LW: 1st chapter of 2024… and we finally finish Fishman Island! Yeah!
Rubber King and Mirror Master - New World Chaos: Gateway Open! Ascension to a New World!
Somewhere on Fishman Island
"That bastard mirror Demon, I'd be rich if he hadn't shown up…. But I'd also be dead if I hadn't folded like a napkin, so there's that" Caribou grumbles as he comes to "Wasn't a complete loss, sure I couldn't steal the mermaid who can control Seakings, but I still managed to empty the entire vault up in the palace before I got caught" the swamp man chuckles, then pauses as he reaches into his swamp…. And found nothing "WHAT? How could someone have pilfered all my stolen treasure!? I'll find all that gold and have my revenge, REVENGE!" he bellows into the sky.
Throne Room
"It's been so long since we could speak face to face Jinbe, so tell me how the Sun Pirates are doing, it shocked me greatly to hear you allied yourself with BigMom. We did so out of necessity, while you did it completely by choice" Neptune enquires.
"They're doing fine, better and stronger than ever before, makes me wonder if I'm too old for the pirate game sometimes" Jinbe chuckles "As for Bigmom, she's ruthless if pressed, but we're mostly given free rein unless asked, or ordered directly to do something. It's a good setup, for the moment at least" the whaleshark continues.
"Interesting. Though, I must say I'm surprised you take orders so easily, even if she's one of the Yonko, you never seemed to follow anyone's command besides Fisher Tiger…. Apologies"
"It's fine, I've got no problem working under someone else, my pride is not that easily fractured. Besides, that's just the way things work in the New World, if a Captain wishes to get anywhere and ensure his crew's survival, allying with one of the 4 Emporers is the best thing they can do"
"Is that all?" Neptune asks, eyes piercing Jinbe's platitudes "It seems like you're doing this for the good of Fishman island as much if not more so than the rest of your crew"
"And why shouldn't I, we may be criminals, but Fishman Island is our homeland, we all want it to prosper and survive to the new age" Jinbe responds seriously, but with a more amused smile on his face.
"Very true, we all do what we must, to ensure our home and our legacy continues. Actually, there is something I wish to discuss with you, just some ideas I want a soundboard for, if that's ok?"
"I would be honored, may I ask what this is about?" Jinbe asks
"My daughter, and the next steps in her path now Vander is not only dealt with but dead…"
A little while later
"YOUR MAJESTY!" The Seahorse minister bellows as he rushes into the Throne room.
"Whatever is the matter Minister of the Right?" Neptune asks curiously, it wasn't like either of his advisors to get this worked up over…. Anything really.
"I remembered something from long ago, with all due respect we made a terrible mistake letting the Straw Hat pirates have the entirety of the Treasure Vault. I'm not certain if they found it yet, but if they do, could you please ask them to return the Tomate box to us?"
"How dare you! I could never ask them to return a gift I gave them for rescuing my kingdom, it would be a wound on my honor as a King and a man" Neptune scowls.
"I'm aware of that sire, but the issue is…."
"IF THEY OPEN IT IT'LL EXPLODE! Why would you do such a thing?" Neptune bellows, enraged by his advisor's actions.
"A thousand apologies sire, but you see, this was right after the previous theft of the contents, which we now know to have been Hody Jones, and I wanted to ensure any future thieves learned their lesson the hard way when it came to trying to steal from the Royal Family. So we planted a bomb and rigged it to explode if anyone was to open the lid. It seemed like a good idea at the time" The Seahorse Minister pleads frantically "But I was wrong, and since I was in charge of the Box and the rest of the treasure…"
"I understand" Neptune sighs wearily "If Luffy and the others return with the treasure, please explain all of this to them, before requesting its return, don't just go over to them and demand it, that will get us nowhere" the King orders lightly.
"Your Highness, minister, an update. Luffy and his crewmates have just returned from the main island" One of the guards announces as he swims into the throne room.
"Speak of the Devil, there they are now. I guess i was getting worried over nothing" The Seahorse mutters, breathing a sigh of relief.
Transition
"WHAT!"
"YOU GAVE THE TREASURE"
"TO BIG MOM!"
"LUFFY!" Nami squeals
"I had to, she was going to wreck the whole island otherwise, just because they couldn't make her any sweets. What's her problem, I mean if it were me, I'd understand, but don't worry, I've handled everything nice and easy" Luffy explains "Because I picked up that snail and gave her a piece of my mind"
"SERIOUSLY!" screamed several of his own crew, while Kaos and Vivi facepalm at Luffy's blunt idiocy, and Robin giggles because Luffy always makes things interesting.
