This is the 38th chapter. I don't own the series of One Piece.
Apis' Secret and the Legendary Island
Calm Belt
After escaping from the Marines, they ended up in the Calm Belt which it's death trap for pirates and Marines alike. Also, it's where all the Sea Kings live and where they lay their eggs, but they don't like to be disturbed. The Sea Kings were very well-known to attack with no fear of backing down, where the pirates and the Marines are the hunted. Luffy, Usopp, Sanji, and Apis were cheering for escaping from the Marines, but Nami screamed which it earned their attention as she spoke.
"NO! WE'RE SCREWED, WE'VE ENTERED THE CALM BELT!" Nami screamed with horror.
"The Clam Belt?" Usopp asks with confusion, but mispronounce it.
"What's that?" Luffy added with a question.
"'Calm Belt' you idiots, it's a part of the sea that's a death trap to all of us!?" Ventus yelled with annoyance, tried to explain.
"And it's also where everything doesn't even move." Anna added with an explanation. "There's no current and no wind in the Calm Belt. Nothing moves a single muscle."
"So, there's muscle and clams?" Luffy asks, hoping there's food.
"NO!" Nami yelled in annoyance.
Until, they felt the ship was shaking when Apis notice something is wrong while Ventus sniff the air, notice that the Sea Kings are coming.
"What was that, an earthquake?" Luffy asks with confusion.
"A good trick since we're at sea." Zoro points out.
"All of this chit-chat isn't going to get us out of here, full the sails and start paddling now!" Nami ordered them. "We have to get back on course!"
"You can count on me~" Sanji accepts, went goo-goo eyes again.
"Don't panic and besides, this is a sailboat." Zoro points out. "Why do we need to paddle?"
"True, and would we go through the trouble of doubling back when the Marines are waiting for us?" Usopp questions with a shrug.
"Look, there's no time to argue! Just shut up and do as I say!?" Nami demands seriously.
"At least it's nice and quiet here." Luffy told her, leaving Usopp nods with an agreement.
"UGH! Fine, if I need to explain it to you, I will! And our haste to escape from the Marines, we ended up too far south and now we are off-course and stuck out here!?" Nami yelled with annoyance.
"So we entered the Grand Line?" Luffy inquired while Usopp cheered.
"It we're at the Grand Line, you think we waste our time explaining this!?" Nami, Anna, and Ventus yelled at them with annoyance, showing their white eyes and shark-like teeth.
Nami then placed the map on the wooden deck with deep glare and annoyed expression on her face as she spoke.
"Now look! The Grand Line is sandwiched to the middle in between these two green areas you see here, you understand?" Nami inquires seriously, pointing at the Calm Belt as Luffy nods. "These areas just as they're labeled are just what they called the 'Calm Belt', that's where we are. Nobody knows why, but inside of the Calm Belts, there's no wind and no current. It's like a void where everything is stagnant, given then sailboats move by catching winds this is more than a dangerous region it can be fatal, get it?!"
"Nope, but it sounds like we're in big trouble." Luffy answered simply, making both Ventus and Anna even more annoyed.
"Good, you retained more than I thought you would." Nami told him.
"So this is what that geezer meant when he said it was dangerous." Sanji said.
"Well that explains why we haven't gotten a single gust of wind." Zoro added.
"How are we gonna get out this if our ship can't move?" Usopp questions.
"Maybe the wind will start blowing again." Luffy gestured which he's a bit clueless and an idiot.
"Moron! Wind never blows in the Calm Belt!" Ventus protests with a tick mark on his head.
"And that's not the only reason that this area is a death trap! It's infested with..."
Before Anna finished her explanation, the Straw Hat pirates felt something shaking at sea and it's pretty big.
"What was that?" Usopp asks with panic.
"It's big!" Apis exclaims with a gasp.
"They're here!" Ventus added.
Until, the water begins to emerge above the ship along with the other waters rising, leaving the Straw Hat pirates in a very serious situation as the water continues to rise above.
