As soon as the Gaang neared the island, Aang and Katara slowed down their waterbending speed and began to slowly but surely make their way to the island.
"Ugh!" Toph groaned as she hung over the edge of the boat in exhaustion, "I am so glad my feet are not on the boat right now."
Aang gave Toph a sheepish smile as he kept gradually pushing the water with waterbending, "Um, sorry, Toph. I guess we should have warned you all first."
"Ya think?" Toph said in sarcasm, her face directed at Aang as she scowled at him.
Momo, who now has his paws wrapped around Zuko's head and his eyes, was shivering in shock.
"Momo, it's okay, I think Aang and Katara are done waterbending at very high speeds...uh, you can get off me now," Zuko said awkwardly to the lemur-bat.
The animal did as he was told and flew back to Toph, now on her shoulders.
Zuko sighed in relief at not being grasped by the head by an animal...until he looked down at Sokka, who was still laying on his lap.
"Um...can I help you?" Zuko asked Sokka with a raised eyebrow.
"Hey, blame my water-manipulating crazy strong sister," Sokka mumbled as he sat up straight.
Suki sat up after that intense ride, the water on her face as the white facial paint came off of it, looking straight ahead.
Up ahead, was indeed an island that has a giant...mushroom-like mountain in the center of it, along with large mushroom-like 'trees', as well as other mushroom-like mountains and greenery surrounding it.
"...Wow. This island is...pretty unique," Suki said with a curiously raised eyebrow as she wiped the water and the makeup off her face.
Katara turned around to view the island, "Yeah. I wonder if that huge one is actually a mushroom?"
"So, what, is the island full of mushrooms?" Toph asked as she sat back down on the boat.
"Well, kind of," said Aang as he glanced back while pushing the water as he waterbend, "The island looks like it has some other vegetation on it."
Katara sat next to Zuko on the boat, "Well, either way, there have to be some people there, hopefully." she turned to Aang, "Hey, um, Aang, can you waterbend us there to the shore? I'm kind of tired right now and want to rest."
"Oh, uh, yeah, sure Katara!" Aang said as he continued to waterbend the water to push the boat to shore.
Toph frowned at what Katara said.
Wow. That one was an outright lie, Sugar Queen. I'm thinking you just want to get warm next to Zuko...
"Well, what are we doing sitting on this boat for, then!? Adventure awaits, me land-lubbers! Let's go!" Sokka declared as he stood and pointed at the island.
...They, even Toph and Momo included, just stared at him with confused and incredulous disbelief.
"...Were you trying to be a pirate?" Zuko asked him.
"What?" Sokka snapped his attention to Zuko, "N-No! I was just-come on, man, I was just being charismatic!"
"Well, it didn't work," Toph said, "It made you sound pretty dorky."
"Yeah, Sokka, Honey, as your girlfriend, do not ever do that again," Suki said to him with a shake of her head.
"Oh come on! It fits! We're sailing, we're on an unknown adventure, we're at the sea...in a new world, we-I mean, I don't have to explain this!" Sokka desperately tries to reason.
"Sokka. Stop," Katara said while she was rubbing her head with a sigh.
"Yeah. I mean, at least call us sailors," Zuko told the Water Tribe male, "Pirates sound kind of...dirty. Like, bad-dirty."
Aang hummed as he thought about the term 'pirate'. "...You know, Roger said he was King of the Pirates."
...An awkward silence...
"...Uh, I'm sorry, Aang, but what?" Zuko said to him as he turned his head back at him.
"Wait a minute, Aang," Katara spoke up, "You didn't say this Roger was...a 'King of the Pirates'?"
"I didn't?" Aang blinked, "But...I thought I did?"
"Uh, no, buddy, you didn't," Sokka confirmed.
"Wha...really?" Aang blinked once more in confusion.
"Yeah, I would've remembered that, Twinkletoes. You never said that," said Toph.
"...Oh...uh...well, yeah, he's...King of the Pirates?" Aang said a little awkwardly.
"Uh...okay. So, why is he called that?" Suki asked him.
"Uh...w-well, he said he was a...good pirate?" Aang said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Um, Aang, I hate to break it to you, but pirates aren't necessarily 'good'," Sokka informed him.
"Yeah, Aang. I was captured by pirates...um, no offense, Zuko," Katara said as she turned to the Fire Lord. "I mean, because...you know, because you associated with them one time and tried to capture me, and..." she blushed, "Well, you know, it wasn't your fault, it was-I mean you were chasing Aang at the time, and trying to-I mean, well, you were just-I-I mean-"
"Katara. Stop," Sokka told her as well.
"Oh shut up, Sokka!" Katara pouted as she folded her arms under her chest with a red flush on her face.
"Um...hey, no worries, Katara. What's in the past, is in the past," Zuko reminded her.
"Um, yeah, right..." Katara then tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
Not liking this interaction somehow, Aang felt obligated to say, "I mean, yeah Katara, I know. But I mean...he seemed like a nice guy. I mean, he did save me from Koh!"
"You know, come to think of it, Ozai has a crew...I wonder if he was a pirate at one time?" Toph wondered out loud.
"You know what? That wouldn't surprise me," Zuko said a little bitterly, "He had to get somewhere in his quest for power and respect."
"...You know, I wonder who Teach is? You mentioned him before, Aang," Suki told him.
"I mean...I heard from Roger that this Teach taught Ozai how to be strong...and said something about Ozai being a Titanic Captain. The eleventh one, actually," Aang said as he racked his brain. Meanwhile, Momo looked on at the conversation in query.
"Titanic Captain?" Toph raised an eyebrow at that.
"Odd title," Sokka muttered.
"Yeah, but still, I think this Teach trained him to be stronger...I think he's also called...Blackbeard?" Aang tried to remember.
"Okay, now that sounds like a pirate name," Sokka quipped.
"Yeah...Roger also said he was a Pirate Emperor now, also known as a Yonko," Aang retold the information to them.
"Wait, a Pirate Emperor?" Zuko asked Aang in disbelief.
"A Yonko?" Katara also looked bothered by that.
"Wait a minute, a Pirate Emperor? ...Huh. From what I'm getting at here, the term 'Emperor' could mean two things. One, he could be emperor of his own country, or two, he's actually a real emperor, meaning he takes a lot of lands and owns them to have more power and respect, and gets more resources out of them. And since he's a pirate, he sails around this world's sea, which we have a lot of here, so, basically whoever has the most land, power, and resources on this world will become...the Pirate King?"
...Everyone was just staring at him again...
"...What?" Sokka said with a sheepish shrug.
"Uh...Sokka, is there a reason why you monologued there?" Zuko asked him.
"Well, hey, I'm just trying to know more about this world. I think it makes sense, right?" Sokka asked anyone.
Suki smiled at her boyfriend, "It actually kind of does, Sweetheart. Very good thinking."
"Thanks, Babe!" Sokka smiled brightly.
"But still, the question is...is this Roger good or bad?" Katara wondered.
"And what would the title of Pirate King even require?" Zuko asked as he shrugged cluelessly.
"I mean, he didn't seem bad. He was actually friendly," Aang defended, "Maybe...Maybe he just likes to go on adventures?"
