Disclaimer: I Do Not Own One Piece or Axe

Chapter 40: The Sand Labyrinth

The next morning after everyone was all suited up and ready to go, Aro jumped out of the doorway, landing with a small thud. Her tail flicked and her ears twitched. "I can't wait!" She shouted, stretching in the early morning's light.

"Why are you so hyped up?" Axe asked, still licking his lips from breakfast that they were provided by the old lady inside. "And I don't get why you didn't finish what she gave you. That egg, bacon, toast, soup, turkey, and ale breakfast was great."

"I don't like to drink, can't eat turkey because it makes you sleepy, soup isn't really a morning food, and toast isn't good without peach jam. The eggs and bacon were enough for me." Aro said as she reached for her toes.

"I agree with all but the toast comment." Kit said, smiling as she came from behind Axe. "Though, the food was wonderful, I don't think I could have had another bite!"

Aro blinked and turned back to them, "Where did it go?" the other two turned and blinked, seeing the building gone. "Weird…" She looked back at the path, "Now lets go! I can't wait!"

"Again, why are you so hyped up?"

"Because, the grandma in there said that a Sand Labyrinth was next."

"Ok, it's a maze made of sand. Why are you so hyped up again?"

Aro turned to him, walking backwards while grinning, "She said that it's the most difficult part in the competition! The chances of running into the other teams is basically 2:1, the one being not seeing them."

"Ok, so… again, why are you hyped?"

"IT'S GOING TO BE FUN!" Aro finally shouted, jumping for joy.

Axe sighed, shaking his head, "You, Aro, haven't changed much at all…"

"'Course not." She turned back and stopped at a large rock gateway. "I guess this is it, Eh?"

"Guess so…"

"Wow… it doesn't look like it's made of sand."

"Um, maybe it's because the path is made of sand?" Kit suggested, pointing to the ground, "Hard to really pick up speed on that stuff."

Aro nodded, stepping on the path and frowning when she sunk slightly, "It's nothing BUT sand… hope you don't sink, Rocky."

"Ha…" Axe grumbled as he followed behind her, sinking just a bit more than Aro. They both looked at Kit, who walked up without a problem.

"Heh… I g-guess being a light weight fighter as its bonuses?"

"I'd say." Axe and Aro chimed together.

Aro started off in a march down the path. "Um, Aro?" Kit questioned, following as Axe followed her. "Um… do you know where we're going?"

"No idea."

Kit nearly stumbled into Axe when he stopped. "What do you mean, 'no idea'?" Axe questioned, his voice having the smallest hint of annoyance.

"I don't know where I'm going. She old lady said to just go where the sand directs us to."

"Um, Aro, the sand FILLS this place…" Kit pointed out.

"Yeah, so?"

"SO, it means the sand says to go EVERYWHERE!" Axe pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache start to form. "I was wrong, you've gotten stupider sense the last time we crossed paths…"

"Come on now, was that really necessary?"

"Do you two feel that?" Kit asked, stopping cold while the other two continued.

"Feel what?" Aro asked, "I just feel the sand getting into my boots is all I feel."

"Same for me, but then again, Kit is the only one of the three that has the surface of something to walk on. We're walking in it. What does it feel like?"

"Like a rumbling… Shaking… like something is moving around in the sand…" Kit hurried over to the two, grabbing Axe's arm slightly.

Axe looked around; "I don't see anything moving—HOLY CRACKERS!"

"Crackers?" Axe muttered. Even he fell silent as the walls started to move like rolling blocks, changing the path ahead of them. "I can think of a few good words to replace 'crackers' in your exclamation, but I can't say them due to the rating of this fiction."

Kit blinked, confused and decides to comment on the walls. "Is that what the old lady might have meant by 'follow the sand'?"

"I don't know…" Aro looked around, "But now we have to go left or right…"

"Righteous always go right. Losers always go left." Kit muttered and watched as Aro went right. Axe stood there. "Aren't we going to follow?"

"Why? She's back." Axe pointed behind Kit, and saw Aro running up from the entrance.

"Aro? What happened?"

"That path lead me right out of the maze and closed the wall behind me!" She was blushing, clearly mad and embarrassed, "What the hell was its problem?"

"The rumbling is back."

Axe looked at the walls, "They're not moving though…"

"Something really is moving in the sand then?" Aro asked, walking up to the two. "Well, lets not be sitting munchies and let's get going."

"I think your brain is permanently broken…" Axe muttered, heading off again with Kit still holding to his arm in a clingy-like act. Aro followed with her hands behind her head.

