Ch. 59- Gold-Hunting Festival
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
Shade © Gakuto1991
The memory returned once again, this time showing Past Luffy, Past Sanji, and Past Usopp back in The Crow, all of them looking rather banged-up.
"What happened here?" Nami asked.
"Uh...that might have been my fault," Usopp said. "Like I said, the Usopp AAH-AAAAH-AAAAHH needed some kinks worked out. I got a little too caught up in the praise that Luffy and Sanji were giving me and I forgot to reel us all in, so we might've knocked into a few trees."
"A few?" Sanji asked with a glare.
"Cut me some slack, will ya?!" Usopp questioned.
"You could've had Big Brother stretch his arms and pull you guys up," Aika pointed out.
"Yeah, we didn't think about that until AFTER the fact," Usopp replied in embarrassment.
As The Crow continued to push along the Milky Road and headed out of the forest, Past Luffy sat up as he looked at the tree canopy while Past Sanji steered the boat.
"Damn," Past Sanji cursed. "That was such a hassle."
"Tell me about it," Past Usopp concurred. "If I never see something like that, it'll be too soon."
"That dumpling guy," Past Luffy spoke up. "He sure was tough."
"Yeah," Past Sanji replied, "but only because he fought dirty and he could predict our movements."
"...I wonder," Past Luffy muttered.
"Huh?" Past Sanji asked. "You wonder what, Luffy?"
"...I wonder if I could do what he did," Past Luffy said.
"Do what?" Past Usopp asked.
"You know," Past Luffy answered. "Predict someone's movements and stuff."
"What are you talking about?" asked Past Sanji.
"Well, it's just...no, never mind," Past Luffy started to explain before he shrugged it off. "Let's just keep going so we can find the others."
The present-day Straw Hats all glanced at each other after his brief monologue. It seemed that after this battle, Luffy had taken an interest in wanting to know what Observation Haki was even before he knew the real name.
"Hey, I have a question," Chopper spoke up. "Is Haki really that hard to learn?"
"It depends," Zoro answered. "Some people are born with one form of Haki, like the squirt, here." He put his hand on Aika's head for reference. "Other times, you have to awaken it inside you...and some forms are harder to learn than others, depending on your personality."
"Which Haki did you have the most trouble with, Zoro?" asked Nami.
"Armaments Haki, I had no problem with learning," Zoro answered, "but Observation Haki was where I struggled. I had trouble concentrating on the enemy and couldn't exactly pinpoint what their next move would be."
"Luffy told me that Observation Haki was something he had the hardest time with, as well," Blizzard answered. "He could feel the emotions of others, but he had a hard time trying to predict enemy movements. It took him a while, but he got the hang of it, somehow."
"Observation Haki is about hearing the voices of living things," Sanji said, "like how Aika uses it to talk to Kumi or how we use it to talk to Blizzard...but if you hone it well enough, you can even see glimpses into the near future...at least that's what I figure."
"And I just started to develop mine back in Dressrosa," Usopp added.
"Huh," Chopper mused.
"Typically, Observation Haki is used to predict the movements and emotions of your enemies," Zoro continued, "but it can't predict random actions, like what Luffy just did with all those spheres."
"So that's why Satori's Observation Haki, or Mantra, didn't work when Luffy brought that Sphere Dragon back to him," said Nami.
"That must've been how I beat that priest in the Ordeal of Swamp," Chopper theorized. "He lost concentration."
"And what about the other two forms of Haki?" asked Franky.
"We'll focus on those, later, I'm sure," Sanji answered. "Right now, let's just keep watching these memories."
Soon, the memories shifted, showing the trio riding along the Milky Road...except now, they had entered a clearing that was lined up with skulls that were skewered on wooden pikes.
"AAH!" Brook shrieked. "SKELETONS!"
"Maybe you should look in a mirror before you say that!" Sanji barked.
"Th-they're everywhere!" Aika cried while Kumi gulped.
"Whoa...what the hell is this?!" asked Past Luffy.
"I'm guessing this might be another ordeal, which means another priest," Past Sanji mused. "So keep your eyes peeled."
"You gotta be kidding...!" Past Usopp bemoaned. "I don't think I can handle another ordeal! Will it be String? Iron? Swamp, maybe?! I don't even wanna know!"
"Ah, calm down," Past Luffy said. "It's just a grassy plain."
