The new and old members of the Straw Hat Pirates stared in shock when a massive, black ship appeared out of nowhere.
"A-A huge Gallon!?" Nami started.
"F-Fallen from the sky?!" Happy finished.
"H-How is that possible?!" Asuka shouted.
Before anyone could reply, the Gallon landed into the ocean. Fortunately, it missed the Going Merry, but strong waves pushed the ship violently.
"EVERYONE HOLD ON!" Zoro yelled over the waves. Everyone held onto the ship tightly as the ship was rocking from the waves. Touma and Accelerator grabbed onto Index and Last Order for dear life.
"S-Since when do ships fall from the sky!?" Cynthia yelled over the sound of the debris crashing into the water.
"Since we entered this crazy world!" Gajeel shouted.
"This must be just an awful dream we're having!" Usopp yelled trying to find something for him to hold onto.
"Y-Yeah just a dream!" Chopper agreed, looking calm until Usopp accidentally headbutted him.
"It's still falling, guys!" Misaka yelled, noticing the debris of the ship falling above them.
"We need to defend the ship!" Sanji called out. "It won't be able to handle this much debris."
"On it!" Natsu yelled and was about to launch an attack on the falling ship parts until he noticed Usopp sitting on the deck. "What the heck are you doing?"
"I cast aside my worries, and looked deep down to find my happy place," The sniper answered, looking calm. "When I open my eyes then all of this will only be a dre-."
However, when he opened his eyes, Usopp was greeted by a skeleton body falling towards him. "AHH! A SKELETON DEAD GUY!"
"DON'T BRING IT TO ME, IDIOT!" Lucy yelled, scared.
"It loves her!" Happy taunted rolling his tongue.
"SHUT IT CAT!" Lucy snapped.
"There's still more coming down!" Gray shouted.
"No shit Sherlock!" Natsu snapped.
After quick thinking, Shervan transformed her legs into two tendrils out of wind and swooped up to the crow's nest furiously. Once he got to his destination, he raised his right arm upward in the air, palm facing up. "Whirlwind Net!"
A dark green magic circle emerged on the palm of his hand, emitting a powerful green whirlwind that was able to catch some of the debris from the gallon
"Whoa!" Kirika stared at awed by the massive wind.
"Go Shervan!" Chopper and Happy cheered.
"Nice going Shervan just like I planned," Usopp gloated, feeling confident and proud of himself.
"Liar," Iona mumbled.
"We aren't out of the storm just yet!" Sanji yelled over the waves.
Chapter 9: Salvage King Masira
The Straw Hat Pirates finally relaxed once the debris stopped falling and the waves stopped crashing. Shervan tossed out the rest of the debris far away and flew down to join with the others.
"Okay, now that's over...Why on earth did a ship fall from the sky!?" Kuroko asked Nami.
"How the hell should I know?!" Nami yelled back. "We're just as blinded by this as you are when we're at the Grand Line."
"I knew coming to the Grand Line was a huge mistake," Usopp shivered as he along with Hime and Chopper clung onto each other. "First, androids attacked us, then a black orb destroyed an island and now it's raining ships with skeletons on it!"
"Huh?" Nami stared at her log pose in confusion.
"What's wrong Nami?" Yuko asked.
"Something's wrong with the Log Pose," Nami answered.
"Log Pose?" Megumi asked, confused.
"It's like a compass that they used in the Grand Line. It points to where an island might be," Levy explained, earning an odd look from her guildmates. "What? Last night, Robin explained everything about how sailing works."
"So what's wrong with it?" Charla asked.
"The arrow is pointing upward," Nami replied looking confused.
"So it's busted?" Hibiki questioned.
"It's not broken," Robin said, being one of the two who were calm from the whole incident. "The Log Pose is just locked onto a strong magnetic pull. If the needle is pointing to the sky, then it's pointing to Sky island."
"S-Sky Island?" Cynthia repeated oddly.
"Y-You mean there's a floating island over us?" Wendy asked.
"Filled with dead skeletons?!" Usopp added.
"Would you quit it with the dead skeleton!?" Chris barked out.
"No, it's not just an island, but an entire ocean above us," Robin replied.
"A whole ocean!?" Natsu asked with sparkles in his eyes. Soon Happy, Manatsu, Megumi, Luffy, Chopper, Usopp, and Cynthia joined in as well.
"That sounds impossible," Shirabe said.
