Thanks again, Everlight18 for the review! After I read it, I really looked this chapter over to consider your suggestion. The author of Peter Pan originally left Neverland fairly vague in description, I believe so that the reader could imagine it how they wished and because he states that Neverland is different in each child's imagination, so it will always look different. I think I'll leave it as it is for now and maybe flesh it out some more if I add a one-shot side story somewhere along the way. I'm thinking it might be fun to add little stories as the group grew, like when Luffy met Nami and when it was just Luffy and Zoro. Perhaps starting out with how it appears in their imagination and then how it changes to Luffy's view over time.


Chapter 4: Neverland

Feeling that Luffy was on his way back, Neverland had again woke into life. In his absence things are generally quiet on the island. The fairies spend an hour longer in their beds, the beasts tend to their young, the pirates feed heavily for several days and nights, and the marines leave everyone to their business. But with the coming of Luffy, who hates inactivity, they are under way again: if you put your ear to the ground now, you would hear the whole island coming to life.

On this evening the primary forces of the island were given as follows. The lost boys were out looking for Luffy, the marines were out looking for the lost boys and particularly Luffy, the pirates were out looking for the marines, and the beasts were out looking for the pirates. They were going round and round the island, but they did not meet because all were going at the same rate. All wanted blood except the boys, who liked it as a rule, but tonight were out to greet their captain.

The first to pass is Chopper, not the least brave but the most unfortunate of all that dauntless band. He had been in fewer adventures than any of them; all would be quiet, he would take the opportunity of going off to gather a few herbs for a remedy, and then when he returned the others would be mopping up the blood. It sometimes caused him to be wary of leaving the others, for fear of the battles that would ensue during his absence. He did manage to perfect some of his practices since he had an abundance of opportunities to test his ideas.

Next comes Sanji, the debonair, followed by Brook, who cuts flutes out of the trees and dances heartily to his own tunes. Brook refers to his time before becoming a lost boy as his past life, trying to teach the others proper manners and customs. Usopp is fourth; always getting caught in the middle of the trouble whether by his own doing or someone else's. Bringing up the rear are Franky who is fiddling with his latest invention and finally Zoro, who is considered the one in command when Luffy is gone away…cautiously listening to make sure they keep their pace. Honestly, Zoro was in hopes that today was the day Luffy would return from wherever he had run off to this time. The others were getting anxious and it made his life difficult to deal with them in Luffy's absence. Sanji continually starts arguments, while the others tend to drift off in their own little world's at the worst possible moments. As they continue the march, Brook begins to play a familiar tune and soon all the boys are singing along, in hopes that Luffy will hear it and join them sooner rather than later.

"Yo hohoho, yo hohoho; Yo hohoho, yo hohoho
Yo hohoho, yo hohoho; Yo hohoho, yo hohoho

Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.
Sea wind blows, to where, who knows? The waves will be our guide.
O'er across the ocean's tide. Rays of sunshine far and wide.
Birds they sing, of cheerful things, in circles passing by.

Bid farewell to weaver's town, say so long to port renowned.
Sing a song, it won't be long, before we're casting off.
Cross the gold and silver seas, a salty spray puts us at ease,
Day and night, to our delight, the voyage never ends.

Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.
Lost boys, we eternally are challenging the sea.
With the waves to rest our heads, ship beneath us as our beds,
Hoisted high upon the mast, our jolly roger flies.

Somewhere in the endless sky, stormy winds are blowing by,
Waves are dancing, evening comes, it's time to sound the drums.
But steady men, and never fear, tomorrow's skies are always clear.
So pound your feet and clap your hands 'til sunny days return.

Yo hohoho, yo hohoho; Yo hohoho, yo hohoho
Yo hohoho, yo hohoho; Yo hohoho, yo hohoho

Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.
Wave goodbye, but don't you cry, our memories remain.
Our days are but a passing dream, everlasting though they seem.
Beneath the moon we'll meet again, the wind's our lullaby.

Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.
Sing a song, and play along for all the oceans wide.
After all is said and done, you'll end up a skeleton,
So spread your tale from dawn 'til dusk upon these foamy seas.

Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…
Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…"

The boys vanish in the gloom that has settled on the island, and after a pause, come the marines on their trail. They can be heard before they are seen.

