Chapter Twenty-One: "There's a place that I must never go no matter what?"

Sora had been sure that the anchor probably wouldn't take. After all, they were sailing on a bed of clouds. She'd dropped it anyway in the hope it would work, and to her surprise it caught on the solid clouds, which she would have thought to be an oxymoron before reaching the sky.

After testing it to be secure, the swordsman walked to the front of the ship, watching Luffi, Usoppa, and Choppa play on the beach. They were bouncing around on the soft clouds, laughing deliriously.

"It does look amazing," Sora said quietly, her eyes taking in the full view. Skypeia was beautiful, a thousand clouds woven together into human settlements, with a soundtrack of her crewmates laughing. "Never thought I would see something like this."

"Yeah, it's gorgeous," Sanae agreed, unlacing her shoes. The cook had stopped to get dressed into a short crop top, and had brushed her hair after the trip up turned it into a birds nest. "Although I have to admit I think our crewmates are getting carried away. They're hopeless sometimes." She placed her shoes carefully on the deck before gleefully leaping overboard, shrieking in delight.

"And so are you," Sora said dryly as Sanae splashed into the white sea.

The South Bird soared into the air as Namizo stepped back onto the deck, cringing. "Uh, we probably should have let it go. It won't survive up here, will it?"

"If people can, it can too. Birds adapt quickly." Sora shrugged, glancing at the man-made buildings. "Besides, it can always fly down."

"Yeah, I guess," Namizo said with a sigh. He got to his feet and happily climbed overboard. "But you two should really check this out!"

"Coming," Roben called, as the navigator grinned and sprinted ashore. The archaeologist glanced at Sora. "So the captain sees this as an adventure?"

"Yeah, I guess. What else could she see it as?"

"I always saw trips as necessities, and moments of peace as luck instead of to be planned." Roben grinned. "Perhaps I should change my perspective on them, then?" He glanced at the shore. "Miss Swordsman, are you coming?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Sora waited for the man to reach the shore before following, enjoying the feeling of clouds against her skin as she jogged to the beach.

Choppa was having fun rolling down piles of cloud. She continually hit lumps that would have hurt had she been on a normal island of rock, but she never stopped giggling. Next to her, Sanae had curiously picked sky-flowers, and had started braiding them into her hair, leaving her hair in a side braid that still was loose enough at the front to cover one eye. Luffi was eagerly climbing trees, wrapping stretching limbs around branches and dropping for the sheer joy of bouncing up again. Usoppa was building a sandcastle, soft cloud moving through her fingers as she moulded it.

"This is so cool!" Namizo yelled, feeling both relaxed and gleeful. "There's no chance of marines finding us, so we can stay as long as we want!"

Sora walked ashore, kicking her feet absently to try and shake water droplets off them. "So clouds have water in them, huh?" she said absently. She could vaguely remember hearing that in a lesson as a child, but hadn't been paying attention. At the time, she hadn't thought one day she'd go to the sky.

The swordsman paused when her foot fell on something that wasn't soft in the same way the cloud was, something furry. She glanced at what she had stepped on and saw a small animal looking at her, tail trapped beneath her foot. "Suu! Suu!"

"Sorry," Sora said automatically, lifting her foot and releasing the animal. It bounded backwards before pausing to look at her. Sora crouched to observe it. "What are you? Some kind of fox?"

Her inspection was cut short by the wind changing, bringing music towards the pirates. The Straw Hats all looked around in surprise as the unexpected notes rolled around them.

"I can see someone standing over there." Roben pointed to a pile of solid clouds, where indeed a humanoid form was clear.

"Is it that guerrilla again?" Usoppa asked nervously, trying to get a good look.

"It doesn't look like it…" Sanae frowned as the figure started to come into focus. She could see a girl, playing an instrument that looked like a harp, white wings fluttering on her back. "I think it might be… an angel?"

The girl stopped playing. She looked up and saw the various pirates watching her, and shyly smiled. "Heso."

"Heso?" Luffi repeated.

"I think she means 'hello'?" Usoppa suggested, tilting her head to the side to observe the blonde girl.

The Skypeian was walking towards them, slowly as if she didn't want to startle them. "Suu. Come here," she said, still smiling. The fox-like-thing Sora had founded trilled agreement, walking towards her as the girl looked at the Straw Hats. "Did you come here from the Blue Sea?"

