BROTHER ON BOARD
The Patient One - Luffy's very stubborn. Once he gets it in his head that he wants something there's no stopping him. He wants an artist so the Straw Hats are going to have to look for one. A pose for Sabo and Bonnie? He'd either be standing straight with Bonnie thrown over his shoulder in a pose similar to how Zoro held his sword in the March to Arlong Park. Or, he'd be at a slight angle with Bonnie going behind his neck across both shoulders in a casual Benn Beckman pose. I've got pictures of Bonnie Anne (the rifle) on my DeviantArt page. There are links to the pictures in my profile. Oh, and remember, my Sabo doesn't have the scar over his eye which is why he never got amnesia.
Guest - But you'll see in this chapter that the monster is actually somewhat useful. Good point about the Vivi-Sabo debate. But I've still got a couple chapters until the big reveal that we all know is coming.
Littlest1 - The bests artists in the series so far are Miss. Golden Week, Galdino and Mr. 13. So there's a chance it could be one of them.
Wiba - There's no doubt that with is more involved role on board the Going Merry that Zoro will inevitably become more attached to the caravel. But even then I don't think he'll be on Usopp's unique level of devotion. Plus, Zoro doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would believe in ghosts or the supernatural until it was staring him in the face. Luffy also seems to have a knack for spotting things. I think part of that is because he spends so much time hanging off the front of the ship. I've thought about a number of those uses for a Zoan Bonnie and I've taken them into account while making my decision on what to do with her further on in the story.
Fairy of the Friz - Thanks. Glad you're back. I've actually got plans for a side story which will show Bonnie's backstory, her meetings with Ace, Sabo and Luffy, how 'relationship' with Sabo started some other scenes that we've already seen done from her perspective. But I have to pass a certain point in this story before I start that. I think I'll call it 'Brother on Board: Gun-Shots' (Because it sounds like 'one shots' and the main character is a gun! Ker-shishishi! I kill me.)
Lostdog200 - I prefer the sub. While I think the Funimation crew is doing a great job on the dub... The horrible 4-Kids version has still left a sore spot. Also, I like hearing the original voices as intended. Even if I don't understand them without the subtitles. But my main source for writing this story is an English translation of the manga.
BedofRoses1989 - You could write an essay about one of my chapters? My college experience taught me that you have to be really passionate about something to actually want to write an essay about it. So thank you for showing so much enthusiasm and support. Coincidentally, I have actually written essays about One Piece. I had a Media Theory class where my professor allowed us to pick any form of media and use it to write about the theory we were discussing. Guess which show I picked... THREE TIMES!
AnyMoreBrightIdeasGenius - Yeah. Sabo and Vivi already aren't getting along so well. You can only imagine how much worse it will get when he learns she's an actual Princess. But Vivi's the good kind of royalty so hopefully their interactions with each other will make Sabo a better, more understanding person... until they meet Wapol and Enel of course.
rasEnshuriKEn - I'm trying to stay away from OCs with this story. At least any in major roles. I know Sabo is OOC enough to be considered an OC but I'd like to think that I still consider his canon backstory when I'm writing him. One of the authors that originally inspired me to start writing had an interesting interpretation of a certain artist that really showed off their potential. He ended his series but I got his permission to use some of his ideas while also incorporating some of my own.
Lunapok - I've heard it said that some of the best relationships are the ones where a person is challenged, learns more about him/herself and becomes a better person in the end. I'm hoping to do something like that in the long run between me kind-of bigoted Sabo and Vivi.
Psychochiken - Interesting logic. We'll see how that plays out in about... four chapters' time. BTW, I love your full name 'The Gloriously Insane Psychochiken'. Woo! Show that insanity with pride! Crazy people are always more fun than anyone that claims they're 'normal'.
Syluk - (In response to your review in ch 21) Bonnie's language is limited but in the end its pretty simple and depends on the situation. KER-CHOW! is usually an affirmative. Or she's just firing and basically shouting 'Snap out of it' - her Rouse technique. Or if she's firing at something in particular it could mean 'hey, look at that'. As you'll see in this chapter, when a KER-CHOW is made towards Nami it's a threat that can be translated to 'step off, bitch'. A Click is usually a negative response. But a loud CLICK can usually be considered some kind of curse or insult. Of course, it helps that Sabo's usually there to translate and provide context.
Patient One and Flux Casey - Thanks for mentioning Brother on Board on your podcast again! I'm flattered that you gave me a shout out two weeks in a row. And the second one was on your three-year anniversary too. Thanks a lot for your public praise!
Log Pose-
"There! It's done!" Luffy announced as he and Crocus stood on the shore and surveyed their work. Together they had painted the Straw Hat Jolly Roger over the gashes on Laboon's head.
"Not bad, kid," Crocus remarked.
"That will be the symbol of our promise to fight again someday," Luffy addressed Laboon. "So stop smashing your head into the wall or you'll rub it off, okay? It's a promise. I'll definitely come back and see you again so we can finish our fight."
"BUUOOH!" Laboon agreed.
"…" Crocus smiled silently. He was both extremely proud of and extremely grateful to the bold young pirate standing next to him. Luffy had succeeded in mending the wound in Laboon's heart. He'd replaced the broken promise from the Rumbar Pirates with one of his own. The old lighthouse keeper had a feeling deep down inside him that he could not only count on this pirate to live up to his promise but to even over deliver on it.
In the meantime, the rest of the Straw Hats had managed to fix the broken figurehead and Nami and Sanji had made short work of repairing the broken whipstaff.
"Time to plan our route…" Nami resolved as she sat at the table outside the lighthouse and poured over a map, "It looks like there are seven different islands to choose from…"
"This Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna is perfect!" Sanji gushed as he prepared the fish he'd won at Loguetown in the galley.
