- Near an Island Full of Lightning -
"...Well, crap," said a man with slick gray hair and sunglasses on, a long scar marring his facial features, chest exposed as he wears an opened-up coat and some long dark pants and boots. He was wearing an admiral coat over his other coats and was also smoking two cigars in his mouth. There also seems to be smoke radiating off of him slightly.
"What is it, Vice Admiral Smoker?" said an attractive woman with glasses, her hair up in a nice bun-like style, wearing a floral shirt, some jeans, and high-heeled boots. Also noted was that she was wearing gloves and a captain's coat over her form. She was also carrying a sword on the hilt of her hip.
"We may need to make a detour, Tashigi," Smoker said, "It looks like the Straw Hats are not going to Raijin Island after all. Apparently, from the black trailsponder snail, they're heading to another island."
"Another island?" Tashigi's eyes widened in surprise, "But, Straw Hat Luffy should go to the bumpiest needle! That's what the plan was!"
"I know that. But it seems that a message came from that island...however, this particular island shouldn't have any life on it at all," Smoker grumbled.
"Not any life on it? Where are they going?" Tashigi asked.
"To Punk Hazard it seems."
"What!?" Tashigi exclaimed, "But that place hasn't been used in four years! It's practically abandoned and sealed off!"
"That's right," Smoker narrowed his eyes, "Which is a little suspicious."
Tashigi stood there in thought as she murmured, "I wonder who could be on Punk Hazard?"
Smoker inhaled one of his cigars, blowing out smoke as he pondered, "That seems to be the question right now...there were also some new voices that I heard in the intercepting call."
"New voices?" Tashigi looked up at her superior, "There are new people with the Straw Hats?"
"It sounded like it. Couldn't make how many, but they sounded young."
"Could they be affiliated with the Straw Hats?"
"That's up for debate. They could be captives, who knows? But if they are affiliated with the Straw Hats, then we must treat them the same as we do to them," Smoker narrowed his eyes in thought, "There's also something that interested me in the call. A samurai..."
"A samurai, Vice Admiral?" Tashigi asked with a blink, "You mean, a swordsman from Wano Country?"
"Yeah. I wonder what someone like that is doing on Punk Hazard."
"Hey, Vice Admiral! When are we gonna face those friggin' Straw Hats!?" said a rowdy sailor, as he and the other sailors were roasting a pirate alive by the stake.
"Change of plans, boys!" Smoker exclaimed, "We're changing course! We're going to the island where the battle against Aokiji and Akainu took place! Punk Hazard!"
"Huh!? We are!? But why!? That place is said to be abandoned!" said another sailor who was using a lance to stab a hanging pirate above the others him and the other sailors.
"No questions! We're taking off!" Smoker told them all, "Set the sails! We're going to get the Straw Hats one way or another! Tell the other ships where we're heading!"
"AYE AYE, VICE ADMIRAL!" the crew of Smokers' ship then relayed to the others in the fleet, and they all set course.
Smoker looked out at the sea and could only think of one thing.
Alright then, Straw Hat Luffy...let's see if you've gotten as strong as people say you are.
Meanwhile, Tashigi was thinking of something different.
Who are these new people that are with the Straw Hats? We only lost communication when they were going below the Red Line...
- Back at the Thousand Sunny -
"Here you all go. A big box of snacks for you guys and for Robin on your trek," Sanji told the volunteers as he gave them a big box lunch wrapped up in tied-up cloth.
"Alright! Can't wait!" Luffy exclaimed in cheer as he grabbed the big box with both hands.
"Okay, so we're about to do this, then?" Usopp asked anyone, obviously nervous, "We're going to our very first dangerous island in the New World?"
"What about that Mushroom Island we were last on?" Zoro asked Usopp with a raised eyebrow.
"That one didn't count. It wasn't exactly dangerous-looking...although, I'm not a fan of the mushroom environment," Usopp made a face upon remembering the island.
"What about the Foxy Pirates?" Robin asked Usopp with a smile.
"Are you serious, Robin? Chopper is a lot more threatening than those guys," Usopp droned.
"Huh!?" Chopper perked up, "I'm threatening!? But I don't want to threaten anyone! I want to be their friend! ...Unless they're mean to me," he muttered that last bit.
"Oh, no, Chopper, I meant...uh..." Usopp faltered there.
Robin knelt down to Chopper and gave him a sweet smile, "It means you're very strong, Chopper. You would've taken down all the Foxy Pirates."
Chopper blinked in surprise...and began to sway around, looking embarrassed and flattered simultaneously, blushing up a fit and smiling as he put his hooves up to his face. "Awww! Stop it Usopp! Stop it, Robin! Shut up! Shut uuuup!"
Katara and Suki both blinked as they looked at Chopper's little happy dance in confusion, but after a couple of seconds passed, they saw how cute and happy he looked, and couldn't help but giggle at how adorable he was acting. Sokka just raised his eyebrow.
Toph snickered, "He's not used to compliments, isn't he?"
Nami chuckled, "Oh, he's used to them. He just loves to hear them."
Aang also chuckled at Chopper's behavior, while Zuko smiled at the reindeer.
"Shishishi! Okay! Let's get on this island!" Luffy announced to the volunteers.
"Is anyone sure they don't want to switch places with me?" Usopp asked fruitlessly. He turned his attention to Suki and Sokka. "What about you guys? Uh, do you like heat? I think I heard you lived at the South Pole, Sokka, and it's pretty cold there, so maybe you could experience the...uh, unnatural heat?"