"Hmm..." Toph hummed in thought, "...Well, I do like to go on adventures...and I heard that one of Ozai's gang, that creep who was named Skulder, used to be a noble...even that chicken-pig-headed bastard named Bruin used to be a student in a dojo at a time."
"I also heard that Alfred guy used to be a knight," Suki informed.
"Yeah, and that Melinda woman...well, heck, I guess she just likes to fight, I guess," Sokka shrugged.
"And we're basically going on an adventure..." Katara faltered there.
"Wait, are you saying we're pirates now?" Zuko asked her in dumbfounded disbelief.
"Well...kind of? I mean, I think a pirate can be something of a sailor...meaning they can go wherever they want and have adventures, I guess," Katara assumed.
"Well, either way, this world we're in could be pretty interesting to learn about..." Aang said as he looked forward at the island. "Like, that island over there, for instance. I mean, why are there giant mushrooms on this island specifically?"
"Well, Twinkletoes, I guess we'll have to find out. Now, get us over there, Twinkles, I don't want to be on the water much longer."
"Oh, uh, sure Toph," and with that, Aang pushed the waves with his waterbending with a little more force and they sailed straight to the island's shore.
Once they got onshore, the first that got off the boat was Toph.
"Ahh, good old ground! Even though it's just wet sand, I'm glad to be standing on it!" she said with cheer.
The others soon got off the boat and are now on the shore of the island.
"Wow, this island is bigger than I thought it would be," Suki said as she looked up at the giant mountainous mushroom that was in the center of this island.
"I really wonder what kind of plant life this island or even this world has?" Katara wondered out loud.
"Well, if I can guess, there could be mushrooms here," Sokka said simply with a shrug.
"Yes, Sokka, that much is obvious," Zuko said in sarcasm, his eyes rolling, "I'm kind of interested in what this island has to offer as well."
"Well, one thing for certain, we need to find this straw hat guy," Aang reminded, "He can probably help us at this point.
"Well, let's get moving then! Let's see if we can find him here!" Toph declared.
Soon, they walked off the shore and into the forest of mushrooms.
They walked around for a good while, seeing all sorts of strange plants and even some animals scurrying around. Momo was still around Aang's shoulders and he was looking around in a fidgety session, seeing all this new environment around him and his human friends.
When about fifteen minutes ran by, Momo's head perked up.
"Huh? What's the matter, Buddy?" Aang asked Momo.
"Whoa, hold on a second, guys. Furball might be onto something," Toph paused in her step. She slammed her foot on the ground, "...There are some people here. Right off in the distance."
"There are?" Aang questioned.
"How many are there, Toph?" Zuko asked her.
Toph stomped her foot on the ground to scan the area off in the distance.
"...A lot. Probably more."
"Oh that's great," Sokka muttered with a sigh.
"Well, they could be friendly? Or they could be locals on this island?" Katara reassured.
"Well, we'll just have to see," Suki advised, "Aang, could you be able to do that air shooting up business again to see if you can spot anyone and see how many they are?"
"Oh, uh, yeah, just hold on a second. I need to get ready," Aang said. Momo seemingly sensed what Aang was going to do, and jumped off of him and onto Zuko's shoulders. It was then Aang took a deep breath, and blew air downward as he squatted, blowing himself upward and into the air, shooting up like a rocket.
As Aang shot up into the air, he passed the mushroom-like trees over him and surveyed the land out in the distance...
Meanwhile, the rest of the Gaang waited for Aang...
...seconds later, he came down.
"Well, what did you find, buddy?" Sokka asked Aang.
"..." Aang just blinked, looking dumbfounded, "...Um..."
"Aang?" Katara asked him in worry, "What is it?"
"Yeah, what's up?" Toph asked as well, "You sound like you can't believe what you saw. Which says something since we're on a mushroom island."
"...Guys, I think you all need to see for yourself. And I'm also thinking we should be quiet and not be spotted by these...uh...people," Aang advised.
The five of them looked at Aang in concern. Momo looked at Aang in confusion.
"Um...okay..." Katara said a little uneasily.
"Yeah...follow me," Aang told them.
The Gaang found some tropical bushes and some trees to hide behind as they gaze upon...
...
...
...Okay no, really, what were they looking at?
"What on Earth...?" Zuko whispered to himself in shock as he hid behind a tree.
"Whoa...what in the..." Suki also whispered as she was near Sokka behind some bushes, while the Water Tribe male's eyes went wide at what he was seeing.
"...Those three over there...are...reaaaaally big," Sokka said in a nervous tone.
"Oh my...Spirits..." Katara's eyes were also wide in shock behind a tree.
Toph, although she couldn't see them, can feel the size of some of the people that were standing with her vibrations...and she didn't like what she was feeling. For one thing, she felt three large men, as well as other smaller men, each of them feeling like they could all be in great physiques. The other thing she felt while she hid behind a bush with Sokka and Suki...was that there were a lot of people around that area. And they don't even know what they're all capable of.
Aang could only watch from behind a tree as he observes these people from a safe distance with his friends.
From what they saw, there were some who looked and dressed so...bizarre-like.
There were three giant men, one looking a little bit like a large man that would dwarf Aang and the Gaang, while the other was an even much larger man that was quite taller than the first one...while the last one was a literal giant, making the second one look smaller than him in comparison.
There were other people there, such as a few different colored-haired, weirdly colored-skinned, and strangely clothed individuals. There were also some animals and other oddities that took them aback. However, the oddest looking one of them all was a…man? Either way, his height was a little bit on the tall side, but he has a stout physique with skinny arms and legs, while his hair had two pointed tips going upward like fox ears. His nose was also big and long, almost a red color. The man seems to be grinning in a creepy way and was wearing orange suspenders, odd shoes, shirtless, and a purple robe-cloak around him. He also has a necklace around his neck and a wooden stick shaft sticking out of the front of his suspenders...
Either way, this...was surely a sight to them.
Well, except Toph.
"What kind of monsters are those?" Sokka whispered to either one of the girls next to him.
"How the heck should I know? I can't see, and if you're all as baffled as I am, then there's no way I can explain it," Toph commented.
"Well, I don't really know, but I think we need to think of some way to approach them," Suki advised.
"I agree," Zuko nodded, "Whatever kind of people these guys are, we need to approach them with caution."
"Hmm...how can we get to them without surprising them..." Aang stood there as he thinks.
Katara, though, glanced at Zuko and Momo, while the latter was still on Zuko's shoulders...
...She then has an idea.
"Hey, why not we send Momo up to them?" Katara asked, "Maybe then we can see if they're hostile or not?"
"Momo?" Aang blinked as he glanced at Momo on Zuko, "I mean...maybe...that could...I mean..."
"Hmm...that could be a good idea," Sokka nodded to that, "We send Momo over there to let them communicate among themselves, and see if they're friendly or not."
"That sounds like a plan," Zuko agreed as he turned to Momo, "Um...would that be okay, Momo?"
Momo just looked at Zuko...and gave him a little lick on his cheek.
"...I think that's a 'yes'," Zuko said with a blink.
"Wait! I mean...I just..." Aang felt conflicted about letting his only connection to his Air Nomad heritage, besides Appa, be sent out in the crosshairs of these unknown people.
