"Since you've gotten through the Red Line your ship is coated is it not?" The fish asked as he floated to the surface of the ocean.

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered from the Sunny's figurehead. The fish nodded.

"Very good! Then, if you would follow me Franky-san!" The fish disappeared below the waves as Franky got the gear zero ready to be used. The devil's fruit users held onto anything near them while the others prepared to go under the water. Nami watched as the bottom of the ship slowly sunk further and further while a large bubble started to form around the Sunny. The navigator turned to Robin who was sitting calmly in a lounge chair.

"Robin! If you would!" Nami said as Robin crossed her hands and smiled.

"Cien Fleur." Hands moved around the ship as they stretched up from the ground and held onto the devil fruit users, knowing the others could decide to abandon ship for no reason. Luffy laughed as the fingers grabbing him while Chopper screamed fearfully at the hands now holding him carefully. Brook laughed when Robin's hand held his ankle and Franky kept the wheel steady. Zoro decided to take a nap at that moment and Sanji took another drag of his cigarette before the ship moved all the way down into the water. Now the blue surrounded them as the crew ooh-ed and ah-ed at the surroundings. The ocean was a deep blue, gleaming seaweed grew up from the ocean floor, the bubbles sparkling from the sun back on the surface, fish swimming leisurely and giving an interested glance to the ship traveling in the water.

Usopp was happy to be up in the look out tower. Best view in the house. The fish continued to travel by and gave a surprised look at the long nosed human watching the festivities from a window. His thoughts drifted back to his father after Franky had said that they had leveled out and Okaku instructed the crew to follow him until they reached the guild. Luffy was cheering how cool the event was as he raced to all corners of the ship to look at every fish, plant, and bubble that floated by while the doctor rushed just behind him. Usopp sighed and slumped back against the widow frame as he continued to gaze at the turning blue. He felt like something was wrong… He just couldn't understand what it was. He reached into his bag and pulled up a carefully folded paper. He stretched it carefully and looked at the picture on a wanted poster.

WANTED:

Dead or Alive

YASOPP

370,000,000 Beli

Usopp… Or Sogeking… 80,000,000. I'm a ways behind. "Usopp~!!!" Luffy chimed as he broke the sniper's train of thought and abruptly appeared next to him in the window. Usopp yelped with surprise and caught himself but let go of the bounty as it fluttered towards the water.

"Shit!! Luffy, please catch it!!! QUICK!!!" Luffy nodded and stretched his arm swiftly and grabbed the bounty just a few centimeters from floating into the water. The captain's arm snapped back and looked at the picture with a smile before handing it back to Usopp. The sniper took it and exhaled the breath he had been holding. "Phew. Thanks Luffy."

"No problem!! You've gotta come down with me and Chopper!! This is SO COOL!!!" Luffy was about to jump down from the window until Usopp stammered.

"W-wait a second!" Luffy grabbed the windowsill and drifted back into the window.

"What's wrong Usopp?" The sniper carefully folded the bounty back up and fumbled with the worn corners.

"Have you… Felt weird?" Usopp asked as Luffy cocked his head curiously.

"Hmm… not really! Why?" Usopp tried to find the words to say as he rubbed his neck.

"I… I don't know. Just something…" Usopp shook his head. "N-never mind! Let's go! You know, this reminds me of the time I had to fight a Seaking 1,000 feet below the ocean with a giant piece of coral!" Luffy beamed with excitement at the premise.

"SUGE!! Let's go get Chopper so he can hear it too!!" Usopp nodded as Luffy jumped down onto the deck and told Chopper about the story their brilliant sniper was going to share. After hearing the excited squeal like sound from the little reindeer Usopp stepped out of the windowsill and carefully slipped the bounty poster back into his bag. His nerves continued to poke at the back of his mind but Usopp pushed it aside and tried to forget the creepy feeling that crawled up his skin.

Okay! Captain Usopp time!! Usopp smiled and walked down from the look out tower before meeting his ecstatic nakama who were anxiously anticipating another tale of grand adventures.

~*~

"Then the Seaking blasted out from the water and flew high into the sky as I continued to hold its giant fin! It roared ferociously as it slammed on the waves and I ran up to its head before looking it straight in the eye!" Chopper and Luffy were thrilled as they gasped and Usopp posed triumphantly.

"What did you do next Usopp?!" Chopper said eagerly. Usopp smiled.

"Well, I got onto the monster's head and stared into the eye of the massive beast. The pupil itself was bigger than the sunny but I held my ground, not even phased by lack of breath after almost being drowned!" Usopp leaned in close and stared Chopper in the eye to give him a taste of what the great Seaking had felt. "I told it "I am the Great Captain Usopp!! The world knows me as Soge--!!"" Usopp stuttered and remembered that his two nakama were still clueless about the truth behind Sogeking. "I-I mean, "The world knows me as the greatest sniper in the world!!"" Beside Yasopp that is…

"What happened then?!" Luffy asked, practically vibrating with his enthusiasm. Usopp smiled and put his hand under his chin.