"HERE THEY COME!?" Nami yelled with panic.
When one of the waters rises, it revealed themselves which they're the Sea Kings surrounded the Going Merry while the other Sea King came out of the water, holding the ship on the top of its snout.
"Sea Monsters!? They're Gigantic!" Luffy yells as the Straw Hat pirates look at the Sea Kings with horror and dread.
"The Calm Belt is also home to the Sea Kings, its their main place for breeding." Nami finished the explanation with stream of tears while holding the mast and Usopp is doing the same. "They're the biggest reason people can't cross the Calm Belt."
Apparently, the Straw Hat pirates now fully understood why the Calm Belt is a death trap because of the biggest reasons were the Sea Kings and there was no current or the wind blows which it's a void where everything remained stagnant.
"Any idea how we get out of this?" Sanji asks quietly with dread.
"Yes, everybody don't move a muscle. We don't want to give them any reason to stick around or eat us." Zoro suggests with a scowl. "Once they're gone, we'll paddle back."
"Agreed, and we have to row fast." Anna nods with an agreement while Ventus nods as well.
"YOU CALL THAT A PLAN!?" Usopp yelled with fear.
"Shut up!" Nami told him, clamped his mouth when the frog Sea King notice the noise.
"Sorry." Usopp apologize.
Until, the frog Sea King jumps up in mid-air while open its mouth as the other Sea King moves slightly.
"The Giant Frog Is Attacking Us!?" Luffy yelled as they brace themselves, but Apis then falls as she screams when the little girl is about to get eaten. Fortunately, Luffy used his Devil Fruit power to stretch his arm as he quickly grabs her, leaving the frog Sea King missed and splash down to the water.
Apis then opened her eyes for a few seconds as she widened her eyes, Luffy then stretch his arm upwards as she spoke.
"You arm, it's stretching!?" Apis exclaims. "Luffy, did you get your ability from eating a Devil Fruit?"
"Yeah, that's right." Luffy admits.
When Apis then look at the Sea Kings snout, she come up with an idea as she spoke.
"Hey!" Apis called him, earned his attention. "Stretch your arm downwards again!"
With that, Luffy then pulls Apis down towards the nostril.
"Luffy!?" Usopp shouts his name.
"What are you doing?!" Nami yelled with a question, looking at Apis heading down.
"No idea, guys." Luffy replies.
"Of course course you don't know!" Anna shouts.
As soon as Luffy stretch his arm right down towards the snout, Apis then quickly grab hold of the nose hair, yanked it out.
"What in a hell did she just do?" Zoro asks.
"Did she just..." Ventus added with disgust.
"Yanked a nose hair." Luffy said with his calm tone while the Sea King is starting to have watery eyes and the Going Merry is shaking again.
"THAT DIDN'T APPROVE ANYTHING!?" Usopp yelled.
"It sounds like its gonna..."
"This is sounds like I think this behemoth is gonna sneeze!" Sanji finished her sentence with panic.
As Apis manage to land right next to Zoro, she lets go of the nose hair which it didn't go to the Going Merry.
"No way, it's huge." Luffy stated with his carefree tone. "Get ready, we're going for ride!"
When the Sea King then suddenly sneeze, it sending the Going Merry to go flying while the Straw Hat pirates are off the ship.
"THERE'S GOTTA BE A BETTER WAY!?" The Straw Hat pirates yelled in unison.
"Oh wow! It feels like we're flying!" Luffy stated excitedly, but Usopp is still scared.
"IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICE, WE ARE FLYING!?" Usopp yelled as they flew to the Going Merry and got out of the Calm Belt. With that being said, the Straw Hat pirates were right where they started before they ever get themselves into the Calm Belt in the first place.
Somewhere at sea
"It looks like we landed back where we started." Nami stated.
"Yeah, no sign of the Marines either." Zoro agrees.
