CHAPTER ONE:

BOOM! CRACK! BANG!

Zoro took another swig of his beer and groaned internally at all of the noise of the fireworks and partying. His best friend Luffy had suggested they party out on the ship deck, in insistence that they do something for Zoro's birthday. All Zoro cared about was the beer though. The party was just an excuse to drink… and to get away from his sister Perona for a time.

Dracule Mihawk was the king of the neighboring land. He was very neutral when it came to politics so not many knew him. So when it was announced that he would adopt two children, it came as a surprise to most everyone. When Mihawk took Zoro under his wing, he was grateful for the silent but odd king. He wasn't nosy or bossy. Perhaps a bit strange, but who the hell cared about that. What he did care about though was his annoying sister insisting that he settle down with someone otherwise he would "be that weird spinster prince."

"I've literally never seen you date. Ever. You need to seriously get laid," Perona had scolded him as Zoro flipped her off last time he saw her.

Yeah. She was real fucking annoying.

Zoro drank the rest of the beer and stared out far into the open sea. He didn't care about settling down. He just wanted to become the best swordsman there ever was. Screw being a prince even. But here he was. Stuck. And with another year passed by, with no "Greatest Swordsman" title under his belt.

"Nobody seems to listen or understand… dammit." The green haired swordsman clicked his tongue in aggravation at his own thoughts aloud. "Why doesn't anybody listen to me?"

Not knowing that someone was in fact, right below him, listening the whole time…

Sanji heard some loud commotion overhead towards the surface and looked up towards the choppy waters. Today was already a shitty day, and now to make things worse, there was some weird banging going on right as he was about to head home after going for a swim, gathering seashells. Usopp tugged on his blue fins anxiously.

"Sanji… let's just go… the king's going to be pissed as is and we need to go home and–" Said blonde merman shrugged his other merman friend off.

"I don't give a fuck. They can fuck off for all I care…" Sanji sneered, thinking about his stupid family. "I want to see what's going on that's so damn loud…" The blonde swam closer to the surface, giving Usopp a panic attack.

"But Sanji…! We're not supposed to go up–"

"Yeah, well. I'm not supposed to go out in general and yet, here we are… besides, what's one look going to harm? Come on, Usopp. You in?" Usopp sighed, sinking his shoulders lower.

"Alright… I might as well come with you and make sure you don't get into more trouble… After all, what would you do without the great Usopp?" he laughed half-heartedly as Sanji rolled his eyes. The two swam towards the surface, breaking the water tension and when they did, their eyes widened.

Usopp widened in fear, but Sanji's was in excitement and wonder.

In the sky, explosions seemed to make lines and patterns. Fizzing buzzing could be heard sizzling into the clouds with some reddish tint.

"Oh my Neptune, the sky is exploding!" Usopp gasped in horror.

"Don't be stupid, Usopp. It's… it's actually kinda pretty…" Sanji tilted his head in wonderment. How was this possible? The sky lighting up in all sorts of colors like the coral of the sea? As he looked towards the horizon of the sun, he noticed the outline of a dark object… it was too small to be a whale… but it was also above the surface of the water just… floating there…

"What's that…?" Sanji asked. Usopp narrowed his eyes to look at what his comrade was looking at.

"I don't know…"

"We should check it out." Sanji immediately blurted. "Maybe they're the ones lighting the colors. We can ask what they're doing."

"Umm… you know what…. I just remembered… I have somewhere to be…" Usopp winced and tried to duck under the water again. Sanji groaned and tried to hold his friend back. But when he tried to fight him on leaving, Usopp looked like he was about to cry. The blonde merman sighed. I guess he really is scared…

"Fine… you can leave and go back. I really want to check this out." Usopp gave him a wincing look of plea to change his mind, but Sanji's tone was more convincing. "Please, Usopp?"

Usopp groaned and slapped himself in the face. "Fine. But don't stay out too late, or your father will find out…" Sanji smiled and waved at his friend as Usopp dived back under the surface of the water, his green tail making a small splash of confirmation. Now, Sanji could really investigate what the hell's going on…

Once Sanji reached the mysterious object, he realized it was inanimate and made of some tough material. He touched the rigid texture of the object in wonderment.

This doesn't seem like any merman-made thing… What the hell is this?

Before he could ponder any further about the mysterious object, Sanji heard the familiar sounds of laughter.

More mermen? Above the surface?

He hoisted himself up the beam and balanced on the edge, his blue tail swishing for leverage. Sanji peeked over.

It was nothing like Sanji had ever seen before in his life.

There were merfolk… but… without tails. Just a strange split tail like appendage at the end of their torso. Their top half looked the same as Sanji's but their bottom half was strange and foreign. They could thump and move and didn't use any fins to sway about. It was truly odd.

Who… what… are these creatures?

And then Sanji saw him.

There, right above him (unknowing that Sanji was right beneath his view… thank Poseidon), was a merman (creature? Thing?) with… green hair? Sanji stared at him quizzically and discreetly, not wanting the creature to know he was right under his nose. He couldn't place why this… being… was so intriguing in the first place, but something about its expression… it was… relatable. Sympathetic. If Sanji had to guess, perhaps these creatures did have intelligent thoughts and could express emotion.

All of a sudden, a loud crash and obnoxious thudding could be heard from the far corner of the object, distracting Sanji from his thoughts. He snuck a view and saw some black haired being engulfing a massive pile of what seemed to be food in the most disgusting way, laughing while chewing and Sanji immediately made a face of disapproval.

I take it back. They're idiots. Sanji rolled his eyes in contempt. Having seen enough, he was about to jump back into the ocean when he heard something that stopped him in his tracks.

"Nobody seems to listen or understand… dammit….. Why doesn't anybody listen to me?"

Sanji froze.

The creature could talk? That fucking green haired thing could talk?! And it had OPINIONS?!

The creature sighed as it continued its monologue. "Hasn't anyone had a damn dream before? Hasn't anyone just wanted to do something for themselves not because it's 'selfish' or some shit, but because it's worth the effort to go and achieve something?! To accomplish something with your own bare hands?!" The stranger sighed. "Heh, forget it… guess I'm on my own in that regard…"

Sanji looked up towards the strange green-haired creature, almost tempted to reveal himself of his hiding place if nothing else than to give sympathetic reassurance. He knew what it was like to have his dreams dismissed. And seeing another being denied the same thing hurt him to witness. It didn't matter if they were idiots. Everyone deserves to dream. But the thudding of his heart prevented him from moving an inch.

I must be more nervous than I thought… I should get out of here… I've seen enough…

Before Sanji could dive down, the sound of the roarings of the explosions was replaced with the sounds of the familiar thunderstorms he was used to hearing below the waters.

A fucking storm was coming towards them.