Sokka and Suki blinked, the former just giving him a deadpan stare. "I think I'm good here, thanks. Besides, I got to look out for the girls here," he turned to Suki and the other two, Katara and Toph. "Which, I'm not saying all of you can't look out for yourselves, I just feel like it's the gentlemanly thing to do. I know you girls can kick any butt, but I'm still a brother to Katara, and even to Toph, and I have to be there for my gal, Suki."
While Usopp was crestfallen on not being switched, Katara and Toph now gave him raised eyebrows, while Suki blinked, and couldn't help but smile at her boyfriend.
"Aww, Sokka! That's so sweet of you! " Suki giggled, "You come a long way, Honey."
"Hey, you kicked my butt and I saw the light," Sokka said with a smile to Suki. Suki giggled and kissed him on the cheek.
Sanji looked on at the interaction with them with a smirk, "Hm. Let me guess, he had a sexist view or something at one time?"
Katara glanced at Sanji in surprise at that comment, and couldn't help but snicker along with Toph, who also heard him.
Noticing this, Sanji looked at the two in confusion. "Um...I guess that's a yes?"
Snickers turned into chuckles, as Katara, "Oh yeah, he did. Like Suki said, my brother came a long way."
"Ah. I'm assuming he learned from Suki, and then you two?" Sanji speculated.
"Well, you think he wouldn't learn by not testing my patience with him when we were younger, but thanks to Suki breaking his ego, he'd been humbled," Katara explained.
"Ah," Sanji said with a smile and a nod, "Very wise man for him to realize not to scorn a woman if he wants to feel her wrath."
"Oh, believe us, he knows now," Toph snickered.
"Okay then!" Nami announced, "Just try to get in there and save whoever is in trouble real fast! Or, if it's a trap, just do your best to get out of it and come back here!"
"Will do, Nami," Robin nodded with a smile.
"Uh, y-yeah, sure thing," Usopp says nervously with a nod.
"Hm." Zoro hummed in acknowledgment.
"Okay, Nami!" Luffy exclaimed cheerfully.
"Uh, no prob!" Aang said.
"Um, yeah...we-uh, we got this," Zuko awkwardly says.
"You guys have fun, okay?" Franky told them with a grin.
"Yohoho! Be careful now!" Brook said.
"Bye for now!" Chopper said, now feeling the heat a little bit as he used his hoove to fan himself, his tongue out, "Eyuck! This heat is really getting to me!"
"Oh! Actually, hold on, guys!" Nami said as she got out three components and let them combine into a weird-looking but very long bo staff (her Sorcery Clima-tact). "Let me make a path for you all to get down from the ship!"
Then, Nami used her bo staff by swinging it around and pointing it to the side of the Thousand Sunny where the right side was facing the land and entrance of this 'Punk Hazard'. The staff's tip then sprouted out a milky cloud substance as it made a 'road' down the ship's right side and onto land.
Aang and the Gaang(except Toph) were, nonetheless, quite surprised by this display of...'sorcery'.
"...Whoa," Aang said with a blink.
"Uh, yeah...that was...interesting," Zuko also said with an amazed look.
"..." Sokka leaned next to Franky as he asked him with a whisper, "Is she...uh, kind of a witch?"
Franky snickered and whispered back, "No way! But be glad she didn't hear you say that."
Seeing the shocked looks on their faces, Robin then explained to them with a smile, "Nami's weapon is called a Sorcery Clima-tact. It's a weapon that can manipulate the weather and lets her use it to her advantage."
"...Uh, okay," Katara said with a blink, looking dumbfounded.
"Um, yeah, we'll...take that," Suki also awkwardly said with a shrug, glancing at anyone to see if they were thinking the same thing.
"...You're talking to a wall at this point, I can't see anything," Toph told them.
Nami chuckled, "Well, either way, this baby helped me out in a lot of jams. But really though, the selected team should get on the Milky Road before it evaporates! I don't think there's a lot of fire from here on in at where we are, but this area is still pretty warm, so you guys pretty much need to hop to it!"
"Alright! Thanks Nami!" Luffy said with a grin.
Before he could jump on the Milky Road, Nami exclaimed, "Wait, Luffy! If you slide on that, you'll feel weak! Just jump off the edge!"
"Huh?" Luffy looked at Nami in confusion, but he then understood, "Oh yeah...aw, man." he then proceeded to rush to the edge and jump off the side of the ship, landing on the ground with his two feet as he did so.
"Wait, he's weak against clouds?" Sokka asked Nami in disbelief, "I thought he was weak against seawater?"
"Well, clouds are actually water vapor, and these clouds I made are just water vapor formed into Sea Clouds, which are gathered by the sea, so, Luffy would be weak against that regardless," Nami explained.
"...Oh..." Sokka said, his expression blank as he blinked.
"..." Nami raised an eyebrow and gave him a look with a hand on her hip, "Do you even know what I mean?"
"Um..." Suki intervened with a sheepish smile, "I kind of know this stuff. I'll teach him about it."
"Hey, I mean, I get it, but she said something about Sea Clouds! What does that even mean!?"
Meanwhile, Robin looked over the side edge of their ship.
"Hmm. Maybe I should use my Devil Fruit powers for this as well," Robin then used her arms in a cross-shaped pose, letting her hands and palms face up, letting a large arm and hand stick out of the side of the Thousand Sunny. She approached the giant hand and jumped on it while still holding onto her pose, and let the hand lower her down to the ground. She got off the hand and released the pose her arms were in, and it dissipated into flower petals.
...The Gaang looked on at that in bafflement, except for Toph of course, who just looked confused.
