Chapter XXXVIII: Sabaody Archipelago

Jaune watched it come into view over the distance. What he had expected was a chain of islands spanning the sea. That was not what laid before them. Massive trees, taller than Jaune had ever seen before, rose from the waters like wooden titans. Their roots rose above the ocean's surface, sprawled about and covered in a dense green moss — or that was what he assumed at this distance. Overhead their branches tangled together nearly becoming a single mass of leafy limbs.

"There's bubbles!" Nora ran to the railing. Just as she said, the air around the trees was filled with bubbles floating about. Even on top of the trees, Jaune could just make out the sides of even larger ones resting there.

"Is that where we're headed?" Jaune asked, turning to Blake.

She held up her wrist with the log pose attached, the needle pointing toward the trees. "It has to be. The map shows this as Sabaody, and it's where the log pose is taking us."

The Barrel continued over the rocking waves, taking them closer to the massive roots. Soon, they were in range of the massive spheres floating down around them. Nora was the first to reach out for one, clearly expecting to pop it with her outstretched finger. To her surprise, and joy, it molded around her hand for a second before bouncing in the opposite direction. In no time she had grabbed another and started a game of volleyball with Neo.

Now that they were close enough, Jaune could actually make out people walking around the tops of the roots. The strangest part was how they seemed to use the bubbles. It was difficult to tell from where they were, but it almost looked like they had contraptions for using them like transportation.

"We should use this opportunity to stock up," said Ren, walking over to them. "We've been going off of what little Penny was able to get for us, and I would like our situation to be more comfortable."

"And I need more parts for Cardin's mace," Ruby chimed in. "I couldn't get the launching mechanism to work properly and wasted some material on it."

Cardin, who had been lounging nearby, opened one of his eyes. "Launching mechanism?"

Ruby spun toward him with her hands held out. "Shush! No spoilers!"

With that, they began organizing themselves into groups. Reaching the roots, Ruby and Penny were the first off the ship, heading off in one direction. Ren, Nora, and Cardin got off after them, the latter most being declared a pack mule by Nora, much to his chagrin. Finally, Sun, Neptune, and Neo stayed behind to watch the ship while Jaune and Blake headed out to explore.

"The trunks are numbered," Blake pointed out. Jaune followed her gaze and saw '420' in a bold white font. Although, the zero at the end did not look the same as the others. It was poorly painted and drooping in sections.

"I guess that will help us when returning to the ship. This all sort of looks the same to me." Jaune glanced around, taking in the nearly identical trees that surrounded them. Blake seemed to agree, her eyes darting about as they tried to figure out where they should go.

Oscar laid against the bottom of his boat, panting and clutching his chest as he tried to catch his breath. The voice in his head was rambling on about something, but he wasn't listening. No, that had gone out the window when a beast big enough to swallow him whole had surfaced from the water. Some weird glowing green barrier had appeared long enough for them to escape, so Oscar was starting to believe the voice in his head might be an actual person. On the other hand, the experience was still vivid in his mind. Adrenaline coursed through him, making everything feel both sharp and distant in his mind.

"That was," he breathed out, "That was horrible, scary, dangerous, and — and amazing."

"Yes, brushes with danger can be exhilarating, but do not lose yourself to them. If you throw yourself into perils, you might perish before we get to the marines."

Oscar sat back up, leaning against the side of the boat to support himself. "No, don't get me wrong. I have no plans of doing something like that ever again. I'm just saying that it was an unforgettable moment."

"Let us keep it that way: as a memory. For now, there is more to do."

Still shaking slightly, Oscar unfurled the sails on the boat and angled them to catch the wind. He had always enjoyed his life and the work he did, but for some reason he couldn't stop the excitement he felt staring off over the azure horizon.

"I really should stop gambling," a man said to himself, sitting with his back against the cold, stone wall of his cell. He was far calmer than those around him, hardly concerned about the fate that loomed over them. The chains that bound his wrists rattled as he reached into his cloak. Metal glinted against the dim light as he produced a flask, unscrewing the top and tipping it back.

The man next to him, all but dwarfing him in inhuman size, let out a soft thunder that was a laugh. "You managed to get that past them? I'm impressed."

"I've learned how to keep something up my sleeves — just not an ace apparently."

"You're pretty calm for someone whose life might as well be over."

The man laughed at that. "This is just another weekend for me. It gives me a bit of money, I get to help others out, and it's a bit of fun."

"You're pretty outrageous. What's your name?"

The man took another swig from his flask before holding it out to offer some to the giant next to him. "Rayleigh."

"What should I do once I have Vale crumbling under my heel? Making those left alive grovel and beg for their lives sounds pleasant enough, but there needs to be something more." Cinder sat alone, speaking to herself in a dimly lit room.

