They came back to attention when Sanji said he saw the deep water current. Luffy ran to the Sunny's head and was excited to see the mystery current. The one he wasn't paying attention to, so it really was a mystery. As long as his navigator knew how it worked, it would be fine! But he thing was like a huge hole! And it was dark on the bottom!

Franky said the ship could handle it, but Luffy wondered if the bubble could. "Nami, can the bubble survive that?!" Luffy asked.

"Rayleigh did a great job, and no ships would make it to the New World if the bubbles couldn't handle a strong current like that!" Nami said. Through the bubble, they could hear the sound of the strong current. They would go plummeting down in a few seconds. Luffy hung onto the figurehead and watched.

The tied up guest said they needed to turn back now.

"I forgot you were here," Zoro said.

"A monster lives down there!"

"Ooooh, a monster?! I wanna tame it!" Luffy called. The monster was the kraken, a huge octopus much larger than the ship. It could even wrap around the Moby dick, Ace's crew's old ship. "Neehee! We'll have a pet monster soon!" Luffy cheered. The others screamed at its size and told him to do it now. "I gotta get closer. I need to make eye contact to tame it, not just scare it off!"

"No, scare it off!" Usopp and Chopper shouted, holding one another. Nami said she thought Usopp got stronger. "You're freaked out, too, you know!" The guy on their ship kept complaining and wanting them to go back. "Oh shut up already!" Nami snapped.

"Nami-san and so beautiful when she is firm! Firm…" and he had another nosebleed.

"Oh, for fucks sake!" Zoro said in complete irritation and annoyance. Luffy could understand how he felt. But Sanji's island life must have been bad. Maybe surrounded by new kamas, and old kama's was bad? What was bad about them? He wondered but didn't ask, waiting to get close to the kraken so Luffy could defeat the beast in his own way.

They trusted that Luffy could take the beast, even though there were tons of wrecked ships all around it. No doubt it had been responsible for much of the ships that never made it to the underwater island. "This is a bad idea," Nami said. "It's huge! Why would it be tamed by you!?"

"Neehee, I'm a monster too, you know? I spent my island time with huge, scary beasts that I tamed! Then I got sea kings around the island to do tricks for me! I'm good with animals now," Luffy bragged confidently. "Just a little closer!"

They noticed a ship coming from behind them. The one with the sea cow that was beaten up badly. He really seemed like he was easy to submit to others. But before the ship could get too close, the kraken decimated it with a strong tentacle, killing everyone of the guy's crew. It was shocking. "See, it's a terrible idea!"

"My crew!"

The floating bodies were said to look like jelly fish to him. The kraken started going after the Sunny, and Luffy used haki the moment they locked eyes. Then he poured out a scary aura that he mixed with the haki to truly tame it. It didn't attack them, and just stayed still, looking at Luffy wish wide eyes.

"Kraken, be our friend!" Luffy cheered. "I won't hurt you!" he called, truth in his voice. Well, unless it hurt them. When it didn't react, Nami begged to use the coup de burst, but Franky said it used up a ton of air. The bubble would shrink significantly. "C'mon, don't be like that!" Luffy said happily when it didn't react to him. But it finally did and blinked before it swung a tentacle at them, which his crew attacked. "Stop it!" Luffy ordered. "He's already our friend!" he insisted. They were all not so sure, and ready to fight until two tentacles gently grabbed the ship on either side, not crushing it or applying any pressure.

"No way! How the hell did he tame that!?" Their unwanted guest shouted, having been shouting to run the whole time - he really was annoying. Luffy laughed, and named their new friend Surume.

The giant octopus took them along the sea bed at a leisurely pace. Everyone was shocked and relieved. They really didn't think he could do it? How rude! Zoro said he was interested how his captain had mixed haki with his threatening aura. "The haki makes them tamed, and the scary aura makes them know I mean business," Luffy explained.

"Man, I wanted to show off my new weapons!" Franky compalined.

"No! Surume is our friend now, no hurting him! Right, Surume?" Luffy asked. The octopus looked happy as it held the Sunny above its head. The kraken was bouncing along. "Smile, Surume!" Luffy cheered. It was taking them along well. It smiled, but then something came breaking out of his mouth.