"Hurry up!" a shirtless Zoro grunted at Sabo and Usopp as he strained to hold the main mast in place, "This thing's friggin' heavy."
"Hold on, we're not professional carpenters!" Usopp complained. He and the Quartermaster were currently nailing boards across the tear between the base of the mast coming out of the deck and the top of the mast that had been torn off. "Why aren't we just wrapping a sheet of metal around it?"
"We'll do that later," Sabo told him, "Think of the sheet as a bandage. It works great to cover a wound… but it's not the best when you're dealing with a severe injury. Zoro, show him your chest."
Zoro growled and pushed himself partially away from the mast which revealed the stitched up battle scar that he'd gotten from his fight against Mihawk.
"See, these boards are going to be like stitches," Sabo explained, "They're going to hold the wound closed then we'll nail the sheet on top of it. That should keep the mast more secure than just the sheet."
"Oh, that makes sense," Usopp replied. "How do you know so much about carpentry and injuries?"
"I just picked up a few things," Sabo replied, "Being a big brother means sometimes patching up your younger brother's messes. Luffy made a lot of messes. So you can say I've had practice in the basics."
"HURRY THE HELL UP!" Zoro yelled at them as he continued to strain with the mast.
Sabo and Usopp quickly finished nailing in their cross boards. "Okay… I think that'll hold it…"
Zoro immediately stepped back from the mast then dropped to the ground and slid back so he was sitting against the side of the ship. The mast stayed standing and he let out a sigh of relief.
"Now nail on that metal bandage you guys were going on about," the Boatswain instructed as he put his shirt back on, "The sooner you do that, the sooner we finish and the sooner I can finally take a nap."
Sabo bent the metal and slowly wrapped the long sheet around the mast then held it in place so Usopp could hammer it down. Eventually the metal-bandage was attached to the mast above and below the board-stitches. They stepped back and admired their work.
"Think that'll hold?" Usopp asked.
"Hopefully," Sabo answered. "They might not be pretty… and they're definitely not professional… but the repairs are done."
Usopp smiled and patted the mast, "There you go, Merry. All fixed."
"Zzzzzzz…" That was all that Zoro needed to hear. He was sound asleep.
"The beast… he's finally silent!" Sabo exclaimed.
"Good…" Usopp replied. "Don't wake him up. I've had my fill of the Bossy Bosun for today."
"AAAAAAARRRRGGGGAAAAAHHH!"
Sabo and Usopp both flinched at Nami's frustrated scream… then sighed in relief when they looked down and saw that Zoro had slept through it.
"Ugh…" Usopp groaned in annoyance. "We fixed one problem… and now another's popped up."
"That's the Grand Line for ya," Sabo retorted, "If you wanna make it here you've gotta be able to roll with the punches." Sabo casually scooped Bonnie Anne up off of the deck and made his way towards Nami. "Let's go see what this problem is…"
"What's going on Nami?" Luffy asked. He and Crocus had been the closest and had been the first to reach the table outside the lighthouse. "Why are you being so noisy?"
"This compass… it's broken!" Nami exclaimed, "It's pointing all over the place and doesn't stay still." She pointed down at the compass and its needle which was whirling around over and over again.
"It looks like you came where without knowing anything," Crocus remarked, "Were you planning to just throw your lives away? That compass isn't broken. It doesn't work here. This ocean is unlike any other."
"Then what is it?" Nami wondered. "The only thing I can think of that would make the compass act like that is a magnetic field."
"Try seven," Crocus corrected her. "The islands here in the Grand Line are so rich with different minerals that it causes a geomagnetic anomaly. Compasses go haywire because they are not made to register the magnetism coming from all the islands. On top of that, the winds and currents here are as unpredictable as can be and cause strange weather. Even common sense fails when navigating in this sea."
"So then how are we supposed to navigate?" Sabo asked as he and Usopp arrived at the table.
"You need a Log Pose," Crocus answered. "It's a special type of compass that logs the unique magnetic field of an island and points straight towards it."
"What does a Log Pose look like and how can we get one?" Usopp inquired.
"It's a small glass ball with a compass needle in the middle," Crocus answered which caused Sabo's eyes to widen in surprise. "Most people navigating the Grand Line have at least one."
"So… like this?" Sabo asked as he pulled out the glass ball bracelet he'd picked up earlier.
Nami glared at him, "YOU HAD A LOG POSE ALL THIS TIME AND DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING!?"
"I didn't know what it was until just now!" Sabo insisted, "I think one of the whale hunters must have dropped it."
Nami took the Log Pose from Sabo and stared at the needle. "So this is a Log Pose…"
Luffy and Usopp scrambled around the table and took seats beside Nami so they could look over her shoulders at the Log Pose. "Oooooooooo!"
"NAAMIII-SWAAAN!" Sanji practically sang as he carried over plates piled high with fillets of fish. "Oh, and you guys too… I'VE FINISHED WITH LUNCH!" Sanji set six plates on the table for his four crewmates, Crocus and himself along with a seventh that was piled high with seconds. "Lunch is served!"
"OH BOY!" Luffy cheered and immediately started to dig in. He didn't even bother with a fork and knife and just shoveled the fish into his mouth.
"Great, I'm starving," Sabo commented sat down across from his brother and pulled his own plate closer to him.
"Me too," Usopp said as he took the seat on the other side of Nami.
Nami didn't even acknowledge the specially prepared plate that Sanji had set in front of her and was still staring fixated at the Log Pose.
"I apologize for the delay," Sanji addressed the others as he took a seat beside Sabo and across from Nami, "I would have been out here sooner but we received a snail-call from the Loguetown Marines. Miss. Tashigi called to inform us that the pirates we beat have escaped again."