"Then the Seaking immediately submitted and I became the first person to ever tame the great creature!!!!" Luffy and Chopper cheered loudly as Nami growled at their annoying roots and cheers. She tapped her foot before walking over to the three boys and leered behind them. The first to notice was Usopp who cringed at the sight of the fist being prepared to pound their heads into the ground. "And that's the end of the story! I'm not feeling good right now!" He lies as he slowly backs away as Chopper and Luffy look at him, clueless to the navigator behind them. "I have a I-really-don't-want-to-be-killed-by-Nami-disease!" He says as he points Luffy and Chopper's attentions to the orange haired woman behind them… But his warning was too late as Nami brought down her fists onto Luffy and Chopper's heads.

"OWOWOWOWOWOW!!!" The boys whined as Nami cracked her knuckles.

"What was that for?!" Luffy whimpered as he rubbed the fresh lump on his head.

"For being so loud!! I swear, the marines probably heard you all the way back up on land."

"REALLY?!" Chopper and Luffy asked with amazement before another punch across their skulls was laid down by the navigator before she turned away to go and talk to the talking fish. Usopp thanked the gods for letting him be spared FOR ONCE!! Zoro woke up when Nami stepped on his foot and told him to wake up.

"Why the hell should I?" He growled. But the swordsman decided this battle was not one he would likely win with the angered twinge in Nami's stare and the fire like glare coming from the Love-Cook across the deck. Nami then walked to the front of the ship, followed by the swooning Sanji who continued to sing, "Oh, Nami swan!! Your threats to that stupid marimo are always wonderful!!"

Robin and Brook decided to also join the others at the front of the ship as they climbed the steps and the three boys were alone on the turf of the Sunny. Luffy hurried to the railing and pointed to a large creature swimming in the water, in the not-so-distant distance. "Oi, Usopp! Is that the Seaking you tamed?!" Usopp felt his knees shaking as he looked at the massive beast that did not seem to recognize the ship… yet.

"You should call it over!!" Chopper said, his eyes sparkling with excitement and wonder. Usopp smiled nervously before turning to his nakama and began to push them to the front of the ship.

"M-m-maybe some other time… He's not in a good mood today." Usopp stammered as he continued to lead the boys onto the deck with the promise to tell them another story later. When they approached Nami was looking over the railing at Okaku, whose scales were glittering from the rays of the sun penetrating the blue water.

"Are we almost there?" Nami asked as the crew looked into the clouded water ahead.

"Yes! In fact we will be at the gate in just a few moments." Luffy jumped to the figurehead and looked excitedly at the waters before them.

"Pirates Guild, Pirates Guild, Pirates Guild!!" Luffy chanted as he pumped his fists up and down. Usopp swallowed a lump in his throat… He wasn't afraid of the mist… but what may lie beyond it. I just… can't help feeling… His hand felt around in his bag for the bounty poster until his fingers ran over the paper. He exhaled, telling himself, You're losing it. Just calm down… It's just another island with a huge army of marines… Nothing out of the ordinary. His head continued to throb as he rubbed his flinched when he felt a hand pat him on the shoulder and noticed that it was growing out from his shoulder. He looked back at Robin who had a slightly worried expression.

"I'm okay." Usopp said quietly as Robin nodded and her hand ruffled his bandana softly before disappearing.

"Ah! Here we are!" Okaku announced from the front as the straw-hats looked at the mist in front of them. Franky titled up his sunglasses and squinted at the large mass of fog.

"What is it?" The shipwright asked.

"The gate!" Okaku moved forward and stuck his fin into the cloud when there was another voice coming from the fog.

"WHO IS IT?" A stern and rouged voice asked as the crew looked for the source. Okaku then pulled a type of communicator from the mist and pressed a button.

"It's Okaku. You'll never guess the guests we have today!" The fish said happily.

"WHO?" The voice asked inquisitively.

"The Straw-Hat Pirates!" There was a silence on the other side of the line.

"THE STRAW-HATS?!" The voice boomed, this time so loud that the crew jumped out of fright. Okaku nodded and there was barely any hesitation on the other end. "VERY WELL. WELCOME STRAW-HAT PIRATES… TO THE PIRATES GUILD! PLEASE FOLLOW OKAKU TO THE SURFACE."

"Thanks loud voice out of nowhere!" Luffy said happily before Okaku stuck his fin back into the mist and the communicator disappeared. There was a moment where nothing happened. Sanji looked at the fog.

"Technical difficulties?" Soon after there was a loud clank and the sound of gears grinding together. Slowly, but surely, the fog parted, revealing a long hallway like cave that stretched into pure black. Luffy cheered as the others looked at it with surprise.

"A cave?" Zoro asked as he looked into the dark abyss.

"This is the only entrance to the Guild by water." Okaku explained before moving forward. "Please follow me! And don't worry about the darkness. The current will carry you to the guild." The fish then disappeared into the pitch black tunnel as the Sunny followed carefully behind. Chopper was shaking uncontrollably as he raced to Usopp and jumped into his arms. The sniper was trying to hide his own fear as his knees continued to knock together, but he pulled himself together to comfort the trembling doctor.

