Chapter 35
Captain Usopp, and the Thousand Sunny
"Set sail!" Luffy called out to his crew. Maxwell unfurled the sails, though he felt something twinge against his fingers. The sail caught wind, and they started head out to sea.
"Hey, Luffy!" "LUFFY!" Both Nami and Chopper looked at their captain.
"Are you sure, Straw-Hat? Don't you have to wait for one last person?" Franky asked.
Luffy sat on a bench, that was part of the main mast, "I was waiting for him! Ever since Sanji told us the story, I waited for him in that room at Galley-La so someone would welcome him, but he never showed up!"
Prior to Franky's joining, the crew did have a talk about Usopp. While they had been out and about shopping, Sanji had spotted Usopp practicing lines on the beach. Usopp wanted to come back and rejoin the crew. Naturally, they were all for it. Usopp did help them out during Enies Lobby. He was still their friend!
However, Zoro had to remind them of something. Though Luffy was a rather carefree individual, Luffy is the captain of the Straw-Hat Pirates. And Usopp had disrespected their captain. He had insulted Luffy's character, left the crew as protest, and then challenged Luffy to a duel. A duel which Usopp lost. If they just accepted him back, with open arms, it would set a bad precedence for the crew. It didn't matter whether Usopp helped them or not. If Usopp didn't apologize, then they would leave him here on Water 7. Zoro wouldn't accept anything less, on the matter.
…While he had been a little bit extreme explaining it, Zoro did have a point. Usopp, though they would still love to have him back, also had a tendency to bluff, exaggerate, and blow smoke up your butt if you let him. They needed an apology. A real apology. They couldn't just forgive and forget anymore... They weren't playing Pirate anymore.
The crew had made an enemy of the World Government, and they couldn't afford to show them any weakness. That meant taking every slight seriously, even when they were caused by close friends.
Luffy and the others had accepted this… They just hoped they'd seen Usopp sooner.
"This is his answer! I'm sure he… will have fun, too. I don't think he'll quit being a pirate, so hopefully we'll see him on the sea sometime!" Luffy was smiling and acting like it was a big deal. However, Maxwell could see he was sweating bullets. They all knew Luffy really wanted Usopp to come back.
*KA-BOOM! SPLASH!*
"WHOA!" The ship suddenly rocked as a cannonball hit the water near their starboard quarter.
Franky was the first to react, "Crap! They've found us! It's the marines!"
"…Grandpa!?" Luffy spotted his grandfather's warship coming around the bend. It wasn't too different from most marine battleships, except for the giant hound figurehead with a doggy bone in it's mouth.
Garp's voice then rang out, loud and clear, "[Hey, Luffy~ can you hear me!? This is your grandpa. This is your grandpa, speaking.]"
"Hey, grandpa! What's going on!? You told us that you wouldn't arrest us here!" Luffy yelled back.
"[Yeah, well, things happened… So, I'm sorry to say this, but I'm going to have to ask you to just drown and die.]"
"WHAT!?" The whole crew yelled.
"[This probably won't make up for it, but only I'll be the one to face you guys!]" By this time, Garp's ship had sailed close enough that they could make out his figure. They saw him receive something from a fellow marine.
"What's he going to do!?" Sanji worried.
"Meteor… FIST!" Garp through a cannonball… and it exploded on the very edge of the shoreline! And that was a warning shot!
"H-HE THREW THE CANNONBALL, WITH HIS BARE HANDS!?"
Zoro drew his swords, "It flew much faster than a regular cannonball would too. Doesn't he know it's not a baseball!?"
Maxwell immediately extend his staff and stamped a Spirit glyph into the ground. He cast Barrier around the crew and around the ship. "This is Luffy's grandfather! You think logic's going to apply around him!?"
"It can't be helped!" Nami yelled from the helm's wheel, "We have to run away now or our new ship will get wrecked!"
Franky then spotted Garp taking off his suit jacket and coat, "Not good, we're going to get more of those cannonballs!" He spotted trolleys of cannonballs being rolled over to Garp.
"Full speed ahead!" Luffy commanded, "We'll smash those cannonballs!"
