The east blue
The crew had taken refuge in the ship's dining area as they sailed towards the entrance of the Grand Line in order to ride out the worst of the storm.
"So you gonna tell us what she's doing here?" Nami asked Luffy while giving him the stink eye.
Either not picking up on Nami's mood or simply not caring Luffy smiled at her. "She's part of the crew."
Hearing this Sanji perked up and gave Luffy an award winning smile. "Nice job captain this crew was starting to turn into a bit of a sausage fest." Then getting down on one knee in front of Alvida he gently took her hand and attempted to kiss her knuckles just like he had seen Luffy do. Alvida however refused to have any of this as she had her sights set on Luffy as he was the only man that had ever been strong enough to stand up to her. From out of nowhere Alvida pulled out her iron mace and brought it down on Sanji's head.
The other male members of the crew snickered at seeing Sanji brained while Nami stared at Luffy stonily.
"So how do we get to the Grand Line captain?" Zoro asked still smirking at an unconscious Sanji.
"Nami did you happen," without a word Nami reached into one of her bags of purchases she got in Loguetown and pulled out a map, spreading it out on the table.
After examining the map for a moment Nami became confused. "This map must be wrong the trail to the Grand Line seems to take us up this mountain here."
Everyone looked to see the mountain she was pointing at and true to her words there was a thin body of water that travelled up the mountain on the map.
"No that's right," Gin said still looking at the map. Looking up he saw nearly everyone staring at him in confusion while Luffy smiled. "You have to sail up reverse mountain, I dunno if that's the only way into the Grand Line but it's how we got there with Don Krieg."
"But..but...but," Nami was genuinely speechless, how on earth were they meant to sail up a mountain it was just impossible.
"Gin's right, the pirates I met when I was a kid told me tons of stories about the Grand Line and a few of them were about Reverse Mountain." Luffy informed them, still smiling at their confusion.
"Erm why can't we just sail across this little bit here?" Johnny asked naively.
"Nope no can do." Luffy immediately responded.
"And why not, I mean Johnny's got a bit of a point. It'd be a lot easier to just sail across this tiny bit of ocean than it would trying to sail up a mountain," Usopp piped up from his spot at the end of the table next to Zoro.
"Two reasons, the first is that that's the calm belt where there's no wind or sea current so the entire sea is completely calm," everyone around the table realised immediately what Luffy was getting at and knew that without some form of propulsion the calm belt would be unsailable. "Plus the calm belt is where all the world's biggest sea kings live. But secondly and this is more important," everyone leaned in close believing they were about to be let in on a big secret, "That'd be cheating."
More than a few people rolled their eyes and sighed in exasperation at those words but Luffy didn't let that deter him. "If we're gonna sail the Grand Line I want us to do it properly, no shortcuts." The rest if the crew grumbled out an unenthusiastic aye aye captain. "Now we've got a bit of time before this storm breaks so I've got something to bring to everyone's attention."
With that said Luffy left the room only to return a minute or so later holding a small chest in his hands. "I found this back in Cocoyashi and after putting it somewhere safe I forgot about it." Seeing that he had everyone's attention he made his way to the table before opening the chest to reveal the devil fruit inside. "Now I dunno what this devil fruit actually is, it could be something completely useless for all we know. But if any of you want it you can have it."
Out of the crew that we capable of eating a devil fruit only Zoro and Nami flat out refused it, the rest all looked interested. "I know there's an encyclopedia or summet out there that's got pretty much every devil fruit listed in it. So unless any of you really wanna eat it now I reckon it'd be best to wait and see if we can get out hands on that book." Luffy said as he looked around at his crew who were all mulling over his words. It only took a few moments for everyone to come to the consensus that it would be better to wait and see which devil fruit they actually had.
"Yeah actually, I got everyone their clothes and I got the store to put your names on the bags that are yours." Nami said waving behind her to the shopping bags.
"What's in that huge bag at the end?" Zoro asked bemused.
"That's the bag with my clothes in it. Why got a problem with that?" She asked tilting her head back and jutting out her jaw in a challenge.
Ever the peacekeeper that he was it was Usopp that got between them before Zoro could say anything and dig his own grave a little more. "No not all he was just wondering is all."
Nami just hummed in disbelief. "I also got Usopp to pick a little something extra up." Usopp then got out the tools that had been on the shopping list Nami had given him when he ran into her back in Loguetown. "I thought we could all get our very own personal Jolly Rogers tattooed but link them all together by putting a straw hat on them." Nami truly believed that it was a good idea however when she actually said her idea out loud to the rest of the crew she started to have doubts.