A huge shark with clothes on! "Wow, a shark with clothes on?"

"Is it a fishman?" Zoro asked casually. Luffy shrugged. He requested that Surume not eat the shark again, and the kraken didn't eat it again. "Wow," Zoro said. "You completely made friends with him. It's so weird, you used to freak out every animal that came across you." Luffy laughed and said he trained a lot with that ability.

Sanji said it was impressive. "So cool!" Chopper agreed. Nami looked relieved. It was getting chilly now, so everyone was bundled up. Nami kept stroking and admiring the soft and thick fur coat.

Soon, though, they reached the huge current, and both the Sunny and Surume were sucked down, everyone on the ship being thrown about with the rough current. Surume couldn't hold it that stable when he was being sucked down as well. The giant octopus hit the rock sides once they were in the deep, deep water. "Surume!" Luffy called in worry.

"Don't worry about him, worry about us!" Usopp said, pointing to the scary creatures they could hardly see. It was so dark they couldn't see anything in the distance. The Thousand Sunny's lights weren't bright or strong enough.

"I'll take care of this!" Franky announced. Luffy and Chopper wanted to see lights come from his eyes, but were thoroughly disappointed with them being in his nipples. Huge fish and crustaceans littered the area. What were those called? Giant isopods!

Luffy tried to get Surume to wake up, but he was out cold. Jellyfish, massive ones, descended on them, and stuck their tentacles into the bubble. Robin shouted at them to not touch them, but one nudged Luffy's arm. "Luffy!" But he was fine. Chopper said it was probably from the treatment in Impel Down. He was immune to poison now. Not that he would ever let himself be poisoned like that.

"We need a coup de burst!" Franky shouted. Surume was still asleep, and they let out a blast to get away from the huge deep sea creatures. It took up quite a bit of air. Usopp asked why they weren't scared of Luffy. He had been releasing a scary aura from nearly the start but for Surume.

"These creatures may not know to be afraid of Luffy. They've probably never seen humans before. At least, not ones up close. The ships seemed to be destroyed before they reach this point," Robin said.

"But that means we have no defense against them!" Usopp shouted in horror.

"Correct. We'll have to escape them and act as if Luffy isn't here," Robin said in an uneasy voice. They saw creatures with white eyes, who were blind because no light made it down there. They didn't need eyes. Or their eyes evolved. Luffy wished Surume would come out already. They were still being pulled by the current, but it was much slower now that they weren't at the sharp drop point. They'd fallen quite far.

Brook lifted a rope on the deck that had been around the prisoner. They found him stuffed in a barrel, apparently a mud human logia. Lame. Franky bolted the barrel shut so he had no hope of getting out. He could be dangerous, best to not let him be free at all. He screamed to be let out, but they ignored him.

"It got hot really fast," Usopp said. "There's some coming from below!"

"Luffy, time to go inside," Nami said, pushing Luffy towards the cabin door. "We're nearing deep sea volcanoes." Luffy nodded and hurried inside. He felt useless. He had thought he was strong, but he had a mental illness because he couldn't handle the war's experience. It was embarrassing. He hoped he could be treated. He hated the bad dreams. Despite it being two years, he still had multiple nightmares a week.

Now that he wasn't alone, he couldn't cry about them when he woke up. He bit his lip.

"You're human. This doesn't mean you're weak."

"But it interferes with stuff. I can't sleep most nights, and it makes me useless during training."

"This training isn't just physical. Dealing with a mental illness is good practice for unpleasant experiences."

"Still… I don't like it."

"Are you saying you can't deal with it?"

"No! I just know it'll make things harder."

"I did say nothing would be easy here. You have to fight against me, but you also have to fight for yourself against yourself. Luffy-kun, you're not weak at all. You're very strong."

He was strong. Rayleigh told him so many times. Luffy was still grateful he had never faulted or looked down on Luffy for that which he couldn't control. He sometimes felt guilty that he was going untreated to train. But Luffy continued, even if he was exhausted from a sleepless night. He pushed through the trauma for the sake of his crew and his future.

