Before long a heavy fog started to set in. Bella generated a large ball of glowing mana to provide a fog light as she joined Usopp in the crow's nest. At the same time, Grahambel used his powers to create both a foghorn and sonar pulse to help navigate.
"I'm picking up a large landmass not far from us."
"Then we should be nearing Warship Island," Delphia noted.
"How big is the landmass?" Nami asked.
"From what I'm sensing; BIG," Grahambel said. "Like, Sea King big."
Eddy whistled. "That is pretty big."
"Land ho!" Usopp called out.
"Warship Island dead ahead!" Bella added.
The crew all headed onto the deck, Apis smiling when she saw her home.
"There it is!"
"Now that's a big island," Johnny said.
"It's even shaped like a warship!" Yosaku added.
"Get us into port, Nami. We'll stay just long enough to drop Apis off and get supplies." Luffy said.
"There might be a little problem with that," Zoro said. "Looks like the natives aren't happy to see us."
Sure enough, several villagers had gathered near the dock carrying pitchforks and spears. What they didn't expect, however, was that Apis would be the first one to disembark.
"Hey, everyone! I'm home!"
"Apis! Why are you coming out from a pirate ship?" The village chief asked.
"We don't have to worry about these people, they're good guys. They helped me escape from the men who kidnapped me." Apis explained.
"Hey there, my name's Monkey D. Luffy!" Luffy greeted as the Straw Hats all disembarked. "We came here to return Apis home."
"That may have been a mistake. The Marines are still around looking for her." The Chief said.
"I don't believe they will be an issue. These people look very strong."
Apis smiled when she recognized the old man who spoke and ran over to hug him.
"Grandpa Bokuden!"
Bokuden smiled. "I'm glad to see you safe, Apis. And to you visitors, thank you for saving my granddaughter."
"It's mostly thanks to Sonson and her friends here," Lithos said, gesturing to the four in question. "They managed to find her and bring her to us."
"Awww, g'wan~" Sonson said bashfully, her tail curling into a heart shape.
Meanwhile, Nelson was quite displeased to hear the news of what happened while he was eating his lunch.
"I'm not pleased, Eric. You reported that the girl was lost in the Calm Belt and wasn't likely to return alive. But my men have just reported her being alive and well on Warship Island!"
"I was at first only focused on capturing the pirates. I didn't take proper stock of their capabilities." Eric admitted. "But not to worry. This time I won't make any mistakes."
Bokuden invited the Straw Hats into his home, where he offered them a meal of steamed pork buns. Kuishi felt herself drool a little while Sanji was impressed at how expertly Bokuden had prepared the steamer.
"I've worked with steamed foods before, and this is on the same level as professional chefs."
"Thank you, I've spent years perfecting the process," Bokuden said as everyone sat down to eat. "I'm sure you must be curious why the Marines are after Apis. Well, it has to do with a legend on this island."
"What sort of legend?" Ferros asked.
"The people of this island are said to be descendants of a lost civilization. This civilization prospered for generations before sinking into the sea tens of thousands of years ago, upon which those who remained moved here to Warship Island." Bokuden explained. "Among their friends were the Millennial Dragons. The bones of these dragons are called Dragonite, and are rumored to be an elixir of immortality."
"That's an interesting legend, but it doesn't explain why the Marines would get involved," Choi noted.
"Well, the story is long and involved and if I told it from start to finish it would put everyone to sleep, including me. So to make a long story short, the royal family of the lost civilization possessed a mysterious item that could allow one to communicate with the dragons." Bokuden said. "When the previous holder died, a new holder would be chosen. And as it turns out... That item still exists. I can only assume the Marines for some reason thought Apis might know where the item is."
The crew looked at each other, then at Apis, who just smiled sheepishly while shrugging.
That night, Luffy, Merone, Ed, Bella, Sonson, and Grahambel noticed Apis sneaking off with a large bag of meat buns. Curious, they followed her as he headed for a secret cave.
"Hey, Grandpa Ryu. I brought you some food."
The six didn't hear anything else, but Apis kept talking.
"No, they're not scary at all. Well, okay they were at first, but then I got to realize how nice they are." She paused. "No, I still haven't found a clue yet. But I'm searching as hard as I can."
"Hey, Apis! Who are you talking to?" Luffy called out.
Apis freaked when she heard Luffy, who got smacked by Merone.
"Do you have to be so loud?" She admonished before noticing the being behind Apis. "Wait...is that...a real dragon?"
Sure enough, a large feathered dragon big enough to fill the cave was resting behind Apis.