Candles about her flickered in the darkness, gleaming off the glass placed on the table next to her. It was, at the moment, the closest she could get to luxury. Sure, she could always find a way to get what she wanted, but she was supposed to be laying low at the moment. At least until her grand reveal — then she wouldn't need to bother with sticking to the shadows like some common criminal.

Interrupting her very important planning, the door to her room opened wide. Light from the rest of the warehouse pooled inside, washing away the darkness past the edges of the candlelight. She sighed as the walls came into view, dingy and rusted with age. With all of the red fabric she had draped over the ornate tables she had brought in, she had almost managed to purposefully forget where she was.

Cinder's glare caused her intruder to pause. Emerald, who seemed to be second guessing her entry, froze in the doorway. With a stretched-out sigh, Cinder waved her hand for Emerald to speak.

"Ma'am, there's been some important news that's come up regarding the Vytal festival."

"Of course," Cinder growled. "Out with it. What has happened now?"

Emerald looked as though she was about to force herself to step on a landmine. "Beacon won't be participating this year, so —"

"Is that all? I suppose that complicates getting in during the chaos, but it should be fine. I doubt Beacon will sit still as Amity is attacked."

"But Ma'am —"

Cinder held her hand up. "Enough. I was busy before you interrupted, and this does nothing to ruin my plans. Continue as you had before." Emerald looked as if she wished to say more, but she did not dare to. With a resigned look, she left, closing the door behind her.

"Perhaps I could have them build a statue in my honor with the rubble of their homes. But that would require enough survivors, and I can't guarantee that. They wouldn't have enough artistic sense anyways."

Weiss sat with her arms crossed. The ship had docked a while back, though the only hint that she had was the muffled sounds above her head. Shouting, heavy steps, and what sounded like objects being dragged across the deck. Without an idea of what was going to happen to her, she waited to see. Part of her worried, wondering if what awaited her was worse than her current cell and her humiliation. The other part of her wanted to give no satisfaction to her captors, so she plastered defiance onto her face. Time ticked by, wearing away at her determination. It had been easy when she was simply lost in her thoughts, but her stiff seat and sparkling potato sack made it difficult to ignore the depth of her position.

At last, the door opened, and Coco strutted in. Glancing across, she gave a look as if it wasn't her own fault Weiss was wearing such an abomination. "We're heading onto land. I suggest that you don't try anything, and please call off your birds. My sails are still salvageable as they are."

As the barred door swung out, Weiss bit down the urge to flee. The rush of escaping Winter was still fresh in her mind, but she needed to bide her time. Especially if it was Winter cooperating with them. Coco seemed to know this, as she didn't bother with any restraints, simply guiding her back to the top of the ship. Reaching the top deck, she was greeted by the sight of the crew, but this time most of their hoods were down. That would be helpful if she could remember any of them and went back to the marines — but she was unsure if that was what she even desired anymore. She would reluctantly admit that her actions may have been ill-planned, but she wanted nothing to do with someone watching her every step. She had left that behind with her father in Atlas. Now that she had a better time to clear her head, albeit not the optimal place, she found herself wondering just what she wanted to do.

Initially, this had simply been to get her friends back, and she would still rally behind that cause, but it had turned into a much more exhausting ordeal than she had expected. As for what that meant for her, she hadn't decided yet. She hadn't given up on her friends, but the thought of returning to that chase made her hesitate.

The place they had landed at appeared to be some sort of rocky wasteland. The stone was bright, pale in color, and nearly resembled snow in some places while it faded to brown in others. Large crates were strewn about the ground, and members of the crew were carrying more to join the rest.

Coco peered over the railing and shouted, "They need to be stacked up! And you, get those flying rats to stop." She said the last part, turning to Weiss.

"Rats?" Weiss hissed out. "They're nothing of the sort! How dare you."

"They may as well be with how they're putting holes in everything that I own. Just get them to stop."

While trying to glare holes into Coco, Weiss simply held out her arms. Moments later, the swarm of seagulls descended around her, first landing on her arms and shoulders and then the deck when they ran out of room.

"They are well behaved when treated well," Weiss said bitterly. Coco looked highly unimpressed, turning around to the gang plank and gesturing for Weiss to follow. For the briefest moment, Weiss contemplated seeing if her feathery friends could carry her off.

Thinking better of that idea, Weiss lowered her arms and followed Coco. The seagulls on her shoulders stayed put, but the others dropped gracefully to the ground, and the flock followed behind her. Their tiny feet pattered against the deck behind her. They marched over to a large rock formation on the island, with a structure clearly carved into its side.

"Now that we're here, I'll be handing you off to someone that's been waiting to see you." Coco glanced over her shoulder with a smirk. Weiss' first thought was Winter, and she steeled her nerves for seeing her sister in her current situation.

