So yeah, little late on this one, but Chapter is longer:)
Chapter Thirteen: Battle at Sea
"How in the blazes are you still alive?" Crocodile stands in front of Luffy glaring angrily at him.
"When you abandon me on that godforsaken island, you forgot one thing Crocky," Luffy grins at him leaning on the paddle he still holds. "I'm Captain Monkey D. Luffy." Crocodile turns his back on Luffy to try and calm his raging temper and Luffy sets his eyes upon the crew, looking for someone specific.
When he finds Robin standing a little farther away in front of Crocodile, she smiles and waves at him as their eyes meet. Luffy sticks his tongue out at her, and makes some rude looking faces at her, which only causes Robin to giggle. Unfortunately for Luffy, Crocodile happens to turn around and sees Luffy making those faces; but Luffy stops and does a fake laugh while rubbing his straw hat.
"Well Luffy, I'll be sure not to underestimate you again, kill him," Crocodile turns back around as the crew draws their guns.
"The curse isn't broken, is it?" Luffy grins as Crocodile stops walking and slowly turns around.
"Hold your fire," he orders the crew. The crew groans and sighs in disappointment, and Robin stares at Luffy curiously. "You know whose blood we need?" Crocodile asks glaring at Luffy.
Luffy hats covers his eyes as he smiles sinisterly. "I know whose blood you need."
Scene Change~
Nami lifts herself up over the rails and onto the Baratie. When she turns around, she comes face to face with the crew. "Not more pirates."
"Yoho, hello Miss Mikan, how long has it been?" Brooke appears from behind the crew and Nami turns stark white.
"YOU'RE ONE OF THEM!" She screams pointing at Brooke, her clothes and hair drench from the water.
"Yoho, do not fear, I am not curse like Crocodile's crew. Similar I guess you could say, but different none the less, now may I see your panties?" Brooke tries to lift up Nami's gown only to earn himself a fist to the head.
"Like Hell!" Nami shouts. She is about to continue her beating on the poor skeleton man, when a familiar voice reaches her ears.
"Nami!"
"Kaya?" Nami head snaps up and she turns to see the pale skin, blonde hair girl. "KAYA!" Nami scream of joy causes most the crew to cover their ears. The two old friends embrace, Nami nor Kaya worrying that Nami is wet and cold as tears fall down their eyes. They blubber comforting words to each other and try to figure out how each got to where they are.
The crew's attention goes from the two embracing girls to Zoro as he jumps onto the Baratie.
"Ah, Zoro-san there you are," Brooke said, recovering quickly from Nami's fist. "Where is Luffy-san?" He asks looking left and right along the railing.
Nami eyes widen as she hears what Brooke says and she let's go of Kaya. "Luffy? Monkey D. Luffy?" "She repeats the name wanting, no, needing to know if the same man who kidnapped her and stole her first kiss is the same one Brooke is talking about.
Zoro does not answer her and places a dry blanket along her shoulders. Nami takes the blanket, the coldness finally getting to her. Zoro looks back up to Brooke and the crew who are waiting expectantly for an answer. "He fell behind," is Zoro's quick answer and he takes Nami down the stairs of the Barati to the crew's quarters.
As the two leave, the crew is saddened by the news. Even though most of them did not know Luffy long, only hearing about some of his adventures, through most of the traveling Luffy was a nice, funny guy. He played games with Chopper and Usopp when he was free; he was extremely interested in Franky's inventions even if he could not understand them. He did not treat the mute Lucci any differently from the rest of the crew. Even Alvida was upset for even though Luffy stole or borrow her ship he was always nice to her, and good at other things as well.
Kaya was sad as well and chose not to follow Nami and Zoro. She was also influenced by Luffy when he never judged her, a young rich girl who has never been out at sea, stowing away on a boat in hopes to save her friend from blood thirsty pirates. Even when she overheard a conversation between him and Brooke about how having woman on the ship was bad luck, Luffy pushed the superstition aside, saying as long as the woman help there would be no bad luck.
"So, what do we do now?" Usopp is the first to speak and break the silence.
"Stick to the code," Brooke answers with his emotionless face. "Prepare to sail!"
Scene Change~
"What kind of man makes a code to leave a comrade behind?" Nami hisses when Zoro tightens the rag around the large cut on her palm.
