Kia yawned and stretched, not unhappy to be awake so early, but not really appreciating it either. "You okay Kia?" Sanji called down to her, from where he and Luffy were unfurling the sails.
"Yeah," she replied. "At least the sunrise is pretty!"
"Just like you, Kia my sweet!" Sanji said in reply and Kia rolled her eyes even as she thanked him. Nami came over to join her, looking at the eternal pose they received for the race.
"It's pointing toward that mountain," Nami told her, showing her the pose.
"Partia?" Kia asked, reading the name on the eternal pose. "Never heard of it."
"Neither have I, but that doesn't mean anything," Nami replied. "There are plenty of uncharted islands in the grand line."
"Which is why your map with be so wonderful," Kia said with a grin. "It will truly be one of a kind."
"Which means I can charge whatever I want!" Nami squealed with laughter.
"What's going on?" Sanji asked, as he and Luffy climbed down. "We're ready to get going."
"None of the other ships are here," Zoro said from the balcony. "Did they already start without us?"
"Ha ha!" Kia laughed. "Zoro always gets left behind," she teased, and the others laughed even as Zoro yelled at Kia to shut up.
"Isn't it time for our workout?" he asked her with a wicked grin.
"Not today," Nami overruled. "We need everyone focused so we can win!"
The door to the kitchen opened, and Robin stepped out. "The starting point is that mountain," she told the crew. "There are many rivers and canals throughout the town, and they all run to the mountain. The other ships are probably waiting in those canals. The peak is the official starting point."
"Wait," Nami called to her. "We have to go up the mountain?"
"Yes," Robin replied. "You've already done it before at reverse mountain, right?"
"Well, yes," Nami answered. "But that mountain had a huge current!"
"This one does too, every few years any way," Robin said with a smile. "The wind changes, and the currents go toward the mountain."
"You're so full of knowledge, Miss Robin," Sanji said with hearts in his eyes.
"So basically, it's a mystery start!" Luffy announced.
"No it isn't," Usopp told him. "Are we going to be okay?" he asked Nami. "Last time we almost wrecked the ship!"
"We'll be fine!" Luffy said with a grin.
There was a pause, and Nami looked up almost like a bloodhound sniffing out its prey. "The wind!" she called to everyone. "Luffy, reinforce the yard! Usopp, the rudder! Chopper and Kia, to the stern! Sanji and Zoro, watch the shrouds on both sides!"
Everyone jumped to move into position, waiting as a huge gust of wind filled the sails. The current moved the ship along though a tunnel, and everyone was quiet as they waited for whatever was on the other side.
Moving into the bright light, they could hear the cheers around them, people lining the streets and waving them along. Luffy and Usopp cheered along with them, yelling out how they would win the race, only to be disappointed when they heard the crowd telling them to not mess up the favorite to win.
Kia stayed where she was, enjoying the views of the town, the brightness of the sun, and the wind in her face. Chopper moved around the ship, excited at everything he was seeing, and nervous at the thought of going up a mountain on a boat.
"That's nothing!" Usopp told him. "Want to hear how thanks to me we got up reverse mountain?"
"Of course I do!" Chopper said in awe.
"There's the other ships!" Sanji called from the rope ladder. "On both sides of us! Whoa, that one's huge!"
The crew looked over at what he was talking about. "It's a steamboat. I've never seen one like that before," Sanji added.
"It's the favorite in the race," Nami said. "Gasparde's ship, the Salamander."
"What's on his sail?" Usopp asked. "An X over the mark of the marines?"
"Yup," Nami answered. "He used to be a marine. He hijacked his own ship and became a pirate. There's a 95 million bounty on his head. And… he's eaten a devil fruit."
"Whoa, no wonder he's the favorite…" Usopp said in awe and fear.
"His nickname is the General," Nami continued. "But I didn't hear any good things about him."
"What do you expect? He's a pirate!" Usopp said.
"Who cares anyway?" Luffy asked, and they all turned to him. "I don't like him."
The crew dropped the subject, as ships began to surround them, Nami telling them all who was the captain of each one. She had obviously done her research.
"It's getting steeper!" Chopper shouted as he and Zoro hung on to the banisters of the staircase.
"No problem!" Nami called as she backed up onto the wall behind her. Kia smiled as she sat against the railing, enjoying the amazing views.
The yelling stopped all around them as they made their way to the peak, the view of the open ocean stretched before them, and then everyone was yelling as ships all around them including their own sailed past the crest, and did a free fall down the other side.
Thankfully, it's wasn't too long before they rejoined the current, though the speed continued to pick up as they careened down the mountainside. Everywhere sounds of cannons could be heard, and ships on all sides began fighting with the others. The Merry was overlooked at first, since she was so small, and Robin called out to Nami to help them navigate through the mess.
"What are they doing?!" Usopp choked out.
"The race has started now," Zoro said with a smirk. "Anything goes."
"Usopp! To the stern!" Nami called out.
He made his way there slowly, muttering to himself about it all being up to him. Kia met him there, having loaded the cannon for him.
"Here goes," he called as he aimed and fired. The cannonball hit the larger ship's cannon, causing several explosions that tore the front of it apart. Usopp looked on in surprise before cheering and telling Kia that was how a real man did it. She gave him a hug, and he blushed.
