Hunt for the South Bird!

Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.

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Night had fallen on the island of Jaya and the small house where the Saruyama Alliance lived was full of life. The Axe-Heads, the four kids who came to work with Cricket, and the Alliance filled the small house, plates and plates of food, as well as many books littered the floor. Cricket had just told them everything that he and the monkey brothers knew about Sky Island, and the pirates were very quiet, their eyes wide.

"So...let me get this straight," Axe leaned forward, "This strong as hell current, the Knock-Up Stream, bursts from the ocean, right into the sky, and if any ships get caught, they go very high up until they fall back down, right?"

Cricket nodded, "That's right, kid,"

"Alright, alright...," Axe nodded slowly, "So, a short time ago, this huge bell you read about in Norland's log book suddenly rang so loud, you could hear it from this spot, even though it was in the sky because instead of sinking into the sea, like you thought it did, this City of Gold was actually pushed into the sky by the Knock-Up Stream, and to top it off, there is a race of people living up there?"

Again, Cricket nodded, "From what we gathered after that assassin and the Straw Hat rang that bell. It's something to see giant shadows in the sky, believe me," he grabbed his drink, "So, since I've told you everything we know about Sky Island and the truth about Norland the Liar, what's your interest in all this? You never did say,"

Every one of the pirates turned to Devon and Austin. The brothers looked at one another, nodded and rose to their feet. Cricket watched as the boys removed their tops and turned around. He, the monkey brothers, and the other four kids stared at the wings on their backs.

"Y-You...," Cricket stammered, "You're just like that girl that was with Shidyk!"

"From the sound of it, yeah," Devon donned his clothes again, "But the thing is, my brother and I were born in the East Blue, and my mother, rest her soul, said we inherited these wings from our father because she didn't have a pair. If what your saying is true, and there are not only islands, but people like us living up there," he pointed to the ceiling, "Then we have got to get there, as soon as possible,"

Masira scratched his head, "You know, it's one thing to be ridiculed for dreaming and believing about the Sky Island, but it's another to get so many people come by who are actually interested in it," he turned to Shojo, "You think Karma's rewarding us for some reason?" he asked dryly.

Chizuru cleared her throat, "About this Knock-Up Stream. You said that it's pretty much the only way to get up to Sky Island, right?"

"Yeah...,"

"Not true!" Azu, who was standing just outside, pointed upward, "Check it out!"

Niri poked her head out and stared in horror as poor little Pingu slowly floated into the sky, balloons tied around his waist.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Niri whipped out her pistol and shot the balloons, making Pingu drop into her arms, "Don't worry Pingu, he won't hurt you no more...," she pointed her gun at Azu, "I got one bullet left...boy, you better run!"

Chizuru sighed as Niri came back into the house and held up the Log Pose, "From the information book of Jaya, it takes four days for the Pose to change. However, we've been here for two days now. If we really do want to get up there, we'd have to be very lucky. How often does this Knock-Up Stream occur?"

"Only a few times a month," Cricket answered, "But you're in luck, because tomorrow evening, it'll erupt,"

"Wow, so soon?"

Cricket shrugged, "It's strange, but every so often, instead of a spaced out time between bursts, the Stream does do a cluster occurrence. So, if you want to go, tomorrow's your only chance," he took out a cigarette, "But, before you go, you need to do a few things,"

Devon raised an eyebrow, "...what?"

"For one thing, that ship of yours," he shook his head, "Unless we get modify it to help it fly, you'll just come crashing back down and end up Sea King food,"

Dusty gulped, "Aw shit...,"

"Secondly, and this is very important," Cricket's voice turned to a serious tone, "You'll need a South Bird to get to where you need to go,"

Chizuru tilted her head, "South Bird?"

"I know what those are, I've heard about them! Pingu flapped his wings, No matter where they are, their heads always point south!"

Unfortunately, no one understood the poor bird. However, to Pingu's annoyance, Cricket repeated the same thing.

"Damn humans!" Pingu jumped up and smacked Dusty over the head, sending the poor fox-girl forward onto the floor, "LEARN THE TONGUE OF PENGUINS!"

"So, where are these South Birds, another island?" Niri asked the Alliance, "If we need them, we need to know where to find 'em,"

Cricket nodded and pointed to the forest through the hole in his house, "Right in there. That forest is full of South Birds, but they're not easy to catch. Those Straw Hats had one helluva time getting one,"

"Well," Axe rose to his feet and dusted his pants off, "We ain't the Straw Hats, old man, we're Axe-Heads, and believe me, we can handle it,"

"If you say so," Cricket turned to the teens, "You four! You said you wanted to work with us, huh?"

