Lia's POV;

“Do I have to come with you? I'm still somewhat sore from our trip down. I don't want to fight in a tournament, where I am not even allowed to kill my opponent.” We were in the waiting area of the arena. Josef, the only one of us who isn't interested in the tournament at all, is on our ship, someone has to guard it and Mrs Chicken Wing will fight as well. Fiara and Nojiko are sitting in the audience, cheering for us.

“Oh come on Lia, this will be fun. And who knows, maybe there are some strong fighters. Like a high subordinate of a Yonko. Marco or one from Big Mom might be here”, replied Lara enthusiastically. She was super hyper for the fights.

“Hopefully not, I don't want to die by accident, just because one of them isn't able to hold back enough”, laughed Noa weakly. There was a real possibility for such a thing to happen.

“Nah, I'm sure those New World guys won't kill you in a single attack.” Reassured Lara badly. “Anyway, Lia, are there some really strong guys?”, she then asked and I concentrated for a moment.

“A few stronger ones and also a few strong ones. The strongest is this blonde dude on the left, right next to Koala.” Huh, we haven't seen the strange girl for ages. She looks less brain dead now.

“Oh cool, Koala!”, shouted Lara and was gone in a Soru. The next moment she stood next to the girl, who was now wearing a large hat and hugged her.

“You know her?”, asked Jonny with a thump pointed at the bewildered girl.

“From before we came to the East Blue, she was a travelling companion. Lara liked her, I had little to do with her. Anyway, her blonde friend is the strongest here, she isn't nearly as strong as him, but her aura is strong enough to compare to yours. So be careful if you fight either of them”, I answered and then walked over to Lara.

I overheard the end of Lara's introduction when I was close enough. “...one of the two long-ear-humans I travelled with after Mariejois. She used my hand as a pacifier.”

“Oh, hi then. I'm Sabo”, laughed the blond with an awkward scratch on the back of his head.

“And this here is my sister Lia. You two are also participating? That will be so much fun”, laughed Lara happily. She was still hugging Koala's waist. Her hair was now looking way better than before, more feminine. And it was a nice orange. Always a good colour for hair.

“Yes, we were close”, answered Koala in a guarded tone. “By the way, weren't you two not pirates now? And even have a big bounty as well”, she then said, changing the topic back to us and away from them.

Hack, or whatever their last teammate's name was, might be close as well. They could be on a mission like they will be in Dressrosa. Hopefully, it will be a mission with lots of explosions and chaos. That would be cool.

“Yup, we don't like the Marines, as you must know. And bounty hunting is too closely bound to the World Government. So we became pirates. Or adventurers, even if both seem to be the same. We even got silly nicknames and a bounty”, answered Lara, allowing the change easily. They won't want to speak about their revolutionary activities.

“Really? I think Slicer Lara and True Shot Lia have a certain ring. They are easy to speak, or shout in the case of the Marines,” laughed Koala, her whole face scrunched up in an expression of amusement. It's hard to match this woman with the emotionally crippled child that travelled with us a few years ago.

People around us heard her and were now whispering among each other. Some not believing that we were the Slicer Lara and the True Shot Lia. Others wishing that they would not fight us or hadn't signed up, to begin with.

“Say, what are you two doing? Lia and I became pirates, last time I saw you, you were with Fisher Tiger. So what happened when we were gone?” The question was innocent enough. Lara's foreknowledge made it kinda cruel. That is if I had any sympathy for Koala.

She made a somewhat pained expression, before faking a smile. “They brought me home. I lived there for a few years and then travelled around, where I met Sabo and a few others. We are kinda like a group that protects each other from pirates and the World Government.”

She didn't lie, the Revolution is a group. Just a little bigger than your normal band of friends.

“Sounds cool. Sis says that Sabo feels really strong, not as strong as us, but well. Not everyone can be as cool as my sister and me”, laughed Lara. Koala had a wry smile and Sabo looked interested. Maybe he is thinking about recruiting us? I wouldn't mind giving them some info we come across or telling them when we have raided some Marine base again.

“Hah, no way. Sabo here is one of the strongest in our group. There is no way that someone as small as you can beat him!”, declared Koala proudly. She was gesturing to Lara's rather thin arms and then at Sabo's way more developed arms. Koala herself was taller than us, but only barely.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

A fight between them will be interesting. Sabo has his pipe slung over his back. So he will use a blunt weapon, while Lara has her sword. Or Kunai, depending on what weapon she wants to use.

Lara was about to give her Koala her own opinion on the matter when the speakers suddenly cracked from its activation. “Attention please, the first round will start in a few minutes, would the participants of group A please come to the gate!”

“That would be me and Noa,” I said and gave Lara a quick kiss before walking with Noa over to the gate.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lara's POV;

“Come, let's watch their fight”, I announced and grabbed Koala. She protested weakly but was dragged along regardless. Sabo and the others were following, with the first one laughing loudly.

The arena was somewhat similar to the Dressrosa arena. Just not made out of stone. The viewing platforms were wooden. The arena itself had a large ring of water around the fighting ground, the same as in Dressrosa, just without the deadly fishes.

“Most of them look rather weak”, noted Yosaku while sitting down. We were sitting in a section that was reserved for participants, from here we are able to easily go into the arena when it's our turn to fight.

“Yeah, there might only be four or so that look at least a little like they can fight”, agreed Sabo. Koala was on his left, with Yosaku on his right. I naturally sat right next to Koala's other side. Already having the strange desire to suckle on her hand, like in good old times.

“Say Koala, can I lick your hand?”, I asked impulsively. Sabo and Koala were looking at me with a strange expression as if they were not sure if I am sane. Which I am definitely not.

