The atmosphere onboard was tense yet festive, grim faces but faces still with small smiles and grins. Bushido himself was grinning, his mind filled with nostalgia as Reverse Mountain appeared on the horizon.
"This can't be right," Nami muttered as she studied her maps, "it just can't be."
"Let me see," Bushido said, grabbing her wrist, "I might be able to help."
Nami flinched as the contact and Bushido had to force himself to keep his smile fixed. What had Zoro done to scare Nami? "It's nothing really," Nami said softly, "it's just that it looks like the entrance to the Grand Line is a mountain…"
"Ah," Bushido said," that's because it is."
"I know it's silly-wait, what?"
"Yeah," he responded, "that's Reverse Mountain."
Nami stared at him, then at the mountain growing clearer in the distance, then back at him. "Come again?"
"A canal cuts up the mountain," the swordsman explained, "you need to ride up that canal and over it to reach the Grand Line."
Bushido blinked and missed the moment Nami went from happy and content mode to mass hysteria mode. "All hands to deck!" Nami bellowed at the rest of the crew.
The rest of the crew, who had been looking at the growing mountain with awe, rushed over. "What is it, my beautiful Nami-swan?" Sanji said, "your knight in shining armour is happy to help."
"We need to get ready to start moving the boat. Sanji and Usopp, you two go to the helm and await instructions. Luffy, bring in the sails a small bit. And Zoro, you just...you just make sure nobody screws up."
The crew nodded and split up, efficiently responding to the tasks they had been given. Nami exhaled and pinched the bridge of her noise. "Can't anything go right?"
Bushido laughed. "Hey, look on the bright side."
"What bright side?"
"You might've only figured it out seconds before we hit the mountain."
That got Nami to laugh. "Yeah, that definitely would've sucked."
The Going Merry was eased into position as choppy waves raged around them and rain beat down from a black, rumbling sky. A particular large wave smashed over the hull and Bushido had to dig in his heels to stay upright, salt spray blinding him. He distantly heard Luffy's infectious laugh.
Then they had reached the base of the mountain, a moment of horror when they scraped against the side and Bushido through he had miscalculated, and they were off. Slowly at first, but Bushido knew they'd soon be flying up towards the sea of adventure.
The Grand Line.
The sound of wood scraping on wood brought his attention to the centre of the deck, Luffy had dragged a wooden barrel and placed it down with a thump. Everyone but Bushido looked at him expectantly. Bushido could only smile softly.
"To be King of the Pirates," Luffy announced as a grin threatened to split across his face, his foot slamming down on the barrel's rim.
And you were. I made sure of that, at least.
"All Blue," Sanji said simply, his well polished shoe landing beside Luffy's sandal.
And this time you will find it. I swear it.
"To draw a map of the entire world," Nami stated proudly, her high heel coming to rest on the wood.
And this time, you will. Nothing will stop you from achieving your goal. Nothing.
"T-to be a brave warrior of the sea!" Usopp proclaimed suddeningly, his boot clunking down onto the barrel.
Bravery is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it. You were always brave, Usopp. And, by the end, the entire world knew too. As they will learn this time around too.
Stepping forward, Bushido let his boot fall down amongst the others as the top of Reverse Mountain appeared. "To be the best."
To protect them
The barrel shattered under their combined weight and The Going Merry flew over the edge of the canal and, for the briefest of moments, the glittering sea was spread out as far as the eye could see. No sign of the storm they had just sailed through.
And then they were falling back down the other side, fog rolling over them. Bushido gripped Wado Ichimonji, his knuckles whitening. He would protect them.
"Hey," Luffy asked as they whizzed down the canal, " did anyone hear that?"
Bushido snapped his head towards the rubber boy. Laboon hadn't started groaning yet. "What do you mean?" Usopp asked, puzzled.
Luffy waved his hand in the direction they were heading. "That. Does anyone else hear that?"
Bushido's mouth fell open. Laboon hadn't made a sound yet. And that left only one real option.
Observation Haki.
Luffy had done it.
He laughed as Laboon's groans began to echo in the background, freaking everyone but LUffy out. "Good job," he told the confused teen, "I knew you could do it."
Usopp really should've expected it.
It made a certain amount a sense if you stopped thinking about things rationally. Of course there was a canal going up a mountain, why wouldn't there be? So, going off that skewed form of logic, it made perfect sense for there to be an iceberg-sized whale waiting at the bottom of said canal.
And, naturally, Luffy had punched it in the eye to get its attention. Naturally. When it came to the Straw Hat Pirates, the opposite of what was logical and rational was guaranteed to happen. Fact. And, logically, said whale would then eat them.
So, yeah, Usopp really should've expected it.
The maw of the great beast closed behind them, plunging Usopp's world into darkness. Luffy's angry yells instantly muffled, the loud sounds barely penetrated through the whale. "Oh hell," he heard Nami whisper beside him.
"Hey Zoro," the sniper said, "y'know that Haki stuff?"
"I know of it, yes."
"Could you use it to, like, glow?"
A bark of laughter. "Sorry, but no. What I can tell you is that we're going to pitch down this thing's throat in about five seconds."
"Bullshit," Sanji said as he, from what Usopp could tell, fumbled for a cigarette.