"Seems the Marines are smart not to pursue us and withdraw." Ventus told them.
"I thought I was a goner." Usopp said, breathe while trying to calm down.
"Quick thinking." Luffy praised her.
"Thank you." Apis thanked him with her thumb up.
"Okay, set the sails." Luffy ordered as they set the sails while the wind is blowing.
"And our destination is?" Nami asks with a smile.
"Where else? Warship Island." Luffy answered as they set sail towards the Warship Island.
Few hours later, the Straw Hat pirates have ended up in the thick fog while sailing towards the Warship Island. However, the fog is so think they couldn't even tell where the Warship Island is.
"I can't see a thing." Usopp complains.
"Well, we can see the fog." Luffy protests with a grin.
"That's not what he meant." Anna told the rubber captain.
"Hey, I got an idea." Usopp said as he turned to Ventus. "Ventus, can you find an island with your Dragon Sight?"
"I've tried, but I couldn't see anything from this fog." Ventus told him. "Not even my nose could pick up the scent, either."
"Apis, are you certain about the coordinates?" Sanji inquired.
"No." Apis answered simply.
"'No'? But you said-"
"Relax, I'm sure we'll come upon it any moment now." Nami assures him.
"You're so confident~" Sanji said to her with a smile, making Nami sweat dropped.
"I sure wouldn't side against you." Luffy added.
When Apis spotted something that caught her eyes, she spoke.
"Look." Apis said, points her finger.
The Straw Hat pirates then look at where Apis is pointing at they look as the fog clears a little which it's revealed an island.
"Ooh! It's a sailboat!" Luffy exclaims with a big grin. "It's gigantic!"
"Not so fast." Sanji said seriously.
"You say it's gigantic?" Zoro questions. "That doesn't begin to describe it."
"Okay fine, it's super humongous." Luffy shrugs.
"No, you're missing a point!?" Nami shouts with annoyance.
"Forget it, our words won't reach his empty head." Ventus told them with a sigh.
"That's not a ship, that's the island itself that was named because it looks like a warship." Apis explains with a smile.
"Yeah, I see it now." Luffy said with a smile
Warship Island
When the Straw Hat pirates have arrived at the Warship Island, one of the villagers notice the Going Merry that has the jolly roger on the flag. The villager have warned the villagers that the pirates when they bring their children inside while readying their weapons at the shore. As soon as the Straw Hat pirates docked, they put the rope ladder down as they climb down to the shore which the villagers were very weary about the pirates. But, Apis revealed herself with a smile on her face as she spoke.
"I'm home! Hi, everyone!" Apis shouts with a greet, waving at the villagers which surprised and confused that she's on the pirate ship.
"What are you doing? Why are you with pirates?"
"Why did you bring them here, Apis?"
When they all got off the Going Merry, Luffy the spoke since the atmosphere has gotten intense.
"Hey you, I have a question." Luffy said seriously, making the villagers grew tensed up.
"Yeah, what do you want?"
"Do you know of any barbecue restaurant is here?" Luffy asks simply, making the villagers even confused while Ventus sighed with annoyance and Anna shook her head.
"What kind of a question is that, pirate?"
"Relax, they're not bad pirates. They're nice and helpful." Apis told them with reassurance.
"I didn't think there is such a thing as a nice and helpful pirate."
"Yep." Apis nods.
"How is it that you ended up with these people? Last time we saw you, you were taken away by the Marines."
"That's right, but I escaped from the Marines." Apis told them. "And then, I was stranded in the ocean, but they rescued me just in time."
"Yep." Luffy nods.
"Apis, why were taken us in the first place?"
"Yeah, the reason the Marines came after you was a mystery."
"It isn't safe for you to stay here. Those Marines are lurking around."
"Where should I go?" Apis asks with worry when she heard that the Marines are still here on the island.
"We really like to help, but..."
"Wait a minute, these strangers are pirates right?"
"Ah, so what do I do?" Apis asks awkwardly with a smile.
