MARINE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE

VALERIS ISLAND HQ - ARCHIVES

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE

CASE NO. 2306-4837

LETTER OF MEDICAL NECESSITY

SUBMITTED BY

MINERVA THERESE AURYN, M.D., Ph.D

Attending Physician & Senior Researcher

Wildcrest Regional Medical Center

Willow Island Outpost

[REDACTED], 1518

PATIENT: STYNARD JASHA

DATE OF BIRTH: [REDACTED], 1498

DIAGNOSIS: [REDACTED]

RANK: LIEUTENANT

MARINE CODE: 379263

Vice Admiral Tsuru:

I am writing on behalf of my patient, Stynard Jasha, to request a military leave of absence beginning [REDACTED] and ending [REDACTED], 1518. I have been treating the lieutenant since the Seiki Island incident on [REDACTED], 1517, and am expected to remain on this case for the foreseeable future in accordance with [REDACTED]'s recommendation. I am sure that you and Admiral Kuzan were made aware of the various complications in this case in Dr. Hussock's earlier letter. Based on these complications, I believe that a minimum two-month leave is medically necessary and appropriate for my patient. During this time, the lieutenant will undergo counseling and further treatment at our facilities in Wildcrest.

The attached documents provide information about the lieutenant's medical history and diagnosis, and a statement summarizing my treatment rationale. On behalf of my patient, I am requesting approval for use and subsequent payment for the treatment and associated travel expenses.

Signed,

MINERVA T. AURYN, M.D., Ph.D.

──────────────────

ENTRY 01

[REDACTED], 1518

This is only my first entry so I want to keep it short.

My headache is getting worse & I'm hardly in the mood to write. Don't even see the point in this exercise anyways. But Dr. Minerva says it may help in tracking my progression. (or regression. depends on how you look at it) May as well humor her to keep her off my case.

It isn't as if I'll have anything better to do here anyways.

'One memory a day at a bare minimum' is what she said...

We'll see how long we can keep this up.

May as well start off easy and go with what's most recent.

The more recent, the easier. At least for now.

I arrived last night. Wildcrest Island - West Blue. This is to be my 'home' for the next couple of weeks.

I've never been stationed somewhere so far from HQ. It's certainly... different. Much tamer here compared to the Grand Line. Mild weather & good scenery. Normal wildlife. People are quiet & keep to themselves.

It's peaceful too. Speaking to some of the guys at the tavern, I learned that apparently it's been close to four years since the last pirate raid.

Not weeks or months.

YEARS

That would be unthinkable in the Grand Line.

I think the Medical Center here has a great deal to do with it. The civilians seem very thankful that it was moved here. Makes sense. I guess it's the next best thing to a base in terms of security. There's a constant flow of Navy ships coming in and out, bringing in the sick and injured to be treated. Plenty of Marines coming and going. The local government even approved the Navy to conduct battle simulations offshore. Reminds me a lot of home.

Speaking of which, I got a call from Ignas soon after I arrived. He's already been selected for another mission. This time under Admiral Sakazuki. No surprises there.

Crazy guy. I have no doubt he could overtake Anson's rank in a year or two if he set his mind to it.

It's getting dark outside already. I'd wanted to go for a walk but I guess I can go in the morning.

It feels very strange. Not having to follow the usual routine. Being alone for once.

It's relieving in a way. Revolting in others.

I have a clear view of the ocean from my window.

It makes me feel sick, looking at the waves for too long.

I don't really know what else to write. What else Dr. Minerva expects me to write.

Dreams? Fears?

Goals?

Fantasies?

What is this even. A fucking child's diary? I don't know.

A part of me feels foolish for doing this. I̶s̶ i̶n̶s̶u̶l̶t̶e̶d̶ a̶ b̶e̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ w̶o̶r̶d̶?̶ Like I've fallen for an elaborate joke.

Don't know how to describe it but sometimes I resent Dr. Minerva for it. Dr. Hussock used to be the same way.

Treating me with kid gloves a̶s̶ i̶f̶ I̶'m̶ s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ b̶r̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ n̶e̶e̶d̶s̶ t̶o̶ b̶e̶ f̶i̶x̶e̶d̶.

Like a child. Even a complete basket case.

I feel fine though. I AM fine.

If something is wrong with me, then that would mean something has been wrong with me my entire life.

But then again

maybe that's why it's so frightening.

b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ w̶h̶o̶ w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ e̶v̶e̶r̶ w̶a̶n̶t̶ t̶o̶ a̶d̶m̶i̶t̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶

well

I can't argue with them.