"Nobody talks back to BigMom!" Jinbe shouts in panic.
"Luffy's so brave isn't he?" Shirahoshi laughs, believing the rubber boy had everything covered just like he said he did.
"Oh Luffy, what have you done?" Jinbe groans, head in his hands "I better sever my bond with Big Mom before this gets any worse than it already is" the Whaleshark grumbles then turns to the rest of the crew "I know this is hard for your captain to understand, so please try to stop him from agitating her any more than he already has"
"Like anyone besides Luffy wants to piss off one of the Emporers" Ussop whines, getting fearful nods from Kaya and Chopper.
"Not like we had much of a choice" Sanji grumbles as he takes another drag
"Exactly, and it's not like we can change what's already happened" Zoro nods, agreeing with the cook for once in a blue moon.
"I guess you HAD to give away the treasure" Nami sighed deeply, before walking towards the trio "I can't get mad at you for such pure intentions" she continued, 2 out of 3 of them sensing the danger in the air…. Neither of which was Luffy.
"Exactly, I couldn't just let her hurt all these innocent…."
ZAP
"You forgot Luffy is immune to Lightning didn't you?" Kaos cackles, as while Sanji and Zoro were electrocuted, Luffy got pummeled a moment later by an 'Anger makes me STRONG!' Nami, who was still screaming at them about giving away ALL of the treasure to the Lion and the Frenchman.
"And, we're heading to the New World!" Luffy groans as he stands uneasily to his feet, increasing everyone's concern for their near future.
"Maybe there is 1 last thing Straw Hats, it won't take long I assure you" Neptune promises before ushering the pirates and his children into the throne room, as well as gesturing to his ministers to get 'that thing' from storage.
Throne Room
"Now, first of all, I want to formally thank you for everything you've done for my kingdom and people, also as Miss Vivi pointed out, whether you like it or not you are and will forever be seen as Heroes of Fishman Island for stopping Hody's revolution and stopping the Noah from destroying the island" Neptune states directly, he like the rest of the room's occupants ignoring Luffy's whining about 'not being a hero' with barely an eye roll "There is also the fact you not only saved my daughter but dealt with Vander Decken, a man who has caused her and my entire family nothing but grief for over a decade. Serpens…" being addressed directly, Kaos stands straighter and meets the merman's gaze directly "I am glad to see that the man before me is more akin to the things I was told by your father, than the papers, a good man with a strong heart. It is this, and the fact that with our island now under Big Mom's protection we no longer have a formal connection, I wish to offer you, my daughter's hand in marriage"
"Well shit, it's Alabasta all over again" Usopp mutters, getting a nod from Nami while Sanji unconsciously emits blue smoke holding back tears
Shirahoshi bites her lip to hold in a delighted squee, as Kaos sinks to his knees and bows his head, surprising the rest of the crew.
"I'm honored and grateful for the offer Your Highness, but are you sure this is the right decision? Marrying your only daughter off to a pirate of all people" Kaos asks, his position and stance meaning he didn't see Shirahoshi freeze up and her eyes glisten with unshed tears.
"I do. I've done a lot of things in the name of protecting Shirahoshi, most of which due to Vander's abilities restricted what she could do, and caused the shine in her eyes to dim. But out of all things, it was a pirate who seemed to bring it back, my babygirl thinks she's sneaky but I know what she's been doing, and how fixated on you Straw Hats she's been since the War. Offering her hand to you, works on many levels, I can show just how strong my gratitude for your actions are, let my daughter spread her wings, and give her an in with the boy she likes who I actually approved of, Jamon!" Neptune chuckles, Kaos blushing deeply while Shirahoshi releases a noise similar to a dying octopus "That girl has Calypso's relic, she's got the fighter's spirit. But she will not reach her full potential here, especially with how little I've done to prepare her for this path. You though, your little family here, have the will and power to do almost anything, and I believe that drive is just what Shirahoshi needs. Please, will you make my little girl the happiest she's ever been, and say yes?"
