Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my OC, Aurora and Kai.
It has begun people! We will slowly start diving into Aurora's past, and let me tell you, she's gonna have a bit of a personality change. Being around reminders of her past are gonna make her uncomfortable and... well, let's just say she's not gonna be so shy about stuff.
Plus, I got another surprise sprinkled in for ya.
Enjoy!
Chapter 36
"Looks like the marines aren't chasing us anymore…"
"Uh huh…"
"We managed to throw them off, right guys?!"
"Uh huh…"
"…Ah jeez." Zoro sweatdropped. "What's up with all the lifeless replies?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Aurora remarked.
"I miss her…" Chopper, Nami, Sanji, Luffy and Usopp moaned.
"Stop weeping!" the swordsman griped. "God, if you didn't want to part with her that much, we should've just brought her onboard by force!"
Aurora raised a brow. "And give the marines even more reason to chase us?"
Chopper gasped. "How barbaric!"
"Could you sink any lower?" Nami bit out.
"Marimo…"
"Three swords…"
"Uhh, Luffy." Usopp began. "Three swords isn't an insult."
"Four swords."
"How's increasing the number gonna change anything?! Listen up! You know what natto is, right? Calling him four swords is like calling natto rotten!"
Zoro waved them off. "Fine, fine. Cry as much as you want."
"Man, you people are noisy!"
Aurora froze. 'That voice…! I recognize it! That's…!'
"Seems like we finally left the island… well done."
Zoro froze, slowly turning his head. The others peered over the edge of the upper deck, realizing the two voices didn't belong to any of them.
The swordsman drew his sword, subconsciously stepping in front of Aurora at the sight of Kai. The man had tried to kill her. Zoro wasn't going to allow that to happen again. "Here to avenge your organization?! Fine, I'll take you on…"
Nami held her head. "What are YOU doing here?!"
Sanji simultaneously swooned and raged. "Oh my, such a lovely lady!" He turned to Kai. "What the hell are you doing on our ship, bastard?!"
Usopp seemingly pulled a bullhorn out of nowhere. "Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Chopper screamed, attempting to hide and ultimately failing. "Who're they?"
"Ah! It's you!" Luffy recognized the two. "So you're alive?"
"Please don't point those savage objects at me." Robin chided. "I told you before, didn't I?"
"Ahh!" Nami shrieked, Clima-Tact slapped out of her hands.
Zoro's sword was knocked away as well. "Wha! Hands?"
The action caused Aurora to snap out of her stupor, eyes beginning to glow in rage. How had she not sensed Kai earlier?! "When did you get on our ship?!"
Kai hummed in thought, glancing at Robin. "It's been a while… long enough for Nico to read and take a shower. Same for me."
"These are your clothes, right?" she directed the question at Nami, setting up a chair to recline in. "I'll be borrowing them."
"And I'm borrowing yours." Kai cheekily grinned at Zoro, gesturing to the garments adorning his lower half. He wore no shirt, same as when Aurora first met him.
"What're you up to, BW?!" Nami shouted.
"Monkey D. Luffy."
"Hm?"
"You haven't forgotten what you did to me, did you now…?" Robin settled into the chair.
"And me!" Kai chirped.
Aurora's brow furrowed. "What he did…? When did Luffy cross paths with them?"
Sanji grabbed the straw-hat wearing boy. "What you did?! Luffy! What the hell did you do to this fine lady?!"
"Disembark immediately!" Usopp continued to use the bullhorn, cowering behind the mast.
"Hey, stop lying! I never did anything to you!"
Robin put he hands behind her head. "Oh no. You committed an unbearable act upon me, for which you must take responsibility…"
Kai rolled his eyes. "Dramatic much, Nico?"
"Who're they?" Chopper continued to wonder. "What's going on?"
"Leave at once! Or we will call the marines!" Usopp continued to crow.
Luffy finally managed to shake Sanji off. "You're not making any sense. Just what is it you want me to do?"
The former Baroque Works members shared a look before Robin spoke. "Let us join your crew."
"WHAT?!"
"Here. Have him drink this quickly." A vial was rolled in Cobra's direction. "It'll neutralize Crocodile's poison…"
The king watched the woman warily.
"Easy, Nico." Kai helped the woman sit up, keeping a steadying hand on her.
The woman continued to watch Cobra. "Even if the rubble buries him, if he's a rubber human… then he just might survive."
"Why… did you lie to him?"
Kai glanced at his companion in confusion. "What is he talking about?"
"Oh, you knew? What a naughty king…"
"The history of this country is not carved onto that stone…"
"What?! You just made all that shit up?!" Kai couldn't believe it.
"There should only be information about the "weapon", which your organization seeks…! Even where it's located… had you told Crocodile the truth, at that moment, this country would have fallen into his hands… am I wrong?"
"I don't know. I'm not interested… whether countries and people live or die. I couldn't care less about that. I never intended to hand the "weapon" over to Crocodile in the first place."
Cobra was confused. "I don't understand… then why did you come here?"
"Expectation and hope are two different things. The object I sought… was the Rio Poneglyph."
Kai sighed, glancing at the large stone. "And this wasn't it either…"
"Out of all the poneglyphs in this world, the only one which speaks of "True History"…!"
"True History? What's that supposed to be…?!"
There was a long pause before Robin spoke again. "You don't need to know… for 20 years… I've searched and searched, and I could find no leads better than this one. This was my final hope, and… it turned out to be the wrong one." She shifted, lying her head against Kai's shoulder. "If I'm to die here, then that's fine… I'm tired of following down this path in life…"
The fallen angel laid his head atop the woman's. "You're not alone. It's you and me 'til the end. Don't forget that…"
Robin chuckled softly, continuing to muse to herself. "All I wanted was to know "History"… but my dream had too many enemies."
"Wait!" Cobra interrupted their moment. "Let me ask you! Can the "untold history"… actually be construed…?! Are you saying that's what the poneglyphs record?!"
Robin just smiled at the king.
'Then why have we…' the man was broken out of thought when someone grabbed the back of his coat.
"Wha?!" Robin let out a sound of shock, having been thrown over Luffy's shoulder. Cobra was tucked under his other arm with Kai tossed atop the other shoulder.
"Alright. Let's head up."
"Dammit Straw Hat!" Kai cursed. "Can't you let a person die in peace?!"
"No, wait! I have no purpose left in life…!" Robin struggled. "Just leave me behind!"
Luffy glanced at the two. "Why the hell should I listen to you?"
"You made us live when we wished for death… that is your crime…" Robin finished her tale. "Kai and I have no place to go nor return to. So let us stay on this ship."
"Oh, really? Shucks, I guess there's no other choice then. Fine by me."
"LUFFY!"
He merely grinned. "Don't worry! They're not bad guys!"