"Well, time to ride this Road, I guess," Zoro said stoically as he approached the Milky Road.
Usopp sighed, "Well, I guess I'll get enjoyment out of this part, I suppose."
While Zoro and Usopp were getting on the Milky Road one by one, Aang and Zuko turned to the rest of Team Avatar.
"Well, um...wish us luck, guys," Zuko told his friends.
"Uh, yeah..." Aang glanced at Toph and Katara...and Toph again, "Just, um..." Clearing his throat, he just said, "Uh, yeah. Just wish us luck."
Toph felt Aang's heart beating a little fast and wondered why that was when she probably thought his heart was beating fast because of Katara...
...Although, he sounded like he was talking to me...
Either way, Katara told them with a smile, "I think the both of you won't need any luck, honestly. Again, our bending is stronger here, and these guys...well, they got superpowers, so I'm pretty sure you guys got this all in the bag."
Toph then spoke up and agreed, "Yeah! And hey, maybe you can experiment a bit with your earthbending around here, Twinkle-Toes!"
Aang looked a little pleasantly surprised and couldn't but smile, "Hey, yeah, that's right! I think my earthbending could even be improved in this world! And hey, if I could improve, then your bending could be ten times better than before, Toph!"
Smiling at that (and maybe blushing just a tiny bit), Toph said, "Hey, yeah, you could be right, Twinkles! Heh, although I think my bending could be maybe twenty times better."
Chuckling a bit, Aang said to Toph, "Actually, let me rephrase that, because you're being too modest to yourself. I think your bending would be one hundred times better than it was back in our world."
Okay, that actually got a blush out of Toph.
"Uh...th-thanks, Aa-T-Twinkles!" Toph caught herself, now looking a little embarrassed.
Holy crap, was I just stuttering!? And I almost called Twinkle-Toes by his name! Girl, get it together!
The people who noticed this interaction, Suki, Katara, and even Sokka and Zuko, all looked at the two youngest teens and glanced at each other, Suki and Sokka at each other, and Katara and Zuko at each other, which Katara just looked at him like she was saying 'see?'. Zuko blinked and now could see what she was talking about.
However, two other people on the ship noticed this...
Huh. Well, what do you know? That Aang kid knows how to be a charmer. Sanji thought, And Little Tophie was all flustered. Heh, that's cute...hmm...
Oooh, so the tough girl likes the soft guy, huh? Nami thought with a smirk.
Getting back to the subject at hand, Nami told the two benders, "Okay, you guys better get on the Milky Road or else it will evaporate!"
"Oh! Uh, right!" Aang said as he turned around to get to the Milky Road.
"Um, yeah, we should, uh, go," Zuko said as he turned back to go with Aang. "Just be safe everyone!"
"Don't worry, Your Majesty and Mr. Avatar!" Franky called out, "We'll watch over your friends! We always help out a crew member!"
"Uh, thank you!" Aang called out to Franky as he and Zuko were about to jump on the Milky Road. But they soon stopped as they looked a little nervous about it.
"Um...after you?" Aang asked Zuko.
"What?" Zuko said, giving Aang an incredulous look.
"Well...oh, wait! Yeah, I can actually just air glide over there!" Aang remembered, "Um...you have to ride it, I guess?" he shrugged with a sheepish smile.
"...How could you forget that, Aang?" Zuko asked him in disbelief.
"Um...sorry. Been a little...occupied lately," Aang said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Um...want to talk about it when we get there?" Zuko asked him.
Might as well ask him.
"Um...y-yeah...yeah, that'll be good."
"Guys! Either one of you get on the Milky Road, or I have to waste another blast of Sea Clouds! Get going!" Nami ordered.
"U-Uh, okay!" Aang called out to Nami. He turned back to Zuko, "Yeah, we can talk when we get down here." he then jumped off the side of the Thousand Sunny and glided over to the ground, which amazed Luffy and Usopp.
"...Okay then," Zuko said, now trying to mentally prepare himself for this Milky Road that he was about to ride on. He went to the tip of the Road and did what Zoro and Usopp had done; just hopping on it and riding it down.
As soon as he went to the ground, he landed on his two feet. Regaining his balance, he blinked at the action that he just did. "...I just rode a cloud road."
"Yeah, um, you get used to it after a while," Usopp chimed in, "We were at Skypiea for a good bit, so that's natural to us."
"Skypiea?" Aang wondered, "Why is it called that?"
"Aang, if I were to guess, this place would be a land in the sky, believe it or not" Zuko theorized and turned to Usopp and Robin, "I mean...right?"
"Yep. You hit the nail on the head," Usopp nodded.
Robin chuckled, "To put it simply, Skypiea is a cloudy land of sky islands above the Blue Sea."
"...Wait, really?" Aang blinked in astonishment, "There are islands in the sky? I-In your world?"
"Yeah...we pretty much see some crazy stuff in our world," Zoro added in.
"Somehow, with what we saw so far, I don't doubt it," Zuko said as he scratched his head to absorb all this new information.
"Okay, crew!" Luffy said as he pointed at the gate to the island that's labeled 'Punk Hazard', "Let's go on our real first New World adventure and save these guys! And beat up a samurai!"
"Um...we can try talking to the samurai if we can?" Aang suggested.
"Eh?" Luffy turned to Aang, "Talk to them? How's that gonna stop them?"
"Well...I-I mean, we can try to ask the samurai on why they're attacking these people and...whatnot..." Aang said, hoping that was an idea.
"...Nah," Zoro declined, "I'm not really a talker. I just slice things and people who try to challenge me."
