Ch. 5- Lost


One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me


In the Sunny's sickbay, Chopper had just put Derek on the cot, having bandaged all his wounds. He had checked his vitals and saw that he had been struggling...and with good reason. He was also covered in several lacerations made by huge teeth. Whatever it was he had been fighting, it wasn't about to give him up.

As Chopper scribbled something in his notes, he heard a groan behind him, causing him to glance back and gasp as he saw Derek beginning to open his eyes.

"Nami!" he called. "He's coming around!"

Nami came running in as soon as she heard Chopper's cries, and Carrot followed soon after.

"Ugh..." Derek groaned as he sat up, holding his head. "W...where am I?" He then noticed Nami, Chopper, and Carrot out of the corner of his eyes and gasped before he backed away, trying to reach for his sword...only he couldn't seem to find it on his person.

"Looking for something?" Nami asked, holding up his wakizashi. "Sorry, but we couldn't take chances, so I confiscated this off you while you were unconscious."

"...So this is how it ends, huh?" Derek asked. "One minute, I'm fighting off a pack of sea wolves...and the next thing I know, I'm on the ship of the infamous Straw Hat Pirates." He then gave a heavy sigh. "I guess luck's not on my side, today." He looked up at the group with a defiant glare. "Well...go ahead. Do whatever the hell you want with me, but just know that I won't go down easy."

"What are you talking about?" Chopper asked. "We saved your life!"

"Yeah! We found you on the sea while you were unconscious!" Carrot added.

"So...I'm not a prisoner?" Derek asked.

"We're still deciding on that, to be honest," said Nami. "So...what rank are you? Vice-Admiral? Commander?"

"Captain," replied Derek. "Captain '100 Slash' Derek."

"Okay...Derek," Nami said. "Why are you having your men chasing us?"

"Chasing you?" asked Derek.

"Yeah! We were fleeing from a Marine battleship with a lion's head!" Chopper answered.

"...Vice-Admiral Langstrom's ship," muttered Derek. "Listen...there's been some sort of terrible mistake. Where's your Captain, Straw Hat Luffy? I have to talk to him."

"Luffy is out camping with our cabin girl," Nami replied. "The only ones on the ship are me, Chopper, Brook, and Carrot. Our cook, Sanji, took our ship's guard dog, Blizzard, and went to find Luffy."

"Damn..." Derek cursed before he started to get up. "I have to try and contact Vice-Admiral Langstrom. This is all a big misunderstanding!"

"What do you mean?" Carrot asked.

"Wait! You shouldn't get out of bed!" Chopper cried, but it seemed Derek was too determined to get up to listen...but the moment he tried to stand, he immediately stumbled and fell to the floor.

"What the...?" he asked as he looked down at his legs...only for his eyes to go wide in shock: the only thing that remained of his right leg was a bandaged-up stub.

"I tried to tell you," Chopper said, sadly. "When we found you...your leg had been bitten off."

"You said you were attacked by sea wolves, right?" Nami asked. "One of them must have taken your leg before you could get away."

"...Shit...!" Derek cursed as he clenched his fists.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the forest...

"Luffy~! Aika~!"

Blizzard ran through the foliage with Sanji riding on his back, the latter clinging to the former's scarf as he called out for his captain and his younger half-sister. So far, no luck yet. Even so, they continued to search.

"Luffy! Aika!" Sanji called. "Where are you guys?!"

There was no answer.

"Dammit, where are they?" Sanji cursed as Blizzard broke through some shrubs...only to find Luffy and Aika's campsite in ruins. The tent was in shreds and the sticks that were going to be used for the campfire had scattered. Most importantly, though...Luffy and Aika were nowhere to be seen.

"Uh-oh..." Blizzard muttered. "Looks like they're already gone."

"Dammit, we were too late," said Sanji as he jumped down from Blizzard's back and took a look around. He could see footprints in the dirt...as well as pawprints. Some of them were human footprints that turned into a trail of pawprints, followed by a trail of prints left by sandals. Obviously, these were left by Luffy and Aika. However, as Sanji followed the trail, he saw a set of even bigger pawprints...and these pawprints slowly turned into human footprints, as well.

"...A Devil Fruit user," Sanji surmised.

"And judging by the size and shape of the pawprints," said Blizzard, "it looks like they were left behind by someone who could turn into some sort of big cat." He then sniffed the ground...only for his eyes to go wide. "Sanji...I smell Sea Prism Stone...and I can also smell a bit of Luffy's blood."

"Which means Luffy's injured," Sanji realized. "Shit...this is even worse than I thought."

"You think Luffy and Aika are all right?" Blizzard asked.

"...I hope so," Sanji answered as he climbed onto the wolf-dog's back again. "Let's hurry and see if we can find them."

Not long after he said this...there was the sound of thunder rumbling up in the clouds above and the sky slowly grew dark.

"Fast!" Sanji added, and soon, Blizzard galloped off, just as the rain began to fall.

XXX

The rain started out light, at first...but then, gradually, it started to turn into a downpour. Animals both large and small headed off in different directions, trying to seek shelter. Among them was Luffy and Aika, both of them sitting inside a hollow tree to keep out of the rain. It was cold and dark...and lightning flashed in the sky, followed by the rumble of thunder. Luffy sighed as he watched the dark, swirling clouds before he glanced down at his younger half-sister, who sat next to him while she held Timber in her arms, her eyes downcast while Luffy gently held her to his side.

"...Big Brother?" Aika asked as she looked up at him. "Are...are we lost?"

Luffy heaved a quiet sigh as he looked out to the clouds above.

"Yeah...I think we are," he admitted.