"Talk about a legend come to life!" Grahambel exclaimed.
"Quick! Someone make a wish!" Ed said excitedly.
The dragon snorted as he looked at the six as Apis looked at him in surprise.
"He's saying he wants to go home," Luffy noted.
"You can understand him?" Apis asked in surprise.
"Yeah, apparently. No idea how." Luffy admitted.
"That's weird, so can I!" Sonson chimed in.
"Me three!" Bella added.
"Maybe you're able to hear the Voice of All Things," Grahambel suggested. "I was able to do the same when I mastered my Devil Fruit."
Apis looked at the dragon and nodded for a bit.
"Grandpa Ryu says he wants you to be his friend. He can tell you're all good people."
"So I get that Grahambel can hear Ryu thanks to his Devil Fruit," Merone noted. "Do you have one as well, Apis?"
Apis nodded. "Yes. It's called the Whisper-Whisper Fruit. With it, I can read the minds of animals and talk with them."
"I see...That must be the legendary item that helped the lost civilization." Merone realized. "When a Devil Fruit user dies, their Devil Fruit reincarnates from the nearest equivalent fruit. All the old kingdom would have to do is keep the right type of fruit near the current user's deathbed, and they'd be ready to pass the Devil Fruit on to a new user."
Bella perked up. "The seabirds on the Merry! That's how Apis knew the wind was coming!"
"It's also how I met Grandpa Ryu. I was out in the flower field one day when I heard his voice. It sounded so sad, so I went to help. Grandpa Ryu had lost all his energy and been separated from his friends. Ever since he'd been looking for Lost Island, where the dragons' nest is." Apis explained.
"Poor Grandpa!" Ed wailed emotionally.
Apis nodded. "The island had sunk many years ago, but Grandpa Ryu said it will surface again very soon. However, he no longer remembers where it is. He's very old and doesn't have the energy to fly. But he desperately wants to go back home. Unfortunately, there's no clue in the legend as to where Lost Island could be. I thought if I asked the Marines who happened to stop by the island to help, I could find it easier."
"But it turns out they were looking for the Dragonite, so they abducted you hoping to get all the information you had." Sonson realized.
"There was one other thing they may have wanted; Grandpa Ryu gave me one of his claws, which I made into a pendant." Apis said.
"So that's why you kept the secret. You wanted to protect the villagers and your grandpa. Both of them." Luffy noted.
Apis nodded. "If Grandpa Ryu can get back home, he says he'll be able to restore his energy. So I'll find it for him, no matter how many years it takes!"
"Daradaradaradara!" Merone laughed. "She sounds like a kindred spirit, doesn't she?"
"Shishishishi! She sure does." Luffy grinned.
"Ukikikikikiki~!" Sonson giggled in agreement.
"Well then, we'll help the old man out. Lost Island is sure to exist somewhere." Bella said.
Apis smiled widely. "Thank you! With your help, I know we can get Grandpa Ryu home!"
The next day, Eric arrived with the Marine fleet to blockade the island.
"Lieutenant Commander! We spotted the ship off the starboard!" The lookout said.
Hardy nodded. "The landing unit will come to the island with me! The rest of you, seize their ship!"
Eric smirked as he filed his nails, which seemed to glow with an unnatural sharp sheen.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew was brought to Ryu's cave. Naturally, the sight of a dragon left them all flabbergasted.
"We've been from one end of the Grand Line to the other traveling with Arlong. And I don't think I've ever seen a dragon before in my life." Romaz admitted.
"This is one of those times I wish I had sight." N'Doul sighed. "It must be truly a marvel to gaze at such a magnificent creature."
"T-This guy is harmless, right?" Usopp asked nervously.
Ryu responded by licking Usopp's face.
"I should have warned you, but Grandpa Ryu is going senile. He has a tendency to mistake people for food." Apis said.
Usopp yelped and jumped into Kuishi's arms, much to the Fishwoman's bemusement as she quickly dropped him on his ass.
"So this is what the Marines are after," Double-D noted.
"And we have to get him to Lost Island before they can. We made a promise to Apis." Luffy said.
"We made a pinky promise, guys!" Ed said as he held up his pinky for emphasis.
"One problem; the Marines are starting to blockade the island," Sanji spoke up. "If they get hold of our ship..."
"We shouldn't have to worry about that, Johnny and Yosaku are on guard duty. And they've improved tremendously since they joined the crew." Zoro assured. "I'd say they could take on a bounty worth 7 million easily. The average Marine wouldn't stand a chance."
"Well, that's the ship dealt with. But what about him?" Eddy asked as he pointed over to Ryu. "There's no way we can fit him on the ship."