Toph turned her body to Aang and said, "Hey, Twinkletoes, don't worry. I think Momo is smart enough to walk up to them and escape if they're hostile."
"Yeah, Aang," Katara agreed, "And if they are hostile, we'll go out there and fight them...um, right?" she asked, a little unsure.
"I mean...yeah, we can get in there and...fight a lot of those guys..." Zuko said, also unsure.
"Look, either way, Twinkles, we probably need a mode of transportation if they have any for us to find this straw hat guy. And I think Momo is willing to go over there and help us out," Toph assured Aang.
"...Okay," Aang nodded, "Hey, uh, Momo? Can you come here for a moment?"
Momo looked at his owner in confusion and flew over to where he is, on Aang's shoulders.
"Okay, look...we're gonna have to use you to see if these guys are good or not. You have to go out in the open and let them see you, and if you feel like they are hostile, then come back to us, okay?"
Momo looked at him, staring at him like he was processing what Aang was saying.
"Alright...well...you can go out there now, Buddy," ushered Aang.
Momo then did the lemur-bat equivalent of a nod and jumped off of Aang, and into the fray of these different-looking people...
"Fuehfehfehfehfehfeeeh! This is an absolutely brilliant idea!" praised the weird stout-looking man, known as Foxy, "We will soon initiate this plan to lure Straw Hat Luffy and his crew on having another Davy Back Fight with us! Fehfeh! You came up with a very crafty plan, Komei!"
A man with scars on the left side of his face and with long dark gray hair that was sporting a thin pointed mustache and a long pointed beard, smiled smugly, "Thank you, Captain. Operation: Luring Distraction for the Simple Minded will indeed be a success."
"I don't doubt it!" the fish-man known as Capote said, "I think one of Straw Hat Luffy's crewmates is a real ladies' guy in general!"
"Oh yeah!" said a pointy nose and aqua blue-haired woman named Porche, "I think his name is...Senji? Either way, great plan here, Komei! I'm almost close to seeing that cute little reindeer guy, Chopper, again!"
The first big guy, who was a brown-looking brute, known as Hamburg, laughed his strange laugh, "Pupupupupupuuuu!"
"Ah, yes, Straw Hat Luffy...he may have won that Davy Back Fight those two years ago, but I will make sure he will engage in another one! Just to settle the score!" Foxy proclaimed, "Besides, he and his crew were fun! And after seeing how his crew had grown in numbers, I would like to have another one added to my crew! Fehfehfeh!" he turned to another one of his crewmates, "Do you have everything in order? A Transponder Snail for when we get their attention?"
One of the other pirates, a tanned-skinned, large, and muscled man with long brown hair and a long beard with his hair being pulled back into a ponytail, turned to his captain, and told him, "Yep! Got it all ready! Kansho is also up in the trees finding the Straw Hats' ship from anywhere out in the sea!"
"I say, it's a miracle we got former Marines here helping us out in the New World!" Foxy comments, "We thank you for extreme help, Komei and Dojaku! As well as Kansho!"
"No need to thank us, Captain!" Dojaku said, "We will show our honor to you by helping you and your crew out!"
"Aieee! I like that, I like that!" Foxy said with a big grin, "Now, which of my female crew members or regular crew members will dress up as women here to lure the Straw Hats?"
Before they can say anything else...
Momo came scurrying up to the crowd.
"Eh?" Foxy looked down at the lemur-bat, "Eh...hello?"
Momo looked up at Foxy with a curious expression on his furry face.
"Whoa, what is that?" Capote asked.
"Duh-huh?" Hamburg looked down at Momo with blinking eyes.
"Huh?" Dojaku uttered, "Hey, what kind of animal is that? Is that a monkey?"
"Hm?" Komei hummed in question as he looked down at the animal, "...Well, I do say, that is quite...an interesting specimen."
Porche on the other hand...gasped loudly and had a look of admiration on her face.
"OOOH! IT'S SO CUUUUUTE!" Porche gushed and kneeled down to scoop him up.
Momo, seeing that the woman was about to grab him, decided to make a getaway, but was too late as Porche got him in time. She then snuggled Momo as the animal was trying to squirm out of her grasp.
"Oh my goodness, this little guy feels soft! Oooh, hey there, little cutie! Goochi-goo, goochi-goochi-gooooo!"
"Porche, put that monkey, bat...cat? ...Lemur...thing? Either way, put him down! It might carry diseases!" Foxy warned her.
"Awww, this little guy, Captain? No way!" Porche then cradled Momo like a baby, "Look at that face! Oh, Hamburg, look at this little cutie!"
She showed Momo to Hamburg who in turn looked at the lemur-bat with a dumbfounded blank look on his face...while Momo had the same face as well when he saw Hamburg.
"Aww, this little fuzzball does look pretty cute," said Capote as he scratched Momo's cheek, who in turn was enjoying the massage.
"I wonder where this little animal came from?" Dojaku asked anyone, but mostly he was asking Komei.
"Hmm..." Komei turned to Foxy, "Captain, I think someone else might be here."
"Eh!? What do you mean!?" Foxy exclaims in shock.
"During my times as a Marine, there would be no animal such as this to inhabit this island. In fact...it looks like a new species of…" Komei glanced at Momo while he was still being petted and scratched, enjoying the attention, "...maybe a lemur?" he turned back to Foxy, "Either way, this island has animals that really resemble mushrooms. This creature here...does not."
Foxy put a hand on his chin as he mulled that over, "Hmm...you are right. There were some mushroomed shaped animals scurrying around here..."
Meanwhile, Aang poked out his head from behind the tree to see what was going on. Upon seeing that Momo was actually being petted and scratched by some of the people, he went over to the bush where Toph, Sokka, and Suki are.
"Wow...they seem kind of friendly," Aang said as he lay low in the bushes next to Toph.
"Huh. Yeah. They sound like they're really into the little Fuzzball," Toph said as she heard the 'oooh' and 'aaah's of the other pirates.
"So, what, it's good to go up there?" Sokka asked.
"We need to keep our distance away from them though, just in case," Suki reminded.
Katara and Zuko ducked into the bush as well, the former saying, "I mean...they may look strange but they look a little harmless...except for those two bigger guys over there."
"Well, we need to get Momo back either way," Zuko advised, "He doesn't look like he's gonna get down anytime soon."
Aang just gazed at the lemur-bat enjoying the time of his life, and let out a sigh, "Well, I guess we can just have that leap of faith then."
"Then it's decided?" Toph asked Aang.
"...Yeah. We'll have to come out of hiding," Aang confirmed.
"Well, if anything, you and Toph can do the old earthbending duo thing, Zuko could try to roast them, and Katara could...um, bend some water around here? From the plants?" Sokka shrugged.
"I...well, I don't know if I can do that just yet. I mean, it reminds me a little bit too much of...bloodbending," Katara muttered quietly.
Aang felt like this was a good opportunity to comfort his girlfriend about not feeling bad about it, until Zuko said, "Hey, I still think you can use that for good. Like for the medical purposes we talked about a while back."
"I...I know, it's just...I don't know, it just...it still feels really..." Katara shivered.