The kids nodded.

"Alright. Tonight is your first job," Cricket and the brothers stood up, "Help us prepare their ship while they're out getting that damn bird,"

-----

"Okay, so Austin's staying behind because the forest is supposedly dangerous and we don't want anything to happen to him, right?"

Niri nodded, "Right,"

"And I'm staying behind because as the shipwright, it's my job to actually do some work on the modifications, right?"

Again, she nodded, "Right, Azu,"

"One question,"

"Shoot,"

Azu grabbed Niri by the shoulders and shook her, "WHY ARE YOU LEAVING ME HERE WITH THE PSYCHO LADY?! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!"

Niri kneed him in the groin and steadied herself, "Listen, Arisa doesn't want to go in there, since she's got some issue with you, you can entertain her and maybe, just maybe, get her to do some work,"

"But I don' wanna...,"

"Too bad," Niri reached under her bed and pulled out a large case, popped it open and pulled out a long barreled rifle with a scope, a polished stock plus strap, and a box of bullets she had made earlier that day, "Now, be good boy or I'll neuter you with this from within the forest...trust me, with this, I won't miss,"

-----

"Well, looks like we're all set," Devon knelt down to his brother's eye level, "You be good, don't bother 'em, work hard, and make sure Azu doesn't get himself killed because of his pecker, alright?"

"Gotcha. Before you go, though," Austin ran to the stump nearby, reached behind it and pulled out a black object, "The girls picked this up in town earlier. Kirsty said it wards off evil spirits, but maybe you can scare the shit outta that bird while wearing it. Besides, you need something new," he explained after handing it to him.

Devon raised an eyebrow and looked down at the object, which turned out to be a folded up piece of black cloth. He unfolded it and realized it was a shirt, and on the front of it was a disturbing image of a white skull that seemed to glare out at the swordsman.

"Whoa...,"

'I like it, I like it...'

Devon took off his other shirt and replaced it with the one that he just received from his brother. He looked down and couldn't but grin as the skull stared out at the world with a single message.

Mess with me, and die!

"Thanks, kid," Devon hugged his little brother, "I love it,"

-----

"So, we just gotta find this damn South Bird, huh?" Devon asked as the group entered the forest outside of Cricket's house. With Pingu, Austin, and Azu staying behind, the eight remaining pirates of the Axe-Head crew stood in a thick patch of trees, holding four nets.

Axe turned to the others, "So, here's the plan. We split up into four groups-,"

"I'LL GO WITH DUSTY-CHAN!"

"Yeah, good DJ, thanks," Axe waved him off, "So, as I was saying, we'll split into four groups so that way we can have a better chance of bagging us a South Bird. Now, does anyone remember anything about these birds?"

"They look like the gold statue Cricket showed us," Herman replied, "Also, they make a strange call that-,"

"Chou...," a haunting sound echoed around the forest, startling the groups.

"Fifty-thousand beli says that's a South Bird,"

"We already know it is, Niri," Dusty turned to her and stared at the large gun, "Why'd you bring your rifle?" she asked, "We're supposed to catch the bird, not kill it and stuff it!"

Niri loaded her rifle and pulled it over her shoulder, "If we can wound it and not kill it, we can catch it and still use it," she explained, "So, who's going with who?"

"I'm with Dusty-chan!"

"We heard you the first time, DJ!" the others shouted, annoyed, "SO SHUT UP!"

Herman rubbed his eyestalks, "Niri does have a point. Who goes with who in the other groups?"

"I'll stick with Devon," Kirsty volunteered, walking to the First Mate's side, "Make sure he doesn't go overboard,"

Axe nodded, "I think Herman and I should be in different groups. We're pretty strong, so it's kinda unbalanced to have two strong guys and one group of people who don't have our strength," he turned to Chizuru and Niri, "Ladies, take your pick!"

"I'll go with Herman," Chizuru walked over to the merman, "So that means you and Niri are together,"

"Alrighty...," Axe nodded, "Everyone, nets in!"

The four groups clacked their nets together.

"Let's hunt!"

"AYE!"

-----

Dusty and DJ

"Oi, South Bird! C'mere, birdy birdy birdy!"

"Get out here, you stupid bird!"

Dusty and DJ looked around the area of the forest where they decided to hunt for the bird. While Dusty was given the net, DJ decided to scare out the bird. The musician looked around, "Now, if I was a bird, where would I be?"

"In a tree,"

"Well, yeah, but-,"

"DJ-kun," Dusty tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to a large tree in front of them, "Look!"

