And here's Chapter 3! Stuff was supposed to happen in this chapter, but it doesn't. Stuff will happen next time though, I promise.
For those of you who will wonder: Bassia = summer cypress. Yey random word generators!
Enjoy.
Reviews:
Abra Cadaverous: Yeah, I am. Don't judge. It's practically the only given in the whole series. XP W-what are you going on about there? Take this half a cookie and carry on your merry way you. Thank you!
Krentenbol: Thank you very much! I'm sorry, they're so fun to end with though! I'll try to keep with my schedule though, so you only have to wait a week. Thanks, I try sometimes. :P I'm not sure...wait, yes I do! We'll find out soon (like this chapter...).
dandy wonderous: Rest assured, I am completly incapable of killing off Sanji. Weird, must be psychic or something. :D Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying my random. Yeah I did, and it is XP I was going to use the full title, but there was the whole character limit thing going on. :( But now I have a title for this chapter too! It's probably the mention of cigarettes and pure awesome, at least that's what makes me think of him when I hear it...
ColourPearl: I'm glad I made your day. Me too, they're fun to write. :D You can't fail at being a reader...unless you can't read, which I assume you can since you've read and review this. Aw, thanks for that! And here is your update!
Sora Tayuya: *is guilty.* House was on when I was thinking of names for them and I was reminded that Hugh Laurie played Jasper (or was it Hoarce...) in the live action version so I just went with that.
One Piece can't be mine, because if I can't write a fight scene, how am I supposed to draw an epic war?
Nami had woken up to darkness. After recalling what had happened, she decided to do some 'exploring' of sorts. As it turned out, she was looked in a rather small room with nothing but the bed she was lying on in one corner and one window that looked out to a brick wall about five stories up over a tight alleyway. The window was locked, however, so not only could Nami not see any of the surrounding area, but her options of escape had decreased.
The young navigator was messing with the locks on the window when a small voice behind her made her stop.
"You…probably shouldn't be doing that…"
She turned around to find herself faced with a small girl wrapped in a cloak carefully balancing a tray with soup, a sandwich, and some juice on it.
"Really? And why shouldn't I?"
"If you escape, then my boss wouldn't be very happy."
"Well, maybe I don't want your boss to be happy."
The girl placed the tray of food down on the bed. "Please trust me on this; you want my boss happy."
Nami felt a surge of pity for the girl, but quickly suppressed it while the girl continued, "Really, she just needs your help with something…she'll come and talk to you soon…"
"Kidnapping isn't the most socially acceptable way to ask for help."
"No, but it's one of the things she does best." She turned to face the pirate. "Is there anything else you need?"
"The keys to the room would be nice."
"…food-wise?"
Nami shook her head. The girl went to the door to leave, only to have it opened forcefully before her by another woman.
"Oh, there you are love." She said to the girl. "What are you still doing up here?"
"I-I was just leaving…"
"Oh, well, don't let me stop you then." She stepped aside and the girl took the opportunity to hurry out of the room. Alone with Nami, she turned her attention to the Strawhat as she closed and lock the door behind her. "Cat-burglar Nami, I presume?"
"It's really only polite to at least know the name of the people you kidnap."
She sighed. "Lackeys aren't known for their reliability. Sometimes you tell them to kidnap one person and they bring you someone completely different. But seriously, how are you?"
"You take me away from my friends and then ask about my well being?"
"Sorry about that. I just really needed to talk to you." The woman made her way to the bed and moved the tray to sit down, patting the spot next to her to indicate that Nami should join her. The navigator chose to remain stubbornly standing.
"And you think the best way is to lock me up?"
"Sorry about that too; this is the only room available at the moment. I'll work on getting you something better though. Do you want to eat something before we talk?" She said as offered her the food.
"What do you want with me?"
"Want to get straight to the point huh? That saves us some time then." She put her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands as she looked the red-head right in the eyes. "There is a place I need to get to. Unfortunately, no one alive knows how to get there. As such, I decided to bring in someone who does."
"Clearly you made the right choice. I am, after all, the best." Nami allowed herself a smirk. "Where do you need to go? And what's in it for me?"
The lady smiled. "You've been there before, or rather, you'll be there eventually. It's a small island not far from Raftel, but almost as difficult to get to. As for you, don't think I'm assuming you to do this for free…"
Nami's eyes immediately became beli signs. "How much are we talking here?"
"How much do you want?"
The beli signs brightened to unfathomable levels. She was already calculating just how much this woman was willing to fork over before she realized something was off.
"Wait, where's Sanji?"
The woman blinked. "Well, I'm sure it's three o'clock somewhere*…"
"No, my friend. He was with me when your men took me away."
"They only brought you back."
"Yes, but he would have followed them in order to get me back."
