(Eddy POV)
Eddy was a navigator. He might not be the best out there, but he considered himself fairly competent. In fact, his skill had only grown by leaps and bounds ever since entering the Grand Line, if only out of necessity. The incompetent tended to die quickly around here.
As such, he was normally comfortable in calling someone out on their bullshit, especially in his personal field of expertise. That is, if that someone weren't his captain. Telling your captain that he was an ignoramus wasn't the smartest choice a pirate could make. Sarquiss on the other hand didn't seem to have such scruples.
"The knock up stream? You cannot be serious."
"…"
"You're serious. Oh god, he's serious." Sarquiss threw his arms up in the air, frustration and disbelief clear on his face. "People, the captain's gone mad! Mad, I tell you."
Looking around, Eddy saw similar sentiments echoed by most members of his crew. Muret and Rivers seemed to be the exceptions, but even they looked sceptical to say the least.
And why wouldn't they? His captain had just told them, that the only way to get to the sky island was to ride an explosion of water up into the sky, on the hopes of landing on fossilized clouds. Should they get in position too early, their ship would be blown apart. Too late and they would fail to reach the clouds, dooming themselves to death by fall damage. To boot, they had only a minute to reach the clouds, at best.
To make things worse, that wasn't even the worst part. No, that dubious honour went to the fact, that we weren't even certain you could land on the clouds. Clouds don't fossilise. It's vapour, a fact that doesn't change just because a descendant of Noland the Liar claimed otherwise. They would be gambling their lives on the speculations recorded within the logbook of a notorious liar, who was executed for lying some four hundred years ago.
Also, let's say that everything worked out. They ride the knock up stream, land on fossilized clouds and find the island in the sky.
"How would we get back down?"
Sarquiss whirls upon Rivers, who flinches away from the first mate. "You cannot be considering this! We wouldn't get up there in the first place! We'll die!"
"Captain, you have to admit that this seems farfetched." Muret says, massaging her forehead, seemingly trying to drive away the incoming migraine. "Normally I'd follow you no questions asked but this is…"
"This is the only choice we've got. Unless you'd like to stay here forever." The captain says, cutting her off. "I know all of you secured some more log poses while I was away. Even some from crews who were just about to depart. Log poses, which were pointing to islands not in the sky."
Usually the captain would grin his trademark grin. Right now, he was grimacing. "Do tell me. What happened to those?"
Nobody answers him. It's not that they don't know the answer, but that the answer is too damning. Once voiced, Eddy is afraid that there would be no going back. They were already pushed to the very edge of the proverbial cliff as they are.
The captain looks them straight in the eye, one after the other. It's a piercing stare, one which swallows up all hope before it, the emotionless stare of a man who knows he is already dead.
Eddy swallows.
"All of them, all of them started pointing up into the sky the moment you got your hands on them."
Don't say it. Please, don't say it.
"We're cursed."
Dammit Rivers!
Mani lets out a sob, burying her face in her hands. Others slump forward onto the table, shaking and trembling. Sarquiss has gone catatonic, staring up into the ceiling as if he's seeking some deity to provide divine intervention. In a corner, Hewitt and Ross are openly crying in each other's arms, blubbering about the unfairness of it all. Eddy himself isn't doing any better. He can taste the snot and tears running down his face.
"We aren't cursed, you shitheads! There's got to be another explanation for this shit!" Lily's words just trigger a fresh round of wails, and the blonde lowers her fist after a moment. It's hard to keep up moral by your lonesome. "Muret, back me up here! Do your sciency shit!"
Lily throws the doctor a pleading look, but Muret's expression is unreadable, only the slight biting of her lower lip betraying her inner turmoil.
This was not how their adventure was supposed to go. A new era was coming and they were supposed to be the ones riding the waves to glory.
Enemies they could fight. Bellamy was the strongest, barring veterans like the shichibukai. But amongst the rookies, Eddy knew for certain that no one had the strength and potential his captain did. The government just didn't know it yet. Physical enemies they could deal with.
But…how did one deal with a curse? A witchdoctor? Where did you even find one? How did you find one if you couldn't get off this godforsaken rock?
"Captain! Tell them it's not a curse! Please!" Lily looks ready to cry too, scowling in a valiant effort to keep back the flood of tears. "Say something!"
(Bellamy POV)
The situation was more serious that I had originally assumed. At first, I had hoped we had a choice. A way to keep our options open. Those hopes were cracked when Eddy brought me the first dozen log poses. Then they were dashed into itty bitty pieces not long after.
I don't know what manner of Being dropped me into the world of One Piece, but it's obvious now that trying to stay out of the plot is a big No-No. The world is breaking its fucking rules in order to force my hand.
Stupid, stupid deus ex machina bullshit. Log poses don't act like this.
Frankly, I'm afraid of what else is going to happen if I can't convince the crew to go along with this. They're panicking already when they aren't in any immediate danger. What if…
"Captain! Tell them it's not a curse! Please! Say something!"
Time to be the captain, come what may.
