A/N: Inspiration! Finally! That thing comes the way it goes. Lol, Oh well I finally got off my lazy ass and decided to start writing stupid things again. I have been planning to write an OP story for a while now, but I never actually put my ideas down on paper, and of course this results in one major yet almost inevitable problem called 'plot hole'. I have a good half of this story planned out but I am really picky on how I am going to end it. So here is the 1st chapter for you people. Please take the time to review it, I also accept constructive criticism; you can flame me, there's a fireman right next door, my neighbor, he'll save me! (Okay, so he's just a 72 years old kind old man but… I bet I can convince him to borrow me his old fire extinguisher!)
Anyway, this story is dedicated to all my friends, loyal OP-fans out there… I LOVE YOU ALL! Before this A/N gets anymore boring :takes out cap that says 'the authoress' and speaker and yells: "ON WITH THE FIC!"
DISCLAIMER: Okay, here goes nothing :inhales sharply and keeps eyes down:
I-DO-NOT-OWN-ONEPIECE. …yet:reveals unusually long and sharp fangs in a toothy grin:
All the while through the disclaimer, one can hear muffled cries from a double-locked dresser sounding very much like the recently mysteriously disappeared Eiichiro Oda…
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The Angels' Mansion by StarSparklez
Chapter One: Crystal Eyes
"C'mon, Zorro! Man! Enough napping already!"
Hearing that voice, the swordsman stirred slightly in his sleep.
'Sleep'? No, he wasn't sleeping, not anymore.
Otherwise he wouldn't be hearing that feeble but annoying voice, nagging at the back of his mind with authority, telling—no, ordering him to stand up and do something useful, like exercising or at least start finding his way back to the ship where the others were probably already waiting for him.
But every time he managed to lift his eyelids, it was only to shut them back harder, as his dark eyes were no match to the burning light of the gloriously radiant sun that ruled over what felt to him to be the hottest day of his life. Not even back in Alabasta did he remember it being so difficult to stay conscious despite the heat, the injuries, or the tiredness. Every time he thought he was awake or about to awake, he found himself lost in clumsy, dreamlike thoughts he couldn't control; the fruit of a loose imagination he wasn't sure was his. None of his members or senses seemed to want to respond to his brain anymore, not even his brain would respond to his will; all of his body was begging for rest, for mercy.
This time, there was really nothing. He felt truly numb. But sometimes, among the dreams and nightmares that made up his weird track of thoughts, he was sure he recognized a few true and real memories, and he wasn't sure he liked the way they were sometimes suddenly modified.
What was happening to him?
"Okay guys, this island is probably the best place for shopping in all four seas. Here we'll find everything we need and everything we don't need," Nami started explaining, pointing with her finger on a map.
"You mean like the marines?" Zoro asked, suddenly feeling slightly uncomfortable at the idea of meeting some annoying acquaintances.
"What? Marines? "The navigator was slightly surprised by the swordsman's rather unusual participation in the conversation. "Oh, no. No, I wouldn't worry too much about that. You see, the main reason you can make such good business there is that all kind of illegal things happen around that area without much interference from the government. I'm sure we'll only meet outlaws there," she said.
Then a grin forming on her lips she added, "We might actually feel at home somewhere for once."
At that last comment, the swordsman visibly relaxed and went back to sit at his favorite spot for a nap on the deck. Meanwhile Luffy was showing sudden interest in his navigator's explanations.
"Sounds like the perfect place to re-supply," started Usopp, "I could use a few new gadgets."
"Sounds cool! We can meet pirates there and EAT MEAT!" shouted the young captain excitedly.
"We first have to buy it, you moron! So stop jumping around, I want to listen to Nami-san!" And so the handsome cook dug his shoe heel into the unnerving young boy's unsuspecting jaw with enough force to send him to the other side of the deck, leaving poor Luffy with a fresh new bump on the head.
Was it really a wonder the poor boy looked knocked out?