"Yeah, that sounds boring," Luffy said, making a face, "If he's attacking people, then he's a bad guy, and sometimes bad people have to be beaten up."
Zuko and Aang blinked at that.
"...Um...okay..." Zuko said a little warily.
"But, uh...I-I was-" Aang tried to say, but Usopp intervened, stopping him.
"It's no use, Aang. Luffy and Zoro are more the 'punch or slice now and ask questions later' guys than actual talkers," Usopp informed, shaking his head in pity, "I've been trying to do that with them for years."
Robin smiled at Aang, "Don't worry, Aang. They'll let them explain their reasonings after they beat this samurai up."
"...But..." Aang just stood there baffled.
"Aang, I...don't think we should worry about that right now," Zuko told him.
"...Uh...okay..." Aang blinked again, in disbelief that they were actually going to use violence to solve things.
"But hey!" Usopp exclaimed, "I don't even think we need to worry! This metal door looks pretty large and unopenable, and the heat here is unbearable to even open it with our hands! And besides, there's a sign that says KEEP OUT and has the insignia of both the World Government and the Marines on it! So that's a sure sign we don't need to go in there!"
Zuko looked at Usopp with a deadpan stare, "...You know, you didn't have to come with us."
"...I know, but I couldn't break the short straw rule," Usopp sulked.
"Hey!" called out Nami's voice on the Thousand Sunny that was on the water near the shore they were on, "What are you guys doing standing there!? If you guys can't go in, then let Zoro slice your way for you! You haven't forgotten about that, have you Zoro!?"
"No, I was gonna do that!" Zoro exclaimed in annoyance, and then muttered, "Really, I was."
Zuko looked at Zoro, impressed, "Wait really? You can slice this thick metal door down?"
"Well, yeah," Zoro directed his attention to Zuko, "You saw me cut a cannonball in half, this isn't anything different."
"...Oh. Uh...r-right, okay..." Zuko blinked, a little embarrassed as he did remember that.
"Wait!" Aang called out to them, "Actually, hold on, let me try something! I want to see if my earthbending also has improved in this world!"
Hearing that, Toph walked up to the edge and stood next to Nami to 'view'(hear) Aang's earthbending. Katara, Sokka, and Suki see that Toph is going to the side of the Sunny and follow her. Brook, Sanji(who was preparing drinks for the girls and some of the guys), and Franky, who was carrying a hot and exhausted Chopper over his bulbous metal shoulder, were curious enough to see what was going on over there and went over to where the rest of the ship's crew was.
"Okay then," Zoro nodded, "Go on ahead. Kind of gives my swords a bit of a rest."
"Earthbending? Oooh!" Luffy exclaimed in excitement, "Is this another one of your mystery-bending magic stuff!?"
"Um...uh, yeah!" Aang said, deciding just to accept Luffy's childish description of bending, "This is earthbending! Toph and I do this kind of bending whenever we get serious against an opponent."
"Hmm. Well then, let's see how your earthbending has changed in our world," Robin commented with a smile.
"Yeah! But I think you guys need to stand back, seeing as our waterbending, firebending, and airbending are a lot stronger here!" Aang cautioned them, "Who knows what our earthbending can do now."
Luffy, Zoro, Robin, Usopp, and Zuko all backed away and went behind Aang as he prepared an earthbending stance.
Okay...just...do a boulder shot at the door...alrighty. Let's see how much our earthbending has improved here. Aang thought.
With that, Aang stomped his foot on the ground...
BWOOOOMP-BOOOSH!
...and out of the ground came a much larger boulder, almost about the size of the Thousand Sunny!
...Aang was stunned.
Meanwhile, Toph blinked, while Katara, Sokka, and Suki looked on in astonishment.
Zuko just looked at the huge boulder in shock.
The Straw Hat crew, however...
"WHOOOOAAA!" Luffy once again has stars in his eyes, "That's so cool!"
"...Wow..." Usopp blinked in awe.
"Oh my...that's a big rock," Robin muttered.
"Hm...that's pretty neat," Zoro said stoically.
With the other Straw Hats on the ship...
"Yohoho! I can't believe my eyes! Oh, I don't have any! Skull joke! Yohoho!" Brook exclaimed.
"Wow...just like that, huh?" Franky said, impressed.
Chopper was still exhausted over Fraky's shoulder, but Sanji looked on at the huge boulder looking quite impressed as well.
"Wow. I don't know if you can sense this, Toph, but Aang just bent a huge boulder almost the size of our ship," Sanji described to her.
"Uh...yeah...I heard it. It sounded like...a really big rock came out of the ground..."
Nami glanced at Toph and couldn't help but give out a smirk and asked her, "You said you're his earthbending teacher, right Toph? What do you think? Are you impressed?"
"...Well...yeah..." Toph said, "...Kind of makes me wonder what my earthbending will look like."
Still smirking at Toph, Nami just remained silent.
Nah. I'll wait on the teasing.
Back to Aang and the group, after the shock, Aang took control of the huge boulder.
"Okay..." he blew out a sigh, "...Let's do this."
He used his hands to create and mold the huge boulder into a large and long ram. He reared the back of his fist...and struck the boulder.
PWWOOOOOSH!
The large rock ram went flying and soaring straight to the door at a fast pace...
And then-
WHAAAAM! CR-CR-CR-CRAAAAAAAASSH!"
...the doors to the island's entrance were slammed by the rock ram, making the hinges of the doors break off easily as if the force of the blow was so powerful enough to break them. The doors were bent from the impact and flew behind themselves, noisily landing on the ground. The rock ram was still intact, albeit it flew forward along with the doors, landing on the ground as it crumbled into pieces after being used.
