Ch. 54- Adventures in Jaya
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
Shade © Gakuto1991
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Before we can go ahead with the reading, I wanna say something first: if you don't like how I write my stories, then just don't read them. Go read something else that you like if you want, but don't take your frustration out on me or my works. I'm just doing what I like to do. I'm ultimately doing this for my enjoyment and because I wanted to share with fellow One Piece fans or just other fandoms in general, but if you don't like what I do, then just don't read my stuff. Plain and simple.
This is not an attack on anyone. I'm just asking that people stop all this unnecessary hatred and leaving mean-spirited comments on things that I work really hard on. If you have something to say, say it in the form of constructive criticism, not things like "Oh, your story is nothing but sh*t!" or "Why would write this trash?".
Be kind. That's all I ask.
Anyway, on with the chapter!
"...Big Brother was right," Aika spoke up, suddenly, which caused the Straw Hats to glance at her. "That Gasparde guy was trash."
"Aika!" Nami scolded.
"She's right, though," Zoro said. "That Gasparde is the kind of guy that Luffy hates: someone who only wants power on the sea and discards their crew as tools."
"What was the point of those memories, though?" Usopp asked.
"I think it was supposed to show us how Luffy seems to contradict himself, nowadays," Robin said. "Of course, that's just my theory."
"Luffy has gotten a bit more reckless these days, though, hasn't he?" asked Blizzard. "It actually has me worried."
"Me, too," Chopper agreed. "I wonder what's going on with him?"
"We'll know as soon as we find him," Sanji replied.
"So what happens now?" Franky asked, and he soon got his answer when they heard a loud splash. As the Straw Hats looked up, they saw that they were surrounded by water...and they could see a familiar straw hat floating before their eyes and a hand weakly reaching out to grab it.
"AAH!" Aika shrieked. "Big Brother's in the sea!"
"Good heavens, what happened?!" Brook questioned. "Why is he underwater?!"
"...Oh, right," Nami said. "I think I remember what happens here."
All of a sudden, Past Zoro came into view as he dove into the water and swam toward Past Luffy, whose vision was slowly beginning to blur and fade into black...but just momentarily.
"Hey, you idiot! Wake up!"
At the sound of Past Sanji shouting at him and the feeling of a boot being pressed into his stomach, Past Luffy suddenly woke up as a small waterspout came spraying out of his mouth while Past Sanji stamped his foot against his waterlogged belly. Nearby, Past Usopp and Past Chopper both sighed in relief while Past Zoro was busy wringing out of the water out of his shirt.
"How many times do we have to tell you?!" Past Sanji questioned. "Don't jump into the water when you know you can't swim!"
"I'm sorry..." Past Luffy gurgled. "I was just trying to get my hat back..."
"Moron..." Past Sanji muttered.
"Ah, yes, I remember what happened here," Robin answered, noticing that her past counterpart was nowhere to be seen. "Luffy's hat fell off and he fell overboard trying to catch it."
"I guess I can't really blame him after what happened with Gasparde and all," said Franky.
"Poor Big Brother," Aika said while she held the rim of Luffy's hat and tugged it onto her head.
"Hey! What's going on out here?!"
"Uh-oh..." Past Usopp and Past Chopper muttered as they shrunk back while Past Nami stormed up to the group, and Past Robin stood a few feet behind her.
"Ahh, Nami, my dear~!" Past Sanji exclaimed with hearts in his eyes, as usual.
"What's with all the racket?!" Past Nami questioned. "I'm trying to work on my maps!"
"Luffy fell overboard, again," said Past Zoro as he pulled his shirt back on, prompting Past Nami to glance down at Past Luffy, whose stomach had now shrunken down after Past Sanji made him spit out the excess water.
"Hi, Nami..." Past Luffy slurred while the navigator sighed and shook her head.
"Lemme guess, Luffy," she said. "Your hat fell off again?"
"Uh-huh..." Past Luffy nodded.
"I figured as much," Past Nami muttered before she picked up Past Luffy's hat. "Come on, Luffy. I'm fixing this so this never happens, again."
"Huh?" Past Luffy muttered as he sat up. "What are you gonna do?"
"Just follow me," Past Nami replied as she walked away, and Past Luffy soon got up and followed after her. Soon, they were in the girls' cabin of the Going Merry, where Past Nami sat on her bed with her sewing kit. Past Luffy sat next to her with a towel placed on the bedspread to keep it from getting wet since he neglected to dry himself off. Past Nami hummed a tuneless song to herself as she pulled out a piece of thick string and a threaded needle. Soon, she sewed one end of the string to the rim of Past Luffy's hat, then sewed the other end to the other side.
"There," she said as she snipped off the thread and put Past Luffy's hat back on his head. "Now you don't have to worry about your hat falling off. This string is supposed to go around your neck so that your hat can hang off behind your head." As if to demonstrate, she gently flicked the hat off of her captain's raven mop, causing it to fall backwards, but the string around Past Luffy's neck caused it to just hang backwards. "See?"