In the lead, the largest in that dark setting, marches Smoker. He walks with long strides full of meaning and promise, and instead of a right hand he has a hook. In manner, the military clung heavy around him, and it's been told that he was an immensely clever man. In dress, his attire reflecting his station as a high ranking military officer, having heard it said in some earlier period of his career that he bore a strange kinship to the ill-fated Montblanc's; and in his mouth he had a holder of his own creation which enabled him to smoke two cigars at once. But undoubtedly the ominous part of him was his claw of iron.

Such is the terrible man against whom Monkey D. Luffy is pitted. Which will win?

On the trail of the marines, stealing soundlessly down the war-path, which is not visible to inexperienced eyes, come the pirates, every one of them with their eyes peeled. The thing about Neverland pirates is, that they are all women. Hailing from Amazon Lily and all a part of the fierce Kuja tribe. They carry bows and spears, and their bodies gleam with paint and oil. Bringing up the rear, the place of greatest danger, comes Boa Hancock, standing tall, known across the island as the Snake Princess. They pass over fallen twigs without making the merest noise with the only sound to be heard, is their somewhat heavy breathing. The fact is that they are all a little fat just now after their intensive eating, but in time they will work this off. For the moment, however, it constitutes their chief danger.

The pirates disappear as they have come like shadows, and soon their place is taken by the beasts, a great and motley procession: lions, tigers, bears, and the myriad of smaller savage things that flee from them, for every kind of beast, and more particularly, all the man-eaters, live cheek by jowl on the favored island. Their tongues are hanging out, they are hungry tonight.

When they have passed the shore, a final figure emerges from the deep, a gigantic sea king.

The sea king passes, but soon the boys appear again, for the procession must continue indefinitely until one of the parties stops or changes its pace. Then quickly they will be on top of each other. Something Zoro is keenly aware of and works diligently to prevent, less Luffy scold him for his inattentiveness. None of them ever wished to be scolded by Luffy.

The first to fall out of the loop was the boys. They flung themselves down on the ground, close to their treehouse home.

"I do wish Luffy would come back," every one of them said nervously, yet all but one in height and still more in broadness they were all larger than their captain. Now understand that they feared not for their captain's safety, but for their own. The island was much darker and fierce when Luffy was gone…the games more serious and the dangers more life threatening.

"Am I the only one who is not afraid of the marines?" Usopp said, in the tone that prevented his being a general favorite; but perhaps some distant sound disturbed him, for he added hastily, "but I wish he would come back, and tell us whether he has heard anything more about Skypiea."

While they talked they heard a distant sound. At once the lost boys took off. Rabbits could not have disappeared more quickly.

With the exception of Sanji, who has darted away to look for some fruits, they are already in their home high up in the canopy, a very delightful residence. But how have they reached it, for there is no entrance to be seen. Look closely, however, and you may note that there are several large vines hanging from those tall trees. These are the access points to the home above, for which Smoker has been searching in vain these many moons. Will he find it tonight?


As the marines advanced, the quick eye of Tashigi sighted Sanji disappearing through the wood, and at once her pistol flashed out. But an iron claw gripped her shoulder.

"Captain, let go!" she cried.

Now Smoker speaks. "Put back that pistol first," he said threateningly.

"It was one of those boys you hate. I could have shot him dead."

"Aye, and the sound would have brought Boa Hancock's pirates upon us. Do you want to lose your hide?"

"Shall I go after him, Captain?" asked an apathetic Tashigi.

"Not now, Tashigi," Smoker said darkly. "He is only one, and I want to destroy all seven. Scatter and look for them."

The marines disappeared among the trees, and in a moment their Captain and Tashigi were alone and Smoker heaved a heavy sigh.

Soon Smoker began to speak. "Most of all," Smoker said passionately, "I want their leader, Monkey D. Luffy. I know he stole those boys away from their homes to bring them here. After chasing him for so long he managed to get the drop on me one time when he cut off my arm." He brandished the hook threateningly.

"Luffy flung my arm," he said, wincing, "to a sea king that happened to be passing by."

"I have often," said Tashigi, "noticed your strange avoidance of sea kings."

"Not of sea kings," Smoker corrected her, "but of that one sea king." He lowered his voice. "It liked my arm so much, Tashigi, that it has followed me ever since, from across the seas, licking its lips for the rest of me."

"In a way," said Tashigi, "it's sort of a compliment."

"I want no such compliments," Smoker barked petulantly. "I want Monkey D. Luffy, who first gave the serpent its taste for me."

