So this is a story I have been thinking about writing for a long time and have now finally decided to publish it.
~Blondiewoof7~
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ONE PIECE, ONLY MY OC :)
Adventure.
That was the word that was currently floating in the minds of all the Straw Hat pirates. It had been months since they had encountered any real challenges or experienced any fun since hitting their current expanse of the Grand Line.
The past couple weeks had just been an endless cycle of traveling around and stocking up on needed supplies at small, no-name towns. The only major event that had occurred was the discarding of their old and faithful ship "Merry Go", as she had finally met the end of her rope. With Usopp's blessing the crew used her parts to create a new and improved ship, which they named "The King".
But all that boredom and repetition soon changed when a mysterious messenger bird delivered a letter addressed to Luffy and the crew just days before. The letter told them of an anonymous pirate Captain eager to meet with Luffy and his crew, claiming to have some information crucial to the crew's survival in the Grand Line. Like usual, his curiosity got the best of him and Luffy decided to go meet the mysterious Captain.
And this is where our story begins...
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On deck the crew mates all shifted around anxiously awaiting landing time. Some of them had thoughts of doubt when it came to the mysterious letter, while few others were excited and curious to meet someone who was interested in helping them further their quest for the One Piece, as well as their individual dreams. One person in particular who was excited happened to be the Captain of the crew, Monkey D. Luffy.
"I cannot wait to meet this mysterious Captain!' exclaimed Luffy. "I wonder if we know who it is."
A few feet away from Luffy sat his First Mate; a Bounty Hunter turned Pirate named Roronoa Zoro.
"How did you even know someone was waiting here?" Zoro asked, completely forgetting all about the earlier letter.
A snicker was heard behind them as their Chef, the famous Black Leg Vinsmoke Sanji came above deck with their afternoon lunch tray.
"You idiot swordsman, don't you remember the messenger bird that delivered that weird note a couple days ago? Or has your green hair finally infected your brain?"
Zoro glared at Sanji. "Shut up ero-cook, before I break that ugly jaw of yours!" Sanji stopped laughing and glared back at him.
As the boys began to fight and argue with each other once again, giggling erupted from their Archaeologist Nico Robin as she tried to focus on reading her book.
"Hey!" a small reindeer exclaimed as he jumped on the railing next to Luffy. "I remember that!" Doctor Tony Tony Chopper exclaimed excitedly. "That bird was awesome!"
Another woman appeared on deck, and smacked both of the arguing men on the head. "Quit fighting!" she yelled at them. Turning around and looking out at the nearing island, their Navigator and former thief Nami looked out over the ocean worriedly. "I just hope this isn't a Navy trap. They have been after us forever."
The last member of the crew stood up and walked over to Nami's side. "Well hopefully we can be in and out without anyone noticing we are even here." Sniper and known coward Usopp said. "What does this person even want from us?"
"We will see what they have to offer when we meet." Luffy replied. "They did not give any clue as to what they wanted to talk about."
The crew stared out over the expanse of sea, unknowingly drawing the attention of someone on the island, as the small town drew ever closer and clearer.
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Soon after, The King hit dock but the crew did not drop anchor as they did not know what was going to happen with their mysterious guest.
"Zoro, Sanji, and I will go to find this Captain guy; the rest of you can watch the ship." Luffy ordered. As the three of them walked off the ship, they looked around the dock but did not see anyone around.
"They were supposed to be waiting near the East end of the docks." Luffy said, slightly confused as he looked around. "Are we in the right place?"
Looking around the quiet and abandoned dock, Zoro placed his hands on his sword's hilts. "Something does not feel right." he said hesitantly, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. "The dock is too quiet."
"Hey!" Sanji called out from farther down the dock. "There is a note over here addressed to a "Luffy". It must be for us." Luffy rushed over to read it, while Zoro continued to investigate around the dock.
"It says to meet at Mirror Island, which is only a few miles from here. Apparently the Navy is here." Luffy read out loud. "I did not see any Navy ships docked around."
"Aren't those Navy officers down the dock there?" Sanji asked pointing behind Luffy. Luffy turned around to see what Sanji was pointing at, and saw a group of officers making their way toward the docks.
"We better leave, now!" Zoro said, as the naval officers spotted them across the dock. Sprinting across the dock, the crew made their way back to the ship, hoping to avoid a confrontation at all costs.
"Hey! Stop!" the Navy shouted after them. When the crew kept running, the Navy opened fire on them.
As they got closer, Nami heard the gunshots and looked over the railing to see the boys running away from a group of officers. "They just had to get spotted didn't they?" Nami said exasperated. Nami ran back to the middle of the ship and got the rest of the crew working to pull the ship away from the dock.
"Jump!" Robin shouted to the guys as they sprinted toward The King. Reaching the end of the dock, Zoro and Sanji jumped aboard, dragging Luffy with them.
As they hit the deck Nami directed the crew, allowing them to pull away from the dock before the officers could reach them. "Look!" Nami said, pointing behind them. Turning around, the crew was shocked to see that the officers had stopped chasing them.
"Why did they stop?" Robin wondered aloud.
"Maybe they don't know who we are?" Usopp hoped. "A lucky break?"