"They're all having so much fun!" Luffy called from the front of the ship. The rest of the crew stood behind him, watching in awe as the ships took each other out one by one.
Kia watched as several smaller ships swerved out of the way of Gasparde's, though she couldn't really blame them. It's masthead would've carved right through them.
The madness continued, as ships exploded, sank, ran aground, and every other imaginable disaster. The water in front of them was now littered with vessels that were no longer moving, and Nami yelled at Chopper to turn the rudder, but no matter how hard he pulled, it wasn't moving.
"Perhaps we can kick the Merry, to give it a cushion?" Zoro asked, and Nami yelled at him for being an idiot.
"Although… a cushion…" she said softly. "Oh Luffy!" she called out. Kia looked from the stern, as Luffy jumped out and made his balloon, giving the Merry Go a softer ramp to get over the fallen ship, which took them up in the air.
"Luffy!" Kia and Usopp shouted from the back, and Luffy stretched his arm to grab onto them, though he was winded, so instead of retracting his arm, he just flopped around in the air behind them.
"We're going to crash!" Chopper yelled.
Robin closed her eyes. "Grand Fleur!" she called, sprouting hands all over the side of the Merry, forming what could have been a giant arm that pulled on a building nearby and got them back to the water.
"Good going Robin!" Luffy called from behind them, Usopp and Kia working on reeling him in.
"It amazes me sometimes, how we are still alive," Sanji said with a smile, as he lit a cigarette.
"Thank you Robin, just as I planned!" Nami said in relief, looking over at the exhausted archeologist.
"Liar!" Zoro accused.
"Let's just enjoy the race," Kia said as she walked down the stairs with Luffy and Usopp.
"Yeah!" Luffy agreed. "We're one of the last ones, but we'll catch up in no time!" He looked around at the ships ahead of them. "This is one of the reasons I love being a pirate!" he shouted, pumping the rest of the crew up as well.
"Let's get organized," Nami said, as she collected herself.
"I'll make lunch," Sanji offered.
"Thank you!" Luffy cheered.
"Zoro, Usopp, go check for damages," Nami ordered, and the two of them muttered, but went to do as she asked.
Sanji and Kia were serving up lunch when Zoro entered the kitchen.
"You okay Zoro?" Kia asked. "I thought I heard something."
"Something is right," he replied. "We have a stowaway." The crew looked over at the small child in Zoro's arms.
"What happened?" Kia asked, even as Chopper took the child from Zoro and laid him down on the bed in the corner.
I found him hiding in the bathroom," Zoro explained.
"You're so cruel," Nami said. "to do this to a child!"
"I couldn't help it, he had a gun!" Zoro retorted.
"Zoro's a meanie!" Luffy and Usopp said in a sing song voice.
"Shut up, you guys," Zoro growled.
"Lunch is almost ready!" Sanji called. "Go wash your hands!"
"Yes sir!" Luffy hollered, running out quickly, with Usopp on his tail.
"Look," Chopper said. "He's waking up."
The boy scuttled away from Chopper in fear, exclaiming about a talking deer, which only made Chopper angry, and he yelled, "I'm a reindeer!"
"That's even stranger!" the kid yelled, searching for a way out of the literal corner he had backed into.
"Shut up you!" Chopper exclaimed.
Kia and Nami smirked at each other, but hearing the kid stuttering, "M… M…" Nami interrupted.
"Don't call him a monster,"she told the kid. "He's a very good doctor, just… not the best at expressing himself."
Kia looked around, from where she and Nami and Zoro were seated at the table, to Sanji at the stove, Robin, Luffy and Usopp at the door, and finally Chopper on the floor near the kid. He must be scared witless, being surrounded like this, she thought.
"Looking for this?" Nami asked as she put a gun down on the table. "You could get yourself killed trying to smuggle yourself on a pirate ship. Why did you?"
The kid was shaking, and Kia felt horrible. "Take it easy Nami," she said quietly. "He's been through a lot in a short amount of time."
"To kill you."
They all looked back to the child, who had his head hanging down. It rose defiantly as he yelled, "To kill you and get the bounty! I need it!"
"Money huh?" Nami asked. "Can't say I blame you. But why this ship out of all the pirates on that island?"
"Obviously it's because we're the famous Straw Hat Pirates, right?" Usopp asked from the doorway.
"Never heard of you!" the child replied. "This ship looked the smallest and weakest!"
"Laugh, that's funny," Usopp told Luffy who burst out laughing.
"Shut up! I'm not joking!" the kid yelled.
"A pirate's life is always in danger from bounty hunters," Luffy said with a smile. "But, if you're half-hearted about it, you'll never get me."
Robin looked in the door next to Luffy, and suddenly the gun was thrown to the kid. "Show us what you've got," she challenged. "Or all you all talk?"
Kia wasn't the only one to protest, but the kid just got angry and raised the gun, and shot Luffy. It didn't do much good, but apparently it appeased both Luffy and Robin as to the kid's guts.
Seeing Luffy survive however, made the kid deflate. "Just… get it over with. Kill me," he said as he sat down.
"Don't take life so lightly," Nami said, her eyes narrowing.
"I don't want a pirate preaching at me," the boy replied. "Who cares any way? What's the use of living, if there's no hope? At that point, life is no longer worth living!"
