Chapter Ten: Preparations

**Countdown: Two months, 24 days left**

Sokka was fast asleep when he felt something bump him. At first, he only mumbled in his sleep and shifted to a more comfortable position. He was then rudely awakened by someone kicking him hard enough to knock him to the floor. Sokka tumbled across the floor, before he stopped. He didn't move at first due to his annoyance and the slight pain that throbbed in various parts of his body. He sat up quickly to confront whoever it was that had rudely awoken him.

He stared with an annoyed expression at the scene before him: He had apparently somehow been kicked from his bed by Sanji, who was tossing and turning in his sleep mumbling,

"Stupid Marimo,"

"You're an idiot, Ero-cook… (snore)" Zoro replied… in his sleep.

"Oi, Sanji…" Luffy mumbled, "I'm hungry… feed me…"

"You just ate…"

"Luffy… save some for the rest of us…" Usopp mumbled.

These people were crazy… arguing and fighting in their sleep, seriously. Nature was calling, so Sokka went to take care of that morning routine. When he came back, he noticed that Zoro had actually pulled out one of his swords and was sort of just swinging it in the air. Okay, these people were really crazy. Sokka, who prided himself on being able to sleep through almost anything, even Aang's snoring and the through the others' crazy bending practices, could not sleep through two people who insisted on fighting with each other, no matter what they were doing. It seemed dangerous to try to go back to bed, so Sokka stretched and yawned, and gave the cook and the swordsman one last annoyed look before leaving.

The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon as Sokka went out on the deck on his way to the kitchen to find something to eat. Hopefully he could find something that wasn't under lock and key. He saw Law sitting out on the deck, and at first wondered if Law ever got any sleep at all. That would probably explain the bags under his eyes. But it became obvious that he was asleep due to the steady rise and fall of his shoulders.

"You did the smart thing and slept out here…" Sokka said to no one in particular. He admittedly felt some pity for Law, who it seemed, had resorted to sleeping outside to avoid being involved with the other Pirates' sleeping shenanigans. Sokka continued on his quest for the kitchen, and when he got there was relieved to see that a small bowl of fruit was available. It wasn't meat, but Sokka figured that could wait until Sanji woke up to prepare breakfast.

It wasn't until the first hint of light began to shine through the windows and across the deck that Sokka heard people waking up and moving about the ship. Sanji stretched and yawned as he entered the kitchen, as he said, "Good morning, Sokka…"

Sanji then fully registered that Sokka was there, and asked, "Why are you up so early?"

"I was rudely awoken by someone kicking me." Sokka said pointedly to Sanji. "Seriously, I had no idea that people could have an argument in their sleep. This was the third time this week I've woken up to arguing."

"What are you talking about?" Sanji asked. "And seriously, why are you up so early?"

"Never mind…" Sokka replied. It seemed that the cook either had no idea that he argued with the others while asleep, or he didn't understand what Sokka was trying to get at.

The kitchen was soon filled by the others slowly coming in and saying the routine morning greetings. Katara started to set the table while Zuko offered to make tea.

"I was trained by the best," Zuko said, obviously thinking of Uncle Iroh.

"Yeah, sure," Sanji said as he prepared a large pan of eggs. He motioned with a nod of his head behind him, "The tea is in that cabinet there."

Zuko began to boil the water just like Uncle Iroh had showed him.

"You see, Prince Zuko… there is a secret art to even boiling the water," Uncle Iroh said, watching the boiling pot carefully. "Most people think that you steep the tea right away, but the water has to be just right. It can't be too hot or not hot enough. And depending on the type of tea, you must let it steep for just a few minutes, or just a bit longer. Some types of tea are so delicate and full of flavor that if you let it steep for too long, it will be bitter and undrinkable. It requires love and patience in order to be at its best."

Zuko gave his uncle a small smile, "It's just tea, Uncle. It's not like tea dictates our lives or anything."

Iroh looked at his nephew and said in a mock scolding tone, "Have I taught you nothing, Nephew? Tea is like life in so many ways, you know. Don't ever forget that. It's an art, like poetry!"

Zuko half smiled at the memory, but he focused on what he was doing. Once the water was boiled to just the right temperature, Zuko poured the tea making sure that it steeped for just the right amount of time. Zuko could tell the tea was done just right by the color and the smell, so he served those sitting at the table.

"This is delicious, Flame-kun," Robin said, looking up at Zuko from where she sat with her classic smile.

"Zuko-san, this is a tremendous delight," Brook declared. "My tongue has never tasted such a wonderful flavor… Oh, but I don't have a tongue! Yohohoho! Skull joke!"