That got Nami's attention. She and Usopp gaped at the Ship's Cook. "WHAT!?"
"Arlong escaped… AGAIN!?" Nami shrieked, "What do I have to do to get away from that creep?"
"Not Jango and Kuro!" Usopp gasped.
"Dish ish good!" Luffy mumbled as he ate all the food off of the 'seconds' plate.
"Arlong, the clown, the acrobat and the hypnotist all escaped," Sanji clarified, "But Kuro and the ax-guy are still in custody."
"Seriously?" Sabo questioned. "That's gotta be some kind of record. We only just beat those guys a few hours ago and now they've already escaped."
"She said someone called 'Alvida' broke the others out with the help of the beast tamer and his lion," Sanji continued.
"Oh… oops…" Sabo said as he batted Luffy's hand away from his plate, "I guess leaving those three lying unconscious in an alley wasn't enough… Next time I'll try gift wrapping them."
"Miss. Tashigi informed me that she and Captain Smoker are heading into the Grand Line in an attempt to recapture the escaped pirates," Sanji stated, "She wanted to warn us because the pirates going to be coming after us for revenge."
"Well," Crocus said as he calmly ate the fish off of his own plate while Luffy ate everything that had been on Sanji's. "The good news is that once you decide on a course to take, your enemies will only have a one-in-seven chance of picking the same one as you."
"How does that one-in-seven thing work again?" Nami inquired as Luffy snagged the specially prepared food off of her plate and shoveled it into his mouth.
"Ooh! Duh tunk ish mah favlite paht!" Luffy mumbled as he gulped it down.
"The islands in the Grand Line are all in a series of chains," Crocus explained as he set his plate down on the table. "The Log Pose records the magnetic interaction between two islands and points from one to the next on in the chain. Each magnetic field takes a specific amount of time for the Log Pose to record. From here there are seven paths you can take across the Grand Line. Some of those paths eventually join together… some don't interact with the others at all. You and your enemies could potentially take separate paths on opposite sides of the Grand Line and never see each other. But there are ways to travel to specific islands if you have a set destination in mind. So you still need to watch out."
While Crocus was explaining, Luffy had managed to clean off Crocus and Usopp's plates.
"But no matter which path you take… they all eventually end in one place," Crocus stated, "Raftel. That's the last island in the Grand Line but it's also the most mysterious. The only pirates to ever even confirm its existence were the Pirate King and his crew."
Luffy froze as he made blind grab for Sabo's plate which his brother easily avoided. "The Pirate King?"
"Does that mean… that's the island the One Piece is on?" Usopp asked.
"It could be," Crocus replied. "Only the Pirate King and his crew know that. No one else even knows how to find Raftel. It's said that just the method of locating the magnetic field that leads to it is a mystery in and of itself."
"Then we'll just have to see when we get there," Luffy decided. He made another grab for Sabo's plate at the same time as his brother did.
Chomp!
"OW!" Luffy howled. "SABO! YOU BIT MY HAND! CANNIBAL!"
"That's what you get for putting your hand on my plate," Sabo taunted as he finished off his food.
"Oh well," Luffy said as he patted his belly, "I'm done anyway. Is it time to go?"
Usopp and Sanji finally noticed the empty table.
"YOU ATE EVERYTHING BY YOURSELF!" Sanji yelled.
"HE EVEN ATE THE BONES!" Usopp gasped.
"You've gotta be ready to defend your plate when you're eating with Luffy," Sabo remarked, "To him everything on the table is fair game."
"I liked the trunk the best," Luffy informed the others with a big goofy smile.
"YOU RUBBER BASTARD!" Sanji yelled as he vaulted across the table and kicked Luffy out of his seat, "THAT WAS SPECIALLY MADE FOR NAMI-SWAN TO ENJOY!"
"And it was delicious!" Luffy happily assured him as he got back up.
"This Log Pose is really important…" Nami noted as she slipped the bracelet onto her wrist, "Without it… we're screwed. So we've gotta be extra careful to make sure it doesn't—"
"YOU GLUTTONOUS PIG!"
THWAK!
Luffy came flying over and slammed into Nami which caused her to bump into Usopp.
KREK!
Everyone froze at the sound of glass cracking.
"You guys…" Nami seethed.
Luffy and Sanji went stiff.
Sabo held Bonnie up in front of him like a shield.
"Yipe!" Usopp was so terrified by Nami's expression that he sprang out of his seat and hid behind Sanji.
Even Crocus flinched at Nami's murderous glare.
"YOU IDIOTS!" Nami roared as she ran and gave Luffy a good kick that contained all her anger. "GO SOAK YOUR HEADS!"
THWHAM!
Luffy slammed into Sanji, Sanji slammed into Usopp and all three of them went flying off the cape and flew at least twenty feet before they crashed down into the ocean.
"Wow… that was some kick…" Sabo remarked as he peaked out from behind his rifle. Nami turned and glared at him and he immediately ducked behind his rifle again.
"You have two options…" Nami snarled at him. Sabo probably just imagined the demonic aura of pure rage flaring up behind her. "You can be useful or you can join them. What's it gonna be?"
"I'll be good!" he squeaked.
Nami reclaimed her seat at the table and took several deep calming breaths as she stared at her map. "Now what are we gonna do?" the exasperated Navigator wondered. "We only had the one Log Pose and that's the only way to navigate in the Grand Line…"
"You can have mine," Crocus offered as he pulled out a similar glass ball.
Nami's face lit up, "Really?"
"Be useful or join them, right?" Crocus clarified, "Take it as a 'thank you' gift for helping Laboon."
