NOTES FROM AO3:

Changes from original: Some new dialogue, scene order has been altered, and the part with Siobhan has been rewritten entirely. It has changed a bit, but is same in its core.

And in case anyone's curious, this takes place between Drum and Alabasta... and between Film Z and Punk Hazard.

三

Chapter 1: Voices in the Fog! A Familiar Face Appears on the Mystery Island!

As far as mornings on the Grand Line go, it was looking to be a beautiful one. There was nary a cloud in the sky, the temperature was the perfect balance between dry and humid, and the waters were clear for miles. Of course, this being the Grand Line, the weather was extremely subject to change. Without the aid of an experienced navigator, any crew sailing this legendary sea would be in dire straits.

Thankfully for a certain pirate crew of up and coming rookies, they were not without their navigator. And it was all thanks to their new doctor.

"Well, it's safe to say the Kestia virus is officially out of your system, Nami!" Tony Tony Chopper said, putting away his tools. "You are one-hundred-percent disease free!"

"That's a relief," Nami said, getting up from her bed. "Thanks again for everything, Chopper. You're a great doctor."

"S-Shut up!" the little doctor stammered, wiggling joyfully. "It was Doctorine's medicine that cured you! I just helped you through the final stages of your recovery! Don't think complimenting me will make me happy, moron!"

You look happy to me, Nami thought with a sweatdrop. She chuckled. I suppose we'll all just have to get used to that quirk.

Nami stretched her arms as she climbed up the stairs and out on to the Going Merry's main deck, Chopper in tow. She smiled, allowing herself to do a little spin around the mast as she took in the gorgeous weather with unlabored breathing.

It was hard to believe they'd left the cold Drum Island only two days ago, and even harder to believe she'd been dying during that time. She barely remembered anything from her sickness, making the experience seem all the more like a crazy dream. With the reindeer monster, witch doctor, trashcan king, and cherry blossom mountains, it certainly sounded like one.

But that was over and done now. She was healthy, Wapol was defeated, Chopper was a crewmate, and they were finally back on the water. The Straw Hat Pirates could finally focus on their real objective- getting Princess Nefertari Vivi to Alabasta and stopping the rebellion.

Still, there was no harm in a little celebration.

"Guess what, everyone!" Nami declared, raising her hands to the sky. "Your navigator is now, officially, one hundred percent healthy!"

She immediately caught the attention of Sanji and Vivi, the latter being served a drink by the former at the deck table.

"That's wonderful, Nami!" Vivi said, clapping her hands together. "I'm glad you're doing better!"

"Nami-swaaaan~!" Sanji sang, twirling over to her. "I'm so happy you've returned to complete health, my angel! I hope we never have to go through such a trial ever again!"

"Sanji, stop dancing around!" Chopper scolded him. "Your back is still healing! Do you want to be paralyzed for the rest of your life? "

The scolding probably would have had a stronger effect on the cook had Chopper not been hiding the wrong way behind the mast while saying it. Sanji and Nami shared a glance before turning back to the human-reindeer.

"... Isn't that backwards?" Sanji asked.

Chopper's fur bristled, but he did correct himself so that just his eye was visible.

"Better, but I've already seen you."

Chopper yelped and hid all the way behind the mast. Sanji just stood there, baffled, while Nami sighed and sat down next to Vivi at the table.

Vivi leaned in close to Nami's ear. "I guess Tony is still a little nervous around Sanji, huh."

"What do you expect? He did try turn the poor thing into venison," Nami said with a snort. "Sanji, can I get one of those drinks?"

"Right away, Nami my dear!"

Sanji went to fetch Nami's drink, and it was around this time the rest of the crew paid attention to Nami's arrival. The resident swordsman, Roronoa Zoro, was nowhere to be seen, but Monkey D. Luffy and Usopp approached from where they'd been playing a game of tag with Vivi's super spot-billed duck, Carue.

"Nami's all better?" Luffy asked. He rode on Carue's back. "Yosh! Then let's set course for Alabasta!"

"Quaawww!" Carue quacked in agreement.

"Luffy, we're already on course for Alabasta," Usopp reminded him. "And I don't see why you're so excited! Have you forgotten that a freaking warlord is after us?!"

"Yeah, I know!" Luffy said eagerly. "I'm going kick his ass! It's gonna be awesome!"

"You may have a death wish, but I want live as long as physically possible. I'm only coming with to help Vivi stop the rebellion, that's it. I'll leave all the life-threatening battles to monsters like you and Zoro."

"Really? Thanks, Usopp!"

"Usopp, you don't have to worry about Crocodile, remember?" Nami huffed. "He doesn't know what you, Sanji, or Chopper look like."

"In fact, the whole crew doesn't have to worry about Crocodile, period. Here you go, Nami," Sanji added, returning with Nami's drink. He placed his hand proudly to his chest. "Thanks to my efforts in the wax bastard's house, the Straw Hat Pirates are dead as far as Crocodile's concerned."

"Yeah, that'll last!" a voice scoffed loudly from the crow's nest.

"SHUT UP, MOSSHEAD!"

"I'm afraid Mr. Bushido has a point, Sanji," Vivi said before the fight could take off. "Mr. 0 didn't become as powerful as he is by being a fool. It's only a matter of time before he figures out we're still alive, so we need to be on our guard."

