Zii laughed, falling back into a field of overgrown grass, eyes lit with cyan joy. The crew all laughed with her, and Minx spoke up. "Man, sure glad that all worked out~" which sparked further laughing. She closed her eyes, and opened them again. The dark unlit basement was all she could see above her, and the cyan in her eyes faded back into a black. "It was just a dream..." she muttered, looking around. Harmony was in a corner, nearly hyperventilating and sweating bad. But that's what the cuffs are doing, and with the magic nullifying cuff on her neck there was nothing she could do. Toast was dead asleep, snoring casually. One of the guards swung the heavy doors open, a bright burning light behind their back. "Wait... Blackflame? What's she doing here..?" some prisoners muttered as the seven foot tall woman with dark skin walked towards Zii. Harmony looked up, noticing the black wings on her back with a flame burning behind them, but she didn't seem to care about the heat. "Blackcat, our father wishes to speak with you," she said sternly as she reached for her. Zii stepped back as Harmony jumped forward and knocked the womans hand away with her cuffed hands, but this movement alone exhausted her.
"Y-You're gonna have to get thr-" Blackflame didn't even let her finish before a nasty flaming kick flung her back into the corner she came from, knocking the wind out of her. Zii tried to run to her, but was grabbed by the arm. She called out as she was taken, and Harmony just laid there panting and trying to chase, but unable to even move. An older prisoner hobbled over, falling to his knees next to her before sitting her up. "Young lady, your breathing is much too shallow!" he cried as he chopped her back, getting her to cough. But another blow caused her to take a good deep breath, and he covered her mouth. "Now hold..." he said, before pulling away and she exhaled slowly. He helped her a few more times before she could actually somewhat breathe. "Thank you..." she sighed, and he nodded as he lifted himself up with his cane. "Call me Will," he chuckled. "You know, with proper training, I could get your breathing to superhuman levels, and then you'd be as strong as me~" he laughed before Toast chucked a pillow at him, knocking him right down. "O-or as strong as I was," he corrected. Harmony sighed, and nodded with a determined look. "What do I need?" she asked as she shakily got up. "Just yourself," he answered, hope beaming in his eyes.
"Luna! What's up with you!?" Zii exclaimed as Blackflame tugged her rather aggressively by the arm. "Don't call me that..." she growled back, easily lifting Zii into the air and holding her in front of her. "You're not my sister anymore. Not after how you left," she scoffed, continuing on towards the throne room, or better known as Blackchain's bedroom. "He was trying to destroy my mother's home!" Zii cried, but Blackflame just dismissed her. "Save it," she scowled, swinging the doors open. The room was absolutely massive, the biggest room the castle had, but it wasn't originally. Blackchain had the slaves extend the size so he could sleep in his full dragon form, so even while he rests his scales keep him untouchable. "Father, I brought you the traitorous witch," she said, tossing Zii into the center of the room. Zii winced as she rubbed her wrist, and looked up at the commandingly huge white and gold dragon coiled around the room, his head resting on the throne that's also a folding bed. "NOW NOW, NO NEED FOR SUCH HOSTILITY," he said with his booming voice, lifting his head and vanishing into a stormy cloud. He dropped back down in his human form, kicking the bed back into a throne. "She's still family to me." Zii scoffed before asking bluntly, "What do you want?" He smirked as he waved Blackflame away. "I'm going to teach you respect, since you seem to forgot," he chuckled, causing her eyes to go yellow with fear, and she tried to step back but he quickly Shaved behind her.
Aboard the Namaqua, the crew were all antsy. They were in a calmer part of the storm, and Saimo came below deck and rummaged around for something to eat. "Say, you got anything to spare?" Julio asked, and Saimo just laughed. "Do we? Brother that Toast is always trying to eat us outta house n' boat. We've got plenty for y'all," he said as he showed them to the food storage. Julio glanced around, and he noticed a strange yellow fruit stem. "Hey... Isn't that..?" he asked, approaching it. "Oh hey... Yea that's a Devil Fruit," Saimo answered, pulling it out. The fruit was black, and a yellow stem swirled up and shot out the top like a lightning bolt. "Don't know how it got here, but none of us are eating it. Take it," he said, tossing it into Julio's hands. "Heh, maybe Harmony'll be happy having a physical one," he remarked, putting it in his bag. "Not gonna eat it? Yea, we like swimming too," Saimo chuckled before Cameron called him above. "Gotta go!" he said as he ran back up. "Wonder what that one does," Kiwi thought out loud, and Julio shrugged. "I don't think I'll eat it anyway, could give me something stupid like 'Paper'," Julio scoffed, crossing his arms. "Pass," Lia said, Minx nodding in agreement. "Then it's for the captain," Julio stated, closing his bag up.
The sun set, and Harmony's day with Will turned out to be fruitful. While still heavy, she had a much better hold on her breath. But Will said her training was far from over. "What's his dealio?" Toast pondered as Harmony was chatted with her. "He wants to get me, to be breathing normally, with this," she sighed, holding her cuffs up. "I've heard of some people like Roger could overcome the effects with their will alone," she scoffed, poking the cuff. "Well, once my crew get here I'mma get out. Then I'll find the key to that dumb thing," Toast said, smiling at her cell mate as her frilled tail swayed in the air. "Thanks, assuming my crew, doesn't beat yours to the punch," she panted, smirking. "You... Really believe they're alive..?" Toast asked, tilting her head. "Like I said, I feel they're ok, so I know they're ok," she said, beaming with confidence. "You're a funny girl Harmony," Toast laughed as she looked up at the ceiling. "Heh, imagine our crews teamed up to rescue all three of us," Toast giggled. "Hey, random ques; What's a princess like you even doing on the seas?" Harmony thought for a moment before answering. "Cuz my dreams took me there." Toast blinked, staring up at the brick ceiling. "You got dreams right? Aren't they why, you're with your crew?" she asked, and Toast sighed. "My dreams have been long dead..." she said, turning the other way in the bed. "What!?" Harmony cried out, startling the axolotl.
Before she could continue, the doors swung open again, and Blackflame came in holding Zii. She chucked her across the room, and Harmony quickly moved to catch her. Zii wasn't looking too hot, covered in blood and unconscious. "Holy crap..." Toast muttered, jumping over to her. "That bastard..." Harmony growled. Toast ripped up the raggedy sheet she could grab from her bed, bandaging up Zii's wounds. "You're a doctor?" Harmony asked, but Toast shook her head. "We never had one ourselves so we all got some medical knowledge, but I can't actually do medicine," she explained. "Last time I tried that Cameron couldn't stop bending light like crazy," she chuckled, feeling her pockets, and gasping. "They didn't take them!" she exclaimed, pulling out what looked like a couple small yellow gumballs. "She didn't eat a Devil Fruit, so she'll just be healing better with this," Toast said as a ball was placed in Zii's mouth. Zii groaned as she swallowed it, and Harmony placed her onto her bed. Harmony sighed as she sat down on the floor as no other beds were left. "Wish I could do more..." Toast sighed, looking around as the torches lighting the room snuffed out. "Guess it's bed time," she joked.