LW: And now the Fishman island arc begins… except we're not actually there yet. Eh close enough, enjoy! :D
Rubber King and Mirror Master: New World Chaos - Catching Up, Ten Thousand Leagues Below
"The Straw Hats have returned, and they're stronger than any of us could have imagined"
Thousand Sunny
"The surface is already so far above our head" Robin coos as she looks up at the slowly fading light
"Sure is, I've been under a few times before, but looking out a submarine's portholes, and seeing it like this…. There's no comparison" Franky adds, grinning to himself
"Plus it's more than any of us Devil Fruit users could ever hope to on a normal day" Kaos chuckles, Medusa Jr wrapped in his tail as she waves to a few passing fish
"Yohoho, those groves above us, really are trees after all" Brook hums as they pass through the lower levels of the mangroves' root system
"Yeah, that's what they tell us when we first arrive, but this kind of stuff really does have to be seen to be believed" Val hums with a slight twinkle in her eye
Sanji gives a low whistle "It's a sight for the ages, and oddly relaxing given it's basically the front garden to the New World"
"Oh fish! I bet I can catch 'em!" Luffy shouts as he leaps at the coating, trying to scramble out of it and catch the shoal in front of him
"Damn it Luffy!" Ussop screams as he tries to pull the rubber idiot off the bubble "Vivi, control your husband!"
"I'm a little busy here!" Vivi shouts back, her sand and wires needed to stop a drooling Alvida from smashing open the bubble to get at the shark in front of her
Kaos sighs "Nami, pick an idiot"
"Way ahead of you," the Navigator says just before smacking Luffy in the head with her Climatact
Kaos hums, passing Medusa Jr to Artemis then expands Hebi into a bat/Kanebo, and rears back to knock Alvida out…. "Hey Merlin, what happened to your tits?"... Only to stop an inch from her face, a look of confusion on his own
"Seriously?" he asks
"Yup. You can let go, sweety, I'm good now" Alvida chirps, wriggling in the sand until Vivi finally lets her out with a stumble on the older woman's part
"Ok, that was eventful. Before anyone else causes a scene, or gives the rest of us heart attacks, any chance of a rundown on what is and isn't safe with this bubble Nami?" Sanji asks as he pulls a cigarette from his pocket
"Rayleigh gave me detailed instructions, but in summary, they function more or less the same as the bubbles we saw littered around Sabaody, permeable, but airtight, meaning that objects can pass through, but it the air inside won't escape, nor will the water rush in, provided it was applied correctly" Nami explains
"Given I watched Rayleigh apply the coatings, he did everything to perfection" Carue assures her crewmates
"Still weird that we now have a talking duck" Ussop mutters, getting nods from Kaya and Franky simply due to being the only ones who heard him "Hey Nami, given how no matter the strength it's still a bubble, will Valentina's promise pop the coating?"
"Given the handle was rounded, no, plus the Sabaody bubbles as I already mentioned allow objects to pass through when they exert enough force, which is actually how we'd defend ourselves if we run into any hostile wildlife between here and Fishman Island" the navigator continues
"Promise?" Kaos asks
"Oh right, I did all that while you 2 crackheads were messing around on the shore" Valentina mutters with a nervous chuckle "Captain, I hope you don't mind, but I made a blood oath to kill Blackbeard if I ever got the chance" she admits
"Fair, he was the reason Ace nearly got executed and tried to kill Ace and Kaos' dad, so I see why…. Except for why you made the oath" Luffy muses aloud
"Blackbeard killed someone who was essentially a surrogate mother to me, to retrieve her Devil fruit for his own devices. I'm gonna kill him one day, or at least the person he gave the Kyubi to, and return it to the village. That was what I swore"
"And we'll help" Luffy nods with an oddly serious look on his face "You're family, and this is important to you. We killed the guy who killed Nami's mom, and fought the World Government to save Robin, why not fight Blackbeard to avenge your mom?"
