Author's Note: And now, we begin the first major arc. Expect tons of new people to show up. Heck, you'll most likely even see a division of the Cipher Pol. (Sadly, it isn't Cipher Pol 9). Enjoy!
Disclaimer: And, I quote, "One Piece is the property of Eichiiro Oda".
Ch. 3: "The East Blue Shipwright Company."
"No fair, I was first!"
"Easy there, Hatori, I landed there first, so, therefore, I get it."
"No fair, Kazuma! It must be your hot-blooded-ness!"
"Somehow, I'm not involved in this."
It was revealed that Heathcliffe, Kazuma, and Hatori were playing a board game as Yuki-Rin, Molly, and Isabella watched.
"Don't you guys have anything better to do?" Yuki-Rin asked the three males.
"No! I'm very close to winning!" Kazuma cried. Just then, the ship began to shake.
"Earthquake!" Hatori cried as he ducked under the table and held on to dear life. Yuki-Rin looked outside, and discovered that they were sailing on a coral reef.
"Everyone, listen to me! We're taking on land! Grab whatever you can and abandon ship!" Yuki-Rin instructed.
"Is the ship sinking?" Heathcliffe asked Yuki-Rin.
"I think so! Grab all valuables and get the hell out of here!" Yuki-Rin instructed. When all was said and done, they were standing on the beach with their valuables as they looked over their damaged ship.
"Looks like we're going to need a shipwright as well," Hatori said.
"Where are we?" Isabella asked everyone. Yuki-Rin pulled out a map and scanned it.
"According to this map, we are in Baleeira Porto," Yuki-Rin anwsered.
"Baleeira Porto?" Everyone else said.
"This place has the biggest shipwright company in the East Blue!" Hatori explained.
"You mean the East Blue Shipwright Company? No way!" Yuki-Rin said.
"Didn't Paulie of Galley-La get his start there or something?" Kazuma asked everyone.
"I think so. But, there's this one shipwright here we gotta see – Kartik Abingdon," Hatori explained.
"What's so great about him?" Heathcliffe asked Hatori.
"Oh, it's the fact that he's one of the best shipwrights at the East Blue Shipwright Company," Hatori explained.
"No way! Somebody THAT GOOD needs to be on the crew!" Yuki-Rin said.
"You're right. But, it's going to take a lot of –" Hatori explained before Yuki-Rin ran off.
"Watch the ship, I'm going to go see this Kartik guy!" Yuki-Rin called back to her crew as she ran off. Her crew sweatdropped.
"I've never seen somebody so excited to be temporarily stranded somewhere," Kazuma said.
A few short minutes of running around Baleeira Porto later, Yuki-Rin found the East Blue Shipwright Company. It was on the beach, and there were finished ships docked near the offices.
"Woah, this place is neat!" Yuki-Rin said as she entered the offices.
"Can I help you?" A woman with black hair and blue eyes asked Yuki-Rin. She wore a plain, blue shirt, white pants, and black sandals.
"I'm looking for Kartik Abingdon. My crew needs him to look over our damaged ship," Yuki-Rin explained.
"I'm sorry, Kartik already went home for the day. If you'd like, I can give you his address," What seemed to be Kartik's secretary explained. A few minutes later, Yuki-Rin was looking for the apartment Kartik lived in.
"Okay, so i'm in the Fashion and Food District now. I should be close to his apartment," Yuki-Rin said to herself. Then, a girl bumped into her. She had blonde hair in pigtails and blue eyes. She wore a black T-shirt with a fish on it, a purple miniskirt, black-and-white striped kneesocks, and black, high-top shoes.
"I'm so sorry! I was in a hurry, and –" The girl apologized before another voice cut in.
"Maki-chan, there you are!" A large woman said as she walked up to the blonde girl. She had auburn hair done up in a beehive hairdo, black eyes, and she wore a white blouse, a pink sweater, and a long, black skirt.
"Mom!" The girl – whose name was revealed to be "Maki-chan" – whined.
"I told you to stay with Z.G.! He was really worried sick about you!" The fat woman – who had a Southern accent – scolded her daughter.
"It's not my fault he went off with that Karin girl!" Maki-chan argued. Her mother just grabbed her by the wrist.
"Come on, Maki-chan, you're already late to your signing at the grocery store," Maki-chan's mother said before she dragged her off. Maki-chan turned her head back to Yuki-Rin and mouthed something like "Help me", to her. Yuki-Rin watched mother and daughter as they alked out of sight.
