Restructer Revolution


I: Ray of Hope

"Ne, Yusei, what're you writing?"

"Calculations," Yusei replied, edging the ink bottle away from the captain whom, it seemed, had been blessed with an inordinate amount of strength in exchange for the common sense of a brain-damaged pigeon.

The pair of them were on the lawn deck of the Thousand Sunny, Luffy inelegantly sprawled out while Yusei sat cross-legged. The only clothing on the older youth's back, that is, his shirt and jeans, had been changed to one of Zoro's old buttoned shirts, one of the few that actually escaped being stained with blood on the Straw Hats' long voyage, and pants after yesterday's near-drowning and an accident involving Luffy, an ink bottle, doodles, and dinner that had elevated to a food fight, the calculations of the previous day were now lost to the murky mess of spilt ink and Luffy paw-prints involving stuff Yusei was sure contained cat-sup. This would have been a good enough reason to question the captain's sanity if it weren't apparent that about ninety percent of the crew were equally insane as well.

The dynamics of the Straw Hat Pirates proved to be a fascination to Yusei. It was in the same way one could call a train wreck fascinating, in that it could be good, or bad, but you could not tear your eyes away from the damned thing. Dinner with the Straw Hats could be qualified as an exercise in battlefield strategy by itself, not even mentioning the fact that he was, apparently, a new arrival to the crew. Upon ascertaining that Yusei had no home in the Grand Line, or any of the Blues – apparently the names of the four other inhabited oceans of this world – Luffy had immediately declared Yusei as nakama. The rest of the crew did not challenge the decision, although the first mate kept giving him looks that Yusei supposed was qualified suspicion. Somehow, that relieved him, that for all the captain's apparent lack of brains, the idiot had people watching out for him, but the blatant acceptance of the rest of the crew was rather disarming.

Yusei supposed that growing up in Satellite should have made him suspicious of charity, but for a group of so-called pirates they... really did not act the part. Not that he could say anything, having never sailed at sea before now.

Very quickly, Yusei brought the sharp end of the borrowed quill on Luffy's hand, causing the rubber man to withdraw the limb from the ink-soaked papers quickly. "Ow, what's that for?"

"You'll get ink stains on your hands," Yusei replied. "Rubber or not."

Weird biology notwithstanding, Yusei found himself smiling.

"Ne, Yusei, are you sure you're all right?" The talking bipedal reindeer toddled over to him to place a hooved hand on Yusei's forehead, peering closely at the man's eyes. "Hmm, you're okay now, but we'll have to see about shots soon."

"Thank you, Dr Chopper," Yusei replied.

Chopper twisted around, trying to hide his happy expression in a way that was both endearing and comic. "Calling me 'doctor' won't make me happy~ dammit~!"

"Usopp Jump!" a loud voice called. Yusei was forced to dodge to the side quickly, landing on his side. He winced as the corner of the sharp deck box dug into him.

"Yusei?" Luffy asked, eyes wide as Yusei took off the belt and the box. "What's that?"

"My treasure," Yusei replied, opening the box. The cards, wrapped in basic plastic, fell into his palm neatly.

"Cards?" Usopp asked, walking over.

"Interesting!" Luffy grinned. "What are these for?"

Yusei frowned for a moment. "Back home, there's a very popular game called Duel Monsters. These cards are used to play them."

"Duel Monsters?" Usopp asked, turning slightly green. "How d'you play?"

Yusei picked up four cards, each with a different coloured edge of yellow, orange, green and pink respectively. "You summon monsters to duel with another player's monster. Monsters are the cards with the yellow edges. Some monsters have a special ability, and these monsters are shown by the orange edges. It's..."

"Ah," Luffy nodded. "So, it's like a normal person and someone who ate a Devil Fruit, right?"

Yusei blinked. "A Devil Fruit?"

"I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi," Luffy gave a big grin. "So, I'm a rubber man!"

"Ah. Yes, I suppose you can say it that way," Yusei mused. "The green cards are magic cards, used to give a boost to your monsters when needed or to perform various effects. It's... like taking up a sword."

"Ah, so it's like how Zoro becomes demoniacally strong after holding all three swords!" Usopp punched his fist into his palm.

