"It wouldn't be wrong to assume that this was an attack then..." Robin said as they walked through the destroyed town. "After all, this town looked like it had at least a few hundred thousands people living but now, not a single soul..."
"Aww shit, this country... it's crazy...! Please let's just leave...!" Usopp begged. "Uh... Right after we find Sanji and the rest!"
"You better have added that... even if it was a side note...," Law said.
"We're not on the same crew! What do you care?!"
"I care because we're allied crews..." We're not leaving without Sanji, even if Straw Hat says your crew is, I'm not.
"You seem stressed," Robin said walking next to Law after makeing sure everyone else was out of ear shot.
"I'm fine."
"You're worrying about Sanji. Whatever happened here, it happened before Sanji and the others arrived."
"I feel like such an ass... Why am I worrying more about him then my own crew?"
Robin smiled, "I think that's a question only you can answer."
"I don't think the enemy was human at all...," Franky said examining long deep gashes on one of the building. "There are claw marks all around."
"THAT'S IT! I'M OUT OF HERE! THERE ARE MONSTERS HERE, SEE YA BACK AT THE SUNNY!"
"Alright. I'm sure Straw Hat will appreciate you offering to guard the ship if the enemy does come back," Law said a bit irritated.
"EEEEEEH! G-guard the Sunny...! N-no she can take care of herself...! Er...! ...Zoro's going the wrong way! I-I better go make sure he doesn't get lost! ...Z-ZORO W-WAIT FOR ME~!"
"He's hopeless," Law sighed as Usopp ran off after Zoro, who, for once, really wasn't going the wrong way.
"Super hopeless," Franky agreed.
Law stopped walking when they came to a giant hole. "So an animal attacked the Mink Tribe in their own country...?" Law said as they stared down at a giant animal's foot print in the elephant's back.
Usopp stood behind Zoro, his legs shaking.
"But then again, there's always the possibility that the claw marks were because of a falling out between them."
"That's true," Robin replied. "So... right up till one or two weeks ago... this was still a country... but now it's gone!"
"Then where's Sanji and everyone else~!?"
"But the man that tore this country down... his name... is Jack!" Wanda said to Luffy.
Just then the elephant began to shake.
"Woah! An earthquake?!" Luffy said.
"The eruption rain is coming! Get up the trees," Bepo said as the Heart Pirate's ran for different trees.
Luffy began to follow them but was stopped by Wanda.
"No! Get on Crocky! We're going to the Right Belly! You're friends are there!"
"Oh good! That's where Sanji is then! I'm hungry!" Luffy said excitedly as he climbed onto Crocky. "What's the matter?"
Wanda jumped, "oh! Nothing! Let's get to your friends, shall we?"
"Yeah!" Luffy smiled widely.
"What?! Clouds of water?!" Usopp hollered with his hands to his head.
"It's enough to cause a flood! We've got to move to higher ground!" Robin said in a hurry.
"Woahhh! This is a lot of rain water!"
"Well volcano rain isn't exactly rain water," Wanda explain to the Straw Hat captain. "Zunisha does this at least twice a day."
"Hey Straw Hat! I can't leave the forest so would you please inform our captain of our whereabouts?" Bepo asked from the tree he was now hanging from.
"Huh? Really? Okay!"
"Bepo is still a Pirate despite bing born here... and for now he's under the care of Big Boss Nekomamushi!" Carrot explained.
"Oh," Luffy replied as Carrot bit him on the ear. "Hey! Don't chew on me!"
"Hey! I see Luffy in the town!" Usopp hollered down from the building he was standing on.
"Doesn't he know that we're already pretty high up? He didn't need to go that high...," Law said.
"And he's with that Nami-lookalike doggy girl and the rabbit! Looks like he's fallen for their trap and is being taken back to their base!"
Or their taking him to Sanji and the others...
"GYAAAAA! SHE'S ALREADY EATING HIM!"
"Huhhhh?! So they really are cannibals...?!" Franky said.
"That water will recede almost immediately," Wanda said. "We're almost there."
"Man this fog's getting pretty thick. But I wonder if Zoro and the rest are there..."
"They should be... I told them to meat us at the hidden fort..."
"Well, gotta get over there some how..." Law said holding out his hand. "Room."
"H-hey, Law! W-what are you doing?!" Usopp asked as the room formed around them.
