ONE MAGI: Y.E.F.B.T.L

INTERMISSION

Life and Times Upon the Thousand Sunny

"SEE YA AROUND, GUYS!" "Everyone! Be careful and don't get annihilated! Yohohoho!" "DON'T SAY THAT LIKE A JOKE!" "Lola! Thanks for the vivre card! Take care!"

The entirety of the Straw-Hat Pirates were gathered on the starboard side, waving farewell to the Rolling Pirates. Luffy stood hanging on the shroud, while Sanji and Chopper sat and stood on the railings. Franky was bawling his eyes out. For all his claims of manliness, he was a still a sucker for emotional farewells. Nami and Brook were the ones who waved their arms the hardest. Brook had really enjoyed their company after all those years adrift, and Nami had made a genuine friend in Lola. Zoro, Robin, and Maxwell all stood there smiling, having enjoyed their little respite. They were sad to part ways with Lola and the Rolling Pirates. But, they were all pirates, this goodbye wouldn't be forever.

"Give my regards to Mama if you see her! Let's get together again, Nami-zou!" Lola waved goodbye with a hand on her hip.

"We won't forget the favor, Straw-Hat!" Nirisu jumped energetically, making sure they could see him waving.

His brother Risuichi was bawling much like Franky, "The sun…! THANKS FOR THE SUN~!"

Around his arm was Old Man Spoil, who had his lantern up in the air, "Our saviours are the members of the glorious Straw-Hat crew, who leave for their great voyage!"

There was a lot of hand waving, and fond farewells, from the rest of the Rolling Pirates. Some jumped, some hollered, some even made a human totem pole just to wave goodbye. But they would never forget the pirates who freed them from Moria's tyranny.

The Thousand Sunny set out to sea, as the gates of Thriller Bark closed behind them. They were out on the open ocean again, sailing down the infamous Grand Line!

"Yo-hohoho~ Yo-hoho-ho~! Yo-hohoho~ Yo-hoho-ho~!" Brook had taken out his violin, playing another rendition of Binks' Brew. They were going to formally celebrate his joining the crew in a moment.

"…Luffy, are you sure?" Nami asked her captain. He was sitting on the rail now, staring out at the ocean.

"Hm? …Ah. About Ace's Paper?" Luffy turned around and swung his legs into the ship, "It's fine. Don't worry."

Brook paused his performance and looked at Luffy, "Luffy-san, I don't mind taking an alternate route! Time is of little consequences now, to me and Laboon. 'Living on,' and 'We'll meet again,' is what's important!"

"OW~! LET'S GO MEET THAT HUGE WHALE!" Franky cheered.

"YEAH!" Chopper and Usopp joined arms and cheered as well. "Luffy, we don't mind taking a detour."

"No, really, it's fine!" Luffy laughed. "Beside, even if he were in trouble, he wouldn't want his little brother to bail him out. Moreover, Ace hates being looked down on as if he's weak. If I go, he'll probably just get mad. Besides, we're supposed to be rival pirates. For Ace, that is his adventure."

Sanji then came down with a platter of tankards, "That vivre card only gets smaller when that person is in a weakened state. But once he gets better, it'll grow back to it's original size."

"Yeah! We'll meet him when that happens!" Luffy took a mug from Sanji, "That's the reason he gave me this card, right?"

Maxwell smiled as he took a tankard from the chef. Honestly, Maxwell thought Ace was actually looking out for Luffy. That vivre card would have been a way to find him if ever Luffy was in trouble!

…Still, it was troubling to know such items existed in this world. A piece of paper that could direct you to whoever the designated person was? Maxwell honestly wished that was possible back in Thedas. It certainly would have been less hypocritical to use, rather than blood magic. Phylacterys were technically the only practice of blood magic condoned by the Chantry. But it was only authorized to be used on escaped Circle mages. He hated learning that piece of knowledge after his graduation.

"Oh right, Zoro, you were asleep."

"Hm?" Zoro looked back at his captain.

"So, you haven't done it yet~?" Luffy asked his swordsman.

"Well, if that's so, let's do it again." Usopp then raised his mug, "In celebration of the embarking of our new nakama, 'Humming' Brook—!"

"KAMPAI!" Everyone raised their tankards and cheered a toast in Brook's honour.

"I'LL BE IN YOUR CARE!" Brook raised his own mug, even as Usopp, Zoro, and Luffy's drinks splashed against his afro.

Maxwell immediately took a sip of his own grog after raising the toast. He was standing beside Robin on the upper stern deck, leading towards the kitchen. He wiped his beard and moustache, "You think he knows any other songs?"