"Assuming he can float, me and Romaz can just drag him behind the Merry while we look for the island," Kuishi said.
"A fishmen is already ten times as strong as the average human on land. And when we're in the water we get even stronger." Romaz noted. "So carrying a dragon this size shouldn't be a problem for us."
"Well that just leaves the biggest problem; finding an island that isn't charted," Nami said. "Lost Island sunk years ago, so how are we supposed to find it?"
"We can leave that part to Ryu himself. Animals have a migration instinct built into them. So we just have to pay attention to his mood and direct our course accordingly." Grahambel suggested.
"I think there's one more elephant in the room we need to address; getting Ryu down from the mountain in the first place." Double-D said. "Although... If we build a cart big enough, that should solve the problem."
"Leave it to me, boys!" Eddy said as he cracked his knuckles before concentrating. "Devil Fruit, do your stuff!"
The surrounding trees, stones, and other foliage were pulled toward Eddy and broken apart into raw materials, which then constructed a large cart big enough to hold Ryu.
"Man, that Devil Fruit is cool!" Kuishi smirked.
"I could add a bit more for support," Delphia said as she used her Devil Fruit to reinforce the cart with extra wood, vines, and a few flowers for decoration.
"Now we just have to secure our ship and get Grandpa Ryu out of here," Ariala said.
Lithos nodded. "Usopp, you, Bella, and Ed are with me to make sure the Merry is ready to head around to the back of the island."
"Leave it to us!" Bella grinned. "This is your chance to shine, Usopp!"
Usopp smirked. "Heck yeah, it is!"
Nami nodded. "Once you have the ship, bring it to the edge of the cape. The one that looks like Usopp's nose."
She pointed to the spot, and sure enough to rock jutting out did resemble Usopp's nose quite a bit.
"I feel personally attacked by nature. What's wrong with the way my nose looks?" Usopp grumbled as Bella and Ed patted him on the back
The Marines were already raiding the village trying to find Apis. Eric noticed drag marks extending from the back of Apis's house and grinned.
"Interesting. This trail might just lead us to the girl." He looked up the mountain. "Somewhere up there, perhaps."
Meanwhile, Johnny and Yosaku were sharing a drink after taking down the entire Marine unit sent to seize the Merry.
"I'd say we did Aniki proud today, Johnny."
"Yeah, we'd never have been able to handle this many foes a year ago."
They spotted Lithos, Usopp, Ed, and Bella running up and lowered the gangplank so they could board.
"What's up, Lithos-Aniki?"
"We're taking the ship around the back of the island to pick up a big passenger."
Needless to say, Johnny and Yosaku were shocked after the four explained the situation.
"Dragons are real?!"
Bella shrugged as she used a mana burst to throw the Marines onto the island. Usopp took the helm and started steering the Merry to the cape behind the island while Ed took the crow's nest.
"Blockade ahead!"
Usopp nodded. "Lithos, you take the helm while I man the cannons!"
Lithos jumped up and took the helm as Usopp started firing the Merry's fore cannon, taking down several Marine ships.
Back up the mountain, a seabird landed near Apis and started chirping.
"Oh no! The Marines are getting close!"
"The hell did they find us?" Eddy asked.
"We only found this place because we followed Apis closely, but anyone else shouldn't be able to find the path you took," Sonson noted.
"Well, Apis was carrying a huge bag of food. They must have been following the drag marks." Luffy pointed out. "But she also swung across a chasm, so that should buy us some time."
"And luckily the Merry is closing in on the cape. Once it arrives we're heading all the way down." Nami said.
Eric happened to look up and spot the group, just as Ryu lifted his head, causing the Marines to freak out at seeing the dragon.
"I knew it had to be here. The Dragonite, the elixir of immortality." Eric said. "Now we don't need the brat. Not when we have an actual Millennial Dragon right in front of us."
"They haven't spotted us yet, so we should be able to capture them in one shot. Get ready to fire." Hardy ordered.
As the Marines took aim, Delphia suddenly turned and slammed her arms into the ground.
"GROVES OF WRATH!"
The Marines found themselves wrapped up in giant roots. Several managed to get shots off, but Luffy and Ferros easily reflected the shots.
Eric scoffed. "Damn it... They have Devil Fruit powers. Lieutenant Commander, use blades instead! Guns won't work!"
Several Marines charged with their swords drawn, only for Romaz to land in front of them and take a stance with his fist pulled back.
"ARABESQUE BRICK FIST!"