Aurora glowered, arms wrapping around her midsection. "I beg to differ."
"Since 8, I was an archaeologist, and had a bounty placed on my head."
"Archaeologist?" Usopp questioned, the sniper in the midst of an interrogation.
"Sort of my family trade. For 20 years, I've had to live hiding from the marines." Robin explained. "Since a child can't sail the seas alone, I placed myself under the care of many villains by following their orders."
"Makes it easy to move around behind the scenes." Kai chimed in, feet propped up on the table that'd been pulled out, his chair leaning back on two legs. "Should come in handy for your little crew."
"Hm, you sound confident… what would you say is your specialty?"
"Assassination."
Usopp reared back in terror. "Luffy! After careful investigation, I've come to the conclusion these people are way too dangerous!"
Across the deck, said captain and their resident doctor weren't paying attention. They were transfixed by a hand Robin had sprouted from the deck, the appendage waving around. Another one popped up behind Luffy when he tilted his head to the side.
"Agh!" Luffy made a noise, the extra hand having grabbed him.
"Wahh!" Chopper fell over on his side, having tilted too far over when following the first hand.
"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?!"
Robin smiled in amusement, more hands sprouting from the deck to play with the boys.
"Pathetic. Getting handled so easily…" Nami insulted. "He's crazy for even accepting in the first place. You were the vice president of a secret criminal organization."
"And you were a partner to Crocodile as well." Aurora growled at Kai, the angel keeping her distance.
"Even if you've fooled Luffy, you won't fool me!" Nami continued. "I'll kick you out at the first sign of suspicious activity!"
"Same here." The true angel glared at her opposite, the man returning the look.
"Fufu…" Robin chuckled. "Sure, I'll keep that in mind." She proceeded to pull a small bag out. "Oh by the way, I've brought some of Crocodile's jewels with me."
Nami rushed to the woman's side, stars in her eyes as she fawned. "Ohh, I love you so much, sister!"
Usopp and Zoro sweatdropped. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, there…"
Aurora gripped the railing tightly between her hands, thunder rumbling off in the distance. Kai shot the true angel a wary glance. He knew all too well what might happen if the berry-haired girl didn't calm down.
"Nami's been bought!" Usopp leaned over towards Zoro.
"Damn her underhanded tactics…"
"Ahh, love~!" Sanji's voice drifted in their direction. "Drifting love, my jet black body~! Is driftwood caught in your stream… struck by the lightning that is your beauty~! My body is sent to fall deeper and deeper down the currents of love… here is your snack~!"
"Oh, thank you."
"What, nothing for me?" Kai asked.
"Get it yourself!"
Zoro sweatdropped at the cook's antics. "Well that… was to be expected."
Usopp agreed. "Yeah, that was a lost cause from the start."
"Looks like we're the last bastions."
"What a troublesome bunch we have for a crew!" Usopp grumbled.
"Usopp!"
The sniper turned. "Hm?!"
"Chopper!"
"PFFT!" Usopp burst out laughing at the sight Luffy made, with two hands protruding from his hat like antlers.
Zoro came to stand next to Aurora, the two sharing a glance. Seems like it was down to them. They wouldn't be so easily swayed.
"How nice…" Robin joined them. "Is it always this lively?"
"…Yeah, pretty much." Zoro answered.
"Oh."
The swordsman frowned. 'What is she plotting…?!'
"Ms. Navigator, is the log pose alright?"
"Straight West-Northwest! Everything A-Ok, sister~!" Nami cooed.
"… She gave you some jewels, didn't she?"
"Sanji! When are the snacks coming?!" That was definitely Luffy.
"Wait a little more!" came the reply.
"Nami, you think there'll be snow at the next island?"
"…You still want to see snow?" the navigator retorted, gazing at the log pose.
Robin turned to the grinning captain. "The log after Alabasta should lead to a fall island."
"Fall, eh? Fall's fine by me too!"
Zoro, who was nearby lifting weights, paused as something small landed on the deck. "Hm? Rain?"
Sanji held his hands out. "I don't think this is rain…"
Usopp did the same. "Is it hail?"
Aurora squinted her eyes, gazing up into the sky. "No… it's something else."
"Her holiness is right." Kai threw in, the true angel glaring at his use of a nickname. He knelt down, picking up a piece of what had landed on the deck. "This looks like wood."
"Huh?"
They all glanced up once more. It was true. What was falling from the sky was wood. And it was coming from the most unexpected of places.
Everything that humans can imagine, can happen in reality. –Physicist Willy Gallon-
Luffy's eyes were wide. "A falling ship?"
Zoro grit his teeth.
"A galleon…?!" Nami couldn't believe her eyes.
Chopper and Usopp froze, their mouths open in shock, screams trapped in their throats.
Sanji's cigarette fell from his mouth. "What the…"
Even Robin and Kai couldn't comprehend the sight of the large, falling ship. Aurora seemed to be the only one not to react negatively. It was almost as if she'd seen such a phenomenon before. Not that anyone was paying much attention to her at the moment.
The galleon landed harshly in the water, large waves nearly knocking their ship over. "AAAAAGGGHHHHHHH!"
"Hold tight onto the ship!"
"W-What, what, what?!" Usopp repeated. "A dream! Yes, I must be dreaming!"
"A dream?!" Chopper took the words to heart. "Whew, that's a relief!"
"There's still more stuff falling down!" Sanji warned. "Watch out!"
Nami shouted up to Zoro. "Turn the rudder!"
"As if that'd work with these waves!"
"Luffy!" Sanji turned to the boy. "Protect the ship! She can't take much more!"
"Alright!" he paused, glancing back at their sniper, who was in a meditative pose. "Hm? Usopp?!"
"There's nothing to worry about. Just close your eyes like so, and then slowly open them again. And look… it's a calm, beautiful morni-" He froze, a skull passing right in front of his face. "GAHHH!"
"Aghhh! A skeleton!"
"Don't throw it at me, you idiot!"
"There's more falling down!"
"SKELETOONNNNS!"
Aurora tsked, throwing up a hand, a yellow shield hovering over the top of the ship. Still not at 100%, the true angel struggled to hold it. She reluctantly turned to Kai. "Don't just stand there! You can make shields too, so help me!"
The fallen angel snapped out of his stupor, grudgingly doing as told. Red light mingled with yellow, the enlarged shield holding back the onslaught of falling wood and bones. The two angels kept it up until they were sure nothing was left. They dropped the shield, pieces of the galleon floating amongst the waves. The rest had sunk to the fathoms below.
Aurora gripped the railing for support, weak from using her powers. "Thanks." She reluctantly offered, refusing to make eye contact.
Kai scratched the back of his head, also uncomfortable. "Yeah, whatever."
Luffy shielded his eyes, gazing up at the sky. "Why did… a ship fall down from the sky…?!"
