"Well, this is certainly all getting interesting." Wren said as Nami was looking at the map.
Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp were dancing behind them and singing about Sky Island as Nami wasn't looking so sure.
"Hold on, guys." Nami said. "We don't know how to get there, or if it's even possible. Not to mention, there are a lot of fake maps in circulation."
Her words instantly brought the singing and dancing to a stop, and Wren sweat-dropped at the overly dramatic sullen expressions on the boys' faces.
"No, I mean, sure it's real!" Nami tried to back track when seeing their faces. "It's gotta be because—well, just cause!"
Her mood then changed as she hit the side of the mast hard. Wren, who was holding Havel in her arms, stood back watching as Nami and Luffy got into an argument about getting to Sky Island.
'It certainly isn't going to be an easy task,' Wren thought as she stroked Havel's fur.
Wren then looked back to the arguing pair after Nami used her fist to shut Luffy up.
"This isn't about me." Nami said. "It's about reality. And the reality is we know next to nothing. What we do know is that we can't defy gravity, and sail upwards! That's impossible! What we need is more information. If a big ship like that made it up there, the odds are we can do the same thing! We just have to find all the records left on that ship."
Sounded like a plan. However, the ship Nami was speaking off was currently out of their reach.
"I think the ship's at the bottom of the ocean by now." Usopp said.
"My thoughts exactly." Wren said.
"If it's sunk, we'll salvage it!" Nami declared.
As Wren gave the orangette a blank look, Usopp and Luffy readied their fishing poles and nets in preparation.
"Salvage!" They both cheered raising their fists.
Havel blinked at them wondering if they realized that was a bit impossible for them to do. They didn't have the proper equipment, and the ship was too small to lift such a galleon from the waters anyway.
"We can't do that!" Zoro snapped at them.
The two didn't seem to hear him, which had the vein in his forehead pulsing out of aggravation. He really didn't understand these idiots sometimes.
"Salvage?" Chopper asked "Really?"
"Yeah, but we couldn't pull a ship out from the bottom." Robin said. "I think they'll have to come up with a more refined plan."
Robin and Chopper then looked to Wren as she hummed and cupped her chin thoughtfully.
"If we can't bring the wreckage up to us, perhaps we can go down to the wreckage." Wren said.
She looked to Sanji and Zoro as she said this with an innocent smile on her face. Zoro frowned not buying the innocent look for one second while Sanji giggled with that goofy grin on his face.
"I'll do anything for you, Wren-chwan!" Sanji said spinning around. "Whatever you want~"
Zoro rolled his eyes at the blonde as Wren humored the cook by giving him a pat on the head, which nearly turned the blonde into a puddle of elated goo.
"Of course, we can't send you down there without some way to ensure you have air to breath." She said before looking to Usopp. "However, I have confidence that Usopp can come up with something to help with that."
Usopp blinked curiously while noticing that Nami was looking at him as well as if she was thinking the same as Wren. He gulped while starting to feel the pressure. He just hopes he can do whatever they have planned.
Wren smiled standing back with the others as they looked to the three who bravely volunteered to go down into the water to retrieve intel from the ship. They were all wearing some invention of Usopp's that would act like diving gear for them. Luffy, who insisted he get to go, seemed very pleased with all of it as he let out a laugh.
"This is adventure." Luffy said. "I know I've done more dangerous things, but I can't remember what."
Zoro just growled in aggravation since he wasn't pleased with any of this. In fact, he hadn't really volunteered. Wren, who was being pushy as usual, practically forced him into this barrel.
"Wren-chwan, Nami-san, I swear to find you the answers you seek, or I will refuse to return." Sanji declared.
Wren and Nami shared a glance before looking back to the three boys getting ready to depart.
"We will be sure to hold you to that, Sanji." Wren said.
"Yeah, so you better keep your promise." Nami added with a wink.
Sanji swooned as the two women smiled while thinking he was the luckiest man alive to have such beauties smiling at him.
"You'll be safe." Usopp said. "Those barrels are my special design. They've never been busted."
