Chapter 6

The Sabaodey Archipelago

Maxwell kept his eyes sharp as they walked.

"The World Nobles are also called the Celestial Dragons. They think they're too good the breathe the same air as the rest of us, so they wear domed closed helmets."

Maxwell, Luffy, Chopper, Nami, Robin, and Brook had decided to follow Hachi, Camie, and Pappagu into town. Sanji, Zoro, Franky, and Usopp were left to be in charge of the ship. Usopp and Franky wanted to check and repair the Sunny while they were ashore. However, they had to convince Zoro and Sanji to stay aboard, since they did not want to cause a scene. Zoro was easy, he just went back to take a nap. Sanji… they let Nami handle him.

"You absolutely cannot defy them in any way. Just promise me this one thing."

"Sure, sure," Luffy nodded, even with his hands behind his head. He was acting a little too carefree for Maxwell's liking.

"There's plenty of other stuff you need to look out for," Hachi warned. "Like I said before, this island is where people aiming for the New World gather. There are pirates, just like you, and the marines chasing them. Plus there are bounty hunters and kidnappers on this island. If pirates are caught by the slave trade, then the law won't protect them."

People bustled about the streets, going about their day to day lives. Some walked with floating bubbles in hand, with stored goods like groceries or packages. Other drove around on top of larger bubbles, with some sort of pedalled contraption on them. They wore just about every sort of clothing imaginable. From a simple pants and shirt, to pin stripped formal wear and beanie hats.

"If you do anything to stand out, then they'll be after you in a heartbeat. Be really careful, whatever you do."

"Ok… By the way, when did you get that wound?" Luffy asked, pointing to his forehead.

"This?" Hachi pointed to his own forehead. Overtop of his forehead was a cross of bandages, taped over one another. It covered up the burning sun tattoo that was usually prominent on his forehead. "Eh, don't mind that."

Maxwell actually found it suspicious how both Hachi and Camie decided to dress up for this occasion. Hachi was in a large hoodie, with only one pair of arms through it's sleeves. The other for we're wrapped around his torso, covered by the jacket. Came wore a frilly long skirt over her tail. It was long enough to cover all of her scales, and she had a pair of shoes slipped over her tail fins. Camie rode of Hachi's shoulders, seeing as she wasn't old enough to split her tail. If you didn't look closely enough, you might have mistaken them for… human.

"There aren't any incompetent marines around here. The Marine Headquarters isn't too far off, after all! Even the bounty hunters here are a cut above average! …Oh, and one more thing."

"Come on, that's too much to keep track of!" Luffy complained.

"Here, Camie and I aren't fishmen or mermaids. Treat us like we're humans, while we're on this island."

Maxwell scowled, seeing in between the lines of Hachi's request. Luffy only asked, "Why?"

Hachi saw Maxwell's scowl, "…It'll just make everything easier."

"'…When in Rome, do as the Romans do,' Luffy," Robin said to her captain. "Let's do as the octopus says."

That placated Luffy for now, not wanting to spoil his adventure. But Maxwell caught her eye and they both knew something was wrong on this island. She gave him a look to keep quiet about it and Maxwell nodded. He'll keep his silence… for now.

They came up to a shop with a sign that said Bon Chari. There, Maxwell noticed the shop had more of those bubble riding devices, and a machine with a hose planted into the ground. The shop also shared many other similarities with the other buildings. Most of them were like towers, with spherical sections and pointed spires. The shop's main difference were the propellers accenting the sign.

"Hello, can I interest you in a bon-chari?" the shopkeeper greeted them. He wore an open hawaiian print shirt, pants, and a sash. The salesman also looked rather unkempt with a pipe, and a pointed hat with a frayed brim with an a bubble on top.

"Ooh, how do they work?" Luffy, having seen the others devices around town, wanted to try one himself.

"Well, for this model…" The shopkeep grabbed a frame, which was two handle bars, and a propeller, on a curved saddle. "Grab that bubble over there."

A bubble had risen out of the ground. So, Luffy grabbed it.

"Now, slowly push your way in."

Following the shopkeep's advice, Luffy slowly pushed his head into the bubble. The membrane slowly permeated around his head till, with a boing, the bubble snapped around his neck. "Ooh!" Luffy now had a bubble around his head.

Spurred by curiosity, Luffy tried pushing his arms through. "I can get inside! And it's not leaking!" Luffy climbed his way into the membrane, the bubble moulding around his body.

"Wow! How interesting!" Everyone looked at the bubble in surprise. Chopper wanted to try it, too!

"How mysterious," said Robin. They had already established that the bubbles were actually able to support a person's weight. But they didn't disperse when pierced?

"Okay! Take this and put it inside." The shopkeep handed Luffy the handle through the bubble. And Luffy pulled it up until both the handlebars, the seat, and the peddles were inside with him.