"Thanks Luffy, it feels good to hear you say it, even if I was fairly sure you'd approved anyway" the blond smiles widely
"...and finally, the bubble only protects us from the water and the associated pressure, if we hit anything and the ship is damaged the bubble might pop and kill us all so we still need to be alert and safe on the journey down. We should be fine all things considered, well Luffy will probably do something stupid and nearly kill us all, but as long as we anticipate it we're already halfway to freedom" Nami finishes her explanation as the other conversation wraps up
"So we're good for now, because I don't think any of us know how to steer a ship in 3D space" Victor muses, getting a nod from Nami, as at least for now, they're fine to just ride the currents down, the difficult part was later down the line so to speak
"In that case, since we have some time on our hands, I think I should tell you something before we get to Fishman Island" Franky suddenly announces, getting everyone's attention "I went to check on Sunny before I met up with you guys at the compound, wanted to make sure my ship was ok after 2 years essentially on her own, and I found a surprising sentry standing guard over her. The Warlord Kuma"
"The actual one, or one of the many Pacifistas?" Kaos asks curiously
"The original one, had the Paw Pads and everything" Franky confirms "Turns out he was on our side the entire time, which only makes sense in hindsight, given if he hadn't bubbled us, we'd have been facing down an Admiral and all the Pacifistas that Sumo guy brought along with him to Sabaody that day. Anyway as I was saying, when I arrived to check on Sunny I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Right there in front of the ship was him, but all he did was look at me, tell me he'd been waiting, and that his 'mission' had been accomplished, before taking off"
"Yeah, apparently Lasoo, Nellie, and I didn't count as crew enough to complete his goal" Carue adds "Because I did ask, and his mission was to protect the Sunny until the Straw Hats returned. Guy seemed to know you'd survive and all make it back safely, even if he didn't have a date in mind" she continues "Rayleigh explained that Kuma used to be part of the Revolutionary Army, and that he offered to help however he could to keep you guys alive"
"So, Kuma was a friend of Luffy's Dad?" Chopper asked
"Makes sense, Iva seemed pretty confused at Marineford when Kuma attacked us, or that he was a robot, so they were friends before Iva went to Impel Down, and all the Warlord and cyborg stuff happened while he was in there" Kaos agrees "Shame we can't ask why he did all this, but I suppose we'll just have to get the answers from Dr. Vegapunk if we manage to cross paths with him on the journey" he chuckles
"We can beat the answers out of him!" Luffy declares, hefting a large warhammer….. Oh dear
"Luffy, put that down and relax" Vivi pleads
"Give me back Brunhilde you rubber idiot!" Alvida screams, chasing the now cackling Luffy across the deck of the ship "I'm gonna wring your fucking neck"
Later
"Hey guys, it's getting kind of dark out there" Kaya frets "Will we even be able to find our way to Fishman Island in this gloom?"
"Makes sense, we're about 1000m down, give or take, and continuing to descend. So of course we were going to lose natural light before long" Franky explains as Sanji goes to make some snacks for everyone as this was going to be a fairly long trek
"It's quiet, not just the sea, but the Sunny itself. It feels so strange like this" Robin notes, Medusa gurgles tiredly as she cuddles her mommy
"I think Sunny wants to give us some space, or at least some peace while we descend, so even she's leaving us alone" Artemis guessed, working on a new painting of the crew, this time based on their current outfits and change in body types.
"GUYS LOOK! WHALES!" Chopper shouts as a pod drifts past the Sunny
"Aw, they're just like Laboon, I really miss the little guy" Brook sighs sadly
"Um, problem, or at least potential one" Usopp calls from the rear of the ship "There's a ship-looking thing on our tail. What are the chances it's an enemy?"
"The same as our chances of Luffy picking a fight with them" Vivi deadpans
"100% good to know…..crap" Usopp groans
BANG
"Oh that's just stupid! Why would you ram a ship in this scenario, your bubble could pop just as easily as the enemy's?" Victor groans as Caribou's ship slams into the side of the Sunny
"They're not trying to pop the bubble, they're just trying to get close enough to board the Sunny" Nami grimaces "Which, should be considered worse…. Except…"
"Except we've got like 5 monsters on the crew, ready and willing to kick ass to protect the ship and its passengers," Alvida says with a wide grin, Brunhilde already off her back and ready to fight
"Let's try avoid outright combat when a single mistake could kill us all, at least until we have no other options ok?" Franky asks with a grimace "Hard port, we're getting away from these freaks!"