"I highly doubt it. In case you haven't noticed, we've taken you through time."
"No…he'd chase me down no matter what."
"Then I don't know what happened to him, but I haven't seen him."
That's when it hit her. As someone who used to go around manipulating people, Nami could easily tell when someone was trying to take advantage of her. Now the orange haired girl was not only worried about her friend, she was also in doubt of whether there was actually any money at all.
"Well, I'm a bit worried about him; he's a bit of an idiot you see, so I'd really like a confirmation on his wellbeing before I negotiate further with you. You understand, right?"
The black haired women gained a dark expression, understanding perfectly Nami's hidden meaning.
"You've hurt my friend. The answer's no."
"If that's the way you want it, then I shall do my best to see what has happened to him." She got up and made her way to the door. After pulling it open and stepping outside, she looked back over her shoulder and added, "Oh, and the room changing process might also be a little complicated, so it could take a while…you understand, right?" And with that she left Nami alone in the room.
She turned back to face the window, contemplating the hidden meaning behind the woman's words.
"Tread carefully, you are at my mercy."
"There's nothing here." Luffy said matter of factly.
"Of course not stupid, we're still on the Nothing Isles." Zoro responded.
"Why'd you bring us to exactly where we were before?" Luffy asked.
"Time doesn't equal space, Luffy," Usopp replied. "She can take us through time, but not through space."
"…I don't get it."
"She can't shrink down distances." He tried again.
"…I don't get it."
"It's like another direction. You know how you can go left and right, right? Well Luna can also go forward and backward. It's like how you can't go left and right at the same time."
"Oh, so it's a mystery. Thanks for explaining Usopp." He grinned before doing a double take. "What?! Usopp?! How did you get here?!?"
"Franky pushed me!"
"Stupid, now how are we supposed to get the love-cook and the money witch back?" Zoro asked.
"It should be fine. Like I said one or more of you are probably going to die anyway, so Sanji and Nami can just take that person's spot." Luna replied.
"None of us are going to die," Luffy said, "my friends are strong. We'll deal with that when we deal with it."
"If there's nothing here," Usopp noticed, "how are we supposed to leave this island to look for them?"
"The Sea Train should be stopping here soon."
"The Sea Train doesn't stop here." Zoro stated.
"Correction: The Sea Train didn't stop here. It does now."
"Since when?"
"Since twenty years ago when someone realized that some people would like to go to a place where nothing happens."
"You know, technically that means something is happening here." Usopp pointed out.
"Yeah, but the Every Now And Then The Sea Train Comes Isles doesn't have the same ring to it."
"I don't feel so good..." Usopp said before sitting down.
"Ack! It must be your I-Can't-Travel-Through-Time sickness acting up!" Luffy said before joining his friend on the ground. "Where's Chopper when you need him? I've caught it to."
"Don't worry, it's just your time trying to pull you back. As soon as you adjust to this era, you'll feel better." Luna answered.
"How come you don't feel sick?" Usopp asked.
"I travel through time all the time…I'm used to it."
"What about Zoro?" Luffy asked, "Why isn't he sick?"
"I don't get sick." was the man's simple reply.
"You don't feel light-headed or sick to your stomach at all?" Luna asked.
"That's just the blood loss."
"You haven't lost any blood yet…" Usopp muttered.
"Does anyone know where we're going anyway?" Zoro asked. "If they were taken through time, then they should have ended up here."
"They probably got on the Sea Train." Usopp suggested. "But after that, who knows where they went."
"Water 7." Luna said.
Usopp blinked. Luffy stood up and shouted "To Water 7!" before collapsing back to the ground. Zoro arched his eyebrow.
"You seem to know exactly where they went…"
"As a matter of fact, I do." She looked the demon pirate hunter in the eye. "Zoro-san, you are about a hundred years ahead of everything you've ever known. On top of that, you are also looking for your friends who have been taken by people you don't for reasons you can't even begin to guess at. Is this really the best time to doubt the only guide/ride home you have?"
"I've found that it is always a good time to doubt a complete stranger with mysterious motives."
She smirked at that. "That attitude might just keep you alive in this era. I'll save you some time and effort by informing you, however, it is in my best interests to keep you help you guys get your chef and navigator back, so rest assured, I'm not here to betray you. I really am just trying to help."
"I'll be the judge of that."
"She said she's going to help us, so she's going to help us." Luffy decided to add as he jumped to his feet. "It's as simple as that."
"Nothing is ever as simple as it is in that little world of yours, captain."
"Something's coming!" Usopp shouted as he stood up too.
The Sea Train, which hadn't changed appearances at all since the Strawhats last saw it save for adding more carts, was heading towards the island at a break neck speed. The four of them hurried on over to the station platform and waited as the massive train came to a complete stop. A conductor in a neatly pressed grey uniform jumped off the train and without missing a beat asked the group, "Where to?"
