I own Nothing.
So lots of stuff has happned in my personal life recently which has prevented me from writing. I'm not dead, just struggling with everything. But here is a new chapter. Also this and the next Chapter where written together so the next one is nearly done as well. Just working on the end fight scenes. Should be up in another day or two.
As always. Please Review
Back on the Sunny
Franky stood off to the side of the helm, one hand on the wheel to keep the ship steady, and the other holding binoculars up to his eyes. La Volpe was standing nearby, back against the railing and looking out towards the island that the Sunny was approaching. The ship was still a way out, but the island was close enough to see the coast through the binoculars.
"You sure this is the place?" Franky asked, lowering the binoculars. "I don't see any sign of that other ship or Luffy,"
"The gold trail leads to this island," La Volpe confirmed. His eyes were glowing as he stared at the trail that floated on top of the water and led past the shore and deeper into the island. "If they were on a different island or at sea, the trail would go around the island, but it doesn't. My only conclusion is that Captain Luffy and the others are on this island,"
"Wish I knew about your freaky sight before I got on board," Franky muttered.
"If you did, you would be dead many times over," La Volpe claimed.
"Well, either way, it won't hurt to stop and take a look. The Sunny needs repairs," Franky said, ignoring the threat. He put the binoculars aside and moved past the helm, looking down onto the deck below. "Oi, we're making landfall soon. La Volpe-bro says Luffy and the others are on that island," Franky announced, pointing out the island they were approaching.
Robin was sitting on the deck playing cards with Connor. Due to her right arm being in a sling, she had sprouted a second arm off the deck to hold her cards and used her good arm to place or pick up a new card. Connor put his cards face down and wandered over to the starboard railing to look at the approaching island. Robin followed, a little slower in getting up. They both looked over the island, and Connor activated his sight; it was only active for a few seconds before he turned it off, his shoulders sagging.
"Something wrong?" Robin asked.
"I can't see the yellow trail," he said. He then looked up to La Volpe, who was directing Franky. "I wish I could track them like he can," Connor muttered.
"I'm sure you will in time," Robin assured. "How about we finish our game?"
Connor and Robin headed back to where they were playing cards. They finished their game, and after another ninety minutes, the Sunny made landfall. Franky pulled it as close to the shore as he could. He would need access to the lower parts of the ship's hull for repairs. Chopper also helped pull the ship up. Once they were docked, the question of who would search for Luffy and the others came up.
"I can't leave the Sunny as she is. Better to start repairs while there are not a lot of people on board," Franky reasoned. "It'll be easier and faster that way,"
"I can't leave Sanji alone either; he's too badly injured," Chopper pointed out.
"In that case, I will search for those missing," La Volpe declared.
"By yourself?" Chopper asked, concerned.
"Of course not. I will take Connor with me," La Volpe clarified. Robin narrowed her eyes at that.
"What? You want me to come?" Connor asked in shock.
"Of course. I need to test the range of your eagle vision. Now that we have made landfall, it is the perfect time to test it," La Volpe claimed.
"What about finding the others?" Connor asked.
"I can multi-task," La Volpe responded with a shrug.
"Do you mind if I come along?" Robin spoke up. "I can search many places at once,"
"What about your injury?" La Volpe pointed out. "Are you fit for a hike?"
"My arm is injured, but I can walk just fine," Robin said with a sweet smile.
"Very well, do what you will," La Volpe said. "We leave in ten minutes,"
La Volpe turned away to get ready. He went into the kitchen and packed some food, water, and a few other supplies into a bag. Once done, he headed back out onto the deck. Chopper was trying to talk Robin out of going, but Robin insisted she was fine, and Connor fidgeted nervously.
"Ready?" La Volpe asked as he approached.
"Of course," Robin said with a smile.
The three left the ship and headed into the island. As they walked, La Volpe occasionally stopped to look around before moving on again. However, both Robin and Connor noted that the thief didn't have Eagle Sense activated.
"La Volpe, why don't you have your Eagle Sense on?" Robin asked. "Aren't you tracking Luffy and the others?"
"I'm not looking for them at the moment," La Volpe stated.
"Then when you stop, what are you looking for?"
"A good vantage point,"
"Why?" Connor asked.
La Volpe stopped and looked down at Connor curiously. Had the boy never used Eagle Vision from above? It was possible he hadn't; after all, the boy knew next to nothing about what Eagle Vision could do.
"Tell me something, Connor. When you and your crew reach a new island, what is the first thing you do?" La Volpe questioned.
"Draw straws," Connor answered without hesitation.
"Draw straws?" La Volpe questioned, taken aback by this answer.
"It's to determine who keeps an eye on Luffy," Connor explained. "He gets really excited every time we land somewhere and has a habit of running off as soon as the ship drops anchor,"
La Volpe looked at Connor in disbelief, and then he looked at Robin for clarification.
"It's true," Robin said with a fond smile. "Nami keeps a set of torn bits of paper in our room and brings it out every time we land,"
"Usopp's reactions are always funny when he finds out he's on the team that has to look out for Luffy," Connor said with a slight chuckle.
"So the first thing your crew does upon reaching a new island is to draw straws," La Volpe summarized. "Then let me rephrase my question. Once you have drawn straws and Luffy has left the ship, what is the first thing you do?"
"Find Luffy," Robin answered.
"Find Luffy?" La Volpe asked, confused. "But is he not with the members of your crew from drawing straws?"
"No, we're lucky if Luffy waits that long," Connor stated. "Most times he's run off before the draw can begin, and then it becomes a draw to see who goes out and finds him,"
Once more, La Volpe just stared at the boy and then looked to Robin.