He sat in the aquarium and looked at the empty tank. No fish were there. No living ones, that is. But he heard other stuff happening. They were screaming and the ship was jerking around. Did he risk going out to see what was happening and being thrown into a flashback, or did he leave them on their own.

Being the captain, he left. "Luffy, scare that guy away!" Usopp screamed, shouting and pointing at a huge person! He could grab and crush the ship if he tried. Then there was a creepy ghost ship, too. Wow! All sorts of things were in the ocean, weren't they? He walked to the side of the ship and released his scary look, putting on that crazed face, letting all negative energy bleed out.

The huge guy stopped and didn't attack, even with his fist raised. But then Surume came. It punched the guy in the face. "Surume! You're okay! I knew you weren't dead!" Luffy cheered. The kraken rubbed its head like it was bashful. "Can you get us outta here?!" he called. It was unafraid of Luffy's look. It grabbed the ship and went speeding away from the creepy ghost ship.

Brook said it belonged to a deranged captain who killed his crew hundreds of years ago. The Flying Dutchman. "Wow, cool!"

"Not cool! Hurry, Surume!" Usopp cheered. But then Nami's face turned pale, and she forced Luffy inside.

"It's really gonna erupt! Surume, run!" The giant octopus grabbed the ship and ran as fast as possible while Luffy was inside the ship. He felt the heat inside, and took his jacket off. He used his haki to try and see what was going on. Surume was still fleeing, and Luffy could hear the rumbling of it.

Being underwater, the sound was dulled a bit, so it didn't sound like Marineford's magma fist rain. The ship dropped as Surume dropped over a chasm and deep inside it. Rocks were coming now from the explosion of the volcano. So much was happening in such a short amount of time.

Zoro opened the door and said they were away from the volcano. "Nothin' to be ashamed of. Surume got hit on the head by a rock, though." Luffy was worried. He'd already been hit on the head twice! But the ship was tilted on its side now on the seabed. No scary creatures were around right now.

Looking up, they all saw light shining down, even though they were far, far from the surface. The light was shining down to a huge, huge bubble. An island inside of the bubble. "Is that it?!"

"There's no doubt! The needle is pointing to that island! We're here! Fishman Island!" Nami cheered, all of them erupting into happy cheers. Now they had to get inside somehow. They were on the bottom of the sea, and the bubble was low by now. How many more coup de bursts could they make? They'd sunk all the way down, so how did they meauver to the side?

Surume wasn't there anymore. Luffy hoped he was okay.

"The paradise I've dreamt of since I was a child!" Sanji cheered.

"I hope all the mermaids are ugly," Luffy said casually.

"Why would you wish that?! What the hell is wrong with you?" Sanji asked, shaking Luffy by the vest.

"Because if they're ugly you won't die of a fuckin' nosebleed, idiot!" Zoro shouted. Sanji said it would be worth it, to see the mermaid princess even once. "Loser." Sanji growled at him, but his nose was lightly bleeding already.

Chopper shoutd, "Sanji, stop imaging them! Picture Kokoro!"

Sanji grabbed his head and shook it. "You guys are so rude," Nami scolded. Robin chuckled. "Now, how do we get to it? A coup de burst?" she wondered, though her eyes were wide and she looked fascinated. It was amazing, how the light shone that far down, all along the mangrove roots. They really were from the bottom of the sea! A tree that was 10,000 meters long. Incredible!

Looking to the other side of the huge island bubble, that was the official water of the New World. The next and most exciting part of their journey. Well, they expected. He shivered with excitement about it. "Time for Luffy to get some blood," Franky said. Luffy nodded. Who knows what would happen there? He went inside and drank two bags, even though he'd gotten some from Zoro. he had a feeling they'd be more worried now that they knew the blood wasn't a cure to all injuries.

He tossed them in the biohazard bin in the infirmary and walked out. He had his arms crossed, excited to go on the island. He just hoped Sanji didn't see too many mermaids. He was already bleeding from the nose. It was crazy to Luffy. Sure, he missed Zoro and seeing his sexy body, but seeing him again didn't make him so horny like Sanji was.