"Hey, it's okay, Katara," Zuko said as he puts a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I mentioned it."
"No, you're fine. It's just...I do need to conquer it someday...I'll have to think about it," Katara said, but smiled reassuringly at Zuko with a nod.
Zuko smiled back and nodded, which made Aang...feel hurt...and maybe a little jealous.
Suki, though, saw this interaction and was really beginning to think that she might be onto something. Blinking at this development, she started briefly reeling over what the heck is happening here. Even Sokka, the most oblivious one of the group, was starting to finally notice as he raised an eyebrow.
And Toph did the wise thing and decided to go with the next course of action so that everything won't feel as awkward and on edge with each other.
Let them be discovered.
"Oh hey!" Toph shot up from the bush, "You found our lemur-bat!"
The aforementioned people jumped at the loud holler, Foxy and Porche yelping, while Hamburg and Capote gazed at the young girl in confusion. However, Komei and Dojaku's stances went rigid as they both looked ready and prepared to fight.
Those last two almost made Toph stop in caution the more she went closer to the group, but not wanting to look strange in doing so, kept going and said, "There you are, Momo! Come here, Fuzzball!"
Momo perked up as he heard the voice of Toph, and jumped out of Porche's grasp, flying over to the blind girl's shoulders.
The others decided to follow suit once Toph stood up.
"Uh, h-hey! Um, w-we come in peace!" Aang said nervously, "I-I mean, of course we do! I-I mean, we're just...uh, hi!"
Zuko shook his head, "Smooth, Aang."
"Yeah, I expected that from Snoozles over there," Toph said as she gestured her head to Sokka.
"Oh come on, I'm not that awkward! If anything, Zuko is the awkward one!" Sokka said with a pointing finger at Zuko.
"Hey!" Zuko frowned indignantly.
"Uh, anyways," Katara came up first in front of Toph and spoke hurriedly and anxiously, "W-We basically arrived here on this island, and we are...uh...w-we're looking for someone!"
...The pirates just looked at the newcomers with blinking dumbfounded eyes.
"..." Foxy glanced at each member of the Gaang, apparently at a loss at finding new people here, "...Well, this is certainly...unexpected."
"Yeah...who are you guys?" Porsche asked them with a raised her eyebrow.
Upon glancing at Porche, Katara slightly recoiled at Porche's...outfit...
Oh goodness! Does she realize how much skin she's exposing!?
"U-Um, well, m-my-uh, my name is Katara! And these are my friends here!" Katara gestured to the rest of the Gaang.
"Uh, yeah! Hi! My, uh, my name is Aang!" Aang came up as he waved.
"Um, I'm Zuko," Zuko introduced himself.
"Toph," Toph nodded her head as she introduced herself as well.
"The name's Sokka! And this lovely lady here is Suki!" Sokka introduced himself and Suki.
"Sokka..." Suki responded with a slight blush as she smiled and looked away from the people shyly.
"And this little guy here belongs with us. His name is Momo!" Aang said, pointing at Momo on Toph.
Momo jumped and flew onto Aang's shoulders now, and resided there as he let his friends talk.
"Uh...okay," Capote said as he scratched his head in bafflement, "So, where did you all come from?"
"Um...well..." Katara faltered there, but soon Zuko came to the rescue.
"We came from an island a little ways from here," Zuko answered, "We're trying to, uh...well, we're trying to look for someone, as Katara said."
"Oh? Well, who is this person you're looking for, young ones?" Foxy asked them.
Sokka answered the captain, "Well, we're kind of looking for someone specific, a little bit? I mean...well, do you happen to know of a guy around these parts that wears a straw hat?"
Foxy and his crew all stared at the Gaang...
"WHAT!?" The whole crew exclaimed in shock.
All of the Gaang just blinked at them in confusion.
"Uh...so...no, then?" Sokka asked with a wince and an awkward shrug.
"Straw Hat!? You mean, you're looking for Straw Hat Luffy!?" Foxy asked in amazement.
"Uh...I-I guess so?" Aang said with a perplexed raised eyebrow.
Luffy? Wow, that's...a really odd name. Aang thought.
And as if reading his thought, Toph said, "Luffy? What kind of name is that?"
"Luffy...wow. Of all the names, that had to be the most interesting," Zuko muttered to himself.
"What business do you have with Straw Hat Luffy?" Komei asked them, his tone suddenly firm and serious.
Toph took notice of this.
"Well, we're just...well, we're just trying to look for him, so...we can be stronger...?" Aang answered sheepishly.
"Be stronger?" Dojaku repeated, "You mean...you want to join his crew?"
"Crew?" Aang blinked, "Um...I, uh, I think so?"
"Crew?" Zuko mumbled in question to himself.
"Hm...I see," Komei said, his tone still firm.
Toph sensed the slight disdain in his voice when he said that.
"Hold on, hold on, hold on!" Foxy waved his hands around to keep some order, "So, what you're saying to me and all of us, is that you are looking for Straw Hat Luffy and his crew?"
"Um...now, when you say crew, what do you mean by that? Like, a crew, or...?" Sokka gestured them to continue.
Dojaku raised an eyebrow, "He means a pirate crew."
All of the Gaang blinked in shock.
"Pirate crew!?"
...The Foxy Pirates just stared at them.
"...Okay, just checking," Sokka said with a shaky smile, "Um, hold on a second, I think we all need to talk to our friend Aang here for a moment."
"Huh?" Aang uttered.
"Yeah, I...think everyone else needs to talk to him for a moment," Zuko told them.
"Uh, ditto," Katara nodded.
"Wha-?" Aang then was dragged to a group huddle by Zuko.
Once they did, Sokka asked the airbender quietly, "Uh, Aang? Did this Roger ever told you to go looking for a pirate crew?"
"Um...w-well, he said we were supposed to look for a straw hat guy...and...oh, wait...yeah, he did say some other people," Aang remembered.
"Well, that part would have been nice to know, Twinkles," Toph muttered as she blew a strand of hair that was ticking her nose.
"Yeah. I mean, a pirate crew? After what we went through upon encountering some in the past?" Zuko reminded.
"Yeah, I don't know. I mean, those pirates back home did try to kidnap me one time," Katara said quietly, a little unsure.
"Actually, are those weird-looking people also pirates?" Suki wondered out loud.
"Those guys over there?" Sokka gestured his head to the people behind them, "They look too...I don't know, they just don't scream 'pirate' to me. Besides, they seem a little too clean."
"...Too clean?" Zuko questioned Sokka.
"Yeah, you know. Pirates are supposed to be dirty-looking, right?" Sokka reasoned.
"Well, I like dirt. Doesn't mean I'm a pirate," mumbled Toph.
"Oh, no, Toph, I meant-"
"Look, guys, I don't know how to say it, but...I just think I trust Roger, you know? And...I think these people are alright. I mean, I don't know too much about pirates, but these guys seem like they're decent. And Roger sounded like this straw hat guy and his friends were pretty nice," Aang rationalized.
The rest of the Gaang was silent, contemplating their options.
"I mean, the least we can do is act like we're from here. I don't think they'll believe us if we say we live in another world," Aang reasoned.