Nami was angry now, Kia could feel it. She tried to keep Nami from standing up, but Nami just shrugged her hand off. She stood up on the bench, stepping over Zoro. "Let me borrow a sword," she said.
"Don't step over me," was Zoro's response, and Kia gave him a withering look.
"You have no idea…" Nami said softly, "what you're talking about." She pulled the sword from its sheath, and pointed it at the kid. "If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get."
"Nami! Don't!" Chopper yelled, standing in front of her.
"Stay out of it!" Nami said, still glaring daggers at the kid. "This really pisses me off! So life isn't worth living?! At least you're still alive! Don't you ever say that, ever again!"
"That's enough! I'm sure he understands!" Chopper said, waving his arms in front of Nami, trying to get her to look away from the kid. He turned to Luffy and Usopp who were watching the show from the doorway. "Don't just sit there!" he yelled at them. Sanji called out that lunch was ready and Chopper changed into his heavy point to keep Nami from hitting the kid. "Sanji!" he called out for help.
"What kind of life have you been living that you think it isn't worth it?!" Nami demanded, thrashing in Chopper's grip, trying to get away.
"You seem to be enjoying this," Kia muttered to Zoro.
"The kid shot at me," he replied, turning his smirk to Kia. "Nami won't kill him, but he doesn't know that."
Nami continued to rant, and Chopper continued to hold her back as the others sat at the table. "I'll cut those naive ideas right out of you!" Nami screamed.
"Let's eat!" Luffy and Usopp yelled, ignoring the scene behind them, and Kia just shook her head.
The kid, seeing the door now free of people, made a run for it, and the crew let him go, knowing there was nowhere he could go. Nami gave Zoro back his sword, and he muttered about having to polish it again, and they sat and ate their lunch, wondering what they would do with the child.
Kia didn't eat much, worried not only for the boy, but also for her crew. She didn't know what to do in this situation, being unsure of what was happening around her. Walking outside, she found the deck beginning to be covered in snow, and she headed downstairs for her jacket. Knowing the child was outside as well, she looked around for an extra blanket.
Climbing back upstairs, Kia could hear Sanji talking, and she slowed down so as not to interrupt.
"When you try to live life… it can be really hard on you," he was saying. "But still, there's always a tomorrow." He took a drag of his cigarette, and glanced around at the snow. "You may be too young to understand now, but you will someday," he said kindly, then stood up to leave, walking towards where Kia was standing.
Behind her she heard Luffy walk up. "What was that?" Luffy asked. "Why are you being so nice?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Hmm," Sanji said, actually thinking about it. "I wonder why too," he replied.
"Well I thought it was wonderful," Kia said, squeezing Sanji's arm as she passed him.
"Thank you Kia my dear!" Sanji exclaimed happily, and Kia chuckled as she went around the corner to give the kid another blanket.
"Ship! Coming up behind us!" Robin called out from the crow's nest.
The crew gathered at the stern, watching as the larger ship gained on them. The captain of the ship started yelling out insults, which everyone ignored.
"Didn't we see him at the start of the race?" Kia asked.
"Yeah, Bigelo or something, right?" Chopper added.
The captain then began insulting their little ship, which had everyone's eyes narrowing. Suddenly the captain was hit in the face, and fell back, his entire crew rushing over to help him.
The straw hat crew all glanced over to their sniper, who had his slingshot out, and was looking shocked. "It hit?" he asked.
"Way to go Usopp!" Nami said with a grin, and Usopp's bravado returned.
"Of course, that's what real men do!" he called back.
"Now for the crew," Luffy said with a grin, starting to rotate his arms, even as Sanji and Zoro walked forward.
"We'll handle this one captain," Zoro said.
"Yeah, just wait here," Sanji added.
Kia felt something brush her side, and looking down expecting Chopper, she was surprised to see the kid watching in fear. "Don't worry," Kia said softly. "They are strong, and will beat all of them."
"Really?" he replied.
"Just watch," Kia answered.
Jumping over to the other ship was no problem for Zoro and Sanji, especially since the ships were so close together. After giving a few words, they both decided it would take only one minute to take care of the other pirates, and they jumped down onto the deck from the figurehead.
Zoro immediately brandished his three swords, cutting down large groups of the crew at once, while Sanji got himself into position, and flipped to his hands, spinning around to kick the rest of the crew with his feet as he spun.
Before the last one was down, the ships started rocking and Kia almost called out earthquake before remembering she was on the ocean.
"What's going on?" someone yelled, even as the Merry shot away, and Bigelo's ship was raised up as a large sea king came out of the water followed by several others. Everyone on both ships began screaming, The straw hat's for Sanji and Zoro, and Bigelo's crew for their lives.
"That's it!" Luffy shouted. "Grab on guys!" And he shot his fist up to the ship.
"Where are you aiming?!" all the straw hats yelled as his fist missed the ship and went directly into the monster's nose.
"Ugh!" Luffy said, pulling back his arm. The sea king's face began twitching, and with a large sneeze, both ships were shot away from danger.
"Where are they?" Usopp asked, watching as Bigelo's ship finally came to a halt on it's side behind them and began to sink. "Zoro! Sanji!" he called.
"There!" Nami yelled, seeing a hand come up out of the water. Luffy stretched to grab the hand, pulling up only to see that it was someone they didn't know.