"Is he making this up?" the thief asked.
"No, if I had to put numbers on it, I would estimate a good 70, if not 80%, of the time Luffy runs off while we are discussing the island," Robin explained. "The times when he waits are if he wants to take some food with him or Nami is fast enough to grab hold of him before he leaves,"
La Volpe let out a groan. He had not expected this.
"Very well, let's try this then. After Luffy has run off and the straws to find him have been drawn, Connor, what is the first thing you do afterwards?"
"Explore, I think, though sometimes I stay on the ship," Connor answered.
"And when you are exploring, what do you do?"
"Take in some sights before we inevitably get drawn into whatever trouble or fight Luffy has found himself in. I suspect this island will be no different," Connor confirmed.
"And how do you explore the islands?"
"Um…I walk around with whoever I'm with," Connor answered. He was not sure where this line of questioning was going.
"So you're always with someone when you leave the ship?"
"He is. Connor's not allowed to leave the ship on his own," Robin stated. "He's only allowed off if he is with someone else, and that is only during the daytime,"
"Who came up with that rule?" La Volpe asked. "And is it enforced?"
Connor had a suspicion that "enforced" was a polite way of saying it was a direct order and one Connor would not be able to disobey without risking his brand's punishment.
"Sanji did, and yes…it's enforced," Connor answered. "By Luffy,"
"Would I be correct in assuming that this was implemented for his safety?" La Volpe asked.
"Yes. He's allowed on the beach or the area around where the ship is docked by himself if one of us is on the ship watching or nearby. Sanji often does beachside BBQs, but Connor has to remain in sight and is not allowed to explore on his own. He's still quite young, after all," Robin explained.
"I see…then this will be a more informative lesson than I expected," La Volpe said. He turned and started walking again.
"What do you mean?" Connor asked.
"Do you recall when I spoke about the range of Eagle Vision back in Water 7?" La Volpe asked. Connor nodded. "I need to test your current range. It is easier to do so from a high point,"
"Is that why you kept stopping?" Connor asked. "You're looking for a vantage point?"
"Yes. When Eagle Vision is used from a high point, anything and everything within your range will be revealed to you. Landmarks, points of interest, and even environmental hazards. It is like having a map of a wide area immediately created in your mind," La Volpe explained. "Of course, it only extends as far as your range allows,"
"Wait…is that what happened back at the Ferris wheel?" Robin asked suddenly.
"Ferris wheel?" La Volpe questioned.
"Yes, we stopped at Long Ring Island, and another pirate crew challenged us to a Davy Back Fight. They set up a festival-like environment, and I took Connor on the Ferris wheel. He told me about various hazards and points around the shore of the island," Robin recalled.
"Robin didn't believe me when I told her about them," Connor said. "She thought I was making it up,"
"That was until we got into a boat race and everything Connor described came true. We faced all the hazards and were able to bypass most of them safely because he'd also seen how to navigate them," Robin finished.
"And did you win this boat race?" La Volpe asked.
"No, the other crew's captain cheated," Connor claimed with clear disdain. "But it was very close. I was asked about how I knew about the hazards, but I didn't have an explanation other than I saw it with my sight,"
La Volpe nodded.
"Using your sight to gain an instant understanding of your environment and surroundings is one of the most useful abilities Eagle Vision and Eagle Sense have to offer. You should seek out at least one or two vantage points on every island you land on. Make a habit of it being the first thing you do. You should also keep an eye out for good vantage points while you explore,"
"Then what kind of vantage point should I look out for?" Connor asked.
"Anything high will do—the top of a tower, a tall building, even a big tree. As long as you are at the highest point you can be and overlooking a wide area below," La Volpe explained. "Basically, just find a location that gives you a good bird's-eye view of everything around you,"
"Could this be done from the top of the Sunny's mast?" Robin asked.
"It could, though depending on your range and how close to shore your ship is, it may be better to find a higher point," La Volpe explained.
The group continued to walk through the island. Connor and Robin asked a few more questions about vantage points and what to look for. La Volpe answered what he could but ultimately decided that it was better for Connor to experience it himself rather than try to explain it. La Volpe continued to keep an eye out for a good vantage point and eventually spied an old tree on top of a hill. He pointed it out, and the group changed directions.
After another forty-minute hike, they finally stopped in front of the old tree.
"This will do," La Volpe nodded in satisfaction.
"What happens now?" Connor asked.
"Now you and I climb to the top," La Volpe said, taking off his bag and dropping it at the base of the tree.
"Is that safe?" Robin asked with concern.
"Depends on Connor's climbing abilities," La Volpe responded.
Robin looked up at the tree, the top was very high up. "Does he really need to be so high up?" Robin asked, trying a different approach.
"It does. Ideally, I would prefer it to be higher, but this will do for a first time," La Volpe stated. "Connor, watch closely and follow me,"
La Volpe started to climb up the tree. He swiftly used the branches as both handholds and steps, his years of experience as an assassin showing as he was halfway up the tree in under a few seconds, disappearing among the branches as he went. Connor stared in amazement, noting that the branches La Volpe had used as steps didn't so much as react more than with a gentle rustle of leaves.
"Connor, do you want a hand up?" Robin offered. "I can create extra holds for you,"
Connor shook his head. "I'll be fine...this is part of my training," he said. "And I'm pretty good at climbing trees,"
"Very well, be careful not to fall," Robin advised.