"Like this?"

The shopkeep nodded. "Is the height okay?" and Luffy nodded at the shopkeeper. "Then go ahead and peddle."

Luffy did so, and the propeller at the back of the device began to spin. "OoOoh! It's moving! This is so much fun!" The propeller moved the bubble, with Luffy inside it. He was slowly flying through the air, leaning, pulling, and pushing on the handle to turn, rise, and fall.

"If you want to rent a bon-chari, it's 500 beri a day. And if you want to buy one, it's 10,000 beri. A steal, right?"

"I want one!" Luffy drove the bicycle past the shop, Chopper playfully chasing him, "I'll by one with my spending money!"

"Nyu~! Don't bother," said Hachi. "There's no point in buying one, we'll just rent it."

Luffy backpedaled, "Hey, Takohachi! Why are you deciding this!?"

"I'll tell you later."

The shopkeeper rubbed the back of his head, "Aw man. You're a local? Well, shoot."

They ended up renting three air bikes. The one Luffy was riding. A topside bike that Nami rode, with Pappagu in the bubble, and Chopper in the basket. And then a rather large bike, with a weight in the middle. This distorted the large bubble it was on until it was like a donut. Hachi pedaled, while Camie, Robin, Max, and Brook sat on the ring.

"Ah, this is great!" Nami cheered. It was like riding her wave rider all over again. "There are lots of ways to use these bubbles!" Brook played his violin as the rode, giving them a little music as they travelled.

"I'm going to buy a bon-chari after all!" Luffy grinned, sitting back in his bubble.

"Straw-Hat," Hachi looked up at the pirate. "When you first got here, you got on a soap bubble and floated up into the sky, right? Why did you fall back down?"

Luffy thought back to that moment, "Oh yeah! After the bubble passed the top of the tree, I wanted to go even higher. But the bubbles around me all started popping. And then the one I was riding on popped, too. So I fell back down.

"That's because you left the atmosphere of the Sabaodey Archipelago. The atmosphere here is especially suited for yarukiman mangroves. But when you leave the atmosphere, the resin can't maintain it's shape."

"Is that so?" Robin replied. "Then outside of this archipelago, you wouldn't be able to ride these bubble bicycles, right…?"

"Nyu~ That's right. People who come here for the first time often buy bon-chari, but that's a bad purchase. Just renting them is fine."

"Hmm—Mrph…" Luffy popped out of his bubble so his head and arms were out of it. "Well… I don't really get it, so… Let's just get… one… maybe…"

"Don't you get it!" Nami scolded him. "If you leave these islands for any reason, then the soap bubbles will just mysteriously pop."

Luffy looked back at his navigator, "What!? They mysteriously pop!? How's that possible!?"

"We just explained that, you idiot!" Nami yelled.

"Ah, but you can use them at Fishman Island, Luffy-chin!" Camie said. "We have these soap bubbles at the ocean floor too."

Luffy went back into his bubble, "Aw man… I want to go to Fishman Island now. It's going to be awesome! What's it like!? —No, wait! I don't want to hear it yet."

They kept on riding the bubbles, until they reached Grove 34.

"I hope we see the mermaid princess," said Pappagu. "She's a beauty! Even a starfish like me can see that, no mistake! I know her, so maybe I'll introduce you."

"I call bullshit on that one," Maxwell didn't even turn around. He just sat reclined against the weighted centre. He may not be familiar with the politics of this world, but he knew nobility. They wouldn't let just anyone get familiar with a royal family member.

"You calling me a liar, bushy-beard!?"

"It would be great regardless!" Brook leaned to turn Pappagu's attention on him. "Though I have no eye for women. I'm a skeleton after all… SO I DON'T HAVE ANY EYES! YOHOHOHO!"

A candy stand then caught Luffy's eye, "What's Graman?" He veered his bubble to get closer to the shop.

"It smells great!" Chopper hopped out of Nami's basket, skipped across their bike, grabbed onto Luffy's bubble as he came up to the shop.

"What!?" Maxwell sat up realizing Luffy and Chopper had split off from the group. "Crap! Stop the bike—Luffy!"

"It's a 'Grand Line' 'Manjyu,'" the cashier said with an Antivan accent. "So we shorten it to 'Graman.' Would you like to try one?"

Maxwell walked up and saw the sign saying, Antonio's Graman, across the shaders. There were multiple flags advertising the shop, and there seemed to be loads of boxes behind the cashier. "Luffy! Chopper! You shouldn't just go off on your own like that!"

"See, they've got 'Grand Line, First Half,' written on them. They're popular souvenirs to take to the New World. They stay good for up to three months, so you can take them anywhere!" "Antonio," was explaining all of this while Luffy and Chopper each dug into a red bean sweet.

