The party with the Shandians lasted deep into the night, lasting as long as it took for the bonfire to die down. Luffy had already gathered his crew and informed them what was happening, telling them to not party to hard. They had work that needed doing later. Once the party started to die down, Luffy and the others left the bonfire behind and walked in the direction of Wyper's tent. Their party attitude had long since faded, all of them in varying degrees of business mode.
"Are we really going to do this in the middle of the night?" Nami asked, "shouldn't we wait for the Chief to make a decision?"
"If Wyper can get the warriors to side with him, does it matter?" Luffy asked her, raising an eyebrow. The redhead frowned but shook her head.
"No I guess not," she said, "I just hope this is an actual plan and not whatever you usually come up with."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know very well what I mean."
"Alright stop arguing," Nojiko said as she lightly smacked Luffy on the back. "We're supposed to look calm and collected, not a mess." Luffy knew she was right. Even though they weren't exactly the least chaotic crew in the world, they could try and behave for five minutes. After walking through the village for a few minutes, Luffy spotted their destination. It wasn't difficult to find Wyper's tent, as the flap was open with the man gathered around with his team.
"Luffy," Kamakiri called from the door, "over here." When the crew reached the tent, Luffy noted that it was too small to hold Wyper's allies and his entire crew, so he elected to bring Zoro and Vivi inside with him while everyone else waited outside, peeking in.
"So, what's the plan?" Luffy asked as he stood opposite the warrior's table with a map of Upper Yard displayed on it.
"It's not much of a plan," Wyper replied. "Like I told you, we invade Upper Yard while Enel and the Priest's sleep so we can get in further than if it was morning. After that, we need to make it where they sleep. With any luck, they don't wake up early."
"How far can we take Merry?" Vivi asked, her arms crossed as she scanned the map.
"We could technically sail into Upper Yard itself," the woman next to Wyper said. "But it wouldn't be stealthy or convenient. We're better off leaving your ship in the bay and going on foot."
"Not to mention the waterways are patrolled by more of Enel's Speedy Shrimp," Wyper said. "Your ship would get torn to pieces before we made it to the city." Luffy frowned when he heard this. It was definitely a better idea to leave Merry behind.
"You mentioned the city," Zoro said. "Is that our destination?"
"It is," Wyper confirmed, pointing to the ancient city on the map. "Enel's residence is above the ancient city, in a island cloud. That's where we'll find him, if we make it there during the night."
"Above?" Luffy asked, "how do we get to him? You guys have wings, but we don't."
"Easy," The woman next to Wyper said. "Enel's home is directly above a gigantic beanstalk that grows from the city. We can climb it up to his shrine."
"Raki is right," Wyper said. "The Giant Jack is so huge it's easy to climb up."
"This is all well and good," Nami said from outside, "but will we make to the city in time? It's already past midnight, and we probably won't make it to Upper Yard's shores until almost one in the morning."
"She has a point," Vivi agreed. "Unless you guys know Enel's schedule, we might need to wait another night." Wyper frowned at this, rubbing his chin.
"It's a guess," he admitted, "but given Enel's character, I'd wager he sleeps until noon, if not past it. He's not exactly someone who gives a damn about his duties. I don't think we have to worry about him. We would need to worry about his Priests, though."
"Are those his cronies?" Zoro asked.
"They are," Raki said. "Four powerful warriors trained in Mantra. They will definitely be up before noon, keeping Upper Yard safe from people like us. But if we blitz fast enough, we could get past them and to Enel before he has a chance to wake."
Luffy had to admit, even by his standards, this was a rough plan. It all seemed to hinge on taking Enel by surprise, but if they couldn't get to him before he woke up then there was no point. Still though, if he was supposed to be a natural counter, did it matter? Enel couldn't beat him very easily, if at all. That would make all the difference.
"If it's this easy," Vivi said, "why haven't you already done this?" That was a good point too. As far as Luffy could see, he was not required at any point of this mission as it was.
"This is the plan if everything were to go perfectly," Wyper replied with a grimace. "But obviously it won't. Upper Yard is home to many dangers, and the odds we get to the city before dawn are slim. But we do still need surprise to gain the upper hand. Enel knowing we're coming will only spell trouble. Not to mention, even if all of that went well, we wouldn't be able to kill him without Luffy present."
"Why not?" Luffy asked.