DJ turned and looked up to see a colorful bird with a large beak perched on a tree branch, "There you are you bastard!" he pointed at the bird, a triumphant smile on his face, "Found one before that baka Demon found one! Make it easy on yourself, bird-brain, and just hop into the net!"

The South Bird looked down at the two of them and the two pirates could swear it was smiling at them.

"Chou...,"

"Yep, definitely a South Bird," Dusty's ears twitched, "Now, we just gotta...," she trailed off and looked around, "Where's that sound coming from?"

"What sound, Dusty-chan?"

"You don't hear it?" Dusty kept looking around, her eyes still twitching, "Sounds like someone humming...,"

DJ frowned, "Humming?" he looked around at the trees, "Alright, Devon, step out of there and help us with this thing already! We know you're there!"

"Uh...DJ-kun, it's not Devon...," Dusty began to back away, a very nervous smile on her face, "It's not Devon at all...,"

"Then what is it?"

She pointed ahead of her, right at a large cloud of swarming bugs, "IT'S THEM, RUN FOR IT!" she screamed before taking off like a gunshot.

DJ smiled, "Oh, c'mon, they're just bugs, what can they-," he stopped when he saw the bugs cut down a thick tree with their scizors, "...oh shit!" he turned tail and broke off into a run that left a dirt trail in the air behind him. He picked up Dusty as she was running and sped through the woods. When they finally managed to lose the bug swarm, another problem came when DJ tripped a large, thick tree root, causing him and Dusty to go flying a few feet. They landed in a puddle of thick, black mud, sending bits of the goo flying onto nearby trees.

Dusty slowly raised her mud covered face and spat out the mud from her mouth, "Well...at least we lost 'em...thank god for that,"

"Yeah, you can say that again," DJ nodded, smiling under his mud mask. That smile soon disappeared because the two of them started to notice that the ground was getting higher and higher.

"Dusty-chan?"

"Yes, DJ-kun?"

"This ain't mud is it?"

"No, DJ-kun, it's not,"

Both of them looked at each other, then at the mud they were in.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH! QUICKSAND!!!"

-----

Devon and Kirsty

"Okay, now these guys are annoying!"

Kirsty sweatdropped as she watched Devon beat unusually large crickets over the head with the flat sides of Water Moon. A small pile of crickets lay nearby and the one Devon was currently beating had numerous lumps on top of it's head.

"You damn crickets think you're so big, taking me on?" Devon growled as kept bopping them over the head, "We're here to find a damn South Bird, so we don't need you assholes interrupting our hunt!"

"Devon,"

"Just a second, Kirsty," Devon conked another cricket with the hilt of his katana, "You gonna back down now, huh?"

"Devon...," Kirsty rubbed her eyes, irritated, "Leave the poor buggers alone and let's just keep looking around, because we don't have all ni-," she stopped talking and went quiet.

Devon turned to her, "Kirsty, what's wrong, you see the bird?" he looked around, "Where is it?"

"Devon...," Kirsty's voice was hushed, "There's something...on your...shoulder...,"

"On my shoulder?" Devon looked down and immediately all color drained from his face when he saw a fat, hairy spider resting just inches from his face. His eyes went wide, "SPIDER!!! GET IT THE FUCK OFF ME!"

Kirsty picked up a nearby fallen branch and batted the spider off her nakama's shoulder, "It's gone, it's gone!"

Devon checked himself over and let out a very relieved sigh, "Oh thank Odin...I cannot stand spiders...,"

"I remember that time in Alabasta when Dusty screwed with your tent with that desert spider," Kirsty nodded, "Glad I didn't see that thing," she shivered, "I don't mind spiders, but when they get to certain size and appearance, then I start freaking out,"

Devon opened his mouth to talk, but once again, he froze up when he felt something crawling along his back. Squeaking, he pointed over his shoulder and Kirsty walked around only to back away when she saw at least two other spiders crawling around his back.

"Devon...?"

"How many?" he hissed.

"Two,"

"Get...them...off...now,"

"I can try...,"

"DON'T try...just DO it,"

"Okay, okay, okay," Kirsty grabbed the tree branch again and pried one of them off. The fat spider hit the forest floor and scampered away.

"One down,"

"On the ground," Devon muttered, watching the arachnid go away, "Now, the other one?"

"Just about there-," Kirsty reached out to knock it off when something fell from above and landed on her arm. She looked down and let out an ear-piercing scream when she saw yet another tarantula on her arm. Kirsty swung the stick hard, not only crushing the spider on Devon's back, splattering it's guts on his new shirt, but she also threw the other off her arm with the momentum. As soon as that was done, Kirsty ran off, screaming bloody murder.