It was a bitter truth, but one most of the crew understood. Underestimating one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea had long since been proven to be a potentially fatal action- Zoro had done so and was nearly bisected for his efforts.

Chopper scuttled out from behind the mast, joining his crew at the deck table. He frowned in confusion.

"What do you all mean?" he asked. "What's a crocodile have to do with anything? Who's Mr. 0?"

The deck fell silent except for the sound of Luffy's laughter and Carue's caws.

In all the hubbub of the last few days, the crew had yet to inform their newest recruit the ship he signed on with held four people on a warlord's hit list. Even after they were safely away from Drum, they hadn't wanted to scare the little reindeer so early on his journey, given how much Luffy had to initially badger him to get him to join in the first place.

The pirates looked at each other, and since Luffy was currently trying to wrestle with Carue for some reason, they all simultaneously turned to Vivi.

"Oh, come on!" she complained.

"Sorry, my beloved princess, but as much as I adore escorting you, you were the one who blurted out Crocodile's name to us to begin with," Sanji pointed. "It's only fair you let the little guy know what he's in for."

"Tell me what?" Chopper asked again. "What's going on, guys?"

"Uh, Tony... well, you see..." Vivi began. "Crocodile is-"

"Oi, Nami!" Zoro shouted down suddenly.

Vivi let out a breath of relief, grateful to be saved from an awkward explanation.

"What is it, Zoro?" Nami called back.

"You said we're not supposed to reach Alabasta for several more days, right?"

"Yeah, that's right! Why do you ask?"

"Then what's that big island-shaped blotch in the distance off the port side?"

Nami's eyes widened and she bolted for the port side of the Merry, grabbing a spyglass Usopp held out as she ran past him. Once there, she peered through it and sure enough, there was an island-shaped blotch in the distance. With the spyglass, she could see that it was not a blotch, but an actual island, enshrouded in fog.

"T-That island wasn't there before," Nami stammered. She looked to Vivi. "Vivi, are there supposed to any islands in this stretch of the Grand Line?"

Vivi shook her head as she rose from the table, joining the navigator at the railing. "No. I've traveled this area many times with Baroque Works- it's supposed to be open sea."

There was a heavy thud as Zoro jumped from the crow's nest and landed on his feet on the deck.

"Then where did that island come from?" he asked, walking up to the girls. "Because I'm telling you, I turned my head for a second and it appeared out of nowhere."

"How the hell should I know?! Islands don't just 'appear out of nowhere!'" Nami waved her wrist that wore the log pose. "The log isn't even pointing at it!"

"Cool!" Luffy exclaimed. He ran to the railing so fast, he had to catch himself on it to keep from going overboard. He grinned at his navigator. "A mystery island! Nami, let's go explore it!"

"No way, Luffy!" Usopp argued. "We don't know what's on that island! It's unnatural! For all we know, it could be haunted!"

"A haunted island?" Chopper echoed, his previous questions forgotten. "I didn't know islands could be haunted! What are those like, Usopp?"

Usopp's demeanor instantly shifted from one of cowardice to one of bravado. "They're islands where phantoms rule and the living dead walk freely. I remember conquering an entire chain of haunted islands, back when I was only five years old..."

"WOW, REALLY?" Chopper and Luffy gasped in awe.

"If you conquered a chain of haunted islands as a five-year-old, then why are you so scared to go to one as a..." Nami started to tease. She paused, looking thoughtful.

"Nami?" Sanji asked. "Something wrong?"

Nami cheeks went pink in embarrassment."... I can't believe I'm asking this, but how old are you?"

"ARE YOU SAYING WE'VE BEEN TRAVELING TOGETHER FOR THIS LONG AND YOU'VE NEVER BOTHERED TO LEARN MY AGE?!" the sniper hollered.

"Considering everything that's happened to us since we joined the crew, there's never been a time where it came up," she admitted.

"I'm seventeen!" Usopp barked. "Geez!"

"So am I!" Luffy added. "In fact, I started my pirate journey on my birthday!"

"Oh, happy late birthday, Luffy!"

"Thanks, Usopp!"

"Nami's right, as always," Sanji said with an exhale of smoke. "We've been sailing together for a while now- it's ridiculous we don't know how old we all are. I'm nineteen, if anyone's curious."

"I'm eighteen," Nami sighed tiredly.

Vivi raised a hand. "I'm sixteen."

"I'm pretty sure I'm fifteen," Chopper said, hoof on his chin. "Transition from reindeer years to human years is weird."

Carue quacked his response, but no one was really paying attention to him and Chopper would have been only one to understand anyway. Everyone looked expectantly at Zoro.

"What?" the swordsman asked.

"Everyone else said how old they are," Luffy prompted. "Now it's your turn."

Zoro rolled his eyes. "If it's that important to you, I'm nineteen years old. Just like the Love Cook."

"Seriously?!" Vivi gasped. "I thought you were older than that!"

"How old did you think I was?"

"I thought you were twenty five, at least!"

"Twenty five?!"

"Zoro does have an older-looking face," Nami noted, smiling slyly. "Must be all the drinking he does."

