#just these moments of connection and each of them being drawn to luffy and seeing how different he is and believing in him | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lawslessons · 3 years

Note

Hello! I can ask for Soulmate AU colors + Luffy D Monkey. Thanks!

Hello my dear! I hope you enjoyed this as I have had an amazing time writing this!

Luffy x Reader - To See Colors

Warnings: None

Synopsis: Landing on a strange island has its perks. The nice ocean, the soft grass, the archers. Wait, archers? The colorblind captain finds himself on a whirlwind adventure where he meets someone life changing. Through a chance encounter, Luffy finds his destiny at sea and finally sees the colors he’s dreamed of.

Gray, white and black plagued his vision, but it didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. The teen softly smiled as he looked out at the vast expanse of the ocean and saw how the gray water meshed in with the white clouds, it was a monochromatic vision that Luffy was content with. Luffy never believed that he would one day find his soulmate, in fact he didn’t even know what that meant. He remembered overhearing Sanji and Zoro talking to one another and trying to figure out what colors were. Colors. That was a word Luffy had heard before but was unable to connect to anything substantial. Color wasn’t a taste, it wasn’t a feeling, it was something he wasn’t able to describe which annoyed him. If there was one reason he wanted a soulmate it would be for that, for the desire to see out into the ocean and see what the color blue was, to see what different colors were. Was the sky what they called green? He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard yelling across the deck.

“Oi, Luffy! We see land, do you want to stop there to get a refill on our supplies?” Nami asked as she looked down at her map. Luffy looked over at her and grinned one of his signature wide, toothy grins.

“Of course! I wanna see if we can get some more meat. I want Sanji to cook us something good tonight,” Luffy said as he got off of the Sunny’s head and landed on the grassy deck. The crew looked at their captain and watched as he smiled and looked out at the island. Luffy felt strangely drawn towards the island and it made him a little antsy. “How much longer?” the young captain whined as he watched them slowly begin to anchor by the shore of the island.

“Hold on, Luffy. We need to -- “ Nami’s words fell on deaf ears. As she spoke, the captain used his devil fruit abilities to reach out to the island and onto a tree. “Luffy!” Nami yelled in disbelief as the captain launched himself out of the ship with a loud laugh. Nami sighed, there was no point in trying to hold him back, he always did something like this.

Luffy laughed and used his free hand to hold his hat down on his head as he flew forward onto the grassy, forested island.

“This place is cool!” Luffy said as he landed smoothly on the wet grass and began to walk through the wide land, slowly venturing further into the forest. As he walked and progressively made more noise, rustling was heard among the trees. Luffy paused and used his observation abilities to assess the situation, and before the wall of arrows could hit him, he dodged the attack and went to intercept one of the archers by grabbing him by the shoulder and pinning him to the ground. “What are you doing?” He asked with a confused look on his face.

“Y-you’re an intruder, we don’t like having people here!” the archer squeaked as he tried to escape Luffy’s grip without any success. “I need to take you to our leader, so please surrender!” the man quickly said, Luffy wanted to laugh, it was kind of funny to see the man asking Luffy to submit when Luffy was pinning him to the ground. Luffy thought about his situation for a moment and he decided that maybe finding out where he was would be better than being lost out here.

“Ok!” Luffy chirped as he went about letting the man go and letting him grab Luffy by his shoulders and leading him further into the lush forest. Luffy took in the gray and white scenery, it didn’t seem right to him. For the first time in his life, he started to seriously question the colors he was seeing, or the lack of them. And the more he saw the forest, the more his yearning began to grow. He snapped out of his daze when they reached this large expanse of land that was covered in small houses. It was obvious that some of the forest was cut down, but what remained of the large trees was put to good use. Tree stumps served as benches and places where people discussed their lived with one another. While the small town was nice, there was a small sense of disorder that Luffy was able to sense.

“We’re here,” the archer said as he led the way into the small town and over to the largest building. Even then, the building wasn’t that large, but nothing here seemed to be, but everyone here looked happy. Luffy watched as the children played around the ground and how the elderly people interacted with one another.

“Go into this building and to the right, they should be there,” he smiled. Luffy was confused by the sudden hospitality, but he did as he was instructed and went inside of the building and went to turn right and was instantly stunned by this large, elaborate looking chair. It was golden and covered in ornate carvings and jewelry. But on the arms of the chair, he could see scratches and some sign of distress. In fact he could sense that from the entire room, something didn’t feel right.

“Woah!” Luffy gasped as he ran to the chair and instantly sat down on it. He was excited and felt powerful when he sat on the large chair.

“You shouldn’t be sitting there,” Someone quickly said. Luffy turned his head but he didn’t see anyone, all he could hear was the sound of footsteps entering the room. “That’s my chair,” Someone said as they stared at the back of the chair and frowned. “Anyways, that doesn’t matter, why are you here? What do you want from my island?” they asked the young captain. They sounded tired and discouraged, obviously uninterested in the young captain’s purpose.

