The Going Merry sailed out to the east, the crew going about their daily rounds as Apis kept Ryu company.
"Trouble behind us!" Usopp called out from the crow's nest. "The Marine fleet is on our tail!"
"Persistent bastards," Zoro noted.
"Give us a break!" Eddy complained.
Usopp then turned in the opposite direction.
"Is that smoke? No wait, it looks like Warship Island. Did we get turned around?"
"No, I certain we're still heading east," Nami replied.
"Our heading never changed," Bella confirmed.
As they got closer, the image changed into a ship identical to the Merry. Grahambel realized what was going on.
"We're hitting a mirage on the water. Something is reflecting the Merry's appearance."
Back with the fleet, both Hardy and Eric were flabbergasted as the Merry seemed to vanish into thin air.
"All ahead stop, men!" Hardy called out. "We'll wait for further orders!"
"No, we keep going. We can't let the Straw Hats gain any more ground or we'll lose the trail." Eric insisted.
"It's too risky. If our fleet gets torn apart for whatever reason, then we'll lose them regardless." Hardy pointed out.
Eric scoffed. "Fine. Then prepare a small craft. I'll go in alone."
Past the mirage was a heavy fog. Kuishi and Romaz boarded the Merry and tied off Ryu's cart while Delphia created bio-luminescent spores to act as fog lights.
"So what was that earlier?" Ariala asked. "Grahambel mentioned we were seeing a mirage."
"Temperature differences between warm and cold ocean water can create mirages at sea. This fog is probably the cause of that." Nami explained before sensing something. "Storm up ahead!"
Sure enough, the fog soon gave way to a powerful storm.
"BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES!" Ferros exclaimed.
"OH HELP ME!" Ed cried.
"We need to prep the ship!" Bella called out. "Yosaku! Johnny! Raise the sails! Undo the ropes! Kuishi, Romaz, make sure the cart ropes are secure!"
Apis tried to head for Ryu's cart, but Kuishi stopped her.
"You can't risk going over there in this weather! If you fall into the sea, your Devil Fruit will make it impossible for you to swim!"
A sudden lightning strike hit the nearby water as Luffy was lost in thought.
"It's almost like the sea's trying to push us back."
Usopp spotted a column of light in the distance.
"Hey! I think I found the eye of the storm! And it looks like there's an island below it!"
"Then make for that island!" Luffy called out. "We're taking Grandpa Ryu to his home one way or another!"
"Fasten your seatbelts!" Eddy exclaimed.
"WHAT SEATBELTS?!" Double-D asked incredulously.
It was rough, but the Merry soon made it through the storm into the eye.
"This certainly explains why Lost Island has never been charted," Nami said.
"Guess that makes us pioneers," Choi quipped.
"What a pilgrimage this is already turning out to be!" Sonson laughed.
"I claim this land for Spain!" Ed declared with a finger to the sky.
"You know, looking at it now, that island looks more like a castle that's sunk into the sea," Usopp noted. "Do you think it might be part of the lost civilization?"
"One way to find out," Romaz said as the Merry made landfall and the crew disembarked.
"This place looks like Mother Nature took over," Sanji said as he looked around. "I don't think anyone's lived here for centuries."
"I feel right at home here. Or maybe that's just my Devil Fruit talking." Delphia hummed.
Ryu's cart was brought ashore, but when he opened his eyes he sighed.
"He says this might not be Lost Island," Apis said.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Eddy exclaimed angrily.
"After all we went through to get here?!" Choi called out.
"I was so scared I voided myself! You could literally make me escargot right now my bowels are so empty!" Grahambel complained.
"There must be a reason why this island was so well-protected," Lithos realized. "Maybe there's a clue here that will lead to Lost Island.
Merone nodded. "Let's check out the top of the peak. That might help us get a better view."
The crew headed up, with the two Fishmen pulling the cart. As they reached the mountain, they saw the remains of a city among the rubble.
"This place must have been a bustling metropolis in its heyday. Just from the number of buildings alone, it was either a residential sector or a marketplace." Johnny suggested.
"Yeah...wonder if I can find some ancient goodies people will pay good money for," Eddy said as he looked around.
"I have become Stone Mask!" Ed said, wearing an old stone mask decoration on his head.