Nami's doubts however soon vanished when both Luffy and Zoro grinned at each other. She then passed them the paper with the designs that Usopp had come up with and they were well and truly blown away. Every design was a skull and crossbones with a straw hat yet at the same time they were unique.
Luffy's design was a standard Jolly Roger wearing a straw hat but in place of the crossbones there were two lightning bolts. Zoro's was the same as Luffy's except instead of lightning bolts he had two swords with a third one held between the skulls teeth.
Nami's Jolly Roger was a winking skull and crossbones on top of the tattoo she currently had on her left shoulder. Sanji's was a skull wearing a straw hat with a swirly eyebrow on top of a knife and fork. Gin was a standard skull and crossbones but it had two demonic looking horns coming out of its head as a nod to his moniker. It was Usopp's that was the most amusing though as it was a skull facing slightly to the side with a ridiculously long nose on top of two crossed pistols. Seeing the long nose Luffy and Nami couldn't help but snicker making Usopp pout slightly.
"Why do me and Yozuku have two skull and crossbones on ours?" Johnny asked Usopp.
"Never get one of you without the other so you might as well be one person, so I thought we should show that in your mark."
Hearing Usopp's explanation Johnny and Yozuku looked at each for a moment before grinning and throwing an arm around each others shoulders.
"Erm I didn't know you were gonna be part of the crew so I haven't done a design for you yet...sorry." Usopp said to the newest addition to the Straw Hat pirates. Alvida simply waved him off.
"Don't worry about it, tell you what just use my old Jolly Roger and put a straw hat on it."
"Erm OK?"
Luffy could barely contain his excitement at this bonding experience, his crew truly was beginning to come together. "Let's get on with it already."
"Erm shouldn't we wake up dart brow and get his opinion?" Zoro asked not really caring either way.
"Yeah i suppose. Gin see if you can bring him around, Usopp let's get started already."
Three hours later the crew's tattoos were all finished with Gin completing Usopp's for him. Luffy was just admiring his on his right shoulder before inspiration struck him. "Hey Usopp can you do me another one?"
"I suppose, why what do you want?"
"Can you tattoo the letters A, S, L on my chest right here?" Luffy asked pointing to his chest right over his heart.
"Seems simple enough."
Just as Usopp was finishing Luffy's newest tattoo Nami asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "So what's with the A, S and L?"
"Mine and my brothers initials," said a smiling Luffy. When he said that everyone shared a look silently asking each other the same question, 'did you know Luffy had any brothers,' and it was at that moment that the entire crew realised that they didn't know that much about their own captain. After all Luffy was the type of person that went out of his way to help them or asked about them not the other way around.
"Just one last thing Usopp, I need you to put an X on top of the S for me."
"Umm OK but you sure?" Usopp asked uncertainly after all tattoos were permanent so he wouldn't be able to change his mind later.
"Why do you want the S crossed out?" Nami asked curiously. That however was a question that Luffy ignored as he simply pretended that he hadn't heard Nami speak. Zoro however was sat directly opposite him and saw the slight downturn of his lips when she asked that last question and he realised that the brother whose name began with s was probably dead.
With the tattoo done Luffy got up to leave, "There's no sense in trying to sail any further in this storm tonight so drop anchor and we'll pick it up again in the morning." Looking around at the nods he was receiving he grinned. "Now I'm knackered so I'm gonna go for a soak in the bath."
Nami perked up at the word bath and fixed her gaze on him intently. "Bath...why do you get a bath and I have to make do with a shower?"
Luffy just pointed to himself dumbly with his index finger, "Captain," was all he said before he left the room to head back to his cabin. Nami however was coming up with various schemes and plots to use that bath, it'd been weeks since she was able to have a nice long hot soak in the bath and she'd be damned if she let anyone get in her way.
Lying in bed later that night Nami was unable to sleep, sighing to herself she got up to head to the kitchen only to stop when she saw the bag she had left on her desk. Realising that she had yet to give Luffy the gift she had picked up in Loguetown she picked it up and headed towards his room hoping that he was still awake.
Knocking on his door Nami waited patiently for Luffy to open the door however while she waited she looked down and realised that she had forgotten to put on a dressing gown leaving her in just her night clothes but as she turned to return to her room to put something else on Luffy answered the door.