...Aang stood there in awe.
Everyone else in Team Avatar stood there in shock and awe also, while the Straw Hats just looked on impressed.
...Zoro was the first to say, "Huh. Well, that's one way to get inside."
"...Yeah...whoopee," Usopp mumbled in disappointment.
Robin hummed in intrigue, "Very impressive."
Luffy on the other hand, had his mouth dropped down into a grin with more stars in his eyes.
"WOOOOOOOWWW! THAT WAS AWESOME!" he exclaimed.
Aang, still in shock at how powerful that rock ram hit those doors, stood there stunned. "Uh…yeah..."
Nami, while she was impressed, wanted to see what Toph's reaction would be.
Toph 'looked' on at the direction the sound was at, and couldn't help but...smile. It was a smile that had some pride in it, but mostly it was a smile full of...admiration...
It was then Toph hollered out, jumping up and down as she leaned on the edge of the ship's rail while cheering, "ALRIGHT TWINKLTOES! WAY TO GO!"
Aang turned around to see the cheering and jumping form of Toph on the ship. Seeing her grinning happily, he couldn't help but feel...a little warm-faced...and it wasn't because of this island.
In fact, seeing her happy...made him a little happy as well...
Smiling back at her, Aang called out, "Thanks Toph!"
Toph stopped jumping in excitement as she pumped her fist in the air and hollered, "You got this, Twinkles!"
Chuckling at Toph's comment, he turned to the rest of the search party group. "Well, I guess we can go on in!"
Luffy cheered, "YEAH! Let's go!"
Meanwhile, Zuko glanced at Aang and at Toph, a little curious about their interactions with each other...
...Hmm...maybe Katara is on to something.
With the other Gaang members, Suki and Katara glanced at Toph, having the same thought in their heads...
Hmm...I feel like something is happening between Aang and Toph...I just don't know if I'm right or not. Suki thought.
Oh yeah, I think Toph might have a thing for Aang. She wouldn't jump up and down with that much excitement. Hmm...although, I do need to wrap her bindings a little more securely. Her, uh...chest is making them loose. Katara thought.
Nami, who was beside Toph, couldn't help but smirk.
And as for another member of the Straw Hat...
Awww, that's so cute! Little Tophie is excited for her crush! ...At least I think she's crushing on that Aang kid. Hmm...I don't know. I got to ask her. Sanji thought.
Entering Punk Hazard
As soon as they entered through the gate(much to Usopp's chagrin), they were met...with an even hotter environment. Flames were going crazy on different buildings, as these buildings looked to be made of stone. There seems to be no one even in these buildings either...
Aang was feeling the heat, as did everyone else...except for Zuko, apparently.
"Phew!" Luffy said as he took off his red opened shirt, "This place is too hot!"
"Hm. Yes, it seems so," Robin said as she waved her hand on herself to fan the heat away.
Zoro was also taking off his coat, while Usopp was actually dressed for the occasion, as he had no shirt on and was just wearing overalls.
Aang wiped the sweat off of his bald forehead with his arm. "Man...I should probably blow these fires away."
"That would be wise, Avatar Aang," Robin said with a nod and a smile as she took her shirt off.
Seeing this, Aang blanched but was relieved when he saw that she was wearing another shirt, a spaghetti crop top underneath the shirt she was wearing.
Usopp looked at Zuko, who didn't seem to be suffering through the heat, and asked him, "Hey, how come you're not sweating profusely like the rest of us?"
Zuko looked at Usopp in question, "Um...I firebend. We're used to the heat."
"Really?" Usopp blinked, "Even with degrees this hot?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, we can feel warm, but we mostly control our body heat by subconsciously firebending through breath whenever we are in a hot or cold place," Zuko explained.
"Huh. That's useful," Zoro commented.
"Uh, yeah...I need to learn that from you, Zuko," Aang said, the heat now making him hotter as he sweats.
Seeing as that could be a chance to get Aang a little close so he can speak to him, Zuko said, "Uh, yeah, actually, I can teach you if you want to know how."
"Really?" Aang eyes widened as she smiled, "Wow, thanks Sifu Hotman!"
"...Please don't call me that, Aang."
Robin looked over at the buildings that were on fire, observing the flames that engulfed them. "Hmm...this island doesn't seem like it was always on fire. The flames on these buildings seem to be here before these flames even came into existence."
"Wait, so this was an actual town one time?" Usopp asked Robin.
"I don't think this is a town as I think these buildings aren't houses...this looks like a World Government facility," Robin elaborated even further. "And Nami said that the Log Pose didn't point at this island...which is very curious."
Aang turned to Robin and asked, "And the World Government and Marines are bad right now, right?"
Robin turned to smile at Aang, "Yes. Other times there can be sensible people that are in the World Government and the Marines, but the majority of them all, are...well, they are misguided, we'll say."
"Huh..." Aang nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm sorry you guys had to deal with all of that."
"Eh. Comes with the package of being a pirate," Zoro said as he walked forward.
"True," Robin nodded, smile still intact as it widened, "And we wouldn't have it any other way."
"Well, I wish I would've just had the adventure and not the danger," Usopp muttered, as he got the box of snacks out of the wrapped-up cloth, eating a rice cake, "Speaking of danger, something really sticks out for me on that snail transponder call."
"Really?" Zuko asked in curiosity, "Like what?"
"Well, the guy who was being attacked said something like 'cold'...and this place is hot...does anyone remember that?" Usopp explains.
"Hmm...yeah, he kind of sounded like he was shivering as well," Zoro said.