Robin chuckled, "I think he'll be able to keep us moderately entertained. How are you coping with having him aboard?"

"…Well, my first instinct is no longer a fight or flight response." Maxwell shrugged before taking another swig, "Honestly, I'm kind of hoping he could help me with my Chant of Light verses. Been a while since I sang the chant…"

Robin took a sip out of her mug, "…You know, you're kind of turning into the Priest of our crew. Have you noticed that?"

"Priest!?" Maxwell sputtered, before laughing. "An Apostate preaching the word of the Prophet Andraste on a pirate ship, like some missionary? Ha! Right!"

"You've been a good mediator among the crew," Robin pointed out. "Many religious leaders have been called upon to delegate negotiations between feuding communities… Besides, you're the only one of us who's the least bit religious. Why not think about it?" Robin then walked away, leaving Maxwell alone with his thoughts.

"Hm… I don't think Luffy invited me aboard to be some clergyman…" Maxwell took another swig of his grog and walked back towards the starboard quarter… Where he immediately did a spit-take in shock.

Out in the distance, back where the mists of Florian Triangle billowed, were three distinctive shapes. Tall cloaked figures, as if hiding under bedsheets, rose out of the ocean. He couldn't see their eyes but he swore he could feel something watching him.

"…Guys, is that—?"

"The Florian Triangle?" Mordred answered, "Yes. Yes it is…"

Maxwell stared for a moment, looked back at his drink, then back at the hidden spirits in the distance. The mage then chugged his grog down for all it was worth.

"—Ah~" Maxwell then ran a sleeve across his beard, "…I think I'm going to need to look up those Avvar exorcism rituals, again…"

Priest, he may not be… But perhaps "Shaman" was a more appropriate title. Either way, Maxwell was still a mage. And he walked away, turning his back on the Florian Triangle…

Definitely not scared of the giant possible rage demons…

O O O

Maxwell sat in Chopper's hospital bed with a food tray in front of him. On it was a plate of pees, cubed carrots, mashed potatoes, and beef with a side of gravy. He was out of his armor, wearing a loose long-sleeved white shirt and a pair of black pants.

"Thanks Sanji," Maxwell nodded his appreciation before biting into a slice of beef. He dug into the meal with a knife and fork, careful not to jostle the IV needle in his arm.

"Don't get used to this old man," Sanji scoffed. Their chef had personally delivered the meal on Chopper's request. "My priority is Nami and Robin's culinary experience, so don't you waste a bite! Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Maxwell rolled his eyes, mumbling through a mouthful of potato. Still, he appreciated the concern, even if it was disguised with Sanji's usual spiel about women.

Chopper finished the notes on his desk, "Okay Max, start up the spell!"

Maxwell swallowed, "Right!" then grabbed his staff, beside the bed, and tapped on the ground two times.

Around the bed, a chalk circle began to glow. They were attempting Maxwell's Healing Circle again, with the purpose of regaining lost muscle mass. Maxwell's other foci were stationed around the bed, producing the green smoke that would eventually envelope him.

"How's it feel, Max?" They had been performing this ritual on all the crew, individually, since they set sail a few days ago. He and Chopper would have done this back on Thriller Bark, but their focus had been solely on Zoro at the time. And Maxwell hadn't regained the use of his magic until recently.

Everyone had had a go with it. For most of the crew, it felt like mix between a bath and a relaxing massage at the same time.

The only ones who hadn't enjoyed it were Franky and Zoro… And Luffy, since Max and Chopper couldn't get him to eat the vegetables. Franky had felt uncomfortable with the treatment, since most of his muscles grated against his cybernetics, with a combination of phantom pains. He still felt alright, but it wasn't a treatment he looked forward too. Zoro had hardly felt any different after his treatment. The pain and suffering he endured at Kuma's hands was still too deep within his psyche. But, they did get him to promise seeing them both on future appointments. The spell did work. He just needed a few more sessions.

"It definitely tingles…" Maxwell responded in the green mist. He could feel the vibrations throughout his body, trying to stimulate the muscles. Ever since Max had set sail in the East Blue, the mage had alway had the problem of entropic muscle loss after performing healing magic. This was due to Maxwell having to use his own energies to heal people. Now, Maxwell had since circumvented this problem with the addition of Mordred, Mineive, and Salem under his command, but Thriller Bark had proven it wasn't a perfect solution.

Maxwell had almost died falling off that bridge, and his familiars had exhausted themselves trying to keep him alive. As such, whenever he performed first-aid during their battle with Oars, he didn't have energies of Mordred, Mineive, and Salem to fall back upon. "I forgot how much I hated this feeling."