"Oh!" Past Luffy exclaimed. "This is perfect! Thanks, Nami!"
"Anytime," Past Nami smiled as she got up and walked out.
"So you made that string on Big Brother's hat!" Aika exclaimed as she looked up at the present-day Nami, who smiled.
"It was a bit of a problem," Nami replied. "I was just trying to do us all a favor so Luffy wouldn't jump off the ship to grab his hat so much or worry about it falling off while he's fighting. You know how important that hat is to him."
"I bet he still fell overboard, though, huh?" Kumi asked.
"Sometimes, yeah," Chopper admitted.
Soon, the memory shifted, showing the Past Straw Hats hanging around the Going Merry as per usual. Past Luffy was sitting on the figurehead, just like always.
"Hey, Nami," Past Luffy said. "You think it'll snow again?"
"Ugh...haven't you had enough snow?" asked Past Nami while she looked at the Log Pose.
"I believe an Autumn Island should be coming up soon," said Past Robin.
"Autumn works for me, too!" Past Luffy exclaimed. "As long as there's meat there."
"Of course," Past Nami muttered.
"I like an island that snows," Aika spoke up. "Preferably if it has cookies on it, too."
The Straw Hats couldn't help chuckling at that...but then, they heard a small thud, like something hard falling against a wooden floor. As they looked up, they saw what looked like bits of wood and debris...falling from the sky.
"Uh...what's going on here?" Brook asked.
"...Uh-oh..." Usopp muttered. "It's happening."
"What's happening?" asked Franky.
"Hmm?" Past Zoro hummed while lifting his dumbells. "Is that rain?"
"Nah, this ain't rain," said Past Sanji as he and Past Usopp held out their hands while the debris fell around...and something began to fall closer toward them. "Huh...that's interesting. It looks like a...oh."
"HUH?!" the Past Straw Hats (plus the members that weren't there at the time) all gaped in disbelief. Why? Because a huge galleon with a snake figurehead was plummeting toward them!
"HOLY CRAP, WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Franky questioned.
"IS THAT A GALLEON?!" Kumi yelled.
"WHY IS IT FALLING OUT OF THE SKY?!" Blizzard cried while Past Nami pretty much repeated the same thing while Past Usopp and Past Chopper were being thrown about. The Going Merry was being tossed about in the wild waves.
"GRAB ONTO SOMETHING!" Past Zoro shouted. "WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T LET GO!"
"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!" Past Nami questioned.
"Oh, I know! This is just an awful dream!" Past Usopp exclaimed, hopefully.
"Great! I love dreams!" Past Chopper cried, right before he and Past Usopp ended up colliding with each other.
"The rudder! Turn the rudder!" shouted Past Nami.
"THAT'LL NEVER WORK IN THESE WAVES!" Past Zoro argued.
"Luffy!" Past Sanji called to Past Luffy, who was holding onto the mizzenmast. "You gotta protect the ship! She's taking a beating!"
"Right!" Past Luffy replied, but then he noticed Past Usopp in a meditative position. "Huh? Usopp, what are you doing?!"
"I will close my eyes and go deep within to find my happy place," Past Usopp replied. "And when I open my eyes, this serene landscape is all I'll see before me."
The moment he opened his eyes, though, he had a rather close and personal encounter with a rotting skeleton, which caused him to scream in terror.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH! A SKELETON!" Brook screamed.
"Look who's talking!" Zoro barked.
"This is scary!" Aika cried as she hid behind Nami. "When is this gonna stop?!"
As soon as she said this, the memory shifted, showing the Past Straw Hats staring up at the sky while the wreckage of the galleon floated around them.
"Okay," said Past Luffy. "Why did a ship just fall from the sky?!"
"Talk about crazy," Past Sanji said.
"I don't see how a ship could come falling down like that," said Zoro.
"I knew that coming to the Grand Line was a mistake!" Past Usopp cried as he and Past Chopper held each other. "It freaks me out! First, we get into a deadly race, then we end up in a ship's graveyard, and now ships are falling out of the sky, COMPLETE WITH SKELETONS!"
"Jeez...you guys had a rough day," Franky said.
"A rough day?!" Usopp questioned. "WE ALMOST BIT THE BIG ONE, YA JERK!"
"Wait...ship's graveyard?" Aika repeated.
"Oh, right," Robin spoke. "Between this and the Dead End Race, we also happened to come upon a place called the Rainbow Mist."
"The Rainbow Mist?!" Aika asked, excitedly. "What's that?!"
"We'll tell you about it, another day, kiddo," said Sanji.
"Aww, but I wanna hear about it, now," Aika pouted.
"Me, too, it sounds cool!" Kumi added.