Faye wouldn't be so happy if she knew I was in this sort of headspace. Then again it's not like I'll ever let her see any of this.

Her or anybody else. It'd be too embarrassing.

I̶ d̶o̶n̶'t̶ k̶n̶o̶w̶ 

 s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶i̶m̶e̶s̶ i̶ t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶ o̶f̶-̶

I should stop worrying so much, that's what it is.

There's no point to it. If I'm doing anything wrong Dr. Minerva will set me straight and that's that.

She's the only one left here who still puts up with me. Who sees me as someone who's worth advocating for. I know that and I should be grateful.

It's infinitely more than what I deserve.

My head still hurts but its getting better now. The medicine must be working.

May as well get some reading done before I go back to sleep.

ENTRY 02

[REDACTED], 1518

I've been here for a little over a week now. Admittedly not doing the best keeping up with these entries. But I've been keeping myself busy the best I can.

Aside from the headaches and lack of sleep, I feel physically fine. Must be the air & exercise. (not so much the food. That's only passable) There is a training facility here which all Marine patients have permission to access. I didn't bother at first because Dr. Minerva advised against it. But eventually I just. gave into my boredom I guess. Started going the last few days. Got to meet and talk to a few other regulars which was cool.

It has helped actually. Building a sense of normalcy again.

I feel better than when I first arrived, that's for sure. The medicine must also be very effective.

I go in for another appointment tomorrow. Dr. Minerva wants to discuss some test results with me

but,

b̶y̶ n̶o̶w̶ I̶'v̶e̶ g̶i̶v̶e̶n̶ u̶p̶ o̶n̶ h̶a̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ a̶n̶y̶ s̶o̶r̶t̶ o̶f̶ e̶x̶p̶e̶c̶t̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ f̶o̶r̶ m̶y̶s̶e̶l̶f̶.

It's always better to be pleasantly surprised than disappointed.

ENTRY 03

[REDACTED], 1518

Sometimes it pisses me off when she yells at me like she did last time

because it almost comes across as performative

MANIPULATIVE

like she wants to guilt-trip me into doing whatever she says.

But that must be because there is something wrong with me. No, I KNOW there is something wrong with me.

I always feel shitty about it afterwards too. All it takes is some time to put everything into perspective. Remembering how long I've been under Dr. Minerva's care & how invested she must have gotten in my case. Because I'm such a selfish asshole, I forget that she's another human being who is allowed to express her emotions like everyone else.

Dr. Minerva is just doing her best & it fucking hurts that I keep causing her so much trouble.

I am only getting frustrated because I can't stand to see her so upset.

I don't want her to be disappointed in me.

I̶ w̶o̶n̶'t̶ d̶i̶s̶a̶p̶p̶o̶i̶n̶t̶ h̶e̶r̶. 

 M̶a̶y̶b̶e̶ i̶f̶ I̶ j̶u̶s̶t̶

Faye, Ignas.

Anson too

I just don't want to be a burden to them anymore. That's why I agreed to come here. So I can get better & move on with my life. Then they won't have to worry so much anymore.

Dr. Minerva understands this. She is the only doctor who bothered to stick around after the Seiki disaster. The only one who gave a failure like me a second chance. I don't know why - I'll NEVER understand why - but I'll forever be grateful.

She says she's always seen the potential in me. She thinks that once I get over this, I could easily prove myself to the top brass. Earn my way up to a rear admiral. No, even a vice admiral rank or a ministerial position in the World Government.

No, I'm not joking. These are all things she told me with a straight face. She truly believes it too. Believes in me.

But I don't get why someone as intelligent as her could have such expectations. Never could. Even back when everyone was telling me the same sort of bullshit back in the Academy. It doesn't make sense to me. Having a knack for strategy will only get you so far. There are so many other qualities that go into shaping a good leader.

I̶ u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ I̶ w̶i̶l̶l̶ n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ b̶e̶ l̶i̶k̶e̶ I̶g̶n̶a̶s̶ o̶r̶ A̶n̶s̶o̶n̶. A̶n̶d̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶'s̶ f̶i̶n̶e̶. 

 A̶s̶ l̶o̶n̶g̶ a̶s̶ I̶'m̶ i̶n̶ a̶ p̶o̶s̶i̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ w̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ I̶ c̶a̶n̶ s̶u̶p̶p̶o̶r̶t̶ a̶ q̶u̶i̶e̶t̶, p̶e̶a̶c̶e̶f̶u̶l̶ l̶i̶f̶e̶ f̶o̶r̶ m̶y̶s̶e̶l̶f̶ a̶n̶d̶ F̶a̶y̶e̶, I̶ w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ b̶e̶ c̶o̶n̶t̶e̶n̶t̶.

