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Scene 4

Calm Before the Storm

Several days ago, the whole Straw Hat crew was sailing on the Thousand Sunny through the Grand Line. It was a beautiful day, this day, with calm waters and a light gale filling the sails propelling the crew further forward. The bright sun warmed the day making it truly perfect weather to be out. Thus, that is what the Straw Hats were doing currently. They were all on deck in new, casual clothing enjoying this beautiful day.

Luffy, sporting blue-and-white army camo style swim trunks and a yellow scarf, was playing around an inflatable pool with the kids and others. In his hand was a squirt gun which he used to squirt his daughter, who was wearing a pink swimsuit with a teddy bear on it. After getting wet, and laughing, she retaliated by squirting her father back. The young, brown-haired boy Akio soon joined in, wearing a white shirt and blue with a white stripe swim trunks but aimed at the others around Luffy. There was the long-nosed sniper Usopp, looking like a coach with a dark blue-and-white striped warm-up jacket and large whistle with an oddly large cylinder hat, who was hit by Akio's water gun shot. There was also talking reindeer Chopper, in an adorable pink bear robe, laughing as some of the water splashed on to him. Finally, there was Franky joining in as well, who was wearing a banana gun hat over his light blue pompadour hair, a green shirt with a smiling gear on it, and a gold chain around his neck and shoulder. He had his own, almost military-grade, super soaker that he immediately fired back at the kids. It shot out a large stream of water, but with all the power of a water hose. Both Mika and Akio laughed as they played in the steady stream of pouring water, and the adults laughed along with them.

Around this group of wet warriors, the other Straw Hats were taking it easy. The green-haired swordsman Zoro, wearing a dark purple buttoned shirt with two shades of purple stripes and black with yellow stripe pants, was lifting an arm weight while sitting on the bench on the main mast. As he had his eyes closed to focus, he didn't notice a certain little girl approach him. Mika, of course, squirted her unassuming uncle and then immediately ran off giggling. Having caught this, the others laughed in good spirit and success of Mika. Though annoyed, Zoro simply grunted through the humiliation and kept doing his curl; secretly thankful for the cool off. Sitting at the lawn table in a simple orange sundress with purple spots around the chest area, Robin contently read a book but keeping an eye on her rambunctious little niece. Especially when the little girl got it into her head to sneak up at her to squirt her with water. Foreseeing this, Robin would use her Hana-Hana Devil Fruit powers to use her hidden water gun to attack first. Of course, it was all in good fun, and Mika would just run off laughing and try again another time. Thus, Brook would be the next target of her fun. The living skeleton - wearing a headband in his head, hair "Shika Bane" yellow shirt, and arm bands - of course, saw the little girl coming at him and firing her water gun towards. Lightheartedly, Brook played along using his tall stature to easily dodge and avoid Mika's shots. Again, Mika completely enjoyed herself.

The only ones missing from the fun and excitement was Sanji and Nami, but the former of whom soon appeared from out the kitchen. Wearing a wide neck, white shirt, loose purple-and-white neck tie, and light green shorts, the blonde haired man came out of the cabin with a tray full of drinks; most of them water with three drinks specially made. As he walked down the stairs from the upper deck, he called out.

"Drink up, everyone!"

Those playing stopped immediately. "Yahoo!" cheered Luffy. He and the others dropped their water guns and rushed over to the chef.

Sanji set the tray down and quickly scooped up the special drinks. Just in time as Luffy and the other males came and grabbed a glass each. He then moved around the men and boy to reach Mika, who was waiting with patient excitement and a grin. Instantly, Sanji felt refreshed and satisfied upon seeing the young girl and thus happily presented the young girl with her drink: a muddled mikan-rosemary spritzer. "Your mikan soda, my cute little niece." He said mannerly.

"T'anks, Uncle Sanji!" Mika replied happily before accepting the drink.

Like a dry towel soaked in water, Sanji's heart swelled with delight. Nothing could beat the gratitude his cute niece would give him; except maybe, gratitude from Robin or Nami. Thus, Sanji moved on to Robin and gave her the drink she ordered; an alcoholic, red drink called "Tropical Splash". After being thanked by the older woman, which made Sanji all the more enamored with, he moved on to the last lovely lady aboard this vessel. He walked up to another different set of stairs to the upper deck - where the steering wheel was located - and soon spotted Nami the side of the railing. As he approached the white tank top and blue shorts, he saw a News Coo - a seagull that delivers news to those who pay - fly off; most likely, after the orange-haired woman talked its price down. Already, she was reading the newspaper, which Sanji found a bit curious.

"Nami?" Sanji asked out, holding out her drink; a Tangerine Sour (also alcoholic).

Hearing him, Nami looked away from the paper and at the man. Her gaze showing some shock and concern. In seeing the man's confusion, Nami quickly decided that she needed to share what she had just learned. "Everyone!" She shouted, walking over to the top of that stairs. "There's something going on in the East Blue!"

