THE CHILDREN Set Sail!
Disclaimer: One Piece and Zettai Karen Children are someone else's property to claim. It is certainly not mine!
Leaving off from the last chapter, the Children are still gawking at Conis' choice of word before.
'G-God!?' Shiho frown in thought, '…Once upon a time, I would have laughed at the idea that someone would still utter God so seriously, but…'
'…Then again,' Aoi hummed in thought, having thought along the same line as Shiho, 'the fact we are here on this fantasy-like island is already bizarre as it is—or rather, us three being in this world is strange enough as it is—so maybe this God really does exist…'
'…If God really exist here,' Kaoru thought as she looked down at her hands, 'our Esper Power may not be all that useful against something like that; best to careful for once-…'
"God lives there!?" Luffy exclaimed, jolting the three out of their thoughts, "And he's in the place that no one is ever allow to set foot in!?"
Conis nodded in affirmation, though her face betrays any hint of pride. "It is 'God Land', and it is ruled by the Almighty God Enel…"
"The Almighty God Enel, eh?" Kaoru repeated, committing the name to memory, before noticing Luffy's enthusiastic expression (with several glitters illuminating off his eyes), "…Ah-!"
"Oi, Luffy!" Usopp, who had also notice Luffy's expression, hollered as he grip Luffy by the collar in worry, "W-What were you thinking just now!?"
"Yeah!" Aoi added as she continuously dope slap Luffy head, "You heard what she just said, right!?"
"When she says 'No one is ever allow to set foot in'," Shiho joined, "it means 'no one can go in', understand!?"
"I see~~!" Luffy grinned, despite the three's caution, "There's a place that nobody may enter~? … … …A place that nobody may enter, huh~?"
At that moment, as she watches Luffy absentmindedly chew away at his food, Kaoru had a thought. She's not a Telepath or Psychometrist, but she knew that every one of the crewmember of the Straw Hat Pirates in the room are thinking the same think she is: "He's going for sure…"
Despite that thinking, Kaoru dug through her thoughts to find something positive. "… …! Wait! Even though it's forbidden, wouldn't God forgive us anyway?"
Conis sweat dropped. "U-Uh…But breaking the rule set by God is disrespecting God…"
"Ugh-! R-Right…"
"I see," Luffy nodded, "…Oh well, it doesn't matter…"
'…He'll go even though he knows he won't be forgiven, huh?' the Children couldn't help but sweat drop after hearing Luffy's carefree response.
Hoping to take Luffy's mind off the subject, Shiho dug through her thoughts before remembering how they got into this conversation. "A-Ah~! That's right, should we not go and find Nami already~?"
"Hmm? …Oh yeah! Let's go find Nami!" Luffy thumped his palm before immediately going back to eating, "Oh! But first, let me finish eating…"
"Nami as an afterthought!?" Shiho comically round-kicked Luffy in the face.
"What if something happens to Nami while you're wasting time here!?" Sanji added, "Put it down! We'll be back soon enough!"
"…Actually," Conis intervened in worry, "we don't know for sure if she really went there, so please don't act recklessly. If we anger God Enel, this will become very problematic…"
"…By the way, you mention before that you have a broken Waver," Pagaya suddenly noted, "If it's not too much trouble, please let me look at it. I will repair it if I can…"
"Eh?" Shiho blinked, "You can do that?"
"Yes," Conis answered, "As it happens to be, my father is a Dial Boat Engineer…"
"Really," Luffy and Kaoru cheered, "Thanks a bunch!"
"…You two forgot about Nami, didn't you?" Aoi sweat dropped.
"…Well, it's keeping Luffy distract from you-know-what at least," Shiho shrugged.
"Hey~!" Kaoru suddenly called from outside; she was already making her way back to the beach with Luffy, "What's taking you so long back there~? Hurry up~~!"
"What the-!?" Sanji did a double take as he looked between the place they were at before (which was right next to him) and the place they are now at, "When did they left!?"
"In a blink of an eye for that matter," Shiho sweat dropped.
"O-Oi~~!" Aoi called as everyone rushed to get out of the house and chase after the two, "Wait for us~~~!"
"My word, this is really old!" Pagaya commented in shock as he inspects the Straw Hats' broken Waver on the beach.
"Can you fix it?" Kaoru wondered as Luffy stared eagerly.