"Listen, we aren't out to get you." Usopp said, reasoned with the villagers.
"Apis." The elder voice said which it earned their attention towards the elderly man.
He is an old man with gray hair and a beard. He is often seen leaning on his cane, and wears a brown tunic over a blue shirt and tan pants. He wears a pointed hat that is similar to all of the villagers that inhabited on the Warship Island.
"Come to my house, child." He told her, leaving her gasp with a smile.
"Who's that?" Nami asks.
"Don't know." Luffy replies as Apis then rush towards the elder.
"Grandpa Bokuden." Apis said happily as she embraced her grandfather.
"I'm so glad you're safe, precious." Bokuden said with relief as he look at the Straw Hat pirates. "Thank you for saving my granddaughter's life, I'm in your debt. I know, in honor of Apis safe return, I'll throw a celebration for you and your crew.
"What's on the menu? Maybe barbecue?" Luffy asked with that stupid question of his.
"Sorry, I'm afraid not Luffy." Apis told him. "But Grandpa Bokuden's pork buns are the best in the whole island."
"Alright, let's eat." Luffy accepts happily.
"Sure, I can eat." Zoro added.
With that, the Straw Hat pirates, Apis, and Bokuden assures the villagers that they don't mean any harm. Unknown to them, the Marines were here on the Warship Island when they saw the Going Merry, much to his surprise that the Straw Hat pirates have made it out of the Calm Belt alive and they.
"There she is.'
When the Marine then explains that he found Apis is still alive and with the Straw Hat pirates, Commodore Nelson wasn't too happy that the mercenary is lying to him.
Nelson is very extremely obese to the point where he is unable to walk on his own and must be carried on a humongous chair by at least six men or more. This also prevents him from being able to wear a fitted Marine coat with blue greenish epaulettes with purple collar and cuffs which can only cover his arms and back and also to be a light blue greenish stripe pants and pair of white shoes. On his huge hairy stomach, he also has a large tattoo of the Marine emblem in blue. He aside from his extreme obesity has some other peculiar marks. He has a long thin-curved mustache, red spiral marks on his huge cheeks and eyebrows seem to be cut very short and round into two dark-spots which is considered a symbol of nobility. On his head, he wore a tall blue Marine hat which is also unique in that no similar Marine hat was ever seen before or after.
Nelson is eating his meat with furious look in his eyes as he spoke.
"Eric!" Nelson called him, spitting his food.
"I've been here all along, sir." Eric told him, approaches the Commodore of the Marines.
"I was under the impression that the girl got lost in the Calm Belt, never to return alive." Nelson informed the mercenary.
"That's right, she's no more." Eric confirmed.
"No, she's..."
Before Nelson could when his sentence while eating, he coughed when he choked his food as the food was flying right towards the mercenary's face, causing Eric to wipe it out of his face with his cloth.
"She's back on Warship Island. Go capture her and don't fail me." Nelson ordered him.
"You can be sure she won't slip through our grasp again." Eric accepts with a scowl.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hat pirates were able to made their way towards the house with Apis and Bokuden leading the way. Of course, Bokuden is making the pork buns while Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Usopp were watching him. Apparently, Ventus isn't here because the young Dragoon is helping Anna hunting some food in case the pork buns the elder man is cooking takes longer. When Bokuden place the lid on the wooden pot, he turned to them as he spoke.
"There we go, almost ready." Bokuden told them. "Just a little bit longer now."
"Can't wait." Luffy said excitedly.
"Smells good." Usopp added.
"Finally, real food." Sanji said, turned his head to him. "Old man, how much longer we have to wait?"
"Oh well." Bokuden hummed. "If I had to guess, I'd say no more than four or five hours."
"WHAT!?" Luffy and Usopp exclaims in unison.
"I was afraid this happens." Nami said quietly. "Should we let Ventus and Anna know?"
"Yeah, we should." Zoro whispers with a nod.
