Note: The companion story, A Sub With No Name, will not be updating at the same time as this chapter as there is no reverence or relation to that story. Also, the character add in is based off a friend of mine and is her idea on looks and behavior. Bre is AnimeFrkGril's character and while she's in this story she's technically owned by AnimeFrkGrl.
Disclaimer: I do not own One-Piece nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Oda Eiichiro.
Nunya Bizniz 2
Chapter Two: New Arrival
The Nunya pulled up to the port on the island that their log pose had been pointing to. Well, kinda pointing to. They had followed the most unstable needle thinking that this would be the way that Luffy would go and they'd be able to bump into the others. Since the Nunya was larger and more unusual then the other ships people usually see it had to pass the port be docked a little ways out of the town. There wasn't a dock big enough to support it.
"You've been in the New World a lot," Rachel said. She was looking at Ace as the three crew members of The Nunya Bizniz disembarked. "Do you remember which island this was again?"
"You've been here before," Ace pointed out. "Don't tell me you've forgotten."
"Refresh my memory."
"This is the island of Wado." Rachel stopped in her tracks. Zoro, who had been walking next to her, stopped as well. Ace took a few steps ahead before turning back with a sly grin on his face. "What's the matter?" he asked.
"How could you have not told me that we're on that damned chauvanistic piece of shit of an island?" Rachel snapped. Ace laughed outright at her reaction while Zoro's eyes widened in surprise. Rachel stormed up to Ace and got in his face. "I am not going into that crap town," she hissed. She pushed a piece of paper into his chest violently. "Here's a list of everything that we need on the ship. You should get started on the shopping before it starts to get dark. Last I checked they had a curfew to follow."
"Why do I have to go alone?" Ace asked.
"I never said you have to go alone," Rachel said. "However, it's completely up to Zoro on whether he goes with you or not. Think of this as a sort of punishment for not letting me know where we were to begin with." That said, Rachel turned on her heel and walked back towards the ship.
"What are you going to do while we're getting supplies?" Ace asked.
"First of all," Rachel raised her hand with one finger in the air. She continued to walk back to the ship though. "I have to clean all the guns I have in store. They need it regularly to prevent them from getting rust, especially out at sea. Secondly, if I want to take a nap all day long I will. You should have told me that this was 'that' island."
"I get that you're mad at me," Ace admitted. "But I don't think you should be by yourself when we're in town." Zoro moved to head after Rachel.
Rachel stopped and looked at the two. "The Nunya has the best security system this side of anywhere," she pointed out. "Think about it you numbskulls. Missy and I built a business that specialized in the security of islands. Do you honestly think that we would neglect to beef up our own defenses? You've seen the turrets, the docking bay and you know we have escape hatches laid out all over the ship. I think I can manage to hold down the fort while you're away." Rachel turned back around and ascended the ramp to the ship. She didn't bother to give them another glance as she went below deck.
Ace let out a sigh and looked at Zoro. "She's your wife," he said. "You could have made her come along with us."
"Next time you try that," Zoro started walking away from the ship. "Let me know how well it works out for you."
"Like I'm suicidal," Ace muttered. He watched Zoro walk away a few steps. "You're going the wrong way."
The crunching of dried leaves with each footstep echoed through the woods. It was a crisp October morning. The sun was just starting to peak it's way over the horizon. A woman dressed in hunter orange and camo was walking through the trees. She carried with her a Matthew's Monster Wake compound bow and a quiver of arrows with Rage Arrowheads and Luminox. Her long, black hair with purple highlights was tied into a ponytail and tucked under an orange hunter's hat with camo trim. On her feet were a pair of water proof Wolverine work boots. They were warm and perfect for trekking through the woods. They were cheaper then the pair of hunter boots one could buy, but they were practically the same.
Dark blue eyes shifted across the landscape. They were keeping a lookout for movement of any kind as well as for the perfect spot to use as a blind. It was a little difficult since it was still so dark out. Having come and walked these woods the week before, the huntress knew what it was that she was looking for. Another five minutes of walking she finally returned to the spot she had chosen to set herself up for a day of hunting. As quietly as she could, she made sure that her equipment was secured to herself before she started climbing up a tree. About thirty feet into the tree was a platform she had put there just for this purpose.
After a few minutes the huntress was finally settled into her spot. She tied her safety line to the tree, making sure that if she fell out on accident she wouldn't be hurt. The woman braced herself for what could possibly be a long day of hunting. Or it could be a short day if she got lucky. The choice was up to the prey. Now if only she could bag that ten point buck that liked to roam the woods that would be perfect.