Immediately, those hailing from the East Blue stopped whatever they were doing. Most of them, with the exception of Zoro who would listen from his spot, gathered around Robin's lawn table as Nami explained what she had read. In the East Blue, over the past few days, several villages had been attacked by unknown assailants. Their entirety completely destroyed with only a few, mysterious clues left behind. Of course, this group's biggest concern about this was whether or not their own villages had been attacked. Fortunately, they had not, but this only helped place concern and worry for their hometowns. Of course, the others in the crew - those who were born outside the East Blue - felt the same amount of concern for this place they've never been to as it was a concern for their crewmates. Truly, only the children who did not seem to understand the situation.

"East Blue?" Both Mika and Akio repeated with unfamiliarity.

All the adults looked at the kids surprised. "I get Akio not knowing," Usopp said before turning to Luffy and Nami to ask, "but why does Mika not know?"

Surprisingly, the couple just gave a shrug in uncertainty. "The name just never came up in the stories," they both said together in unison. Seeing that they both shared the same answer, both couldn't help but blush a little with how perfectly synced they were as a couple.

Suddenly, Mika asked out loudly, "What's the East Blue?"

Her blush now gone, Nami answered, "That's the sea that Mommy, Daddy, and your uncles Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji were born in."

"Oooh," Mika said with intrigue.

Sanji then approached the little girl. "Actually, Mika-chan," he said politely, "though I consider that sea my home, I was born in another sea."

"Whoa! Really?" Mika said amazed.

"Where?" asked Akio curious.

Sanji answered, "The North Blue."

"There's a West Blue?!" Both Mika and Akio shouted in surprise and shock respectively.

Akio then asked, "So then, where is the East Blue?"

This time, Robin answered. "If you look off to the side," she then gestured with her hand off the side of the Sunny, "if you sail in that direction, through the Calm Belt and a nest of sea monsters, you would be in the East Blue."

Both kids gasped. "Cool!" Mika said amazed.

Akio, however, was a bit scared. "S-Sea monsters?!"

"Ten times bigger than the Thousand Sunny," Robin added with an amused smile for clarity

Nearly choking, Akio was in complete shock over the idea of monsters so big. Mika on the hand was only more amazed by this fact. She then declared in excitement, "I wanna go to the East Blue!"

"Wh-What?!" Akio said in shock.

All the adults chuckled at the boy. Luffy too; though, to him his daughter's suggestion wasn't a bad idea.

Then, before Luffy could say anything of this regard, a large shadow suddenly passed overhead. Everyone immediately looked up, and they all gasped in shock. An impossible thing was flying above them; an island. Usopp, Chopper, Brook, and Akio screamed out in fear instantly at the sight. Luffy and Mika watched on in awe. Everyone else was completely speechless.

"What is that?!" shouted Usopp in fear.

"Is...Is that an island?" Franky said confused.

"How is an island flying in the first place?" Nami said in disbelief.

"Whoa!" shouted Luffy and Mika amazed.

As the flying island flew off further ahead of the Sunny, the crew quickly began to move to follow along. Franky and Luffy were first to reach the upper deck where the wheel was with the cyborg taking the helm. Soon after, Mika, Akio, Nami and the other hurried along to get a better view as well. While the all stared at the land mass in amazement, Robin was the first to see an important detail.

"It has sails," Robin observed critically, "and a Jolly Roger."

Franky looked at the archaeologist in shock. "Really?!" He said.

"What?!" shouted Nami in disbelief. "That thing can't be a ship!"

Deciding to get a closer look, Usopp pulled down his scopes. He zoomed in on the flying land mass and quickly scanned it. Eventually, he found the flag Robin had seen. "She's right, they're pirates!"

"So, that's a flying island pirate ship?" stated Luffy with astonishment. He then shouted out with glee, "That's so cool!"

"Oh great!" Nami shouted in frustration. She then saw her daughter and the cabin boy, both hanging on the rails trying to see the ship better. Quickly, she called out to them, "Kids! Get in the cabin!"

"Aw, what." Both kids said displeased by the notion.

The kids' attitude only helped exasperate Nami further. The young mother was about to give the kids an earful but was stopped when a surprise breeze brushed past her.'The wind…' Nami recognized the most minute details with it and realized she and the crew were in serious trouble.

Thus, she had to become more stern with the kids. "Monkey D. Namika," she called out demandingly. The use of her daughter's full name, of course, got Mika's attention, which is what Nami wanted. She thus pointed to the cabins and commanded her, "Get in the cabin, now."

Now scared, Mika quickly obeyed. "Y-Yes, Mom," she stuttered, surprisingly. Then, she left with Akio, who willingly followed after seeing how serious the orange-haired woman being.

Of course, a few of the crew had witnessed this. Luffy though was the first to ask in concern, "What's up, Nami?"

"There's a cyclone coming!" Nami said quickly.

Luffy's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" He said before turning to the crew, "Everyone! There's a storm a comin'!

Chopper gasped. "Oh no!" He shouted.

"Everyone, ready the ship!" Nami commanded out to the crew. Immediately, the many of the crew then took off as they prepared for the coming storm.

Yet, Luffy did not join them. He instead had another concern. He jumped right onto the Sunny's head and began waving his arms up towards the flying island-ship. "Hey!" He shouted, "There's a storm coming!"

