Chapter 22: Getting to know each other. Whiskey Peak; bounty hunters!
(Hello everyone. I just wanted to say: I AM ALIVE.
"Eye of the Tiger starts playing."
Well, after a couple of months indisposed I want to give special thanks to PrincessOfNeoVerona18 for having cared so much about me. Indeed, friends and dear fans, I've been sick and I've also been with work, so I didn't have time to write anything. I hope to be able to resume the rhythm of work and manage to bring a chapter every month. This chapter is a little shorter to be able to catch the rhythm well. Now I leave you with the chapter, but first just one last thing:
"may the 4th be with you"
"Infinity Prime, out!")
If there are words to describe the situation, they would be "madness", "absurd", "insane", "illogical" and in the end...
"Shishishi! I told you; Percy and his friends are real! Yeah!"
Luffy was more than delighted with his crew seeing the gods and his children. However, he was the only one who thought so.
"MORON!" Nami hits Luffy's head so hard that he gets a huge bump.
"And why, Nami?!"
"They are gods, idiot! Show them more respect!"
"I don't want to." Luffy picks his nose.
"What I want to know is how long will that guy stay like that..." Zoro pointed out as he saw Junior... hanging upside down from Olympus.
"Someone... help me... Blood... Head... Legs and arms... I don't... feel..."
Junior's eyes were swirling as Themis apologized to him.
"I'm so sorry. This fool will never change."
"Anyway, since these pirates can see us, it's time for these mortals to meet us at our best." Zeus proclaimed, much to the exasperation of his brothers and sisters.
"Oi, Old Man of the Lightning, stop being such a slob and introduce yourself."
Zeus got an angry mark and unleashed many lightning bolts, scaring the most cowardly and making Zoro mad.
"Brat..."
At that moment, Hestia approaches her brother and whispers something to her. At that moment, the King of the Gods leaves annoyed. Hestia smiles and kisses him on the cheek.
"Please forgive him. It's always very dramatic. My name is Hestia, Goddess of the Home. My pleasure."
The way the goddess spoke immediately calmed everyone down.
"I-It is a true honor to meet you, Lady Hestia!" Usopp quickly bowed to her as he was kicked by Sanji.
"My lady, my name is Sanji, and I must admit that I have never seen such beauty in this life. It would be an honor for me to serve you as your humble vassal!" Sanji knelt before the Goddess of the Hearth and gave her a flower.
"Oh, thanks." Hestia wasn't sure how to respond and Poseidon and company were starting to give the cook dirty looks.
"Moron," Zoro spoke without interest.
"What have you said?!"
"Enough of you two pathetic mortals!" Hera had enough and got between Zoro and Sanji. "I have a lot with my husband and my two brothers, I will not tolerate such insolence on this ship!"
"Yes, my lady Hera! She's so beautiful when she rages..!" Sanji was stunned as he danced with happiness, making Hera blush slightly.
"Whatever."
"This is impossible..." Nami began to whisper until a certain god approached her.
"Finally we meet, Nami"
Nami saw Hermes and immediately reminded him of when he was in Shells Town.
"It's you, the guy who helped me at Morgan's base...! Wait... ARE YOU a god?"
"Yes, I am Hermes, Messenger God, of Travelers, of Thieves!"
Nami widened her eyes in shock when she heard "God of Thieves".
"Is there... a GOD...?"
That's me! And I must say that I liked your style, besides that you are a navigator with a unique talent. That is why I have decided that you will be my champion!
Nami at that moment felt a heavenly light as she thought that a GOD would help her get all the treasures in the world.
"Hermes-sama, I promise that I, your humble champion, will live up to your expectations."
"Oi, oi, oi, oi, oi" the demigods and Usopp said.
"Of course, she's greedy," Annabeth said disappointed.
"And that you say so, Princess. But well, they are taking it better than I expected." Clarisse commented.
"Still, I want to know why they can see us now." Percy took out Anaklusmos and pointed it at Junior.
"Hey, calm down! You may not believe it but I don't get it either!"
"Maybe Hecate and I have the answer."
Themis and Hecate appear floating gently and impressing everyone.
"It is because Olympus, being chained to the Going Merry, has created a link that allows interaction with the Olympian inhabitants," Hecate said with her arms crossed.
"Although in the case of children, being demigods, they can be seen and heard by anyone and each time with greater clarity as we enter the Grand Line. I suppose that it will happen to the gods too but our power will make it happen and slow down the process." Themis finished putting a hand to her head annoyed.
"Ah, I see, I see! Well, then that settles it!" Junior said giving a thumbs up.
"I don't know anything about it, but if it means that Percy and his friends are members of my crew, then I'm fine!" Luffy seconded with a goofy grin.
At that moment two punches landed on both of their heads; They were from Annabeth who was very angry.