"I honestly don't know. I cannot give you an answer until I open it up…"
"Well I hope it can be fixes…"
"Yeah, I want to ride it!" Luffy declared.
"Not that you could even ride it~!"
"…! Meanie~!" Luffy comically drooped.
"Oi~, Kaoru, Luffy," Aoi called as she teleport right in front of the two, "Everyone is ready to search for Nami…"
"Let's get aboard and leave the possible fixing of the Waver to Pagaya," Shiho added.
"Good idea," Kaoru nodded before noticing that Luffy was glancing off, "…? What's up, Luffy?"
"…Who are those guys?" Luffy pointed ahead, causing everyone to look at what caught Luffy's attention.
A few feet from them was a group of people wearing light-purple T-shirts, blue with white cloud-shaped pots wide trousers, black boots, and white berets with letters "WB" on them. The leading figure has a light-blue coat and a scar on his face.
In other words, they look like military men…and apparently acting like ones too since they were doing military crawling to get closer to them.
"…What…am I looking at?" Aoi managed as she adjusted her glasses, unable to decide whether to be bewildered or stump at the "obvious" military soldiers trying to act like they're sneaking.
"…Hmm~~~," Shiho stroke her chin in consideration before answering, "…Um…idiots?"
"…Hey," Kaoru called to the soldiers tiredly, "We can see you~! You might as well get up~!"
Hearing her words, the leading figure froze before getting up. "Squad, Halt~!"
With that, the rest of the soldiers stood up in attention before saluting (or at least what the Children presume to be saluting) to Pagaya and Conis.
"Heso!" the leader greeted.
"Heso!" Conis and Pagaya greeted back.
"Why do you keep saying 'bellybutton'!?" Kaoru comically gawked.
"Yeah!" Luffy added in the same manner, "Can't you just 'hello' like normal people!?"
As if not hearing their complaints, the leader went on now addressing them. "I am Captain McKinley of the White Berets! Are you the citizens of the Blue Sea!? The twelve illegal trespassers!?"
"…! EH~~~!?" Conis and Pagaya exclaimed in startle, "I-Illegal Trespassers~~!?"
"…Huh?" Luffy and Kaoru mouthed together in confusion, "What's that?"
"There's no point in denying it," McKinley announced as he held up several pictures, "We already received this from the watcher of Heaven's Gate, Amazon. These picture taken with a Vision Dial!"
"…!? That's us!?" Aoi managed after examining the photo.
"This can't be!" Pagaya exclaimed, "It's not possible! There must be some mistake, Captain McKinley! They're not bad guys!"
"…Could it be that we end up as illegal trespassers because of the 1 Billion Extol fee?" Shiho hummed in thought.
"That can't be right!" Aoi exclaimed, "The old lady said we could pass!"
"Please stop making excuses; just admit your guilt!" McKinley informed, "There's no need to panic though. According to Heaven's judgment, illegal trespassing is only a Class-11 crime. After serving the punishment, you will immediately become regular tourists…"
"You should have said that earlier!" Sanji, who was listening in from aboard the ship with the rest of the crew, grumbled, "I don't like it but what's the punishment?"
"It's very simple. Just pay a fine that is 10 times the entry fee! Each person is now 10 Billion Extols. This means for twelve people, it is now 120 Billion Extols! Pay now and your criminal status will be erased immediately!"
"…! W-What!?" The Children exclaimed, "120 Billion Extol!?"
"…H-How much is that in Beli!?" Usopp managed in worry.
"Beli…That's the currency of the Blue Sea, isn't it?" McKinley pondered.
"It is," Shiho hurryingly nodded.
"In Beli…10 Thousand Extol is 1 Beli…"
"… …Which means how much?" Kaoru blinked in confusion.
Shiho sweat dropped before answering hesitantly. "120 Billion Extol would mean 12 Million Beli…"
"T-Twelve Million~~!?" Aoi and Kaoru exclaimed.
"That's way too much!" Sanji cried out in shock onboard, "With that much money I could buy tons of rice!"
"Why are you using rice as a comparison!?" Aoi comically fainted.
"We risked our lives to get here!" Kaoru exclaimed, "Why do we have to pay that much money!?"