"RIGHT!" Maxwell, Franky, Sanji, and Zoro immediately went to join Luffy on the stern. If Garp was going to be throwing a flurry of those cannonballs at them, they needed every advantage they had to counteract them!
Chopper then smelled something, "…He's here! USOPP IS HERE!"
"Really!?" Robin asked.
"NOW!?" Maxwell shouted. Usopp really chose a bad timing to try and come back to them.
Maxwell could hear a voice from the walls, "OUT OF THE WAY, OUT OF THE WAY! …WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING!? HEY! I'M STILL HERE!"
It was definitely Usopp, "What's going on!? Even after our quarrel, we fought together. I was Sogeking! Did you give up on me because I disappeared? Hey, guys… don't worry! I'm back here!" Maxwell saw something jump down from the staircase.
Garp's voice then remind Maxwell he still had to defend the ship, "Here you go! Have some more! BWAHAHAHA!"
"Shit!" Maxwell ducked as one cannonball went over his head. The mage immediately started casting Wildfire, hoping to blow up the cannonballs before they got to close. It was his strongest spell he could cast in succession. Problem was, Garp's meteors were FAST! Maxwell couldn't get every cannonball even if he tried! Franky backed him up, using his own weaponry to fire at the cannonballs. Sanji kicked away any that got close, while Zoro sliced them in half. Luffy blew himself up, like a balloon, to bounce some of them back.
"Usopp's here, Luffy! Usopp's here!" Chopper tried to tell him.
"HEEEEEEEEY! REJOICE! IT'S ME!" Usopp was now running on the bank, "Chopper! The weather is great today! Let's go fishing! But it's not time for that, huh? Ahahaha!"
Maxwell and the crew kept intercepting cannonballs.
"By the way, I have good news for you guys! Don't be surprised, when I'm back, I won't mind being a vice captain for you! How does that sound!? HEEEEEY!"
"Heeeey! Luffy! Guys! I know what's going on! You guys are crying from happiness, right!?"
Usopp kept up his smile, though it was starting to become more and more strained, "You—Don't tell me it's about what I said that time!? We've known each other since forever! You know I would never say such a thing seriously! We've had lots of arguments, but we're nakama! I'll let some stuff slide!"
The crew kept sailing while fending off cannonballs.
"HEY! SAY SOMETHING! CUT IT OUT YOU GUYS!"
Chopper ran up to Luffy, "Luffy! Usopp's calling you!"
Luffy kicked away another cannonball, "I didn't hear anything."
Chopper then ran to their swordsman, "Zoro!"
"I didn't hear anything!"
"Liar. You heard him!" Chopper rebuttaled. The human-reindeer then looked to the mage, "Max! We got to turn around!"
Maxwell spoke, biting through terse lips, "…Whatever for?"
He really did want to stop and talk to Usopp, they all did. But they already agreed, if Usopp didn't apologize—
"I'M SOOOOORRRRRYYYYY!"
The whole crew paused, as if for an instant.
"I'M SORRY FOR BEING STUBBORN! I WAS WRONG!" Usopp cried out. Maxwell could practically hear the tears and snot running down his face… He was apologizing!
Usopp bowed his head, "I KNOW IT'S SHAMEFUL! AND I KNOW I ZAID I LEFT THE CREW! BUT CAN I… CAN I TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID!?" He didn't want them to leave!
Usopp was on his hands and knees, "CAN I PLEASE…!? PLEASE! PLEASE LET ME STAY WITH YOU GUYS!"
"PLEASE…!"
"PLEASE MAKE ME YOU NAKAMA ONE MORE TIME!"
…
…
…
A hand was suddenly in front of Usopp.
It was Luffy's. Extended from the ship, right to the shore.
"Luffy…!" Usopp whimpered through his tears.
"IIIDDIIIOOOT! HURRY UP AND GRAB MY HAND!"
Now Luffy was the one bawling his eyes out! Everyone on the crew couldn't help but grin though.
Zoro smiled, "You're the idiot here!" Sanji jumped for joy!