"So good. They're delicious!" "They're sweet and tasty!" "They really are good! May we open the next box and have some more?" "WHAT THE HELL, BROOK!?" "Aren't you going to buy anything!?"

"Ugh…" Maxwell ran a hand through his hair. But then he realized this was also a souvenir shop! "Okay. You each can buy one thing, but then we have to get back to group."

"Really!?" "Cool!" "Alright, I'll take 20 boxes of Granman, then—" "I said one thing, Luffy!"

They ended up negotiating the amount of manjyu boxes to six.

"Thank you for your business!"

"Grasen and Grachoco!" Luffy grinned with three boxes of manjyu under each arm.

"Keychain!" Chopper played with his souvenir. It was basically a small ring, chain, and a dangle on the end. Two written plates and a sword.

"Pennant!" Brook had selected essentially a triangular flag, with a painted ocean scene and the words "Grand Line" printed across the bottom.

Pappagu gave them all a thumb's-up, "You guys made a lot of great memories!"

Maxwell only scowled as they walked back to the group, towing Luffy's bon-chari. He also had to pitch in so Luffy could buy his sweets. Talk about overpriced! Thankfully the shopkeeper had provided them something free of charge.

"Carrying stuff around on these islands doesn't seem to be a problem," said Luffy. Maxwell had handed Luffy the string to their new "bon-bag." Maxwell had basically grabbed a bubble, shoved the string end in it, then placed Luffy's manjyu inside the bubble. It was essentially a luggage balloon.

"Huh?" Chopper looked around, "Where did Nami and Robin go?"

"They went to the shopping mall at Grove 30," Camie replied. "They said to take care of the coating."

"But—! Ugh…" Maxwell just sighed, letting his shoulders sag. He knew this island wasn't safe! …But Maxwell also knew Nami and Robin could handle themselves. They were a thief and assassin after all. The two of them knew how to get out of a pinch. So, the mage just climbed onto the back of the group bicycle with Brook.

"Is that so? Then we'll take care of it!" Luffy then went into the bubble of his bon-chari, Chopper joining him.

Pappagu climbed into their donut ring, and soon they were pedalling off down the road. Luffy following behind Hachi.

…Or at least until they were on a long street. "Race ya'!"

"WHAT—!? STRAW-HAT!" "LUFFY—! Woah!"

Hachi started pedalling furiously, making his passengers lurch from acceleration. Maxwell had to grab onto the bubble weight, while Brook literally held on y the seat of his pants!

"Come on, Hachin! You can beat him!" Camie cheered, seemingly unaffected by the speed which they were going.

Luffy stood so his head and arms were out of the bubble. "Da—Ha ha! I'm out in front!" His feet were still on the peddles, turning furiously.

Chopper also poked his head out, looking a little green. They may or may not have expended all the oxygen inside the bubble.

"Nyu~! I won't lose! There's still a long way to go!" Now Hachi was into the race, seemingly invested in winning. "The finish line is Grove 13!

"Fine!" "Go Hachin!"

Luffy and Hachi kept racing through the islands of Sabaodey! Winding through streets and bazaars, past building, spires, and people. "Sorry!" They followed the trees. Counting down the numbers as they descended from thirty!

Then they suddenly came to a stop! "Oof!"

Luffy was looking up a side rode, "What's going on up there!?" They paused to see what was going on.

"PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU, ANYBODY! HELP ME!" Further up the hill, a man was raving to the crowd. He was grabbing onto people, begging for help, while grasping at a steel collar around his neck.

"ANYBODY AT ALL! AN AXE! OR A SAW! ANYTHING IS FINE, JUST GIVE IT TO ME!" What made it so odd was that the man looked positively villainous, besides the pigtails. He wore a fur cloak, pirate jacket, pointed ears and rather serious features. His chest was bare with bat like tattoo and a curve of surgery markings. However, any malicious intentions he may have had were awash with desperation.

"I JUST NEED TO BREAK THIS COLLAR! THERE'S NO DANGER FOR YOU! I'VE GIVEN UP ON THE NEW WORLD!" People stood back, nervous about this pirate approaching them. It's like they've seen this sort of thing before!

"PLEASE, I HAVE A WIFE AND A SON AT HOME! I just want to go home… Please! PLEASE HELP ME! I LEFT WHEN MY KID WAS STILL A BABY! HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW MY FACE!" He was absolutely hysterical! And people ran if he got to close.

"Don't pay any attention to him!" Hachi grimaced. "He's probably a pirate who got caught by a slave trader, and was sold off. The people who bought him probably brought him here, and he escaped! He should know that he can't get away!"

A clinking sound began to beep from around the slave's neck. "This collar!" He started trying to pull it off, but it wouldn't budge an inch! "If only this we're gone—!"

