Everyone had gone in separate directions; Snotlout and Eret were still on the ship filling the cola tanks with Ragnar and Toothless while the others went off searching for the coating mechanic.
"Everyone else went to town, widening the two of you go with?" Ragnar asked.
"We used up a lot of cola in that battle with Duval, damn near all of it," Eret explained. "It's my job to take good care of the Night Fury."
"He's right, and I like helping out anything ship-related too," said Snotlout. "Once we're done, all three of us can head out together. Would you say sound good?"
"Sorry, but I think my shopping will be a lot easier if I go on my own," said Ragnar.
Toothless then jumped ashore. "Well, says there's nothing else to do. I think I'll go and explore this place."
"You sure that's wise?" Ragnar asked.
"I won't cause any trouble, not unless someone starts it anyway," said Toothless.
"That's unafraid of," Ragnar sighed.
"Hey, it's not my fault usually finds us," said Toothless as he walked away.
"He does have a point," said Snotlout.
"Truly, do seem to attract trouble like was some sort of trouble magnet," Ragnar agreed.
The others meanwhile made their way into town, though, for some reason, Octron was wearing a large jacket to hide two of his arms and wore a plaster on his forehead. Camie was dressed strangely as well as she was now wearing a dress and, for some reason, had a pair of shoes on her fins, and she was riding on Octron's back.
"The World Nobles I mentioned are also known as the Celestial Dragons," said Octron. "They think they are so much better than everyone else they wear masks to avoid breathing the same air as us. Now remember what I said; no matter what they do, just stay out of their way. I need you to promise me that."
Hiccup looked at the others, but mostly the twins. "You heard the man, no causing any trouble."
"Why does he look at us every time he says that?" Tuffnut asked, looking at his sister, who merely shrugged.
"Aside from that, there are a couple those things you should keep an eye out for," Octron continued. "Remember, this is the place where everyone gathers before heading off to the New World. In other words, like you, there are a lot of big-name pirate crews around. Which means Marines and bounty hunters are out to catch them.
"Also, the law won't protect pirates from being bought or sold here. Kidnapping happens all the time, so try not to stand out; if people realise just how much your work is, the whole island will be on you, and we'll never get the ship coated. And fair warning, the Marines here aren't pushovers; we're right by Navy Headquarters, so you never know which powerhouse might show up. The bounty hunters here are pretty ferocious, too; they are a lot tougher than what you're used to. Oh yeah, and one more thing…"
"Oh, come on," Tuffnut groaned. "We're going to be just fine.
"By the way, when you get wound on your head?" said Ruffnut noting the plaster on his forehead.
"Huh?" Octron frowned, remembering the plaster. "Oh, that? Don't worry about it, okay and by the way, Camie isn't a mermaid, and I'm not a Fishman. Not while we're here anyway; just pretend we're humans like you."
"What?" Ruffnut frowned. "Why would we do that?"
"It'll just be easier that way."
Heather had observed Hiccup looking a little weary, and she could also tell that Camie was looking a little uneasy.
"When travelling, it's best to honour the local culture, guys," said Heather. "Lead us just what the octopus asks."
When they got a town, Octron led them to a store where the owner immediately asked the twins to enter one of the large bubbles.
"That's it, slowly," said the store owner.
It took some doing, but the twins were able to put their heads in the bubble and began pulling the rest of their bodies inside it.
"This reminds me of being in the womb," said Tuffnut.
"Not a pleasant experience for us both," said Ruffnut.
"Still incredibly able to pull yourselves inside that bubble," said Fishlegs.
"How mysterious," said Heather.
"And it looks like none of the air is coming out either," Hiccup noted.
"You ain't seen nothing yet," said the store owner as he handed them some sort of saddle with pedals and an engine. "Here, this thing inside there with you."
The twins did just that, and the saddle fits perfectly inside the bubble with the engine sticking outside. Ruffnut placed her foot on the pedals, and Tuffnut sat behind her.
"You mean like this?" she asked.
"As long as you can reach the pedals, you can drive it around all over the place," said the store owner.
Ruffnut began to move the pedals which operated the engine, causing them to move forwards.
"It's moving!" Tuffnut cried.
"Wow, cool!" Chopper beamed.
"The bubble isn't breaking," said Skull as they watched the twins flying around.
"These bubble bikes are the most convenient way to get around the Sabaody Archipelago," said the store owner. "They're affordable too; they run for 500 Gil per person, but you can own it for only 10,000 deal. So, how about it?"
"We'll just rent one," said Octron.
"Wait!" said Ruffnut coming to a stop. "We've got the money."
"Yeah, we can buy one," Tuffnut nodded.
"Me too! Me too!" Chopper cried.