Nami couldn't help but laugh, "My god! You guys are so lame!"
Usopp grasped Luffy's hand and Luffy immediately pulled him aboard. The two collided, and now they were crying together. Chopper immediately jumped on top of them, "USOPP~!"
Maxwell couldn't help but smile. Now they had three sobbing idiots on deck. And he didn't care!
Luffy tried to stem his tears, "Finally… Everyon's back together!" They we're happy tears though, "Let's just get away from this bombardment and head for a new adventure, guys!"
"AYE AYE!" Everyone cheered in agreement.
"Yo, big-beard!" Maxwell blinked to attention when he realized Franky was talking to him, "You can use magic to manipulate a ship right?"
"…Only what I recognize," the mage answered slowly. He didn't understand EVERYTHING that was on this ship.
"Great! Furl up the sail! We're going to use our secret weapon!" Franky grinned.
Secret weapon? Maxwell looked at the marines behind them. They were coming closer, but decided to trust Franky's judgement. If Franky had a solution, he was willing to try it. Franky did build this ship after all.
Maxwell energized the sails and ropes to curl and tie up… Only to find them loose.
"What the…?" The mage tried to energize the ropes again… Only to feel something disrupting his mana.
"Hey Max, what gives?" Nami asked the mage. She had heard Franky's instructions. Usually, their resident sorcerer would have everything packed up by now.
"One moment…" Maxwell frowned. He energized the rope again and watched carefully. As soon as the rope came close to the yard, the magic just failed.
Max had a theory, and it wasn't a good one. The mage spun his staff out and hurled an arcane bolt at a piece of the ship. Specifically, he aimed at the wall above the slide. The magic missile bounced off the wood like a ping pong ball, and dissipated into particles of energy. Maxwell then approached the area he fired at, and there was hardly any mark at all!
Maxwell put another hand to the wood, trying to channel some mana into it, "…Franky!" Maxwell raised his voice in growing concern, "You said the Adam tree was the strongest of all woods, right?"
"Yeah? What of it?" Franky walked over to see the hold up.
"Well your wood is actively repelling my mana!" Maxwell told the shipwright. "Something about the Adam wood—It's repelling magic, like the wrong end of a magnet!"
"Oh… So our ship is magic proof? SUPER!" Franky did his usual leaning pose, with his forearms together.
"NOT SUPER! THAT MEANS I CAN'T DO SHIT!" Maxwell yelled back. "Zoro! Sanji! Help me furl the sails!" They would have to actively man the ship.
"WHAT!?" "Damn it!"
The two rivals immediately started running across the deck. They took to the masts and climbed up to pull the ropes. Maxwell worked on the deck, untying the knots at the base.
"Hurry! Take in the sails!" Franky yelled at them. This action had confused the marines, but it won't keep them away for long!
"Hey, you sure about this, Franky!?" Sanji called down.
"Stupid bastard! Trust in the ship!" Franky cheered.
"That's right! Trust it, stupid bastard!" "You bastard, stupid bastard! "You bastard!"
"HELP OUT, YOU IDIOTS!" Zoro yelled at the reunited Kiddy Trio. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper all had their arms around each other, over their shoulders, and dancing.
"Usopp, until a second ago, you were…" Nami tried to scold them but figured they just needed their moment, "…Oh well."
"One moment though," Franky stopped cheering, "We need to decide the name of the ship."
"What!? The name of the ship!? At a time like this!?" Nami asked. Sanji deflected another cannonball as he jumped down.
"Yup, you can't really sail off with a positive vibe unless the ship has a name," explained Franky.
"Is now really the time!?" Maxwell yelled. Both he and Zoro had finished up their jobs with the sail.
"So~ something like, 'something lion?'" Luffy asked. Franky nodded and Luffy raised his hand, "Alright! I thought up a strong sounding name! 'Bear Polar Bear Lion!'"
"How can a ship have a name like that!?" Usopp looked at Luffy incredulously.
"No? How about 'Tiger Wolf Lion?'"
"Quit listing preadators!" Usopp yelled, "Are you trying to recite a curse!?"