"You drink just as much as I do!" Zoro snapped.

"You're the same age as me?" Sanji asked. He pointed his cigarette at the other man. "When's your birthday?"

"Why so curious, Cook? Should I be expecting a gift?"

"Just answer the question, Mosshead!"

"November 11th."

A long pause followed, before being shattered by the unbelievably smug smirk that spread across the cook's face as he took a drag.

"I always thought you were immature, but this proves it," Sani said coolly. "Mine is March 2nd."

The crew's jaws dropped in awe. Zoro, the bulkier, taller, and, as recently stated, older-looking one of the two bickering rivals was actually the younger one?

Zoro scowled, teeth grinding together. "Shut up."

Sanji only continued to smirk. "Oh Zoro-kun, is that anyway to speak to your elders?"

"I said shut up, Love Cook!"

"Maybe I should have you start calling me Sanji-sempai."

"IN YOUR DREAMS, CURLY-BROWED BASTARD!"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

Usopp, Nami, and Vivi all sweatdropped as the pair jumped into yet another of the daily brawls they'd been getting into since their little "contest" on Little Garden. Luffy, meanwhile, just laughed and Chopper immediately started yelling at Sanji for straining himself.

Vivi smiled wanly. "Business as usual. Anything will get those two in an argument."

"Both nineteen and still so stupid," Nami grumbled. "I can only hope they'll grow out of it soon. This is getting old."

Nami, busy muttering at her crewmates' inability to get along, didn't notice Zoro breaking off from the impromptu duel and walking back to the Merry's railing.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sanji demanded. "We're not done!"

"Yes, you are!" Chopper countered. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to realign a spine?!"

Zoro chose to ignore the blond man, which, really, was his go-to response for anything he said aside from fighting. He looked over the side of the ship in the direction of the bow, then at Nami. "Nami, did you alter our course at all?"

"Of course not," Nami scoffed.

Zoro jerked his thumb to the side. "Then why have we suddenly picked up speed, and why are we suddenly sailing directly towards that mystery island?"

At the word 'island,' everyone's heads snapped towards the front of the Merry. They were now indeed sailing directly toward the mystery island, and said island was now very, very close.

"Crap!" Nami yelled, grasping the sides on her head in panic. "I was distracted by that stupid age discussion and we've completely gone off course! Sanji, Chopper, take the rudder! We need to make a 90 degree turn, now!"

"Right away, Nami-swan!"

"Okay, Nami!"

Sanji gleefully ran up the stairs and into the galley, followed closely by Chopper who had quickly shifted into Heavy Point. Nami tapped her foot rapidly, waiting for the lurch of a ship making a sudden turn. When nothing happened for several minutes, she lost her patience.

"Sanji, Chopper, what's taking so long?!" she screeched. "Hard to starboard, now!"

Chopper stuck his head out of the doorway. "We're pushing as hard as we can, but the rudder won't budge!"

"Push the damn thing even harder, then!"

"If we do that, it'll break!" Sanji's voice exclaimed from within the galley. "It's just like when we were going up Reverse Mountain!"

"Are you kidding me?!" Nami wailed. "How did we get stuck in a super current?!"

"I did warn you about the unpredictability of the Grand Line," Vivi reminded her.

Nami shot her a dirty glare. Vivi decided it was a good time to stay silent as she took a several steps back and leaned against Carue.

"Looks like we're going to the mystery haunted island after all," Luffy said obliviously. "This is great!"

The rubberman stretched out his arm, latching on to the figurehead's horn, and shot forward. He landed on Merry's head with practiced ease and plopped down in his 'special seat.'

"Shishishi, I can't wait!" he giggled. "This is my first time visiting somewhere haunted!"

"Only you would get excited about being trapped in a freakishly strong current and forced to sail toward a haunted island, Luffy," Usopp said darkly.

"Aw, don't be like that! Hey, you said that the living dead were on haunted islands, right? Does that mean zombies?"

"Yeah…" Usopp replied warily. He went pale. "Luffy, what are you planning...?"

Luffy grinned. "Well, think about what it would be like having a zombie on the crew. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Nami screeched, teeth sharp and gnashing. "WE ARE NOT INVITING A MEMBER OF THE LIVING DEAD TO JOIN THIS CREW!"

"But what if he also just happens to be... a musician," he offered. "We still need one, after all."

Nami was about ready to let Luffy know exactly how she felt about such an offer, but Zoro wisely- or unwisely, depending on who you asked- stepped in front of her.

"Fine," Zoro deadpanned. "If we meet one of the undead who just happens to be a musician, we'll take him into consideration. Is that fair, Captain?"

"Sounds good to me! You're the best, Zoro!"

Luffy resumed staring ahead at the island, blissfully unaware he had narrowly avoided the thief's wrath. Sanji and Chopper, who had returned to Brain Point, walked back down onto the deck.

"Sorry, Nami, I couldn't get the rudder to cooperate without risking snapping it in half," Sanji apologized. "Looks like we're going to that island whether we want to or not."

"Damn it all. I should be the one apologizing." Nami turned to Vivi with remorse. "I'm so sorry, Vivi. I guess we're making a slight detour."

