Ch 46 - Flight and Bubbles

When Sanji and Nana came back to the deck, no one seemed to react to them holding hands. They all seemed to have taken it all in stride and Nana figured that some of them already knew this was bound to happen one day.

What the lovers didn't realize was that while they were in Nana's room, the cyborg was with his nakama, crying like a fool.


- Flashback 1 hour earlier-

"Ahhhh!" Franky sobbed into Pygmy's neck, "Children grow up so fast! One day they're trying to dent your head in with a wrench and then the next day they're falling in love."

"Nana tried to do what?!" Usopp asked.

"And the Curly Cook!" Franky continued to wail, "I knew as a fellow pervert that he was a good guy but I didn't realize how cool he was. He's super and he's going to make the brat so happy!"

Zoro scowled as he stuffed a takoyaki into his mouth and gnashed his teeth with annoyance. "I like Nana and all but this means that Curly Brow is going to get more obnoxious. I just know it."

"Ah! To be young and in love," Franky blubbered, "I'm so happy for the brat!"

Luffy paused in the middle of consuming a mountain of octopus balls and he glanced over at the cyborg. "Eh? What's going on with Franky? Did he have a bad takoyaki?"

"Did something happen to Nana and Sanji?" Chopper asked with a tilt of his head.

Nami and Usopp swapped a look of puzzlement. "How do we explain this?" Nami hissed to Usopp.

Usopp raised his arms in the air and shook his head in defeat. "You can't. These two kids won't understand those kind of things."

They both turned to Robin, who smiled gently at her captain. "It seems Cook-san and Weaponsmith are in love. We should probably have Cook-san move into the Weaponsmith's room so they can be together."

"Oh, okay," Luffy said as he shoved so much takoyaki into his mouth that his cheeks began to resemble large walnut shells, "I hope they don't plan on getting married. I don't want them to leave the crew."

Robin chuckled. "I don't think either of them would want to leave."

Chopper let out a small breath of relief and returned to his takoyaki. "Okay. I thought something bad happened to them. As long as nothing's wrong."

"What?! That easy?!" Usopp and Nami screeched.

"It's best to keep it simple for our captain," Robin replied.

"Ah! Sanji-chin and Nana-chin are in love?" Camie cried, "Oh! That is so wonderful. I hope that one day I can find love too!"

"That day will definitely come, Camie," Hatchi said with a smile, "You are a wonderful girl and any man would be lucky to have you."

Only Robin seemed to notice how red the mermaid's face had turned when the octopus paid her that compliment and the historian decided to keep it to herself.

"Yohohoho! When they join us, I will play them a song of celebration," Brook cheered as he picked up his violin, "Oh. My heart feels full just thinking about their love for one another. Ah! Although, I have no heart. Yohohoho!"

"No!" Nami ordered, "No one do anything special when they arrive. Sanji-kun might not mind but I'm sure Nana would feel uncomfortable if we suddenly gave her any special attention because of it. So Brook, put away your violin, and Franky, pull yourself together!"

"Yes, ma'am," Franky and Brook grumbled back.


"Nwwwanwwwwaaaaa! Do you want a miso or a glutinous rice takoyaki?" Sanji sang sweetly as he took the trays of takoyaki from Camie and brought it over to Nana.

"Miso," Nana chose.

Sanji speared one of the miso takoyaki with a small fork and held it out for Nana. "Here, Nwanwa. Let me feed it to you. Say 'Ahhhhh'!"

Nana laughed and took the fork out of his hands. "Don't be sappy."

"Seriously," Zoro grumbled as he devoured his takoyaki, "You're ruining my appetite, love cook."

"Ah, not even you can spoil my mood, you shitty morimo," Sanji sighed as he twirled around the lawn deck, "And I really do feel like a love cook today. Nami-swan! Robin-chwan! Do you guys want any more takoyaki?"

"What a wonderful necklace you're wearing, Weaponsmith," Robin said with a grin as she rested her chin against her hand, "Did you make it yourself?"