“Me? I just wanted to get some food,” Luffy shrugged as he crossed his legs and got more comfortable on the large chair.

“Food?” They asked, they went silent for a moment and sighed. “Is that all you want from here? No treasure? No money? No people?” They asked in a slightly worried voice. Luffy could hear the sound of a bow and arrow being strung together. He frowned and looked behind himself and found no one there which confused the poor male.

“No? I just wanted to get some food,” Luffy explained, he heard the bow being lowered and could feel them slowly relaxing as Luffy talked. The strain in their sign was heard by the captain and he listened as they stepped away, slowly retreating.

“I’m going to go then, leave as soon as possible,” They said before they went about leaving the room and leaving Luffy to his own devices. Luffy looked back in confusion and still didn’t see who he was talking to earlier. Luffy jumped off of the chair and scratched his head in confusion, he went about leaving the building and looked around the town some more. As he ventured and stole some food, he also noticed how it slowly became dark and also how people began to go inside their houses as the stars came out.

“You should go back to where you came from, it’s not safe here in the night,” The person from earlier said as they stepped behind Luffy. Luffy turned around and noticed a shadow in the dark.

“The shadows attack people who are not in the light, you should leave soon,” They said as they stepped further away from the young captain. Luffy frowned at their words and tried to look around and see them.

“What?” Luffy asked before he felt something touch his shoulder, it was cold and slowly felt like he was draining the life from him. Luffy looked at his shoulder and saw something dark, black creeping up on him. The sight of it was ghastly and reminded him of Blackbeard’s own attacks. Thinking of that man was enough to make the captain’s mind go blank and spiral. As he was distracted, they decided to take initiative and quickly lunge at Luffy.

“Run!” They yelled, they quickly grabbed Luffy by the hand and began to run through the forest, up over the tall plants and over the vibrant land. When they finally began to slow down, Luffy took in the scenery some more, they were by the ocean, but he couldn’t see the ship anywhere, maybe this was a different part of the shore? “You need to be more careful,” They softly pointed out, they let go of Luffy’s hand and stepped forward in the moonlight. Their facial features were somewhat obscured, but through what he saw, Luffy was able to make out sharp, discerning eyes and he could tell that they were someone powerful.

“I could’ve handled myself,” Luffy defended.

“No, you couldn’t have. You can’t just punch a shadow,” They pointed out which caused Luffy to laugh.

“Yes you can! I’ve done that before!” Luffy shared, they were quiet for a moment but soon Luffy heard soft laughter coming from them. It was soft and sad, and sounded a little hoarse, almost as if they hadn’t laughed in a long time.

“You’re a strange man,” They said as they glanced over at Luffy. Luffy looked them in their eyes and saw that while they were under the moon together, more of their features became visible and something else too. He saw the blues of the night, the silver and white of the moon and the color of their eyes too. Luffy’s jaw went slack as he looked at them and watched them quietly do the same. They both took each other in and felt that strange confusion grow even more as they stared at one another.

“I never thought I would meet you,” They quietly admitted as they fully faced Luffy and stared at him.

“What are you?” Luffy asked, he was confused, overwhelmed by all the colors that were appearing before his eyes. He looked around to see if what he was seeing was real. He couldn’t even name these colors, he didn’t even know their name but he was so fascinated by them.

“A person like you, I’m no one special,” they assured him. “I just try to run my island, my people, nothing important,” they said as they stared at the blue ocean with a longing look.

“But that is important, do you want to leave? You’re a good archer, aren’t you?” Luffy asked.

“Don’t,” They quickly said as they looked over at Luffy. “I have a duty to my people, I need to be able to fulfill the duty of sitting in that chair, being a competent ruler… but even I don’t know what that means, how I can achieve that,” They admitted.

“What happened to your town?” Luffy asked them as he looked at the tall trees. What color were they? Purple? He wasn’t sure.

“Town?” They scoffed, “That’s all that remains of our island, my people. We were attacked recently and I wasn’t able to fend them off... nothing else is left. We were an island of archers, powerful warriors before we were attacked. It came in the night, it was devastating,” they confessed.

“So if you have nothing left, why won’t you come with me?” Luffy bluntly asked. While they may be soulmates, that didn’t mean they didn’t want to slap him right now.

“Because I can’t abandon my people! I don’t even know how to rule, I need to learn, I need to help them,” They insisted as they stepped closer to the young captain.

“Then come with us and see how it works! That way one day you can be an amazing ruler,” Luffy said as he reached his hand out to them with a confident smile on his face. That caught them off guard, they looked at his hand and hesitantly reached forward. Was this possibly a mistake? Maybe, they didn’t know what they were about to get into but they began to realize that they would be able to trust Luffy to fulfill his promise.