"If you had paid the entrance fee in the beginning," McKinley huff unimpressed, "it would have been 1.2 Million Beli…"
"That's STILL a lot!"
"…Hey~," Sanji called out to Luffy and the Children, "Forget it; just ignore them. Let's go find Nami-san. She may be lost somewhere and crying right now~!"
"Uh, Sanji," Shiho sweat dropped, "She's the navigator; there's no way she'd get lost. And even if she is, she would be raging, not crying…"
Aoi and Kaoru nodded in agreement.
"This is only a warning," McKinley began again, "but we are the White Berets, the direct servants of the High Priests. If you continue to deny your guilt, your criminal status will become worse!"
"We're not trying to deny our crime," Aoi sighed, "We didn't even know we committed a crime…"
"Also," McKinley pointed to the wreckage of the Waver, "That Waver looks broken! If you broke it, then it's a Class-10 Crime. The one about citizens of the Blue Sea breaking Sky Island property…"
"No, no, no," Pagaya suddenly intervene on their behalf, "I'm sorry. This was theirs to begin with…"
"Yeah, it's mine!" Luffy declared.
"Theirs?" McKinley frowned in suspicion, "That's strange. There shouldn't be any Wavers on the Blue Sea…"
"Well, it just so happen it was down there when we found it!" Kaoru argued.
"If this is stolen from Sky Island, it's a Class-9 crime-…"
"Just how many crimes are you trying to put on our heads!?"
"I'm going to kick your ass-!" Luffy began before another voice called out.
"Please wait~~~!" A person on a Waver yelled as she approach the shore; it was Nami.
"AH~~~!" Sanji comically swoon upon seeing Nami, "Nami-swan~~~, you're safe~~~!"
"Luffy~~~! Don't oppose those men~~~!"
"Eh!?" Kaoru and Luffy frowned, "But these guys-!"
"Don't oppose them?" Usopp responded from the ship, "Hey Nami~! Can we afford to pay an entry fee of 12 Million Beli!?"
"Oh~! That's good! So we can still just pay the fee-… …12 Million Beli?" Nami managed before speed up the Waver and angrily crashing it into McKinley's face, "THAT'S WAY TOO DAMN EXPENSIVE~~~!"
"GAH-!?" McKinley managed before flying off and crashing in distant away.
"Captain~~~!?" The soldiers exclaimed as they gather around their downed leader.
"…Oi, Oi, Oi~!" Zoro, Usopp, and the Children comically backslap the air with a sweat drop.
"…Ah-!" Nami jolted in shock, realizing what she just done, "Crap! Because of their ridiculous high fine, I lost it-!"
"LIKE AN EXCUSE CAN HELP YOU NOW!" The Children shouted in rage.
"Hey Mister," Nami suddenly turn to Pagaya, presenting the Sky Waver, "Thanks for letting me use the Waver. It was very fun!"
"…! Was it really?" Kaoru's eyes sparkle.
"Yeah, it's a little difficult to handle but unless you're as dense as Luffy I'm sure just about anyone can ride it…"
"Then Kaoru has no hope," Aoi shrugged knowingly, "she's been acting a lot like Luffy recently…"
"Hey!" Kaoru pouted.
"But then, Kaoru doesn't need it," Nami pointed out, "she can fly…"
"…Oh yeah-!"
"Uh, HELLO~!?" Aoi dope slapped the three, "We as in a middle of a crisis here~!"
"Yes," Pagaya managed as well, "You are all in big trouble!"
"Right~~!" Nami sweated nervously before racing back, dragging Luffy by his arm, "Let's run now, Luffy! You three as well!"
"Ah-! Don't run off by yourself!" Kaoru exclaimed as she and her childhood friends race to keep up.
"What! Why!?" Luffy meanwhile hollered, "Didn't you already attack them!?"
"If we mess with 'God', it'll be a real pain!" Nami exclaimed, "Besides, that was just an accident-!"
"HOLD IT~~!" A loud voice boomed from behind, stopping the Children and Luffy in their tracks (Nami kept on going thus only stretching out her captain's hand). They turn to see McKinley steadily rising to his feet with a bloody nose and an angry face.
"…I don't think he agrees it was 'just an accident'," Kaoru sweat dropped after seeing McKinley's condition.
"…What I want to question is after that accident, why did he only come out with a nosebleed?" Shiho noted.