The huntress' eyes snapped open. She had fallen asleep without noticing she was tired. It was strange for her. She had never done that on a hunt before. The first thing she noticed was that it was really bright outside. The second was that it was oddly warm. The weather in Mid-October shoulld be much colder than this. Sweat started to bead down her forehead.
The huntress took a look around only to freeze in shock. This was not the woods she had fallen asleep in. In fact, this wasn't in the woods at all. Somehow she had wound up in a back alley of some sort of town. Confusion and panic started to build. The huntress took a few deep breaths hoping that she was in a dream. She reached over with her right hand and pinched her left forearm. She winced at the sudden pain. Dread now started to fill her being. If she wasn't in a dream then where was she? Had someone made sure she was asleep and kidnapped her?
The sound of people drew her attention. If someone would be able to help her they would be where the voices were coming from. Either that or they were her kidnappers. Giving herself a once over, the huntress noticed that she still had her bow and arrows. What kind of kidnappers would take someone and leave their weapons with them? The more she thought on the situation the more the huntress became confused. Nothing was making any kind of sense. Slinging on her bow and arrows, the stranded woman began to head towards what she hoped was help of some kind. If nothing else then maybe one of the people would let her borrow their cell phone so that she can call for help.
A few minutes of walking and the woman was hotter than a polar bear in the desert. She shed her thick hunting gear that protected from the cold. She was wearing a blue t-shirt and black jeans that had rips in the knees underneath. Feeling much better, the huntress hid her thick clothing with the plan of returning for them and then continued walking. Her bow and arrows still kept at her side. It was still making her wary, the thought of how had someone brought her all the way to town without waking her or alerting her to danger of any kind. There were enough leaves on the ground that a human wouldn't have been able to sneak up on her.
Upon exiting the alleyway the huntress was stunned. It looked like a market that was straight out of some old fashioned show. The people were dressed in the traditional kimono style of Japan, top knots and elaborate hair included. First thought that ran through her mind was that it must be some sort of themed convention or something. A few spared her a fleeting glance only to quickly look away when their eyes made contact. A group of women with their children rushed to the opposite side of the street. They were muttering things like "foreigner" and "must be a pirate". This only served to confuse the girl more. Where in the heck was she?
"You're looking a little lost woman," a gruff voice said. The huntress glanced to her left to see a group of filthy men loitering around the entrance to the alley. Even from several feet away she could smell the alcohol on their breath. "What ship did you come in on?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," the huntress said. "I'm just looking for a phone to call home."
"What's a fone?" another of the thugs asked. "Is it some sort of fancy foreigner food?
"I don't have time for this," the woman grossed. She started to turn away and look somewhere else for a phone. The sound of someone drawing their sword drew her attention. Looking over her shoulder she noticed the man that was the apparent leader had indeed drawn a sword. It only served to confuse her more. Conventions didn't allow weapons of any kind within the premises, at least not without a peace knot or something.
"You should put that away before you poke you're eye out," the huntress deadpanned.
"I'll teach you woman," the man roared. "A woman's place is under a man. I won't let you get away with sassing me."
Ace stood in the middle of the square. He was moving his head from left to right. Bullets of nervous sweat were rolling down his back. "Rachel is going to kill me," he groaned. "How can one man get lost in just a few seconds? I turn my back to check the price on some fruit and he's gone. Rachel's already mad enough at me as it is. If I show up without her husband she'll use my own powers to turn me into a kabob." As he stood there, worrying about what possible outcome awaited him, the sound of a fight was heard. Ace paid closer attention to the sound. That's when he noticed the faint whistle of a sword slicing through air. "I'm willing to bet that's him. He's the only one I know that will pick a fight at the drop of a hat."
Ace ran as fast as he could. He had to drag Zoro back to the market so they could finish shopping before the curfew ended. If they didn't have everything on the list when it was time to leave there would be h*** to pay. Ace ran around the corner and stopped short. He had expected to find Zoro standing over a pile of bodies. He was not expecting to see a slight woman wearing blue and black being surrounded by ten men. The polite and chivalrous nature in him would not stand for this.
The huntress' eyes shifted from left to right and back again. She couldn't afford to let her guard down. The sound of a punch and body hitting the floor had her spinning around. A man with black hair under an orange hat stood there. He wore only a pair of jean shorts and some shoes besides the hat. 'He kind of looks like...' the huntress thought. 'Nah, just my imagination.'
"You need ten guys to attack one woman?" the newcomer taunted. "What kind of men are you that you attack lone women?"
"This is none of your business foreigner," the leader snapped. "This woman has insulted our honor and we will have justice for it."