They stared down at his hand and looked at him in disbelief, how was he able to place so much confidence in them after knowing them for only a few hours? Why would he want to venture out to sea with them?

“Why me?”

“Because, I can see new things now because of you!”

“Is that all?” They asked with a risen brow.

“You’re strong too, and I just want to help you achieve your dream too, your dream of becoming a great ruler of not only this island, but many islands!” Luffy chirped. They listened to him as he expanded their dream to be something bigger, something more than they ever expected of themselves. They smiled at Luffy and took another step forward, a step towards a new opportunity.

“I’ll go with you,” They said as their hands touched for the first time and electricity coursed through their veins. That smile on Luffy’s face was all they needed, they smiled back at him and looked out at the blue ocean and felt their adventure beginning.

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aaluminiumas · 3 years

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Die for Me

あなたこそが “ 海賊王 ” になる男

Lukewarm blood gushed out from the deep wounds. Ripping apart huge chunks of flesh and feeling the solidity of a bone inside, Monet genuinely relished her superiority savoring every note of the harrowing, blood-curdling shriek the woman in her deadly embrace emitted.

That Marine girl was no good at all; her tactics may not be exactly lame or useless, nor did she lack fervor or courage, but she turned out to be too modest and polite to attack – and also feeble. While the Marines claimed to have implemented a variety of brand-new top-notch techniques that would improve fighting skills of nearly any novice, they tended to send weaklings barely able to resist a simple scuffle, let alone serious combat with high ranks such as her or Caesar. This one wasn’t an exception to the rule: though promoted, Tashigi proved her disability to be on the offensive, thus confirming Monet’s expectations and dispelling the illusion of power Smoker had successfully created earlier.

“I adore it when you yell so desperately,” the Harpy muttered nonchalantly in the unctuous voice, her lips smeared with blood. “So I might break your scapula just for fun. My fangs can go through bone like butter. What a lovely day we are having, aren’t we?.. Care to brighten it further?”

Monet’s viselike grip tightened, and a bone cracked; Tashigi’s scream of utter anguish pierced the chaos and turmoil. In a moment, the woman limped in the Harpy’s wings. This last shrill seemed to have deserted her internally, leaving little to no stamina to stand up for herself and resist the throes shooting through her fragile body. The Harpy, though, felt no remorse or contrition. Quite on the contrary, she yielded into the perverse pleasure of being in charge – her well-nurtured sadistic inclinations and proclivities could finally splurge and flourish. Normally, it was Doflamingo whose hatred of the Marines came unwrapped. He was always in command; he was always aware of the potential threat and danger that could strike at any given moment, and now she could defend him from this invasion without an innuendo on his part. He had protected her in the past, bestowed a shelter, and took care of her younger sister—

“Enough.”

A low voice, hardly louder than Tashigi’s shallow breath muffled all the sounds, including explosions and the clash in the distant rooms. A swordsman with cold resolution in the single eye stood there, unmoving, his face serious, yet completely unreadable.

Monet’s fine features contorted in a lopsided smirk, her head withdrawing from Tashigi’s injured shoulder. Spoiled by pride, the swordsman didn’t seem to see a worthy opponent in her. Good for him, she thought. The Marine’s death would be on his hands – after all, he couldn’t compare to one of the best soldiers among the Donquixotes.

“I said enough,” he growled quietly, advancing and raising his katana, the silver eye narrowing. “Didn’t you hear?”

“She shouted too loudly. Should I shut her up?” Monet’s voice remained vaguely flirtatious, her antics jaunty, but the swordsman betrayed no emotion whatsoever. Instead, without a single warning, he pivoted forward, sword at the ready. Prancing at superhuman speed, the man neatly cut her in half – her logia powers weren’t a mere obstacle to him or his blade.

“I’m a Logia, you fool,” Monet spat with a haughty grin, “You think I’m scared?”

That fact alone contributed to her arrogance and hoity-toity attitude. While the majority of the Donquixote Family had to satisfy themselves with commonplace and hackneyed Paramecias, she got lucky – Doflamingo brought in a Logia fruit, the rarest type, and presented it to her. He might have intended to give it to Vergo, who hadn’t joined the number of the fruit-eaters and preferred to use his innate physical force. At any rate, such thoughts barely intruded on her mind: Doflamingo, the Young Master she worshipped, literally made her a gift desired by many. And what a scenery it was: he called in a meeting, ordered his favorite delicacies, thus forcing the whole city to cook for him, and sprawled across his improvised throne. Trebol, giggling under his breath, Diamante with his ever-lasting smirk, the imperturbable Pica, Vergo with the rigorous mien… Well, she was never part of the elite – nor did she plan to climb higher. The seat beside Doflamingo’s feet seemed comfortable enough to occupy – this position turned her into a valuable asset, who caught all the messages and orders intoned in a low, seductive voice. Despite that, the Young Master did not banish her – he remained seated, asking her to tell them all about her first murder – committed with a taste.