"Oh, no!" Past Nami cried as she looked at the Log Pose...and the needle was pointing at the sky, for some reason. "The Log Pose is broken! It's pointing up and it's not moving!"
"Huh?" Past Luffy muttered as he took a look. "Lemme see!"
"The needle was pointing at the sky?" asked Franky, causing Brook to gasp.
"Wait...does this mean what I think it means?!" he asked.
"What are you getting all excited about?" asked Blizzard.
"It's not broken, Miss Navigator," said Past Robin, causing everyone to look at her. "The magnetic field of another island has made it switch its headings, is all...and if it's pointing to the sky, then there can only be one explanation." She then looked skyward. "Our Log Pose has been caught by a Sky Island."
"...SKY ISLAND?!" the Past Straw Hats (as well as the members that weren't there at the time) questioned in disbelief.
"YYYYYYEEEEEEES!" Brook exclaimed. "At long last! The Sky Island awaits!"
"There's an island in the sky?!" Aika asked, excitedly.
"That's right," Nami smiled. "In fact, there's more than one!"
"This particular island that we ended up going to is called Skypiea," Robin added.
"It was amazing!" Chopper exclaimed. "Everything there was made of clouds! Even the beaches!"
"That's so cool!" Kumi exclaimed.
"I read about it in your logbooks!" Brook piped up. "At long last, with my own sockets, I finally get to see it!"
"Well...actually, we didn't get there, right away," said Zoro.
"What do you mean?" asked Franky.
"...Oh, right," Nami muttered with dread. "We kinda had to make a bit of a stop, first."
"Stop?" Brook repeated. "Stop where?"
He soon got his answer when the memory shifted, showing the Going Merry docking at a port town.
"Is that Mock Town?" Blizzard asked.
"Yeah," Zoro answered. "We salvaged a few things from the galleon after it sunk, among them being an Eternal Pose that led to the island of Jaya." His eyes narrowed. "It's also where we met...him."
"Him?" Aika repeated.
"You'll see in just a little while, Aika," answered Zoro. "Trust us...he's bad news."
Aika gulped nervously while Kumi whimpered and lowered her body a little, just as apprehensive as her best friend. Meanwhile, in the memory, Past Luffy, Past Zoro, and Past Nami were standing in the middle of the town, together. For some reason, Past Nami had her arms crossed sternly.
"Promise me, okay, Luffy?" she asked. "Promise me that no matter what, you won't start any fights in this town! And that goes for Zoro, too!"
"Who are you, our nanny?" asked Past Zoro with a sarcastic tone of voice.
"I'm just tired of cleaning up any mess that you guys get us into!" Past Nami argued.
"Nami," Past Luffy spoke up, causing Past Nami to glance at him. "I promise never to start any fights in this town!"
"Good," Past Nami nodded. "You'd better keep that promise, too, you got it?"
"Yeah, we got it," Past Luffy and Past Zoro answered, although the tone of their voices almost didn't sound like they were taking her seriously.
"What was that about, Big Sis?" asked Aika.
"Well, this place looked a place where a lot of cutthroats would hang out," Nami answered, "and knowing your brother and Zoro..."
"Hey!" Zoro barked.
"I know that they'd both be all too eager to start a fight," Nami continued. "I only went along to keep an eye on the two of them...although...part of me kind of regretted it, later."
"...Oh, yeah..." Chopper said as he remembered what happened in this town during their stay here.
"Wait, I don't get it," said Franky. "What happened here?"
"You'll see," Nami answered.
At that moment, they heard the sound of someone coughing, and at that moment, they spotted an old man with long braided hair, a black hat, and dark brown fur coat...and there was blood spilling out of his mouth. He was shivering like a leaf and he looked like he could barely stand, not to mention his pale complexion. Next to him stood a white horse with a mane so long, it covered his eyes...and the horse didn't really look that much better, either.
"Sheesh, who's that?" Franky asked. "He looks like hell, and I've seen Usopp on a bad day!"
"I heard that," Usopp sneered.
Almost instantly, Blizzard growled at the sight of the pair.
"Those two...they're with Blackbeard!" Blizzard hissed.
"Huh?" Chopper muttered. "Blizzard, how do you know that?"
"I saw them when Luffy and I were trying to escape from Impel Down," said Blizzard. "Him along with Blackbeard and three other guys...Burgess...Lafitte...and Van Auger. Those two here are called Doc Q and his horse, Stronger." He narrowed his eyes in disdain. "They were trouble the moment I caught their scents..."
"Hey, look, it's an old man," said Past Luffy. "Looks like he fell off his horse."
"Yeah, looks like it," said Past Zoro.
"Ugh..." the old man, Doc Q, groaned as he lied on the ground, coughing up more blood. "Hey...you there...mind helping an old man up?"