"Uh, yeah. That's what you call the sea down below, right?" Luffi asked, watching the girl walk forwards. "We sailed up rivers of clouds. Is this your home?"

"Yes," the girl said peacefully, stopping as she reached the visitors. "My name is Conis, and I'd like to welcome you to Skypeia's Angel Beach."

She saw the large nut that Luffi had discovered, and smiled at the captain. "Would you like some help with that conush?" Luffi handed over the nut, and the girl reached for a knife. Sora tensed somewhat, but she could see the girl's grip was terrible if she planned on attacking. Instead, the girl poked into the nut, breaking a hole and stowing her tool again. "Here. Try it now." She gave Luffi the nut back and handed her a straw.

Luffi tasted it and lit up with delight. "Yum!" Within a second Usoppa was tugging at the 'conush', trying to try it too.

Conis smiled at the Straw Hats, as the sky-fox she'd called 'Suu' climbed into her arms. "If there is anything at all I can do to help, please let me know."

"Well, it's nice of you to offer, but I think we're fine," Sanae said, smiling lightly at her.

"Actually, we do have a couple of questions if you'd like to answer them?" Namizo interrupted, giving a deadly look at the cook, who immediately wilted. "This place is like one big mystery to us."

"Oh, of course. You can ask me anything you want to know," Conis said easily.

Sora frowned at the horizon. "Hey, guys? Something's coming," she said, heading off Namizo's questions.

Conis and Namizo looked. "Oh, that's my father," Conis said calmly, walking over to the shore and waving at the approaching figure. "Heso, Father!"

"Heso, Conis!"

"Can't you say hello like normal people?" Luffi asked.

"We're miles in the sky, it's amazing we speak the same language at all," Usoppa snapped at her as Conis's father came closer.

"Wait, what's that thing he's riding on?" Namizo asked curiously, his eyes wide as he registered the contraption allowing the older Skypeian to stay above the surface.

"That would be my father's waver," Conis explained.

"Look out!" the man shouted as he drew ever closer with no sign of deceleration. "Stopping is a little difficult!"

The Straw Hats moved to the side and watched as the man didn't slow, only stopping when his 'waver' crashed into the trees. The man stumbled out. "Is everyone alright?"

"You're the one who crashed!" Sora snapped at him, inexplicably pricked at his assumption that they might have been hurt.

"Luffi, you found something like that on the sea bed, didn't you?" Namizo asked the captain.

"Yeah," Luffi mumbled around her conush.

"That must be the type of boat Noland described. A boat that can sail without wind," Namizo theorised as the man walked up to them.

"Conis, are these your friends?"

"Yes, Father. They're from the Blue Sea. They've only been here for a few minutes."

"Impressive. You must still be very curious about the White-White Sea – oh, I'm sorry, the White-White Sea is the place we are currently. My name is Pagaya." The man paused thoughtfully. "My fishing today was quite successful. Perhaps you would be pleased to join us in our house for dinner?"

"I'm starving! That's a great idea!" Luffi said eagerly, dropping her now-empty conush. "Thanks, mister!"

"Sky Island Cuisine?" Sanae asked, interested. "I'd love to try that. Would you mind if I helped prepare it?"

"No, not at all."

"Before we go, may I ask how this… vessel works?" Roben asked curiously, inspecting the waver. "I can't see any way for it to move."

"Is that to mean that the Blue Sea don't have dials?" Conis asked in surprise.

"Dials?" Luffi repeated.

Pagaya gestured for the Straw Hats to look at his waver. He pointed at a small object on the back of the vessel. "This is a Breath Dial. It propels air from it, which in turn forces the waver forwards. I merely have to press the pedals to control how much."

"That's so cool!" Luffi said ecstatically. "Can I have a go? Can I? Can I please?"

"Oh, well, certainly." Pagaya stepped aside as the black-haired girl eagerly carried it down to the sea. "Now, you press the pedal on the left to make it go, and the right side is the brake."

"Left and right. Got it," Luffi said eagerly, leaping onto the waver. She successfully found the accelerator (through the process of elimination) and tore into the water.