Zuko along with a few of the others rolled their eyes at the skull joke, which quickly turned to faces of disgust when Brook spoke up again, "Ah, excuse me" and flatulence emitted itself from the living skeleton, followed by a belch. Katara looked somewhat embarrassed, but she continued about her business helping Sanji prepare breakfast, Aang looked uncomfortable, and he looked around at the ceiling as if it was incredibly interesting. Sokka shook his head, and looked as if he wanted to slap his forehead. Toph laughed, "Good one, Brook!" she then followed up with one of her own belches. "Top that," she challenged.

"Toph!" Katara said, "We're getting ready to eat; that's disgusting!"

"We're just having a bit of fun. Loosen up, Sweetness." Toph said with a laugh.

"Ah, Toph-chan, she even belches like a lady," Sanji said with a wistful smile.

"I can't believe Sanji-kun would say something like that…" Nami murmured as she took a sip of tea.

Luffy laughed and clapped at Brook's and Toph's crude game.

Kin'emon entered the kitchen with an almost medium-sized pink dragon walking by his side. Upon seeing this, those who were unfamiliar with Momonosuke's ability stared wide-eyed in surprise.

"You have a pet dragon?" Zuko questioned, absolutely fascinated. He wondered why he hadn't seen the dragon around before.

Before Kin'emon could reply, Momonosuke defensively spoke up, "I'm not a pet dragon! I accidentally transformed last night. I haven't figured out how to control my Devil Fruit ability just yet, but I'll get there, you'll see!"

These Devil Fruit abilities were getting stranger and more fascinating as those of Team Avatar learned about them.

As breakfast was served, everyone stared at the mouth-watering food; bacon, eggs, toast, rice balls, ramen, and miso were on the menu. "Time to eat!" the pirates said excitedly, and dug in. By now, Team Avatar had learned to guard their food carefully and to eat quickly, as when Luffy got excited; he would grab food from everyone else's plates. He seemed content to eat off of his own plate this morning which was piled high with eggs, toast, and bacon.

As they ate, Nami believed it was a good idea to set out an agenda for the day, while they were at Felsen Island.

"Here's the plan;" Nami started in her authoritative manner. "We'll buy whatever supplies we need for the ship while we're here. Thanks to Toph-chan and Zoro-kun's contributions last night, it has made the job much easier. Since we don't know who or what we'll be going up against, we have to be prepared."

"Can we buy souvenirs?" Chopper asked innocently. "Plus, we didn't have a chance to explore the mushroom forest island, but this place may have some interesting medicines. I want to have a look around!"

"Of course," Nami said with a smile. "I wonder if this island has any cute clothing."

"I want to go see the tower again," Luffy said between mouthfuls. He motioned at those who didn't explore the island with him and the others last night, proclaiming, "You're coming too!"

"Don't decide things like that on your own…" Sanji said with a sigh. "If Robin-chan, Nami-san, Toph-chan, and Katara-san wish to leave or stay on the ship, it's entirely up to them."

The conversation went on like this for a while, leaving those of Team Avatar to wonder what was going on. Didn't this originally start out as a plan of action of sorts? And now everyone was talking about exploring, shopping, food, and what the next island could be.

Zuko laughed and smiled. "That would be a great idea. We might as well relax and enjoy ourselves while we're here." Zuko then paused, wondering why he was suddenly sounding so enthusiastic. Even his friends were giving him curious looks, as the normally serious Fire Lord suddenly became so easy-going. Zuko put on a look of embarrassment that he unsuccessfully tried to hide, and continued to eat, quickly stuffing his face with ramen.

"Well, I guess we should see if they have any decent swords that we can buy," Sokka said, "All of our stuff got left behind. Toph mentioned that the people here had swords, so maybe me and Zuko can find some decent ones."

"But we don't have any money," Zuko said, coming to the realization. Sokka looked at him, and sighed. "I feel so useless… I don't have Boomerang, I can't swordbend, and at least you have your firebending…"

"I could lend you some," Nami said with a smile.

"Really?" Sokka asked eagerly, and even Zuko smiled at the navigator.

"Thanks, Nami-" Zuko started, but stopped when a twinkle appeared in the navigator's eye.

"But you have to pay me back, %300 the interest."

"What! But we're already paying you to escort us!" protested Zuko. "How much more are you going to charge us?"

"That's a different matter entirely," Nami reasoned with a nod. "I want payment where payment is due."

"Alright, fine…" This was a losing battle, wasn't it?

"Um… Zoro?" Sokka spoke up, looking at the swordsman with his best puppy-dog eyes. "Could you help me and Zuko pick out swords today? Please? I mean, you're so knowledgeable and all."

Zoro sighed. "Alright, fine."