"Ay Ay, Franky!" Val shouts as she tilts as hard as the Sunny could in its current circumstances, but Caribou and his ship remain on their flank, mostly due to the vessel being pulled by a massive sea-cow. A, rather, familiar one at that.
"Oh crap" Nami mutters, before scrambling to the side of the ship "Momoo, calm down big guy, it's me Nami!" she calls out to the feral-looking sea beast, who turns to look down at her…. And pauses, a hint of recognition in its eyes as it slows down
"Hey Luffy, that thing look familiar to you?" Sanji asks as he and the others prepare to be boarded, just in case
"Can't say I have. I'd have asked you to cook it for us if we did" the rubber boy responds with a shrug, however unlike him, Momoo recognized and remembered both of them.
"Let's pay our new friends a visit shall we?" Caribou cackles as he passes through the bubbles the next time the ships knock "There's no time to waste, follow my lead men! We'll kill these fools where they stand!" he commands. There was just one problem with that
"The ships' getting away"
"And we left Captain Caribou on the other one"
"Brother no!"
Momoo figured out just who Caribou was fucking with, and decided it would rather live than face those monsters again, so got the hell out of dodge at it's top speed, leaving the slimy-looking bastard alone, on an enemy ship.
"Time to make this quick. Fire the Gatling guns men, I want them all riddled with bullets, send these Straw Hats to Hell where they belong!" Caribou commands, unaware he was all alone, at least for the moment, then immediately has a massive breakdown when he realises he's been left alone and without backup
"So, who wants the honors?" Zoro asks, though he didn't need to as Caribou was picked up rather easily by Franky, despite the man's flailing
"No! Please don't throw me overboard, you seem like a reasonable gentleman, and quite good-looking too. Surely a man like yourself understands the value of human life. Plus, the Gods are always watching you will be judged for thi-" he babbles before being slammed head first into the deck by the angry cyborg
"Would you shut up already? Plus weren't you just about to kill all of us with Gatling guns a minute ago?" Franky grunts
"What? No, of course not, I was just kidding around" Caribou flails and blusters
"Not laughing" Sanji scowls
"I would have, but only because it would give me an excuse to sacrifice you, Kyahaha!" Valentina grins maliciously, a red tinge growing in both eyes
"Can we decide something soon, before he pulls out whatever logia bullshit he has cooking?" Kaos asks with a sigh, eyes locked onto the enemy Captain "Only good thing is that band of idiots won't get very far down here without their captain"
"What! I'm not the Captain, I, um, I was a slave! Thank goodness I was able to escape those monsters, yes indeed" Caribou bluffs
"I don't know, unless he's the navigator the crew should be fine without him" Robin interjects
"He does know that none of us are buying what he's selling right?" Usopp stage whispers to Victor who nods
"Not a hope in Hell" the bomber man agrees "So, what do we do with him?"
SLAM!
"That….. Is an option" Kaya deadpans as Kaos simply knocks Caribou out by grabbing his head in his hand, and his haki and Devil fruit working as close to in tandem as he could get them, slammed the logia headfirst into the deck of the Sunny as hard as he could without damaging the ship itself.
"Did anyone have a better idea?" the researcher asks
"Not really, we're basically stuck with the creep until we reach Fishman island" Sanji agrees
"I'll get some rope, at least he'll be secure until we get to the island" Franky offers, then heads inside
"Grab a sweater or something, it's about to get a lot colder out here!" Nami shouts, then starts shooing the other crewmates into the Sunny to at least get an extra layer if they're going to hang around out here for the entire trip.