"Then stop pushing yourself, old man," Sanji replied, "You're decrepit enough already." He turned his head to dodge a fork being thrown at him.

"I'm not that old, Sanji." Maxwell scowled within the mists. Nutrition was key to this kind of healing. They were expediting his own metabolism to regrow muscle tissue to NOT look like Brook. He could definitely say he lost some weight since coming to this world… and was lean enough already.

The mists eventually disperse and Chopper came up and took the IV out of Maxwell's artery. "Well, you're definitely looking better Max!" Chopper prodded his bicep, "I can feel the new muscle tissue development in your arm already."

Maxwell rolled down his sleeve and felt the arm himself. He was nowhere near normal, but at least he didn't look like he'd been starving for a month. Sanji had once told Maxwell about his experiences with starvation, and the mage certainly didn't envy him for it. "The ritual is definitely working. You think we can start using it as a standard treatment?"

"Hm… I'm not so sure about that yet," Chopper replied. "One of the lessons Doctorine taught me was that the treating physician must also be of sound mind and body to perform medicine. They should not recklessly risk themselves in order to treat a patient. And if we intend to use this treatment as we planned it… Well, you may not always be in the best condition yourself, Max."

"…True. True…" Maxwell nodded in agreement. "I'm as much a fighter as well as a combat medic. And medicine wasn't always my priority. That is where you shine the most, Chopper," Maxwell smiled at the doctor.

"Aw stop~" Chopper blushed. "You don't have to complement me, you bastard! That doesn't actually make me happy, ya know!" Chopper did a little dance, waving his arms like a worm. Chopper had this weird habit of doing a happy dance while spouting profanities. What as that word again? Tsundere? Maxwell didn't mind it, personally. It just made Chopper look cute.

"Still, I really wish I could have recreated those potions back in my homeland. They would be so useful going into battle." Maxwell pouted, disappointed he couldn't recreate a single potion. He just couldn't find a substitute for the most fundamental plant in all of potioneering, Elfroot!

Elfroot was a ivy like plant with three-pronged spade leaves growing along its length. Unlike ivy though, these plants could actually support themselves standing, spiralling upwards with a wave like stalk. This stuff used to grow like weeds back in Thedas, but the plant was nowhere to be found in this world! Suffice it to say, it was frustrating!

Sanji picked up the plate and tray, "I don't know, Max. Even it were possible, it sounds like a bit of a crutch to me."

"Are you kidding!?" Chopper yelled at the chef, "If those potions could be recreated and studied, it'd revolutionize the world of medicine!"

"And I don't feel like having to guzzle down a concoction of magic mushrooms for my health!" Sanji retorted. He'd heard enough fairytales about witches and magic potions to know it was a bad idea to drink one. Besides, most supposed potions were hallucinogens, tricking the mind into thinking those effects. Until Sanji actually saw an actual magic potion, he will remain skeptical.

"You're just mad it's something you can't cook!" Chopper accused the chef.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!" "Are too!" "Am not!" "Are too!" "Am not!" "Are too—!"

Maxwell just sighed, realizing he shouldn't have brought up the subject of potions.

The door then slammed open revealing Luffy. "HEY! IT'S RAINING CANDY OUTSIDE!"

"WHAT!?"

O O O

Maxwell walked through the ship with a bag of candy in his hands. He wasn't usually one for sweets, but the salt-water taffy he collected was unusually delicious.

After Luffy had declared it had been raining candy, everyone had came out to verify Luffy's claims. It had indeed been raining candy. The sweets came down like a hail storm, pelting the ship and crew with sugary goodness. Luffy had even tried to collect the balls of sugar in his mouth. But it had been hailing so hard, that his maw had overfilled sweets. His mouth had expanded like a frog's throat, and he couldn't even swallow it all.

Strangely enough, that's what inspired Max to find a satchel and collect the heaven-sent sweets. He just took a bag in the kitchen, placed it on the deck, and let it fill up.

Candy wasn't why he was below deck though. He was heading towards Franky and Usopp's workshops. "Usopp's Factory," and "Franky's Weapon Development Room," in the depths of the Thousand Sunny. There, the two often did their inventing, metallurgy, chemistry, and drew up their schematics. Usopp also liked to work topside on his little platform, his "branch office," but he wasn't there right now.

So, Maxwell knocked on the door.

"Just a second!" Usopp called out from behind the door. Maxwell waited a moment before the door opened. "Yes—? Oh, hey Max! What's up?"

"I came to check in on the repairs," Maxwell replied, "Oh, and I was wondering if you could modify something for me?"

