Hey everyone, and welcome to my new One Piece fanfiction. This chapter will be shorter than the previous ones, and there won't be much action, but the events taking place will be more about world-building and setting up the next arc. Think of it as an interlude.
Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based parody. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Eiichiro Oda, Shueisha, Toei Animation, and Fuji TV. Please support the official release.
"Pirate" Regular speech.
"Pirate" Thoughts.
Finger Pistol Attack names.
(Pirate) Words said previously.
"PIRATE!" Shouting speech.
[Pirate!] people talking at the same time.
"Pirate" people talking over communication.
The Island Of Strange Creatures
—…
It was a quiet day out on the open sea of the East Blue as the newly acquired ship of Light's Pirate crew—The Going Merry—Was sailing peacefully across the ocean. As the ship stayed on course, the whole crew were all quietly minding their own business—Save for one member.
Usopp stood tall at the bow of the ship with his arms crossed and with a scowl of authority.
"You pathetic little maggots." He spoke before taking out a long, wooden stick from his beat. "You would knowingly attack the invincible fleet of Pirates commanded by Captain Usopp of the Going Merry!" He roared as he jumped down to the lower deck and started swinging his stick. "Attack them! Show them no mercy!"
.
.
.
Sadly for him, no one felt like playing along with his role-play or even acknowledged his presence for that matter, as all of them were preoccupied with their own tasks. Nami was sitting on a barrel while looking at some maps, Silk was sitting with her back against a crate polishing her Sword, Light was sitting in the corner and writing stuff down in a book, and Zoro was just taking a nap.
"Jeez." He said to them all, sounding a bit let down. "I really expected you guys to be a little bit more lively than this."
"Well, what can we do?" Light casually asked while closing his book. "We're surrounded by open water, and we've only had this ship for a day. It's not like there's much to do, to begin with."
"And no offense, but none of us are in the mood for playing pretend Pirate." Silk added, not even looking at him.
Usopp sighed, dropping his stick. "Well, at least think of something Pirate-like. Seriously, if someone saw us right now, they'd never think this was a Pirate Ship, even ignoring the fact that we don't even have a Pirate mark."
"Actually, that's not a bad idea." Light zoned in on that last part. "Let's make our Pirate mark."
"I suppose that's appropriate now that we have a real ship." Silk agreed with that idea.
"All crews need a Jolly Roger." Nami added.
"A Pirate Ship isn't complete without one." Zoro joined in after waking up.
"There's a black flag in the back that we can use. The only question is, who's going to paint the mark?" Light wondered thoughtfully.
But Usopp was chuckling to himself before he wagged a finger at them as if they were naughty kids. "You guys really should've told me about this. Maybe you didn't know this about me, but I am an artist."
"How could we have possibly known that about you when we just met you?" Silk pointed out.
"What I'm saying is that when it comes to painting, I'm in a league of my own." Usopp bragged while ignoring Silk's rebuttal. "I've been drawing graffiti for fifty years straight!"
"Fifty years?" Light tilted his head in confusion. "Wouldn't that make him older than his father?"
"That would mean he's an old man now!" Zoro exclaimed in an obviously sarcastic tone.
"Which would give him five or six grandkids, and I don't see them." Nami offered with a smirk.
"Why would you assume he would even have kids? Much less, grandkids?" Silk finished with half-lidded eyes.
"Hey!" Usopp exclaimed as he held up his hands angrily.
"Anyways." Light redirected the conversation. "You do the painting, and I'll explain what it should look like."
"You already have an idea in mind?" Usopp asked, curious as to what it would be.
Moving on, the crew gathered around after they brought out the flag and jars of paint. Usopp started designing their Pirate mark the way Light described it. The result was a skull and cross-bone design, only instead of a human skull, it was a lion-shaped skull, and instead of mane, the skull had hair that was the same color and style as Light's hair with a white outline.
"So tell me how much you like it." Usopp said proudly.
"Wow, that's actually pretty good, Usopp." Nami said, deeply impressed.
"It looks perfect." Light said happily. "This'll be the symbol for our crew."
"Why's it a lion, though?" Nami felt the need to ask.
"It's what the Captain asked for." That was all Usopp had to say.
"When you think about it, though, it is a pretty fitting design for the Captain." Silk reasoned, satisfied with it.
"And it works. Our mark should be scary." Zoro said thoughtfully as he glanced over it. "It should strike fear into our enemy's hearts. This should do the job nicely."
"So, we're all in agreement. This is going to be our mark." Light said before he pointed up at the sails. "Usopp, paint the Jolly Roger on the sail too!"
"Right!" Usopp prepared to do just that.
Usopp took the paint and climbed up the mast like a monkey to reach the sail. They all sat back and watched him work, painting the same beastly skull with the dark purplish-black highlighted hair… As soon as it was done, Usopp was lying on the deck, covered in paint, and looking exhausted.
"Okay, it's ready!" Light grinned with his eyes bright and shining as he stared at the mark—It was official—They were a real Pirate crew now. "Now it's complete. The Going Merry is officially the Pirate Ship of our crew."
With that settled, everyone was content and went back to relaxing in peace before suddenly hearing a rumbling noise along with the feeling that the wind was picking up. Looking to say, they all noticed a number of dark clouds looming in the distance and in the direction they were sailing toward.
"That's odd. Those thunderclouds just came out of nowhere?" Light looked out at them.
"Should we turn?" Usopp suggested.
"Hold on." Nami spoke out, taking a closer look at one of her maps before taking out some binoculars to look out at the clouds until she could make out an Island in the middle of the storm clouds. "That's the place." She confirmed. "Yep, there's no doubt about it."
"Mind filling us in?" Light petitioned her. "What do you see?"
As they got closer, the dark clouds spread. Further, the waves started rising ad became harsher, and the wind became stronger. Through all that, Nami smiled s they looked at them. "The Legendary Treasure Island."
"You mean The Treasure Island?" Usopp repeated, hardly able to believe it. "Even I've heard of that place."
"Yeah, I'm not surprised. This place is famous the world over. And so are the crazy stories about it." Nami went on to explain.
Silk rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, you guys actually believe those fairy tales?"
"Fairy tales?" Usopp blinked at her. "Hold on, are you saying you don't believe in Treasure Island?"
Silk shrugged. "I believe in a lot of things, but I don't believe in an Island that has a vast amount of treasure—So much so that the whole world knows about it, and yet, no one has claimed it despite the fact that it's this easy to find."
Zoro nodded in agreement. "She's right. We're literally just sailing right up to it. You can't call it legendary if the only thing blocking from the treasure is a small storm."
As the thunder rumbled in the distance, Nami gave them a sly smirk. "Oh, there's more to it than that. Legend has it that whoever's dumb enough to sail close to the Island enquires a God's wrath."
RUMBLE!
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Usopp screeched after a bolt of lightning gnarly missed the ship's sail. The storm picked up, and the sky was raining heavily while the wind was blowing so strongly that they had to hold onto something to stay still. "Now we know that all those stories were true, guys! This is a God's wrath!"