"My only complaint was about her being tied down to a pirate, she's a lovely girl and I wouldn't have even paused if I were anything else" Kaos admits "Plus… I think you're doing better than Kobra, who kind of just announced Luffy and Vivi were engaged to the entire country"
"It was a very important announcement" Vivi defends "Plus, the entire crew has Hero status on Alabasta, AND it was before the whole Enies Lobby incident occurred, you guys hadn't really DONE anything, no offense"
"The point being, nobody needs to know, who isn't already here, your family and advisors, my family, also known as the crew, and Shirahoshi. I accept the proposal, though there is still a logisitca…." Kaos' argument was interrupted as he was lifted into the air and attacked by the lips of a giantess, as well as the near ear piercing [Mostly for Chopper and Valentina] squeals of "THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!"
"Oh thank you Jamon, and I can see your bride is most excited. As for Shirahoshi's obvious size issues, I had something made a long time ago, but like most things, Vander Decken made it a bad idea to unveil before now" Neptune says as his Ministers place a large box down in front of him "Now, what do you kids know about Dr. Vegapunk
"He's the most SUPER scientist in the world!" Franky cheers.
"I think Grampa mentioned him once back in Water 7" Luffy mutters, trying to force his brain to work on retrieving the memory.
"The world's expert on Devil fruits, and a man I'd like to either work with, or surpass" Kaos admits as he pants heavily, Shirahoshi having stopped kissing him and was now just cuddling him like a teddy bear.
"Good, you're at least aware of him. Now one of his areas of expertise is the transference of Devil Fruits into inanimate objects…"
"Lasoo!"
"Nellie!"
Neptune sweatdrops "I see you're more than familiar with the concept and his work. However, the ability has been mostly limited to Zoan-type Devil fruits, with at least 1 exception" he continues, pointing to the box "Shirahoshi, I have a going away present for you, please try it on"
"Ok" Shirahoshi says nervously, letting Kaos go before opening the box, to find an ornate-looking glove, with a green pearl in the centre of the outside, and metallic vein/circuit designs across the entire item, as well as claw-like tips on each digit. Looking between her father and the glove she puts it on, finding it fits her almost perfectly, and the 'pearl' begins to softly glow.
"Now, this gauntlet was imbued with the power of the Saizu Saizu no Mi, meaning if you place your palm on the pearl it will activate, allowing you to alter your own size, and that of others via the pointed tips on each finger" Neptune explains, Shirahoshi stares in wonder, before testing it out, shrinking from her massive 39ft, to a still large, but more manageable 17ft, about the size of Madame Shyarly, as a test run.
"That's awesome! Me next, me next!" Luffy cheers, bouncing up and down giddily.
"Please don't, we already lose him too easily at a normal size we don't need a little Luffy running around" Nami groans, purposefully ignoring the pouts coming from Luffy and Chopper at not letting them and Shirahoshi play with her size manipulation gauntlet/glove.
"I mean, if it's anything like Gear 3rd recovery Luffy, we'd have like 3 or 4 places to hold him" Alvida argues, very obviously referring to hers and Vivi's cleavage and butts, to the princess' embarrassment…. Though she didn't deny the idea her wife presented.
"Hahahaha, you Straw hats are quite the energetic bunch, it almost makes me wish you could stay longer, but alas we all need to be where we're needed, plus you all want to go to the New World, Jamon"
"Oh, that reminds me…. Squeehoshi, join my crew!" Luffy demands, in a rare moment of formality.
"Yes Captain!" Shirahoshi nods, giving a mild salute and a grin, before hugging Kaos and Robin, a task made easier by the smaller form, even if she was still the tallest Straw Hat they had.
"Mama weird" Medusa hums from Artemis' arms, getting a laugh from the sorceress.
"Yeah she is, but so are the rest of our family" the artist notes, wondering if she should join in the group hug or not, deciding not to as it seemed to be a 'Mama and Papa' kind of thing.
Much later
"You know, I didn't expect a literal royal procession would be how we left Fishman Island" Kaos chuckles as the Straw Hats are basically delivered to the Sunny, freshly coated and ready to head into the New World.
"Well we do have 2 princesses on the crew now dumbass, of course, they're going to pull out all the stops" Sanji scoffs, getting an eye-roll from the researcher and a giggle from Luffy and Robin.
"I see Franky!" Luffy shouts "He looks ready to go"
"Oh boy, my first adventure outside of the Ryugu kingdom" Shirahoshi squeals, almost vibrating through her seat between Robin and Nami.
"Calm down, we'll have plenty of adventures on the horizon, once we get to the New World. I can see why Luffy asked you to join, you're just as excitable as he is" Robin teases, getting a splutter and blush from the princess, almost as amusing to her as when Medusa called her "Mama" and she passed out from shock.