"Thank you so much!" Nami gushed as she took the Log Pose and stared reverently at the glass ball. "None of you numbskulls are so much as touching this. Without it we're sunk."
Crocus leaned closer towards Sabo and whispered, "I spent three sailing with pirates through some of the most dangerous parts of the Grand Line. The Captain treated it like a fun vacation where we were going sightseeing. But even he would be terrified by that woman."
"What was that?" Nami growled.
"NOTHING!" the old Doctor squawked. "SO! Have you decided which path you want to take yet? I can help you log the magnetic field…"
"Crocus, you've been here long enough to know what island each of the paths leads to," Nami realized, "Is there one in particular that would increase our chances of not dying?"
"Well… two of the islands are swarming with bounty hunters…" Crocus recounted. "And…"
"STOP!" Sabo interrupted, "NO SPOILERS!"
"What? I'm trying to save our lives!" Nami argued with him, "If we know which of the islands are dangerous we can avoid them."
"That kind of adventure is no fun," Sabo insisted, "This is the Grand Line. Sailing this sea is one giant mystery adventure. You don't know what dangers or what marvels are awaiting you and that's the whole point. If you know what's coming… it ruins the magic."
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT MAGIC!" Nami snapped, "I CARE ABOUT LIVING!"
"If you live your life without any risk… I'd hardly call it 'living'," Sabo retorted.
"THAT'S IT!" Nami shouted as she made to leap across the table, "YOU'RE GOING FOR A SWIM!"
KER-CHOW!
Bonnie went off and Nami jumped back away from the rifle.
Sabo patted Bonnie Anne then turned and smirked at Crocus, "Bonnie Anne's my Nami Repellent."
"TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!" Nami hollered, "I'm trying to keep us all alive."
"I understand and I appreciate that," Sabo replied, "But that's not your call."
"What? I'm the Navigator," Nami reminded him.
"Yes," Sabo agreed, "And that means that you're in charge of charting our course. But our destination… That is, and always will be, the Captain's decision to make. And I can tell you right now, Luffy would absolutely hate it if we were sailing out towards an island where we all knew what was waiting for us. He would sooner quit being a pirate altogether than go on a boring adventure."
Nami let out a distressed and highly annoyed sigh then rested her head in her hands. "Knowing Luffy, we'll end up taking the most dangerous route possible… it could be suicide."
"I think you kids are gonna be okay," Crocus stated. "I already said this was a sea that defied common sense. The most successful pirates in this sea are sometimes the ones that don't have any sense at all. It's the crazy ones with adventurous spirit like your Captain and Quartermaster that go far here."
"There you go, Nami," Sabo reassured her, "You've been calling us crazy since the day we met."
"Who knew that would end up being a good thing…" Nami grumbled, "I guess we'll just have to wait until Luffy gets back and decides which course to take."
"HEY NAMI! WE WANNA GO TO WHISKEY PEAK!"
Sabo, Nami and Crocus all turned to see that Luffy, Usopp and Sanji had returned from their swim… and had brought Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday back with them.
"What's Whiskey Peak?" Nami asked as she eyed the two agents skeptically while Sabo and Crocus both glared at them.
"It's the name of our town," Miss Wednesday explained. "We… lost our ship… and are in desperate need of a ride back home."
"So you expect us to just forget that you were trying to kill Laboon and give you a ride?" Nami asked. "You expect us to trust you on our ship? We don't even know who you guys are."
"I'm a…" Mr. 9 trailed off when he saw Sabo clench his fist with an eager expression. "Uh…"
"He's a secret agent!" Miss Wednesday stated, "We're both secret agents. Our secret organization is very dangerous. They…" The girl decided to shift from half-truths to the actual truth. "They were the ones that destroyed our ship. It wasn't lost, it was blown up. Our boss has already learned that we've not only been unsuccessful in obtaining the whale meat but also that you pirates know about our organization."
"And… and my Log Pose is gone," Mr. 9 added, "It's because of you that we not only failed our mission but also lost our means of getting home. If you pirates have even a shred of kindness and decency in your hearts, you'll help two poor souls in need."
Both agents dropped to their knees and were outright groveling. "Please! We beg you!"
"Haha!" Sabo chuckled, "Nice work Nami… you've got a King bowing to you."
"…" Miss Wednesday shot him a quick but silent glare.
"Well about your Log Pose…" Nami replied as she held up the bracelet of the broken Log Pose, "It broke. Do you still want a ride?"
"GAAH!" Mr. 9 shrieked in alarm as both agents shot back up to their feet, "THAT WAS MINE!"
"WE BEGGED ON OUR KNEES AND YOU WERE JUST AS STUCK AS WE ARE!?" Miss Wednesday snapped.
"Oh, but I forgot to mention that Crocus gave us a new one," Nami added as she showed them the working Log Pose that Crocus had given her.
Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday immediately dropped back down to their knees. "PLEASE! WE BEG YOU!"
"Damn that girl… she tricked us!"
"What do you think, Luffy?" Sabo asked. "These two definitely don't look trustworthy."
"It's okay," Luffy replied. "They can come if they want. Take care of it, Sabo."
"Fine then," Sabo agreed, "I'll make it happen, Cap'n."
Sabo walked over to Nami and crouched down next to her so he was at eye-level with the two groveling secret agents.
"Here's how this is going to work," he announced, "You're not coming along as passengers. You're going to pull your weight and help us out. You managed to get here from Whiskey Peak… so you're going to help us get from here back to Whiskey Peak."
"That's… acceptable," Mr. 9 agreed.
"AND!" Nami added with a smirk, "We're setting our course so we can help you out. We expect to be compensated for our troubles." Miss Wednesday didn't like the greedy glint in her eyes.