"Because like I said, Enel is lightning," Wyper replied. "If we tried to stab him, or shoot him, his Mantra would warn him, even asleep, and wake him. Then, his fruit would react and save his life. Sneaking to him is the best way to ensure we don't die on the way."
"Upper Yard is Enel's stomping ground," Raki added, "if we did this while he was awake, he'd just hit us with lightning on our way. Which is why we need the rubber man." Ah, Luffy could see it now. This was definitely only possible because he could strike Enel at all. At least, that was the theory.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" He asked, "let's get going."
On the way to the Merry, Wyper took the time to introduce his crew to Luffy's. He gave Raki an introduction, though they already knew her name. He pointed out Braham, who was a massive man with no shirt and a hat covering his eyes. Luffy wondered how he saw anything. He introduced Mayushika as well, a more tattooed Shandian then the others, and a bald head.
"I sent Genbo, Warashi and Yotsubane to our armoury," he added as they entered the cloud tunnel back up to where Merry was moored. "Told them to grab a bunch of dials and whatever else they could carry. Hope you're quick with your tools, Usopp." Usopp seemed nervous as Wyper placed his faith in him, but did not speak against the warrior, perhaps in fear of him. The walk back up to Merry was uneventful, and they soon reached the top of the cloud and pulled it open, revealing their ship waiting for them. Raki volunteered to jump the distance and lower the gangplank so they could all board, using her skates to glide across the little bit of clouds between them and jump aboard. After fumbling a little, Raki lowered the gangplank and allowed everyone else to get on.
"Don't go without us," someone said. Luffy turned to see three men joining them, all carrying bags of weapons over their shoulder. Luffy could only assume they were the aforementioned men sent to the armoury. Once they were on board and lowered the bags, Wyper introduced them. Genbo was the fattest Shandian Luffy had seen, which made him wonder how he got to be that big in a village with very little extra food lying around. Yotsubane was a tall man with white hair, his defining feature being his cap with feathers sticking out of it. Warashi too had a hat, also having feathers on the top. It was a cool look, he had to admit.
Once they were all on, Luffy gave the order and the Merry began her journey to Upper Yard. Before they could do anything else though, Luffy wanted to see the Dials. He walked over to where Usopp was fiddling with them, peering over his shoulder as Kamakiri explained them.
"This one is a Flame Dial," he said to them as he held up a bright red shell. "It absorbs heat in the atmosphere naturally then releases it in a torrent of flame. It's a useful one." He put it down and picked up another, "this is an Impact Dial. Wyper showed you this, it absorbs kinetic energy and releases it when you press the button here." Luffy was fascinated by the shells abilities, honestly. How could a simple shell do all of that?
"Think you can do anything with these, Usopp?" He asked, gesturing to the bag of Dials brought with them. Usopp hummed to himself as he stared at the bag.
"I probably could," he admitted, "but I won't have the time to jury-rig anything useful before we get there. At the very least, we should distribute these to our less powerful members. They'll be useful in dangerous scenarios."
"That sounds good to me," Luffy replied as he stood up and watched Upper Yard grow closer in the distance. "Hey Wyper, how long is the walk to this ancient city?"
"Who knows," Wyper replied from the boarding net, hanging from it to get an unobstructed view of their destination. "Anywhere from two hours to eight or more. The jungles of Upper Yard are full of dangers. Bugs, swamps, quicksand, all of that. Not to mention Nola."
"Nola?" Johnny asked him, "who is Nola?"
"Hopefully a pretty lady," Sanji noted with an interested look, making Genbo laugh.
"Nola is a massive snake," he told Sanji, upsetting the cook. "She's descended from one of the old Gods, Kashigami. She was an ally to our ancestors, but ever since we got shot up to Skypiea and no one can ring the bell, she's gone a little crazy. She chases down anyone she catches sight of."
"She was an ally?" Robin asked curiously, "could that change once again, in our favour?"
"Doubt it," Warashi replied, crossing his arms. "Nola would need to hear the bell and be reminded of Kalgara and the old Shandians she loved. I doubt she would help us at all."
"Kalgara?" Luffy asked, "isn't that Wyper's great-whatever Grandpa?"
"It is," Raki replied, "why?" Luffy made a face and pointed at Wyper.
"Why not send Wyper to her?" He asked, "maybe she'll see the resemblance." Wyper's frown deepened at this, and he looked away from them.
"You yourself said you could not see the resemblance," he said. "How do you expect a massive snake too?" Luffy just shrugged at this, making Raki giggle.