"...yes."

"So, the secret to Zoro's strength is in his swords? I've never heard of such a medical process!"

The conversation was quickly slipping away fast from Yusei. "Excuse me?"

"Oi, you guys," Sanji called from the upper deck. "I don't know why you're so quiet all of a sudden, but instead of playing, can you get some of the octopi from yesterday's big catch?"

"Octopi?" all except Yusei exclaimed.

"Ah. Takomeshi, takoshabu, also served in square-cut portions in a mountain-like shape! I was thinking of preparing octopus for today."

"Can I help?" Yusei quickly put the cards back to stand.

"Best to give the idiot captain something to do," Sanji sighed. "But, you guys can show Yusei the aquarium as well."

"Ne, Yusei, the ship has an aquarium!" Luffy shouted, grabbing the newest crew-mate by the lapels. "Let's go! Sanji, prepare some takoyaki as well!"

"Takoyaki!" Usopp and Chopper echoed loudly and eagerly.

"Luffy San–!" he was too late, already grabbed by the eager captain and being dragged along for the run.

"Got it. I'll be counting on you then." the cook called as they ran.

"Alright!"

The heavy wooden cover was lifted, th chains on either end straining slightly as Luffy pushed hard to ensure the cover stayed open.

"Yosh," Chopper reached a hooved foot in to catch, but the tiny round octopus evaded his every attempt.

"Damn, I can't catch it if it keeps running away," the tiny reindeer sighed.

"Then, it's my turn!" Luffy began to swing his arm back.

"No, wait!" Usopp raised a hand. "Both you and Chopper are Devil Fruit users, if you fall in you'll drown." He began to grin, one tooth gleaming in the sunlight. "Leave it to me."


"Oi, there's something floating in the sea!" Zoro's loud voice called over the loudspeakers from the crow's nest, just as Luffy rescued an apparently stuck Usopp from the huge aquarium. Yusei felt a momentary pang of sympathy for the bruised Usopp until the long-nosed man began yelling at the approaching cook, proving that he was fine.

"Oh? Where, where?" Luffy looked out to the expanse of sea with the other crew members with him.

Chopper squinted. "A... barrel?"

Usopp shielded his eyes with one hand to squint further. "Look, it says 'treasure' on it!"

"Eh, you're right!" Luffy exclaimed. "Could it be... maybe it's treasure that fell off a ship?"

Yusei sweat-dropped; what he saw on the red and black banner attached was the Kanji 'tribute to the sea god'.

"Treasure?" the others echoed.

"Oi, Luffy, let's hurry to pull it out!" Usopp yelled.

"Yeah!"

"You know, it's just alcohol and some food, right?" Yusei asked once the barrel was placed on the lawn and the trio were happily singing: 'yay, we discovered a treasure' as the rest of the crew gathered.

"Eh, why?" Luffy yelled.

"Look, Luffy," Nami commented as she walked up to them. "It says 'tribute to the sea god' right?"

"Oh? It does!"

"People send these barrels out to sea when they leave on a voyage, to pray to the sea gods for a safe journey." Nami explained.

"What, so it's pointless to pick this up?" Usopp scowled.

"It's got sake," Zoro solemnly stated. "Let's open it."

"Oi, are you asking to be smote?" Usopp asked.

"If we pray then drink it, it should be fine," Yusei considered.

Nami sniffed, looking at him with teary eyes. "Finally, someone with common sense other than us aboard this ship."

"I'm not praying to some god," Zoro scowled.

"Sake that's been tossed around on the waves is supposed to be especially delicious," Nami slyly added.

Franky's expression lit up. "Oh? Then we've got to try it!"

"Yosh, let's have a toast!" Usopp yelled, throwing his arms up.

"After we've finished it, we're supposed to refill the barrel and release it again," Robin said.

"Open it, open it!" Franky chanted as he gripped the cover of the barrel.

"Oi, God, we're going to have some of this!" Luffy called out to the open ocean enthusiastically.

Zoro sneered. "What God? Aren't you the one who beat 'God' on the sky island...?"

Yusei slowly turned to look at Nami, completely lost.

"Long story," Nami shrugged.

