Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 348 HIGH LIFE

We arrived at the base of the skyscraper some time after Connie had been taken. The elves, the richest and fairest in the land, owned all of downtown Romul. The center of the large city, there was Downtown Romul which were the office buildings and business headquarters. These surrounded what they called Uptown. Uptown were the skyscrapers that the elves owned and lived in. Families that spanned generations filled the opulent skyscrapers. 

Entire floors dedicated to gardens. Crystal clear windows that looked out onto the city, they were the ivory towers of the elves and the place people looked to when they thought of success. With thousands of years to live, families that lasted up to great great grandfathers that had seen the dawn of the city, it was hard to fight them.

But I didn’t give a shit. I wasn’t some weak kid afraid to step in when someone pissed me off. I would challenge them, and if it proved too difficult I would leave, train, and come back to kick some ass. 

“You can’t be serious,” Aleska said as she looked up the side of the skyscraper. 

“We are,” Hancock said. “Come on, it will be fun. Besides, free levels.” Taking the girl's hand Hancock dragged her in and I followed. “Now we are going to do some things that may seem…impossible. Just go with it.” Her hands making a seal she did a transformation jutsu. I did the same. 

Aleska was more than a little freaked out when we changed into new people. “I thought you were a warrior,” she said to me.

“I told you I was a Trickster,” I corrected. Doing a transformation jutsu on her as well, Hancock and I moved to the servant entrance. Aleska followed numbly, catching her reflection in a window pane as we walked past. 

Using a lockpick set I had in my inventory I opened the door with ease and we walked in. A long corridor ahead of us we headed in as one. No one in our way I wasn’t quite sure where to start but I would figure it out. 

At least that was until the alarm went off and a magical array lit up at our feet. In an instant I felt the world shift and we were teleported outside of the building. Arriving at another magic circle at the center of a park a group of guards were waiting for us. 

“Fucking elves,” I said as the men raised their guns. “Darling.” 

Hancock nodded. Stepping up she opened her shirt to reveal her bra covered chest. The guards hesitated and the pink hearts shot from her. Striking the men they were turned to stone instantly. One able to fight the Love Devil Fruit power, I rushed him and knocked him out with a Genjutsu as I touched him. With my Chikyugi back, my Genjutsu was almost as strong as it used to be. Too bad I didn’t have my necklace though. 

“What are you doing?!” Aleska asked, more than a little flustered. 

“Winning,” I said. Pouring water-chakra out I jumped on the puddle. “I’ll find her. You start heading up.” Hancock nodded, moving back toward the skyscraper she dragged the shocked Aleska with her. 

Floating toward the skyscraper I extended my Observation Haki out. Feeling everything within 100 feet of me I moved up one side of the 80 story tall skyscraper and then down another until I found the girl. Only on the 10th floor I flew down and grabbed Hancock who had been climbing up the side of the building. Aleska far below she was having a minor panic attack on the ground floor.

Grabbing Hancock I flew us down. “Are you coming or not?” I asked Aleska.

“You’re going against elves,” she said as if that explained everything.

“Don’t care,” I said. “We have a quest. Do you want to go Plainswalking or what?”

“I do-but…the elves,” she said.

“We will figure it out. And if something comes of it I’ll say I forced you,” I assured. She hesitated further. Mentally arguing with herself until she eventually took my hand. Yelling out as we raised up in the air I closed the distance to the large apartment. Without hesitation I shot a Tremor into the window. Nothing happened. 

The window was apparently magically tempered against shock. Cursing, I made the water platform wider. Hancock stood atop of it as I threw Aleska to my back. Gathering Haki, nen and chakra to my arm I powered up and hit the glass with all I had. A huge wave of power shot out shattering the glass into a million pieces. 

Whatever enchant had been on the window to make it stronger and appear clear disappeared with the glass. Where no one had been inside before, we found 5 women in different states of undress. At their forefront was a Rookin. Tall brown ears, large rack, her muscular arms writhed as she stared at us. 

“It’s her,” I said, setting us down on the floor. 

“Who are you?” Jeneah asked. 

“Just a friend,” I said. “Where is your master, or whatever?”

“Here,” an elf man said, walking into the hall. His shirt off I apparently arrived at just the right time. Behind him was Connie. The rabbitkin’s Love Gauge was grayed out. Not empty, but blocked for some reason. Her eyes drooped, she barely registered me as she eyed us. I used ID on the elf. 

I guessed he was the Hypnos Candidate. Hypnos was a Greek god. The personification of sleep, he was also the god that had helped inspire the word hypnosis. As I looked around I moved from Observation Haki to Nen. Charging my eyes with Nen to use Gyo, I could see a thin layer of lifeforce connecting the tall elf to the other girls in the room. 