"Aren't you even gonna try and do it yourself?" asked Past Zoro. "Fine...come on, Luffy, help me."
"Sure," Past Luffy answered, and soon, they hefted Doc Q onto Stronger's back, no problem.
"Ahh...thank you," said Doc Q. "I was born with a weak body, so I've always been sick..." He then coughed up more blood. "Anyway, let's get going, Stronger..."
Stronger attempted to walk, but he ended up coughing up blood, too, to Past Luffy and Past Zoro's exasperation.
"Seriously?" Franky asked. "Even the horse?!"
"I heard that horses are meant to be a simple of good health," Robin said. "I suppose he's called 'Stronger' out of irony."
"How are they even alive?" Chopper asked, almost worriedly.
"Here," Doc Q said as he held up a basket of apples. "I don't have any money, but maybe I can offer you these apples in exchange for your help?"
"No, thanks," said Past Zoro. "I don't like the looks of those things. We'll just be going-"
"Ooh, I was just starting to get hungry!" Past Luffy exclaimed as he grabbed an apple and took a bite, despite Past Zoro and Past Nami's attempts to stop him. Just as he bit into it, though, a house behind them suddenly exploded into smithereens!
"Good heavens!" Brook cried.
"What the hell was that?!" Sanji questioned.
"Hey, what happened?!" asked a bystander.
"Some weirdo was going around town, giving out apples!" answered another man. "When they each took a bite, they all exploded!"
"WHAT?!" Aika shrieked.
"Is Luffy gonna be okay?!" Kumi asked in fear.
"Luffy, quick!" Past Nami urged as she grabbed Past Luffy by the throat and started to shake him. "Spit that apple out! Hurry!"
"But I already swallowed it!" Past Luffy gagged.
"What the hell are you trying to pull, old man?!" Past Zoro questioned as he drew Wado Ichimonji.
"Heheheheheheh..." Doc Q chuckled, sinisterly. "It's fine...your friend there just happened to eat a dud apple. If he picked a different one, he'd have been dead in an instant." He then gave a wicked grin as he looked at Past Luffy. "You're one lucky boy, aren't you?"
Past Luffy only stared at the strange old man before he rode off on his horse, just as the memory faded to black.
"...I don't like the looks of that guy," said Usopp.
"The next guy we meet is even worse," said Zoro.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Aika, but as if to answer her question, the memories soon came back, revealing Past Luffy, Past Zoro, and Past Nami inside a tavern...a rather noisy tavern at that. There were pirates that looked like they didn't have so much as a Berry to their name, holding pretty women in their laps while eating several dishes.
"My," Robin said. "Quite a lively establishment."
"Sheesh...what a dive," Franky muttered. "I've seen bars in the backstreets of Water 7 that looked better than this joint!"
For some reason, Aika's eyes were on the man that was sitting just to the right of her older half-brother. She didn't know why, but...she felt something off about him.
"Aika? You okay?" Kumi asked. "What's up?"
"I...I dunno," Aika answered. "I just...have this weird feeling."
"You're right to feel that way, kid," said Zoro, his good eye narrowing. "You're about to see why."
"Jeez, this town sucks," said Past Nami as she put her drink down in frustration. Past Zoro sat beside her, downing a tankard of rum, while Past Luffy sat beside him, eating a cherry pie...along with the mysterious stranger.
"Sorry to hear that, miss," said the barkeep. "Mock Town is a place that was built on pirates' treasure, you see. Scoundrels and rapscallions come from hither and yon and unload their riches as they please. Brawls and murders are pretty much commonplace, here, but the pirates don't ever lay a hand on the townspeople."
"Hmph..." Past Nami scoffed.
"I suppose I can't really cheer ya up, now can I?" asked the barkeep. "In that case, consider this on the house."
"That's very courteous of you," Past Nami said. "Still...this place gives me really bad vibes."
The barkeep chuckled. "I suppose it's common for people to talk like that about this place. Of course, we don't get normal people around here. Anyway, your Log Pose will reset in about 4 days. If I were you, I'd set sail in order to avoid getting caught up in any unnecessary scandals."
"Four days, huh?" asked Past Nami. "I say we leave in two, then."
"You certainly weren't in a good mood, were you, Miss Nami?" asked Brook.
"Not a bit," Nami answered, bitterly.
"You know...I'm glad I didn't go, now," said Usopp.
"Me, too," Chopper added, nervously.
"Hey, barkeep-" Past Nami started, but then, Past Luffy and the mysterious patron both slammed their hands on the counter!
"HEY, FATSO!" they yelled, causing the barkeep to look at them.
"Huh? What's up with you two?" he asked.
"THIS CHERRY PIE IS SO BAD, I COULD DIE!" Past Luffy yelled.
"THIS CHERRY PIE IS SO GOOD, I COULD DIE!" the stranger exclaimed...which caused the two to glare at each other like they had said something to offend one another.