"Sure, sure! Come on in!" Usopp waved an arm as he left the door open, "Just watch your step."

Usopp had a giant pile of junk sitting in the middle of his office. Usually the sniper would have had this sort of stuff in the bin he had in the corner, but Usopp had piled it here. Maxwell recognized some of the things in the pile. Wrecked pieces of armor and ornaments from Thriller Bark. Seemed Usopp had also done some prospecting while they were on shore leave.

Maxwell walked around the giant pile and came up to the staging platform Usopp was sitting on. "Tada~!" The sniper grinned as he presented Maxwell's fully repaired combat suit. The gambeson had been replaced, but the chainmail mantle had been mended, and the bent liminal plates had been straightened out. "See? What did I tell you—Good as new!"

The mage laughed as he magically folded up the outfit, "Thanks Usopp. Now about that commission…"

Maxwell dug into his pockets, taking out a circular belt buckle. The brass medal was still attached to the belt, the leather had just been hanging outside. "I was wondering if you could reforge this into a medallion."

It was Maxwell's old belt, from when he was a mage of the Circle. A chain link emblem attached to fours ends of two leather belts. Maxwell had originally worn it with his Circle robes back when he was acting as an ambassador at the Conclave. The robes had served no purpose for being at sea, however. They were originally for the winter weather, but Maxwell had thrown them out after stinking of mold. The only thing left unspoiled had been the belt, and he had been keeping it in a chest for the last few months.

Usopp whistled as he looked took the buckle from Max, "Fancy! …But yeah, I can dismantle it and turn it into an medallion. Think, I have a chain somewhere around here…" Usopp leaned over his platform, looking down into the space between the platform and the wall. He started digging around, as if digging through trash to find what he was looking for.

"Aha!" Usopp pulled out a golden jewellery chain, "Here it is! Just give a little time and—"

The second door in Usopp's factory opened up, revealing Franky. "Hey Usopp! Are you done with that mechanism for the SUPER Franky—Oh, Max, great timing! I need to pick your brain on something."

Usopp and Maxwell look back at each other before Maxwell turn back to the cyborg, "Alright, Franky. What's this about?"

"You're a wizard right?"

"Mage. But yes," Maxwell nodded.

"Great! So you can enchant stuff!" Franky grinned as he took a scroll of schematics out of his refrigerator compartment of a stomach. "I was thinking about—"

"Hold on there, Franky!" Maxwell interrupted him. "While I might be a mage, that doesn't mean I can enchant a weapon."

"Huh?" Franky lifted his sunglasses to look at the mage, "Why not?"

"Well, for one, it would never be permanent. But also, as a mage, it would be hazardous to my health." Maxwell gestured to the sniper, "Usopp and I have had this conversation before," and Usopp nodded remembering that talk.

"Really?" Franky looked at the two of them oddly. The cyborg then put away the schematics and crossed his arms, "Okay. Explain this too me."

"Well…" Maxwell rubbed the back of his head, "There are two things barring me from preforming enchantments. Number 1: We would need a mana conductive substance capable of sustaining magic past the initial etching. And I only ever knew of one substance capable of it. Lyrium."

"Okay…" Franky drawled as if nodding, "What's lyrium and where can we find it?"

"That's the more unfortunate part… We won't find it," Maxwell replied.

"Technically, lyrium is the crystallized life blood that belongs a group of earthen beings known as the Titans. They were…" Maxwell trailed off as if imagining the scale of such creatures. "…The size of mountains. Maker, they probably were all the mountain ranges throughout Thedas. They literally had to power to reshape the continents at will, and have been asleep for thousands of years. They were nearly completely forgotten by history, and the connection between them and lyrium hadn't been rediscovered until recently."

"What!?" Franky looked at Maxwell, disbelieving, "How does a guy just sleep and let people take their blood?"

"Because they were literally made of the earth," Maxwell explained. They weren't flesh and blood like most organisms. "Why they fell asleep though? No one quite knows, but dwarves have dug and mined for lyrium since time in memorial. They even had an entire caste division dedicated for it. Raw lyrium is a volatile quartz like mineral found in veins that glow an azure hue. However, no one either than the dwarves have ever been able to refine it. They're the only ones with a resistance to it. Raw lyrium exposure has resulted in headaches, deafness, dementia, nausea, and blistering of the skin, and it outright kills mages. And veins have been known to explode while mining."

"Yeesh," Franky scowled, "Then why even bother with it if it's so hazardous?" This was why he used cola.