"Nope, not them!" he called back flinging the unknown pirate away.
"Over there!" Robin called from up in the crow's nest. Looking to where she was pointing, Luffy stretched out again with both hands this time, and pulled in the swordsman and chef. Chopper and Kia immediately checked them over, making sure both were breathing.
"That was a close one," Luffy said with a laugh.
"Maybe next time don't stick your hand in its nose," Kia replied with a grin.
"Yeah, that was gross."
"I think I still need mouth to mouth…" Sanji cooed.
"Hey Nami," Kia said as she joined the navigator at the railing.
"Kia," Nami replied, not looking away from the eternal pose.
"What's wrong?" Kia asked.
Nami looked up then, gazing at the horizon in front of her. "Ever get the feeling that you're going somewhere you've already been?" she asked.
"We've been to this Partia place before?" Kia asked.
"No, not that I know of anyway," Nami replied. "More of a feeling… like we're going back…" She glanced up at Kia with a sheepish smile. "I know it really doesn't make sense."
Kia looked out at the horizon, knowing enough by now to trust Nami's instincts. "There's an island far in the distance," she said. "I'll go get the binoculars and see what I can see before it gets dark."
"Thanks Kia," Nami said, though what she meant was, thanks for believing me.
"No problem," Kia replied. She went over to the mast and began climbing up to the crow's nest. Looking out, she realized she wouldn't be able to see anything clearly for a bit, the island was still too far away. But, Nami's words stuck with her, so she stayed where she was, making small talk with Robin as she watched the island grow larger.
"What the?" she muttered as she looked at the island once again. It was growing dark, so she blinked several times and looked again, but there was no mistaking it.
"What is it?" Robin asked her.
"A trap, that's what," Kia replied as she hurriedly left the nest, making her way down the ladder as she shouted for Nami.
Finally reaching the bottom, it wasn't only Nami that had come over, but the rest of the crew as well.
"Kia, what is it?" Nami asked concerned.
"Navarone!" Kia answered. "That island is Navarone!"
"The marine base we escaped from?" Usopp asked. "We're nowhere near that place!" He gave Kia a look like she was crazy.
She thrust the binoculars at him, and pointed to the island. "There are searchlights, as I'm sure you can see, but look at the water in front of the island," she directed.
"Whoa, there's a bunch of wrecked ships," he said.
"Yeah, wrecked pirate ships that have been blown up by cannon fire," she replied.
"But we've been following an eternal pose to Partia, haven't we?" Zoro asked.
Nami held the pose up, and she and Sanji looked at it again, pointing the way directly to island in front of them.
"Maybe we got the wrong eternal pose in the first place," Robin said.
Sanji held his hand out, and Nami gave the pose to him. He pulled a tool from his pocket and poked at the plate of metal that had the name of the island on it. It fell away easily and exposed the word Navarone underneath it.
"We've been tricked," Sanji said, as everyone looked at the pose in anger. "Someone betrayed all of us, and sent us to a marine base instead."
"Gasparde must have done it."
The crew looked up to where their captain stood at the railing, away from the group.
"Luffy?" Nami asked.
"It's just like him to something dirty like this," Luffy said in anger as he stared at Navarone and all the destroyed ships.
"I think… he's right."
They all turned to see the kid climbing up the stairs. "I saw a whole bunch of eternal pose on the ship a few days ago."
"A pirate selling out other pirates?" Zoro asked in disgust. "Some general."
"What scum," Sanji muttered.
"So what's the plan?" Usopp questioned.
"Are we going after him?" Robin asked.
"How can we without the real eternal pose?" Nami replied.
"It's too late…" the kid said, and the crew turned. "Too late for us, too late for Grandpa…"
"Your grandpa?" Kia asked.
"Not my real one," he replied. "But he saved my life, and he's sick , and they won't give him medicine because they say we aren't real crew members. So I … I …."
"You came here to get money for medicine," Nami deduced, and he nodded.
"I'm so sorry," Kia said softly, just as Luffy called out.
"You stupid or something?"
"Hey, Luffy!" Kia reprimanded, but he just continued as if she hadn't spoken.
"Your grandpa didn't save your life, so you could throw it away," he said.
"I know, but-"
"If you know, you need to stay alive… for him. If you're determined to risk your life that is."
Kia looked shocked, always surprised when Luffy was serious. The others were glancing at each other with smirks, knowing that their captain was gearing up to make a move.
"Why not just get him off the ship?" Luffy asked, and the kid hung his head again.
"I know."
"You haven't even tried, so don't act like you know everything!" Luffy said, and tears welled up on the kid's face.
"You don't have to tell me that…" he muttered.
"Good!" Luffy said with a smile, finally turning around to look at them. "We're gonna go right now, so I can kick his butt." No one had a single doubt of who he was referring to. "Wanna come along?"
The kid was suddenly full of life, shouting as the tears spilled over. "Yes! Take me with you!"
"You got it."
Kia looked over, noting that the others were smiling, though they were trying not to show it.
"I guess it's the only way," Nami commented. "We can't just let 300 million beri slip through our fingers, so we have to get the real eternal pose."
"We'd better turn around then!" Kia said with a grin. "Or we'll just be blown to pieces like the others!"
"Let's go!" Luffy shouted, raising his arms high as he gave the order.
"Aye aye!" Nami called back, shouting out what she needed from the crew.