Dr. Minerva says that she has always understood me better than anyone else. But whenever she gets like this, I get scared that she may be deluding herself, putting all her hopes in a version of 'me' that doesn't exist.

A 'me' that I will never be able to live up to.

But even if I did

even if I were to try

even if I were to succeed

then I would no longer be myself anymore... right?

──────────────────

Law appeared visibly annoyed as he unlocked the door to his office and motioned his visitors to come inside. Himuro followed him without hesitation, with Arisa reluctantly trailing at his heels.

She was familiar with the surgeon's office at this point, having attended several meetings with the Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo over the course of the voyage to discuss the alliance. Like the rest of the compartments in the Polar Tang, the room was economically sized and only furnished minimally with two bookcases, several cabinets, a desk, and three chairs. An oaken coat stand was propped on one side of the desk, where a spare hat and lab coat were left hanging. On the other side, there was a life-sized model of a human skeleton (at least, Arisa assumed it was only a model). A small porthole was visible above the desk, serving as a source of illumination during surface transit. Otherwise, a lamp at the center of the ceiling sufficed.

Law made a beeline to his desk, propping his nodachi against the rack and tossing down Hachinobe Tatsusada's case file atop a pile of other papers.

"You better make this quick," he said, turning and leaning against the desk with folded arms and narrowed eyes. "What's the matter?"

Himuro had been staring distrustfully up at the skeleton model. He visibly jolted at Law's impatient tone.

"Ah? Sorry, what were you saying?" Warily, he sank down into the chair and let out a small self-deprecating laugh. "Jeez, you're not gonna offer me tea or anything?"

Law did not look amused. For a split second, his eyes flicked down to the patient file. Reading the impatience in his features, Arisa let out a small sigh and pulled up the spare chair next to Himuro

"What took you so long?" she asked sharply. "Shiori said it'd take you a couple hours to make the evaluation, not overnight!"

Though she pointedly refrained from mentioning just how many times Law had broken his quarantine since their last meeting, she was peeved that Himuro had taken so long to come back with an answer regarding the surgeon's abnormal Kyōki signature. Had he just given the okay for Law to be able to come ashore, that would have saved her a whole lot of stress.

It didn't help that her patience was already stretched thin from what had transpired this morning.

"Yeah. About that..." Himuro scrunched up his face into a grimace. "Well, a lot's happened since then. I did get his results, but then I had to run back to the shrine to consult the lord, we had to call an emergency council with the elders -"

"Wait, what? An emergency meeting?" Arisa stiffened in alarm. "Why?"

So is it actually a yōkai possession?

Law broke in before her thoughts could spiral any further. He narrowed his eyes at Himuro.

"So you've completed your evaluation then?"

"Er..." Himuro cleared his throat. "Yes, but -"

"Alright, good. So then what's wrong with me?"

Arisa turned expectantly to Himuro. The latter sank into thought, before slumping his shoulders with a defeated sigh.

"Ugh... maybe it'll be better if he just explains it from the beginning," he muttered beneath his breath, digging around in his haori and retracting a miniature Transponder Snail. "Just one second. Sorry."

Law maintained his skeptical expression, eventually going over and taking a seat in his desk chair as Himuro fidgeted with the dials on the Snail. Arisa watched on with growing concern. Exactly what was he planning on doing?

The Snail coughed out its custom "Ga-cha" sound after just a single ring, its face morphing to effectuate a familiar scrunched expression.
"Hello?" Hokyū's voice called out.

Arisa narrowed her eyes in growing suspicion. Why had Himuro phoned the main shrine? Did that... She shot a hasty glance over to the scowling Law. Could it possibly mean that-...?

"Hokyū-dono? It's me. Himuro." The young man leaned back in his chair, tapping nervously on his knee with the forefinger of his free hand. "Can you, uh, can you tell the lord that I have them both on the line? Ah, Chidori-dono and the.... er, pirate?"

"Oh yes. Of course. One moment, please."

There was a brief pause during which only the muted sound of footsteps and rattling doors punctuated the silence. Presently, the Transponder Snail's face changed to imitate another familiar set of features as Hokyū handed the receiver over to someone else.

"Chidori-dono, are you there?" Uzuki Misokatsu's gravelly voice sounded over the line.

"Uncle!" Arisa flew to her feet and hurriedly bowed her head in greeting with Himuro.