Vivi waved it off while stroking Carue's ruffled feathers. "It's fine. You're an outstanding navigator, but even you can't control the currents. Look on the bright side- maybe we can scavenge for provisions while we're there. We can never have too many of those!"

"Brilliant thinking, my beautiful Vivi!" Sanji swooned. "A lady after my own heart!"

"Unless it's overrun by ghosts and zombies," Chopper said fearfully, hiding- once again the wrong way- behind the mast.

"One haunted island is no match for the Great Captain Usopp!" Usopp declared, though he was sweating profusely. "Bring it on!"

"I've never fought zombies before," Zoro remarked. He grinned wickedly. "Might be interesting."

It was settled. For better or worse, the Straw Hat Pirates were visiting the mystery- and possibly haunted- island.

"We're about to enter the fog!" Luffy announced.

The Going Merry did just that, sliding into the thick fog surrounding the land mass.

Had an outsider been watching, they would have seen the charming ship be swallowed entirely by the fog, vanishing without a trace.

三

It came out of nowhere- a sharp shiver down her spine that Siobhan had experienced dozens of times before, but never quite like this.

It had been a few hours since her conversation with the Boss. She didn't know where he went, but Mohawk New Woman, Feral Freak, and Doll Lady took a squad of hunters into the jungle to right after to begin the search. She was still trapped in her cage, set inside a tent that was doubling as an office. Someone had mockingly laid her staff across a desk in the far corner, well out of reach. She had been glaring at it when she felt the chill.

She shuddered- she'd never felt one so big before, not even when Mister Captain came for his visit. It put her on edge.

"What's up with you?" Blood Eyes asked as he entered the tent. He tossed her a peach he'd been carrying through the bars. "Here, breakfast."

Siobhan caught it. "A peach isn't breakfast. That's a side dish at best."

Vaughan shrugged and sat at the desk. "It's all Boss was willing to give you. I'll talk to him about it later."

"Why are you even here? I'm in a cage, I don't need a babysitter."

"We caught you trying to eat through the bars."

"You don't know if I would've succeeded!"

"The state of my boss' face tells me you probably would have."

Siobhan snarled and bit indignantly into her peach, purposely making the most disgusting noises she could as she chewed.

"Classy. Trust me, I'd rather be out there too, but I lost the coin toss. So here I am." Blood Eyes leaned back in his chair. "You didn't answer my question. What's up?

"Why sh'd I t'l you any'ng?" she groused, mouth full.

"Because I'm the only one around to listen right now, but fine, don't talk to me," he said, nonchalant. "I'm sure stewing in a cage is a veryproductive use of the time you now have an abundance of."

When she didn't retort, he shrugged again before sitting up upright, pulling a pistol from his holster and a small box with a picture of a gun on its lid from the desk. He started taking his weapon apart, presumably to clean it with the tools he removed from the box.

Once she was sure Blood Eyes was engrossed in his work, Siobhan swallowed, stood, and gazed in the direction she knew the beach was in.

The others have entered the Fog, she thought. Now, let's see if we'll have some of that 'fun' Blood Eyes was talking about.

三

It was obvious from the get-go that this wasn't normal fog.

Normal fog was dark and gray. This fog was dark and gray as well, but within it, there were occasional bursts of color. Blues, greens, oranges, and pinks swirled in the mist, lighting up the deck with each flash. It was a sight unlike anything anyone had ever seen.

The Straw Hats absorbed this peculiar weather as the super current dragged their ship forward, wind whistling ominously across the deck. Usopp and Chopper mouth's gaped in wonder, Zoro frowned suspiciously at each shimmer, and Sanji whistled when there was a burst of dark blue, impressed.

The girls and Carue stood near the figurehead, watching their captain literally bounce in his seat.

"So cool," Luffy said in a breathy tone. "It's rainbow fog!"

"It's beautiful," Vivi agreed.

"I consider myself something of a weather expert, but I've never seen a phenomenon like this," Nami observed. "I wonder what's causing it."

Nami wasn't the only one curious. As some of the fog around Usopp lit up a buttery yellow, the sniper quickly swiped his hand through to see what would happen.

-ALWAYS BEEN NEGATIVE!

"AIEEEEEEEE!" Usopp squealed, stumbling backward so violently he fell on his rear.

"Usopp!" Chopper shouted, running to his crewmate's side. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"G-G-G-G-GHOST!" Usopp stammered out. "I TOUCHED YELLOW FOG AND HEARD THE WHISPERED TONES OF THE DEAD! MY SOUL IS FORFEIIIIIIIT!"

"SERIOUSLY?!" Chopper and Luffy gasped. "USOPP, NO!"

"Calm down, Usopp," Sanji said, lighting a fresh cigarette. "This better not be another lie, because it's not funny."

"I'm serious!" Usopp insisted. "You try, if you don't believe me!"

It turned out that they didn't have to bother, for as they got deeper into the fog, the more frequent the bursts of color were. In a matter of minutes the rainbow fog enveloped the Going Merry entirely, and what they assumed previously to be whistling wind sounded more like…

"… Voices?" Zoro realized aloud.

"We're all touching the colored fog now," Vivi observed. "If Usopp's correct..."