"How are we going to find him?" Kia asked Luffy.
"Easy," he replied. "Chopper's nose!"
"Okay!" Chopper answered, heading for the front of the ship, Sanji seamlessly taking his place at the rudder.
"And leave the rest to the navigator!" Nami grinned.
"Are you always like this?" Robin asked curiously, looking around the crew.
"Yeah, most of the time," Zoro answered, somewhat as a challenge.
"It's starting to rain pretty hard," Kia commented to Nami.
"Yeah, it is. And it will get worse too," she replied. "We're riding into the storm this time, not away from it."
"Light ahead!" Robin called from the crow's nest.
Kia looked forward, seeing Luffy standing where he normally sat, atop Merry's head. The Going Merry was making great time, considering the choppy water, and caught up to Gasparde's ship quickly. "One of their paddles isn't working," Nami stated. "They aren't moving any more at all."
"I can't believe we found him," Usopp muttered.
"Hey!" Chopper said in annoyance. "You didn't believe in me?!"
"GASPARDE!" Luffy shouted as loudly as he could, then punched his arm toward the other ship, grabbed on, and rocketed himself over.
It wasn't long after that cannonballs started flying towards the smaller vessel, and just as abruptly, stopped shortly after.
"Looks like Luffy already got started," Sanji said as the Merry pulled up along side the other ship.
Zoro glared down at the kid. "You sure you know where to go?" he asked skeptically, and the kid nodded.
"Did you seriously just ask that?" Kia smirked.
"Yeah, this guy has no sense of direction," Sanji added, as he twirled a grappling hook through the air, and tossed it toward the deck above them.
"You two shut it!" Zoro said, and Kia stifled a giggle, knowing he was self conscious about it. But she still loved to tease him, since his cheeks would turn red when she did. And besides, Zoro was so amazing at everything else he did, it was kind of nice that he had a flaw.
"Have fun guys, I've got your backs!" Usopp called out, and Zoro and Sanji shook their heads at him.
"Kia, stay here with Usopp," Zoro called as he picked up the kid and climbed up after Sanji.
"Not a chance," Kia replied softly, and started climbing once Zoro was at the top. After a climb that was more difficult than she would ever admit, she peeked over the edge of the deck, seeing Sanji talking to Gasparde, with Luffy looking on. She could see Zoro and the boy were behind Luffy, talking to another man.
"Kia?" Sanji asked as she pulled herself up and stepped behind him.
"Anyone hurt?" she asked.
"Luffy! We're finished here!" Zoro called out, and picked up the kid again, bringing him back to the rope.
"Okay," Luffy replied, not looking away from Gasparde in front of him.
"Kia," Zoro said as he came closer. "We're done, get back to the ship."
"I can't," she answered, looking over at Luffy.
"Luffy can handle this himself," he answered.
"I know that," she replied. "But see that guy at his feet?"
Zoro glanced back to Luffy, seeing the crumpled man laying on the deck between the two captains. At first, he figured it was one of Gasparde's crew, and was ready to haul Kia back to the ship himself. But his memory triggered, as he took in the gold color of his ripped and dirty sweater.
"The guy from the fight?" he asked.
"Yeah. I'm gonna help him," she replied, gripping the strap of her bag. Zoro's eyes were pulled to it, where he saw the same mark that was on Chopper's bag.
"Fine," he sighed. "I'll get the kid back, and help."
"I can do it," she argued.
"Luffy's about to fight, Kia my sweet," Sanji cautioned. "You should let Zoro take any risks of getting hurt."
"I'm not going to take a risk, I'll wait until they move away from him," she answered. She looked at Zoro, seeing he was unwilling to budge. "Sanji, will you help me?" she asked suddenly.
"Kia my love, I'll help you with anything!" Sanji shouted as he twirled around her. "She must be in love with me!" he said to himself… out loud… which had Kia wincing.
Zoro, realizing her mouth had gotten her in trouble, decided to leave her to it. "All right, get back quickly. Nami's yelling something about hurrying because of the weather," he said, and dropped down the rope ladder.
Sanji finally settled down, following after Kia as she moved forward. "As soon as they move, we dart in and get him to safety, okay?" Kia said.
"Of course!" Sanji replied. "You're so caring Kia dear!"
Kia watched as Luffy readied to fight, his fists up, and Gasparde yelling at him about how he was going to die.
"Stop."
Kia put her arm up in front of Sanji, halting their progress. Shryer had stood up, in between the two fighters.
"Stand back," he said to Luffy. "I am going first."
"You! But-" Luffy answered in surprise.
"What can you do?" Gasparde asked in derision.
"I'm going to KILL YOU!" Shryer yelled. "For eight long years, I've waited for the chance to get back at you! You killed everyone! My sister, my parents… everyone I knew!"
Kia looked at Luffy, seeing his hands drop as he listened to the man. "I know what I'm doing is pointless, but I've shed too much blood just to get here, so I will take you down... General."
"That's what I call, stupid," Gasparde responded emotionlessly.
"Say whatever you want…" Shryer said as he swayed on his feet. Kia watched as he fell back into Luffy. "Sorry," he said, trying to right himself.
Luffy didn't waste another moment, pulling back a fist, and punching Shryer in the face, straight towards Kia. He skid on the ground, and would have bowled her off her feet, if Sanji hadn't moved her out of the way. He came to a stop, just before the railing, and promptly passed out again.
