Author's notes:
Sorry folks, this took so long, but study started and I had to get used to it...
I hope you forgive me and like this part.
I'm not sure why this story turned out the way it is now, but I wasn't intending it... who knows what it was good for Don't forget to review!!!
--------------------
"Robin?"
"Yes?"
A pause.
Then:
"Are we there, yet?"
"No."
"Oh."
Another pause.
Then:
"Usopp?"
"No!! Dammit, Luffy! I can't see the island, yet, so don't even think about asking for the umpteenth time!!" Usopp yelled down from the crow's nest, hoping the rubber-boy would 'finally' understand the meaning of 'no'...
"When, did the guy say, should we reach it?" Luffy asked, turning around where he was sitting cross-legged on the lamb's head, having watched the horizon without blinking once for the last two hours.
"Said, we should reach the marine headquarters in something around a day... if nothing happens on the way." Zoro replied, having just walked out of the ship and sat down on the stairs leading towards the main deck.
"We have to keep in mind, that this stretch of water is probably swarming with marine ships and we shouldn't risk a fight. The ship with Nami on board already has a lead of more than two hours and a fight would only increase the gap between her and us." Robin told her crewmates solemnly, eyes fixated on the Lock Pose in her hands, as she checked the course.
"Yeah, well, if that stupid frying pan hadn't wimped out, we wouldn't have to play hide and seek in the middle of the Grand Line." Zoro mumbled, watching Sanji from the corner of his eyes.
But Sanji didn't say anything to that, much to Zoro's dismay.
He had hoped that the cook would react to his comment and would finally stop brooding in self-pity and would start behaving like his normal self... running around on deck, getting on everybody's nerves about how he would kill anybody who would dare touch his lovely Nami.
But Sanji was far from his usual self.
He hadn't said a word ever since they were heading towards the marine base, eyes always casted downwards onto his leg. He hadn't even averted his gaze or had made a noise, when Chopper had set his leg (which Zoro had to admit, had looked more than painful) and had cleaned the wound.
Although it wasn't self-pity that haunted Sanji.
There was on the one hand, that loud angry voice inside his head, accusing him of not having been able to defend his only true love... telling him how incapable of standing his man he was.
But the one feeling that kept his mind occupied for most of the time, was pure and uttermost concern.
The thought that she was out there, alone and unable to protect herself, felt worse than the blinding, white pain when he had broken his leg.
It seemed to make his blood boil and made him almost forget the pain in his thigh.
"Captain, we should better reef the sails... we don't want anybody to see the Jolly Roger, right?" Robin suggested.
Within no seconds, the panicked men lowered their flag.
"Right now, we can drift with the current... if needed you will have to use the oars and paddle."
Usopp nodded as he thought about Robin's suggestion, knowing that this was probably the best and easiest way to get to the island where Nami was being held, without gaining too much attention.
Sighing, Chopper wiped away the beads of sweat on his forehead, glad they had banished another problem that could have jeopardized their mission, when:
"Luffy!! There are two marine ships!!" Usopp suddenly yelled down.
"What are we doing now?!" Eyes wide in fear, Chopper started running around on deck as if he had gotten bitten by a tarantula.
Getting up from her folding chair, Robin walked over to where the little deer was holding tightly onto the mast. "We keep silent and get out of their range as fast as possible. And stop yelling and blowing a fuse... that makes us all the more suspicious to them." With that she leaned back against the railing, facing away from the two ships.
"Right... no fight." Luffy nodded, concentrating instead again on the horizon.
For some minutes the friends were silent, everybody engrossed in thinking about the upcoming events,
when Usopp cleared his throat soundly, getting everybody's attention at once.
"Hey, Robin... what are they gonna do with Nami when they've reached the base?"
Five heads turned towards the raven-haired woman.
"In case they find out who she is, they'll probably execute her... she's after all the navigator of the famous straw-hat pirates."
Jaw agape, Luffy watched Robin with wide eyes. For the first time he realized that this situation wasn't as funny as he'd thought. It was grave and finding Nami had to be their only concern right now...