Apis found a top with the mark of the Millennial Dragons among the grass.
"I wonder if they played with children here on the island." She then saw several birds flying overhead. "Hello there. Are you friends with the Millennial Dragons?"
One bird landed on her shoulder and started chirping.
"Really? Hey, Nami! This bird says there's a building on the summit with a dragon mark! That might be where the nest is!"
Eventually, the group got to the summit, and sure enough, the door had the same mark as the Millennial Dragons.
"Thanks for showing us the way," Apis said to the bird as it flew off.
"So can you actually command animals with your Devil Fruit power?" Hsiao asked.
"No, I'm not capable of that. Even if I was, I would never force them to do something they didn't want to." Apis said.
"She's just so nice animals naturally like her. Which actually helps make her Whisper-Whisper Fruit very potent." Delphia noted.
"So now we need to get inside this building. Any ideas?" Ferros asked.
"This door doesn't have any handle or latches. I don't see how we're going to get inside." Nami said.
"Maybe we should consider hiring an archaeologist," Luffy suggested.
"Bit late for that now!" Usopp pointed out.
Apis then noticed part of the dragon mark was incomplete. Right near one of the claws was an indentation. She picked up her claw pendant and realized something.
"Maybe this is meant to be a key."
She tried to reach the indentation, but she was too short. Ariala smiled and picked Apis up gently, helping her slip it into the indentation. But instead of the door opening, the floor gave way beneath the group, sending them plummeting into the ruins below.
"Alright, who's not dead? Sound off." Ferros asked.
"Ugh, my back..." Double-D groaned.
"My head...!" Eddy whined.
"Ha-ha, my spleen!" Ed laughed.
"Think everyone's alive...for whatever counts as it." Bella groaned.
"Hey, at least we got inside," Sanji pointed out.
Romaz nodded. "And it looks like we're right where we're meant to be."
He pointed up to a mural on the ceiling. Picking herself up, Nami observed the images depicted on it.
"It looks like some kind of map. From what I'm seeing it looks like the dragons' nest isn't here after all."
"It's not?" Apis asked sadly.
"No, but this can tell us where the nest is," Nami assured her. "If only it weren't so worn down."
"Looks like part of it just fell down," Luffy said, having found a piece of the mural sitting on the ground near them.
Nami ran over to inspect it, then looked back at the mural on the ceiling.
"This is a map! A map to Lost Island! Look, that picture of the island with the domed building is where we are. And those people are the inhabitants of the island, which are likely Apis's ancestors."
"The ones who originally used the Whisper-Whisper Fruit to communicate with the Millennial Dragons," Merone noted.
"Yeah, and it seems like they lived here. Bokuden said the old civilization had moved to Warship Island from another island." Ariala said.
"It must have been this island that they came from. Which means this is the former home of their kingdom." Double-D realized.
"What had me curious was why there were dragon statues and paintings all along the path we took. But now I think the reason is because the old civilization worshipped the Millennial Dragons as gods." Nami noted. "They would fly over this island long ago, with the people praying to them for one reason or another."
"Which means the dragons' nest isn't likely to be on this island," Zoro realized. "But the mural does have an island with a dragon drawn on it. Think that's where the dragons' nest is?"
"Yes, I'd say that's exactly where it is. The island is just ahead of the people depicted as praying. That's the real Lost Island, and it's likely where the dragons' nest is." Nami said.
Apis looked at the drawing of the island and realized the shape of the island was familiar.
"Wait a minute! That island looks like Warship Island!"
"Hold on, it doesn't make sense that the nest would be on Warship Island. We were just there." Yosaku said.
"Islands and civilizations can change names over time," Lithos pointed out. "If you look carefully at the island, it looks just as much like a lost temple as it does a warship. The reason the island's current name is Warship Island is likely due to modernized thinking."
"That certainly would make sense," N'Doul said. "But then why didn't we find the nest while there?"
"Was it in that cave after all?" Ferros asked. "Apis did say Ryu is going senile."
"Not likely, I'd say it's more likely the nest's location sunk to the bottom of the ocean. It was a thousand years ago when the nest was last seen, so ocean currents and wind patterns could have worn down the island over time." Sanji said.
The whole time, Ryu had been staring up at the mural. As a flock of birds flew past it, his eyes widened in realization. Apis looked over to him, and images of a great migration filled her mind thanks to her Devil Fruit.