"'Squid Octopus Chimpanzee.'" "WHAT HAPPENED THE LION!?"
"Heh. I have some suggestions of my own, too." Franky pointed out, "I remember talking with Ice-for-Brains when we were building the ship. He did suggest one. 'The Thousand Sunny!'" Franky laughed hilariously. Little did he realize, Franky just sealed their ship's new name.
"Wow!" Luffy immediately liked the name.
"That sounds really cool!" Choppe cheered.
"It sounds much better than the one I was about to propose: 'Wolf Dumpling Gorilla Bear Tiger Lion!'"
"ARE YOU PLAYING SOME SORT OF WORD GAME!?" Usopp yelled at Luffy.
Even Zoro, Sanji, and Robin agreed, "It's better than my 'Lionel the Boss.'" "Better than my 'Monsieur Sunflower.'" "I was going to suggest 'Being of Darkness.'"
"ARE YOU ALL NUTS!?" Usopp yelled at them now. Maxwell didn't have any better suggestions. His initial thought was "The Orlais Imperium."
"—But," Robin continued from her thought, "a ship that crosses a thousand sea… Sound wonderful. 'Sunny,' too!"
Maxwell blinked. Did Robin just make a pun?
"Wait, guys!" Franky laughed at their enthusiasm, "That was just for a starter. This name I thought up is your best bet! Low and behold! The name of the ship is—"
"Let's go with Ice-Pops idea! I love it!" "—'New Battle Franky "Lion Gang Champion!"'" "The 'Thousand Sunny.' A good name!" "Agreed!" "Now that we have a fitting name, the need to sail off is rising!" "Nice to met you Sunny!"
Sanji then saw Franky sitting on the ground, "Hey, Franky, What are you grumbling about?" He was pouting at having his name outvoted. Worse that it was Ice-for-Brains suggestion. "Hurry and let's het out of here with your 'secret weapon!'"
"Yeah, hurry up," agreed Zoro. "We took in the sails, and the warship in on it's way here!"
"ALRIGHT, SHUT UP ALREADY!" Franky huffed at their impatience. Still, he couldn't help but grin, "Take a good look at this beautiful City of Water while you can! You'll lose sight of it in a blink!"
"Really?" Luffy asked, "Then…" Luffy climbed up to the tallest point of the stern.
"GRANDPA~!" Luffy called out, "COBY~! AND… WHAT'S-HIS-FACE~!"
Maxwell couldn't help but snicker at Helmeppo's indignation, "Say my name too, dammit!"
"I'M GLAD I COULD SEE YOU ALL AGAIN~!" Luffy waved goodbye.
"What's the matter Luffy!? I still have some meteors left!" Garp yelled back, and threw another cannonball at his grandson.
Luffy was undeterred though, and battered the iron ball with a swipe of his fist. "It's no use!" Luffy grinned, "We'll be running away seriously now! Until we meet again!"
Maxwell could see Garp blowing a gasket on his warship. He seemed to be taking offence at Luffy not saying 'Love you!'
Luffy then turned to Water 7, "ICE-POPS! We took your suggestion! Thanks for the great name! GUYS—!" He was referring to the Franky Family, Galley-La Company, and Kokoro's family, "THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! WE'LL GET GOING NOW~!"
Maxwell wasn't sure they could hear them this far out. Still, it was a good thing to say goodbye to everyone.
"RUN! LUFFY!" Coby voice then yelled from the marine warship, "YOU'LL BE KILLED!"
What was Coby talking abou—? "BY THE MAKER!"
"DON'T TAKE ME FOR A FOOL, LUFFY!" There was a GIANT, warship sized, ball of iron being hefted by Garp. Worse of all he was pulling it by a monstrous chain! Where the hell had he been hiding that!?
"FRANKY, START!" Luffy called out to below deck. That's where Franky had gone to use their secret weapon, but he had to hurry it up! They did not want to be hit by that massive ball-and-chain!
"—OR YOU'LL GET YOURSELF HURT!" Garp then threw the giant iron meteor. It rose in an arc, rising up into the air, and was going to fall down on them unless they started to move!