It was completely unsurprising, bordering on inevitable, that she fell off within thirty seconds.

"Oh, no!" Conis covered her mouth in horror. "I hope she's alright!"

"Heavens!" Pagaya gasped. "I'm sorry I let an amateur use the waver."

By comparison, those aware of Luffi's tendency to sink were watching quite calmly, with the single exception of the panicking doctor.

"Do you think she might float?" Sanae asked the group at large. "This sea might be more buoyant than ours."

"I'd say so," Sora agreed. "After all, the entire sea is in the air; it's possible she'll float."

There was a moment of silence as they watched their captain scramble for the surface. As usual she put up a valiant fight, and as usual the water was an enemy she couldn't defeat.

"She didn't," Sanae remarked calmly.

"Not the first time I've been wrong," Sora shrugged it off.

"Okay, so," Namizo began, turning to the rest of the crew, "Who wants to go rescue her?"

"Luffi!" Choppa howled, already running for the water. "I'll save you!"

"Uh, Choppa, you-" Usoppa began, but the reindeer had already made it beyond where she could touch the ground. "…Can't swim either."

Sora sighed. "I'll get Luffi," she stated, pulling off her sword belt and carefully laying them on the shore. "Someone rescue Choppa."

"I'll go," Usoppa agreed, already splashing into the water after the ship's doctor.

Sora hurtled past the sniper, moving fast. The speed she could reach in this water was impressive; there was almost no resistance. Of course, that actually meant Luffi sunk faster, but the green-haired girl managed to catch her before she fell from the clouds.

Dragging the captain back ashore, Sora noted with relief that Usoppa had successfully gotten Choppa back. It wasn't that she doubted the sniper's ability to do so, but since this sea had no bottom once they left the shore, it would have been worse than the significant damage their sea could do. Something about the little doctor in life-threatening danger just inspired concern.

"I apologise for letting a rookie take the waver. I should have thought beforehand," Pagaya said sincerely. "It takes ten years to learn to handle the waver with enough precision to avoid falling. You must understand the sea like the back of your hand."

"Wow, Namizo's doing great!" Usoppa blurted, stunned.

The navigator in question had taken the waver onto the sea. He was easily skidding from side to side, laughter being carried from his lips by the wind. Adjusting to the waves was child's play to him, almost literally. It was somewhat reminiscent of floating the toy boats he and Nojiko built out of driftwood: both tasks required watching the water until he knew when to let the boat go so that it would rise on the seas. The waver had the added thrill of being part of the action as it happened, of being on the sea and rolling with unfamiliar waves. "This is awesome!" he yelled, a broad grin across his face.

"Namizo! You're amazing!" Sanae called across the gap.

"That's so not fair!" Luffi whined.

"That's incredible – and this is his first time?" Pagaya said, impressed.

Namizo laughed in delight, enjoying his instinctive knowledge of when to rock with the waves and when to lean against them. "This really requires skill – no wonder you couldn't do it, Luffi!" he called teasingly, enjoying the indignant spluttering from the shore. "Hey, Mr Pagaya, would you mind if I stayed here for a bit while you go on ahead?"

"Certainly; that's fine," Pagaya agreed.

Still revelling in what felt like the safety of Sky Island, the rest of the Straw Hats travelled through the outskirts of Skypeia City until they reached Conis and Pagaya's house.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," Pagaya said politely as the Blue Sea dwellers looked in amazement at the house. "I will go to prepare dinner. If you still wish to help, you're welcome to," he added to Sanae.

"I'd love to," Sanae said brightly, following him into the kitchen.

Some of the kitchen appliances looked a lot like what they had at home, Sanae mused as she inspected the room. They all seemed to run on a different type of power source, but after all there were practical reasons for them to be similar. It made sense to have something cold to store food that needed it, like an ice-box, and food that didn't require cold would need shelves and a pantry for efficient storage. Ovens and stoves also made perfect sense to cook food, although there were slightly different designs for each.

"Mind if I try a couple of things to see the flavours?" Sanae asked Pagaya, always cautious not to overstep boundaries in someone else's kitchen. She could see the Skypeian was beginning to cut some sky-fish he'd collected, but she didn't want to help until she had an idea what ingredients were available.

"Oh, yes, of course."