"The rainbow fog lets us hear ghosts?" Luffy asked. "That's amazing! I bet ghosts have some really interesting things to say! Let's listen!"

It was a typical Luffy thing to order, but this time the crew had no issue following it. On a morbid level, they too wondered what the voices were and what they had to say. They all grew quiet and let the mysterious tones wash over them.

As the ship sailed onward, the voices got louder and easier to make out, though there were parts here and there they couldn't decipher. At first, the voices were condescending and grated on the crew's nerves.

...you're weak and you have no pride...

...except for your immunity to lightning, you're nothing more than a powerless...

...and let the desert sands bury you!

"I know that voice!" Sanji spoke up, startled. "I spoke to him on the transponder snail on Little Garden- that was Mr. 0."

The Straw Hats all stiffened, except for Chopper who still didn't know who he was and Luffy who made a whiny groan of disappointment.

"Crocodile's a ghost already?" he asked. He pouted. "Well, that's just great. How can I kick his ass if he's a ghost?"

"I'm pretty sure Crocodile's not a ghost, Luffy, no worries," Vivi assured him. "In fact, I don't these are ghosts that we're hearing at all."

"Oh, so they're mystery voices?"

The voices continued to grow more powerful and, well, vocal. Luckily, their tones steadily shifted into something marginally more pleasant, even if they still didn't make sense.

...wouldn't let me die...

...I'm a romantic, just like...!

...what's the point of having power if...?

...On one hell of a roll this week...

...you promised that... even if someone was shot before your eyes...

Nami inhaled sharply. "Is that Hatchan?"

"Who's Hatchan?" Sanji asked.

"He was the octopus swordsman in Arlong's crew. I think Zoro was the one who beat him."

"I remember him," Zoro said, grasping the hilt of Wado Ichimonji. "Not much of a challenge, but I didn't kill him. We wouldn't be hearing his voice if these really were ghosts. Vivi's right, they're something else."

"Shhh!" Luffy hushed. "I'm trying to hear!"

The voices only continued to intensify and as they did, the pirates couldn't help but notice they were beginning to sound familiar.

...existing is not a crime...!

...good boy! Laboon...!

...WANT TO LIIIIIVE! TAKE ME WITH YOU...!

Vivi pursed her lips. She knew that voice, though she couldn't remember from where. Whoever it was, why did she sound so happy even though she was clearly crying?

...WHAT MAKES YOU GOD...?!

Luffy's jaw dropped. "That's me!"

...be a more reliable man...!

Chopper shook. What was his voice doing in the fog?

... flighty! What about how others feel...?

Nami's hands flew to her cheeks. "Not me too!"

...God may have created food, but the devil created…

Sanji breathed hard on his cigarette. He had no idea what was going on and he didn't like it.

...THIS PLACE ISN'T HELL...!

Usopp couldn't help but notice how odd his fog-voice sounded. Was it possible to be so strong and so utterly terrified at the same time?

...can't even protect my captain, then my ambition is...

Zoro gripped Wado's hilt so tightly that were it any other sword, it would have shattered. What was his voice saying about not protecting his captain?

Something was definitely off. Why were they hearing their own voices in the mist, saying things that didn't make sense? It was creepy and despite anything Luffy said they didn't want to hear any more. Nami was just about to order the boys to pull out the paddles so they could get leave the fog faster when another voice broke in.

...worried about his bumbling kid brother...

It was a new one, warm and lighthearted where the previous tones they had heard were so serious. It was a welcomed switch, and stood out among all the other voices speaking.

...the top, you and me...!

Luffy's eyes went round with surprise. It had been many years since he'd heard him in person, but he would know the man speaking anywhere.

"Ace?" Luffy asked aloud. "Is that you?"

"Ace?" Zoro repeated. "Who's Ace?"

Luffy didn't answer, focusing on his brother's voice.

...no right to interfere...!

...You never change...

...THIS ERA IS... !

...can't even let you save...

Luffy's eyes narrowed. Ace's tone had changed. It sounded strong, and at the same time… weakened. "Weak" was a word he never associated with his brother, but here it fit. He sounded so tired, as though he wanted to sleep forever but was trying not to. Luffy had never heard Ace be like this before.

...it good I was born? All I wanted...

The Straw Hats all started to feel like they were intruding on an incredibly personal moment. They didn't know who was speaking (save for Luffy, apparently), but what kind of person asked whether them being born was good or not?

Luffy, meanwhile, became uneasy. Just what was Ace trying to say?

...so worthless... even though I carry the blood of a demon...

Luffy leaned forward, shoulders tense.

...Thank you...

The voice heaved, choking back the sobs rising in the back of his throat.

....for-

As though someone had flipped a switch, the fog cleared and all the voices ceased. The sun shined brightly overhead and the sky was an even more magnificent shade of blue then it had been earlier. The crew only had the briefest second to enjoy it, because the moment after the voices vanished, Luffy had jumped to his feet. He only narrowly avoiding tumbling off the Merry's figurehead.

"Thank you for what?!" he screamed angrily. "Come on, Ace, what were you going to say?! Who were you thanking?! Why did you sound like that?! Ace! DAMMIT, ACE, ANSWER ME!"

"Luffy!" Sanji called out.

