Chapter 6: The Wind Woman

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise"

Chapters soundtrack: Blackbird - The Beatles

The weather in the Grand Line today was rather calm. A gentle breeze just barely rocked the waters, and the Merry didn't have much difficulty sailing straight onward. No marines had been chasing our tail, so everyone decided to take advantage of the peace provided for us and relax.

Zoro was working out by the back of the upper deck, standing at a far distance from the rest of the crew. Luffy and Usopp were dancing clumsily all around the ship, singing off-tune melodies about the fearsome Elbaf giants. Looking over just in time to see one of the men nearly slipping overboard, I giggled quietly into my journal from where I sat with the girls.

"When did they get so much energy?" Nami inquired, panting heavily. I watched her chest rise and fall in silence, slightly concerned as she cradled her sweating head in her hands. I couldn't help noticing how flushed her face was this particular morning. "Wow, after everything that's happened here I'm exhausted. Um, Vivi? Could you watch this for me?"

"Sure." Vivi took the eternal pose from the red head, staring at the needlepoint intently. Nami grinned softly.

"You're on your way. Soon you'll return to Alabasta. My rosy outlook is assuming we can make it there safely and without anymore surprises."

"Yes. I must return, it's my obligation. I am the person everyone in the kingdom is counting on." Vivi replied, her eyes drifting off as if remembering something gravely important. She clutched the pose in great earnestness."I will return home. Alive."

A few silent seconds slipped past as we all watched the princess' strong resolve. I found it admirable, more than anything. The poor girl must have had so much weighing on her shoulders, yet she was still able to put on a brave face like that.

"You'll get home, but there's no need to push yourself so hard. You've got me." Sanji reassured, stepping out from the kitchen. He set down the tray he was holding next to us and handed Vivi some pretty looking deserts. "Here you go. Try these sweets, they'll help you relax. I've made some delicious tarts and your choice of coffee or tea."

Hovering her gaze over the snacks momentarily, she smiled at the blonde, appreciative. "Thank you."

Luffy and Usopp must have been drooling over them as much as I was, because my attention had quickly been pulled away from the tarts when the sound of the cook's harsh voice barking at the two boys snapped me out of my reverie.

"Yours are in the kitchen, now go." he glared hotly, following after the boys who made an eager bee-line for the said location. Sanji trailed after them in order to make sure they didn't take any more food than they should, or make a mess of his kitchen.

Watching them leave, I didn't notice Vivi eyeing the brown, leathery book I'd been sticking my nose in for the past hour. Her thin brows knitted together.

"I can't help noticing how much you've been writing in that journal."

"What, this? Oh, it's nothing really." I cracked a tiny smile as I ran my nimble finger along the spine of the book. "I just... I love writing, is all."

"I can tell." the princess started. "Forgive me, but last night I'd stumbled across some stray papers that flew off your desk after you went to sleep. My curiosity got the better of me, and so I peeked at the words."

My entire face turned as red as my hair.

"That was some amazing poetry you wrote."

"Y-You found my poems?!" I buried my face in my hands in embarrassment.

Vivi chuckled, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You really string words together beautifully. You should be proud of your talent."

Slowly, I flicked my blue eyes up at the princess. "Oh, it's not that I'm not proud of it. Actually, it's quite the opposite." I grinned. "I mean, the poetry is a little embarrassing to share, but I've been telling my stories to others since, well, my whole life really."

"Really? So you share your stories too, then?" Vivi beamed, and I nodded in response.

"Writing is a huge passion of mine, along with sharing my stories. I love seeing the faces of people light up in excitement when I captivate them with the very same words that captivated my own mind when writing it all down." I giggled. "I guess you can say I'm a novelist of sorts."

"Interesting... do you mind if a take a little peak at what you're writing now?" Vivi inquired, but I hesitated.

"This one? Well, this one... it's... it's a very special story. And it's not exactly done yet."

"I understand, it's okay. Perhaps another time, maybe, you could share one of your other stories with me? A story that you've already completed, perhaps?"