He looked at Nami who was only dressed in a pair of short shorts and a small loose fitting strappy top and raised an eyebrow as he looked her up and down. Flushing in embarrassment she gestured behind him silently asking to enter. Not saying a word Luffy stood to one side and allowed her to enter, closing the door behind her and walked past her to lean against the desk in his cabin.
"So...what...do you want?"
"I erm, I got you this back in Loguetown." Nami said still a little bit embarrassed at her state of undress. She then handed him the antique pocket watch and saw him smile softly when he took it.
"Thanks Nami, it means a lot that you thought of me like this. I'll have to get Usopp to sort me out a chain for it so I don't lose it."
"I just saw it and thought of you," Nami said as she took a step closer to Luffy.
"Nami...we can't. You're a member of my crew it wouldn't be right," and as he said that he stopped leaning against his desk and stood up straight.
Undeterred she took another slight step forwards. "Why not?" she asked.
"I'm your captain and, well I suppose it'd feel like I was taking advantage of you."
Yet another slight step forwards took Nami only a foot away from him. "You make it sound like we're getting married or something." Seeing that Luffy was still unconvinced she added, "we're both only human and we've both got needs just look at it like that. It doesn't have to mean anything if we don't want it to."
"And you don't want it to?" a disbelieving Luffy asked.
"Problem for another day," that was all Nami said before she closed the now small gap between the two of them and kissed him. Despite the fact that he knew as her captain he shouldn't be doing this, the last time didn't count in his mind as she wasn't technically part of the crew, Luffy couldn't stop himself. The words of Shanks back when he was a kid had a big impact on his behaviour towards the opposite sex which had resulted in Luffy being a slight bit of a philanderer.
Seeing that she was getting what she wanted she inwardly smirked 'ha take that Nojiko,' and she began leading Luffy to his bed never breaking the kiss.
Luffy and Nami awoke the next morning in a slight tangle of limbs and to very loud knocking on Luffy's cabin door. The pair panicked slightly at not wanting what had happened to become the ship's gossip.
"Oi captain I know you're in there, get your arse out here. The rain's stopped and the wind's died down a bit so we should get going." Zoro yelled through the door.
"Well your the first mate so just check the heading and start sailing us towards reverse mountain."
"No can do captain, when I went near the helm to do that Usopp and Gin had a bit of a hissy fit and said they weren't letting me have anything to do with direction. Wankers. I can't find the sea witch anywhere so that means you need to do it."
"Fine! I'll be out soon." Hearing that Zoro was walking away he looked down at Nami who still had her head on his chest. "Tch I was hoping for another round this morning."
Nami smirked suddenly having an idea. "Well since you have to get up I might as well make use of your bath," with that she got up and headed to Luffy's bathroom not even bothering to hide her modesty and looking over her shoulder she said, "just tell everyone you said I could use your bath last night and I came over earlier to have a soak. You never know maybe next time you can join me," she said with a sultry smirk and a wink.
Luffy just rolled his eyes as he began getting dressed, before he stopped and thought about things. 'Hang on a minute I've just realised I've slept with both sisters, ha go me.'
Three days later the crew was still sailing with the storm at their backs but at least they had passed through the worst of it with only the raging winds still assaulting them.
The crew had just finished Zoro's exhausting training regime when, from the crows nest, Gin spotted a small fleet of marine ships blocking their path. "Captain marine ships dead ahead! There's at least ten ships blocking the way!"
Luffy took out his spyglass and looked for any identifying insignia on the flags or sails. "Tch, that's the mark of commodore Nelson."
"Is he strong," an eager Zoro asked as he stepped up beside Luffy with Wado Ichimonji slung across his shoulder.
"He's very fat...and sweaty." Luffy then began barking out orders to his crew. "I want those ships out of my way. Usopp man the bow cannons, Johnny and Yozuku go with him and help him reload! Alvida head below deck and man the secondary bow cannon and take Gin with you to help reload. Nami man the helm and keep us steady and on course."
Various aye aye's rang out from the crew when they received their orders and they set about manning their positions while luffy headed to Merry's figurehead. Facing the ships on the port side he waited until Usopp fired and when he did Luffy clapped his hands together forming a small ball of lightning between his palms. Then quickly he spread his arms wide causing the ball of lightning to grow and fire at the ships.