Luffy was glad Zoro never got nosebleeds at him. It would be embarrassing for him no doubt. And messy. And it wouldn't be a place Luffy would ever like blood from. Ew, he just imagined licking blood that came from his nose. "What's with that disgusted face?" Usopp asked.

"Shishishi, it's nothing. Just a stupid thought."

"You have those a lot, though," Franky said with humor. "Now, we have to get into the bubble, huh? We have enough air and cola for another coup de burst." They all looked up when Zoro and Luffy sensed them. Down here, it was easier to hear outside of the bubble. The fishmen's voices were clear.

"Sea monsters! Wow, and they're riding them!" Luffy said in awe. Zoro said they didn't look friendly.

"Don't scare them off, you might not be welcomed on the island if you are threatening!" Robin said. The fishmen were speaking to them, all with the Arlong pirate tattoo. The one in the front, the leader probably, asking them if they would join them. The other option was clearly death. "We have to do a coup de burst straight into the island, we don't stand a chance underwater!" Nami hissed.

Franky got the ship ready to do so.

"So, will you join us, Straw Hat?!"

"No way, dummy!" Luffy said with a grin, so excited to go onto the island soon. He didn't care about mermaids, but he wanted to see the colorful place, the best spot on the Grand Line and the home of Jinbei, a very important ally for him in hard times. Helping him get through Impel Down and Marineford. He couldn't wait to see him and show how strong he had gotten! He was so excited.

"You refuse? That means you are enemies of fishmen if you won't submit!" Luffy stuck his tongue out.

"Why the heck do we gotta be your underlings?" he asked. Zoro watched with a stiff expression. They were in danger in the water against fishman. Those who met Arlong knew just how strong and fast fishmen were underwater. They didn't stand a chance, and especially with the huge sea monsters. God, Luffy wanted to ride one!

The huge sea lion, a sea monster with a lion's head attacked, and the coup de burst just barely got them out of the way, though they were all forced flat to the ship, the air sucked out immediately as the burst sent them flying. They slammed through the first layer of bubble, and lost their own as they entered an air pocket.

The problem was that there was a second bubble they had to get through. "One more coup de burst! Hang on!" Franky shouted. Luffy could hear the fishmen shocked that their ship could do this. Haha, they're ship was way better than any other one existing. Luffy stuck his tongue out at the fishmen before they slammed into the second bubble, which launched them into sea water that was the lower half of the island.

Luffy immediately, before they hit the water, wrapped his arms around the devil fruit users so they could all be rescued at once, but his rubber limbs weakened and let go. He hadn't had time to tie them in a knot. He tried holding his breath as long as he could as he was thrown around in a strong current.

He woke up in a bed in an unfamiliar room. Usopp, Chopper and Sanji were there, but nobody else. He was wearing clothes he hadn't before. His nakama cheered about him waking up, and Luffy looked around to assume they were in Caimie's home, as she was right there. She looked older, like the two years were more than just two years.

"It's good you're awake, Luffy-chin! How do you feel?"

"Caimie! It's been forever since I saw you!" He lost his anger at her being kidnapped long, long ago. It was good they were sent flying, no matter how much it hurt them all to be apart. Though Kuma might have sent them flying regardless if that was his plan all along. Where was Zoro?

Sanji went up to Caimie and said she was even cuter than before. Luffy complimented her haircut. She looked so much older! "You don't look any older, Luffy-chin."

"Haha, yeah. Everyone else looks older but me," Luffy admitted positively. Not offended.

"Even me?!"

"Yeah! You look older, too," Luffy said, hugging Chopper to his chest. "Where's Zoro and them? I tried to grab onto Brook and Robin, too, but the water weakened my arms."

Sanji said they were split up again, and Luffy pouted. He'd wanted to go sightseeing with his boyfriend. "Well, we'll find them." Luffy was sure they were fine, but he still wanted them all together. Split up again so soon, huh? The chef said he kept track of them for a bit, but then lost them and washed ashore with the three of them.