"Quit your blubbering! All of you!" I growl. They don't but at least the wailing subsides into choked sobs. "We aren't going to die."
It's like they've seen the light at the end of a tunnel, like people who've been burned by hope one too many times but are still desperately hungering for it. People willing to believe anything to escape the fear of certain doom and willing to cling to the frailest of hopes. And I just promised to give them that hope.
Right now they are terrified because the world stopped making sense. So terrified in fact, that they now believe in something as irrational as curses.
You can't reason with irrationality.
…It's time to commence operation bullshitting.
"Who am I?" No answer. "Who the fuck am I?" I repeat, slamming my fist down on the table.
"Bellamy." "The captain." "Bellamy the Hyena."
"That's right, I'm Bellamy the bloody fucking Hyena! And I'm not someone who's going to be a footnote in someone's story."
Standing up for emphasis, I do my best to appear regal. Not sure how but from the portraits of kings I've seen, I gotta slightly turn to the side, head up, look down my nose just a bit, one arm placed on my hip, the other held high. Fist closed. "I'm going to be the hero of my own tale. I'm going to carve my name into the annals of history. I'll be feared and respected, my name on every household lip. Spoken in the same breath as the yonko!"
I know that's a load of crap tumbling out of my mouth but I can't stop now. I've committed to this and breaking it off because of my personal feeling of awkwardness would backfire horribly. Plus, it's kinda working. They've stopped sobbing. Now, I have to fully face them, arms stretched wide open.
This is so embarrassing.
"My tale will not end here for I refuse to let it end! I decide my own fate and no curse is going to stand in my way!"
I very consciously avoid mentioning God, the devil, ROB or anyting else of said nature. I probably am already pushing it by calling out fate, but I can see hints of a smile creeping back on their faces.
"I ate a devil fruit! The curse of the sea! I took it, I broke it and made it my bitch! I did it once, I'll do it again!"
Let's just conveniently leave out the part where due to the curse I can't swim, shall we? That's not relevant right now.
"You are the crew of a future legend." I say, toning down my voice to add some gravity to my next words. Now, got to tickle their pride. According to canon and the fragments of Bellamy's memories, these guys had only experienced success so far. It'd be weird if they weren't packed up their gills with pride. "Are you weaklings who'll let something like this stand in your way?"
Come one, give me something to work with here. Where's your arrogance?
"No?" The voice is uncertain but it's there. It's not nearly good enough but it's a start.
"I asked, are you weaklings?"
"No." "I'm not a weakling!" Ok, that had more conviction in it but it's not enough. Sarquiss hasn't responded yet and neither have Muret and Ross. Lily is screaming it though, good for her.
One last time. "ARE YOU WEAKLINGS?" I roar at them, gripping the table so hard it cracks.
The response is nearly as loud, a resounding "NO!" echoing around the room.
For the final finish. "THEN WHAT'S THE BLOODY PROBLEM?" Flexing my muscles, I rip the table half and fling the pieces through the wall behind me. It certainly had an impact if the following cheer is any indication.
"NOTHING, CAPTAIN!"
The sun is beautiful as it sets, lighting the sea on fire.
"Nice speech back there, captain."
"Thank you." I answer, which seems to slightly take her aback. Did Bellamy not say thank you? "Did you want something Muret?"
Whatever it is, it probably wasn't a bit deal as Muret plops down beside me without another word. "How are the rest doing?"
"They were cheering and hollering for a good twenty minutes but have now calmed down somewhat. Sarquiss took most of them into the jungle looking for that bird." Muret answers me, hugging her knees to her chest.
"Most of them?"
"Hewitt is stocking up on supplies. Why did you want a fruit basket anyway? You don't even like fruit. Heck, you despise pineapples and that's the one fruit you specifically told Hewitt to get."
Do I tell her that it's to test out a fanon theory on devil fruit reincarnation? Nah. I'm not even sure if it'll work at all. Best not chance it.
"Not sure they have fruit up there. Might as well have it on hand, just in case."
"Just in case?" her voice has a teasing lilt to it, and I'm sure that if I were to look, I'd see her smiling softly. She does have a nice smile, just that she rarely shows it. Most of the time she just smirks with the best of them, just like in the show.
"Just in case. Who knows, maybe I'll put it on pizza." Ow. "Did you just punch me?"
"That's revolting and you know it." she says, her nose scrunched up in distaste and her eyes daring me to say otherwise. I decide that caution is the better part of valor and wisely go no further. I'm not getting into that argument. It got vicious back home.
"You do know you just committed a mutiny, right? Assaulting your commanding officer is a punishable offence."
"And, what are you going to do about it…sir?"
"…" That joke just backfired, didn't it? Well, when you're losing, flip the board. In this case, I flick her on the forehead. Turning your fingers into springs makes for good practice. Muret pouts response, shielding her forehead against future assaults.
I probably could have pursued this, if I were inclined to do so.
Though the thing is, I'm not blind and I know that Eddy has the hots for her. Man can't take his eyes off of her.