"UWAAHAA! Captain, are you alright? Someone call a doctor! Quick!" yelled Chopper, in shock and worry.
"You're the doctor silly…" said Usopp, a sweat drop forming at the back of his head.
"Uh? Oh! Right!" realized the little dear as he ran to his captain's aid.
"Duh... Uh…" sounded the hungry, tired and literally kicked up Luffy.
"It's okay Capt'n I'm almost done," reassured Chopper as he wrapped an exaggeratingly large bandage over the boy's head.
"You know Sanji, you really ought to take it easy on all of us. It's not just Luffy you've been unjustly hitting on lately, " Usopp started, turning from the reindeer attending his new patient to face the man in question.
"I know Chopper says you lack nicotine 'cause you're out of cigarettes lately, but that's no reason ta…" the sniper trailed off as he became aware that, again, the blond was completely oblivious of him. His full attention was, of course, back on his two female crewmates, undivided.
'Well, at least he's occupied, don't wanna get on his nerves these days. We really have to stop at the next island for supplies or it'll be impossible for us to go any further on our voyage. Still I'm not sure we'll be getting the warmest of welcomes,' thought the now shuddering Usopp.
'Those Marines are seriously on our case this time. We've only managed to evade them until now and eventually we'll have to face them seriously.'
'We can't keep running. There's no place for cowards to hide on this side of the Grand Line, now I finally understand that,' he thought a little more seriously, a hand to his chin. Then, his legs uncontrollably shaking, he shouted all of a sudden.
"We are all gonna die! They'll probably have an army waiting for us there!"
"Uwaaha! What are you saying?" panicked the so very gullible Chopper.
"Hey! Weren't you guys listening?" Nami finally intervened, quite irritated .
She sighed tiredly, raising a hand to her head as a very familiar headache started taking over her reasoning.
The ever so quiet and calm Robin decided then, having seen the crew's obviously agitated morale, to mediate.
Not that she was sure what precisely had caused their spirits to be so tense, but there was the fact they'd been chased rather fiercely, now by two of the most notorious Marine fleets in the Grand Line. Twice this same week they'd been close to capturing them. Those assaults had forced them off their original course and many times, they had to skip stops for re-supplies. As a result, they were now running dangerously out of provisions. And that, affected everyone on the ship.
Robin spoke.
"The Custard Island is of no threat to us whatsoever, I assure you. It is probably the one last spot we will find true peace in on our journey. Yes, of course the city does have a local Marine Headquarters, but I can guarantee you that should they decide to capture us, it will not be at our arrival nor during our stay for a rest there."
At the confused and almost disbelieving looks on the crewmembers faces she added, "These people have a…'fanatical' sense of honor; the city is populated by pirates and outlaws, yes, that's true. But it is also inhabited by other people in search of some kind of sanctuary. Most are either war or political refugees. I know it might sound totally ludicrous to you, Usopp, when I say we'll find honorable people there, but believe me, there are reasons this Island has become so legendary."
Then she picked on a different tone, "Ever heard of the Angel's Mansion?"
There was a few seconds of total silence on board, except for Zoro's distinct snoring.
"I have," spoke Nami, looking up. She was grateful that Robin tried to help her do the talking, but right now she felt she didn't want to accept any form of help or anything else for that matter, at least not until her headache had dulled a little.
"A nice story. Too much of a pirate-style fairy tale, if you ask me."
At that choice of words, the dark haired woman gave a wide smile and shook her head at the navigator.
"You have good reasons to believe it. The story book wasn't exactly written by a pirate, you know," she countered.
"Is that right? Well, guess I'll have to see it with my own eyes to believe it then, won't I?" challenged the orange head. Robin chuckled; they were all obviously looking forward to their arrival at the Custard Island.
"Oh, my dear Nami-san and Robin-san both know so much, so smart, so beautiful, so--- " Sanji's heart shaped eyes (A/N: Did I just say 'eyes'? I meant 'eye'!) and eyebrow(s) returned to their 'normal' curly shaped ends when he noticed something unusual in the close horizon.
