Out in the middle of the sea, a Marine fleet was sailing. On one of the boats, an officer knocked on a cabin door.
"Hey in there. It's mealtime."
He looked through the porthole, but the cabin looked empty. Shocked, the officer quickly burst into the room.
"Damn it all, she's gone! Where could she be hiding?! There's no way she could possibly escape this far out at sea!"
As he looked through the room, a little girl snuck out from behind the open door and scrambled out of the room. However, the officer caught her and held her up.
"Listen, kid. It's pointless trying to escape in the middle of the sea. Just stay quiet and nothing bad will happen to you."
The girl huffed, then kicked backward right into the officer's crotch. This caused him to drop the girl, letting her run off. She noticed the officer wound up frozen from the pain.
The alarm on the ship was rung once word got out about the escape.
"Find that girl!" An officer ordered. "Bring her into custody! But don't be rough with her, she's still a child after all!"
The girl had made her way up the rigging and into the crow's nest. Spotting a knife, she used it to cut the rigging, leaving no way up or down. From there, she noticed a longboat hanging off the ship and grasped something around her neck.
"Grandpa Ryu, protect me."
She took a blind leap into the longboat, much to the shock of the Marine officers who had spotted her.
"What do you mean, she escaped?!"
Commodore Nelson Royal, a morbidly obese man with a thin whiplash mustache, scowled as he was told everything by his men.
"That girl may have the only clue to the Dragonite I've spent years searching for! Get Eric over here at once!"
"I'm already here, Commodore," a mercenary in a naval suit said as he emerged from the nearby shadows.
"We need to retrieve the clue to the elixir of immortality. I can't lose it now that I've found it after so long," Nelson said. "I'm giving you command of the fleet, so find that girl at once. I don't care what it takes."
"I'm afraid tracking down a person wasn't part of our contract," Eric pointed out.
"I'll pay you extra to have it added! But I want that girl found!" Nelson snapped.
Eric nodded. "Then I'll get right to it."
As Sonson and her group were sailing toward Reverse Mountain, Hsiao noticed something peculiar in the distance.
"Hey, what's that over there?" The dragon girl pondered.
N'Doul frowned as he dipped his hand in the water, feeling the currents before perking up.
"A longboat is approaching us...with one passenger."
"Wonder who it is?" Sonson pondered as she formed her hands over her eyes like binoculars.
Choi also held a hand over his eyes to better see who was coming and his eyes widened in shock at what he saw.
"There's a child on that boat!"
Sonson gasped before taking something out of her ear, which expanded in a flash of golden light to reveal a red staff with golden hoops at the end as she used it as a makeshift paddle to hurriedly move to the longboat...
As the morning came, Grahambel was the first one awake. He cleared his throat, then used his Devil Fruit to create an alarm clock noise.
"Good morning, Straw Hats! Rise and shine, and let's start things off right!"
The Going Merry had two cabins, one for women and the other for men.
"Ugh...five more minutes..." Bella moaned as she trudged out of the women's cabin along with Merone, Ariala, Nami, Kuishi, and Delphia.
Ed and Romaz raised the anchor and the Merry started sailing off. Sanji got to work in the kitchen as Double-D oversaw the rigging maintenance and Nami was looking over the chart they had.
"Just a few more days and we'll reach the Grand Line."
Usopp was keeping watch from the crow's nest when he saw something weird.
"Hey, it looks like we have a flock of seabirds off to starboard! And there's something big just under the flock!" He adjusted his new sniper goggles. "It appears to be a schooner...and there's people on it!"
"Castaways?" Bella asked.
"They seem to be handling their boat just fine. But we should still help them out." Romaz noted.
Kuishi nodded as she quickly dove into the water and swam out to retrieve the boat. Within minutes she had the boat pulled up to the Merry and rigged it up so it could pulled onto the deck. As it turned out, it was the same girl who had escaped the Marine fleet along with Sonson and her crew.
"Hey, thanks for hauling us in." Sonson thanked. "The poor kid looked out of it and we were looking for a place to help her."