Katara couldn't help but smile at the antics of the Pirate crew, as she was getting used to their seemingly endless and crazy energy. Katara was working on what was probably her forth slice of toast. She had no idea that bread could taste like this, and she made a mental note of making sure to ask Sanji for the recipe. Katara noticed that the last remaining slice was on a serving dish between her and Law. Katara admittedly really wanted that last slice, and felt some guilt for possibly depriving the others at the table from enjoying the toast. But let it not be said that Katara had forgotten her manners. She should at least offer it to someone else, even if it was just one person, before indulging herself. Offer, but pray silently that he declines. If he accepts, smile nonetheless.

"Excuse me, Mr. Law?" Katara started, but Law didn't look as if he was paying those around him any attention. In fact, he seemed overly focused on his ramen, with an odd look of determination on his face.

Law stared at his ramen, carefully repeating to himself, don't get pulled into their pace. Don't get pulled into their pace. Don't get pulled into their pace. Over and over again like a mantra. As long as he focused, he wouldn't be dragged into the Straw Hats' antics. From what he had learned observing the firebender, he tended to be quite serious and didn't exactly joke around. But he had gotten pulled into the Straw Hats' exuberant and irritating energy more than once. If Law could help it, he wasn't going to get dragged in again, in fact…

"Excuse me, Mr. Law?" a voice interrupted his thoughts.

The waterbender's blue eyes met Law's gold ones.

He swallowed. "…Yes?"

She smiled at him, saying in a half-joking manner, "Your ramen looks very interesting. I said your name at least three times before you answered."

Awkward pause.

"…Ah… (Ahem) Uh… Do want the last bit of toast here?" Katara asked innocently, pointing to the lonely slice of bread left on the platter.

"I don't like bread;" Law started. "How anyone can even eat the stuff is beyond..."

He suddenly stopped, reassumed his serious disposition and quickly added,

"No thanks. I don't want it."

Judging by the surprised look on his face, it was as if Law wasn't expecting to reveal such a thing, even if it was just saying he didn't like a certain type of food. Katara did her best to hide her amused smile, noting Law's embarrassment. She quickly took the piece of toast, and while she ate, she thought that Law was certainly out of his element amongst the Straw Hats. He didn't share their exuberance. Katara wondered if the rest of Law's crew was like him; overly serious and reserved.


After breakfast was over, Franky stayed behind on the ship to make a few minor repairs and adjustments, plus make sure that cola was stocked in full and Kin'emon agreed to help Franky.

Everyone was deciding who was going to go where, and Nami was making sure that everyone would meet back at the ship at a certain time. She handed a Den Den Mushi to Usopp, Zoro, and one to Sanji in the case that anything came up.

"Here we are," Nami said, as she handed out the necessary amounts of belly to Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp. Turning to the chef, she continued, "Here's a list of the things I know for sure we need, you know what needs to be stocked in the kitchen. Just get whatever you need, Sanji-kun."

"You're so generous, Nami-swan!" Sanji said, as he twirled.

"Hmm-mm," she only nodded, as she counted out the belly she intended to take with her to the shopping district.

Momonosuke (still in his dragon form), Nami, Robin, Toph, Katara, Zoro, Zuko, and Sokka went to the shopping district, while Sanji dutifully went on his way to the market, talking out loud to himself about what he was planning to cook for the ladies. Along the way, he made a mental note to buy a lot of meat. With two meat-lovers onboard, Sanji now had to buy and prepare extra portions. Thankfully, while Sokka's love of meat rivaled even that of Luffy's, his stomach at least had a limit.


Luffy lead the way as he, Usopp, Chopper, Aang, Law, and Brook went to look at the Felsen Island's central tower excitedly telling the others about the "mystery power". Felsen Island was an amazingly busy hub of a place once its residents were up and going about their day. This was also an opportunity for those of Team Avatar to see what other people of this World looked like, and very soon it was obvious that the people of this World came in all shapes, sizes, and heights. It seemed to be the norm for many people to have bodies that were disproportionate to the rest of them. As they walked, they passed a man who was very tall, but was also quite fat. Aang had to wonder how his very thin legs could even support him without breaking. They passed other people who had different hair colors, and there were even those that made even Brook appear short in comparison. Nobody really seemed to pay any of them any mind as they walked, with only the occasional curious glances the residents would give new faces.

They reached the tower fairly quickly, and Usopp quickly stopped Luffy from doing another Gum-Gum Rocket up to the top. A small crowd had gathered around, and a young woman dressed as an attendant waved and smiled at the crowd.

