O.N.E. P.I.E.C.E.

"You did WHAT while I was asleep?" asked Percy, completely aghast.

"Declared war on Big Mom," said Sanji, "It's Luffy; what did you expect?"

Percy, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Nami were enjoying a stroll through the town while the others prepared the ship for departure. Everywhere they went, townsfolk would stop and wave. The bolder fishmen and merfolk kept approaching Percy and bowing for him; it was making Percy very uncomfortable.

Zoro and Sanji found this hilarious.

"Stop!" Percy whined as he politely sidestepped a pink fishwoman and glared at Zoro and Sanji, the latter two in absolute stitches, "It's not funny!"

"It is a little funny," Nami admitted, "Besides, aren't you already royalty? Now everyone acts like it too."

"I never expected to live past 16," Percy murmured.

Nami's ears perked up, "Why?"
"Because the Fates prophesized that I'd die a horrible death on my 16th birthday to end the 2nd Titan War," said Percy.

Sanji blanched, "That's intense."

"Yeah," Percy agreed, "Which is why I haven't had a whole lot of time to think about my heritage, or my life beyond questing."

"Let's change that," Luffy said seriously, "It's time you got to think about what you want in life."

Percy smiled, and this time, it was genuine, "Ok, Captain."

O.N.E. P.I.E.C.E.

The Strawhat Pirates had the most spectacular send-off to the New World that Fishman Island could come up with, and for once, most of it wasn't about Luffy.

"Lord Perseus-sama!"

"Come back soon, Lord Perseus!"

"AAAH HE'S SO DREAMY!"

"Why am I so unlucky?" Sanji moped, slouching against Percy's shoulder, "Why can't I be a demigod and have mermaid babes falling at my feet?"

They ran for days. Everytime they tried slowing down, they would hear the baying calls of Arachne, hot on their tail. Every breath and step that Percy took was pure torture, but they had to keep going or the mother spider would catch them and rip out their hearts, as she'd grown fond of shouting at them.

"Percy!"

Annabeth tripped and Arachne pounced. Percy watched in horror as Arachne tore his girlfriend to shreds-her screams mingling with his in the poisonous, sulfurous air.

"Percy!" Sanji squeezed his hand hard enough to draw blood, effectively bringing Percy back to the present, "What the hell, man? You zoned out on me."

"It's not that great," Percy reassured his friend shakily. He hoped his voice wasn't trembling too hard, "Really. The nightmares aren't worth it."

"But the babes!" Sanji noodled as Shirahoshi picked up her brother. Percy had grown used to Shirahoshi deciding on a whim that she wanted to hold him; it still did terrible things to his ego, though.

"Do you and Luffy have to go already, Percy-nii?" Shirahoshi wailed, "It feels like you just got back, and now you're leaving again!"

"There, there," Percy patted the palm of Shirahoshi's hand, "You knew from the beginning that I was never meant to stay here. I have to go find Annabeth."

This did absolutely nothing to console Shirahoshi, so Percy gestured at Luffy to trade places with him.

"Nami, my dear, your mother is very proud of you," Poseidon told Nami, "She promises to try and see you again soon."

"And why can't she?" Nami asked Poseidon moreso out of curiousity than frustration, "You're here, aren't you?"

"Barely," said Poseidon, a frown crinkling his leathery brow, "It is hard to exist here. But now that Piper is somewhere on the Grand Line, Aphrodite is very eager for you to find her."

"I will," said Nami, determined, "I'll make sure Piper and the others are ok."

"Let's go, guys!" called Franky.

Percy's brothers surrounded him, blocking his path to the ship.

"You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye, little brother?" Fukaboshi joked, ruffling Percy's hair.

"No," Percy grinned, "I'm gonna miss you guys."

At this, Mamboshi burst into tears and threw himself onto Percy, "Percy!"

"Mamboshi," Percy laughed, "C'mon, man, you'll give Shirahoshi a run for her money. Woah!"