Sanae chose a small jar of blue sauce in the fridge first. She dipped her pinkie into it and carefully tried it. After a moment she gagged, almost retching with the taste.

"Goodness! What happened?"

"I…" Sanae tried to swallow, wishing for a cigarette to get the taste from her mouth, "well, this looked a little novel to me, so I tried it, and… the sauce was a little intense for me. I actually feel kinda dizzy now." She hoped it wasn't an indication of all Skypeian tastes. Quite apart from making it difficult to get supplies to cook something she'd be satisfied with, it would be rather galling if it meant all Skypeia natives would loathe her cooking.

"Oh." Pagaya inspected the jar. "I'm sorry, but it looks like you tried spoiled sauce."

"Then why do you keep this stuff around?" Sanae shrieked, shattering the jar on the ground. "It's clearly unfit for cooking with, and now my tongue feels swollen!"

In the living room, Luffi grinned. "It sounds like Sanae's having fun in the kitchen."

"She's probably excited about all the new recipes and ingredients they have on Sky Island," Usoppa theorised.

Sora tried not to smirk. She had spent years training her senses and was perfectly capable of picking out the conversation. Hearing the discomfort of the cook was amusing.

"Miss, I hate to be abrupt, but perhaps you could explain more about the dials?" Roben asked politely.

"Oh, of course." Conis paused. "It's just difficult to explain properly." She picked up what looked like a small seashell on one of the shelves. "Let's try this one. This is a Tone Dial. It can repeat any sound you say into it."

"Let me try, let me try!" Luffi grabbed the dial. "Um… hello!"

"Now press down on the apex," Conis instructed her.

"Uh… the what?"

"The tip," Usoppa elaborated, lounging on the cloud-couch.

"Oh." Luffi pressed the apex of the shell.

'Let me try, let me try! Um… hello! – Now press down on the apex. – Uh, the what?'

"That's a neat trick," Sora said as Usoppa's tinny voice followed from the shell. "It can store sound?"

"And the one that moved the waver was a Breath Dial?" Roben asked.

"Yes. That is a type that can store wind and then make it pour out. It works as a propulsion device." Conis gestured at the ceiling. "We also have Light Dials, Heat Dials, Flavour Dials, Vision Dials – there's a huge variety to be found in the coral reefs."

Luffi leaned over the railing of the balcony and pouted. She could just barely see a glimpse of red hair skating along the surface of the water. "I wish I was on that waver. Stupid waver hog. Well, actually we have one too, but I can't use it."

"You have a waver?" Conis asked, impressed.

"Oh, yeah. It's pretty beat up but we're fairly sure it's a waver," Usoppa answered her. "But it's at least two centuries old so there's no chance it'll work."

"Actually, dials are made from the shells of dead shellfish. They don't really have an expiration date as long as they don't break. My father fixes them; I'm sure he'd be willing to have a look at yours," Conis explained.

At that moment Sanae opened the door to the kitchen, walking out. She was expertly carrying a large plate, balancing perfectly and slapping away Luffi's outstretched hand with the ease borne of practise.

"Lunch is served!" Sanae put the plate down and gave a comparatively gentle kick to Sora's ankle to wake her up. The swordsman jolted awake, mumbling curses under her breath which the blonde ignored. "We have a delicious sky-lobster, paired together with fresh sauce, and an assortment of sky-fruits which I cannot pronounce."

"It looks yummy!" Luffi pounced on it almost immediately, Choppa following suit. Usoppa at least used cutlery to pull off a piece, before eating her part with her hands. Sora tore off a small piece, before going back for bigger parts. Roben smiled and thanked Sanae, cutting off a piece and eating it with actual manners.

Sanae glanced at the two Skypeians, who were watching the spectacle in amazement. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Oh, it does look delicious, but since you put so much effort into it-" Conis began.

Sanae grinned. "It's no trouble, really. I'm used to cooking for these idiots; it's my job. And besides, it's your food, you should eat it."

"Well, if you say so." Conis cautiously pulled off a piece, her father doing the same. Both tried it and Conis looked around at Sanae. "It's delicious!"