"Well, sorry for taking this without permission!" Luffy called as he deftly undid the tight knots on the barrel to lift the cover.

Without warning, something flew up to the sky at top speed, a whistling sound accompanying it as the thing exploded in a shower of red sparks in the clear skies.

"What, something flew out?" Usopp exclaimed.

It exploded with a bang, the red flare causing even Franky to pull down the shades from his hair – and Yusei only just spotted them – as the crew looked up at the red ball.

"Wha...?" Luffy muttered.

Usopp pulled down a pair of lens from his cap. "A red light?"

"What?" Nami whispered. "What's going on?"

Yusei said nothing, his expression that of a frown as the light died away.

"The drink flew out, lit up and disappeared!" Chopper exclaimed.

"A flare," Yusei commented offhand.

"A flare?" Nami asked.

"Maybe it's a curse from the sea god," Zoro chuckled.

"If it's just a prank there no problem," Robin now looked worried. "However..."

"However...?" Usopp and Chopper had looks of fear on their faces.

"It's possible that now, this ship is being targeted by someone," Robin murmured.

"You mean... it was some kind of trap?" Usopp's voice kept rising in volume. "By opening the barrel, we told someone else that we're here? Chopper, take a look around, those bounty hunters might still be after us!"

"Got it!"

The pair of them searched around, Chopper perching himself on top of the figurehead with a pair of binoculars. "I don't see anyone here!"

"No one here either!" Usopp yelled.

"True, we really can't see anyone now," Yusei thought. "But... Nami San, there's something happening."

Nami frowned. "Something strange is happening... the cloud currents are moving really fast..." a look of realisation dawned as she ran for the upper deck staircase. "Everyone, positions! We're heading south-south-east! A huge storm's approaching, we've got five minutes!" What's more amazing is that Yusei picked up the signs... maybe I can train him just in case...

"I can't see anything, but if she says so it must be true," Luffy commented as he ran. "Nami, which way?"

"Two o'clock!"

Everyone helped out, even the inexperienced Yusei who helped Chopper tighten the knots. Soon enough, truly, the black nimbus rolled in and the seas became dark and choppy as the rain fell in sheets. There were a few muttered swear words as lightning streaked the skies, and the crew hurried its work.

"There's a strong head-wind!" Nami muttered. "We're being pushed back!"

The ship rocked, sending barrels and crew alike rolling across the deck, Luffy and Chopper yelling as they rolled. Waves crashed up on deck, swamping the wood with seawater.

"Oi, you think that's all this ship can do?" Franky yelled.

"Oh, right! Everyone, raise the sails! We'll use the paddle!"

"Oh, that," Usopp commented.

"I like that thing, it's so cool!" Luffy yelled happily as he got to work while gripping on the mast. Soon, the crew were busy obeying their navigator's every command.

"Are the preparations done?"

"Nami San, the main is okay!"

"The sails have been raised to the mast!"

"Franky, go ahead!"

"Yosh!" the shipwright grabbed the wheel, and Yusei felt the anticipation build in him. "Soldier Dock System, Channel Zero!"

There was a whirring sound as Yusei felt the ship lurch under him. It's mechanised, he realised.

"Cola Engine, Paddle Ship, Sunny, go!" Nami commanded. From both sides of the ship, a paddle wheel about twenty feet in diameter appeared, painted red and dripping with water. They spun quickly, propelling the Thousand Sunny forward despite the weather.

"Go!" Luffy called even as he held onto the wood for dear life.

Despite that they were travelling at speeds enough to throw people off the ship, despite that all this was happening in a heavy storm out at sea, the cries of the crew prompted Yusei to laugh as the Thousand Sunny charged ever forward.


The Sunny charged forth, until the rain thinned, until the winds died, until the storm had passed, and then it slowed down finally to stop, peacefully bobbing on the waters as the beginning of a sea fog stirred.

"We made it," Nami sighed.

"Yeah..." Zoro drawled. "But what's with this place... it's not even night and yet... the fog's making it look so dark..."

"Maybe.." Nami's face carried a worried expression. "We're in that part of the ocean... we're not ready for this!"

Usopp chuckled. "Oh, so we're already at Fishman Island?"

"No," Luffy had pulled his straw hat down to shield his eyes. "Before that's the ghost sea!"

