The houses were built with several beams of wood and opaque walls. Rose petals were wet from sailing on the ocean's waves; leftovers from yesterday's tradition. Franky hosted a rope over the edge of the ship and several bodies climbed down it into a smaller version of the ship. The larger ship with a sunflower lion stayed miles away from the shoreline.
Once the smaller ship decked on the island, they exited it and locked it into place. An orange haired woman stepped first onto the island. Her eyes were wide from amazement that was set before her. A metal archway was placed at the end of the dock with a sign next to it.
'Welcome all. If help is needed, please call.'
The woman approached the archway. On the spines of the twisted metal were locks. All of them were different sizes and shapes, but they were all locked. She touched the nearest one and the dust lifted onto her finger. "Does anyone clean this?"
"Some of these locks are from 50 years ago." Another woman from the group stepped up and observed the locks. "The oldest ones are dated before Gol D. Roger's age."
Nami tilted her head and stared at the archway. She took a step past it, and immediately she saw two other archways exactly like this one being covered in locks. "How many are th-"
A boy sped past her and entered the small city. "So this is Skami Island!"
The young girl glared. She dusted her pant legs and muttered a curse under her breath. Robin gave a small grin and walked forward with her captain. The others behind them followed. "There's not much here," a dark skinned boy noted.
"Everything's out of date," an oversized giant added onto the statement.
"This is an island of old traditions."
"Are there samurai, Robin-chan?"
"There may be a few wandering samurai, but in a island so peaceful, I believe they would have different positions." The island itself was neutral to every war because of government policies. Without many resources, it was never sought after. But if invaded, the island surrounding it would attack the invading forces because of its neutral state.
The blond flicked his cigarette and allowed the ash to fall onto the ground. "So there are some peaceful islands in the Grand Line."
"Hopefully it stays like it," Nami uttered. Trouble follows them to every island they step foot on. She shook her head; they just needed to keep Luffy in line.
The group followed their captain to the center of the small town. The path led to a water fountain where the water dipped slowly from the top bowl into a bowl with sparkling green rocks. Other paths lined down between the houses. Some were larger or smaller than the others, but they all kept the basic design. Wood was used for the base, as shown in the corners and on roofs, while a thin coat of opaque paper connected them. There were openings with a wood frame. Franky walked next to Sanji. "Where do you think the inn is? Every house looks the same."
"Shouldn't there be signs outside?" Usopp wondered out loud. How was one supposed to know which was a house and which was a shop?
"There is someone, we should go ask him," Sanji pointed to the man who was two houses away from the water fountain. Luffy walked forward, but he was quickly pulled back by the blonde. "We don't need trouble." In response, the black haired boy gave a pout and grumbled.
Nami went toward the man. "Hello? We need some help here," she pointed to her group.
"What kinda help are ya lookin' for?"
"Where would an inn be?"
The man chuckled and pointed across the lot. "Right there. First house to the left of the docking' trail."
"Thank you," she nodded and went back to her group. "They must be friendly here. The inn's right next to the path we just took." She pointed to the spot.
"THANKS!" Luffy shouted at the man before heading to the building. The others followed him. The building was as small as others, except for a blue strip above the door.
"Color coded?" Franky uttered.
"Blue is the color of rest and night..."
The others shrugged and went inside the place. The doors were pushed inward and they walked through the wooden doorframe. "Hello?" Usopp questioned.
A man appeared from the back of the greeting room. He pulled on a blue headband and looked at the six pirates. "Six rooms?"
"There's two others. Eight rooms please." Robin answered him.
"Then you get the first eight rooms. Four on the left, four on the right. Under what name?"
"Sunny," Franky stated.
The man looked confused for a moment before writing the name onto the sheet; repeating eight times. "Done."
Before they stepped out, Nami looked at the man behind the desk. "Are there any shops nearby?"
"Look for the yellow above the doors. Red means diner, but there's only one in town; it's near the forest. Blue is this inn or pubs, Green is other types of businesses. If you have any questions, just come back or ask around."
She nodded at him, then turned around to follow after the others. They were already separated into groups. Franky and Robin were heading back to the ship to get supplies and the last two members. Luffy and Usopp were heading to the diner. It only left Sanji, who was waiting for her. He would, of course, be her camel while shopping.
The orange haired walked next to Robin. "Could you go with Luffy?"
Robin looked at her captain and nodded. "It will be no problem."
Nami gave a sigh of relief and left with the blonde to go shopping. Franky traveled back on the path to the dock. This left Usopp, Luffy and Robin alone. "Shall we go, Luffy-san?"
Usopp grinned, "The forest is that way," he pointed west.
The other boy smiled from ear to ear. "Race ya there!" He stretched his legs and jumped from one place to the other.
"Shit," Usopp muttered. He picked up his bag from the ground and flung it around his shoulder. He moved quickly behind Luffy.
"This is going to be fun," Robin giggled and walked after the two.
...
Chopper turned back into his brain point after moving the last bag onto the ship. With only Brook staying on the ship, they were hiding their valuables in the bottom of the ship. The other items, such as clothes and brushes, were moved onto the smaller boat. Zoro was already there with Franky once Chopper was done with the last load.