Caimie offered them soup to warm them up, and Luffy would be happy to eat. He wasn't cold, but he would always welcome food. But then Caimie said the soup was chilled. "Chilled… soup?" Chopper asked, sounding like he didn't really want it.

"Chilled soup won't make you warm at all! I messed up!"

"Ahahaha! That face!" Sanji scolded Luffy for being rude, and quickly assured Caimie she was cute, even when she messed up, and just her words warmed him up. Everything smelled salty here. The water, and then the corals on the wall smelled like rocks. It didn't smell the best, but it wasn't terrible. Little mermaids, looking like children, floated over in bubbles around their waists.

How frustrating it would be to move on land but need a bubble the whole time? Fishmen had legs, so they were lucky that way. He wondered what those fishmen's problems were. Why would they want human members, anyways? They would be useless to them underwater, wouldn't they?

The mini mermaids brought them their clothes that were now dry. Luffy took off his shirt mostly with his right arm, as it was easier, and then put his open vest on. The others dressed, too, and they were introduced to the mini mermaids, the merdeka quintuplet mermaids. "Neh, how do mermaids have babies?" Luffy wondered. Since there were five of them, after all.

Sanji asked her not to explain. "It's not like it's gross," Usopp muttered. But the mini mermaids introduced themselves. Their names were those of numbers, but with a "ka" at the end. Luffy commented that "Sanka" reminded him of "Sanji".

"I have no siblings, so that doesn't work," Sanji said. His voice was hard, and Luffy didn't comment on the lie. He turned to Caimie and asked her if Ace had passed through recently.

He had! And was welcomed since he was on the crew that used to protect them. "Who watches over Fishman Island now that Whitebeard's gone?" He said it like it was recent, but it had been two years, after all. It kind of felt like time stopped for him on his training island with Rayleigh. Two years had passed, and it was still hard to think of that. How he was gone longer than he'd sailed with everyone.

"Now Big Mom watches over us as long as we supply her with candy."

"Heh… I wonder what the yonkos are like besides old man Whitebeard and Shanks?" Luffy mused. "So where are we now? It's stuffy in here."

"You're at the bottom of mermaid cove! This is the girls dorm for the mermaid cafe. All my friends are here. Luffy-chin, I just want to tell you me and Hacchin never said anything about your situation," she said.

"Thank you!" Luffy said with a bow. Sanji was less focused on the mermaid and fishman's thoughtfulness than the fact they were probably surrounded by beautiful mermaids. He fell into a fantasy, and the three were worried he'd have another violent nosebleed, but he managed to stay firm, though his face was sweating heavily.

"I will not fall!" he said in determination.

"Neh, how can I get outta here?" Luffy asked. He wanted to find Zoro. Sanji didn't want to leave yet. "Aren't you worried about Nami and Robin, too?"

"Of course! We shall go looking for them!" Sanji said. "But… the mermaids," he whined, looking at the three other Straw Hats with teary eyes. "I waited so long…" he mumbled, poking a finger down his leg like a small child. Luffy stood and said he was going to go looking for everyone, with or without Sanji.

He was worried about Robin and Brook, though he knew Zoro would have saved him. He had planned on sight seeing with him. Stupid fishmen! Luffy should have scared them away, after all. They left Caimie's dorm room, and entered a bubble on top of a turtle like an elevator. Like a cooler version of the water elevator in Water 7. He looked at all the surroundings.

"This is an apartment area. I'm at the lowest floor because it's the cheapest." Usopp asked where Hachi and Pappag were. "Hacchin got pretty injured about a year ago, but is no doubt healed by now. He is probably at the Fishman District, where he came from originally. It's a rough place. Lots of criminal activity, but it's cheap to live there." So, like Gray Terminal, or even Edge Town, huh? Someday he'd visit the island again with his crew. He smiled. He could visit with Ace. He wished he could have seen them off, but he was on a mission. Kept busy, which was good. Ace was never one to sit around and do nothing.

Chopper asked what Luffy was so happy about. "Just thinking of Ace," he said lightly. Chopper smiled, too. He took Luffy's left hand, but he didn't notice, face pressed to the bubble, looking at the really cool apartments in the coral reef. It sure was colorful and pretty. Zoro would probably think it was boring.