"Oh dear, oh dear..." Double-D fretted as he gently picked up the little girl and carried her to the medbay. "Guess I need to put my medical skills to use now."
"So who are you guys?" Luffy asked.
"I'm Akira D. Sonson, a former student under the great Tang D. Sanzang. After I finished my training he suggested I make a pilgrimage in my own way. So I chose to walk the path of an honorable Peace-Main pirate." Sonson introduced herself.
"I'm her best friend, Tonton Choi." Choi went next. "We've sought a journey to the east across the Grand Line from our home in the West Blue."
"My name is N'Doul. Yes, I am blind, but I have trained my other senses to near-perfect levels." N'Doul said. "I lived in a small fishing village, protecting it from bandits when Sonson and Choi helped me rid my home of them. With my village safe, I agreed to join on their pilgrimage."
"And I'm Hsiao Long-nu!" Hsiao chirped. "I'm from a small little island that worships the great dragon lords. When Sonson, Choi, and N'Doul offered me a spot on their team, I was happy to join! I also ate my island's sacred Devil Fruit, the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, which grants me the mystical powers of the mightiest dragons!"
"Speaking of Devil Fruits, I ate the Monkey-Monkey Fruit: Model Sun Wukong," Sonson explained. "Choi ate the Pig-Pig Fruit: Model Zhu Bajie and N'Doul ate the Fish-Fish Fruit: Model Sha Wujing."
"Whoa, Mythical Zoans..." Ariala whispered in amazement.
"Those are even rarer than Logias!" Ferros added.
Luffy grinned. "Well, my crew and I are on a pilgrimage of our own to find the One Piece!"
"That's perfect!" Sonson beamed. "The island where the One Piece resides is part of our own pilgrimage! Heck, Master Sanzang was a former member of the legendary Gol D. Roger's crew!"
"Well, you're looking at the man who aims to inherit Roger's title," Merone said as she gestured to Luffy. "Luffy here aims to become the new King of the Pirates."
N'Doul nodded. "It seems fate has conspired to bring our two groups together as one. Sonson's master told us there's an important artifact on the island that needs to be shared with the world."
"Sweet!" Eddy grinned. "The more, the merrier! And all the more riches to get!"
A little later, the girl stirred awake, then sat up with a start, accidentally knocking into Usopp's jaw, which sent him flailing to the ground.
"You need some milk!" Kuishi laughed.
"Har-Har..." Usopp sarcastically said as he rubbed his jaw.
Meanwhile, the girl was rubbing her head in pain.
"Ow... Did I bump into a stone or something?"
"You always were tougher than you seem, Usopp," Zoro noted.
Usopp wasn't sure how to feel about that, but it was nice to be acknowledged.
"Are you alright?" Lithos asked the girl.
"Uh, yeah. Where am I?"
"You're on our ship," Sanji explained. "You must be hungry. Lucky for you I'm just finishing up breakfast."
"Were you on a shipwreck or something?" Nami asked. "What's your name?"
The girl scoffed. "When asking questions, you should give your name first."
Luffy grinned. "Shishishishi! I like this kid already. My name's Monkey D. Luffy."
The crew all introduced themselves one by one.
"And together, we're the Straw Hat Pirates!" Luffy said.
Needless to say, as soon as she heard the word 'Pirate', the girl began freaking out.
"Yeah, that's about the reaction I expected," Zoro noted.
"Sheesh, I've never seen such a reaction from people facing pirates. Not even when Arlong was trying to intimidate them." Kuishi said as she saw the girl locking up.
"Heck, the pirate me, Double-D, and Ed faced when we first got our Devil Fruits didn't elicit too much of a panicked reaction from us," Eddy added.
"So what should we do with her?" Yosaku asked.
"Allow me," Grahambel said. "Stand back, everyone!"
Harvey let loose an airhorn noise, snapping the girl out of it. But she was still freaking out.
"Well, that's not getting us anywhere..." Choi grumbled.
Late into the night, the girl was still freaking out.
"How could this happen? After all the trouble I went through to escape the Marines, I wind up on a pirate ship?"
