One Piece: The Sacred Tactician

Chapter 17

3rd POV

"Your mission is complete? You can't mean...." Usopp trailed with wide eyes. They had all been let out of their cells and were just walking through the dungeons to make it to ground level again. "Oi! Bloom! Stop and explain would you! This makes no sense!"
"Their should be no confusion. I was ordered to win this war. I never fail to complete my missions. That is all."
"That is not all!" Usopp yelled. "We lost! Don't tell me you had another plan!"
"Hey Bloom. We're all a little confused here. Can you please explain what happened?" Nami begged. "Who is this man? He doesn't look like a marine."
"He's a Royal soldier I ordered to work as a spy."
"When did you do that?" Chopper asked.
"In the city we first went to. There were a few royal soldiers."
"I didn't even notice..." Nami awed with wide eyes.
"I contacted one. In order to win a war you need to know the enemy. Because you kidnapped me before I could read the report I wasn't adequately prepared. I order him to sneak into the rebel army and inform me on their numbers and movements."
"You've been preparing for this war since the moment you landed here...." Nami said a little amazed. To all of them it didn't look like Bloom was doing much, but since they had come to this island, she had planning and they didn't notice.
"That doesn't explain how you won." Zoro said crossing his arms. "What were you doing in the library the whole time?"
"Studying and devising a plan to win. In the last town we visited shops we visited their was a noble their and not too far away from their was a battle ground. That meant the Rebels would attack soon. I approximated about a day."
"And that's what happened." Usopp nodded following along with the story so far.
"While in the library I spoke with my spy and the marines...."
"The marines!?" Sanji exclaimed. "But there wasn't a single marine in sight. It was just us."
"Because I ordered them to stay hidden. Their would have been a 24% chance of victory if we fought with them at that time."
"But why?" Chopper asked.
"Unlike the people of this island, the marines aren't as adopt to the cold. They don't know the terrain and they were unprepared for a battle. This puts them at disadvantage. So I ordered them to disguise themselves as villagers. Then the rebel army came..."
"And that's when you finally came out." Nami recalled thinking back to what happened just yesterday. Bloom had only come of the library and she was giving out orders to everyone devising a plan, or that's what they thought. "I don't get it though. Was the plan you made just a fake?"
"It was all part of my strategy. The plan I devised was a disguise of the real one. I came up with a strategy which I knew would ultimately led to failure. I used you seven in order to get the enemy to believe that I was fighting to the best of my ability."
"Oi! You used us!?" Usopp yelled.
"Calm down Usopp! Let her finish." Sanji said.
"After they captured us, is when my real plan began. While we were in prison the nobles set an execution date for the king. All of them would gather their as well as their top leaders. I had the marines stationed their as well in disguise and before the king was executed, they stopped them." She played the scene out in her mind. Right from when the king was strung up on the gondola to the hidden marines pointing their guns and swords at everyone their before the execution.
"But you were in the cell while all that was happening so how did you do all that?" Nami asked.
"These are instruction I gave them before the fighting began." She answered and all of them gasped with surprise.
"That's amazing...." Nami awed.
"You really do live up to your reputation. To think that you predicted all of this before the battle even began. You ended a war in just two days." Robin complimented.
"I only did my job."
"Is it really that amazing?" Luffy asked confused.
"She basically just predicted the future!!" Usopp yelled pointing at Bloom.
"You can see in the future!!! That's so cool!!!" Chopper and Luffy both cheered stars in their eyes.
"It's not-."
"Who's gonna walk through that door?!" Luffy asked pointing at the door.
"The marines." She answered and literally a few seconds later the marines came out the door.
"You were right!! That's so cool!!"
"It's only probability. I can't see in the future."
"But thats still so cool!!" They cheered.
"Well, it's still pretty impre....." Slowly Usopp got quieter with sweat running down his face when he actually realized who walked through those doors. It wasn't just one marine, it was a group of them. "The marines!!?!" The man jumped in the air before high behind Zoro.
"Just great. Do we have to fight them all?" Zoro asked placing his hands on his sword.
"Bloom-swan stay behind me."
"She's a marine did you forget?" Nami asked.
"Oh yeah."
"Captain!" The marines yelled rushing right to her. "Your plan was a success. We detained all of the nobles and the leaders!"
"Okay. Allow the king to detain them. Squad's 3 and 4 need to go Snowfall City to capture the remaining soldiers." She started giving out her orders to the rest of her marines and they ran out to follow them. The other just awed at her.