"Uh...what is going on?" Sanji asked.
"Is he about to start a brawl?!" Franky questioned in excitement.
"Not exactly," said Zoro.
For some reason, though, Blizzard was growling, even though his fangs weren't bared.
"Blizzard?" Chopper asked. "What's wrong?"
"It's him...!" Blizzard snarled.
Soon, Past Luffy and the stranger both gulped down their drinks.
"Wow! This drink is really good!" Past Luffy exclaimed.
"Gah! This drink is horrible!" the stranger shouted, causing them to glare at each other, again.
"You brat," the stranger glared. "You must have something wrong with your taste buds!"
"My taste buds are fine!" Past Luffy argued. "You're the one who has something wrong with his head!"
"Who cares?" asked the barkeep. "I ain't the one who made the stuff! You got a complaint? Talk to the cook!"
"Are they seriously fighting over their taste in food?!" Usopp questioned in exasperation.
"It actually goes a bit deeper than that," said Zoro.
"Hey, Pops!" Past Luffy said. "Can I have 50 steaks to go, please?"
"I'll take 51 cherry pies to go, too," said the stranger, causing Past Luffy to glare at him.
"Actually, make that 52 steaks!" he said.
"53 cherry pies."
"54 steaks!"
"55 pies!"
"60!"
"70!"
"80!"
"100!"
At that moment, Past Luffy stepped up on the counter with a fist reeled back, and the stranger was taking the same posture as the two glowered at each other.
"I OUGHT TO BEAT THE LIVING CRAP OUTTA YOU!" they shouted in unison.
"DO YOU TWO EVEN HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA WHAT YOU'RE FIGHTING ABOUT?!" Past Zoro yelled.
"What the hell is Luffy's deal?!" asked Sanji. "Didn't he promise he wouldn't start fights in this backwater town?!"
"You don't understand," said Zoro. "He wasn't picking a fight just because the guy had different tastes in food and stuff."
"...That's Blackbeard, isn't it?" Robin spoke up, suddenly, causing everyone to glance at her.
"Wait...what?!" Sanji questioned.
"Did you say 'Blackbeard'?!" Brook asked.
"Blackbeard...as in the guy who wrecked my homeland?!" Chopper added. "That guy was Blackbeard?!"
"...The same pirate who got Big Brother Ace sent to prison..." Aika whispered, her eyes wide in horror. "That guy is...?!"
"The moment I saw him, I knew it was that bastard!" Blizzard growled.
"That's right," said Zoro. "That guy is Blackbeard."
"Are you serious?!" Franky inquired.
"Yeah, he doesn't even look like that much of a threat!" Usopp added. "If anything, he looks like more of an idiot than Luffy is, and that's saying something!"
"It's him, all right," said Zoro as he glared at Blackbeard.
"Luffy!" Past Nami shouted. "You promised, remember?! Besides, we're not here to get dozens of steaks! We aren't here to shop!"
Past Luffy seemed to stand down after that while Blackbeard grinned.
"So...are you a pirate?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's right," Past Luffy answered.
"What's your bounty, kid?"
"30 million Berries."
Blackbeard scoffed. "Pah! 30 million Berries?! You?! How in the hell can that be?! You're nothing but a little liar!"
"I'm not lying!" Past Luffy yelled. "It's the truth, lard-ass!"
"KNOCK IT OFF!" Past Zoro shouted.
"Hey, now!" the barkeep called. "No fighting in the tavern!" He then put down a bundle. "Here. 50 cherry pies. Take 'em and go!"
"Hmph!" Blackbeard scoffed before he grabbed the bundle and walked out...but not long after he did, someone else entered.
"I heard there's a pirate that wears a straw hat, here."
As the Straw Hats looked up...they saw a familiar-looking young man come walking into the establishment. He had blonde hair and a pink shirt, as well as gray trousers and a dark blue buccaneer's coat dangling off his shoulders. Aika gasped, immediately recognizing him.
"Mr. Bellamy!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, yeah! The guy we ran into in Dressrosa!" added Kumi. "What's he doing here?"
"Oh, yeah...I forgot about this jackass," Nami muttered.
"I'm confused," Brook said. "Just who is this Bellamy chap?"
"Bellamy the Hyena," Robin spoke up. "Here, he was known as the 'Big-Time Rookie' and had a bounty of 55 million Berries, but it went up 195 million during the two years. He used to be a member of Donquixote Doflamingo's crew. After everything that happened in Dressrosa, his current whereabouts are unknown."
"Yeah...too bad that here, he wasn't really much of a friend," said Zoro.
"Huh?" Aika muttered. "What do you mean, Zoro?"
"...Robin," Zoro said. "Whatever you do, don't cover Aika's eyes, this time. Hold her hand if you want, but don't cover her eyes, no matter what."