Spotting white hair beyond Coco, Weiss readied herself, but nothing could have prepared her for who it really was. Coco stepped aside and Weiss froze mid-step. Her seagulls bumped into the back of her legs squawking in confusion at the sudden halt.

"You — it can't be. Mother?" Weiss' voice was barely above a whisper as she took in the sight of the woman before her. She looked different — far different than she had ever seen her before. Willow stood tall and proud, her eyes kind and full of life. Weiss tried to speak but found she couldn't; all words died in her throat.

"Weiss," Willow greeted with a smile. "While I'm glad to see you, it seems Coco hasn't been too kind to you." Willow's eyes roamed the sack Weiss was in.

"I'll give you two some privacy," Coco chimed in a bit quickly. "I have some matters to take care of." She rushed off to where her crew was still stacking crates.

"Come, let's get you out of that," said Willow. "I'm afraid I really only have spare uniforms to offer at the moment, but they will have to do until we can get you something proper."

Weiss numbly followed her mother, too focused on the woman to notice anything else around her. If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed the many glances that her seagulls garnered or maybe the ex-member of the White Fang typing furiously on his scroll.

"How long?" Weiss finally found her voice. "How long have you been part of this?"

"A long time." Willow's tone was soft and distant. "I always wished that I could say more to you, but — well, there's no point in dwelling on the past."

Willow stopped by a closet to grab a spare uniform before leading Weiss to a rather bland looking bedroom. The roof, walls, floor, and bed were all a pale grey with the only color in sight coming from the wooden bed frame, dresser, and pictures set on the dresser. Willow let Weiss in the room before closing the door behind her, leaving her alone — though the seagulls did follow her. As she changed, she moved over to look at the pictures. She did not see one of her father, but that wasn't surprising. What she did see was one of Whitley, one of Winter, and one of herself.

"I swear to you that I'm not crazy," Oscar pleaded. "Or I don't think I am," he added under his breath.

"You say that you hear a disembodied voice in your head that's telling you to join the marines."

"You speak in the third person," Oscar countered. Hina narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms and leaning back. At her expression, he began to fidget under her gaze. "Alright, he uh — he says that he knows the fleet admiral."

Hina quirked an eyebrow. "Is that so? Hina thinks that's hard to believe."

"What if he knew things only the fleet admiral would know?"

"Then Hina might think you're a spy."

Oscar visibly paled a shade. This was getting him nowhere, and now the voice in his head was going to get him in serious trouble. If he wasn't arrested, he might end up being treated as insane.

They were interrupted by another marine entering, carrying an envelope. He walked straight past Oscar, handing the envelope to Hina and whispering something to her. Delicately, she tore open the envelope, unfolded it, and read it. Oscar waited nervously; he had no idea if he was supposed to stay put or go anywhere, but he figured the former was the better bet.

"What is the name of the voice you hear?"

"Ozpin," Oscar replied.

Hina frowned before stuffing the letter back into the envelope. She pulled a cigarette out of her pocket, producing a lighter as well, tucked the end between her lips, and lit it. Oscar waited, watching her think as smoke trailed off the cigarette. He wrinkled his nose at the stench of it but stayed quiet.

"It seems your story might not be a lie. The fleet admiral wants to meet with you."

Oscar sighed in relief, though he tried not to let it show too much. Then Ozpin spoke up again. Relaying his words, Oscar asked, "He wants to know if a Glynda Goodwitch will be there."

Hina stared back at him before answering, "She just recently passed through here on her way back to Vale. You may rest in one of the spare rooms, we will take you to meet the fleet admiral tomorrow."

"What is she doing?" Ozpin asked in Oscar's head. "Does she not know how important this is? Perhaps she's just looking for me. We must go to Vale and speak to her immediately."

"What?" Oscar hissed under his breath.

"Is something wrong?" Hina was giving him a curious stare.

"Nothing. I'm just, uh, thinking out loud." Oscar shuffled awkwardly out of the room. Once he was on the other side, he whispered back at Ozpin, "You made me go all this way, almost dying, and now you want me to just turn around?"

"This is important. Glynda is not too familiar with the Grand Line, so she would likely never find me on her own. She'll be wasting time searching over Remnant, though she might expect me to go to her. We must let her know where I am, then we can continue here."

"You wanted me to meet the fleet admiral, and now that's happening tomorrow. Besides, I don't think that fishing boat is going any farther than it already has."

"You must understand the severity of the situation. We need as many allies as we can have in this situation."

Oscar went to reply, but quickly realized that the marine who had brought the envelope from earlier was standing across the hall from him, having just come out of the room. The marine coughed into his fist, acting as if he hadn't seen a thing. Oscar was grateful for that.

Goodwitch was not happy. That had been a recurring theme as of late, but this most recent turn of events had likely been of the worst of it. That did plenty to explain how she was feeling walking back into Vale without the two students that should have been with her at this moment. According to the marines she had talked to, they were old enough out there to become full-fledged soldiers of the marines.