"I agree," Minori added.
"H-How can an ocean be in the sky?" Wannai asked.
"Alright crew! Raise the sails and set a course to Sky Island!" Luffy ordered loudly.
"Put the rudder down and point the bow high into the sky!" Usopp ordered.
"Sky Island Fish!" Happy started drooling. The three chanted until Robin quietly silenced them by covering their mouths.
"You guys do realize that this ship can't fly right?" Sanji questioned.
"To be honest, I only heard rumors and stories about it," Robin admitted. "So I can't be certain Sky Island actually exists or not."
"Thank goodness, there's no way there's a whole sea above us," Charla said.
"So does that mean the Log Pose is broken?" Gray asked.
"No, it's still pointing upward, so that means we need to figure out a way to get up to Sky Island," Robin explained. "No matter how crazy and strange the situation gets, you should always trust a Log Pose. It's the number one rule while entering the Grand Line."
"Hey, has anyone seen Luffy anywhere?" Zoro asked.
"Now that you mention it, Natsu and Happy are gone too," Lucy said.
"They said that they were going to look for something on the ship," Chopper replied as he was the one to notice the two disappearances.
"Do you realize what you're doing is a little creepy?" Hime asked, a little uneasy. The rest of the crew watches Robin reassemble a skull as if it were a puzzle piece.
"It doesn't matter if you're into dead stuff, Robin, you're still beautiful in my book," Sanji said with hearts for eyes.
"You need serious help," Misaka mumbled with a sweatdropped. Robin continued to work until the skull was finished.
"It looks like he died from getting bashed in the head," Tsubasa said observing the skull.
"Not quite, it looks like this guy had a Trepanation Surgery. Isn't that right Chopper?" Robin said as she turned to Chopper.
"Yes, they drill holes in patients' skulls to remove the source of some head diseases, but it's an old method," Chopper confirmed.
"Knowing how old the method is, I estimate that he died about 200 years ago," Robin thought out loud. "He looked around thirty years old and probably died from an infection. His teeth were covered in oil to prevent decay."
She skimmed through the catalog book until she found what she wanted. "Here it is, the Saint Breeze from the Kingdom of Breeze. They launched this ship as a scout ship from two hundred and eight years ago."
Lucy glanced over to see the picture of the gallon. "That's the same ship that fell from the sky."
"Eh? You're right~!" Hibiki glanced at the picture. "It even has the same front figurehead!"
"I'm unsure whether to be impressed or disgusted by your ability to gather information from a skull," Marie said, looking a bit disturbed.
"They said that 'dead man tells no tales,' but you can learn a lot from just a skull," Robin said.
"I should try that sometime," Levy said admiring Robin's skills.
"Please don't," Lucy whispered.
"We should probably see if we can get any more info-WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING!?" Nami suddenly yelled as she noticed Natsu on the plank with his swollen face, and Luffy struggling in the water.
"Hey, I found something really cool!"
When Happy and Charla got the two out of the water, Luffy showed everyone a map with Skypiea in the right corner.
"Skypiea?" Awatsuki stared at the title. "That means there's actually an island up in the sky?"
"Yup," Luffy answered with a wide grin.
"I still can't believe this is happening," Kuroko said, shaking her head.
"YAHOO!" Luffy cheered loudly. "SKY ISLAND IS REAL!"
"ONWARD TO SKY FIRE ISLAND!" Natsu roared.
"Since when did it become a Sky Fire Island?" Iona questioned with a sweatdrop.
Luffy, Natsu, Usopp, Chopper, Megumi, Hibiki, and Manatsu started to dance together, while Happy was dreaming about eating sky fish.
"Don't get too excited," Nami scolded. "Many people make fake maps of the Grand Line to fool people."
DOOM!
Eight cheerful spirits immediately crashed into reality. They turned to Nami with a depressed and gloomy look on their faces.
"Way to bring them down easy Nami," Chris commented with a sweatdropped.
"They're overreacting a bit," Shirabe added.
"Sorry, I didn't mean that it's fake and all..." Nami replied, trying to find the right words.
"She just doesn't know how to get there," Marie explained.
"Yeah, that's it!" Nami said and then glared at Luffy punching the metallic mast. "Look! The map doesn't tell us how to get to Skypiea!"
"Uh, Nami, easy on the mast," Usopp said.