Caimie asked if he was injured, looking concerned. "What do you mean?" he wondered. He didn't look injured, did he? Maybe tired, but injured? He looked down and saw Chopper holding his left hand in both of his hooves. "Oh, you mean my arm?" he asked. Caimie nodded. "It's okay to ask about it. I got nerve damage a couple years ago. I can still use it, but I can't feel it there. So, where is Pappag? Don't ruin the mood cause'a me."

"Well, Pappag lives in the city. He's a major fashion designer now."

"You don't live with him? You said he was your pet, right?"

"I wouldn't fit in there very well," the mermaid said bashfully. "He's super rich and famous now, so he has his own place. But this area has the best clams. I'm gonna bring some to him later, you can come, too!" Luffy smiled, and they came to the surface. It was even cooler outside of the water! There were large arcs of water, somehow kept up like that.

Caimie explained that they were used as roads and transportation. "The best bubble engineers made them! Everyone uses them to get around." She swam up one just to see. Luffy ran forward and jumped into one, not thinking before Sanji dragged him out.

"Idiot!"

"But it looked so fun!" he whined.

"They're the illegal immigrants? You don't look too scary. Besides, I have a thing for pirates." They all looked over and saw many mermaids all looking at them. Sanji threw Luffy aside at the sight of the beautiful women. Luffy glared at the water roads. They looked so fun, but humans couldn't use them. They couldn't breathe under water.

Luffy turned to Chopper and asked, "Neh, do you think there could be water zoan types?"

"Well, nobody has seen them before… but it would be cool! I wish I could swim." Luffy laughed and said he'd be able to ride sea kings then. "That would be awesome!"

"Okay! Time to look for our crew!" Luffy cheered, putting a fist up in the air. "Ah, Sanji! Uh oh." Usopp was in awe of the mermaids, too. They were very pretty, but Luffy didn't react to them like his two human crewmembers were. Sanji was crying, saying this was his All Blue. At least he wasn't bleeding out from his nose! That would just be embarrassing and a hassle.

Usopp was amazed, too. The mermaids all seemed very friendly, smiling at them. "Everyone, this is the captain, Luffy-chin, and the crying one is Sanji-chin. Chopper is the furry one, and this one is Usopp," Caimie said cheerily, gesturing to the one she introduced. Luffy waved, and asked if they saw a muscular guy with green hair nearby.

"We saw him a bit that way, but it's a far walking distance." Luffy thanked them, but was grabbed by Sanji, begging them to stay a little longer.

The sniper said, "Why are you acting like he's your mother?" in confusion. Sanji stood up and lit on fire.

"You're not my mom, I can do whatever I want!" he said firmly. Luffy laughed at his weird antics. One of the mermaids offered to have him swim with her. It was like they wanted to seduce him. If Luffy wasn't worried about the nosebleed, it would be kind of funny. It would suck to be Sanji right now, honestly.

He was crying, his face crumpled. "I see… such joy as this cannot possibly exist… Today must be the day that I die…"

Usopp asked, "Seriously, what on earth happened to you over the past two years?!"

"He was with a lot of okamas-" and Sanji threw Luffy down.

"Never speak of that time! Never!" Sanji roared, shaking his vest again. He was making quite the scene in front of the mermaids. But they seemed more entertained than anything else. Caimie looked mildly embarrassed. Sanji got off of Luffy, who sat up and put his hat back on. A mermaid asked him what his tattoos were for.

"They're just there," Luffy said unhelpfully. "Can we go now?" Luffy asked, standing up and dusting his pants off, though he was still wet from the water road. Despite being deep underwater, the place wasn't cold. It was a nice room temperature. Seeing Sanji so happy and not bleeding from the nose, Luffy sighed and sat down. He'd stay. He had plenty of time to sightsee with Zoro, go on a date.

Sanji swam with the mermaids, while the other three sat and watched and talked with Caimie. "Neh, Caimie. There's someone I gotta see here!"

"The mermaid princess?"

