Peace: Okay, guys I'm going to be a bit more confident~!
Freddy: Is that the reason why you're wearing that outfit?
Sanya: It's…really…odd.
Yang: Hey guys sorry I'm la-What the Foo!?
Gwen:...What the hell am I looking at?!
Varvula: Nice outfit Peace~! You remind me of a manga I read online~!
Yang/Gwen: OUR EYES IT BURNS~!
Raven: Oh quit being a drama queen you two. It's not that bad.
Gwen: Of course you would say that, sicko.
Raven: I dare you to say that again.
Peace: I-Is there a problem with my outfit…Ibuki mentioned that it was the latest craze.
Freddy: Figures it was her doing.
Sanya: I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 22: Let the Punishment Begin.
"So we were tricked?" Misaka asked in disbelief. The White Berets left them the second after they declared the Straw Hats as Class 2 Criminals. Nami explained to them what she saw to the group and about the old lady at the gate ratting them out.
"That old lady said that we could go in without paying the toll, and then they declared us criminals! That's fraud!" Nami complained.
"Aren't we pirates though?" Jackal questioned. "It ain't really a surprise that we're criminals."
"I hate to say it, but the furball is right," Chris replied. "We knew that there were consequences for not paying yet we still passed."
"And even if she did want us to pay, we would've used force," Gajeel added.
"Shut up!" Nami barked.
"I'm sorry to say this, but...we can't really help you since you're Class 2 Criminals," Pagaya said far away from the crew.
"Can we stay here with you?" Hime pleaded as she dragged her team and Manatsu's towards them. "We don't know them!"
"WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO US FROM WAY OVER THERE!? AND GET BACK HERE YOU GIRLS!" Nami comically yelled.
"That doesn't matter!~!" Luffy laughed. "We are already used to being chased by authorities."
"Why did you have to come back~?!" Natsu pouted. "We were going to kick God's butt!"
"And by beating someone up, he means going on an ad- I mean find you," Luffy agreed.
"You two are bad at lying," Asuka deadpanned.
"You gotta be kidding," Nami growled. She began jabbing her finger on the captain's forehead pushing him back. "Didn't you hear me?! There are people who are ruthless, and they murder anyone who comes near the island! I don't know if it was God or not, but I saw his power with my own two eyes! I WILL NEVER GO BACK THERE EVER!"
Everyone was silent as Luffy fell on the ground with a final jab. They can tell that whatever Nami saw scared her beyond belief.
"...What did Nami see back there?" Sango asked.
"Simon..." Erza whispered. 'He said that he and his friends are trapped in the Upper Yard...If what Nami said was true then…'
Luffy sat up crossed legged. "Well you can just stay here with Connis and Pagaya like Hime is doing."
"No way, we are criminals, remember~?! We are leaving!" Nami declared.
"WHAT!?" Luffy along with Natsu, Manatsu, Kirika and Hibiki exclaimed.
"But we just got here!" Natsu whined.
"Get your priorities in order, Nami!" Luffy snapped as he stretched his neck. "What's more important, adventure or life!?"
"Well my life of course, after money," Nami answered.
"I'm glad everyone's priorities are straight," Lucy sweatdropped sarcastically.
"Now that you mention it," Shirabe announced. "We don't have a way to get back down do we?"
"We were focusing on how to get up to Skypiea, we didn't think of how to get down there safely," Kuroko added.
"There is a way…" Connis said slowly. "But it's not the safest way though...It's called Cloud End."
"I'm already not liking the name," Touma stated. "Where is Cloud End?"
"Cloud End is in the far East," Connis answered. "To get there you need to go down the White Sea."
"Perfect," Nami said with a grin. "We can leave from that location."
"Now way~!" Natsu, Happy, Manatsu, and Luffy yelled.
"Do you guys seriously want to stay here and wait for your death sentence!?" Hime asked. "Also we might get Connis and Pagaya in trouble too!"
"Oh it's no problem," Connis replied.
"Even if we run away, we won't escape from them," Tsuchimikado recalled. "Word might spread out to the others in Skypiea."
"We better get out of here as fast as we can," Nami reassured. "Alright everyone let's set sail~!"
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Hey, old man~!" Luffy called out to Pagaya.
"What is he doing now?" Kuroko groaned.
"Can I take all the leftovers to go!?" Luffy asked.
"Why yes of course," Pagaya nodded.
"Alright! Sanji, prepare some Bento boxes!" Luffy announced.
"He's on the ball," Sanji said.
"You're staying too?!" Hime exclaimed.
"Someone needs to make sure he doesn't eat everything," Sanji replied.
"In that case, I need a favor too," Usopp said to Pagaya. "You're an engineer, right? Would you give me some fixtures for ship repairs?"
"Connis, may I borrow one of your Dials?" Kuroko asked.
"What why?" Misaka asked oddly.
"...No reason," Kuroko answered as she teleported off the ship.
"I guess I'll go as well!" Kirika announced. She along with Minori followed them.
"Why are you two going?" Tsubasa asked.
"Well, we're leaving Skypiea right? I want to get a souvenir!" Kirika answered.