*BOOM!*

Maxwell's eyes went wide as the collar exploded around the slave's neck. It charred and smoked as the former pirate fell to the ground.

"Wha—?" Maxwell quickly looked at Luffy. His captain's mouth was gaping as if he didn't understand what was going on. Chopper looked pale. That collar had probably killed him when that explosion went off. Camie was clinging to Hachi, try to look away.

"Slaves always have chains attached to their necks. If they try to break and escape, then the collar explodes!" Hachi said with a serious look. He was steeling himself, trying not to react.

"AAAAAHHH!" "A slave tried to escape!" "Get away from him! Don't even get close!"

"That's awful…!" Luffy's pupils dilated as if realizing what was happening.

Maxwell's face may as well have been set in stone. An escaped slave, out in the open, and begging for help? Bad. The fact that the collar exploded? Very, very, bad! All this talk about nobles and slavery… His thoughts were storming, imagining if a similar situation if it were to happen in Tevinter. He may never have been there, but it wasn't a hard to think of all the bad thing that could happen between blood magic and slavery.

"W-Wait! Shouldn't we help him!?" Brook stuttered, looking around. People were running, trying to get as far away from the former pirate!

"Idiot!" Pappagu jumped onto the skeleton's should've pulling back his hair. "You promised not to get involved, no matter what happened!"

"AAAAAHHH! What the hell is going on in this town!?" Chopper panicked, running around in circles.

Camie fearfully held her hands to her chest, "Hachin! What should we do? The Celestial Dragons must be close!" She was absolutely terrified.

Hachi put a hand around her, then he quickly pointed at Luffy, "Straw-Hat! Get off that bon-chari!"

Luffy blinked, "Eh…?"

"Do it now!"

"Okay… I got it." He then started getting out of the bubble.

As Luffy got out, Maxwell saw a dog walking towards the downed slave. It looked like a breed of pug, but had far longer legs and torso. And it wore a… glass ball and backpack?

People froze as they saw the dog.

"Is that one of those Celestial Dragons…?" Luffy whispered, asking Hachi.

"You guys need to get on your knees," Hachi whispered, putting a hand on Luffy's shoulder. He was already kneeling, but that didn't diminish much of his height. "—And no matter who comes, don't look them in the eyes! Don't lay a hand on the dog either, the Celestial Dragons are right behind it."

Maxwell took a cue from everyone else on the street. They were all kneeling, keeping the roads clear… And the dog peed on the slave's head.

"Oh my, how unladylike, Saru."

Both Maxwell and Luffy looked at where the feminine voice came from. "That's them, huh…?"

A man and a women walked down the street, flanked by two fully armored knights as guards, and a mountain of a man crawling on his knees behind them. It was a pair of World Nobles. They were fully covered, from head to toe, in what seemed to be between a bodysuit and robes. Fishbowl like helmets covered their heads so that you could see them, but appeared separate from everyone else. Their clothes were of the finish silks, with medals and finery pinned to them. Boots and gloves were on their hands and feet, made of the freshest leather. And both of them wore their hair in a high top knot.

"Oh shoot, father, it looks like another one got broken," said the woman. She had a veil hiding her face despite the glass helmet.

The man, holding a cane and the chain to the giant crawling behind them, only sighed. "Did you give it tranquilizers every day?"

"I did, but it didn't seem to have any effect on this fool. Won't you please buy me a new one?" These were Saint Roswald and Princess Sharlia of the Celestial Dragons. Two of the World Nobles.

"You're terrible at keeping these things." Saint Roswald looked down at the charred slave in front of them, "…My collection of pirate captains is getting ruined one by one…"

"Well, this one is no good anymore…" Sharlia kicked the slave in the head. Then she kept on kicking him. "A full grown man like you crying as you die among these people. You're just a filthy human…"

Nobody moved. Citizens only kept their heads down and dared not move!

Maxwell could hear Luffy gritting his teeth, "He can't even move anymore…!"

Sharlia then brought out a pistol, "You disgust me."

*BANG! BANG-BANG!*

"YOU—!"

Hachi and Maxwell quickly grabbed Luffy, Hachi covering his mouth, before he could bring any attention to them. "Please! Wait!" "Luffy. Not now!" Sharlia had shot the pirate, even after being beat up and burnt.

Thankfully they hadn't been noticed Luffy's outburst. Roswald and Sharlia just kept walking down the street, without a care in the world. "I'd like a giant as a slave this time." "Start with a human child." "I don't want something weak though."

…

"Psst! It's the Marines!" Camie whispered to them. Maxwell looked, and there had indeed been marines waiting in the wings. They were surrounding the corpse after the nobles had walked away a fair distance.

"…Let's get out of here."