"Talk about bizarre…!" Sanji quipped.
Zoro followed their gazes. "There doesn't seem to be anything else up in the sky…"
"Ahh!" Nami shrieked.
Sanji turned at the cry of distress. "What's wrong, Nami?!"
"What do we do?! The log pose is… broken! It's stuck pointing up!"
"…No, you're mistaken." Robin spoke. "There must be another island nearby, whose stronger magnetic fields must have caused the log pose to switch to a new log! If the needle is pointing upwards… that means the log pose has locked on… to a sky island!"
Aurora froze.
"Sky island?" Kai's brow was furrowed.
"ARE YOU KIDDIN' ME?!"
Luffy thought it was cool. "So there's an island floating in the sky?!"
"So the ship and the skeletons fell down from an island all the way up there?!" Usopp gaped.
Zoro looked upward again. "I don't see anything resembling an island though…"
"You're a little mistaken…" Robin continued. "It'd be more accurate to say, that there's a "sea" floating up in the sky."
"A SEA?!"
"That makes even less sense…" Sanji said, Aurora furiously nodding her head in agreement.
"AAAWWESOME!" Luffy and Usopp crowed.
"So there's an island on a floating sea up in the sky, right?! Set full sail ahead!" Luffy ordered.
"Alright, mateys! Turn the rudder upwards! Up, up, up into the sky!" Usopp joined in.
"Mnnnff!" Hands sprouted from Luffy's arms, clapping over his mouth to shut him up.
"Yeah… the rudder doesn't turn that way, cap'n." Sanji stated the obvious.
"Besides, how can such a thing exist?" Kai pointed out. "I've never seen a sky island or heard of one…"
"EXACTLY!" Nami agreed wholeheartedly. "This is absurd! An island or sea or whatever floating in the sky?!"
"The log pose must be broken." Aurora waved the whole idea off, attempting to appear nonchalant.
"No, Ms. Navigator…" Robin shook her head. "What you should be worrying about now is not how to fix the log pose, but how to get up into the sky."
Zoro stopped paying attention to the conversation, glancing at the pieces of galleon floating in the sea. Two familiar figures were running across it. "What're those two up to now?"
"Investigating, they said…" Chopper replied.
"No matter how bizarre the situations this ship finds itself in… no matter how great the panic that befalls this ship… one must never doubt the log pose. That is an ironclad rule." Robin stated. "When sailing these seas, doubt the common sense in your minds, but never the log pose. Because wherever that needle points, there will always be an island."
Hiding behind the mast, Nami shook the wrist the log pose was attached to. Nothing changed. The needle continued to point upward.
Chopper hid in that unique way of his, most of his body sticking out and only half his face covered by the mast. "What's she doing, opening that coffin…?"
Zoro stood off to the side. "Can you figure something out from that?"
"We'll see…"
"You've got some macabre tastes, sister."
Kai glanced at the navigator. "Need I remind you she's an archaeologist? This is what she does for a living. Besides, if it helps…"
"It's still creepy…"
"A skeleton and a beautiful woman go oddly well together~!"
Aurora said nothing, watching closely.
"Whoa, you put it back together!"
Robin examined the reassembled skull. "The holes here are artificial. Man-made, clearly."
"Ohh… so he kicked the bucket after getting his skull pierced…"
"No." she told the cook. "These holes are from surgery… "Trepanation." Right, Doctor?"
"…That's right." Chopper answered. "Long ago, people used to drill holes in skulls to treat intracranial diseases. But that's a medical practice from really, really long ago!"
"…Yes, over 200 years has passed since this man's death. He was in his early 30s when he fell sick during a voyage and succumbed to death. Seeing how the skull's teeth are still well attached to the skull, it must have been coated with tar. This was a noted custom in a certain region of South Blue, which means this ship must have been sent all the way out to the Grand Line on some exploration." Robin pulled out a book, flipping through it. "…Ah, here it is. 208 years ago, St. Briss set sail from the Briss Kingdom of South Blue."
Kai peered over her shoulder. "Wow. That's the same ship that just fell from the sky. Same markings on the sail and everything…"
"It's been drifting up there for at least 200 years…" Aurora murmured, gazing up into the clouds. "It took that long for it to come back down…"
"You can find out that much from a single skeleton…?!" Nami was morbidly impressed.
"Corpses may not speak, but they still carry a wealth of information." Robin supplied. "If it's an exploration vessel, then it should have many logs, documents, and samples onboard…"
"Right… but the ship is already sinki-" Luffy abruptly fell into the water.
Usopp scrambled to get to him. "Luffy, hang in there!"
"Bffft pfft mnn!"
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" Nami screeched.
"Guys! Guys! I did it!" Luffy grinned. "I found something super-duper amazing! Check this out!"
Aurora couldn't believe her eyes. Of all the things her captain could find… it had to be…
"A MAP OF A… SKY ISLAND?!"
"Skypiea…" Nami read.
Aurora's nails dug into her skin. Though old, the map was accurate for the most part. It looked just like her home as she remembered it. And she certainly did not want to remember it. Of all the places the log pose led them to next…
"Well?! Well?!" Luffy was excited. "Does this mean there's really an island up in the sky…?! WOOHOO! USOPP! CHOPPER! THERE'S REALLY A SKY ISLAND!"
"An island of dreams! We can go to the island of dreams!"
"An island of dreams?!"
Aurora scoffed. "Unlikely. You're making a fuss over nothing. This map is probably fake."
Kai frowned, surprised by the true angel's harsh words. But that's not all that got his attention. He sensed the darkness swirling throughout the angel's words. She was… lying.
Nami stepped up, agreeing with the other girl. "That's right! There's plenty of fake maps in this world, you know!"
The boys became despondent.
Nami sweatdropped. "Ah… s-sorry… It exists, it exists! Like absolutely! Yeah… but, umm, the thing is…" she punched the mast. "I HAVE NO FREAKIN' CLUE HOW TO GET THERE!"
"Nami… please treat the ship with care." Usopp pleaded.
"WELL YOU'RE THE NAVIGATOR! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!" Luffy ordered.
"There are some things in this world that you just can't DO SOMETHING ABOUT!"
"It doesn't matter! We're going to the sky and that's it!"
"Angry Nami's so cute too~!"
The navigator decked Luffy, gazing at the log pose. "Ugh, this is getting nowhere! In any case, with the log pose-needle pointing upwards like this, we can't exactly continue sailing! Like Robin said just now, what we need is information! If that huge ship really went to the sky, then it must be possible for our ship to go too! We've gotta get any remaining logs or journals on that ship somehow!"
"But it's already sunk below the surface." Usopp reminded her.
"If it sank, then we've gotta salvage it!" the navigator's mind was made up.
