Omake: The Sandbank Inferno Incident

By: CV12Hornet

"So... we're actually trying to make these compounds on purpose?"

Usopp had good reason for the nervous hesitation in his voice. He might have only had a workman's knowledge of chemistry, but even he knew not to play around with fluorine and high-nitrogen compounds. Compounds like the ones Chopper had shanghaied him into helping make.

"Bah! What's the worst that could happen?!" Chopper demanded, his voice echoing from his mental amping. "You're not a true scientist until you've gotten blown up or poisoned at least once! Now, come! I have the reagents prepared!"

Shuddering at the glass containers of chlorine and fluorine gas Chopper was digging out of a steel box, Usopp cast a pleading glance out onto the main deck of the Going Merry. Sadly, everyone else was busy gathering water from the spring-holding rock they'd stumbled across a half hour ago. He was on his own.

"Now," Chopper said as he slipped on his blast hood. "Let us begin!"

Sighing, Usopp nodded and slipped his own hood on - while also surreptitiously opening the nearest porthole. Best to be prepared.

~o~

"And that's ten!" Nami reported as Zoro lugged one last barrel of water onto the sand.

I took the opportunity to slump down next to the makeshift well we'd set up, flexing my aching fingers. Thankfully, I hadn't drawn barrel-carrying duty; instead, I had been tasked, along with the rest of us non-monsters, with hauling the bucket up and emptying it into the barrels. Less strenuous, but murder on the finger joints.

"So, how did you plan on getting the water back to the Merry?" Vivi asked from where she was also sitting.

"Oh, that's easy!" Nami replied. "We just need to... take..."

Her voice trailed off as she eyed the boat we'd rowed in on - the boat that was now sunk almost up to the gunwhales due to the barrels of water in it.

"Okay, maybe I didn't completely think this through," she admitted.

"Y'THINK?"

"Right, let's get the barrels out again so Nami-swan can row out to the Merry and bring her in," Sanji sighed, even his usual ardor dampened by the heavy barrels.

Before anyone could move, though, I felt Soundbite tense up on my shoulder. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

I blinked at Soundbite suddenly blaring one of Usopp's screams. "Why...?"

"The steel is on fire! Why is the steel on fire?!"

And there was Chopper in full panic mode. What in the world-?

"Guys?" I heard Vivi shakily say. "I think Merry's on fire."

That got all of us looking at our ship - and the small pall of smoke coming from one of the portholes. Even as we gaped in horrified astonishment, something flew out of said porthole, arcing up and heading straight for-

"Take cover!" Sanji barked, diving into the ocean. Those of us without Devil Fruits followed suit (I tossed Soundbite to Robin first, though), Robin and Luffy jumping onto the boat - which promptly began sinking. The projectile from earlier arced over, smoking and sizzling, landed on the sandbank well to the left of the spring - and then the sand burst into flames.

"What," Nami began, her eyebrow twitching.

"The," Vivi added, her eyes threatening to pop out of their sockets.

"Fuck!" Zoro finished, snarling.

"Oh dear God I know what this is," Sanji, Robin, and I all chorused as one.

"I think even da shea ish on fiwe..." Carue muttered as what had to be Chlorine fucking Trifluoride leaked onto the water with a series of sizzling pops.

"Nah, the water's too busy exploding to be on fire!" Luffy cackled. "That's so cool!"