"Why? Cause I said munchies?"

"Yes."

"That's cold… You're not allowed to lead any more!" Aro shouted.

"And you leading us did us any good?"

"Shaddup…" She looked to the side, blushing. Kit looked down at the sand and suddenly jumped back from Axe, who mirrored her action, both getting in a fighting stance. Aro paused, blinking. "What—!" Cut off by the shifting sands, she went for her board, preparing for her shock attack. Something shot out of the sand. It was gray, sleek, with sharp teeth and a shiny underbelly. Aro dropped back as the thing passed over her. She rolled to her stomach, watching as the thing landed back in the sand and disappeared from view. "Does anyone want to tell me why everything here tries to EAT ME?!" She jumped to her feet and hurried to Axe and Kit.

"Sand sharks?" Axe mused aloud.

"Share with the rest of the school?" Aro asked, clearly shaken up.

"Sand Sharks are like normal sharks, but they survive in the sand."

"What, gills that pull in air by sucking up dirt?"

"Well, no, they have a different way of getting air. They're like worms. They eat the dirt, shoot it out of the other end, and take what they need from the dirt while they eat."

"So, we're walking on Sand Shark dung?"

"If you want to think of it that way."

"GROSS! AND IT'S IN MY BOOTS!" Aro wined.

"The walls are shifting." Kit pointed out as the walls started to roll like blocks.

"It reminds me of Guzen…" Aro muttered, quickly running down the path to the left, Axe and Kit in tow. They all stopped short at a wall and Aro turned around. "Ah hell…" She muttered, seeing the return path blocked off. With a quick look around and they all sighed.

"Trapped." Kit muttered as she sat down.

"Perfect…" Axe leaned on one of the four walls.

"We could try to climb out of here…" Aro looked at the wall. "Kit, how high can you jump?"

"High enough, why?"

"Axe?"

"You both are lighter than I am, both females who naturally have stronger legs than arms, and both practice in jumps. I can't get up there."

"With a boost?" Kit offered. Axe only raised an eyebrow.

---

"That it?" Kise asked Jane, pointing to an island as it came into view behind the front of the ship. "Promise?" Kise asked, standing up. "Ok, if you say so." He put Jane in her sheath and ran down to the Galley where Cap was cleaning the morning dishes. "Hey, Grandpa, we're there."

"It's Cap."

"That's what I said, Grandpa." Kise laughed, and ran back up the steps. Cap gave an annoyed sigh and followed, wiping his hands on his shirt.

"That kid is getting annoying."

"Even for you?" LeStine fell in step beside Cap as they walked towards the front of the ship.

"You hated him from day one." Cap said with a sigh, "I thought I could at least give him a shot. Well…"

"Give him a shot, he'll eat your sanity just like that obsession with that wrench at his."

"NO! JANE! DON'T DO IT!"

"A hell—" Cap and LeStine both muttered. A whistling filled the air and LeStine ducked down as a bladed ring flew at his head.

"WHAT THE—OW! KISE!" Ezerial came out of his room on deck; a thin cut perfectly placed on his cheek.

"JANE DID IT!"

"IT'S JUST A WRENCH!"

"NO JANE! DON'T DO—" Ezerial bolted back to his room at the comment. From in the room, there was a loud thud, some clattering, and suddenly a painful shout.

"KISE! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY ROOM!"

"JANE DID IT! I SWEAR!"

"… Fun as always?" Guzen asked, climbing down from the crow's nest. Cap grinned at Guzen as the three approached the front where Kise waited for them without Jane near. "Where is Jane, Kise?"

"I told her not to, but she insisted on showing Mr. Spooks that she was real."

LeStine and Cap glanced at each other, "Um, back to business."

"I like busyness!" Kise said, grinning at them.

"Right…" LeStine pointed behind him, "Kise, I think I hear Jane calling for your help from in Ezerial's room."

"JANE!" Kise ran off without a moment's of hesitation, "I'M COMING, JANIE! JUST HANG ON!"

"Freak…" LeStine muttered.

"Anyway, is that the island that Aro's on?" Cap looked at Guzen, watching him.

"Yes. Fate says that he's there with the Gemini and an Axe."

"Ok… Gemini has to be Kit and Kat…" LeStine commented.

"Maybe the Axe is actually Axe?" Cap added.

"Think she's fighting the three?"

"Knowing Aro, she's getting by with her cocky bravery." Guzen muttered, looking at the island. "Death does hang heavily over the island though. As if there is a mass murder going on…"

LeStine and Cap looked at one another, both unsure of what to say.