One Piece: The Sacred Tactician

Chapter 15

3rd POV

Once morning came, the Straw Hats plus Bloom quickly left the hotel they were staying at to continue on with their journey to the capital of the island. They had been walking for a while and still hadn't seen anything.
"Are we there yet?" Luffy complained. "How much longer?"
"Hold on. Let me check the map!"
"Map? When did we get a map?" Usopp wondered.
"Yesterday. Bloom bought one when she was in town." Nami answered while taking a map out of her bag. "This island had 5 major cities. Four of them are placed systematically around the island so that there is one in each direction. The capital is in the center. It looks like if we keep going North then we'll eventually hit the capital city. Right now we're right about here at the city in the South. We should reach the capital by today if all goes well."
"If?" Usopp repeated sounding a little frightened.
"There could be more animals." Robin informed him. "Maybe some so large and vicious they could tear us apart in one bite."
"Robin!! Don't say things like that!!!!" Usopp shouted at the top of his longs, his voice echoing into the mountains.
"73% chance."
"Of what?" Nami asked sounding a little bit worried.
"An avalanche." Right then the ground underneath their feet started to shake, signifying something was going to happen. All of them turned their heads up to the top of the mountain. The snow was starting to come apart and it was headed straight for them.
"Oh crap!" Zoro cursed.
"That's bad isn't it?" Luffy asked stupidly.
"Of course it is! Run!!!!" Usopp shouted and soon everyone was running for their lives with the Straw Hats minus Robin screaming their heads off.
"There's no way we can out run an avalanche!" Sanji said.
"Bloom please help us! Your our only chance!" Chopper begged.
"Run that way." She pointed perpendicular to the avalanche.
"But that's not running away from it at all."
"There is a 42% chance we will escape going that way." She explained to them and that was all the reason Usopp needed.
"That way it is!!" Usopp was the first to run in that direction soon followed by the rest. Once they were safely away from danger they focused on their mission.
"Oh I see. Avalanche's don't normally take up the entire mountain so running towards this direction helped us go to the safe space where the snow wouldn't reach us."
"Thank you so much Bloom." Chopper cried at her feet.
"I don't care what anyone says. Your word is law!" Usopp cried as well hugging her leg.
"A brilliant beauty! Ah, Bloom-swan~!"
"Which way?" She asked ignoring their compliments and crying.
"Well we can't exactly go that way anymore so we'll have to go this way." She pointed in the direction they needed to go and that's what they did. After some time they reached a small village.
"Food!!!" Luffy shouted trying to run off but Nami held him back.
"Slow down would you! We don't have time for stops like these! Let's make this a quick trip."
"Someone's already missing." Usopp deadpanned and Nami whipped her head around quickly realizing the one who had left was Bloom of all people. She looked around and found the marine looking at the shops with wooden plates on the windows showing their out of business. She also seemed to be watching something. An interaction between some people.
"When did she get there!?!?" Nami exclaimed.
"Nami! Let's eat!"
"Fine." The woman sighed releasing Luffy.
"Yay! Bloom! Come on let's get some food!" Luffy yelled grabbing the girl's wrist and pulling her to the nearest restaurant they found. They made this trip as short as possible seeing as they were on a time crunch. As soon as they finished their meal they left again. As they walked they came upon a battlefield. Or it is more accurate to say that this battle had already ended. All that was left were helmets and swords on the ground. Some bodies were buried by the snow. It was a depressing sight. And a sign that things were getting worse. They needed to get to the capital quickly. A few hours had passed and all they did was trek through the cold snow until finally they had arrived at the capital of the island. Their destination.
"Finally! We're here!" Luffy grinned up at the castle.
"It's huge!" Chopper and Usopp awed.
"Big castle means big reward!" Nami cheered beli signs in her eyes.
"Oi! What are you thinking about?"
"It's different from Vivi-chan's castle." Sanji noted right before Bloom started walking the steps up to the castle.
"Hey! Wait for us!!" Luffy shouted following behind her. The girl finally came to a stop at the entrance where the guards pointed their swords at Luffy's neck since he was the first to reach the top.
"State your business."
"I am Marine Captain Bloom. I was tasked to come to this island and assist your king in quenching the rebellion." She introduced stepping out from behind Luffy. The two men both fell silent expect for the silent gasps that left their lips when they gazed at her.
"What's going on?" Chopper asked jumping on her shoulder.
"I don't know...." Usopp replied sticking his head out from behind her. Both of the guards seemed shocked but at the same time in awe of the woman in front of them.
"Step aside." She ordered and the two men quickly snapped awake from their trance.
"O-Of course!" They stuttered moving away and even going as far as to open the doors for her.
"That was too easy." Usopp and Nami deadpanned.
"More perverts." Zoro scoffed.
"Are you trying to say something?" Sanji growled.
"Alright Bloom! Way to go!"
"That's quite a skill you have." Robin giggled.
"What would you like M-Miss Bloom?"
"I need to see the king."
"Right this way! I'll take you!" One of the guards answered quickly. He took them to the king's chamber. It was a large room with a throne at the very end. The person seated their seemed to be only around 20 years old.
"You're Marine Captain Bloom? As in the Sacred Tactician?" The man asked a little awed by the girl in front of him.
"Are you the king?" Luffy asked rudely.
"Don't say it like that!!!" Nami and Usopp shouted at him.
"The people behind you don't seem like marines."
"They are pirates." She told him and the man froze.
"You didn't need to tell him that!!"
"Pirates!? You brought pirates here!?" The king exclaimed and then a strange silence fell between them. A few seconds passed. He waited for Bloom to explain as any normal person would have but she just continued to stare at him.
"Ummm.....can you explain why...?" He asked with a nervous smile.
"They kidnapped-."
"Ahh!! It's a very long story, your majesty!!" Nami interrupted with a nervous smile covering Bloom's mouth.
"We're only here to help!" Usopp added with the same smile.
"I see. Well, if you really are the Sacred Tactician as you say you are than you should be able to help. I'm not sure if you know how this war started...."
"I was only to read a few pages on this war." Bloom responded dropping Nami's hand.
"I took the throne a year ago after my father had passed away of an illness. As you can tell I am fairly young and I don't know much of my duties. The nobles saw this as a chance to seize power from me. Every day that passes more and more of our soldiers switch to their side. It's gotten to the point where I have no idea on how large their army is. That is why I called on the World Government for help. I thought you could help me win this war but if you are all there is, then it is hopeless. I need an army. The rebels are nearing the castle. They will be here soon I'm sure. The Royal army is trying to hold them back as much as they can but I know they can't succeed."
"You're in quite the dilemma." Robin said.
"Yes. But now that we have the Sacred Tactician, I'm sure that we can win somehow." The man smiled. "Please tell me what you need and I will help you! We have some soldiers still here. You can speak when the generals and-."
"Take me to the library." She interrupted and the King paused blinking his eyes a few times as if he misheard.
"To the library?" He repeated. "Don't you need to speak with the generals?"
"Are you sure this is a good idea Bloom?" Nami asked.
"Take me to the library."