"Since we're not needed for the moment, maybe now would be the best time to update everyone's medical files" Chopper suggests "No need to talk about it out here, but one at a time is all"
"Here, I was asked to give you this, as it was relevant by Stephaine to present it to you" Sanji sighs as he pulls a file from his suit pocket "Sorry there's no up-to-date physical, probably should have done that before heading to Sabaody, but it was only something I realised on the boat ride here"
"That's fine, oh you did get some therapy, that's nice, I was worried you'd be stuck with my meagre attempts" Chopper chuckles lowly, before taking the file to his office
"I figured, Perv's done very little commenting or leering at the girls, though I wonder if it's that he's avoided commenting, or his aversion meant he didn't notice Robin's expansion" Zoro chuckles, getting a faceful of angry blond cook
"You dumbass! Of course, I noticed, Robin had a fucking baby, her boobs were bound to blow up, didn't expect them to go up like 5 cup sizes, but some growth was guaranteed"
"Well, at least Sanji hadn't changed too much" Vivi chuckles "Nor Zoro for that matter, besides the eye of course"
"Oh shit!" Valentina claps "I forgot something I was meant to give you guys. First, killing 2 birds with one stone, an observation-based dojutsu scroll for Ussop" she grins as she passed it to the sniper who looked confused
"Thanks, I think. And how is this a 2 for 1?" he asks, the confusion on his face just as clear in his voice
"Because Hiashi is a dick, who says there's no way for someone to learn to activate and use the Byakugan without a mentor who is also a user. So, I decided that if anyone needed a power-up that could increase visual range and accuracy it would be you, and if you actually manage to get it right, I can rub it in the bastard's smug face!" Valentina explains
"Thanks, I think. Wait, aren't you going to try learn this too?" Ussop asks, more curious this time
"Nah, it's a one or the other with those techniques, I already learned the other one as a kid. Never actually met someone able to use both, not even Madara and he's basically the gold standard for my Observation based, magic eye powers" Valentina answers with a chuckle, as she shows off the Red eyes, before they fade back into bright green "As for Nami… 2 years of convergent research on Weather Release and all its variations. No living person has your elemental configuration, so all I've got is scrolls rather than actual advice. Also another thing for Ussop, Nami needs a new stick as Weather Release seems to mostly be one-hand seals"
"Why do I need a new weapon if I only need to make one sign?" Nami asks as she accepts the scrolls
"Not one hand seal, one-handed seals. Standard magic is done with both hands, only some people can channel the same energy with only one hand, and it seems that's what most Weather techniques are, partially because all depictions I could find of them, have a baton or Windwaker in what I presume to be their dominant hand, essentially as some kind of focusing device" Valentina explains, even performing a few signs unconsciously, the actions that deeply ingrained into her muscle memory
"KAOS!" Chopper's scream echoes through the ship, before the angry reindeer slams open the door and tottles over to the confused researcher
"I don't know what you're screaming about, so don't get mad at me, until after I know what the problem is, please" Kaos says with raised hands
"Well if it wasn't you, what idiot pinned your medical records to my desk, with a dagger?" the reindeer growls
"Azulong" he answers automatically "She was the one who was meant to drop them off to you, didn't expect that to be how she did it though. Did you read any of it yet?"
Chopper sighs "A little, some of these things I've never even heard of. Also, what even is Lao Mang Lone Soup?"
"It's more of a tea, at least after straining the dragon scales out of it" Kaos mutters "It's a smoky-looking medical potion that deals with psychological damage, such as an eldritch entity living in my brain, or the literal fracturing of my psyche after over a decade of tension from a personality and power dampening seal finally being unlocked. Plus one of my Devil fruits awakened while we were out training and it's not playing nice with the other one, so the tea is hopefully a temporary measure until it also awakens and the 2 hopefully resonate and stabilize"
"How bad is it?" Nami asks as gently as she could
"Imagine 7 Luffy's in your head, one of which ate all of Aokiji's stash, one is basically a Celestial Dragon, if those dumbasses could fight, another is …. something that even I barely understand, and then you'll understand why Girl, and sober Kizaru are the least difficult parts of my mind to process and deal with"
"One of your personalities is named…. Girl?" Vivi asks, unsure if she's amused or offended
"No, Saria, it's just she's basically the collection of aspects that tie into my lineage, I am a Kuja by blood after all, and so it makes at least a little sense it all would collect into a singular entity given my current mental state" Kaos guesses "I should probably talk to someone with actual psychological knowledge about this, even just about how things are quieter and more peaceful when she takes the reins, possibly due to her being the only female personality, so is more capable of tuning out the others" he wonders
"Next time you talk to Iva, ask for Stephaine, she was very helpful for me" Sanji suggests 'Especially given it sounds like, even if it's not as much as myself, you do seem more comfortable in a female form than most people would' he thinks
"Thanks Eros, I didn't think you cared that much" Kaos teases, though the smile was genuine
"Fuck you Psycho I was just getting Stephaine some new clients" the cook scoffs, turning on his heels in moments
About an hour later
"So, we're waiting for Sunny to drift into the Deep Sea currents, which should get us to Fishman Island, right?" Kaya asks
"In a nutshell, yes. That current is the simplest and most straightforward way to reach our destination, with the least chance of incidents or damage to the ship" Nami agrees
"Hey Nami, does one of those currents look like an undersea waterfall?" Artemis calls from the Crow's nest
"Actually, yes. It's referred to as the Downward Plume in the reference notes" Nami calls up
"Neat….. It's right in front of us then" Artemis declares, getting the attention of the rest of the crew who filter toward the front of the ship to see the current
"Pretty!" Medusa Jr declares with an adorable giggle
"I agree with the kid, it's quite the lovely sight" Sanji smiles, though keeps his distance with the cigarette, as he'd rather not see what Robin or Kaos' reaction to him smoking near the kid would be, best case scenario the cigarette gets shoved down his throat.