Docks
"Here are supplies for your trip, the New World is treacherous, who knows when you'll find a habitable island after surfacing," a Fishman says as he helps heave several barrels of stuff onto the Sunny alongside the other dockworkers, Franky and Victor.
"Now Shirahoshi, remember that you'll always be a princess of the Ryugu kingdom, but it comes a time in every child's life when they must make their own way in the world" Neptune blusters, trying to be strong as his daughter prepares to leave.
"Um, Father, you need to let go of her before she can do that" Fukaboshi points out, as the human-sized Shirahoshi was half buried in their father's beard as he held her close, tears dripping down his long nose.
"Right, of course, my apologies, it was most unbecoming of me" Neptune coughs, setting Shirahoshi down, and lightly petting her head.
"It's ok Father, I understand, the outside world is scary, but I won't be afraid, I have people to help me, I'll be brave and see the surface world!" the princess cheers, trying to psych herself out as well as soothe her father and brothers' worries.
"You better, if anything happens to Shirahoshi we'll make sure you suffer for it" the Minister of the Right scowls, getting an eye-roll from Luffy and a laugh from Kaos and Robin, while Shirahoshi blushes and mutters about him embarrassing her in front of her friends, which actually made the Seahorse Minister chuckle, as that was one of many things the salmon pink mermaid missed out on being locked in her tower her whole life.
"Miss Nami, you're the ship's navigator correct?" the catfish minister asks, getting a nod from the girl before he passes her something to her confusion "This is a New World Pose, something vital if you plan to actually go out into that side of the Grand Line"
"Thanks, but why does this one have 3 needles?" Nami asks as she looks at what is essentially 3 pose on one wristband.
"Look at the one on your wrist currently" the minister directs "Notice anything odd about it?"
"The needle's still moving, but I thought we were here long enough to get the reading" Nami gasps.
"You were, half a day is all you need, but the New World is a lot more complicated compared to the aptly named Paradice half of the Grand Line. Over there it's not just the weather and currents, but the shifting magnetic fields of some islands throwing even Grand Line navigation on its head. Hence why you could become irrevocably lost if you were to leave here with only 1 needle on your pose" he explains.
"I see, but only one of the needles on this one is moving, are you sure they all still work?" Nami asks skeptically, as only the upper needle was rocking back and forth like her singular one.
"That's because the needles are all locking onto different island's magnetic signatures, meaning that even if you lose 1 island's frequency, you do have other options to seek out, with the final decision most likely coming down to your experience and intuition as a navigator. Erratic needle movements often equate to danger, it's not 100% accurate but it's the general rule of thumb"
"Oh, let me see!" Luffy shouts, bouncing over, his head extending to look over Nami's shoulder "Oh, this one's going crazy, that must be where all the fun is, we're going there!" he announces with a wide grin.
"Is that normal?" Shirahoshi asks "Luffy deciding to go where the most danger possible is?"
"Yes, Luffy is a little, extra at times, and amongst things, he doesn't want the journey to the One Piece to be a boring one, so any chance he has to have a little extra adventure and insanity…. He's almost guaranteed to take it" Vivi admits with a deep sigh, her husband was insane, she'd known that since the day they met, but it has been a fun ride, and they've all made it this far.
"WHO'S READY? Straw Hat's send-off time, YEAH!" Franky shouts, drawing all eyes on him "Everyone get on board, we're leaving this island and heading topside, also I hear you're coming with us princess, welcome aboard, also thanks for showing up travel size, I was worried enough about Miss Vivi's hips getting stuck in the doorways, never mind trying to house a mermaid larger than the Sunny herself" the cyborg winks, getting a giggle from Shirahoshi before she's picked up and carried onto the ship squealing, by a cackling Kaos, Robin, Artemis, and Medusa II following just behind, equally amused.
"Let's go Franky, onward and Upward!" Luffy cheers, the stragglers making their way onto the Sunny, with the crowds waving them off joyfully, something they've not experienced since, Skypeia, or possibly Water 7 before Garp interrupted their escape. Luffy takes one last look into the crowd, catching Jinbe's eye, and nods, getting a return gesture from the whaleshark as well as a grin "To the New World!"
"Ok, we best get moving, no time like the present, Franky grins, as Valentina moves to the control wheel to get them away from Fishman Island.
"It's finally happening, I'm going, to see the surface!" Shirahoshi chirps, nestled securely between Robin and Kaos with Medusa on her lap, Robin's suggestion so the toddler could get used to her (and not at all because she finds it funny watching Shirahosi flail about attempting to be a mother).