"Bloom! Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused me?" A new voice asked stopping in front of her.
"Who's this?" Usopp wondered.
"Vice Admiral Cancer."
"Vice Admiral Cancer!?!?"
"I can't believe this. Is it true? We're you kidnapped?" Cancer asked.
"Yes."
"Oi!! Stop saying that!!" Usopp yelled and then quickly covered his mouth. The Vice Admiral raised his brow looking over at the Straw Hats.
"Interesting. So those must be the Straw Hats I heard about. Well, as long as they give you up then there won't be any problem."
"Are you trying to take Bloom?" Luffy asked challenging the man with a glare.
"Of course. She's the marine's treasure."
"I've already decided that she's going to be in my crew."
"Your crew?" He repeated sounding a little astonished.
"Shh!! Don't say things like that!" Usopp whispered.
"Bloom. Let's go. Your mission is over." Cancer started to walk away however he soon noticed that she wasn't following him. The man turned his head and found her staring at the Straw Hats. "Bloom? Your being called back to Headquarters. Let's go."
"Okay." She nodded finally following behind him.
"Bloom!" Luffy called seriously and she paused in her steps. "I want you to join my crew."
"I am a marine."
"I don't care. I want you to join my crew."
"I cannot. I am a marine. I'm not allowed to become a pirate."
"I don't care!! Stop saying that! Tell me what you want!!!"
"Want?" She repeated softly. Cancer stood right next to her a little intrigued and a little confused. Bloom always did her job with no hesitation. She never thought over things. Yet right now, she seemed to be struggling.
"Bloom I have new instructions for you.... I want you to....capture the Straw Hats. Cancer leaned down, placing his hands on her shoulders and whispering into her ear but they all heard. Right then all the marines left in the castle turner their weapons towards the Straw Hats.
"This isn't good." Zoro cursed.
"Are we going to fight?" Robin asked crossing her hands.
"Bloom." Chopper called sadly.
"Bloom! No more excuses!! Tell me right now what you want!!"
"You are a marine. You're duty is to us. That is your life. That is what you were made for. That is why you were kept alive."
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!" Luffy yelled at the top of his lungs. "Stop saying that!!! Bloom isn't just a marine so stop saying that's all her life is worth!!"
"Listen kid...you don't know anything about her past at all. We saved her life therefore she needs pay her due. We're the only ones that actually cared about her. Her parents were alcoholics that didn't give a shit about what happened to her. She no friends or family. She was always alone. And when pirates burned her island she was the only smart enough to hide and survive. That's when we found her and raised her to what she is today. Do you understand now? We are all she has."
"Stop lying! You guys don't care about her at all! You only want to use her as a tool!!" Nami yelled back.
"And you don't? I'm sure you don't want her for her personality."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Nami asked narrowing her eyes.
"You know what I mean. What makes Bloom so admired is her brain. She is brilliant, a genius like no other."
"That's not true at all."
"Really?" Cancer asked raising a brow.
"She's a baby." Nami started. "She doesn't know anything. Everything we learn as a child, she doesn't know." The ginger haired female gazed at the ground remembering the moments she had with Bloom. The way she wrapped a scarf around around her head, the way she got confused when everyone laugh, how she didn't understand embarrassment, how did she didn't have manners. "She doesn't know anything that matters because you guys didn't care about her in the slightest bit. I don't think she even understands what emotions are. You say you care but you don't!"
"To think you would treat a lady in such a way...it makes me so mad I can feel my blood boil!"
"Is this really the business of Pirate low lives such as yourself. We would never let you take Bloom."
"Bloom! If you really want use to leave then we will leave forever but if you want to come with us then say it!! We'll fight through all the marines because your our nakama!!!!!" Luffy shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Nakama?" She repeated confused. "A friend? What is that?" The girl asked herself and her mind seemed to answer the question for her. Suddenly it just all came to her. Every moment she had spent with them. The adventure, the laughs, the fun. She remembered it all. They were so unique and different. And they brought things into her she never really felt before. Things she didn't understand.
"BLOOM!!!!!" Luffy shouted and the girl picked her head up tears rolling down her emotionless eyes.
"What is this?" She asked touching her cheeks confused. "I do not understand....my functions should be normal."
"Say it!! Say you want to stay with us!!"
"I want....." the girl trailed shutting her eyes tightly to try and stop the tears. "I want.... I want to go with you...." she finally said and suddenly everything changed. Smiles came to all of their faces because now they had a reason to fight.
"Then let's go!!"