Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Mario or One Piece characters.
Chapter 28: Arrivals of Both Friend and Foe
The three Vice Admirals and their crews were sailing back to headquarters, their hearts burdened with their failure to apprehend Mario and his allies. Momonga, standing at the ship's prow, his face a mask of frustration, stared out at the vast sea. The battle with Mario and his allies played repeatedly in his mind, each defeat a crushing reminder of their strength. He couldn't help but question the Admirals' ability to quell this rising storm. As he was doing this, something in the sky caught his eye.
"What is that?"
He asked as he stared at the anomaly above him. It appeared to be a tear in the sky, a rift in the fabric of reality growing larger. Before he could question it further, a fleet of large flying ships, each a marvel of engineering, came out of the tear before it vanished. The vessels, seemingly made of simple wood but imbued with a mysterious power, were flying with giant propellers, and the largest one had the head of a colossal dragon creature as its figurehead, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. Momonga stared up at the intimidating vessel when he heard heavy stomping coming from it. That's when he saw a massive figure standing at the vessel's prow.
"Kamek! Where are we?"
The creature yelled. That's when a more petite figure appeared next to it.
"We are in the world where five of the Power Stars are, Sire."
"Then why don't I see any Power Stars?"
"Apologies, Sire, but I could only manage to teleport our fleets into the world where they are located. I couldn't take us to their exact location."
The giant creature just growled before letting out a sigh.
"So be it then. We'll hunt them down and crush Mario if we come across him. Right men!?"
Momonga could hear the sounds of cheering, indicating a large force aboard the vessels. But what caught his interest was the creature's relation to Mario. It sounded like they were enemies, and as the saying went, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Momong took a chance and used geppo to travel up to the vessel. When he landed on the ship, he was confronted by a giant dragon-turtle hybrid monster and an army of similar creatures.
"Who and what are you?"
Momonga demanded. The giant turtle dragon sneered at his question before the smaller creature dressed in blue robes came forward.
"Watch your tone peasant! You are in the presence of Lord Bowser, King of the Koopas!"
Momonga just stared defiantly at the supposed king. He wanted information from them but had to be careful with his words. Not only were he and his men still recovering from their failed attempts to apprehend Mario and his allies, but if this beast was as strong as him, they stood no chance against him and his army.
"Apologies, I did not know," Momonga said while kneeling to Bowser.
"Hmph, I'll forgive your ignorance just this once," Bowser said.
Momonga was thankful for this and got up to continue his questioning.
"Now, if I may be so bold, what are you? I have never seen anything like you or your army before."
"Bwah ha ha ha! We are the Koopa Clan and rule over the Dark Lands."
"I see. Are you from the same world as Red Cap Mario?"
Bowser's eyes widened before he scowled in anger.
"Do you know Mario?" Bowser asked in an irritated tone.
"Yes. He is a wanted pirate with a bounty of fifty million Beli."
Bowser's expression changed to one of surprise.
"Huh? Mario's wanted?"
"Yes, here's his bounty poster."
Momonga pulled out Mario's wanted poster, which Bowser had snatched up. He stared at it for a while before he began to snicker. Soon, that snickering turned into full-blown laughter.
"I can't believe it! Mario's a wanted criminal! Oh, the irony!"
Bowser said as he showed the poster to his army. They all joined him in laughter as they examined the poster. Bowser soon turned to Momonga, wiping away the tears from his eyes.
"So, what did Mario do to become a wanted man?"
"He refused to cooperate with and even attacked Marines. We have deemed him a great threat and determined the Power Stars too dangerous to be left out of Marine hands. I hoped you would help us deal with Mario and find the rest of the Power Stars."
Bowser pondered Momonga's request. On one hand, he could use the Marines to help deal with Mario. On the other hand, they wanted to keep the Power Stars. Like, heck, he would let that happen! The Power Stars were his, and his alone. He wouldn't hand them over to these chumps. Still, he could use them to aid his goals. And once their usefulness was done, he would crush them and conquer this world.
"Alright then, we could work together to take down Mario and gather the rest of the Power Stars. Could you take us to your leaders? I wish to discuss our partnership."
Momonga was uneasy with the look in Bowser's eye, but he had no choice. Mario's and his allies' strength had proven too much for the Marines. Any help would be welcomed. He just hoped they could handle whatever else would come their way.
Back with Mario and his friends
Everyone was sitting around Mario as he explained the one-hundred jump challenge.
"Damn. Doing one hundred jumps in a row within such a small time frame. Talk about one hell of a challenge," Zoro commented.
"Yeah. Is that why you drank so much syrup?" Nami asked.
"Yep. I drank so much syrup I got sick of the stuff. I have had trouble drinking the stuff since then. Well, at least until Peach made that new syrup."
The pirates nodded at Mario's answer until Nami raised an eyebrow at his answer.
"Wait, you mean you drank the stuff before? Even after the one hundred jump challenge?"
"Of-a course, Nami. There were still times when we had to beat some bad guys. And syrup is a great energizer. So, for the sake of my friends and even the world at times, I stomached the syrup so we could win."