"So, I remember us sinking like a stone on the way down, how exactly are we going to do up Franky?" Kaya asks.
"Well for one thing, floatation devices, like these hollow banian cubes" Franky explains, throwing out a cord with large wooden blocks, threaded up and down its length, the other end of which was securely attached to the Sunny's mast "We can even adjust the speed of ascension based on how many blocks are outside the bubble. It's not complex, but it's a very effective system" the cyborg chuckles
"Is Luffy ok over there, guy's just sort of staring off into the abyss?" Zoro asked, their captain could be a little spacy, but this seemed, different.
"This is it, the New World… We're about to enter the GREATEST SEA there ever was!" Luffy bellows, grin as wide as his skull.
"Never mind, he's fine" Nami mutters, with an eye-roll and a smirk "But this is going to be quite the journey"
"We're ready for this, we spent 2 years training for this moment" Zoro grins, thumbing Wado's guard.
"The Sunny is ready for anything!" Franky cheers, everyone feeling the Ship's prescience agreeing with his declaration.
"Meanwhile Kaya and I can treat all the injures" Chopper shouts, mostly to assuage his own concerns.
"And I'll be keeping this ever-expanding crew well fed" Sanji hums as he takes a drag of a cigarette.
"This is it, I'm going to be a brave Warrior, and see Elbaf" Usopp mutters, psyching himself up.
"Adventure! Finally, I'm going to see the world!" Shirahoshi laughs, then blushes as she gets pulled into a group hug.
"We're actually doing this, we're getting to the New World and the real challenge of the Grand Line" Alvida cackles as she pulls Vivi and Luffy into a cuddle "We're gonna dominate this sea!"
"Maybe temper than enthusiasm a tiny bit for now" Vivi suggests "It was enough of a mess on the way down, we still have to go up even to reach the New World, there's 10,000m of ocean between us, and them, straight up too"
"Oh, that reminds me" Carue hums, rushing into the Sunny and returning with a box in her beak, depositing it at Vivi, Alvida, and Luffy's feet "Qua, package for you!"
"Oh good, it did manage to arrive on time" Vivi grins, collapsing into sand to escape Alvida's grasp, then picking up and package and handing it to Valentina "I had something commissioned while we were out training, I hope you like it" she says with a smile filled with hope.
Valentina raises an eyebrow but accepts the gift, setting it down on the table and slowly opening it. Her eyes widen and she bites her lip as she pulls a straw yellow, Kasa-style hat with a veil around the back half out and examines it, finding '麦陰' written on the front.
"Is it ok, did I commission it wrong? It's based on the old clan head's headgear when Alabasta was still known as Sunagakure, and the Leader was the Kazekage. It made sense given your heritage, and your allegiances, that you should get something similar, as our official ninja after all" Vivi frets and starts oversharing, wringing her hands and panicking even more when she realized the blond's eyes were watering "Oh no I've offended you haven't I, my apologies…"
"Screw Hokage, guess this makes me the Mugi-Kage now" the blond giggles, even as she wipes away tears and puts on the hat, moving her forehead protector to her neck.
"The, straw shadow?" Nami asks incredulously, while the rest of them are just confused.
Val blinks, then blushes "Right, that's not a general thing. Back home there are technically 2 ranking systems, 3 -nins which are ranks earned more like marines: Genin, Chunin, and Jonin. Those are also technically power levels, or at least based on the power someone of that rank SHOULD be, as a baseline. The 4th and highest rank, is a Power Rank purely and earned more like a Pirate bounty, the Kage. The leader of our island is always a Kage rank nin, no exception"
"So, shouldn't Luffy be the Mugikage then?" Usopp asks, getting a thoughtful look from their captain before shaking his head.
"Technically, but Luffy's not a ninja, he neither has nor desires the training needed to even be a genin. Besides, it seems more fitting now I've said it, that the Straw Hat pirate Captain, has a Straw Shadow as his loyal Kunochi" Val answers with a smirk and a wink.
"I, think I understand, but also don't" Chopper sighs.
"It's a ninja title, so it fits to have the ninja of the crew hold it" Kaos summarises, getting a "ah" from Chopper, Ussop, and Medusa, though she probably didn't understand because toddler, she was just joining in with Chopper, and because Miss Valentina had a cool new hat.
"Speaking of, Shirahoshi, can I have a look at your weapon please, there's something really weird about it I want to check," the blond ninja asks, hands clasped in a pleading gesture.