"You're the navigator!? Think of something!" Luffy yelled back. The two continued to argue until Nami resorted to using her fist.
"Well that's one way to win an argument," Asuka said with a sweatdropped.
"Nami's so cute when she's violent," Sanji admired his eyes turned to hearts.
"These men are hopeless," Kuroko sighed.
"Well, now what?" Chris asked. "There's no way we can just defy gravity and soar upwards."
"Maybe there's some more information about Sky Island in that gallon?" Cynthia suggested.
"How are we going to do that?" Kirika asked. "The ship is already way too deep into the ocean."
"That's no problem, all we have to do is salvage it!" Nami responded with a determined look on her face.
"Yeah, let's salvage it!" Luffy, Natsu, and Happy shouted while carrying some gear.
"YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME?!" Zoro and Gray comedically yelled.
"What's salvaging?" Chopper asked.
"It means to pull up a sinking ship," Robin explained. "But since it's too big they need to come up with a more refined plan."
"I've been through many dangerous adventures, but I can't remember what they are," Luffy said with a grin on his face. He, Natsu, Sanji, and Zoro wore barrels over their heads and bodies, with a small window and tube for breathing.
"So pirates use barrels and tubes as scuba-gear?" Sango questioned.
"It seems so low-tech if this was in our world," Chris commented.
"So are you sure these things are safe?" Touma asked.
"Don't worry about the barrels, they're specially designed to not break so easily," Usopp replied with confidence.
"Don't worry ladies, I will find something that can bring us to Sky~!" Sanji swooned. He then glared at Touma. "And if I hear that you have been groping the girl's chest while I'm gone, I'm gonna kill you!"
"Like I would do that on purpose!" Touma comedically yelled.
Suddenly a huge fish leap out of the water for a brief minute and caught one of the seagulls in midair. Nami turned to the four and pushed them off the ship. "Well good luck!"
"You're still going to send them down after seeing that!?" Hime yelled.
The four disappeared under the waves. As they went deeper, the mechanism that was designed to allow the four to breathe underwater continued to feed.
"This is Happy, what's your status?" Happy called out from the funnels that connected to the divers.
"Luffy here, there are tons of monsters down here!" Luffy informed from his funnel.
"Also some giant sea snakes. I think we're lowering down to their nest" Zoro added.
"This is Natsu, and I'm gonna beat up one of th-GAH!"
"You idiot we aren't trying to cause attention!" Sanji yelled.
"Well they sound okay," Nami nodded at their reports.
"How is that okay?!" Lucy and Hime air slapped Nami.
"Wait, what are Sea Kings?" Cynthia asked.
"They're sea creatures who are bigger than normal sea creatures in the grand line," Robin explained. "They will sometimes attack ships without warning, leaving nothing but wood and bones floating in the ocean."
"Do you have to say it so grimly?" Cynthia asked, sweatdropped.
"She's a scary woman desu," Kirika whispered to Shirabe.
"We've arrived at our destination!" Zoro announced, causing Chopper to pull the brakes from the mechanism that was feeding the tubes.
"Well, I'm glad that I didn't go down there," Usopp sighed.
"Me neither," Hime agreed.
"Because you two are afraid of diving," Laura commented bluntly. This caused the two to flinch.
"Then why don't you dive down?" Asuka questioned.
"Yeah, you're a mermaid aren't you?" Usopp added.
"True," Laura admitted. "But I'm a future queen. Salvaging isn't something queens do."
"You're so full of it," Asuka and Usopp replied with a sweatdropped.
GONG~!
Shervan flinched at the sound, which also got the others' attention. All of them turned to see a huge ship approaching theirs.
"What's with all the racket?" Misaka asked looking irritated.
"Salvage the King~! Salvage~! Salvage the King~! Salvage~!" Onboard the ship, several men sang.
"HALT MEN!" A large silhouette of a man ordered, causing their ship to stop.
"That has got to be the weirdest ship I have ever seen," Gray commented.
"Is this the spot where the ship left?" The silhouette asked his crew.
"Yes, sir!" His crewmates chanted.
"When they say captain and sir they're talking about me!" The silhouette turned out to be a large-looking ape. "Prepare to raise the ship, men! Anything that lies at the bottom of the ocean belongs to the king of all Salvagers! Masira!"
"What...am I actually looking at?" Chris wondered while gawking at the man.
"Lucy's disease of getting weird people is acting up again," Happy joked while trying not to laugh.