Connor nodded and started to climb. He wasn't as fast or as skilled as La Volpe, and he stuck closer to the trunk. But Robin could tell from the way the boy moved that he knew what he was doing and was being careful. Before he got to the canopy, Connor looked down at Robin, gave her a wave, and then headed further up. Robin waved back with a smile, and once the boy was gone, a worried expression fell on her face.
Up in the top of the tree, La Volpe was waiting, leaning against the trunk with his arms folded.
"You made it up, good," the thief commented. He then turned his head and looked at a long branch that stretched out from the tree. "Walk out to the edge,"
"But...I'll fall," Connor said nervously. "The branch is too thin,"
"You won't. I'll stand behind you," La Volpe assured.
Connor looked at the branch uneasily once more but nonetheless took a careful, hesitant step towards it. It wasn't so bad until he got to the thinner parts and found it harder to keep his balance. True to his word, La Volpe was behind him and guided Connor through.
"Stick your arms out to help with balance and center your weight towards your back foot," the thief instructed as he helped Connor raise his arms.
Connor did as he was told but was still very wobbly and nearly fell a couple of times. Each time, La Volpe caught Connor and steadied him so the boy didn't fall. It was slow going, and other than La Volpe's advice, not once did he criticize Connor's pace or his inability to get to the edge of the branch without help. Once he was on the edge of the branch, La Volpe told Connor to activate his sight. Connor did, and the world washed over him. He could see many things: the Sunny, a small boat, and other locations. As he stared out into the open world, he could feel the information it offered inside him and instinctively knew about his surroundings and everything that the island had to offer.
"Tell me what you see," La Volpe instructed.
"I see…the Sunny. It's damaged. There is a small boat to the west; it looks like a restaurant of some kind. And there is a large structure to the south…I think it's a some kind of large sea creature. And a castle is east of that," Connor explained.
"Anything else?"
"No," Connor answered.
"Then we're done here," La Volpe declared.
"That's it?" Connor asked.
"Yes, I know the limits of your range, and now I can start teaching you properly," La Volpe claimed. "Come, we will find the others and then begin,"
La Volpe helped Connor get back to the trunk and instructed the boy to climb down before he ran to the edge of the branch and leapt off it with his arms out. Connor watched in panic as La Volpe leapt from the top of the tree, but the thief didn't respond to the boy's cries of worry. Connor quickly climbed down the tree the same way he climbed up, and when he got down to the bottom, La Volpe was picking leaves out of his cloak, having landed in a pile of leaves near Robin.
"Why did you jump off?" Connor demanded, carrying his worry for the thief.
"It was the fastest way down," La Volpe claimed. "Besides, I knew I would be alright,"
"How?" Robin asked. She had been watching from below and had seen La Volpe leap off the highest point of the tree.
"I had faith," he answered.
Robin and Connor looked at him in confusion, not understanding what the thief meant. La Volpe turned from the two, and his eyes flashed gold.
"Come, we have our missing crew to find," he said and started to walk off. Connor and Robin followed him.
"Did you get Connor's range?" Robin asked as they walked.
"Yes, but I would like to wait until everyone is together to reveal it," La Volpe answered.
Robin nodded, and the three continued to walk. They wandered through the area, La Volpe following the golden trail that his Eagle Sense revealed. Every so often, he would stop and ask Connor to check if he could see the trail as well, but each time, the boy's undeveloped sight didn't show him what he wanted. After the third time, La Volpe stopped asking.
Robin and Connor chatted idly as they walked. If Robin spotted something interesting, she would point it out, and they would stop for a few minutes so she could explain it to Connor. La Volpe made no comments about the stops, so if it bothered him, he didn't say. After about an hour of walking, La Volpe stopped and stared at the trail. There was a problem: it split into two different directions.
"Interesting," La Volpe commented.
"What is?" Robin asked.
"The trail has split into two directions,"
"What does that mean?" Connor asked.
"It means that while Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp are on this island, they are not all together. Likely they are in two separate groups,"
"Can you tell which trail leads to who?" Robin asked.
"With ease," La Volpe stated. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the trails, honing his thoughts and clearing his mind of all distractions. After a few seconds, the left trail faded out, leaving only the right. "However, I think this presents an ideal teaching moment,"
"Oh?" Robin asked, interested.
"Indeed. Luffy and Zoro's trail heads off to the left and looks like it circles the coast. Nami and Usopp's trail leads right and further inland," La Volpe explained. "Of the two, which group should we follow?"
"Wait, I have to choose?" Connor asked in shock.
"Yes,"
"Why?"
"Because once you master your Eagle Vision, choices like this will come up frequently, and it is better you understand that now and how to determine the correct path," La Volpe stated.
"La Volpe, how do you know which path leads to which group?" Robin asked curiously.
"When the gold trail splits up as it has now, it is merely a matter of focusing on who you wish to find. Once the choice is made, all other trails disappear, leaving a single golden path," La Volpe answered. "To do so, one merely needs to clear their mind of all distractions and thoughts of what lies on the path,"
"So…if I were doing it, I'd have to give up on finding Nami and Usopp to make Luffy's trail remain?" Connor asked.
"Correct,"
"I don't think I could do that," Connor said sadly.
"Why not?" La Volpe asked.
"Because I wouldn't want to lose Nami and Usopp," Connor claimed. "If their trail disappears, I wouldn't find them again,"
La Volpe blinked and shook his head. "You misunderstand. The trail leading to Usopp and Nami will still be there. It will reappear when you refocus on them," La Volpe claimed.
"Oh," Connor responded. "Then we should find Luffy and Zoro first,"
"Why?"
"Umm…because Luffy is the captain and we can't sail without him," Connor reasoned. "Plus, he's more likely to get into trouble than Nami and Usopp,"
"I see, valid points. However, consider this: out of the two, who is the stronger group?"