"Right on!" Usopp and Luffy were on board.
"LIKE HELL WE CAN!" Zoro was against the idea.
Chopper turned to Robin. "What does "salvage" mean?"
"It means lifting sunken ships back up to the surface… but that ship's too big for that to be possible."
"Something tells me they'll figure out a way, Nico." Kai remarked.
'That's what I'm afraid of…' Aurora thought.
"Heh heh…" Luffy laughed. "I gotta say… this is some crazy stuff you're pressing me into…"
He, Zoro and Sanji were fitted into contraptions of Usopp's own design. The sniper had taken barrels and turned them into makeshift diving suits with tubes attached to provide them oxygen. As opposed to the cook and swordsman, Luffy's consisted of two barrels since he couldn't risk getting wet.
"I promise I'll find some clues on how to go to the sky, Nami~!" Sanji did a little dance.
"Thanks. I'll leave it to you!"
"Dive down with no worries, lads! My design is flawless!"
The three were soon lowered into the sea by a system of pulleys.
"Good luck, all of you!"
As they were lowered further and further down, they all had the same collective thought. 'Oh crap…'
"This is Chopper. Respond if you can hear me, over."
"This is Luffy. There's a lot of monsters down here, over."
"What is this, a giant sea snake lair?!"
"This is Sanji. Aghhh! It looked this way!"
Nami nodded at the reindeer. "They're A-Ok, Chopper."
Usopp gaped at her. "A-OK?!"
"They can handle themselves so don't worry about them! Chopper hang on tight to the brake."
The transformed reindeer nodded. "Okay."
"Thank god I didn't go down with them." Usopp sighed in relief.
Kai grinned evilly. "We could always fix that."
"Gahh!"
Aurora growled, getting between the two. "Back off!"
Kai held up his hands in surrender. "Calm down. I was only joking. Take that stick outta your ass, why don'cha?"
"What?!"
As the two squabbled, Robin peered off to the side, voices coming from the distance. It was faint at first, but grew louder and louder. It sounded like… singing?
"Saaaaaalvaaage! Saaaaaalvaaage! Saaaaaalvaaage! Saaaaaalvaaage!"
"What in the world…" Usopp pulled his sniper goggles down to get a better look.
Clang Clang Clang Clang Clang Clang!
Fweep Fweep Fweep Tweet!
Aurora stiffened, the sounds assaulting her ears all too familiar. Kai eyed her suspiciously before turning towards the source of the commotion. The true angel used the distraction to her advantage, scurrying to conceal herself behind the mast. If she was seen… things would not end well for her.
"AND… STOP!"
FWEEEET!
"AYE, AYE, SIR!"
A massive ship came to a halt beside the Going Merry. It was at least as big as the galleon that had sunk, if not larger. Palm trees were visible on the deck and two structures jutted upward from the hull. They resembled bananas. The figurehead was that of a monkey, cymbals clasped in each of its hands. The jolly roger consisted of a baboon head, two bananas taking place of the regular crossbones.
"IS THIS WHERE THE SHIP SANK?!
"AYE, AYE, BOSS!"
"BOSS?! THAT'D BE ME, OF COURSE!" A large, hulking figure stepped forward. "PREPARE TO LIFT THE SHIP! EVERY SUNKEN SHIP IS MINE! UKIKIKI!"
"Masira…" Aurora whispered, instantly recognizing the man.
Masira was human with ape-like features. He wore an orange-yellow jumpsuit and also had headphones and goggles. A tail hung just behind him. His arms, compared to the rest of his body, were huge and had piercings around his wrists.
"Great, a bunch of weirdos popped up again…" Nami lamented. "Just when we're busy, too…"
"Hey!" Masira finally noticed the Going Merry. "What're you doing over there? This is my territory!"
"Territory?"
"That's right… any ship that sinks in this territory is mine. You aren't getting your grubby lil' paws on it, are ya now? Well?!"
"It seems he's here to salvage the ship…" Robin realized.
"O-oh right, they were chanting about it just now."
Nami peered at Usopp. "What do we do? Is this our chance?"
"Maybe we should just leave?" Aurora suggested, meekly poking her head out.
Kai gave the girl a strange look. "What's wrong, your holiness? 'Fraid of a little ape?"
"I am not-"
"STOP MUTTERIN' TO YOURSELVES!" Masira shouted. "ANSWER MY DAMN QUESTION ALREADY, UKEEE!"
"Excuse me." Nami raised her hand. "May I ask you a question?"
"YOU'RE asking ME a question now?!" Masira gaped. "Alright. Shoot."
"Will you be conducting a salvage operation now?"
"Hmm?!" Masira got a goofy grin on his face. "You really think I look like a monkey?"
"Umm, I never even-"
"Yeah, people tell me that a lot. Y'might even say, I'm a salvaging chimp-ion! Gee, you're making me blush!"
Aurora face-palmed, muttering into her hand. "He hasn't changed a bit…"
"You say something, sweetheart?"
She rounded on the fallen angel. "None of your business!"
Robin laid a hand on the man's shoulder. "Let's leave Ms. Angel alone, shall we? We have more important matters to attend to."
"…Fine."
"So…" Usopp cowered behind the railing. "Are you going to be salvaging the ship or not?!"
"Course! That's my callin' in life! If there's a sunken ship, then I'm the man to raise it back up! And if there's a floating ship, I'll sink it too and raise it back up! There ain't a ship in this world that me and my crew can't salvage!"
"If so… may we observe?" Nami asked.
"Hm? Oh, I see! You folks ain't never seen a salvaging before, eh? Sure, sure! Watch all you want!"
"Boss! We've got trouble!"
Masira turned to his crew. "What is it?!"
"The men we sent down to attach the cradles were-"
"Did the sea monsters get 'em?!"
"No, they look like they were hit by humans…!"
Nami and Usopp stiffened at those words. They had a pretty good idea what had happened.
"What?! So there's someone down there?! Then that must mean…!" Masira turned to the Straw Hats. "HEY, YOU!"
"Ack!"
"N-No, we…"
"THERE'S SOMEONE DOWN THERE! SO BE CAREFUL!"
"Sure!"
The two had the same collective thought. 'Thank god he's an idiot…'
"GET THE CRADLES ATTACHED SO WE CAN GET SALVAGING!"
"AYE, AYE, SIR!"
"He's waving at us…" Nami murmured, waving back to the ape-man. "Don't let him notice what you're up to, Usopp…"
"Yeah, I know, I know…" Usopp muttered back, foot pushing down on the pump.
"Alright, boys! Think of these onlookers as nothing more than pumpkins! Even if they're watching, that doesn't… uki… ukiki…" Masira blushed. "That don't mean we needta act nervous!"
His crew reacted the same way. "A-Aye, aye, surr…!"