"Shambles!"
The Straw Hats screamed as they unexpectedly fell to the ground. Law on the other hand landed on his feet, Kikoku held over his shoulder.
"WOULD YOU WARN US BEFORE YOU DO THAT!" Usopp said jumping up.
"I got us over here, didn't I?" Got to get to Sanji... and find my crew.
"Ah! You guy!" Luffy said happily.
"Luffy! Are you okay?! Are your hands and legs still attached?!" Usopp said before standing behind Zoro and grabbing his arms.
"What are you doing?!" Zoro said as Usopp places Zoro's hand on his swords and the other pointed at Wanda.
"Hey you, Nami-dog lady! That's our captain you have over there!" Usopp said for Zoro. "How dare you do that to him! You'll have to deal with me if you're going to continue , ya damn cannibal!"
"Now that's some accusation you're making there," Wanda said.
"But before that, you better return our comrades!" He said for Zoro before talking for himself. "I'm warning you, this guy here can blow fire if he wants to!
"Whatever, either way, we're here." Wanda added.
"I'm the gatekeeper of this fort!" Came a voice form the fog just ahead of them.
"Wanda! Who might they be?"
"The intruders that were in the Whale Forest?"
"They mean no harm!" Wanda replied. "He just wandered into the forest unknowingly! Please open the doors and let everyone know that the Straw Hat crew has come!"
"The Straw Hats are here! The Straw Hats are at the entrance," One of the minks hollered as he ran through the fort.
"Hmm...? Luffy's here...?!" Chopper said to himself as tears welled up in his eyes. He turned and ran to the room Nami was sleeping in. "Namiiiii~ Namiiiiii!" He opened the door and walked in, tears now streaming down his face, "Namii!"
Nami's eye slowly opened as she lay on the giant sheep mink.
"Luffy and the rest are here! They're finally here! Namiiii!"
"Hmmmm..."
"Luffy's here! They've safely made it here!" He cried.
"Luffy's here?! Really?! Chopper!" Nami said sitting up right as if she hadn't been asleep.
The sheep minks woke up as well, "oh you're friends are here... that's nice..."
"Kyaaa!" Nami screamed as she was thrown off the mink when they sat up.
"Ah... Sorry..."
"That's okay," she smiled up to the mink.
"B-but N-Nami...," Chopper said sadly. "W-what are we going to tell them?"
Nami's smile faided, "We have no choice but to tell them what happened... and all we know about it..."
"We've got important guests!" Wanda yelled to the other minks. "Prepare the feasts! We've got to take good care of our benefactors!"
Benefactors? Robin questioned.
"Garchu!"
"Welcome Straw Hat Crew!"
"Garchu!"
"Welcome!"
"Garchuuu!"
They all looked around in shock at their welcome party... well... all except a certain overly exited captain.
"Huuuuh?! What's all this?! I'm really liking the atmosphere here!"
"Wait..." Usopp said. "Isn't this a little different then imagined?!"
"Garchuuuuu!" Luffy said, his voice filled with excitement. "What the hell does that even mean anyway?!"
"I thought you lot hated us humans?!" Zoro said.
But were's Sanji and the others?! I need to know if he's okay. Has he seen his poster yet? He's probably stressing out about it! Maybe I can destract him later... Law shook his head. Idiot! First you have to find out if he's even here! Law broke out of his thoughts when he saw Robin looking at him with worry in her eyes. "It's nothing," he lied and her eye narrowed slightly as if to tell him she knew.
"I do know of some people who admire lesser minks like yourself," Wanda said licking Luffy on the cheek.
"Oh look! It's Nami and Chopper!" Usopp said pointing at the two Straw Hats.
But were's Sanji!
"Thank God they're okay!" One of the Minks said as Chopper and Nami ran towards the rest of their crew.
"Gyaaa! Come on, let me pass!" Nami said as some of the minks nuzzled her. "Okay, I get it! Garchu! Garchu!"
"This is great news, Garchu!"
"Hey, they're getting really friendly with her! It's nothing like what we thought they were!"
"LUFFY!" Nami said running towards him.
"Yeah! It's great to see you guys!" Luffy said jumping with his arms in the air.
"YOU GUYS!" Usopp said excitedly.
