Part 4: Going deeper
The straw hats were currently making their way down to Fishman island. To get there they had to submerge far under the sea, thanks to Rayleigh their ship was coated for this. "Whoa were really deep now," Usopp said looking up.
"Hey look at all those fish," said Luffy pointing past the coating when some large fish started passing by, "Hey look whales," he said.
"Laboon," Brook said.
"That's not him," said Usopp.
"Yeah that's more like whitebeards ship," Luffy said smiling. One of their newest crew members Hermione Star was sitting on a bench rubbing her arms.
"Hey Hermione," Nami said getting her attention from the stairs, "Your going to need some warmer clothes when were going further down," she said.
"Thanks, could you bring them to the infirmary I better zip up Heavens Jacket," said Hermione before getting up and walking to the infirmary. After zipping up Stars Jacket Nami walked in with a fresh pair of jeans and a light blue jacket.
"Though might not mind the color," Nami said smirking as she handed the coat over.
"Thanks," Hermione said as Nami walked out so she could change into the jeans.
"So how long have you two been married?" Nami asked.
"Almost five years," Hermione said as she finished getting changed and put the coat on. She then walked outside closing the door.
"It must have tough for you guys given your situation," said Nami.
"There were tough times of course but at the end of the day we were happy together," Hermione said before smiling, "He also told me I made him stronger," she said.
"Anymore stronger then he already is then we saw him, sounds impossible," Nami said as she leaned against the railing of the second floor.
"Yeah but his emotions made him even stronger, you remember how he reacted when he saw Luffy get hurt," Hermione said as the two of them looked towards the captain who was pointing at the different fish.
"Yeah, but the move Luffy used before that was something ive never seen before," Nami said, "Just how stronger did he get over these last two years," she said looking like she was thinking when the ship suddenly shook.
"What was that," Chopper said looking surprised.
"Its another ship," said Usopp looking through his binoculars, "Its being pulled by a large sea cow," he said.
"What," Luffy said as the massive ship pulled along side them.
"Are they trying to break through the bubble," said Franky.
Meanwhile on the enemy ship, "No one will believe us if we kill them down here, so we kill them and take their heads," Caribou said smiling. "Get ready to board men," he said as his crew and his brother cheered.
"Wait that sea cow looks familiar," Nami said as she quickly ran to the front of the ship, "Moomoo, its me Nami don't you recognize me," she said getting the sea cows attention.
The sea cow then recognized her from back when she had short hair. "Hey Luffy doesn't that sea cow look familiar,"Sanji said looking serious.
"Does it?" Luffy asked looking confused.
The sea cow then looked frightened as it remembered when he was still with the Arlong pirates. Sanji kicking it in the head and Luffy spinning it around. Caribou then jumped onto the sunny when Moomoo started swimming away as fast as he could.
"Hey what are you doing sea cow," some of the crew said looking surprised as their ship got further away from the sunny and their captain.
"BROTHER," Coribou yelled.
"Alright straw hats your finished, men take them down with the Gatling gun," Caribou said smiling while the straw hats looked calm. Caribou then looked surprised when he noticed his ship moving further away.
"MY SHIP, MY CREW," he yelled before Franky picked him up and started walking to the edge of the ship.
"No don't kill me please, don't throw me into the ocean anything but that," he said trying get out of the large hands. "You wouldn't want to be a killer now, right, its bad," he said.
"Oh shut up," said Franky before throwing him into the railing, "Your men were about to gun us down when your ordered them too," he said.
"No that's a lie, I'm glad you got me off that ship," he said. "Thank you very much for saving me," he said.
"Don't buy it," Hermione said walking down the stairs with the volume of one piece in her right hand.
"Ah its you," Caribou said quickly backing up against the railing, "This isn't good, if shes here then that blue guy cant be far behind," he thought looking nervous.
"Do you know who this man is Ms Star?" Robin asked.
"Wet haired Caribou, hes the captain of that crew," she answered.
"Hey wheres that blue guy you were kissing earlier?" Caribou asked.
"Hes sleeping right now so please keep it down," Hermione said looking serious.
"So I guess we should just throw him out to the sea then," said Sanji.
"No lets keep him tied up for now," said Nami.
"You got it, Nam," Sanji said looking at Nami before another nosebleed sent him flying into the coating.
"Not again," Usopp said looking annoyed before Sanji crashed back down onto the grass.
"Maybe I should make some sort of therapy to help him," Chopper said Zolo brought out some rope to tie up Caribou.
As the ship went further down, "Hey Nami is it okay if were not going in the same direction as the log pose?" Usopp asked.
"Yeah wouldn't it be better to just go straight down," Luffy said looking confused.
"No and I would put a coat on if I were you, its going to get colder the further down we go," Nami said as she put on a pink coat and Hermione zipped up her own.
"Yeah that's rights, its kid of like how the top of bath is warm but at the bottom its cold," Franky said from the wheel.
"Yes Ive heard of the currents were suppose to take," Brook said as he and Nami started to explain how the different currents worked. "I've even heard some bad things that have happened at the bottom of the sea floor," Brook said.
"That doesn't sound good," Chopper said looking nervous.
"This just got more exciting," Luffy said smiling.