"WHAT?!" Luffy shouted back, turning his head towards the cook. His eyes were wild and his teeth were bared like an animal's. A vein throbbed violently on his forehead.

Sanji flinched, and he wasn't the only one. It wasn't often they saw Luffy upset, and it was never outside of a fight with an asshole who hurt his crew. They all couldn't help but wonder who this Ace person was, and why what his voice said affected their captain in such a manner.

Sanji swallowed, then slowly pointed ahead. "…We're here."

Luffy turned and saw the current had stopped pushing the Going Merry. They were now only a hundred feet away from the island, and since the fog was gone, he could see it clearly. It had a large beach with pink-colored sand, and giant, strange trees that reminded him of the jungle back on Dawn Island. In an instant the anger was wiped away, replaced with encroaching enthusiasm as the rubberman's face broke into a big grin.

"Whoa, pink sand? And look at the size of those trees!" Luffy exclaimed. He looked back at his crew. "Hey Chopper, Usopp, let's see if we can climb one! I think I saw some coconuts on one of them, we could- what are you guys all staring at?"

Each of his friends had expressions varying from concerned to downright disturbed. Chopper was even hiding behind Usopp, who was trying to press up against the mast with sweat dripping down his face.

"… Luffy," Nami said slowly, grabbing his hand and pulling him off the figurehead. "Are you okay?"

Luffy raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Why do you ask?

"You were getting pretty upset back there with that last voice," Zoro replied. "Who the hell is Ace?"

"It's okay if you don't want to tell us!" Vivi added quickly. "It's just that you were so angry just now and all of a sudden you're not..."

Luffy had yelled at them, hadn't he? In his excitement at reaching the mystery island, he'd forgotten for a minute. The pirate captain felt a stab of guilt at his insides- he may have been upset, but he shouldn't have snapped at Sanji and the others. They'd had no more control over what some asshole fog said in Ace's voice than he did. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and flashed them his signature smile.

"Yeah, sorry about that. But can you blame me?" Luffy asked. He didn't just smile now- he beamed. "Ace is my big brother!"

The quiet that followed was so encompassing, one could almost hear the information processing in the crew's noggins. With one sentence, it was as though Luffy had completely rearranged their world view and they needed to rethink everything. Thankfully, it didn't last too long.

"… BIG BROTHER?!" the crew finally gasped in unison.

Luffy nodded. "Uh-huh, by three years!"

They didn't hear his response, as they were too busy talking amongst themselves about the revelation.

"Luffy has a brother?!" Usopp shouted. "Like, a brother brother?!"

"There's actually a living flesh and blood person born before and related to Luffy?" Nami added.

"Luffy's a monster already!" Sanji said in realization. "Just imagine what his big brother is like!"

"Sanji!" Vivi scolded.

"I wish I had a brother," Chopper said softly.

Luffy started laughing. "Shishishi, you guys are all so weird!"

"WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT FROM YOU!"

"So that was your brother's voice we were hearing at the end?" Zoro asked, somehow not nearly as shaken up as the others. "You sure about that?"

"Yeah, that was Ace," Luffy confirmed. "I haven't seen him since he left home to become a pirate, but I'd know his voice anywhere."

"He's a pirate too?"

"Yup. He left home three years before I did to look for the One Piece."

"If that was your brother's voice, then I can see why you were upset," Vivi said. "The things he said were very… unnerving. You must be worried."

She, and a few of the others, were sorely tempted to ask what Ace might have meant about whether it was a good thing he had been born, but ultimately decided against it. If Luffy wanted them to know he would have told them, and it wasn't any of their business anyway.

"Nah, Ace is strong," Luffy said, crossing his arms. "I fought him all the time when we were kids and he always kicked my butt, even with my devil fruit powers. He can handle himself, and besides, that wasn't Ace. It was just asshole-mystery-fog-ghosts playing with his voice. It copied all of us, even Crocodile and that octopus guy. I forgot for a sec and I got all mad. "

While they were admittedly floored by the fact there was also now a flesh and blood person who could defeat Luffy, they all considered what he said about the fog. They hadn't imagined their own voices speaking within the fog, nor did they imagine Crocodile's. Had it all just been one cruel trick of the mist?

Speaking of which, it was about that time they noticed the fog was not only no longer surrounding them, but in the mere minutes since they exited it, the fog had receded at least a full kilometer away from their position.

"How did it move back that far that fast?!" Usopp asked, incredulous. "We were completely surrounded by it only a few minutes ago!"

"With the mystery island, super current, colored fog, and disembodied voices that sound like us, nothing surprises me at this point," Nami groaned in defeat. "Let's just pack some supplies and leave before we all go completely insane."

"Nami's right!" Luffy declared. "Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm okay now! Let's go find some mystery island meat!"

"You heard the man!" Nami barked. "Prepare to disembark!"

"Right away, Nami-swan!" Sanji added.

With that, everyone split up to perform their usual tasks for weighing anchor. Though the thought of Luffy's brother, Luffy's anger, and the puzzle of the fog was not far from their minds, they all knew they had more important matters to attend to.

They were stuck on an island that shouldn't exist, and Alabasta still awaited them. Anything else was secondary.

