Dock System Surprise and the Unseen Intruder
Gasper looks on at the floating island known as Thriller Bark, the very first island of his grand adventure in the seas of the Grand Line and his journey to become stronger too.
"Uh… Anyway, Luffy, are we really going to explore that creepy island?" Nami asked nervously, she does not understand the situation, but she knows well enough that she doesn't want to deal with them.
"Oh, we're definitely going." Luffy answered with a wide grin.
"He totally wants to go!" Nami, Usopp, and Chopper gasped.
"I had enough ghosts for today! I don't need a whole island of them!" Usopp complained.
"Wait a sec, what about that ghost we saw before, huh? Is it still here on the boat?" Chopper asked, freaking out.
"No, it went flying away after we saw it. So, must have gone to the island." Shirone figured.
"I also think that's where the thing came from." Zoro agreed, whatever is going on with this island is definitely not on the normal scale. Though mostly anything on this crew is not normal considered most of them are superhuman strong in their own way including some Devil Fruit users.
"Interesting. Like Brook said, the loud noise we heard earlier was from that gate over there closing shut. So, it's not that we ran into it, but that we were "eaten" by the mouth." Robin pointed at the mouth gate.
"It ate us?" Luffy confused, even he would know gate can't close by themselves.
"I think she means those chains and gears next to the gate." Shirone said, looking at the chains and gears.
"Exactly, we couldn't see most of it because of the fog, but I imagine the wall extends all the way around the island in a circle. That means that we were intentionally pulled in and now that the gate is closed, we're trapped inside." Robin explained their current position.
"I guess that's why Brook wanted us to leave at first." Gasper understood this now.
"Wait, then that would mean the people here are capturing sailors on purpose, right? But why?" Nami asked.
"I think it something with how Brook's shadow was stolen by who has the Shadow-Shadow fruit power." Shirone pointed out that much.
"Well, this is a moving island, that means we're still technically out at sea. Guess we won't be able to anchor down here." Franky pointed out that fact as well.
"Hold on! That's the last thing we want to do! We gotta get outta this place right now!" Usopp screamed in panic.
"But I already promised Brook that I would help get his shadow back, and Luffy said you'll help too." Gasper reminded him of what he and Luffy said to Brook.
"No! Why did you go and say that?!" Usopp feared.
"Bad news, you guys. I think I have "I Can't Go on that Island" sickness." Nami exclaimed, trying to fake her way out of this sudden creepy adventure.
"Me too! I'm real sick!" Chopper wanted not to go too.
"Wow, two perfect exams of how coward pirates can be." Shirone deadpanned sarcastically, wondering how those two even pirates in the first place.
"No problem, you two watch the ship!" Luffy came out from inside the ship he was in for a moment, bringing a big butterfly net and a green cage.
"Whoa, you're going in prepared!" Gasper surprised.
"That's because he got the "Stupid Adventure" sickness, again!" Usopp proclaimed in fear.
"Come to your senses! C'mon! Look at that!" Usopp pointed at the big creep-looking building in fear.
"That creepy looking building is a bona fide haunted mansion if I've ever seen one! And I'm not talking about the fun kind, either. The kind where you never make it out alive!" Usopp tried to convince his capture to leave this place while they still can.
"You're worrying too much. I'm not going there to pick a fight—I promise, I'll be careful. I just wanna catch that ghost and keep it as a pet." Luffy revealed his intention of the objects he brought out.
"You're going to get us all killed!" Usopp screamed.
"Either way, it's like Gasper said. We promised to help Brook with his shadow problem. Sanji, gimme pirate lunchbox!" Luffy added and requested food for the adventure.
"Hold on, I'm still not totally on board with him being part of our crew. If we have a living skeleton wandering around the ship, I won't be able to sleep at night!" Usopp worried.
"Hey Shirone, when Usopp mentioned the mansion, that looks kind of like the castle we used to live in before our home was destroyed." Gasper mentioned as he looks at the mansion.
"I'll admit, it does have the darkness vibe like a lord of the monsters would live, but the castle was much bigger with some bat symbols around, and the front gate was a giant much with fangs that could suck blood of a hundred people." Shirone remembered how the Vladi royal castle was.
"Okay! Just what the Hell kind of home did you guys live in and are you finally going to explain to us about the whole "King" thing!" Usopp screamed in shock.
"That's because Gasper was the crowned king of our homeland." Shirone answered simply.
"WHAAAAT?! YOU'RE A KING?!" Most of the crew except for Robin screamed in shock.
"I used to be a king, but I lost everything… including the entire island being gone from the face of the earth." Gasper said looking really sad and holding his hands together.
"Way a go, long nose! You made my King hurt in feelings!" Shirone death glared at Usopp and cracking her knuckles.