"What?!" Nami questioned. "Zoro, Aika shouldn't see this-"
"She has to see this!" Zoro argued. "There's a lesson she has to learn, here."
Aika blinked at the swordsman before Robin gently took her hand in hers.
"So," said Bellamy as he walked toward the bar, "you're the one with the 30 million on his head, eh, Straw Hat Luffy?"
"Looks like someone's calling you out, Luffy," said Past Zoro as he drank some more of his rum while Past Luffy glanced back at Bellamy.
"Bellamy...that's the guy who rented out the hotel, isn't it?" asked Past Nami.
Soon, the other patrons in the tavern started murmuring amongst themselves while Bellamy came and stood beside him.
"We sure have been meeting a lot of tall people, today," said Past Luffy.
"Hey, barkeep," said Bellamy. "Your most expensive drink, please." He then pointed at Past Luffy. "And get the boy here whatever he wants."
"Of course," the barkeep nodded, although he seemed to give Bellamy a sneer as he did. Soon, someone else entered the bar: several men in fact, as well as a couple of women.
"Ugh...this place stinks," said one of the women, who was wearing sunglasses and a fur coat. "How can anybody drink here?"
"Ugh...what a skank..." Nami muttered.
"Nami, language," Robin chided.
"What?!" Nami asked. "She is!"
"And the booze looks cheap, too," added a man wearing an alpaca hat.
"Couldn't you have at least saved us some seats?" asked a man with long blue hair, purple shades, a long fur coat, and wielding a huge, bloodied knife.
"That's him, isn't it?" asked one of the tavern customers. "That's 'Big Knife' Sarquiss."
"What kinda name is 'Big Knife'?" Franky scoffed.
Soon, the barkeep brought out some drinks for Bellamy and Past Luffy.
"Go ahead," said Bellamy. "Drink up."
"Thanks, pal!" Past Luffy said as he took his mug. "You know, I almost thought you were a bad guy or something."
Just as he was about to tilt the mug back and guzzle his drink down...Bellamy suddenly grabbed him by the back of his head and slammed him against the counter, shattering it into pieces and sending splinters of wood everywhere!
"AAH!" Chopper shrieked.
"BIG BROTHER!" Aika cried.
"What is Bellamy doing?!" Kumi questioned while Blizzard growled.
"Luffy told me about this," the wolf-dog said.
Soon, Bellamy's crew started bursting out laughing.
"That's Bellamy for ya!" Sarquiss exclaimed...but it was then that Bellamy noticed that Past Zoro was holding his sword up to his throat. Despite his initial surprise, he only gave the swordsman a smug grin.
"You got a problem...lowlife?" asked Bellamy.
"You're the one who has a problem, jackass," Past Zoro glared.
"Wait a minute, Zoro!" cried Past Nami. "We haven't gotten the information we needed yet and-"
"Quiet!" Past Zoro barked. "I don't care! This guy's looking for a fight and dammit, I'm gonna give him one! No one attacks my captain, unprovoked like that!"
At that moment, Past Luffy stood up, wiping his chin and dusting off the shards of wood from his clothes.
"What's this?" asked Bellamy. "Getting up, are we?"
"Okay," Past Luffy said. "I hope you're ready for this."
"Finally, some action!" Franky exclaimed.
"Yeah, come on, Big Brother!" Aika shouted. "Kick his butt!"
"Hold it," said Zoro, causing Franky and Aika to look up at him. "Just keep watching."
"Wha...?" Aika muttered before she looked back at the memory.
The tavern patrons were all hollering and cheering, anxious for a brawl to start...and by the sound of it, they were cheering for Bellamy.
"This isn't a fight, you guys!" Bellamy said. "This is a test!" He then gestured at Past Luffy. "Come on, kid. Let's see what you've got!"
Past Luffy soon took a fighting stance.
"Wait a minute, Luffy!" cried Past Nami before she turned to the barkeep. "Hey, Mister! Tell us! How can we get to the Sky Island?!"
As soon as those words left her mouth...the tavern went dead silent.
"Did...did she just say 'Sky Island'?"
"Is that bitch crazy?"
"...What did you do?" Brook asked.
"For some messed-up reason, asking about the Sky Island just got us in a lot of trouble," said Nami as she pinched her sinuses while her past self kept talking.
"Please! If you have any information on the Sky Island-" Past Nami started...only for the entire bar to burst out into laughter.
"Did you hear what she just said?!"
"Sky Island! What a load of crap!"
"Not another one of these idiots!"
"But...it's true!" Past Nami exclaimed as she held up the Log Pose. "Look! Our Log Pose is pointing at the sky!"
At first, they seemed to believe her...but then, they only started laughing, more.
"Come on, baby! Gimme a break!" said one of them. "Your Log Pose is obviously broken!"
Hearing that caused Past Nami to blush in embarrassment.