"He's remembered! The island is to the east of an island that looks like a warship."
"That's just going around in circles!" Eddy pointed out. "Was this just one big goose chase or something?!"
"No, I don't think so. You have to remember Ryu would have been looking down at the islands years ago." Lithos said. "Warships from back then would have looked much different than the ones from today. And when he says east, he's probably not thinking in terms of nautical directions. After all, why would a dragon use a compass?"
Double-D nodded. "That is a valid point."
"So you think he was talking about the island being to the right from his perspective?" Romaz asked. "East is to the right of you when facing north, after all."
Zoro suddenly sensed something before drawing his swords. Bella, who was right next to him, generated a blade of mana from her arm as she got into her own fighting stance.
"Someone's followed us!"
The group looked around and spotted Eric standing above them.
"Thank you for the helpful explanation. Now I know where to find the Dragonite. But since it would be a waste to try searching the bottom of the ocean, it would seem my only choice is to take your Millennial Dragon."
"Wow, I thought you wanted immortality, not certain death," Ferros threatened.
"You guys get Grandpa Ryu back to the ship. I'll handle this bozo." Zoro said.
Luffy grinned. "Got it. Ed, give us an exit."
Ed beamed and then took a chunk of stone before absorbing its properties, his whole body becoming like a rock as he charged forward.
"BOULDER DASH!"
With his boulder-like inertia, Ed smashed through part of the wall with his entire body, revealing a large hole that led outside. Eric leapt down hoping to stop the group's escape, only for Zoro to easily counter him. Meanwhile, Ariala noticed another fallen piece of the mural and realized something.
"Let's go! Kuishi! Romaz!"
"AYE-AYE!" Kuishi said with a salute as she and Romaz grabbed the cart and the gang rode it outside, where it turned out the wall was outside a cliff. Luckily the cart landed on a slippery tree root and slid down to the ground.
"Why does it feel like we've inherited every deity's miracle by this point?!" Usopp called out as the cart raced along the street.
"Maybe that's what the D in you guys' initials means!" Delphia giggled as she turned to Bella.
"More than likely!"
"Is Zoro going to be alright?" Apis asked. "He's up against a guy with Devil Fruit powers!"
"Devil Fruit users are far from invincible!" Ferros pointed out. "And Eric doesn't seem very inventive with his power! Zoro will be fine!"
Sure enough, Zoro was easily handling Eric.
"I wonder what would happen if I broke your nails," Zoro smirked.
Grumbling, Eric slashed down some rubble to distract Zoro before fleeing.
"I don't have time to get up in pointless fights!" Eric declared as he leaped onto the root to slide down, only to notice Zoro was still following him.
"You're gonna have to learn to make time! An enemy you haven't defeated is one that will continue to hound you!"
The cart finally reached the bottom after a really bumpy ride.
"I once rode a roller coaster when I was a boy...I was scared the first time but now I think I'm grateful they don't have collisions." Yosaku shuddered.
"I wanna do that again!" Hsiao laughed.
"Alright, let's retrieve Zoro and get going," Luffy said as he stretched out his arm to where Zoro had landed to face Eric, grabbing him and pulling him down to the Merry. Where he promptly smacked into the mast.
"What the hell, dumbass?!"
Luffy grinned. "Sorry, my aim was a little off."
Above, Eric was raging as he watched the Straw Hats make their escape.
"No! I refuse to let them escape!"
Back with the Marine fleet, the officers were stunned when the Merry appeared from thin air, having once more traveled through the mirage hiding the island.
Hardy frowned. "They're heading back to Warship Island. Where's Eric?"
"He's just returned, Lieutenant Commander."
"Having failed, it seems," Hardy said, a little amused by that fact.
Eric scoffed as he walked past Hardy.
"If you have time for sarcastic remarks, then go after those damn pirates!"
Hardy smirked. He knew their warships would never actually catch a small caravel in a favorable wind, but it didn't matter. As it turned out, Nelson's flagship was arriving with the main fleet, surrounding the Merry in a Crane Wing Formation. The ships were all being linked by chains to make it impossible to break through.
Nelson laughed as he was carried onto the deck. "These small fries don't stand a chance against this impassable blockade! That Dragonite will be mine for sure!"
