The dark waters crashed against the shoreline, against the rocks piled along the coast without let up. The wind howled as they blew through the trees, causing other strange sounds also. Anchored just off the shallow seabed, was a small ship. It moved with the water as at went up and down, some times it looked as it was about to capsize but somehow managed to stay afloat in the face of the might waves.
From within the Crow's Nest wildly laugher was heard. Luffy held on tight as the mast moved in every direction. With his back against the wooden frame and his legs wrapped carefully around the top mast where his pirate flag flew rapidly with the high winds.
Luffy watched the vapour leave his mouth as he laughed hard, they were anchored closed to a winter island. Which showed, because the whole place was covered in a thick blanket of snow; much to his and Chopper's delight.
The suddenly winds along with heavy snow that fall caught them unaware, even Nami seemed surprised and even claimed that this was not natural snow.
'I'm glad I'm on the watch tonight!' Luffy thought as he enjoyed the wild ride.
Luffy blinked as he looked up, under the small lamp light he could see the billions of snowflakes falling from the heaven. Luffy grinned as he felt the snow falling on his face, bought his head down and glanced in the Crow's Nest; he was covered in it.
He frowned at this wondering how the rest of Merry was fairing, he remembered Nami saying about weight. He released his legs and soon after they went wildly to which side as he tried to keep them flat.
Luffy let go holding on to the sides and as soon as he did, he went flying. Strangely he felt no fear as he began to fall, even knowing about the icy waters below. He landed face first into Merry's railing, the ship then tilted the other way making him fall onto deck, where he began rolling as the water slashed everywhere.
The water was so cold it was as if someone was sticking pins in all the places where the droplets hit. Luffy allowed himself to slammed against the other side of the deck, before Merry jerked again and he went into the air.
Luffy blinked as he thought he someone laugh. As he rolled he saw the railing coming again, this time as he reached it, he turned and pushed his feet there. Luffy leaped into the air and wrapped his arms and legs around the mast, he blinked toward the sea.
There is was. A ship was sailing. And it was sailing too, sailing normally right through the snow storm like it was not happening around it.
"OI! ZORO! SANJI! COME HERE!" Luffy shouted over the wind, hoping would hear. A moment later the tape door at the base of the mast flew open, and Zoro leaped up and moved along with Merry's swaying, he grabbed onto Luffy's leg and forced himself under so that he was tied to the mast.
Sanji followed, he was much faster than Zoro in getting to the mast and like his crew mate, he went under Luffy's grip.
"Can't sleep!" Zoro shouted up to Luffy, the captain looked down blinking to see what he meant. The black rings under the swordsman eyes told him with his meaning. Merry was rocking so much, he could not sleep. Luffy saw rather than heard the chef mumbling under his breathe, he would seem he too could not sleep.
"What is it?" Sanji at last said as he narrowed his eye, trying to see through the heavy snow and look at his captain.
"A strange ship, off the port side!" Luffy shouted a replied, both his mates turned and stared out to sea. They saw no ships.
"You sure?" Sanji called back as he lifted his head, for his voice to reach.
"I'm sure! But it is strange!" Luffy shouted again this time he looked back out where he first saw the ship. "Let go out there!"
"WHAT?" Sanji screamed out enraged at his captains words. "Are you sane? You want to try and sail in this weather?!"
"The ship is strange!" Luffy shouted as he glanced down, he known there was something off about the ship, but could not put his finger on the reason.
"Aye aye Captain!" Zoro call out to him without complain, he turned to the sea once more scanning the area with his eyes trying to see the ship his captain saw. There he saw it, dim light from a ship's lamps; it seemed to be fading into the darkness of the night.
Luffy let go and Zoro readied himself, both young men jumped on deck and made a mad dash for the row bow. Sanji was screaming them from behind, the neither one stopped. After running and trying to keep balance at the same time, they threw the row boat overboard and leaped after it. It landed in the dangerous water with a mighty slash, and drop lower into the water when the three men fell on.
Luffy blinked as he saw Sanji there, for some reason he did not think he could come. Grinning he cling onto the side of the boat, while Zoro and Sanji tied themselves down and began to row. Something above he could hear Usopp shouting at them.
"I see it! Follow my lead, you're turning us the wrong way!" Sanji screamed at Zoro who gave him a deadly glared. Zoro was about to scream back, when Luffy raised his voice.