"We lost our ship and everything on it," the blue haired girl reminded the pirates, "We don't have any money."
"It's a good thing we don't want money then," Sabo replied. Nami glared at him. She wanted money. "Let's just say… you'll owe us a favor."
"Oh, no you don't!" Mr. 9 exclaimed, "I'm not giving shifty pirates a blank check! What's this favor?"
"You owe us and I'm transferring that debt to Laboon," Sabo stated, "We'll take you guys home… but in exchange, you and your organization will stay away from this whale and never bother him again."
"You already threatened us not to go after the whale earlier," Mr. 9 said as he pointed at the partially healed gash on his cheek.
"Yeah, and now I've got more leverage," Sabo countered, "So you know what'll happen if you break our agreement and forget our favor."
"Fine, you've got a deal," Mr. 9 agreed as he held out his hand.
Sabo made to reach out for it but his eyes flicked upward towards the crown. He turned and shook Miss. Wednesday's hand instead which in turn caused the blue haired woman to glare at him for a still unknown reason.
Nami shook her head and turned back to Crocus, "It looks like we're decided. Do you wanna show me how to use the Log Pose now?" Crocus nodded and led Nami back to the table.
"Alright, get on the ship," Sabo ordered the two agents. "And if I suspect that you two are up to any funny business…" Sabo slapped Bonnie in his palm, "Bonnie Anne, here, has two bullets with your fake names on 'em."
"You're all set," Crocus announced. "The magnetic field has been logged now all you have to do is follow the Log Pose and you'll eventually make it to Whiskey Peak."
"Yup, it's pointing towards Whiskey Peak," Nami noted as she glanced from the glass ball on her wrist to the location on the map. "Thanks for all your help."
Nami boarded the Going Merry and Crocus stood on the shore to say a final goodbye to the Straw Hats.
"Are you sure about picking Whiskey Peak, kid?" Crocus inquired as he looked up at Luffy who was happily sitting in his repaired seat on the figurehead. "This is the only place you can change your route. Once you start sailing there's no turning back."
"It's fine," Luffy replied, "If we don't like this route, we'll just sail all the way around and pick another one the next time."
Crocus smirked, "That you will…"
"Their Captain's a buffoon," Mr. 9 whispered to Miss Wednesday.
"You kids are sailing into some rough weather," Crocus warned them, "But if anyone can survive the unpredictable nature of the Grand Line… I think it'll be you guys."
"Thanks for your vote of confidence," Sabo chimed in, "Sanji, raise the anchor. I don't wanna wake up the Bossy Bosun just so he can do it."
"Good call," Sanji agreed as he eyed the sleeping Boatswain who was on his back next to the railing before he headed into the anchor room and spun the capstand to raise the Going Merry's anchor.
"Oi, you two," Sabo jabbed his finger at the two agents. "Help Usopp set the sails."
Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday grumbled to themselves as the followed after the Master Gunner.
"We're going now," Luffy announced as the Going Merry drifted away from the shore. "Bye Flower-guy!"
"Thanks for the Log Pose," Nami called out.
"See ya then," Crocus returned,
"GOODBYE WHALE!" Luffy shouted to Laboon as the Going Merry sailed passed the whale. "I'LL BE BACK TO FINISH OUR FIGHT!"
"BBBUUUWWWOOOHHH!" Laboon let out a happy bellow that translated to 'Good luck, friends'.
Crocus stood smiling on the shore as he watched the Going Merry sail off in a distance. "Perhaps those are the pirates we've been waiting for. That Captain's got a mysterious aura about him." He grinned as he thought of his old sailing companion. "What do you think, Roger?
"It's the man that fell from the sky… MR. SNOWMAN!" Luffy exclaimed.
The Straw Hats were on their way to Whiskey Peak to drop off Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday. The sea was currently being affected by the magnetic fields from the first seven islands in the Grand Line and now they'd encountered the first bit of the strange weather that Crocus had warned them about. One moment it was sunny and peaceful… the next the deck of the Going Merry was buried under a thick blanket of snow.
Luffy, Sabo and Usopp seemed pleased with the change in weather and had immediately started making snowmen. Oblivious and unconcerned about the freezing cold that had accompanied the snow.
Luffy's 'Mr. Snowman' showed that he wasn't only bad at painting but everything remotely artistic. The snowman was lumpy, its eyes were uneven and the barrel on its head was at a crooked angle.
"Wow… I can see why you badly need an artist," Usopp taunted, "But take a look at this!" The Master Gunner proudly motioned to his own snow sculpture. "BEHOLD! AN ARTISTIC MASTERPIECE…THE SNOW-WOMAN!" Usopp's 'snow-woman' was masterfully crafted to the point where its soft feminine features made it look exactly like Kaya. "Hahaha! Do you still think I can't double up as your artist?"
Luffy folded his arms across his chest and pouted stubbornly, "Yes."
"Wow… that's cool Usopp," Sabo remarked as he turned away from his own snowman near the railing. Bonnie was propped against the main mast behind him. "But I bet yours can't move."
"Your snowman can move?" Usopp asked as he surveyed Sabo's snowman.
Sabo's snow sculpting talents appeared to be somewhere between Luffy and Usopp's. The three balls of snow were well-sized and perfectly round, the red button he'd used as a nose was centered on the top ball, the two big rocks that made the eyes were at the same height and the smaller rocks making up the snowman's smile were perfectly spaced.
"Not just that, my snowman is gonna come to life," Sabo stated.
"Cool! I wanna see!" Luffy exclaimed as he and Usopp joined Sabo in front of his snowman.
"Y'see, I heard this story about some kids that put a magic top hat on a snowman and it came to life," Sabo explained as he took off his top hat.
"Wait… are you saying your top hat is magical?" Usopp questioned.