"...why are you bowing to a snail?" she heard Law mutter beneath his breath.

"Because it's the lord, you dummy!" Himuro hissed, piercing the surgeon with a warning glare. He leaned over and plunked the Snail down at the corner of the desk for the best vantage point. "Now you bow too - this is the lord and founder of Amenoka-ji we're talking about! Give your respects!"

Law shot him a strange look and merely folded his arms as he sank further back in his chair.

The Snail's eyes flickered over to the surgeon.

"You are the Surgeon of Death, I presume?" Misokatsu asked dryly.

"In the flesh," Law answered, voice brisk. "What do you want?"

Arisa and Himuro both cringed at his blunt delivery, but Misokatsu's expression remained unchanged.

"Himuro-dono must not have broken the news to you yet."

"I haven't yet, my lord," Himuro supplied. "I ah, I figured it'd be best if they heard it from you directly-"

"I wish you'd all quit pattering around the subject and just get to the point already," Law interjected coolly with another glance at Tatsusada's file.

"Trafalgar!" Arisa admonished, mortified.

"What? I have other things to attend to!" The surgeon directed his frown to the Transponder Snail. "So this has to do with Himuro-ya's evaluation, I'm assuming?"

"Correct," Misokatsu answered. He paused for a moment. "You certainly were right about there being an abnormality, Chidori-dono."

Arisa swallowed, noting Himuro's grave expression with rising anxiety. Surely that didn't bode well.

"So is it a possession?" she asked slowly.

"That was my concern based on a cursory reading," Himuro answered with a quick, scared glance over to Law. "But after probing the matter further... I came to a very different conclusion."

"Chidori-dono." Arisa straightened in her seat when the Snail's eyes riveted over to her. "How much does Trafalgar know about Kyōki?"

"What... do you mean by how much?" Arisa shot a nervous look over to the frowning Law. "I mean, he knows that it exists, of course, but..."

Indeed, beyond the bare bone basics, Kyōki had indeed been one area she had remained intentionally vague about to the Heart Pirates, for obvious reasons. It didn't matter that they were in an alliance - this was simply a matter of historical precedence.

Secrecy was absolutely vital when it came to safeguarding knowledge in Kyōki-based combat. That much was a matter of survival, since most Kyōgui were defeated solely via an element of surprise. If an enemy were to learn a yōgari's specialized technique, that would provide them with a lethal advantage in a one-on-one battle.

"So am I correct in assuming he knows nothing about extrinsic and spectral wielding?"

Really? Arisa couldn't help but scoff a little as she shook her head. Did her uncle take her to be a fool?

Law spoke up before she had a chance to verbally respond.

"You are," he said, sounding mildly peeved. "Because this is the first time I'm hearing about it. What are you trying to get at?"

Misokatsu nodded.

"If you'll allow me to explain -"

"Wait, wait wait!" Arisa broke in frantically. "Uncle, stop for a second!"

"Chidori-dono," Himuro began.

"No, seriously!" Arisa insisted, unheeding to the scowl of confusion Law shot her way. "Uncle... are you sure that this is a good idea?"

She couldn't believe her ears, because what Misokatsu was about to do was unprecedented. Even if Law couldn't use or sense Kyōki himself, he was still an outsider at the end of the day - not to mention a well-traveled pirate. It wouldn't be completely unreasonable to posit that whatever sensitive information they told him now would have a worrying chance of leaking to the outside world.

"Chidori-dono," Himuro repeated. His frowning visage was an unnerving contrast to his usual puerile demeanor. "You're just gonna have to trust us on this."

Law remained taciturn, glancing between them repeatedly, seemingly hanging on to every word in the exchange.

"I don't understand why any of this is necessary," Arisa argued, shaking her head. "He isn't Kyōki-sensitive -"

"Well at this point, we may very well consider him to be!"

Himuro's outburst had both the pirate and yōkai hunter freezing in shock.

"...what?"

"Arisa," Misokatsu said, letting out a heavy sigh. She immediately stiffened, a deep sense of foreboding welling at the back of her mind. Her great uncle never called her by her given name - not since she became a yōkai hunter. "Listen to me. The readings Himuro extracted from his Vivre Card aren't due to a yōkai possession or any other external factors."

The Snail's calculating eyes riveted to lock gazes with the Surgeon of Death.

"The abnormalities in your Kyōki signature are occurring because the soul relic of a primordial yōkai was bound to the Devil Fruit you ate.

"In essence, your Kyōki profile has been altered such that you no longer are registering as human."