Nana almost choked on he food and she could feel a blush rise to her cheeks. "No..." she coughed, "Not entirely."

"Oh? Who made it then?" Robin asked, even though Nana had no doubt the cunning woman already knew the answer to her question.

"Young Master!"

Whew! Saved by...whoever that is.

They all looked out over the sea to spot whoever it was that was calling out.

"Young Master! Wait, wait! You can't go without saying goodbye!" the voice called out.

"Moooof mif maaaf?" Luffy demanded with a mouthful of takoyaki.

Usopp instantly punched him in the head to make him spit out the food. "Don't talk with your mouthful!"

"I believe Luffy-san just asked 'Who is that'," Brook patiently translated as he let out a fart.

"Your eating habits are disgusting," Nami said disdainfully as she wrinkled her nose at the men.

Nana walked over to the railing and she looked out. The Flying Fish Riders were coming to them with Duvall at the front. Or at least, Nana thought it was Duvall. His body shape was Duvall and he was riding on his bull but his face was entirely different. She put her hands on her hips and she frowned. "I think it's the Flying Fish Riders...but...I don't know what that guy is."

"It's Duvall, Nana," Sanji grumbled as he hooked his arm around her waist to bring her back to her seat so he could continue doting on her, "Just ignore him. I changed his bone structure. He has no right to come griping to us anymore."

"You could change someone's bone structure?!" Nana asked, not minding getting pulled away by Sanji in the slightest, "You should go into the facial reconstruction business. You could make a fortune."

"Eh?!" Nami gasped, "That's not a bad idea! We could make so much money off of you, Sanji-kun!"

"Really, Master 'Black Leg'!" Duvall sang as he pulled up to the ship on his motorized bull, "You went nuts kicking my face. When I regained consciousness, we were struck speechless!"

He held up a hand mirror to admire his own reflection. "You've turned me into such a handsome stud, I'm enamored with myself! The ladies won't be able to keep their hands off of me. Truly, you've given me a rosy life!"

"Sanji," Nana muttered under her breath, "I think you created a monster…"

"No, monsters are dangerous. He's just a harmless idiot," Sanji replied.

Duvall laughed to himself, unaware of Nana and Sanji's criticism, "I can't wait to return to my life in the countryside but it'd leave a bad taste in my mouth if I went home without repaying my savior. Aren't you new to these waters? If there is anything we could do to help, please feel free to…"

Duvall's face began to twitch and his jaw went slack as he forcibly winked at the crew. "To...ask…," he grunted.

"If you're not used to winking than don't do it," Sanji lectured, "But...I'm glad you're happy with your new face. My only request is that you never let me see that face again."

"Ah, look at me…" Duvall sighed as he gazed into his hand mirror.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Sanji roared.

"Huh? I'm handsome?" Duvall asked.

"I never said anything like that," Sanji seethed.

"Actually! There is something you can do," Nana said as she sat up a little straighter and called to Duvall, "Can I ride around on a Flying Fish just a for a little while?"

"Oooh! Me too! Me too!" Luffy shouted.

Duvall looked down at Nana from his steed and he smiled radiantly at her. "Oh, pretty lady...You wish to ride off into the sunset with me?"

Nana was incredulous. "What?! Of course not. I don't care about your stupid cow. I want to see the Flying Fish."

"Wow, his delusions of grandeur are insane," Usopp commented, "He may be handsome...but he's still pretty stupid."

Duvall was hurt for a second and then he smiled. "Jealous?" he asked the sniper.

"Of course not!" Usopp sputtered as Nana hurriedly held the sniper back from attacking the man.

"Don't do it, Usopp-sama. He's not worth your time!" Nana hissed as Usopp strained against her hold.

"I'm sorry, pretty lady," Duvall said with a shake of his head, "Only members of the Rosy Life Riders can ride our Flying Fish."

"Then let me be an honorary member of the Rosy Life Riders!" Nana insisted and then she looked hurriedly at Luffy, "I mean...if that's okay with you, Luffy."