"No, don't be silly," Sabo replied. "But we're in the Grand Line now. This is the legendary ocean where anything is possible. So if magic exists in any part of the world… it would be here."
Luffy and Usopp held their breath and watched as Sabo reached out and placed his top hat on the snowman's head. Neither of them noticed Sabo kicking the foot that was sticking out of the bottom of the snowman.
Thwak!
"Uuuggghh…" the 'snowman' suddenly groaned.
"WAAAH! IT'S AAALIIIIIVEEEEE!" Luffy and Usopp went bug-eyed and shrieked in alarm as the snowman started to shake. Sabo quickly stepped back over to the mast.
"GAH! AND IT'S ATTACKING!" Usopp screeched as the snowman pitched forward.
FLOOSH!
The snowman fell on top of the startled pirates and buried them in snow.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Sabo burst out laughing as he scooped up his top hat and put it back on. "Bonnie, did you see the look on their faces!? PRICELESS! HAHAHAHAHA!"
"Huh… wazzat?" Zoro groaned as he sat up and yawned in the spot Sabo's snowman had once been.
Luffy and Usopp popped out of the snow that had buried them.
"YOU BUILT YOUR SNOWMAN ON TOP OF ZORO?" Luffy exclaimed.
"HAHAHAHA!" Sabo was still laughing "That's what… HAHA… he gets for… HAHA… sleeping like a log!"
"YOU JERK!" Usopp yelled. "THAT SCARED THE CRAP OUTTA ME!"
"THAT'S WHY IT'S SO FUNNY!" Sabo replied, "HAHAHAHA—"
SPLAT!
Sabo's laughter was finally cut off by a snowball splattering on his face. "Who threw that?"
"I did," Zoro answered. "You built a snowman on top of me and woke me from my nap. Plus, your laughter was annoying me so you had it coming."
Sabo's eyes narrowed as he reached down and scoop up a handful of snow, "Of course you know… this means war…"
"SNOWBALL FIGHT!" Luffy hollered as he molded a batch of snowballs of his own.
A moment later, Luffy, Sabo, Zoro and Usopp were in the middle of an all-out snow war.
"So immature…" Nami scoffed as she peered out the window in the galley door. "How can they frolic like that? It's freezing out there."
"NAAAMIII-SWAAAN!" Sanji sang out from the front deck where he was shoveling snow. "How much longer would you like me to keep shoveling snow as this Labor of Love?"
"UNTIL IT STOPS!" Nami shouted back.
"It's freezing in here," an agitated voice came from the galley table behind her.
Nami turned to see Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 bundled up in blankets.
"Doesn't your ship have a heating system?" Mr. 9 complained.
"THIS IS A PIRATE SHIP NOT A LUXURY CRUISE LINE!" Nami berated them. "WHY DON'T YOU DO SOMETHING USEFUL FOR A CHANGE?"
"Well… I noticed that you haven't looked at your Log Pose or adjusted the rudder in quite some time," Miss Wednesday noted. "Do you really think that's wise?"
"I just checked our course a minute ago," Nami insisted.
FWASH!
There was a bright flash from outside the window and Nami whirled around to see a storm rolling in. "Lightning? It was clear ten minutes ago… then that snow came out of nowhere… and now lightning. This weather is just as crazy as Crocus said…"
The door was pulled open to reveal Sabo. "Hey!" he called out. "The wind's picking up. I think we're sailing into a storm." Sabo stared passed Nami at the crowned man sitting at the table. "Eh-hem. That means get off your ass and help us out!"
"What? But I'm your guest here!" Mr. 9 protested.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sabo snapped snarkily, "Did I forget to say 'if it pleases your Royal Highness'? One of the reasons I agreed to bring you along is because you already sailed through all this crazy weather to get to the Twin Capes. That means you'll know how to get back through it. SO GET OFF YOUR ROYAL ASS AND LEND A HAND!"
Both Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday sprang up out of their seats and rushed for the door.
"Oi, I didn't mean you," Sabo told Miss Wednesday, "I was talking to King Doofus."
"I… um… I thought I'd lend a hand as well," the blue haired woman answered uneasily before she slipped out of the galley after her partner.
"There's something off about that one," Sabo stated before he turned and followed after them.
Nami stared after them for a moment then she remembered the blue-haired girl's comment about checking the Log Pose and glanced at her wrist.
"GRAAAAHHH!" Nami let out a started shriek and barreled out of the galley. "TURN THE SHIP AROUND! We need to turn a full one hundred eighty degrees!"
"Why? Are we going back?" Usopp inquired.
"Did we forget something?" Luffy questioned.
"No, the ship turned itself around!"
"Heh, looks like our Navigator got us lost," Zoro chuckled.
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Nami yelled at him, "I DON'T NEED TO HEAR THAT FROM YOU OF ALL PEOPLE! WHY DON'T YOU MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL!?"
"Geez… and you guys called me bossy," Zoro grumbled. "OI! LOOK ALIVE, YOU BUMS! Cook, get in the galley and man the whipstaff! You're our Helmsman for the rest of this voyage! Usopp, Rifle-freak, get up there and adjust the yard!" Sabo, Usopp and Sanji scattered while Zoro turned to Luffy. "Captain, what're those two weirdos doing here?" He jabbed his finger over his shoulder at the agents.
"We're bringing them back to their hometown Whiskey Peak," Luffy answered.
"We're giving them a ride?" Zoro questioned. "You know we don't owe them anything, right?"
"Yeah, I know," Luffy replied easily.
"Okay then," Zoro resolved. "Whisky, huh? Hopefully they have some 'cause I'm gonna need a drink when this is over. Now get on that seat of yours and keep a lookout."