"Hello, good morning and welcome, everyone, I am Hikari, I will be your guide today. It will be my pleasure in providing you with the history and information of the great Felsen Island." she greeted in an overly chipper voice, and as if she was joyfully reading from a script, Hikari continued. "This is Felsen Tower, the central power system for all of Felsen. By utilizing the power of natural lighting storms that occur in this particular area of the Grand Line, Felsen is not only habitable, but the tower also makes the seas within a five-hundred mile radius safe for travel, thus making it possible for other islands to operate in trade and travel as well. Originally, the lightning storms were so bad, that no one was able to travel in this area due to deadly conditions. But, because of the natural metals of this island, and through the combinations of Felsen's founders being the likes of miners, blacksmiths, and metalworkers, along with scientific minds, Felsen Tower soon came to be. Because of this, we were able to time when the lightning storms strike and ensure that the lightning only strikes the tower. "

While Aang and a few of the Pirates stared in genuine interest, there were those who were indifferent, and those who were bored. Luffy was just about to complain about his boredom when he heard Hikari say,

"And a bit of trivia involving the late Pirate King Gol D. Roger;" she was saying, "27 years ago, the Felsen Tower malfunctioned, causing the lightning storms to wreak havoc once again. It was believed that Roger was the cause, and that his appearance brought nothing but bad omens to the islands that he visited. But he was able to navigate the dangerous ocean, in spite of the storms. It was also around this time that the great Doctor Vegapunk provided his insurmountable genius in helping Felsen repair the damage. After doing so, there has never been another incident in which the tower has malfunctioned. A little over two years ago, Wapometal was utilized within the Felsen Tower infrastructure, ensuring a more stable environment and making the tower twice as effective, if not more so."

"So cool…" Luffy's eyes lit up.

Hikari checked some sort of fob watch on her waist, and she smiled at the crowd once again. "Please observe as one of the lightning storms is about to start in exactly one minute, thirty seconds. Please maintain a safe distance of at least thirty feet from the outside of the tower while the storm occurs. This particular storm is going to be an 8.7, so please be prepared for some slight seismic activity. Felsen Tower cannot be held responsible for any injuries and/or deaths that may occur due to irresponsible and/or dangerous behavior. Please note that you have been warned."

She checked her fob watch again. In her chipper voice,

"The storm will start in one minute."

Exactly a minute later, lightning flashed across the sky, striking the tower with such force that it actually shook the ground. A few in the crowd oohed and aahed at the sight.

"Whoa!" Chopper beamed.

"That was even cooler than last time!" Luffy laughed.

"That was so shocking that my eyes almost popped out of my head, even though I don't have any eyes! Yohohoho!"

Luffy raised his hand and called out to Hikari, "Hey, Hika-anekii! Did Roger really come here to Felsen?"

Smiling at him, Hikari nodded her head. "Why yes! My father was a metalworker here at Felsen Tower. He said that he had never seen or felt anything like it before. The tower malfunctioned on the same day that Roger came here. My father admittedly was rather superstitious and believed it was a sign of things to come." Hikari gave a small laugh, "In truth, it was due to human error, and the tower wasn't as stable then. If a few wires are crossed incorrectly, or metal piping is installed without being properly grounded, it can have the exact same effects as what happened all those years ago. Is there anything else I can answer for you, sir?"

But her question was ignored as the Pirates turned their attention away from her and onto other matters:

"This is amazing! Roger was here!" Luffy was ecstatic. "Yosh! Let's go look around everyone!"

"I want cotton candy!" said Chopper.

"Yeah, let's go look and see what they have at the confection stand!" Usopp wholeheartedly agreed. "Afterwards, let's see what else is on the island! Maybe we can find some cool stuff to take back with us."

"Yohohoho," Brook strummed his guitar. "Adventure, ho! Adventure, yay! Yeah!" And he started to sing some sort of song as he walked, with the others shouting phrases that were in the song.

"Let's go down this way!" Luffy ordered his crew. "This street looks the coolest."

Aang gawked at them. "But we ate not even less than half an hour ago!"

He looked at Law as if he could provide him with some sort of logical answer for this turn of events. The look on Law's face told Aang that he was just as lost for answer as he was.

"Let's just go after them, Avatar-ya…" Law said as he adjusted his nodachi.


As they walked, the group admired the architecture and the fine work that was put into making the island habitable. Seeing the metal poles in the daylight now, they could clearly see how each of the houses and shops were connected with wires that eventually one way or another led to the tower.

"How innovative," Robin admired.

"It looks like the blacksmith is this way," Sokka pointed to a sign. "I guess we'll split off here and meet back at the ship in a few hours."

"Alright," Nami waved at the men. "Oh, and Sokka, Zuko, one last thing before you go,"

"Yes?" the two said almost simultaneously.

Fixing them with an authoritative glare, she continued, "Don't take your eyes off of Zoro. We don't need anyone getting lost."

"Oi, oi," Zoro protested. He gave Nami a slight glare, "I don't get lost. It's signs, pathways, and others' directions that are confusing."