"Give us a fish!" Luffy demanded and Nana let out a snort of laughter.

"What? You want to join me?" Duvall gasped, "You want to be my girlfriend? Oh, how forward!'

"You jerk!" Sanji shouted as Franky held him back, "Nana did not say any of those things. Now let her ride a damn fish before I cook it for dinner!'

"Fine, fine," Duvall sighed, "I guess I can make an exception for a pretty lady. Rosy Life Riders, lend her a Flying Fish!"

"Yes, Handsome!" his men chorused back as they shuffled around to free one up for Nana.

"Wow...he even changed his name?" Nana couldn't help but marvel at the man's unabashed behavior as she climbed onto the fish while Luffy hopped impatiently by the railings.

"Nana, don't take too long," the rubber man huffed, "I want a turn too."

"Nana, be careful," Sanji warned, "Remember they can only stay in the air for five minutes."

"Don't worry," Nana said with a grin, "I'm a quick study."

She situated herself on the seat and fitted her goggles over her eyes. She gripped the handles and flexed the bars under her fingers to check the elasticity. Her feet shifted over the pedals as she tested them out. She then leaned over so that the fish could see her face. She grinned at it. "Show me what you got!"

They zoomed off the water and into the sky. The wind whipped Nana's hair back as she pushed down on the pedal to accelerate the speed. "Woohoo!" she cheered. They swooped up and then came gliding back down as Nana kept an attentive ear on the sounds the flying fish was making.

Even though it was a fish, there was definitely a motorized component to it and Nana was eager to figure out what exactly it was. She turned it left and right, up and down. Then she grinned and began to test it's aerobatics.

From below, the Straw Hats watched wide-eyed as their mechanic rolled and spun on the Flying Fish. With each stunt, the rubber man got more and more anxious for his turn. "Oy! Nana! It's my turn! You've had it for too long!" he screamed.

Franky's eyes widened as he realized the captain was right. "Ow! Nana-brat! It's been over five minutes. You need to-"

The Flying Fish nose dived down toward the water and the Straw Hats gasped. "Nana!" they cried.

Both Sanji and Franky both climbed onto the railing and were about to jump in when Zoro quickly grabbed them back. "Look," he growled.

The Flying Fish leveled off just a centimeter above the surface of the sea water and it came skidding back towards the Thousand Sunny, swerving to it's side and coming to a complete stop just in front of the takoyaki ship in a display of perfect parallel parking.

Nana put her goggles back on her head and she grinned back at her stunned nakama. "Did you know," she asked Franky, "That if you redirect the oxygen tank into the engine chamber, it actually prolongs the flight time for the fish?"

"So cool!" Luffy shouted as he leapt onto the Flying Fish, "My turn! My turn! Get off, Nana!"

"This fish needs to go back into the water," Nana said as she looked over to Duvall, "Do you have another?"

Duvall blinked back at her and he put a hand to his face. "D-D-Do I have a brother? Oh! You must think that since I am so unattainably handsome, I might have a sibling, who would be much more in your league. Alas, I do not and-"

Nana swiftly threw her wrench at his head and knocked him off of his bull. "Who the hell would think that?! And what do you mean 'in my league'?! You think you're better than me?!"

Luffy held Nana back with his rubber arms. "No, Nana! You can't kill him! We need another fish!"

Everyone in the crew was sure Luffy would fall into the sea if he rode on the Flying Fish himself. Luffy was determined to mimic Nana and do some pretty awesome stunts. Thus, they compromised and had Nana go up with Luffy. Soon, everyone else wanted a ride too, even Zoro.

By the time Nana was done giving the last ride to Chopper, everyone was either stuffed from takoyaki or completely tired out from the exhilarating thrill ride. Duvall left with his newly named Rosy Life Riders but not before giving his number to Sanji in case they ever needed him to call.

Sanji brought out some afternoon tea and snacks and they all relaxed on the lawn deck while figuring out their next steps. They still had no way to get to Fishman Island.