"Luffy and Zoro," Connor answered.
"So, if they have found trouble—let's say that other pirate crew who attacked us—do you believe they would be able to handle them by themselves?" La Volpe asked.
"Yes," Connor answered without hesitation.
"Of course," Robin added.
"Then if that is the case, what about Nami and Usopp?" La Volpe asked.
"I think they could handle most of the crew," Connor said. "They did fight CP9 successfully and members of the Baroque Works…but…"
"But?"
"I don't want to speak ill of them. But Usopp has a tendency to run, and Nami also has a tendency to use others as a distraction if it will help her get away or if there is money involved," Connor reasoned.
"Connor, it is not speaking badly of someone if it is true," Robin assured.
"I see. So, if that other pirate crew is on this island, do you think they could handle them?"
"Maybe…I mean, probably most of them, but they might have a hard time against the beam guy or any other Devil Fruit users. Honestly, I think they're more likely to run than anything else," Connor admitted. "But Usopp's a sniper with trick ammo, so it's good he puts distance between him and his targets, right?"
La Volpe nodded at that.
"This is all hypothetical, of course," Robin added. "We don't even know if the crew who attacked us is on the island,"
"Ah, actually they are," La Volpe stated. "I saw their ship from the top of the tree earlier,"
"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US?" Robin demanded.
"I did not think it relevant. I had no knowledge that our missing crew were not together until now," La Volpe pointed out.
"But I didn't see their ship. I only saw the Sunny," Connor claimed.
"It is docked much further along the coast and out of your range," La Volpe claimed. "However, it is not out of mine. Worry not; the Sunny is quite far from those who attacked us,"
"Then we need to regroup immediately," Robin said, her voice filled with worry.
"Indeed. So, Connor, knowing your crew's capabilities and the fact that the ones who attacked and separated us are on this island, which path should we take?" La Volpe asked.
"Um…I still think we should go after Luffy first. He should know that we're not alone on this island," Connor decided.
"And if those pirates have encountered Nami and Usopp?" La Volpe asked. "And they are chasing them? You saw what that beam did to the Sunny. Perhaps they have been injured or captured?"
"Well…then…we should go after Nami and Usopp then," Connor said, changing his mind.
"Very well, but what if they are fine and it is Luffy and Zoro who are fighting the crew? What if they need help and our appearance could turn the tide of battle in their favor? Should we follow Nami and Usopp's trail, our absence may lead them to defeat," La Volpe reasoned.
Connor looked up in horror at that thought.
"Stop it," Robin snapped. "Why are you making this harder for him?"
"I am not. Everything must be considered when the trail splits up. We cannot know the condition our missing crew are in, nor can we know if they are safe, running for their lives, or in combat," La Volpe claimed. "Eagle Sense is powerful but it cannot tell us the condition of someone who we can't see. The best we can get are clues from the environment and we must interpret those clues as best we can. After all, Eagle Sense is not Haki,"
"Haki?" Robin asked, confused.
"Oh," La Volpe said, taken aback. "You do not know about Haki? Well…then…hmm...that could complicate things,"
"What do you mean?" Connor asked.
"Nothing, it is irrelevant to this situation anyway and I won't be teaching it to you," La Volpe said, waving it off. "Now, Connor, consider everything I have just stated and choose a path,"
Connor looked down and thought about what La Volpe was saying.
"I think…we should find Usopp and Nami," Connor stated.
"Oh, and why is that?" La Volpe asked.
"Well, Luffy and Zoro are tough, and if they get injured, they just push through. Nami and Usopp are different, though. If they run away, they could be chased, and they're not as strong and fast as Luffy and Zoro are, so if they get hurt…it will be really bad for them and they will need help," Connor reasoned.
"And if Captain Luffy and Zoro are in battle?"
"If Zoro is with Luffy, then odds are they're fine," Connor claimed.
"How so?"
"Zoro is the worst when it comes to directions and Luffy doesn't have a good sense of direction either. The two are probably lost somewhere and if Zoro is leading or…they've split up because Luffy saw something interesting," Connor sighed. "Either way, there is less chance of them running into the other pirate crew, and if they did, they have a better chance at beating them on their own because they can cut loose without having to look out for the rest of us,"
"So, let's go get Nami and Usopp first," Connor finished.
La Volpe smiled. "You know your crew very well, don't you?"
Connor nodded. "I have to,"
"Out of curiosity, if it was Franky, myself, Robin, and Chopper who were missing and you were in this exact same situation, which group would you choose?" La Volpe asked.
"Are they still in groups of two?" Connor asked.
"Yes,"
"Then, whichever group Chopper wasn't in," Connor said.
"And why is that?"
"Chopper is a doctor and he's pretty powerful. It wouldn't matter if that group got hurt or was in a fight because he would be there to make sure they survived. The other group would have no such luxury,"
A fond smile spread across La Volpe's face.
"Good. Well done, by the way. You just passed your first lesson," La Volpe said and started walking off.
"Huh? I did?" Connor asked in surprise.
"Yes. As I have previously explained, Eagle Vision and Eagle Sense are powerful; however, they leave much up to the interpretation of their user and sadly, choices much harder than this often have to be made and can only be made by the user for only they see the bigger picture," La Volpe explained. "You took the information, while limited, and worked through it to reach a conclusion,"
"So choosing Nami and Usopp was the right choice then?" Connor asked.