"It's like the sea is falling into the sea, which makes no sense, but that's ok because it's awesome!" Luffy cheers with starry eyes, Chopper and Ussop joining in
"Very little in the Grand Line makes sense, just add this to the list then" Kaos chuckles "At least it looks just as impressive as it does strange"
GRRRRRRRRRR!
"Anyone else hear that? Because it really doesn't sound friendly" Victor asks in concern, which actually snapped Ussop out of his starry-eyed haze to begin panicking
"We're all gonna be eaten by SeaMonsters hidden in the black abyss of the Ocean!" he screams, before getting head slapped by Alvida and Nami, the two, in turn, getting slapped by an angry Kaya
"I really want to say he's overreacting….. But something is clearly moving in those depths" Kaos says with a grimace
"Are we about to be eaten by a Sea King sweetie?" Robin asks, nudging his hip with her elbow
"Hopefully not, be a shitty way to end our adventure" Kaos shrugs, then hisses lowly when Ussop was proven right, as large tentacles rise out of the depths, a massive octopus/squid creature revealing itself to the pirates
"Kraken!" Chopper and Carue scream, both animals running around the deck of the ship in a panic
"Hey, guys. I have an idea" Luffy announces, and the entire crew, almost as a singular entity have one collectively dreadful thought
'FUCK'
"We should capture it! Then we can train it so it will pull the ship for us. Foolproof Plan :D!" Luffy cheers with a wide, D grin on his face
"Have you lost your rubber-idled mind Luffy? This thing is a centuries-old monster squid that can eat pirate ships for breakfast!" Ussop screams at the captain
"We're heading due south, it's the safest option" Nami relays to Valentina
"Hey Nami, let's go straight towards it" Luffy suggests but is ignored
"We have company, I think it's those guys from earlier" Vivi cries from the rear of the ship, having been there to get the image of the Kraken out of her head
"BROTHER!" Yeah, it's those guys, and Momoo, or at least it was for a moment…
CRUNCH
… before the Kraken ensnared the ship in its arms and snapped it in half with what looked to have been minimal effort.
"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE DOWN HERE!" Ussop shrieks seeing the monster destroy a pirate ship bigger than the Sunny with such ease, and then turn its attention on them
"Kaos, I'm gonna need a sword" the researcher's eyebrows rise "Yeah, yeah I'll fire up the forge later, now put being packrat to good use and hand me a weapon!" Valentina orders, getting a sigh before he hands her a claymore. The blond grins then rears back, the edge of the blade tinged with violet light, and a low humming was heard
"Ah man, I wanted to fight the thing" Luffy whines
"Vibroblade: Sky Piercer!" Valentina cries as she performs an overhead swing…
CLANG
"Stop that right now!" Vivi cries
…only for it to stop dead when it collides with Hebi, the Sharingan user noticing Kaos' haki flowing over the blade like spiderwebs rather than a full coating like most people, before everything else clicked into place "What's the big idea? It was going to be one attack, they said that was safe!"
"One attack, using a massive sword vibrating at the speed of sound" Vivi summarises with a grimace
"Yeah, that totally wouldn't have popped the coating like a cheap balloon" Kaos adds sarcastically
"And you have a better idea? Because we're kind of on a time limit here!"