Recalling the previous night's events where Zoro and Toph found their way to a tavern, both Zuko and Sokka gave Nami a definitive nod, promising to keep their eyes on Zoro. This earned both of them an annoyed look from Zoro, but they ignored him. Zuko led the way, with Sokka coming up from the rear.


Katara smiled at Momonosuke as he walked next to her in his dragon form, and she had to admit that the boy had grown on her quite a bit. She thought for sure that her first thoughts about Momonosuke being a lecher were mistaken. He seemed so innocent and was actually quite cute in her opinion, and his dragon form was even more fascinating plus adorable.

The women stopped at one store where Nami had admired the clothing outfitted on a few mannequins in the window. The attendant smiled and bowed, and rubbed his hands together, expecting a rather large sale, judging by the way Nami was picking out outfits. She pulled Toph and Katara along with her, while Robin followed, with Momonosuke positioned on her shoulder.

Nami pulled out numerous outfits and was smiling to herself. She then handed Katara and Toph a few of the outfits that she had picked out.

"These would look so cute on you!" she said with a smile.

"Cute?" Toph questioned, putting a hand on her hip. "Have you met me, Sugar Cat?"

"Just try it on." Nami insisted.

With Katara's help, Toph put on the outfit and upon seeing her, Nami adoringly clasped her hands. "You look like a doll, Toph-can!"

"Yay." Toph said flatly. "Do we really need these?"

Toph motioned to the dress she was wearing.

"I agree…" Katara started, eyeing the dress she was wearing with some apprehension. While she had worn a two-piece outfit while in the Fire Nation, this one was a little more revealing, especially in the chest area. Nami picked out a few more things to go with the outfit, and Robin put a hat that complemented the outfit on Katara's head.

"You look cute, Katara-chan," Robin said with a smile.

"I agree," Momonosuke said, blush showing through his pink scales.

Katara only responded with a blush of her cheeks. "I-I don't think I could wear this… It doesn't seem like it's something I could…"

She crossed her arms to cover her chest area, and was interrupted by Nami giving her some more clothes, and then Nami went to try on a few outfits herself. Smiling to her companions, she posed in various ways. "How do I look?"

The women chatted back and forth for a while, when the shopkeeper approached the women, a broad smile on his face. He had observed them picking out the finest of outfits he had to offer, and thus believed them to be amongst the royal elite. "Hello ladies," he started with a bow. "How is everything today? Is there anything that I can do for you?"

"Oh, it's fine," Nami replied, holding up another dress that she thought would look good on Toph.

Eyeing the dress, the shopkeeper smiled even wider. "That dress is among our finest of clothing, and is in season with what celebrities and royalty currently wear. It is made out of the finest of silks…"

"Oh, can you get us a few more outfits?" Nami asked, excitedly.

"Of course, it would be my pleasure," the shopkeeper responded, and complied.

Katara wasn't sure how long they were at the store trying on outfits, and she was starting to feel somewhat worn out. Nami had one pile of clothing that was the "just love it" pile, and another that was the "not a favorite" pile, along with a few more piles that Katara wasn't even sure about. The shopkeeper kept on pulling out clothing and describing it and saying that it was in season with who was wearing what, along with what it was made out of, and he even named the people who designed the outfits.

Nami then presented Katara with a very nice wrap-dress of a silky, flower pattern material. "Try this on, Katara-chan," Nami insisted, "I think this would look great on you."

Katara complied, and found that she rather liked the dress. When she stepped out, the looks that Nami, Robin, and even Momonosuke gave Katara showed their genuine approval.

"Aang is going to love it, I think." Nami said.

"I agree," Robin nodded. "Here, try this on,"

She placed a hat on Katara's head, and when Katara saw her reflection, she had to admit she loved the dress. If Gram-gram could see her now, she would say how much Katara had grown as a woman. If Aang saw her in the dress, he would… Katara smiled at the thought.

"I like it," she turned so she could see herself at different angles in the mirror.

After finally trying on one last outfit, Nami said, "Okay, I'm ready. Thank you for everything Shopkeeper-san!"

Nami then proceeded to pick out the more casual and practical outfits that each of them had favored, made sure to grab the wrap-dress, and then threw them into a pile on the checkout counter.

"Okay," Nami started, "I'll take all of these, for 100,000 belly."

The shopkeeper looked shocked. "B-but that one outfit alone is worth 80,000 belly!"

"Oh, alright fine." Nami pulled out a few more outfits. "I'll take these for 150,000 belly, but that's my final offer."

"This isn't some kind of negotiation!" the shopkeeper protested.

"Oh, okay." Nami said with a definite nod. She added a few more outfits. "Then let's do 140,000 belly."

"But that's even lower!" the shopkeeper protested.