"If this is the worst we have to worry about, then we'll be fine." Light held onto his hat to keep it from blowing away and stared at the distance Island. "Nami! Set our course."
"Hey, wait?! We're not gonna—?!" Usopp gasped fearfully when he realized what he was implying.
Nami smiled brightly as she answered him. "You bet we are!"
With that decision made, the Going Merry set a course for Treasure Island. Silk, Zoro, and Usopp pulled the ropes to set the sails, Light steered the ship by the wheel, and Nami just kept looking through her binoculars with excitement as the Island got closer.
Once the ship had reached the Island's shore, the storm died down almost immediately. With that, they lowered the anchor and touched down on land. The Island itself had a large rocky terrain with upward paths that spiraled to higher ground. The upper plains of the Island were made up entirely of a deep forest that the crew was currently making their way through.
While Light, Silk, and Nami walked upfront with little concern, Zoro followed from the rear while Usopp fearfully clung to his back, becoming spooked and creeped out by whatever they walked past.
"Hey, this place is creepy…" Usopp whimpered.
"Yeah, so?" Zoro waved him off.
While they walked, Nami once again brought up the legend. "It's said that somewhere on this Island rests an unimaginable fortune just waiting to be found. Supposedly, many Pirates have landed here in the past, but they all fled in absolute terror before they ever got a chance to look for it."
"Makes you wonder what was so scary?" Light voiced his thoughts while looking around.
"I'd be afraid to." Nami admitted when she thought about it. "They say one Pirate's face suddenly turned into a boar's face, and another Pirate's mustache stretched out like a couple of snakes and strangled him."
Usopp's face started turning blue as he heard all of this. "But that's not right?"
"Nami, who exactly is this "they" who told you all these stories, and how old were you when you heard them?" Silk asked, clearly not impressed. "Those sound less believable than a kid's story."
Nami shrugged her arms. "Well, I'm sure that some of the stories are a bit of an exaggeration."
"Don't talk anymore. You're scaring me." Usopp reprimanded her.
"Oh, so the brave "Captain" Usopp is already afraid?" Silk raised a brow at him.
"Why wouldn't I be afraid?! This is God's wrath we're talking about?!" Usopp snapped at her.
"Neither you nor I have seen anything that can be called God's wrath." Silk said in return, while Light noticed something in the bushes and went to see. "All we've seen is a storm at sea and then a forest on an Island, both of which are completely natural. So until I see otherwise, I'm not concerned about any "God's wrath"."
Zoro—Who had mainly kept quiet, let out a tired yawn. "I'm tired." He then walked over to the side and lay on the ground. "Naptime….… Zzzz!"
And just like that, the green-haired Swordsman had immediately fallen asleep while his friends just looked on in somewhat amazement.
"How can he possibly sleep in such a creepy place?" Usopp asked as a cold bead of sweat trickled down the back of his neck.
"I've heard of Swordsman who train themselves to sleep anywhere, but this feels like something else entirely." Silk noted, a bit thrown off.
"He's either dumb, or he's got nerves of steel." Nami guessed, not knowing what else to think.
Meanwhile, Light continued looking at the bushes—Or, in this case, what he found in the bushes. The thing was, he honestly didn't know what he had found, except that it looked like a mixture of a snake and a rabbit, with a white and pink snake body and rabbit head and ears. It hissed its snake tongue at Light while making a small sound that didn't sound like the sound either animal naturally made.
On the other hand, Usopp was turning his head back and forth fearfully as though he was afraid something might pop out of nowhere. Then suddenly, a drop of something moist fell down and splashed on the back of his neck, causing him to jump. "Gaaaaah!"
Silk and Nami immediately looked at him. "What's happening? Are we in danger?!" Nami questioned.
Usopp immediately got ahold of himself and thought of an excuse. "Ah, what? No… I was just making up a little dance to liven things up."
He played along with his lie by dancing, but neither of them seemed to believe him. Silk then turned towards Light. "Hey, Captain, what are you doing over there anyway?"
"Ah, guys… I don't exactly know how to tell you this, but…" Light had trouble figuring out how to explain his findings. "I found something weird back here."
"Hmm, weird, how?" Usopp asked before he stopped and shivered when he felt something touching his hand. "Ah…"
To his surprise, when he looked to see what it was, he ended up also finding something weird. Usopp froze when he saw that his hand was being licked by a creature that was a mixture of a fox and a rooster. He has whiteish-grey fur that is light brown around the eyes. He also has a rooster's crown and wattle. He also has feathers on his backside and red ears.
Not just Usopp, though, as while Nami was standing next to a tree, a creature that was a mixture of a panda and a bat appeared next to her. It was the size of a bat and had bat wings for arms along with fangs while having the head, ears, body, and legs of a panda, and it was hanging upside down on a vine.
And for Silk, the bush next to her started ruffling until another creature walked out of it and passed her. This creature was a mixture of a cow and a tortoise. It had a cow's head and legs while being the size of a tortoise, along with a turtle shell on its back.
[Aaaaaaahhhhhh!] All three of them yelled in horror at the unnatural creatures they were seeing.
"What's going on?!" Nami asked rhetorically.
"Now, do you believe?!" Usopp loudly asked Silk.
"This and that are completely different?!" Silk snapped at him, unable to keep her composure.
"Yeah, I hate to make a bad situation worse, but we're currently surrounded." Light informed them, seemly the only one who was still calm.
"W-We're surrounded?" Usopp repeated, hoping beyond hope that he just heard him wrong.
Unfortunately, that hope was unanswered as Light confirmed it with a nod before looking up. "A lot of creatures are here, and they're hiding around in every direction."
"LEAVE NOW!" A loud disembodied voice echoed throughout the woods.
"Aaaahh! Who's voice was that?!" Usopp shrieked, looking around frantically.
"LEAVE NOW!" The voice demanded again.
"Guys, where's that voice coming from?" Nami wondered, also looking around.
"Is there someone on the Island besides us?" Silk theorized, still sounding concerned.
"I AM THE VENGEFUL ISLAND GOD!" The voice proclaimed as though answering their questions. "LEAVE AT ONCE IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES!"
Light also looked around until he stopped and stared at one particular patch of greenery and sensed something different. "A God?"
"WAIT! YOU GUYS ARE PIRATES, RIGHT!?" The voice asked them a question this time.
"We are." Light replied.
"AH! I KNEW IT!" The voice responded.
"Why would a God need to ask something like that?" Nami questioned back at him.
"I don't know—I-I MEAN—" The voice uncharacteristically stuttered for a moment before correcting itself. "TAKE ONE MORE STEP INTO THE FOREST! THE INSTANT YOU DO, YOU WILL INSTANTLY RECEIVE MY DIVINE PUNISHMENT AND MEET YOUR DOOM! WHICH IS MY PUNISHMENT!… Wait, uhhh." The voice let out a mauling grunt as if it was upset with slipping up its words again.