A few minutes later
"I don't like this plan" Vivi states flatly
"Relax, there's secured to the safety lines" Nami assures her "And the bubbles are made specifically for these purposes, to go outside the main bubble in case of emergencies, which a rampaging Kraken definitely is"
"Less talking more fighting" Luffy declares, getting nods from Zoro and Sanji "Ready? 3-2-1-Go!"
"Um, guys" Kaya pipes in, pointing down to the 3 ropes on the ground"
"Those fuckers untied the safety lines!" Alvida shouts
Victor hums "Makes sense I suppose, hard to fight with a tether restricting your movements like that one would have" he argues, just as one of the Kraken's many arms flail towards the Sunny
"Oh no you don't. Franky Rocket Launcher!" the cyborg declares as his shoulder baubles opened up and unleashed a barrage of missiles on the octopus' tentacle
"That's ok, but my attack would have popped the bubble huh?" Valentina says with a side glare, Vivi blushes while Kaos shrugs
"If you cut off a tentacle I'll be impressed" he adds with a smirk, getting an eye-roll but the blond was at least considering it
"If you're going to do so, please do it right now!" Brook screams as another tentacle swings for the ship
"Sonic Release: Vibroblade - Sky Slicer!" Valentina cries, throwing the Sonic-style saturated claymore out of the bubble, where it spun through the water like a buzzsaw until it cleaved through the Kraken's tentacle
"That was awesome!" Chopper cheers
"And the bubble didn't pop" Artemis adds, helping Medusa Jr make a Yay! Pose
"That technique is Super hardcore, what even is it?" Franky asks during a lull in the combat
"Sonic style, combining Wind and Lighting to make something just as sharp as the former and fast as the latter.
"Should probably deal with this thing before Val and the others cut more pieces off. So time to bring out the big guns" Luffy mutters to himself before biting down on his left thumb at the same time as he shoots out his right fist from the bubble "Gear 3rd! Armament!" he bellows, his right arm inflating to massive size, before with a flicker and pulse of energy the entire limb turns jet black
"Holy crap"
"That's amazing!"
"SUPER work there Luffy"
"Finally got it to work for you then, good to know" Kaos chuckles as he gives their captain a slow clap 'But can you counter the sea, either the effect on your body or just the difference movement within water is?'
"I don't think that thing's gonna wait for Luffy to get into position, seems the idiot needs a distraction" Sanji mutters to himself, before leaving his bubble with a cry of "Blue Walk"
"He figured out Gepo" Nami gasps "Or is it Soru?"
"And he's using it well too, not quite a Shunshin, but close" Val notes "Maybe we can give him some pointers boys?"
"Sonido uses magic as an augmentation factor, but maybe he can use haki instead" Kaos hums
"Hirenkyaku is a very agile style, the sharp turns it can perform would probably help Sanji incorporate it into his fighting to increase his kicks rather than just as a movement and agility boost" Victor agrees
"Diable Jambe!" Sanji shouts as he spins, igniting his right leg despite being underwater "Bien Cuit: Grill Shot" he announces just before impacting one of the tentacles with his blazing foot, the attack leaving a grill like cross burn on the tentacle he kicked, as well as inflicting a significant amount of pain upon the animal 'Shit, need air, need to get back to the bubble' he thinks as he uses repeated bursts of Blue Walk to get back to his air pocket, just before the Kraken lashes out in anger…. Not that it was going to hit him
"Santoryu: Crossing the Six Paths," Zoro says softly, as he completely tears through the offending tentacle like it was nothing "Hm, I thought this thing was supposed to be strong" he scoffs
"He's gotten even better with those swords, as expected. He probably spent the entire 2 years fighting" Robin chuckles
"When not fucking ghost girl, most likely" Alvida grins
"He's definitely got a High Wind affinity, those slashes are too clean underwater to be anything else" Valentina notes
"Did you two not listen to a word I said? I want to keep it as a pet, so stop cutting my fish" Luffy shouts from on high, before launching his own attack "Gum Gum Elephant Gun!" he cries as the oversized fist slams down squarely between the octopus' eyes
"He blew it away with one attack" Ussop whimpers 'Just how strong did everyone get?'