Immediately, my eyes sparkled and I clasped my hands together. "Of course! I'd love to tell you one sometime."

"Huh, what's that? A special diary or something?" Luffy snuck up on me from behind, abandoning the sharpshooter and grabbing my journal from my hands. He examined it wondrously in his hold. Effectively spooked, I quickly sprung on my feet to grab for it.

"Ah! It's nothing you need to worry about, now give it back!" I demanded frantically, my arms and Luffy's flailing around in a tangled mess of limbs as the two of us wrestled each other for the book.

"Hey Myra, there's actually something I've been meaning to ask you about." Usopp strolled over. Luffy and I both froze; his hand smushed against my face and mine still gripped firmly onto my notebook.

"Something else?"

Eventually losing his concentration, the captain let go of the journal at last, and I sat back down in satisfaction. Hugging the object to my chest, I gave Usopp my full attention as the sniper pressed on.

"It's been itching at me since we left Little Garden. When you attacked that agent."

"I've been curious about that as well." Vivi pressed a finger to her lip. "Your... fighting style. It's very unique."

I pondered for a brief period before letting a loose chuckle escape me. "Is that all it is?"

Holding my palm out in front of the group, I slowly tipped my hand up and gently swept it around in a circular motion. After a couple rotations of the wrist, the others watched on in amazement as tiny swirls of air chased around my fingers, forming a mini twister.

"It's nothing too crazy, really. I'm just a girl who ate the wind-wind fruit."

Straw Hat's eyes sparkled. "Woooah! So you're a wind woman?"

"Yep! Sure am!" I smiled cheerily. Bringing my hand to a stop, I pushed my palm against the air to form a soft breeze heading for the captain's direction. The wind was gentle, but strong enough to surprise Luffy by pushing his hat off his head. He gasped in surprise as he felt the string of his hat suddenly tugging against his neck, the weight of the headgear now on his back.

"I can summon the winds around me to do whatever it is I want with them. I can make soft breezes, or strong, stormy ones. I can compact and compress the air to make a powerful impact on another... and I can even make tornadoes."

"Woooow." Usopp and his captain replied in unison. Them, as well as the rest of the group ogled me in fascination. I stared into the deck boards.

"Although, I'm no logia type. I can't actually turn into the air itself, I can only manipulate the wind around me. Not exactly super strong, but in terms of self defense, so far it's been enough for me. My powers have also proved to come in handy for things like catching myself from free falls.

"Free falls?" Vivi tilted her head.

"Let me explain; if I somehow ended up in a situation where, lets say I happened to be falling to the ground. I can simply push against the wind underneath me to slow myself down and break my fall, gliding myself to a safe landing. Kind of like my own handmade parachute." I chuckled. "Or, wind-chute, I should say."

"Glide? Wait, so you can fly, too?"

"Well, not exactly, no." I corrected the princess. "But if I'm in the air, I can glide around for a short period of time. Here, maybe it'll be easier to understand if I just showed you."

Bringing myself to a stand, I strolled my way over to the outside of the kitchen nearby while the others (even Zoro in the distance) pressed their eyes on me with curiosity, eager to see what I was planning to do. Finding a rather creative way to climb onto the roof of the kitchen, I awkwardly scrambled my way up until I was standing on the edge of the roof. I looked over the crew, the deck, which I now towered over, and with a wide smile I hopped off the rooftop...

Just as Sanji happened to be coming out of the kitchen with more deserts.

Immediately scaring the crap out of the cook, the blonde dropped the tray of baked goods as if it were made of hot coals, and a shatter was heard as the teacups were smashed against the ground along with everything else that once belonged on the platter.

"Wh-What the hell?!"

Everyone else ignored his shock, keeping their eyes frozen on me. I was currently concentrated on my task, spreading my arms out at my sides like a bird spreading its own wings. Everyone was utterly amazed at the sight of my form gliding around in the air. I tilted my weight to one side, flying my body around in a swirling movement.