Logia powers made the bearer almost invincible, and Monet, a proficient user, trained by the best, especially by Vergo, knew what she was worth.

“I’m a Logia,” the Harpy repeated, the blizzard howling louder. “It doesn’t hurt me.”

“We’ll see,” came the answer.

Not even looking at her, the man grabbed the wounded woman and hurried to the exit, while Monet, absolutely dumbfounded, discovered that she could not get together. What appeared to be a single cut turned out to be a series of swift swishes in the air that slashed her snow-made body in a split second with the power that significantly surpassed her own. The result unfolded in slow motion: the more time went, the more it hurt; paralyzed, she listlessly perused the gashes opening in her skin – the man had inflicted much more damage than she had initially anticipated.

Furious, lacerated by what seemed to be a hundred blades, Monet yelled – and realized that it caused another wound to splay. The flesh got torn apart somewhere in her stomach and sent an impetus to the lungs prompting another incision to dehisce. The blood spurted up and flushed out from her mouth, staining the green shirt. Coughing, gagging, and covering her lips with a defective wing that had also been slit and now painted vermillion, the Harpy leaned over a gigantic machine with a red button on its panel. Half-conscious, she stared at it – it certainly was a way out. If she pushes it, the whole island will go up in flames. Nobody survived, case closed. Nobody discovers the dirty scheme Vergo had initiated in the Marine to abduct kids; nobody learns about the dubious experiments of the ambiguous nature performed by Caesar. Nobody connects Young Master – her Young Master – to the helter-skelter in the lab, nobody–

Her consciousness drifted away; small lacerations proved to be even worse than the deeper ones – blood didn’t stop from dripping, and she couldn’t control the amount she had lost. Falling to the ground, quivering, Monet twitched her wings in a fruitless attempt to maintain balance. It was overkill, anyway, at least she deemed so. Her wounds were fatal; she very well understood that she was a goner – but it was still in her power to prevent future events from happening.

Suddenly, Monet heard the quiet mumbling of a snail. Caesar, concerned about Joker’s supervision and unremitting control (the notion he strongly believed but which wasn’t true to the fact: Doflamingo, after Monet’s infiltration, called every once in a while, just to give the man heebie-jeebies, in case he felt lazy), installed snails everywhere, each equipped with a unique number. Only Joker could have access to them – no one else would be able to call here, the sanctum sanctorum of the lab.

The injured wing reached for the receiver, then twitched and fell. Trembling, the Harpy moaned in agony, choked on the blood, and made a feeble attempt to get up. Didn’t work; her face contorted in pure anguish. Invincible, trained, fortified by a number of experiments conducted under Doflamingo’s supervision, she never expected a failure. Especially a failure like this.

The snail kept grumbling, Monet whimpered; struggling to stand up, the Harpy felt a million needles skewering into her body, avulsing the thinnest and the tiniest blood vessels. She had to be slow not to disturb the veins that still remained intact. Making a superhuman effort, Monet propped herself up, her chest heaving, her wings jittered ever so slightly. Panting, leaning over the tremendous apparatus towering over her, the Harpy managed to answer the call.

“Monet?” called a low, mellifluous voice coming from a snail. “Monet, do you read?”

“Yes, Young Master,” she mustered her shattered self to respond.

“I do not have the slightest idea what is happening right now,” he drawled pensively, “But it is certainly far from the plan I have drawn up.”

“They– they snatched Caesar.”

Doflamingo paused, pondering over her words. That loudmouth fool, calling himself a genius, failed to kick the teenager’s ass and let himself get captured by a bunch of mere kids playing real pirates. It had been funny to hear that that Strawhat Luffy defeated Sir Crocodile, one of the most feared and infamous warlords; after all, Doflamingo shook hands with the man and knew exactly what his weaknesses were, but Caesar Clown was another thing. First off, he claimed himself to be a brilliant scientist, and, in fact, he had managed to synthesize a drug that made children comparable to giants in force and probably in size. Furthermore, he used his earlier formulae and calculations, retrieved the readouts of the past experiments to create artificial Devil Fruits. So, he clearly was not a complete idiot. However, he employed none of his ingenious tricks to kill the annoying brat on sight when he had the opportunity. Too bad the factory couldn’t work without his involvement – otherwise, Doflamingo himself would’ve got disposed of Caesar as well.

“Monet,” he finally spoke, his voice dropping down a notch. “You were loyal to me.”

“Till the end, Young Master,” she muttered, her voice not louder than a susurrus of wind.