"Um guys, do you see that there, near the Kraken's breathing tube?" Chopper asks, pointing way down below
"Is that, a shark?" Carue asks, frowning as much as her beak would allow
"Explains the temper, if there's a shark in it's pipes anyone would be irritable and trigger-happy" Alvida hums, then turns on her heel and mutters incomprehensibly while swatting at the air like there was a fly
"You gonna deal with that?" Franky asks
"No, she'll talk when she's ready" Vivi admits, her diplomacy training knowing timing was everything, as well as when to push and when to wait
"Hey, that shark is wearing a shirt, or the sharky equivalent. Think it means something?" Kaya asks, thinking the outfit makes the fish look oddly cute
"Probably that it has an owner, somewhere in the deep" Victor suggests
"Oh, or maybe he's like a sharky Laboon" Brook hums, then frowns "I hope not, then he'd also be all alone in these murky depths"
"The shirt says Crimin on it, so it's not just got an owner, but a fairly well-off one if they can outfit their pets in Pappagu's gear" Ussop notices, before the shark seems to 'wave' at the Straw hats and swim away, meanwhile the currents swept away the unresponsive Kraken, pulling it further into the depths. A current which also was rapidly taking hold of the 3 free-floating pirates
"THIS IS WHY I TIED THEM TO THE SHIP!" Nami screams as even the Sunny began to be pulled down
"Try to rescue now, yell I TOLD YOU SO in their ears later" Kaos groans "Val, hold the Sunny steady!"
"I'm giving her all she's got Acting-Captain" the blond groans, Franky assisting as well "But these currents, even with Sunny's help it's fighting us with every knot"
"Just don't hit anything, that's the best we can do for now" he says with a sigh
"Stay in the centre of the current, we're moving too fast to avoid any surprise outcropping down here" Nami orders, getting nods from ninja and cyborg as they fight to keep the Sunny steady
A little later
"So, status report!" Nami orders
"Ship is fine, the coating seems to be stable, and we managed to avoid hitting anything despite how crazy everything got" Valentina states with a smile
"But we lost Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro in the gloom. Hopefully, they didn't get eaten by the creatures down here, and were simply swept further down the path via the current" Robin continues
"Best case scenario, but also the least likely" Nami admits with a deep sigh
"We're about 7000m down by my best guess, meaning we're well past the half-way point of this journey" Franky adds
"What are the chances the others are already at Fishman Island?" Chopper asks, a mix of curiosity and hope in his tone
"0, given it's at least another 3000m from our current location. The three might still be alive and kicking, but they're still as lost in the depths as the rest of us" Kaos admits, feeling bad when the reindeer starts crying
"No need to panic just yet, we can keep searching for them while we descend, I even have some floodlights to help us" Franky assures the Doc, who perks up at more robot stuff
"Really?"
"Do the lights come from your eyes?" Ussop asks eager to see
"Just wait and see. Franky: Nipple Lights!" he declares as what happens is in the name
"Talk about some high beams" Alvida laughs, as Franky moves to the side of the ship, where the nipple lights would actually be helpful
20 minutes later
"So, what have we learned today?" Kaos asks as the Sunny sinks through the murk
"Jellyfish are scary, even if they look pretty" Chopper answers with a shiver
"There's always a bigger fish, but sometimes that bigger fish also ends up dead" Ussop adds
"The emergency exit will eventually kill us if we use too much air?" Artemis offers with a shrug
"Everything down here looks scary, and vicious" Brook tacks on the end
"Those, all seem correct, so at least we learned a few things, even if we still haven't seen a hint of the 3 idiots" Kaos sighs
"Hey guys, anyone seen the weirdo who boarded us, before all this stuff happened?" Kaya asks "Because he's kind of not on deck anymore"
"Kaos, use that magical bullshit to find him!" Alvida orders, getting lightly punched in the ribs by Nami
"He's on the ship, plus even if he didn't have a Devil Fruit going out there is both stupid and dangerous" Kaos replies, before continuing to gaze out into the depths
"You ok Pops?" Artemis asks as she sits down beside him "Happy or sad you didn't get picked to go diving?"