"One more comment out of you and you'll end up like that seagull cat!" Lucy threatened.
"Unstable crew with an unstable captain. A perfect environment for a barbarian ape," Kuroko said as she glared at Touma.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?!" Masira asked as he noticed the Going Merry. "In case you haven't noticed, all these waters belong to me."
"They do?" Yuko asked.
"Yup, every sinking ship is mine! You're not trying to take something that belongs to me are you?" Masira asked.
"Are they really going to bring the ship up to the surface?" Sango asked.
"I suppose so, but Luffy and the others are still down there," Hibiki said worriedly.
"You know I can easily destroy that ship with my railgun," Misaka announced.
"Yeah, we can take these apes," Chris added, holding her pendant.
"Are you trying to get us killed!?" Hime and Usopp yelled with shark teeth.
"You idiots keep it down," Nami hushed them. "Let's not tell him that we're salvaging. It will be easier for us to get the gallon out of the water."
"And if they try anything funny, I'll turn their ship into that Gallon," Misaka grinned.
"You've got some serious issues Zapper," Touma sweatdropped.
"For once I agree with the ape," Kuroko added, also sweatdropped.
"What?! I haven't fought any opponents ever since the resort!" Misaka replied.
"HEY~! QUIT MUMBLING AND ANSWER MY QUESTION!" Masira yelled. "ARE YOU TRYING TO TAKE ONE OF MY SALVAGE SPOTS!?"
"Excuse me, can I ask you something!?" Nami shouted.
"You have a question for me!?" Masira shouted comedically. "Fine, whatever, what is it?"
"Are all of you tough and good-looking men going to salvage that ship?" Nami asked kindly.
"Thank you, I see that you know what a real man looks like~!" Masira's comment causes all the male characters minus Shervan and Touma to glare at him with a visible tick mark on their foreheads.
"W-What are you talking about?" Nami asked.
"You called us all tough and good looking right?" Masira asked.
Nami hesitated to answer. "...Well yeah,"
Masira turned away, blushing a bit. "Stop, you're making me blush!"
"This is seriously disturbing," Shirabe sweatdropped.
"So are you planning to salvage the ship or what?" Usopp asked.
"Of course, they don't call me the Salvage King for nothing!" Masira said. "I love to stay and chat, but I need to salvage the ship."
"Oh~! Can we stay and watch you?" Manatsu eagerly asked. "This is the first time I've seen expert salvagers!"
"Really now?" Masira said with a wide grin on his face. "Well, you can watch to your heart's content."
"Captain!" A man shouted, holding an injured man. "Some of the guys who were in charge of securing the cables just got attacked?"
"What? Was it one of those pesky Sea King?" Masira asked.
"It doesn't look like it, boss!" He replied. "It seems they've been punched!"
"WHAT?!" Masira hollered angrily. "YOU MEAN SOMEONE ELSE BESIDES OUR GUYS ARE DOWN THERE!"
Hearing this caused half of the group to flinch.
"Well, that plan lasted long," Accelerator mumbled.
"I'm going to kill those idiots," Nami growled.
"You may not get the chance!" Usopp hissed.
"Unless I blast them," Chris declared, holding her relic. Only for Touma to bonk her on the head. "What the hell?!"
"That's my line~! Don't just assume your arsenal of missiles are the answer to everything~!" Touma comically barked quietly.
Masira glared at the Straw Hats. "HEY, GUYS LISTEN UP!"
Usopp and Nami flinched while Touma was stopping Chris from singing to her crystal. At the same time, avoiding touching it with his right hand.
"THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE DOWN THERE~! SO BE CAREFUL~!"
"Eh?" Hime, Iona, Lucy, Kirika, Shirabe, Wendy, and Cynthia stared at the monkey-man in shock.
'What an idiot,' Touma and Chris thought with a sweatdropped.
"Got it, we'll be careful~!" Nami answered back.
While the others were observing Masira and his men preparing to salvage the ship, Shervan just stared at the sea wondering what Skypiea was like. 'I only heard rumors from pirates I sail with, about falling ships, and shadows in the Grand Line...'
"You believe in those folk tales?"
A young Shervan was sitting on a log. Beside him was a tall woman with dark brown hair tied in a twin-tailed.
"That's...That's what Kaito told me about," Shervan answered.