“Die for me.” He commanded coolly, his eyes staring into space unwinkingly. “Monet, die for me and send this place to hell. Take them all along with you.”

“Yes, Young Master. I will do as you please.”

Her lips, covered with blood and gore, stretched in a gentle smile addressed to no one in particular. He cared about her. He wanted her to perform this last task for him, in the name of his future achievements and accomplishments, and she would not let him down.

She raised her wing, slightly quavering, preparing to hit the red button. Exuding a quiet hum, the Harpy lowered it – and gasped, immediately falling onto the ground with a loud, heavy thump.

“Monet?.. Monet, what’s happened? Monet, can you hear me?..”

She uttered a wheezing sound, and her visage froze in a rictus of death.

#one piece #doflamingo x monet #monet #doflamingo #donquixote doflamingo

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warlordgab · 4 years

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OJ LuNa stuff: What's the appeal of LuNa as a potent pairing?

This is the first entry in a new series of “analyses.” The difference is, these aren’t mine. The original posts were made by other LuNa fans I “secretly” met in the OJ forums before things went a little out of hand there.

I merely rescued their posts, while trying my best to update them. Well, without further ado, let’s get into the meat and potatoes!

Sometimes semi-canon pairings are far more compelling that relationships that already became canon. Part of the reason being that growth and development catch the attention of the audience more effectively than a pairing that already got a relationship upgrade with relative ease.

Of course, the expectations surrounding a genre has an effect on whether or not the audience gets invested on any particular relationship. But, when it comes to the shonen demographic, a significant amount of readers may end up supporting bonds that take time to evolve without resorting to clichés, cheap jokes, or off-screening development.

And that leads me to the main subject of this post: the appeal of LuNa

Some may feel drawn to how comfortable and safe Nami feels with Luffy. We already mention how Luffy is her "rock," someone who gives Nami emotional stability and strength during difficult times.

One notable moment being Nami seeking comfort and relief in Luffy's arms...

She contained herself and didn't start crying until she saw Luffy.

Another aspect of their bond that makes it more compelling, is that they're both "equals." It's not like a master-servant relationship, where one drools or idealize the other. They're actual partners who, while seeing both the virtues and flaws in their respective characters, developed a strong companionship.

Nami not only trust Luffy with her life, like other characters do. He is one of the most important person to her, and Luffy himself promised Genzo back at Cocoyasi village that he’d never let Nami lose her smile. And there's the iconic "pass of the hat," a gesture meant to provide comfort and inspire both trust and confidence.

Luffy conveys a silent and deep message through this particular gesture.

A third aspect of their relationship is how Nami confronts Luffy when he acts in a stupid or reckless manner, but still puts her faith on him. Instead of idealizing him as a flawless being, or turning a blind eye to his faults, she sees Luffy for who he is. It might not sound big, but one good book decribes the purest form of love as the capability of seeing the faults in someone you care about, and still valuing them as a person dear to you.

And Nami has seen him at his worst: his obsession with food, his lack of manners, and so on, but she's also seen his best: his courage, his steadfast loyalty, his leadership... While Luffy has seen her crying, he’s seen her sick, he’s seen her fail, and he’s seen her determination...

If their do end up together; it would be a culmination of feelings. From strangers (Nami the pirate-hater, Luffy the adventurist), to friends, to heroes, to lovers.

Their dynamic, while sometimes overshadowed by arc fatigue or a faulty adaptation, is another aspect that adds to the overall appeal of their bond.

Aside from the huge moments, the story offers little details that get readers invested. Which is why we can tell this relationship shows multiple facets:

Many of their interactions offer something fun that feels natural. Their misunderstandings, Luffy’s incoherent personality, Nami’s obsession for money, their roles as captain-navigator and their love-hate relationship. Despite the fact that Nami’s patience is growing thin for his captain’s dumbness, and Luffy having to put up with Nami’s money obsession as well as her bossy personality, both of them tolerated each other’s unique self. They could have just rid themselves with each other yet they didn’t that’s why the longer they stayed, the stronger the bond became. It just sums up to a really beautiful relationship.

Arlong Park, Skypiea, Strong World, and Water 7 all gave us a bit of drama that takes advatange of their potent bond. True chemistry occurs when both of the characters involved can affect each other in meaningful way

There are many other points we could address, but they've been mentioned in previous analyses.

The conclusion is that these two share such a deep and unique relationship that no other character can take the place each hold for the other. Even if some people say Luffy’s bond with the each of her crewmates is equally strong, we know that isn’t the case. E.g. he’s not as close to Brook as he is to Zoro

This emotional connection between Luffy and Nami only exist between them, and it’s incredibly difficult for anything or anyone to connect with them on such a level.