──────────────────

There were a variety of different ways through which a human could obtain yōkai abilities. The first and most obvious method - through the consumption of foreign Kyōki - was highly dangerous and resulted in the user's transformation to a yōkai hybrid. This was the route taken by the Kyōgui. Such a method would invariably result in the elevation of the user's intrinsic Kyōki levels which could be allocated towards combat, but it also invariably carried the downside of said user's faculties being degraded over time. This only made sense, as non-yōkai were not naturally evolved to handle Kyōki. Even if a hybrid were to evade slaughter at the hands of a yōgari, their final fate remained cemented in permanent derangement.

The time it took for a Kyōgui to ultimately succumb to insanity was a mystery of its own. For some, it took mere weeks. For others, decades. There were even multiple records which referenced certain hybrids who purportedly survived as long as multiple centuries, though of course, the veracity of such accounts were dubious at most, having occurred so long ago. The prevailing theory was that the strength of the user's Haki was the key contributor to survival. Unfortunately, it then followed that such a stringent selection pool ensured an ironclad robustness of the species.

In other words, Kyōgui who managed to last long enough to make it onto the human radar could be assumed to be monstrously formidable opponents.

Another method to utilizing yōkai abilities was through a technique generally termed spectral wielding by Kyōki users. Though technically less consistent than direct Kyōki consumption, it was considered the safer option and thus the primary means of combat for the yōgari of the exiled clan remnants. The principle was simple. The amount of Kyōki energy generated by a non-yōkai was considered much too minute to be able to reproduce the phenomena yōkai were typically capable of. Simultaneously, the average human was incapable of handling the amount of intrinsic Kyōki necessary to imitate yōkai abilities without risking insanity.

The solution lay in the concept of spectral or untethered Kyōki. Whereas normal Kyōki referred to the chaotic living energy present in Kenkai, the visible earthly realm, spectral Kyōki was present in Reikai, the spectral domain which was said to exist in parallel with Kenkai. The common belief was that all yōkai originated in Reikai, while non-yōkai species - animals and all humanoid races included - were native to Kenkai. The living energy predominant in each realm corresponded to the species which originated there. Thus, Haki manifested in surplus in Kenkai, while the same went for Kyōki in Reikai.

Spectral wielding referred to a subset of Kyōki techniques in which yōkai hunters channeled spectral Kyōki directly from the spirit plane to fuel their attacks. Unlike extrinsic wielding, which merely utilized residual Kyōki from the surrounding environment, spectral techniques utilized Kyōki levels high enough to be able to imitate a yōkai's signature abilities. The biggest downside, of course, was durability. A yōgari had to be mindful not to overextend their attacks, as channeling profuse levels of spectral Kyōki indeterminately carried the same risk of insanity as direct consumption did. Keeping your spectral abilities activated for too long ensured your eventual transformation into a Kyōgui.

At Amenoka-ji, screening and training for this technique started at a young age. A student would typically spend hundreds of hours mastering every single facet in extrinsic Kyōki manipulation before he or she would be permitted to proceed to the spectral-level techniques. Meanwhile, it was the job of both the Seers and instructors at the shrine to gauge the student's intrinsic Kyōki profile and identify which species of yōkai was the most compatible with said signature. Once a good match was made, the students would then move on to develop their individualized fighting styles which utilized said yōkai's abilities. Other clan remnants followed the same sort of curriculum with varying degrees of alteration. At Tenkū-jō, for instance, children would be assigned to an older mentor who specialized in the same yōkai type - for instance, a kitsune-type student would get a kitsune-type mentor. This allowed for a standardization of techniques of sorts, which was ideal from a teaching and evaluation standpoint, but carried on the heightened risk of unintended disclosure to the Kyōgui.

These two routes - intrinsic Kyōki consumption and spectral wielding - were the most conventional approaches, as their mechanisms had been well studied and optimized amongst Kyōki users over the past generations.

However, there was also a third way - one that was so obscure that many throughout the exiled clan remnants considered it to be a waste of time to consider studying in depth.

This was the method of soul preservation.

It had always been understood that whenever an ordinary yōkai perished, its intrinsic Kyōki would passively be transmuted into the surrounding energy, where it would await consumption by other yōkai or Kyōgui. Free of outside intervention, this was the natural process. However, it was still very much possible for a skilled Kyōki user to capture and seal essential artifacts of a dying yōkai's soul into vessels for safekeeping, whether said vessels be an inanimate object or another living being. The yōkai's abilities could then later be revived when all of its known relics were reunited in the same vessel.