三

They needed to sail the Merry a little closer to shore first, but afterwards the men easily raised the sails and secured them while Zoro lowered the anchor. After grabbing the necessary tools needed for foraging, the Straw Hats were ready to disembark on to the mystery island.

Luffy stood on the figurehead, stretching his arms ahead and getting a grip on a thick coconut tree across the stretch of water.

"Gum Gum..." Luffy stretched backwards. "Rocket!"

He lifted his feet and went flying straight into the same tree he had been holding. He laughed the whole way over, barely even feeling the impact thanks to his devil fruit powers.

That left the others to either jump off the boat and onto the beach (Sanji and Zoro, with some glaring), wade through the water (Nami and Usopp, despite Sanji's offers to carry the former), or ride on Carue's back while he swam across (Vivi and Chopper).

"I can't believe it," Chopper said, almost vibrating with anticipation. "My first new island as a pirate!"

Vivi smiled at him. "I'm glad to see you're excited, Tony. Some of us have noticed you're still a little antsy about being on the Merry."

"I'm just getting used to leaving Drum, that's all," he replied as they arrived at the beach. He and Vivi dismounted the large duck. "But I promise to do my best for the crew while we're here!"

Vivi chuckled as they joined the others. "I'm sure you will."

The beach was even more beautiful up close. The pink sand sparkled under the sunlight, becoming intermixed with thick green grass as it got closer into the jungle area. The trees were even more unnaturally large than they first appeared, and their leaves also seemed to glitter if the sunshine caught them just right.

Luffy ran around the beach, doing cartwheels and leaps and laughing for all he was worth. "The sand here is pink! Shishishi, the mystery island has mystery sand!"

Usopp and Chopper joined him without hesitation. Usopp chased after Luffy while the reindeer rolled like a log on the pink sand. Luffy chuckled as he picked up a handful and tossed it into the sniper's face, and it speedily devolved into a sand fight between the newly-formed Goofy Trio.

"Alright, that's enough!" Sanji barked at them. "We're not here to have fun, we have work to do!"

"Thank you, Sanji," Nami said. She ignored his swooning and placed a hand on a stack of baskets the cook carried to shore. "We'll break off into groups to look for food. Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and I will remain here to pick some of these coconuts. Sanji, Vivi, Carue, and Chopper, you all go a little deeper into the jungle and search, but don't go too far. We don't know what's out there and to be perfectly honest, I don't want to know."

"Aw, but I wanted to explore the jungle!" Luffy whined. "Maybe I'll find my zombie musician!"

"You're staying here and that's final!"

"I'll go with him if he wants to explore," Zoro offered.

"THAT'S EVEN WORSE!"

Usopp tossed another glob of the pink granules at Luffy, kick-starting another round of sand fighting. Nami groaned at their hopelessness. Zoro just laughed.

Vivi rolled her eyes but smiled at her friends' typical antics. She hopped back on Carue, Chopper morphed into Walk Point, and Sanji ran to the princess's side holding three large baskets.

"Off we go?" she asked.

"I'd follow you to the ends of the sea and back, Vivi!" Sanji crooned.

"I think I smell something close by!" Chopper announced, sniffing the ground. He glanced warily at Sanji. "I-If you don't mind following me, Sanji."

At a stern look from Vivi, Sanji sighed and patted the doctor's head with a smile. "I don't mind at all. Lead the way."

All four entered the jungle, leaving Nami to scold her dumber crewmates.

Though they stuck to the navigator's advice and didn't venture too far in, it was obvious traversing the thick expanse of foliage was not a simple feat. There were almost no paths and the trees' roots all seemed to get tangled up in each other on top of being enourmous.

"I've never seen trees this huge before," Vivi said as Carue had to physically climb over a large root. "They're even bigger than the ones we saw on Little Garden. I wonder how similar their ecosystems are."

"As long as there aren't any more dinosaurs, death mosquitos, or wax men, they can be as similar as they want," Sanji said dryly. "Though I wonder how ironic this place's name is."

That made Vivi giggle, and that in turn made Sanji elated.

"Little Garden?" Chopper asked, looking up at his two crew mates. "That's where Nami contracted Kestia, right?"

"That's right, but that's a story for another day, Tony," the princess replied. "Let's focus on finding supplies. We need to leave this island as soon as possible."

Sanji gave Vivi a sympathetic look when she pushed ahead. She wasn't happy about the detour, and that was understandable. Her country was on the brink of civil war and the crew let their ship get caught in a crappy super current. He knew Nami was already contemplating ways to make it up to her, and so was he. Maybe she had a preferred meal she wanted him to make- he didn't know any Alabastan dishes, but he was willing to try.

...God may have created food, but the devil created…

Sanji shook his head, banishing the memory of his fog voice. He was alone (almost) in the jungle with a gorgeous princess and he intended to enjoy it.

"Hey, fruit trees!" Chopper announced. "I knew I smelled something!"

Sure enough, ahead of them was a small clearing with multiple normal-sized fruit trees, each one bearing a different kind of fruit.

"Jackpot!" Sanji crowed. "Look at all this!"

Once Vivi dismounted Carue again and Chopper went into Brain Point, the three pirates jogged over to the trees with their baskets. There was an apple tree, an orange tree, a peach tree, a mango tree, a banana tree, and countless others. Some of the fruits didn't even look like they were supposed to be growing in the same general location, but here they were.