#one piece #luffy x nami #LuNa #lunami #analysis #old oj archives #ルナミ

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danwhobrowses · 4 years

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One Piece Chapter 984 - Initial Thoughts

Okay this is a lot to take in I understand what’s going on and yet still I am confused...well, probably not confused in that way

but One Piece chapter 984 is in the books and we’re gonna run it down

Spoilers for c984 of course, support the official release

Starting with the Cover Story, appropriate reaction XD though I am glad that Pound didn’t get amnesia the moment he reunited with his family

Dogmouth...that is all

I don’t mind Page One and Ulti getting up, Ancient Zoans have always been classed as ultra resilient and to even be close to breaking Page One’s jaw with a regular Elephant Gun shows how strong Luffy is

Also I continue to love Ulti, she headbutted the damn medics! Also the Thunder Sigua line was neat

I found it odd though that Luffy would attack Yamato, he sensed that they weren’t gonna harm them, he could just run the other way, this felt a tad off especially since Luffy needs to be preserving his strength

“Of our fights together” - I knew exactly who this was, but we’ll get to that later

That last hit though looked like the Advanced Armament Haki didn’t it? Like I feel like Oda has intentionally hidden it for that reason, like he did Gear Third in Enies Lobby

Odd that not even Kaido’s men buy Orochi’s story, given how exposed they’ve been to the fact that their boss turns into a literal dragon

But in the crowd is Jimbei and Robin, accounted for but no mention of who was hiding in the bushes. Robin in full character there but Jimbei feeling a little awkward - though if the goons aren’t perceptive enough to recognize the Sun Pirates tattoo then he’s bound to be golden

I’m also down with Robin (and others) calling Jimbei ‘Boss’ in tense situations, plus Robin does tend to do this with people she’s not too familiar with (remember her nicknames for the Straw Hats in the early days? Law does the same)

We also see Hyou though, the Skull Dome has been infiltrated at least, but all that’s left is the strike

Law has completed his Shambles into the back line as well, bringing Orca, Bepo and Penguin with him too. It’s decent, I would like to know more about all the other Supernova crews as well, and what happened to that ex pirate captain Law saved in Sabaody, wouldn’t he have been helpful here?

Inu seeing snow feels like it can come into play later

Looks like Marco had a similar plan by flying overhead...something deep in me wants to feel like this idea came from him remembering Marineford when Luffy and Co fell from above

Marco’s reunion is cut short though since he’s dipping to check something in the sea, Marco vs Perospero?

Also Neko has fixed a gun onto his chopped hand, can’t say he was not prepared

But I’ve delayed this enough, the Kiku/Izo reunion is the stuff you love to see, I mean it’s been 25ish years for them two. Izo working a new scar over the brow too, and somehow got the ‘we’re wearing Black Gloves to this raid’ memo XD

Even with the Samurai’s infiltration though, rescuing Momo looks very dire with Kaido and his Lead Performers and UltraForehead right next to Momo. Big Mom as well is on her way with the ladies and Zeus being pursued by her as well

Kaido’s planning to spice things up with a new initiative, which is worrisome, he knows that the raid is still ongoing now, Kanjuro and Apoo are noticeably missing, same with Who’s Who, Black Maria and Drake (and maybe Hawkins). Sasaki won’t be chained forever, Ulti and Pay Pay are still gonna pursue Luffy and Yamato and there’s still the matter of whatever other new tech Kaido has up his sleeve...the vast numbers do not work well in our favour

So the Yamato story...Wanting to ‘be Kozuki Oden’ is a bit...odd? Carrying on their will is one thing but actually trying to BE them, even if you were inspired by their death

Luffy being deadpan with the shaking though XD

Finally Oden’s journal comes back around though, knew it’d be important. Kaido and Orochi don’t know about it too which is a key bit of information, they’d definitely want it (like Krieg wanted Zeff’s) for info on Laugh Tale

But then there’s that reveal, Yamato was born female, choosing to be a man to emulate Oden. And they’re pretty hot...it actually looks like they have normal proportions XD thus part of my aforementioned ‘confusion’. Also WHO IS YOUR MOTHER - because you definitely didn’t get your dad’s features

Also conflict though, Kaido seems okay with Yamato identifying as male but still beats his children for wanting to be like Oden, the one man who could cut him

And that final kicker, the fights before relating to Luffy could only mean one person. Yamato and Ace knew each other.

So, that was a lot to take in. I was impressed by the Yamato reveal but this just begets more questions, plus I’m not so sold on them wanting to basically take Oden’s place directly, one can inherit will and be their own person. But a new ally is always good, wonder how they’d feel about killing Kaido though.

It’s times like these I’m also extra let down that Tashigi isn’t here. She really could’ve used the presence of strong female warriors to boost her own confidence, plus she’s a sword geek why the fuck isn’t she in Meito Country fangirling over Enma (and the swordsman Enma is attached to)!?