A loud 'bang' made them all look at the cook, who had just slammed his fist into the ship's side,
the railing having burst under the enormous strength that lay behind the blow.
"They won't get the chance to touch her."
----------
"Captain Smoker, there's a caravelle, heading towards the marine base."
Saluting, a young officer waited for his CO to react to his report, face set and eyes fixated on a point somewhere in the distance.
"And?"
"..." Gulping down the lump in his throat, the young man glanced nervously at th back of his captain's head, not really knowing what to reply.
"Listen,buddy, there's other business I have to take care of right now and there's no time to hunt down some damn ship you blind fish accidently found and that's probably transporting new supplies to the base!! Now get outta my sight and get Lieutenant Tashgi down here and as long as no Jolly Roger is laughing in your face, I don't want to see ya again here!!"
"Yessir!!" The poor officer yelled and took off into the opposite direction, running down some stairs to get inside the large marine ship.
Exhaling a lung of smoke with an exaggerated sigh, Captain Smoker headed to where five soldiers had just entered his ship, having brought his 'special guest' on board.
Having made sure she wouldn't jump into the sea any time soon, he allowed his gaze to wander towards the second ship, acknowledging the other captain with a short nod.
"Captain! Is she here already?"
Spinning around, jaws set, Smoker regarded the young woman with a long hard glare, a vain appearing on his forehead.
"Would I otherwise call you, Lieutenant?!"
"No, Sir!" Tashgi replied, gripping her precious sword harder.
Shaking his head, the white-haired man watched his prisoner walk towards him, two men on either side of her.
She was still handcuffed and her gaze was casted downwards at her sandals. She obviously wasn't intending to look at him any time soon and Smoker muttered something incoherently under his breath as he thought about the upcomming battle of wills...
"Did they leave ya behind or why are you running around, beating the crap outta some fine officers, huh?" He asked, arms folded across his chest.
Nami glared at him, anger clearly evident in her large eyes.
She wasn't stupid and knew exactly what he was trying to do with her... get her angry and make her reveal something helpful to get the rest of her crew.
"He asked you something, so answer pirate!" Tashgi stepped forward, finger pointing threateningly at Nami's face. But the other woman merely shrugged and pursed her lips, eyes roaming seemingly aimlessly over the ship and its surroundings.
It was then, that Smoker stepped in front of Nami, blowing a cloud of grey fume into her face.
"We both know, they'll try and get you back and all I have to do is lean back and wait."
'And that', Nami thought bitterly, 'was exactly what was going to happen'
Snorting, she shook her head, making a face as she watched Smoker grin cheekily. He nodded towards the two soldiers flanking her sides, who saluted sharply before leading Nami away from their captain, bringing her down into the holding cells.
"Tashgi, I don't think it'll take too long, until they get here... send a message to the base and tell them to be at a ready."
"Yes, Captain Smoker."
----------
"Hey, Luffy! I can see the island!!"
"Really?!!" Jumping up, Luffy stood straight on the lamb's head, shielding his eyes with one hand as he kept an eye out on the island, hoping to get a first glimpse of the base.
"How long until we reach it?" Zoro yelled up to Usopp, his arm resting on the hilts of his three swords.
"Maybe another half an hour... wait!! There are two ships heading this way!!"
"They apparently know we're coming, which is..."
"No problem at all." Zoro finished Robin's sentence with a lopsided grin one hand patting almost lovingly his three swords.
"Yeah!! A fight!!!" Luffy seemed to be more than happy to finally get his hands on Nami's kidnapper and started stretching his arms and legs, preparing himself for the next few minutes of action.
"B-but shouldn't we try and reach the base where they hold Nami first?" Chopper asked with concern.
"They're standing in our way, so we get rid of 'em."
The little deer turned around to where Sanji had stood up, leaning heavily on a makeshift crutch. His eyes were dark and a newly lit cigarette dangled between pursed lips.
----------
"So I heard you got another member? Anybody I know?"
Rolling her eyes, Nami looked up at the smoking man standing across from her, leaning casually against the metal wall behind him. He had been in here for the last ten minutes, asking her things about her crewmates without a break and slowly it was freaking her out.