"Of course it was from that idiot," She sighed. "Listen, you shouldn't rely on someone's words. They would lie or deceive you."
"So...who could I trust then?" Shervan asked.
She stared at him in silence. Her hair covered her eyes. "The choice is yours. You just have to be wary. People sometimes use others for their own gain, and once it's broken, they abandon you..."
Shervan's hands were trembling. 'Because of me...people die all around me...If I stay here...and one of their friends dies...will they abandon me? Will they blame all their hardships on m-.'
The boy froze when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He quickly turned to Yuko who looked a bit concerned. "Are you alright
"S-Sorry, I was d-d-daydreaming."
"You're worried about Crimson Blood?" Yuko asked.
Shervan turned to Yuko with a surprised look. "W-Wait how did yo-,"
"Wendy and Charla were eavesdropping on your conversation with the shrimp last night," Gajeel announced while munching on a fork.
"Y-You knew?" Wendy asked, startled.
"Expected as much," Cynthia sighed.
'I knew it, they don't trust me,' Shervan thought, with a sad smile. Yuko noticed his reaction and frowned.
"We are grateful for saving us," Charla declared. "We were just wondering why Cynthia would go out on the deck by herself. Don't blame yourself for what happened at the resort."
"She's right," Tsubasa said, pitching in. "I am extremely grateful for you saving Shirabe from the hotel explosion, and for saving us from the Black Hole."
"We won't let Crimson Blood harm you anymore," Erza declared.
"I don't give a damn about your problems," Accelerator growled. "I'm just gonna destroy those bastards."
"My you're acting like tsundere," Tsuchimikado joked.
"Shut up," He shot back.
"See?" Cynthia turned to Shervan, giving him a warm smile, "We are all grateful for what you did back on the island, and don't think you're a bad person or a plague."
"Speak for yourself," Jackal scoffed.
"You don't count," Cynthia shot back.
"Cynthia, Wendy!" Index called out beside Last Order. "We're going down to the bottom to look for something to do! You wanna come?"
"Okay! It's better than listening to those guys chanting," Cynthia said, staring at Masira's ship.
"Would you like to come with us?" Wendy asked Shervan.
Shervan shook his head, "No thank you, I'm a bit claustrophobic when it comes to tight sp-spaces."
Accelerator stood up. "I'm going down as well, I need to take a nap and those damn monkeys are making it difficult."
"Me too," Levy said. "I want to research more about the Grand Line from Nami's maps she created."
While Cynthia, Levy, Last Order, Index, Wendy, and Accelerator, went below deck. As Shervan stood there, he let Cynthia's words sink in, causing him to blush. 'Why am I feeling this way. It's the same one I felt around Shirabe?'
"Juvia knows how it feels to have a crush on someone," Juvia said suddenly appeared beside Shervan, causing him to flinch.
"A C-Crush?" Shervan repeatedly confused.
"It is when you are deeply in love with someone, but they are unaware of your feelings," Juvia answered, touching his shoulder. "If you need any love advice, Juvia is here for you."
"I don't think that's necessary," Gray interfered as he dragged the love-struck Juvia away from Shervan.
"Do I...have a...crush...on Cynthia?" Shervan mumbled nervously.
Below the surface, Natsu, Zoro, Luffy, and Sanji made it to the ruins of the sunken ship. The four then split up and began their search for clues that could prove that Sky Island exists.
"Um, is he waving at us?" Marie questioned as Masira waved at the Straw Hats while laughing.
"We should wave back so we don't raise suspicion," Nami answered. She and a few others waved back to him.
"Don't get stage fright men~!" Masira ordered. He grinned in embarrassment. "These nice fellows are here to see true expert salvagers~! If you're nervous, try picturing them in their underwear~!"
"OOKIEE~!" His men respond in the same manner. A few of his men wearing metal look diving gear jumped into the water.
"Those guys are really into their work," Kirika commented.
"I think they're just showing off," Gajeel said grunting.
After an hour of searching the Gallon, the four boys reunited back in a cabin. They each had large bundles of items they found on their backs. They were considering returning to the surface until something crashed through the hull of the ship.
"W-What the hell is that?!" Natsu exclaimed in shock.
Natsu's voice was enough to make Masira turn to look at them curiously. Luckily, Usopp covered the horn and turned to the monkey man. "So what's the deal with the ship head?"
"You've got a sharp eye~!" Masira answered, grinning. "This statue is not just for show," He turned to his crewmates. "Lowering the Barco men!"