With that, both Zoro and Nami then left the house to find the young Dragoon and the ranger while Apis and Bokuden lead them inside of the house. They informed them that the pork buns will only take four to five hours which luckily, they were able to get some deer meat in their stomachs before they arrived inside of the house. Of course, Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji were waiting for the pork buns.
"I'm so hungry." Luffy complains, waiting impatiently.
"Bokuden, why are the Marines after Apis? What could they possibly be after?" Nami questions.
"Apis, do you know why?" Bokuden inquires his granddaughter.
"No sir." Apis shook her head.
"That's not what you said earlier! You knew, but refuse to tell!" Nami protests.
"Oh that? I lied." Apis told her, leaving Usopp confused.
"Well, then I don't know." Bokuden told them.
"You're kidding me!?" Usopp exclaims.
"I'm sorry, but this really nothing significant about this island." Bokuden assures them seriously. "Nothing I reckoned except an old legend."
"A legend?" Zoro repeats curiously.
"Some say that people of this island are descendants of those from Lost Island which sank into the sea thousands of years ago." Bokuden explains. "It was also home to the Millennial Dragons, the bones of these dragons are called 'Dragonite'. All of the elixir of immortality."
"But it doesn't make sense that the Marines would invade your home over a legend and why steal the girl?" Sanji questions seriously when Bokuden lit the lantern.
"I agree, they'd had to have a better reason than that." Usopp agrees.
"It certainly sounds desperate to me." Nami guessed which she's right about it.
"We're overlooking something, maybe the legend holds a clue." Zoro suggests.
"Well then, we should start at the beginning." Bokuden said as he then begins to tell them the story which neither of them wanted to hear about it, but they've got no choice though.
Apis then sneaks her way out of the house and head towards the kitchen, glad that she got out because she knew that her grandfather would go on of this story all day. Unknown to them, Ventus was able to get out of house which he doesn't want to listen of that story. Unfortunately, this has been going on for hours and the Straw Hat pirates were fallen asleep because of Bokuden keeps going on and on of his story.
Ventus was able to get to the top without getting caught while watching Apis stacking the pork buns on the large sack. But then, he saw Luffy heading towards the kitchen which he was tired and bored from listening to Bokuden's story. Luffy then falls asleep on the floor while Apis give him a pork bun and left with her huge sack of pork buns. Throughout the entire journey, Ventus kept his distance by flying quietly and Apis has no idea that she's being followed.
When Ventus flew his way to the top of the mountain and he got his sight on Apis with his Dragon Sight ability, fly his way through the large cave and above the dense forest while keeping his sight at Apis. As he landed on the ground, he then went inside of the cave and walked a bit before he heard the little girls voice talking to someone.
The young Dragoon then hold his lance while quickened his pace and what he saw really stunned him, he saw an old gray dragon with green feathers on the back of its wings. Apparently, that dragon is very friendly towards Apis due to the age of an elder which he's no stranger to dragons.
Ventus stared at the dragon while using his Dragon Sight to look closer in between the dragon and Apis. The elder dragon shift its attention from Apis to Ventus as she followed its gaze and finally noticed the young Dragoon. She then jumped in front of the dragon protectively.
"What are you doing here?" Apis asked.
"I could ask you the same thing!?" Ventus retorts. "What are you doing with the Millennial Dragon?"
"I was trying to feed Grandpa Ryu." Apis answered in defensive way. "And if you try and hurt him, you'll have to go through me."
"Grandpa Ryu? You named that dragon?" Ventus asks with confusion, raise his eyebrow.
"Of course not, he told me his name." Apis told him, leaving the young Dragoon surprised as Grandpa Ryu nudged her in the back when she looked into his eyes. "Are you sure? He's a pirate you know."
However, Grandpa Ryu didn't respond as Apis move aside.
"Grandpa Ryu wants to get a good look at you." Apis told him.