"Hm. That, or he could've just been talking about the sweet cold embrace of death," Robin pointed out.
...The Usopp, Aang, and Zuko looked a Robin with wide eyes, except for Zoro and Luffy, whom the former was just looking around in his stance, while the latter was looking around the fiery buildings for any sign of life.
"...Um...that's a little dark, Robin," Aang said uneasily.
"Oh, I was just joking. No harm in telling jokes at a time like this," Robin said with a smile.
...Aang blinked, as well as Zuko.
"...Don't mind Robin, she just has a dark sense of humor," Usopp said with a comical sweatdrop.
Luffy, however, was getting impatient and yelled out, "HEY! GUY FROM BEFORE! ARE YOU OUT HERE!?"
"Luffy! Don't bring attention to yourself!" Usopp exclaimed.
But of course, Usopp was ignored.
"HEY SAMURAI GUY! WHERE ARE YOU!? I WANNA KICK YOUR ASS!" Luffy yelled out as he walked further down this facility base.
"Luffy!" Usopp rushed over to his friend and Captain so he could shut him up.
As Zoro and Robin went on ahead as well, Zuko and Aang were walking behind them, standing side by side...
...Zuko decided to get this whole thing over with.
The more the sooner, the better.
"Um...so, Aang," Zuko said to him.
Aang turned to Zuko as they walked, "Huh? Yeah, Zuko?"
"...Do you...uh...have...eyes for someone...lately?" Zuko asked him as best as he possibly could.
Blinking at that, Aang looked a little confused, "Um...what do you mean?"
"Uh, what I mean by that, is...well, I...I know you and...uh, K-Katara are...together..."
"Oh..." Aang looked like he just remembered something about that, "Oh, um...well, uh, we kind of...I mean, we're not officially together yet...I mean...well, ever since this whole...you know, going-to-a-different-world stuff is happening, I..." he now looked conflicted about something. Shaking his head, he asked Zuko, "I-I'm sorry, what are you asking?"
"Oh, uh...well...I just noticed that...n-now correct me if I'm wrong, and I'm just curious here, cause I have noticed you were a little...distracted lately around one of our friends."
Aang's eyes widened in shock, "I-I was?"
"Well...okay, look, are you...seeing someone else that...isn't Katara?"
"...Huh?"
"I mean, seeing as in, you know...eyeing them..." Zuko rubbed his neck awkwardly, "L-Look I won't think differently of you if you do, I'm just curious."
"...Oh...uh..." Aang looked a little nervous all of a sudden, "Um..." his walk slowed down into a stop, like he was really thinking about it.
Zuko stopped as well and looked at Aang, "Uh, you okay?"
"...I...I don't know...Zuko, I'm...maybe I'm beginning to notice some...feelings that I have for-"
RRRRUMBLLLLE-CCRRRUMBLLLE!
Startled by the sound and vibration coming through their feet, Aang and Zuko looked at the direction they were taking and saw Luffy, Usopp, Zoro, and Robin standing in front of something...
Rushing over to them, they can see that in front of them, among the rubble of the buildings was...
Zuko and Aang stopped in time as they got close to the rest of the Straw Hats, and all of their mouths dropped.
"Wha...WHAT THE!?" Usopp exclaimed in shock.
"Huh!?" Luffy blinked as he looked astonished, "Whoa...do those things actually exist!?"
Zoro's eye widened as he looked in shock too, "But...those are just...imaginary in this world, right!?"
Robin's mouth dropped open as she looked in shock and awe, "That...doesn't look imaginary!"
As soon as it rose, it made itself known...
Aang and Zuko looked on at the beast that was in front of them, amazed by what they are witnessing.
"A...A DRAGON!?" Aang exclaimed.
"That's...That is! It may not look like what our dragons look like, but it is a dragon!" Zuko exclaimed also.
The giant red-scaled dragon had sharp gashing bottom teeth and two horns that were protruding on the top of its head, sharp multiple dragon fins on its back and tail, and large leathery wings on its back. Its' beady eyes looked down on them, observing them...
...The group all just looked up at the dragon...
"...Maybe...it's friendly...?" Usopp meekly and hopefully asked anyone.
...The dragon reared up its neck...and flames were starting to form out of its mouth!
"...Uh...I don't think it's friendly!" Aang exclaimed, his eyes wide in alert.
Then, the dragon fired a blast of fire out of its mouth!
FWWOOOOOOSSSSHH!
Back at the Thousand Sunny, and over at the Southwest of the Island
Sokka and Suki were sparring on the grassy deck, while Brook, Franky, and an overheated and tired Chopper were watching and cheering them on, while Nami, Katara, and Toph were sitting near a table on the deck. Sanji was inside the kitchen fixing a couple of cold drinks.
It had been exactly fifteen minutes after Luffy, Aang, Zuko, and the rest of the search party left, and everyone decided to just relax for the time being. Nami and Katara were watching Sokka and Suki spar, while Toph was just relaxing as she waited for the cold drinks that Sanji was making.
"Wow, your brother and friend are good fighters," Nami complimented.
"Oh, thanks! My brother really has come a long way. And Suki is just a natural fighter," Katara commented, "...Although, I guess it wasn't enough when we faced Ozai and his crew."
Nami saw the despondent look on Katara's face and said, "Hey, don't worry. We'll help you guys out with your...um, Naimen Chi? Either way, we'll help you all out on getting a little stronger. Your bending is a lot stronger here like you said, so maybe you and your friends can help us out in any type of jam or anything."
"Well, I'll tell you one thing," said Toph, "I'm itching to use my earthbending when we get on proper land. If Twinkletoes' earthbending is better than before, then I wonder what mine would be like."