Ryuboshi wrapped his arms around Mamboshi, Fukaboshi and Percy and pulled them all into a hug, "Group hug Mi-Fa-So! You must practice your vocal warmups in my absence, Percy Do-Ray-Mi!"

Percy was a terrible singer, but he'd never had the heart to tell Ryuboshi that. Whenever Ryuboshi cornered him in the palace, demanding to give him a singing lesson, Percy had always found some excuse to leave, promising to do his vocal exercises instead.

Shiraboshi burst out crying again and scooped up her brothers in her hands, "Brothers!"

Percy laughed. He was glad he'd gotten to spend this time with his extended family; they were truly kind merfolk. Percy knew they'd kick butt at defending Fishman Island once he left.

"Ok, children, it is time for Percy to go," Poseidon gently nudged Shirahoshi.

Shirahoshi lowered her hands to the deck of the Sunny and Percy hopped off.

"Strawhats!" Poseidon boomed, "I can never thank you enough for the help you've given this island."

A funnel cloud appeared, and Poseidon grew into Neptune, "As you journey to the New World, I hope that you take in your hearts that you will always have allies and friends here, on Fishman Island, jamon."

The funnel cloud reappeared, and Neptune shrank into Poseidon, landing on the deck of the Sunny next to Percy.

"The resemblance really is uncanny," Brook noted, Chopper nodding vigorously.

"Now then," said Poseidon, "As thanks for befriending my son and saving this island, I'm giving all of you my blessing."

The Strawhats waited.

"I don't feel any different," said Usopp, "Aren't we supposed to be all glowy and super powered now?"
"That's not how that works," Percy said blandly.

"Then how does it work?" Chopper asked the two Strawhat demigods, who gave Chopper identical shrugs.

"You'll know when the time comes," Poseidon assured them.

"Would you stop being so cryptic?" Percy whined.

Poseidon let out a booming, infectious laugh. Soon enough, everyone else was laughing too.

"That's part of the fun!" Poseidon said gleefully, "Now, off you go. To the New World!"

"Not so fast," said the Minister of the Left, handing Nami a small, wooden bracelet, "I'm giving you this new log pose because it frightened me to think of you in the New World with a log pose with only one needle."

"Why?" asked Nami, putting on the bracelet.

"The magnetic waves of the islands in the New World are harder to navigate," the Minister of the Left explained, "With three needles, there will be three possible paths. That way, you can determine which way is safest. If the needle is moving quickly, that means the island it is pointing to is more dangerous."

Like a snake, Luffy coiled his neck around Nami's torso, "Oooh, that's where the party is, right? Let's go there!"

"WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

"Bye Jinbe!" Percy waved as the Sunny sailed away, "Thank you for all your help!"

"Take care, Lord Percy," Jinbe said warmly, "We'll meet again soon, in the New World!"

"I promise I won't be such a crybaby the next time we meet," Shirahoshi promised Luffy, "I want to meet you in a real forest, Luffy! On the surface world!"

"Sure!" Luffy laughed, "I promise!"

"We promise too!" said the rest of the Strawhats, "We won't let you down!"

"You heard them," Percy told his sister, "You don't have to cry anymore."

"Right!" and she planted one last kiss on her brother's head before swimming back to the shore where the rest of her family was waiting.

O.N.E. P.I.E.C.E.

"Shouldn't you be doing something?"

Percy crooked an eye open from his nice, comfy spot on the grassy lawn, "Usopp, do you have any idea how exhausting it is to swim from the sea floor to the surface?"

Usopp looked taken aback, "Well, of course not."

Percy got up in Usopp's pointed nose, "You're from the East Blue, right? Try swimming around your entire island at least 10 times. I don't care how big your island is."

Usopp gulped, "Right."

"I did that to help you guys get to Fishman Island," said Percy, returning to his napping spot, "Unless it's an emergency, I'm staying put and enjoying the ride."

"Sounds good," said Sanji, "I'm gonna go make something. What are you in the mood for, Percy?"

Percy looked wearily at Sanji. He'd seen that look on enough of his father's personal chefs on Fishman Island. It was the look that said that boy is too skinny; I can fatten him up.