"Right!" Luffy agreed as he scrambled up to the front deck and climbed up onto the figurehead.
"I can't believe this…" Nami gasped as she stared at her Log Pose, "The waves were calm… I only took my eyes off the Log Pose for a second…"
"Looks like you've been played by the waves," Miss Wednesday commented from behind Nami where she was leaning against the wall outside the galley. "I warned you to keep an eye on the Log Pose. Are you sure you're a Navigator? You can't trust anything in this ocean. The winds, the skies, the waves, they can all change in a second's notice. The only thing you can trust out here to tell your direction is the needle of your Log Pose. Do you get it yet?"
Nami flushed as she glared at the blue haired woman then grabbed her and unceremoniously threw the younger girl over the railing onto her partner. "STOP ACTING ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY AND START HELPING OUT!"
"What a violent woman…" Mr. 9 complained as he helped his partner to her feet.
"Nami!" Zoro called out, "The ship's turned. Now what?"
"Ooo! It feels like the winds are changing!" Usopp observed.
"Aaah," Mr. 9 sighed, "The fresh breeze of Spring."
"WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH THIS WEATHER!?" Nami screamed.
"HEY! I SEE A DOLPHIN!" Luffy called out from the front of the boat, "Should we follow it!"
"NOO!" Nami yelled, "STAY ON COURSE! STRAIGHT AHEAD!"
"Nami! The winds are picking up again!" Sabo warned her from up on the rigging, "And there's an iceberg coming up on the port side!" He aimed Bonnie off the left side of the ship and fired.
KER-CHOW!
"I blasted the top off of the iceberg," Sabo reported, "But there's still probably more underwater."
"STRAIGHT HEAD!" Nami yelled again.
CRUNCH!
"He was right!" Miss Wednesday called out as she looked off the side of the ship. "We scraped the iceberg. Your ship is probably taking on water."
"Shit, that's another thing to fix," Zoro cursed, "Oi, crown guy, grab the fix-it supplies from the storage room then go below deck and fix the damage."
"The clouds are moving way too fast!" Usopp observed from a rope ladder.
"Hey everybody, I made some food!" Sanji called out as he stepped out of the galley. "Eat up and keep up your strength."
They only had a moment to eat before more problems arose.
"The winds are getting even stronger!" Usopp cried out as he clung to his rope ladder for dear life while the rest of his body flapped in the rushing wind like a flag.
"TOO STRONG!" Sabo added, "THE SAILS ARE TEARING!"
"THEN HURRY UP AND RAISE THEM!" Zoro barked up at them.
Mr. 9 stuck his head back up through the hole leading below deck, "We've got another leak down here! I could use some help!"
"Blue girl, go help crown guy!" Zoro ordered. "Don't you dare sink us!"
"You could at least learn our names…" Miss Wednesday grumbled.
"Oh, I know exactly who you are," Zoro retorted. The blue haired woman froze then climbed down below deck along with her partner. "NAMI! WHAT'S THE COMPASS-THING SAY?"
"IT CHANGED AGAIN!" the Navigator yelped, "AND ITS CALLED A LOG POSE!"
"Whatever!" Zoro snapped. "HURRY UP AND ADJUST OUR COURSE, YOU BUMS!"
"I think I'd prefer if that jerk was still asleep," Sabo grumbled as he climbed along the rigging to the yard with Bonnie Anne strapped on his back.
Click!
"You don't think so?" Sabo questioned as he looked back at the rifle and tilted his head thoughtfully. "Hmm… you might have a point. Maybe he is being useful by bossing everybody around… If he was sleeping he'd just be a useless tripping hazard."
"QUIT DAWDLING, RIFLE-FREAK!" Zoro shouted.
"I'M GOING, I'M GOING!" Sabo yelled back as he dropped from the sail and grabbed the yard. He looked back at Bonnie Anne, "He's still a pain in the ass though."
KER-CHOW!
"HEADS UP!" Luffy called out from the front of the ship, "HERE COMES ANOTHER STORM! AND LOOK AT THOSE WAVES! THEY'RE HUUUGE!"
And so the Straw Hats and the two 'secret agents' continued to battle the crazy weather of the Grand Line. Luffy kept a lookout on the figurehead, Sabo and Usopp were kept busy adjusting the sails, Sanji manned the whipstaff and the galley, Nami had her eyes practically glued to the Log Pose now, Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday were tasked with fixing anything that broke and the Bossy Boatswain continued to yell orders at everyone until he was hoarse.
Hours later, the Straw Hats and their two guests had waged what felt like a war against the weather in the Grand Line. But now the sea and sky was finally calm as the sun began to sink overhead. The deck had fallen quiet.
"Well that was fun," Sabo remarked as he stood in the galley and he took a sip from a steaming tea cup. He stepped around Sanji who was slumped against the whipstaff and left the galley. Sabo spotted Nami collapsed on the railing outside the galley and gave her a pat on the back. "Nice job, Nami."
Sabo made his way across the main deck which looked more like a battlefield. Usopp was hanging limply from his rope ladder, Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday were passed out in the middle of the deck and a finally silent Zoro was propped against the main mast. Sabo leaned towards Zoro as he passed him.
"Zzzzzzz…" the Boatswain let out a low snore.
"Sleeping again," Sabo noted, "It's like the guy has two modes: one, loud and annoying, two, useless and sleeping."
"Aw, let him sleep," Luffy replied from where he was sitting on the rear railing of the front deck. "Everybody worked really hard."
The only ones that didn't appear to be utterly exhausted from the war against the weather were the two brothers from Dawn Island.
Sabo pulled a bottle with an apple on the label out from his coat and tossed it up to his brother. Luffy grinned and twisted off the cap and began to drink it down.