Kai sweatdropped. "What a bunch of hams. Is the showing off really necessary?"
"Watch out for the enemy below!"
"Aye, aye, sir!" Some of the men jumped into the sea, decked out in special suits just for diving.
Aurora peered out from behind the mast. She knew what was coming next… and it wouldn't be good for the boys.
"The cradles are set!"
All three voices came back up through the tubes. "WHAT THE HELL IS TH-"
Nami and Usopp hurriedly covered the openings. They couldn't alert Masira to the fact that they had people down there too.
Usopp quickly covered. "W… WHAT'S THAT MONKEY?! WHAT'S THE MONKEY FOR?!"
"Oh, this? That's a good eye, you have." Masira praised. "This ain't no ordinary prow figurehead!"
The men began to chant. "Monkey! Monkey! Monkey! Monkey! Monkey! Monkey!"
"LAUNCH THE BARCO HUNTER!"
"AYE, AYE, SIR!"
"Ohhh!" Usopp gasped as the monkey was detached from the bow of the ship and lowered into the water.
"Whoa, awesome!" Chopper gawked.
"Totally!" Usopp agreed.
"…What is?" Nami didn't understand the fascination.
"40m until target! 30m! 20m! 10m!" there was a pause. "Barco Hunter attachment complete!"
"Alright!" Masira held up a large tube. "Time to blow some air!"
"Aye, aye, sir!"
"Don't tell me…" Nami was bewildered. "He's going to raise the ship by blowing air into it…?! That's insane!"
"And yet… it doesn't surprise me." Kai quipped.
Masira took a large breath of air before leaning forward and blowing with all his might. A large air bubble swept through the tubing, heading down below to the sunken ship.
"The ship has lifted!"
"Now, boys! Reel her in!"
"Aye, aye, sir!"
"Don't delay in adding more air!"
"Aye, aye, sir!"
"GAHHH!"
"Boss! The crew underwater was…!"
"What's wrong?! What happened?!" Masira demanded.
There's people inside the ship!"
"Ughh…"
"Oh no…" Aurora moaned, having a faint idea of what was going to happen next.
Kai grunted. "Well… we're screwed."
"HOW DARE THEY HURT MY BOYS! WHO THE HELL IS IT?!"
"…Umm." Nami waved the man off, realizing he'd stopped to pose for them. "It's fine. We won't be taking a picture."
"What?!"
"…So he was striking a pose for us?" Usopp sweatdropped.
"Boss, help-"
"AGHHH!"
"I'm going down right now!" he dove into the water. "Continue with raising the ship!"
"Aye, aye, sir!"
Aurora ran to the edge of the ship, peering down below. "This isn't good!"
Nami and Usopp froze, a large shadow appearing just beneath Merry. "Look! Under the ship…"
"Aghh… there's something below…"
Kai chanced a look. "Sea King?"
Aurora frowned. "No… something else…"
"BOSS!" Masira's crew cried, the giant figure having consumed the sunken ship in one bite. "BOOOOOSSSSS!"
"W-W-What am I even… looking at, a continent?!" Nami stuttered.
Usopp covered his eyes. "I dunno! I dunno! I'm not lookin'! I'm not lookin'! This is a dream! This is a dream! This is a dream!"
"A dream? Really?!" Chopper was far too gullible.
The three wiped the sweat off their foreheads. "Whew… thank god it's just a dream."
"Oh my…" Robin finally spoke. "Did those three… really get swallowed whole along with the ship?"
"DON'T STATE IT SO BLUNTLY!"
The creature surfaced, revealing itself to be a large turtle. It easily towered over both ships. In its mouth was said sunken ship… the same ship the Straw Hats and Masira were in.
Crunch! Crunch!
"Looks so, since you can see the air pipes sticking out of its mouth."
"JUST STOOOOOOOOOP!" Usopp wailed.
Chopper, who had shrunk back down in size, clambered around. "Aghhhh! Luffy, Zoro and Sanji were all eaten alive!"
"This is all your fault for sending them to the sea floor of the Grand Freakin' Line!" Usopp pointed a finger at Nami. "You told 'em they'd be completely safe without a shred of evidence!"
"I… guess you're right… MY BAD, GUYS!"
Usopp fell over. "That apology just ain't right…!"
"You have absolutely no remorse, do you?" Kai side-eyed the navigator. "Damn. You're cold-blooded."
Aurora sighed in exasperation. "She can't help it…"
One of the ropes twanged!
"Well, this is to be expected." Robin mused. "If we don't cut the lines… then this whole ship will be dragged down under."
"AGHHHHHH!"
"Robin! You're strong, aren't you?! Can't you do something?!"
"That's… far too big for me to handle."
"Kai! What about you?!"
"You're joking… right?"
"C'mon boys!" Masira's crew rallied. "Reel in the ropes! We've gotta save our boss! Our pride as the Masira Pirates is at stake!"
"Ukikiki!"
"The boss is still alive! Don't lose hope!"
"Ukikiki!"
"…They're right!" Usopp realized. "It's times like these that we've gotta show our teamwork!"
"USOPP!"
The sniper was with Nami. "Aye, aye!"
"Cut the ropes and secure our safety!"
He face-planted. "Are you the devil incarnate?!"
Chopper ran away screaming. "Aghhhh! It's the devil!"
Aurora snapped. "Would you guys focus?! We gotta save the others!"
Usopp stopped, glancing up at the sky. "Huh?! Wha…?! What's going on?!"
"The day turned to night?!" Chopper cried.
"What the hell?" Kai murmured.
Nami pulled out her watch. "It can't be… it's nowhere near nighttime right now!"
"Just what the hell is going on?!" Usopp shrieked. "Luuuuffyyy! Zooorrrooo! Saaaaanjiiii!"
"I-It's an… o-o-omen! They say monsters appear when day suddenly changes to night!"
"We're gonna sink if we stay here! Let's hurry up and rescue boss!"
"Hmph!" A figure was shoved up out of the water and went sailing through the air. They landed on the deck with a thud!, a large sack tied around their neck.
"Luffy?!"
Nami kneeled next to the boy. "Luffy! What's wrong?! Are you dead?!"
"Zoro! Sanji!" Usopp cried, the two having resurfaced.
"Lower the sail! We gotta get the hell outta here!"
"He means trouble…!" Sanji peered down into the inky depths.
Usopp began to cry. "Thank god you're safe! Yes, we need to escape from that turtle asap!"
"Turtle?" Zoro was confused. "No, I'm talking about the monkey we ran across underwater!"
"Wait, what?" Aurora whipped around to face the swordsman.
"He must be some queer type of underwater creature." Sanji butted in.
"He was getting along with Luffy for a moment…"
"Cause they're both monkeys." Sanji added.
"But once he saw the goods we collected from the wreckage, he went berserk!"