I exhaled in contentment at the feeling of refreshing wind kissing my skin at all angles, my scarlet red locks following every trail of the breeze. This dreamy weightlessness I'd felt only seemed to get better and better every time I did this little trick. The euphoria lasted maybe eight seconds before my body started to cut close to the deck, and I turned myself vertical, my feet gently meeting firm ground.

"That was... remarkable! You're almost like Pell back at home." Vivi expressed, to which her pet bird squawked excitedly in response.

"What... What just happened?!" the cook gaped at me, awestruck. I giggled and pointed a thumb to myself.

"I'm a wind woman. That's what."

"Y.. you're..." Sanji breathed, searching for words he couldn't find. He appeared rather taken away for a moment.

Even more so when he started to drool over me, his body getting a little too close to for comfort.

"You're like an angel~!"

I took a few steps back. "Eheheheh... uh, yeah. Thanks, I guess."

Luffy pumped his fist in the air with excitement. "That was so cool! Can you do it to me?"

"Of course!" I exclaimed. "It's actually easier for me to hurtle others through the air than myself."

"Oh! Do me then! Do me!"

"I wanna try too!" Usopp stalked over to me with a sudden eager look in his eyes. I smirked confidently, gesturing my hands to the kitchen.

"Alright boys, just hop on the roof."

I continued playing with the boys for a while, swaying my raised arms and flying the men through the air effortlessly. I had one arm focused on each person at once. Luffy was practically on cloud nine, while Usopp made just about the girliest shriek I'd ever heard come from a man's mouth the second I'd flung him off the roof. Both Luffy and I laughed hard at his distress, while the sniper wobbled around in the air frantically, immediately regretting his decision.

"No! No more, I wanna come down! Oh god, I'm going to die!"

"Usopp, you're such a wimp!" Luffy began to laugh even harder while I relished in my own giggle fit.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I gotcha!"

I grinned at the two boys bobbing around humorously, at Luffy's amusing attempts at trying to get Usopp to enjoy himself, and, watching the scene unfold, I truly felt myself begin to relax and enjoy the beautiful day.

But then, all so suddenly... Vivi shrieked a sentence that sent the whole crew and I on edge.

"Everyone! Come quick! Nami has an awful fever!"

Zoro seized his weight lifting at once, Sanji turned, and Luffy and Usopp immediately quit their noisy banter.

"Wh-What?" I turned at the princess' anxious call, forgetting for a moment that I was still supporting Luffy and Usopp.

They crashed to the ground, but I failed to look back. I was too focused on Nami. Once my eyes met with her collapsed form, her face beet red and her skin sweating so hard her clothes were practically sticking to her body, I gulped hard.

Something was definitely wrong.

"WHAT?! Nami's sick?!" Sanji uttered, pushing through Luffy and Usopp who'd quickly scrambled themselves back up off the ground in their own concern.

I ran over to the navigators side right away, kneeling down next to Vivi. Cradling her head in my hands, I wiped fiery strands of hair out of her eyes - which were damp with sweat, and sighed.

"I knew something was up..." I turned back briefly on the boys who were closing in on us uncomfortably. "Hey guys, back up a little, will you?"

"We have to get her inside. Quickly. Make sure to keep her head elevated." Vivi instructed.

"Sure thing." I complied, turning to the cook. "Sanji, can you help?"

"Of course." he took Nami in his arms at once, carefully taking her to the women's quarters as the rest of us anxiously followed behind.

The sound of Nami's feverish panting filled the crowded room. We all watched on in worry as Vivi laid her out on her bed with the help of Sanji, who was currently a complete wreck. The cook was practically whimpering at the sight, biting at his sleeve anxiously. I was surprised the man didn't scramble for another cigarette. Perhaps, I thought, he was thinking of Nami's current condition.

As for the rest of us, we could only stare at the navigator helplessly, wishing we knew what to do to help. Kneeling next to the red head's bedside, Vivi lifted her fair hands from a bowl of water, wringing out a small cloth.