"Um, ok" Shirahoshi hums, retrieving Abisaruhiru from below deck and setting it down before Valentina, who, as her hands closed around the shaft and clenched, the blades began to glow brightly and violently spark with lightning, sending half the crew running for cover.
"Fuck!" Val hisses as she drops the weapon "I suspected when it started to steam but damn, that's the purest chakra metal I've ever seen, never mind one used for a weapon. Calypso knew what she was messing with" The kilo girl finishes with a wide grin, just shy of maniacal cackling.
"Um, quick question, what's chakra metal?" Kaya asks.
"And can you make me a sword out of it?" Zoro pipes in curiously.
"It's a type of metal that is very efficient at channeling magic, not spells or curses per se, but pure magic itself, such as Steam and Lightning release as seen already. You can make a sword out of it, but I personally, don't have the skills to work with the stuff, so I'd only be able to make you a sword out of regular steel, sorry" Valentina explains.
"It's fine, just wondered if it was possible" Zoro shrugs before heading back down below to find some booze.
"One last thing I want to check. Kaos, I need a decently built greatsword, and the Hebi"
The researcher sighs but pulls a Buster Sword out of his cloak "You do know there's a 99% chance trying to wield Hebi will kill you, right?" he asks, mostly concerned but a little curious.
"That's why I'm not, it's target practice and I needed something known to be basically unbreakable, as well as a normal weapon" she explains, lifting the trident and giving it a whirl.
"Alright then. Usopp, hold this!"
"Why me?" the sniper whines.
"Because if she does what I think she's going to, I'm going to need to brace myself, and therefore can't hold both weapons. So help me over here" Kaos hisses, Usopp sighs, but does as he's asked, holding the sword like he was going to attack with it.
SHING
CLANG
"WHAT THE HELL!" was screamed by Nami, Luffy, Chopper, and Alvida as Valentina's swing cleaves straight through Usopp's greatsword, before being stopped by Kaos and the Hebi, currently in a longsword form with an electric-blue furred hilt.
"Kadachi Daito right? Any reason?" Valentina asks as she passes back Abisaruhiru to Shirahoshi.
"The thing channels lighting when you wield it, I didn't want to risk getting shocked by a more conductive weapon, so decided to match it with an elemental weapon of my own. I'd probably have used the Fury if it had been a real fight, but the Daito was enough for what you asked, that being to block the attack" Kaos replies, letting Hebi reform and slip her back into his cloak.
Later
"So, Vivi was wrong, it's been smooth sailing this whole time….. And now I'm hungry" Luffy hums, laying against the mast as he watches Franky adjust the floaters "You done putting hooks on the line yet Usopp?"
"I'll be done when I say it's done" the sniper grouses "Be patient for a change, if we want to catch a big one the rope needs to be extra strong"
ZAP!
"What was that?" both boys look up in confusion.
"It came from the bathroom, also what are you 2 doing?" Victor asks.
"Nami showering?" Luffy asks
"Seems she built an anti-Sanji tempo" Usopp chuckles, then turns to the bomber "Trying to catch some deep sea fish for dinner, wanna help?"
"Not really, but I'll stick around in case you need a spare set of hands to haul in your catch"
"Are the boys misbehaving again?" Alvida coos as she comes out to investigate.
"No, just about to start fishing" Luffy announces, helped by Usopp revealing his dual grapple fishing hook "Come sit with me, we can see what Usopp can catch before Sanji cooks it up. Oh, I want that one!" Luffy shouts, pointing to a giant blobfish.
"Are you sure, there are plenty more fish in the ocean?" Usopp sighs, as he and Zoro are reminded that Luffy will eat literally anything.
"Nah I want that one. I'll even take it out for you. Second Gear: Gum Gum Slamshot!"
"Huh, so it could get uglier" Victor grimaces.
"Well, captain's orders. Special Attack: Capture Star" Usopp sighs as he launches his grapple hook, tethering the fish to the Sunny and letting it drag behind them… but not for long.
CHOMP
"Hey, that fish stole our dinner!" Alvida shouts.
CHOMP!
"And now that dinner became dinner for a new bigger fish!" Usopp screams "Just our luck"
"Oh, can we eat that one instead?" Luffy asks, already drolling.
"Luffy, that this is bigger than some seakings, it'll just slow the ship" Franky argues before Zoro decides to just deal with the issue at the source.
"1 Sword Style: 360 caliber phoenix" he cries, knocking out the fish and leaving their next course of action up to Sanji, who showed up because of all the noise.