"People here in this world must really be resilient-…"
"Who cares about that at the moment!?" Aoi dope slapped her comrades.
"There's no escape!" McKinley muttered, "Not only were you impolite to us-…"
"Uh, you are the one being impolite to us," Shiho frowned.
"Don't interrupt him!" Aoi dope slapped Shiho, "You're making matters worse-!"
"-her action hindered a Public Official, which is a Class-5 crime!" McKinley continued as if no one made a comment.
"Why not Class-1 while you're at it-?" Kaoru frowned angrily, fed up with McKinley's unreasonable accusation.
"Kaoru~~~!" Aoi dope slapped Kaoru.
"With the power invested in me God Enel," McKinley suddenly declared, "I sentence you all to Cloud Drifting~~!"
"…! C-Cloud Drifting!?" Conis exclaimed in horror, "T-This can't be!"
"What's that?" Luffy asked enthusiastically, "Cloud Drifting sounds comfortable~!"
"It's not good at all! It means putting you and your ship on a piece of cloud so you will in the sky until you die!"
"… …In other words," Kaoru sweated nervously; even she could connect the dots of the situation, "it's a DEATH PENALTY!?"
"I see," Robin hummed in thought, "No wonder ships would fall from the empty sky…"
"Huh?" Usopp hummed in confusion.
"The Galleon that fell from the sky the other day. It must have received the same sentence 200 years ago…"
At the mention of the Galleon, Usopp and the Children quickly had the various images of event that took place less not so long ago…about the giant fall ship, skeletons, and evidence of a panic attack that struck the crew that was on the ship.
"T-That will definitely explain what had happen to the crew," Shiho managed, "Any crew would have self-destruct in that kind of situation…"
"…So," Usopp gawked in terror, "W-W-We'll end up l-l-like that t-too~!?"
"No way, Jose!" Aoi exclaimed in denial, "I'm too young for that~~!"
"Arrest them~~~!" McKinley ordered as his soldiers ready their bow and arrows.
"…! Run!" Conis warned, "You can't beat them-!"
"Don't say that, Miss," McKinley glared at Conis, causing her to freeze, "You sound like you're trying to help the criminals-!"
"SCREW YOU~~~!" Kaoru suddenly threw a Conache into McKinley's face hard, "Don't go threating Conis~~~!"
"…Looks like we're not getting out of this without a fight after all," Aoi sighed as warped her two katanas (which had remain in the ship) into her hands.
Shiho huffed as she flexed her leg in anticipation. "Like we're going to obediently let them take us…"
Zoro and Sanji also ready themselves as the soldiers finally launched their arrows at them.
"Milky Arrow~~~!" The soldiers called.
Kaoru would have comically stumbled at their attacks' name had it not been for what she witness next. Upon being launch from the bows, the arrows release a trail of clouds behind them.
"…!? Nami, you're in the way; get back to the ship!" Seeing that, Luffy promptly shoved Nami out of harm's way before dodging the arrows.
Despite that, the cloud streams didn't disperse. In fact, after giving a confident grin, the soldiers reveal their skate like boots and began speeding on them before the Children's very eyes.
"What the-!?" Aoi exclaimed, having dodge her share of arrows only to see some of the soldiers skating towards them on the cloud streams.
"Oh~~!" Kaoru awed before jetting high above her attackers with her psychic powers, "They got some interesting stuff~!"
"They sure do~!" Luffy glee as he too escape above his attackers using his stretched arm to use a nearby tree to catapult.
"EH~!?" Conis gasped as she eyed Kaoru and Luffy in the air, "His arm stretched…and she's floating in midair!?"
"…You don't say," Aoi, instead of trying to escape, ready herself in a stance.
"Interesting~!" Shiho commented as she expertly bent herself back to dodge the soldiers attacks, "I think that Guerilla use something like this too~! I want one now~!"
"…!? Could it be-!?" McKinley exclaimed upon realization.
"Gum-Gum~~…!" Luffy declared as he spins around rapidly, stretches and wraps himself in his own arms and legs like a rubber ball.
"Psychic~~…!" Kaoru's right fist glowed bright red with power.
"Duo-Sword-Style!" Aoi crossed her two swords as Shiho preform a handstand.