Mario said with a smile and a bright aura surrounding him.
"So cool!"
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper said with stars in their eyes.
"Anyways, why did you do the one-hundred jump challenge? Was it for glory or something else?" Zoro asked.
"Oh, a monster offered prizes for the one-hundred jump challenge. For completing the challenge, I was awarded the Supersuit and the Attack Scarf."
"And what's so special about those items?" Sanji asked.
"Well, not only do they boast great physical protection, but they protect me from harmful effects. Such as poison, paralysis, sleep, hypnosis, and instant kill attacks."
The pirates' eyes went wide at this information.
"Hold on, what do you mean by that? How do they do that? Are they made of magic fibers?" Nami asked.
"Yes, they are. And I mean exactly what I said. While wearing these items, I'm immune to all harmful status effects. I can't be poisoned, paralyzed, hypnotized, put to sleep, or defeated by instant kill attacks."
"What do you mean by instant kill attacks, Mario? Aren't those just attacks with overwhelming force behind them?"
"No, Zoro. Some enemies I've fought have magic or abilities that kill you if they hit. It doesn't matter how tough you are. If these attacks hit you, you're done. The scarf's magical properties protect me from such attacks."
Everyone was terrified by Mario's explanation. To know that there are attacks that will kill you no matter how strong you are is terrifying to learn about.
"D-D-Do you know if anyone in our world knows that kind of magic?" Usopp asked, fear evident in his voice.
"Don't-a worry, Usopp. From what I've seen so far, no. No one in this world knows that kind of magic."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief hearing that. But then Nami thought about something.
"Hey, do you have any more of those suits? You know, for us, your crewmates?"
Everyone, besides Luffy, was also curious about that.
"Sorry," Peach said while rubbing the back of her head. "Since we weren't expecting Mario or Luigi to join a pirate crew, we only brought enough for me, Mario, Luigi, and Daisy."
The Straw Hats just sighed in disappointment but accepted her answer.
"Eh, we don't need those anyway. It would make the journey too boring."
Everyone turned to Luffy, who said that while picking his nose. Nami marched up to him with an angered look.
"What do you mean we don't need those!? Those suits sound like the difference between life and death!"
"But it would be boring! There would be no excitement knowing we could win every fight without trying."
"What kind of thinking is that!?" Nami said while shaking Luffy.
"So, does that mean Mario and his friends are boring since they're wearing the suits?" Usopp asked.
"That's different. Mario and his friends have to fight enemies stronger than anyone on the Grand Line. And they have weird and crazy abilities or magic. He and his friends need those suits to fight those guys and get the Power Stars that can make worlds."
The Straw Hats just stared at Luffy like he grew a second head.
"Did, did he just use his brain?" Zoro asked.
"Come on, it's obvious. Are you guys stupid?"
Luffy asked before Zoro, Usopp, Nami, and Sanji sent him flying into the ship's railing.
"You're the last one who can call us stupid!" They yelled in frustration.
Meanwhile, everyone was laughing at the antics they saw. Geno then spoke up.
"Excuse me, but I have a question about an ability those Marines used."
"What is it?" Usopp asked.
"It's the ability they used when they turned their skin or weapons black. I believe they called it 'haki'. I'm just wondering what that is."
"Oh, that? It's an advanced ability that is necessary in the New World." Ace answered.
"New World?" Mario and his friends said while tilting their heads.
"It's the second half of the Grand Line and the most powerful sea in the world, filled to the brim with pirates who make this half seem like amateurs. You guys probably don't know this, but that is why they call this part of the Grand Line paradise."
"Because the New World is hell by comparison?"
"Bingo, Luigi. Most pirate crews give up once they see what's waiting for them on the second half of the Grand Line."
Mario and his friends nodded in understanding while the Straw Hats looked fearful or uncertain, except for Robin, who just smiled while observing her new crew's reaction, and Luffy, who seemed super excited.
"Sweet! I can't wait to get there! That has to be where the One Piece is hidden, and we'll find it."
Ace smiled at his younger brother's antics when Beep-o flew towards Ace and Luigi.
"Good news! We found a lead on the location of Cursa and Blackbeard."
Ace quickly turned to Beep-o with a severe look.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Positive. These readings are Darkmess signatures. No doubt about it. Now, they are far ahead of us, so we must give chase before Cursa teleports them away and we lose their signal."
"Right! We're off. Here, for you, Luffy."
Ace tossed a piece of paper to Luffy, who stared at it in confusion.
"What is it?" Luffy asked while turning the paper around to see if it had any writing.
"That paper will reunite us one day."
"Really? Okay then. I'll keep it safe."
Luffy placed the paper into his hat before putting it back on.
"Good. Now Mario, take care of my little bro for me, and I'll watch over Luigi for you."
"Hey, why do you need to watch over me?" Luigi asked.
"Well, since Mario will be taking care of my little brother, I figured I would do him a favor and watch over his little brother."
"But I'm stronger than you."