"AAAAAGGGGHHH! WE'RE DOOMED!" Usopp cried out in terror. It was like an island was going to fall on top of them!
Maxwell then heard a thrum coming from the muzzle at the end of the ship. It was building up with energy! "GRAB ONTO SOMETHING!" Then he heard Franky shouting form below.
"COUP DE… BURST!"
*BOOM!*
The Thousand Sunny shot into the air, flying like a bird! The giant meteor splashed into the ocean, having missed it's target. Of course, everyone was more focused on that they were flying again!
"WOOHOOO!" Luffy was absolutely delighted.
"…This feeling…! We know this feeling!" Usopp reminisced about when Merry had gone up the Knock-Up Stream.
Franky came up above deck, "It consumes three barrels of cola, but we can fly one kilometre with this! What ever your Going Merry did, this ship can do as well! This ship will even surpass it on every point! I built this ship, hoping the Thousand Sunny will inherit that ship's brave spirit!"
The crew all grinned. Franky had built this for them, and they were all going to take good care of it.
"If it breaks, I'll fix it, without flaw!" Franky grinned. "Count on me, for all your ship and weapon needs! From this day on, this is your ship!" The Thousand Sunny then landed, back into the ocean, and the Starwhat Pirates all cheered with mirth.
O O O
…The winds were fair, Water 7 was gone, and no marine ships were in sight.
"Now then…!" The Straw-Hat Pirates were all on deck, and Luffy begun to officiate, "To Robin and Usopp who came back! And to our new nakama, Franky and our pirate ship, Thousand Sunny! CHEERS!"
"KAMPAI!" They whole crew cheered, clashing mugs with their favourite drinks. Even Mordred, Mineive, and Salem had a mug in front of them. They were celebrating after all!
They had faced pirates and beaten them at their own game. They had faced marines and managed to avoid capture! And they had faced a league of assassins and came out on top!
The crew was ever expanding. Their lives slowly intertwined into this pirate family. And two of their members had managed to come home!
"LET'S GO! NEXT STOP: FISHMAN ISLAND!"
O O O
…
…
…
*BANG~*
…
…
…
*BOOM~!*
…
…
…
Eerie winds blew over a sea of green. Venomous fog rolled like clouds in this sickening sky. Rocks and mountains had no roots in the fresh green hell. And in this space was a lone ship.
An ark, flying under it's own power.
The sounds of thunder and lightning flashed in the din. The god, Enel, swung his staff at another 'Luffy.'
"A thousand curses on that devil…!" Enel shaped his rod into a trident, an stuck another 'Luffy.' "A thousand more upon his crew…!" The 'Luffy' disappeared in to fine green smoke. Then more of these infernal spirits cried aboard his ship.
"But who I curse most of all IS YOU!" Enel pointed his golden trident at the being in the sky.
A monstrous spider of flesh and sinue. Pale as bone and porous like an insect's hive. Thousands of eyes, of red and green, looked upon the would-be god within a casket of carapace.
"Mmhmhmhahahaha…!"
"Are you not in awe, Enel? Was it not you who said, 'People do not fear God. Fear itself is God.'"
"Monster!" Enel let out a discharge, attacking all the 'Luffy's that were coming towards him. "You are no god! I AM A GOD! And I demand you let me out of this hell!"
"Oh but it is entertaining to see you struggle. You mortals rage at what you do not understand. Look at souls I within my care. The dreams and nightmares of mortals within my reach. They run. They hide. They fall victim to their worst fears whenever they close their eyes. And yet, when they wake, they know not what troubled them. A dream long forgotten. How is this not the power of a GOD?"
Enel clutched his head as the screams and ramblings of men entered his ears. This demon's many victims, all experiencing their worst fears. A woman's scream. A child calling out for help. A man sobbing for his family, slain.
They were not his concern!
"RELEASE ME, DEMON!" Enel transformed into his Amaru, thunder god form, and hurled a lance of lightning at his torturer.
The spider only had the flick a leg to bat the lightning away.
"Hm… Then perhaps it is time you see the true face of fear…!"