"Aye!" The men shouted. At the Bow of their ship, the monkey statue moves away from the ship, revealing the body of the monkey being held by a crane. The crane released the monkey statue causing it to fall into the water.
"So cool!" Manatsu, Chopper, and Megumi announced in awe.
"How exactly?" Asuka glanced at the three.
"Do they have to keep saying monkey all the time?" Touma asked, growing tired of the men's chanting.
"It's annoying," Shirabe agreed.
"The Barco is in position, sir!" One man announced.
"Good~!" Masira shouted. He grabbed a tube that was connected to the figurehead statue. "Now it's time to blow some air~!"
"GO FOR IT BOSS~!" His crew cheered.
"Blow?" Shirabe repeated until she realized. "Is he going to use his own air to lift the galloon to the surface?"
"That's impossible, even for a large monkey like him!" Kuroko stated. But to their surprise, Masira took a deep breath and blew into the tube which comically went big and down into the ocean.
"Holy crap, that's some huge lunge capacity!" Chris declared gawking.
Underwater, Natsu, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji noticed air bubbles coming out of the hooks. Outside, the ship started to float upward.
"The ship is off the ground boss!" One of Masira's divers announced.
"Don't stop now men, send more into the ship!" Masira ordered as the men began using a pump to put more air.
"Huh, I thought Monkey-Face was going to keep blowing," Gajeel said.
"Me too honestly," Megumi admitted.
"AH!"
Everyone flinched when they heard the shrieks coming from Masira's speakers. "What's going on down there!?"
"THE INTRUDERS ARE INSIDE THE SHIP AND TH-AHHH!..."
"Oh great," Lucy facepalmed. "Why did they have to get themselves into trouble?"
"RAHHH!" Masira yelled, causing Usopp and Hime to jump. "I WON'T FORGIVE THESE BASTARDS FOR HURTING MY CREWMATES!"
"S-scary," Usopp and Hime shivered.
"If they discover one of our crew members caused his men's injury, we're doomed," Minori commented.
"Could you at least try to act scared?!" Usopp comically snapped.
"..."
"...What are they doing?" Kirika asked while staring at Masira who was holding a heroic pose. A fiery backdrop was displayed by his crewmates.
"Uh, you know, we're not gonna take your picture or anything!" Nami called out with a sweatdropped.
"What you're not!?" Masira shouted comedically.
"He was posing for the camera?" Touma questioned.
"Why would anyone consider that threatening?" Gray asked.
"RAHH! HELP US!" Another man shouting from the horn shouted.
Masira looked so pissed that veins began to appear on his forehead "DON'T WORRY MEN, I'LL BE THERE SOON!"
After Masira shouted, he dove into the water. As Masira swan toward the Gallon, he noticed a giant serpent-like Sea King approaching him. It flashes its fangs at him, preparing to swallow him whole. Masira glared at it while he wound his arm up and swung it at the beast. "Monkey Punch!"
A single strike from Masira knocked out the monster immediately. After he dealt with it, he continued toward the gallon.
"Check it out, we don't need the barrels anymore," Luffy said as he and the other four got out of the barrels after the water disappeared.
"I don't know how they were able to pump this much air. My main concern is who they are and why they are salvaging the ship we were working on," Zoro said.
"My main concern is for the girls on the vessel. Nami hasn't answered my calls for a long time," Sanji said, looking a bit concerned.
"Well if they try anything, I will pound them to a pulp," Natsu growled.
Suddenly, Masira punched into the walls, looking pissed. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, STEALING MY SALVAGE SHIP?!"
"...Nice makeup," Luffy said, looking unphased by his sudden entrance.
"Oh, thank you~!" Masira's anger faded as he blushed happily. "My fans are always excited to see it!"
"You have fans?" Zoro questioned.
"So who are you?" Natsu asked.
"Sorry for my rude entrance, my name is Masira," Masira introduced.
"I'm Luffy," Luffy introduced.
"And I'm Natsu," Natsu greeted. "And you look like a monkey."
"Aw stop it," Masira said blushing.
"It wasn't a compliment," Sanji sweatdropped.
Upon the surface, they noticed the unconscious serpent rising to the surface. They were surprised when they heard from Masira's crew that their boss was responsible.
"Come on guys, let's capture that fish and have a feast!" Happy announcement with stars for eyes.