"What did you idiots do this time?" the blond asks, still smoking from his run-in with Nami's thundercloud.
"We caught a fish! Look at it!" Luffy cheers with a wide grin.
"I can see it, never cooked something so big before, should honestly be a fun challenge" the cook muses.
"And the best part, is that inside this fish, is another fish, with another 'nother fish inside that!" Luffy announces giddily, Alvida and Victor nodding to confirm his claims.
"Definitely going to be a feast for the ages" Brook laughs.
"I'm still more worried about the ship, there's no way we can carry that much bulk" Usopp frets.
"Then have Squeehoshi shrink it with her magic glove" Luffy suggests with a shrug.
"I don't think it works that way… but it probably can't hurt to ask" Sanji admits, as what do they have to lose?
"My, what an impressive haul" Robin giggles as she, Kaos, and Shirahoshi come out to see what the boys had done now "Must have been quite some bait to catch it"
"We used a blobby fish, which caught us a bigger fish, and that fish caught us this fish!" Luffy explains.
"Very nic…. Oh no" Robin gasps as she looks up, the others follow suit and see a swirling water vortex within sight just above them.
"Oh, is that a sea snake, can we eat it too?" Luffy asks.
"It's not a snake, it's the Whitestrum whirlpool, a mysterious and potentially deadly deep sea phenomenon. We're going to need a lot of luck, and Nami if we want to survive this one"
"Getting Nami, got it!" Shirahoshi nods, making her way back through the inner workings of the Sunny.
Nami's first command should have been obvious, but with this crew, it bears repeating 'Get away from the whirlpool' Unfortunately, their current haul of Russian Doll Fish kebab meant that was basically impossible, and once the tail of the fish entered the Whitestrum, it was only a matter of time for the Sunny to follow suit.
"If we die I'm killing all of you!" Nami screams as the ship is consumed
"This is going to be a very messy ride. Hold onto your, or your partner's butts!" Valentina's shouts, the ninja cackling as she does, maybe because her position, holding the steering wheel steady protected her from any potential mishaps while they were in the whirlpool.
"This is awesome!" Luffy cries as he clings to Sunny's figurehead.
"We're SUPER screwed, even the Sunny can't handle a whirlpool of this magnitude!" Franky shouts as he grips the mast tightly
"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" Usopp screams as the ship bounced through the vortex.
"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Medusa II giggles, secured in her father's arms, inside the Sunny.
All was a crazy adventure with no control until they somehow collided with, something, ensign the ride, but luckily not the journey. As everyone lay on the deck, some on the verge of throwing up, the rest just exhausted from clinging to various alcoves, railings, and doorways, they could finally breathe.
"It's over…. That was fun" Luffy pants heavily, even he was tired after that.
"Let's never do that again" Chopper groans, just barely holding in his breakfast "Where are we anyway?"
"We found an obstruction, this big wall, and given we didn't explode when we hit it…. It's not the Red Line" Alvida guesses as she gets to her feet.
"It must be either soft, or springy if we just bounced off of it" Robin hums curiously "What could it possibly be?"
The simple answer, was alive, as noted when it opened a massive eye right above the Sunny, causing a panic amongst the usual suspects. Though death and destruction never came, instead it closed it's eye rather lazily and simply began to leave, a few of the Straw Hats realizing what they'd just encountered when a loud rumbling groan filled the ocean.
"It's…. Singing?" Nami gasps.
"Oh shit… and we thought Laboon was big" Kaos hisses, just before a fin swung past the Sunny.
It was a whale. An ISLAND WHALE! And not just 1, but an entire pod of the giant marine mammals all swimming together around, or more so past the little pirate ship.
"A whole family of whales. Hold on, that one has scars just like Laboon!" Luffy shouts.
"And that one, and that one!" Ussop yelps.
"You missed one just below us" Alvida adds, seeing one just behind the Sunny dip below the still slowly rising ship.
"Wait, Laboon got THIS big!" Brook shrieks "He was barely the size of a dinghy when we left"
"No, these are even bigger, but Laboon definitely lives up to his species name of island whale" Kaos corrects
"It's beautiful, and seeing a whole pod of adult Island Whales is an exceedingly rare phenomenon" Robin coos, chuckling when she see's Artemis pulling her paints from storage to capture the moment.
"Hey Nami, what do we do now we're out of the Whirlpool?" Valentina calls from the controls.