Before leaving, Brook stopped and looked over at his captain confused. "What is Mr. Luffy doing?" He asked out.

"Don't worry about it," Nami told the skeleton confidently. "He's just being a good guy…"

"Hey~!" Luffy continued shouting, still waving up towards the island-ship.

It would seem pointless to try and communicate with the vessel with it being so high up in the air, but luck was fortunately on its side. For inside a large hangar, on one of the many video screens streaming from many video Transponder Snails, a single worker had caught sight of the young man's display. "Hmm," the man said as he looked at the screen. He soon had the snail zoom in on the ship and the young man quickly noticing the activity going on there.

"Captain Shiki," the man called out to him, "there seems to be someone trying to get your attention."

Behind the console of screens, there was Doctor Indigo and Scarlet sitting under a kotatsu enjoying some snacks and tea. Of course, they were not the ones that needed to be addressed. Shiki, on the other hand, was sitting atop a stand in his throne-like chair overseeing his crew like a king. His disposition upon hearing the man inform him hardly wavered from mild contentedness before asking out of curiosity, "Are they pirates?"

Quickly, the man checked. "Yes, they are, sir." The man confirmed.

Immediately, Shiki became intrigued. "Get me one of my dials," he ordered.

As ordered, a single crew member came out with an orange-spotted, white conch shell. The man met with Shiki at the bottom of the stand and handed the shell to Shiki. The pirate captain held the shell in his hand for a moment; and then, it began to float. Weightlessly, the shell began hovering and floating out the hangar through the wide open doors. Then, watching via the screens even from on high, the man watched as the shell purposely floated down to the group. He watched critically as the crew looked at the shell, toss to an orange haired woman, and press the apex of the shell. This, he was surprised to see.

"Oh, so they know how to use one," Shiki said impressed, grinning even.

The moment Shiki noticed they had finished speaking into the shell, he stretched his hand out. As if commanded, the shell began floating back up to his ship. The conch shell floated back inside the hangar and dropped right into Shiki's hand. Immediately, the pirate captain pressed the apex, and a message played out.

"There's a storm coming!" spoke a woman's voice, "Turn your ship to 9 o'clock"

At first surprised than concerned, Shiki spoke out to his crew, "Navigation team…"

Immediately, the leader of the team spoke, "There's no sign of a storm, captain. All our tools show that everything is normal…"

"Sir," spoke one of the navigation team members, "the ship is moving in the 9 o'clock direction."

"Hmm?" Shiki said, taking a look at the screen to see for himself.

"Sir!" Another navigation team member suddenly shouted out urgently. "The barometer is picking up a storm system!"

"What?!" shouted the team leader in shock.

Immediately, Shiki looked up from the screen to look out the hangar to the clear blue sky. Except, it was no longer clear anymore. The once blue sky was now becoming increasingly clouded with dark storm clouds. The man thus gasped. "An afro?!" He shouted in shock.

"That's a storm, you dunderhead!" Indigo rebuked, attempting to knock sense in the man by literally knocking some sense into him by slapping the back of his head.

"Captain Shiki!" shouted the lead navigator quickly. "There is a storm approaching, change our course to 9 o'clock immediately."

Without a moment's wait, Shiki through his arms out. Corresponding to this gesture, the large island-ship began moving left. Already though, the storm was picking up the wind fiercely. Other crew members positioned outside began to hurriedly rush inside. Lest they be blown away by hurricane winds. Of course, these winds would also be a problem for those inside as well. Knowing this, Shiki clapped his hands together. Immediately, the doors began to close, even while some of his crew were still trying to get in. The man seemed not to care as the doors came to a full close.

"Captain Shiki!" The men outside began to plead as they banged upon the door.

"Let us in!"

"Please!"

Unfortunately, it was too late. A gale blew against the floating island, and it swept away those men into dark clouds. Never to be seen again.

Both the island-ship and the Thousand Sunny, via its paddles, pushed onward veering left as a cyclone touchdown to the ocean. The scale of which looked to be able to swallow a whole, much larger island in a turbulent column of wind, water, and utter chaos. By the unique skill that only Nami had, both pirate crews would sail on towards another day.

BANG! At least, most of them would. Back in Shiki's floating stronghold, the head navigator looked dumbly down to see a bullet sized hole in his side. As immense pain washed over his senses and his energy suddenly depleted, the man fell to the floor. As he bled, he remained unmoving and silent.

Shiki, holding the still smoking gun, frowned angrily down at the man. He then glared over at the remaining team of navigators. "Don't ever give me a wrong forecast again," he told them threateningly.

All the team nodded their heads fervently and afraid. "Yes, sir!" They all shouted out obediently.

As the team got back to work, Shiki looked back at the screen. The pirate ship was still in their sights though pulling a bit more forward. He stared at the ship critically but was baffled.

"Who is this woman who could outmatch my own skilled navigators?"

Then, Shiki began to smirk deviously. As he walked forward, he told his crew in a wickedly cheerful mode. "Anchor near them," he said pointing to the Thousand Sunny, "I'll be stepping out for a bit…"

And then, Shiki began to float.