"No way, that fish would destroy the ship instantly!" Misaka declared.
"Also, we have bigger problems to deal with than that fish!" Charla yelled. However, she found herself and Lily staring at the fish with drool coming out of their mouths.
Wannai noticed a shadow looming under both their ship and Masira's. "T-There's something under us."
"It looks huge!" Lucy's eyes widened when she noticed it. "Much bigger than the Sea King."
"Bigger fish?" The exceeds asked dreamily.
"It doesn't look like a fish," Tsubasa answered. She then took a good look at the shadow. "From the looks of the shape, it looks like a sea turtle."
"I never seen a turtle that big before!" Sango said in awe.
"Oh, you guys are from the East Blue huh?" Masira asked. The five were sitting inside the ship.
"Well, these three are," Natsu replied. "I'm from another world that uses magic."
"Magic? That sounds amazing!" Masira said in awe.
"Yeah! I was surprised too," Luffy grinned. "He can eat flames and was raised by a Dragon."
"Really? That's so cool!" Masira said, amazed. "You guys are a fun bunch!"
During an odd conversation, the five were unaware of the giant turtle circling toward them in the gallon. It ate the entire gallon whole with its wide mouth.
The head of the sea turtle emerged from the water. The size of the turtle's head was larger than the two ships beside it. This caused everyone, minus Robin, Minori, and Shervan, to feel shocked and frightened at the same time.
"I-I'm not the only one who just saw a giant monster that emerged out of the water...right?" Hime asked.
"There's no monster~!" Usopp cried out. His eyes were covered by his hands. "This is just one big stupid dream we're having!"
"Y-Yeah a dream! We just had too much food since last night," Lucy added, joining Usopp.
"Uh guys," Robin stated. "Our boys were just eaten by that turtle. I wonder if they survived getting grounded by those teeth."
"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT SO CALMLY?!" Usopp, Hime, Chopper, Hibiki, Lucy comedically screamed.
"What's the matter with you guys?" Gray asked as he noticed Lily, and Happy on the deck with a depressed aura around them.
"T-The giant fish escaped," The two sobbed.
"We have more important things to deal with!" Charla scoffed but found herself crying as well.
"You're doing it too," Kirika mumbled.
"WAH!" Chopper started running around. "WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO!?"
"This is all your fault!" Usopp angrily yelled at Nami.
"Yeah, it was your idea to salvage the ship in the first place!" Lucy added.
"Yeah," Nami said looking down. The navigator then stared at the turtle and shouted. "I'm sorry!"
"..."
"Oi! Don't just say that like you're not guilty," Usopp comedically dropped. Because of the turtle's head-turning, the ship toppled suddenly.
"WAH!" Hime flailed trying to get her balance as the turtle was slowly diving into the water, taking the two ships with it.
"We have to do something or else we'll be swimming with the fishes," Tsuchimikado said.
"OKAY MEN, WE HAVE TO SAVE OUR CAPTAIN~!" One of Masira's men ordered the rest of his crewmates. "OUR PRIDE, HONOR, AND LIVES ARE AT STAKE!"
"Hey! They're trying to save their captain too!" Hibiki said, pointing to Masira's crew taking action to rescue their captain.
"This is the time in our life to test the bond of our crew!" Usopp declared proudly.
"Usopp, Touma!" Nami suddenly called out.
"Yes?" The boys said, preparing to aid them.
"Cut the air pipes and get us out of here!" Nami ordered.
"WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS!?" Usopp and Touma yelled as they comedically slammed their faces into the rail.
"SHE'S THE DEVIL!" Hime and Kirika comically exclaimed.
Darkness suddenly descended on them as they argued. Everyone was startled by the sudden change of weather.
"W-Why is it so dark all of a sudden?!" Chris asked, startled.
"This isn't right," Nami said looking at her watch. "It's not even nighttime."
"Nothing in this world makes sense anymore," Kuroko facepalmed.
"Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Natsu! Come on, we gotta go!" Usopp yelled in the tube.
Shervan's eyes enlarge as he becomes aware of this unusual event. "Black skies..."
"What's wrong Shervan?" Shirabe asked.
"The sky is changing abruptly..." Shervan replied, looking frightened. "...It's only a matter of time until they show up."
"Who shows up?" Chopper asked. Before Shervan could answer, Luffy, who was holding onto a big bag, was tossed out of the water and landed on the deck.