"Looks like I can't do anything to help her," Yuki-Rin said. With a sigh, she continued on. A few minutes later, she arrived at the swanky-looking apartment building she was looking for.
"This must be the place," Yuki-Rin said to herself as she walked up to the DenDen Mushi intercom and pressed the button.
"Hello. Who have you come to see today?" Somebody asked Yuki-Rin over the intercom.
"I've come to see Kartik Abingdon about my crew's ship," Yuki-Rin explained. A moment passed in silence.
"Head on in. Kartik Abingdon lives on the third floor in room 3110," The same person over the intercom explained. One elevator ride later, Yuki-Rin was trying to find room 3110.
"I wonder this Kartik guy is like. With a name like "Kartik Abingdon" he sounds stuck-up and mysterious," Yuki-Rin wondered out loud. A few seconds later, she arrived at room 3110.
"Well... Here I go, into the unknown," Yuki-Rin said before she knocked on the door. Then, a man with purple hair, black eyes, and rectangular glasses anwsered the door. He wore a white dress shirt, khaki shorts, and brown loafers.
"Are you Kartik Abingdon?" Yuki-Rin asked the man before her.
"Yes, I am. What do you need?" Kartik asked Yuki-Rin.
"My name is Yuki-Rin, and I need to ask you a big favor regarding my ship," Yuki-Rin introduced herself.
"Okay, then, head inside and we can discuss the matter at hand," Kartik said as the two went into Kartik's sophisticated-looking apartment.
"Can I get you anything to drink?" Kartik asked Yuki-Rin.
"No, I'm good," Yuki-Rin said as Kartik sat in the chair across from her.
"So, what is it you've come to ask me for?" Kartik asked Yuki-Rin.
"My crew was sailing into town, when we ran aground onto a coral reef. Can you give us an inspection of our ship, even though you're off work for the day?" Yuki-Rin asked the shipright.
"I'll be glad to help. Ships have always fascinated me, and I would like to see -," Kartik anwsered before somebody cut him off.
"Kartik, my love, i'm here for you!"
Kartik looked to the window and saw a woman with long, wavy, orange hair, black eyes, glasses, and a black bikini standing in the windowsill.
"Go away, Karin, i'm discussing important matters with a client," Kartik stated.
"Oh, Kartik, why does your shipwrighting job always have to take a backseat to me? When will that cultured and stuffy head of yours realize that you love me and we can run away together?" Karin asked Kartik, who just closed the window and shutters.
"By the way, did anybody reccommend you to me by any chance?" Kartik asked Yuki-Rin, ignoring Karin's banging on the shutters.
"A woman with black hair gave me your address when I was at your office. How does she know you?" Yuki-Rin explained.
"That was Matsu Takeshima, my secretary and my childhood friend," Kartik anwsered.
"Is she as weird as... Whoever that was who broke in just now?" Yuki-Rin asked.
"No, she's nice. Karin Kotetsu, on the other hand, just moved here a few months ago, and she fell in love with me upon seeing me at work," Kartik explained as he gathered up some of his shipwright materials.
"Well then, let's go to your ship," Kartik said.
"I can't believe THE Kartik Abingdon is inspecting our ship!" Hatori squealed as the Capricorn Pirates watched Kartik inspect the S.S. Gemini.
"Hatori, chill, he's just a shipwright," Yuki-Rin told Hatori.
"But, he's an East Blue celebrity, Yuki-Rin, an East Blue celebrity!" Hatori pointed out as Kartik approached them.
"I'm very sorry, but I can't repair your ship due to all of the damage it has taken," Kartik said. Just as he finished talking, the S.S. Gemini broke apart and began to sink.
"What the hell? Now how are we supposed to go to the Grand Line?" Yuki-Rin cried.
"Don't worry, I will make arrangements with the East Blue Shipwright Company to give you guys a strong ship that will survive the elements of the Grand Line. In the mean time, you are welcome to stay in a hotel," Kartik explained.
"Thank you so very much. When will you have the ship ready for us?" Yuki-Rin asked Kartik.
"It could take up to a week. I hope you don't mind staying here for that long," Kartik anwsered.
"We won't. We'll just find ways to pass the time," Yuki-Rin said. However, none of them even knew the excitement that was coming to them.
Ending Note: Bookmark Kartik, Maki-chan, Maki-chan's mother, Karin, Matsu, and the previously-mentioned Z.G. They are all going to be very important in this arc.
Just a reminder, I'm taking SBS Questions for this fic.