"No! I gotta see Jinbei. He's here, right? I have to meet up with him again," Luffy insisted.

"Boss Jinbei?" Caimie asked in surprise.

Luffy nodded. "He helped me out a lot two years ago. He was one of the main reasons I was able to save Ace! So, I have to see him again and show that I'm healed and stronger than before. Last time he saw me I was still sick and weak. So I want to see him now. I also want everyone to meet him!" Luffy said happily.

Usopp said it was so weird how he'd met almost every warlord personally as either a major enemy or an ally. "All but Doflamingo."

"Well, now I'm in the yonko sea! I gotta take them on, next."

"Go Luffy!" Chopper said until Usopp pointed out he'd be going against a yonok as well by being a Straw Hat. "Nevermind, let's not go for a yonko!" the reindeer said, switching positions immediately.

Luffy grinned. "Shishishi, it'll be fun!" he insisted. Usopp and Chopper didn't agree at all. Caimie said she had read an article about Jinbei being there! Luffy was curious about how the people of Fishman Island got news from the world on the surface. "So, is he here?" Luffy asked again.

"Ehm, the thing is, Boss Jinbei isn't on the island right now," Caimie said awkwardly, not wanting to dampen Luffy's mood, which plummeted instantly. He hunched his shoulders and pouted. He really wanted to see him. While the guys were looking forward to the mermaids, Luffy just wanted to see his important ally again. But he wasn there, which bummed him out greatly. He was full of disappointment.

Luffy asked when he would come back. "I'm not sure. Since he stopped being a warlord, he and his crew left the island to keep it safe." He pouted deeper. Chopper and Usopp apologized for his disappointment, and Luffy nodded. He wanted them all to meet Jinbei, too!

"Since the war, a lot has changed here. It would take awhile to explain, though," Caimie said. Luffy wanted to see Zoro now that he was in a sad mood. He'd so looked forward to seeing his fishman friend. He heard shouting from a bit away. It sounded like a couple fighting.

"How on earth can you support them?! After everything they're doing?!"

"I'm doing it to keep us safe!"

Luffy turned away and back to his friends, not much interested in a couple fighting. He was glad he and Zoro didn't fight a lot. Luffy didn't get in fights with anyone, really. Maybe small arguments, like when Sanji wouldn't let him have food, but big blow outs? They didn't happen. Maybe because he was just bad at them. Like his fight with Usopp. Well, that was a long time ago, and their relationship had been completely healed since then.

He just wasn't easily angered by anyone but real enemies. It just wasn't who he was, and he was proud that he didn't get in fights often. Zoro once said he was the easiest person to be around, but also the hardest. Because Zoro always wanted to be the best he could be. But Luffy never judged him or ever pointed out or made light of any of Zoro's negative qualities.

Luffy asked what his negative qualities were, then. He wanted to see him again. A few hours of spending time out with everyone wasn't what he'd been craving for so long. "Are you okay?" Chopper wondered.

"Yeah. Just disappointed. And I want to go with Zoro since there's not really anything I want to do here personally," Luffy replied. But they were distracted from Luffy's disappointment when one of the mini mermaids hurried over.

"A palace ship is coming over! They're coming for the pirates that entered illegally!"

"Luffy-chin, you all have to hide!" Caimie said frantically. They all hid behind coral, and the royal ship arrived on the back of a huge eel with bubbles that kept it floating. Three mermen came off of it, two looking quite strange. But Luffy didn't want to sound offensive. He may be simple minded, but he respected the issue surrounding fishmen and humans.

"Hello, ladies. We're sorry to interrupt your frivolities, but we've gotten word of illegal entries from outside. Have you seen anyone suspicious?" the mershark one asked, while the other two danced around while they spoke. The mermaids all lied, covering for them. It was nice, but unusual they'd cover for strangers, right?

Maybe they liked swimming with Sanji that much! The princes believed what the mermaids all said, and went on their way. "Will we get in big trouble for being here? It's not like we had a choice, bad fishmen were after us," Luffy said.