"No need to sweat the details. Now, come on. We have a traitor and his new dark companion to catch."
Luigi just shook his head while Ace got onto the spaceship. He was about to get on as well until Mario grabbed his shoulder.
"Hey, make sure to take care of yourself, bro. I hope the fortune teller was wrong, but feel free to call me for help if she isn't. I won't let Dimentio retake you."
"Don't-a worry, bro. I've gotten a lot stronger since then. But you watch yourself also. If he does return, he might get rid of you from the start so you don't ruin his plans. So don't hesitate to call me for help if you need it. Okay?"
Luigi responded with an air of confidence. Mario just smiled and nodded before he and Luigi hugged. With their goodbyes said, Luigi, Daisy, Ace, and the Rabbids took off to find Blackbeard and Cursa. Everyone was about to return to their duties when Geno facepalmed.
"Darn it! I just remembered that I had to ask him what haki is."
"Don't worry about it, Geno. We'll ask him when we see him again," Mallow said.
"You're right, Mallow," Geno responded with a nod.
The crew resumed their duties while Usopp got to work on interrogating Robin, though it was more like an interview, as he was too scared to tie her up or get physical. About an hour has passed, and everyone is doing their part to navigate the Grand Line. Usopp is continuing his interview. Robin was amused by the sniper's attempt to intimidate her when she saw Chopper and Mallow chatting. She decided to have a bit of fun and created an arm in front of them. They were both shocked at first, but then the arm pointed at them. They followed where it was pointing as the arm moved around until they fell over each other. The two laughed about it while Robin chuckled. Chopper saw her and hid behind Mallow, or tried to, confusing Mallow.
"Hey! Pay attention!" Usopp shouted while slamming his fist onto the table.
"Right, sorry about that long nose."
"Okay. So, next question: If you had to face someone you didn't like, what would you do with them?"
"Oh, that's easy. I'd kill them." Robin said with a smile.
"Luffy! Mario! My investigations have concluded that she's too dangerous to be a part of our crew!"
"Eh, she's fine," Luffy responded.
Usopp looked to Mario for help, but Mario just smiled and shrugged.
"It's-a okay, Usopp."
Usopp was a little peeved that these two weren't taking his concerns seriously, but Nami spoke up before he could say anything.
"That's enough Usopp. You won't be able to convince those two. Now look here, Miss Assassin, I don't care if those two say you're okay with joining our crew; if you step out of line, I'll throw you off myself. Understand?" Nami said threateningly, but Robin just chuckled at her threat.
"Oh, yes. Crystal clear, Miss Navigator. By the way, I managed to snag these jewels from Crocodile's safe before I left. You're free to have them if you want."
Robin held out a bag of treasure that Nami snatched up.
"Whoa! Okay, you're free to join us."
"Seriously!"
Usopp was irritated at how easily Robin swayed Nami to her side. But before he could say anything, Sanji burst out of the kitchen with a sweet drink.
"Here you go, Robin-swan. I made this just for you." Sanji said while twirling towards Robin.
"Thank you, Mister Cook. You're too kind."
"Just say the word, and I'll make you whatever you desire."
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
Usopp would be angry but knew Sanji was already a lost cause.
"Tch, stupid dart brow," Zoro said as he leaned against the mast of the Merry.
"Yeah, but we knew this was bound to happen with him. He can't resist a pretty girl. I was hoping Mario or his friends would be more wary of her, but it looks like it's up to us to keep an eye on her."
"Right."
Zoro and Usopp stood side by side until Luffy called out to Usopp.
"Hey Usopp, look!"
Usopp turned to see Luffy making a cute face while Robin grew hands on his head to make antlers.
"I'm Chopper."
Usopp couldn't resist the comedy and began to laugh uncontrollably. Zoro was irritated that the whole crew had accepted this woman who was trying to kill them just a few days ago. Sure, Cursa possessed her, but she worked for Crocodile before that. Zoro just ignored them all and walked to the back of the ship. Robin took note of this and decided to address this later. First, she wanted to speak with Peach and the rest of Mario's friends. She was still curious about what Star Children were and what their world was like.
It has been a few days since they left Alabasta, and it has been smooth sailing for the crew. Robin was sitting on the deck reading a book, but then she smelled something terrible.
"Ugh! What's that horrible stench?" She asked while pinching her nose shut.
Everyone wondered what she meant, but they were soon hit with the foul stench. Each Straw Hat covered their noses to block out the terrible smell. It was so bad that it even woke Zoro up from his nap.
"Eww! Who farted?" Luffy asked.
"Hey, don't look at me!" Usopp said, waving his hand while the other pinched his nose shut.
"Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick," Chopper complained, as the stench was too much for his sensitive nose. It was pushing him to the point of passing out.
While everyone was doing their best to cover their noses and ignore the stench, Geno stood there watching, thankful that he didn't have a nose. That's when he noticed that Mario wasn't covering his nose and was actually sniffing the air.
"Mario, do you like this smell?"
"No, Geno, it's disgusting. But, it's also familiar."