"...What's gonna happen to us?" Aika asked as she pressed herself up against Luffy's side, causing him to smile as he gently stroked her hair.

"It's okay," her older half-brother assured. "We'll get through this, somehow...and we'll get through it together, okay?"

Aika blinked up at Luffy before she gave him a small smile.

"Okay," she said.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "We'll get moving as soon as the rain stops, okay?"

"Mm!" Aika nodded as she nestled up against his side, once more. Luffy smiled before he dropped a small kiss on Aika's forehead, which caused her to giggle.

The storm continued to rage on as the D. Siblings waited it out. However, it didn't seem it was going to let up any time soon. It wasn't too long before Luffy and Aika both fell asleep within the hollow tree, the former snoring loudly while the latter lied against his stomach with his arms wrapped around her. As they slept, Aika quietly opened one eye to look at her older half-brother's snoring face...then sighed as she fell back to sleep, again, a soft smile forming on her lips.

For now...Luffy was just Luffy...her brother and nothing else.

XXX

It wasn't until about a few hours later that the storm finally broke. As Luffy and Aika came out of the tree, they surveyed the horizon, but all they could see was the treetops of the evergreens. It was still daylight out, but it looked like it wouldn't be too much longer until the sun went down.

"Wow..." Luffy muttered as he looked around. "It sure did rain, huh?"

"Yeah...and I don't know where we are," Aika replied.

Just then, PURU-PURU-PURU! PURU-PURU-PURU! PURU-PURU-PURU!

"Huh?" Luffy muttered before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his Mini Transponder Snail. "Hello?"

"Luffy! Oh, thank god, I finally reached you!"

"Nami?" Luffy asked.

"Big Sis!" Aika exclaimed.

"Is everything okay?" Luffy asked.

"We were being chased by the Marines, earlier," Nami said.

"What?!" Luffy questioned. "Are you guys all right?!"

"We're fine, Luffy," Nami answered. "We managed to get away, but we don't know for how long. Sanji and Blizzard are on the island, looking for you."

"Aika and I were being chased by some lion guy, earlier," Luffy replied. "I think his name was Lang...something."

"Vice-Admiral Langstrom?" Nami asked.

"Yeah, that's it!" Luffy answered. "For some reason, he thinks I attacked his friends for no reason! The Marines came after Aika and me! I was trying to protect her!"

"We don't really know the full details," Nami replied. "Do you know where you are, right now?"

"Not really," Aika answered. "We're somewhere in the forest. Where are you guys?"

"We're on our way to the other side of the island," Nami answered. "There should be a town there, but it might take a few days for you guys to get there on foot."

"Got it," Luffy nodded. "We'll rendezvous with you there!"

"Be careful out there, Luffy!" Chopper added. "You, too, Aika!"

"Be safe!" Carrot exclaimed.

"And do look out for Langstrom fellow!" Brook warned.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"I'll call Sanji and Blizzard and tell them to meet you at the town," Nami said. "You might run into them on the way there."

"Thanks, Nami," Luffy replied. "See you in a few days!"

With that, he hung up and put the snail in his pocket, then picked up a stick and began to walk off.

"Big Brother, where are you going?" Aika asked.

"Where do you think?" Luffy asked. "We gotta meet up with Nami and the others, remember?"

"But Big Brother...you don't know the way there," Aika said. "What if we get even more lost?"

"It's okay," Luffy replied. "We'll work it out somehow, just like we always have." He then gave Aika a grin. "You just gotta trust your big brother, okay?"

Aika's eyes went wide at that.

"Besides!" Luffy exclaimed. "Think of it this way! Instead of a camping trip, it's an adventure with just the two of us! It'll be fun!"

"...I guess I didn't think of it that way," Aika said before she smiled. "It does sound kinda fun!"

"Atta girl!" Luffy praised before he began to walk off. "Well, what are you we waiting for? Let's go, Aika!"

"Yeah!" Aika agreed as she soon followed after her older half-brother, thus beginning the journey between brother and sister.

XXX

"What?!" Hendrickson questioned as he held up a Mini Transponder Snail in his hand. "Derek's still alive?!"

"Yes, sir! He was spotted onboard the Straw Hat's ship!"

Hendrickson seethed angrily at this.

'I should have known he'd survive,' he thought. 'If he gets to Langstrom, my plan will be in ruins!'

"Ensign Hendrickson, sir? What should we do?"

"...Continue to pursue the Straw Hats," Hendrickson answered. "Your orders are to reclaim Captain Derek...and when you get him back, execute him."

"B...but sir-"

"Those are your orders!" Hendrickson barked. "Derek cannot contact Langstrom, no matter what!"

"AAH! Y-yes, sir!"

"As for me," Hendrickson started as he grabbed a huge bazooka, "I'm going on a little hunting trip." He then smirked. "That little girl...she was seen with Straw Hat. I'll capture her and use her as leverage. Straw Hat and his crew will have to surrender to me, then! Gehahahaha...GEHAHAHAHAHA!"


TO BE CONTINUED...


Next time on One Piece: Trek!

Luffy: Hey, Aika...you okay?

Aika: ...I guess I'm a bit tired...but I can keep going!

Luffy: Are you sure?

Aika: Uh-huh!

*As Luffy and Aika walk, Aika looks up at Luffy as he taps his stick against his shoulder*

Aika (thinking): 'I still can't tell him...I can't tell him about what I said...'

*A little while later*

Aika: *pants softly* I don't know why...but suddenly, I feel warm...

Hendrickson: Well, hello there, little girl.

Aika: Uh...who are you?

?: Hey, kid! Watch it!

*Suddenly, a gunshot goes off, causing Luffy to look up*

Luffy: Aika?!

Next time: Pamela the Harpy


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