"Pirate," Is Zoro answer. The two are below deck sitting around a small table with a small lamp being there source of light. "Does it hurt?" Zoro gently takes Nami hand, causing her to blush.
"Uh, no it just, uh stings," she stutters out. The sudden memory of the conversation she had with her maid before Crocodile's pirates attacked pops up when the maid brought up Zoro as possible husband material.
"Nami," Nami thoughts are destroyed by the caring, soothing away Zoro said her name. Zoro quickly moves closer to her, his hand moving down her arm and up her shoulder, then over her neck. Nami can only stare into Zoro's eyes with her chocolate brown ones as his face comes closer and closer to hers. As Zoro hand moves over her neck, he touches the silver chain around her neck. Feeling the cool chain moving around her neck, Nami is reminded of the medallion. She pulls at the chain and Zoro leans back confused. Nami removes the medallion from her neck and places it into Zoro's still outstretch hand.
"It's yours," Nami whispers.
Zoro stares at the medallion and recognition crosses his face. "I thought I lost this, how did you?"
"I took it when we first met. I'm sorry, you know how I had a knack for stealing anything that looks like Belli, and I meant to return it but," Nami is cutoff when Zoro holds his hand up for her to stop talking.
"You said for them to break the curse they needed blood. But, not your blood, my blood," Zoro covers his face with his hands. "The blood of a pirate."
"Zoro, I'm sorry, I should have told-," Nami jumps when Zoro slams his hand and the medallion down on the table. He glares darkly at Nami, and Nami takes this as her cue to leave. She goes back to the upper deck as Zoro stays running his hands through his short green hair.
Scene Change~
Luffy is tugged roughly by his arm by Daz Bones through the brig of the Black Pearl. Water is up halfway to his knees causing him to frown when he is thrown into the cell. "Looks like there's a leak in my ship somewhere," he says but is ignored by Daz Bones as he closes the gates. "Okay, don't worry I'll look for it."
Scene Change~
"So Crocodile, what is your plan now?" Robin stands next to Crocodile who looks at the Baratie with his telescope as they stand at the railing of the pearl.
"Isn't it obvious Miss All-Sunday? After I locked up that infuriating cousin of yours, we go and get back the medallion and our little orange haired friend."
"You are not going to listen to what Luffy said about the person with the right blood?" She asks.
"Oh I will, that's why he is still alive," Crocodile grins at Robin, and Robin smiles back in response.
"Captain the ship is in sight!" Shouts out a crewmember. Crocodile using his telescope peers at the Barati.
"Full speed ahead men!" He shouts and the crew erupts in cheers.
Scene Change~
"The pearl is gaining on us!" Alvida shouts down to the crew. Nami who has just appeared on deck, leans over the railing to see the black sail ship.
"How can it be catching up to us, the Barati is the fastest ship in the Carribean!" Nami shouts, namely at Brooke who stands next to her.
"Yoho, the fastest navy ship, but not the fastest ship of all," Nami cannot understand how the skeleton man can laugh in this situation.
"What should we do then?" Kaya asks standing next to Nami.
"We fight."
The crew turns to Zoro who has emerge from the lower deck. He carries a sword in his hand and a pistol in his other.
"Are-are you crazy?!" Hollers Usopp. "You want to fight the fiercest pirate crew in the Caribbean!"
"And we have no SUPER Weapons!" Franky enters the conversation. "We don't even have cannonballs!"
"Then find something else," Zoro answers. "Forks, knives, I don't care. All I know is the Pearl is going to be on us soon, and I will not go down without a fight!"
"Zoro-san is right," said Brooke. "Luffy-san would have said the same, we must fight!"
Scene Change~
"Captain their turning their ship around," Daz Bones informs Crocodile.
"To starboard, and load the cannons," Crocodile orders. "Prepare to board and get me the medallion!" Bones nods his head and gives the orders out to the crew. Crocodile looks next to him to see Robin gone without a trace. Crocodile smirks knowingly as the pajama wearing otter climbs on his shoulder. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to betray us Nico Robin."
The Black Pearl and the Barati now face each other, cannons loaded on the sides of the ship. Pirates from both crews are screaming at each other as they prepare for their orders. Zoro tosses a shotgun to Nami.