“Is she serious?”, asked Sabo in a whisper. Yosaku shrugged, not looking the least bit disturbed by my request.

“It's sis Lara we are speaking about, she once tried to learn how to swim in a pond”, he replied, “ she is a Devil Fruit user,” he added when he saw Sabo's confused expression.

“I'd rather not”, excused Koala while inching away from me and closer to Sabo. Too bad, still, nothing lost nothing gained.

“Say Sabo and Koala, what group are you in? I'm with Yosaku in block D. Jonny is block C.” I asked, much to the relieve of Koala. She had her hands as far away from me as possible.

“I'm in block B and Koala is C. Why?”, answered the blond.

I shrugged, “Just wanted to know if we will fight against each other in the first round. There are only going to be four participants each block to win the first round. An alliance is still possible there. We wouldn't have to fight against each other and would save our strength for the true tournament”, I explained.

Lia and Noa will also help each other in the first round. Or more like Lia will help Noa whenever he is close to losing.

“So Koala and Jonny can help each other, that's good. If either of you sees a woman with glasses and a sword, who is also extremely clumsy, try not to kill her. She may be a Marine, but she is kinda friendly and having Smoker on my ass for killing her would be annoying”, I said. Both bristled a little when they learned that the one I want them not to kill is a Marine.

“I won't promise anything. Our group isn't exactly on friendly terms with the Marines”, snarled Sabo, he was looking around for Tashigi.

“Hello, my occupation is piracy. There are only the Revolutionaries who are more against the Marines than me”, I said with a grin, noting they hidden jump.

“Say, what do you think about the Revolutionary?”, asked Koala, her obvious desire to know my opinion hidden in a casual tone, but her heart was pumping loudly.

“They have a good ambition, but it will be hard to archive their goal. The World Government is extremely large and has many strong soldiers, as well as an ass load of resources. And the population is fairly content with them, at least those in the Blues, where life is more regulated.

Not all Marines are bad, most of the lower ranked Marines are doing their job of protecting the weak. It's the higher hierarchy that has to go. And especially the World Nobles.” I said.

That was not my whole opinion, I also think, or rather knew, that the Revolution would turn into another World Government if they win. Not now or in its first few generations of the rule, but at some point, it will. It's always the case with humans. Only an immortal ruler could stop this. Each new generation is sure to have a little less of the first ruler's ideology. They would not know the true feeling of being suppressed, as they grew up without it. And this lack of personal knowing makes them more prone to suppress their people at some point in time.

Both Koala and Sabo looked happy to hear my rather positive opinion about the Revolution, but neither said anything about their membership.

“Look! It starts”, told Jonny us. We all looked back to the arena, where the fighters began to get ready.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to this years fighting tournament. Generously sponsored by our great and generous ruler, King Haribo. As always, participants are encouraged to apply for employment after showing their skills.

But that is not everything there is to this tournament. There is also a monetary price for the first three combatants. The third place will get 10 million Berry, the second place will get 50 million Berry and the winner... the winner will get a special price.” announced a man in a suit, he had a speaker in front of him, he seems to be the commentator. The combatants were roaring in approval of the so far called prices but were silent in anticipation of the special price.

“It is a Devil Fruit, but one that is already identified. Yet, we won't tell you what it can do, only the winner will be allowed to know. Still, I at least am allowed to tell you that it is a Paramecia fruit”, finished the speaker. He watched the roaring crowd with a knowing grin.

“What do you think Sis Lara? Should we get it?”, asked Jonny, he sat at my other side. “I mean none of us wants to eat one that isn't known, but this one might be a match for one of us”, he added.

“You speak as if Devil Fruits weren't rare”, commented Koala, she was closer to me again, thinking that I wouldn't really suckle on her fist and were only joking.

“Eh, well, you see...,” mumbled Jonny, now realising that he said this close to someone he doesn't know very well.

“We have one, we just don't know its effects, so no one wants to eat it. Lia and I are also Devil Fruit user and our crew have fought against a few users.” I said, not the least bit worried about Koala knowing this much. They might want to try and steal it, but the fruit itself is in Lia's inventory.

And the knowledge about mine and Lia's Devil Fruit power isn't a secret. Just the extent of our power. My poster has the added information that I can manipulate sound and Lia's that she can push things away. This was learned by Momonga during my fight with him.

“I see. Do you want to sell your fruit? Our group is always interested in gaining some more power to defend ourselves.” Asked Koala, Sabo nodded along. Paying more attention to us, rather than the commentator who was speaking about the history of this tournament and the job offer of the king.

“We originally wanted to sell it in Sabaody Archipelago. I'll ask the crew if they will agree. I'd thought about eating it myself.” Now everyone was looking at me strangely again.

“That would kill you,” informed Sabo as if I were stupid.

If they knew about my special trait they wouldn't say that. But I won't tell them about this, “Just because no one survived does not mean that it isn't impossible”, I rather said. They still looked as if I were crazy.

“Please don't eat any more Devil Fruits, I don't want to lose my captain. Nor do I want to imagine what Lia would do”, pleaded Yosaku. Jonny agreed and both shuddered. Even Mrs Chicken Wing, who was silent until now, patted my head with one of her wings.

“Hey, it's finally starting”, I said, instead of continuing the topic. They will see, Lia and I only need to find a matching fruit. We both are now proficient enough with our first fruit to try another one. There is still a lot we don't know about our own fruit, but we are good enough with them that another one wouldn't hinder our growth.

That is if we find one we want to have. The kilo-kilo fruit, in hindsight, would have been good for Lia. But that train is long gone and we now have an unknown fruit. Maybe we should go and look for the encyclopedia of Devil Fruits.