Giant gossamer threads suddenly latched onto the ark. Their milky tethers coming directly from the monsters mouth.
"Nonono! NOT AGAIN!" Enel immediately tried to burn away the gossamer with his lightning, but another thread latched onto his right side. He was stuck, on his own ship, and even with his Logia powers he could not escape!
Enel struggled as his ship was slowly pulled towards the demon's maw. A clattering mess of a crustaceous pincers in front of a vertical maw of needle like teeth. A jagged line of light were behind those lips, promising untold horrors of whoever entered those jaws!
The demon had been toying with him. Playing around like a boy with his food! Was this how he was going to end!?
"HEY! UGLY! REMEMBER ME!?"
The spider reared as if struck from overhead. Then something sliced through the demon's gossamer.
"YOU!"
"What are you waiting for, thunder drums!? Get us out of here!" The man's voice yelled at Enel. Though not at all impressed, Enel didn't deny his request. He sped up the Maxim to fly away from this creature, hopefully to get free of this monster as it raged.
"CURSE YOU HAWKE! EVEN HERE, YOU FOLLOW ME!?"
"YOUR INTERFERENCE WILL COST YOU DEAR, CHAMPION OF KIRKWALL! I WILL SEE YOU CRUCIFIED BEFORE MY FEET! THE TORTURE I WILL DELIVER ON TO YOU SHALL BE IMAGINABLE! AND WHEN YOU SUCUMB TO THESE HORRORS, WHAT I HAVE LEFT SHALL BE MUTILATED UPON YOUR CORPSE! ON THE NAME OF YOUR MAKER, CHAMPION! YOU! WILL! PAY!"
"Well, he's still a bucket of sunshine. Isn't he?" The man looked over at the receding visage of the fear demon. He wore armor on all his limbed, except his left arm. A hood of fur laid upon his shoulders, connected to a plate gorget. His shirt was a uniform, with a pair of coattails. He wielded an odd spear. the head was nearly a quarter of the shaft's length, and had a large jewel at the end. What was truly odd though, was the red smear of war paint streaking across his nose. He looked barbaric with it, and with his unkept black hair and beard.
"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Enel frowned at the man.
The man nodded, "Right. The name's Hawke. I was walking in the Fade trying to follow that thing, when this lovely lady led me in the right direction."
Hawke gestured to the other intruder on Enel's ship. A woman standing with upmost grace. Wearing a sleeveless kimono of white, and cherry blossoms. She wore pieces a samurai's armor. Sode, kote, tekko, and suneate over a pair of white hakama. The pieces were white, with red lining. Around her waist was an obi, with the same white and cherry blossom design. She was pale as snow, with painted lip. Her long black hair shone like pure obsidian, and her eyes like charcoal. She was a warrior princess, armed only with one, featureless, katana.
"…I thank you, for your assistance," Enel grudgingly let out. "But unless you know a way out of here, then you are useless to me."
"Useless, are we?" A new voice asked.
Enel quickly turned around, "…You! It can't be…!"
Enel had only ever seen him in a vision. A monk standing in black robes, with a bandanna over his eyes. Six wings grew out of his back, spread out like an angel's. The monk held a string of mandalas in one hand, and had an open palm in the other.
"It is good you have have not forgotten me Enel," the monk smiled. "We have much to talk about, you and I."
…
…
…
To be continued…
Author's Note:
Hope you enjoyed the story.
Now then, if you're reading this part, you're probably wondering what I'm doing next. I am thinking of continuing this series. I've had the idea for a while, and I even have the perfect title for it (hint hint). Problem is, I still need to plan the story out. Not to mention choosing and island. XP
Looking at my schedule… the next title might be around late winter or early spring, if at all. No guarantees. I'll be fairly busy the rest of the year. Not to mention trying to establish my artwork. Still, fanfiction has given me a rather satisfying way to be creative, so I won't abandon it so easily. And thank you all, for reading and showing your support for this story. I'm glad I could entertain you all.
Share your thoughts. Keep reading, keep writing, we own nothing. And I'll talk to you next time. Laters!