Now free of the spiders, Devon chased after her, "I AM GONNA KILL THAT BASTARD! HE DIDN'T SAY ANTHING ABOUT SPIDERS! I HATE THIS FOREST! I AM GONNA KILL CRIC-" Devon stopped when about a hundred large tarantulas fell from the treetops onto the both of them, "SPIDERS!!!"

-----

Chizuru and Herman

"This forest is very interesting," Chizuru looked around the woods, "Lots of bugs and spiders. So many different species of insects, living in one jungle,"

"Well, I'm glad you like the bugs, Chizuru," Herman muttered, knocking a rather large centipede into a nearby tree trunk, "How's about you help me look for the bird, I'm getting tired of whacking bugs that come our way,"

Chizuru sighed and rubbed her temple, "It's one thing to dig into someone's mind, but it's another thing to actually try and locate things on my own. Remember when I had to use Austin's Mantra to help me out in the Dead End Race?"

"Yeah,"

"Exactly," Chizuru scratched her head, "I think we actually need that kid here right now,"

"Sure, let a child come into an area like this," Herman punched a large, shelled bug into the air, "Great plan,"

A dagger whizzed by Herman and nailed another centipede on the tree behind him.

"Thanks,"

"No problem,"

"Chou...,"

Herman looked up to see a South Bird hopping around a tree branch, smiling at them. The merman frowned, "I got a bad feeling about this...that bird creeps me out,"

"You just met him,"

"That don't change a thing," Herman grabbed the net and looked at the bird, "You're mine!" he jumped into the air, net held high. Chizuru watched and turned away just as Herman hit the broad side of the tree, missing the bird completely. She peeked back to see the merman slowly slide down the tree until he hit the ground.

"Huh...," the navigator put a hand on her hip, "I did not see that coming,"

"Just shut up and get that damn bird," Herman's muffled voice growled from the tree bark, "Damn, I got splinters...,"

-----

Axe and Niri

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM

"Niri, you're supposed to wing him!"

"HE'S PISSING ME OFF!" Niri snapped, reloading her rifle as the South Bird they had found was dancing around, laughing his beak off, "I'm gonna kill you, have Herman stuff and roast you, and then I'll go after your family and do the same thing!"

Axe backed away, "Crazy...lady...,"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Niri shot a deathglare his way and the treasure hunter hid behind a tree.

"Nothing, Niri...nothing!"

-----

After a rough night in the woods, the group of pirates came out of a tree-line, out of breath, and empty-handed. DJ and Dusty were caked with mud, Kirsty was panting for air while Devon lay on the ground in a fear induced coma, Herman was wincing as Chizuru pried splinters out of him with her daggers, and Niri was gripping her rifle so tight, it shook as a large vein throbbed in her forehead.

"Any luck?" Axe asked the others.

They all shook their heads, "HELL NO!"

"Honk!"

Everyone turned and stared as Pingu came waddling out of the forest, dragging an unconscious South Bird by his feet.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Good boy, Pingu!" Niri ran up to him and hugged him close, "You just earned yourself a big fat fish! Herman, remember that!"

The chef nodded, "Y-Yeah...alright,"

Axe's eye twitched, "I thought he was staying with Cricket and Austin...when the hell did he go hunting?!"

"Captain," Chizuru smiled, "I think we should know by now that we shouldn't question how or why Pingu is able to do the things he does...life is so much easier that way,"

-----

When they got back to Cricket's house, they expected to see their ship ready to sail, or another big party waiting for them...or something good! They didn't expect to see the sight that lay before them. Cricket, the Alliance, Azu, Arisa, and even the four kids from before were laying on the ground. Bruises and blood covered them all, which made the injuries to Masira, Shojo, and Cricket even worse. Even Cricket's house was damaged far worse than before.

"What in the hell happened?!" Devon looked around, "Wait, where's Austin?!"

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Kilnorc: Oh man, what the hell happened while they were gone?! Most of the others are wounded, and to top it off, Austin's missing!? This is not good!

On the next chapter of Homeland...

Devon: Where the hell is my brother, what happened here?!

Cricket: I didn't think they'd come back again...but they took the gold and the kid.

Devon: Someone...is going to die tonight...I swear in Odin's name, someone will die tonight!

Niri: Shit! Great, we gotta deal with these asses, Marines, AND a Shichibukai's here?! SHIT!

Wrath of the Demon King

Devon:Kitetsu...tonight, you will feast on blood and souls!