She could only imagine the terrible things the Straw Hats had done, though little did she know the worst thing any of them did was beat up a few corrupt Marines. Just as she was wondering how she could get out of this situation, her stomach started rumbling.
"I should get something to eat first."
She carefully snuck into the kitchen, only to see Ferros and Sanji sleeping against the walls. She carefully snuck over to the fridge, but one step caused a burst of mana energy to hit her face and she wound up coughing. That woke both men up as Sanji hit the lights.
"If you wanted food you only had to ask."
The girl was stunned, especially when Bella came in, having placed Mana traps all over the floor in case of unwarranted late-night snacking.
"See, Sanji? Cleaner than a mousetrap!" The tomboy beamed.
"I mean, we also have the ultimate security alarm," Sanji said, pointing to Grahambel sitting on top of the pantry.
"I can hear anyone sneaking in," Grahambel boasted.
Sanji chuckled, then made a quick snack. A fried chicken sandwich for Ferros, a cucumber and cuttlefish salad for Grahambel, chocolate chip waffles for Bella, and a beef stew for the girl. Needless to say, the girl was shocked as Grahambel ate the cuttlefish bones and all.
"Go ahead and dig in," Ferros said as he bit into his sandwich. "It's not poisoned."
The girl was reluctant, but her stomach was rumbling too much. She drank down the stew, and her eyes lit up and she quickly inhaled it.
"Delicious!"
Ferros chuckled. "Naturally. Sanji's the best cook in the East Blue, maybe even the world."
By now the rest of the crew had heard the commotion and entered the galley, smiling as the girl was finally starting to relax.
"You probably got scared when we said we're pirates, yeah?" Nami asked. "Don't worry, we're not the bad sort."
"We have a name for bad pirates like that; Morganeers," Sonson said. "Luckily, we're Peace Mains."
"Come to think of it, what was Arlong having Kuishi and Romaz do?"
"Just collection when it came time for tributes," Romaz assured him. "In fact, Hatchan and I even donated some of our own money to the people who were lagging behind on payment."
"And the rest of us never even committed any real piracy. We're more adventurers and swashbucklers than fearsome sea raiders." Johnny noted.
"The biggest motley crew this side of the East Blue. And tough enough to take down any bad guy that tries to stand in our way." Double-D said.
"See? Even Double-D has confidence that we can kick bad guy butt!" Eddy laughed.
"We are the unstoppable warriors of the sea!" Ed declared.
"So you're not gonna sell me off?" The girl asked.
"Why would we do that? People aren't cargo, you know." Delphia said.
"And we absolutely hate slavery," Kuishi added. "Many of our people have suffered under the slave trade."
"Well, I can't blame the kid for being scared of us. We're pretty evil-looking after all." Zoro said as he turned to Romaz and Kuishi. "No offense to you two."
Kuishi shrugged. "Some taken."
"I've honestly heard worse." Romaz added.
The girl finally felt herself relax. It looked like she'd be safe on this ship.
"And hey, me and my friends actually saved ya before the Straw Hats saved us." Hsiao smiled. "So you're in good hands."
"Well, since we're all up anyway, I'll start fixing up a late-night snack for everyone," Sanji said.
The next day the girl, who gave her name as Apis, wanted to cook breakfast for everyone. But Lithos insisted on being there to monitor her to ensure no resources were wasted. Sure enough, it turned out she was horrible at cooking, and Ariala and Merone had to intervene to make sure none of Sanji's kitchen equipment was damaged.
"Clearly this girl is too young for culinary," Grahambel said before eating the disaster of a breakfast.
"Hey, save some for me!" Kuishi said as she took some for herself.
Sanji hated wasting food after all, but there was no way the rest of the crew would want to eat such a burned and spicy mistake.
"Sorry...I just wanted to help since you're deciding to feed me." Apis apologized.
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable taking in a Cabin oy, or girl in this case, so young. Especially after Coby." Lithos said.
"Technically, he was Alvida's Cabin Boy." Ferros pointed out.
"Besides, I'm already the Cabin Girl here," Delphia added.
"Well, whatever the case, from now on we're having Sanji teach her how to cook so she doesn't turn any more kitchens into disaster zones," Merone said.