"It's most likely the climate." she commented, gently resting the cold, wet fabric on Nami's forehead. "Its quite normal. Sailors in the Grand Line aren't used to the strange weather and can become quite ill. There are countless stories of tough, notorious pirates who suddenly died; their immune systems were attacked and ravaged by colds and fevers. Ignoring the symptoms can make even the slightest cold deadly."

Sanji's whimpering escalated. "Nami...!"

"Aw, there there..." I softened my voice, attempting to comfort the man. Vivi turned on us, hopeful and determined.

"Is there anyone aboard this ship with even the slightest amount of medical experience?"

A beat of silence. Fingers raised...

And everyone pointed to Vivi.

"Oh boy." I sighed, and Vivi looked to me next.

"Myra?"

I shrugged, frowning. "I hate to disappoint, but I only know as much about this stuff as you do. I know plenty of first aid, but that's really more for injuries, not illness."

Luffy's face lit up with a sudden idea. "Well when your sick, eating lots of meat always helps. Right Sanji?"

"Meat is protein, and that does give the body energy to operate properly. I can cook some foods that will boost her energy, but there's no guarantees. I'm not a doctor." the cook sulked, staring glumly at Nami. "Besides, if my cooking made that big a difference she'd never get sick. I put a hundred times more care into preparing her meals than I do for you losers. I serve Nami fresh meats and vegetables to ensure a balanced diet. Anything that's rotten or moldy..." he pointed to the boys. "Goes to you."

"Jerk!" Usopp shouted.

"I guess I should be thanking my lucky stars that I'm a girl, then." I mused aloud, crossing my arms.

"Oh well. Still tastes good to me." Straw Hat laughed.

"You two don't care at all!" Usopp turned to us, baffled.

The cook sighed. "My point is that as long as I'm the ships cook, nobody's gonna feed Nami better in terms of nutrition. I can do anything in the kitchen. I do know there are specific foods for different kinds of illnesses, but I can't make that call. She needs to be diagnosed by a doctor who'll tell us how to help her."

Luffy blinked. "Just... feed her everything that we've got."

"Oh, shut up!" Sanji snapped. "She doesn't have the energy to eat. She's sick."

I stepped over to Nami's side, pressing my hand to her forehead, and gasped. "Vivi, her heads really getting warm. It feels even hotter than before on deck."

"Hold on." Vivi checked the thermometer wedged in the navigators mouth. Her dark eyes nearly bugged out of her skull. "104! No, this isn't good!"

"There's bound to be doctors and nurses in Alabasta that can help, right? How much longer 'till we get there, Vivi?" Usopp fidgeted with unease. Vivi thought hard about it for a moment before bracing her hands against her knees.

"I don't know... At least a week, and that's too long."

Luffy's lips pursed in thought. "Kay, so she's sick. Maybe we're overreacting."

"I don't know, I've never been this sick." Usopp and Sanji replied, tilting their heads.

"If you've never been this sick, then maybe that's proof enough that we aren't exaggerating...?" I sweat dropped, resting my hands on both the boys shoulders from in between.

"Morons!" Vivi uttered. "Have you all lost your minds? This is serious. She shouldn't have such a high fever unless her body's fighting an infection. This is bad. Whatever is wrong, it's possibly life-threatening."

Those words set off like a time bomb in everyone's head. I cringed at the loud racket exploding throughout the room; a result of the entire crew's growing panic.

"YOU MEAN NAMI'S GONNA DIE?!" the captain screeched. Vivi shouted back with just enough power.

"YOUR SCREAMS AREN'T HELPING!"

I tried comforting Luffy, gently patting his back and attempting to transfer my soothing energy into him. "Now, now, please try not to freak out. We'll figure this out together-"

"WE HAVE TO FIND A DOCTOR TO HELP NAMI BEFORE SHE DIES!"

Needless to say, it wasn't working very well.

Vivi roared among the group. "Okay! Everyone just calm down, you're only going to make her feel worse!"