Mario's comment took everyone aback. Peach stopped pinching her nose and began to sniff it as well.
"You're right. I feel like I've smelled this before."
"Yeah, it's like, someone ate a bunch of garlic and then let one rip," Mario replied to Peach.
"Ugh, who would eat so much garlic?" Sanji asked.
Mario thought about this until it hit him, and he face-palmed himself.
"Oh, mamamia. Don't-a tell me he's here."
"Oh dear, it looks like he is. Ugh! Let me get rid of this stench!"
Peach twirled around while using her magic, and the scent of peaches replaced the stench.
"Ah, much better," Peach said with a smile.
"Thank you, Peach!" The Straw Hats said with extreme gratitude.
"Now, Mario, who are you talking about? And why do you sound so annoyed about him?" Nami asked.
"The person I'm talking about is named Wario, my rival and one of the seven Star Children. And, while not evil, he does whatever he can to get as rich as he can get and beat me at, well, whatever we do." Mario explained.
"I see. And would he get in your way to retrieve the Power Stars?" Usopp asked.
"Well, in the best-case scenario, he leaves us alone to continue his adventure in this world."
"You wouldn't help him get back to your world?" Chopper asked.
"I will offer, but he will turn me down more than likely. He's an adventurer like me, and this new world filled with treasure is too tempting for him to ignore."
"Okay, and the other scenario?" Nami asked.
"The worst case scenario is he hears about the Power Stars and the One Piece and sets off to get them before us. Creating another problem to deal with."
"What!? He wants to become the Pirate King also?" Luffy asked in shock.
"Well, the title would be tempting for him, but it's the aspect of the One Piece being a legendary treasure that would get his attention. Like I said, he wants to become as rich as possible and is willing to do almost anything to achieve that goal."
"Well, I won't let him beat me to the One Piece." Luffy proudly declared.
"I like the attitude, but don't-a fight him. He's also a Star Child and is as strong as me." Mario warned.
Everyone was taking in Mario's information when thunder was heard above them.
"Crap, is it going to rain now?" Usopp asked.
"It is the Grand Line. Get ready for heavy storms, everyone!" Nami ordered.
Everyone was getting ready to steer the two ships through stormy weather, but Usopp noticed something in the distance.
"Huh? What's that?"
He focused on what he saw and freaked out.
"AH! It's two giant monsters!"
Everyone turned to what Usopp was pointing at and saw two large shadows before them. Everyone began to panic, but Mario and his friends remained calm as they examined the shadows.
"Guys! We need you all to take out those freaks!" Nami yelled, but Peach just chuckled.
"Calm down now. There's nothing to worry about. They're just shadows." Peach explained.
Nami needed clarification on Peach's words. But the shadows dissipated as soon as she was about to question them.
"See? Nothing to worry about," Peach said with a smile.
"Wow, I'm glad you were right," Nami said with relief.
"Yeah, but what could have made shadows that big?" Sanji asked as he lit up a cigarette to calm his nerves.
"Could it be more giants?" Luffy asked in awe.
"I don't think so. If they were, wouldn't we be seeing them about now? Giants aren't exactly hard to miss." Usopp said.
"Then, what could it be?" Zoro asked.
Mario pondered about this and came up with an answer.
"There's two explanations I can think of. One, there could be giants that we can't see. Or two, those shadows were created by someone far up in the sky."
"Huh?"
The Straw Hats were confused by this, so Mario continued to explain.
"Well, if someone was high enough in the sky and a bright flash of light illuminated them, like, say, from a bolt of thunder, their shadows could be projected down here but greatly enlarged."
"Wait, are you saying someone in the sky cast those shadows!?" Nami asked in disbelief.
"Yep. By the way, where's the log pose pointing towards?"
Nami looked at the log pose and was shocked by what she saw.
"So? Where's our next destination, Miss Navigator?" Robin asked.
"Up."
"Huh? What did you say?" Usopp asked.
"It's pointing straight up!"
Nami showed that the needle was indeed pointing straight up into the sky.
"No way."
"That's impossible."
Usopp and Zoro said in disbelief.
"Not really. I've been to plenty of kingdoms that rest in the sky. And this is the Grand Line, where anything is possible. It wouldn't be hard to imagine an island floating high above or in the clouds." Mario explained.
"Yeah! My home, the Nimbus Kingdom, is high in the clouds," Mallow added.
"Alright! We're going to a sky island! Let's go!" Luffy proclaimed, but Nami wasn't dealing with his idiocy today.
"You moron! How are we supposed to get to some island in the sky!?"
"Duh, you just point the rudder up. Isn't it obvious?" Luffy answered, but it just earned him a fist to the head—courtesy of Nami.
"Moron! Ugh, any ideas, Mario?" Nami asked.
"Hmm, I could use a combination of my giant power-up and wing cap to carry both ships up. But the problem is that we don't know how far up the island is; it's just high in the clouds. My power-ups could run out before we could reach the island, and we would fall back down."