Nami shook her head at his words. "I don't think so, look at what they are doing."
Peering back at the dock the crew could see that one of the officers was talking into a Snail Phone, and smiling.
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"So what happened?" Usopp asked Luffy as they began to sail out of the town's sight.
Settling back down against the mast, Zoro sighed. "There was a note telling us to go to Mirror Island."
"No!" Chopper exclaimed. "Mirror Island? Are you sure?" Nami and Usopp paled at his outburst.
Luffy sat back down on the rail and looked over at Chopper with confusion. "Why? What is wrong with that place?"
Robin looked at the group in shock. "Have you not heard about its history?" she asked, surprise written all over her face.
Zoro perked up from his seat on the deck. "You know what, that place does sound familiar."
Robin looked at him. "That is because Mirror Island is known as one of the Lost Islands. There are five of them, and they all deserve that name. Each one was a battleground and many lives were lost, souls that are now destined to haunt the islands forever."
Looking around at everyone Luffy and Sanji started to laugh, finding it hard to believe that any island could be that scary.
"It's not funny." Chopper said. "What Robin says is all true." The two boys stopped laughing and looked at Chopper worriedly. "The islands are full of wild animals, numerous traps, natural hazards, miles upon miles of rough brush and forests, and ghosts. No one dares go to those islands as they are usually never heard from again."
Nami looked questioningly at Chopper. "How come I have never heard of them?"
Chopper replied: "Probably because they should never be visited. Some famous pirates are forever lost thanks to those islands. Most famously there is Red Beard and his crew, and the famous Captain Byrd."
Sanji scoffed and lit his cigarette. "Even I have heard of those pirates, but they all died in battle on the Grand Line."
Robin looked over at Sanji and shook her head. "That is what the stories all say, because no one wants you to know the truth about these islands. On top of them being terrible, they are also known to hold a precious treasure, a different clue at each island that together, unlocks a secret of the Grand Line." she stated.
Nami's eyes turned green with envy at the thought of finding more treasure. "We must go there!"
"I do not think that you know the dangers of this island." Zoro said standing. "I now remember where I have heard of this island. My sensei used to talk about this place back when I was about to set out on my own. He always warned me to never go there. Not only did it take out all those famous pirates, but one other. Probably one of the most famous weapons experts in our time."
Listening intently to his story, Luffy and Usopp got all excited at the thought of someone who could handle multiple weaponry styles. "Who was it?" they asked in unison.
Zoro smirked at their reactions. "A woman." The crew fell silent, thinking over what he had just said.
"A woman?" Nami asked, sounding skeptical.
"Sure was" Zoro replied. "I first heard about her when I was still in training. She was my age, yet she was already known for her expertise in a variety of weaponry. She was not only known for her sword play, but also for her exquisite beauty."
Sanji swooned at his words, just picturing a beautiful woman standing behind the barrel of a gun. "She sounds so lovely."
Zoro rolled his eyes at the cook's reaction and continued on. "After I finished my training, I had vowed to find her and duel her. However, my sensei told me that she had perished on Mirror Island after she had fled her ship, her crew having been massacred by another crew over control of the island."
Nami looked into the distance as Mirror Island appeared, shrouded by a dense blanket of fog. "That's awful. What was her name?"
Zoro too, looked into the distance. "Nina Hiyashi. But everyone who knew of her called her "Nine Lives Nina". She earned that name as she just refused to die. Every situation she was put into she somehow got out of with barely a scratch, except this time."
Usopp shuddered. "Let's find this Captain person, and get out of here."
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Miles behind the crew, the officers were just now returning to the town. Striding through the doors of the bar the lead officer walked across the room, stood next to a seated man, and saluted.
"Sir, we have some information you might find interesting. We have already called Headquarters and they are leaving the matter up to you."
The man finished his drink and looked over at the officer. "What is it?"
The officer lowered his arm and then cleared his throat. "My men and I were making our rounds by the dock and saw some suspicious characters poking around. When we got closer we recognized two of them as being the Bounty Hunter Roronoa Zoro, and Black Leg Vinsmoke Sanji."
At those words the man turned in his chair, took the cigar out of his mouth, and smashed it into the ash tray next to him. "What else did you see?" he pressed.
The soldier swallowed and continued on. "When we chased after them we also noticed that Straw Hat was there, as well as his whole crew and ship. They were able to get away before we reached them, but we have an idea of where they are heading. When they pulled away, the direction they were heading to seemed to lead to that fog covered island near here."
Smiling maliciously, the man got up and threw some money on the table for his drink. "Get the ship ready, we are going after them. I will not allow Straw Hat to slip through my fingers again."
"Yes Sir, Captain Sir!" Saluting once more the officer ran out of the bar and gave orders to the other officers, who all ran back to their ship and began to prepare for the chase.
Walking outside, the man flexed his muscles and smiled. "I have finally found you again Straw Hat, and this time I will not take mercy on you."
TO BE CONTINUED...
The first chapter is always the hardest to write, and this will be my shortest chapter... but do not worry, the story will pick up soon!
ANY AND ALL REVIEWS/COMMENTS/QUESTIONS ARE WELCOME! :)