"No, you don't!" said Octron firmly. "There's no point in buying one, just rented!"
"It's our money. We can do what we want!" said Ruffnut.
"Yeah, so there!" Chopper nodded.
"Just take my word for it; I'll explain everything later," said Octron looking back at the store owner. "Three more rentals, please."
The store owner looked disappointed. "Ah, I take it you're a local then. Such a shame, such a shame."
The twins and Chopper pouted.
The store owner gave them three more bubble bikes; Hiccup rode on one with Fishlegs, Astrid rode on another with Chopper sitting in the basket front and Pappagu in the bubble itself and everyone else with a larger one with Octron.
"Wow, this is fantastic. I love it!" said Astrid.
"Whoever came up with these is a genius," said Hiccup.
"Feels great, doesn't it?" said Camie.
"There are all different kinds, too," said Heather.
"Suddenly, I have the urge to sing," said Skull and began to hum.
"So why do you want us to buy any of these bubble bikes?" Fishlegs asked, looking at Octron.
"They think back to when the twins wrote that bubble up into the sky right after we got here," said Octron. "Do you guys remember what happened to it?"
"Yeah, when the bubble they were on got past the trees, it burst," said Hiccup thinking back.
"That happened because they left the Sabaody Archipelago's unique atmosphere," Octron explained. "This area has a distinct climate specifically suited for the Hustle Muscle Mangroves. Once you leave that climate, the resin in the bubbles starts to change. Not long after that, they pop."
"Really?" said Heather. "That means someone would only be able to ride one of these bubbles if they stayed in this area, correct?"
"Yeah, see, you get it," said Octron. "People will come here for the first time are always eager to buy a bubble bike. Since the only work here, it's a rip-off. Just renting one is all you really need."
"So, you're saying that we would only be able to ride these bubbles here?" said Tuffnut as he stuck his head out of the bubble.
"And if we try to take these bubbles with us, they would pop?" Ruffnut added.
"That's exactly the issue," said Hiccup.
"Oh, you can use bubble bikes on Fishman Island too if you like," said Camie. "The ocean floor has the same kind of bubbles. You would love it."
"I can't wait to get to Fishman Island," said Hiccup. "My father is a friend of the King there."
"Wait, your father's is friends with the king of Fishman Island, but he's a pirate?" Fishlegs frowned.
"My father protects a lot of islands from other pirates that would do them harm; Fishman Island is one of them," Hiccup explained.
"So, we might get a royal welcome? That would be a nice change," said Astrid.
"If you do, you should check out the mermaid princess," Pappagu advised. "She's so graceful, so beautiful. Sometimes it's all you can do not to stare at her."
"I look forward to it," said Skull. "I have an excellent eye for appreciating beauty, though being a skeleton, I lack eyes."
They then passed some food stands, and the twins immediately made their way to the one closest to them.
"That looks yummy," said Ruffnut.
"What's a Granman?" Chopper asked, looking at the words on the boxes.
"They're Grand Line steamed buns," said the store owner. "They are called Granman for short. Care to try a sample?"
Almost instantly, the twins and Chopper began eating all the samples they could get their hands on. Hiccup and Fishlegs quickly moved in and pulled them away from the buns.
"He said try a sample, not scoff the lot," said Hiccup.
"As you can see, it has Grand Line First Half written into it," said the store owner, a bit taken aback by the twins and Chopper. "They are meant to be a souvenir to return home with. Shelf life is three months, plenty of time to make it back with them."
"Under normal circumstances, yes," said Fishlegs. "Sadly for us, they would only last three days."
"Grove 35," said Heather as they looked around. "There seems to be a lot of hotels around here."
The others had decided to go in deeper into the town and saw a number of hotels. Every building, single build, had one thing in common they were all balloon shaped.
"Those are the living quarters for the sailors that are waiting for permission to pass through Meridian," Octron explained.
"Building all these hotels is easier than you think," said Pappagu, gesturing to a few men that seemed to be painting some sort of metal over a bubble. "Usually, they simply coat the giant soap bubble with a metal alloy and voilà instant foundation. That's how all the round buildings are made."
"Wow," said Heather.
"Hey, Heather, there's a mall!" Astrid pointed. "I bet they have all sorts of stuff. Let's check it out."
Hiccup and the others soon returned after buying a number of fun boxes.
"You guys bought a lot of stuff," Camie noted.
"It'll be tough carrying all that, go have him bubble pack it up for you," said Octron.
"What's a bubble pack?" Fishlegs asked.
A bubble pack turned out to be a bubble that allowed them to put items in. It simply floated above their heads, attached to a string like a balloon.
"Incredible, it is so light," said Hiccup.
Chopper then noticed that Astrid and Heather were gone. "Hey, where are Astrid and Heather?"