"Okay, now I don't believe a single thing you say." Silk decided with a look of skepticism.
"This guy is weird." Nami muttered, no longer afraid.
"And it's safe to say he doesn't actually have any powers." Light determined, still looking forward.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY, STRAW HAT BOY!?" The voice became angry again.
Now stepping out from the shadows of the forest, were all the creatures that were surrounding them, and a large assortment of strangers creatures formed a circle around them. There was a rabbit snake, a rooster fox, a panda bat, a tortoise cow, an ostrich with a zebra's head, a gorilla with a hippo's head, a tiger standing on two legs with an elephant's head, a raccoon-dog with the horns, yellow fur, and spots of a giraffe, a sheep with the face and bill of a platypus, a rhino that stood on two legs with a kangaroo's pouch that held a smaller rhino, a pink duck with the top of its head and its tail groomed like a poodle's, and a pig with the brown mane of a lion.
"What are these things?" Usopp asked, afraid again.
"THEY USED TO BE HUMANS THAT CAME LOOKING FOR TREASURE! BUT ALL THEY FOUND WAS MY WRATH!" The voice exclaimed.
Usopp fell to his knees. "You transformed them? Then you really are a God!" He sounded convinced.
"I know how we can find out." Light pointed to one of the bushes. "Come out of your hiding spot. I know you're back there."
"WHAT? HOW DID YOU FIND OUT—AH I-I MEAN I…HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" The voice hoped to salvage the charade.
"You faker! You sound too dumb to be a God!" Nami loudly accused him.
"Come out and show yourself, or we'll drag you out!" Silk warned him threateningly.
"SHUT UP! IF YOU WON'T LEAVE, THEN PREPARE FOR MY DIVINE JUDGMENT!" The voice yelled back.
Suddenly a number of traps were set off, and a barrage of wooden spears shot out from the bushes and launched themselves at the crew. Usopp and Nami frantically hit the dirt to avoid them while Light and Silk smoothly dodged them; oddly enough, while Zoro remained sleeping on the ground, all the spears launched his way, only hitting the ground around him and missing his body entirely.
Light stopped and looked back in the direction he had looked before. "Well, that confirms it. No God would need to use traps like that."
"How are you not dead?!" The voice asked shockingly, now sounding much more human.
"I guess I'll come to you then." Light decided as he started walking towards one of the bushes.
"No, stay back!" The voice desperately demanded before a gun popped out from the bush. "I said stay away!"
When Light didn't heed his warnings, the gun fired a bullet at him, but the Pirate Captain was as slick as usual and easily sidestepped out of the bullet's path. When he was right in front of the bushes, he reached out to grab whatever was hiding in there.
"Let's see who you really are." Light announced as he lifted it up, despite the voice's protests. "….Huh?"
Light and the others all stopped and stared at the form of the one acting as the disembodied voice. From a certain point of view, it was even stranger than the animals.
It was a man who possessed a notably pear-shaped face, green hair, and a pronounced uni-brow.
The really strange thing about him was that most of his body was compressed into a treasure chest, leaving only his head, hands, and feet free (and one of his teeth dislodged). He also had a sizable scruffy beard and an even larger afro, giving him a curiously shrub-like appearance.
Now revealed and caught in Light's grasp, all this thing could do was say one thing. "Put me down!"
"What is that thing?" Silk blinked momentarily.
"Could it be the… Island God?" Usopp didn't sound like he believed it despite being the one who said it.
"It's a… Person?" Nami noticed while sounding perplexed.
"Come on, let me go!" The strange man frantically kicked around while Light held him by his afro.
Once everyone had calmed down, all of them moved out of the forest and to a nearby clearing that was close to one of the cliffs. While there, they all sat and let the strange man in the treasure chest explain himself. Oddly enough, all the hybrid animals were there, too, and gathered around him. Some of them even licked him like a pet would.
"You're a pretty popular guy, mister Island God." Nami used that title jokingly.
"So let me get this straight, these crazy animals help you scare off the Pirates who came to this place looking for treasure?" Usopp summarized his explanation.
"Even if we get all that, it doesn't explain why you're here on this Island in the first place." Silk noted, wanting to hear the rest. "Or why your in that chest, for that matter."
"I want to know too." Light chimed in with curiosity. "It's almost like you're a Jack-in-the-box."
"Yes, ironically, I am, in fact, in a box, and my name is—You idiot!" He started off calm but then snapped at him. "I'm a person! Not a toy! I've been stranded alone on this Island and stuck in this contemptible box for 20 years!"
Nami's eyes widened. "That long?"
Usopp, for some reason, decided to reach into his satchel and take out a coffee thermos as he opened the top and poured some into his mug. After taking a sip, he asked a question of his own. "So you've been all alone on this Island for 20 years, amazing."
[What was the coffee for?] Light, Silk, and Nami all thought.
"Yeah, just take a look at me. I got a beard like a wild man." The boxed man groaned. "And in all that time, you're the first people I've had a real conversation with. Can you understand how painful that is?" He asked almost tearfully.
"I can't understand, but I can imagine." Light answered before giving him a smile. "No one likes being alone."
He nodded, wiping at his eyes. "Yeah, you're right."
"Haaa~ hey, there you are." After just waking up moments ago, Zoro came out of the forest and approached the group with a yawn. "I've been looking all over for you guys."
"How could you have slept through everything that's just happened?" Nami irritability scolded him.
"I'm just happy he found us at all." Silk didn't seem all that bothered.
Zoro didn't respond to their words and instead merely took Usopp's coffee mug without asking. He then sat down on a rock and took a large chug of the coffee. It was then that he finally noticed the strange-looking individual who was among them.
"Dah?!" Zoro gasped in surprise and fell off the rock he was sitting on. "What the heck is that?!"
"He finally sees he?" Nami looked at him tiredly.
"He's like a Jack-in-the-box, but real?" Zoro muttered with disbelief.
"Yes, ironically, I am, in fact, in a box, and my name is—You idiot! We've already been through all that!" He snapped again.
"Then why don't you tell us you're name?" Light suggested. "It'll be easier than having to keep calling you Jack-in-the-box."
"Yes, I suppose that is a fair question to ask. My name is Gaimon." The now-named Gaimon introduced himself.
"Well then, Gaimon. If that box bothers you, why don't we help get you out of it?" Silk offered.
"I bet I could shatter it with one blow." Light added.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but it's no good." Gaimon shook his head. "I've been stuck in this blasted treasure chest for so many years that now that it's slowly become a part of my body. If you try to break it, you'll break my body too."
Zoro crossed his arms. "You're a strange little man."
"Yeah, and that's saying a lot coming from us." Light informed him.
Gaimon groaned. "Alright, guys, enough about me. Who are you? You're not like any of those other Pirates who've come around here, that's for sure."
"I'm Light, Captain of this crew and the man who will be the Pirate King." Light proudly introduced himself.