She had expected resistance. From Miss Xiao-Long, she even expected some sort of childish scheme such as pretending to board their flight only to ditch it at the last moment. She had not expected them to bring their new commanding officer to inform her they needed to stay. She had hoped at the very least that Miss Nikos would be reasonable, but she had fully agreed with Miss Xiao-Long.

There should have been some longer process, especially considering how they were foreigners. However, it seemed that it was mostly at the discretion of those in charge. Her course of action was to first check in on Beacon, as she was worried how it had fared in their absence. Then she would go and speak with Taiyang on this matter. Hopefully he would be able to convince his daughter that what she was doing was more than ill-prepared.

As Goodwitch ventured farther into Vale, she began to spot a crowd: protesters. All with their own signs, shouting and marching down the streets. What had happened while she was away? Certainly, this couldn't be related to Beacon.

"This is all pretty amazing," Jaune marveled, watching the other-worldly contraptions utilizing the strange bubbles.

Blake grunted in response. Jaune glanced over to see that she was lost in the map she was holding. She had been staring at it for quite some time.

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked.

Noticing the shift in his tone, Blake looked up. "It just doesn't make sense. It shows a large mass of rocks with no paths leading through but shows that we need to travel across it." Blake held the map closer for him to see, and Jaune traced the paths with his eyes. All of the paths on their side of the rocks, labeled the Red Line, converged into one spot: Sabaody. Then it showed a trail that seemed to go straight through the Red Line.

"Maybe we can ask around and see what it means. I'm sure that someone around here has to know."

Blake sighed, putting the map away. "I guess so. That begs the new question of where we go to ask."

"No way!" Blake's eyes snapped up at Jaune's exclamation. She only relaxed when she saw the smile on his face. "Look, Blake; they have a theme park, and it's filled with the bubbles."

"Jaune, we should be figuring out what we need to do."

"Come on," Jaune said dismissively. "We have to wait for the log pose before we leave. We can make it just a quick trip. Besides, what's the point of being free if we can't do what we want?" Without much thought, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her off to the theme park. Blake sighed, accepting her fate, choosing to spend her energy fighting off her blush instead. Why did he have to grab her hand?

"Well, it seems we should have had more faith in them," Port laughed, grinning widely.

"I guess so," Qrow agreed. "It seems I forgot that we should be leaving it up to the next generation to take care of themselves. Though, that won't stop me from saving their asses if they really need it. It'll be a cold day in hell when I abandon my niece."

"What about that Jaune kid?" Clover asked, lounging against the rail.

"Ah, that brat will be fine. He's got the most powerful strength you can have out in these waters: the ability to rally friends to your side."

"You sure did a good job of that, Captain," Clover commented.

"Eh, I just waved booze around long enough for a bunch of fellow bastards to join me."

Ghira trudged up from below deck, looking somewhat taxed. "Since that's all resolved, what are we doing now? Do we stick around a bit longer or head back?"

"Back to Vale," Qrow answered. "We can't leave her waiting on us for too long, can we?"

"Are you sure this was the right decision?" Pyrrha asked Yang. "I know that we wanted to stay, but I feel that there were better ways to do this."

"You try telling Miss G 'no' without some back up," Yang replied defensively. "Either we got dragged — or floated really — back home until we figured something out, or we got some help. Besides, it's not like much will be different. It'll all be pretty much the same thing that we've been doing this entire time."

Pyrrha sat back down. "I guess. Well, I suppose now that we start by waiting for any reports about the Straw Hats —"

"You mean our friends and my sister," Yang interrupted.

Pyrrha blinked at her. "That's what I said."

"Right, right; continue."

"In the meantime, we can ask around and figure out what happened to Weiss and Nora. Evidently, they weren't the only marines that disappeared at that time."

Yang paced their room in thought. "Do you think they were kidnapped or something?"

"Not by the Straw — er, our friends. Jaune wouldn't do that. As for Whitley, I don't know. It could have been him getting back at Weiss and just trying to cover the situation up."

"Do you really think he could take on Weiss, Nora, and two others while being chased by a ship of marines?"

Pyrrha shrugged. "I guess we'll have to find out."

AN:

Happy New Year everyone! It's crazy to think that I've been writing this for almost a year. I actually wanting to finish this first book before the year ended, but you can see how that went. It's not a big deal though, and I'm just happy I've gotten this far.

I'm not sure how well Pyrrha and Yang staying behind felt, as the point is them delving further into the marines (no longer are they just there under Ozpin's watch, but they're actual marines), but it felt a little bit like a cheap plot choice. I don't know. Those aren't always bad, but I try to steer away from them whenever I can.

Anyways, next chapter: Meeting the Dark King