"Listen, I'm so not in the mood right now... why don't you wait until you see them the next time? I don't know where they are and what they're doing. I needed a break from them and don't have a damn clue about their whereabouts!"
Chuckling, Smoker pushed away from the wall, taking some steps towards the bunk, Nami was sitting on, elbows resting on her knees and her chin lying comfortably in her open palms.
"Don't worry... they'll be here in no time and until then you..."
Suddenly the cell door burst open, the young soldier from earlier coming to an abrupt halt as he nearly ran into Captain Smoker's back.
Turning around, eyes narrowed, Smoker glared at the heavily breathing man.
"What the heck are you doing here! Didn't I tell ya to stay outta my sight?!"
"Y-yes, Sir... but the marine base just called... they were being attacked."
"Who?" Was all the large man asked calmly.
"The straw-hat pirates, Sir... they're on their way towards us!"
Gulping soundly, a picture of her friends flashed through Nami's mind.
They were coming... running directly into Smoker's arms.
----------
"Damn that damn man!! I'm so gonna kick his damn ass!!" Luffy swore as he bounced around on deck,
totally oblivious to his friends, who were sitting or standing around him, Chopper tending to the few wounds they had acquired during their short fight against the marine soldiers of the base.
Right now he was repairing the cast around Sanji's leg, glaring openly at the silent man.
Even though the young deer had tried hard to keep Sanji from anticipating in the fight, he had stood no chance against the blond man.
Without a word, he had jumped right into the middle of the ongoing battle, kicking his opponents into oblivion as if the open fracture on his leg didn't bother him at all. And he had also been the one who had found out about Smoker and his more than obvious plan to bait them with Nami.
"He's got Nami... but what are we supposed to do, Luffy? Even you with your Gum-Gum-Powers don't stand a chance against him with his weird smoke-trick!" Usopp asked, a slight hint of hysteria audible in his voice.
"Dunno. But we'll think of something when we get there."
--------------------
FINIS!
Third part over... maybe there's another one waiting in my (brilliant...OO') brain... just tell me whatcha thinking about it so far! XD
I'm not sure why this story turned out the way it is now, but I wasn't intending it... who knows what it was good for Don't forget to review!!!
--------------------
"Robin?"
"Yes?"
A pause.
Then:
"Are we there, yet?"
"No."
"Oh."
Another pause.
Then:
"Usopp?"
"No!! Dammit, Luffy! I can't see the island, yet, so don't even think about asking for the umpteenth time!!" Usopp yelled down from the crow's nest, hoping the rubber-boy would 'finally' understand the meaning of 'no'...
"When, did the guy say, should we reach it?" Luffy asked, turning around where he was sitting cross-legged on the lamb's head, having watched the horizon without blinking once for the last two hours.
"Said, we should reach the marine headquarters in something around a day... if nothing happens on the way." Zoro replied, having just walked out of the ship and sat down on the stairs leading towards the main deck.
"We have to keep in mind, that this stretch of water is probably swarming with marine ships and we shouldn't risk a fight. The ship with Nami on board already has a lead of more than two hours and a fight would only increase the gap between her and us." Robin told her crewmates solemnly, eyes fixated on the Lock Pose in her hands, as she checked the course.
"Yeah, well, if that stupid frying pan hadn't wimped out, we wouldn't have to play hide and seek in the middle of the Grand Line." Zoro mumbled, watching Sanji from the corner of his eyes.
But Sanji didn't say anything to that, much to Zoro's dismay.
He had hoped that the cook would react to his comment and would finally stop brooding in self-pity and would start behaving like his normal self... running around on deck, getting on everybody's nerves about how he would kill anybody who would dare touch his lovely Nami.
But Sanji was far from his usual self.
He hadn't said a word ever since they were heading towards the marine base, eyes always casted downwards onto his leg. He hadn't even averted his gaze or had made a noise, when Chopper had set his leg (which Zoro had to admit, had looked more than painful) and had cleaned the wound.
Although it wasn't self-pity that haunted Sanji.