"Listen,"

Everyone froze instantly at the weak voice now joined in the small room. Effectively shutting us all up, each of us watched in surprise as Nami slowly pulled herself into a sitting position. The white cloth once sitting on her head fell to her lap.

"...I'm fine."

Vivi blinked."Nami?"

"Yaaay! She's cured!"

"Shut up!" Usopp smacked Straw Hat's head.

I waved my hands around in worry. "Nami, are you sure you should be-"

"Shh... go.. to..." she looked to Vivi, panting between words. "Go to my desk... open the second drawer. There's a newspaper in the bottom."

Vivi did as was instructed, and unfurled the newsprint, scanning over the tiny black letters. The more we watched her eyes trail along the paper, the more hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

"What's it say, Vivi?" I asked.

"No... that's not possible!" the princess' breath hitched, catching the attention of the boys.

"Huh? What's up? Something wrong?"

"Is it about Alabasta? Tell us."

Vivi gripped the paper hard in her hands. "According to this article, 300 thousand royal soldiers have defected to the resistance. Until now, we've been embroiled in a cold war, with 600 thousand royal soldiers against 400 thousand rebels. With this... the balance has shifted."

Nami nodded slowly. "The uprising in Alabasta will seriously escalate now. Things will get ugly. That paper you're looking at is three days old."

Vivi gulped.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier. We can't change our speed, so I didn't wanna worry you. There's nothing anybody can do right now. You understand, Luffy?"

The captain hummed. "Things are bad, and they're beyond our control."

"That sunk in better than I'd hoped."

"Nami, look. You need to see a doctor right away." Usopp countered the red head.

"I'm fine. The thermometer's broken. I mean, come on. Nobody gets a temperature of 104. It's probably just a mild case of sun stroke." she assured, struggling herself into a standing position.

I held my hands out to help steady her. "Last night you said you were fine, too. And now look; you can barely even stand up. You're not fine, Nami. Please, just stay in bed-"

"I'm fine..!"

I jumped at her sudden snapping, my hands faltering as I left my words hanging on my tongue.

"Trust me on this, please..." the navigator's voice returned to its former soft edge. "There's nothing a doctor can do for me that time wont. Besides, we don't have time to hunt for one. We need to head straight for Alabasta, right?"

The woman was standing by the frame of the door now. Turning back around briefly, she flashed us all a weak smile. "I appreciate the concern. Thank you."

"...Huh. She sure recovered fast." Luffy spoke once the red head left the room. Usopp shook his head.

"No. She's faking it."

"Oh, Nami..." I sighed, frowning as I shared a look with the three boys, then looking back to Vivi, who was still staring hard into the newspaper.

What a mess we were in.

"Now that this conflict has escalated, more blood will be shed throughout the kingdom." Vivi shook. "We're at war. If I don't put a stop to this insanity, the entire kingdom of Alabasta will be doomed. Crocodile will move in and seize control."

The woman's hands balled into fists, carelessly crumpling the edges of the newspaper in her grasp. She hunched over Nami's abandoned bed in frustration. "You're trying to get me home safely, but there's no time. I need to get home as quickly as possible. If I don't make it back in time, a million innocent citizens will give their lives needlessly!"

Luffy gaped. "There's a million people there? Wow..."

"That's a terrible burden you have to carry. I'm sorry." Sanji sympathized.

"Not only that..." I stared at the door. "This is just about the worst time for things to be falling apart like this."

A gentle whimper sounded in the back of Vivi's throat.

"Uh- hey, listen Vivi." I quickly knelt beside her, wrapping an arm around the woman's shoulders. "No one blames anyone in this situation. Not the terrible things going on in your country, or whatever appears to be wrong with Nami."

The princess only continued looking more distressed. I panicked for a moment, stumbling frantically over my words.

"Ah! No, wait! Let me start over."

"You're not very good at this, are you?"

"Shut up." Sanji scolded the captain in my defense, smacking his head.

"I mean, what I'm trying to say is... whatever you decide, it's okay. You don't have to feel pressured because of us, we understand. Just do what you feel is right, I'm sure you'll make the right decision."