Brook sat out and looked at the three boys. With a smile, he called out "Goodnight!" Chopper repeated it back to him with a greater smile.
The sun was already setting against the ocean. Lights on the island began to glow. Chopper's mouth dropped in awe. From this distance the lights looked like fireflies. Each one was glowing so it vibrated against the simple decor. It was even more amazing up close. Candles were lit inside of paper lanterns. The pattern on the lantern was reflected against the walls. "So cool."
Franky poked the small reindeer. "We could always get some on the ship."
"Awesome."
Zoro nodded, but something so fragile wouldn't last long on the ship.
The boat reached the deck, and once more Franky tied the small version of the Sunny up. The three began to carry the luggage to the inn, but Chopper halted and the two glanced back. "Locks?"
"Oh," Franky mumbled. "Guess it's an old tradition they do."
Chopper nodded and stared at the locks. "Maybe I should leave one here too?"
"I wonder what's the purpose."
"Secrets, promises, love...? That's all I can think of," Zoro answered. "If it's promises, then Luffy would have a whole archway to himself."
Chopper nodded, and proceeded through the archway. He thought it was a cool idea, maybe he could get Luffy and Usopp to join him. The three of them, maybe the whole crew, could leave a lock like the others. Franky went through the door first and nodded to the man working there. The other two followed behind the giant cyborg. There was a hallway next to the desk. Doors were on each side. "One through eight are our rooms."
The cyborg carried his bag into the eighth room.
Zoro chose second, and Chopper got sixth. Each room was simple, and small. There was only a mattress, and shelves for their items. And with only paper separating them, it was easy to hear the others moving around. They placed the other bags into the rooms, having the crew members sort it out afterwards.
Going back into the hallway, they glanced down at it. It was a lounge for the guests; in which they were the only guests at the moment. The man working there appeared behind them. "Hot springs are on top of the hill, a part of the inn...and local." The man disappeared back into the greeting room. Chopper gulped and slowly turned around. The man appeared so suddenly that it sent chills down his body.
"Where's the others?" the green haired asked.
"Straw Hat, Longnose, and Nico Robin are at the diner. The other two are shopping," Franky paused between the two sentences; trying to remember where Sanji and Nami went. "Look for the yellow-"
"Yellow what?" the swordsman questioned.
Franky rolled his eyes and walked outside. He pointed to the stain above the door, a blue, and looked back to them. "Red above the door is the shops. Yellow is the diner...which should be next to the forest."
"Met back up at the blue?" Chopper questioned.
The cyborg nodded, "I'm gonna go shopping before it's too late." He started walking away into a column of houses. He looked above every door, hoping for the yellow marker. "This place's confusing," he grumbled. It was loud enough that the two pirates heard.
Zoro took the lead and started walking down a different path until the reindeer halted him. "This path leads to the hill. We are supposed to go to the one that's by the forest."
"Oh," was all Zoro could say. He turned around and started once more once he caught sight of a treeline over the houses. The two traveled along the path, crossing the paper houses and archways. Finally they reached the forest. "Red is dinner...There it is," he went to the door two houses away from their path. The small reindeer followed behind, with his hooves trotting on the dirt path.
The lights were glowing more brightly now that the sun set. The supposed diner had a few more windows than the other buildings next to it. There was a panel of smooth wood on each side on the door that ended once it connected to the windows on each side.
Zoro swung the door open and glazed around the place. It was much more open than at the inn. Several tables were placed around the room, and a few chairs at the counter. The green haired swordsman quickly caught sight of his captain, who was laughing with chucks of rice in his mouth. The short grain rice fell onto his shirt and stuck to the fabric.
"Luffy! Usopp! Robin!" the hairy doctor squealed as he ran up to them.
"You were just about to miss the party," Usopp snickered. He picked up one of his rolls and popped it into his mouth. "Brook stayed on the ship?"
"Last time, there was a riot when he came on land. Said it was better safe than sorry." Zoro grabbed a chair from a nearby table and seated himself between Robin and the longnose. Only two other tables in the diner were being used, but they were the loudest.
"That must be burning!" Luffy complained as his cheeks were full of food.
A waitress came to their table, "Would you like anything else?"
"Sake."
"More Meat," Luffy barely said with his food.
"Could I have some more tea?" Robin questioned as she stirred her cup.
Chopper was looking at the menu and his eyes widened. Drools started to form at the edges. "C-Can I have the chocolate swirls cheesecake?"
"And I, Captain Usopp, will have the," he paused, "hot chocolate."
She looked above her paper, "Is that all?" The black haired nodded in response and the girl went on her way again. Her trail led to the other table across the room before coming back to the bar.
"The outside design stays with the old tradition, but the citizens seem to act differently." The elder woman took her napkin and brushed her chin.
"Just wait until you find the elders," Usopp motioned with his hands. "N-Not that they are bad or anything, just meaning they would be uh...more honest? Uh...keep with the old ways...?"
"Maybe... There should be more information about this island within a building marked with green."