"There is no right or wrong choice. It is simply a matter of odds of survival and which has the least amount of consequences," La Volpe stated. "In this case, you are correct. Luffy and Zoro stand a much higher chance of surviving on their own without our aid. Nami and Usopp, however, do not. Thus, in this scenario, the choice becomes obvious,"
"Had Connor picked Luffy and Zoro, what would have happened?" Robin asked.
"We would have gone after Luffy and Zoro. But I would have been very disappointed at the outcome and once found, informed everyone of their likely demise and had they been injured, used that as a teaching method for Connor to think things through," La Volpe stated.
"You'd blame Connor for any injuries even though it wasn't his fault?" Robin asked.
"Yes,"
"Why?"
"Because it would drive the point of the lesson home. Interpretation is extremely important when it comes to Eagle Vision and even more so with Eagle Sense, especially when it comes to the user's unique power," La Volpe stated. "If Connor can't understand that or what his sight is showing him, then he has no business using even Eagle Vision's basic abilities," La Volpe finished. "Fortunately, he has just proven that is not the case,"
"So this was a test?" Connor asked.
"Correct, one you passed with flying colours," La Volpe responded.
"But I chose Luffy and Zoro first," Connor pointed out. "I didn't consider Nami or Usopp to be in danger,"
"You didn't know or have all the information. However, once you did, you adapted accordingly," La Volpe countered. "If you keep thinking like that and adapting, you will have no trouble mastering Eagle Vision or Eagle Sense,"
Connor couldn't help but feel a swell of pride in his chest at the compliment.
Elsewhere on the island,
Luffy and Zoro were tied up, bound together with their backs to each other by chains. The chains also kept their arms pressed by their sides, preventing them from using their arms at all. The anchor was a small one as Ganzo only had a small boat. When it was revealed that neither pirate had any money and they had tried to leave without paying, Ganzo had used a combination of his anchor and Zoro's Wado blade to trap the duo. While both Luffy and Zoro had the strength to break free, the fact that Wado could be damaged by doing so held them back. Zoro, of course, was furious and blamed Luffy, even threatening to cut off his head and hand it over to the Marines if his sword was damaged. Luffy didn't need the threat as he knew the blade was as valuable to Zoro as Shanks' hat was to him. He still let Zoro rant and smiled when he gave a simple apology.
Ganzo, however, had the perfect way of extracting payment from the two pirates. He needed his plates washed, so he steered his boat to a nearby island. Once landed, Ganzo dropped the pirates on the shore and began to move the massive amount of dirty plates Luffy and Zoro had used.
"Damn you, old man! You didn't have to go so far!" Zoro shouted when he was dropped on the ground. The Wado was underneath them when the pirates landed, and Zoro was not happy about it. "At least be careful you don't damage my sword when throwing us around!"
"I told you back once I become the Pirate King," Luffy reminded.
"Well, that's very kind of you, Straw-Hat, but I need payment now. I'll have you two help Tobio," Ganzo said, pointing to Tobio. The boy was carrying a large wooden tub off the boat and put it on the grass patch nearby. Curious as to what the boy was doing, Zoro and Luffy watched as Tobio set up the tub. Ganzo walked to a tree, broke off some branches, and brought them over to start a fire. Once it was going, he put a large pot filled with water over the flames to heat the water up.
"Once this water's warmed up, you three will be washing each dish by hand," Ganzo declared. "Tobio will wash, you two will dry, and for every dish you break, it will add 2 beli to your debt,"
"Grandpa, why do I have to do the dishes?" Tobio complained. "I'm supposed to be looking for Woonan,"
"Because you ran away, and don't worry, those two will be helping," Ganzo said, gesturing to Zoro and Luffy. "You can look for Woonan when you're done,"
"Oh, hey old man, what if we pay you out of the gold from Woonan's treasure?" Luffy suggested.
"Luffy, there is no treasure," Zoro stated flatly. "Woonan's dead, remember,"
"HEY, DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! THAT GOLD BELONGS TO WOONAN AND ME!" Tobio shouted.
"Oh really, then you can pay our bill when we find Woonan," Luffy smiled. "Hey old man, Tobio's going to pay for us once we find Woonan,"
Ganzo's eye twitched. "Shut up, all of you. No one is going pirate hunting or treasure hunting until these dishes are done. Do I make myself clear?!"
All of a sudden, an unexpected gust of wind blew Luffy's straw hat off his head. Luffy panicked and he suddenly whirled around (much to Zoro's protest) to track his hat. Thankfully, the wind blew towards the island, and it landed a few feet from Tobio.
"Hey Tobio, can you get my hat for me? It's very important to me!" yelled Luffy from his position on the beach.
Tobio looked up from the still-empty tub and over to where the hat had rested. He walked over to it, picked it up, and faced Luffy.
"Got it," he called.
"Thanks," Luffy said in relief.
Ganzo came over at that moment with the pot filled with now hot water. "Water's done, time to get cleaning. If you don't learn to take responsibility for your actions, then you won't grow up to be like me," Ganzo claimed.
"Like you?! I don't want to be like you, Grandpa! Don't decide what to do for me! When did I ever say I want to sell oden?!" Tobio shouted back, still holding Luffy's hat. The rubber captain's eyes were locked onto it.
"Don't talk back to me, you're a child, a powerless child! When you grow up, you can do what you want, but until then, you will do as you are told!" Ganzo scolded.
"Cut the crap! You always talk about the freaking oden all day, every day. Is it really that important? I've had it. I'm going to find Woonan right now whether you like it or not, and this time I am not coming back," Tobio shouted. He kicked over a stack of plates which shattered and broke when they hit the ground before the boy ran into the forest.