Just then a fish larger than the Going Merry jumped out of the water to snatch a Pterodactyl from the sky making Usopp rethink his previous statement. He and Chopper looked at it with wide and frightened eyes.
"Well, good luck." Nami said. "Be careful."
"Try not to be eaten." Wren added.
Zoro rolled his eyes at the two since it was easy for them to sound so carefree. They weren't going into the water. He then stepped onto the railing before jumping in with Luffy not too far behind him. Sanji, however, paused to look to Wren.
"How about a kiss for good luck before I go, darling?" He asked with hearts in his eyes.
Wren blinked not sure how to respond, but she didn't have to as Havel took matters into his own paws and knocked the cook off balance. Sanji cursed as he fell backwards off the ship into the water.
"Damn cat!" Sanji could be heard growling through the communication system Usopp had built into the barrel suits.
The feline just looked pleased with himself as he padded away to assist Chopper, who was in heavy point, and Usopp man the breathing device. The feline joined them by pressing up and down on the peddle that supplied air to the boys below.
"This is Chopper here." Chopper said. "Can you guys call off?"
"This is Luffy, and there's a ton of monsters down here." Luffy said.
Of course, he sounded excited about it all, which had Wren's lips twitching up in amusement.
"We're on a nest of Giant Sea Snakes." Zoro clarified.
"This is Sanji, and they're staring at me." Sanji finished.
He didn't sound scared exactly by this, but obviously not pleased in the slightest either.
"Keep going." Nami ordered.
"They could die." Usopp squeaked.
"They'll be fine, Usopp." Nami said. "Don't worry."
Usopp didn't look convinced though he was super glad he wasn't in one of those barrels.
"And, Chopper, hold that break tightly." Nami ordered.
"I'm so glad they didn't make me go." Usopp said.
"I almost wish I would have joined them." Wren said.
The group looked at her in shock as she looked down at the water with a wondering look.
"To see what a ship that came from the sky holds in person would certainly be interesting." Wren said as she looked to the crew. "What wonders could it possibly hold? Does it have tales left behind that document the crew's adventures? It's something new and exciting. Who wouldn't want to see it all themselves?"
Whenever the Sky Islands were brought up before, Wren mostly brushed them off since there wasn't enough proof for her to give it much interest. She let sailors tell their tales they've heard from others, and while it all sounded wondrous, there was no telling how much of it was true.
To her there had been no point in spending too much time thinking about something that might not even exist considering she was already so busy. However, she was interested now. She wanted to see if it was real…to see if the tales were true with her own eyes.
"I have to agree with you, Mage-san." Robin said. "It certainly would be a sight to see firsthand."
A few minutes passed in silence as the crew waited for the boys to call in with any information. A silence that was broken when the crew picked up the sound of distant chanting along with whistles and percussion. The sound was getting closer, and the crew was looking around for what was making the sound.
"What's all that noise?" Usopp asked.
He soon got his answer as a large ship that made Merry look even smaller than she really was, started coming into view. It had a monkey on the front and bananas on the side. It was an interesting looking ship to be certain. However, not as interesting as the men who were making all the racket. Havel hissed at all the noise as the ship pulled up alongside the Going Merry.
"Company, halt!" A loud voice ordered.
The ship came to a stop with the chanting and cymbal banging coming to halt as well. Good thing too since all that distasteful racket was starting to grate on Wren's nerves.
"Aye, aye, sir!" The men shouted obediently.
"Are we on top of the place where the ship sank?!" The first voice—the voice of the captain—asked.
"Aye, aye, Captain, sir!" The men replied once more.
Wren's brow quirked as the captain came into view. He looked more like a monkey than a human. Even more like a monkey that Luffy was.
"When they're saying captain and sir, they're talking about me!" The captain declared loudly as he stood up on the railing. "Prepare to raise the ship. What lies on the bottom now belongs to the king of all salvagers—Captain of the Masira Pirates! Masira!"