To quote Machiavelli, a leader must avoid being hated. Feared yes, but not hated. And taking someone's money or love interest is a surefire way to get hated. Maybe if I really liked Muret I'd chance it. But as I don't, antagonizing the man in charge of keeping my ship on course sounds like a really bad idea. She's still a solid seven though, so until Eddy makes a move I'm going to enjoy the view.
Muret is enjoying a view of her own, chin resting atop her knees as she stares out at the first stars appearing in the sky.
"Think we're going to make it?"
That's a loaded question. But I can't imagine that the Being that dropped me here and is forcing me to take the knock up stream is going through all that trouble to just kill me off.
"I know we will."
(Rivers POV)
"What is wrong with this stupid jungle?"
"I hate bugs! I hate bugs! I hate bugs!"
"Lily calm down! Watch where you point that thing!"
"Die bugs! Die!"
"Are you trying to kill me?"
"Sarquiss, these mantises mean business!"
"Fuck! Eddy, help!"
"On it!"
"Gaah! It's in my hair! It's IN MY HAIR!"
His crew were idiots.
"They're all idiots." Hey, that's what he was just thinking! He knew Mani and him had a connection! "With how much noise they're making, they'll have scared off all the birds in the vicinity."
This is his chance! "Why don't we go searching for the bird together? I'm sure we'll do better job, just the two of us."
"Sigh, we might as well. Better than wandering off on my own in any case." YES! That's a green light, right? Right? "I wouldn't want to get lost alone in the jungle."
They walk together for a while, silently searching the trees for the bird. Well, Mani is searching and Rivers is…half-searching. Gotta make sure his crewmate is safe.
His caution also soon pays dividends. "Mani, on your six!"
Quickly shouldering his rifle, Rivers takes aim to intercept the snake when *THUNK* its forehead suddenly grows a knife.
"Got it. Thanks, Rivers."
Gotta be natural. Gotta be natural.
"Anytime." Yes, that was natural. Nailed it!
"…"
"…"
"…"
"So…you see a bird?"
(Bellamy POV)
"What happened to you guys?"
"That jungle is hell. I'm never going back in there again."
"Giant mantises, captain. There were giant praying mantises."
"Of course, I had no problem with them, but I had to bail out Ross."
"Fuck you Sarquiss! I had that and you know it!"
My crew came back to me in the evening, disheveled, dirty and wild eyed. Well, Sarquiss is looking more or less fine. Lily on the other hand…
"Ihatebugsihatebugsihatebugsgodssomanybugshelpsomanybugsmakeitstopihatebugs…"
She's lying on a bed in a fetal position, eyes closed to the world. "A giant caterpillar got into her hair, captain. We had to carry her back."
Sigh.
"Muret, please fix her, will you? Thanks." Seeing Muret haul Lily to her room in a bridal carry, I turn back to my second in command. "Where are Mani and Rivers?"
He at least has the decency to be embarrassed. "We…lost them."
"You lost them. In the jungle." I deadpan. I'm sure this jungle isn't dangerous enough to kill them but still. It's the principle of the matter. "How did you lose two members of my crew, Sarquiss?"
The man shrinks into himself, staring down at his shoes before mumbling something.
"What was that?"
"We were ambushed by the bugs. And pigs. By the time we fought them off, they were gone without a trace. With Lily in the condition she was in, we couldn't spare the manpower to organize a search party."
That makes sense…in a way. Doesn't mean I have to like it, but I can't fault Sarquiss for his decision.
"Let's go look for them Sarquiss. Where did you lo…"
"Ahoy the ship!" Looking up, I see a widely grinning Mani jogging towards us with a scowling Rivers in tow. And perched on Rivers' head is the south pointing bird.
Relief floods through me at the confirmation that they are well and fine. When had I gotten this attached to them?
"Mani! Rivers! Glad to see you safe." I greet them.
"Of course, captain. We're the crew of a future legend after all." she responds, shooting me a wink. "No little jungle is going to get us down."
Oh, I can just hear those words piercing the rest of the crew. Especially as Mani and Rivers have nary a fleck of dust on their clothes. "We even found the bird."
"You sure did. Hope it wasn't too much trouble?"
"Honestly, it was a walk in the park." Mani shrugs. "We just had to lay out some snacks…"
"My snacks. The rare chocolate pepper mint cookies I had been saving all month."
"…lay out Rivers' snacks and the bird came to us. Once he had eaten those, he hopped over to Rivers and started pecking at his pockets in search for more. Rivers had to promise to provide more back at the ship to get him to stop."
Wait a moment, what?
"It understands you?"
"SQUAWK!"
"He, captain. Not it. He."
"…He understands you?"
She shrugs. "We think he does. Doesn't talk but responds all the same."
Whatever. I'll probably see weirder shit in the future. "Well, welcome aboard. You point us south in a few days and we feed you until then. We have a deal?"
The bird nods enthusiastically. "SQUAWK."
I'll take that as a yes.