"Would you both mind focusing and seeing what a problem we're having?! It's bad enough that this rubber idiot can see us without a problem and now anyone can see us demigods!"
"H-Hey, Annie..." Thalia tries to calm her friend down, but the amazing vocal power of Athena's daughter left her speechless.
"AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO REALIZES THAT THE NAVY IS GOING TO ENGAGE WHEN THE STRAW HAT HAS GATHERED SO MANY NEW MEMBERS IN SO LITTLE TIME AND WE HAVE "KIDNAPPED" ONE OF ITS MEMBERS EVEN THOUGH IT'S OUR FRIEND!? "
No one could say anything to try to calm the girl down until Percy kisses her on the cheek.
"You know, I've never seen you like this before." he teases her.
"S-Sorry, it's just that…"
"We get it girl, but you and your friends have been through things like this before, so stop being such a brat and focus."
Zoro was fed up with this yelling and decided to intervene before things got more unbearable when Athena looked at him seriously. They both stared at each other, testing each other.
At that moment it started to snow.
"But what..." Poseidon looked surprised.
"If the sun was shining just now!" exclaimed Apollo surprised.
At the Going Merry, Nami can't believe this snow has come out of nowhere while Luffy and Usopp are playing in the snow. Luffy built a snowman while Usopp sculpted a 'Snow Queen' snow statue.
Aphrodite was going to squeal with happiness upon seeing the sculpture's resemblance to Kaya, but Hades quickly said, "No."
"You're not funny!"
Percy shakes his head in amusement when he receives a snow globe courtesy of Thalia.
"Really, Pineapple Head? We're too old to…"
Before Percy could say anything else, Clarisse smacked him in the face as he gaped.
"Ha, ten points! Suck on that, Prissy!"
"...You're finished."
Luffy made his snowman hit the sculpture, causing the sculpture's head to explode. In turn, Usopp destroyed the snowman, joining the demigods in a war between the two.
"He can't believe those two can be so energetic in the snow. Hey, are your boyfriend and those two girls always like this?"
"The truth is that we are all cousins; as for the girl with black hair and a gothic style, her name is Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus. She is one of my oldest friends and could be considered Percy's sister. As for the one with the Brown hair, her name is Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, God of War and let's just say that she and Percy have had a rivalry for years."
"What happened?"
"Percy dumped dirty water on her."
Laughter broke out as Luffy began to "fight" Clarisse.
"You know, ever since I saw you, I wanted to fight you. Even if she's with such nonsense!"
"Yosh, come get me, Clerrisse!"
Although the gods considered these games ridiculous, they couldn't help but enter this situation amusing in their eyes.
Meanwhile, Sanji was shoveling snow, asking how much she should shovel, to which Nami told him to stop once the snow stopped falling. I decide that Annabeth will accompany her since she wanted to get to know her better.
Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday complained about the cold (although they were still shocked by the existence of gods), which caused Nami and Annabeth to order them around since they are not guests.
Suddenly, lightning fell from the sky as the wind hit them hard.
"Zeus, what are you doing!" Demeter asked.
"It wasn't me, I have no reason to fire any lightning."
Nami was able to see how random the weather gets, and Miss Wednesday claimed that's how it is on the Grand Line.
"And so much. I don't even remember how many times storms surprised us... By the way, you should change course." commented Themis remembering the old days.
Nami had just checked the direction, she looked outside and yelled, noticing that they had to turn 180 degrees now. She remembered looking away from the pole for a second, noting that the waves were calm earlier.
"Man, the weather really changes on the dime," Hermes said.
Miss Wednesday made fun of her navigator status. her saying that they can't trust the weather here, and the only thing they could trust was the direction of the log pose. Rachel kicked them out angrily.
"If you are so cold, help navigate!"
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it, I just don't like people like that."
Nami ordered them to change the direction of the ship, but the first gale of spring came when Usopp yelled for Zoro to go to sleep.
"Already!?" shouted surprised the Goddess of Love.
They all ran as Luffy wants to see a dolphin, but they soon ran into an iceberg and fog.
"Lady Themis, one question: How does anyone survive on the Grand Line?" Amphitrite cried out in surprise.
"Don't ask, don't ask... That can't be explained to someone who uses common sense." Themis replied, remembering all the crazy things she's seen on the Grand Line.
"Junior..." Hera started, but Junior shrugged.
"I guess that's true."
The Going Merry was able to hit the iceberg, but there is a water leak at the bottom of the ship. Usopp tried to fix it when dark clouds appeared in the sky. Just as Sanji was bringing them food, a strong wind came, knocking at the sails.
It was pure chaos...until they finally found themselves in calm water, just in time for Zoro to wake up and tell them not to loaf around on a good day. Of course, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji were mad at him, but Thalia fired lightning at him.
"Oi, brat!"
