Chapter 4 - Exploring the Island

The crew left the tavern and decided to search the Island.

"You'll need this." said Bribo as he tossed Nami a piece of paper "It's a map of the Island."

"Thanks." said Nami as she unrolled the paper.

She studied the map for a few minutes and then turned to the others "According to the map there is a large mountain on the middle of this island."
"There is?" said Usopp surprised "Then shouldn't we be able to see it."

"Yeah." said Nami "It's weird but maybe this island is bigger than we thought."

"So then?" asked Robin "What's the plan miss Navigator."

"A forest surround the cliff and a canyon surrounds the forest." replied Nami

"It's as if this Island is a fortress." said Zoro

"Seems that way." answered Nami

"This is boring." complained Luffy "Let's go."

"If we don't plan this out then we may get lost." snapped Nami

Luffy sat down and stared up at the sky.

"There should be a bridge that let's us get to the forest." said Nami "Let's head there for now."

The crew trooped out of town and across the fields, they soon came to the canyon and sure enough there was the bridge.

"Your joking." said Usopp as he stared at the bridge.

It was a very old rickety rope bridge that stretched the length of the canyon.

"Will that really be able to support us?" asked Sanji

"I don't know." cried Nami

"Luffy can stretch across and take us with him." said Usopp "Right."

"Sure." called Luffy from the other side of the canyon

"What are you doing over there!" snapped Nami

"This is the way to the treasure." called Luffy

"Seeing as how Luffy crossed we might as well go." said Zoro

Nami and Zoro headed across the bridge first.

Robin and Usopp went next.

But as Chopper and Sanji were crossing the bridge began to shake.

"Damn it." snapped Sanji as the rope to his left snapped "RUN!"

The wood began to break apart under there feet as the sprinted across the bridge.

The rope to the right snapped and the bridge split in two.

Sanji and Chopper tried to run in mid air but it was no good.

"SANJI! CHOPPER!" cried Luffy as he wrapped his legs around a nearby Tree.

Luffy launched his body down after them.

He had almost caught up when his body reached it's limit, he then threw out his arms and grabbed Chopper by the horn and Sanji by the leg.

"Ready?" asked Luffy

"Oh crap." moaned Sanji as Luffy's body snapped back up the mountain dragging them along with it.

The three of them crashed into the tree and tore it's roots out of the ground, the tree crashed into the ground along with luffy and the others.

"That was close." breathed Nami

"Too close." agreed Usopp as he wiped sweat of his brow.

Luffy bounced to his feet laughing, while Sanji sat up and lit a cigarette, he took a long draw and looked down at Chopper who was staring at the sky.

"Next is the forest right?" asked Usopp as he looked all the trees that lay in front.

"It's so dark!" exclaimed Nami

"I can chop them down." said Zoro

"That would take for ever." said Robin

The crew looked at the forest and headed inside.

"Now that I think about it." said Nami "Why is there a canyon here?"

"It's kinds like we're on an island inside an island." said Chopper

"Screw it." said Sanji "We'll think about it later."

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The crew had been walking through the forest for ages.

Nami collapsed and moaned "How big is this stupid forest."

"It surrounds an entire mountain." said Zoro

"we've been walking for hours." moaned Nami "And my feet hurt."

"I shall give you a piggy back Nami-san!" called Sanji as a love heart popped in his eye.

Nami sighed and rose to her feet "No thanks." she said

"We still can't see the mountain." said Usopp "Why is that."

"This Island is weird." laughed Luffy "I can't wait to find the mountain."

Zoro drew his blade and slashed some trees, the fell with a crash. He continued forward while cuttting down all the trees in his path.

"What are you doing?" asked Nami

"Making a shortcut." replied Zoro

"You may just end up going in a circle Mr. Swordsman." said Robin

"Better than doing nothing." moaned Zoro

"Let's follow him." said Usopp

"Go Zoro!" laughed Luffy as he trailed after him.

"If this turns out to be a waste of time I'll kill him." moaned Nami as she shook her fist

They eventually came to a clearing that was perfect for camping.

The sky was clearly visible and there was a small spring coming out of the trees.

"Do you think that spring would lead to a lake?" asked Nami

"Go and find out." said Zoro as he sheathed his sword

"Alone!" snapped Nami "You're coming with me."

"No way." said Zoro "It's time for a nap."

Nami sighed and looked at Luffy.

"But I wanna go exploring." complained Luffy "Why do you wanna find a lake."

"No reason." answered Nami as she trooped along the forest following the spring.

"Wait Nami-san." called Sanji as he ran after her.

"Captain." said Robin "Gather some of the wood for a fire."

"Right." smiled Luffy as he stretched his arms grabbed two trees and dragged them into the clearing.

"Slice them into firewood Zoro." said Usopp

Zoro stood up and drew his blade, in a flash he had sliced the trees to pieces.

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Nami and Sanji followed the spring until at last they did indeed come to a lake.

At the far end there was a beautiful waterfall that came from high in the sky and actually appeared to fall out of the sky.

"There's nothing up there that the water could fall down from." said Nami confused

"Think it comes from aSky Island?" asked Sanji

"Maybe." answered Nami

They looked at the rest of the surroundings, the lake was surrounded by forest and had a large area of water hidden behind a rock.

"I'm going for a bath." she said

Sanji's eye turned to a heart and he screamed "I shall join..."

He didn't finish, Nami had taken out her clima-tact and smashed him over the head.

Sanji lay unconscious on the grass.

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"Let's eat." said Usopp

"I wanna go hunting." laughed Luffy "Let's go hunting."

"Why?" asked Usopp

"Because I want to." said Luffy as he grabbed Usopp and dragged him into the forest

"He's going to get lost." said Robin

"I'll find him later." mumbled Zoro as he yawned and continued to nap.

Chopper sat stacking the wood that Zoro had cut.

Luffy and Usopp had been pushing there way through the bushes and undergrowth for twenty minutes before they found a huge deer.

The deer was ten feet tall, had huge horns and was a dark shade of brown.

"That looks tastey." laughed Luffy as he went to attack.

Usopp grabbed him and pulled him down behind a bush.

"What are you doing Usopp?" asked Luffy

"Watch." smiled Usopp "My new attack."

Luffy watched as Usopp pulled a dial from his bag.

Usopp jumped out to face the deer which stared at him.

Usopp pointed the dial at the deer and inched closer

The deer shifted and as Usopp got with ten feet, it charged him and slammed it's head into his chest.

Usopp fell and the deer escaped

"Some attack." moaned Luffy as he launched his arm after the deer but it was too fast.

Usopp sat up coughing.

"You suck at hunting." moaned Luffy "Now my meat escaped."

"I lied." said Usopp

"About what?" asked Luffy

"The new attack." replied Usopp "It was my intention to scare it away.

"What!" snapped Luffy "Why?"

"How would Chopper feel if we brought back a deer to eat." said Usopp seriously

Realization hit Luffy "oh."

Usopp sighed and got to his feet.

"Then what should we find to eat?" asked Luffy

There was a strange noise behind them, they turned and saw several multicoloured birds sitting in the tree.

"How's about them." replied Usopp as he withdrew his sling.

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Nami and sanji returned to camp just as Luffy and Usopp did, it was almost night now and teh crew was hungry.

"We got birds to eat." smiled Luffy as he dropped four dead birds at Sanji's feet.

"Dinner time." said Sanji as he threw his cigarette onto the pile of wood that slowly caught fire.

The crew dined on the birds and setteed down for the night in two tents.

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To Be Continued...

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Chapter 5 preview

The crew find an underground tunnel that splits into two different directions.