"Ah, my hat! Wait, give it back!" screamed Luffy as he jumped up, dragging Zoro in tow. Unfortunately, as he did this, the small anchor they were tied up to came with them and when Luffy turned around, it hit Zoro on the head.
"Hey old man, I'll definitely pay you back for the oden! Don't worry!" he yelled as he ran off after Tobio.
Ganzo blinked and stared at the broken plates before letting out a sigh and preparing to make a fresh pot of oden.
Luffy raced through the trees after Tobio, calling out for the boy. "TOBIO! Give me back my Shanks hat!" yelled Luffy as he ran through the forest with Zoro tied to his back.
"Could you slow down? My head hurts," Zoro groaned.
"No way, I've got to find my hat first," Luffy said with a grin, continuing his frantic run.
They came out of the trees and spotted Tobio up ahead. The boy was sitting on a rock with a forlorn expression on his face. Luffy ran straight up to him and made another sudden stop, causing the anchor to hit Zoro in the head again.
"STOP DOING THAT!" the swordsman yelled at his captain.
"Tobio, can I have my hat back now?" Luffy asked, lowering his head.
"Huh... oh sure, here," Tobio agreed. He'd forgotten he still had it when he ran off and placed the hat back on Luffy's head.
"Ah, much better! All right, Zoro, let's get back to the coast," Luffy declared.
"What about our debt?" Zoro asked.
"I'm sure Nami can take care of it once the Sunny comes to pick us up," Luffy smiled.
"Yeah, good luck with that conversation," Zoro muttered.
"Hey, Luffy, I have a question for you," Tobio interrupted.
"Go on,"
"Well, I have to be strong to get into Woonan's crew, right?"
"Yep,"
"The thing is, I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to join the way I am now… Grandpa always calls me weak and powerless. So... if I'm not strong, then how can I join Woonan's crew?"
"Oh, that's easy. If you're not strong enough, then just get stronger," Luffy grinned.
"But it's not that simple," Tobio argued.
"Why not?" Zoro asked. "All it takes is a little effort and some training,"
"But..," Tobio tried to argue.
However, Luffy wasn't paying attention since he got his straw hat back. He looked around confused and lost. "Oh yeah, which way is the coast?" he wondered.
When Luffy said that, Tobio panicked inside. "Um..," The boy looked around too. He hadn't been paying attention when he ran off. "I don't know. I was so angry I lost the way back!" he said, grabbing his hair.
"Don't worry, I'll just ask Zoro where to go. He's the best when it comes to directions," Luffy bragged with a grin. "Hey Zoro, which way should we go? We're kinda lost,"
"How the hell am I supposed to know? Just go south or something," Zoro shot back.
"Which way is south?"
"Idiot, north is up on a compass, right? So south is down," Zoro claimed.
"Awesome, thanks Zoro! Come on, let's find somewhere we can go down, Tobio," Luffy said. He picked a random direction and ran off. Zoro had little choice but to go with him as he was tied to Luffy. Tobio didn't think directions worked as Zoro described, but Luffy and Zoro were experienced pirates. They were strong like Woonan, so they must know a trick or two he didn't.
After Luffy claimed that Zoro was the best when it came to directions, Tobio followed along and ran deeper into the woods with the two Straw Hats.
With Usopp,
Usopp and El-Drago's crew stared at a massive metal structure with slack jaws. The metal structure was that of a large whale with small fins. On the whale's top, a small fountain-like effect was attached to give the impression of water coming out of a blowhole. When Usopp had read the map, he'd expected a whale-like landmark, a large rock formation, or something that might need additional deciphering to find. Not an actual metal whale just sitting on top of a hill.
"Well, this is the whale the map spoke of, right?" El-Drago asked.
"It certainly looks like one," Donny agreed.
"So if the whale is facing west... its tail must be at the east," Denny said and looked towards the back of the sculpture. A small tail was curved, pointing off in a different direction. "Look, the tail is in the exact opposite direction,"
"Which means the treasure must also be in that direction," Usopp finished.
"The tail is curved though," Donny pointed out.
"Who cares? It was probably built like that to imitate swimming. All that matters is the way the whale is facing," Gorashi pointed out. He then looked at Usopp. "Right?"
"Huh... yeah. I mean, that's what the map says, and we found the whale on a south hill," Usopp agreed. He wasn't sure himself, but so far the map had been pretty straightforward. "So it should be something to the east,"
El-Drago and Gorashi walked to the end of the whale and looked around. Their eyes immediately spotted a large structure directly in line with the back of the whale. From the hill, it looked like a large castle, with the parapets and towers rising out from the forest.
"Looks like this treasure hunter was right. There, Woonan's castle," El-Drago declared, pointing out the large structure. "Alright men, let's go and get our gold,"
As the group left the large whale, unknown to them, they were being followed by Nami. She had stayed back when they'd climbed the hill as there was nowhere to hide, but once she saw them head off, she ran up to catch up. From the hill, Nami immediately spotted the castle-like structure in the distance and followed at a safe yet close distance.
It didn't take long for her to make it to the trees behind El-Drago's group. Using the trees as cover, she stayed fairly close, listening to the loud chatter the pirates were making.
"So we're finally at Woonan's castle. Figures a rich pirate would have a castle. He sure is living the dream," El-Drago said with approval. "I can't wait to get my hands on all that gold,"
"Don't get too excited, boss," Donny started. "The gold could be hidden in the castle,"
"Yeah, but mister treasure hunter here knows where it is," Denny claimed. "After all, he deciphered the map with ease,"
"Of course I know where it is," Usopp lied. "Woonan and I were friends and old comrades after all,"
"Really?" Danny asked.