"So, did the first leg of the Grand Line live up to everything Ace and everyone else told us about it?" Sabo asked his brother. "It was certainly crazy. I can see why a hack like Don Krieg didn't survive it."
"Yeah, that was a blast!" Luffy exclaimed. "I wouldn't mind going a second time. Maybe it'll snow again."
Sabo didn't notice the furious figure behind him until it was too late.
"TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!"
BONK!
"Ow…" Sabo yelped as his top hat hit the floor and he nursed the lump on his head.
KER-CHOW!
Nami jumped back when Bonnie Anne fired but then reached out and grabbed the barrel of the rifle.
"I just spent the last few hours doubting all my navigation skills…" Nami growled as she tightened her grip on the rifle and held it in place. "I'm in no mood… FOR YOUR CRAP!" Nami lashed out her leg and gave Bonnie a good kick which sent the rifle and her boyfriend crashing through the door into the anchor room.
THWAK! KRASH!
Nami stalked up the stairs and snatched the juice bottle away from Luffy then took a long swig and grimaced at the fact that there was no alcohol in it. She turned and shouted out to the weary crew.
"LISTEN UP EVERYBODY! DON'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN! I FINALLY UNDERSTAND THIS SEA… AND WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT'S COMING NEXT! ALL MY TRICKS FOR NAVIGATING THE EAST BLUE ARE USELESS HERE!"
"Uhh… that doesn't exactly inspire confidence…" Usopp muttered.
"But we'll be fine," Nami insisted, "After all that things have to work out eventually… and look, there's some proof of that…" Nami turned and pointed off the front of the ship.
Luffy turned and his face lit up, "WHOA! IT'S AN ISLAND! WE'RE HERE!"
"The first stage of our journey is finally over!" Nami announced.
Zoro, Usopp and Sanji all recovered and assembled on the deck. Sabo trudged out of the anchor room and cast Nami an annoyed glance. But the rifle slung over his shoulder seemed to be even more annoyed.
CLICK!
"Love you too, riflegeist," Nami retorted.
The Straw Hats all looked off the front of the Going Merry as they surveyed the island that was covered with what looked like massive cacti.
"LOOK AT ALL THOSE CACTI!" Luffy exclaimed.
"So this is Whiskey Peak…" Sanji remarked.
"They'd better have booze there," Zoro grumbled.
"Thank God we survived…" Usopp whimpered.
"Chin up, Usopp," Sabo encouraged the sniper. "The hard part's behind us."
"That means this is where we part ways…"
The Straw Hats turned to see Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday climb up onto the railing.
"Thanks for bringing us home," Mr. 9 said.
"Who knows, maybe we'll meet again," Miss Wednesday suggested.
"BYE-BYE, BABY!" both agents called out as they prepared to flip off the side of the ship.
"Later… Baroque Works."
"GAH!" the agents let out a yelp of shock at Zoro's comment and ended up tripping which caused their 'graceful exit' to become a sharp belly-flop into the sea.
SPLASH! SPLASH!
"What's Baroque Works?" Sabo inquired as he watched the two 'Baroque Works' agents swim off even faster than when he'd fired after them.
"A bunch of two-bit crooks that I crossed paths with during my Pirate Hunting days," Zoro replied.
"Should we be worried?" Sanji asked.
Luffy cut off any reply Zoro might've made as he jumped onto the figurehead and shouted to the others, "WHO CARES!? WE'RE HERE! LET'S LAND!"
Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday panted as they stood in front of a large figure at the edge of a foggy town.
"So you've returned," the large man greeted the two 'secret agents'. "Baroque Works procedure states that you're supposed to write your mission report before anything else."
"And normally… we would," Miss Wednesday replied, "But we came back here first in order to warn you about the six pirates that we hitched a ride with. Three of them are a major cause of concern."
"The first is their buffoon Captain," Mr. 9 continued, "He may look like a country bumpkin with that straw hat… but Miss. Wednesday learned that he has Devil Fruit Powers."
"The second is their rifle-wielding Quartermaster," Miss Wednesday stated crisply, "They call him 'the Dandy Man'. He single-handedly prevented up from completing our mission. And might I add, is the most infuriating pirate that I have ever had the displeasure of meeting."
"And the third is their bossy Bosun," Mr. 9 concluded, "He's a swordsman… and he knows about our organization. He's probably told the others by now. Can we trust you to handle the situation... Mr. 8?"
"You made the right decision in bringing this to my attention," Mr. 8 replied. "Leave everything to me. Before the night is out… we'll have six more tombstones to adorn the Cactus Rocks."
An ominous air hung over the mysterious town of Whiskey Peak. The large 'cacti' that gave Cactus Island its name were merely large round boulders. The hundreds of 'needles' that adorned the sides were actually tombstones that marked the graves of numerous pirates that had met their demise in this very village.
So Sabo building a snowman on top of Zoro resulted in the swordsman being awake for the trip to Whisky Peak. Under the Bossy Boatswain's instructions, the chaos on the deck of the Going Merry that occurred in canon while the Straw Hats ran around like chickens with their heads cut off didn't happen. Zoro gave everyone designated tasks which resulted in everything being a lot more organized. Yes, I realize this caused me to cut out the funny scene where Zoro finally wakes up and comments on the passed out and exhausted crew 'slacking off'. But I'd like to think I've included enough comedy in my version of the story to make up for it.
And yes, this time it was Zoro who jumped the gun by name dropping Baroque Works. But in my version Luffy doesn't have his thirty million berri bounty so I don't think the Whiskey Peak bounty hunters would have put as much efforts into knocking out the Straw Hats... unless someone tipped them off about how potentially dangerous the Straw Hats could end up being.
Silver signing off