"Don't worry Chopper! Everything's gonna be fine!" He said with a smile and patted Chopper's hat. The doctor nodded as his shaking decreased, but he crawled onto Usopp's shoulders and held the long noses neck nervously. After a moment the entire ship was swallowed by the pitch-black surroundings. Usopp held his hand to his face but couldn't see a thing. He couldn't even see his nose. He felt Chopper start to shake again as he held tenderly onto the reindeer's fuzzy legs that were draped over his shoulders. No one except for Luffy made a sound.

The captain continued to jabber on like nothing was going on. "OH! This is so cool!! I've never been in a place this dark!! I can't see a thing!! HAHA! Oi! Guys, you still there? Isn't this cool! AH! Robin! Don't do that!!"

"I'm sorry captain-san, but I don't want you falling off of the ship." Robin said as she made sure to keep her captain attached firmly to the figurehead.

"Ah, Nami-swan! Your hair is… strangely spiky today… Have you gotten taller?"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING LOVE COOK?! ARE YOU TOUCHING MY HAIR?!?"

"MARIMO?!?! HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET THERE?!?! WHERE'S NAMI-SWAN?!?!"

"I'm to your right Sanji-kun."

"AH!! Nami-swan!!! THANK GOD!!!"

"LET GO OF ME!!!!" Usopp heard Nami's fist connect with the cook's head as he slumped to the ground.

"Serves you right friggin Love-Cook."

"WHAT WAS THAT YOU STUPID MARIMO?!?!" A battle then ensued. Suddenly Brook yelped as a blade just barely missed his ribs.

"AH! That was close!! I could have died!!… Ah… But I'm already dead. YOHOHO!! Skull joke!"

"YOU TWO STOP FIGHTING!!!" Nami barked.

"HAI NAMI-SWAAAAAN!!!!" Silence fell again.

"This is SUPER dark!!"

"Usopp!! I… I don't like this!!" Chopper cried, hugging the sniper around his neck. Usopp didn't respond. "Usopp?"

"Ch-Chopper… You're… strangling me!" Chopper noticed how tight his grip was and then loosened it followed by Usopp gasping for air.

"Oh!! Sorry Usopp!!" Chopper cried out. Then Okaku's voice came from ahead of the ship.

"We are reaching the current! Hold on!" There was a strange almost rumbling sound as the Thousand Sunny continued forward. After another moment of the same darkness and strange sounds the ship shook and started to pick up speed.

"W-WHAT'S GOING ON?!" The crew asked nervously.

"This must be the current!!" Nami yelled as the Sunny zoomed forward. It then lurched upward as the crew struggled to stay balanced. The speed had reached its max as all of the crew fell onto the wood while the floorboards vibrated.

"WHOA!!!!"

"THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!" Luffy cheered from the front when the crew saw a light up above them.

"Here it comes! Mind the impact!" Okaku called as the ship rushed up to the light and the fish disappeared into the rays. Suddenly the ship blasted out of the water with a loud explosion as it sailed into the air and the crew screamed. It didn't take long for the ship to fall back down from its unexpected flight as the Thousand Sunny slammed into the water. There was a moment where the crew couldn't say anything. They were on the ground staring up at a ceiling of rock that loomed far overhead. Drops of water fell delicately onto the front deck as the straw-hats moved and looked around. They were in a cave, lit by large torches and a single skylight shinning down from up above. Luffy looked around, a bit disappointed when all he saw were ships upon ships all docked at the sides.

"Is this the guild? Where is everybody?" Luffy asked with a huff as Nami studied the many ships, each one brandishing a pirate flag, and then looked back to Okaku who popped his head up from the water.

"This is the ordinary docking zone." Okaku explained. "Your crew is worthy of the grand docks. Please, right this way." His fin pointed to a giant wooden door that started to creak open after Okaku clapped his fins together. The door continued to drag open until both panels revealed a giant cave with a lake in the middle. Ships were around the water's edge, flags waved next to them and others were displayed atop poles. There was singing, torches everywhere, crystals grew from the rocks and shinned yellow. Pirates were everywhere, there were large balconies built into the rocks, the largest crystal loomed above, glittering brightly, and the pirates looked over to the Thousand Sunny slowly coming through the door.

The crew was stunned as Luffy continued to cheer and laugh. Okaku chuckled at the Straw-hat's expressions as he looked up at the ship.

"Welcome adventurers of the great Pirate Age… to the Pirates Guild!"

~*~

"I still believe that we'll get it right again… We'll come back to life again…"

YOSHA!!!!!! Phew. This took a while. But still I am quite happy with the turn out of yet another chapter!!

The entire scene with pitch black was really fun because I couldn't get very detailed. And things just don't seem to level out for Usopp do they? Oh! And I'm actually planning on doing a cover for this story! I'll put the link up when I get it onto deviantart, so keep watching for it in these notes!! I really hope you like the chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!!!! Have a good one all!

~Smudgeandfrank