His men hooted around like monkeys in reply while raising and flailing around their weapons.
"Great, a boat of unstable men led by an unstable monkey." Nami said.
"I was just thinking they were a group of uneducated Neanderthals." Wren said. "Which would explain why they're letting the annoyingly loud monkey lead them."
Nami nodded in agreement as Usopp looked at both of them wishing they'd keep quiet before they angered the monkey and his Neanderthals. They all looked too big and scary to fight even with Wren and Havel here to protect the ship.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Masira, who finally noticed them, asked. "In case you didn't know, all these waters belong to me."
Wren almost snorted at that. If only this man knew how easily she could take his waters away from him.
"They do?" Nami asked.
"Yeah," Masira replied. "That's right. Every vessel that sinks in these parts automatically becomes mine. You're not trying to take anything that belongs to me, are ya?"
Wren, Nami, and Robin all exchanged a glance while all three thinking the exact same thing. This could be beneficial to them.
"So, he's going to raise it to the surface?" Robin murmured. "Easier for us."
"But not for the three guys already in the water." Usopp said.
"I'll handle them personally if I believe the boys to be in danger," Wren assured the sniper.
That did reassure Usopp a bit. Though he was still worried for Luffy and the other two.
"Let's just all keep our mouths shut and let him do it." Nami said finally.
"Stop mumbling and answer me!" Masira snapped. "Are you people trying to snag one of my salvages out from under me?"
"Does it seem as if we have the equipment to salvage anything let alone the large galleon that just sank?" Wren asked.
Her logical question brought pause to the men on the opposite vessel, and Wren could tell it's been a while since they've had to think hard about anything. Havel snickered at their looks of confusion.
"Besides, we'd just love to watch you tough, good-looking men salvage that ship." Nami added with a wink. "Are you going to?"
Masira looked taken back by Nami's compliment before he let out a low whistle while running his hand across his face. He then grinned looking very flattered.
"Thank-you." He said giving a thumbs up. "I see you know what a real man looks like."
Wren gave Nami a look wondering why the orangette was flattering the monkey.
"What are you talking about?" Nami asked keeping that innocent tone.
"You called us all tough and good-looking that includes me." Marisa explained.
"Well, of course." Nami said.
She then lightly elbowed Wren while giving the older woman a look that told her to play along. Wren gave Nami a look in return because she didn't know just what the girl wanted from her. Nami frowned at Wren though Masira didn't seem to notice the odd exchange as he grinned.
"Stop, you're making me blush." Masira said rubbing the back of his head.
Nami thought it was almost too sad at how easy this was. Just a few more sweet words, and he'd probably hand them over the sunken galleon gift wrapped.
"This is disturbing." Usopp whispered to his crewmates before raising his voice. "So, are you going to salvage that thing or what?"
They did need it brought up to the surface to get more information. However, he was still worried about Sanji, Luffy, and Zoro who were heading down to the wreckage as they spoke.
"Of course!" Masira said. "I'm not the King of all Salvagers for nothing! If there's a sunken ship before me, I'll salvage it! If it's not sunk, I'll sink it, and salvage it later! Listen, I know how impressed you are, but we have to save it. There's salvaging at hand!"
Sinking ships just to go through the hassle of salvaging them later seemed a big excessive to Wren. However, she decided to keep such opinions to herself.
"Loser," Nami said under her breath then addressed Masira. "Do you mind if we watch you big, strong men work?"
"Don't tell me you've never seen a professional salvage before." Masira said.
Wren has actually. Some of her underlings back on Dressrosa were professional salvagers and were brought in when Wren needed to get information from ships and other sunken objects. Or to recover treasure from the ships that the Doflamingo Family sunk. Wren didn't say this though as she turned to Masira.
"Unfortunately, we haven't." Wren lied. "Could you fine gentlemen show us how it's done?"
She gave a smile as she asked, which had multiple men blushing. Some even turned away as they fiddled nervously with their fingers. Wren blinked at their odd reactions.
"Well, of course!" Masira said laughing. "You just watch us until your heart's content!"