"There's no need to be so stingy…" Nami said with a pout.

Katara watched the scene incredulously. She had heard about Nami's tendency to be stingy from a few of the others, but seeing it unfold before her made it seem all the more ridiculous. Getting tired of the whole thing and wanting to leave, Toph took charge.

"Excuse me, Shopkeeper-san," Toph said, as she scratched an itch on her side. "But do you know of the Straw Hat Pirates?"

"…Yes," the shopkeeper answered hesitantly.

"Well, we're on their crew, and we need to get out of here, so either you take 140,000 belly, or a pounding."

She emphasized this by punching a fist into her palm.

The shopkeeper looked back and forth between the women, looking to be in a bit of a panic. "You mean Straw Hat Pirates as in Monkey D. Luffy Straw Hat Pirates?"

"One and the same,"

"Ah, I didn't exactly want it to be known we were here…" Nami mumbled to herself.

Turning back to Nami, "Valued customer, I had no idea who you were. Forgive me. If you wish to purchase these items for 140,000 belly, that is more than fair. Is there anything else we can help you with?"

"No, this is all thank you." Nami said, smiling widely.

The shopkeeper and his assistants packaged all of the clothing the women had picked out, and soon enough they were on their way, leaving the shop in disarray and the shopkeeper in tears.

"Oh, yay! Well, this was productive!" Nami said as they left the store. "Now let's find a few things for our journey to Ha Chi."

They came across a travel shop, and Katara went inside to see what they had. Books on navigation and other forms of travel lined one of the walls, along with a bin of maps. There was another shelf with things like compasses, telescopes and binoculars, and finally, Katara spotted exactly what she was looking for: a decent-sized waterskin. The shopkeeper saw a potential sell, and quickly jumped at the chance. She began upselling the waterskins, explaining how they were made out of Sea King skin, and therefore was quite durable, especially in New World conditions.

Each of the waterskins featured had some sort of pattern on them that likely belonged to the Sea King when it was alive. Katara settled on one that was gray with a sort of purple-striped pattern. After paying for it, Katara then asked the shopkeeper,

"Is there a place where I can fill this with water right now?"

The shopkeeper directed her to a customer bathroom in the back. After Katara had filled the waterskin, she felt assurance and security having the water at her side. If anything were to happen in the future, she was sure to be ready.


Zoro, Zuko, and Sokka made their way through the shopping district looking for a decent blacksmith or a weapons shop. They looked over numerous swords from weapons shops and blacksmiths, but neither Zuko nor Sokka were seeing something that suited them. The swords they were looking at were definitely of high quality, and even Zoro had to point out that these swords were much better than the ones the thieves from the tavern had been using.

Both Zuko and Zoro had to drag Sokka along at times because he kept stopping at different stores other than what they needed saying. "Hey, can we look inside here?"

"I wonder if one of the blacksmiths will let us use their forge?" questioned Sokka. "It would probably be much easier and cheaper."

They made their way around for a bit longer and almost considered going back to the Sunny without having bought anything at all, when Zoro noticed something: there was a small store in a sort of alleyway that would have easily been overlooked if it were not for the fact that it had a wooden entrance. A sign that read Spada Coltello was hung above the doorway.

"Let's try that place," Zoro pointed to it. "It looks promising."

"But it's so out of the way…" Zuko pointed out. "What about these other stores?"

"Let's just go."

The store like many other places on the island had been carved into the rock, and numerous lanterns hung from the ceiling. But this store had numerous wooden panels featuring a variety of swords of different shapes and styles, along with types of spears and shields. Blades of other kinds hung on the wall behind the counter where an old man with a bushy beard and eyebrows to match was sitting behind the counter arguing with what appeared to be a customer.

"Go away, Brat." He motioned impatiently with his hand. He took a gulp from a jug in his other hand, and some of the liquid contents ran down his beard, but he ignored it.

"What do you think this is," he continued, "a toy store? I only sell weapons to those responsible enough to use them. Come back once you've learned some respect for the blade. Then I'll consider selling you one of my swords."

"I'm a paying customer!" the young man insisted, obviously irritated.

"I said get out!" the old man shouted, rising from his chair and pulling out an oddly-shaped sword. It looked like an oversized curved meat cleaver with jagged-toothed design on the back of the blade. He pointed it at the young man, his eyes glaring from underneath the bushiness of his eyebrows, which made him look very imposing and terrifying. "You have no respect for the blade, boyo. You see it as a decoration and a means to an end. You see it as a toy, not a tool. If I sold you one of my swords, it would be wasted on the likes of you, because you would never use it as it was meant to be used. In the end, it would rot away to be forgotten."