"Like a mad gorilla!" Sanji finished.
"That "monkey's" name is Masira." Aurora told them. "He's a salvager."
"I'm surprised you guys managed to escape the turtle's mouth." Kai piped up, cutting the true angel off. She glared.
"Turtle? What turtle?" Zoro reiterated.
"Hm? Something's up with that turtle." Usopp noticed. "It's mouth is hanging open… no wonder you guys managed to get outta here…"
Zoro and Sanji finally turned around. "WHOA! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"
"NOW you notice?!" Usopp was furious. "You were swallowed whole by it with the ship just now!"
"Pfahh!" Luffy came to. "Huh? Why's it night all of a sudden?"
"Luffy! Help us get the sail down!"
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" a figure burst forth from the water, high up into the air. "YOU LOW-LIVES!"
"Shit!" Aurora cursed, practically flying to hide behind the mast once more.
Masira landed heavily on the edge of the ship, cracking the wood. "You think you can waltz right into my territory, steal my treasures and just get away?!"
Nami turned to Luffy excitedly. "Treasure?! You found treasure?!"
"Hee hee! Found a whole bunch!"
Zoro drew his sword. "This is bad. We can't let him go berserk on our deck!"
"Hey, Miss High and Mighty!" Kai called. "Get over here and use your powers to calm him down!"
"I don't take orders from you!"
"Dammit woman! Just do something!"
"B… B… BOSS!" came the terrified cries. "W-W-W… WATCH OUT!"
Masira glanced to the side. "…Hmm? What?"
"Agh-" the Straw Hats froze. Even the giant turtle didn't move. Three large figures loomed before them in the fog. They were dark and shadowed, but the outlines of spears in their hands was visible, along with wings upon their backs.
Aurora would recognize those figures anywhere.
"MOOOONNSTEEERRSS!"
The Straw Hats sprang into action, pushing the Merry to her limits and sailing out of there at top speed. Masira's crew and the giant turtle were a thing of the past now.
"I can't believe it…"
"Yeah… can't believe how huge those things were…"
Sanji lit a new cigarette. "…Today's been one hell of a strange day."
"A huge galleon drops down from the sky…"
Nami picked up where Zoro left off. "The log pose started pointing up…"
"And then some weird monkey shows up to salvage the ship…" Usopp continued.
"But a huuuuge turtle swallowed the sunken ship whole…" Chopper breathed.
"Day became night…" Robin added.
"And finally, those monsters tens of times larger than giants appeared!" Luffy finished.
"Yeah… that last bit sure gave me a scare…"
Aurora stiffened, slowly lifting her head to gaze upon the speaker. Masira's eyes peered back at her, recognition shining in the man's eyes. A wide grin crossed his face as he opened his mouth to speak. He began to make a move toward her.
"GET THE HELL OFF!" Sanji, Zoro and Luffy kicked the man off their ship.
Aurora breathed a sigh of relief.
The action didn't go unnoticed by a certain fallen angel.
"…Man, those monsters sure were big."
"Yeah… never want to see 'em again…"
"Y'know, Chopper…" Usopp began.
"Hm?"
"If I got just a lil' serious, I can take care of monsters like them. Piece of cake."
"Really?!"
"Sure, I took out 10 of ' em before."
"Ten?!"
"Liar." Aurora and Kai both chimed, the two immediately glaring at each other afterwards.
"For god's sake…" Nami's voice drifted in their direction. "Why do you think you even went underwater in the first place?!" She glanced at the large pile. "Look at all this junk! Not a single piece of clue on how to get to the sky!"
"I told you already, there weren't any clues down there!" Zoro growled.
"He's telling the truth, Nami." Sanji backed the swordsman. "The ship was clearly attacked by some enemy in the past. Or if not, then some sort of violent clash broke out amongst the crew."
"Then that's all the more reason for us to find out information! Listen! Whatever happened to that ship might also happen to us if we really try to go up to the sky!" Nami began stomping on the stuff the boys had retrieved. "INFO is what'll decide if we live or die! Not this rusty sword, plate or some octopus! WE NEED JOURNALS! SEA CHARTS! THOSE SORTS OF THINGS!"
"Aghhh!"
"Oh, what's that, Luffy?"
He came to a halt. "Armour!"
The navigator took him out.
"Ahh! You destroyed the suit of armour!"
"Nami, I brought a lovely seashell for you~!" Sanji crooned.
"I don't want it, you idiot!"
"You seem frustrated…" Robin pointed out the obvious.
"Oh, the real frustration will be from hereon!" she griped. "Surrounded by idiots, honestly! Now we have absolutely no way of finding land!"
"Here…" Robin handed the navigator something.
"Ah… an eternal log pose?!"
Aurora perked up, heading their way and peering over Nami's shoulder.
"I knicked it from the ship of those monkeys earlier."
Nami sniffed. "You're my only ally, Robin!"
Aurora sweatdropped. "Hey, what about me?"
"Jaya." Nami read. "That must be the name of the island."
The true angel felt her blood run cold. She was all too familiar with that island. She'd hoped never to set foot on it again.
"Jaya? Is that where we're goin'?" Luffy popped up.
"That's for you to decide!"
"Alright! Set course for Jaya!" Luffy commanded. "SET SAIL FOR JAYA!"
There was a pause. "Nami, which way is it?"
"Just keep the rudder steady at the middle."
"Chopper, can you help me?"
"Ok."
"FULL SPEED AHEAD FOR JAYA!"
Aurora bashed Luffy over the head. "Stop saying that already!"
Kai watched with a frown on his lips. The true angel was acting strange. He didn't know her all that well, but even he could tell that this wasn't normal behavior. The others gaping at her was enough of a hint. Just what was going on?
'She's hiding something…'
"Ahh!" Usopp paused in his eating. "Hold on a moment! If we go to this Jaya island… then won't our current log get rewritten there…? And then we wouldn't be able to go to sky island…!"
"Wha!"
"SET NO SAIL FOR JAYA!" Luffy reversed his decision. "Nami! What's the big idea?!"
"What, you're the one who decided to sail for Jaya."
"Ah… you're right! But I didn't think this would happen!"
"Well, that's your fault. The log pose always gets re-written at every island. That's how it's been from the start."
"Ah… you're right!" Luffy conceded. "Well listen up then! As the captain, I get to decide where the ship goes! And I say the ship goes to sky island!"
Aurora bit her lip. 'Damn!'
"Fine, but how?"
"Well, we gotta ask around." Usopp stated.
"Makes sense. Let's go ask around in Jaya then." Luffy agreed to the plan.
"Then let's head to Jaya."
"SET SAIL FOR JAYA!"
Usopp punched the boy. "Wait, you idiot! We went in a circle!"