Gaimon's jaw dropped upon hearing that announcement. "You're what?"
"The truth is, we were planning on heading for the Grand Line before stopping on this Island." Light went on.
"What? Don't tell you idiots are actually planning to go to a place like that. Gaimon doubted his claim.
"Where else would a Pirate sail to?" Light shrugged before reaching into his hat. "We have a chart and everything."
"Don't be such a fool. The Grand Line is a graveyard." Gaimon told him with a sinister expression. "I once saw a group of Pirates who managed to escape from that horrible place, and I'll never forget it. It was an awful sight. They were just the hollow shells of the men that they used to be. There's no telling what horrors they witnessed in that ghastly place. Not one among them even tried to speak." He warned him forebodingly.
Light barely registered his warnings and instead tilted his head. "Okay, but I've seen a group of men who went to the Grand Line, and they came back livelier than ever." He informed him. "All they did was drink and party."
"Oh really?" Gaimon darkened expression vanished like a puff of smoke. "Well, that's totally different then."
[Just like that?!] Nami and Usopp face fault at that.
Light then shows Gaimon the sea chart of the Grand Line, and the boxed man curiously takes a look at it. "Hmm, so which one of these is the Grand Line?"
"I'm guessing it's this one, but I'm not 100% certain." Light admitted as he pointed to a part of the chart. "Map reading isn't one of my strengths."
"I understand. Unfortunately, I never learned how to read a sea chart." Gaimon admitted.
"And I only know the basics." Light confessed.
"It's no big deal. I've been sailing for a while and never needed to know how to read one of those things." Zoro assured them, not seeing it as an issue.
"I can only read maps covering land." Silk joined in, not upset by it.
"I always figured someone else could do it, so I never took the time to learn it." Usopp followed up, casually looking back on it.
"Hmm, so we're all Pirates who can't navigate at sea." Light closed his eyes and thought about it in hindsight.
[Hmm.] The other four did the same. [Hahahahahaha!] And then they all started laughing, finding the whole thing funny.
"I guess we'd never make good navigators!" Light joked as Gaimon and the crew kept laughing.
Nami was the only one who didn't laugh and just seemed fed up with them all.
"Ignorance is bliss, isn't it?" She said sarcastically as they all quieted down. "Anyway, even if we do somehow make it to the Grand Line, the best thing to do is to get as much treasure as we can and then escape."
"Ha, well, that might be your plan, but the rest of us have much bigger things in mind, and that doesn't involve running and hiding." Light denounced her motives. "Besides, the only treasure I'm really interested in is the One Piece."
"One Piece?!" Gaimon became surprised again. "You mean you want to go to the Grand Line to search for that lost treasure?"
"If one were to hope to be the King of the Pirates, finding One Piece is the natural thing to do." Light reasoned like it was obvious.
"Now listen to me well, young Pirates, the rumors surrounding the One Piece spawn more rumors. Who knows what's true?" Gaimon told them, forebodingly again. "It's been only 20-odd years since the start of the Great Pirate Era, and the One Piece is already a dream within a dream beyond a legend."
"That makes it all the more worthwhile." Light decided, not swayed at all. "I'm going to be the Pirate King and conquer the Grand Line either way, so chasing down something like that will just make things all the more fun. That's what adventures are all about."
Once again, Gaimon was blown away by Light's answer. He just kept staring at him while the others talked.
"You act as though it's already been decided that you'll be the one to do it." Usopp noted.
"Where do you get all that confidence of yours?" Nami crossed her arms.
"Doubt comes from a lack of faith, and I believe in myself." Light boldly answered her.
Nami shrugged. "Whatever you say~."
Gaimon finally said what was on his mind. "…You're me."
"Hmm?" Light turned to him.
Gaimon's words caught his and everyone else's attention. He continued. "You're exactly like me. You even look like me—We could be twins."
Nami walked up to him, perplexed. "Hold on! How can you say he looks like you?"
"Yeah, last time I looked, he doesn't have a beard or an afro that looks like a bush." Silk pointed out.
But Gaimon ignored their words and stared up at the sky. "Young man! I understand about the pursuit of your dreams! When I was a younger man, we used to feel the same way!"
"We?" Light zoned in on a keyword. "Who's we?"
"We were willing to put our lives on the line to search for treasure!" Gaimon continued with his reminiscing. "It was that single-minded zeal that changed the course of my life forever!"
"Wait, slow down. What are you even talking about—?" Nami tried to ask him.
"It happened 20 years ago!" Gaimon ignored her and began his story, and Nami decided to stop trying. "I was a much younger man then. My fellow Pirates and I landed on this Island with a single purpose: To find the treasure that was said to rest here."
Gaimon started telling the story of how he was once part of an unnamed Pirate crew totaling some two hundred men, sailing the high seas. In time, they followed reports of buried treasure to the Island of Rare Animals, searching diligently for three weeks but failing to find anything beyond a single empty chest. While his Captain and crewmates deemed the Island a lost cause and prepared to raise anchor, Gaimon turned his attention to the Island's highest, steepest cliff, which the crew had frequently gathered under but never climbed.
Upon making the climb, Gaimon was delighted to find six treasure chests atop the cliff. As he turned to call his crew, however, he lost his grip and fell directly into the empty chest his captain had left below. The impact knocked him unconscious for several hours; by the time he woke, the ship had sailed off without him. Worse, his body was trapped inside the chest, leaving him in a permanently hunched position that could manage few movements beyond scuttling and crawling.
Though he could no longer reach the clifftop chests, Gaimon refused to give up on them. Over the following years, he adapted to his new condition and posed as the island's guardian, driving off any newcomers through a combination of stealth, theatrics, and gunplay. Concurrently, he befriended the many bizarre animals that populated the Island—A common target of poachers and came to treasure them as well.
"And after all this time, the fortune I found but only saw for an instant has never strayed far from my lonely old mind." Gaimon proclaimed as he finished his story. "Pirates have come here countless times to search for my treasure, but fortunately, my friends here help me scare them away. That's how I've kept my treasure safe and sold for the past 20 years." He then gazed at them emotionally. "It's my treasure!"
Light nodded in agreement. "I agree that is fair. It's all yours then." He decided.
"Yeah, you'd have to have a heart made of stone to want to take his treasure after all that." Usopp voiced his opinion.
"You know, I think we help you out." Nami came up with an idea. "Gaimon, why don't we get the treasure down for you?" She offered.
Gaimon gasped with surprise. "Wait, do you mean it?" The hope was clear in his tone.
Usopp narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her. "Nami?"
"Didn't you say you were a thief who steals from Pirates?" Light reminded her.
"How rude?" Nami sounded insulted as she defended herself. "I am a thief, but I have a conscience."
Gaimon looked like he didn't know what to say while Light, Silk, and Zoro banded together and whispered.
"She has a conscience?" Light asked, unconvinced.
"First I've heard of it." Zoro said skeptically.
"Very suspicious." Silk said suspiciously.