"TAKE A CLOSER LOOK, LUFFY!" Past Usopp shouted. "Those are skulls on sticks out here! ON STICKS! That's gonna be us!"
"Did you run into another priest here?" asked Franky.
"No, but we ran into something just as bad," Sanji answered, and suddenly, his past self sensed something coming from the left, and it didn't take long for Past Luffy and Past Usopp to spot it, as well.
"Hey, something's coming!" Past Luffy called, and soon after, something smashed one of the skulls, causing Past Usopp to shriek in fear.
"THEY'RE HERE!" he cried out, and soon, they appeared: Wiper and his band of guerillas.
"It's that gorilla guy!" Kumi exclaimed.
"And he's brought his friends!" Aika added.
"Oh, how frightening!" Brook cried.
That's when Wiper spotted the three Straw Hats before he flipped around, aimed his bazooka at them, and fired.
"AAAH! HE'S SHOOTING AT US!" Past Usopp shouted. "LUFFY, DO SOMETHING!"
"I got this!" Past Luffy exclaimed as he jumped up and inflated his belly. "GUM-GUM BALLOON!"
The artillery shell bounced off his belly and ended up hitting a tree nearby, knocking it over while Wiper and his friends landed on the other side of the riverbank.
"Wiper!" shouted one of them. "Should we deal with them, too?!"
"...No," Wiper answered. "Leave them be."
"That's that masked guerilla we saw on the White Sea!" Past Sanji exclaimed.
"Hey, you!" Past Luffy shouted. "What the hell was that for?! You wanna fight or something?!"
"AAH! Luffy, stop, you'll only make it worse!" Past Usopp squawked.
"...So," Wiper spoke up, "you must be these Blue Sea people that have been causing so much chaos in Skypiea. If you value your life...I suggest you go back to the Blue Sea where you belong. If you insist on interfering here...then we'll end you, along with Eneru."
"So mean...!" Aika whispered.
"Yeah, he's scary...!" Chopper added.
"It wasn't really his fault, of course," Robin spoke up.
"Wait...what?" asked Past Sanji. "You mean these guys aren't on God's side?"
"ARE YOU TRYING TO THREATEN US, YOU BASTARD?!" Past Luffy questioned as he tried to get out of the boat, but Past Usopp was trying to hold him back. "BRING IT ON, BALDY! I'LL KICK YOUR ASS TO KINGDOM COME! USOPP, LET GO OF ME!"
"Hmph," Wiper scoffed. "I wonder if you're even strong enough to get off this island." With that, he and his fellow guerillas left while Past Luffy glared after him.
"Who were those guys, anyway?" he asked.
"Well, it sounds to me that they really aren't crazy about Eneru like the people of Skypiea are," said Past Sanji.
"You know?" Past Usopp whimpered. "I really do hate this place...!"
"So, remind me," Brook said. "Why are they trying to get rid of Eneru, again?"
"Well...here's the thing," Nami said. "Remember how we said that the Knock-Up Stream was how the City of Gold ended up in the sky?"
"Uh...yeah," Franky answered. "What does that have to do with this?"
"Well, you see," Nami began, "Jaya actually used to be a lot bigger, but part of it was shot up into the sky by the Knock-Up Stream...and it took the ancient Shandorians with it. The Shandorians were driven off their land by the Skypieans because they wanted their land for themselves and everything came with it...and ever since, the Skypieans and the Shandorians have been at war for 400 years."
"You mean they've been fighting for 400 years?" asked Aika. "All because of some land? But that's silly! They could've just shared it!"
"Aika, sometimes, people are so greedy, they don't want to share," Robin spoke.
"Well, couldn't they have at least resolved things peacefully?" asked Brook.
"They tried," Robin answered, "but neither side would see a compromise."
"But Gan Fall, who was the previous leader of the Skypieans before Eneru appeared, tried to make a peace treaty with the Shandorians," Nami explained, "but before an agreement was reached..."
"...So that's it," Brook realized.
"Damn," Franky cursed. "No wonder the Shandorians are pissed."
"That's why Gan Fall became the Sky Knight," said Nami. "He wanted to make it up to the people and try to protect them, even if he wasn't their leader anymore...especially after Eneru showed up."
"Hey, wait a second!" Franky exclaimed. "You mean the City of Gold...it was here, all along?!"
"That's right," Robin answered. "It didn't sink to the bottom of the sea, like Noland had thought, but shot up into the sky."
"But even knowing, we still didn't find the gold right away," said Sanji.
"Where was it?" asked Blizzard.
"And what about the war?" Kumi added. "Is it over, now?"
"Just keep watching, you'll see," Chopper answered, just as another memory appeared. This time, Past Luffy, Past Usopp, and Past Sanji were still sailing along the Milky Road, only now, it was dusk.
"Oh, wow!" Aika said, wistfully. "What a pretty sunset! I've never seen anything like it, before!"
"Takes your breath away, doesn't it?" asked Sanji.
"Gotta admit, that's not a bad view," Zoro mused.
"Now that is SUPER gorgeous!" Franky declared.
"Whoa, look at that!" Past Luffy said in amazement as he looked at the clouds. "The sunset is awesome, here!"
"Huh," Past Sanji shrugged. "I guess sunsets happen here on Skypiea, too."
"Uhh...I got a really bad feeling," Past Usopp groaned, as they were climbing higher and higher over a tree. "Like something's waiting for us once we get over the top of this tree or something!"
"You might be right," Past Sanji answered. "I think there just might be a drop on the other side of this."
"That's what you were sensing, Usopp!" Past Luffy exclaimed as they began to plummet toward the bottom. "An incredibly unsafe drop off of this treeEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Soon, they were falling at an almost death-defying speed, and as they were nearing the bottom, they soon saw several small dots waiting below.
"HEY, DO YOU SEE ANYONE DOWN THERE?!" asked Past Sanji.
"IT'S NOT ANOTHER PRIEST, IS IT?!" Past Usopp questioned, fearfully and loudly over the rush of wind.
"Uh...nope!" Past Sanji answered as he got a closer look. "Just a school of Sky Sharks!"
"Oh, thank goodness," Past Usopp said in relief. "I thought for sure we were goners- WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'SKY SHARKS'?!"
Sure enough, waiting at the bottom was a covey of ferocious Sky Sharks, all of them swarming at the bottom eagerly at the prospect of an easy meal...or so they thought. Without even batting an eye, Past Luffy easily took care of the beasts with his Gum-Gum Gatling. Once they were dealt with, the trio landed in the pool of clouds with a rough splash, sending water and clouds everywhere!
"WHOO-HOO!" Past Luffy cheered. "We made it!"
"Luffy?!"
Past Luffy gasped as he saw Past Nami, Past Zoro, Past Robin, and Past Chopper waving to them...but as for the Going Merry, she looked like she had seen better days, for it looked like she had gotten burnt in several places, not to mention her mizzenmast was broken off and was lying at the stairs of the altar, but nobody seemed to notice. Soon, Past Luffy, Past Sanji, and Past Usopp got off The Crow to meet up with the others...but when they got on board, they saw that Past Chopper looked just as bad as the Merry did, if not worse: his fur was scorched, he had a black eye, and his torso was wrapped up in bandages.
"Chopper, what happened to you?!" asked Aika.
"And for that matter, what happened to the ship?!" Franky questioned.
"Well...you see," Chopper said, sadly, "Zoro, Nami, and Robin left to explore the jungle and I was left alone to guard the ship...but while they were gone, I was attacked by one of the priests. He said his name was Shura, and he was setting everything on fire with his lance and his giant fire-breathing bird...and then he tried to kill me."
"...Oh, Chopper," Nami said, sadly.
"And then the Sky Knight and Pierre tried to help me," Chopper said, "but they both got hurt when Shura did something that made them stop moving in mid-air. I think he was the String Priest...and that's why..." He tightly clenched his eyes shut and shivered. "It's my fault...I..."
"Don't even start that crap, again," Zoro scolded, causing the little reindeer to look up at him. "You did your best. No one's angry at you."
"...Yeah...but still..." Chopper muttered as he watched his past self trying to apologize to Past Usopp for the ship getting damaged.
"...Well...the mast can be replaced," Past Usopp said as he turned to him with a smile. "The important thing is that you're okay. After all, Chopper, we can't replace you!"
"...Usopp...!" Past Chopper whispered in awe.
"He's right, you know," Blizzard said, getting Chopper's attention. "Ships come and go...but we can't replace you, Chopper. You're not just our doctor, you're a very valuable member of the Straw Hats." He smiled at Chopper. "Don't forget that, okay, little buddy?"
Chopper stared up at Blizzard, then looked up at Usopp, who also smiled at him, as did the rest of the Straw Hats, causing him to smile back before he nodded his head.
"Yeah! I'm much more reliable now!" Chopper exclaimed.
"Hey, Chopper!" Past Luffy called. "What about the weird old pops? Didn't you say he was injured, too?"
"AH! THAT'S RIGHT!" Past Chopper cried. "THE SKY KNIGHT!"
Soon, everyone had gathered inside the galley, where they found Gan Fall resting on a futon inside where Past Chopper explained that if it weren't for him, he and the Merry would literally be toast. Past Sanji said that he wanted to ask Gan Fall some questions, but decided to wait until he was awake, and even thanked Pierre for his help, as well.
"Well, since we'll be busy fixing the ship tonight," Past Sanji said, "we'll go back to Angel Island in the morning."
It was then that the decision was made to make camp in the forest that night, something that Past Luffy was very excited about, but Past Usopp was very against the idea of camping out in enemy territory and that this wasn't a party. Despite that, Past Luffy couldn't help noticing the dead Sky Sharks he had gotten through pummeling and asked if having a barbecue was a party.
After a while, the Past Straw Hats had set up camp...and true to form, Past Luffy was gobbling up a roasted a Sky Shark with two more set up over the campfire. While he was busy eating, Past Sanji was grinding up some medicine for Gan Fall while being instructed by Past Chopper.
"You know, it feels a little weird, seeing you guys relax like that," Franky said, "but then again, I guess I can't blame you after the day you had."
"Hey, even pirates need to unwind, don't you think?" Nami asked.
"All right everyone, quiet down!" Past Usopp called as he wheeled up a chalkboard. "It's time to hear all of your field reports!"
"Where'd you get that chalkboard?" Brook asked.
"The ship," Usopp answered. "Where do you think?"
"Ah," Brook nodded. "Makes sense."
"Well, first off," said Past Sanji, "we ran into that priest Satori who used spheres with different kind of threats inside each one. Explosives, a dragon, stuff like that...but what really got us was that he could use this thing called Mantra and he could predict our moves." He then held up the bowl of medicine. "Hey, Chopper, do you need me to crush this up, some more?"
"Yeah," Past Chopper answered while he tended to Gan Fall. "Make sure it's easy for the Sky Knight to swallow. His digestive tract was badly damaged in the fight."
"Anything else to report?" asked Past Usopp.
"Well...there was this other priest called Shura," Past Chopper answered, "and he was using his weird sword to set fire to everything! And he could predict my moves, too! And then the Sky Knight tried to fight him off...but then..." He hung his head, guiltily. "He dodged the Sky Knight's attacks, too...and then he beat him...and that's when his bird set the mast on fire."
"Sounds like you had a really rough time," said Past Nami as she patted his shoulder before she looked at Past Usopp. "As for Zoro, Robin, and me, we found something really interesting! It turns out that this island we're on is actually the missing part of Jaya! The City of Gold didn't sink to the bottom of the sea as Noland thought...but it was actually shot up into the sky!"
"How'd you figure that out, Big Sis Nami?" asked Aika.
"We found the other half of Cricket's house here, that's how," said Nami.
"Wait, say what?" asked Franky.
"Don't worry about it," Nami replied.
"Okay!" Past Usopp called. "Thanks for your reports, everyone! Now we know that the priests use a certain technique called 'Mantra' to predict our movements, a giant bird that can breathe dangerous flames, and most important of all, the City of Gold that the Saruyama Alliance has been looking for is hidden here on this island!"
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Past Luffy questioned in disbelief.
"I just got through saying that!" Past Nami shouted.
"Did you really find gold here?" asked Franky.
"Oh, yeah, tons of it!" Nami answered. "But we didn't find it in any ruins."
"Where'd you find it?" Brook asked.
"Uh...it's best to let the memories explain," Chopper answered.
"Shishishi!" Past Luffy grinned as he clenched his fists. "Oh, man, I'm getting excited here! An adventure with gold at the end! I can hardly wait!"
"This is an adventure I can get behind," Past Nami agreed, her eyes taking on this glint.
"H-hey, wait a second, Luffy!" Past Usopp cried. "Didn't you hear what that guerilla guy warned us about?!"
"Uh...do you think God will be angry?" asked Past Chopper, nervously.
"Sounds like a blast," Past Robin mused.
"Well, we are pirates, after all," Past Sanji added. "We can't just turn our backs when treasure's involved."
"We're camping out in enemy territory and greatly outnumbered," Past Zoro smirked. "I like those odds."
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Past Luffy laughed. "Gold! And it's all waiting for us!"
"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed. "How thrilling! Makes me nostalgic for the old days!"
"I can't wait to see the gold!" Aika added.
"Me, neither!" Kumi exclaimed while wagging her tail.
"Well, first," Sanji began, "before we could go hunting for any gold, we had more important things to attend to...like making dinner."
"Oh, yeah!" Aika and Kumi realized.
Soon after, the memory shifted, showing Past Luffy lying in front of a small campfire, watching a pot of water boil with a bowl on top of it. He wiggled his feet and pouted his lip as he watched it, but then groaned as he rolled over onto his side.
"NAH! This is so BORING!" he complained.
"I didn't tell you to watch the boiling water, idiot," Past Sanji said as he chopped up some fish. "When the water fills up the bowl, you have to put it in our canteens. We need fresh drinking water for tomorrow, so make sure that gets done, got it?"
"Whatever..." Past Luffy grumbled.
"He acts like such a kid, sometimes," Blizzard muttered.
"In a way, he still is a kid," Chopper answered.
That's when Past Zoro and Past Chopper came in, carrying baskets of walnuts, bananas, aloe, garlic, and even a few rats and frogs as well. Past Sanji, impressed by their find, told them to throw everything that they had in the pot, but Past Nami shouted that she did not want to eat something so disgusting. In the meantime, Past Robin appeared holding what appeared to be a huge gemstone, but it was really just a giant chunk of rock salt that she found, to Past Nami's subtle disappointment, but Past Sanji was delighted.
"Is rock salt really that good?" Aika asked.
"It's actually really good for you," Sanji answered. "It boosts metabolism and improves digestion, as well as other benefits."
"Just don't have too much!" Chopper added. "Too much sodium can affect your heart and blood pressure!"
"Ah," Aika nodded.
Soon after, Past Sanji had Past Zoro hold a large flaming rock over a large pot filled with stew. The latter griped that his swords were not meant for something like this, but the former simply brushed him off before he dropped the rock inside.
"AAH!" Past Luffy cried. "You just dropped a rock in the stew! Is it good?!"
"You don't eat it," said Past Sanji. "It helps the pot cook. The heat from the rock cooks the stew from the inside-out."
"Huh," Past Chopper mused.
"Trust me," Past Sanji said. "You're gonna need all the nutrients in this dish for tomorrow."
"Smells like we got a winner!" Past Luffy exclaimed as he tried to take the lid off the pot, only for Past Sanji to kick him in the head. "OW!"
"Keep your hands off, you mooch!" Past Sanji barked.
"Sanji, I'm hungry~!" Past Luffy complained.
"Well, it's not ready, yet!" Past Sanji barked. "Weren't you just cramming a Sky Shark down your gullet not 10 minutes ago?!"
"Yeah," Past Luffy admitted, "but that was an appetizer! I figured you knew that!"
"He must have a rubber stomach, too," Past Nami muttered.
"Yeah, tell me about it," Past Robin agreed.
"Well, technically, he does," said Chopper.
"One that's fun to bounce on after he eats a lot!" Aika chimed in. "Shishishsi!"
"Sometimes, I wonder if Luffy really does eat his food," said Sanji. "He could eat enough for a small army and still be hungry!"
Soon, the memory shifted again, this time showing the Past Straw Hats all gathered around the campfire, along with Gan Fall, who was still lying in his futon, and Pierre, who was watching over him. Past Chopper and Past Usopp were handing out bowls of stew to everyone, although for some reason, Past Sanji was insisting that the first two bowls go to the girls. During that time, Past Luffy kept getting more refills for his bowl.
"You know, that reminds me," Nami said. "Sanji, why did you tell Chopper to give me and Robin our food, first?"
"Well...uh...this is embarrassing," Sanji muttered, "but...I cut out little heart-shaped carrots into the stew and...I wanted you and Robin to eat them first."
"Oh," Nami realized.
"I guess that didn't work out, did it, lover boy?" Zoro smirked.
"Can it, Moss-head!" Sanji barked.
"Okay, everyone!" Past Nami called. "Let's do a quick review of Noland's logbook, okay? He discovered the City of Gold, 400 years ago. However, when he left the island and then came back with his king, the city had somehow vanished. Luckily for us, we now know what happened to it."
"Yeah, it got shot up into the sky, like you guys said!" Aika exclaimed.
"Wait until Old Man Cricket finds out!" added Franky. "You told him about this, right?!"
"Actually, we never saw him again since we left Jaya," Nami began, "but it's okay. Luffy managed to get the message to him."
"How so?" Brook asked.
"You'll see," Nami said with a wink.
Suddenly, there was a loud clang, causing everyone to look up and see that Past Sanji had hit Past Luffy over the head with the pot's lid. Apparently, he asked for one refill too many.
"Sanji, pay attention!" Past Nami shouted.
"I was, but he was interrupting you!" Past Sanji spat as he pointed accusingly at Past Luffy.
"My compliment is food and this is the thanks I get?!" asked Past Luffy. "Jeez!"
"Ugh..." Past Nami groaned. "Now then, during those few years, this island, which actually half of Jaya, got shot up into the sky."
"You mean...by the Knock-Up Stream?" asked Past Chopper.
"That's right," Past Nami answered. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Cricket said that when this phenomenon occurs, it happens completely at random locations, and an explosion of that caliber could even send an island flying, wouldn't it?"
"I just can't believe that this huge forest is the same one we saw back on Jaya," Past Zoro pointed out as he looked up at the trees.
"It could be due to the difference between sea clouds and island clouds," Past Robin pointed out. "It seems that there's something about this environment that has the power to rapidly speed up the growth of flora and fauna, here. That would explain why the remains of Jayan civilization were swallowed up by this forest."
"And that also explains why the South Birds that saved us are so huge, too!" Past Chopper added.
"South Birds?" Aika asked. "There are South Birds here, too?"
"Yeah, and they were enormous!" Chopper answered. "About big as the Merry, too! Some were even bigger!"
"Wow, really?!" asked Kumi.
"That reminds me," said Past Zoro. "Chopper, why did those birds save you and the old man in the first place?"
"I...I don't really know," said Past Chopper. "Except when they did save us...they referred to the Sky Knight as 'God'."
"What?!" Past Nami and Past Usopp questioned in surprise.
"He's God?!" Past Luffy questioned while eating out of a lunchbox. "So if we beat the crud out of this guy, then our job here is done?!"
Hearing that caused Pierre to shriek as he attempted to shield Gan Fall.
"No, genius!" Past Usopp snapped at Past Luffy. "How'd you get THAT outta what he's saying?!"
"Would both of you loudmouths just pipe down?!" asked Past Nami.
"Yeah, shut up!" Past Usopp agreed.
"Yeah!" Past Luffy added. "...Wait, who's a loudmouth?"
"You are!" Past Usopp spat.
"You BOTH are!" Past Nami shouted. "Can it!"
"You can be a bit of a loudmouth, Usopp," Blizzard spoke up.
"Hey!" Usopp snapped. "I don't remember asking for anyone's opinion!"
"Now then," Past Nami continued, "does anyone remember what Noland's log said about the City of Gold?"
"Ooh, I do!" Past Luffy exclaimed as he raised his hand like he was a little boy in school. "It's a City of Gold!"
"YOU'RE SUCH A DUMBASS!" Past Usopp shouted. "DO YOU EVER THINK BEFORE YOU TALK?!"
"He said something about South Birds and a giant gold bell," Past Sanji said. "Of course, there could be a lot more."
"The last thing he wrote in his logbook was something odd," Past Robin spoke. "It's something I can't figure out, even now. He said 'The City of Gold is in the skull's right eye'."
"That's it!" Past Nami exclaimed before she picked up two maps. "Check this out! I rescaled Robin's map of Jaya and paired it up with the old map of Skypiea we found on that galleon. If you line them up just right...this is what Jaya looked like, 400 years ago!"
She laid the two maps flat on the ground together...and the two islands formed a skull!
"Neat!" Past Luffy exclaimed. "It's a skull!"
"It IS a skull!" Past Chopper added.
"Wow, Big Sis Nami!" Aika said in amazement. "You're so smart!"
"Leave it to you to figure that out, our brainy and beautiful navigator!" Brook added. "Yohohohohoho!"
"Well, I know my way around a map," Nami smiled with a blush on her face.
"Hey, wait a second!" Past Usopp said. "If the City of Gold is in the skull's right eye, then where in the right eye are we supposed to look?!"
"Here," Past Nami answered as she pointed at a structure in the middle of the "right eye" of the skull. "It's the one structure that's in the skull's right eye, and no one's ever found it yet because we're the ones who have both maps!"
"I see," Past Usopp realized. "Then we must be lucky pirates!"
"Tomorrow, we'll split the crew up into two teams," Past Nami said. "We can't just leave the ship, so half of us will stay with the Merry while the other half goes out to look for the gold. Agreed?"
"Agreed!" the Past Straw Hats exclaimed.
"This is our time," Past Nami grinned as she adjusted her glasses. "By tomorrow, we'll have more gold than we ever dreamed of!"
The memory shifted once again, this time showing everyone cleaning up after dinner.
"Ahh~!" Past Luffy sighed in satisfaction while patting his stomach. "Now that's what I call 'gourmet'!"
"Oh, brother," Sanji said as he rolled his eyes. "He calls anything he eats gourmet."
"Would you say that that makes him a gourmand?" Brook asked.
"Gourmand? No," Sanji answered. "Glutton? Definitely."
"Yeah, but what can you do?" Zoro asked. "It's Luffy."
"Yeah, I guess you have a point," Sanji said. "If he wasn't hungry all the time, I actually get a little concerned!"
"Us, too," the rest of the Straw Hats agreed.
"Tomorrow, we get the gold!" Past Chopper exclaimed while carrying some bowls.
"You got it!" Past Nami added as she held the spoons.
"You think it'll be sunny, again?" asked Past Luffy as he looked up at the sky.
"We're above the clouds," Past Usopp began while still stoking the campfire, "so I'd guess 'yes'."
"Let's go ahead and put out the fire," Past Robin advised. "It's beginning to get late, you guys. We don't want to give away our location to our enemies."
Past Luffy and Past Usopp looked at each other before they smirked.
"What a rookie move," said Past Luffy. "Did you hear that, Usopp?" She wants us to douse the fire. What are we gonna do?"
"I don't know," Past Usopp said. "It's not really her fault, though. Robin's never been exposed to this kind of living, before."
"Huh?" Past Robin asked. "What are you talking about?"
Past Luffy and Past Usopp looked at her...before they fell to their knees and sobbed.
"You're always supposed to have a campfire when you camp!" cried the former. "That's what makes it CAMPING!"
"Is he serious?" asked Blizzard in disbelief.
"So, wait, you're not supposed to have a campfire?" asked Kumi.
"I'm confused," said Aika. "Why was having a campfire so important?"
"It was probably important to your brother," said Nami. "I couldn't really understand myself, to be honest."
"Are you guys really that stupid?!" Past Nami questioned. "Don't you know how dangerous this forest is?!"
"Don't care," Past Luffy said, bluntly.
"We have God's priests out there and guerillas forming a coup!" Past Nami argued. "Plus, we have absolutely no idea what could be lurking out in the shadows at night! There might be giant predators or even monsters out there!"
"Monsters?!" Past Chopper shrieked.
"Sky Island scary, Sky Island scary...!" Past Usopp whispered.
"Monsters...how dreadful...!" Brook squeaked.
"Don't you think you were exaggerating, just a tad?" asked Franky.
"You call it exaggerating," Nami began, "but I call it being cautious."
"Hey, Luffy!" Past Zoro called before he and Past Sanji stepped aside to reveal a pile of logs. "Is this enough wood for your bonfire?"
"NOT YOU GUYS, TOO!" Past Nami shouted.
"Ah, relax, Nami!" Past Sanji assured. "Animals are afraid of fire. They'll stay away!"
Unfortunately, the moment he held up a torch, the fire's light revealed many glowing eyes behind him.
"AAAH! THERE'S ALREADY SOMETHING BEHIND YOU!" Past Nami cried.
It was soon revealed to be a large pack of wolves...at least 20 of them, and one of them had a large scar going down his eye, indicating that he was the leader.
"What are those?!" Brook asked in fright.
"Cloud Wolves," Chopper answered. "Don't worry, they're not as fierce as you might think."
"What makes you say that?" asked Franky.
Soon, the leader of the wolves began to bark and growl, causing Past Chopper to step in and translate. Apparently, the wolves were irritated that the Past Straw Hats were camping in their territory and lighting fires. Although when the leader began boasting about how everything in the forest belonged to the wolves, that's when Past Nami stepped in...and immediately beat the wolf leader with just one punch.
"Nothing's keeping me from that treasure!" she declared while the wolves growled, angered that their leader had been attacked.
"Oh, great, now look what you did, Nami!" Past Usopp cried. "Now we get eaten by wolves! Didn't see that coming!"
Suddenly, the leader barked out to his pack, telling them to back down. Apparently, he was impressed that Past Nami was able to knock him out with just one punch.
"You know something?" asked Blizzard. "I always wondered why I always respected Nami without question...and now I know."
"Big Sis, you're so tough!" said Aika with sparkling eyes. "You stood up to a pack of wolves!"
"Well, just one," Nami said. "If they were huge, I'd really leave these things to your brother."
"So...that's what a happy ending looks like," said Past Usopp.
"I guess so," Past Zoro shrugged.
"Then I have an idea!" Past Luffy exclaimed. "CAMPFIRE PARTY!"
Soon, the bonfire was lit up and everyone was sitting around, having the time of their lives.
"IT'S THE FESTIVAL OF THE NIGHT BEFORE GOLD-HUNTING~!" Past Usopp cheered while banging on a drum.
"AWOO-WOO-WOOOOOOOOOOOO~!" Past Luffy howled with the wolves.
"Yeah, howl it out!" Blizzard exclaimed.
AWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~! Blizzard, Kumi, and Aika, who had turned into her Wolf Form, howled out loud, as well.
"Man, you guys were sure going all out!" Franky grinned.
"You think that looks fun?" asked Nami. "Wait until you see the party we had later!"
"There's another one?!" Brook asked in surprise.
Robin smiled as she watched the party going on, just like her past self was doing. She had to admit...that was actually the first time she felt like she was having fun. It was that she felt like she was actually getting a bit closer to the crew...and she began to feel her heart open up to them.
During the party, Past Luffy laughed as he danced around with one of the Cloud Wolves when all of a sudden, Past Nami stumbled into him, nearly causing him to trip.
"Uh...N-Nami?" Past Luffy asked. "What's up?"
Past Nami raised her head up...revealing her flushed face.
"Luffy~!" she slurred. "You gotta try this juice that the wolves made~!"
"AAH!" Past Luffy cried. "N-Nami, you're drunk!"
"What was in that stuff that the wolves gave you?!" Usopp asked.
"Uh...I don't really remember," Nami said, embarrassed. "I was too busy drinking it. It tasted so good and...before I knew it, I had almost a dozen cups."
"Nami, maybe you ought to sit down for a bit," Past Luffy said before he took the drunken navigator over to a tree root and sat down with her. "There you go."
"Uhhh... hic!" Past Nami groaned and hiccupped as she leaned against him. "It's sooo pretty..."
"Heh...yeah, it is," Past Luffy said before he gulped.
'Uh...what do I do, here?!'
"Umm...Nami, how much did you drink, already?" he asked.
"Oh...2, 3...or twelve or something..." Past Nami said in a slurred voice. "I lost count...hic!" She looked up at the bonfire, her cheeks redder than a tomato. "Mmm...it's nice...to hang out like thissss..."
"Yeah...it is, huh?" Past Luffy asked while Past Nami looked up at him, causing him to swallow the lump in his throat as his cheeks began to turn red, too. "Uh...what's up?"
"Luffy..." Past Nami muttered as she leaned into him, closer. "I...I love you..."
Past Luffy's eyes went wide and his heart started racing in his chest while Past Nami giggled...and meanwhile, the present-day Straw Hats all gaped in disbelief before they all looked at their Nami, who groaned as she covered her face in embarrassment.
"N-Nami, what are you saying?!" Past Luffy asked, his face turning even redder than before.
"I love you~!" Past Nami slurred again before she cackled like a drunken fool and wrapped her arms around Past Luffy, who yelped as he tried to get her to let go, but her hold was surprisingly strong.
"N-Nami, stop! You're drunk!" Past Luffy cried as he tried to push her off. "Let go of me! Please, let go- WHOA!" He soon fell over with Past Nami still on top of him...and not long after, he glanced down at her as he saw that she started snoring. He blinked at her for a moment...before he smiled warmly.
"Oh, well..." he said.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Past Luffy: Hey, Zoro! Where are you going?! We're supposed to be going right!
Past Zoro: What are you talking about?! I am going right!
Past Chopper: Uh...guys?
*A huge anaconda appears in front of them*
Aika and Kumi: SNAAAAAAAAAAKE!
*Sometime later*
Wiper: I thought I told you to leave this place!
Past Luffy: I guess you're looking for a fight, huh?
Next time: The Serpent Strikes
Hey, I got one done early, this time!
Review, please!