"And there's a book I want to borrow from Connis," Minori added.
"Why does it sound like they're all getting ready to go to the Upper Yard?" Touma asked, realizing what was happening.
"Hey, where are you guys going!?" Nami yelled at the seven.
"We are going to get some food for our amazing adventure we are going to have~!" Luffy answered.
"He's not even trying to hide it anymore," Cynthia sweatdropped.
"He really does want to go to the forbidden place," Wendy nervously said.
"He's a big idiot," Nami grumbled with tick marks appearing on her head. "Those guys are really scary!"
"Don't take it out on us~!" Cynthia exclaimed.
"Chopper you're on my side...right?" Nami politely asked Chopper.
"Don't threaten him!" Cynthia barked.
"It seems that no matter what the others said, Luffy has the final say," George summarized.
"That's what makes him so awesome!" Kinoko wailed. "He can even take down that orange fatty with his grinning charms!"
"I don't think you should be saying that out loud," Laura warned.
"Why-? GUAH!" Kinoko rubbed her head after Nami landed a good hit on her.
"Mmm~! This is sooo good!" Luffy replied happily. He and Kirika were taking some food Sanji prepared.
""I don't think that's a good idea eating the lunchboxes," Minori suggested.
"I can't help it! It's so good~!" Kirika gushed.
"Don't worry Minori, we have tons for lunch," Luffy stated.
Minori sweatdropped. "Well, we won't have any if you keep taking bites."
"Hey~! Connis give me some tea!" Luffy called out.
"Get some yourself!" Sanji snapped.
"Honestly you act like a kid sometimes," Kuroko rolled her eyes. "Wait, where did Connis go?"
"It looks like she was saying farewell to the others," Pagaya answered. "Here is some tea."
"Oh thank you!" Luffy took it and drank it quickly. "OW! Hot! Hot!"
"That's what you get for dunking down hot tea," Kuroko scolded.
"So are you the shipwright of the Crew?" Pagaya asked.
"Oh no I'm not, I'm the sniper," Usopp answered. "Our crew still doesn't have a shipwright. However, since I'm skilled in everything, everyone depends on me!" He laughed. "The ship wouldn't be running without my help."
"I hate to admit it, but these dishes look more like artwork," Kuroko stated, impressed.
"Well of course," Sanji stated. "Arranging food is the best way to appeal to the viewers."
"And...no one is listening," Usopp sulked. "Well, except for Suu."
"Bye Connis!" Nami waved to Connis as she walked back to her house.
"I DON'T WANNA GO~!" Natsu whined. The pink haired Dragon Slayer began throwing a childish yet dangerous tantrum. He was close to starting a forest fire if Erza didn't knock him out while the others tied him up.
"You don't have a choice in the matter," Gray snickered.
"Shut it!" Natsu snapped.
"This seems too easy," Shirabe thought out loud.
"What do you mean, Shirabe?" Megumi asked.
"If this current existed, then there should be more survivors from Sky Island in the Blue Sea," She explained.
"That does sound odd," Marie agreed.
Nami laughed. "Don't be silly, Since it's difficult for people to get up to Skypiea right? It's natural for people not to come back safely."
"That's a lot of people who were too slow to escape," Hime mumbled.
"That's right, not knowing when to back off can cost us our lives," Nami nodded. "We better get going or else Connis's kindness will be wasted."
"Oh Connis, you have returned," Sanji said suddenly.
"Heso," Connis smiled. "I'm sorry for leaving so suddenl-WOW~!" She was distracted by the perfect layout of the lunch boxes. "That's wonderful~! It almost doesn't look like food anymore!"
"I agree they look so cute," Minori agreed.
"It's hard to tell by your face," Usopp commented.
"Right? This one is for and one for Minori, and Kuroko," Sanji offered.
"Thank you Sanji," Connis and Minori said.
"Yeah...thanks," Kuroko said slowly.
"The title of these lunches are 'Love is a Dilemma! The Lunch of Descended Angels!" Sanji described.
"Hmm, maybe I should give a box to sissy," Kuroko mumbled, imagining herself enjoying one lunch box with Misaka.
"I don't get what's the big deal," Luffy said bluntly while chewing some food. "All the food is the same once it goes in your mouth."
"How dare you trash my work!" Sanji comically barked at Luffy. "Look here! Great meals always start with great preparation!"
"Really?" Luffy took another bite of Kuroko's box lunch. "They all taste the same."
"You barbaric monkey!" Kuroko snapped. "That's sissy's lunch box!"
"And you're supposed to savor it with your eyes first!" Sanji added.
"That's weird putting food in your eyes," Luffy said confused.
"That is not what he meant you, idiot!" Kuroko comically snapped.
"Maybe I can eat it through my nose,"
"That's disgusting!" Kuroko and Sanji yelled.
"Now we just need to wait until Luffy gets back," Nami said as the others are preparing to set sail.
Jackal suddenly heard a faint sound below the ship. 'Something's coming towards us quickly.'
The cloud sea below the Going Merry burst open suddenly, causing it to shake violently.
"What's going on!?" Iona asked, trying to steady herself. The shaking woke Zoro up from his nap.