[Hmm.] The three gazed at her.
"HEY! SHUT UP!" Nami snapped, infuriated at them.
With all that settled, Gaimon led the crew to the highest cliff on the Island, where his treasure rested at the top. All the strange animals followed them, and it wasn't long until they arrived.
"This place?" Light asked while looking upward.
"Yes, this is the place. It's all up there." Gaimon confirmed it with confidence. He smiled as he looked up at it. "The time has come! It's a great day! Get to it, young man!"
Light didn't mind his tone and stepped forward. "Be back in a minute."
Light walked up to the face of the cliff and stepped onto one of the footholds. He then leaped up and started hopping up the cliff with ease. With his strength and history of climbing much more difficult surfaces. Light could traverse this cliff as easily as climbing stairs. It was only a few seconds before he stopped and found himself on the top.
From the bottom, Gaimon called out. "Hey! The chests?! You see?!"
Light did, in fact, see six treasure chests, as Gaimon said, and walked forward to open one of them. When he didn't respond to Gaimon's call, the crew became confused.
"What's he doing up there?" Zoro wondered.
"Hey!" Nami called out. "What's going on?!"
"Can you hear us?!" Usopp shouted as well.
At that point, Light walked up to the edge and looked down at them. "I see them! They're all here! All six of them!"
"Yes! Good work!" Gaimon laughed happily and excitedly. "Now it's mine! I got my treasure! Come on! Toss it down! I wanna see it! Go ahead and toss it down, boy! Let's have a look at it!"
"…About that…!" Light sounded a bit uncomfortable. "I don't think you'll want to see this!"
"Huh?" Gaimon stopped and just became confused.
"What are you talking about?! Give the man his Gold!" Nami yelled, sounding impatient.
"Yeah, he's been waiting 20 years for this! Of course, he'll want to see it!" Usopp added in agreement. "Toss it all down now!"
Silk and Zoro didn't say anything, but the looks on their faces suggested they may have some idea as to what their Captain was insinuating.
"Hey! I'm not joking around here!" Nami demanded again.
"It doesn't matter." Gaimon finally said with both acceptance and understanding. "It's all right."
"It's not all right!" Nami argued with him.
"Gaimon! You've been guarding that treasure with your heart and soul for the past 20 years!" Usopp reminded him.
Gaimon just kept his head down. "Young man." He spoke before looking up with tears in his eyes. "You're a great guy!"
Now Nami became confused. "What do you mean he's great?"
Gaimon continued to cry. "I always had an inkling this might be the case! I tried not to think about it, but still! THEY'RE EMPTY!"
His announcement made Usopp and Nami gasp with disbelief as Light gave the final verdict. "I'm afraid so. All the chests are empty."
Gaimon kept crying as he was forced to bear the truth while the others talked around him.
"How sad. The treasure he guarded for 20 long years was just a bunch of empty boxes." Nami realized with sympathy.
"The treasure was real… The map was real… But the sad fact is someone else must have already found it." Silk reasoned the cause.
"She's right! It happens all the time with treasures that have maps leading to them!" Gaimon cried out an explanation. "You set out on a quest to find it, but someone got to it first! That's the risk you have to take when you're a treasure-hunting Pirate! You could waste a whole lifetime searching and never once touch treasure! Plenty of Pirates live like that! Believe me!"
As he cried, Light hopped down the cliff and still looked at it as if he was inspecting it for something.
"I don't buy it." Light muttered.
"Huh?" Gaimon looked up at him through his tears.
"Don't buy what?" Zoro asked.
"Treasure is typically hidden in a place where others won't find it." Light reasoned, still facing the cliff. "If this place is Treasure Island, there's no way that the treasure here would just be on top of a cliff anymore can climb up. That'd be too simple for hidden treasure."
"Maybe, but what difference does it make considering they're empty?" Usopp didn't see the point. "Besides, even if you say that the fact is that the treasure is or, in this case, was up there, you saw it."
"Yeah, but were those chests really the treasure?" Light brought up another possibility.
"What do you mean?" Nami asked.
"No, it makes sense." Zoro joined the conversation. "What other reason would there be to leave empty chests where anyone can find them other than to make people think there is no treasure."
"Gaimon said his crew gave up and left after they only found an empty chest. It could be the same thing." Silk theorized as well. "So it's possible that there might still be treasure hidden somewhere."
"But, even if that's true, what can we do?" Gaimon asked, still sounding upset. "Remember, my crew and I searched the whole Island for 3 weeks and never found a thing. The only place we haven't looked was this cliff, and as we discovered, there was still no treasure."
"Or is there?" Light wasn't convinced.
Light placed his hand on the face of the cliff and moved it around, feeling out the rocky surface. Light then stopped after a bit and knocked on a certain spot of the cliff. It felt weird to him—Different.
"So that's it." Light mumbled to himself.
Having found what he was looking for, Light stepped back, pulled back his fist, and with a full swing, punched the wall of the cliff. Shattering and breaking through the bedrock as a cloud of dust kicked up around him. Before any of them could ask what he was doing, the dust cloud cleared away, and in front of Light was a hole in the cliff that stretched out further. An entire hidden tunnel was revealed.
"A tunnel pathway?" Usopp realized with surprise.
"The cliff was hollow the whole time." Nami realized as she approached it. "Instead of being solid rock, there was actually an entire sanctum."
"I never knew…" Gaimon breathed out, being the most surprised. "I must have stood in front of this cliff millions of times, but it never even occurred to me that something like this was here."
"Captain, how did you know?" Zoro asked curiously.
"I didn't, but I had a hunch." Light said honestly with a shrug. "This kinda thing is a classic trick when hiding treasure, like when I was a kid."
"When you were a kid?" Silk repeated, raising a brow.
"Back then, I had a hidden place where I stashed my treasure. It was a hidden door built into a tree." Light explained, giving an example. "The trick is to hide it in a place no one would even think is an option because they don't know it exists. Whether it's a hidden door in a tree or a hidden tunnel in a cliff, unless you knew about it beforehand, you'd never actually look for it."
"Huh, that's actually really clever." Nami admitted, actually impressed.
"And if someone went to the trouble of hiding something like this, then there's gotta be something worth hiding in there." Zoro rationalized with a grin.
"Do you think…?" Usopp suggested with new hope.
Instead of answering, all of them—Including Gaimon walked into the opening and walked through the tunnel. There was no light in there, but they could still see, thanks to the light coming from the opening they came in from.
Soon enough, they arrived at the end of the tunnel and were at the center of the cliff. It was a wide clearing lit up by a few candles on the wall, but everyone focused on what was in the middle of the room. Treasure chests, six like on top of the cliff, were twice as large.
"There really was something hidden here." Nami marveled at the sight.
"So they placed fake treasure on top while hiding the real treasure under our noses." Silk summarized.
"But why do you suppose they never came back for it?" Usopp wondered.
Light stayed close to Gaimon, who was shaking nervously while staring at the chests, as though he was both excited and afraid of getting his hopes up again.