Our raid forces are not looking so hot either, our flank has hit a rough bump with Kaido’s strongest forces being concentrated with our footsoldiers, another Yonko about to crash in and blow everyone else’s cover, Momo is still on the wall, still many characters unaccounted for (Brook and Franky where are you?), Marco has been drawn away from the island and our strongest players have been kept away from the main dome.

The Ace connection comes back around too, like Tama at the beginning. I miss Tama I hope she’s alright, the Ace stuff will definitely get Luffy to listen

It’s still got all the tension, and we have another break between chapters D: this time for a Color Spread but still, waiting is hard!

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slurp-imagines · 5 years

Text

Usopp - Night-watch

Words: 4,481 Content: nsfw, 2nd person, female reader, piv

The island and its inhabitants are peaceful, but its waters are certainly not.

Which is why the Strawhats, upon disembarking, had decided to leave one crew member behind to make sure the Sunny wasn’t... ravaged by sea monsters, or anything equally horrifying, while the rest of them were gone. Franky had taken this responsibility upon himself for the day, but once the local tribe had decided to hold a celebration to welcome their new pirate friends, you had suggested taking over for him.

A party was definitely more Franky’s scene than your own, and you were already exhausted from exploring the island with Luffy and the others. Ship-watch duty honestly sounded like it would be a huge relief since it meant having some time to yourself.

Franky, ever perceptive despite the loud impression he gives off, had picked up on the pleading undertones of your offer and connected the dots himself. So, after receiving numerous long-winded explanations on what to do if XYZ happened, you saw the rest of your crewmates off to the party.

–––––

Usopp has to admit that while the celebration is a lot of fun, he’s definitely missing your presence.

Since you’ve joined the Strawhats, Usopp has always enjoyed your company. You had warmed up to Nami and Robin the most quickly, being the three women in the crew, and Luffy had easily garnered your affection (just like the rest of them); your integration with the rest of the crew went rather smoothly from there.

Usopp had done his best to give you a hand with it early on, though, since he could tell you were rather shy. He doesn’t know why no one else thought so when he mentioned it once, but this impression of you had formed pretty early on for him and still had yet to be changed. You were a bit skittish, perking up when his presence manages to catch you off guard; a bit bashful, your cheeks often sporting a pink blush even at the slightest bit of teasing. And a bit quiet, as well– oftentimes when you two were alone together, you allowed him to do most of the talking.

Even so, you and he have found a nice synergy together. While Usopp is rather outgoing, snarky, and high-strung, you are reserved, kind, and level-headed. Being around you is easy and comfortable, and feels almost like filling in one another’s gaps.

So yes, he misses you.

But more than that, he worries about how you’re doing back on the Sunny.

He knows you enjoy your peace and quiet once in a while, and that sometimes you tend to shy away from huge crowds, but... what if you were getting bored? Or lonely? Or far worse– what if something bad does end up happening and no one is there in time to help you out? Sure, Franky showed you how to send a signal up in case things went sideways, but Usopp just can’t shake his nerves. He could offer to help you out with the night-watch, couldn’t he? It wouldn’t be weird or pushy or anything. That’s just what friends are for. It’s only an offer, anyway.

He calls your name once he’s set foot on the grassy deck of the Sunny, but doesn’t get a reply. That’s fine. Doesn’t mean it’s an emergency just yet. You were probably in the crow’s nest, and if not, then somewhere downstairs.

After checking the former location, he descends the stairs to the galley, and after finding it empty as well, he commands his nervous heart to be still before making his way to the ladies’ bedroom.

Surely you’d be there. There were no signs of a sea monster attack when he’d been on the deck earlier. You are definitely doing just fine, and he’s been worrying over nothing... Or so he tells himself, but he can’t help the anxious flutter in his chest as he hurries his steps every so slightly on his way there.

As he’s about to knock on the door, he hears your voice coming from inside the room.

“Usopp...”

He freezes, his raised fist merely inches from the wood. Because his name is immediately following by a groan– drawn out, possibly with pain, and that’s about where the train of thought ends for him. Perhaps it was a little ambiguous to his ears, but his pre-existing nerves about your being hurt in a sea monster attack stops him from questioning it before he’s turning the knob and hastily pushing the door open.

“Y/N! Are you okay?”

At the same time you scream, he thinks his heart stops.

Of course, being as experienced a fighter as you are (you weren’t a pirate for nothing), you’re pretty quick to leap to one side of the bed, out of his view, taking the sheet with you to cover yourself.

Still, despite your best efforts, he’s not dumb. He knows what he just walked in on.

That was Y/N, naked on the bed. Her legs spread, head tossed back into the pillows.

...Okay.

Okay.

There is a moment where the two of you simply stare at each other, eyes fish-bowled, and in Usopp’s case, jaw dropped.