"Are we already on the current?" Wannai asked.
"We barely moved though," Ray said calmly. "...I think we're going to be punished."
"Please don't say stuff so casually," Awatsuki sweatdropped.
Usopp noticed the ship moving from the window. "Guys! Something's wrong with the ship!"
Everyone quickly went on the balcony and noticed the Going Merry shaking. "What's going on down there?!" Kuroko asked.
"Maybe Natsu and Gray are fighting again?" Kirika guessed.
"Maybe they're having a party," Luffy added. "And without us…the nerve."
"They don't look like they're celebrating," Minori said while Sanji was looking through the telescope.
"Oh no! Nami!" Sanji yelled with a horrific look on his face.
"What's wrong?" Minori asked.
"...Why is she wearing a T-shirt?" He cried, biting his sleeves.
"That's what you're worried about?!" Kuroko yelled.
"I'm pretty sure we have some more impressive concerns right now to focus on!" Usopp comical dope slap Usopp.
"D-Death~! T-The Going Merry is moving backwards on its own!" Kirika called out.
"What?! But why?" Kuroko asked. "You don't think that they leave without us right?"
"They're not, look!" Usopp pointed. "The sails aren't up."
"And there's something at the bottom of the ship," Minori pointed to a silhouette beneath the Going Merry.
"Damn it!" Cynthia along with Gajeel and Natsu had to feel the motion sickness kick in. "Out of all the times for the pills to wear off, why now?"
"Everyone hold on!" Nami ordered. "What's going on? What is this?"
"Did we get to the current faster than we expected?" Zoro asked.
"It's not by us, but something underneath the ship!" Misaka answered. Underneath the Going Merry was a gigantic red lobster with the words 'GOD' written on its forehead. It was carrying the ship by latching its claws on the broken wing.
"So this is what that guy mentioned?" Tsuchimikado stated.
"You mean the guys Luffy and the others beat up?" Touma asked.
"What about them?" Accelerator asked also.
"I did a bit of snooping around the city and those White Berets mentioned something called the White-White Sea's Super Express Lobster." He explained.
"Super Express Lobster?" Hime questioned.
"All of you need to get off this ship now~!" Zoro ordered. "They're trying to take us somewhere!"
"What about you though?" Megumi asked.
"I'm going to try to cut through that lobster," He answered.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Robin warned, stopping him. "Even if you succeed in defeating the lobster we'll have to be dealing with that."
Everyone turned behind them and noticed a swarm of large, carnivorous Sky Fish tailing behind them.
"S-So those Sky Fish are there to make sure we don't abandon ship?!" Shirabe stated in shock.
"No problem, I'll just blast those guys out of the water," Chris replied.
"Even if we do take them out, there's no telling how many more groups we need to deal with," Tsuchimikado reminded. "Besides, wasting our energy on these fish will tire us out."
"So it's already starting…" Erza said finally speaking for the first time. 'Is that what Simon was mentioning? If that's the case then we'll be in the middle of a battlefield.'
"Index, get below deck," Touma ordered. "We don't know what we'll be facing and I don't want you to get hurt."
Index nodded as she grabbed Last Order and went below deck.
"Lily, you, Happy and Charla stay with them, " Erza ordered.
"Aye~!" Happy responded.
"I'll go down as well," Tsubasa declared. She along with Lilly, Happy, and Charla went down under the deck and entered the room with Last Order, Index, and surprisingly George.
"George? How did you get down here so fast?" Tsubasa asked.
"He's a portal mage," Index said. "It's not weird for him to get below deck without using the door."
"I came down to make sure there weren't any holes below deck," George answered. Charla, Lily, and Tsubasa noticed that he was talking a bit off. Before they could reply, George left the room.
"My friends and I honestly faced a ton of odd and unnatural phenomenon's in our world," Tsubasa admitted as she sat down. "But an Island in the Sky is a new one to me."
"This is just like that when I first met Touma," Index said, recalling how they met. "He didn't believe in magic since Academy City is based on science and esper abilities."
"I have a question," Happy stated to Index. "Can Esper like Misaka learn magic?"
Index shook her head. "The idea is plausible, but shouldn't be done. If espers cast magical spells or use magic, their bodies would break down from the inside out. That's the reason why the two sides are so secretive."
Suddenly they heard two people screaming from outside. Tsubasa, Index, and the three Exceeds raced up while Last Order stayed.
Once the five got there, they witnessed a shocking revolution...
Everyone minus four others were gone.
Levy and Chopper were hugging each other out of fear. They stared at George who stood in front of them. Not far from them, lying on the deck unconscious was...another George?
Gwen: Is it safe for us to look now?
Peace: Y-Yes, you can.
Yang: Thank the Foo~!
Peace: I-I didn't know it was that revealing to wear! B-But it did make me confident.
Raven: Yeah like those creepy exib-
Freddy: Raven, hush!
Yang: What are you Danger Mouse?
Sanya: Next Chapter: Betrayal
Varvula: I still like Peace's original outfit.
Gwen/Yang: NO WE DON'T~!
Freddy: Next time, we need to safe search what Ibuki looks up.