"No I didn't," the huntress returned. "I insulted your drunken swordsmanship. If I were to insult your honor I would say things like you're a eunech or something. Which, I might add, I'm coming to believe is a factual statement."
Ace snickered only for a second. He became serious once again when the men all seemed to jump at the woman at once. Using his flame he was able to defeat the entire lot of weak warriors in no time. Some ran with their clothes on fire while others had a fire so close it stole their oxygen, causing them to pass out. The leader wasn't so lucky. He suffered from several severe burns that looked like they would take a while to heal.
"I could have handled that," the huntress said.
"You're welcome," Ace shrugged his shoulders. "Didn't you know that saying something like that to a man on this island is like signing your death warrant? They take their 'superiority' over women to whole new level."
"Do you think you're superior to women?" the huntress narrowed her eyes.
"If I did I would be swimming with the fishes by now," Ace admitted. "My sisters would have long had me strung up and drowned." He looked around, but didn't see anyone else. "I can help you find your friends or your ship if you're lost," he offered.
"No need for all of that," the huntress shook her head. She picked up her bow and arrows that had been dropped some time during the skirmish. "Just point me in the direction of the nearest phone and I'll leave you alone."
"Phone?" Ace blinked at the woman for a minute. He knew he had heard that word before, but he couldn't place it.
"Yeah," the woman put a hand on her hip. "You know, a phone, something that allows people to talk from long distances."
Ace's eyes widened in realization. He remembered where he had heared of a phone before. He recalled Missy and Rachel lamenting about having to talk into an animal and not talking into a phone like they used to. "That might be a problem," Ace said. He didn't want to overwhelm the newcomer with too much information. "There isn't a phone located on this island."
"You can't be serious," the woman looked at him straight on. "How in the world do you communicate with others then?"
"You just saw what the people here are like," Ace smirked. "You think that they're really up to date on the latest things?"
"Point to you," the woman nodded. "Speaking of those guys. What kind of weapon did you use against them? I saw fire, but it looked really controlled. Like beyond the law of physics kind of controlled."
Ace looked to the side and put a hand behind his head. "Yeah," he gave a nervous laugh. "About all of that, you might want to brace yourself. Things around here aren't like the things you're used to."
"What would you know about what I'm used to?"
"You have cars and stuff," Ace pointed out. "This world doesn't have that sort of thing."
"What do you mean by this world?"
"How familiar are you with a treasure called One Piece?"
"Why are you bringing up an anime?"
"Oh, so you do know of it. Great, that will make things go a lot more smoothly. At any rate," Ace then bowed at the waist to her. "My name is Portgas D. Ace." He stood up straight after his introduction. "What's your name?"
The woman started laughing out right. "Okay, I'll admit that your cosplay is pretty good. But you can drop the act. There's no way that there's an actual place like the One Piece World."
Ace let out a slight sigh. 'This is going to be tougher than I thought,' he thought. He took a step back and turned to the side. It allowed the woman to see past him. "Why don't I take you to meet one of my sister's? She'll help you find a way to contact home."
"That's what I'm talking about right there," the woman pointed. She rushed around and grabbed all of her stuff. "Ace doesn't have any sisters. You can drop the act and tell me your real name you know?"
"What would you say if my name actually was Ace?"
"I'd say that was a huge coincidence."
"Then we'll go with that," Ace started to lead the way back to the ship. "You never did tell me your name."
"It's Breanna, but people usually call me Bre."
"Do you mind if I call you Bre?"
"If I minded I wouldn't have told you."
"Another point to you," Ace let out a smirk. He was going to do his best to stay on Bre's good side. At least until Rachel could explain things to her. Hopefully she wouldn't go crazy on all of them, especially on the Nunya.
As the two walked through the town Bre's curiosity was getting the better of her. She was looking to and fro at all of the market stands. "Did they really rent out a whole street for a themed convention?" she asked.
"I think you will be surprised," Ace commented. The two were now heading past the docks. Bre stopped in her tracks and stared at the ships. Ace turned and watched her. He was letting her take it in, maybe figure things out on her own. Bre slowly turned to look at Ace, her eyes held nothing except questions. "We're almost there," he said calmly. "My sister was once in the same position you find yourself in. I'm sure that you can ask her anything that you want." He continued forward, certain that Bre was following him.
The Nunya quickly came into view. Ace was both grateful and a little nervous. He had no idea how Rachel would react to the knowledge that someone else had been pulled from her and Melissa's home world. Obviously she wouldn't be mad at him, persay. It was just that her temper was imfamous. Even Melissa knew better than to mess with her when she got really angry. Having someone pull on the strings of yourself and others, that just might make her a little on the edgy side.