Usopp opened his mouth to agree with the blond cook when The Going Merry suddenly pitched forward, sending the small ship and its occupants spiralling down into the abyss.
And then all Usopp could do was scream and scream.
The afternoon (and there was a thought, what time was it? It had been night as they went up Reverse Mountain but now it was sunny?) had started out rocky. With the whole whale eating incident occurring and all that. But his day had gotten better. Oh yes, it had.
With the introduction of the seductive and mysterious Miss Wednesday, a blue-haired beauty dressed to the nines in shorts, a tanktop and a long coat. She had asked if she could accompany them until the next island and Luffy, the glorious man who would be getting plenty of extra meat serving tonight, had said yes.
And there had been some shithead in a green suit wearing a crown with the alluring lady. But he wasn't important.
What was important is that he had two beautiful swans to dote on for the rest of his days. Or, at least, until they reached this Whiskey Peak. But details, details. Forget All Blue, this was heaven.
"Hey, Sanji," Luffy called out, "I'm hungry. Make me something!"
"I'm busy," he snapped, sending a stray kick Luffy's way, "wait until dinner you shithead."
"Hey, no fighting," Nami-swan warned them, and oh how she was beautiful when she was annoyed, "you already broke one of these Log Poses earlier."
"But Nami," Luffy whined, and how dare he talk back to Nami-swan like that, "Sanji won't feed me."
"Sanji-kun," Nami-san practically purred at him, "give this airhead some food to quieten him down while I'm learning about Grand Line weather.
Hearts in his eyes, he spun away. "Of course, Nami dearest!"
"Perverted cook," Usopp stage whispered as the cook passed him.
Saji retaliated with a high kick that splintered that wall just above the sniper's head, sending wood shavings into Usopp's curly hair. "What was that?"
Usopp eep'd in fright. "I am very sorry!"
"That's what I thought." He entered the kitchen and smiled when he saw the beautiful Miss Wednesday sitting at the table with some tea. "Oh my lovely, why did you not fetch me? I would have gladly made you a refreshing drink and snack.
She smiled and the orange-haired man beside her snorted, the shithead. "No, I would not wish to inconvenience you," she murmured into her cup.
Sanji cooed at the mere thought of a sweet lady being able to inconvenience him a he grabbed a chicken leg for his dumbass captain. "Oh, my innocent sweet, you could never inconvenience little old me."
He issued her an air kiss and swept out of the small kitchen. He pranced down the steps two at a time, a goofy smile on his face. Surrounding by beautiful ladies and on the path to accomplish his dream, could anything ruin this day? A second later, he smashed into a burly chest.
Hitting the ground, Sanji glared up at the owner of said chest. Roronoa Zoro stared back, a bored expression on his dopey face. He was wearing nothing but his pants, a sweaty towel drying off his hair. "Oh, sorry," Zoro said, "didn't see you there."
Sanji sprang up with a curse. "Nudist!" He spluttered.
Zoro arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"How dare you expose yourself to the beautiful ladies?" Sanji roared at the stoic swordsman.
Zoro looked down, as if to see if he was wearing anything. "I know you're line of sight is a bit off because of your emo haircut," Zoro drawled, "but I am wearing pants."
"You can't insult my sight! You're half blind!"
Zoro shook his head in amusement. "Mocking a disabled person, how low you have fallen."
"Ha! So you admit to being disabled?"
"Ah, Zoro said, "but I can easily kick your ass, can't I? What does that say about you?"
Sanji's visible eye twitched. "I could take you."
Zoro only smiled. "I highly doubt that.
"Arlong Park begs to differ."
A flicker of emotion in Zoro's eye, gone before Sanji could . "Oh?" The voice and topic were still light but Sanji felt there was tension in the air.
"Still trying at the memory loss angle? I kicked your face in, remember?"
Zoro laughed, it felt hollow in the air. "Yeah, sorry about that."
Sanji waved his hand and moved past him, remembering Luffy's hunger. "Don't worry about it man, I overreacted to the joke."
He didn't notice the pensive look the swordsman shot him as he walked away.
"Captain Smoker," the panicked voice practically screamed in his ear, jolting him awake, "are you okay?"
He groaned in response, his spine popping as he sat up. He rubbed his eyes and spat some bloody phlegm onto the cobbled street. "I'm fine."
Tashigi looked down at him in worry, her fingers brushing over her sword sheath. "You sure? I patched you up to the best of my ability but I'm no doctor…" Tashigi trailed off as he shot her a glare.
"As must as I appreciate the help," Smoker said, glancing at his bandaged chest, "why didn't you bring me to the infirmary instead of an alleyway?"
Tashigi frowned at the admonishment. "Everything's gone to hell since the failed execution of Monkey D. Luffy and your defeat," she said, "the whole chain of command is shattered."
The Logia user cursed harshly. "How long have I been out?" He asked, looking at the edge of the sun appearing on the horizon.
"A few hours, sir."
Smoker stood up, swaying slightly as his legs called out in protest. "Fetch a ship," he barked at her, "we're heading after those pirates."
Tashigi saluted. "Yes sir!"
"And fetch me a Den Den Mushi," he called out after the retreating form.
He eyed his shattered jitte.
Marine HQ had to be informed that a no name rookie pirate had Haki.