Ventus then lowered his lance, walking closer to the elder dragon until he staring into the eyes of the elder dragon. They weren't filled with affection like they were with Apis, they had changed into sorrow and disgust which the young Dragoon felt like those eyes were staring into his soul. Grandpa Ryu then breathed out a small amount of smoke in Ventus' face, causing him to cough.
"He likes you." Apis told him with a giggle.
"He has a funny way of showing it." Ventus points out, waving the smoke. "All I got from the other dragons were snarls and grief."
"Oh yeah, they told me about you and your hardships." Apis said sadly.
"That's right, I've been loathed by people from Ishgard and dragons from Dravania." Ventus nods, turned his head to the dragon. "Anyway, where did you find him?"
"I found him in the cave and he's very sick, he need's to find the Dragon's Nest to recover, but forgotten where it is." Apis explains.
"And you've been taking care of him ever since." Ventus finished her sentence.
"Yep, but Grandpa Ryu is a bit senile due to his age." Apis told him. "Also, he wants to know your name."
That got Ventus surprised which communicating the dragons is really new to him.
"How do you know about this?" Ventus inquired.
"The Devil Fruit I ate is called Whisper-Whisper fruit. It allows me to understand the thoughts and feelings of animals." Apis explains.
"So that's how you were able to understand the flock of seagulls before we get to the Calm Belt." Ventus said surprisingly, earned a nod from Apis as he then turn to the elder dragon. "I'm Ventus Starwind."
Grandpa Ryu stares at the young Dragoon which it got the dragon surprised as she translates in his thoughts.
"Grandpa Ryu says that you look a lot like your father and he can tell that you're the lost prince of Dravania." Apis told him.
"What!? How is it possible that he knows my father!?" Ventus exclaims with shock.
"Both Grandpa Ryu and Starblaze were friends, but he's the one who raised your father and taught him. Basically, he knows him for a long time." Apis stated. "He was wondering how is Starblaze."
Ventus then looked at him with sad expression on his face which it was hard for him to tell anyone about his parents, leaving Apis notice of that expression on his face.
"He's gone. He was murdered by my two cruel uncles." Ventus told the dragon. "It happen before my mothers death and after my uncles use that a plot to continue the conflict between Ishgard and Dravania."
"Hey Apis, where'd you get all the pork buns?" Luffy asks, waving at her with a smile on his face.
"Luffy, you're an idiot!" Nami shouts with white eyes and shark-like teeth. Luffy ignored her as he walk towards them.
"How long have you two been here?" Ventus questions.
"Long enough." Nami told him as she approaches them, but shocked when she saw a dragon.
Luffy was amazed as he look closely at the dragon, but the young Dragoon grabs hold of him, slamming him down to the ground.
"Don't ever try doing that again, Luffy!? Show him some respect!" Ventus yelled at him with a dragonic roar and rage.
"Why'd you that?" Luffy yelled back at him with anger, but only get a respond when Ventus partially transform into a dragon, beating him into a pulp which the rubber captain is now beaten and battered with a bumps on his face, bruises, and nose bleed.
"Try that again and I'll make sure you're dragon food, you understand?" Ventus growled.
"Yes, I understand." Luffy nods which he's now scared of the young Dragoon, learn to never pick a fight with the half-dragon.
'Is this possible? I thought dragons were just legends, but still there were dragons around in Dravania and there's one right before my eyes.' Nami mentally thought with stunned expression on her face.
"Listen, we need to know where he came from." Ventus told her as Grandpa Ryu open his eyes.
Apis listens carefully while translate it for the young Dragoon.
"He says that you do have the same temper like your father, but he's also sorry after what has happen to your parents." Apis told him, earned a nod from the young Dragoon. "Even so, you still have heart like your mother."
It got Nami realize why Apis could understand the animals thoughts as she spoke.
"Could it be a Devil Fruit you've ate?" Nami inquires.
"It is, she ate the Devil fruit called Whisper-Whisper fruit. That fruit allows her to understand the thoughts from animals." Ventus explains.