Eventually, Sanji made an actual breakfast as the crew entered the galley.
"So, Apis, why were you drifting on the sea?" Sonson asked.
"I escaped from a Marine ship. It was three days ago."
"What did you do that made the Marines imprison you?" Zoro asked.
"Sure there are plenty of corrupt Marines around the world, but I don't know why they want to capture a little girl," N'Doul added.
Apis lowered her head. "I'm sorry... I can't tell you that."
"Well, we're not going to pry, and you definitely aren't a criminal. I can tell by looking at your face." Lithos said.
"So where are you from?" Ariala asked.
"I'm from Warship Island."
"I've never heard of that place," Bella admitted.
"I think it's just off the entrance to the Grand Line. It's a large island that is shaped like a warship." Hsiao said.
Nami checked out their sea chart. "Yeah, here it is. It's not too far from our position. If Apis wanted, we could drop her off there without issue."
"Well, it's not like we're in a big hurry. An extra day or two for a detour before we hit the Grand Line isn't going to hurt us." Luffy said.
Lithos chuckled. "Well, you heard the captain. Looks like we're changing course for Warship Island."
Apis beamed. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Meanwhile, the Marine fleet was conducting its search as the lookout scanned the sea.
"Ship sighted at 13 o'clock!"
"What are we looking at?" Lieutenant Commander Hardy called back.
"Looks like a mid-size caravel! The flag has a Jolly Roger! A skull wearing a straw hat!"
"A pirate ship, huh? Seems they don't know their own station sailing around the seas under Commodore Nelson's control." Hardy said. "Still, they seem like mere small fries. No need to bother with them."
"Actually, that's not the flag of a small-time pirate crew," Eric said as he stepped onto the deck, "That flag belongs to Straw Hat Monkey D Luffy. He, his Quartermaster, and three mates Tremor Edward D. Lithos, Sea Queen Clisson D. Merone, Metal Machine Edward D. Ferros, and Wind Dancer Clisson D. Ariala, possess the five highest bounties in the East Blue."
"Oh yeah, I've heard of them! They're all worth 50 million each!" One trooper chimed in.
"Even with such a big fleet, we can't find the girl we're looking for, which could mean a ship picked her up," Eric noted. "And wouldn't it be a problem to leave such high-caliber pirates sailing around, Lieutenant Commander? Have that ship captured at once!"
Little did Eric know, his decision would be the worst one of his life because it wasn't long before Usopp spotted the fleet.
"Marine fleet approaching from the aft! All hands on deck! This is a top-class emergency!"
Lithos and Bella were the first ones to run out.
"Damn, that fleet has at least a dozen battleships."
Apis gasped when she saw the fleet had the number 8 on their sails.
"Maybe they're after me, Lithos, Merone, Ferros, and Ariala," Luffy suggested.
"Well, you guys are the children of Whitebeard, and your bounties in total sum up to 250 million Berri," Double-D noted. "But this still seems quite excessive for a caravel."
"Those ships belong to Branch 8! That's the fleet I escaped from!" Apis said.
"So those were the creeps you were running from, huh?" Sonson realized. "Well, they aren't gonna get you without a fight!"
"I see the girl on the deck!"
Eric smirked at Hardy as they heard the lookout.
"Just as I said. Remember, Lieutenant Commander, any mistakes in retrieving that girl and the clue to the elixir of immortality would surely make Commodore Nelson furious."
Hardy grimaced but understood as he pointed forward.
"Prepare the cannons! Capture that ship!"
The cannons were prepped and fired, but then something happened. The Merry was suddenly surrounded by a large mana dome created by Bella, disintegrating the cannonballs on contact. Needless to say, Hardy couldn't help but feel a trifle smug as he saw Eric's shocked expression.
"This is why we pick our battles, mercenary."
"Great work, Bella!" Luffy cheered. "I knew it was a good idea to bring you on board!"
"Awww, shucks..." Bella blushed, rubbing the back of her head bashfully.
"We still need to clear some distance from them, guys," Ariala said. "I guarantee you those were just warning shots."