"Gaimon." Light got his attention. "Are you going to open them?"
Gaimon didn't answer at first and didn't even look at him. But after mulling over it, he decided and said only a single word for a response. "…Yes."
Believe that after having come this far, he had to know for sure, regardless of whether it would only lead to more heartbreak. Gaimon stepped forward, slowly went up to one of the chests, and placed his hands on it. Everyone watched as he prepared to open it. Not wasting any time, Gaimon pushed up the top of the chest to see what was inside. The answer—
Treasure. It glistened and sparkled as all the valuables were revealed—Gold, jewelry, all the things that one would hope to find in a treasure chest. Gaimon froze and stared at it all, and it shined in his eyes. He shook until, finally, the dam broke, and he cried out. "Waaaaaahhhhhhhaaaaaaaa!"
He wasn't crying out of sadness this time but out of pure joy and relief. The treasure he devoted his life to protecting was now finally in his hands. All that time truly wasn't a waste. The crew all smiled, happy that his wish had finally come true.
It was now sunset, and the crew gathered at the shore next to their ship as Gaimon stood before them to see them off.
"So it's settled? You want to stay here?" Light asked him to be sure.
"Yes, I'm sure." Gaimon assured him. "Now that I've finally gotten my treasure, I want to keep on protecting it. Not only that, I realized that I have something just as valuable to me, if not more so."
Nami and Usopp became surprised at that claim, and he asked. "Worth more than Gold?"
Gaimon smiled widely as the animals crowded him. "For the past 20 years, these guys have stood by my side through thick and thin. I can't leave them."
He laughed as some of the strange animals started licking him, and the rest of them let out loud noises to show they were happy.
"Then, are you sure about that?" Light asked, pointing to three of the large treasure chests that they found, now sitting next to him. "You don't have to give us this. We're fine."
"Please, take it, I insist." Gaimon insisted, wanting Light and the others to take half of his treasure. "You're the one who actually found it, so it belongs to you as much as me, and just look at me—Other people wouldn't even speak to me, but you were kind. I want to give you at least this much to show my gratitude."
Light sighed and smiled at him. "Then, I guess I'll stop asking about it."
"Now that I finally have my treasure, I finally feel free. Without that heavy burden, I can concentrate on what really matters to me." Gaimon told them with genuine fulfillment. "And besides, after all these years, I've grown fond of this little box."
"If you're happy, then that's all that matters." Silk said with acceptance.
"The weird creatures here are your true friends." Zoro voiced with understanding.
"But they're not as weird as Gaimon himself." Light jokingly pointed out.
"Excuse me?!" Gaimon snapped at him.
This time everyone shared a hardy laugh, including Gaimon. With everything settled, the crew loaded the treasure chests onto their ship, then they lifted the anchor, hoisted the sails, and set sail, leaving the Island as they waved goodbye.
Gaimon watched them sail off into the distance and spoke softly to himself. "Young man, don't ever give up on making all of your dreams come true. If the Legendary One Piece exists out there, then it's yours. I hope it finds you well. And when you have! BUY THE WORLD!"
With those parting words, the Going Merry faded away into the setting sun on the horizon.
A new day dawned over the East Blue, and the ship known as the Going Merry sailed across the ocean.
It was quiet save for the seagulls flying above. At the front were Nami and Usopp. Nami was sitting in a lounge chair with a book in her lap, and Usopp was making more ammunition. Silk was by the railing staring out at the ocean, and Zoro was just napping on the floor.
Soon enough, Light walked up to the upper deck where the rest were and held a crate with the word "DANGER" written on it. The three of them became startled as Light set down the crate with a thud.
"What the hell is that?" Nami wondered.
"It's something I picked up in the cargo room. Figured we should have a look." Light suggested.
"In spite of the fact that it has the word "Danger" on the box?" Silk pointed out questionably.
"Oh, relax. Kaya packed all the cargo on the ship, so how dangerous could it be?" Light reasoned.
"Fair point." Silk was placated as Light opened the crate, which revealed a stack of cannonballs.
"It's a crate full of cannonballs." Nami noticed, still in her chair.
"I always wanted to try firing a cannon at least once." Light admitted, picking up one of them. "And now that we have one, might as well try it out."
"Just leave the cannoning to me." Usopp announced, and he began telling another tale. "I harken back to the time I was 3 years old and jumped on a passing cannonball—Riding it halfway around the world—"
But was left ignored by everyone as Light went over to the cannon. "Let's get started."
"Hey! Listen!" Usopp snapped at him.
"Oh yeah, Usopp." Light went back up to him. "Since you specialize in firearms, you can also practice firing the cannon." He decreed as he placed the cannonball in Usopp's hand."
"Gah!" Usopp cried out in dismay as the weight of the cannonball was too much even with both hands, and he collapsed to the floor. "Too heavy!"
"Well, of course, it is." Silk gave him an obvious stare. "Honestly, what made you think you could hold up a cannonball with one hand?"
"Hey, give me a break!" Usopp snapped as he lowered it to the floor and pointed to Light. "He was carrying that thing around as though it was a feather!"
"Don't use him as a basis for what's normal." Nami advised him. "Nothing about him follows common logic at this point."
"Wait, why does it sound like you're not complimenting me?" Light tilted his head to the side.
"Anyways, just to the south of here is a reef that would make some excellent target practice." Nami decided to inform them.
"Then, we'll use that." Light decided as he and Usopp went over to the cannon. "What about you, Zoro?"
"Don't bother, Captain." Silk pointed in his direction.
Light saw that his question went unheard by the Swordsman since he was sleeping.
"Asleep." Nami sighed. "The guy sleeps constantly."
"Meh." Light shrugged, not bothered. "He'll wake up when we need him."
They soon sailed to the landform as mentioned by the Navigator and used it for target practice. Usopp had given up altogether to tell his ridiculous story as he and Light went to use the cannon. Silk took a seat and watched from the cabin where Zoro was sleeping. The cannon fired as the shot made its way toward the landform and missed. The cannon fired as the shot made its way toward the landform and missed.
"Okay, so the cannon does work." Light said, looking out at the sea with satisfaction.
Zoro sat up and looked over irritably, obviously having just been woken up from his nap. "Hey, what's so loud down there?" He shouted.
"Oh, look, who's awake?" Silk commented.
"We're testing out the cannon." Light answered before he turned back to face the ocean. "Now that the practice fire is done, we can aim for the target."
"Like I said, let the expert aim the thing." He said firmly, stepping in front of Light so that he could show him. Frowning a little in thought and then tilting the cannon farther to the left, he muttered mostly to himself. "Judging from the flying distance of that last one… This should do it…" And when he fired the cannon, you couldn't have asked for a better shot.
The rock in the distance that they were aiming at was blown to pieces.
"Perfect!" Light shouted, staring at what was left of the rock. "You got it on the first try! And here I thought you weren't good at anything other than a slingshot."