"Don't worry yourself about it," she said, "with any luck, Nola will be asleep as well and we can avoid her completely."
"I sure hope so," Usopp said, "h-how big is she, again?"
"Big enough to swallow any of us whole without chewing," Kamakiri remarked with a smirk, throwing a Dial up and down, catching it. Usopp audibly gulped at this.
"Yeah, I really hope she's a deep sleeper," he said. The crew went about their preparations as Merry got closer and closer to Upper Yard, no one wanting to leave without something vital. Impact and Flame Dials were distributed among the crew, and ammo was replenished and double-checked. Pretty soon, the bay that they were sailing too came into view, and Merry approached the shore.
"How close can we get before stopping?" Yosaku asked, already lifting the anchor.
"Right up to it, I'd guess," Nami replied. "It's not a regular island, so it's not in the ground. Also, don't throw the anchor into the clouds, Yosaku. It won't do anything." The swordsman laughed sheepishly and lowered the anchor, making Marianne snort. Merry finally got to the shoreline, and Yosaku was allowed to toss the anchor down into the sand. Once they made sure they were secured, the gangplank was lowered and first of the invaders made landfall.
"Yeah, this is definitely part of Jaya alright," Nojiko said as they stared up at the huge trees and listened to bugs hum in the distance. "It all feels very familiar."
"Does that mean there's more giant bugs?" Chopper asked weakly.
"Yes," Wyper replied as he walked past the Doctor, making him squeak in surprise. "Don't worry about that. All of us travelling in a group, there's no way a few bugs will hurt."
"Not with all these Flame Dials we have," Kamakiri said, one in hand. "So, which way should we go, fearless leader?"
"Straight to the city," Wyper replied as he pointed, "can you see the Giant Jack, pirates? She's right there." Luffy raised an eyebrow but looked up as instructed, and his mouth dropped open.
"Holy shit it's huge!" He shouted, staring in awe at the humongous beanstalk snaking into the sky. It was so huge it managed to disappear into the layer of clouds hundreds if not thousands of feet above them, and it looked thick enough to be considered it's own island if it were cut in half. "I know you said Giant, but that is way bigger than just 'giant'!"
"It must be a form of high-altitude gigantism," Robin mused. "You see it at bottom of the ocean as well. Animals and plants grow huge to adapt to unfriendly environments. Perhaps that's why Nola has grown so big. Maybe we'll see other huge animals that will be desperate to tear us apart and eat us."
"...You're kinda scary, Big Sis Robin," Johnny said as he inched away from her slowly. She simply smiled back at him, which just made him move further away.
"Well at least we'll always know where we're going," Sanji said, "that way Forehead-Sword Style over there won't get lost."
"Yeah," Zoro agreed, "it's so big even edgy morons who cover one eye with their hair could see it."
"Don't start," Nojiko warned the pair before a fight broke out. "We'll probably want something to eat before the fighting starts. Johnny, Yosaku, go and fetch some food from our storage."
"How much?" Yosaku asked, scratching his head. Nojiko cast a glance at Luffy, who just watched her blankly.
"Enough to make sure Luffy doesn't eat all of it on us," she replied. The swordsmen groaned, slumping their shoulders as they walked back up the gangplank. Marianne walked behind them, twirling a paintbrush in her hand.
"I'll paint them and increase their strength," she noted as she went. "Knowing Luffy we'll need to carry a shipload of food anyway." The trio disappeared back onto the Merry, making Luffy take a head count.
"Usopp, Vivi!" He called, "hurry it up!"
"I'm coming, Luffy!" Usopp snapped, peeking his head above the railing. "I'm making sure I carry as much of our ammo and resources as I can! Some of us need it!"
"I've got some of it too," Vivi called, appearing as well. "I want to make sure I have enough to defend myse-!"
Vivi was cut off as Merry erupted from the water, clutched in gigantic claws.
"Ah shit!" Wyper shouted, "A Super-Express Speedy Shrimp!" Luffy didn't need that info, he already recognised it as one of the shrimp that had grabbed them earlier. Gritting his teeth, he reared back and prepared at attack, aiming at the shrimp's face. It sadly didn't matter.
In one swift movement, the shrimp reared back and shot out of the bay, going to the left. Luffy watched, mouth agape, as Vivi and Usopp reached for them desperately.