By now, the young man was on the floor very nervously staring at the end of the sword. "Now leave, while you are able to stand on your own two legs," the old man said coldly. The young man quickly stood, but staggered as he did so. He quickly turned and ran for the door, roughly bumping into Zuko and Sokka. He didn't bother to leave any form of apology with the two he had bumped into, but he did yell at the sword-wielding old man, "You're crazy, you bastard!" before leaving with a slam of the door.

The old man groaned, and held a hand to his back. "I'm getting too old for this,"

Sokka and Zuko looked hesitantly at the old man, unsure if he would drive them away as well. A scolding voice from the back called out to the old man.

"Grandpa, I can't believe you drove away another customer!" a slightly pudgy but pretty young woman stepped out from the back room, and she crossed her arms. "That's why our store isn't doing well…"

"When you become a professional blacksmith you'll understand," he retorted.

The two finally noticed the three figures in their presence. The girl smiled, and clasped her hands. "Customers!" Turning to her grandfather, she said quite seriously, "I'll handle these."

Bowing to them, she said, "How may I help you? Our swords are among the best."

"These two need swords," Zoro said, jabbing a thumb at Sokka and Zuko. The old man peered at Zoro suspiciously, before saying, "Three swords… You wouldn't happen to be Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, would you?"

"So what if I am?"

"And those two are your friends, hm?" the old man seemed to say that mostly to himself as he stroked his beard. "I've heard some very interesting things about you, Roronoa Zoro," the old man said, with a sly smile on his face. He turned to Zoro's companions, and said, "So you're swordsmen too, eh?"

"Yes, sir!" Sokka said quickly, standing very erect. He was somewhat worried that the old man would kick them out. The old man smiled and said, "Then we'll pick out your swords for you,"

Zuko was about to protest, but Sokka stopped him. "If you say anything we may get kicked out like that guy earlier!"

Zuko complied, but it seemed that even if he had been able to protest, he would have been ignored anyway, because now the old man was talking to his granddaughter.

"Anya, take a good look at those two young men." He was saying. "Can you tell which swords would suit those two best?"

Anya looked over at Sokka and Zuko hesitantly. "If you are going to become a great blacksmith, you must be able to tell which swords are best for a person. It is only by chance that a sword finds its owner. But there are times that a blacksmith must become the voice, arms, and legs of a sword. This is exactly what I taught your father."

Anya studied the two young men before her before pointing to Zuko, and said, "Let me guess, you're a dual sword-user right?"

"Yes…" Zuko started, and Anya presented him with swords that looked very similar to Dual Dao swords, except the blades were slightly more twisted, looking somewhat like flames. A large, round ruby stone decorated the hilts of the swords.

"These are the swords for you," Anya said definitely.

Zuko picked up the swords, and took a stance. The swords had an amazing balance, and they felt like they were extensions of his very self. The swords also had a particular energy that made Zuko feel as if the swords themselves were living things.

"Those swords are among our finest," the old man explained. "There is sea-stone in the blade, in the case you come up against any Logia Devil Fruit users. It's even more effective if you have the use of Haki. Wapometal was also incorporated into the blade, making it incredibly sturdy and nearly indestructible."

"This is amazing," Zuko said, weighing the sword in his hand.

"Now for you," Anya said, and she presented Sokka with a jian-looking sword. It was silver, roughly three-feet long, with a flat, round guard that had a lightning pattern wreath carved into it. A shimmering green and gold vine pattern was incorporated into the blade. A long braided rope with a tassel of a dark blue decorated the pommel. Sokka lifted the sword, and found that it was much lighter than he expected. He could feel the sword's energy flowing through him. This was the sword for him that was for sure.

"I made this one myself," Anya announced proudly, "My blood, sweat, and tears went into forging this sword."

"It's great! It's perfect!" Sokka admired.

"If I may ask," Zuko started, sheathing his swords, "why did you kick out that last guy yet help us so willingly? Especially when you found out who Zoro was? What kind of name is Pirate Hunter, anyway?"

Zuko directed that last question at Zoro, who only shrugged. "I was a former bounty hunter. Had to make money somehow."

The old man laughed at Zoro's direct response, then answered Zuko's question.

"Because I can tell that you are true swordsmen. You have respect and love for your swords. A sword is a tool yes, but it is more than that. It is an extension of you, at least it should be. Plus, I've heard of the legendary Roronoa Zoro. Who hasn't?"

He laughed again, took a drink from his jug and said, "He's a legendary man who respects his swords. Of course I would help out his friends."

Zuko looked at Zoro out of the corner of his eye, wondering Just who are we traveling with?

Turning to the shop owners, Sokka smiled. "Then… you wouldn't mind helping us out with one last thing?"

"And that would be?" Anya asked.

"Can I use the forge? And some of your materials?"

"I guess so…" Anya said.