Both Usopp and Alvida had destroyed one ship each with their first shot and were reloading while Luffy had taken out three ships with his devil fruit powers. Luffy turned to Zoro, "Go tell Alvida that when she fires the next shot I wanted her back on deck an on the starboard cannons." Nodding Zoro went below deck to relay the order. "Usopp fire the next shot the get on the starboard cannons with Alvida."
Luffy created a ball of lightning the size of a football before he launched it with the speed and precision of a world class pitcher at the last remaining ship off the port side. After his last attack he teleported beside Nami startling her slightly. "Nami I want you to bank hard to port I wanna hit them with our starboard broad guns." Nami didn't even bat an eye at Luffy's order instead complying without a word.
Moments later the sound of cannons rang out once more as each available crew member on the Merry fired a cannon each. Seven cannonballs flew towards the remaining three marine ships sinking two and crippling a third. Before Usopp could reload another cannonball Luffy called over to him, "Leave that ship be, dead men tell no tales."
The crew let out a collective sigh of relief at their victory after all it's not every day that a single pirate ship is capable of taking out ten marine ships and crippling another one.
"Nami how far away are we from the entrance to the Grand Line?"
At Luffy's question Nami went to her cabin to examine her charts returning only a few moments later. "Maybe another three days if the wind changes but at the moment it's against us."
"Well nothing we can do about the wind, but if there's anyone in the world that can tell when the wind's about to change its you Nami. Oi Sanji when's dinner I'm starved."
Sanji let out a lung full of smoke before speaking. "I can have something ready in about half an hour."
It was the following day that Nami informed everyone that the wind was changing which would shave a few days off their journey and true to her word it only took four days for them to reach the entrance to the Grand Line.
With Usopp on watch from the crows nest the Straw Hats were able to locate the gate that the current flowed through as it travelled up Reverse mountain.
"Nami get us in that current over there," Luffy called pointing to spot off the starboard bow. Nami looked to see where Luffy was pointing as she adjusted the helm to take the Merry into the specific current.
When the Merry got into a correct sea current it's speed increased dramatically and Nami became unable to adjust the helm without risking snapping the rudder.
The crew then got their first look at the gateway to the Grand Line and while it was little more than two rectangular pillars that jutted out from the sea perfectly vertically the crew looked at it with a feeling of awe. This was where their pirate adventure would truly begin. From his spot in the crows nest Usopp called down to Nami frantically, "Nami, we're about to hit the gate on the port side."
"There's nothing I can do the current is to strong. If I do anymore the rudder's gonna give."
Luffy was thinking quickly needing to find a solution otherwise they were going to crash, ending their journey before it even began. Looking around for inspiration his eyes landed on the cannons, before glancing at the wall of reverse mountain and then back to the Merry. "Every one man the port side cannons now! Don't load a cannonball , just gunpowder and when I give the signal I want everyone to fire the cannons."
"And what's that meant to do!" Nami shrieked fear at their impending crash clear in her voice.
"If we fire the cannons at the right moment it'll give us the nudge we need to get the Merry through the gate."
Hearing Luffy's reasoning and desperate to try anything to survive every crew member save Nami, who was still manning the helm, manned a cannon. staring intently at the approaching gate Luffy waited for the perfect moment, call it too late and it won't achieve anything and they'll crash and if he was to call it too soon then the current could push them off course again...meaning they'd still crash.
"FIRE!" Luffy bellowed. At his order eight cannons fired which provided just enough force to nudge the bow of the ship more to starboard. Usopp and Yozuku fell to their knees in relief while Sanji and Gin lit a cigarette to calm their nerves.
It took a moment for the reality of the situation to fully sink in but when it did every straw hat let out a laugh as they darted to sides of the ship to see the ship sail up a mountain.
Upwards the ship rocketed until they had even passed the clouds. The current took them even higher until the reached the plateau where the they splashed down in the small lake at the summit, droplets of water flying up and freezing due to the altitude making them look like diamonds.
Everyone marvelled at the beauty of the summit, the without warning the current once more took control of the ship forcing it to turn before it shot forwards flying down the side of the mountain causing the Strawhats to scream in terror. However when they got further down the mountain the slop began to level out bit by bit slowing their speed gradually.
"Erm captain there's another mountain in front of us," pointed out Usopp from his spot at the front of the ship.
Looking to where Usopp was pointing Luffy's words seemed to accurately sum up what everyone else was thinking. "Well...shit."