Vivi looked to me, astonished. "I... thank you."

"Hey! Get your butts out here, right now!"

All of us turned at Zoro's muffled voice from outside. Giving Vivi's shoulder a firm, comforting squeeze, I followed the boys to the deck.

"Huh? Whaddya want?" the sharpshooter inquired. Sanji griped at the swordsman.

"You know, I find it hard to get motivated when you're giving the orders."

"Shut up and get moving. Take the seat and catch the port side wind."

"Hm?" I weaved my fingers through the air.

"Nami, what's up?" the cooked turned to her, confused. "It's a perfect day. The sun is shining, the waves are quiet..."

"...The wind."

"Wind?"

"Now that you mention it, it feels a bit... stale." I concurred.

"Wind can feel stale to you?" Usopp oggled me.

"There's a powerful wind. It's heading right this way." Nami turned. "I think... huh?"

Taken by surprise as the captain's hand suddenly met with her face, Nami eyed her captain in confusion. "..Luffy?"

The man shouted suddenly, springing his hand off her forehead immediately. "Your heads on fire! You gotta stay in bed and we need to get you a doctor!"

"Maybe you should mind your own business!" Nami lashed out. "This is my normal temperature. Now quit being so stupid and pull the damn ropes!"

"Nami, I know you're acting brave for Vivi, but if you keep pushing your body wont have a chance to heal." Sanji eased, and Carue squawked behind him in agreement.

"I told you guys I'm fine, let it go!" she braced her hands on the ships upper rail, breathing even heavier from all the shouting. I bit my lip.

Usopp raised his hands. "Woah, hey, take it easy..."

"Not another word, dammit! Hurry and move the ship."

"Right."

"Were on it."

"Gotcha."

All the boys complied to her demands as quick as they could. I made my way to the upper deck, approaching the navigator. "The breeze is off. What do you think? Is it a storm coming?"

"Something... I don't know... something's.. headed this way. And soon."

I nodded, trying to ignore the fact that the woman could barely speak. Silently, I remained by her side, watching over her in case anything should happen. Sanji and Zoro worked the ropes while Usopp took over the rudder, and soon enough the ship was changing it's course. Luffy hopped on the figurehead again, seemingly his favorite spot on the ship.

"I have to ask you all a favor." Vivi brought us to attention, joining us outside on the upper deck. "As a passenger on your ship, it's not my place to ask this. But I have no choice; my homeland is in jeopardy of being destroyed. So I would really appreciate it if we could move even faster. Every minute I'm out here puts more of my people in danger of losing their lives. We need to head for Alabasta at full speed."

Everyone stared at the princess sensibly, albeit a little hesitant at her more selfish request; considering Nami's condition. I smiled half-heartedly, trying to remind myself to imagine what it must be like being in Vivi's shoes right now.

"Of course we will. Just like we promised." Nami smiled at her.

"Then it's settled." Vivi mirrored her expression. "Lets find an island with a doctor on it right away."

"Wait... what?" Nami stammered.

"First things first, we have to get Nami healthy again. Then we head for Alabasta." The princess smirked.

A slow grin crept it's way onto my face. "Vivi, you..."

"After all, we need her to move the helm at top speed."

The captain grinned. "Right. No one makes this ship move like Nami."

"Princess, hold on." Usopp started. "Won't finding a doctor for Nami take time the citizens of Alabasta just don't have?"

"That's right. So the sooner we get Nami a doctor, the sooner we can get to Alabasta." Vivi smiled.

You made the right choice after all, Vivi. I thought, nodding in approval.

Sanji smirked, lighting a new cigarette. "Those are wise words, Vivi. You're beautiful and brilliant."

"The girl's got guts." Zoro grinned, a challenging spark in his eyes.

Nami gaped at the princess, nearly crawling against the rail to make it over to her. "Thank you, Vivi."

"Don't over exert yourself, Nami." Vivi soothed. The red head smiled faintly.