"Oh dear, we would meet a very messy end then." Robin casually commented. It was scaring Usopp and Chopper.
"You all would. We would survive." Mario said, pointing to him, Peach, Mallow, and Geno.
"You can survive a fall from that height?" Nami asked.
"Yes, I've survived falls like that plenty of times."
"Of course you did."
Nami just accepted this, knowing how crazy strong Mario was. While everyone pondered how to reach the sky island, Mario saw something in the sky. His eyes widened as he saw what was falling on top of them.
"We need to move!"
Mario yelled as he activated his double cherry power-up and the wing cap. He and his clone then pushed the two ships away. Nami was about to ask what he was talking about, but she didn't get the chance as the remains of a galleon ship crashed on the spot they were in just a few moments ago.
"Holy crap. That ship would've crushed us if Mario didn't push us out of the way."
"So scary!"
Usopp and Chopper said in fear.
"I'm glad Mario saved us, but where did that ship come from?" Zoro said, wondering the same thing with the others.
"It came from the sky island!" Luffy said.
Everyone was about to chastise him, but his answer made sense with the log pose pointing straight up and Mario's explanation.
"Wait, if that ship came from the sky island, it might have clues on how to reach it. We need to search that ship!" Nami said.
"But how are we supposed to search the ship now that it's sunk?" Usopp asked, pointing to the spot where the ship had landed.
Nami bit her finger, trying to figure out a solution until Mario spoke up.
"I'll search it. My frog suit allows me to breathe underwater and survive the pressure of the depths." Mario said as he equipped his frog suit.
"All right! Mario to the rescue once again!" Usopp cheered.
"Now, hold on, you won't be going alone," Peach said.
"Oh, do you have a frog suit, too?"
"Something better, Usopp. Ready Stella?"
Peach asked as she looked at her ponytail. The ribbon tying her hair came to life and transformed into a small creature with a yellow star-shaped head and a turquoise body.
"Ready Peach."
"Whoa! What is that!?" Luffy asked with the other Straw Hats wondering the same thing.
"Oops, I forgot to introduce her. Allow me to introduce Stella, a Sparkle Sprite and close friend of mine." Peach said.
Stella then flew up to the Straw Hats.
"Hello there. I'm Stella, a Sparkle Sprite from the Sparkla theatre," Stella said with a bow.
"How cute."
"SO COOL!"
Robin and Luffy said. Everyone else stood in awe of the little sprite. Before anyone could ask what she could do, Cappy flew out from Mario and appeared before Stella.
"Hello, I'm Cappy! It's nice to meet you finally, Stella."
"Hello. So you're Cappy? I heard much about you from Peach, especially how you helped Mario save her and your sister. I must say that's very impressive."
"Oh, well, you know, just doing what anyone would do if their sister were kidnapped. Sometimes, it seemed hopeless, but Mario and I persevered and saved the day." Cappy said while bolstering a bit.
"Does Cappy have a crush on Stella?" Mario thought as he took note of Cappy's odd behavior.
Before Mario could think about this anymore, Nami spoke up.
"So, what does she do exactly, Peach? We know Cappy lets Mario possess objects or people he throws his cap on to, but what does she do?"
"Could you allow me to demonstrate? Ready?"
"Ready."
Stella took Peach's hand, and the two began to twirl while engulfed by a bright light. When the light dissipated, Peach was now a mermaid.
"How in the? She transformed!" Usopp said in shock.
"Wow! A mermaid! Peach transformed into a beautiful mermaid!" Sanji exclaimed with hearts in his eyes as he did his noodle dance.
"Stella allows me to change costumes, and each costume comes with different powers," Peach explained.
"Wow. So you have a costume for every situation. Man, you guys are so cool!" Usopp exclaimed.
"Come on, Usopp. We're just doing what we can with what we have. You guys are amazing. We have all these special abilities to help us, but you guys pull off so many great feats with your skills alone. That's what makes you guys amazing pirates. I do not doubt that you would have beaten Crocodile and saved Vivi without my help."
The Straw Hats all blushed at Mario's words.
"Okay, enough chit-chat. We must search that boat before it's too deep, Mario."
"Right, let's-a go!"
Mario and Peach leaped into the sea, leaving the others to keep watch over the Merry. The group waited patiently until they heard something strange. It sounded like chanting along with the beating of drums and cymbals. They looked towards the sound to see a large ship with a monkey theme. It had a monkey as its Jolly Roger, a monkey figurehead, and large bananas built into it. Everyone got ready for battle when the ship was close enough.
"Company halt! Are we on top of the place where the ship sank?"
"Aye, aye, sir!"
The men on the ship replied to a boisterous man. The man then stepped into view. He was a large man with ape-like features. He had large arms and lips and a buff upper body with short legs. Everyone couldn't help but compare him to Donkey Kong.
"When they say captain or sir, they're talking about me! The king of all salvage, Captain Masira of the Masira Pirates!"
The man loudly proclaimed. He then looked at the Straw Hats in anger.