"Why did he do that?" Sanji asked. Kia pulled free, and ran to Shryer, pulling off her bag and checking his pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief, and looked up to thank Luffy.
Her eyes went round, as Luffy's hand was stuck… inside Gasparde's chest.
"Gross! What is this?" Luffy cried out.
"A devil fruit," Gasparde answered as he stood upright. "I can turn any part of my body into candy syrup. Which means…" he said with an evil looking grin, "it doesn't matter how strong you are. You easily become powerless."
Kia gasped as Luffy took punch after punch, his hat falling from his head, and blood starting to pour from his nose.
Sanji started to move forward, and Kia yelled, "Don't!"
"But the candy guy is really strong!" Sanji replied, still watching Luffy getting beaten.
"He won't be happy if you try to take over his fight," she explained, turning back to Shryer. "We can help by believing in him, and doing our jobs, and my job is to treat the wounded."
Sanji looked at her a moment and then smiled. "And my job, is food," he said. "Be right back!"
"What?" she asked, as he took toward the main part of the ship. She watched him run, and giggled as he jumped when Luffy's head appeared suddenly in front of him for a moment.
"You scared me!" he yelled at Luffy, and continued on.
Kia looked over at Luffy, seeing his head crash forward into Gasparde, causing an explosion of what looked like melted green jolly ranchers, before Gasparde reformed. Luffy rushed forward with his mouth wide open, taking a large bite of Gasparde, his cheeks bulging as the green syrup ran down his chin.
"Gross!" Kia yelled out, and Luffy spit it all back out, and Gasparde reformed again.
"Stop being a clown!" Gasparde yelled at Luffy, starting to finally lose his patience. "Get serious!"
"I'm always serious in a fight," Luffy replied.
"You call that serious?" Gasparde leered at him.
"I got out of your syrup, didn't I?" Luffy countered. Kia smirked, enjoying Luffy's quick retorts. She turned back to Shryer, cleaning the large cuts on his arms and face, straining to listen through the rain and wind.
"You shouldn't leave your treasure where it is unprotected…" she heard, and whipped around in horror, seeing the large green spike where his hand would be.
"Don't touch it!" Luffy shouted. "I'll kill you if you do anything to it!" Kia knew there was nothing he could do, and nothing she could do either to get the hat before Gasparde. Luffy shouted, "STOP!"
But Gasparde stabbed through the top of the straw hat, and began laughing. "Now are you serious?" he said as Luffy launched himself at him, slamming into his face before he could turn into syrup.
"Yeah, get 'im Luffy," Kia muttered. She had done all she could for Shryer now, who was sleeping peacefully despite the rain and the wind. She watched the fight as she waited for Sanji to return.
Luffy was pissed, and it almost made Kia happy, knowing that Gasparde was going to get his ass kicked. She almost wished Luffy would just drop him into the ocean so he could drown.
She hung her head a little, feeling bad for thinking that, before Gasparde threw the hat towards Luffy, ensuing the hole ripped through the brim on the way. She looked at Luffy in fright, knowing what the hat meant to him, then back at Gasparde, seething in anger. "You bastard!" she screamed as Luffy charged at him again.
"Luffy! You've got to hurry! There's a cyclone on it's way!"
Kia looked over to the rope ladder, wondering who was even yelling to them, the voice soft enough that she couldn't tell. She glanced back down at Shryer, then pulled her bag over her head so it was across one shoulder, then grabbed Shryer under his arms, and started dragging him towards the ladder. Hopefully Sanji will be back to help me get him down, she thought, then stopped for a rest. Or, to pick him up and carry him the rest of the way too…
She pulled and pulled, gaining perhaps a foot or two at a time before needing to rest, the rain seeming to hinder her instead of help as she had hoped.
She could hear Sanji as he was speaking to Luffy, and she let go of Shryer to get to them.
"We're going to have to leave, but we'll come back for you. Any problems with that?"
"Nope," Luffy answered.
"Here you go then," Sanji said, passing the two large sacks he was carrying over to Luffy. "Use them well."
"What… are these?" Luffy asked.
"See you soon!" Sanji called, running over to Kia. "We've got to go!" he said loudly to her.
"Okay!" she yelled. "You grab Shryer," she pointed to where she had left him. "I'll find Luffy's hat!" Sanji glanced out at the water, and over to where Kia was running, knowing he had less than a minute left before the boiler blew.
"Forgive me Kia," he said, and ran to her, grabbing her in a princess hold, then running over towards the Merry, completely ignoring both Kia's protests and the ladder as he jumped from the deck of the larger ship and landed gracefully before his crew.
"Sanji, what the hell?!" Kia demanded.
"We have to go, now!" he said to the crew.
"But Luffy!"
"And Grandpa!"
"The old man is blowing up the boiler, in less than a minute!" Sanji replied, and Nami sprung into action, having Chopper steer the ship away toward the nearby island.
"No!" Kia shouted, pounding on Sanji's shoulder. "Luffy! Shryer! We can't just leave them!"
"I told him we'd come back!" Sanji tried explaining, even as he let her down. She immediately ran to the railing, looking back at the steamboat, hearing the crashes from Luffy's ongoing fight, but unable to see anything.