On the Merry, the crew noticed the blockade as it formed.
"Don't worry, I've read about this!" Bella said. "We just have to pick the weakest ship, raid it, then cut the line. That will let us get through."
"Okay then!" Luffy said. "Ariala, we need some cover!"
Ariala grinned. "Syoyoyoyoyoyo! If they think they'll be striking us with cannons now that they have us surrounded, they have another thing coming."
"Let 'er rip, sis!" Ferros said.
"HURRICANE ARIA!"
Nelson's jaw dropped when the Merry was suddenly surrounded by a massive green tornado as it moved toward the ships.
"Blast that ship with everything you have! But do not hit the raft with the Millennial Dragon!"
Many cannons fired off, but each cannonball got deflected with ease by the tornado.
Eric chuckled. "I already had Nelson pegged as a fat bastard who could nothing but eat. He's admittedly more competent on the seas, but at the same time he has a bad habit of underestimating people."
Nelson grimaced when he saw what was happening.
"Aim for the waters near the ship! We'll capsize it! But aim carefully to avoid capsizing the raft as well!"
Meanwhile, Hardy was informed of the blockade.
"Looks like our mission is over. Nelson's iron blockade has never been broken before."
Eric seemed to contemplate something, then grinned.
"Lieutenant Commander, I need you to prepare a paddleboat. And three proficient seamen."
"Why would you need a paddleboat?" Hardy asked, confused.
"A mast would get in the way."
Hardy's eyes widened. "You're going in there right now?! Are you nuts?!"
"Your earlier assessment did not take into account that at least some of those pirates possess Devil Fruits," Eric pointed out. "So my mission is not yet complete. Now get it done."
Back on the Merry, Zoro noticed something.
"They're not hitting Ariala's cyclone anymore! They've switched tactics to try and capsize us!"
Apis ran out and tripped on the deck.
"Apis, it's dangerous out here!" Usopp stated.
"I can't leave Grandpa Ryu all by himself!"
"He's probably the one safest from the cannonballs!" Double-D pointed out. "I'd be willing to bet they want him alive!"
"I can't risk that!" Apis retorted, and she ran for the cart.
Delphia looked impressed as Apis easily ran across the rope to reach Ryu's side.
"That is one brave little girl..."
Zoro had started directing Romaz and Kuishi to swim around the Merry as fast as they could, creating an effective whirlpool that stabilized the waters around the Merry without sinking it.
"I think I spotted a weak point in the Marine vessels!" Usopp called out. "Luffy, get ready to redirect!"
"Got it!" Luffy said as Usopp pulled his slingshot back.
"SMOKE STAR!"
He launched a special flare pellet that created a smoke trail to the ship in question. Luffy grinned, then waited as a cannonball neared.
"GUM-GUM BALLOON!"
He swelled his body up, catching a cannonball as it came near, then redirected it right at the ship Usopp indicated, smashing into the ship.
"Just what sort of pirates are we dealing with?!" Nelson asked in shock. "These are not the tactics of small fry! If they keep this up, they'll wind up sinking that ship and breaking the blockade. Men, get the Super Giant Cannon!"
"YES, SIR!"
The entire ship was put on high alert as the massive cannon was deployed.
"What the heck is that?!" Nami called out. "If that hits us, the Merry will be blown to timbers!"
"Not if I can help it," Usopp said, readying a cannon of his own. "No one threatens Kaya's gift and gets away with it!"
He aimed for the large barrel of the Super Giant Cannon, an admittedly large target, and successfully blasted a cannonball into it just as Nelson gave the order to fire. This wound up creating a clog that destroyed the giant cannon.
"W-What just happened?!" Nelson demanded.
"The enemy ship managed to hit our main cannon!" An officer reported. "They fired a shot perfectly down the barrel!"
"Whoooo! Excellent shot, Usopp!" Ferros cheered.
Sanji nodded. "Now we have one less problem to deal with."
"Don't underestimate me! I may not be an absolute monster fighter like the rest of you, but I am one of the greatest marksmen in the world." Usopp said smugly.
Grahambel chuckled, then turned his attention to Ryu.
"You just sit tight, old chap. We're almost out of this. Think you can stay alive long enough to keep Apis safe?"