"Don't you know that these seas belong to me? That means that all salvage belongs to me as well. Are you trying to steal my salvage?"
Zoro, Sanji, Geno, and Mallow got ready for a brawl. Usopp, Chopper, and Nami were already backing away in fear. And Robin just watched, waiting to see who would make the next move. However, before anyone could say anything, Luffy spoke up.
"Whoa, you look like a big ape," Luffy said with stars in his eyes.
"Luffy! What are you doing!?" Nami yelled, not wanting to anger Masira.
Usopp and Chopper were terrified, while everyone else was impressed or unaffected by Luffy's forwardness. However, Luffy's statement had a different effect than they expected.
"Aw, shucks. Stop trying to flatter me."
Masira seemed to take this as a compliment as he rubbed the back of his head with a smile.
"I mean it. You remind me of a friend named Donkey Kong."
This caught Masira's interest.
"Really?"
"Yeah, he was an actual gorilla with a tie."
"Ah, an ape of principle, I see. Where is he?"
"He went home after we met him."
"Oh, what a shame. I would've liked to meet him."
Masira said in a state of depression. But it was brief, as he immediately picked himself up.
"Alright, back to business. So, were you trying to steal my treasure?"
"Huh, treasure?"
"That's right, straw hat boy. These seas belong to me, so all sunken vessels in these waters are my treasure."
"Oh, I'm sorry about that. I didn't know."
"Well, now you do. So, were you trying to steal my treasure by chance? Because if you were, then we have a problem."
Masira said as he punched his fists together with his men, who were also preparing for battle. Everyone got ready to fight or, in the coward trio's case, hide, but Luffy continued to speak.
"I'm sorry for trying to steal your treasure, but we need to find out if that ship that sank has any clues to get us to Sky Island."
Masira was stunned by this reveal.
"You, you believe in Sky Island?"
"Yeah. Our log pose is pointing there, so it has to exist."
Masira smiled and began to laugh heartily at this.
"Well, I can help you get there in exchange for all the salvage in the sunken ship."
"Deal!"
"What? Luffy!"
Nami yelled as she pulled Luffy close.
"What are you doing?" She whispered.
"Uh, getting us help to reach Sky Island?"
"Yeah, but did you have to offer all the salvage on the ship? What if there's treasure!?"
"Eh, it's not important."
This comment earned Luffy a punch to the face that sent him flying into the railing of the Merry.
"You moron! Whatever valuables that we give away will be added to your tab!"
Nami yelled as she huffed away. Luffy shakily got up while rubbing his bruised cheek.
"Um, is everything okay?" Masira asked.
"Yes." Luffy whimpered out. "Now we just have to wait for Mario and Peach."
"Oh, you already have people down there?"
"Yeah, they jumped in soon after the ship fell."
"Well, let us help. Men! Prepare the, huh? What is that?"
Masira pointed to a large dark spot in the water. Everyone looked to see it getting bigger and bigger until a giant turtle surfaced.
"AAHHH! It's a giant sea monster!" Usopp screamed.
"It's going to eat us!" Chopper screamed with him.
Everyone, even Masira and his crew, began to panic. But that's when Robin noticed something on top of the turtle's head.
"Look. It's the ship."
Everyone stopped panicking to see that the sunken ship was now on the turtle's head. As they were wondering what it was doing, they heard singing. Everyone looked down to see Peach taming the turtle with her singing.
"Hey guys!" Mario called out. "We found a giant turtle that helped us lift the wreckage."
"So cool!"
"Ah, what a lovely singing voice! Peach is truly a talented princess!"
Luffy and Sanji said.
"Look, sir! A mermaid!"
One of Masira's men yelled.
"Holy crap! A real-life mermaid," Masira said in awe.
"Should we try to catch it, sir?"
"Do that, and I'll sink your ship!" Mario yelled, raising his fist, which was now coated with fire.
"Whoa, hang on, Mario! These guys will help us reach Sky Island," Luffy said.
"Really?"
"Yeah. And monkey guy, these two are part of my crew, so you can't catch them."
"Man, you have a mermaid and a frog man on your crew. Talk about being lucky! Do you want to trade some members?" Masira asked.
"No thanks! Oh, Mario, we promised them all the salvage on the ship for their help."
"Okie dokie."
Mario said while giving a thumbs up. He went over to Peach and explained the situation to her. She guided the turtle next to Masira's ship so his men could secure the salvaged ship to it.
"Thank you."
Peach thanked the turtle before it dove back into the ocean. After they were done, Mario and Peach jumped back onto their ship and transformed back to normal.
"Holy crap! You guys can transform! You all are so cool!" Masira said in awe, with his men mirroring his sentiments.
"Thank you. Now, how do we get to Sky Island?" Mario asked.
"I don't know myself, but I know someone who does. He's the manliest man, a dreamer amongst dreamers, Montblanc Cricket!" Masira answered.
"Sounds important. Alright, let's-a go!"
"Alright!"