"Zoro!" He shouted, "Sanji!" Both men understood him immediately, and grabbed a hold of Luffy to keep him anchored as he extended his arm and shot it after the shrimp, flying past the edge of the bay and veering left to follow it. Luffy couldn't see the Merry or the Shrimp, but he didn't stop extending his arm. He couldn't, he had to reach them. Luffy kept extending for what felt like forever, desperately wiggling his fingers to try and grab Merry and either haul them back or shoot after them. He didn't, he couldn't feel anything. They were already long gone.
"Shit!" He shouted angrily, his arm snapping back to him. That itself took twenty seconds, which told him he'd extended pretty far. "Wyper, we have to go after them!" He whirled on the Shandian warrior, who was watching him with a pained expression.
"We can't," he said, "we don't have time."
"Excuse me?!" Luffy demanded.
The tone of the remaining Straw Hats morphed instantly.
Zoro and Sanji too glared at Wyper, the tension in the air rising. Nojiko's hand had gone to her revolver, and Nami had reached for her Clima Tact. Chopper was growling, halfway to changing into his muscle form. Robin remained neutral, but her expression was icier than normal. To his credit, Wyper did not back down.
"I said we don't have time," he said. "The Shrimp will have taken them to the Altar, which is past Giant Jack by a considerable degree. If we go after them, we won't catch Enel off guard and we'll have to contend with him once he's prepared. That isn't a possibility you want to face."
"Are you suggesting we abandon them?" Nami asked, a deep scowl on her face.
"I'm saying you trust that they will head to Giant Jack too," Wyper said. "We can't afford to go after them if you want the element of surprise. That's just how it is."
"Can't they handle themselves?" Kamakiri asked, "they're fighters, same as you."
"Two of them are, at best," Nojiko said, looking to Zoro. "How is Yosaku and Johnny's training going?"
"Fine," Zoro replied. "Are they good enough to defeat a Priest who can read their moves? I doubt it."
"We're going after them," Luffy decided. "Show us the way to the altar." Wyper's frown deepened.
"I told you, we don't have time," he insisted. "They'll be fine. Have faith in your crew."
"I don't mean to sound rude," Robin said, speaking up for the first time since the abrupt disappearance. "But the crew members kidnapped are not our strongest. I do not wish to see them torn to shreds by angry sky animals or sacrificed to a God by these Priests, but I fear they may not have enough strength to resist. Also, it may not be a good look if the Princess of Alabasta dies on her first voyage as a member of the crew, Captain."
"Exactly!" Luffy agreed, "show us how to get there!"
"And sacrifice our advantage?!" Wyper demanded, not backing down. "Not a chance!" Luffy grit his teeth angrily, anger clouding his mind.
"Then say goodbye to your help! I'll go save my crew, then go ring the bell at my leisure! You need me, but I don't need you!"
"You want to survive the jungle, you do need me!" Wyper retaliated, stepping closer to Luffy and glaring him down. Luffy wasn't scared of the older man, not in the slightest. "Nola would eat you whole without our help!"
"Yeah? Well Enel will fry your stupid ass to a crisp without my help! I already said, I don't care about your people's story! I came to ring the bell for Cricket! I'm perfectly content with letting Enel rule this stupid bit of land!" Wyper's expression darkened, and he took another step closer.
"I should have blown up your ugly ship when I had the chance," he hissed, grabbing a hold of Luffy's vest. Luffy just glared back at him, reaching up and grabbing a hold of his braided hair.
"I should have let the others toss you overboard," he retaliated. Wyper's eye's narrowed, and he raised his free hand and balled it into a fist. He threw the punch for Luffy's head, as Luffy did the same and aimed for Wyper's.
Before either hit could connect, Luffy was pulled back by two pairs of arms, and a fist crashed directly into Wyper's forehead, making him crumble downwards.
"Easy Luffy," Nami said in his left ear. She sounded livid, but controlled. "Don't start a war for no reason."
"Vivi worked too hard to form this alliance for you to ruin it," Nojiko said in his right. Luffy grunted in response to the sisters, not resisting as they hauled him away from Wyper. As for the Shandians, it had been Raki who had slammed her knuckles into Wyper's scalp, and was now hoisting him to his feet.
"What do you think you're doing, trying to fight our answer?!" Raki demanded, Wyper glaring back at her silently. "I've let you lead this suicidal escapade quietly, but enough is enough! Have some empathy, you giant oaf!"