"Nothing" was the navigator's surprising command, luckily followed by an explanation "These whales, all swimming in unison, their sheer size is creating a current. It would be dangerous to even attempt to go against it, so for now we'll just have to follow along with the pod. Hopefully, they'll breach for air soon, given they have to breathe just like we do. Tighten the sails, we're going to ride their wake to the New World!"
"Hm, if these aren't Laboon, then maybe they're his relatives. Oh they must we so worried about him" Brook cries, setting off Shirahoshi, the 2 clinging to each other.
"You gonna do something about that?" Zoro asks, jabbing his thumb in their direction.
"Nah, they'll be fine in about 5 minutes" Kaos responds with a shrug.
And stop they did, Brook even practically inverting his mood by breaking out his violin and serenading the whales with a round of 'Bink's Brew', which got most of the crew joining in, which was probably the point. It even seemed to have an effect on the whales, as one gently nudged the Sunny with it's head, essentially giving it a ride as they made their way to the surface.
As light began to filter through the water, it became clear they were nearing the surface, and with it the start fo the New World, which spurred Luffy to make his way to the front of the ship, scramble his way onto the figurehead and stand upon it, ready to meet the 2nd half of the Grand line with open arms, and a D. grin "Here it comes, the last stretch of the journey. The One Piece is on this sea. Time for the final countdown everyone!" he cries, everyone joining in as it was as much an achievement and momentous occasion for all of them.
"10!" Starts Franky
"9!" Continues Val
"8!" Continues Victor
"7!" Says Vivi
"6!" Says Robin
"5!" Says Chopper
"4!" Says Sanji
"3!" Says Zoro
"2!" Says Nami
"1!" Shouts Luffy
And so, to the thunderous chorus of Whale calls, the Sunny breaches, and the Straw Hat crew enter the New World.
New World - Nautilus.
"Ace, mail for you!" Marco shouts as a News coo arrives on deck.
"Hm, wonder who from, Kaos gave me a mirror so he and Luffy could just call" the fireman wonders as he opens the 1st "The fuck!"
"I was wondering when that one would arrive" Whitebeard sighs, reading the letter Ace dropped as well as taking the other one while he was frozen in shock "Seems Linlin found a daughter who wants to tie herself down to our youngest boy Ace here"
"Damn, who did he get?" Jozu hums.
"Charlotte Smoothie" Ace mumbles as Marco finds a photo that had fallen out.
"Damn bro, I always thought you were a titman, what with that marine that stalked you up and down the Grand Line, but it seems you're a Leg man too" he teases, before getting the photo snatched from him by a blushing Ace "I mean didn't you say you nailed her?"
"He said her epithet was Nailer, dumbass" Izo groans.
"Shut up… she is very pretty though" Ace admits "So Pops, you have the letter, when's the wedding?"
"About a week from now, and it seems there is a potential other groom involved, but that one's still up in the air. You have a problem sharing your day with another man?" Whitebeard asks.
"Long as I don't have to marry him, no. I'm more worried about Smoothie and her sister fighting over having to share a day" Ace shrugs.
A little later
"I know you took it Pops, I got 2 letters from Marco earlier" Ace accuses, to which Whitebeard just chuckles
"You did, I just wanted to save you some embarrassment. As even if you did swing that way, your brothers would still tease you mercilessly, for this one" he passes the letter to Ace "After all, do you really want to be married to Kaido's son, or at least as far as the boys know, Gurarara!"
"Yamato" Ace whispers, his cheeks flush as he remembers his time in Wano, and the odd behavior she exhibited "She's got Kuja blood doesn't she?"
Whitebeard raised an eyebrow "Yes, how did you guess? Lovesickness?"
"I think so, which explains why she's going along with this, she wants what Hancock has, just with me rather than my little brother. Also explains the photo, I don't think she'd wear something that explicit and feminine without a gun to her head… though it does make me think Marco's comment would never have been expressed if this was the photo he found" Ace mutters "So, when's the date for this one?"
"I think Kaido and Linlin are actually getting along for a change, he set the date for this year's Flower Festival, and while he was probably joking, you'll find in the postscript, to 'bring whatever harem girls you have, you're gonna need the stamina' which given Yamato is a Kuja and Kaido's daughter… I think you can read between the lines, Gurarara!"
"Smoothie, Yamato, Isuka? This year is definitely going to be a messy one" Ace groans, but can't help the grin on his face.
TBC
LW: So, we finally got to the New World, side content is happening in the background, and because I'm doing ALL the Post Time Skip movies, I think you can guess where we'll be next week.