"Great! I'll be right back guys. Promise!"

Sokka was led to the back by Anya, and the old man offered Zoro and Zuko a drink and a bite to eat while they waited. The old man was called Marn, and he told the two stories of his youth. Zuko and Zoro told him about their travels as well, but Zuko left out the parts about him being a formerly banished prince, and being from another World for that matter.

It was also through the course of this conversation that Zuko learned something about Zoro; his aspiration to become the world's greatest swordsman because he had made a promise with a friend. Zuko noticed how Zoro held his white sword as he said this. A look of sadness or longing came over Zoro's normally unreadable expression, but it was brief. Zuko estimated that Zoro probably didn't even realize that he had made such an expression.

A few hours later, Sokka appeared with another weapon: a boomerang. With Sokka's instructions on exactly what he wanted and needed, Anya was able to make a fine boomerang that any Southern Water Tribe warrior would be proud of.

"What kind of weapon is that?" Zoro asked incredulously. He had seen quite a few strange weapons before, but not one like this. It certainly looked quite useless. But Sokka gave Zoro a hurt look, and defended, "It's a boomerang. It's a perfectly reliable weapon that always comes back, no matter what. Never doubt the boomerang, Zoro."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever…" turning to Marn, Zoro asked, "how much do we owe you?"

"How about you just pay us for the jian and the materials used? The jian is one of my granddaughter's, and it is of her finest work. She should at least be paid for her love and hard work." suggested Marn. "Your stories let me relive my youth, and I can see that you will love your swords just as much as we loved making them."


After paying, the three began to walk around the town to see what else there was on the island. There were numerous other shops selling strange wares made out of either rock or metal or both. They decided to head to the Tower, where they ended up meeting Luffy and the others. They had apparently also run into Sanji on the way, because everyone was carrying some sort of food stuff. Luffy of course was holding some of the "boring" goods that couldn't be eaten until they were boiled in water or something. Luffy loudly protested this, but his complaints fell on deaf ears as no one would respond or trade their "exciting" packages with him.

At the sight of Zuko and Sokka, Aang smiled. "We found some really cool souvenirs! We'll show you guys when we get back!"

When everyone had finally arrived back at the Sunny, Franky and Kin'emon had made the necessary repairs and had fueled the ship with cola. After putting everything away, Aang had to show off some of the things that they had bought. A Wapometal top that released little sparks when it was spun, some carved figurines of people and animals, a few spools of Wapometal cables, and an odd blue mask that was very reminiscent of the Blue Spirit. Aang thought that the last one would make for a good joke.

All in all, everyone felt that it was a profitable trip. Nami sighed heavily. "I hope all the islands are at least this peaceful…"

"Don't say that, Nami…" Usopp started, and then finished with a whisper "you'll jinx it!"

Nami only gave Sokka an annoyed look, and inspected the Log Pose. The needle was steadying now, and at that very moment, the needle turned black and turned to dust.

"I guess we can select a new Log Pose now," Nami said.

"I get to do it!" Luffy called out, and before anyone could do anything he had stretched and selected a Log Pose from the sack.

Chopper, Usopp, and Nami's heads all hung in defeat, and dark clouds loomed over them.

"With our luck, it will be an island of chaos…"

"Well, whatever it is," Sokka said, eager to set off again, "we'll be ready for it!"

Those of the crew who did not share Sokka's optimism only glared him, but they prepared to set sail with Luffy sitting on his special seat, a grin very apparent on his face.


A/N: In response to Avatoa- Thank you for taking the time to read and leave reviews! Yeah, Zuko and Mai did get back together for a while, but broke up in The Promise Part 2. You can read it at Manga Eden (I think). I know Zuko had a daughter, and I hope that in the next season of The Legend of Korra we get to see Zuko and are told who his wife and daughter are.

And yeah, Alnico having magnetic abilities- he also has magnetic powers, but in a different form. People can have similar Devil Fruit abilities, but be different. Sort of like Monet having the Yuki-Yuki no Mi and Aokiji having the Hie-Hie no Mi. Both have some sort of frozen water ability, yet are different. Unlike Kid, who can simply activate his abilities and have metal come to him (and his ability seems to revolve around electromagnetism), Alnico has to have direct physical contact with the metal before being able to doing anything with it. If Alnico were to face up against Kid… well, he'd have his ass handed to him and then some. Plus, he assumes that he is strong simply because he has Devil Fruit powers. Alnico is relatively weak compared to the characters that are coming in future chapters.

And to clear up any confusion (just in case) No one in Team Avatar is going to learn Haki, I'm afraid… It took Luffy a year and a half to master it, and it wouldn't really be fair for someone to learn it so quickly. Plus I would have to do a lot of rewriting.