Yo. A million thanks for liking and following my story.
Hunger pains and a crippling phobia. A terrible combination. Add on being on the verge of a heat stroke with what might be a concussion, whilst trying to keep the tears back from the realization that I will most likely never return home. An even worse combination.
"So Angel-san," why the -san, "why were you sleeping in such a place?"
If I could tell you dude, I would. However, my mind is focused but on one place. The spot of gray in the distance sandwiched between the endless blue. Shells Town. This is another way of saying freedom, and deviating from it puts my mind right back in panic mode. We're not going back to panic mode, I just sat down.
"Hello?" Coby again. He sounded nervous. Not my problem.
In other news today, I have decided that once I get off this terrifying boat and slightly more terrifying ocean, I am starting my new life as a farmer.
They're respectable, it isn't something that people will be suspicious about, and I could probably start right away if I asked the right person. Ah, but I don't think they have farmers on this island. So how am I going to be a farmer?
A boat. I'll need a ride on someone's boat, but that costs money, and I don't have money. Worse, I have to get back on another boat after having already sworn off boats for the rest of my life. So scratch that plan. No, actually let's just leave it as Plan B.
Perhaps some nice town citizen will take pity on me and offer me a room and job. Oh! Like the nice lady where that Rika kid worked/lived at. I could be a waitress, I think. Wait, isn't some ax-dude supposed to be ruling the place? Pretty sure he was demanding a tribute of some kind, so the shelter thing might have to wait till after Straw Hat liberates the place. Or maybe the lady will just be that nice, like from the fan fictions.
Actually no, don't mention the fan fictions. That's just whole other whole mess of-
"Hello," interrupts Coby once more. Hm. He sounds nervous.
Not my problem.
I go back to scheming, biting my nails. The problem with my new plan A is that I've never worked any type of job outside of my own house before, which means no work experience. On one hand, I'm not sure I want to try my hand with the marines. On the other hand-
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
I stared confused at the limb blocking my view, unaware that I was mostly glaring at it instead. Noticing this 'glare', Coby suddenly squawks loudly almost into my ear, making my head begin to throb again.
He's quickly stammering out an apology, among other things, but he's avoiding my gaze now. I think. I can't exactly see his eyes. But I'm now halfway confused and halfway ashamed as he starts to not-so-subtlety scoot away from me, still muttering apologies. Confused as to why the heck he looked like I was about to shank him and ashamed that I apparently was scaring this little kid.
I clear my throat to get his attention and wait till he gets his nerves settled to say, "I apologize if I scared you." That sounded a bit too monotone.
"Th-that's alright, it was my fault. I should've just asked," he said a bit too quickly, his head angled down.
I go back to stare at the approaching landmass. Though luckily, he's forgotten his first question and leaves me be, this only makes me feel even more guilty. Was Coby always such a wimp or am I just suddenly a terrifying person?
Coby hadn't really been bothering me, neither was Straw Hat, but I am too wound up from everything. Cause why shouldn't I be? I am experiencing the definition of a nightmare and I still have yet to wake up! Pinching myself, holding my breath, even banging my head onto the side of the boat hadn't helped me. I'm stuck in the middle of the damn ocean, which I am deathly afraid of by the way, with an aspiring marine and the next in line for the King of the Pirate's seat. It almost sounds like the beginning of a bad joke if you ask me.
The throbbing increases in tempo and I stop short to rub my temples. I should stop working myself up and try and sleep.
No, Coby said not to sleep.
But what does Coby know?
Coby knows how to navigate to sea and knows a bit more of first aid than you do.
...Interesting point.
Then I'll just sit and bore myself on the details of my plan.
...
Wait. What was I planning?
...
Huh. I guess it wasn't important then.
As the minutes pass on our lonely little adventure, I can't help but get more anxious cause I'm finding Straw Hat to be a little on the strange side. More than usual of course. I had thought that he would fire off a question or two about me, this that, or the other, but he's instead slept this entire time. Nevertheless, this is loads better for me, cause I wouldn't have answers to those questions. Plus, ignoring him means I won't get to know him, then I can leave with a somewhat clear conscious. Yeah, like an unlucky side character. You know, a bit like Coby.
...Speaking of which...
I give a sidelong glance to blurry Coby, who still looks like he wants to ask another question. When he seems to notice me looking, he kinda freezes up. This just makes me more curious
I'm not threatening, I'm wearing a plain T-shirt and sweats, my hoodie in a heap beside me, I'm not actively antagonizing anyone, and the only thing I've done so far today was avoiding making conversation. Is being anti-social just not common for this dude-?
Actually, thinking on it now, he's been trapped on some pirate boat for however long. They probably wanted to do with him or just pushed him around-! Is that what's happening here?
As I sit there pondering potential misunderstandings, I miss the fact that poor Coby is suffering again under my stare. In his eyes, me squinting at him meant "I'll kill ya, ya pansy." He has yet to look away but he's sweating bullets.
I finally realize the awkward position I've placed him in and clear my throat. He instantly calms down but his body still gives away his nervousness through some fidgeting.