Three pairs of eyes moved to look at Luffy, who simply said, "Water 7, of course."
Sanji froze when he felt the hands on him. They were cold as ice, slowly creeping up until they reached the gag and untied it. He wasted no time in spitting it out and shouting, "Shithead! What the hell do you think you're doing to me back there?! You better untie me right now or-" the rest of his threat was cut off by a pair of cold arms wrapping around his midsection.
"Sanji!" said a voice that Sanji knew but couldn't recognize.
"W-who are you? Untie me damnit!"
"Right, sorry." A few moments later his hands were untied and his legs were unchained. The voice had let him deal with the blindfold himself.
When he had removed it, the chef found himself staring at a small figure wearing a red cloak that admitted a kind of ghostly aura, yet Sanji was sure she wasn't a ghost, at least not in the traditional sense. She was carrying a hammer, and was beaming at him as if she hadn't been this happy in ages. As the blonde gripped the grass deck below him, he understood what he was staring at.
"Sunny!"
Sunny's Klabautermann grinned even wider if that was possible and lunged to hug him again. Sanji allowed it, and squeezed back. He took this opportunity to look around the deck.
All in all, it wasn't much different from the Thousand Sunny Sanji knew, except much older. The grass deck they were currently on was dead, the trees and swing missing, the slide was collapsed. He glanced upward to see that the crow's nest was completely gone as was the sail, but the mast itself remained perfectly intact.
"Sunny…what happened?"
"I don't know…you were just brought here." She muttered into his chest.
"Not that. Where is everyone? Why are you here?"
She pulled back a bit to look at him. "I haven't seen anyone in about a hundred years. I'm here because Franky left me here, so here is where I'll stay."
Sanji blinked as he took in the news. So…that rip from before…He silently cursed those bastards for what seemed like the millionth time. "So, that makes you this 'Ghost Ship' I've heard so much?"
If it was possible for a Klabautermann to blush, Sanji was sure that is what Sunny would be doing right now. "I don't kill everyone…"
"But you kill some of them?" He took her silence as a yes. "Why?"
"Because they try to move me. Franky left me here, so here is where I'll stay." She repeated.
"If it's really been a hundred years though…"
"No!" She stepped back. "It's just…" she sighed and stared at the deck. "He's the one who built me and sailed on me and fixed me and he decided to leave me here. It just seems wrong if I left."
He smiled kindly at her. "I understand." She looked up at him. "But, where exactly is here?"
"Outside Old Water 7." She replied. "I guess it would be the equivalent of where the Franky House used to stand."
"Do you know where the guys who brought me here went? They still have Nami-san…"
"Jasper and Horace? They often leave people here who their boss wants dead. I usually let them go though." She shook her head thoughtfully. "Anyway, they probably went back to their boss's place in New Water 7. If they have Nami, then she'll be there too."
"And that would be…"
"It's…hard to explain. You remember what used to be the Galley-La docks?" Sanji nodded. "Well, Iceburg managed to turn that into a giant ship and when people began to migrate there to escape Aqua Laguna, it became the New Water 7."
"So where is it?" She shrugged.
"It's a ship, so it's constantly moving around. The Sea Train can always get to it though."
"So, if I just get on the Sea Train, it'll drop me off at the New Water 7." Sunny nodded. "Then what are we sitting around here for? Let's go!" Sanji stood up only to collapse back down as his leg refused to support the rest of his body.
"Are you alright?" Sunny asked worriedly.
"My legs aren't working…"
"They probably gave you some Bassia."
He blinked. "Bassia?"
"It's this weird drug that Vegapunk IV came up with. It tricks your brain into being unable to use your primary weapon for a period of time. It'll wear off eventually."
"But I need to get to Nami-san now! We can't afford to waste any more time while they're doing who knows what to her."
"Just wait a bit…" Sanji ignored her and forced himself to stand up. His legs shakily supported him this time and he tentatively took a step forward.
"What good are you going to be if you can barely stand?" She tried again.
"Not sure." The young chef replied, "But I need to get her back." He jumped off the deck and landed on the boardwalk next to the ship. The sudden shock forced him to his knees. "You coming?" Sanji asked after he pulled himself together.
Sunny shook her head from the railing. "I…can't go very far from the ship. Only about a few feet or so."
"Then I'll just have to bring Nami-san back here." He turned and started walking towards the town.
"Please be careful…" Sunny whispered after him.
*This is a (bad) pun with Sanji's name. In japanese, it literally means 'three o'clock' (san=3, ji=o'clock). Sanji also means 'disaster' in japanese, so maybe that's why Oda's always picking on him._