Soul preservation had been humanity's primitive answer to combat the Kyōgui in ancient times, though by the time of the Great Culling it had largely grown out of fashion among the aristocratic yōgari class. This was due to many reasons.

First, it was exceedingly difficult to find a living vessel whose Kyōki profile was compatible with that of all the necessary artifacts for a successful revival. The process was very much akin to finding an organ donor in that respect. This meant that your pool of existing yōgari would decrease significantly.

Secondly, it didn't make sense to go through all the effort to preserve the abilities of one dying yōkai - even for the sake of studying its Kyōki signature - when there were so many other ones of the same type that you could observe in its place. This went hand in hand with the third and most significant reason, which was that the discovery and advancement of spectral techniques had rendered the practice almost entirely obsolete.

In the modern day, the mere suggestion of carrying out a soul preservation on an ordinary yōkai would get you laughed out of a council. However, there was one important exception. The soul relics of now-extinct yōkai were considered priceless and highly sought after by both yōgari and Kyōgui - not only for their historical significance, but the sheer potential presented by the abilities slumbering within them.

Though Arisa wasn't well-versed in the subject, even she knew of the Primordial Beasts. Every child raised in the clan remnants knew the stories by heart. The Primordial Beasts were a class of prehistoric yōkai that were said to have prowled the earth eons ago, boasting of powers that were said to outshine even the legendary Ancient Weapons. To this very day, many of them were worshiped as gods in various civilizations for their presumed immortality. This was partially for the fact that while the last of them were said to have died out thousands of years ago, their mythical abilities had persisted over the ages via the practice of soul preservation.

Given how difficult it was to find a compatible vessel - not to mention identifying and pooling all the known relics needed to facilitate a proper revival - Primordial Awakenings were exceedingly rare. Once a century could be considered a vastly liberal estimate. Still, that had done little to satiate humanity's lust for the power associated with these artifacts. In Wano alone, much blood had been shed over squabbles for control over the few relics that were known to have emerged amongst the populace. It was even the prevailing opinion of many historians that one such relic had been the underlying cause of the first Warring States Era, the end of which was marked by the consolidation of the Kōzuki shōgunate.

Things had grown more peaceful in recent centuries, especially as advancements in spectral wielding preoccupied the ambitions of most yōgari. That wasn't to say that the higher-ups had ever completely lost sight of their project in securing a set of primordial relics for their respective clan.

And now, according to both Himuro Kōyō and Uzuki Misokatsu, one such relic had resurfaced, with the Surgeon of Death acting as the unknowing vessel.

Not just of any ancient yōkai, mind you, but of a known Primordial Beast...

"Yatagarasu," Himuro announced at the end of his exhaustive rundown. He paused to appraise his stunned audience. "That's the name of the creature whose artifact was sealed in your captain's Devil Fruit."

Yatagarasu. The Three-legged Crow. Harbinger of the Sun. One of the most well-documented and highly sought-after primordial yōkai in the clan remnants for the fact that it only consisted of three soul relics, whereas the average for Primordial Beasts was five to seven. Fewer relics meant that it was all the more easier to activate the dormant abilities, after all.

Beyond that, there was also another reason why Himuro had been able to identify the relic so easily and with such confidence. A reason Arisa was also privy to, but was reluctant to say aloud in front of everyone else.

With this latest discovery, now two of the three primordial relics of Yatagarasu were accounted for. Though the last one was still missing, Amenoka-ji had already come into possession of one artifact. That relic was currently bound to Uzuki Misokatsu himself.

Its previous vessel had been his niece and Arisa's own mother, Uzuki Towa.

"I... I don't believe it."

Ikkaku was the first to speak up. The rest of the crew - congregated in the mess hall for the impromptu meeting Law had called that afternoon - were struck speechless. Their faces depicted a wide range of emotions. Some, like Jean Bart and Bepo, looked mildly aghast. Others, like Rakko and Clione, were horror struck, their eyes bulging and their mouths ajar.

Arisa doubted that everyone could fully comprehend the reality of the situation. Even she was still left reeling from the announcement. Up to this point, she'd considered a yōkai possession to be the worst case scenario, which spoke volumes to the rarity of this outcome.

"I don't believe any of this," Ikkaku continued. She forced out a small laugh. "This has to be some sort of joke, right?"

Arisa was watching Law closely from the corner of her eye. Much unlike his immediate reaction to the news during the call with Uzuki Misokatsu, he remained frustratingly reticent as he gauged how his crew took the news.

Stirred on by Ikkaku's outburst, a few other voices had started to chime in.

"Yeah..."