"Because, once refined, it turns into one of the most versatile resources in Thedas. It's implemented into dwarves architecture, who already built grandiose structures. It can be ingested, which was used by the Templars, to receive great strength and combat magic. Dwarves have archived thoughts and memories for recorded history. And lyrium can be used an explosive similar to gaatlok. It's also been a fundamental ingredient for potions as refined lyrium is safe to touch, and can be utilized as a powder or a liquid."

"Hm… Okay, so it's a bit of a risk-reward situation." Franky rubbed his chin. "And since there was only ever one supplier of the refined stuff, I'm guessing it was expensive."

Maxwell nodded, "Very. The Chantry has held the monopoly on lyrium for as long as I've known it. And it's had to compete with the Tevinter Imperium in order to purchase it."

"So I'm guessing we're never going to find any?" Franky asked.

"That would be a no."

Franky let's out a grunt, "Okay, so potentially expensive and impossible to find resource. Got it. What's the second reason?"

"Enchantment requires intense concentration, with a number of tools, while harnessing mana to implement the enchanting rune. As a mage, I cannot do this. You've heard of my mana imbalance, yeah?" Franky nodded. "I would have to use so much mana I'd risk losing my coordination before I even finished the rune. And if I lose my concentration, then the rune would be useless."

"Damn… So it's not like you won't enchant. You just physically can't," Franky deduced. "…Wait. Then what the hell did you do to get Mordred, Mineive, and Salem in your anchors?"

"Well…" Maxwell scratched the back of his head as he also saw Usopp stare at him, "That was technically blood magic—And before you both berate me about it, let me explain!" Maxwell held his hands out as he saw them both rise at the implication.

"Better yet, let us explain," Mordred's skull lit up, occupying its anchor. "Using the techniques of the Nevaran death mages, we devised a ritual to summon our spirits to the physical plane and interact with the physical world."

"While we maybe spirits, and thus capable of crossing over from the Fade. We were born physically incapable of such permeation." Salem explained. "With the blood magic of Maxwell's sacrifice in our veins, we were bound to the Fade. Much like a fly in a spider's web, despite our roaming."

"But, with our ritual summoning, we were able to convert those ties into tethers. Allowing us to manifest in the physical world, even if it were through objects," Mineive concluded.

"Blood magic has the ability to warp the world around it," Maxwell pointed out. "However, unlike in Thedas, mana here so much easier to manipulate. And, using the coagulated blood as the sacrifice, we were able to develop the foci."

"Oh~! So that's what you did." Usopp nodded understanding the process. He had witnessed the ritual with everyone else back when they were looking for the sky island. Even though it had scared the hell out of him.

"I thought you hate blood magic though," Franky's brows furrowed.

"Still do." Maxwell grimaced, "Blood magic is one of the least understood and addictive forms of magic in the world. It's easy to use, hazardous, and powerful, which is a dangerous combination. Use too much of your own blood, and you can die. Use someone else's blood, then you have a potential thrall. And it's sanguine nature is honestly disturbing." The mage shivered, "'Drunk on power,' would be a vary apt description for blood magic. And I don't want to become a murderer for it. I've heard of Tevinter magisters casually killing their guests at soirées just to use their blood later. I do not want to become like that!"

"Yikes," Usopp frowned, "No wonder you barely used it. But, let's get back to enchanting!"

Franky grinned, "Yeah! That got SUPER depressing for a moment there!" Franky then looked back at Maxwell, "How would you even enchant an object anyway?"

Maxwell thought about it for a moment. "Well, back in the Circle, we had dedicated bezels on weapons and armor to enchant them. Lyrium runes would be inscribed onto silverite plaques in an enchantment harness, and then the plauques would be inserted into the slots. I do believe the Dalish had an alternative method to enchanting. One that could be preformed by a mage. But I don't know the details about it beyond needing lyrium."

"Wait, you said slots." Franky pointed a finger at him. "Are you saying these runes could be removed, transplanted, or replaced?"

"…Yes," Maxwell answered, even as he winced, wracking his brain. "However, given the permeance of the magic, you would have to be quite the savant in order to replace an enchantment. I've heard it's possible, but you're more likely to damage the rune and deaden the object if you do that."

"Heh, sounds like a challenge," Franky grinned, already thinking of ideas of how to implement these rune beds.

They suddenly felt the ship rock, and kept themselves steady, despite the motion.

"What the heck was that!?" Usopp exclaimed.

"AH! A SEA RACCOON!"

"…We better go see if we can help," said Maxwell. Then he and Franky ran out the door to see what was going on. Only Usopp didn't follow. He knew the others had this handled.

O O O

*Pock—Pock-Pock-Pock—Pock Pock! Pock!*

"…Max..."