"If you go back to sleep I'll throw you off this ship! Enough with Fish Breath to worry about you now!"
"You..." Zoro was about to take the sword from her and cut her to pieces.
"F-Fish's Breath... Thalia, I don't forgive you for this one!" Percy engaged his cousin/sister in combat, engulfing them in a cloud of dust.
"How the hell did you sleep through a billion weather changes?" Hera exclaimed.
"Hopefully, all those naps would help them in the future." Hephaestus sighed.
"Ha, if he takes a nap in these storms, he's quite a warrior!" Ares bellowed as Athena rolled her eyes.
Zoro asked why Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 were here, and Luffy explained that they were heading to Whiskey Peak. Zoro told him that they don't owe the two of them anything, which Luffy knows. Still, the swordsman doesn't think it matters.
Zoro began to question the two, stating that something had been bothering him ever since he first heard their names... as if he may or may not have heard of them before, causing both of them to jump in surprise. Before he could continue, Nami hit him over the head, furious that she was able to sleep so comfortably all this time.
"I mean, you're right about the sleeping part, but I don't think hitting him will make him learn any faster," Apollo said firmly.
"Very good, Nami! Well done!" Artemis applauded to the annoyance of the male gods.
Nami, (who blushed at the compliments of a goddess) told everyone not to let their guard down as she realized the dangers of the Grand Line's weather. Usopp asked if they would be alright and Nami was confident that everything would be fine.
Her first trip has ended. She pointed beyond the mist, where there are mountains that looked like cacti.
Hades looked more closely at the mountains and widened his eyes in surprise.
"And now it happens to you?" I ask her sister/her mother-in-law with annoyance.
"Listen, Grain Face, you and I don't get along, but I need you to help me get everyone off this island." Hades said annoyed while Demeter snorted.
"And why would I? Honestly, the only one who doesn't paint anything here is you."
Before Hades could say or do anything, Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday stood dramatically at the railing, informing the crew of their departure. They then jumped into the ocean and swam away. The crew was confused, but Luffy doesn't care as they are landing.
Seeing that there is a river in front, Nami could see that they could go inland by boat, although Usopp was quite intimidated, thinking that there might be monsters there.
"Do you want to be a brave warrior or not, Long Nose?!" Clarisse yelled at him.
"I heard!"
Sanji thought it was possible, but Luffy believed that if there were monsters, they could leave the island. Nami reminded him that they have to stay here for a certain time for the log pose, explaining that each island requires a different amount of time.
"So even if the island is dangerous, do you still have to stay there until then?" Hestia said worriedly.
"It's either that or take on the Grand Line blindly," Junior said, reminding them of the weather they had just seen.
Soon they all agree to always listen to Nami.
Usopp panicked, but Luffy ignored him. Zoro agreed. Sanji believed that he could protect Nami, and Usopp's chronic illness was getting worse.
Nami told them to go inside and be prepared to both run and fight.
After the eye catches, the crew noticed people in the mist. They were ready to fight, but when they emerged from the mist, they were met by the villagers who happily greeted and cheered them, even calling them 'heroes of the sea'.
Luffy didn't care, Sanji was won over by the girls and Usopp got the praise, but Nami was a bit reluctant.
"I feel like you guys should at least be suspicious of all of this," Rachel said, shaking her head.
"Oh come on! What's the worst that can happen?" Jackson said earning glances from all over the world.
"Kid, not like that. Don't ever say that."
The mayor of Whiskey Peak, Igarappoi, introduced himself to the Straw Hats when Luffy followed suit, saying that he crossed the line by curling his hair.
"Wait, is that his real hair or a wig?" Annabeth asked.
Igarappoi stated that Whiskey Peak thrives on liquor making and music and that hospitality is the pride of his town. He asked if the town could organize a party for them so they could hear their stories.
Luffy, Usopp, Sanji, and Tyson happily accepted the offer, while Nami, Rachel, and Zoro thought they were idiots.
"Well, I'm glad someone can see the red flags here." The Goddess of Love sighed.
Nami asked how long the record of this island would be stored, but the mayor told her not to worry about boring things and to rest.
"This is not a 'boring thing', it means live or die, Beeee!" Groover bleated but was carried away by the citizens amid shouts of partying. The gods went with them when they verified that, when leaving the Sunny, they returned to be "ghosts" for normal people as Hecate and Themis said. However, for Percy and the rest of the demigods, people saw them and party with them thinking that they are part of Luffy's crew.
It was at night when the villagers were joyfully partying with the crew. As Usopp told lies about him to an amazed crowd, Nami was offered alcohol. Nami tried to refuse, saying that she would rather not drink, but Igarappoi claimed that it is a special wine that does not contain alcohol. Nami took a sip, finding it delicious. Annabeth took advantage of this moment to study the history of the town and Tyson was being pampered by the women of the town.