Franky carried an equally shifty expression. "True, don't let your guard down. This ocean is definitely... the famous, Florian Triangle! The outrageous sea where everything mysteriously disappears!"

"Eh?" Usopp's expression grew long and comical and Yusei would have laughed had he been anything other than nice. "G-g-ghosts?"

"Eheheeheehee, yeah there's ghosts in this ocean!" Luffy joked.

"You're lying!" Usopp broke out. "Everyone else knows what it is, why don't I?"

"I don't," Yusei raised a hand.

"You're the exception!" Usopp yelled back.

Chopper was gripping onto Yusei's leg for dear life, shivering. "Yusei..."

Luffy laughed again, a sound that was very much like his namesake. "Kokoro Baa San told us. There's even living skeletons!"

Usopp stuttered again. "L-living skeletons?"

Sanji struck a match, the sound of the flare breaking the tension slightly. "That's just our imagination. Stop scaring him with it. Okay, Usopp, Yusei... every year in this ocean, many ships disappear without a trace..."

Sanji's face looked ghoulish in the little light as he lit up his cigarette. "They say there's ghost ships filled with the dead that wander..."

Usopp broke out screaming. "No! Tell me that kinda thing ahead of time!"

Sanji's voice deepened slightly. "What help would that be?"

"Err, I could have prepared!" Usopp rebutted weakly. "I need some exorcism things!"

"Usopp, I need some too!" Chopper cried.

All the while, as they talked, the creaking of wood could be heard far off as a dark shape approached through the mist, carrying with it a haunting melody...

Yohohoho, yohohoho...

Usopp flinched as Chopped grabbed onto his back. "What's that...?"

The creaking of rotten wood and the haunting echoes repeated in the near-silence, interrupted by the crew's exclamations.

Yohohoho...

Usopp, very slowly, turned around to face the source of the singing...

"There it is!"

Tall and imposing, the mast of the ship rose from behind the prow, the mast still carrying the last remains of its torn sails flagging in the wind.

"THE GHOST SHIP!" Everyone except for Robin and Yusei exclaimed loudly as one.

Even as the ship approached, the echoes seemed to increase in volume.

YOHOHOHO...

"What with this song...?" Nami muttered as the echoes sounded.

"It's the evil spirit's song!" Usopp yelled as Chopper panicked. "Don't listen to it! If you do, you'll be cursed!"

Chopper began screaming as Usopp yelled, "If a ghost tries to talk to you, don't let him! If you do, he'll drag you out to sea! Evil spirits are always trying to make people come with them!"

"Are you sure you're alright?" Yusei asked even as his hand drifted towards his deck.

The ship was close enough to see the wear and tear the hull had endured, the echoes still sounding.

"Maybe there's someone onboard," Yusei considered.

There was a chink as Zoro held one sword ready to draw. "If it's an enemy I'll cut him down."

"There's something," Sanji muttered around his cigarette.

The rest of the ship drifted past, light from the Sunny enough to catch a glimpse of the spectral figure aboard the ship that prompted various responses from the various crew members, mostly of shock and horror even as the spectral figure lifted a chipped cup in one hand.

Binks no sake yo, todoke ni yuku yo...

Yohohoho... yohohoho...

The echoes continued even as the ship drifted away.

It was a while before Luffy regained his voice. "Oi, did anyone see that? A skeleton was singing!"

Usopp and Chopper screeched. "I-idiot!" Usopp yelled. "Skeletons don't sing! It was a spirit, a spirit!"

"It was a skeleton," Yusei dispassionately relayed. "A skeleton wearing an afro, drinking from a teacup, and singing."

"But you heard it, right?" Luffy excitedly exclaimed, turning to Zoro. "Let's go, let's go!" Stars began flashing in his eyes. "There was a living skeleton after all! Yosh!"

"Wait, wait!" Sanji grabbed him by the collar before Luffy could dash onboard. "Don't rush, Luffy."

Zoro held up a bunch of lots. "Well, we'll decide who's going onboard with Luffy."

"Eh?" Usopp, Nami and Chopper screeched as one.

"Why do we have to go with him? Aren't there people who want to go as well?" Usopp complained.