"Those bastards...!" Sanji cursed.
"Wait, I don't get it," Usopp said. "How come they're laughing?"
"What a bunch of fools you are!" Bellamy said as he sat down, trying to regain his composure. "Where did you kids come from, anyway? You seriously believe in that old fairy tale about the Sky Island? Where have you been, all these years?"
"What?" Past Nami asked.
"Look, I feel sorry for you, so I'm gonna tell you something good," said Bellamy. "Here on the Grand Line, new currents are being discovered pretty much every day. There's this one called the Knock-Up Stream...but you probably didn't know until now, did you? Ships that get caught up in it get shot straight up into the sky, but then come crashing down into the sea, killing everyone aboard!"
"Is that true?" Franky asked.
"For any inexperienced people, yeah," Nami answered.
"Long ago, some ignorant pirates saw them and thought there was an island in the sky," said Bellamy. "What a bunch of bull! Even dreams can be rationally explained! Soon, you'll see that legends are only that: legends and nothing else!"
Past Luffy didn't speak...but he tightly balled his fists at his sides.
"It's too bad, really," Bellamy said. "I was actually gonna let you guys join me if you had what it takes, but clearly, I was wrong. You lot are too gullible." He then gave a sick grin. "Listen up, now! The age of pirate dreams are over! The City of Gold...the Emerald City...hell, even the One Piece! They're nothing but pipe dreams cooked up by idiots who are blinded by such fantasies and can't see the riches that lie at their feet! In this day and age, people who believe such crock only wind up in an early grave! 'They were lucky to have died chasing their dreams', they say. Well, you know what I call those kinds of people?! LOSERS!"
As Bellamy laughed, the Straw Hats all glared at him...except for Aika, who only stared in disbelief.
"Mr. Bellamy..." she whispered.
"How dare he spout such nonsense!" Brook shouted. "Dreams are what guide us to the very things that we seek! The very reason for us to even go out at sea!"
"Sheesh...hard to believe this guy actually ended up on our side," Franky added.
"...I think I know what's going on here," said Robin. "I think Bellamy once had the same dreams as any other pirate out there, as well as the rest of his crew. However, when they saw the dangers that following such legends had...they became disillusioned and became what they are, today."
"Sheesh...that's pretty sad when you put it that way," Usopp muttered.
"I'm not giving him any sympathy," Blizzard muttered.
"When I see fools like you who go around, following stupid dreams," Bellamy began, "IT JUST PISSES ME OFF!" He then grabbed a bottle of rum and smashed it against Luffy's face, causing him to collapse on the floor.
"Oh, my god, Luffy!" Past Nami cried...while Past Zoro remained stone-faced.
"It's weaklings like you that give pirates a bad name!" Bellamy shouted. "You make me sick!"
Soon, the other pirates started throwing drinks and food at Past Luffy, Past Zoro, and Past Nami, who looked like she was on the verge of tears as they jeered at them.
"Big Brother! Get up!" Aika urged at her brother's past counterpart. "Fight him!"
"Yeah, come on man!" Franky added. "What are you waiting for?! You gonna let him diss you like that?!"
"Wait for it," said Zoro...and suddenly, Past Luffy grunted as he stood up, his hat lying on the floor.
"Luffy! Zoro!" Past Nami cried. "Forget the promise! Just kick these guys' asses!"
"...No," Past Luffy said, causing her to gasp.
"W-what...?!" Past Nami whispered in shock.
"Zoro," said Past Luffy. "No matter what...don't fight back."
"W...what?!" Aika questioned. "What is he saying?!"
"Okay, I know Luffy can be crazy, sometimes," Kumi said, "but this really takes the cake!"
"Did he seriously say, 'Don't fight back'?!" Usopp questioned.
"Yep," said Zoro, nonchalantly.
"But...but why?!" Chopper questioned.
"Yeah, you guys could easily take those chumps!" Franky shouted. "What, were you afraid because you were outnumbered?!"
"That's not why," Zoro answered.
Soon, all at once...it started: Past Luffy and Past Zoro were soon ganged upon by Bellamy and his crew. They punched them, kicked them, cut them with glass, had food thrown at them, and had liquor spat in their faces...and the final blow came when Bellamy bashed Past Luffy right through a glass window. Despite Past Nami urging them to fight back, they didn't move so much as a muscle. Not even a light twitch of the eye.
Aika gaped, horrified at what she was seeing. Her older half-brother whom she had idolized so much was getting the crap beaten out of him...and he wasn't even so much as raising a fist. When she tried to shield her eyes, Zoro grabbed her by the head, forcibly making her face the memory. As for Kumi, she had her eyes covered with Blizzard's tail...but the wolf-dog pulled his tail away.
"I think you should watch this, too, Kumi," Blizzard said.
"Do I have to?" Kumi bemoaned.