However, Usopp himself seemed taken aback by it. "Wow, I did?" He muttered as if he couldn't believe it himself before he realized what he said and quickly said as if he knew that would happen all along. "What do you think? I'm pretty magnificent when it comes to aiming, so are you impressed yet?"
"And yet, you seemed the most surprised of everyone." Silk noted, not missing his initial reaction.
"I never shot a cannon before, all right?!" Usopp said in annoyance as Light was nodding eagerly.
He then said in a firm voice. "Whelp, you've proven yourself! You'll be our sniper!"
Usopp looked surprised and asked, "Wait? I don't get to be Captain?"
"Hahaha! Of course not." Light laughed as though he was joking. "Why would you be the Captain when we invite you onto our crew?"
Later on, the crew moved to the cabin inside, and each sat at the table, each on their own chair—Except Zoro, who sat on the floor with his back against the fridge.
"Whatever, I'll humor you for now." Usopp told Light as they relaxed at the table. "But… The second you do something cowardly, I'm taking your post!"
"Tell you what, you can be Captain if you want, if…" Light raised his finger. "You can beat me, Silk, and Zoro in a fight—One on one." He offered.
"I can live with that." Silk accepted casually.
"That would be the fastest way to settle it." Zoro agreed casually.
Just thinking about doing that made Usopp go pale, and quickly coughed into his hand and gave his answer. "On second thought, sniping and playing the supporting role suits me much better, so I think I'll stay in my current position."
"Suit yourself." Light waived it aside. "I've been thinking, though. There's still a position we need filling before going to the Grand Line."
"You're right. The kitchen is really nice on this ship." Nami commented. "Just pay me, and I'll do it."
"Get real." Silk scoffed. "Why would anyone agree to a scam like that?"
"Don't be like that." Nami reassured with a smile. "It'll be fair."
"The very fact that it involves you and money already tells me that it won't be fair." Silk said as he side-eyed the Navigator, as her only response was to stick her tongue at him playfully. "The hard part will be finding someone willing to sail with Pirates."
"I suppose it is vital for long trips." Zoro chimed in.
"A crew needs one to survive." Light said before announcing. "A Doctor."
"That's right, a-wait what?" Usopp did a double-take.
"If we're going to the Grand Line, we're going to need one." Light reasoned logically.
The others just looked at each other for a second before looking back at him. That was actually a very good point.
"I mean, you're not wrong." Nami agreed awkwardly.
"I guess having a Doctor would be a good idea." Silk noted.
"And if it's the Grand Line, it'll be given we might get life-threateningly injuries that only a real Doctor would know how to fix." Zoro gave it more thought.
"Please don't say stuff like that." Usopp grimaced before addressing Light. "While that is a good idea, we were actually talking about a Cook."
"Can't Silk be the Cook?" Light suggested, not knowing this was an issue.
"I could do if no one else can, but a full-time Cook would be better overall." Silk told him.
"GET OUT HERE! YOU DAMN PIRATES!"
Suddenly, a voice called out to them from outside.
"Who's that?" Usopp wondered.
"I'll go check!" Light got out of his seat and went outside to deal with whoever was outside. "What's going on!?" Light shouted at the person. "Who's on my ship?"
"Shut up! Who I am means nothing! Ya sticking Pirate!" The stranger yelled at him.
He is an average-sized man with somewhat tanned skin. He is seen wearing a pair of sunglasses and has a black tattoo on his left cheek that reads "sea". He also has short, black hair and is seen carrying a machete-Sword. His eyebrows always seem to be pointing down to make a scowl. He wears a blue hooded jacket with a purple undershirt, tan pants, boots, and a watch on his left wrist.
The stranger ran forward with his Sword to try and slice Light in two, but Light easily jumped out of harm's way… However, the stranger did end up cutting up part of the upper railing.
A tussle was heard outside between Light and the guy on the ship. From inside the kitchen, Nami and Usopp were watching from the window.
"Hey, guys, how many are there?" Zoro asked them.
"Uh… One." Nami answered.
"Then just let him handle it." Zoro said, unconcerned.
"Over the years, I've lost count of all the Pirate heads we've taken!" He proclaimed. "Now you think you guys can kill my partner?"
"That voice!" Zoro said as his eyes shot open.
"Your partner?" Light repeated, now deciding to end things. "Well, whatever. I'll hear you out after you calm down."
And without another word, he moved in at a dashing speed and appeared in front of the stranger before he could react. Light then kicked him in the stomach and knocked him away as easily as if he were a rag doll, and he slammed into the side of the cabin. He hung there comically for a few seconds before sliding to the floor, muttering. "Lost by a hair…"
Just then, Zoro walked out of the cabin to see what the commotion was all about for himself.
He looked down to see who it was and said in surprise. "Johnny… Tell me that isn't you?"
"Huh? Who's saying my name like they think they know me or something?" Johnny demanded, looking up with an angry glare before he realized who it was. With a gasp he rolled over to get a better look at him and gasped. "Big Bro Zoro!"
Light looked at him with a questionable gaze. "Is this guy a friend of yours?"
"Something like that." Zoro replied with a shrug as he looked at him with a satisfied expression. "Johnny, it is you." He said.
Johnny already started asking. "What are you doing here, Big Bro? What are you doing on a Pirate Ship?! What's going on around here?"
"Hey, relax. Where's Yosaku?" Zoro asked instead. "Isn't he with you?"
Nami and Usopp had their noses pressed up against the window to see what was going on, while Silk decided just to step outside to see for herself. Johnny was near tears as he pointed to the railings. "He's over here!"
He ran to the side of Merry, and they all looked down to see him as well.
The man, who was apparently Yosaku has a black shirt with a green coat and red headgear. He has plaid yellow boxer shorts over unshaven legs and dark shoes and, like his partner, carries a machete-Sword. He was lying there in a small boat. He had a sickly look to his skin and seemed to be struggling for breath as the thick bandage wrapped around his chest and stomach was stained with blood.
"He's been sick…" Johnny stuttered with tears as Zoro looked over. Zoro put his hand on Johnny's shoulder in comfort as they had Light gently bring him up onto the deck.
"What is it?" Zoro wondered as he stared down at Yosaku.
Johnny began to explain what had happened. "Up until a few days ago, he was healthy and full of life." He informed them as he tried to control his tears. "And now…? He just keeps fainting and getting really pale! I have no clue what's causing it! His teeth have been falling out, and his old wound opened up and started bleeding! He just got worse and worse. I didn't know what to do! So I thought maybe we just rest on a little island, but then a cannonball came flying from the ship."
Usopp was horrified to hear this. "We're very sorry!" He said mournfully, bowing his head at once.
"Sorry isn't good enough." Johnny said almost resentfully with more tears. Usopp turned blue in the face and looked ready to cry. "Isn't that right, partner!?" Johnny asked his friend before he asked Zoro. "Big Bro, give it to me straight. Is he going to die?"
Zoro didn't answer, but his eyes widened a little, and he seemed unable to think of anything to say.