Nami and Wren exchanged a look with Nami winking towards the older woman.
"That's that." Nami said. "Now we just have to wait and see what happens."
Wren nodded in agreement before she looked back towards the ship. There was a presence on there that was weak as if the person had been injured greatly. No, there were a few presences that felt weak. Someone must have done a number on them.
"Captain, we have a problem!" One of Masira's men called out.
"What is it?" Masira asked.
"Something happened to the guys who went under the water to set the cradle!" The subordinate explained.
Wren frowned already feeling she knew what that something was. Or rather who that something was. In fact, there were three somethings.
"Was it one of the Sea Kings again?" Masira asked.
Wren was already shaking her head because she knew it couldn't have been one of those large sea snakes beneath them that the boys reported. Nami was looking at Wren with dread on her face because the navigator also had a feeling on who got ahold of those men.
"I don't think so." The man reported. "It looks like someone went to town on them with their fists!"
Wren sighed though suspected it couldn't be helped. The boys below had no idea what was happening up here after all.
"What?!" Masira demanded. "You mean someone else besides our guys are down there?!"
Nami and Usopp, who exchanged a glance, gulped knowing this couldn't end well.
"Listen up you!" Masira called down to the Straw Hat pirates, which had Nami and Usopp jumping in fright. "There's someone else down there, so be careful!"
"Oh, sure." Nami said with a nervous laugh.
Havel, who had been ready to fight if necessary, snorted at the man's stupidity.
"I want all hands setting the cradle!" Masira ordered. "The ship comes up in twenty minutes. We've got salvaging to do!"
"Aye, aye, Captain!" His men replied loyally.
As his men got to work, Masira turned to wave at the Straw Hats with a large grin on his face.
"Okay, he's waving at us." Nami said. "Smile and wave back, I guess. Just ask normal."
"Doing my best." Usopp said.
They boy waved towards Masira while the rest of the crew didn't even bother. Masira then got his men to work even harder while sending more men into the water. Wren hoped they didn't come back up beaten and bruised. That might cause trouble.
"These guys really take their salvaging seriously, don't they?" Usopp asked.
"I think they're showing off because their captain has a crush on Wren and me." Nami said.
'Crush?' Wren thought in confusion.
Though she then shook her head deciding not to think about it as it wasn't important.
"It could be more than that, Nami." Wren said.
Usopp and Nami looked at Wren closely as she was cupping her chin in a thoughtful manner.
"There has to be a reason why these men take their job so seriously, and why Masira claims these waters." Wren said. "They have to be looking for something important. Something so important that they'd be ready to fight anyone they think could be a threat of finding it first."
Robin hummed because that did make sense to her, and if they happened to be looking for answers of Sky Island as well, whatever else these men might have salvaged over time could be very important.
"These men might be our competition on who finds answers to Sky Island first." Wren said as Masira and his men continued to lower the cradle into the water. "It's a possibility at least, which means we better hope the boys find the more important information left behind in the galleon if there is any."
If they didn't, Masira and his men would have the good stuff, which simply wouldn't do. It means, Wren and the others would have to fight for it, which she doesn't mind doing. Though she honestly, would rather get through all of this without fighting. Wren was brought out of her thought's when Luffy's voice came up from the communication device.
"What was—?!" Luffy's voice was cut off when Usopp quickly put his hand over the opening.
Masira turned to look at them suspiciously, but Usopp went to quickly cover up what just happened by asking a question.
"So, uh, why such a big monkey?!" Usopp asked while pointing. "There on the bow of the ship!"
"Oh that?" Masira asked while grinning. "You like? It's a special prowl I designed to aid in our salvages. Just watch."
The Cowardly Trio all let out sighs of relief when they managed to get through that without Masira figuring out they had their own men in the water.
"You're gonna love this." Masira said. "Lower the barco hunter!"
"Aye, aye, sir!" They said.