Soon, Past Luffy and Past Zoro were standing in the tavern...both of them a bloody mess.
"...Big Brother...!" Aika whispered, tearfully.
"I...I don't understand," said Chopper. "Why didn't you guys fight?!"
"...Because they weren't worth it, that's why," said Zoro.
"What?" Chopper asked.
"What do you mean, they weren't worth it?!" Aika questioned as she glared at Zoro. "Why did you make me watch that?!"
"Because you had to see it!" Zoro snapped, causing Aika to gasp. "Look, half-pint. You gotta learn how the world works, whether you like it or not."
"What Zoro is trying to say," Sanji began as he took a knee beside Aika and gently put his hand on her shoulder, "is that sometimes, you run into people just don't share the same ideals as you."
"Huh?" Aika asked.
"Aika, do you remember what happened with Shanks and bandits?" asked Robin. "You didn't see him getting up to fight back, now did you?"
"Well, yeah, but that was because..." Aika started, only to gasp as realization suddenly set in. "...Ohhh...!"
"There you go," said Zoro. "I'm sorry I had to force you to see that, Aika, but you had to learn."
"...I see," Aika said. "...I'm sorry I was being a brat, Zoro."
Zoro chuckled before he gently ruffled her hair, showing that there were no hard feelings.
"I guess there was a lesson to be learned here," said Kumi.
"Man...I'm actually glad you guys didn't fight back, now," Franky said.
"Indeed," Brook said. "In the end, those pirates were the fools."
"...I'm sorry I gave you guys grief," Nami said. "I guess I wanted you guys to fight back because I felt embarrassed."
"Ah, don't worry about it," Zoro shrugged. "Besides, those guys punched like little girls, anyway. Err...no offense, squirt."
"None taken," Aika replied.
Soon, Past Nami came stomping out of the tavern while dragging Past Luffy and Past Zoro on the ground by the back of their shirts.
"I don't believe this," Past Nami said. "The one time our honor is at stake, and you guys don't even lift a finger!"
"More like your honor was at stake," Zoro said.
"Like I said, before, I felt embarrassed," Nami retorted. "I said I was sorry, didn't I?"
"The Sky Island does exist."
Soon, Past Nami gasped as she turned around...and saw Blackbeard, munching on a cherry pie. Unceremoniously, she dropped Past Luffy and Past Zoro to the ground while she glared at him.
"Zehahaha!" he cackled. "That place really does make some damn good cherry pies!"
"It's you..." Past Nami whispered.
"What does he want?" Franky asked.
"I didn't know," Nami said. "I was too mad to care."
"What are you pitching a fit for?" asked Blackbeard. "Your two buddies actually won that fight without throwing a punch!"
"What...?" Past Nami whispered while Past Luffy lied on the ground...images of Shanks and Ace momentarily appearing.
"Why was Big Brother thinking about them, then?" Aika asked.
"I think he was being reminded of who his role models really are," Robin answered.
"I like the way you talked to them back there, too!" added Blackbeard. "You got guts, missy!"
"They disrespected you, too, Big Sis?" asked Aika.
"One of them wanted to buy me," Nami said. "Psh! Please. As if I would ever lower myself to that!"
At that moment, Past Luffy and Past Zoro began to pick themselves up and dust themselves off.
"You guys!" Past Nami exclaimed.
"This 'New Era' those idiots are spouting about is a load of crap," said Blackbeard. "The Era of Pirate Dreams has come to end?! Yeah, right! ZEHAHAHAHAHA!"
Despite his laughter...the Straw Hats couldn't help but feel this odd chill that was going down their spines. Past Luffy just stared at Blackbeard, wordlessly.
"THE DREAMS OF PIRATES...WILL NEVER END!" he declared as he slammed his bottle of rum on the ground. "AM I RIGHT?!"
Past Luffy didn't give him an answer.
"It's not easy, being able to surpass someone great!" Blackbeard continued. "Let those idiots laugh at you! When it comes to aiming for the top, sometimes, you come across fights that just aren't worth fighting...right?! ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"...Let's go," said Past Zoro, and soon, he, Past Luffy, and Past Nami began to walk away...and the memory faded to black, not long after.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Aika: I don't like that guy.
Usopp: You know...he kinda reminds me of...well...
Zoro: Like Luffy?
Usopp: ...Yeah...
Nami: I honestly don't even wanna overthink it.
*In the memory*
Cricket: They say the City of Gold is in the skull's right eye...
Franky: Who's that guy?
Nami: That's Montblanc Cricket.
Brook: Montblanc...I do believe I've heard that name somewhere before.
Sanji: Are you familiar with Noland the Liar?
*Later*
Past Luffy: BELLAMY! GIVE BACK DIAMOND-HEAD POPS' GOLD!
Bellamy: Why don't you make me?
Next time: A Fight for a Dream
Review, please!