Before he could answer, Light tapped his fist onto his palm as though he had just remembered something. "Hey, I think I've heard of this kind of problem."
They all looked at him, and Johnny spoke out. "You have? Really?" He sounded hopeful.
Light nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that someone told me about it once." He rested his hand on his chin. "I'm pretty sure he called it… Scurvy?" He guessed.
"Scurvy?" Silk repeated. "Isn't that the disease you get when you don't get enough fruit?"
"Congratulations, I keep forgetting you're smarter than I give you credit for, Light." Nami said, smiling as she came down from the upper deck and walked towards them. "No doubt, he has scurvy. The symptoms made that clear."
"But what is scurvy?! Johnny yelled, spraying her with spit. "And can we cure it?!"
"Calm down. He'll be fine." Nami told him before she turned to Usopp, who was still crying with regret. "Silk, we should have some limes in the storage room, take Usopp and get some."
"Sure thing." Silk grabbed Usopp by his shoulder and pulled him toward the storage deck along with her to retrieve the limes. "Let's go."
It didn't take long to find them, and they returned with a whole crate full of limes. Once they had them, Light and Usopp were squeezing the lime juice on Yosaku's face.
"As I said before: He has Scurvy." Nami informed them grimly.
"But what is Scurvy?" Johnny questioned in confusion.
"He'll be okay, though. He should regain his health in several days." Silk added, and Johnny looked ready to cry with happiness.
"Really, Big Sis? REALLY?" Johnny asked, just making sure that she wasn't fooling around. But it didn't seem to make any difference if he was happy or angry at someone—He just kept spitting all over her. "THANK YOU, BIG SIS!"
Silk pushed him back a bit. "Stop spitting in my face." She complained.
Nami went on to explain all that she knew about Scurvy. "Back in the day, Scurvy was a big deal for all kinds of sailors. It's caused by a lack of Vitamin C. It's a hopeless disease, and we just know how to deal with it now. Back in the old days, they couldn't carry fresh fruits and vegetables because they couldn't store them, but we know better now."
"Heh, what a terrible time it must have been to be a sailor." Light noted, glad he didn't live back in those days.
Nami turned to Light. "I'm more surprised you were even aware of what Scurvy was."
"As a kid, I both knew real Pirates and people who knew a lot about being a sailor." Light explained with a laidback shrug. "At one point, somebody found the time to tell me about Scurvy."
"I read about it once, but this is my first time actually seeing it." Silk admitted, looking down at Yosaku.
"I've never seen it nor seen someone who had it until now." Zoro confessed, almost finding the whole thing strange.
"I never even knew about it before today." Usopp added, not ashamed of that fact.
"YOU GUYS ARE MORONS!" Nami screamed angrily. "EVERY SAILOR SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SCURVY!"
"Op, she's yelling again." Light noted like it was a daily occurrence at this point.
Suddenly, with a lot of coughing up limes, Yosaku was sitting up with color flooding back into his face. Blinking in surprise, he looked up at Johnny, and soon, the two were dancing around, singing out that he was cured.
"IT'S CURED ME!" Yosaku cheered.
"NOW YOU'RE ALL BETTER!" Johnny sang.
"Huh, I didn't think Scurvy heals that fast?" Light marveled at them.
"IT DOESN'T! YOU CAN'T HEAL THAT QUICKLY!" Nami shouted with shark teeth as the duo paused their revelry and faced the 5 Pirates.
"Allow us to introduce ourselves." Johnny said. "My name is Johnny."
"And I'm Yosaku." Yosaku added.
[Together, we're the baddest Pirate bounty hunting duo in the world!] They said together.
"Big Bro Zoro, there used to be one of us." Johnny added.
"Glad to make your acquaintance." Yosaku said, smiling as Zoro joined in.
"Small world." He said, coming forward towards them. "I never thought I'd see you two again."
"Well, if you think you're surprised." Yosaku said, beaming at the sight of him.
"We never thought that the Pirate Hunter Zoro became a Pirate himself." Johnny spoke up, looking around at the ship.
Tell me about it." Zoro admitted as he approached them while holding out his hand.
"Big Bro." Johnny smirked, taking Zoro's hand, but as Yosaku was about to join his hand with theirs, he fell onto the deck and passed out.
"Uh, hey, Partner!" Johnny exclaimed worriedly.
Night had fallen over the sky, and after Yosaku passed out again, Zoro and Johnny carried him to a bed so he could sleep off his sickness. As he slept, they all went back up to the lounge to talk with each other.
"Let this be a lesson to you." Nami said in a firm tone, though Light was only barely paying attention as he pulled out his logbook and began to write down everything that happened that day.
"Yeah." Zoro agreed as he sat up against the wall and looked ready for a good nap. "This is the kind of trouble you get into when you choose a life on the sea."
"So you better know what you're getting yourself into before you make such a choice." Silk nodded wisely. "Otherwise, you'll be dead before you can regret it."
"Which means." Usopp added gravely, "While we're at sea, we really gotta think about how to get the right amount of nutrients with very little food."
"But even if we want a professional Cook to handle all that. Where would we even begin searching for one?" Light asked as he finished writing and closed the book.
"A Cook." Johnny repeated with a grin. "I know just the place and the food is gonna blow your mind."
"In that case, where to?" Light asked, eager to know.
"Consider yourselves warned." Johnny added as he paced forward so that he was right in front of Zoro. "This place is close to the Grand Line, and I've heard a lot of rumors lately. That a certain Hawk-Eyed man you're looking for is there too."
That got Zoro's attention as he grabbed his sword and grinned even more eagerly than Light.
"Set a course! North by northeast!" Johnny exclaimed dramatically as he pointed in the direction.
"Yes!" Nami thought with a smile.
"Awesome!" Usopp thought, grinning.
"This should be interesting." Silk thought, smirking.
Zoro and Light both had smiles on their faces as everyone seemed psyched about where Johnny was going to lead them. They sailed the Going Merry towards Northeast to the place Johnny talked about.
"Our destination is…" Johnny began. "The sea restaurant…BARATIE!"
—…
And that's the chapter. I decided to add the episode with Gaimon into my story because it's actually canon and was a lighthearted adventure that I wanted to add. Plus, I felt like giving the ending a little twist that would make it a bit more satisfying. The rest of the episode was just meeting Yosaku and Johnny, who I really like for the comedic aspect they bring to the group.
Also, I gave the crew a different Pirate mark because Light isn't Luffy, so he won't have the same moniker, and just to let you know, his name won't be "Straw Hat," nor will they be the Straw Hat Pirates, I have something else in mind.
And now we're going to start the next arc, which is my personal favorite arc in the East Blue Saga, Baratie. I've been looking forward to this part of the story for a while, and I'm sure you're all going to like it too.
Anyways thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. If you want more, leave a review. If you like the story, click the follow/favorite. If you want an earlier release, feel free to become a patron, and as always, have an awesome day.