"Can we really trust them?"

"This could be a trap!"

"You bastards!" Riyu blurted out, leaping to her feet before Arisa could grab ahold of her. "We're in an alliance - of course you-teia should trust us! Do you-teia really think the lord would joke about something as serious as this?!"

"How are we supposed to know?" Penguin tossed back. "We don't know him!"

"Can't you see how suspicious this seems to us?" Rakko added, shooting Arisa an apologetic look.

"Indeed," Jean Bart agreed with a doubtful glance at Himuro. "If we had something other than just your word..."

"Exactly! Give us proof!"

"Of what, Kyōki?!" Riyu bristled at Ikkaku's demand. "Why'd you even agree to this alliance if that was ever a point of contention? Plus, you've already seen us use it when we fought Reis Gavros"

"Riyu," Arisa warned.

"Yeah, well you know that's not what we're talking about!" Ikkaku retorted, narrowing her eyes. "You claimed that... what, you can emulate a yōkai's special abilities? Show us then!"

"No way! What are we, stupid?" The Mink tossed her head incredulously. "Didn't you hear what Scaredy-cat just said?"

"Hey!" Himuro protested.

Ignoring him, Riyu stabbed a finger up into the air.

"Spectral wielding is only used as a last resort against Kyōgui - that's the rule! It's way too risky for us to be giving out demonstrations willy-nilly!"

"So you're not giving us anything to go off of then." Ikkaku laughed dismissively. "Well, then how are we supposed to confirm that what you guys are saying isn't complete bullshit?"

"Again, the lord would never lie about this! Right, aneki? It's a serious matter for us too-"

Arisa rubbed her temples as Ikkaku and Riyu continued to bicker, with Himuro awkwardly trying to interject from time to time. The entire crew began to shift and murmur amongst themselves.

Finally, Shachi rose to the occasion and stood to gather everyone's attention.

"Alright, alright... All of you, that's enough! Let's slow down and think this through critically!"

"What do you think will happen to us, Captain?" Penguin asked anxiously.

All eyes turned to the surgeon. Law straightened and let out a small sigh.

"According to Misokatsu-ya, that's completely up to us," he said. A small frown tugged at the corners of his lips. "We can either choose to probe the matter further or take our chances. For the time being, he's given us permission to visit the main shrine should we seek further guidance, as vague as that sounds."

"Isn't that suspicious on its own?" Shachi asked dubiously. He turned to Himuro. "You just said that these relics are highly sought after, right? Even if we were to take you at face value with all this Kyōki talk... why is he acting so indifferent about this then? Wouldn't he want the relic for himself?"

"Keep in mind that we've already procured one artifact of Yatagarasu," Himuro promptly answered, wagging a finger. "Additionally, Amenoka-ji's chief interest is in preserving regional stability over power. The lord has never been interested in collecting the relics for an Awakening. He would prefer that they remain decentralized to preserve peace amongst the clan remnants."

The crew still appeared unconvinced - though to be frank, Arisa couldn't really blame them. It had to be at least somewhat disorienting to have so much information sprung at you so suddenly.

Secretly, she too was troubled. Though Himuro's words were genuine, it was always infuriatingly difficult to discern Uzuki Misokatsu's true intentions. Given how rare this situation was, she had no point of reference in gauging what he'd meant by guidance. Like her sister factions, Amenoka-ji primarily focused much of her time and resources on alliance building and yōkai hunting, not techniques as obsolete as soul preservation.

When was the last time the elders had dealt with a case like this, anyways? Arisa certainly couldn't remember off the top of her head. Even if Law were to opt to consult them by some miracle, what sort of input could she envision them giving?

Perhaps they would suggest a ritual to transfer vessels - much like the Osoegawa Uzuki had attempted in the Sabaody debacle close to six years ago...

Arisa hid a wince, quelling the rise of awful memories.

Don't think of that right now. Just don't...

"The obvious question to settle now," Law was saying, throwing a cursory glance her way, "is whether or not we decide to humor them."

"Humor?" Riyu repeated with a huff, narrowing her eyes.

The surgeon merely folded his arms and partially leaned his weight against one of the tables.

"Let's consider the scenario that everything Himuro-ya just said is true," he said. "That would mean that I now have a permanent target on my back, and we would have everything to gain from whatever insights Misokatsu-ya may have to offer us."

Arisa checked another sigh as he flicked his gaze towards her once more.

"The question is, does it make sense from his point of view to offer us such an advantage?"

"...you could argue that it could," Bepo relented. "There's the original alliance to consider. We agreed to help them get their Devil Fruit."