“My first Candidate fight,” Orillin said confidently. He was younger like Geonna had been. Tall with long blonde hair his muscular torso was packed full of muscle. “I had thought it would take longer to find myself in one.”

“Eh don’t think on it too much,” I said. “You’ll be spitting up blood soon enough.” Cracking my neck I stepped toward him. 

“Attack!” The elf yelled.

The women moved toward us, I sent a wave of Conqueror’s Haki into them. 3 fainted, the last 2 were the Rookin and Connie. Hancock met the Roo and I met Connie. Slapping her face, she was thrown back, but not knocked out of it. I moved to Orillin but Connie jumped back toward me. Instead of attacking me her hands glowed white. 

Touching me strength drained from me. A white light appearing next to me I received notifications but ignored them as she made a Doppelganger of me. Hitting her in the stomach she was knocked out. It was the smart move on her part. Cutting my strength in half she really could be an asset in a Plain. 

Ignoring that for now though, my clone and I moved in unison for Orillin. The man pulled a whip practically out of his ass, but I moved to his back and my clone moved to his front. I hit him with a strong punch to the face and my clone hit him in the nuts. He howled as he puked up his lunch. Choking on half-digested leaves he sputtered as I grabbed a fistful of his hair. 

“You are going to release these girls,” I ordered. 

“Fuck you, human! Do you have any idea who I am?” He asked. 

“Wrong answer,” I said. Moving to the open window-wall of the apartment I held him outside of it by his long blonde hair. “I don’t give a shit about your hypnosis or whatever, but you will release them.”

“Fuck-you,” Orillin said. 

I frowned, annoyed by this superiority complex. His Haki told me that he really didn’t see me as a problem. With a sigh I turned to Hancock. She blinked but slowly nodded. I frowned. 

“Was that the drop him signal? Or beat him up more signal?” I asked. 

“Obviously, it was the drop him signal,” she said, annoyed.

“Seriously?” 

“Yes, seriously. He obviously can’t be trusted with his Job. We let him go, he will have us arrested under some trumped up charges, then continue doing what he is doing,” Hancock said. 

I let out a sigh. “Got me there.” My grip lessened. 

“Wait! I’m-” Orillin yelled but I had already let him go. He yelled all the way down to the ground floor. Normally a 10th floor drop wasn’t exactly a death sentence. Not for people with levels anyway. But elves had 20 foot tall floors because they liked wide open spaces. He dropped the 200 feet, yelling and flailing like Hans Gruber and hit the cement with a splat. 

“Woops,” I said. “He slipped.” Aleska puked behind Hancock. 

“Spare me,” Hancock said, annoyed by Aleska’s reaction. She moved over to Connie. Helping the girl up she looked around confused. 

“Where am I?”

“We will explain later,” Hancock assured. “Look, your friend.” She pointed to Jeneah who now had black eyes because Hancock hadn’t gone easy on her. 

“Jen!” Connie yelled, running up to her.

“Con?” The Rookin asked, confused.

“We should probably go,” I said, hearing police sirens down below. I looked to see my Doppelganger was still there. “What’s your stor-” I stopped as he and I apparently received notifications. 

“What the f-” I said but was cut off as the white light of a lightning bolt struck my Doppelganger and I simultaneously. Losing control of my muscles I took the hit and yelled out as it all went black. 

—

I woke up in a hotel room. Sitting up I felt like I had been…struck by lightning. My body stiff I groaned as Hancock and Connie moved to me. As they did I was surprised to see my Doppelganger sit up on the bed next to me. 

“What happened?” I croaked. 

“You were struck by lightning,” Hancock said. “I literally have no idea what happened.” 

I frowned, bringing up my notifications. I read them slowly as I pieced it all together. First were notifications that came up when Connie made a Doppelganger of me. 

“What the absolute fuck,” I said as I read it over and over. I brought up my status screen disbelieving the words. 

Too much to unpack I scanned over the other notifications. 

I had received the Lightning Resistance for going above and beyond I guessed. 

Looked like I had received double XP for killing the guy too. 

I brought up my God World Status Screen. 

“What the fuck,” I said, unsure what else to say. 

“I’ve only heard of a Divine Retribution,” Hancock said. “By all rights, you should be dead. Especially if your strength was split between 2 of you.”

“Oh, I don’t feel weaker. Besides, I still have World Lasting Physique,” the other me said.

“Me too,” I said. Sitting there for a moment. Then it clicked and my twin and I locked eyes. As one we said, “World Escape.”