Updated: 10/25/16

Chapter 15: Flying

At last the Thousand Sunny emerged from Sea Breeze's hidden tunnel, once again sailing along the majestic Grand Line to advance in the journey of locating the legendary One Piece.

Unfortunately, the Straw Hats have never had it easy.

"ATTACK!"

A colossal cannonball smashed into the water alongside the Sunny, creating a vast splash that nearly enveloped the vessel's deck. Brook's music came to a sharp halt as he and the other Straw Hats almost toppled over from the strong current that smacked against the ship's topside.

"What the hell?!" Sanji exclaimed as he latched onto a nearby railing. He glowered when he saw an immense Marine ship directly facing them with a familiar aged man positioned at the bow.

"Gramps! Yo!" Luffy jovially hollered as he waved his arms above his head. The rest of the crew observed in exasperation as they realized their attacker was none other than their captain's grandfather, Admiral Garp.

Garp mischievously smirked. "I should've known I'd run into you again, you dumbass of a grandson!"

Liara analyzed the two men, absolutely confused as to why Garp was trying to attack his own grandson. Her confusion was apparently evident, as Nami suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder while shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "It's better not to ask."

Zoro settled himself adjacently to Luffy with his brawny arms crossed over his chest. "Oi, Luffy, we don't have time for this crap. Let's go before that bastard ruins our ship."

Garp raised a stern finger and pointed forward. "Don't you dare le- Zzzzzz." Just like that, Garp's head tilted backwards and boisterous snores emanated from his mouth. His crew ogled him in disbelief, awestruck over how he could promptly fall asleep in the middle of a conversation.

Luffy was no better, as he himself had dozed off with a trail of drool gliding down his chain.

Robin chuckled while Nami trudged forward and solidly whacked the back of Luffy's head. It hardly had an impact though, as he only briefly grunted and wobbled before he fell face first onto the floor.

"Yo-ho-ho-ho! Our captain sure can nap!" Brook declared in amusement. Usopp and Chopper shook their heads at Luffy's performance, already well-accustomed to his quirky behavior.

Franky lowered his sunglasses over his eyes and shrewdly grinned. "Hold on to something; we're gonna blast off!" He rapidly rotated the steering wheel around so that the front of the ship was no longer facing Garp as he prepared for their launch.

Usopp seized Luffy and hoisted him over his shoulder before scrambling over to the side of the ship and clenching onto a guard rail. Franky sprinted away from the wheel and descended below deck, leaving behind a very puzzled Liara.

"What's happening?" she questioned, bewildered about what "blast off" could possibly entail.

"Just grab onto something!" Nami instructed after she positioned herself against the railing between Chopper and Usopp. Liara was still rather clueless about what was taking place. but she followed Nami's orders and dashed to the opposite railing, where Brook had already secured himself with his lanky arms. Liara decided to follow his lead, anxiously waiting for what was about to occur.

The ship suddenly began to vibrate as the sound of an engine rumbled from beneath the ship. By this time, Luffy had woken up and was grinning excitedly when he realized what was happening.

"COUP DE BURST!"

Sunny charged ahead with a sudden surge. Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy all cheered wildly while Brook laughed. Liara squeaked at the suddenness of the movement that had her almost plunging backward, her arms bracing themselves around the rail with an even sturdier hold.

The ship's bow elevated into an ascension, and in a matter of seconds the rest of the ship followed.

Liara's eyes widened at the fact that she was on an actual flying ship. She glanced backwards and noted how Garp's vessel had expeditiously shrunken in size until is was no longer visible. Not only did they have the advantage of being airborne, but they also were proceeding at a remarkably accelerated pace. She was thankful she had put her hair up, otherwise it would be smacking both her and Brook in the face.

An ivory bird the size of an eagle soared nimbly beside the ship, with the scarlet tips of its wings so near that all Liara had to do was extend out her arm and she could graze her fingertips over its feathers. Behind were several other birds of the same flock who loyally pursued their leader.

"Ahh, it seems the Harlens are having a splendid flight today!" Brook loudly observed, his skull facing their direction. Liara beamed and watched as the fleet mightily flapped their wings before gliding past the Sunny.

The view was breathtaking. The world below was nothing more than an expanse field of cerulean, and the encompassing sky possessed only a few white clouds that seemed like nothing more than simple brush strokes on an azure palette. Liara would've cherished the opportunity to spend hours hovering around in the sky, painting the sights that only a few had ever had the privilege to witness.

Unfortunately, the aerial cruise sustained its elevation for only about a minute before it commenced into a hasty decline towards the Grand Line. The ocean approached at such an agile pace that she sensed her feet lifting off the weather deck, bringing about a surge of panic over the possibility that she could very well end up breaking away from her crew.

Her trepidation vanished as a black-clothed arm snaked around her waist, gently pinning her back against the railing. She peered up in surprise and noticed Brook nodding his head, assuring her that he wouldn't let her fly off. She smiled in gratitude before turning back around to conceal her blush.

The ship smoothly settled back onto the ocean, which welcomed the Straw Hats with a hefty splash. For a moment the Sunny swayed restlessly, but then the waves died down and the rocking rhythm stopped.

"Pretty cool, right Liara sis?" Franky surfaced from the hull, grinning proudly at the technique he'd invented.

"Do it againnnnnn!" Luffy happily urged on while Nami shook her head in disapproval.

"We can't, Luffy. You know doing that requires three barrels of Cola. Besides, we're safely away from the Marines now." She neglected Luffy's pout and ambled towards Liara to make sure she had sufficiently handled the flight. She gridlocked her movement when she eyed Brook's arm wrapped around the brunette, a sly grin spreading over her face as she placed a hand on her hip. She'd noticed that Liara had developed a bond with Brook rather easily, but never would she have imagined seeing what was being displayed in front of her right now. "Well, don't you two look cozy!" she teased with a wink.

The pair gazed down before hurriedly springing away from each other.

"Oh, uh, thank you Brook for not allowing me to fly off." Liara gratefully acknowledged as she attempted to fix her hair back up as a way to distract herself. She avoided all eye contact so her skin wouldn't pinken any more than it already had.

Brook put his hands up and shook his head. "Uh, no problem, madame! Was happy to help." He pressed his teeth together and began whistling before he marched off like a soldier. The Navigator quietly chortled and proceeded towards the stairs, where Robin had perched herself during the flight. The ladies exchanged a knowing look as they inaugurated their stroll to the library, both with a smile evident on their face.

Franky was befuddled as he scrutinized their behavior with a raised brow from his post at the wheel. "What are you two so happy for?"

Robin paused and tauntingly beamed at him. "No need to concern yourself, Mr. Shipwright. I just have a feeling that something interesting is about to happen is all." Nami giggled as they closed the door behind them, abandoning the clueless cyborg.

"Chicks are weird," he muttered.