"If they have any Transponder Snails on their ships, I can hijack them with my Noise-Noise Fruit and send them bunk information," Grahambel suggested. "That should provide enough confusion for us to escape."
Apis noticed the seabirds that were sitting near Nami's tangerine trees and tugged on the navigator's pant leg.
"He said a wind is coming."
"Who?"
"That bird."
Nami realized what Apis was talking about and turned to the others.
"We need to turn to the south!"
Johnny and Yosaku quickly adjusted the sails, while Romaz and Kuishi worked the rudder. As they did this, Grahambel couldn't help but look at Apis curiously.
"Now how did she understand what that seabird was saying? As a fellow animal, I could understand him, but normal humans normally can't."
He would have to ponder on this later, as the wind caught the Merry's sails and carried it south.
"The ship just changed routes and sped up! Heading south!"
"Are they insane?!" Hardy called out. "That'll lead them into the Calm Belt!"
"I don't care where they're going!" Eric snapped. "Get after them right now!"
But the Merry was quickly pulling ahead, causing Eric to grit his teeth.
"How could a Marine fleet fall behind such a small ship, you dimwits!?"
"Actually, a smaller ship has better mobility," An officer pointed out.
"I don't want your excuses!"
"It's not an excuse, it's facts. Ask Commodore Nelson about the finer points of ships. He'll say the same." Hardy said, speaking up for his officer's defense. "He won't be happy, but he will agree with our reasoning. All ships to halt! We're turning around!"
"Do you not understand your orders, Lieutenant Commander?" Eric warned.
"What I understand is that if we actually chase that ship into the Calm Belt, the commodore will no longer have to worry about his precious immortality elixir. Or do you not know what sort of danger the Calm Belt possesses?"
Eric was angry, but he seemed to get the message.
The momentum from the wind wound up carrying the Merry into the Calm Belt, so now Kuishi and Romaz were towing the ship back into normal waters. Luckily, two strong Fishmen were more than capable of quickly towing a caravel away from the giant Sea Kings that made the Calm Belt their home.
"What was that? The wind was so strong for a bit, then the sails just went flat." Usopp said.
"That's where the Calm Belt gets its name," Nami explained. "Remember how Merone mentioned there were doldrums here? Well, a doldrums is a windless passage. Basically a massive stretch of ocean where there are no currents and no winds."
"The Calm Belt is why there's only one real entrance into the Grand Line. Otherwise, the only real border of the world would be the Red Line." Ariala added. "Plus the entire area is a nesting ground for Sea Kings."
"Come on, we beat a Sea King before," Luffy said.
"Yeah, one, but there are dozens if not hundreds of Sea Kings that make the Calm Belt their home." Lithos pointed out. "And some would absolutely dwarf the Lord of the Coast."
"I mean, two if you count whatever Ganzack's giant serpent ship was," Ferros added.
"Something is chasing us!" Apis suddenly said.
A massive sea cow-based Sea King started emerging from the water, seemingly intent on swallowing the Merry.
"It must have caught our scent in the water!" Delphia realized.
"I got this!" Sonson grinned as she leaped into the air, summoning a golden cloud to ride on as she threw her staff into the air. "TENCHI TSUUKAN!"
The staff grew to a giant size, shocking Apis as she saw this. Getting slammed by what amounted to a giant pillar was enough to convince the Sea King that it should seek prey elsewhere, and it slunk off.
"Well, at least we're out of the Calm Belt. The wind's picking up again." Nami said.
"Indeed, and there's no sign of the Marine fleet. They must have retreated when they realized where we were heading." Double-D noted.
"Okay, get the sails unfurled! Let's make for Warship Island without further delay!" Luffy declared.
"AYE-AYE, CAPTAIN!"
Figure this is a good cutting-off point.
The Straw Hats have brought Sonson and her group into their ranks and now they're taking a detour to help out little Apis with her problems. Batten down the hatches as we set sail for the filler arc of Warship Island!
Also, a challenge for my readers; if you have any Devil Fruit ideas, list them in the comments and I'll see if I can try including them in either this story or Mrotrax and I's shared fic; The Four Great Captains!