"Luffy!" Usopp shouted happily to find that their captain was alright.
Nami ran up to the motionless Luffy and immediately started slapping him, "Luffy what happened to the others?!"
"How about you stop slapping him so he can tell us," Misaka sweatdropped.
Soon Zoro, Sanji, and Natsu climbed on the rail with a bunch of bags. "We need to get out of here now!" Zoro shouted, trying to catch his breath.
"You guys are alright," Megumi said looking relieved. "We thought you were still in that sea turtle's mouth. "
"It wasn't a sea turtle," Sanji mumbled. "It was a monkey. As soon as found out that we were stealing stuff on the ship, he went berserk!"
"Yeah, you came across the Salvage King Masira," Asuka explained. "He was also trying to salvage the gallon the turtle just ate."
"What sea turtle?" Sanji, Zoro, and Natsu asked. They slowly turned to find a giant turtle in front of them. Their eyes got comically wide. "WE WERE INSIDE THAT THING!?"
"Took you, three idiots, long enough!" Misaka yelled.
"Natsu!" Happy flew towards him looking depressed.
"What's wrong, Happy?" Natsu asked.
"There was this huge fish that we were going to eat for lunch, and it swam a-HUGE!" Happy depression turned into shock as he just saw the giant turtle.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Usopp anime fell.
"RAHH!" Masira emerged from the water and landed on the deck, startling everyone. "I'm not going to let you guys take my salvaging treasure!"
"You guys really found treasure?!" Nami asked, eyes sparkling.
"Yup tons of it!" Luffy grinned.
"Let's first focus on what's more important here!" Lucy comically yelled.
"We can't let this monkey damage the ship," Zoro declared, preparing to bring out his swords. The others are also ready to face the angry Masira.
Shervan was glancing at the distance and witnessed something that made his eyes wide in horror. "No way...it's happening." He subconsciously held Shirabe's hand, ripping her eyes off of Masira.
"S-Shervan?!" Shirabe asked, a bit startled by his action. As soon as Shirabe caught sight of what his eyes were fixed on, hers also widened in horror. The Straw hats, Masira, as well as the giant turtle turned to see what Shervan was staring at. They all had the same terrified expression on their faces.
Five large shadowy figures with wings stood in the distance in front of them. All of them were so huge that the two ships and the turtle looked like tiny pebbles. A spear was raised by the central one in preparation for being thrown at them.
"SEA MONSTER!?" Everyone minus Robin and Minori screamed out of their lungs. Chopper, Zoro, Sanji, Natsu, Gray, and Luffy grabbed oars and rowed as fast as they could away from monsters.
After rowing for who knows how long, they were able to escape the monsters. The sky returned to normal. Having just witnessed something extraordinarily dramatic, everyone began to catch their breath.
"Okay this has been the craziest day ever," Lucy wheezed.
"Tell me about it," Misaka sighed.
"Is the Grand Line always this dangerous?" Marie asked
"Yeah, we're lucky that we made it through today," Sanji answered.
"So first a huge Gallon fell from the sky," Iona started.
"Then the needle started pointing up to the sky," Tsuchimikado stated.
"Followed by a weird-looking monkey-man showing up," Usopp said.
"Then a giant sea turtle ate the gallon," Chris included.
"Which almost dragged us under the ocean," Asuka said.
"Then it went dark all of a sudden," Touma said.
"And then those huge monsters appeared out of nowhere," Luffy said.
"That was kind of scary," Sango shivered.
"Yeah," Masira said, also a bit shaken.
"I could've taken those guys down," Natsu mumbled.
"Said the flame brain who wet his pants," Gray chuckled.
"Yeah that was the only positive thing about the whole situation," Jackal added.
"You two wanna go!?" Natsu barked as he stood up.
"Natsu!" Erza calling his name was enough for the three to quiet down.
"Well I don't know about you, but I just hope we don't have to see them again," Hime said.
"Agreed," They all sighed.
…
…
…
…!
"GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR SHIP!" Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, Natsu, Asuka, and Misaka comedically kicked the unexpected Masira off the ship, sending him flying high in the sky.
Moments after they kicked him out, Accelerator, Last Order, Index, Gajeel, Levy, Cynthia, and Wendy came from under the deck. They glance at the others, looking a bit puzzled.
"Uh...did we miss something?" Levy asked.
Next Chapter: The Road to Jaya.