"I... I'm sorry. I may need to lie.. down-"

"Nami!" Vivi exclaimed, catching the navigators collapsing body in her arms.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Luffy screamed from the figurehead, pointing his tense finger at a colossal spiral of fierce winds and ocean waters twisting into each other. Right next to the ship.

Vivi shrieked. "It's a cyclone!"

"A ginormous cyclone." I stiffened, sweat forming at my brow.

"It's huge!"

"Wait," Vivi observed. "That's the same path we were headed on!"

Sanji's jaw dropped. "Vivi's right, that's the exact same direction."

"It would have been a direct hit if we kept going straight. We'd be dead right now!" Usopp shouted, hysterical.

Suddenly, the dark and cloudy skies above us brightened with an overwhelming amount of light. Every one of us jumped at the huge strike of lightning that stretched so far it hit the very surface of the waters, dangerously close to the ship. The waves around us thrashed violently, and Luffy curled his stretching hands around the ship's mast for security.

"See that?" he held onto his hat. "Way too close! We barely missed it!"

"Nami made the right call, that's for sure." I turned to the princess. "Vivi, hurry and get her back into the girls room. She's done her part."

"Uh, sure! Okay." she complied, retiring into the women's quarters with the frail navigator on her shoulders.

"Alright." Luffy grinned in excitement. "What are we waiting here for? Let's find Nami a doctor!"

"YEAH!" everyone raised their fists in the air, me included. I let a bubbly laugh escape me as we rode out the last of the storm. Once it fell behind us, Usopp let himself drop to the ground in relief.

"Phew! We're safe now..."

"Yeah..." I replied, shivering absentmindedly and hugging my arms.

"Hey, does anyone else feel a bit... cold?"

Travel log no.3, October 5...

It's been a couple days since we've set out for a doctor, and still no island in sight. The Straw Hat's navigator has only grown more ill since then, and I'm starting to get really worried. Our course hasn't changed from the other day, and it's gotten from cold to downright freezing the longer we've sailed here. All of us have had to bundle up. I'm wrapped up inside a big, brown parka as we speak (thankfully it's really soft and warm! Heheh.). Since yesterday night, we've even started to spot a few icebergs sprinkling the sea. There's no doubt about it; we're approaching a winter island.

"Aw, this is taking forever!"

"Try to wait a little longer, Luffy." I consoled the whining captain. "It's been a few days, now. I'm sure we're bound to find an island soon."

Luffy pouted. "It's freezing out here. Hey, wait! We can move around to keep warm!"

Usopp and I watched the boy roll all over the deck like a crazy maniac, and sighed in exhaustion.

"Or you could just wait inside."

"Your captain's an odd one, isn't he?"

"You don't know the half of it."

"Hey, Zoro! See any doctors yet?" Straw Hat called to the swordsman, who was currently up in the crows nest searching for any possible sign of land.

The man had his eyes glued intently on the binoculars in his hands. He gave it a few beats of silence before finally tearing them away from his face.

"Uhh, hey guys? What do you think of people standing on water?"

"What, do I think it's possible?" Luffy pondered.

"What kind of a question is that?" Usopp expressed. "It's impossible of course!"

"Oh, come on Luffy." I shook my head skeptically. "He's probably just looking at a weirdly shaped iceberg. There's a ton of them out here."

"Yeah?" Zoro pointed. "Well then, what's that?"

"What's what?"

"Like I said, iceberg-"

All of us froze in disbelief. Staring ahead of us, at a ways distance from the front of the ship, indeed was a man standing on the ocean. Standing, as if the Grand Line was simply just a large slab of cement to him. Zoro was telling the truth.

"Who in the heck..?"

The man looked very unique; dressed in a sort of fashion I couldn't quite make sense of, let alone describe. A set of bow and arrows accompanied the mysterious figure, slung over his back.

Luffy hummed.

"Do you think he's a doctor?"

Aaah, and the Drum Island arc begins! Hope you enjoyed the chapter~
- Natalie