"Thanks. I'll give you the recipe." Sanae waited a few moments, watching as they dug into the food. It had been a novel experience to cook with almost entirely new ingredients, let alone something Pagaya had called a 'flavour dial'. It had been an interesting change, and was also nice to see it appreciated. Still, Sanae thought that Conis and Pagaya – and quite possibly Roben – were being a little too polite in letting the others tear into the food without going for their own pieces. She made a mental note to make extra for them when it came to making Namizo his meal that he missed.

Where was Namizo, anyway? Sanae glanced over the ocean, trying to see where the navigator had gone. There was no comforting glimpse of the man in question, no hint of anyone riding the waves. "Hey, uh, where'd Namizo go?"

"He probably just went a little too far," Usoppa said through a mouthful of food. She swallowed. "Don't worry about it; he'll come back in a minute."

Conis put down her fork, looking nervous. "Father, you don't suppose that he may have-"

"It's possible, but I can't say one way or the other," Pagaya said concernedly.

Luffi stopped stuffing her face for a moment and looked up blankly. "What might Namizo have done?"

"Up here in the sky, there is a place called Upper Yard. It's not too far away and your friend may have reached it on the waver," Pagaya explained.

"So…?" Luffi asked, gesturing for them to elaborate. "It's just a place, isn't it?"

"It's forbidden," Conis said quietly. "No-one may go there. No matter what, you must absolutely never set foot there."

Luffi's eyes suddenly lit up with interest. "There's a place that I must never go no matter what?"

The general feeling that suddenly swept over the Straw Hats was a mixture of exasperation and resignation. Everyone knew that the expression in their captain's eyes was not one of planned obedience to that rule.

X

"Mmm! Even cold these are still really good!" Luffi announced several hours later, biting into the rest of the meal they had been forced to abandon when Namizo had gone out of sight.

"This is the first time you've had leftovers, isn't it?" Sanae asked dryly, arranging several foodstuffs into lunchboxes. "But don't eat it all – everyone else has to eat too, remember."

"Yeah, but there's plenty left." Luffi cheerfully jumped to her feet, carrying her cup with her. "Do you know where the rest of this tea is?"

"You probably finished it all," Sanae grumbled, trying to decide what colour garnish would give the right affect for the lunchbox she was working on.

Pagaya walked into the room, carrying a tray of tea. "Oh, please. Do not get up. I brought you some more."

"Really? Thanks, mister! You're a really nice guy!" Luffi sat back down on the chair, grinning.

Usoppa was busy inspecting the various tools that Pagaya had let her have. Her mind was running in several different directions, making plans for dozens of different inventions that could be done with Sky Island technology.

The other Straw Hats were still on the ship, getting it ready. When Namizo had returned, he'd been adamant that they were never to set foot on Upper Yard, something that in no way lessened Luffi's interest. The problem was only increased by the fact that they'd met some of Skypeia's law enforcement, and promptly beat them to a pulp. Sanae, Usoppa and Luffi were only there to restock on food and building supplies.

"So, you're the shipwright for your vessel?" Pagaya asked Usoppa politely.

"Well, no." Usoppa was counting out nails, before smiling up at the man. "I'm the sniper, but no-one else actually seems to care how precious our ship is. I also have extreme skill in every subject, so the entire crew relies on me to fix our ship."

Pagaya smiled at her, listening patiently as Usoppa continued listing the talents of Captain Usoppa.

Conis slipped back inside the room, curiously peering over Sanae's shoulder. "Wow, is that food?"

"Hmm? Yeah." Sanae glanced at her in surprise. "Why?"

"Oh, it just looks more like art. I've never seen a meal prepared like that before. It looks delicious."

"Cooking is an art, if you do it properly," Sanae corrected her, but kept a smile on her face to assure the younger woman that she wasn't offended by the mistake. The cook paused, and then picked up one of the lunchboxes. "Do you want one?"

"Oh, I couldn't," Conis said politely, shaking her head.

Sanae got to her feet, still holding the box. "I insist. Here, try some."

Cautiously, Conis took it from her. She pulled out a small portion and tasted it, before her eyes grew wide.

"What do you think?" Sanae asked, stretching her hands by cracking the knuckles. "Do you think it might be a little too sweet? I'm still not used to the ingredients you have up here."

"No, not at all. I think it's perfect," Conis assured her, taking another, larger bite.