Transmitting the force of his punch through the air's water vapor, Romaz released a powerful shockwave that sent the Marines flying.
"Damn, they have Fishmen on their crew!" Hardy cursed.
"This is getting far more complicated than it needs to be," Eric admitted. "Why can nothing be simple when it comes to a contract?"
He approached a Marine who was just getting up, only to slash him with his nails.
"What was that?!" Kuishi exclaimed. "Is he carrying a knife?!"
"I don't think so. It looked more like he slashed with his nails." Hsiao noted.
"I'm known as Eric the Whirlwind. A mercenary hired by Commodore Nelson Royal."
"Ugh, that fat bastard?" Sonson said in disgust. "Let me guess, he's freaking out over heart issues again?"
"Let me be frank; we have no business with you pirates, just with the Millennial Dragon." Eric said. "But if you stand in my way, you'll become a victim of the power of my Sickle-Sickle Fruit."
"The Sicko-Sicko Fruit?" Sanji asked. "Definitely keep this guy away from Apis."
Eric's eye twitched. "I said Sickle-Sickle Fruit, you idiot! It turns my nails into knives that can slash with razor wind!"
"So? I can do that too!" Ariala retorted. "And Rankyaku can allow anyone to pull that off with their legs."
"What else would it need?!" Eric snapped. "SICKLE-SICKLE WHIRLWIND!"
He launched a razor wind, but Luffy wasn't worried.
"TEKKAI!"
His muscles hardened, letting him easily tank the slicing attack. Delphia created a barrier of wood and vines to block the cutting attack from hitting anyone else. Needless to say, Eric was shocked.
"How the hell?! My winds are supposed to be as sharp as legendary swords! It even created gashes in the ground around you! How the hell are you unharmed?!"
Nami grinned. "They're here! Time to go!"
Eric was confused as the Straw Hats retreated to the cart and started pushing. Sanji kicked the wall, letting the cart fly down the mountain at a rapid pace.
"I'm not letting you escape!" Eric declared.
"Oh yes, you are!" Grahambel retorted. "SONIC BAZOOKA!"
Romaz held him forward as he fired a burst of sound waves from his mouth, which acted solid when it slammed into Eric and knocked him away from the cart. It also destroyed the one rock that was right in the cart's path. Apis couldn't help but laugh as the cart ride started to feel fun.
Down below, Ed spotted the cart.
"Tally-Ho, chums!"
"Quick! We need a cushion!"
"Got it!" Bella replied. "AQUATA!"
Channeling her mana through the water, Bella created giant water spouts to catch the cart and everyone on it. Nami laughed as the cart landed in the water.
"Love it when a plan comes together."
"We managed to cripple the blockade. We can leave at any time." Johnny said.
"Everyone to your stations!" Lithos said. "Kuishi, Romaz, start towing the cart! Let's get this dragon home!"
"AYE-AYE!" The whole crew said together.
"Grahambel, what's our heading?" Hsiao asked.
"Due east from Warship Island!" Grahambel said as he listened to Ryu's muttering.
Needless to say, Hardy was not happy to find out that several of the fleet needed extensive repairs and that the Marines he sent to capture the Merry had been taken down and tossed aside like so much garbage.
"That damn pirate crew is stronger than I expected."
"Well, it might just be for the best. Considering the dangerous lengths they went to in order to escape the island, I think I have an idea where they might be going." Eric said. "They're chasing the legend this island has; the fabled dragons' nest on Lost Island. All we have to do is follow them."
He walked into the communications center and blocked the Transponder Snail.
"There's no need to report to Commodore Nelson."
He walked away, satisfied that he had cowed the director into silence.
"The lure of immortality...There's no way I'll hand over the elixir to that fat diabetic hippo! I'll use it for myself, and become a flawless whirlwind!"
Little did he know, Nelson was still getting reports from other sources.
"Commodore, we have a report from a soldier at Warship Island. Apparently, Eric has located an actual Millennial Dragon." An officer said. "The fleet was damaged by pirates, however, and the flagship needs time to repair."
Nelson scowled. "If Lieutenant Commander Hardy needs time to repair the fleet, he may have it. But Eric should have reported to me about the discovery of a Millennial Dragon! It seems he may be planning on taking the Dragonite for himself. Quite brazen for a hired mercenary. Have our main force directed to Warship Island!"
Here's another good cutting-off point! This might be a three or four-parter arc, depending on what my mood is for the next chapter.
Since we haven't seen much of Aramaki in action with the Woods-Woods Fruit in canon, I'd be happy to hear any suggestions for Special Moves Delphia can use for it in this story.