It couldn't be part of the island, which was still a bit further ahead, but then what was it?
Oh, it couldn't be…
"Usopp! Come have a look at this!" he called to the sniper, for he was known to have the sharpest eyesight on board.
"What is it?" asked Usopp as he came closer for a better view of what his crewmate was referring to.
He stumbled back out, in surprise and shock. "Wooah! Whatever it is, it's heading directly towards us! It's impossible--It's almost like a torpedo or something!"
Now it was Nami's turn to look, using her long-nosed friend's spyglass, " Oh, my! Surely no submarine engine can be that quick! It can't be the Marines!"
"Well, what is it then?" cried a now panicking Usopp.
"Not now, Usopp! The questions come later! Now go to the key and get the ship out of the way! Sanji, you too!" she ordered, then commandingly called, "Luffy!"
"COMIIING!" Luffy rushed to his navigator's side and got in a fighting stance as if getting ready to somehow counter the attack of the mysterious underwater shadow that kept approaching them at threatening speed.
Luffy squinted, 'Was that a fin cutting through the waters along it? A shark?'
"Wait!" He suddenly stood full height again and turned to face the now worried-looking Nami behind him. His next move startled the orange head in surprise. He removed his beloved straw hat and placed it on her head. She held the back of it almost instinctively, keeping it in place.
And she thought she felt her cheeks heat a little despite the cold sea wind. Her eyes were fixed on the young man standing before her.
Confusing her dreamy expression for a confused one, Luffy explained, "It won't fit too well with this big bandage Chopper put for me."
At the sight of his trademark rubber grin, Nami snapped back to reality, with a slight pang of disappointment she pointedly ignored, and cried suddenly in horror.
"Luffy, behind you!"
Luffy spun around again, resuming his earlier position.
Just then, the 'thing' splashed out of the water; now quite high over the surface, it appeared more like a giant dolphin with white and black stripes and a mouthful of numerous sharp-looking teeth…
"A Zebra Dolphin! Nami-san! I'll save you my darling!" yelled Sanji as he heroically jumped to Nami's aid, taking her into his arms. They managed to duck just in time to avoid the marine mammal's open jaw as it flew over the deck of the Going-Merry to splash back into the waters on the other side. The giant ripples from its dive made the ship topple dangerously.
"Nami-san, are you alright?" asked the very concerned cook, looking down at the beauty that was now awkwardly lying beneath him; he had been trying to shield her from the 'fishy' attack, making sure he'd kept a hand behind her neck and one at the small of her back.
He was now blindingly aware of his position on top of her but dared not move until he heard his dear navigator's voice reassuring him.
"I am fine, Sanji-kun." She paused. "Really."
She then looked around as he helped her up, "Where's Luffy!" she asked, tightening her hold on the hat that, much to her gratitude, was still on her head, unharmed
On the other side of the deck, near the cabin, she saw that Robin's hands had 'bloomed' and were now holding a dazed little Chopper firmly down on the wet wooden floor, and apparently one of Zoro's swords as the latter moved, reaching out for it although the ship was still violently swinging. Robin herself, however, looked well settled, seated between two rails of the stairs, a concentrated expression on her face.
The captain, however, was nowhere in sight.
"He's on the shark's back! There! He's riding it!" shouted Usopp, earning the attention of all the crew as all heads on board looked up to find him 'hugged-up' to the main mast, like a scared kitten hanging onto a tree, his fingers had somehow dug into it.
But as the words spoken by their sniper began to sink in and as they heard their captain's cries in the close distance, all looked back at the horizon to see Luffy, indeed, on top of the jumping animal, holding onto its fin for dear life.
The poor captain was a tad nervous at being so crazily shaken over such deep waters but the thrill of it made the ride all the more enjoyable. Besides, he wasn't the only passenger; he just now noticed there was a weird, funny-looking man, just next to him, also holding the fish's aileron. Looking more closely Luffy noticed he couldn't have been just a normal man because he appeared to have a panda's face, arms and legs, but stood like a human and had hearts tattoos for nipples on his bare, well-built human torso.
