It was the Top hat Spade Pirates that landed first. On an island in the middle of the new world, covered in a large lush forest that reminded the two captains of their home island. With a grin and hearty meal, the crew set out to explore. Making their way through the jungle and towards the middle of the island. As they got closure to the middle they paused as they noticed, not event their directionally challenged crew member had gotten lost, all being pulled in the same direction.
"Were getting closure." Ace blurted out, pausing in confusion, unsure how he knew that.
"Just over this ridge," Sabo continued glancing at his brother/best friend, "something important is there."
Zoro tensed, pulling out one of his swords, as the rest of the crew got ready. The air suddenly becoming thick and unbearable. Ace's shoulders began to sizzle and ignite, and Sabo brought his pipe forward, clutching it protectively in front of himself, as they began their trek towards the pull more carefully.
They pushed through bushes and low branched until they fell into a clearing. A flat meadow that was the dead center of the island. Flowers bloomed, and grass was up to their knees, Chopper having jumped onto Franky's shoulders would have been covered in the flowing waves of green. Ruining the picture, in the center of the clearing was a large yellow stone that glistened and glittered in the sun. The surface seemed see through but towards the center became foggy and clear.
The hairs on their neck stood up and the crew cautiously approached the stone but could not bring themselves to touch it.
On the other shore the red-haired pirates docked and took off without a word. Shanks' expression uncharacteristically serious as he orders some of his crew behind to watch the ship as he took the other's through the forest.
Some miles away, Whitebeard's ship docked, and commanders and captain piled out and head towards the island.
A small skiff of a boat sailed up to the shore, Hank, Koala, and Ivanov tumbled out.
Peeking up from the waved a yellow sub carefully moved forward, the crew tense as they noticed no sea life swimming around the islands and their log pose mysteriously not picking up the island right in front of them.
Each turned and began their trek through the jungle. Each wondering how in such a lush, green jungle no animal seemed to live. There was no buzzing from bugs, no branched snapping from animals hopping around, and no caws or cries in the darkest parts of the island. Each crew tensed, and stomach churned. It's almost as if no life lived on the island at all.
It was the Whitebeards that were the second to reach the clearing, nearly dusk they broke out of the trees to find a stone nearly the size of a small ship. A crew, vaguely familiar from wanted posters, were gathered around, and looking at the stone as if in a trance. It was only as they got closure that they found out why they seemed so confused and concerned. Inside the clear amber stone, shining from the middle…
"LUFFY?!"
The Top Hat Spades turned their heads. Near the where the whitebeard crew stood looking on in horror, a red-haired pirate they recognized as another emperor of the sea came bolting forward with crew close behind. They ran until they were inches away from the stone, each of the men wide eyed and stricken as they ran around the stone and looked heart broken at the boy inside.
"Luffy!" The red-haired pirate screamed again, calling out to the boy that was suspended inside the stone.
"I don't think he can hear you." The surgeon of death said dryly, stepping forward from the forest with a hand full of his crew.
"SHUT UP!" The Crew screamed.
"We have to get him out of there." Shanks declared, lifting his saber to try and chisel at the stone.
"There has to be something we can do," Yassop cried out.
"I'm sure if you'd calm yourselves we could think this through." A dry voice called out and stepping through the dense jungle leaves the revolutionaries stepped out.
"Who is he to you, red hair?" Whitebeard asked curiously.
"He was a boy that I bet the next generation on, I meet him almost ten years ago."
"The kid looks like he's six, that's impossible." Ace couldn't help but comment, scowling at the powerful pirates that stood before him.
"I know. We were waiting for him to become a pirate, we made a promise… he was supposed to find me." Shank admitted, feeling his eyes sting as he looked at the little boy.
For a long moment there is silence as the pirate crew mourned for the bright little boy that clung to their pant legs and learned all their songs.
"He did."