"Wait, wait, I didn't to make him cry!" Usopp gasped, scared of the new female crewmate.
"I would like to know more about your life on our way to the island." Robin said, holding a lunchbox in her hands and Sanji right next to her.
"Luffy, Franky, it's up to you to take care of Robin while I watch the boat." Sanji said, wanting to protect Nami from danger. Oh, and the others too maybe.
"Nothing gets my cola pumping like an adventure on a crazy new island!" Franky excitedly.
"Robin! You aren't seriously going with them, are you?" Nami asked surprise to see the most level-headed woman of the crew is really going.
"It does sound, exciting." Robin smiled.
"Excuse me for a moment, I need to see all the fruits you have on this ship." Shirone said as she went into the kitchen.
"Right, now listen up!" Franky grinned, feeling excited to show them what he has been cooking up.
"Obviously, we're gonna use a smaller boat to pull us close to the shore. And the Soldier Dock System has something pretty damned super for that." Franky mentioned.
"I thought we were going to travel by shooting ourselves out of a cannon. It's how my dad used to do when he wants to get from one ship to another, it's also how he met my mom." Gasper imagined himself and his new friends shooting themselves out of a cannon.
"Was your dad a stuntman because he must've been crazy!" Chopper commented.
"That does sound cool." Franky said.
"Don't agree with him!" Usopp smacked Franky on the head even though that doesn't really do anything.
"But this is something I've been keeping this one a surprise. It's "Channel 2"." Franky grinned.
"What's that?" Everyone asked.
"Good question. The system has six channels: two of them are zero, then there's one, two, three, and four. Naturally, each dock has its own set of capabilities." Franky started explaining for the newbies.
"What are the two zeroes for?" Gasper asked.
"The zeroes are for the paddling, one is for my own personally water ride which I'll show you later, and number three is for the shark submarine called Shark Submerge." Nami explained.
"But I'm not sure about the other." Nami said.
"Didn't you tell us a while back that docks 2 and 4 were empty?" Usopp asked as he, Nami, Chopper, and Gasper went down.
"I just told you that so I could I surprise you later!" Franky revealed with a laugh.
"I love surprises." Gasper said.
"Then you're gonna love this one." Franky believed as he opens dock 2 for everyone to see.
Usopp, Nami, and Chopper became happy of shock and thrills upon seeing this while Gasper is very curious about this.
Meanwhile, Shirone is looking through the storage room and into a few giant crats where all the fruits are being kept as she throws away some when she couldn't find the one she is searching for.
"Damn it, this is the third crat I'm searching for, yet my gut instincts won't shut up about finding it here." Shirone growled a bit as she kept digging through the fruits.
"Hey, do you mind being careful with those fruits, I need them to be in perfect condition when I made some taste fruit treats for the lovely ladies like Nami and Robin." Sanji said, and his eye being heart shape.
"(Just my luck, another pervert to deal with.)" Shirone thought exclaimed.
But then her thoughts on Sanji quickly went away when she looked at another fruit in her hand and her eyes widen.
Outside of the Thousand Sunny, the numbers on the side started turning all the way to number two.
"Soldier Dock System, Channel 2! Launch!" Franky announced.
"Ooooh! I can't wait to see what it is!" Luffy excitedly.
"Where's Gasper, I need to show him something!" Shirone asked as she came down onto the dock.
But then she and the others saw something coming out of the side from the Sunny the Gasper and the other three are riding on what appeared to be a cute boat with goat head.
"A paddle ship shopping boat!" Franky grinned as he comes up.
"Not bad, huh? I call it, Mini Merry 2!" Franky revealed the little boat that the four are riding on.
"It's Merry! Our Merry's been reborn as a landing craft!' Usopp cheered happily.
"She may be tiny, but I'm happy to ride her again!" Chopper cried tears of joy.
"So, you guys had a little boat named Merry before?" Gasper asked curiously while having a great time riding the Mini Merry with the others.
"Not exactly, we used to have a ship before the Thousand Sunny which is our current ship. We'll tell you about her later, let just enjoy the ride!" Nami laughed joyfully as steers the paddle boat.
Suddenly a big wave showed up which got Usopp and Chopper freaking out.
"Nami! I think you should turn around now!" Gasper worried.
"Don't worry, I got this!" Nami smiled and drove the Mini Merry to jump over the wave and they splash down.
"That was a little scary, but fun too!" Gasper smiled.
"Now this is one surprise that was definitely worth the wait! Thanks Franky, I love it!" Nami called out, feeling glad to have a little of the Going Merry with them.
"So, that's the smaller version of your former ship. It's okay." Shirone commented, secretly squealing of how cute that boat is.
"With a ship like that, I can go shopping for food in style any time I want!" Sanji looked forward to that.