*Pock—Pock-Pock-Pock—Pock Pock! Pock!*

"…Max, you're in my spot."

Luffy prodded the back of his first-mate's head.

Maxwell was sitting on the lion figurehead of the Thousand Sunny in a meditative position. The mage had his eyes closed, holding his hand outwards as his body steamed with mana. He was telekinetically levitating his foci, aiming Salem, Mordred, and Mineive in an elliptic rotation. Arcane bolts spewed from the anchors like fireworks, rapidly firing out into the open ocean.

He was currently training in the Archon State. Regulating the flow of mana and testing the extent of this new power. "…Luffy, I'll be done in a minute."

"Oh. Okay…"

…

*Pock-Pock! Pock-Pock!*

…

"…Max. You're still in my spot."

The mage sighed, "…Are Usopp and Chopper not doing anything?"

"No, they're both off doing their own thing, and I'm bored."

Maxwell grunted, "…Is Brook not available?"

"Nah. He's taking a nap, and I got tired of trying to wake him up." Apparently when you look like the dead, you tend to sleep like the dead.

The arcane bolts ceased firing, and Maxwell's foci returned to around his waist. "Ugh… Alright, I'll move somewhere else." He stretched as his body settled back into it's usual energies.

Normally he would have done this type of training on top of the observation balcony. However, Nami had banned him from training up there until Franky fixed the hole in the floor… Which just so happened to be above the bathing pool… while Nami was in it.

Maxwell was not a pervert. He had underestimated the Inferno spell he was experimenting with yesterday. The spellfire had overwhelmed Sunny's usual Adam Wood resistances and burnt the hole into the roof.

Neither Nami or Sunny were very happy him that day. Sunny plagued him with nightmares chasing him around with a singed tail, until he finally accepted his apology. And Nami had nailed him right in the face, throwing a small wooden pail…

Though, by the Maker, had she been blessed! He didn't know if that bloody nose he had was from the pail or her figure!

Still to young for him though.

"…WHOA—!"

Maxwell had also made the mistake of standing up too fast. His foot slipped on Sunny's figure head and fell into the ocean. "HELP!" He had trying hanging onto Sunny, but it was wet with sea water.

"Ah~! Now I can relax!"

"LUFFY!" The rubber-man had sat down and laid back onto one of Sunny's petal like mane hairs.

Luffy then looked around. "…Where did Max go?" He didn't see where he went.

"LUFFY!"

"…OH WOW! A ROUND RAINBOW!" Luffy had spotted a rainbow glory, independent of the sun's rays, off the starboard bow. It was so interesting he actually ran off too the lawn deck to see it!

"HELP~! MAN OVERBOARD!"

"Oh wow!" "Pretty!"

Others had gathered to gaze at the glory. Which dazzled like a rainbow discus.

"WILL YOU BASTARDS THROW ME A LINE ALREADY!? HEEEEELLLLLPPPPP!"

Maxwell was unfortunately hanging off the docking system, in the water, unable to admire the colourful marvel.

O O O

Brook, Luffy, Chopper, Usopp, and Maxwell all sat on the port rail, looking intensely at the water. Maxwell, Usopp, and Luffy all held fishing rods in their hands, while Brook and Chopper held a couple of nets. The were all fishing, looking to restock their sea food larder after yesterday's fish banquet. They weren't low on food, but it was better to prepare now than starve later.

Luffy's rod drooped as he sighed, "What the heck is going on?" They'd been fishing for hours and they hadn't gotten a single bite!

Usopp also sighed, "It's hopeless." They tried every single wrangler technique he could think of, and still nothing.

Maxwell yawned. He wasn't catching anything either. Chopper sat beside him, hooves kicking as he anxiously looked at the water.

"Oh dear…" Brook was actually looking forward fishing with everyone.

"We're not catching a thing." "This is weird." "Times are tough…"

Fishing was usually a hit and miss kind of game, but usually they would have caught something by now. Five hours is a long time to go about without catching anything. Sure, they passed the time with small talk, and stories, but now the hours were starting to wear on them.

"Man, this is boring!" Luffy huffed. He liked having meat, but that didn't mean he wanted to wait for it. The only thing really exciting about fishing was when you had something on the hook!

"Now, now, let's be patient," Brook advised. Just because they weren't catching anything, didn't mean there wasn't anything in the water. The Grand Line allowed for some crazy weather, but when seas were calm their are usually fish.

Luffy sighed and leaned back, "Hey, Nami! Aren't we at Fishman Island yet? Huh? Huh?"

Nami sat with Sanji, Franky, and Robin at the tea table they had set up. She, Robin, and Sanji were drinking out of tea cup chinaware, while Franky had an clay mug.