Ryu nodded slightly, his tail curling around Apis defensively.
"Alright, Usopp's expert shot gave us the opening we need. Now's our chance to hit that wounded ship and break this blockade." Zoro said. "Raiding officers! You guys ready?!"
"We were born ready!" Kuishi grinned as she poked her head out from underwater.
Lithos stepped forward and formed giant stone platforms that made a makeshift stepping-stone path from the Merry to the Marine ship. As he, Choi, Ed, Eddy, Bella, Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy ran across it, Romaz and Kuishi also closed in from the water.
"Gangway!" Eddy declared.
Zoro took a look at the chains. "Now to figure out how to break this. I'm not yet at a level where I can cut steel."
"Don't have to. Just break the mechanism holding the net up and it'll crumble like cookies in milk." Choi said.
"Allow me, boys!" Eddy smirked as he held his hands out and used the Clank-Clank Fruit to begin yanking the gears and chains apart.
"We'll cover you while you get to work. Looks like the Marines are aware that we've boarded." Zoro said.
Sanji took a look at the unit that rushed out.
"Let's see... Looks to be about five dozen easy. All against the greatest swordsman in the East Blue, five Devil Fruit users, a chef with legs of iron, and a couple of Fishman." He chuckled. "They should have brought more soldiers."
Kuishi smirked as she cracked her knuckles while Romaz calmly took a fighting stance.
"In the name of the Nelson Fleet, we won't let you break through here!" An officer declared.
"You speak like you have a say in the matter," Zoro said as he drew his swords. "Care to try my steel, Ed?"
Ed grinned happily as he touched Zoro's sword, his body turning into the exact same steel as he morphed his arms into swords of his own.
"LET'S RUMBLE!"
Everyone quickly got to work, slamming the officers with kicks, punches, slashes, and rock and metal attacks. Down below, Eddy was pulling apart the mechanism at its weakest parts, grinning as the chains started to come loose and start to sage beneath the water.
Needless to say, Nelson was not happy to see the iron curtain start to go down.
"I want those pirates captured at all costs! I'll maroon every last one of you if you fail!"
The officers started running across the chain from the other ships.
"Wow, they're persistent," Lithos noted.
"Their commanding officer may be an expert in navel combat, but it looks like he doesn't understand when an enemy is just too much for him," Zoro said.
Sure enough, Nelson was gobsmacked at the sight of his men being launched into the sea by the dozens.
"So, shall I designate the island to maroon them, sir?" An officer asked awkwardly
By now, Eddy had successfully broken the last mechanism, all the parts floating around him as he formed the parts he took into a small boat to stay afloat as the blockade completely collapsed. But just as the Merry started to approach, a burst of razor wind struck nearby.
"Now what?!" Nami called out.
Usopp took a look. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me! It's that Eric creep again! He's coming in on a paddleboat!"
Nelson noticed this and started to relax.
"Seems we'll get the Millennial Dragon after all."
Eric smirked as he got on the cart, much to Apis's shock.
"You again?! You leave Grandpa Ryu alone! He just wants to get back to his nest!"
"I have no time to indulge whatever fantasy you might possess, you will hand the dragon over like a good little girl!"
"My Grandpa always says good little girls don't do what sickos say!" Apis retorted, pulling down one of her eyelids while sticking her tongue out.
Eric's eye twitched. "I AM NOT A SICKO!"
He readied his claws, only for Delphia to leap in front of Apis.
"Back off or I knock you into the water."
"Oh please, my Sickle-Sickle Fruit may be useless against your powers, but I'm willing to bet I can just blow the whole ship apart."
"Are you sure about that?" Delphia said as she pointed to Usopp, who was aiming a lead star right at Eric with murder in his eyes. "You even try and he'll be the one knocking you into the water."
"I hate it when my enemies put me at an impasse... It makes me look like an idiot..." Eric scoffed before smirking. "But lucky for me, this isn't one of those times."
He aimed his next attack at the ropes holding the cart, shaking it loose. He quickly tied the ropes to the paddleboat to make off with it.
"Good work, Eric!" Nelson called out. "Now bring the Millennial Dragon here!"
Eric grinned. "I don't think so. You see the only reason I accepted the contract was to use the Marines' information-gathering capabilities. And don't give me that look, Commodore. You were trying to use me as well."