"Raki..." Wyper started, but the Shandian woman raised a hand threateningly.
"Don't 'Raki' me! I know all you care about is Kalgara's legacy and restoring us to our home, but how do you plan to accomplish that without the rubber man, exactly? Did you have a plan? Or did you start a fight because he dared to care about his own allies? What would you do if I or anyone else got taken?"
Wyper's annoyed silence was a better answer than any words could have been.
"Exactly," Raki replied, lowering her arms. "You'd go after us. So stop butting heads like two enraged bulls. Besides, we don't all need to go after his friends."
"Huh?" Wyper asked, raising an eyebrow. Raki sighed and turned to Luffy.
"I'll go after your friends," she told him. "If it's one of us, our skates will let us reach the Altar faster than sailing upriver or trudging through the jungle. With any luck, I'll get there before the sun comes up and they get attacked by the Priests." Raki then turned to the other warriors, gesturing to Genbo. "Genbo, you're with me. you won't need the two of us, will you?"
Wyper didn't provide an answer, which was enough of a confirmation to Raki it seemed. The woman walked up to Luffy and bowed her head slightly.
"Forgive Wyper," she said, "his temper gets the better of him more often than not. He meant no offense to you." Luffy just stared back at the woman quietly, before Nami drove her elbow into his ribs.
"It's fine," Luffy said, getting the message. "He's got a lot on his mind. Thank you for going after my crew." Raki nodded with a small smile, casting a glance over her shoulder at Wyper, who just watched her.
"If that's all, I'll get going," Raki said as she walked a few steps away. "Is there anything else before I go?" Luffy watched the woman quietly for a moment, before turning to look at his remaining crew.
"Can you take someone from my crew with you?" He asked. Raki raised an eyebrow at this.
"Sure, we have an extra pair of skates," she said, turning to Genbo, "right?"
"Yeah, from the armoury," he said, dropping the sack from his shoulders and moving through it. Luffy turned to look at Nami, who met his eyes.
"Can you go with them?" He asked, making her narrow her eyes at him.
"Why?" She asked, "do you think I can't handle myself?"
"I never said that," Luffy replied. "Even though they know this island better than us, you're an excellent Navigator. If there's any chance you can get this done quicker, I want you to do it. Okay? Besides, I'd feel a lot better knowing one of us is going. I'd go myself, but as Wyper said, that's not ideal." There was silence among the Straw Hats at this, all of them watching him.
"Luffy…" Nojiko asked, "...did you just use your head?"
"What?" Luffy demanded, looking at her, "why is that surprising?"
"He asks like it isn't obvious," Sanji said, making Zoro snort. Nami smiled back at him after this, putting her hands on her hips.
"Well, I guess I have too," she said, "since you put your faith in me and all. Don't worry, I'll make sure we get them to Giant Jack in one piece." Luffy smiled back at her.
"Thanks," he said. Nami moved to take the extra skates from Genbo, and with help from Raki attached them to her feet. She got a quick crash course in how to use them, which she seemed to take better than Luffy thought. she would have. after making sure Nami wouldn't faceplant, the trio said their farewells and took off into the jungle, jumping over the tree line and disappearing.
"Well, looks like we're ready to go," Braham said, crossing his arms, "or does anyone else want to split up?"
Johnny had no idea what was happening, all he knew as that he'd be thrown into the wall of the Merry at vicious speeds ad hit his head. Thinking quickly, he grabbed Marianne as she almost met the same fate as himself and Yosaku, making sure she didn't hit her head.
"What the hell is happening?!" Yosaku asked over the sound of clouds being smashing into Merry's stern. "Why are we moving?!"
"It's got to be one of those damn shrimp!" Marianne shouted from Johnny's chest, "we got taken!"
"Was anyone on the deck still?" Johnny asked, both of them shrugging back at him. "Shit! Yosaku, take Little Sis Mari! I'll check the deck!" Nodding, Yosaku grabbed Marianne and shielded her so she wouldn't fall. Doing his best, Johnny struggled his way towards the stairs, stumbling and falling a few times as the shrimp veered quickly in different directions. Where the hell were they going?
Finally making it up the stairs and into the cabin, Johnny made it to the door and flung it open, his eyes widening. A bit farther away from him, clinging on for dear life, was Usopp and Vivi. As the shrimp veered deeper into the forest Vivi was nearly flung off the ship, making his stomach drop.
I need to protect them, they're my crew!