After Nami finished explaining most of the crew except for Franky, Robin, Hermione and Sanji who was still unconscious from his nosebleed was leaning against the railing. "So they're mystery currents," they said.
"Uh why do I even bother, just be on standby," Nami said looking annoyed at them.
"Hey guys up ahead," said Franky, "Its amazing," he said as they all ran to the front of the ship.
"Is it the mystery current," Luffy said as he sat on the Sunny's head, "What does it look like," he said looking around.
"Incredible," Hermione said looking at what looked like a giant waterfall under the sea.
"Its hard to tell just how long it is," Robin said.
"Hearing about it is one things, but seeing it in person is amazing," Brook said.
"Hey uh guys I cant see the bottom," said Usopp looking down the large hole.
"Is it even safe to go down there," Nami said looking nervous.
"No don't worry about it, the sunny can take it," said Franky smiling before Caribou spoke up.
"Hey Straw hats you gotta turn around now, or lady you need to wake up your husband right now," Caribou said looking at Hermione who looked confused.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"I almost forgot he was even here," Zolo said calmly making Caribou look annoyed.
"Theres a monster down there, we need to go now," Caribou said before something large came into view. It looked like an octopus but was very large in size and in its tentacles were the remains of ships.
"It's the kraken," Caribou said.
"It already has crushed ships in its tentacles," Usopp said looking shocked. "It must have taken down the ones that came down here over the last few days," he said.
"Listen we need to get out of here because I rather not die," Caribou said. "If you wait a few days then it might," he said before Luffy interrupted him.
"Shut up," he said before smiling. "Guys were going to make that octopus our friend," he said.
"What," they all said looking surprised.
"Luffy look at the size of that thing, just what are you thinking," said Usopp.
"But if we get him to help us then it can pull us along like the sea cow did for the other ship," Luffy said smiling.
"The Kraken appears in countless legends, its dangerous," Choper said.
"A fish with skin and no bones," said Brook, "Its like the total opposite of me," he said.
"This isn't the time," Chopper said looking annoyed.
"Hey Robin are you drawing that thing?" Zolo asked.
"Yes its not everyday that you see one," Robin said before noticing Hermione was looking at the kraken confused. "Is there something wrong?" She asked.
"No it's just something about it looks familiar," she said.
"Hey Luffy Im okay with fighting it but how? Zolo asked.
"Yeah the problem is the sea," said Luffy looking like he was thinking.
"No that not it Luffy," said Usopp said, "Its its size, even if we were on land it would still be huge," he said.
"We need to get out of here, Franky turn us away from it," Nami said.
"What no take us to the octopus," Luffy said looking annoyed.
"If we don't get out of here we're finished," said Nami.
"I agree with you," Sanji said only having a little nosebleed.
"You held it in, way to go Sanji," Usopp said.
"Its thanks to the therapy and that shes also wearing a coat," Chopper said.
"What is with these guys, anyone else who saw that thing would have run the moment they saw that thing," Caribou thought looking confused when he heard a familiar voice speak up behind him.
"Brother," Coribou said from the ship.
"My crew, you came for me," Caribou said before the kraken grabbed the ship with one of its tentacles and crushed it. The coating popping as the crew fell into the water.
"No," Caribou said.
"That's not good," Usopp said.
"They kind of look like Jellyfish," Zolo said.
"Shut it Zolo," Caribou said looking annoyed.
"Oh no now its coming for us," said Usopp said as tentacle was heading towards them.
"I got this," said Zolo taking out his swords.
"Gear," Luffy said before chopper stopped both of them.
"No don't you'll busrt the bubble," Chopper said looking worried.
"Don't worry Ill take care of this," said Franky as he pulled a switch. "Chicken voyage," he said as the Sunny's mane started spinning.
They were then pushed out of the way from the tentacle. "Great job," Hermione said before looking in the direction of the infirmary. "Maybe I should wake him up," she thought before Nami spoke up.
"Great, Franky use a coup de burst to shoot us into the current," Nami said smiling.
"Sorry no can do, the coup de burst and the Gaon Cannon both use up air, since we have a limited supply right now if we end up using it could shrink the coating," Franky said.
"So theres nothing we can do," Nami said looking down.
"No," Hermione said getting everyones attention. "We need to wake him up," he said.
"Wait are you sure, he needs to recover after fighting so lets just run away," said Usopp.
"No he could barley stand after his fight against that guy, so ill fight it," Luffy said looking serious.
"No you'll pop the bubble Luffy," Chopper said.
"Wait hang on," said Caribou getting their attention.
"If your going to fight straw hat then I have something for you," Caribou said.
Then after a while Luffy, Zolo and Sanji were covered in smaller versions of the coating. "Whoa this is cool," Luffy said.
"What is it?" Sanji asked.
"Their diving suits, just make sure to keep your lifelines attached," said Caribou. "This way you want have to be close to the ship when you fight," he said.
"Hey don't go putting ideas in their heads, we need to focus on running away not fighting," Usopp said looking annoyed.
"Hey don't blame me, I told you all to run but your captain wants to fight," Caribou said. "But If hes out there fighting he wont cause any damage to the ship," he said.
"Alright Luffy go get him," said Usopp cheering.
"Right lets do this," Luffy said smiling.
"Right," Zolo and Sanji said.