"Yes, in fact, we were so close that he told me I could call on him if I ever got into trouble and he and his crew would drop everything to come help me," Usopp bragged.
El-Drago's crew glanced at each other and then burst out laughing.
"Huh, what's so funny?" Usopp demanded.
"Nothing, just surprised we missed one, that's all," Donny said through a sinister chuckle. "Good thing we did, eh, Captain?"
"Indeed, we wouldn't have had an easy time getting the gold if we hadn't," El-Drago agreed.
"What are you all talking about?" Usopp asked.
"Sorry to tell you, oh great treasure hunter, but all of Woonan's comrades are dead," Danny claimed.
"What?" Usopp gasped.
"Yeah, we took the map off the last one. Just because Woonan disappeared a decade ago doesn't mean his other crew did. We found them and killed each one of them. The map you read? Took it off the last living member of Woonan's crew," Gorashi claimed.
"You... killed them all?" Usopp whispered in shock.
"Not at first. We captured and tortured them for a bit in hopes of finding out where Woonan hid his gold. But they all kept saying that Woonan's treasure was his and they would never help us... so yeah, we killed them when they refused," El-Drago explained. "I'm really surprised you've been so cooperative. If Woonons other crew mates were as cowardly and selfish as you are this treasure hunt would have gone a lot easier,"
Usopp was stunned. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. These men had stolen the map from the hands of Woonan's dead crew, whom they had themselves tortured and murdered for money. Usopp wasn't part of Woonan's crew; he had been lying through his teeth thus far. While the map had been incredibly easy to decipher, the fact that Woonan's former crew had still fought hard to protect their captain's treasure even a decade after his disappearance made him feel guilty.
Usopp felt like a traitor. He was leading a murderer straight to gold he had no right or claim to. It felt like a massive betrayal.
They kept walking, and Usopp was no longer interested in the conversation or helping these pirates. He knew he couldn't stop them from finding Woonan's treasure. If it was as obvious as the whale and the map, it would probably be in a large room or something easy to find. Instead, Usopp planned to run the first chance he got.
He would head back to El-Drago's ship and take it out to sea. At least this way, El-Drago would be stranded on the island with no supplies, and the gold would remain on the island.
When the group reached the castle, it barely looked like a castle at all. It had no walls, with only an inefficient moat that was not only empty but had a pathway that led right up to the castle itself. It also looked old, maybe even too old.
"Finally, the castle!" El-Drago yelled as they approached.
"It doesn't look like any castle I've seen before," Danny claimed.
"This is just how Woonan wanted it. He was a little eccentric in what he considered good design," Usopp said confidently.
"So where's the gold at?" demanded Donny.
"Well, you see, that's quite a quaint long story that will take an incredibly long time..,"
Before he could continue, Nami suddenly appeared from behind the front gate, which spooked the enemy crew. She took a deep breath and pointed directly at Usopp.
"Hey, Kamasuke! I can't believe you betrayed me!" she yelled.
"Uh, who are you?" questioned Gorashi.
"I'm Josephine, the great-granddaughter of the Great Gold Pirate Woonan!"
"Woonan has a granddaughter?" Denny asked. "How come none of his former crew mentioned that?"
"KAMASUKE!" she said, pointing to Usopp. "I can't believe you told them our secret that the gold is hidden underneath this gate!" she yelled, stamping her foot on the ground.
"Wait, really? It's under the gate?" said El-Drago hopefully.
"LADY JOSEPHINE! Whatever should we do now, now that they know our secret that if you dig here for three days, you'll find the gold!" Usopp yelled in an over-the-top way, catching on to what Nami was doing. He was so thankful that El-Drago seemed to have fewer brain cells than Luffy.
"Alright, everybody grab some shovels and let's start digging!" Denny declared.
"There's no need for that. This will only take ten seconds!" El-Drago announced as he lifted his arms above his head and started to glow.
"OH NO!"
"HE'S!"
"DOING IT!"
"AGAIN!" yelled everybody in the blast range, immediately running away to several feet behind El-Drago.
"D-D-Don't tell me," stuttered Nami as she was glued to the ground in front of the redhead's blast zone.
"NAMI, get down!" yelled Usopp as he dived towards her, knocking her away just as El-Drago unleashed a massive blast from his mouth. The same blast that had hit the Sunny and damaged it. The blast went right into the castle, causing the whole side of it to turn to rubble
With Connor, La Volpe and Robin,
The explosion shook the forest floor beneath La Volpe, Connor, and Robin. Birds fled the treetops, and the ground's vibrations subsided after a few seconds.
"What was that?" Robin demanded, immediately wary of their surroundings in case an enemy was nearby.
"Nothing good," La Volpe answered urgently. "Come, we must hurry,"
With Zoro, Luffy and Tobio
Meanwhile, Luffy, Zoro, and Tobio were lost in the forest, still running. Luffy, following Zoro's advice to go south, had been looking for something to run down. So far, he'd jumped off two cliffs and ran down four hills, three of which were the same hill due to more of Zoro's poor advice. They only stopped going up and down the same hill when Tobio pointed out they were going in literal circles.
At that point, Tobio began to question the validity of Luffy and Zoro's claim of being strong pirates and not just idiots with a huge amount of dumb luck.
They stopped running when they heard a large explosion nearby.
"Eh, what's that screaming?" Luffy asked.
"Hey, turn around, there's smoke in the sky," Zoro said urgently.
"Could it be a forest fire?" Tobio panicked.
"Let's go see," Luffy said, and ran through the trees. It didn't take him long to spot an odd-looking structure which was the source of the smoke.