Sanae grinned. "Thanks." Flattery was nice, especially from someone who hadn't shovelled the food in without pausing to taste.

Usoppa screamed, causing everyone in the room to jump to attention.

"Usoppa? What is it?" Luffi asked through a mouthful of food as the sniper hurtled to the balcony.

"The ship! They're… I think they've lost control of the Merry!" Usoppa yelped, scrambling though her bag for her binoculars that Sanae had given back after landing.

Sanae was by her in an instant, leaning out over the deck. She could see the ship starting to move, shaking like no ship in good condition should do. Despite that, it was going at alarming speeds that the Going Merry only ever reached with marines after her. More impressive still, the ship was going backwards.

"They wouldn't just leave us here, would they?" Luffi asked incredulously.

Usoppa finally found her binoculars and pressed them against her eyes. "No, they're – I think they're being carried! There's something underneath the ship!"

She was right.

On board the Merry, the four members of the crew were hurriedly trying to figure out a way to stop. Choppa was staring in absolute horror at the dark shadow beneath their ship.

"Should we drop the anchor again?" Sora yelled, running for where it was stored.

"No use – there's no sea bed, remember?" Roben called back. "Once we're out of the shallows it won't catch on anything!"

"It might hit whatever this thing is and force it to let go!" Sora pointed out.

"Or drag us under!" Namizo countered, furiously trying to steer. "Don't do it!"

Then the entire ship burst out of the water, the thing carrying it revealed. It was impossible to make out from above it, but to the audience in Pagaya's home it appeared to be a giant lobster.

Sora drew a sword from its sheath, stamping her feet to get a firmer grip. "We're being hijacked; we have to abandon ship!" she ordered.

"But what about the Merry?" Choppa howled, clutching onto the railings for dear life.

"Don't worry, I'll stay with her!" Sora promised. "I'll find out wherever this is going and then come back with her."

"Wow, Zor – Sora! You're so brave!" Choppa said in admiration.

"It makes more sense if I stay," Roben interrupted. "You three should go while we still have time."

Sora spun on him, anger flaring. "And why exactly does it make more sense for you to stay instead of me?" she demanded furiously. "I can protect the ship just fine on my own."

"Yes, but if I were to jump overboard I would likely drown," Roben pointed out, sounding unnaturally calm for the middle of a kidnapping. "I can't swim, and Mr Navigator couldn't be expected to keep both me and Miss Doctor afloat. With both you and the navigator, Miss Swordsman, Miss Doctor would be fine."

That was actually a very good point. Sora felt her defensiveness fade.

"Neither of you are jumping!" Namizo shouted, pointing at the front of the boat where the shoreline was rapidly retreating. Following behind the Going Merry was a huge array of fish, sharp fangs glinting from the sunlight. They looked like either very big sea snakes or very small Sea Kings.

"They say they're going to eat anyone who goes off the ship!" Choppa shrilly translated the roars.

"Even if we defeated them, there's sure to be thousands in this sea. We would never make it back ashore," Roben said morbidly.

"Guess we're going to the forbidden island, then," Sora thought. "Where else would they take us?"

In all honesty, the idea of a forbidden island had interested her too. Had she been here alone, it wouldn't have a strong enough pull to make her go exploring for no reason, but that didn't mean she wasn't a little curious. What made them think they could keep her out? And now she had to wonder, what made them gutsy enough to try to force her there anyway?'

Namizo collapsed against the railings. "I… I can't go back to that island," he gasped. "We're all gonna die if we go there!"

"That's a possibility," Roben acknowledged. "But I don't believe we have much of a choice."

"Stop your whining," Sora told the navigator sharply. "This 'forbidden island' is probably going to be more entertaining than the beach."

"You have no idea what's waiting for us!" Namizo howled, shrieking at her.

"Nope." Sora ran a hand over her swords, a smile starting to play on her face. "Can't wait to find out."

I've got to admit something here. I never liked the Skypeia arc for personal, religious reasons that I am perfectly willing to justify if need be. As a result, I skip most of it. The next chapter will pick up after Eneru is defeated. Assume that pretty much everything that happened to them in the sky goes exactly the same in the genderbend universe.

But on another note entirely, reviews would be splendid.