"I wouldn't have gone anyway, even if Luffy had picked me" Kaos states, placing his hand on the bubble and grimacing "The others can ignore it, but the bubble's not enough, not for me to dismiss the feeling. There's no point going out there for me, even if, it is hauntingly beautiful"
"2 devils fruits were always going to bite you in the ass one day" Robin coos as she slips in to rests her head against his abs "Didn't expect Deep Sea Diving to be the 1st time we noticed it, fufufufu" she giggles
"What would I give, if I could live under the water, what would I pay, to spend a day exploring the reefs?" Kaos hums, then laughs heartily "Doesn't matter in the end, I can't change what I am any more than you sweetie"
"FOUND HIM EVERYONE, NO NEED TO PANIC!" Franky bellows before whipping out his tools to seal up the barrel Caribou was hiding in
"Huh, that was easy" Val muses as she delicately adjusts the Sunny's course, keeping them away from the seafloor and sharp outcroppings
"A logia held by an idiot is less than useful in these seas" Victor jokes "But I suppose it's why you, Kaos and Robin seem to be so relaxed, he's not a threat, so who cares if he's slinking around the ship?"
"The lovebirds are always relaxed, but yeah, he's no big deal, we've all faced worse" Val agrees before removing her jacket "Hey Nami, I thought you guys said it would get colder the deeper we go, cause of the no sunlight and all that?" she calls out to those on deck
"It should, give me a minute" Nami calls back, running to the front of the ship "Shit. Hydrothermal vents" she hisses
"Sorry to ask, but how dangerous is that?" Kaya asks, as she joins everyone else in removing their winter wear
"And does it explain that underwater smoke?" Ussop adds
"It means we're in a volcanic zone, and one wrong move or even just bad timing mean's the ship is cooked" Nami shouts back
"I got this, nice and safe, away from the undersea volcanoes" Valentina mutters as she focuses purely on the Sunny
"Carnivorous Tube Worms!" Ussop screams as long whip-like creatures appear from around the vents
"We can't risk Sunny getting caught by those things. Sorry, I'll try to just use a small one. Coup De Burst!"
"Eyeless Crabs!" Brook shouts as more beasties come into view
"Coup De Burst!"
"I don't know what's going to kill us first, the volcanos, the sea monsters, or lack of air" Vivi winces as the crew watch the bubble slowly get smaller, and smaller
"The sea is scary, and there's no way the others could survive that in just a bubble, we barely managed to in the Sunny" Chopper balls, until Artemis cracks him in the head with her easel
"Don't underestimate Uncle Luffy, Sanji, or Zoro, they're some of the toughest guys on the ship, plus a smaller vessel is usually more maneuverable than a large one, so they might actually be having an easier time of this than we are" the artist suggests
"Huh, I never thought of it that way" Chopper hums "Yeah, they'll be fine"
The rest of the crew, less so, as they were almost caught in the blinding trap of a giant Angler fish, only a last-second Coup De Burst kept them out of the fish's jaws, which just lead to another issue
"SEAMONSTER!"
"It, looks human"
"That's impossible"
The massive sea-person rears back its massive fist…. And punches the anglerfish in the head, right in front of its fluorescent bulb
"That's not nice Ankoro, I've told you before, no eating ship!" the giant scolds, shocking the entire crew "Captain Vander Decken will be most displeased with you"
"Is it that guy's pet or something?" Alvida whispers
"Makes more sense than Luffy trying to tame the Kraken, as at least it's normal sized to the Fishman" Franky argues
The moment of peace was interrupted when a decrepit ship drifts out of the gloom, honestly if it wasn't already underwater, they'd be concerned about it sinking or just falling to pieces, here, a Fishman/merfolk crew could probably keep it moving decently
"Well shit, GG was right, the Flying Dutchman is real" Victor mutters
"Can this day get any worse?" Ussop whines as he and Kaya cling together for safety
'Something's very not right here' Kaos thinks, as an unfamiliar Devil fruit pings off the edge of his senses
TBC
LW: So, we lost 3 crewmates and found the Flying Dutchman, which means Vander is on the horizon of the next chapter. That should be….. Fun, right?
Guess you'll have to wait and see in 2 weeks.