Kia felt sick. Eventually, once the Merry was out of the cyclone's path, Chopper came to get her, telling her that she needed to change out of her wet clothes, or she'd get sick. She didn't have the will to fight him, and let him lead her to the girls' room.
Nami was there, changing into dry clothes, and Kia noticed the kid was sitting on the bed too, looking miserable.
"Uh, Nami?" Kia asked in concern. "Changing in front of the kid is a bit much, don't you think?"
Nami laughed, and turned around as she finished. "Kia, I'd like you to meet Adele," she said, gesturing to the kid. "Adele, this is Kia."
"Adele?" Kia asked in surprise. With a sigh, she flopped down on the bed next to her. "You know… you could have corrected us any of the many, many times we called you a boy, right?" she asked Adele.
The little girl's mouth upturned slightly, before returning to a frown. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "Gran… uh, we… decided it was smarter, and easier this way."
"Well it definitely fooled me," Kia replied, as she stood up. "Of course, now that Gasparde's gone, you can be a little girl again… if you want."
"I guess."
Nami and Kia exchanged glances, and Nami gave her a wink. "So, Kia, what happened up there? We didn't see much, and I'm worried about Luffy…" she said pointedly looking to Adele.
Kia returned the wink, certain of what she wanted. "Oh, it was a pretty tough fight, but Luffy was sure he would win. He just said he needed another minute, so he told us to go ahead and get safe, then come back for them when we could."
"Oh?" Nami asked, smiling slightly when Adele's head came up.
"Yeah, besides, I wouldn't have spent all that time treating Shryer if we were going to let him or Adele's grandpa get blown up," Kia continued. "We should probably hurry and change. I'm sure the guys will be wanting to go back to look for them soon."
Adele looked torn between anguish and hope, so Nami just continued. "I bet they'd like to put the whole mess of that ship behind them, and start fresh," she said. "Some smiling faces will surely help with that."
"Do you… really think so?" Adele asked quietly, her voice full of hope.
"Absolutely," Kia answered with a smile. Please help us be right Luffy, she said to herself.
"Hey look," Nami said, pulling out a very short tank dress that was ruffled on the bottom. "This looks like it would fit you."
"It's really pretty!" Adele said with a wide-eyed grin, and Kia also smiled, thinking it would be much longer on the little girl.
"Well put it on then," Nami answered, and Kia smiled, as Adele rushed to do so. She yanked her hat off, her long hair tumbling down her shoulders.
"Reminds me of you," Nami muttered to Kia. "Hiding gorgeous hair."
"At least I'm not pretending to be a boy," Kia muttered back. "Take what you can get."
"I see them!" Usopp yelled, "Look there! A rowboat!"
Kia and Adele finished scrambling onto the deck, running over to the railing to get a good look, Nami just shaking her head with a smile on her face behind them.
"I see it!" Kia shouted back to the crew.
"It's Grandpa!" Adele shouted happily. She ran over to the ladder, and pushed it over the railing so she could climb down.
"Hey wait," Usopp called, chasing after her. "Don't go alone!"
Kia watched as Usopp helped Adele get even closer along the rocky shore they were anchored by. As soon as they were as far as they could go, Adele started yelling. "Grandpa! Grandpa! Over here!" and waving her arm frantically.
Kia looked out to the little rowboat, seeing Luffy sprawled out in the bottom, and giving a sigh of relief. The old man was smiling and waving back, but Shryer looked like he had seen a ghost. He was staring ahead like he couldn't believe his eyes, and Kia started wondering what had happened to them.
The crew helped them aboard, and tied off the rowboat to the railing at the back. Zoro picked up Luffy who was still sound asleep.
"You may as well take him to the kitchen," Kia said. "You know he'll wake up demanding food."
"Truer words were never spoken, Kia my dear," Sanji replied.
"Thank you so much!" the old man said, once Adele had calmed down a little. He scrutinized her face, making sure she was okay, and gave her a grin. "You even gave her clothes to wear!"
"Please sit, both of you, so I can make sure you get treated," Chopper said, and Adele tugged her Grandpa down, while Kia brought over a box for Chopper use for his instruments.
"Nami gave me her old clothes!" Adele said in excitement. "And Chopper is the best doctor ever, so I know you'll get better!"
"That doesn't make me happy, you jerk," Chopper said merrily, as he worked.
"He'll definitely fix you right up," Kia added with a smile.
"But, I've already been treated," Shryer said in confusion, looking at the bandages on his hands.
"I did what I could, but Chopper should still make sure you don't need anything else," she replied.
"There's something I need to tell you," the old man said, looking at Adele. "Remember all those years ago, how I pulled you from the river?"
"Of course Grandpa," Adele answered.
"And you told me of your brother, trying to save you before you were washed away?" he asked.
"I guess so…" she said slowly. "I don't really remember as well…"
"Oh, that's horrible," Usopp said quietly.
"Yes, but your brother never gave up, and worked and worked so that he could punish the man who ruined so many lives that day. He didn't know you were still alive, but now… you can be reunited!"
"What?!" Adele said in shock. The old man gestured over to Shryer. "This is Shryer Bascudo," he said, and Adele looked up in trepidation.
They all stopped and turned toward the kitchen, hearing a yell, followed by sobbing. "Oh, that's Luffy," Kia said as she got up, and ran to the kitchen, followed by everyone else.