"It is a trap". Clarisse said casually though she couldn't stop eating.
To celebrate the harvest, Igarappoi held their usual toast contest, where the last one standing is the winner. Nami refused to participate in the competition, but once money was mentioned, she is willing to force Zoro to participate as well.
"Dammit, they know her weakness too." Hestia worried.
"...Money is also quite a common reward, dear sister." Poseidon was expressionless.
"And unfortunately, a very tempting one." Junior term
The party continued with highlights like Luffy eating for 20 people, Zoro and Nami winning the competition, and Sanji flirting with 20 girls. Everything seemed to be going well...
Unfortunately, though, nothing is ever what it seems.
Zoro gave up the competition to go to sleep. Nami complained, but she was already facing her sister in her 15th cup. The soft-spoken nun told her that she should resign soon for her sake, but Nami won't give up the prize money, laughing. hysterically.
"Huh, I thought nuns shouldn't drink a lot of alcohol," commented Aphrodite.
I doubt she's a real nun. Athena pointed.
Even Luffy can't eat anymore, she thought he took down three cooks on the way. Ultimately, Nami won with Usopp and Sanji following her lead.
With the Straw Hats passed out, Igarappoi, or rather Mr. 8, meets up with Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9. The nun, having removed her costume, asked if it was really necessary to do an elaborate act for the Straw Hats. weak five. -they look snotty.
"I knew..." Hera sighed annoyed.
"It's frustrating knowing and not even being able to tell the guys..."
She believed that they should have beaten them into port since the city already has little food, and they had no hope of whale meat in the first place. Mr. 9 complained that they had done their best, but Mr. 8 told them to calm down.
He has shown Luffy's generosity, surprising them with the boy's courage. Mr. 8 criticized Miss Monday, the muscular woman, for judging him by her appearance, then she started to clear her throat as if she were going to sing, like before.
Mr. 8 planned to confiscate the crew's money and other valuables on the ship, and when questioned about the crew, Mr. 8 stated that if they are killed now, the reward is reduced by 30% since the government wants to carry out public executions.
The audience can't help but wince and cringe at that. You already know how cruel and corrupt the government is, but just hearing that made you even more villainous than before in a way.
Mr. 8 ordered the three to take the pirates alive, but a voice from above stopped them.
"Zoro!" The gods cheered at the sight of the swordsman.
"I'm glad someone noticed." Hestia sighed with a smile.
Two of her members tried to warn them about Zoro's escape, but it was too late. Before anyone could do anything, an electrified spear plunges into her feet, courtesy of Thalia.
"I thought you were asleep."
"Don't confuse me with my cousin and the others, I'm the lieutenant of the Huntresses of Artemis."
Mr. 8 thought they were asleep, but Zoro claimed that swordsmen never make the mistake of letting their guard down that much.
"But what about those times I was napping on the ship?" Apollo asked amused as his sister rolled her eyes.
"I'm sure he trusts his crew to take care of him." Hades suggested.
"This is a bounty hunter's nest, and they fool pirates who are in a good mood after they have entered the Grand Line," Zoro explained.
From where he is, he could see around 100 bounty hunters here, and Zoro plans to fight Baroque Works.
"Well, look at that." Thalia pondered.
The members were horrified that he knew the name of her company and that she could use lightning. When Zoro was in a similar line of work, he got hired by his company once and naturally turned it down.
He knows that the employees do not know each other's identities and are called by code names. Even the whereabouts of their boss and his identity are also a mystery to them, and the Baroque Works is a criminal group that faithfully carries out its orders.
"Eh, what a turn of events." A female voice surprises everyone as two bounty hunters are thrown into the air. Clarisse is revealed cracking her knuckles and neck on her.
"Looks like Jackson's Luck strikes once more. Damn, Prissy..."
"Oi, La Rue! Are you awake too?" Zoro asked.
"Unlike your goofy captain, I am a warrior. I am always ready."
"Tch, you didn't say that when Percy poured dirty water on your head." Thalia thought amused.
Of course, the bounty hunters will have to kill him now for learning his secrets, and he will be another tombstone added to Cactus Rocks.
Getting closer to Cactus Rocks revealed many, many tombstones there, resembling spikes from afar.
"Ha, I told you so, Grain Face! I told you so, I told you so!" Hades turned into a little boy and started humming annoying Demeter.
"Oh, shut up, Breath of the Dead! For once you're right about something...!". Demeter added dryly until Hestia pulled the two apart.
"Are they at least... respectful?" Hermes teased a bit.
Mr. 8 ordered everyone to kill Zoro and the demi goddesses, but somehow, the swordsman disappeared from his sight.
As Thalia and Clarisse prepare to fight, the latter wants to fight.
"Okay…she was sick of waiting for a good fight."
"To be Continue..."