"Are Sanji, Brook, and Momo okay too?" Luffy asked as Nami threw herself at him and Chopper jumped into Usopp's arms.
All of the Minks' face's became grim.
"Huh?" Zoro said confused as to why they're moods changed so quickly.
Why do they look upset all the sudden? Law glanced at Robin who was also looking back at him.
"I'm sorry!"
!?
Nami couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "Sanji's...!"
No! Law's eyes widened. He thought he was going to be sick.
"...Gone!"
"What do you mean he's gone?!" Law was the first to break the silence.
"H-he left you guys this note..." She said handing a piece of paper to Luffy.
The crew gathered around to read it.
"Wait... So he's just gone to meet some girl? ...Typical..." Zoro said irritated.
"Yeah, that's Sanji for you," Luffy laughed. "I don't see why you two are so upset."
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! THIS IS SERIOUS!" Nami and Chopper yelled.
"Did I hear someone say something about a feast?!" Luffy changed the subject with stars in his eyes.
Robin walked away from the group and jestered for Law to follow.
"I know you haven't seen your crew in awhile... and I know you're worried about Sanji... If you want, when Nami explains the whole situation... One of my clones can tell you what she says... That way you can go see your crew and still know everything that's going on."
Law nodded once, "that would be great. Thank you."
Robin smiled as a clone grew out of the ground. "Now, go find your crew."
Law took Bepo's vivre card out of his pocket. "Straw Hat?"
"Yeah, Tra-guy?"
"I'm going to find my crew. We'll meat back up with you later."
"Okay," Luffy smiled.
Law turned and left the fort, Robin's clone walking next to him.
The Straw Hat sat with the Minks as they all feasted. They were all laughing, eating, and drinking. Zoro was getting irritated with the Minks for their constant nuzzling. Brook came in all excited to see Luffy but apologized about Sanji, saying how he hadn't know how he was going to face his captain even though he didn't have a face.
"Hey, where's Momo?" Usopp asked the skeleton.
"He's fine... but he's having some trouble with the Minks," Brook explained quietly. "He's cooped up in his room and refuses to come out but that could be for the best! Gather around you guys!"
"Oh, good to see ya, Brook!" Franky said as he and the other walked over.
"Where is Kinemon-san?"
"Hmm, he should have reached us by now," Luffy said through a mouth full of food.
"Listen closely, try your very best not to even mention the word 'samurai' or the 'Wano Kingdom' in this country," Brook began and Robin relaid the conversation to Law. "You might hurt or incur the wrath of the people here."
"But why would the samurai incur wrath?" Luffy asked.
"Found you Baron Corpse!" Someone said from the door.
"Huh!" Brook said looking rather terrified.
"C-corpse...?" Zoro said. 'Head to the Right Belly Forest!The body of your dead comrade's over there!' Wanda's words replayed through Zoro's head. "Ah... SO SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HIM!"
"Oh yeah, we nicknamed him like that to show affection," Wanda explained.
"What a confusing name!"
"We canine Minks just adore b... bones."
"Helppp! Don't chew on me!"
"D-do what you want then..." Zoro replied.
"By the way, where's Tra-guy?" Chopper asked.
"Ah, he's in the Bear's forest," Luffy answered.
"So... WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT SANJI-KUN!" Nami yelled, her last nerve and ounce of patience finally snapping.
"He did leave a note, didn't he? He'll work it out some how..." Zoro said.
"Took her long enough," Law said to Robin's clone. "Starting to think Sanji's right. Roronoa is a stupid Moss Head..."
Robin chuckled.
"What's so funny, Robin?" Chopper asked.
"Nothing," Robin said sweetly.
"Mmm... It's not like he was captured or anything either..." Luffy agreed.
"YOU'RE TAKING THIS TOO LIGHTLY! THIS IS SERIOUS!"
"Sorry but there wasn't much we could've done~" Chopper cried.
"Y'know what guys, to be homest, we're all quite confused right now... We're barely getting a grasp on the situation at hand here..." Franky said, eating a banana.
"That's right! The last time we spoke was when you evaded Big Mom's ship. And now, we find out that Zou's literally a broken up city on an elephant's back full of talking animals... We came here thanking that the Minks would be against us but look at how welcoming they are, saying stuff like we're the comrades of their benefactor and stuff!" Usopp said.