There was on the one hand, that loud angry voice inside his head, accusing him of not having been able to defend his only true love... telling him how incapable of standing his man he was.
But the one feeling that kept his mind occupied for most of the time, was pure and uttermost concern.
The thought that she was out there, alone and unable to protect herself, felt worse than the blinding, white pain when he had broken his leg.
It seemed to make his blood boil and made him almost forget the pain in his thigh.
"Captain, we should better reef the sails... we don't want anybody to see the Jolly Roger, right?" Robin suggested.
Within no seconds, the panicked men lowered their flag.
"Right now, we can drift with the current... if needed you will have to use the oars and paddle."
Usopp nodded as he thought about Robin's suggestion, knowing that this was probably the best and easiest way to get to the island where Nami was being held, without gaining too much attention.
Sighing, Chopper wiped away the beads of sweat on his forehead, glad they had banished another problem that could have jeopardized their mission, when:
"Luffy!! There are two marine ships!!" Usopp suddenly yelled down.
"What are we doing now?!" Eyes wide in fear, Chopper started running around on deck as if he had gotten bitten by a tarantula.
Getting up from her folding chair, Robin walked over to where the little deer was holding tightly onto the mast. "We keep silent and get out of their range as fast as possible. And stop yelling and blowing a fuse... that makes us all the more suspicious to them." With that she leaned back against the railing, facing away from the two ships.
"Right... no fight." Luffy nodded, concentrating instead again on the horizon.
For some minutes the friends were silent, everybody engrossed in thinking about the upcoming events,
when Usopp cleared his throat soundly, getting everybody's attention at once.
"Hey, Robin... what are they gonna do with Nami when they've reached the base?"
Five heads turned towards the raven-haired woman.
"In case they find out who she is, they'll probably execute her... she's after all the navigator of the famous straw-hat pirates."
Jaw agape, Luffy watched Robin with wide eyes. For the first time he realized that this situation wasn't as funny as he'd thought. It was grave and finding Nami had to be their only concern right now...
A loud 'bang' made them all look at the cook, who had just slammed his fist into the ship's side,
the railing having burst under the enormous strength that lay behind the blow.
"They won't get the chance to touch her."
----------
"Captain Smoker, there's a caravelle, heading towards the marine base."
Saluting, a young officer waited for his CO to react to his report, face set and eyes fixated on a point somewhere in the distance.
"And?"
"..." Gulping down the lump in his throat, the young man glanced nervously at th back of his captain's head, not really knowing what to reply.
"Listen,buddy, there's other business I have to take care of right now and there's no time to hunt down some damn ship you blind fish accidently found and that's probably transporting new supplies to the base!! Now get outta my sight and get Lieutenant Tashgi down here and as long as no Jolly Roger is laughing in your face, I don't want to see ya again here!!"
"Yessir!!" The poor officer yelled and took off into the opposite direction, running down some stairs to get inside the large marine ship.
Exhaling a lung of smoke with an exaggerated sigh, Captain Smoker headed to where five soldiers had just entered his ship, having brought his 'special guest' on board.
Having made sure she wouldn't jump into the sea any time soon, he allowed his gaze to wander towards the second ship, acknowledging the other captain with a short nod.
"Captain! Is she here already?"
Spinning around, jaws set, Smoker regarded the young woman with a long hard glare, a vain appearing on his forehead.
"Would I otherwise call you, Lieutenant?!"
"No, Sir!" Tashgi replied, gripping her precious sword harder.
Shaking his head, the white-haired man watched his prisoner walk towards him, two men on either side of her.
She was still handcuffed and her gaze was casted downwards at her sandals. She obviously wasn't intending to look at him any time soon and Smoker muttered something incoherently under his breath as he thought about the upcomming battle of wills...
"Did they leave ya behind or why are you running around, beating the crap outta some fine officers, huh?" He asked, arms folded across his chest.
Nami glared at him, anger clearly evident in her large eyes.
She wasn't stupid and knew exactly what he was trying to do with her... get her angry and make her reveal something helpful to get the rest of her crew.
