by the shrieks of pain released by the fat man, he stepped forward which was enough for Dalyon to stop from breaking the bones of the pirate.

"S-SAVE ME! Please! I will be your slave until my death."

"Sure, however I want to hear something from you."

"ANYTHING! Just let me go home."

"Sure. Just tell me, what the Devil Fruit you have eaten looks like, and what the name is."

"Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Wild Boar. While the fruit … YES! It was an ugly ass apricot that had a disgusting taste. It was of a brown mixt, that made me believe it was unripe, but SHIT I HAD TO EAT IT."

Vlad who heard that comment, opened his bag with fruits and screened quickly to spot if he had an Apricot, and to his relief the annoying old man placed some of them, but in his quest to find if he had the right devil fruit, he noticed that a big chunk of his fruits were rotten, but what he was mostly surprised was blackcurrant that wasn't actually "black" it had a deformed appearance with various patterns on it reminiscent to spider fangs.

"Kill him, Dalyon."

"NOOO, YOU PROMISED TO SAVE ME!"

"I never promised you anything."

Before the pirate had the chance to muster any words, his chest was stabbed by a flaming spear which took the man's life.

"It was about time. Now what are you doing by looking at that bag with fruits? Smells rotten."

"Now … I wait." added Vlad while his Observation Haki was activated and even his Echolocation was going on, it was clear to Dalyon that something important was about to happen, but he couldn't pinpoint what.

Distancing away from Vlad since he didn't like getting too close to him, he looked around to see the situation on Eleine and Catherine's battlefields which mellowed down along with a Song of Death.

As he moved away, Vlad could notice that inside the bag of fruits, one of the Apricots started pulsing without him shaking the bag of fruits, and while it initially started slowly.

It increased in intensity before stopping with the apparition of the mutations characteristic to Devil Fruits, which in turn modified the bright orange apricot into a brownish apricot with many swirls.

'A concept so mysterious yet simple to understand.'

{You still don't understand the Devil Fruit. In fact, you are far from the truth, but knowing a partial truth is enough to lead you on the right path. Now, I suggest that you keep this information to yourself because it is information people would die for.}

'I am not the type of guy to share my toys. Hah, at last, I can start my second phase of research.'

"Found what you were looking for?"

"I wish. It seems I will have to look around again like a fool."

"Heh, serve you right."