"Do you realize how much I'm paying you?!" Nelson snapped. "No one else would give you that much money for a job!"
"You really think I'd be satisfied with chump change, you damn sea lion?" Eric retorted. "What good is money in this world when there are real powers that can give you more? With the Dragonite, I plan to make myself a perfect whirlwind!"
Nelson snarled in fury. "Shoot that backstabber! Fire everything you have!"
Delphia quickly shielded Apis with soft, sturdy vines as the cannons from the Marine ship fired all at once.
"Damn it, this is not good. If we hit the water we'll sink like rocks."
"Get rowing, you idiots!" Eric called to the officers with him. "Unless you want to get blown to smithereens!"
"Just stop it! You bastards need to stop harassing Grandpa Ryu! He hasn't done anything wrong!" Apis cried. "Please, I need to take him back to the dragons' nest!"
Eric grumbled as he approached Apis, only for Delphia to hold out her fingers as razor-sharp bamboo spears shot out of them and held up to Eric's face.
"You leave both of them alone or I'll smash your paddleboat here and now!"
Eric was about to retort when he suddenly gasped in shock. Ryu had stood up to his full height, which freaked out the officers as well. They jumped ship while Ryu knocked Eric away using one of his wings. Apis smiled as she hugged Ryu's legs.
"Thanks, Grandpa Ryu!" Her smile then dropped and her eyes started to water. "What do you mean, it's time? What are you...?"
She gasped when she heard his next thought.
"Dragons never truly die..."
Ryu raised his wings and roared to the heavens. Grahambel quickly created a dampening field with his Devil Fruit powers to keep the Straw Hats from being affected, but the Marines weren't so lucky as the noise debilitated them. Ryu started flapping his giant wings until he started to lift into the air.
Apis smiled widely. "Grandpa Ryu! You're flying! You're really flying!"
Nelson raged when he saw this. "We can't let the Millennial Dragon escape! Do whatever it takes, I don't care if it dies anymore! Just don't let the Dragonite out of our reach!"
The ships all fired their cannons right at Ryu, who didn't seem concerned. To Nelson's shock, Ryu was flying right at him, roaring to debilitate the fat commodore. However, he also took many shots from the cannons. Smirking, Ryu wound up falling into the water, much to Apis's horror. He looked back at Luffy and made one final plea.
"Future Pirate King...Please... Protect Apis..."
Luffy nodded. "I will. And so will the rest of my crew."
Ryu smiled, and his eyes closed for good. Apis cried out as her eyes began to water, Delphia hugging her to comfort her as Ryu started to sink into the water.
"Quickly, men! Fire a harpoon and drag it in!" Nelson ordered.
Luffy noticed the harpoon as it was getting prepped and bounced over to Ryu. He then caught the harpoon as it got close, much to Nelson's shock.
"How foolish. Do you have any idea of the value of the thing you're standing on right now? I just want the Millennial Dragon's bones. With that Dragonite, My branch and I can attain everlasting life!"
His laughing just made Luffy mad, prompting him to launch the harpoon right back at Nelson's ship. The commodore felt his heart stop when the harpoon hit the wall just inches from his head.
"Don't speak about Grandpa Ryu like he's an inanimate object! He's a living being and our friend! That's worth far more than any paltry immortality!"
Nelson growled. "Cheeky little brat! Fire on him! Take him down! He must pay for trying to hit me with my own harpoon!"
"But, sir, if we hit the dragon, we could lose the bones."
"We can make do with bone fragments, just take him out!"
But just as the officers started prepping the cannons, Ryu roared once more, but in a different tone. The quake created could be felt all the way over at Warship Island.
"Oh, something's happening!" Sonson called out.
"What the heck is going one?" Johnny asked. "The whole sea is shaking!"
Grahambel then heard something and spoke in Ryu's voice.
"My journey is over... But my kin are ready to return... My brothers and sisters... It is time!"
Everyone on both sides spotted something arriving from the horizon and were all collectively shocked when they realized it was dozens, if not hundreds of Millennial Dragons.
"The dragon migration has arrived!" Grahambel declared, this time in his own voice. "They've come home after a thousand years!"
Apis could hear them all, and her tears this time were full of joy.