Zoro's glaze slowly moved and stayed on Robin. "How are you supposed to find it with only one clue?"
"There's more signs to mark the buildings. This diner had a different layout than the inn, and a change on the outside. This leads me to believe something regarding the history of this island would be one of the oldest buildings, or the tallest. A green marker indicates a different building than one of shopping, diner, or the inn."
"There's nothing on the boat about this island?" Chopper questioned.
"Most are from the outsider's view, which shows very little changes than those who live on the island themselves."
"Sounds boring," Luffy said. "I wonder if there's dragons on this island."
"Robin said old tradition, not old folk tales!"
The waitress came back with their dishes and drinks; placing each in front of them. Usopp picked up a spoon and dunk it into the cup before slipping from the spoon. It was piled with cream and a tiny pillow-look alike, which could be marshmallows. "Thanks," he nodded.
"Enjoy your food."
"You to-"
"Better keep the sake coming," Zoro took a gulp from his cup. This saved Usopp from embarrassing himself in front of the kind woman.
Chopper looked at a grandfather's clock in the corner. "Shouldn't Sanji and Nami be done by now?"
"They must be at the inn," Usopp answered.
"More meat for me!" Luffy is excited. He grabbed a chicken leg from the table and stuffed it into his mouth; biting through the bone. It cracked and shattered pieces flung across the table; barely missing Zoro who dodged in time. Even Usopp jumped; hot chocolate started spilling from the edges of his lips.
"Watch it."
"Surrie!" the captain grinned with meat stuck between his teeth. The dark skinned man gulped the rest of his sake down while giving Luffy a deadly look. It wasn't long before he changed direction to the girl coming back with his refill.
Usopp popped his late roll in his mouth. "I'm gonna go back to the inn now." His hot chocolate cup sat on the table with a slip left. "It's getting dark."
"I'm going too," the small reindeer popped off his seat. His hooves smacked against the ground as he went out the wooden door with Usopp.
...
"Looks like this has to go into the ship," Nami mumbled out loud. Their rooms were sizes of a walk in closet, giving her no room for their shopping items. With the ship nearby, it shouldn't be a problem, plus with Sanji's service, she doesn't have to break a sweat.
Sanji nodded and dragged the numerous bags along the path; Nami followed behind him onto the deck where the boat was docked. He was able to load the bags up, "Nami-swan~ I got this, so you sweet angel can go back to the inn~!"
"Thanks Sanji-kun! Be sure to place this under the deck for now."
She grinned as the boat started and zipped through the waves. She could go back, but none of the crew members were there yet. She could always go visit their hot springs on the hill, but with the sun sitting, being indoors was a safe bet. Tomorrow they could explore the island more thoroughly. There were other small communities other than this one, because it was so spread out with forests and large hills the size of mountains parting them. 'I could always go find Luffy and the others...but they should be heading back by now...'
She rolled her eyes and gave a sigh. They will be back soon enough.
Her footsteps marched back to the water fountain and she turned to the inn. Inside, they changed the worker. It was a middle aged woman who saw her years of hard work. "Welcome," she greeted.
"I have a room, under Sunny, here."
"Oh yes. Those are the only ones reserved tonight," the woman smiled tightly with her eyes shut. "Mukio stated so before leaving. The sheets and blankets are already in your rooms, along with your other items."
'Great, now I have to search for my bags,' she thought. "No keys?"
"No locks," the woman kindly stated. "Your rooms are assigned to the first eight."
The orange haired moaned and went back into the hallway. She opened the first room, which was only a potato sack filled with a few items. Luffy's bag. She moved on to the room across, but only found one bag that belonged to Zoro. Nami found her four bags in the third room, next door to Luffy's. 'Zoro and Chopper must have placed them from the order the crew joined...thoughtful...maybe too much for Zoro, though.'
She shrugged and entered her small room. Nami tugged on the blankets and lifted them over the mattress. Pillows were already fluffed at the end. 'Goodnight,' she absently thought before leaving.
The inn's door opened and two pirates entered. "Which room's mine again?"
The other voice was high-pitch, "The fourth room. Across from Nami's and next door to mine."
'No locks...Sanji's next door...and Robin's room would be on the other side...' She cursed under her breath, 'We will need to change the order tomorrow...'
"Well, night Chopper." The dark skinned longnose yawned and opened his door. Instead was his backpack and another bag. Chopper entered his room, and quickly got under the blankets. There wasn't much heat kept inside of this house.
You may be thinking: "There's another one of these?! Why do we have to read so many time travel Luffy stories?" And yes, here's another one of them. But, this time with different takes on the arcs, and a minor change to the crew (well, a HUGE change). There may be pairings, there will be different character reactions, and dumb plot devices; but that's for another time.
What's different about this story and others? The crew is a different gender, Luffy may actually break the timeline, some favorite characters are missing, some time-travel side effects on Luffy, and it stops before the Whitebeard War (since this takes place after Brook joins the crew).
What are the crew's names then? Niko, Savi, Frankie, Urika, Robin, Zora, Brook, and Toni Toni Chopper.