"They'll most likely arrest you and question you. If you're peaceful, I'm sure they won't do anything. King Neptune is a peaceful king. And now you're not scary at all, Luffy-chin! I don't think anyone will think badly of you," Caimie explained. Luffy laughed, so glad he could control the aura he gave out. It had been automatic before, but it sure was convenient to not have to be that way all the time.

He had hope that he could indeed pet a dog someday. Luffy heard mutterings about them from behind. "There are bad fishmen watching us. They want to kidnap us," Luffy said quietly. "The same ones from before. At least that one guy who spoke to us."

But Sanji was too consumed with his happiness of being with the mermaids, one who was holding him close, that the inevitable happened, and his nose erupted like a volcano with blood. Luffy, Chopper and Usopp promptly freaked out about how much blood he was losing so fast. "Sanji!"

"Oh no! The tension and suppressed happiness must have been too much!" The mermaids were all shocked and confused by the sudden and violent reaction that seemed to come out of nowhere. But they were too loud, and Luffy was alarmed that now two groups were after them. Those of the kingdom and those of the fishmen from before.

He didn't want to fight, and he didn't want to reveal his potential dangerous feeling. But he also didn't want to get arrested. And Sanji needed medical help. Losing that much blood was pretty bad. Luffy wondered how his sinuses were after that forceful explosion of blood. They had to hurt by now.

"Hey, we're sorry we entered illegally, but before you arrest us, can you help our friend! He needs a blood transfusion! He has a rare blood type, R negative!" Chopper said. Everyone was silent and looked awkward about it as they continued to ask. Luffy got angry, and asked why nobody was responding.

All three Straw Hats were needing a transfusion for Sanji! And nobody was reacting or offering to help, not even the mermaids or Caimie. Was he going to die this humiliating death, blood loss from a nosebleed? "Hah! Foolish humans! Why would any fishman or merman donate blood to a lowly creature like you? If they did, they'd be killed by the human-haters! Your friend can just bleed to death like the pathetic human he is!" Luffy narrowed his eyes, and Usopp grabbed his hand and shook his head.

Caimie told them that no merfolk or fishmen ever gave blood to humans, even if their blood was compatible. "Well that's messed up! If I could, I would give my blood to you or Jinbei!" Luffy said angrily. "What's so bad about helping humans who aren't terrible!?" Everyone was silent and uncomfortable.

Was Sanji gonna die because of prejudice? Caimie fled, along with the other mermaids, when the bad fishmen came. The ones who wanted to capture Luffy personally. He wondered if Zoro was having an easier time than they were. "Go away, sea monster guys!" Luffy snapped, and picked Sanji up. "We'll find some human that will donate!"

He was angry. And irritated with the fishmen and Sanji. But the fishman enemy wasn't done speaking, and badmouthed all humans for their treatment of their kind. And that their idol, the man who freed Hancock, Fisher Tiger, needed blood and no humans would give it to him, so he died.

"They are terrible, but it's not like we've done anything to you! A fishman hurt my friend badly but I don't hold it against everyone here!" Luffy exclaimed. "You'd think Jinbei would never have helped me if he was like the people here."

"Hah, Boss Jinbei help you?" Hammond asked. "Well, that lie doesn't matter! Just give up on that crewmate and come to the Fishman District! Our leader, Hordy Jones, has summoned you!"

Luffy wasn't going to get in an argument right now. He asked where a hospital was, or at least where they could find any humans to help them. Luffy sniffed, trying to find the smell of rubbing alcohol. Luffy pointed in the direction he smelled it, and the three started running to get there in time. Sanji was still bleeding somehow.

Hammond, the main enemy fishman, was pissed he was ignoring him, when he was supposed to be scary, come across as threatening, he was just annoying. "I'll take you by force if I have to!" Hammond shouted and shot a net at them.

"I thought we told you we weren't taking your demands! Jet pistol!" Luffy shouted and nailed all of them in the stomachs, throwing them backwards as they spit out blood. Chopper was still begging for help, but Luffy knew they wouldn't be getting it from these people. Everyone around was surprised, and their sea monster went at Luffy, who did what he did with Surume, and tamed him instantly.