"They're all... Grandpa Ryu's friends! They came when he called!"
Nelson grinned. "It's the motherlode! So much Dragonite!"
However, he then realized that the dragons were flying directly at him...and they did not look happy. Ryu smirked as the other dragons knocked Nelson over just by flying past him, before flying out of the range of his cannons.
"My time grows short, but I will be reborn. Be sure to tell Apis."
Luffy smiled. "I will, Grandpa Ryu."
Smiling, Ryu closed his eyes, this time for good. The other dragons sensed this and gave a mourning cry. Sonson saw Nelson was still laughing like he was in control. Sighing in annoyance, the monkey girl jumped up to grab one dragon's neck.
"Mind if I hitch a ride?"
The dragon gave a smirk that indicated he didn't, and Sonson grinned as he raised her staff above her head as it expanded to a giant size.
"HEAVENLY SAGE'S HAMMER!"
Nelson freaked out as Sonson's staff hit the ship, breaking it in half. The Marine officers were all left standing in shock at the destruction of Nelson's ship. Sonson stood on the remaining wreckage and glared at the Marines like a feral monkey, prompting them to all flee in terror.
"Never make Sonson angry. You won't like her when she's angry." N'Doul said, having sensed Sonson's anger.
The disorganized Marines tried to reel in the chains and wound up crashing the ships together. Either way, the blockade was broken. Hardy was still standing still in disbelief.
"That's impossible... Totally impossible... What kind of monsters are we dealing with...?"
Sonson quickly flew back onto the Merry using a golden cloud like an air surfboard. Apis started to cry when she saw Ryu's body finally sink below the water.
"Don't worry, Apis, you can still keep your promise to Grandpa Ryu. He wanted to pass on a message." Luffy said as the earthquake started up again "Just listen to the other Millennial Dragons. It looks like the nest is coming to us."
Sure enough, the sea seemed to recede from Warship Island, almost like the world's biggest tide was going out. Giant columns of stone jutted out from the water, as a huge mass of land rose up from the sea. Nami realized something.
"Oh my god... That's it! That's what the mural meant! The Millennial Dragons aren't named for their life span... They're named for the fact that they migrate to this island only once every thousand years!" Hsiao gasped in excitement. "Lost Island only surfaces every thousand years, just as the dragons migrate here. So obviously no one would remember the last time it surfaced."
"Which means the ancient civilization would have come here too!" Ferros realized. "That's why Apis found the Whisper-Whisper Fruit here and not on the other island!"
"We've been on top of the dragons' nest the whole time!" Bella realized. "Old Man Ryu just needed to be safe while he waited out the remaining days!"
The crew and Apis all looked out at the expanded island in awe and wonder, while the dragons finally landed and started to mingle. Apis spotted Ryu's body in the middle of a lagoon and ran over to him as the crew all disembarked to check out the island.
"Take a look at all these dragon statues. Hard to believe they were created from natural erosion." Usopp said.
"They might be made from the Dragonite," Merone suggested. "What we're looking at are fossilized dragons from the last migration a thousand years ago. Preserved by the salt content and pressure from the ocean floor."
"Makes sense. I once heard that elephants that are about to die hide themselves in a secret graveyard to wait it out." Double-D said. "Maybe dragons are the same way, this place being both a nest and a graveyard."
Luffy and Sonson walked over to Apis.
"You know, Grandpa Ryu said at the end, that the happiest he'd ever been in his one-thousand years of living was the time he spent with you." Luffy said.
"He also said he's going to be reborn soon. So there's no reason to be sad." Sonson added. "When Millennial Dragons die, they're reborn here in this nesting ground."
She pointed over to an egg next to a fossilized dragon. As if on cue, the egg hatched into a baby dragon. It looked over to Apis and smiled.
"Hello again, Apis. Sorry if I made you worry like that."
Apis felt her eyes tear up once more when she heard that. The little baby really was Ryu reborn.
"You know, given everything we've learned here, I'm starting to think Dragonite isn't really an immortality elixir." Johnny said.
"Yeah, the legends getting mixed up probably made people think that erroneously," Yosaku added. "But Millennial Dragons can die like any other being."
Double-D nodded. "They just have the means to continue living through reincarnation. That's not true immortality."
Apis looked out at the nesting ground.