"It's coming from over here," Tobio said as he peered through the trees. "That's Woonan's Castle!" he yelled as he saw more and more of the castle getting blasted away.
"If that's his castle, wouldn't that mean Woonan might be inside?" wondered Zoro out loud.
"Woonan! I need to go save him!" Tobio cried, running towards the danger before being stopped.
"Tobio, quick, grab hold of Zoro," Luffy ordered. Knowing the adults were probably faster, Tobio held on to the still-chained-up swordsman. "Alright, let's go," Luffy said, pulling along Zoro and Tobio towards the soon-to-be rubble.
Woonan's Castle
"BLLAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!" yelled El-Drago again as he let another beam out. It once more hit the castle dead on, and now the castle looked more like old ruins than anything livable.
"At this rate, the castle will be vaporized," stated Usopp. He and Nami were hiding in the moat, though it was quickly becoming part of a larger crater.
"Who the heck went and told him the gold was under the castle?" Nami scolded.
"THAT would be you!" yelled Usopp as Nami gave a shy expression.
"Muahahahahaha! If I blow everything up, then all of the gold will eventually appear!" boasted El-Drago at the feat of destruction he'd caused as he charged up another beam.
"Nami, we have to move. If we stay, we'll be burnt to crisps," Usopp urged.
"But the gold," Nami tried.
"I don't think it's here; otherwise it would have shown up already," Usopp theorized. "I guess the map was wrong,"
"Map? They have a map?" Nami asked. Usopp nodded. "Alright, let's go find Luffy and get that gold," Nami declared.
"SHUT UP!" a new voice cut through the destruction. Nami and Usopp grinned. They knew that voice well, this would be their chance to get away.
"Hm?" El-Drago responded as Luffy raced up and stopped in front of the larger captain.
"Hey, why are they chained together like that?" Usopp whispered to Nami as they crawled away, noticing the chains that bound his captain. Nami merely shrugged in response.
"Shut up already, lion! You're hurting my ears!" yelled Luffy as he looked up to an angry red-headed lion.
"You're calling me a lion?" El-Drago demanded with narrowed eyes.
"Oh, wait, sorry, I goofed. I meant to say you're a kitty," corrected Luffy casually. "Yeah, you look more like a kitty cat than a lion,"
"Who the hell are you?!" responded El-Drago angrily.
"Me? I'm Luffy, the man who's gonna be the King of the Pirates. And this guy tied up to me is Zoro," Luffy introduced and turned around so Zoro was facing El-Drago.
"Yo,"
"WOONAN! You better not be dead in there! Answer me!" yelled Luffy towards the literal pile of rubble, which just echoed back to him.
"Muahahahahaha! What are you talking about? Doesn't he know that guy died a long time ago?" El-Drago laughed at Luffy.
"He does. I told him several times," Zoro confirmed.
Luffy only stared at the smoke rising from the ruin. "You don't know that. You haven't seen him. Even if there's only one person that thinks he's alive, then he may still live as we speak," Luffy said in a serious tone.
"What kind of nonsense are you babbling on about?" grunted El-Drago, getting more annoyed than angry now.
Tobio ran up, grabbing a fallen branch. He pushed Luffy and Zoro off to the side and held the stick out like it was a sword.
"Leave this island now," Tobio declared. "This island and its gold belong to Woonan. I won't let you take it or do what you want here. If he's not here to protect it, then I will. So, leave this island now,"
El-Drago stared down at Tobio, reaching down to grab the stick. He lifted the boy up into the air. "Do you want to die that badly?" El-Drago asked, tossing Tobio into the air.
Luffy watched and said a single word: "Zoro,"
The swordsman's response was immediate.
As Tobio was in the air, El-Drago tried to pierce the boy with his golden nails. But suddenly, the nails were all sliced off, and Tobio landed with a thud on the ground. El-Drago looked at his nails and then at the ones who had done it.
Luffy and Zoro were in the air. Zoro had Wado in his mouth, and Luffy's feet were tucked up against the swordsman's back, giving Zoro complete control of their shared movements. Zoro had cut all of El-Drago's fingernails with the sword in his mouth.
"You bastard! I see you're a good swordsman, but you can't stop me!" El-Drago tried to strike Zoro, but Zoro was too fast, causing El-Drago to punch the ground instead.
"TOBIO! Get out of here!" Luffy shouted as he and Zoro slid down a ravine. Zoro and El-Drago struck and parried hits with precision, but Zoro was still chained to Luffy and had only one sword in his mouth. All he could do was move forward to attack.
El-Drago noticed this and simply walked backward to avoid the hit. "What's wrong, a bit tied up?" taunted El-Drago to the encumbered Zoro.
"Darn, if only I had three swords, this bastard would be done for!" said Zoro with a sword in his mouth. Before Zoro could strike again, a force tugged back on him.
"Hey, Luffy, don't stop me! Let me kill him!" Zoro demanded.
"I'm not stopping you," Luffy replied.
Zoro looked behind him and saw Luffy's foot caught on a rock. Zoro's face paled as he realized that trying to reach El-Drago had stretched the rubber captain's leg to its limit. He tried to resist the pull, but with Luffy's rubber powers, he and Luffy were sent flying off into the sky.
Seeing the two fly away, Usopp, Nami, and Tobio ran into the forest to chase them.
El-Drago, however, was left thoroughly confused by what had happened.
"What was that? Hey, wait a minute, what happened to Josephine and Kamesuke?" El-Drago asked his crew as they emerged from hiding. Looking around, El-Drago only received shrugs and murmurs in response.