"So that was it, how you knew the gust of wind is coming." Nami stated, now understands.
"The seabirds were kind enough to tell me about it." Apis nods. "It was thanks to the Whisper-Whisper fruit that I met Grandpa Ryu as well."
She then begin explaining how she met Grandpa Ryu which it happen not too long ago when she remembered the time that she's in the field of flowers, picking up some flowers. Until, she heard a voice that was coming from the mountain.
"I remember the first time I heard his voice, it was so sad."
Apis then rush towards through the forest while heading inside of the cave, seeing an elder dragon that happens to be Grandpa Ryu as the dragon opened his eyes while the little girl smiled.
'When I found him, he was helpless. He'd used his energy searching for his friends, he got separated from them while flying home to the Dragon's Nest on Lost Island.'
When her flashback is finished, Nami then spoke.
"Wait a minute, I thought Lost Island sank into the sea a long time ago." Nami points out.
"Lost Island will service again eventually. Grandpa Ryu is absolutely certain about that." Apis told them. "Grandpa believes that will reappear any day now, but while he's pretty sure about the winds, its the where that's causing the problem. He doesn't remember where it use to be, it's not his fault Grandpa is just got old and lost the energy to fly, but his spirit is strong as ever. He keeps telling me he wants to go back to Lost Island more than anything. If only I can figure a way to find it. I've searched through old records, studied ancient maps, the legend itself doesn't hold any clues, but when the Marines stop by, I take a chance and asked for their help. That was the big mistake, the only thing they were interested in was a Dragonite."
"As in the source of immortality?" Nami inquires. "So that's they kidnapped you to help you find Dragonite?"
"Yes, they wanted me to tell them everything I knew, but I wouldn't. And they became obsessed when they notice the pendant I've made with the claw Grandpa Ryu gave me." Apis explains.
"Then you escape during the storm, you know that was reckless and dangerous." Ventus told her.
"I know." Apis nods, rubbing the dragon. "That's why I kept this as a secret from the others, deceiving Grandpa Bokuden. I don't want to cause anymore trouble for them, but I have to make sure Grandpa Ryu gets back to his home no matter what it takes. It's the only way to save him, he says it'll get his energy back once he returns to the Dragon's Nest. I'll find a way to get him there, no matter if it takes me a lifetime. I know how painful it feels to be far from home and everything you love."
Ventus and Nami couldn't help but feel sad for Apis trying to help the dragon get back to the Lost Island. Luffy then smiled as he spoke.
"Right, if he wants to go home, then I'll take him." Luffy said, leaving Apis surprised.
"Luffy wake up, you can't take him home." Nami points out seriously. "Lost Island sank into the sea, remember?"
"Look at him, this is a legendary Millennial Dragon." Luffy stated, looking at the dragon. "He really exist, which means Lost Island does too."
"Luffy, the island sank." Nami argues.
"I know, and now we're gonna find it." Luffy said, leaving Nami sighed with annoyance.
"Guess we couldn't get into that thick skull of his, are we?" Ventus rhetorically questions.
"Underwater, no map, it's insane." Nami said, smirked. "I'm in."
"Alright!" Luffy said excitedly.
"You really take him?" Apis asks surprisingly.
"Yeah." Luffy answered simply.
"Thank you." Apis thanked them.
"But first, lets eat." Luffy said as he take the pork bun out of his pocket.
"Uh Luffy, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Ventus warned him, but it's too late. The dragon then chomped Luffy. "Despite his age, he's a bit senile."
Meanwhile outside of the mountain, the Marines were sailing towards the Warship Island which Eric knew that Apis is wearing a pendant that featured a Millennial Dragon's claw. For what he knows, it comes to the point that Apis knew about the Lost Island and the secrets of the elixir. He'll be planning to capture Apis and learn more about the Lost Island and Dragonite.
That's it for the 38th chapter. Sorry about the delay.