Zoro was to the side, napping under the tree they had on the lawn deck.

"Oh, give it a rest!" Nami scolded her captain, "I'm sure we're close!"

Sanji poured Nami another cup of tea, "Fishman… Mermaids!"

The chef jumped out of his seat suddenly fantasizing about a buxom blonde with blue scales, "Oh, beautiful mermaids~! Where is the mermaid I've always dreamed of~!?" He was dancing around with hearts in his eyes.

"Hmph," Zoro grunted at the crap-cook idiocy. He was surprised he didn't spill the pot.

"Gah! I'm sick of this!" Luffy threw his rod back on the deck, and stretched. "Sanji! I need food!"

"Well, I guess we can call this a day." Maxwell collapsed his rod and swung his legs back into ship. If they weren't catching anything, they weren't catching anything.

"Wait… Is that…?" Usopp looked farther ahead past their bow, and used his goggles to take a closer look.

"Incredible! It huge school of fish!" he exclaimed. In the water was a massive shadow, swaying in ocean. That shadow was a school of hundreds of fish, swimming their way. The swaying motion was from all the fish darting in the water.

"You see? With some patience, everything works out!" Brook proclaimed, elated at the sudden turn of fortune. Now they could stock up the aquarium!

Luffy jumped back onto the rail with his rod again, "Fish 'em all up! They're coming this way!" Maxwell looked back at the water where all the fish were, but he didn't pick up his rod again.

Nami then walked up to the port and looked at the fish. Chopper was nearby. "You want to try catching them too, Nami?"

The navigator didn't respond.

"What is it?"

"Something doesn't feel right," Nami frowned. The school was approaching them far to hastily. Most fish would look at ships as larger sea animals, and possibly predators.

"Huh?"

And then the school swims by, barely noticing their bait.

"Hey, wait up, fish!" Luffy calls back to them, befuddled. They hadn't even paused to look at them!

Zoro then looks up, "That's…"

All the crew looks back at Zoro, wondering what he's talking about.

Then, Maxwell feels the heat of the sun dim. The mage looks up to see clouds gathering in the sky. Big black ones, cumulating like stacks of smoke.

"Guys…!" Maxwell's warning then alerts everyone to the sudden change in weather. The sky was darkening and the sun was going to disappear.

"What is that obviously foreboding look on your face?" Usopp looked at their navigator. Nami was staring at the sky, as if trying to determine what was going to happen next.

Then the seas started to churn. Whirlpools were starting to form in the water, happening all around them!

"Serpent Currents!" Nami suddenly proclaims.

"Serpent currents?" Chopper asked. That didn't sound like a real thing.

"Everyone, be careful!" Nami yells. And then out of the whirlpools, giant typhoons rose out of the water. Great funnels of swirling ocean!

"It's almost like they're alive!" Zoro gazed upon the typhoons.

Franky feels the winds pick up, "This looks a little dicey."

"Well, this is quite—"

"Cool!" Luffy cut off whatever Brook was about to say. The typhoons were starting to become more, and more solid. As if they were transitioning from funnels to pillars.

Maxwell immediately started securing the deck. He energized the table and all their loose items, telekinetically throwing them through one of the doors.

"Sanji!" Nami barked. Their chef was already at the helm, ready to steer them out of here!

"Leave it to me Nami!" Sanji yelled an affirmative. However, as he tried to turn the wheel, the helm wouldn't move. "It won't budge!"

The solid typhoons begin to topple, curving like boiled pasta with a spiral of moving water. One was descending upon them!

"Zoro!" Maxwell barks at their swordsman. He saw the oncoming currents and leapt into the air. With two of his katanas, he slashed at the serpent current, chopping it like a sausage.

With the flow disrupted, the currents fell apart on itself and the remaining water splashed upon the Thousand Sunny.

Another funnel descends, and this time Franky disrupts it. "Weapons LEFT!" Franky fires his arm cannon at the on coming water, and it is enough to pulverize the oncoming water. However, the Thousand Sunny is still splashed with the remaining spray.

"Hey! What are you doing!?" Zoro yelled at Sanji, "Steer the ship!"

"Shut up!" the chef barked back. "In these waves, it won't do what I tell it to!"

Maxwell quickly relates his thoughts to Sunny in the Fade. Hearing his intentions, Sunny reveals that the rudder was stuck to the side of the ship. The currents were swirling around them, and were were far too strong!

Serpentine currents were starting to descend on the Sunny at all angles. Luffy punched them, Brook slashed at them, Franky even used his shield arms to hold off two!