Zuko looked thoughtful as he stared at the ground...he sighed, saying, "Well, you got a point there."
"But what do we say that we are?" Katara asked either one of them.
"You know what? Let's just say we're pirates. Let's see what kind of reaction it will have on them," Toph said with a shrug.
"Uh, Toph? Are you sure about that?" Sokka asked her.
"Hey, I read...well, my mom read me a tale when I was little about men of the sea, and that's like a pirate, right?" Toph asked anyone, "They're just men of the sea? Or men and women of the sea? Like they just want to go on adventures and stuff?"
"Um...well, that could be the original origin of the term 'pirate', I would think?" Katara said in slight confusion.
"You know, when you get right down to it, that is what a pirate is, right?" Suki said as she nodded at that.
"Well..." Aang thought about it, "...You know what? We'll go with Toph's suggestion. I mean, Roger has to be a good guy if he saved me from Koh and fought against him, as well as warned me about Ozai and coming all the way over to our Spirit World to tell me about it."
"Still don't know how that works," Sokka comments with a mutter.
Toph smiles at Aang accepting her idea. "Thanks Twinkletoes."
"Hey, no prob," Aang smiled back, even though she couldn't see it, "Face the problem head-on as you always say."
Toph snickered, having a tiny blush on her face, "Glad you're still taking my advice."
Unbeknownst to them, Suki took glances at Toph and Aang as she studied their expressions briefly, moreover Toph's.
...Hm...
"Well...I guess we're in agreement then?" Zuko asked everyone.
"I guess so," Katara answered, almost a little uncertain.
"I am. I mean, what else do we have to lose?" Suki commented.
"..." Sokka sighed, "Okay. I guess we're pirates then."
"Um, excuse me?" said the voice of Foxy behind them.
The Gaang jumped in surprise and turned their attention to the odd-looking man.
"Oh, uh sorry, we're done!" Aang said quickly.
"Uh...right," Foxy nodded, "May I ask what is your relation to Straw Hat Luffy?"
"Uh...well, we were just wanting to meet him and, um...join his crew, cause...we...heard...good things about his...crew?" Aang said sheepishly.
"Oh...well, actually," Foxy started to say with his hand on his chin as he smirks, "We are a pirate crew ourselves, ya know? We are known as the Foxy Pirates! I am the captain, Foxy!"
The Gaang all blinked in shock.
"Wait...you guys are pirates?" Sokka asked them incredulously.
"Eh!?" Foxy froze as he processed what Sokka said, "What do you mean by that!? Of course we are pirates! I mean, is it not obvious!?" he exclaimed, clearly offended to the point where he was in tears.
Aang cringed, "Uh, n-no! It-It was obvious! My, uh, My friend Sokka here was just...slow, I guess!"
"Hey!" Sokka exclaimed, offended.
Toph and Zuko snickered, while Katara just smirked.
"Uh, and his girlfriend Suki keeps him in line!" Aang kept going.
"Well, that's true, I do keep him on his toes," Suki said, deciding to play along with a smirk as well.
"..." Sokka frowned comically and crossed his arms, "You guys suck, you know that? Except for you, Suki."
Now Suki snickered.
Once Foxy cooled down, he sniffled and said, "Well...okay. Either way, I wanted to see if you would all like to join my crew? I can assure you, we are strong enough to withstand not only Paradise on the Grand Line, but also the New World, for which we are in right now! If we can fare entering the New World, then we can surely fare anything!"
"Yeah! Go Captain!" the rest of Foxy's crew cheered him on.
"...Um, o-okay, uh..." Aang tried to think of something on the spot, "Well, we...I mean...it's kind of a personal matter."
"Eh? Personal, you say?" Foxy said in curiosity, "Well, you know, I am also trying to lure the Straw Hats on a little personal game myself."
That perked their ears up.
"You are?" Zuko asked him.
"What kind of game?" Katara also asked.
"Oh, just your average Davy Back Fight! Straw Hat Luffy and his crew beat us last time two years ago, and we want to have a rematch!" Foxy told them with a grin, "Hopefully, we will lure them with this ruse that one of my new crew members thought up, and challenge them once again!"
"Oh, uh, okay...um, what does a Davy Back Fight entail, if...you don't mind me asking?" Aang asked.
Foxy looked at them oddly, "You don't know what a Davy Back Fight is?"
"Uh...no?" Zuko answered.
"Really?" the woman known as Porche came up to them, "You guys are pirates and don't even know what a Davy Back Fight is?"
The rest of the Gaang winced and tried to scrounge up a quick response.
"W-Well, we, well, we're basically...new to this?" Katara reasoned lamely.
A little to the back behind Foxy, Komei and Dojaku was listening in on their conversation.
"They don't know what a Davy Back Fight is?" questioned Dojaku, "Huh...every pirate is supposed to know that, right?" he said turning his head to Komei.
"Hmm...that they do..." Komei narrowed his eyes as the Gaang.
"Hm...what do you suppose that means?" Dojaku asked Komei.
"...I'll be right back. I need to talk to our captain for a second," Komei told Dojaku.
"New to this?" Porche raised an eyebrow, "But every pirate knows about a Davy Back Fight! Even people who aren't pirates!"
"Uh, well, we...I mean...we-" Aang began to say, feeling anxious at this interrogation, until Toph interrupted.
"We're very sheltered, let's just say," she completed Aang's sentence.
"Uh, y-yeah! I mean...yeah, w-we're just...very sheltered," Aang nodded, keeping his composure.
"Oh? What island did you live on at the time?" Foxy asked them.
"...Uh..." Aang tried to think up something that wasn't the last island they were on, because that in itself would raise questions.
"Mayday, mayday," Sokka muttered to Suki.
"Not now, Sokka," Suki told him.
"Um, excuse me, Captain? May I have a word with you?" Komei asked Foxy as he came up to him.
"Eh? Uh, okay?" Foxy complied in confusion.
Foxy and Komei went off to the side to talk, while Porche glanced at the Gaang suspiciously for a second and walked back to her captain and crew member. They were apparently about ten feet away from them.
The Gaang just stood there, not liking where this was heading...
"...What do you think they're talking about?" Suki quietly asked anyone.
"That...I don't know," Katara said, a little uneasy.
"Um..." Aang turned to Toph, "Toph, could you maybe hear what they're saying from this distance?"
"I'll try. Everyone just be quiet for a little bit," Toph said.
Komei then told Foxy, "Captain, I feel as if these newcomers are not being honest with us."
"Eh? What do you mean?" Foxy asked Komei.
"For one, if they really are pirates, they would know what a Davy Back Fight is," Komei explained.
"Yeah, that was a little odd," Porche threw her two cents in.
"Well, I admit that was a little outlandish that they do not know what a Davy Back Fight is if they are pirates...but I think Straw Hat Luffy didn't know either, right?" Foxy remembered.
Porche thought about that, "Huh...yeah, I think I remembered him not knowing about it either. Only a few of his crew members did, I would say."
"Well then, what's the problem?" Capote asked them as he joined in on the conversation. Dojaku joined in as well.
"I feel as if..." Komei decided to drop the 'bombshell', "I think they might be working for the Marines."