"Don't worry about them; they went to the shopping mall on Grove 30," said Camie. "They said that they wanted to leave the coating to the ship to us."
"Translation, they want me and Fishlegs to handle it," Hiccup sighed.
"Well, it needs to get done," said Fishlegs.
"So where are we off to next, Octron?" Chopper asked.
"We're going to Grove 31, even by bike. It's a long trip, so we probably should get moving," said Octron.
Astrid and Heather were making their way to the mall on Grove 30.
"I wonder why Camie didn't join us?" Heather asked curiously. "We invited her."
"Yeah, she's been sort of nervous and quiet ever since we got here, hasn't she?" Astrid frowned. "Something's bothering her, but I don't know what."
"Perhaps it's Sabaody itself," Heather suggested. "There could be a bad history tied to the island."
"Bad history, huh?" said Astrid, not liking the sound of that.
Meanwhile, the others were now racing with one another as they were making their way to Grove 31. Though strictly speaking, it was Hiccup, Ocrton and the twins racing while everyone else was hanging on for dear life.
When they turned round the corner, Octron was in the lead, followed by Hiccup and then the twins. They were all putting pedal to the metal as they were determined to be the first ones to the Grove.
"We're going so fast," said Camie, who found the race exciting.
Octron looked behind and saw that Hiccup, the twins, were gone. "Hey, where did you guys go?"
"Right over here!" said Ruffnut.
Sure enough, on his left, Octron saw Hiccup, and the twins were about to overtake him.
"Oh yeah!" said Octron and pedalled even faster than before.
"You don't have to do better than that," said Hiccup as he overtook him.
"Don't get too cocky; we've still got a long way to go."
"Yeah, pick it up! You can do it, Octron!" Camie cheered.
"What the heck is up with you guys?" Chopper cried as he cleaned on to dear life. "When did this turn into some kind of race?"
"I think that was when Hiccup suggested that we pick up the pace to get to the Grove sooner!" Fishlegs cried.
Meanwhile, at Grove 31, a pirate with a metal collar entered the street, and everyone gave him a wide berth. He looked completely exhausted as if he had been running for his life, and then he accidentally bumped into a woman.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, and then she who she had bumped into. "Wait, what are you…" The pirates then grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up. "No! I didn't mean to… stop it, please!"
"You better help me," said a pirate pleadingly, grasping the collar around his neck with his free hand. "I'm begging you! Get it off! Get this thing off of me! I-I just want to leave! I just want to go back home!"
Roundabout the same time, Hiccup and the others arrived at Grove 31, and they could hear the yelling coming from town.
"What all that yelling about?" Hiccup wondered.
Everyone in town immediately backed away from the pirate.
"Anybody! Please get me out of this damn thing!" he cried. "Bring me something! Someone bring me a damn tool… an axe… a saw… something to get this thing off me! All I want is to go back home! I don't want to hurt anybody!"
"Please, sir! Let go, don't kill me," the woman pleaded.
The pirate then tossed the woman aside. "I give up! I don't want to go to the New World anymore! Please, I've got a wife and kid back home! I'm begging you here! Somebody help me! My little boy, I left him when he was just a baby; he doesn't even know what I look like. Help me, please!"
Hiccup and the others just arrived in the town when they saw the spectacle.
"Who's that?" Tuffnut asked.
"I want to go home!" the pirate pleaded. "I won't hurt you!"
"I'd stay out of this," Octron advised. "He's probably some pirate that was caught by kidnappers and sold into slavery. His owner must have brought him onto this island, and then he made a run for it, but he must know what happens to slaves who try to get away."
They then suddenly heard a ticking sound coming from the collar around his neck. Upon hearing this, everyone immediately ran away, as far away from him as possible.
"What's that sound?" Chopper asked. "Why is he taking?"
"It sounds like a countdown," Fishlegs gulped.
"This collar!" the pirate screened as he desperately tried to remove it. "If I can only… get this thing off my neck!" Stop it, please! Stop ticking! Dammit! Dammit! Get off me!"
The ticking got faster, and the pirate was on the verge of tears. The ticking then suddenly stopped, and the collar exploded. Remarkably the pirate was still alive, though it looked as if he was about to collapse at any moment.
"Help me," he begged.
The Dragon Riders just stared, stunned.
"All the slaves have one of those metal collars put around their necks," said Octron closing his eyes. "And if they try to take it off or run from their master, it'll explode."
"Just let me go home to my family," said the pirate. "I don't want to be a pirate in the New World anymore."
He then collapsed.
"It's a slave that tried to escape!"
"Stay away! Stay back and ignore him!"
"I can't believe what just happened," said Skull. "We have to help."