"The log pose won't get re-written as soon as we arrive there." Robin supplied. "We can just leave Jaya before the log gets re-written."
"Yeah, that sounds good…" the boys munched on takoyaki.
"We're gonna need all the luck we can get though." Kai came to stand next to the woman, heaving a sigh.
And so for the time being…
"ALRIGHT, THEN! To the country of meat, Jaya!"
"Yeah!"
"Stop dreaming."
"Nami~! Robin~! Aurora~! The special ladies-only takoyaki is served~!"
The ship now heads for the mysterious island of Jaya.
"Still nothing, Usopp?"
The sniper peered through his binoculars. "Yup. Still nothing."
"It can't be that far, right?" Zoro wondered. "That monkey-dude did call this area his turf, after all."
"Yeah, it should be close." Nami said. "The climate's stabilized for a while now, so we should already be in Jaya's climate zone."
"Jaya must be a spring island." Luffy decided, lounged atop the figurehead.
"Feels nice and warm…" Chopper enjoyed the weather. "What a lovely spring day. Even the seagulls look happy."
The seagulls that were flying above the ship abruptly fell onto the deck.
"Aghhh!" Chopper screamed. "They've been shot!"
Aurora ran over, kneeling down next to the doctor to see if the birds could be saved. Unfortunately, it was too late. They were kill shots.
"Oh! Let's have some grilled-bird!" Luffy only saw a meal.
"Shot?!" Usopp called down. "But I didn't hear anything even close to a gunshot!"
Chopper held up a pair of tweezers. "Look! Bullets! Judging from the direction they were flying in, the shots were fired in the direction we're sailing!"
"What, you think they were shot from an island we can't even see yet?" Nami wasn't convinced. "That's just silly, Chopper."
"But I was watching the birds all this time!"
"Sanji!" Luffy held up the dead birds. "Seagull-meat!"
"Ha… that'd have to be one hell of a sniper with one hell of a gun and one hell of an eyesight! I'm sure those birds were shot while someplace else and only happened to fall down now." Usopp reasoned.
"Whoa! Awesome! That looks like one fun town to me!"
"Whoa, it looks like a mini-resort!" Usopp took in the sights.
"A resort?!"
"Faster, Merry!" Luffy crowed.
"You're right!" Nami agreed. "I'd love to go and take it easy for a little while."
The closer they got, the more Usopp became worried at the sight that greeted them. "Is it just me or are the ships docked at port all pirate ships?"
Nami shoved him. "Don't be silly, Usopp! There's no way pirate ships would brazenly dock right in front of the town!"
"Hahaha… I guess you're right!"
"MURDER!"
"What's wrong with this town…" Usopp, Nami and Chopper cried.
Aurora gazed upon the town with a steely glare. "It's run by pirates."
On the Western shore of Jaya Island is a lawless town far removed from the reaches of any government, teeming with undreaming criminals. A town where people sing, laugh, and kill each other. A town of ridicule and mockery… "Mocktown." –From the ship log of Jew Wall-
"Lotta people here." Luffy had disembarked.
Zoro grinned, joining his captain. "Seems like a pretty fun town."
Nami watched them go, crouched behind the railing. "It's impossible… there's just no way those two are not gonna cause trouble!"
"Yeah…" Usopp, who was next to the navigator, agreed. "That town already looks like trouble. There's no way. Not now. Not never."
"Well I can't just leave them be!"
"Ahh, Nami!"
Chopper sweatdropped. "There she goes…"
"Wait! Luffy! Zoro!" the navigator chased after them.
"Well, I'm sure she'll be safe with those two…"
"Make that three." Aurora vaulted over the edge of the ship, ripping the splint off of her wing. She flexed it, checking the damage and found that the pain was gone. Smiling in triumph, she pulled her wings back in, sprinting after the trio.
"What, Nami and Aurora are going out?" Sanji popped up. "Well, I'm outta here too then."
"No, you stay here!" Usopp clung to the cook. "I-i-if you leave too and… and… if this ship were attacked, t-t-then…"
Chopper followed the sniper's example. "Please don't go, Sanji!"
"O-okay, okay! Just let go of me!"
"Hm? Where's Robin…? And Kai…?"
"…?"
"They're not here?!"
"I solemnly swear not to fight in this town." Luffy pledged.
Good!" Nami crossed her arms. "That's a promise, you two!"
"Uh huh."
"Uh huh."
"What's with that uninterested reply?! The moment you start trouble in this town, we won't be able to stay here any longer! That means we can't go to the sky either!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Aurora placed a calming hand on the navigator's shoulder. "Just leave them be. If they start trouble, they start trouble. We'll just do what we always do in those situations and run. Simple as that."
"But the sky island!"
Aurora shrugged. "If it's meant to be… then we'll get there. If not… too bad." The angel silently hoped they didn't make it.
"Huh?" the group came to a halt. "Who's he?!"
"Look, he fell off his horse."
"Yeah, he fell of his horse." Zoro repeated.
"Ugh…" the man groaned and coughed.
"He's coughing up blood."
"Yeah, he's coughing up blood."
Part of Aurora wanted to help the man, but the other part of her screamed that it was a bad idea. She didn't know if he was good or bad. Best to just let the situation play out.
"You two… I'm sorry but… could you help me get back up…?"
Zoro sweatdropped. "You just don't want to stand up on your own, don't you?"
Minutes later, the boys had done as the man asked. He was back atop the horse.
"Sorry for the trouble… whew… finally back on my horse…" the man shook. "My body's been fragile ever since I was born…" he panted. "Let's go, Stronger."
The horse suddenly coughed up blood.
"The horse is sick too?!"
"Allow me to thank you…" the man held out a basket of shiny red apples. "Here, have an apple…"
Aurora frowned, sensing darkness swirling in the man's aura. She jerked her head in the opposite direction. "Move along. Go peddle your wares elsewhere. We're not interested."
"Free apples?" Luffy wasn't one to turn down food, biting into an apple. "Thanks a bunch!"
Zoro gaped. "Don't eat them, you idiot!"
An explosion rocked the area, taking out some of the nearby buildings. "GAHHH!"
"Huh?! What happened?!"
"There was this weird guy just now who was offering some free apples, but when people bit into them… 5 PEOPLE JUST BLEW UP IN FRONT OF MY EYES!"
"THIS IS INSANE!"
"THE WHOLE STORE'S A BLOODY MESS NOW!"
Nami stared in horror. "Wha…?!"
The man merely grinned.
Nami shook Luffy, grasping him by the throat. "Spit 'em out, Luffy! Spit out those apples this instant!"
"Gahh! Urp! I-It's… passed down my throat already!"
Zoro began to draw his sword. "What the hell do you think you're playing at?!"
Aurora held out a hand. "Wait. He's not telling us something."