Foxy and the rest of his crew's eyes all widened as they blanch at this info.
"Puh!?" Hamburg uttered in shock.
"The-" Porche quickly glanced at the Gaang and back at Komei to quietly say, "The Marines?"
"Really? Those kids?" Capote asked in disbelief.
"You be surprised what lengths the Marines would go through," said Dojaku, "They would even disguise mere children as innocent would-be pirates."
"I...I don't know, they seem...I mean, the kid with the arrow tattoo looks suspicious, and maybe the guy with the scar on the left side of his face is shady, but that's what some pirates, are, right?" Foxy reasoned.
"Captain, I think I saw these kids before while I was at the Marines. They look familiar," Komei told him with a serious look.
"What? Are you sure?" Foxy asked with wide eyes.
"Yes...I'm positive," Komei nodded.
"Yeah, they look...familiar somehow," Dojaku told them as he took a glance at them.
Meanwhile, back at the Gaang...
"...Those two, one of them with an aged voice and the big guy with a scraggly voice are lying," Toph told them all in a low tone.
"What? What are they saying?" asked Aang in a quiet tone as well.
"They're saying that we...work for the 'Marines'?" Toph informed quizzically.
"Marines?" Zuko questioned in a hushed tone, "What are they?"
"I don't know, but the rest of these guys went stiff when they mentioned them," Toph said.
"Um...are we in trouble?" Sokka asked in concern.
"That I don't know yet, but I'm starting to think that Marines equals 'really bad' for these guys…" Toph's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "And those two guys I mentioned earlier said that they once served the Marines. Even going as far as saying that they know us."
"What? But why would they say that about us?" Katara wondered, "We just met them."
"...Guys, I think these two men Toph is talking about are trying to turn these people against us," Zuko concluded.
"I think so too," Toph nodded.
"W-Well, what do we do?" Aang asked Zuko and Toph.
"Let's just pretend we're not listening in on their conversation for now and just be calm," Toph told everyone.
"I'll try," Sokka said with a mumble.
Meanwhile with the Foxy Pirates…
"Well, if they really are Marines, then what do we do?" Foxy asked Komei.
"That is not my place. You are the Captain, Foxy, and we will follow your orders," Komei informed him.
"Oh...well, I...hm..." Foxy thought about it, "They said they were trying to find the Straw Hats as well...so they can get stronger...come to think of it, that does sound a little weird when repeated..." Foxy's eyes then widened in realization, "Wait a minute...that could be a ploy for them to try to take the Straw Hats captive!"
Komei blinked, but he smiled cryptically and nodded, "Yes. That is a very good possibility, Captain."
"Wow! That's super smart, Captain Foxy!" Porche praised him, "And they must've kidnapped that cute little animal they called Momo as well!"
"Right. And even though I lost against Straw Hat Luffy and his crew, I still respect them! I don't want them to be taken into custody!" Foxy nodded in determination, "Okay! I think I know what I must do!"
"Wait a minute, Captain," Komei stopped him, "You can't just reveal their ruse just yet. Play along with them. Who knows what kind of power they hold, or whatever Devil Fruit they have? Win their favor first...in fact, we have extra women here to lure the Straw Hats."
"Eh? Hmm..." Foxy thought about that, "...Well..." he glanced at the Gaang, specifically the girls, "...We do need more women in this plan."
Now back to the Gaang...
...Toph then said to her friends, "Okay, I think now we should beat it."
"Huh? What do you-" Aang began to say, but Foxy interrupted him as he exclaimed-
"I have a proposition for you all!"
The Gaang froze, a slight feeling of dread washing over them, as they felt unsure of what they all just got themselves into…
"...Would you all be willing to help lure the Straw Hats to us?"
Blinking at that, except Toph, who looked uncharacteristically nervous, Katara said, "Um, sure? What do we, uh, have to do?"
"Oh, well, it actually involves...well, it would particularly involve you three young women at the moment."
Not liking that response, Zuko went in front of Katara, "What do you need them for?"
"Yeah, what are you gonna do?" Sokka said with arms crossed with a disapproving frown as he went in front of Suki.
Aang looked at Toph for a second to see that she looked a little...anxious?
"Oh goodness, nothing! We just...uh...well, pardon me for saying this, but we need some very attractive women to take part in this ruse on letting the Straw Hats come over here," Foxy explained.
"Uh...what do we get to do?" Katara asked from behind Zuko curiously.
"Oh, um...well, you know, just look pretty, I guess?" Foxy said with a shrug.
...The Gaang was waiting for an 'and'...but it didn't come.
"...Oh…" Katara blinked, "Well...I...guess that's okay?"
"Katara!?" Aang, Zuko, and Sokka exclaimed in shock.
"Oh come on, guys," Suki waved them off, "They seem like they're honest. Besides, it could be the only way to get these Straw Hat Pirates to come over here."
"...Yeah..." Toph said, looking like she was self-conscious all of a sudden.
Aang took notice of this, "I mean...are you sure, Toph?"
"No. But we need to get to this Straw Hat guy Loofy, or whatever," Toph muttered.
Zuko looked back at Katara and she gave him a reassuring nod, which made him feel a tiny bit better,
"..." Zuko sighed, "Okay...just...don't go crazy on acting all...pretty, or something..."
"We'll try not to, Zuko," Katara gave him a sly look and a smirk as she walked to the Foxy Pirates.
"I don't like this," Sokka said with a grumpy look on his face.
"Oh come on, Sokka, you get to see me pose and whatnot. And you like how I pose," Suki said with a smirk of her own.
"...That I do," Sokka said with a blush.
"Well, let's get this over with," Toph said as she began to walk to the Foxy Pirates.
"Wa-Wait, Toph?" Aang called out to her.
"Huh? Uh, yeah, Twinkletoes?" Toph asked as she turned around.
"Uh..." Aang just stood there, tongue-tied for a second, until he said lamely, "Um...just...be...confident? I-In yourself?"
"...Uh...okay...thanks..." Toph turned back around, to hide the blush on her cheeks as she went up to the group.
...Aang, Zuko, and Sokka just stood there...
"...Wait, we should follow them," Sokka told the two men.
"Oh, uh, r-right," Zuko agreed.
"Oh, um, y-yeah, w-we should!" Aang nodded.
And they went up to Foxy's group as they set the plan in motion...
However, Komei was in his thoughts as he was walking with Foxy and his crew...
Hmm...whoever these kids are, they seem suspicious. Are they really pirates? Whatever they are, they seem to want to find the Straw Hats to get...stronger, they said...well, if that's the case, then they are our enemy.
"Uh...are wearing these outfits necessary?" Katara said as she glanced down at herself.
"You know, I'm actually starting to have second thoughts about this..." Suki said, feeling a little awkward at exposing this much...skin.
"...Am I in a swimsuit right now?" Toph monotonously said.
"I...don't know..." Katara looked around herself and checked her backside.
"What's up with you three? You act like you never wore casual clothes before!" Porche said to them as she fixed up the other women, "You all actually look darling!"
"Uh...thanks...I guess..." Suki looked down at herself.