Upon hearing Toph referring to Aang by his pet name, Nami smirked and said, "Yeah, you were pretty happy with Aang's earthbending there, weren't you?"
"Heck yeah! I knew he would get the basics of earthbending, but he's really lacking in some of the techniques. After hearing the amount of earth he gathered, I couldn't be more proud of him, even if his earthbending is stronger here in this world!" Toph said with a smile.
Katara then decided to take the shot at asking Toph about Aang, "Um, speaking of Aang, you and he are...a little close lately."
"Huh?" Toph blinked her unseeing eyes, "Uh...we are? I thought we always were?"
"Well, I kind of mean...well, you and Aang seem to be..." Katara quickly tried to think of another way of saying this, "...well, when I said 'closer', I meant you two have some kind of...energy with each other?"
"...Uh...what?" Toph asked her in confusion.
Nami, though, knows what Katara is trying to say, and plainly says, "Do you like Aang, Toph?"
Both the girls, Katara and Toph, looked (well, with Toph, you get the idea) at Nami in surprise.
"Wh-What!?" Toph asked.
"Wait...you sensed it too?" Katara asked Nami.
Nami shrugged with a sly grin, "Eh, call it a woman's intuition."
"W-Wait, hold on!" Toph spoke up, "I-I don't, I mean, I-I'm just a friend! Besides, Aang is...well..." she turned her head to Katara, "Actually, are you two still together, or...?"
"What?" Katara's eyes widened at that claim, "Um...well, not really, but he-"
"Whoa, wait a second, you're with Aang?" Nami asked in genuine shock.
"Um, well...not...yet?" Katara cringed.
Toph raised a peculiar eyebrow and asked warily, "So...you do want to be with Aang?"
"...Actually..." Katara began to say, but Nami jumped in.
"Hold on a moment! What's this about now?"
"..." Katara sighed, "Look, Aang is really sweet, but...I...have eyes on...someone else..."
Nami eyebrows lifted up in interest, "Oooh...really?"
"...Yeah," Katara blushed.
Toph was silent momentarily, until she said, "It's Zuko, isn't it?"
"Zuko?" Nami blinked, "The Fire Lord?"
"...Nothing gets past you, Toph," Katara mumbled.
"I had my suspicions," Toph said, "But it's thanks to my hearing whenever I hear you guys talk 'privately'."
"Privately? What did you two talk about?" Nami asked.
"It's-It's just...relationship stuff...I-I didn't tell him I like him-"
"Wait, you didn't!?" Nami exclaimed with her eyes widened in shock, "Why not? The guy is pretty nice-looking even with the scar on his face!"
"I mean, I couldn't cause...well, Aang was really trying to make our relationship work, and I couldn't...I couldn't just reject him like that. And I couldn't tell him that I like someone else, that being one of his friends, and...ugh!" Katara put her head into her hands, "This wasn't supposed to go this way! This was about Toph, not me!"
Toph blinked again, "...Well...I...I guess...I could say that...I may have some kind of...crush on Twink-um...on Aang."
Nami just looked at the two girls in silence, unable to think of anything worthwhile to say...
"...Well, damn. Uh...I'm sorry you gals have to go through all of this," Nami sympathetically told them.
"...Well, at least we admit it to each other now," Katara said as she released her head from her hands and looked at Toph with a smile.
Toph rubbed the back of her head, "Yeah..."
Katara then smirked at Toph, "So you like Aang, huh?"
"...Y-Yeah..." Toph mumbled, her face blushing a bit.
"And you like Zuko, huh?" Nami asked Katara to confirm it.
"Um...yeah..." Katara said, now a little embarrassed.
Nami just looked at the two girls, each in their own dilemma.
"...Well, hey, you'll have time to tell each of your boys how you feel!" Nami told them, "I mean, you gals have an understanding now, at least!"
"Who now?" said the voice of Suki, whom she was walking up to them with a towel on her shoulders.
Katara and Toph jumped and said nothing until Nami said, "Um...how much did you hear?"
Suki blinked, "I just heard the part where you said, 'to tell each of your boys how you feel'. And something about an understanding?" then, something clicked in Suki's mind, "Oh! Is this...relationship stuff?"
"..." Katara looked at Toph, who just sat there looking a little nervous.
Toph then muttered, "Man, being short sometimes sucks. Can't touch the ground on these chairs." she then got off the chair and asked Suki, "Okay, let me ask you this: Have you been noticing me and Katara being a little...not there lately around certain people?"
Suki's eyes widened, "Um...well, kind of, I guess I would say...who are these certain people?"
Sighing, she directed her attention to Katara, "Think we should tell her?"
Katara looked at Suki, who was confused, "...Yeah. I mean, as long as Sok-"
"Hey ladies, what's going on?" Sokka then came up to them, towel around his shoulders.
...Damn it. Katara thought.
Suki turned to her boyfriend, "Um, something about your sister and Toph acting strange around certain people?"
Sokka raised an eyebrow at that, thought about it for a second, and then perked up, "Oh! Wait...is this...like boy and girl stuff?"
Suki now realized what the girls were getting at as she turned to the girls, "Wait a minute...okay, I'm thinking these people are guys...that we hang out with...right?"
Katara and Toph just sat there in silence, when Nami said, "Hey girls, why don't I just tell them, okay? They can keep a secret, right? I mean, we are kind of in too deep here."
"Wait a moment, if this is about boy and girl stuff, then..." Sokka looked at Katara for a second, and said, "Uh, Katara...just answer me this...are you having second thoughts about Aang?"
