Lara's POV;

The second ship exploded under us and the five were on their way back up. Meanwhile, Mrs Chicken Wing has told us some things we have to watch out for.

First, humans aren't well liked. We won't have many problems if we stay inside the mansion and close to Mrs Chicken Wing, but outside we will be looked at with hate, wariness or distrust. Not that I care.

Mrs Chicken Wing, as we already thought, is pretty high ranked in her country. Not the highest, but close. If I understood her clucking correctly then she is the second princess. In line for the throne directly after her brother.

“Say, Lara, why are you speaking to Mrs Chicken Wing like that?” Asked Jo suddenly. I tried to see if there is something strange about the way I was speaking. Mrs Chicken Wing was sitting on the table, with me in front of her. She had a bowl of peas and I a bowl with chocolate pudding. Nothing strange there, we sometimes talk like that.

“How so?” I asked after not finding anything.

“Well, as far as I understand you are not truly understanding her clucks, but interpret what she could mean with them. Using Observation Haki to understand the meaning behind her words, rather than the words itself.” I nodded, that is what I have been doing. “Then why aren't you using your angel form? Isn't that a lot better in Observation?”

Hmm, yeah, why aren't I? “Thanks, Jo, using that might make it easier.” I activated the Astral Form. It has the highest Observation boost. Allowing me to even read the mind of people. It depends on their Observation Haki and will.

The room got illuminated in a golden glow and I instantly felt the mental state of everyone on board as well as a few hundred Marines down below. Having them near us does not archive any purpose, so I started to manipulate their emotions the same way I did in Marine HQ. Only that this time there was no Sengoku to ease the mental pressure.

The Marines were quickly falling into chaos from the sudden change in their emotions. Soon most had committed suicide or were lifelessly staring at nothing. The few that could resist the emotional attack were trying and failing to help their comrades.

However, none on the Raptor noticed that. By now I was good enough to not affect everyone in my near vicinity. I also blocked the mind reading of my friends and only kept Lia's active.

Lia has been dozens of years in my head, she knew when someone was inside hers. As such it wasn't strange for her to notice me quickly. °Hmm? Lara, do you need anything?°

°Nah, Jo has come up with the idea of using the Astral Angel form to communicate with Mrs Chicken Wing,° I answered and projected a bit of my love to her. She returned the feeling and I instantly felt happier.

°Come to our room once you're finished. Connecting our minds always makes me horny.° Lia then stopped most of my influence through her own Observation and only allowed me to stay inside her head and feel her general emotions. Those were currently projecting the feel of love, happiness and comfort while being close to me.

“You'll need to allow me inside,” I then said to Mrs Chicken Wing, she too had strong enough Observation to block me. I can force my way inside, but that will cause discomfort for her. If she were to add Armament to her head I would be blocked off completely.

“Bough.” °I understand.° Her mental voice was that of a high-class lady. It sounded well cultured and intelligent, with a note of arrogance. It was also not the voice of a young woman or teenager.

°We should have done this earlier. It feels strange, yet interesting. Your mental voice is nothing like I have imagined.° Why haven't we done this sooner?

°Yes, your mental voice is also quite strange. It's a mixture between a woman's voice and that of a male. It sounds androgynous, not male and yet not female. Why is that?° She replied with her head tilted to the side.

I have an inkling why I sound like this, but I am not going to tell anyone in this life. °I don't know. Say, how old are you? You sound older than I thought.°

She put a wing in front of her face and gave chuckled. °My, you don't ask a lady how old she is. But if you want to know, I am 46 years, married to my Basilisk for 28 years now.° She made some clucking noises that sounded as if she was giggling.

Who would have thought that she is this old? I am no expert on the prime age for chickens, but normal ones can't become this old. Anyway, the reason why I even used my fruit was for better communication. °We already sorted a few things out. Your people are citizens of the Poultry Kingdom, which is on the island Poultry. I am not allowed to eat any of them and they will see us with distrust. Something that will be lessened once they hear about our involvement in the rescue of Herbert.

You haven't been home for a few years and are not sure how the political climate has changed. But when you left your brother was still in line for the throne and your parents were deciding if they should step down and allow him the reigns. Did I forget anything?°

°There were a few merchants and nobles that wanted me on the throne. I did not want to be the Queen of Poultry. In a strange way Basilisks kidnapping was something good. The time I was away will have been good for my brother. He should be the king by now and any inner disputes should have been taken care of.

My family was close. I am the second oldest of four children. We were always a close family, rarely having disputes that were more than quarrels. None of us had any thoughts of usurping the throne, but a few nobles and high standing merchants wanted to gain more power and came to me. I shot them down and left soon after.°

Ever the pessimist I saw right were this might lead us and had to ask. °Any chance we come right into a hidden war between factions? I mean those nobles could have easily gone to your younger siblings. And they will be easier to manipulate.°

She, however, shook her head. °No, I don't think that this will be a problem. My siblings were too young when I left. They would not have been able to make my brother any competition for the throne. Not with him and our parents alive and well.°

Why do I feel as if this was a flag? I don't want to come on land and find out that her brother is dead and her father sick. I'm not in the mood for a political fight against some bird nobles. I'll send Inari if this happens. She can assassinate the nobles and everything will be fine, who cares if the island will fall into chaos.