"Serpent Currents…They certainly do move like serpents. They're very aptly named! Yohohoho!" Brook admired the view.

"Hey! This is no time to be impressed!" Usopp scolded the skeleton. The ship was in danger of being pulverized by those snaking currents!

"Gomu-Gomu no Gatling!" Luffy punched three currents simultaneously of the bow. Maxwell had called down Veilstrike, in the Archon State, onto one of the typhoons. Robin created a rotating propeller with her Hana-Hana powers. Brook and Zoro even slashed two together!

"We keep cutting them down, but there's no end to them!" Zoro cursed their luck.

"How long are these currents going to last!?" "How much further do they go on!?" Usopp and chopper were holding onto the mast for dear life, not wanting to be washed away. Every time they distroyed a current the ship would be sprayed with a blanket of white wash.

"Should we fly out of here with Coup de Burst?" Franky yelled his opinion.

"Oh, yeah! That's one way!" Usopp seemed alleviated at the proposal,

"It won't work," said Nami. She held a pair of binoculars to her eyes as she looked towards the horizon. "I can't see any end too these currents. Even if we fly away with Coup de Burst, we can't escape them."

"What!? No way!" Chopper yelled.

"Yohohoho! Shall I play a song?" Brook asked, suddenly holing his violin.

"Huh?"

"At times like these, we need to boost morale! All storms and currents will eventually recede. Let's be patient."

"Sounds good, Brook! Go for it!" Luffy called out.

"Hey Brook I got a sea chantey for ya!" Maxwell yelled at the minstrel.

"Oh~?" Brook sounded interested in hearing it.

"Oh~! The Lion's ships were Denerim bound~"

Oh, drop him, Lady, drop him!

The true king's call for aid resound~!

Just drop him, Lady, drop him!

A soldier lad from the army came~

Oh, drop him, Lady, drop him!

Leading thirty souls in Maric's name~!

Just drop him, Lady, drop him!

Turn him loose and let him go~

Down the rocks and waves below~

The depths can have that scurvy knave~

Just drop him, Lady, drop him!

"WHAT KIND OF SONG IS THAT!?" Usopp yelled at the mage.

O O O

…Well, it had taken them several days, but— "We made it... We finally made it this far!"

"It's been so long… It's such a deep feeling…!"

"It was raining fiercely that day…"

"We've grown a lot since then."

"I…" Brook gazed upon the Red Line, "It taken me 50 years to get here… Yohohoho."

"Shishishishi!" Luffy's grin grew wider and wider, "Anyway, we're halfway done! The Twin Capes, where we met Laboon, are on the other side of the sea and connected to this wall! I'm glad we made it this far without losing anyone!"

"I-I can't see the top…!" Chopper stuttered. "This thing is HUGE!"

Maxwell chuckled, "It's the Red Line!"

It was a foggy morning. Blankets of mists still rolled along the waves, as if the fog was groggy itself.

But the fog was secondary, compared the the SHEER. IMMENSE. SLAB OF ROCK THAT STOOD BEFORE THEM!

It reached far and wide, across the horizon! Sheer cliffs and water worn scars battered riddled it's surface. Enduring all! Out living all! The Red Line reached to the very sky, hidden by cloud! Yet, it grew even above those clouds!

This was the Red Line!

"I feel like crying," Usopp rubbed the tears out of his eyes, "A lot has happened…!" Alabasta. Skypiea. Water 7. Thriller Bark…!

Franky had lifted his shades to gaze upon the continent, "As far as I can remember, I went over Reverse Mountain from the South Blue. But that was over 30 years ago…" He sported a maniac grin thinking about all the things he could do too it.

Robin also smiled, "5 years ago, I came to this sea… From the West Blue…" No longer thinking about survival. She was now among friends! Not some fugitive worrying about her next step.

Luffy stood on the mane of the Thousand Sunny.

"When I come to this place once again, after another turn around the world… at that time… I will be, the Pirate King!"

He declared it to the world! Nothing would stop them from travelling this immense sea! They would all fulfill their dreams!

Seeing Laboon again. Travelling around the world! Finding the secret to the Lost Century. Expanding their horizons! Discovering the All Blue. And becoming who they all want to be!

This was the halfway point.

And they will find the One Piece!

…

…

…

To be continued…

Ah~ Finally done! This intermission had a larger word count than I thought it would. Would you believe I thought about adding two more parts to this? Yeesh…!

Anyways. Part Two is coming up. And I already checked for spelling mistakes in the Fear Arc. Feel free to point out mistakes I may have missed. Just got to go over my planning one more time, and I'll see you all soon!