Mario and Luffy said. The two ships were about to take off when the skies turned dark. It looked like a storm was about to take place, and that's when they saw it. Two giant shadows appeared before them. One was fat and round, and the other was tall and skinny. Everyone was frozen stiff, terrified by the giant silhouettes before them. That is until Luffy broke the silence.
"SEA MONSTERS!"
He screamed, causing everyone to start freaking out as well. The Straw Hats and Masira's crew rushed to flee, but Mario stopped them.
"Wait! Remember earlier when the other silhouettes showed up? They're just shadows!"
Everyone stopped after hearing this.
"Huh? Oh, right," Luffy said as he and the others calmed down.
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Masira asked.
"Just look," Peach said, pointing to the silhouettes.
Masira looked, and soon enough, the silhouettes disappeared.
"Huh?"
"See? They were just shadows. Probably cast by someone on Sky Island," Peach surmised.
"I see. Well then, we should see Montblanc Cricket. He's on an island nearby. Could you just follow us? We have an eternal pose belonging to the island."
Everyone nodded, and the Merry and the Shooting Star followed Masira's ship. While they were sailing, Sanji was deep in thought.
"Where have I heard that name before?" They thought.
While Sanji was pondering this, Mario and Peach also thought deeply.
"So, Mario, did you notice anything familiar about those shadows?" Peach asked.
"Yeah, they resembled a certain pair of troublemakers from back home," Mario answered.
He hoped he was wrong, but he had to prepare for another headache if he wasn't. The ships continued to sail until they reached Jaya, the home of Montblanc Cricket. They dropped anchor at an extravagant home.
"Welcome to the home of the great Montblanc Cricket!" Masira announced.
Usopp, Luffy, Chopper, and Mallow were amazed by what they saw. But the others were not impressed.
"Right, so why is he putting on this facade?" Peach asked.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Usopp asked.
"Look closer. The extravagant palace is a fake. The real house isn't even half that size," Zoro answered.
Luffy jumped off and took a closer look. He was shocked to see Zoro was right.
"What the heck!? It's so small!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Hey! Don't just walk into someone else's house uninvited!" Masira yelled.
Everyone got off and began to explore the area around the house while Luffy looked inside it.
"There's no one here."
"He's probably looking for the city of gold," Masira explained to Luffy.
Nami heard his words and rushed up to Masira.
"City of Gold! Where is it!?" She asked, her eyes transforming into Beli signs.
"Um, I don't know. But Cricket believes it lies somewhere at the bottom of the sea," Masira answered.
"That settles it! Mario, Peach, you two are diving for that city of gold!" Nami proclaimed.
"We're not doing that, Nami," Peach said.
"Why!? There's an entire city's worth of gold just right for the picking!"
"Because we need to find out if this Cricket is correct. For all we know, he's wrong, and there is no city of gold."
After hearing this, Nami felt depressed. She then noticed a stomp nearby with a book on top of it.
"What's this? 'The Adventures of Montblanc Norland'?" Nami said aloud.
That's when it hit Sanji.
"Aha! That's where I heard that name before. Montblanc Norland, the world-famous liar," Sanji stated.
"Liar?" Mario, Peach, Geno, and Mallow said while tilting their heads.
Sanji then began to explain the story of Montblanc Norland and why he was known as the world's biggest liar. He was an adventurer who had supposedly found a city of gold. He told his king about it and returned to the island with a new expedition sanctioned by the king. However, when they reached the island, the city of gold was never found. The king assumed he lied and sentenced Norland to death. And until the day he was executed, he was ridiculed and declared the world's biggest liar.
"How sad," Mallow said as he was about to cry.
Mario, Peach, and Geno tried to stop him, but it was too late. Mallow began to cry, and it started to rain heavily all over the island.
"Ah! What the hell!? Where did this rain come from!?" Zoro asked.
"I don't know!" Nami responded.
"Mallow, calm down! It's just a story," Mario said, trying to get Mallow to stop.
Mallow stopped crying, and the weather cleared up immediately afterward.
"Sorry about that. I just needed a good cry after hearing that story. Oops, you guys are soaked," Mallow said.
Everyone, besides Mario and his friends, just stared at Mallow.
"Did... he just... change the weather... with his tears!?" Usopp asked in shock.
"Yeah. Mallow can control the weather with his emotions. Haven't you noticed we haven't had any bad weather since he joined us? It's because he's been cheerful and happy all this time." Mario explained.
"So cool!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper said with stars in their eyes.
Everyone else was stunned by Mallow's power. But the Straw Hats shook it off quickly.
"Of course, he can do that. If he's friends with Mario, he must have some crazy ability like him." They all thought.
After the sudden shower, everyone began to talk as they waited for Cricket to come out of the sea. While waiting, someone came out of the forest and demanded to know who they were and why they were there. Masira explained who they were, and the man calmed down. He then introduced himself as Shoujou, Masira's brother. With that out of the way, Mario turned to Sanji.
"Hey Sanji, how did you know about Montblanc Norland?" Mario asked.
"Oh, his adventures are a popular story in the North Blue. I heard about him when I was a kid."