Percy's appetite was nowhere near what it once was, but he still appreciated the effort.

"Blue ice cream?" Percy asked hopefully.

"Say no more," said Sanji, heading off for the kitchen.

"He's not even showing off for Nami and Robin," Chopper whistled, "Maybe he is cured."

"Where are they, anyway?" asked Franky.

"They had something they wanted to tell Luffy," said Percy, "I think it's about a vision Nami had awhile ago."

…meanwhile…

"You sure you want Zoro here?" asked Nami.

Luffy and Zoro shared a look.

"Zoro stays," Luffy decided, "So, what did you want to tell me?"

Nami sat down across from Luffy, "I had a vision of Ace."

Luffy went deadly pale, bracing himself against Zoro, "O-of Ace?"

Nami nodded, "Yeah, in Elysium. Ace is a Roman legacy of the messenger God, Mercury. He wanted me to pass on a message. Your brother Sabo is still alive."

Luffy shot to his feet, looking angry, "Nami, how could you joke about something like that?"

A gentle hand from Zoro pushed Luffy back into his chair.

"I can confirm it's true," said Robin, "Sabo is a Revolutionary; I trained with him and your father for two years."

Angry tears pricked in Luffy's eyes, "And you didn't think to tell me?"
"I am sorry I kept this from you," Robin apologized sincerely, "We haven't been alone since we reunited; I thought this news would best be received in private. Then Nami told me about her vision…"

"What's done is done," Zoro said calmly, "Sabo is alive. What do you want to do?"

"Is-," Luffy sounded more vulnerable than Robin had ever heard him before, "Is he happy?"

"He'd be happier if he got to see you," said Robin, "Ace's death is what brought his memory back. But yes, he is happy with the Revolutionaries."

Luffy stood, "Then if it's meant to be, I'll see Sabo again. For now, we have a New World to explore."

The Strawhats returned to the deck to find Usopp, Chopper, Franky, Brook and Sanji yelling like mad, and a giant whirlpool right next to the ship.

"AAAH!" said Nami, "WE'RE GONNA GET SUCKED IN!"

"I'm working on it!" Percy grunted from outside the ship, "I should be able to pull us out of this, but the sea monster is pulling us down."

"Sea Monster?" said Robin, bewildered.

Sure enough, a massive, unconscious sea monster, attatched to a line coming from the Sunny, was in the process of disappearing into the whirlpool.

"Cut it loose!" Nami hollered.

"What?" Sanji, Zoro, Luffy, Usopp and Chopper whined, "We wanna eat sea monster."

"THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW!" Nami and Percy snapped.

Too late, the Sunny was sucked into the Whitestrom, Percy clinging for dear life to the side.

"DO something, Percy!" Usopp shrieked.

"I am literally holding the ship together with my mind!" Percy screamed, "But let me think of something!"

Then, the Sunny bounced out of the Whitestrom.

"My Lord!"

"We will pull you as far away as possible, my Lord."

"Please help the skeletal one, my Lord. He seems distressed."

"Laboon!" Brook sobbed.

Percy flinched. If he'd known that the pod of whales he'd summoned would cause such an extreme flashback for Brook, he would've tried for a different sea creature, but the whales had been so close.

"We didn't come here for whale watching!" Sanji hollered as Percy slipped back into the bubble and onto the deck, "We just escaped a giant whirlpool. I'm gonna take role. Nami?"
"Here," said Nami, amused.

"Robin!"

"Over here," Robin drawled.

"Great!" said Sanji, "Nami, what do you want us to do?"

"Sanji! The rest of us are still alive too!" Chopper and Usopp cried.

"Let's not do anything," said Nami.

"You heard the lady!" Sanji cheered, "You idiots keep doing nothing."

"Way ahead of you," said Percy, stretching back out on the deck, "Now, where's my ice cream?"

"Do any of you know Laboon!" Brook cried, "Maybe I can play you a song?"

Brook began to play Bink's Brew.

"They want you to know they like it," Percy reassured his skeletal friend, "And that we're almost there."