As the two were walking to the ship in silence a voice cut through. "I'm noticing something a little odd at the moment Ace," Rachel's voice was heard. "Well, it's actually a lot more like two somethings. First of all, I'm noticing a surprising lack of supplies." Horror spread across Ace's face as he realized where she was going with this. "Second off, where's my husband?"
"I'll go look for him in a minute," Ace promised. "Right now this is really important."
Breanna looked up to the ship they had been approaching. On the deck was a woman with curly blonde hair tied back hastily. It was obvious she didn't wear it up usually. She was either trying to get it off her neck because she was hot or out of her face because it kept falling into her field of vision. One hand was resting on the rail of the ship, tapping her fingers.
"Rachel, this is Breanna." Ace then turned to Bre. "I never did catch where you're from exactly."
"I'm from North Carolina, isn't it obvious?"
"Holy shit," Rachel burst out. Her hand was no longer on the rail. Instead it fell to hang loosely at her side in her shock. She stared down at the two for a while.
"Why are you making a big deal out it?" Bre asked.
"Come on up here and I'll explain everything to you," Rachel motioned. "Ace, don't you think about boarding this ship until you have the supplies I sent you for and my husband."
"Why don't you just ask me to bring you the moon?" Ace turned around and headed into the town at a brisk pace.
"Sorry about all of that," Rachel said. "Like I said, come on up here and I'll make us some coffee or something. Believe me when I say you're going to need it. Sorry I chased Ace away before he introduced me. My name is Rachel and this is my ship The Nunya Bizniz."
"Cool name," Bre let out a smile. She had a feeling that she was going to get along with Rachel even with the weird circumstances. "Ace told you my name is Breanna, but everyone calls me Bre."
"Well come with me Bre," Rachel started to move below deck. "We'll head to the kitchen and I'll tell you mine and my cousin's story. By the way, you wouldn't know if the news happened to mention two cruise ship passengers going missing with their rented watercraft from a few years back, would you?"
"I don't recall that specifically," Bre admitted. "I don't pay much attention to the news. But I do remember my dad talking about how a cruise ship disappeared and all but two passengers were recovered. Most likely the ship sank and the passengers drowned, but that is the closest thing I can think of."
"The entire ship vanished?" Rachel asked for confirmation.
"Assumed sunk," Bre corrected.
"But not confirmed?"
"No, not confirmed. There hasn't even been a single sign of the tiniest scrap or debris."
"Well now you have me wondering a few things." Rachel then began her explanation of what happened to her and Melissa. "We've been in this world ever since," she finished. "That's been about four years now, give or take. With your arrival, I'm really curious about that Poneglyph Rayleigh was talking about when we first met."
"You realize that this is hard to swallow?" Bre asked.
"The fact that Ace was the first to find you must mean something," Rachel teased. "After all, my husband was the first one that I bumped into, literally."
"I thought you said that the first person from this world that you saw was Roronoa Zoro," Bre looked to the ceiling. She was going back through the story in her head, trying to think if she remembered right. She looked back down to see Rachel giving her a knowing look. "You can't be serious."
The sound of the door to the kitchen opening interrupted whatever was about to be said next. None other than the man they were just talking about walked in. Zoro walked right past Bre, giving her a brief glance, and right up to Rachel. He leaned down and gave her a kiss. "Next time that we're at port," he started to say. "Don't play such mean tricks on me."
Giving a sly smirk Rachel spoke. "What trick do you mean?"
"You moved the ship," he accused.
"Sorry tough guy," Rachel bopped him on the nose with a finger. "This ship hasn't moved since you and Ace first made landfall. You just got yourself lost."
Ace chose that moment to come into the room. A large sack was across his shoulders. "I've brought the supplies," he announced. He was putting the sack down, not even noticing who was in the room. "I'm going to head back out and look for Zoro."
"Don't blame me for you getting lost," Zoro crossed his arms. He was standing to full height at this point and started to stare down Ace.
Ace whipped around, anger marring his features. "Don't you start that with me," he snapped. "I'm not the one with such a sucky sense of direction. I wouldn't have been yelled at earlier if you would just follow someone that knows where they're going." The two men then started to get into an argument over who was in the right and who was wrong.
"I just have one thing to say about all of this," Bre whispered. She was so quiet that Rachel was the only one who heard her. Once she noticed that Rachel was paying attention she continued with her train of thought. "You lucky bitch." Rachel bust out laughing at that point.