"Sorry, again," I said. Haven't we already done this bit? "Was there something you needed?" I try and smile a bit to ease some of the tense atmosphere.
"Huh?" Sounds like he wasn't expecting me to answer back. "I was just um, wondering about when I found you on the floor. Why were you there?"
I wasn't supposed to ask that question, was I? Welp, ask and you shall receive. So who wants to play, "Think of A Convincing Backstory So No One Suspects You"?
With a dead face, I drawl out, "I was kidnapped."
...
...
Hmm. You seemed to have confused "Think of A Convincing Backstory So No One Suspects You" with, "Say The First Thing That Comes To Mind Thus Effing Up Your Entire Situation". Nice. Good job me.
What I'm actually thinking is, FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKYOUWERENTSUPPOSEDTOSAYTHAT!
"You were kidnapped? H-How are you so calm about this!?" Good question. "And are you okay? But that was a cruise ship, they were-" And this is where I stop listening because I had more important things to do. Like, maintaining a calm composure while cursing myself and whatever force that brought me here in my head.
Coby was freaking out, I'm freaking...in. This was a terrible idea, I knew I was no good at keeping up with lies. I can't keep going on with this.
Amongst the inner chaos, otherwise known as panic mode, one lone brain cell decided to woman up and try to resolve the situation.
"I think," I suddenly blurted out, trying and failing at keeping my voice level, "kidnapped might've been the wrong word to use in this instance." Before he could begin another rant I cut him off. "That is to say, it wasn't entirely a kidnapping as it was more of a displacement." After a few seconds, I mutter to myself, "I think displacement was the wrong word too."
The pink blur stopped waving his arms around, looking like some modern art statue, and now he's tilting his head at me. "What could you possibly mean by displaced? How do you displace yourself?"
"Um," I say expertly. The answer to that question would logically be "I got lost." Only that makes me look stupid. Like Zoro.
But you already look stupid. Plus, you have nothing else to say to that.
True.
I sigh and turn and look Coby square in his face. "I, uh, got lost. I probably wandered onto the ship after having fallen asleep sometime earlier, and just, stayed asleep." I trail off looking down.
He's silent for a few moments, trying to analyze whatever the heck I just said. I'm nervous, hoping he could believe me. He lives in a world where kids can get rubber powers, a world government can have control over the world, people walk on air, and giant ass fish live in the ocean.
Yeah, hoping wasn't too far fetched.
"So, you were lost and just happened to be sleepwalking and just happened to wander onto a cruise ship, and no one saw you?"
I messed up. "Look dude, people get lost all the time," I said attempting to save face. "and I'm not excited about all of this either, but I am thankful for you getting me off."
That one sentence seems to do the trick and he starts scratching his head and probably blushing. His blurred out face seems to be getting pinker. "It was no problem, though Luffy-san did most of the saving."
"Right," I say with a small smile back. Good. Very good.
With this relatively good atmosphere, we each do our own thing for the rest of the nightmare-inducing boat ride, I swear the sea is not supposed to be this vast, and we soon arrive at the bustling town of Shells Town.
"We're here! It's the marine base's town!" I jump at the sudden declaration.
Standing at the docks finds us the subject of one too many stares because someone likes to shout indiscriminately, but everyone merely goes back to their business. I ignore the two for the moment and allow myself to stand by the boat and just take in the hustle-bustle of the town. It was almost music to my ears. The blobs of colors buying and selling wares, the sounds, the smells, twas beautiful.
I forgot though that was still hungry, so my stomach ends up interrupting my daydream.
"Good idea!" Comes the reasoning of Straw Hat. "Let's go eat!"
Behind him, Coby looks a bit put out. Remembering what was perhaps their earlier conversation, I can't help but chuckle.
With Straw Hat leading, and Coby letting me lean on him (it was decided after I almost feel overboard standing up that I needed someone to keep me upright), the scene once again changes to that of the inside of the restaurant Food Foo. The air is warm while other customers are either dining or drinking at the bar placed near the door. I'm seated with my back facing the window, while Coby and Luffy sit on the adjacent sides. I don't know why I still followed them, but free food was free food, and I could stand to stay a bit.
"You do your best to be a great marine alright?" Luffy smiled while patting his abnormally large belly.
Coby, already crying sniffles out, "I will! Thank you so much! Luffy-san, you have to become a great pirate too, although we'll be enemies in the future."
I just sit silently with a slightly exasperated face on.
"Say, I wonder," here it comes, "if Zoro is still being kept at the marines' base."
Now y'all, I'm going to be honest. I wasn't entirely too sure if I should be reacting like the townspeople or feigning ignorance and surprise like Luffy and Coby, but when everyone decided to get as far away from us as possible with the looks of horror like the grim reaper himself had shown up, I couldn't help but laugh. Seeing it in real life was a hundred times better than seeing it on paper. I'm crying when they all seem to just pick up where they left off, warily turning over tables and chairs. They're all situated when Coby dares to utter Captain Morgan's taboo name, but it all quickly becomes a hurricane of furniture, food, and scared civilians. I end up on the floor busting a kidney.