Each girl was wearing shorts that insinuate their toned legs and figures, and wear tops, each girl having a different one. Suki had a green V-neck shirt on that shows a little bit of her cleavage. Katara's top was a blue spaghetti strap top that also viewed her moderate cleavage. Toph, however, was wearing a tube top that...well, you get the idea.
"I feel like there should be a law here," Toph drawled.
"Well, Toph, apparently this...place we're in wears stuff like this...I mean, I don't necessarily agree with it, but...well, if it's to get this Luffy and his crew to come over, then, we have to take drastic measures," Katara explained.
"I'll tell ya one thing, I wonder who this creep is in this Straw Hat crew?" Suki wondered with a disapproving frown.
"If it's this Luffy character, I will definitely have a piece of my mind with him," Katara mumbled in disdain.
"Well, if he and this crew of his try to hit on me, then all bets are off. I'm aiming a rock at their crotches," Toph muttered.
Meanwhile, with the boys...
"...Wow. Suki looks...good...I mean, better than usual!" Sokka said, his eyes glued onto his girlfriend. He glanced at Aang, "You better not think of impure thoughts about my sister, Aang."
"I wasn't!" exclaimed both Aang and...Zuko, whom they both blushed...
...Both Sokka and Aang(and Momo, who was on Aang's shoulder) looked at Zuko.
"...Uh...I mean, yeah, I wasn't...thinking about, uh...Katara...a-and Suki! I mean, I wasn't thinking that way about Toph either! Absolutely not!"
...Both Sokka and Aang just blinked at Zuko. The latter looked at him suspiciously, while Sokka...was finally starting to get his gears rolling.
"...Oh...okay..." Sokka just looked forward and said nothing after that.
"...Yeah..." Aang said warily, as he directed his gaze back at who he was actually staring at...
Sokka, meanwhile, was thinking...while Zuko and Aang had different thoughts in mind...
Oh great. Now they think I'm a perv. Zuko cringed. I mean, I was just...well, how can I not look!? Katara is...she's as beautiful and attractive as she is now! I mean...my goodness, she's showing a lot of her...her skin...oh boy, I need to sit down.
...While Katara is beautiful, Toph is...wow, I...I don't know what to say about it...I mean, she's...man, she is rockin' that look! Aang stood there...and blushed as he kept staring at Toph, ...What is going on here? I mean, I'm with Katara! ...Right? And...what Zuko said wasn't...directed at Katara...right?
"Okay! Places everyone!" Foxy told the women there, "I have been informed by Dojaku that Kansho can see the Straw Hat's pirate ship! We will commence the plan! Do we have the Transponder Snail?"
"Right here, Captain," Komei said as he was holding a...snail...with a mechanism on it.
The two women of the Gaang, them being Katara and Suki, blinked at the contraption.
"...What is that?" Katara asked.
"I don't know...it's almost kind of...cute?"
"What is it?" Toph asked them.
"The guy named Komei, the elderly voice you mentioned, is holding a...snail?" Katara described.
"A snail?" Toph grimaced, "Why is he holding a snail?"
Before Katara could say anything else, Foxy said to the women, "Alright! We are a-go! Turn it on, Komei, and remember your lines!"
And so, Komei turned it on...and spoke to it.
"Hello? Hello? Anyone there? Can anyone reach this signal? Help. We are stuck on this island," Komei said to the snail.
...The snail was making static sounds...
...The Gaang just stood there, baffled at what they are witnessing.
The snail kept making weird noises, them being "Purupurupurupuru"...
...Then, someone spoke out of the snail.
"Heeeey! Who is this?" said a childlike boy's voice coming out of the snail.
The Gaang's eyes widened at the different voice that was coming out of the snail.
"Luffy! Don't answer a random call from someone!" said a young woman's voice.
Now the Gaang blinked at that revelation.
Wait...that voice belongs to Luffy!? The six of them thought.
"Yeah! Who knows if the Marines could tap into the line!" said a young man's voice.
"I agree. They could lure us into a trap. That wouldn't be super," said a much older man's voice.
Foxy gestured for Komei to keep going, which he obliged.
"Excuse me! Can you please help us? We need rescuing! We all have been here on this island for a very long while! Please help us!"
"Ugh, great Luffy, now we have to answer them," the young woman grumbled, "Um, well...who are you guys?"
Foxy nodded for Komei to continue.
"Oh thank goodness! I'm sorry to be a bother, but our ship has been wrecked on an island near where you all are! Follow your Log Pose! My lovely crew of young ladies and I need assistance! If you can help us, we'll reward you with whatever you want! Please, we would really appreciate it!"
"WHAT!?" exclaimed a younger adult male voice out of the snail, "LOVELY CREW OF YOUNG LADIES!?"
...The Gaang sweatdropped...
Well...there's the perv. All six of them thought.
"Yes! They will reward you greatly!" Komei informed them.
"WHAT ARE WAITING FOR!? WE GOTTA-!"
BONK!
"Hold on! How do we know if you really are shipwrecked? That part sounded tacked on!"
"We truly are shipwrecked! In fact, we will show you a picture of my crew!" Komei then gave the snail to Dojaku and nodded to him. Foxy mouthed at them to 'pose', while Dojaku was getting the snail ready to take its picture of the girls.
The girls of Foxy's crew all posed, even some were waving and smiling at them. Katara, Suki, and Toph were just standing there, completely dumbstruck.
The snail's eyeballs then flashed and made another sound, which made it sound like it was processing...like it was a fax machine.
...
...
...They waited...
...
...
…And waited...
...
...
...Komei then gestured for Dojaku to give him the snail, which the larger man did. Once he took the snail in his hand, Komei spoke into it, "Um...hello?"
...
...
...Foxy whispered, "Did it work?"
And then...
BWOOOOOOOSHH!
A large speeding projectile came up in an instant, causing a tidal wave of seawater to gush up on shore!
"ACK!" The three women of the Gaang exclaimed.
The men of the Gaang basically stood their ground but were also surprised by the sudden entrance. Momo was even grabbing onto Aang's head, frightened and shaken.
The projectile...was a large ship!
The figurehead had a weird animal's head on the front of the ship, a yellow lion...something? Either way, it had a yellow face, a white muzzle with the tip being a black nose, black beady eyes, and an orange mane, with white crossbones below the head, forming a Jolly Roger. The sail of the ship also had a Jolly Roger of a white skull and crossbones, with a yellow-colored Straw Hat on its head. The colors of the ship were red, white, and brown, with hints of gold on it.
The ship looked grand, with the crow's nest having a dome on top of the mast, along with another mast at the back of it, and another large dome addition at the end of the ship. On each side of the ship, there was a red printed '1' on them.
Once the ship touched the sand, it made a loud entrance, the ground shaking as the ship stopped abruptly.
...
...There was silence.
"...What just happened?" Toph asked either Suki or Katara in shell-shocked awe.
"...A...A large ship just came up to us..." Katara answered, "...With incredible speed."
"...Okay..." Toph said nothing after that.
...It was still silent...
...Until someone came up to the helm, a blonde-looking man, shouting out, "DON'T WORRY, YOUNG LADIES! I WILL SAVE YOU FROM YOUR HORRIBLE PREDICAMENT!"