"He asked you something, so answer pirate!" Tashgi stepped forward, finger pointing threateningly at Nami's face. But the other woman merely shrugged and pursed her lips, eyes roaming seemingly aimlessly over the ship and its surroundings.
It was then, that Smoker stepped in front of Nami, blowing a cloud of grey fume into her face.
"We both know, they'll try and get you back and all I have to do is lean back and wait."
'And that', Nami thought bitterly, 'was exactly what was going to happen'
Snorting, she shook her head, making a face as she watched Smoker grin cheekily. He nodded towards the two soldiers flanking her sides, who saluted sharply before leading Nami away from their captain, bringing her down into the holding cells.
"Tashgi, I don't think it'll take too long, until they get here... send a message to the base and tell them to be at a ready."
"Yes, Captain Smoker."
----------
"Hey, Luffy! I can see the island!!"
"Really?!!" Jumping up, Luffy stood straight on the lamb's head, shielding his eyes with one hand as he kept an eye out on the island, hoping to get a first glimpse of the base.
"How long until we reach it?" Zoro yelled up to Usopp, his arm resting on the hilts of his three swords.
"Maybe another half an hour... wait!! There are two ships heading this way!!"
"They apparently know we're coming, which is..."
"No problem at all." Zoro finished Robin's sentence with a lopsided grin one hand patting almost lovingly his three swords.
"Yeah!! A fight!!!" Luffy seemed to be more than happy to finally get his hands on Nami's kidnapper and started stretching his arms and legs, preparing himself for the next few minutes of action.
"B-but shouldn't we try and reach the base where they hold Nami first?" Chopper asked with concern.
"They're standing in our way, so we get rid of 'em."
The little deer turned around to where Sanji had stood up, leaning heavily on a makeshift crutch. His eyes were dark and a newly lit cigarette dangled between pursed lips.
----------
"So I heard you got another member? Anybody I know?"
Rolling her eyes, Nami looked up at the smoking man standing across from her, leaning casually against the metal wall behind him. He had been in here for the last ten minutes, asking her things about her crewmates without a break and slowly it was freaking her out.
"Listen, I'm so not in the mood right now... why don't you wait until you see them the next time? I don't know where they are and what they're doing. I needed a break from them and don't have a damn clue about their whereabouts!"
Chuckling, Smoker pushed away from the wall, taking some steps towards the bunk, Nami was sitting on, elbows resting on her knees and her chin lying comfortably in her open palms.
"Don't worry... they'll be here in no time and until then you..."
Suddenly the cell door burst open, the young soldier from earlier coming to an abrupt halt as he nearly ran into Captain Smoker's back.
Turning around, eyes narrowed, Smoker glared at the heavily breathing man.
"What the heck are you doing here! Didn't I tell ya to stay outta my sight?!"
"Y-yes, Sir... but the marine base just called... they were being attacked."
"Who?" Was all the large man asked calmly.
"The straw-hat pirates, Sir... they're on their way towards us!"
Gulping soundly, a picture of her friends flashed through Nami's mind.
They were coming... running directly into Smoker's arms.
----------
"Damn that damn man!! I'm so gonna kick his damn ass!!" Luffy swore as he bounced around on deck,
totally oblivious to his friends, who were sitting or standing around him, Chopper tending to the few wounds they had acquired during their short fight against the marine soldiers of the base.
Right now he was repairing the cast around Sanji's leg, glaring openly at the silent man.
Even though the young deer had tried hard to keep Sanji from anticipating in the fight, he had stood no chance against the blond man.
Without a word, he had jumped right into the middle of the ongoing battle, kicking his opponents into oblivion as if the open fracture on his leg didn't bother him at all. And he had also been the one who had found out about Smoker and his more than obvious plan to bait them with Nami.
"He's got Nami... but what are we supposed to do, Luffy? Even you with your Gum-Gum-Powers don't stand a chance against him with his weird smoke-trick!" Usopp asked, a slight hint of hysteria audible in his voice.
"Dunno. But we'll think of something when we get there."
--------------------
FINIS!
Third part over... maybe there's another one waiting in my (brilliant...OO') brain... just tell me whatcha thinking about it so far! XD