The man gave her an appraising look. "Ahaha… ha… don't worry… if he picked the wrong one, he would've died on the first bite… that's a… safe one… you're… haha… a real lucky one…"
Aurora watched the man ride away on his horse, frown marring her features. She'd forgotten how crazy things could get in this town. They'd have to tread more carefully.
"What's with this town?!" Nami shrieked.
"Eh, don't lose your head over it, Nami."
"Don't lose my head?! Do you realize you were one apple away from losing yours?!" she reminded the boy.
"These things happen." Luffy wasn't fazed.
"No, they don't! I'm beginning to doubt we can even find any proper info in a town a weird as this…!"
"He's beat down another one!"
The shout caught Nami's attention.
"That wrestling champion again…?!"
"How many people does that make now?"
And it's not like he's even someone with a price on his head… just who the hell is he…?"
"AHAHAHAHA!" the man they were talking about laughed, perched atop a nearby building's roof.
"Best not to get involved with him…"
"Champion…?" Zoro and Luffy turned.
Nami was furious. "What're you getting' so riled up for?!"
Aurora moved behind the boys, nudging them forward. "Let's keep moving, shall we? Nothing to see here."
"What about this place then…?"
"It's not too noisy here."
Nami agreed with Luffy. "Yeah, it's actually quiet." The navigator took a look around. "…Wow, what a lovely place. I guess even a town as wild as here has a place like this. Look at all these villas… it's like a floating ocean resort…"
"I don't see any people around, but I sure can smell something good…"
"S-sirs?" a timid voice spoke up, a mustached man making his way towards them. "You can't just come in here without any permission! T-this is very troubling for me!"
"Hm?"
"Our Tropical Hotel is currently rented out entirely to the Bellamy Pirates."
"Hotel?" Zoro glanced around. "This is a hotel?"
"I-if Bellamy were to s-s-see you here, it'll be disastrous!" the man fretted. "So please leave the premises now, if you will-"
"What's the big deal?" Luffy didn't understand. "We're just looking around."
"Who's this Bellamy?" Nami asked, not recognizing the name.
Aurora gave the hotel a wary once over. "Maybe we should do as he says. We're trying not to cause any trouble, remember?"
"What's wrong?" a voice asked.
"EEK!" the man squeaked.
"Who the hell are these dirty little shits?"
Aurora eyed the man warily. He was tall with wavy, shoulder-length blue hair and wore a purple-tinted visor over his eyes. The coat he wore over his bare chest was made of white fur and he donned golden chains as a necklace. He had gloves on his hands, red and white striped, same as his pants, which were held up by a gold belt. On his chest was a tattoo of a smiley with a cancel symbol.
"M-m-mister Sarquiss! I… umm… no… these three are…"
The woman under Sarquiss' arm spoke. "I don't care what your excuses are so just drive them out already! How much do you think we're paying to rent out this whole place?!"
She was blonde, with a red bandana in her hair, sunglasses and a white shirt that exposed her cleavage. Her shorts were red and white leggings lay just beneath them, a golden belt with a heart in the middle adorning her waist. She had a coat thrown atop it all, consisting of blue fur.
"That's right!" Sarquiss piped up, glaring down at Luffy. "Beat it, kid…!"
He turned to Nami. "Hey, can I kick his ass?"
"NO!"
"Ahahaha! A real joker, aren'cha? You think you can kick my ass?!" He threw money at the foursome. "What a bunch of ragamuffins. Here, get yourself something decent to wear."
"Sarquiss! The money's wasted on them."
"Yeah, I guess it'd have been better to wipe my ass with those bills!"
Luffy didn't seem to take notice of the insult. "Really? You're giving it to me?"
Nami pulled him away by his face. "Come on! We're leaving this lousy place!"
"Ow ow oww… I can walk on my own…!"
Zoro and Aurora followed after the two, neither saying a word.
"What, don't need the money?" Sarquiss called after them. "Ahaha! Heh heh…"
"Ahahaha! What a bunch of losers!"
Tavern…
"Mocktown is a town built from pirate-money." The bartender explained. "Pirates spend money like running water, you know. Fights and killings are everyday occurrence here, but the pirates rarely harm the locals here. After all, what good's money without people to accept it?"
"I don't know…" Nami still wasn't sure. "This town just ain't right."
"Ahaha… yeah I suppose it's normal to think that, but there aren't many normal folks here in this town. The log here takes 4 days to record, so if you don't wanna get caught up in trouble, you should leave right after."
Nami looked at the log pose. "4 days, huh… then we shouldn't stay any longer than 2 days…" She glanced back up. "Barkeep."
"HEY MISTER!"
"HEY MR.!"
"Hm?" he looked at Luffy and then the man seated next to him. "What?"
"This cherry pie is so gross I thought I'D DIE!"
"This cherry pie is… TO DIE FOR!"
Luffy and the man glanced at each other, gazes settling into glares. They each reached out and grabbed their pint, downing it in one go.
"This drink is TERRRRRIIIIFIC!"
"This drink is TERRRRRIIIIBLE!"
The bartender sweatdropped. "Umm… I ain't the cook so I don't really care either way…"
"Somethin' wrong with yer tongue?" the man got into a glaring contest with Luffy.
"Somethin' wrong with your brain?"
Aurora, sensing the rising tension between the two, held her head in her hands. "Oh boy…"
"Gimme 50 pieces of meat wrapped to go!"
"Give me 51 cherry pies wrapped to go!"
"Actually, make that 52 pieces of meat." Luffy revised his order.
"Know what, give me 53 cherry pies." The other man upped the ante.
"That's right. I said 54 pieces of meat."
"55 pies will do."
"60 pieces of meat!"
"70 pies!"
"80!"
"100!"
The two stood up, getting in each other's faces. "WHAT, YOU WANT SOME OF THIS?!"
"How do you get a fight from that?!" Zoro roared.
Nami stood. "Luffy! Your promised, remember?! We don't have the money to buy that much meat! We didn't come here to shop!"
"You a pirate…?" the man asked.
"Yeah, so what?!"
"Bounty?"
"30 Mil!"
"30 mil? You…?!" he got in Luffy's face once more. "Like hell your are! Stop lying!"
Zoro tried to get between the two. "Cut it out!"
"I ain't lyin'! It's the truth!"
Aurora planted herself in the middle. "Luffy, enough! So help me I will drag you out of here myself if you start a fight!"
"Whoa there." The barkeep intervened. "No rough-housing inside the bar." He placed a package on the counter. "50 cherry pies. Take it and leave."
"Hmph…" the man did as told.
The doors to the bar creaked open, a man stepping inside. The other occupants froze. Aurora could feel the fear radiating from their auras.
"Is there a pirate wearing a straw-hat here…?"
"I-IT'S BELLAMY!"