"Big Bro Usopp! Big Sis Vivi!" He shouted. The wind successfully carried his voice to them, making them turn and see him. "Come here and get in the cabin! It's safer!"
"Are you crazy?!" Usopp yelled, "what if it veers again and we get flung off?!"
"Would you rather the jungle, or the cabin wall?!" Johnny demanded, "don't worry, I'll catch you if something goes wrong! Do you trust me?!"
"Not really!" Usopp cried, but Vivi had a determined look in her eyes.
"Yes!" She shouted, making him smile. Vivi got to her feet carefully, casting a glance behind them to see where the shrimp was going. Once she was confident enough, she released the railing and stumbled towards him. The shrimp sharply turned left, which Vivi almost managed to escape. As she got flung to the left, Johnny reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her safely into his arms.
"Thank you!" Vivi shouted over the wind, smiling up at him.
"No problem!" He shouted back, looking up. "Come on, Big Bro Usopp! Come over here where it's safe!"
"Usopp, hurry!" Vivi coaxed, "I made it just fine!"
"I-I don't know if I can!" Usopp shouted back, his arms shaking. Johnny could not tell if it was because of the fear, or his arms were about to give out.
"I know you can!" Vivi shouted. Johnny turned to look at her in surprise as she continued. "You're the brave warrior of the sea, aren't you?! The best sniper in all the sea's! You're Usopp the Great, this is nothing!" Johnny smiled at her coercion, turning to look back at Usopp.
"You're the bravest man alive!" He shouted, "this is nothing!" Usopp didn't look totally reassured, but he was slowly making it to his feet as they spoke.
"...Y-Yeah!" he said, "I-I am the bravest! This is nothing!" After a few more seconds of reassurance, Usopp released the railing and slowly made his way too them. The knot in Johnny's stomach got worse as he watched him, just waiting for the inevitable turn from the shrimp.
It was a good thing he prepared himself.
Right before Usopp got to them, the shrimp sharply turned. Usopp lost his balance and flew for the railing, but Johnny was faster. Right before the sniper went over, Johnny got a hold of his hand and heaved them both back within the cabin, Vivi slamming the door as they got inside.
"Than you Johnny!" Usopp cried as he scrambled to his hands and knees, bowing to him. "You're the best cabin boy ever!"
"Is now really the time to call me the cabin boy?" Johnny asked, laughing in disbelief. Vivi managed a laugh at this as well, and once Usopp got to his feet they scrambled below deck for safety.
"You guys good?" Yosaku asked, anchoring himself and Marianne as the shrimp took another violent turn.
"We're fine!" Vivi said, stumbling down the last few steps "We were the only ones left, so it's just us."
"We're all the weakest members too!" Usopp shouted when he saw Yosaku and Marianne, "if someone comes for us were screwed!"
"Weak?" Yosaku demanded, "I'll have you know Little Sis Mari and I defeated a Numbers Agent in Alabasta!" Mari's cheeks flushed pink at this, but she nodded.
"Yeah," she agreed, "we aren't massive pushovers."
"Still, he has a point," Vivi said as they all huddled within a circle of crates for protection. "We are on the weaker side. We should stay hidden until Luffy and the others come for us."
"Any idea where we're being taken?" Mari asked.
"No," Johnny replied, "but we are still in Upper Yard. Maybe we get lucky and the shrimp takes us right to the ancient city."
"I doubt we're that lucky," Usopp mumbled.
"Agreed," Vivi said. "Listen, we should prepare for a fight if we have too. Johnny, Yosaku, are you two ready to fight?" Johnny swallowed hard, grabbing the hilt of Sutomukora at his side.
"Of course," he said, "we'll protect you guys."
"I've got my paints as well," Mari said. "With that, you guys can be a little stronger for whatever comes for us."
"I-I've still got my custom ammo and some Dials Wyper gave us," Usopp said, digging into his pack. "These could be helpful." Vivi nodded, giving them all a somewhat forced smile.
"Don't worry guys, we'll get through this just fine. Let's remind these guys that you don't mess with anyone in the Straw Hat crew." As she said this, the hull of the Merry groaned around them, something above them splintering.
"Let's just hope Merry makes it to our destination," Johnny grumbled.
Oh no, I'm separating them too?! I'm just as bad as Oda! Nah but for real, there are some character things I want to do, and I need the 'weaker' members separated for that. Hope you guys like what I cook up.