"You were in the North Blue?" Usopp asked.
"Yeah, I was born there. I never told you guys?"
"No. If you were born in the North Blue, how did you end up at the Baratie?"
"I'd rather not talk about it. No need to dig up the past."
Everyone accepted this and continued to chat amongst themselves. While this happened, Mario examined the cliffside where the half-house was resting. Soon, a man came out of the ocean. He tensed up when he saw the Straw Hats but eased up once he saw Masira and Shoujou. The two introduced the man as Cricket and explained the situation to him. Cricket invited the group inside to discuss the matter.
"So you actually believe Sky Island exists?" Cricket asked with a dismissive tone.
"Yeah. The log pose is pointing straight up, so it has to exist." Mario answered.
"Hmph, it's just a fairy tale. Best give up now."
Cricket said. That's when Luffy slammed his hands on the table they were sitting at.
"No way! It has to exist!" Luffy yelled.
"How can you be sure?" Cricket asked.
"Because I say so!"
Cricket just stared at Luffy before he busted out laughing.
"Well, if you're that determined, I'll help you then."
"Hey, are you related to Montblanc Norland?" Sanji asked.
"Hmph! Yeah, he's my great, great, great, great grandfather." Cricket answered.
"I see. So are you trying to find the city of gold to clear his name?" Usopp asked.
"No, not really. I'm not sure it even exists. I want to confirm whether he was telling the truth or lying. For my own sake."
"And why are you so sure it's at the bottom of the ocean?" Peach asked.
"Because Norland, to the day of his death, stated that the city of gold must have sunken to the bottom of the sea. And that's why I continue to dive for it. But I have not found any trace of it or the other half of this island in all these years of searching."
Everyone just stood in silence of Cricket's story until Mario spoke up.
"Excuse me, Cricket. But how are we supposed to reach Sky Island?"
"A natural disaster known as the knock-up stream occurs around these waters. They are giant whirlpools that shoot a large stream of water straight up into the sky. If you ride one of those, then you'll be knocking on heaven's gates. Assuming your crew and your ships survive."
Almost everyone was terrified by Cricket's statement. But Mario continued with his questions.
"I see. And how powerful are these knock-up streams?"
"More powerful than an earthquake."
"Okay. And is it possible for one to appear under an island?"
"What are you getting at?"
"Well, what if, instead of sinking, the other half of this island and the city of gold were launched into the sky?"
Everyone was stunned by Mario's words. Cricket's mouth hung wide open, letting his cigarette fall out of his mouth.
"Well, that would explain why I've found nothing in the sea. But what makes you think that?"
"I examined the cliff this house sits on and made some discoveries. The way rocks point on the cliffside shows the other half of the land mass was moved upwards, not down. And with the knowledge that these knock-up streams exist, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to say the missing land mass was sent skywards."
"I see. That... That explains everything! Why I have yet to find even a small piece of the other half of this house. And why the skies darken every time the Millennium Cumulonimbus passes over this island."
"The Millennium Cumo-whata?" Usopp asked.
"Millennium Cumulonimbus. It's a cloud that is, for all intents and purposes, a liquid cloud. The chemistry behind its formation is unknown, but it is a form of water lighter than air and retains the ability to support buoyant solids." Cricket explained.
"I'm assuming that cloud is our key to reaching Sky Island," Mario said.
"Yes, it's all about timing. You must ride the knock-up stream when the Millennium Cumulonimbus passes over the island. And lucky for you, that's in a couple of days. We'll outfit your ships for you while you gather the necessary supplies for the journey." Cricket said, with Mirasa and Shoujou nodding in agreement.
"Alright! We're going to Sky Island!" Luffy cheered.
Cricket explained everything the Straw Hats will need before setting off on their journey to Sky Island.
Meanwhile, in a nearby town
We see two people walking down the street of Mock Town, a well-known pirate gathering spot. One is a young man with a dark complexion, short brown hair, and brown eyes. He is wearing a blue sleeveless vest with a yellow undershirt. He also has a blue cap, blue pants, and brown boots. The other is a young woman with blond hair tied into a ponytail, pink skin, and black eyes. She is wearing an adventurer/explorer outfit and carrying a green book. The two continued walking until the woman spoke up.
"This stinks! I can't believe that strange warp pipe sent us here." The woman complained.
"We can do nothing about it now but press on. That's what Mario would do." The man responded.
"True. Any idea where we are, Goombario?"
"Not a clue, Goombella."
These were Goombario and Goombella, two Goombas who helped Mario in his previous adventures. Now, Goombas typically resemble walking mushrooms, but their appearance has changed. They were now the same height as the average person and had standard arms and legs.
"Now, where to look for info?" Goombario asked aloud.
"How about we go to the local watering hole? There's bound to be someone we can ask for help there," Goombella said.
"Sounds like a plan. Let's go!"
The two set off to a local pub to gather more information about where they were.
That's the end of the chapter. Thank you for reading. I apologize for not uploading as much; I'll try to fix that. Please feel free to leave a review, and have a nice day.