The men started to lower the prowl of the ship while chanting monkey repeatedly while doing so. Wren had to admit to being a bit impressed when the prowl left the ship by the large ropes it was attached to then completely dropped into the water. Masira could make an excellent shipwright if he wasn't already a salvager. Though his taste in design was awful to say the least.
"Wow, awesome!" Chopper said.
"Totally amazing!" Usopp agreed.
"Are you kidding?" Nami asked.
She hoped they were because that all seemed rather silly to her. Especially that giant monkey. Once getting confirmation from the underwater team, Masira grabbed a large tube as he grinned widely.
"Excellent!" Masira said. "Now it's time for me to blow!"
His men cheered in agreement while even throwing confetti, which all seemed a bit too much in Wren's opinion.
"Wait, there's no way." Nami said as Masira was taking a big breath. "He's actually going to use his breath to bring up that ship? That's ridiculous."
"Well, he might just have enough hot air to do it." Wren said. "He does seem to have it in abundance."
Nami sweat-dropped supposing that was true. They then watched as Masira blew into the tube with a large pocket of air traveling through it. It went down into the water out of sight, and Masira kept blowing until one of the men from the underwater team reported it was off the sea floor. After that, Masira let his men pump air into the tube to continue raising the ship and filling it with air. Though he was using a pump now, it was a bit impressive how he raised the ship from the floor with his own breath.
"Now we just have to wait." Wren said as Masira ordered his men to keep pumping air. "Hopefully the boys won't cause any trouble before the ship is out of the water."
She spoke too soon since a second later a cry came from the underwater team. She let out a hum supposing it was foolish to hope nothing would go wrong. Especially when the three who causes the most trouble are underwater.
"Captain, there's a problem with the underwater crew!" A man reported.
"What?!" Masira demanded. "Talk to me! What's happening down there?! Is it the intruders?!"
"Yes, sir!" One reported. "They're in the ship!"
He then cried out in pain as Wren supposed there was no helping things now. A fight was bound to break out at this point. Masira let out a roar of anger as he stepped up on the side of the ship while holding up his fists.
"How dare you lay a hand on my hardworking men, Intruders?!" Masira shouted.
While some might be impressed with his love for his men and his ferocity, Wren wasn't in the slightest. In fact, she was even more unimpressed by the fact, Masira had posed for pictures with his men holding up an intense background behind him to add affect.
"Uh, you know, we're not going to take your picture or anything." Nami said.
"You're not?!" Masira asked in surprise.
Wren shook her head wondering why he even thought they were going so in the first place.
"He was giving us a photo up?" Usopp asked in disbelief.
"Seems that way." Wren said.
Usopp shook his head then caught the sound of more of Masira's men crying in pain. He sighed wishing the Monster trio would learn to cool it. This wasn't helping them at all.
"I'll be right down!" Masira said then turned to the others. "Continue with the salvaging operation, men."
"Aye, aye, sir!" The men said.
He then jumped into the water as the Straw Hats up on the surface watched him go. Wren frowned hoping the boys would be alright. However, she then stiffened when sensing a large mass heading their way from below.
"Something's coming and it's something big." Wren warned her crew.
Usopp, Nami, and Chopper all stiffened while looking at Wren as she moved to the side of the ship to look down. Her eye widened slightly while seeing what she was looking at—or at least its shadow casted form—looked to be the size of a small island. The others noticed it as well while becoming more freaked out.
The ships then started to shake caused by this thing's body disturbing the waves around them, which had Wren clenching her sword even tighter. She was sure that even she couldn't fight whatever was coming up. Hopefully it was some kind of peaceful sea creature. One could only hope.
"It's huge!" Usopp said. "Anybody just want to run?"
"We can't as long as the others are down below." Wren pointed out.
There was then a sharp tug on the tubes that connected the boys to the ship. The ship jerked as the creature moved even closer, and before they knew it a large sea turtle came up to the surface splashing sea water everywhere.
"Does anybody else see the monster the size of an island in front of us?!" Nami screamed.
"This could be a problem." Wren said calmly as she looked at the large turtle.