"That's right, let them do it!" Nami agreed.

"Right, let them do it!" Chopper echoed.

"Are you sure?" Zoro muttered, the trio turning to see the other half of the crew prepare to leap over, and Yusei, torn between amusement and worry.

As Zoro walked, Chopper held onto the sheath of the sword, being dragged along. "Zoro, please..."

"Zoro, I beg of you..." Usopp cried from where he was being dragged with his grip around Chopper. "Let's get inside Sunny until they come back!"

"Let's go, let's go, let's go inside!" Nami cried.

Luffy pouted. "You don't have to, I'll be fine by myself. If we don't hurry the ship will leave."

"Yes," Sanji replied lazily. "And then you won't be able to get onboard..."

"Ah?"

"Anyway, pick one," Zoro sighed, uncaring. "Two will go with Luffy... to prevent him from acting stupidly."


"Why... why did we have to go?" Nami bemoaned on the little row-boat attached to the Sunny. "I'm going back..."

"Are you alright, Nami San?" Yusei called down in concern from the rope ladder they were climbing up.

"I told you, I'm fine alone!"

"No!" Zoro called authoritatively from the ladder. " If we let you do that, you'll do something and get us all cursed!"

"I have terrible luck!" Nami cried as she climbed up. "Yusei, why couldn't you stand in for me instead?"

"Nami Swan~" Sanji called. "It's alright! I'll protect you!"

"Even if you say that..." Nami muttered as she climbed up.

"Nami, didn't you want a treasure ship?"

"Shut up! This isn't a treasure ship! You saw it, didn't you, that moving skeleton?"

"He's the guard!" Luffy replied. "Let's go find him!"

They crawled up the rope net quickly, making occasional noises of exertion until... they reached the top... and saw it...

Nami's screams echoed all the way to the Sunny, where Chopper and Usopp began praying: "Evil spirits stay away, evil spirits stay away..."


The moment you got over the initial shock, Yusei reflected, the skeleton was actually quite polite.

"How do you do? Yohohoho!" the... skeleton chuckled. "I'm so sorry about earlier, I was unable to greet you properly! I'm so surprised! It's been so many years since I've seen people. All I ever see here is ghost ship after ghost ship... It's terrifying! Well, make yourselves at home and do come in. We'll be able to relax and talk."

"Look, he's talking!" Luffy pointed. "He's got an afro and he's talking!"

"Unbelievable," Sanji muttered.

The skull's grinning visage turned to Nami. "Oh!"

He walked over to the cowering navigator. "My lady, you're a sight to behold! Beautiful!"

"Er, I'm n-not, really..." Nami stuttered.

"Oh, I only have eyes for beautiful ladies... although, as a skeleton, I have no eyes!"

And then, Yusei could not believe his eyes as the skeleton made a passing attempt to clean up and groom himself before saying to their navigator with a completely serious air: "Would you, perhaps, show me your panties?"

"Who would!" Nami kicked the skeleton in the face.

It went down in a series of creaks. "I'm afraid you knocked the skin right off my bones! Although, I'm already a skeleton..."

"SHUT UP! " Nami yelled back, as Luffy began laughing.

"How come the skeleton is such a simpleton..." Sanji muttered quietly, lighting another cigarette.

"Hey, can you poop?" Luffy asked, grinning.

"There's lots more important questions than that!" Sanji yelled at him.

The skeleton did a ninety-degree pick up from the floorboards, walked to pick up his cane, before returning to the exact same spot and answering: "Yes, I can."

"Don't answer him!" Sanji barked. "Never mind that! First, if you're a skeleton how can you be alive and talking? Who are you? Why are you here? What happened to this ship? What kinds of things happen in this sea? Answer all those things now!"

Yusei sweat-dropped. "Sanji San, that's too many questions at once..."

"Wait," Luffy walked over. "But, more importantly. You... Join our crew!"

Yusei rolled his eyes to the heavens as Nami and Sanji gave the captain disbelieving looks. "Ehh?"

"Alright then," the skeleton shrugged, sipping from a chipped teacup. How he managed to drink it, Yusei could not fathom.

The cigarette dropped from Sanji's lips as Nami turned pale. "EHH?"


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