"Now I understand why my ancestors built a temple to the dragons. So that future generations would be able to connect with old friends in some way. Grandpa Ryu always said... That I remind him of someone he knew when he was a baby. Well, we should probably head back to the village. Everyone there must be shocked by what's been going on."
"All's well that ends well!" Ed happily said.
Nearby, Nelson was breathing heavily. He had nearly drowned when Sonson destroyed his ship, but he lucked out thanks to the rising land.
"I'll pay them back for this! I'll make them pay for every ounce of humiliation!" He looked over to the gathered dragons. "But first I'll need to get the Dragonite I've been seeking. And this is certainly the big score for that!"
A shadow loomed above him and he looked to see it was Eric.
"Ah, Eric. Good timing. Listen, how about we make another deal? There's enough Dragonite here for both of us. No need to go about killing each other for a prize this big."
"My apologies, Commodore..." Eric said as he flashed his nails. "But I'm not one to compromise!"
He struck with a razor wind, gutting Nelson and killing him instantly. However, Nelson's death cry got the Straw Hats' attention.
"Oh, this jackass is still around?" Zoro said.
Eric grinned as he looked around. "Such marvelous radiance! Finally, the elixir of immortality is within my grasp!"
"You can't possibly get proper Dragonite from these fossils!" Nami pointed out.
"True, very true, but there's plenty of living Dragonite here to gather." Eric said. "What do you say? A pointless fight would only tire us out. We can split the treasure here and now."
"What's pointless is the idea of living forever. There's no way I'd take it." Luffy said as the rest of the crew nodded in agreement.
Eric faltered. "Are you all mad?! Surely you must be afraid of dying! There's no way anyone wouldn't be! Especially pirates, who are always only inches away from death!"
"If we were so scared of dying we wouldn't have become pirates in the first place," Bella pointed out.
"And we certainly wouldn't have become pirates if any of us was truly sane," N'Doul added.
"Preach it, Brother!" Eddy called out.
Eric scoffed. "Fine. Then you can sit there and watch as I take my Dragonite and leave!"
"Actually I was thinking we can just kill you here and now and finally shut you up!" Ferros snapped.
Eric panicked when Ferros' arms turned into iron sand and snaked around him like a makeshift coffin. Struggling, he tried to cut himself free with his razor wind, but to no avail.
"Wait! No! We can still compromise! I'll leave the Millenial Dragons alone!" He begged.
"Honestly, the real coward here is you, Eric." Ferros snarled. "You claim to want to become a flawless whirlwind, but you're just too scared of death and needed the coward's way out!"
"No! Please! NO!"
"IRON SAND COFFIN!"
Eric screamed in agony, tears coming out of his eyes as the iron sand constricted around him, making sure to squeeze slowly and tightly as Eric's screams turned into strangled gurgles, blood spilling out of his mouth as his bones and organs were crushed into themselves before his entire body was smashed into a pulpy mess of gore.
"Hey! What's happening?! I can't see!" Apis cried, having her eyes covered by Nami and Merone.
By now the villagers of Warship Island had arrived at the dragons' nest, looking around in shock and amazement. Needless to say, they were surprised that the dragons of legend were actually real.
"You know, it won't be long before this place sinks again. Hiding for another thousand years." Choi said.
"Yeah, and the dragons will probably leave around that time too," Usopp noted.
"Speaking of leaving, we should get back to our own journey." Luffy said.
"Well, we'll certainly miss you," Bokuden said as he walked over. "But take this before you leave."
He handed Sanji the recipe for his meat buns.
"Thanks, luckily steamed foods are part of my culinary skills."
Before long the Merry was restocked and ready to sail out once more.
"I get the feeling the people of the island are going to be relearning all the old customs from their ancestors," Zoro said.
"It's too bad this is the last time we'll see the Millennial Dragons. But it'd be pointless to live a thousand years just to see them again." Sonson said.
Ariala smiled. "We'll just have to tell the story to our kids, and then our grandkids, so they can visit in our place."
"So, I guess you and your gang are sticking with us from now on?" Merone asked Sonson.
"Yup! After all, we have similar dreams!"
And so the Straw Hats, with four new members under their belt, set out for Reverse Mountain, ready to properly make their way to the Grand Line and begin their adventure.
Man, this was a long one!