"This is amazing," Vivi said, picking a peach. "And it's perfectly ripe too."

"They're all ripe," Chopper noticed. He was in Heavy Point into order to reach the fruit. "That's... a little strange."

"I know Grand Line islands usually have one dominant season, but is this normal?" Sanji asked, examining an apple. "Like an island quirk?"

Vivi shook her head. "Islands will have one dominant season, but they still technically have the others. Even so, this place feels like a spring or summer island, and it is summer. Most fruits don't get ripe until the fall, and much less at the exact same time."

"You're so knowledgeable, Vivi dear!" Sanji praised, then stopped to take a drag. "Though Chopper's right, it is a little strange. And not the just the ripening thing. If I know my fruit- and I do- some of these definitely don't belong in a tropical climate."

"I think I prefer this kind of strangeness to what happened earlier," Chopper said.

While the two pirates and one princess discussed the ripening cycles of Grand Line fruit, Carue trotted around, looking for fallen fruit. There was a thin layer of leaves and branches covering the ground, though the ones above were still green, so he prodded the jungle floor with his bill a few times to see if anything was hiding. He became so engrossed in this task that he didn't notice he wandered away from the group entirely.

Even if he had, he wouldn't have worried. He could still hear the others' voices and would be able to find his way back if needed. He waddled along, looking up at the massive trees. His sense of smell wasn't as good as Chopper's, but he could keep an eye out for other sources of food, or fresh water, or-

"Uhn."

Carue froze as the ground beneath his feet seemed to groan. He wasn't the most intelligent of birds, but even he knew the ground wasn't supposed to do that. He slowly glanced down...

"QUAAAAAAAAAW!"

Vivi dropped her fruit basket. "That sounded like Carue!"

Sanji glanced from side to side. "Damn it, where did that stupid duck go?"

"Carue isn't stupid!"

"I'm sorry Vivi, I didn't-"

"It came from over there!" Chopper said, pointing in the direction of Carue's squawks. "Hurry!"

The trio abandoned their baskets and dashed where Chopper referred to. As they moved forward, Carue's quacking got louder and more frantic.

"What's he saying, Tony?" Vivi asked.

"He's too worked up, I can't make everything out!" Chopper answered. "But he's yelling about a person and wounds!"

"You're kidding me," Sanji said breathily. "There are people actually living here on this island?"

"And they're hurt!" Vivi ran faster. "Pick up the pace, Sanji, Chopper!"

"On it!"

As they approached Carue's location, Vivi's foot suddenly slipped out from underneath her. Sanji caught her before she could hit the dirt.

"Vivi!" he shouted. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but what did I slip…" Vivi started to respond, trailing off when she looked down.

Sanji paled, and Chopper gasped in horror. The leaves on the jungle floor with slick with dark, partially dried blood. It was everywhere, and currently staining Vivi's white boots.

They had finally reached the spotted duck, who was pacing frantically in front of someone lying face down on the ground. There was pool of blood in the process of drying coming from their shoulder and head, as well as other miscellaneous wounds on their body. Whoever they were, they'd been there a while.

Vivi's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my Lord!"

"There's so much blood!" Chopper shrieked. "A doctor, we need a doctor!"

"Tony, you're the doctor!"

"Oh, right!"

Vivi immediately went to calm Carue down, stroking his bill. Chopper pulled off his pack and went to examine the stranger, a man, lying on the ground. Sanji, on the other hand, stayed back and gave the injured individual a once over.

From this angle, the man's wounds seemed to be focused on his arms and shoulders, and one on his side. His back was remarkably void of any marks. Clothing-wise, he was wearing a long, dark green coat, a red sash around his waist, and black pants tucked into a pair of black leather boots. He was also wearing a dark bandanna over his hair, and had at some point shrugged off the top part of his coat to reveal he went shirtless. The only type of upper covering he wore was a green haramaki.

Sanji's eyebrow twitched. Where have I seen an ugly belly warmer like that before…?

"Aside from the other cuts, he has a deep stab wound in his shoulder, but it's not as bad as it looks," Chopper examined aloud, sounding professional despite the slight shake in his words. "However, I can't get a good look at his forehead. Sanji, can you help me gently flip him over?

Sanji nodded and approached the other side of the fallen man. Now he could see why Chopper was nervous- the man had a sword with a black and red blade in his left hand, and the hilt of at least one other sticking out from under his limp form. Chopper carefully tried to slide the unsheathed sword away, but even in unconsciousness the man's grip was like a vise.

It took a few tries, but they managed to take it from him and the stranger didn't even twitch. Sanji knelt down, and on the count of three, the cook and the reindeer moved the stranger onto his back while the latter at the same time removed his bandanna.

The reaction was instantaneous.

"What the-?!" Chopper gasped.

Sanji's cigarette fell from his mouth. "There's two of them?"

Vivi's eyes widened. "How is this possible?!"

"Quaaaw!" Carue yelled.

There were a few minor differences that stood out, but there was no mistaking the green hair, gold earrings, and perpetually grouchy face they saw every day.

"ZORO?!"

三

TO BE CONTINUED