"Fishmen and mermaids can swim down to the Fishman Island easily," Hatchi explained, "But the water pressure would kill any humans who tried."

"Yeah...even our submarine couldn't handle it," Franky muttered, "So how are we supposed to get to the ocean floor?"

"Okay, eyes on me!" Pappagu announced as he stood confidently on the railing, "Looks like you don't know squat so let me explain it to you."

Nana blinked at him and then turned back to Franky. "Do you think with enough cola we could Coup de Burst over the Red Line? Maybe if we added some steam power behind it as well, we could-"

Franky shook his head. "It's so high we don't know how far it reaches. Besides, Nee-chan's log pose already registered to the island so we have to go there or else we'll be lost."

"Ah," Sanji sighed as he gazed adoringly at Nana, "Nana is so pretty when she talks shop."

"Huh?! C'mon, listen to me!" Pappagu complained from the sidelines.

The group turned back to the starfish. "Let's start over! First, there are actually two routes that lead to the New World but for outlaws like you guys, there's really only one."

"Why?" Luffy grunted as he rubbed his belly, filled with takoyaki.

"At the request of the World Government, one route cuts across the Holy Land of Marie Joies, which sits on top of the Red Line. Of course, pirates will never receive authorization to take that route."

"So if they walk over the Red Line, what do they do about their ship?" Nana asked.

"You abandon it and purchase another one that resembles it on the other side," Pappagu stated.

"Abandon the ship?!" Nana and Franky cried out in horror.

"Yep," Pappagu said with a firm nod, "It's expensive and the application takes time. However, your route lets you take the ship."

Both Nana and Franky leaned against each other and sighed a breath of relief. "Oh, thank god," Nana muttered.

"The route that you take is called the Fishman Island via Ocean Floor Route," Camie interrupted, unintentionally taking the spotlight off of her mentor, "The Red Line is a large barrier that stretches around the world but there's a hole at the bottom that you can go through. That's where Fishman Island is and you have to dive deep, deep down...about 10,000 meters to the ocean floor...But the Ocean Floor Route is dangerous. There's sea monsters and Sea Kings down there that eat entire ships, people and all!"

"Eeeeek!" Chopper and Usopp shrieked.

"I...don't...I don't want to go to Fishman Island anymore," Chopper said faintly as a sweat dropped down his forehead.

"Wait...sea monsters and Sea Kings aside, are you saying we are taking our ship down to the ocean floor? This ship?" Nana asked.

"En," Camie said with a nod.

"B-b-But this ship can't go underwater!" Franky sputtered.

"Oh, no worries there," Camie said with a grin.

"Huh?" the two former residents of Water 7 asked.

"You'll get it coated at the island we're heading to now. Sabaody Archipelago," Camie explained.

Nana and Franky exchanged confused looks. "Coated?"


With the guidance of the merfolk (and Pappagu) along with the navigational skills of Nami, the Straw Hats made it fairly quickly to Sabaody Archipelago. It was nothing Nana had ever seen before. The air filled with bubbles. They drifted up from the ground and floated into the air in all different sizes.

The ground itself couldn't be considered as ground, either. The archipelago was made up of a cluster of mangrove trees, called the Hustle Muscle Mangroves, and it didn't interfere with Nami's log pose. The roots were constantly exposed at Sabaody Archipelago, which is what made up the ground.

"There are a total of 79 trees. Each of the trees is an island with its own town and facilities," Hatchi explained, "Each tree is numbered and a bridge connects each tree to the one next toit. Grove #44 is a civilian entrance, since it's towards the front. Let's dock a bit further in."

They docked at Grove #41 and no one was surprised that Luffy was the first to jump off the ship, eager to explore the area.

"Listen, everyone make sure you don't forget that we are at Grove #41. You need to remember that number or else you'll get lost," Hatchi said sternly.

Nana put her hands on her hips and she looked down at Pygmy. "Is it just me or is Hatchi being overly cautious?"