"Listen to Sanji, Zoro!" Luffy call over the roaring sea and blowing wind, the swordsman bite down anything he had to say and allowed the chef to take the lead. Sanji gave Zoro a side ways stared but said nothing.
They fought long and hard against the powerful sea, until suddenly something went calm. Who three were stunned as they stared around.
"The strange ship!" Luffy said in his normal voice, however he was horse now from all the screaming. Both Zoro and Sanji turned to faced the ship, and saw straight away with was strange about it.
On the top of the mast was three spinning wheels, all going around at different speeds. Clouds like things were coming out of a pipe or tower from the centre of the wheels, these formed into tiny twisters.
Both Zoro and Sanji clicked on what this was, the cause of the strange weather that Nami came claiming was unnatural even for a winter island, since it should be at their lowest season.
The swordsman and chef saw red, this was the cause of their lack of sleep. The mad pair began rowing fast, making the front bounce of the still water. Luffy grinned at their speed while holding on for this reason now.
It did not take long before they rowed up along side the boat, standing the three Straw Hat Pirates jumped high into the and landed on the deck of the strange ship. The people on board jumped in surprise at their sudden appearance, some fell backwards on their rear.
Luffy glanced upwards and stared at their flag; they were pirates too.
"Who are you?" Came a rough voice from a chair seated in the middle of the deck.
"I'm Luffy." The straw wearing captain said carefully like he was introducing himself in a normal setting and not on a pirate's ship. He made his way to face the one sitting there and waved his hand over to his right,"And this is Zoro..." Then to his left he raised his other hand, "... and Sanji, my crew mates."
"I am Dipbase." The large man said as he stared at them in a bored manner, "I am the captain of the Cream Emo Pirates. Why are you on my ship?"
"My ship is being tossed around," Luffy answered with a smile as he began walking forward, the pirates around them began taking their pistols out. "And I saw your ship, what a strange ship it is!" He finished with a laugh.
"You came to stop me then?" Dipbase asked as he reached for his sword that rested beside his seat and stood, towering over the three. "I'm teaching these islanders a lesson, one their will never forget." The pirate laughed.
"Really what lesson would that be then?" Luffy asked in confusion as he walked closer and eyed up some food that he had not noticed on the other side of the chair, there was a small table with fruit and some meant along with wine.
"The storm boy." Dipbase answered smirking nasty as he let his sword slid from his sheath, "The reason why your ship is being tossed around, as you put it."
Luffy smiling face fell, he stared blankly at the other pirate captain. Blinking he glanced to his right, to Zoro and then to his left to Sanji. They were fusing, he could tell. Since coming to this island they could not get passed the storm's might and had been trapped there for three days, this was the third night for them there. The pair had not slept well during that time. Luffy had, he could sleep through anything that was why he had not minded about taking watch at night so every one could get some sleep.
Luffy flopped down, crossing his legs and arms, the shadow of his hat hid his eyes. Then he grinned.
"Zoro! Sanji!" Luffy said as he lowered his head more, "I'll leave these guys in your care."
That was all that was needed, the two Straw Hat Pirates rushed forwards and began the battle.
XD~DX
Luffy let out a big yawn, then turned his upper body right round and glanced down at his crew from the figurehead. After the fight Luffy himself rowed the two back to Merry, the sea and sky was a lot calmer now. They slept through the slow journey, and Luffy had dropped the thick blanket that was under one of the seats over the top of them.
Nami was screaming mad as he carried them both on board the ship, but soon fell silent as Luffy gave her the edited story of what happened. He forgotten some parts but the main points got across. He, Chopper and Usopp then sailed Merry over to the Cream Emo Pirate's ship and walking over the bodies on the floor and stole all the gold and money that they found, as well as took a few food stores, but left enough for them to get by on.
Next they meant to the port of the nearest town and choosing to spent the night in a warm bed, since they just came into some money, why not treat themselves. After that the town found out they were the ones the drove off the other pirates and cheered for them.
Dipbase was doing this because the Mayor's daughter, it was lust at first sight and was trying to take her away; however the town folk hid the young woman while the pirate bombarded their whole island with his weather machine.
Luffy let out another yawn, he wanted to take the strange machine with him it was a lot of fun. But seeing how tired his crew was, he chose not to.
Luffy grinned as he saw the waters calm once again, well it was fun while it lasted. It was still good to be getting back to the seas again.