"Pandaman Sasa!" he heard him say confidently, and though completely oblivious of what that had meant, Luffy replied by giving his widest grin, only to realize suddenly that the Pandaman had vanished before his very eyes.
He also heard a small splash, which sounded a little out of place, that he acknowledged only as an effect of the dolphin's jumps over the water surface.
Meanwhile back on the deck, the crew members were still just recovering from the sudden attack. "Pheww!" breathed the little reindeer, "for a moment there I thought he was going to jump onto ship! Maybe drown us!"
"It wouldn't have done that, because these creatures' skin is quite fragile," said Sanji, lighting up a new cigarette. Fish were, after all, an important part of his area of expertise.
"It wouldn't have risked it. Besides, I feel it's more like it was running from something…" he continued, still looking in direction of his captain.
Luffy seemed to be keeping up quite well with the dolphin, never letting go of its fin; and, for a moment, Sanji thought the boy might have won a new world record had he been riding a horse in a rodeo tournament instead of an enraged giant fish.
Then he wondered how Luffy's current steed would taste the better. Maybe he'd put the whole beast buttered to cook in the oven. Of course he'd leave it dipped in soy sauce and an excess of pepper for about 7 hours to make the flesh more tender and spicy…
Zoro, who had regained possession of his Yubashiri, admittedly thanks to Robin, was trying to think of the brightest way to get their idiotic captain back before he fell off his steed into the deep water. He knew all too well that the devil's fruit curse guaranteed him to sink and drown like a stone if that happened.
Just when he'd decided that diving to swim closer to Luffy to try and catch him when he fell was his brightest idea, he saw a powerful jet of water coming out the animal's back, and looking a little more up, his no longer in distress captain soaring high into the air.
Well so much for cutting to slices that edible looking fish on the way to save him.
His gaze followed the flying pirate up his air trajectory until the sun blinded his sight. He blinked and before he re-opened his eyes, he had that unmistakable and yet somehow inevitable feeling he so often had. By some instinct he somehow knew he was going to be, once again after too many times, run into/jumped onto/fallen over by his momentum-heavy rubber friend.
And once again, he realized, the feeling had come at the unfortunate instance, as the point in the sun-lit sky he'd been looking at grew all too quickly, bigger and bigger as it turned into the shadow of that stupid Luffy.
Too soon, it had covered his view of the sun into blackness.
He re-opened his eyes, certain this time that killing that stupid and clumsy Luffy was more than enough a good reason to wake up.
But again, the sun burned his vision and he wasn't sure where he was or what he wanted…
After all, he could use just a little more sleep. He was sure he needed a good rest… Because something might be coming and…
He didn't need a reason he just needed sleep.
"Come ON Zoro! Get up! Now! Enough, you can't just stay here without doing anything!"
For a moment he considered yelling at Nami to stop stepping so hard on his feet and leave him alone to sleep just a little longer… (He couldn't imagine his skull feeling anymore damaged anyhow).
Then, as if some sleeping part of his brain had suddenly been stimulated to reason for him again, he realized this wasn't Nami's voice nor was it her usual treatment. Surely she would have hit him hard on the head by now rather than just keep pulling at his earrings!
But he couldn't open his eyes to check; he just couldn't find the strength to…
SPLASH!
Like a bliss, something cold and refreshing was 'splashed' on him.
"Yeah! Again, Onii-san!" he heard the voice say again, and this time he was sure it wasn't Nami's; it sounded more like that of a kid…
SPLASH!
This time, it had woken him, it was water. He'd been grateful for some more, he tried to say so, but even though he was pretty much conscious now, he couldn't get himself to speak a word, nor make any move.
But he could see now who was waking him; three blurred figures looming over him, shielding him from a too bright sun. After a few seconds, when his eyes had adjusted and his vision had cleared, he could distinguish them as two children and a young girl holding a rather large bucket.