Another collective ripple of murmuring went over the Hearts as Shachi and Penguin nodded reluctantly.

"You're right," Law answered. "It isn't entirely beyond the scope of imagination. But considering the opposite case, you could say they could also have just as reasonable incentives to be deceptive. We are a Supernova crew after all."

Ikkaku was shaking her head.

"No... I say no! We shouldn't trust them with zero information. How do you know this isn't a ruse for them to take advantage of your Devil Fruit abilities, Captain?"

"It isn't-" Himuro began.

"What do you take us to be, the Kodera-Ikki?" Riyu exploded again, her fur bristling in rage as she bounced up to her feet again. "As if we would ever stoop so low!"

But the Mink's emphatic outburst only served to have a dampening effect on her audience. The Hearts glanced at one another and began to shift uneasily, looking even more unconvinced.

"Why do we always have to be the ones to stick our necks out?" Ikkaku demanded. "We already risked enough coming here!"

"Exactly!" Riyu answered. "You already took a big risk - and bam, you're here, safe and sound! Nothing's happened!"

"Yet; that's the key word." Arisa's frown deepened as Ikkaku turned her glare to her. "And it isn't as if you guys have done much to return the favor, either. Look what happened this morning!"

Arisa squinted. Now she was starting to get annoyed. Was Ikkaku really going to go there?

"This morning?" she repeated. "When you guys resorted to stalking me because your captain apparently didn't trust me enough to properly communicate?"

"Oi!" Clione protested weakly.

"That's not what I'm talking about," Ikkaku retorted, eyes flashing. "Look what happened at Dr. Yotsuji's place. You never spoke up when those assholes were spouting all those lies about Captain!"

"How could I, when I was still trying to figure out what was going on?" Arisa snapped back. "Why do you even consider that my responsibility when I'm not even in your crew?"

"Well it clearly goes to show how little you trust his abilities. I bet you secretly think like them - that Captain is a hack and a charlatan who doesn't know what the hell he's talking about! Because that's what everyone on this goddamn island thinks, isn't it?"

"I never-!"

"Just admit it! You probably think that he can't save that kid even if he tried!"

"Ikkaku!" Law said in a warning tone.

Ikkaku shook her head and leapt up to her feet, her fists braced against the table as she leaned in deliberately.

"Sorry, but I'm done pretending. I'll have you know that I had my doubts about this alliance from the very start!" she announced. "I've been keeping it to myself all this time, but now that you're asking this much of us...!" She shook her head. "Captain, how can we trust them? This is the same group that claims the Nightingale as one of their own!"

Arisa felt her blood freeze in her veins. Dread settled within her ribcage, a heavy, ponderous feeling which tugged painfully at the floorboards of her heart.

"Don't go there," she managed to get out, voice lethally quiet.

She suddenly felt very cold and - despite with so many people present - alone. This was a familiar sensation, one that transported her seamlessly back to her childhood and adolescence. She was seven years old again and on the verge of tears, kicking and thrashing against Teru's arms as Misa pointed her finger and called Mother a whore over and over and over again.

Fifteen years old. Blood coating her knuckles, bruises on her knees. Dirt smudging with angry tears on her cheeks.

She wasn't a monster like they say, Taishi. She wasn't.

She loved me, she really did...

Ikkaku's eyes blazed with fury.

"Oh, I will. I'm getting sick and tired of tiptoeing around the subject, as if you're the one who needs to be coddled about it! Why should I? For the sake of decency? When the safety of my friends is on the line?!"

Why don't they understand?

Monsters don't know how to love.

Monsters don't cry for their daughters.

"Why should we trust them, when it seems not a single person from this place has acknowledged what she did? Half an entire island's population was slaughtered. Men, women and children -"

She wasn't a monster.

She wasn't she wasn't she wasn't -

"- their blood is on her hands!" Ikkaku's voice began to shake. "And still... not even a single word from any of you?"

"That's -!"

The chair was shoved back with a harsh scraping sound as Arisa abruptly stood, cutting Riyu's rejoinder off short. A sudden chill pervaded the mess hall as she swept her gaze over the crew and captain, her expression vacant.

"You know what? Just..." She eased in a tattered breath. "...just do what you want.

"I'm done."

Translation(s):

Kitsune (狐): Fox.

Finally we get a glimpse into Jasha's POV. Any first impressions?

As for the present scene, well... can't deny that it was a long time coming. Is the alliance doomed for good? Or will they pull things together, I wonder...

Thanks for reading!

-shiba