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The Island of Angels: Chapter Two


Zoro walked over and took the binoculars from Nami's hands, and lifted the lenses to his eyes. The ship Nami had been looking at was a whitish blur; Zoro twiddled a small knob at the side of the binoculars, and all at once, the bright-blue logo of the Main Marine Headquarters came into sharp focus.

"Uh oh."

He lowered the binoculars with a strained look, and handed it back to Nami before turning to the rest of the crew.

"Guys, it looks as though we're going to need cloaks."

"Cloaks?"
Usopp asked curiously. Zoro jabbed a thumb towards the marines, saying,
"Yeah, cloaks. You know, the ones with hoods on 'em."

Sanji squinted at the ship as Usopp adjusted the lenses on his goggles before letting out a yelp.

"What's wrong?"
Luffy asked as Usopp dropped to the deck on his knees, crawling towards the lower deck.

"Marines!!"
Usopp hissed, as though the Marines could hear him.

"Usopp, I don't think they saw us - and even if they did, our sails are down, so they probably can't tell that we're pirates."

Zoro drawled as he grabbed the cloak Nami tossed at him.

"Yes, but that's exactly what the Jolly Roger is for!!"

Nami snapped as she pulled a hood over herself.

"I forgot about that."

Zoro admitted as Sanji swooned,

"Wow, Nami-san looks so wonderful even when she's half-covered in cloth!"

Sanji stretched his arms out to emphasise his point just as Nami turned to look at him, causing his fingers to accidentally brush lightly against her cheek. Their eyes met for a fleeting second, where they both blinked in surprise at the unexpected touch, and then quickly looked away.

"Brrr... it's cold..."
Usopp's teeth chattered as he pulled a hood over his head,
"I guess it's a good thing we've got cloaks on."

Luffy swished his cloak over himself, dramatically draping it onto his shoulders as he grinned widely.

"Let's go eat meat!!"
He cried, jumping excitedly off the head of the Going Merry Ho and leaving his crew looking at him in half amusement and exasperation.

"Uhm..."

Miss Wednesday and Mr. Nine popped their heads around the main cabin's door hopefully.

"Are we at Whiskey Peak yet?"
Miss Wednesday asked, peering at the darkening shores of the island doubtfully. Zoro shook his head.

"No. You two watch the ship -- there are marines here."

"M-m-marines?!!"

The mysterious pair gasped, looking wildly around.

"Yeah."
Usopp said, feeling much safer beneath his cloak,

"If they come, tell them the truth; that you're not pirates."

"But what if they ask about th-that flag?"

Mr. Nine hissed, his chin on the floor.

"That's when you lie,"
Usopp said lightly over his shoulder, heading towards the footprints Luffy had left in the sand,
"just say that you're both bounty hunters and you're waiting for us to get our bounty."

The reaction to these words were immediate. Both Miss Wednesday and Mr. Nine shrieked out loud in voices of terror and ran around in frantic circles on the deck for a whole minute, oblivious of the completely nonplussed expressions the rest of the crew were giving them.

Then something seemed to click in both of their minds and they returned to their normal state, both nodding vigorously and exchanging relieved glances.

"We'll be looking after the ship, then."

Zoro raised an eyebrow and a corner of his mouth lifted into a knowing smile, as though something he'd been thinking about had just occurred to him. He didn't comment on it, however, and walked on.

Nami gave the two a sweet smile before saying,


"If you're thinking of running away by any chance, I've got the lockpost, so don't even bother considering it... or else."

Her eyes darkened for a split second before she joined Usopp's and Zoro's retreating backs as Sanji sang,

"Bye bye, Miss Wednesday~!"

before jumping over the side of the ship and waving enthusiastically.

Miss Wednesday waved back with a sweatdrop, and looked at Mr. Nine.

"That navigator is scary."

She said, shuddering.

"That,"

Mr. Nine said with an equal shiver,

"would be an understatement."




Smoker chewed the end of his cigar impatiently.
After a few seconds, however, he'd obviously reached the end of his tether.

"TASHIGI!!!!!!!"

The black-hair swordswoman burst out of the cabin, fumbling around with her glasses and looking startled.

"Y-ye-yes, sir! What is it?"

"It'll take two days for the lockpost to memorise this island,"

Smoker snapped,

"so I was going to ask if you need anything."

And I called you about ten times, he thought irritatedly.

"Uhm,"

Tashigi tapped a finger to her temple in thought.

"Uhmmm..."

"Hurry up,"
Smoker muttered. Then something occurred to Tashigi.

"What island is this?"
She asked. Smoker whacked her on back of her head.

"You moron! How can you not know where we are?!"
He yelled as Tashigi looked apologetically sheepish, rubbing the spot she'd been hit.

"Uhm, I was cleaning one of my swords."

She held up the sword in her hand, the sheath shining with crimson-polish and the handle tightly wrapped in cream and red bands in criss-crosses. Tashigi smiled at the beautiful sword in her hands, one of the lightest and prettiest she had had in quite a while. She'd taken it off the hands of an unworthy and unskilled merchant, and had searched her sword book to find that it was the tenth and last sword from the Petal series - the Red Petal.

She ran a thumb across the red-coated laquer in admiration.

"Will you please stop staring at your sword in wonder and love and listen to me?!!"
Smoker yelled. Tashigi hurriedly put the sword away from Smoker's sight (behind her back) and nodded.

"Sorry, sir."

"We're on the Island of Angels."

Tashigi stared the dark and almost threatening outlines of the Island of Angels.

The sand on the shore was a ghostly white that contrasted against the swirls of dark grey in the skies, and beyond that lay a purple and green tangle of leafy growth. Behind the forest there was a faint, brown outline of towering mountains and roofs of houses that was shrouded in white fog.

"Uhm... I don't know anyone here... actually, I don't think I've heard of this island."
Tashigi admitted.

"Neither have I,"
Smoker said, looking at the Island of Angels with the same expression as Tashigi's,

"but there's a signpost over there."

"Aa,"
Tashigi replied with a sweatdrop at the signpost plainly stating the island's title and post-locking period at the front of the shore.

"Well, I don't think there're any swords here, sir, so we can probably just leave--"

A marine interrupted with,

"Sir, sir!!"

before skidding infront of his general and leader.

"What is it?"
Smoker asked.

"It's-- it's the straw-hat pirate crew!! They're here, on this island!!"

"WHAT?!!"
Tashigi and Smoker yelled in unison, bowling the marine over.

"Their Jolly Roger is right there, along with their ship!"

The marine pointed at a ship to their right, quite in the distance but still visible. Smoker's eyes narrowed, his teeth gnashing against the cigars in his mouth.

"I'll get them this time,"
He growled.

Tashigi tapped her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose, her hand gripping the handle of the Red Petal tightly. A certain green-haired swordsman was in her mind.

"Roronoah Zoro,"
She said through clenched teeth, her eyes setting on determination,

"We have a duel to settle."

Her eyes scanned the white shores for a moment, as though she expected to see him there, when she saw figures further off, close to the outline of the pirate ship, and when she squinted, she was sure they were all wearing something like capes; they were undefinable.

"Smoker-san,"
She said, her eyes following the figures' movements,
"I think I can see them."

"Where?!"
Smoker asked in slight surprise.

"Over there. They're wearing something; can't tell who's who."

Smoker saw them, and nodded.

"Let's go."

"Yes, sir."

Tashigi pulled on the jacket that was offered to her, slipping the Red Petal through a loop. She was in an adrenaline rush, and it didn't occur to her that she'd never used the Red Petal before, and she usually never used the swords she collected.

The rest of the marines looked confused.

"What about us?"

"Ten of you,"

Smoker gestured towards a random group of marines,

"come with me. The rest of you stay here."




"There are people on the island, your highness."

Heavily hooded eyes darted towards the servant.

"Who? How many? What are they? Give me information, you imbicile!!"
He barked, a glass of liquor smashing just by the servant's foot.

"A fleet from the main marine headquarters and a pirate-crew holding a captain worth 30,000,000 beli."

The hooded eyes widened, and his cracked lips stretched into a thin-lipped smile.

"That will be fun,"
he mused,

"that will be lots of fun. Capture them all and bring them in... we'll charge them plenty before we let them go."

The servant remained standing, and the king frowned.

"What are you doing? Go and bring the captain in."

"Wh-what?"
The servant stammered, and suddenly jerked up high into the air before crashing onto the floor.

"A-as you w-wish, your h-highness."

As the servant shuffled away, the king smiled and settled into his throne.