She looked no older than twelve, he could tell although he couldn't see too well. But the clearest and most intriguing thing about this girl was her eyes. He couldn't tear his gaze from them. They were almost transparent; he thought he saw all kind of colors in them, through them, then he saw none. It felt almost like…those rocks Nami was so crazy about, but purer…
Like crystal. Crystal eyes.
He took one first deep breath that felt like more like a blade going down his wind-pipe. Then he looked again.
Was that a sword on her belt?
He somehow managed to lift his hand to feel his three swords at his side for reassurance, all the while still looking at the girl before him that was more a shadow now that he was feeling all tired again.
Actually he felt worse than just tired. He felt weak but somehow not really vulnerable, not while her gaze was still on him.
Again he wondered just, 'what was happening to him'?
"Onii-san! Papa-sama!"
Okay, now he wondered about more than just that. He now also wondered to himself, 'What the hell?'
Two more shadows appeared before him. One was distinctively that of a very-nicely shaped young woman and the other so large it had him now completely shielded from the sun.
"Oh, dear! Honey, look what you've done to yourself! Hey! Isn't that the ex-pirate hunter-babe?" he heard the woman say.
"He's a pirate now, with the Straw-Hat guys! It's Zoro Rolonoa Onii-san!"
"Yeah, and he looks cool even when half-dead!" he heard two other small voices converse.
Then a deep commanding voice spoke, "Come on, children get back home. We'll be right there." A pause, "Now!"
Then a pout "Awwwookay… ", then a… an explosion? Had he heard right? Well, those were sure yells that sounded in the distance.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?"
"I BLEW UP THE BUILDING!"
"WHY?"
"BECAUSE YOU MADE A SLUG-PHONE CALL!"
"WON'T YOU TWO LOUD IDIOTS KEEP IT DOWN!" Now that just sounded way louder and way closer. From the man who owned the large shadow?
Was he supposed to feel weird about all of this? Sure he'd witnessed crazier scenes than these before, especially with his crewmates, not counting all the insane evil maniacs they met on their journey until now, but the apparent general mild-neglect of his present audience made the whole thing a lot more ludicrous.
Zoro felt too tired to keep his eyes open any longer. But before he shut them again, he caught a glimpse of the crystal-eyed girl and heard the woman's voice again as he fell into unconsciousness.
"Don't worry honey, you'll be fine. We're here."
Then he knew no more.
To be continued…
A/N:
A CLIFFY! HAHAHA! Actually no, I don't think the end of this chapter classifies as a cliff-hanger but I'm sure it is just as annoying an effect! Oh well, I don't know if I'll bother writing the next chapter soon enough to satisfy your curiosity which I am sure is eating you alive now! HAHAHAhaaahrc :coughs in the middle of evil laugh:
Okay then, maybe if you beg me with enough reviews I'll make an effort.
OKAY! Okay! PLEASE, PLEASE R&R! I am sorry I made you guys read such a terrible and long chapter! I'll never do that again if you put in nice reviews for me.
But if you don't then I'll threaten you I'll do it again anyway!
And if you do review, then I'll write another chapter anyhow! So you see, you simply cannot escape your fate. Let it be that you've read this far and reviewed rather then not have and be forever haunted.
"You can run but you can't hide!"
So review now! And go check my profile while you're at it! Then you might understand why I sound so insane.
Love, StarSparkles.
Oh and one last thing, those of you who will find both references I've made in this chapter, the obvious one and the not so obvious one, will be gifted by me a Roronoa Zoro plushy :holds up stuffed Zoro:audience is in awe:.
:StarS. chuckles: Yes I know, beautiful, isn't it? It is 100 pure cotton and shrinks when washed in alcoholic pepsialacolacoca, or soap and water…
And it soon can be yours, my smart reviewers! Now go push that nice button :points, or do you need anymore convincing?… :holds up gun:
:gun clicks:
:reviewers gone: