Whole Cake Island
Part Two
Neo cupped her baby bump as she stared up at the thick clouds. It had been a couple days since they left Zou and separated from the rest of their crew. To her it felt like time had stopped. The ship was crawling along at a painfully slow pace.
Her eyes drifted to the sail. It was full of wind. But it still felt like they were crawling along like a baby who was only learning how to move with his wobbly arms and legs. Their trip would be faster if she could use her crystals nonstop.
Neo summoned a single wind crystal. It flickered in and out of sight. Her magic was being stubborn right now. It sensed her urgency to get to Sanji yet couldn't obey her commands to stick around longer. The crystal solidified. She could use it now to give them a boost.
"Don't even think about it, Neo."
Neo ducked her head, banishing her crystal as Law walked over to her.
Lifting his sword from his shoulder, Law bopped her on the head with it. "You've used your magic enough for today. You need to rest."
"Sorry. I want to get there. Now."
Law sat down beside her. "I know, love. But working yourself ragged isn't going to help us or Blackleg."
Neo sighed and leaned against him. "It's a shame I don't have a crystal for cola. Then we could stock up on it and continuously use the paddles.
"I know it's frustrating." Law pressed a kiss in her hair. "But we will get there in time."
"He's right." Chopper walked over, fishing pole still in his hand. "It'll be fine. Sanji can take care of himself. They want him alive. So it's not like he's going to be killed."
Neo bit her bottom lip. An uneasy heaviness settled in her stomach at Chopper's words. It was true that they wanted Sanji alive at the moment. But that didn't mean they would keep him alive. Surely Sanji wouldn't listen to them and tell them he was going back to his crew. Would they kill him then? There was no way to know for sure but to get there and make sure it didn't happen.
"Yeah! Sanji will be fine!"
Neo lifted her eyes to Luffy. He and Brook were sitting on the railing of the Sunny, fishing pole dangling in the water in an attempt to add to their lunch.
"Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll meet us on the way there," Brook said.
Neo doubted that. Sanji wasn't ahead of them by that much. And Big Mom's territory was several islands clustered together in the same location. It could take several hours to sail between them all.
"It's been a few days now so Blackleg and his captors have in all likelihood arrived at the island. Which means we should be in her territory shortly," Pekoms said.
A shift of weather pulled Neo's eyes up to the sky. "What's that?"
Everyone looked up as small balls of fluff floated down on them.
"You've got to be... Now it's snowing? No, those clouds..." Nami held up her hands.
"It's not going to snow. I'm not sure what it is," Neo said as Law let the fluff land in his hand.
"It's cotton candy?" Nami examined the fluff in her hand.
"To be precise it's cotton candy snow," Pekoms said.
"What?! Cotton candy?!" Chopper ran around catching it in his mouth.
"Cotton candy snow?" Neo picked the candy from Law's hand and placed it on her tongue. It dissolved into a tiny sugary puddle. "Now I remember. I tried cotton candy back on Sabaody." Her stomach churned. "And it's too sweet as it was back then. I think I'm going to be sick."
Law rubbed her back.
The transponder snail came to life.
"Oh, the transponder snail is ringing. I wonder who it could be?" Brook said.
"It is merely catching warning waves. It's a sign that we've just crossed into Big Mom's territory," Pekoms said. "It would be wise for your crew to either hide or disguise themselves." He looked at Neo. "Especially you. You're going to be the easiest to recognize with your elemental nature."
"It's not my fault I'm an elemental." Tears pooled in Neo's eyes. "How can you blame me for that?! You're so mean!"
"What?!" Pekoms gasped, waving his hands in defense. "I didn't say that!"
"You did so! You're so mean!" Neo clung to Law's arm.
"You are so mean!" Carrot said with a thump to Pekoms head. "Apologize to her!"
"I did nothing wrong! I'm not going to apologize!" Pekoms snapped.
"Why are you so mean?!" Neo said. "Law! Cut him into pieces!"
"No! Don't! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Pekoms rushed to the other side of the ship.
"That's better!" Neo grinned.
"She's so funny!" Luffy laughed.
"It's not funny, Straw Hat!" Pekoms said. "I could have been killed over a mood swing!"
"Cotton candy! Yum!" Chopper plucked more cotton candy from the air.
Neo grabbed a few pieces for herself. "It turned my stomach yet I want more." She bit off half a piece. "That's better."
"Don't eat too many, Neo. I don't want you sick," Law said.
"Okay!" Neo nodded. They sat down on the mast bench.
"I just spotted something, Pekoms." Pedro's voice came down from the mast.
Neo glanced up at him. When they weren't discussing strategies or eating the mink spend his time up there keeping watch.
"That was fast. They're already here?" Pekoms looked out at the ship coming towards them. "It's our tartship, roar! I'll simply follow protocol and procedure. Everyone stay quiet. Wait! No! It's the Germa 66 ship!"
Neo hummed as a large ship in the shape of a castle sailed towards them. Someone was standing on the deck. Despite the cloak they wore it was obvious that this person was looking them over. Her body tensed.
"Easy." Law tapped her knee with his own.
"Why have you come here, Straw Hat pirates?" A deep voice came from under the cloak.
"Furl the sails! We're going to hit them!" Nami said.
Brook ran to the helm and turned them out of the way.
The sudden move gave them a peek under the man's hood. A curly eyebrow stood out.
"Sanji!" Carrot and Nami waved.
"Sanji?" Neo studied the cloaked man. No, it wasn't Sanji. If it was he would have said more than what he did. This guy didn't feel like Sanji. "It's not him."
"Wonderful! I never thought that we'd find you so quickly!" Brook waved.
"What fortuitous luck," Pedro said.
"Sanji!" Chopper called.
"You insist on calling me Sanji, but you've got the wrong guy." He pulled back his hood revealing his slicked back green hair. "My name is Yonji. I don't blame you thought, we do look alike."
Neo frowned. Something about this guy was wrong.
"Not Sanji, but Yonji?! His face is the spitting image of Sanji's!" Chopper said. "Even his eyebrows are curly! How are you not Sanji?"
"They must be twins," Law said.
"My relationship with this Sanji you all know is a clandestine matter," Yonji said.
"So Sanji has a little brother, huh," Nami said.
"How did you figure out he's Sanji's little brother?!" Carrot asked.
"Whoa! What a babe! Two babes!" Hearts popped out of Yonji's eyes as his gaze darted between Neo and Nami.
Neo cringed and tucked herself into Law's side. "I don't like him."
"You really are Sanji, aren't you?!" Chopper said.
Yonji walked away from them.
"Wait, Sanji!" Nami said.
"It's Yonji for crying out loud!"
"Yonji." A pink haired woman appeared and slammed her boot on Yonji's head. "Quit being a stingy idiot!" She jumped into the air then landed on the Sunny's deck.
"She's so pink." Neo examined the woman's clothing, a short revealing dress with a cape that looked like butterfly wings. This woman also gave off a weird feeling that Neo didn't trust, but it wasn't as strong as the feeling she got from the green haired guy.
"Trespasser! Who are you?!" Carrot demanded.
"Hello. Sorry about that." She smiled. "My little brother lacks even the barest shred of humanity. He's rotten to the core."
"Little brother?! So you're that guy's older sister?! And your eyebrows are all curly too!" Chopper said.
"So pretty!" Brook pressed his bony fingers to his cheeks.
"Reiju! How dare you shame me like that!" Yonji shouted.
"Silence! You're doing a fine enough job shaming yourself!" Reiji said.
"Uh... is it just me or is he floating?" Brook asked.
Neo looked back up at Yonji. The man was indeed hovering in the air.
"The Germa are a technologically advanced fighting squad. That's exactly why Mama's after their powers," Pekoms said.
"Pekoms, the Vinsmoke family, is that the name of the line of royals?" Brook asked. "A clan that, long ago, ruled all of the North Blue with an iron fist."
"What?! Are they really that infamous?" Nami gasped.
"Indeed. In a certain age, their name itself was synonymous with evil. That's why that comic features them," Brook said.
"Comic book?" Neo looked at Law. "Didn't you mention something about Germa before?"
"I did." Law nodded. "The comic was famous in the North Blue. I use to love the comic too, but hated Germa."
"So they're bad news." Neo frowned. "I knew something didn't feel right about them."
Law nodded again. "We're not their enemy right now so they shouldn't attack us."
"Oh? Mr. Skeleton. You sure are well versed on your history," Reiju said.
"I've been alive for a long time, I guess." Book crossed his arm over his chest and bowed. "Although I did die somewhere along the way."
"But you're a bit mistaken. This is no story of the past. We are still royals. The Germa are a nation that has no where to call home. We have no land to rule over, but still we are allowed to participate in the reverie."
"Ah, I see. My apologies," Brook said. "By the way, do you think you could show me your panties?"
"Knock it off!" Nami snapped.
"So you all are royals," Neo said.
Reiju looked at Neo. "And you are a royal too according to the newspapers."
Neo glared.
Reiju giggled. "You're not very happy with us being here, are you?"
"You're not nice people," Neo said.
"Sorry to hear you think that." Reiju's lips smiled but her eyes, Neo noticed, did not. "You have my most sincere thanks for taking care of my little brother for all this time."
"Whoa! Then you must be Sanji's older sister!" Luffy said.
"It took you this long to figure that out, Straw Hat?" Law said.
"Indeed." Reiju nodded. "Sanji left us at a very young age, and ever since then, my father has been searching for him."
"Hm?" Neo hummed.
"What is it, Neo?" Law asked.
"I'm not sure but I don't trust what she just said."
"Two years ago, a wanted poster featuring a portrait somewhat resembling him began to circulate," Reiju continued. "Father sent the marine headquarters after him, but it seems the man in the portrait was a different person named Duval."
"Ah. That Duval incident. Even Sanji was quite peeved over the mix up," Brook said.
"Recently, what with the activities of the newly revived Straw Hat pirates, we finally received word from the government that they had finally managed to capture an accurate picture of Blackleg Sanji," Reiju said. "Immediately, Father raised his bounty, and changed the bounty conditions from dead or alive to only alive."
"So that's why Sanji's poster stuck out like a sort thumb," Nami said. "Where is he?"
"I cannot say." Reiju shrugged. "Perhaps he's with Big Mom or our father. We came out to meet him but it appears we lost our way."
"Give us Sanji back! He's my friend!" Luffy said.
"Hey, you are Pekoms, right? From Big Mom's crew?" Yonji said. "Why are you loitering around with the Straw Hats?"
"I've got my own reasons, kid. And I don't feel like telling you them, grr!" Pekoms said. "We still ain't tied together yet!"
Reiju jumped back to her ship. She landed and turned back to them. "For now, I think we'll pretend we never saw anything here."
"Yeah. If we make a scene here our brother's marriage will get called off. We would both do well to tread carefully from here on out," Yonji said.
"Good idea!" Pekoms said.
"Yeah. It would be a real shame if the wedding were called off," Neo grumbled. "A tragedy."
"Farewell. Luck be with you." Reiju smiled. The castle ship sailed on ahead of them.
"Well, that was... interesting," Nami said.
"We can't trust them." Neo rubbed her hands on her arms.
"Why? Other than that Yonji guy Sanji's family seemed nice enough," Nami said.
"If Neo doesn't trust them then it's best to tread lightly around them," Law said.
"As long as they give back Sanji." Luffy crossed his arms.
"Why don't you trust them?" Chopper asked.
"Yeah. Why?" Carrot said.
"A feeling. And if they were so nice like they appeared to be why would Sanji have ran away from them in the first place?" Neo looked at everyone on the deck but no one had an answer for her.
"Doesn't matter," Luffy said after a stretch of silence. "We'll get him back either way. I'm hungry. Neo! Food!"
"Don't order her around like that, Straw Hat!" Law growled. "She's not your slave!"
"But I'm hungry!" Luffy said. "Neo! Food!"
"I'm a bit hungry myself." Neo took Law's hand and pulled him up with her. "Come on. Keep me company while I cook."
"You shouldn't be cooking at all," Law grumbled as they headed up the stairs. "You're doing too much as it is."
"Would you prefer to pay Nami to do it?" Neo cocked an eyebrow.
Law grunted. "Get in the kitchen."
Neo laughed and stepped inside. As she set to work she said, "I do wonder what happened to Sanji and his family though. It couldn't have been good if Sanji left and never looked back. He didn't even mention them to his crew."
"I'm sure he'll tell you when we get to him." Law propped his sword against the wall then washed his hands.
"What are you doing?" Neo placed a pot on the stove.
"Going to help you cook," Law said. "You're feeling tired. The sooner this is done the quicker you can take a nap."
Neo giggled. "I love you so much."
"Love you too." Law kissed her.
JessicaMoussa: That would be fun. I'll see if I can think of a plot for that while working on this short story.