...The Gaang just looked up at the man.
"HERE I COME!" And with that, the man jumped off the ship and landed on his own two feet.
Now the Gaang blinked at how this man landed on the ground at such a high altitude.
Also, there were more people coming up at the front of the helm. A young woman, who just only had...a two-piece top on, and long flowing orange hair; a young man with tanned skin, a really long nose, and black long curly hair, who was wearing overalls and a large white-brimmed hat; a green short-haired man with a scar on his left eye, and wearing a long green cloak with a purple belt sash around his waist that was exposing his strong chest that has a nasty scar on it; and an older and taller woman with flowing raven-colored hair that was...apparently wearing something revealing as well. She also had some shades on top of her head.
"Ugh...that idiot," the younger woman muttered irritably.
"Well, we're here either way," said the long nose male, "I guess this will be our first island in the New World."
"Yeah..." the green-haired man gruffly said as he looked at the island, "...Are those mushrooms?"
"It looks like it," the other woman deducted, having a faint smile on her lips. When she looked at the crew, she then realized, "...Oh. Wait. I think it's those Foxy Pirates."
Meanwhile, with the blonde male...
"Don't you worry, darlings! Sanji is here to comfort you all in your time of need!" the man, known as Sanji, apparently, came running up to them...
...Which oddly enough, he went to the three girls of the Gaang first.
"Hello, madams!" Sanji said to each of the three girls with a big love-sick grin, "My name is Sanji! My cohorts and I are here to rescue you!"
"...Uh..." Katara blinked, dumbfounded.
"Um...th-thank you, but, we, um-" Suki was about to say, but Sanji interrupted her with a finger up to her lips.
"Shhh! Do not worry, my damsel," Sanji said as she took Suki's hand, and knelt in front of her.
"U-Uh, wai-what-whoa, wait-" Suki's eyes then went wide with shock, thinking he was doing the ultimate proposal.
"Madam, I see that you are flattered by my bold move, but really, I just can't help but look at your beauty. It takes my breath away. Your gracefulness must be magnificent," he rubbed her hand, "Ah! You seem to be a fighter as well! Soft calloused hands handled with care. You must have fought very long and hard against this harsh environment on this island. A woman who can fight, is a woman to be reckoned with. Let me ask you, what is your name?"
"Her name is Suki," said a male's voice belonging to none other than Sokka.
"Huh?" Sanji then turned his attention to Sokka, who was standing next to Suki, arms crossed and glaring at the man. "...Who the hell are you?" Sanji asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Hi. Name's Sokka. The woman you are touching is my girlfriend," Sokka said with a challenging glare, "I would really appreciate it if you get your damn hands off of her."
"...Oh…" Sanji, however, wasn't fazed. He did, though, looked at a dumbfounded Suki again and back at a frustrated Sokka. He then let go of Suki's hand and stood up, adjusting his tie. "Well...I apologize then."
Now Sokka blinked at Sanji's attitude. He really wasn't expecting this to be so civil. "Uh...you're forgiven?"
"Hm." Sanji nodded back at Sokka, but turned back to Suki and said, "I am deeply sorry that I came onto you like that. Forgive this poor love-struck fool."
"...Uh...you're, uh, you're good, no worries," Suki assured him.
"Hmm..." Sanji sighed...but then went to Toph as he knelt down with the same dopey love-struck smile, "Hello, my petite beauty! You are certainly adorable and beautiful like the fresh grass that shines in the morning! Your hair is like a flowing curtain of the night, and your eyes-" Sanji then looked at her eyes...and said, "Oh wait...you're blind..."
"...Uh…yeah..." Toph said with a blink.
"...Well...if only you can see how magnificent and gorgeous you are, then I would surely say that you would be stunned by your own beauty. Your elegant frame-"
"Uh, o-okay, look, listen, buddy...uh...let me ask you a question," Toph said, her face glowing a shade of red.
Meanwhile, Aang and Zuko looked on...the former now feeling a little...annoyed, frowning at how this guy was sweet-talking Toph...
...His good friend...
...Yeah...that's right...his good friend...
"Why sure, little madam, what is it?" Sanji asked with a warm smile on his face.
"...How old do you think I am?" Toph asked him.
...
"...What?" Sanji said with his smile still in place.
"I mean, from your stance and your voice, you feel and sound like you're...well, waaay older than me," Toph told him.
"...What...What do you mean? I...I don't understand."
"Well...how old are you?"
"...Twenty-one..."
"...Uuuuh-huh...look, I'm, um...like, really flattered, but...I'm...basically fifteen..."
"...What?"
"She says she's fifteen!" Aang yelled out to Sanji to deliver the blow.
...Wind was blowing past them...
...
"PFFFFFT-HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!" roaring laughter came from the green-haired man.
The younger woman and man just looked at Sanji with shame. Robin just chuckled.
"...Oh my-I am so sorry," Sanji then stood up and turned to not look at her...shame literally shading his entire face...
He turned his head to Katara and looked at her hopefully.
Katara winced, and said, "I'm, um-"
"She's taken!" yelled out...Zuko?
Katara blushed at who the voice belonged to, while Aang turned his head to Zuko with a confused look on his face.
"...Um...yeah..." Zuko said, rubbing the back of his head, "By...you, of course."
"...Uh...okay...thanks..." Aang said, raising a suspicious eyebrow.
And just like that, once again, Sanji doesn't score.
"...Oh..." Sanji turned his head forward and got a cigarette out of...somewhere, as well as the lighter, and smoked a stick. Inhaling and exhaling the smoke out of his mouth, he stood there...and walked away, keeping his dignity intact.
...Damn...it...
"Hey, what's going on over there?" said the childlike voice...the voice sounding like...
The Gaang looked up.
Appearing on top of the figurehead, there was a young man, with short dark raven hair, a scar under his left eye, and an "X" shaped scar on his exposed chest. He was wearing a red vest, some blue baggy shorts, and some sandals. But the most notable feature that he was wearing, was...
A straw hat!
The Gaang's eyes widened, as well as Toph's as she heard his voice, while the others are just seeing him.
"Hey, who are these guys?" the young man known as Luffy tilted his head curiously, "And is there any meat around here? I'm hungry!"
And that's when they realized...
They are seeing none other than Monkey D. Luffy.
Alrighty! We're stopping here! Just to let you all know, I haven't watched the TV special "Adventure of Nebulandia" so I'm not going by the plot of the special. I'm just getting the information on the One Piece Wiki. Still, I hope this is all good and that I made the characters act like themselves a bit! :D
Next chapter, Toph will reveal Komei and the others for who they are, and maybe a fight will take place! ;D After that, to Punk Hazard! Which, by the way, this special will be set before that arc. I hope that's okay and that it makes sense. ^^;
Also, I'm job searching right now, so if I get a job, just know that I will be a little busy from here on in. Don't worry, I'll mostly do morning shifts. Either way, I got to earn that dough! Just wanted to tell you all that and warn y'all if I somehow get hired. ^^;
But yeah, tell me what you think! I hope it's a good read so far! I love to hear what you all think! :) Give me a review, fave, and a follow! :D
Thank you all for reading and keep on rocking everybody! ^_^
-TSP