"Idiot, you guys promise not to get involved no matter what, remember?" Pappagu reminded them.
"What's with this crazy place?" Chopper yelled.
"What are we going to do, Octron?" Camie asked. "The Celestial Dragons will be here at any minute."
"It's all right," he said, placing an arm around her. "Just stay calm, Camie." He then looked at the twins. "You two need to get off that bubble bike."
"What for?" Ruffnut frowned.
"Hurry up and do it!" Octron yelled.
"All right, we're getting off," said Tuffnut.
The twins jumped off the bike in time as new arrivals appeared.
"It's them!"
Almost immediately, all the citizens fell to their knees as a dog with a bubble over its head walked by.
"That's not a dragon," Ruffnut frowned.
"That's just a dog," said Tuffnut.
"Bow down!" Octron ordered, pushing the two of them onto their knees.
"Why?" they asked in unison.
"No matter what happens, don't look at them in the eye," said Octron, then he looked at the others. "Same goes for you guys."
"Right," they said and immediately went down on their knees.
They watched as the dog approached the pirate, and then we got him.
"Sai, come now, don't be vulgar," said a posh female voice.
"So that them, huh?" said Hiccup.
"Yeah," Octron nodded.
Making their way down the street or a group of people, the majority of them look like guards. However, one of them was a large man chained up and forced to walk on his hands and knees. There were two others as well, both dressed in the finest clothes anyone could imagine. One was a young woman, and standing next was obviously her father, both of them wearing bubble helmets.
"Oh look, father," said the woman. "Another one of our slaves has broken down."
"Did you give it its daily sedative like you were supposed to?" her father asked as if the pirate wasn't a person.
"Of course I did, but it seems like it had no effect on this poor fool," she said as she approached the pirate. "I don't even want it anymore. Would you buy me a new one?"
"Honestly, you're terrible at taking care of them," said her father. "You're decimating my precious ship captain collection, one pirate at a time."
"It was useless, to begin with," she said, kicking the pirate. "Family… children… stop crying… pathetic… you're nothing more than a lonely human slave."
All the citizens were looking away, not wanting to look at the display. Hiccup himself was fighting the urge to do something.
"He can't even move," he said through gritted teeth.
She then pulled out a pistol and aimed it at the pirate. "You make me want to vomit."
Then to their horror, she shocked the pirate.
The twins were about to make a move, but Octron quickly grabbed them and pulled them back.
"Control yourselves," he said.
The Celestial Dragons in their entourage then carried on down the street as if nothing had happened.
"I think I would like a giant for my next slave," said the woman.
"Perhaps something smaller like a human child," her father suggested.
"Argh, I detest the weak ones."
Hiccup clenched his fists, and it didn't go unnoticed by Octron.
"Whatever your thinking, don't think about it," he said.
"The Marines," Camie whispered.
A group of Marines then arrived with a stretch and quickly approached the pirate.
"We need to get the hell away from here and fast," said Octron.
They immediately left the city and rested upon one of the giant routes of the mangrove. The Dragon Riders were still rather shocked by what they had witnessed.
"Would you care for some tea?" Skull asked Camie, handing her a cup of tea. "It will calm your nerves."
Camie shook her head. "I feel terrible; thanks though."
"You think he's going to be all right?" Fishlegs asked.
"Maybe so, but if he lives, go to prison for piracy," said Octron.
"I have a feeling you might find that more acceptable than being a slave," said Hiccup.
"I don't understand," said Chopper confused. "An old man and a woman are no match for a pirate like that. What's going on here?"
"If anyone hurts a Celestial Dragon, Navy Headquarters sends an admiral and a fleet of battleships to handle the situation," Pappague explained.
Everyone stared at him in shock.
"An admiral?" said Tuffnut. "You mean Asmund?"
"It could be him, Magnus or Kai; there's no telling which one of them which would show up. Remember, we're right by Navy HQ."
"What makes the Celestial Dragons so special?" Chopper asked.
"The Dragons from the bloodline of the creators of the World Government," said Pappagu.
"Are you serious?"
"800 years ago, a group of 20 kings came together to create the organisation known which is now known as the World Government. The Celestial Dragons are their descendants."
"But only 19 decided to ascend to Meridian," said Hiccup. "Vivi's family House Nefertiti chose not to ascend."
"Wait, Viv's family helped create the World Government?" Fishlegs stared.
"As the years go by, generation after generation, they grow more and more reckless with power," Pappagu continued.
"It's no wonder my mother decided to go to war with them," said Hiccup.
Unbeknownst to them, a group of bounty hunters had spotted them and instantly recognised Hiccup from his wanted poster.
"It's him."
"Yeah, Dragon Conqueror Hiccup with a bounty of 300 million Gil."