°I hope nothing happened,° I muttered mentally. She knows about my pessimistic thinking and should have an idea of what I mean with that.

°Don't worry, my brother is strong. He may not be as good as I in Armament, but his Observation was unmatched. Any plot against him will be seen way long before it can happen,° she assured.

°But let's not speak about betrayals and hidden backstabbing any longer. I am eager to show you around and maybe help you guys with your Haki training. But for the later I need permission from the King directly, it is forbidden for us to teach humans about our Haki.°

°But you have given us tips all the way?° I asked in confusion. She often pointed out a mistake for us.

Her beak opened into a knowing smile. I knew that her next words would be shocking from that sight alone. She always does that whenever she has a high hand in poker. °True, but that is not the same. You were already knowing what you do. The mistakes I corrected would have been corrected by you anyway, just at a later time. What I mean is different. There is more to Haki than what you know. The special use of Future Sight for Observation, Haki Channelling, the Aura Projection for Armament and also a possible way for you to learn Conqueror Haki.°

My [Calm Mind] allowed me to not stare at her with an open mouth. But what she says sounds eerily similar to what Zoro is doing with his Asura, what Katakuri was 'teaching' Luffy and how Nami was unconsciously predicting the weather.

It would also explain how there are so many people using Conqueror in the second part of the Grand Line. There are way too many for it to be this rare and by far not all of them have the D in their name.

°But it depends on the King, Father would not decline a request of mine. But my brother might if your first impression is weak. However, I know my brother, he is not unfair. Just stay friendly and everything will be fine. Maybe keep your Angel Form active as well. Your wings are pretty, many male birds would flock to you.° The last thing was said in a flirtatious undertone.

I shuddered from the mental picture. Birds that find my wings attractive...goosebumps.

°Yeah, no. Lia is everything I need. I hope you will be a good hostess and keep the creeps away from me. They should still know that I am human.° I don't care if this came over as slightly pleadingly.

°You'd be surprised how kinky some of the nobles can be. There was this one party where I got acquainted with a trio of robins. They were siblings, twins and their sister, what a night.°

°Too much info!° I mentally shouted and broke the connection. I also wanted to run out of the room, but the form I was in only allowed me to glide out of the room at the speed of a normal walking person.

From behind, I heard the clucking laughter of Mrs Chicken Wing.

Outside I met the group that attacked the ships. They have just come on board. Nami was mentally stable, shaken up from the fight and how much more gruesome it is for us than it was for her. Blades leave deeper wounds than fists.

“Why are you in that form?” Asked Jonny when he spotted me.

°This way I can communicate with Mrs Chicken Wing. It's easier to understand what they say. All they have to do is lower their Observation and allow me to read what they think,° I explained by projecting my answer into their heads. Nojiko's was already too protected to influence this easily, so she did not hear anything.

Nami, meanwhile, was openly gaping at my form and the way I have spoken to her. It's understandable, this form looks quite badass. I have no legs and am a see through light projection that looks as if it was burning.

“So?” Asked Nojiko when she didn't hear my answer.

“For communication, I can understand and read minds while being in this form. Only those with a strong enough Observation Haki can block me out. But it makes it easy to speak to Mrs Chicken Wing. I also need to use my vibrations if I want to speak to you while being in this form. I simply can't interact with the world.” Thanks to my vibrations I am still able to 'speak' normally.

“Am I the only one that is freaked out by her looks?” Asked Nami now. The other four looked at her and nodded.

“We all knew about it, you should have felt how it was when she first activated it.” The other three nodded in agreement at Jonny's words.

When I first got access to this form I had no control over what I am projecting or what I am hearing. Not even how much I was boosting or debuffing the people around me. One moment it was as if they were on a good ecstasy trip, the next they were depressed and suicidal.

One moment they had much more strength than before and the next they could barely walk. It were a couple of strange hours until I got the grasp on my power. At some point they banned me to my room and only Lia was allowed to be with me.

“But now everything is okay?” Asked Nami after seeing the shudder all four were having.

Nojiko answered for me. “Yeah, pretty much. She rarely loses her control. You'll feel when it happens. It's hard to describe, you'll know when it happens.” Nami looked as if she wanted to know more, but the rest of the crew came out of the ship.

°You can land in the lake,° spoked Mrs Chicken Wing mentally to me. Her husband was standing next to her. He still looked a little thin, but he was a lot better now. Lia's special food was doing a good job.

I nodded to her and then addressed the whole crew. “Okay, we'll land in the lake and then follow Mrs Chicken Wing's and Herbert's lead. Remember that these are not humans and that their contact with humans was mostly in the form of the Marines, they might be distrusting of us. Better not stray from the group. Inari and Fiara should have the least problems, with Lia and me following right behind.”

They all understood my warning and together we landed in the middle of the sea. We were quickly surrounded by a group of swans.

°Those are the sea patrolling swans, let me talk,° said Mrs Chicken Wing, before jumping on the railing and clucking down at the swans. From the sound of their excited chattering, I knew that they recognised her.

I really hope we won't find a bedridden king and assassinated son. Worse they might use our presence to kill the king and give us the fault.