He sat down on a large tree stump, and now there was a quiver in his voice. "Tashigi," he said huskily, "that sea king would have had me before this, but by a lucky chance it swallowed a clock which continues to tick-tock inside it, and so before it can reach me I hear the tick and bolt." He laughed, but in a hollow way.

"After I'm rid of Monkey D. Luffy, I'll lure that sea king into a trap and we'll eat well for a month. Then I'll be rid of both my problems and we can leave this cursed island."

He pulled on a vine to raise up from his seat, only to have a rope ladder fall upon his head. Quickly shushing Tashigi's inquiries, they were rewarded with what sounded like movement in the trees above them.

There came also children's voices, for so safe did the boys feel in their home that they were busily chattering. The marines listened grimly, they looked around them and noted the vines dangling from the trees.

"Did you hear them say Monkey D. Luffy's come home?" Tashigi whispered, fidgeting with her sword.

Smoker nodded. He stood for a long time lost in thought, and at last a curdling smile lit up his swarthy face. Tashigi had been waiting for it. "Unveil your plan, Captain," she cried eagerly.

"Return to the ship," Smoker replied slowly through his teeth, "and cook a large rich cake of a grand thickness with poisoned green sugar on it. We will leave the cake on the shore of the Mermaids' Lagoon. These boys are always swimming about there, playing with the mermaids. Surely, they will find the cake and devour it." He burst into laughter, "We will see how clever these boys really are."

Luffy was such a small boy that one tends to wonder at the man's hatred of him. True he had flung Smoker's arm to the sea king, but even this and the increased insecurity of life to which it led, owing to the sea king's persistence, hardly account for a vindictiveness so relentless and malignant. The truth is that there was something about Luffy which goaded the marine captain to obsession. It was not his courage, it was not his engaging appearance, it was not -. There is no beating about the bush, for we know quite well what it was, and have got to tell. It was Luffy's cockiness.

Tashigi had listened with growing admiration. Another sound broke in and stilled them. There was at first such an insignificant sound that a leaf might have fallen on it and smothered it, but as it came nearer it was more distinct.

Tick tock, tick tock!

Smoker stood, one foot in the air.

"The sea king!" he gasped and bounded away, followed by Tashigi.

It was indeed the sea king. It had ignored the other marines, who were returning to their base for the evening. It drifted along the shore after Smoker.


Once more the boys emerged into the open; drawn out by Sanji's excited cry.

"I have seen a marvelous thing," he cried, as they gathered round him eagerly. "A great bird. It is flying this way."

"Do you have any idea what kind of bird it is?"

"I don't know," Sanji said, awestruck, "but it looks so weary, and as it flies it moans, 'Poor Robin,'"

"Poor Robin?" the group questioned.

"I remember," said Brook instantly, "there are birds called Robins."

"Here it comes!" cried Usopp, pointing to Robin in the clouds.

Robin was now almost overhead, and they could hear her plaintive cry.

"Robin is quite a large bird, I've not seen such a bird in Neverland before," Chopper cried excitedly.

"Do you think that Luffy brought it back with him?" pondered Franky aloud.

"Well, that's how you all ended up here, so it wouldn't surprise me if he started bringing animals back too. It's been a while since we've had any newcomers," Zoro stated sounding irritated. Of course he would never admit that he appreciated the company when Luffy left for long periods of time.

"I wonder if Robins taste good?" questioned Usopp.


Obviously, the boys were proven wrong when not a bird, but a girl appeared before them...accompanied by both Luffy and Nami.

"Lost boys, this is Robin. She will be joining us now…the first lost girl," Luffy turned to Robin, who curtsied for her new family.

Shock shown on Sanji's face before he spoke, "But Luffy…girls can't be lost. They are much too clever."

Both Usopp and Chopper nodded their heads in agreement. Franky was hardly interested in this new person, seeing as she hadn't given his latest invention a second glance, while Zoro had already turned around to go back to the treehouse. He was irritated at being interrupted as he prepared for his late evening nap. Brook appeared and requested to see the girls underwear, earning him the wrath of both Nami and Sanji…as he was given strange and horrified looks by the others.

"Now, I think we know why you were really in that boat all alone," murmured Usopp.

Luffy burst into laughter and soon the whole group had joined in…the tension leaving the area and Robin feeling much more comfortable in her new home.


I hope you enjoyed the chapter. R&R Thanks!

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: July 20, 2016

WORD COUNT: 2,689