Pygmy barked and wagged his tail.

A large bubble rose up in front of Luffy and the rubber man jumped on top of it. "Oooh!" he marvelled as he used taht bubble to jump onto a higher bubble, "Look! It's not popping!'

"The Hustle Muscle Mangrove's roots are secreting a special type of natural resin," Pappagu explained.

Nana squatted down and wiped her hands across the surface of the mossy roots. She felt a sticky, tacky substance on her hands and she lifted it up to inspect it. It was slightly clear and translucent. She held it out for Pygmy to sniff. "Interesting...don't you think?" she asked with a grin.

"So these bubbles are a natural phenomenon," Robin stated as she looked around her.

"Yes," Hatchi said, "And that's what we're going to coat your ship with. We'll go find a coating professional and have him cover your ship in resin. Simply put, that'll make it so your ship can go underwater."

"Seriously?" Franky asked in disbelief.

"Of course, you need to find a good craftsman otherwise the resin won't work and the water pressure will crush both the ship and the humans in it. I only know of one trustworthy craftsman, so I'm taking you to him," Hatchi said.

"A coating craftsman," Nana grinned, "Sounds interesting."

Sanji pouted over at Nana and she scoffed. "Don't get jealous over someone you haven't even met yet."

"In exchange, though," Hatchi continued and his voice got serious, "You have to promise me one thing."

"What?" Luffy asked.

Hatchi's expression darkened and he dropped his voice. "When we go into town, there might be some World Nobles walking around."

"World Nobles?" Luffy asked as he picked his nose.

"The residents of the Holy Land of Marie Joies," Robin explained.

"No matter what happens in town, promise me that you won't defy the World Nobles," Hatchi pressed, "Even if they kill someone right before your eyes...pretend you didn't see it happen."

"What?!" the Straw Hats gasped.

"No," Nana said flatly.

Hatchi gaped at her, "You don't understand...If you harm a World Noble, a Navy Admiral will come for you with his entire army."

"Aokiji?!" Luffy gasped.

"Or Akainu...or even Kizaru," Pappagu added.

"What? Why?!" Nana demanded.

"They share the Creators' blood," Pappagu explained, "That's also why they are also known as the Celestial Dragons.'

"Creators?" Nana asked.

Pappagu looked at her sternly. "The twenty families that created the huge World Government organization 800 years ago. With each generation, they grow more reckless with power...but you must not defy them. No matter what it is that they do."

"I don't care if they're nobles," Nana said softly but angrily, "I don't care even if the blood flowing in them is from the devil himself. I will not stand back and watch someone die in front of my eyes! Not anymore!"

"Nana," Hatchi pleaded.

"If you guys want to, that's your choice but I won't agree to your condition, Hatchi," Nana folded her arms and she turned back on her heels. She and Pygmy marched back to the Thousand Sunny, "But we need a coating expert in order to move on from this place so I'll just stay on the ship until he arrives. I'll stay out of trouble."

"Nana!" Sanji ran after her.

"But-" Hatchi started to call after them.

"Let her just stay on the ship," Nami chimed in, "As long as no World Nobles go on board the Sunny, it'll be fine."

Usopp was slightly moved at Nami's support for Nana. "Nami, that's very-"

"Besides, we have so much treasure on that ship, we need someone to guard it," Nami finished.

A sweat drop fell down Usopp's face. I should've known.

"Well, I need to reload the cola since we used up all our stock in our last battle...so I'll stay on the ship with the brat. Besides, it's our jobs to maintain the ship," Franky offered.

"I can help too," Usopp chimed in.

Sanji turned and glared at the two men. He was hoping to get some alone time with the angel but of course the cyborg and the sniper had to come to spoil it

When he caught up to Nana, he saw that she was still very upset by what she had just heard. "Nana…"

"What gives them the right to devalue another human's life?" Nana asked, "Just because of what family they were born into? They think they can just go around and kill people? It's sickening."

Sanji's hand clenched into a fist and then fell to his side. If she knew…