"You know how to use that?" He asks with no emotion.
Nami is not sure if he is still mad at her for stealing his medallion but chooses to just answer his question. "Yes, I had practice with Sanji." Zoro glare goes unnoticed by Nami when she mentions Sanji.
"Usopp, I don't think I can use this," Kaya says as she holds the pistol she was given by the shooter.
"Oh, uh, well maybe it might be safer for you to go below deck then?" he suggests but Kaya shakes her head.
"No, I want to help my friends, and you," she mutters the last part causing both her and Usopp to blush.
"Oh-oh, well um here," Usopp nervously moves his hand to his belt and pulls out a green sling shot that was connected to it. "I um, use to use this and still do sometimes. It's pretty useful and good for those um, not too experienced with a gun." Usopp holds the object out to Kaya who hesitantly takes it.
"Thank you Usopp-san," Kaya says softly as she looks at the sling shot he has given her.
"Oh and uh here," Usopp hands her a small brown pouch. "I have all kinds of stuff you can launch in here. Some just normal bullets, others have a little more punch to it," Usopp grins.
"What kind of punch?" Kaya asks questionably.
"A kind of punch that helped me take down an island giant eating goldfish," Usopp points at himself while telling the obvious fib.
"That's amazing Usopp-san," Kaya giggles but plays along to Usopp's fib as he enjoys his stories he tells.
"PREPARE TO FIRE!" Zoro's voice breaks the two from their conversation and they head to the side of the ship to prepare for the battle.
As the two ships sail along beside each other Zoro makes eye contact with who he believes is the evil captain of the Black Pearl, or the Thousand Sunny that Luffy had called it. Crocodile stands regally his arms cross along his chest with his golden hook appearing to glow with the bright sun hitting down upon it. "Steady men," Zoro yells a pistol in his hand and a sword at his side. Nami stands a few feet away from him, her eyes searching the ship for Nico Robin.
The signal for the battle begins when Crocodile uncrosses his arms.
"FIRE!" Zoro, Nami and Crocodile all shout at the same time. Cannonballs are launched; double the amount from the Black Pearl than the Baratie considering some of the Baratie's ammos are forks, and knives. One of these forks happens to hit the helmet of Yosaku while he is next to Johnny down below deck of the Pearl.
Elsewhere, at the brig of the Pearl, Luffy narrowly avoids a cannonball that shoots through the wood of the Pearl. "IDIOTS! Stop blowing holes in my ship! I still ain't found the hole causing the leak!" He shouts through the newly made hole.
"I don't think they will listen to you Luffy-san," Luffy shoulders tense, and he slowly turns to face Nico Robin.
"What do you want?" Luffy mutters, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Why I'm here to help my favorite cousin of course," Robin holds up the keys to his jail cell and Luffy raises one eyebrow at her.
Scene Change~
"We are severely outmatch!" Nami shouts ducking behind the rails of the Barati as she reloads her gun.
"Yoho! So it seems," says the talking skeleton, taking a couple shots at the ship. "We must think of another plan I suggest?"
"I say we give them her," Alvida suggests coming from behind Nami and pointing her pistol at her head.
"They aren't after her," Zoro says crouching down next to Brooke. Alvida removes the gun from Nami's head and Nami bites her tongue on an insulting remark to the she-pirate. Instead she looks knowingly at Zoro and brings her hand to her chest.
"The medallion," Nami says and looks to the entrance on the decks in the middle of the Barati leading below deck. Zoro follows her gaze and hurriedly makes his way over there and heads below deck.
Crocodile glares at the Barati as the cannonballs from his ship destroy the marine vessel. He watches as from below the decks of his ship, a cannonball with chains is shot out and wraps around the wooden sails of the Barati effectively destroying it causing the mast to land upon the Pearl right next to him.
"Prepare to board men! And bring me my medallion!" Crocodile shouts and the crew does as told and grabbing upon ropes they swing aboard.
Nami and the crew fight back shooting at some of the men who swing aboard. Kaya shoots one man down with a rock out of Usopp's bag. As some of Crocodile's men board Alvida, Franky and Lucci grab their swords trying to fight them back. Usopp uses his rifle to fight off the soldiers, blocking their swords. Even though Usopp is scared stiff, he tries to keep his legs from shaking and wants to act brave in front of Kaya. Little Chopper stands upon the railing of the Barati, carrying what appears to look like a mini-cannon on his shoulder. He aims and fires at the Pearl having launched himself backwards in the process.