Kia sat at the table next to Luffy, patting his back as he sobbed. "My hat…" he cried, so hard that he was getting the floor wet.
"Is it just me, or is the air heavy in here?" Usopp whispered to Nami.
"What did you expect?" she replied. "They just found out about each other after eight years!"
Kia gave them both a look, seeing as Adele and Shryer were in the kitchen as well, and they looked contrite.
"My hat…" Luffy continued to cry, and Sanji tried to comfort him… sort of.
"Take it easy Luffy," he said. "We've looked all over for it. I know how you feel but, you'll have to forget it."
"There," Shryer said, and Kia turned, just in time to get a straw hat to her face.
"Whoa!" she said in awe. "You found Luffy's hat?!"
"What?!" Luffy said, the tears stopping as he looked up. He grabbed the hat from Kia, at once ecstatic at its return, and devastated by the shape it was in. The large hole in the top, with a tear all the way through the brim. "My hat!" he shouted.
"You said it was a treasure… I just happened to see it as I was walking by, so I grabbed it," Shryer explained.
"Wow, Shryer, that was very nice of you!" Kia said, turning to grin at him.
"You're such a nice guy!" Luffy added. "Thank you!" He turned to the navigator. "Nami! Fix my hat again!" he said, thrusting it at her.
"Sure, sure," she replied. "Just stop crying."
"I can't yet, I'm too happy," he replied. "Sanji! I'm hungry!" he yelled.
"I'll fix something," Sanji replied. "Go wait outside! The kitchen is too crowded!"
"I can't believe we are the first ones here," Nami said as she held up the log pose. "Although to be honest, I can't believe we got our hands on the real log pose for the race."
"Yeah, Grandpa was full of all sorts of surprises, wasn't he?" Kia answered with a smile.
"We're getting close!" Luffy shouted throughout the ship. "We win! We WIN!"
"300 million beri!" Sanji said with a smile. "Never thought we'd have that much to spend!"
"I guess Luffy can finally get that statue he's been wanting," Kia laughed.
"SHHH!" Nami hushed her. "Don't remind him!" She gave her a nudge.
Kia nudged her right back, leaning on the railing. "Check it out," she said, pointing to where the old man had finally cornered Shryer. "Told ya he'd talk some sense into him," she said smugly.
"Good thing we didn't bet on it," Nami mused. "But I'm glad. Adele wants all the family she can get, she just isn't sure what to say to him."
"Yeah, but she keeps trying," Kia responded. "Look," she pointed, as Adele was hiding at the staircase, peeking over at Shryer. "He thinks he's too bad and dangerous for her to be around, but she doesn't."
"They'll be fine," Nami predicted. "She'll wear him down."
"Marines!" came the shout suddenly from the crow's nest.
"What?!" Usopp and Luffy shouted from the stern, stopping their game to look behind them.
"They're the same ones that were chasing us the other day!" Usopp yelled back.
"Rudder, right full!" Nami yelled and Sanji rushed to obey, while she and Kia ran over to their guests.
"Sorry guys, but it's time to part ways!" Kia said rapidly, helping them to the stern.
"We had fun, but we can't take you with us, or you'll be criminals!" Nami explained as she helped to herd them forward.
"We understand," Grandpa said, sliding down the rope to the rowboat. Shryer grabbed Adele, and jumped down as well.
"I don't!" Adele yelled. "We'll tell them you rescued us, and everything will be fine!"
"They'll never believe us!" Usopp answered, as the crew gathered at the railing, looking down at the small boat. "We're pirates after all!"
"Which means we run from marines," Nami said with a smile. "You stay out of trouble now," she told Adele. "And remember, there's always something to live for, all right?"
"Bye! Take care! Be good!" the pirates called out to the little girl.
"Don't get those bandages wet!" Kia yelled to Shryer. "It was fun!"
"Remember to take the medicine I gave you!" Chopper yelled to Grandpa.
Luffy however, just stood there, looking at Shryer.
"You think you helped me?" Shryer finally asked, his face in a smirk. "I guess we'll never have our fight, will we? Now get out of here, pirate!"
"Yeah!" Luffy yelled back, his fist hitting the sky. Kia used a dagger to cut the rope, and the Going Merry took off with the wind at its back. Luffy and Adele waving widely. "BYE!" was heard as they lost sight of each other.
Zoro turned to Nami, a smirk on his face. "That was unexpected."
"What was?" she asked, depressed.
"You," he answered, looking confused, as Kia turned to him with big eyes and shaking her head. "I can't believe you just gave up 300 million beri that easily."
Kia backed up as Nami pounced on Zoro, her hands around his throat.
"And what should I have done?!" she yelled. "It's not like I had a choice!"
"Oh well," Luffy said as he walked up. "We still have lots of adventure just waiting for us!"
"He's right Nami my love," Sanji said, as he walked by. "But first we have to do something about these marines."
Nami slouched back down on the railing in a pout. "Why am I on this shabby ship with slack off pirates?" she muttered.
"Hey, rude," Kia protested.
"Get to work so we can outrun them and find the next island!" Nami yelled to the boys, and Sanji jumped up to obey.
"Yeah! Let's go find more adventure!" Luffy called. "We're on the way to becoming pirate king!"