"Hurry up and let me ride it! Hurry up and let me ride it!" Luffy wanted to take a turn on that little boat right now.
"Gotta say, that was pretty thoughtful of you." Zoro complimented to Franky making him chuckle and rub his metal nose a little.
"Hold your horses, pal. We'll have our chance to take her for a ride soon enough. For now, how 'bout we let those four have a little fun?" Franky suggested as he wants them to enjoy the Mini Merry a little longer.
"So, is that all the dock stuff or what?" Luffy asked.
"Mm-hmmm. Including channel 1 and 3, that I showed you before, now you've seen it all." Franky answered.
"Channel 0: Support Paddle. Channel 1: A single-seat waver. The White Hobby Horse! Channel 3: A triple-seater scouting submarine. The Shark Submerge Three. And then, Channel 2: A four-person shopping boat, the Mini-Merry 2." Franky mentioned all the dock systems.
"For now at least, those are all the features of the ship's Soldier Dock System. If you think of the Sunny as our "mother ship", then these guys are all the little soldiers that help her out." Franky explained.
"Yeah, I love it! You're a genius, Franky!" Luffy patted Franky's back repeatedly.
"Yeah, guess I'm extra awesome this week. Super!" Franky struck his signature pose.
"Hey, what's that fruit you're holding?" Zoro asked, noticing the strange looking fruit that Shirone is holding in her hands.
But before Shirone could explain to them what this fruit is exactly, everyone who are still on the ship heard Nami screaming.
"Nami?" Sanji concerned as he and Shirone went over to the fence.
"Nami, what's wrong? You're not in trouble, are you?" Sanji called out asking.
"(Something is wrong, I can still smell my King, but it feels like there is something he went too far and down for some reason.)" Shirone thought smelled the air with his heighten scent of her Nekomate power.
"My King, take this fruit now while you still can!" Shirone quickly threw the Devil Fruit all the way to where Gasper is.
"Whoa, what did you just throw?" Luffy asked surprise.
"The Devil Fruit me and my King were planning on searching, and I happen to find it in your ship." Shirone answered, hopefully her King have gotten the fruit though she feared that she may have thrown it too hard.
"I'm not sure if that was a good idea, I can't see a damn thing out there. It's just fog and more fog." Zoro pointed out.
"Don't worry, I'm really strong thrower. But I do agree with the fog, I can't even tell if it's gotten worse or not." Shirone said looking at this strange fog.
"The scream sounded like it came from the island." Robin said.
"No fair! You gotta come back so I can ride the Mini Merry, too! Stop hogging all the fun!" Luffy yelled upset that he didn't get his turn, completely missing the point of the situation.
"What? That's all you're worried about?" Shirone and Sanji shocked from their captain.
"What about Nami?" Sanji asked.
"My King is out there probably scared out of his life or all you can think about is wanting to go for a ride!" Shirone angered at the straw hat young man.
"Chopper and Usopp are out there too, you know. Just saying." Franky reminded them of the other two.
"Perhaps they fell victim to a curse from the ghost." Robin guessed calmly in a weird way.
"C'mon, that's not funny. Especially since we have new crew members." Zoro said, weirded from that.
Then something strange happens, the left claw anchor of the Sunny fell right into the water for some reason.
"What was that?" Sanji asked.
"That's crazy—the anchor just dropped on its own!" Luffy surprised.
"Franky, did you also make an auto-release function for the ship to drop anchor because it could use some work." Shirone asked.
"No, everything is mostly manual and such, not to mention I just built this ship not too long ago, so there's no way that the gears got loose." Franky stated.
"Well, either way, pull it up! We can't have the ship lose its balance now!" Zoro ordered.
Suddenly another strange thing happened again, the hatch down to the dock just opened up all by itself and that got everyone's attention.
"That's weird… Did somebody touch the hatch?" Franky asked.
"No, we were right here the whole time." Sanji vouched for himself and everyone.
"Guys, we're not alone on this ship." Shirone said as she noticed an extra scent on the dock, then she moved fast throwing a kick right onto something that made a smack sound in the air.
"Huh, what was that?" Luffy asked titling his head.
"I think Shirone hit something that seems to be invisible." Robin figured then Shirone threw another kick, and this time there is a growling sound.
"Hey, I just heard a growl!" Luffy gasped.
"So do I." Zoro said, getting ready to use his sword.
"Only one thing to do at a time like this." Shirone said as she forms a blue flaming ball in her hand.
"Nekomata Flame Ball!" Shirone threw a fireball at the invisible person causing the fire to consume and revealing there is someone on deck.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
Something bad is already happening to the Straw Hat crew with Nami and the others on the Mini Merry have disappeared somehow, and now there appears to be an invisible person on the Sunny but Shirone discovered that with her nose and exposing him with fire.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!