"Fireworks~~~!" Luffy unwrapped himself, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks in every direction, with the White Berets Soldiers as the exclusive victims.
"Iron~~ Hammer~~~!" Kaoru slammed her glowing fist downward, causing a number of soldiers beyond Luffy's attack to get smash into the ground as if being hit by an invisible Warhammer.
"Goddess Slash~~!" Aoi slashed at her attackers in a similar manner to Zoro's "Demon Slash" attack, sending the soldiers flying with cut wounds.
"Buzz-Saw Rib Cutter~~!" Shiho spun herself while still doing a handstand. With her parted legs, her attackers were struck hard in the ribs and were sent flying away.
By the time all four were done, every member of the White Berets was taken out.
"…Looks like we didn't need to do anything this time around," Sanji smirked, admiring the Children's skills.
"…By the way, Nami," Zoro noted as he ease his grip on his weapons, "How much money do we have on board now?"
Nami, dazed at first since the battle ended so quickly despite Sanji and Zoro not participating, did some mental calculation before sighing. "50,000 Belis…"
"…!? 50,000!?" Aoi stumbled after sheathing her twin swords, "That's it!?"
"Regardless," Shiho sweat dropped, dusting herself off, "that means there is so much we can't buy, from the One Whistle to the entrance pass…"
"Why are we so poor!?" Kaoru gawked.
"Yeah!" Luffy exclaimed in anger, "I'm the captain, so I'll say something…You guys should think about how you spend our money!"
"IT ALL GOES TOWARDS FEEDING YOU~~~!" Everyone aside from the Children exclaimed in retaliation, to which Luffy gawked in genuine shock, "WHY ARE YOU SO SHOCK!?"
"…Good," Usopp suddenly noted as he stared at the downed White Berets, "My 'Formation B' battle plan worked perfectly just now…"
"What-!? Really!?" Chopper exclaimed in amazement.
"Hey you!" Shiho called, "Don't go taking advantage of the situation and claim the credit as your own!"
"…Y-You all defeated the White Berets," Pagaya managed in startle.
"…? Is it really that surprising to you?" Kaoru wondered, noticing Pagaya and Conis' shocked face.
"Well," Conis managed, "Citizens of the Blue Sea usually have problem fighting here…"
"Ah~!" Aoi hummed in understanding, "That was true in the beginning…"
"Isn't it because we just weren't ready?" Kaoru noted, "I mean, I feel completely fine now compare to when we first got here…"
"I suppose…"
"…You fools," McKinley, who managed to regain conscience, mocked, catching everyone's attention, "It would have been fine if you had done as I said. We, the White Berets, are the nicest law enforcers in Skypiea…they, on the other hand, won't be so forgiving!"
"…Oi~!" Shiho sweat dropped, "That sounds so much like a typical cheesy bad-guy line, sprouting stuff like 'we were just weakest of the enemy, there are stronger ones still'…"
"With this," McKinley continued, ignoring Shiho's comment, "you have become Class-2 Criminals. No matter how much you cry or scream…the Priests of 'Upper Yard' will PERSONALLY judge you~~! HESO~~!"
"…Shut up~!" The Children drop kicked McKinley in the face, sending him flying away.
Everyone else sweat dropped.
"…What was that for?" Zoro wondered.
"Well," Aoi sighed, "He was already being unreasonable then he went on trying rubbing salt on our wounds…"
"I didn't like how he was 'laughing at our predicament' with such a stuck up face," Shiho reasoned her actions.
"I was ticked off because he ended with 'Heso' as if it meant something," Kaoru explained, "I still don't know what that means…"
Sanji sweat dropped. "…Only Kaoru's made no sense…"
Luffy meanwhile nodded knowingly. "I totally get it, Kaoru…"
"GET WHAT!?"
Normama: "Sorry this chapter is short compare to the other chapters. Also, I have an important announcement!"
The Children: "What is it!?"
Normama (sadly frown): "I'm declaring a long halt on updating ALL my fanfic!"
The Children (gawking in shock): "EEEEHHH~~~!? WHY~~!?"
Normama: "I'm going to be VERY busy in the coming months. I've decided to focus on that until the end…"
The Children (sadly sulk): "N-N-No way~~~!"
Normama: "Sorry. But will start up again by May. So until then, please be patience Children and readers alike! Sorry for the inconvenience~!"