Katara looked up at her brother in surprise, "Uh..." she lowered her head down and sighed, "...Yeah, I am," she raised her head up to look at her brother, "But only because I like someone else!"
"..." Sokka put his hands on his hips and gave his sister a sly look, "It's Zuko, isn't it?"
...To say Katara was shocked to hear that he found out, was an understatement.
"...W-What?" Katara stuttered.
Suki turned to Sokka in surprise and then at Katara, "Wait...you do like him, do you?"
"Uh...U-Uh, well-"
"Welp, that says it, I'm gonna spoil," Nami said, "Katara likes Zuko and Toph likes Aang."
...Sokka and Suki blinked, processing this information.
"...Okay, the Zuko and Katara thing, I understand, but...Toph and Aang?" Sokka asked to confirm what he heard was true.
Toph made a face at Sokka, "What's wrong with that?"
"...Uh, nothing! I just...didn't think you were into the soft guys," Sokka said, a little in disbelief.
Suki smirked, "I had my suspicions on the Aang and Toph thing, actually."
"You had?" Sokka looked at his girlfriend in shock.
"I mean, if you've been paying attention, yes," Suki claimed.
"Wait, you knew?" Katara asked her brother, stunned that he figured it out.
"Well, I mean, the signs were there," Sokka shrugged.
"Okay, so basically everyone knows now," said Toph, "let's all just-"
Then, there was a sound that Toph heard.
BOOMPH! BOOMPH!
Toph froze at the sound. "What was that?"
Nami, now on high alert, asked, "What was what?"
But then, two medium-sized balls landed on the grassy deck of the ship.
And each of them was sprouting a purple gas...
Startled by that, and as Nami and Katara got up from their seats, the balls were spewing out purple gas at a rapid rate, almost covering the deck with it.
Sokka blinked and asked what is on everyone's mind, "Uh...what are those?"
Brook, Franky, and Chopper who was still draped over Franky's shoulder, were coming up to them when they were surprised by the balls of purple gas arriving on their deck.
"Huh? What's all..." Franky started until his head started to feel dizzy.
"Yoho? What is this...gas...?" Brook asked until he too was getting lightheaded.
Chopper, who was already tired, was getting a lot sleepier.
Nami was starting to have the effects as well, along with the rest of Team Avatar.
"Wha...why am I so...sleepy?" Katara asked anyone, her eyelids getting heavy.
Suki's eyes began to get a little heavier too, "Yeah...what's...going on?"
Toph was also getting a little tired, "What the...?"
"...Guys...I feel...sleepy too..." Sokka slurs.
Nami eyes were beginning to fall as well as she tried to hold onto something, but slipped and fell over, becoming more and more unconscious like the rest of the others. Every person on the deck was now slowly going into unconsciousness...
Then, the door to the kitchen opened, with Sanji coming out of it with the drinks.
"Hello, hello~! Who's ready for some nice cold refreshing drinks, girls-"
Sanji then sees the scene in front of him, the unconscious bodies of his crew and his new friends.
"Huh?" Sanji looked around the deck, "...You guys taking a nap?"
Then, he noticed the purple gas...
"...Huh?" Sanji then started to feel woozy, "Ugh..." he staggered and dropped the drinks, letting them shatter, "What...is this? Is...this gas...natural?"
Or...did someone infiltrate the ship!?
He turned around to go to the kitchen, albeit drunkenly thanks to inhaling some of the gas, tripping on his own feet and landing on his knees, trying to drag himself to the snail transponder on a cabinet.
Ack...I hope...the others took...a portable snail with them!
Sanji was close to the cabinet where the snail was. He reached for it to try to grab it before he was knocked out unconscious...but the gas took him, letting him collapse on the floor.
...
...
...Footsteps were coming onto the Thousand Sunny.
People in round hazmat suits with rifles and air supply on their backs. Their only way of seeing was the round window on the hazmat suits' faces.
One of the hazmat suit-wearing men looked around the Thousand Sunny to see if anyone else was knocked out. Another looked down at the unconscious bodies that were knocked out. The other two were keeping watch if anyone decided to come back to the ship.
"Hmm..." the hazmat suit man who was looking around the ship said, "All clear."
"Hm," the hazmat suit man who was observing the unconscious crew on deck then said, "From what we're seeing here, we have six humans, one humanoid metal man, and a pet...and also a dead body."
"Should we tie them up?" asked one of the hazmat-suited men, "Four of them tied up and the rest of them all gathered as well?"
"Of course. Accept for the dead body, obviously."
"Yessir!"
"Hm. It looks like they're all pirates...well, this is perfect. We shall offer these criminals to Master. No one's going to make a fuss over some pirates gone missing."
"Still, how did they get past the fires?"
"That is questionable. Maybe Master will ask some of these pirates how they did that. Until then, round them up. We don't want to keep Master waiting..."
Hey all! Glad I got this chapter going! :D Well, next chapter we'll see a fight scene with the rest of the Straw Hats, Aang, and Zuko fighting the dragon! And maybe some other stuff will happen! ;D
Hopefully, I can keep this going with the next chapter, as I think it's more action-heavy. Again, you hear me say this all the time, but I have other stories to do and write, so I need to focus on them at some points. Either way, thank you for sticking by me and reading this story! :D Don't worry, the romance won't hog all of the story, alright? I'm just getting this out and over with so we can get to the meat of the story, okay? X)
Tell me what you all think with a review, and give me a fave and a follow! ;D
Until then, thank you all for reading, and keep on rocking everybody! XD
-TSP