While the fighting continues on deck, Zoro is below trying to find the medallion. The table that the medallion was on is flipped over and Zoro curses himself for his stupidity of leaving the medallion here. The cold water is above his knees and rising quickly as he ducks underneath the water searching for the medallion.
Scene Change~
"This plan better work Robin," said Luffy as he adjusts his straw-hat and red coat. He stands upon the deck of the Black Pearl, Crocodile's crew being too busy fighting to take notice of him.
"I'm sure it will Luffy-san," Robin smiles handing Luffy a sword. Luffy takes the sword and mumbles his thanks.
"Guess I'll see you in a bit then," Luffy says and then jumps upon the railing of the Black Pearl with Robin watching by. Luffy waits patiently as a crew member of Crocodile comes back onto the deck. Luffy grabs ahold of his rope looking over at the fallen crew member. "Thanks mate."
Luffy swings to the Barati landing on the railings with ease. He enters the fight kicking one pirate back and away from Brooke. "Hey Brooke," Luffy greets the skeleton.
"Yoho! Luffy-san your alive and well, unlike me, Yohoho skull joke!" Luffy laughs at the skeleton antics, but quickly gets back to business as another pirate attacks him. A flash of orange catches his attention and he turns to see Nami having trouble with a pirate.
Nami, using the rifle that Zoro gave her, blocks the pirate's sword attack. But his strength forces Nami to back down. She is afraid her gun is about to break but the weight suddenly disappears. Looking up she sees Luffy knocking the pirate away from her and throwing him over the Barati ship. Luffy turns and grins at Nami. "Yo, long time no see," are his first words crouching down next to her to avoid the bullets and cannon fire. Nami blushes hard at how close his face is and is reminded of the kiss they shared. She shakes her head forcing the blush to disappear and glares at Luffy.
"What are you doing here?" She asks menacingly.
"Saving your butt again, duh," Luffy replies. "So, where is the medallion at?"
Scene Change~
Below deck, Zoro continues his search for the medallion, the water rising to his chest. "Dammit! Where is it?!"
A strange screeching sound stops Zoro in his tracks, and he looks up to see a pajama, sun glasses wearing otter sitting up on a piece of wood. The medallion in his hand. "What the hell?" Zoro tries to grab the otter, but it is too fast, running along the wooden board and out a small hole below deck.
Zoro curses at himself, but quickly makes his way back to the upper deck entrance only for it to be closed on him.
"Well looky here," Zoro looks up to see Kuro and Jango grinning menacingly at him. They throw a large crate on top of the entrance making it impossible for Zoro to get out.
Scene Change~
"Why do you want the medallion?" Nami asks Luffy.
"Cause I do, now tell me where it is?!" Luffy demands an answer, but Nami refuses to budge. Luffy sighs, but when he sees the bandage wrapped around Nami's hand, a new question comes to his mind. "Ah, so where is Mr. Roronoa at?"
Nami eyes widen and she looks to where the entrance below deck is. She gasps, seeing the crate on top of the entrance and faintly hearing the sound of Zoro yelling. She quickly makes her way over there, and Luffy is about to follow when he sees the Pajama wearing otter running along the fallen wooden sails of the Barati, the medallion in his hands.
"Stupid otter!" He shouts taking off after the furry beast.
"Zoro!" Nami tries to move the cage sealing Zoro but it is stuck. She starts to push the crate, but is stopped when she is grabbed roughly by Kuro and Jango.
"Nami!" Zoro shouts as the water is up to his chin.
Luffy chases after the otter on the beams across the water and onto the Black Pearl. He stops when he sees the black shoes of Crocodile. He slowly looks up and grins cheekily at the revered Captain.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Monkey," Crocodile says holding the medallion in his hand with the otter on his shoulder.
"Ah, you're welcome," Luffy rubs the back of his straw-hat his grin widening.
"Not you, we named the otter Mr. Monkey," Crocodile holds back his chuckle at the shock face Luffy shows.
"Oh."
Weird place to stop, but ran out of time hopefully next chapter will be up sooner