“I... You, uh, um...” There are about a hundred different thoughts running through his head at the moment, but none of them make their way to his mouth in a coherent sentence just yet. He suddenly has the mind to look away, his eyes darting to the right to instead focus on the first piece of furniture that came into his field of vision. “Y-You called?” he finishes lamely, his heart pounding out of his chest. The shaky grin on his face probably does not measure up at all to the air of charming bravado he had attempted for that sentence to have.

When you still don’t say anything, he gulps. The tension right now is insane. He’s surprised you haven’t thrown anything at him yet, because he definitely deserves it. He just barged in on you during a private moment, and he hasn’t even left yet.

Why the hell haven’t I left yet?! His mind backtracks in a panic, a choked sound forcing its way out from the back of his throat.

But he answers his own question soon enough when he recalls that his name was on your lips moments before his entrance. There are still so many questions, but the thought of it gives himself a little twinge of confidence. After a deep breath, he tears his eyes away from the dresser and back you. Well, you’re now completely hidden by the bed, assumedly crouched somewhere behind it.

“Y/N?” He tries. “S-Sorry for barging in like that, I just... I, uh, it’s just that I heard my name, and–”

He’s interrupted by quite a miserable-sounding groan, and he actually flinches at the sound of it. But your voice, small and clearly filled with shame, follows it: “I’m so sorry.”

Well, that’s not what he expected you to say at all.

“...Sorry? Why are you sorry?”

“Because I was...! You know what I was doing!” He doesn’t have to see you to know that your cheeks are flushed, your fingers twiddling with one another in front of you. He’s seen it in so many other contexts, always thought it was charming. “And now I just ruined our friendship. So I’m sorry. You can go now.”

Hearing verbal confirmation of it sparks a fire in his belly, and he feels blood rush to his cheeks. Well, also his groin, but that can be ignored for now, because he’s got another concern. “You didn’t ruin anything, Y/N.”

You don’t reply, so he takes a few tentative steps towards the bed and sits with his back to you. “I...” Jeez. He pretty much knows how you feel about him at this point, so why is it still so hard for him to say? Feeling incredibly awkward, he runs his hands down his face, urging himself to overcome his embarrassment. “For the longest time, I... I’ve liked you. A lot. Like, more than a friend.”

He thinks he just barely hears a gasp from your side of the bed.

“So, I... I mean, if it was my name you were calling, then... I don’t want to go. If you want me to s-stay, then I’d be happy to.” He gulps, waiting for your response.

“What happens if you stay?”

Well. He really hasn’t thought that far ahead. “Whatever you want,” he blurts out, then immediately cringes at how breathless his voice was. They haven’t even done anything and she’s somehow gotten him this flustered.

He startles only slightly when he hears movement from the other side of the bed. “Y-Y/N?”

He stands when he sees you approaching in his periphery. The sheets are still wound around you but by now seem to be properly tucked, although your hands are still lightly gripping the top so as to keep it from falling. You’re looking at your feet, but shortly later, your hands wring and you seem to gather the courage to raise your head.

Your gaze is unsteady but hopeful, flicking about but still eventually returning to lock with his. Still, despite the slight flightiness, in your eyes, Usopp finds something affirmative.

And so he takes the two steps that close the distance between you; he fixes his hands at your waist, rubbing back and forth with one of his thumbs. As he leans in, every glance you two share seems to ask, Is this okay? and each time, even smaller changes of your expression seem to signal, Yes, keep going.

When he kisses you, it’s soft and short.

But the second is more insistent, more lasting, and each one from there is increasingly so. His hands at your waist pull in you closer until you’re flush against him, and your mouth opens for him just as easily. After a moment for breath, his tongue explores your mouth, and your hands leave the sheets to instead tangle in his hair.

His nose against the side of your face pokes at your ear, and although the giggle doesn’t make its way out of you, you can’t help the smile that forms on your face. He matches it, and the kiss is briefly all teeth. “Could you close the door?” you murmur, beginning to pull away.

“No one else is on the ship,” he protests, beginning to tug you back again; you have to resist him before he can distract you with another kiss.

“That’s what I thought a few minutes ago,” you say, fixing him with a pout, “and look what happened to me.”

Usopp lets out a laugh at that, finally letting go of you to do what you asked. “Think I should lock it just in case?” He does so at your nod, then hurries back to you, carefully guiding you to lie back against the pillows on the bed. At this point, the sheet is tangled around you like a fishnet, and he doesn’t want to trip you over by mistake.

But once he’s leaned over you, nude underneath that thin white sheet, you both pause.

“W...What now?” he prompts. He doesn’t want to rush you and make you too uncomfortable, but he also has the feeling that if he doesn’t get the ball rolling, you’ll be staring at each other, fully covered, for ages.

Your eyes flicker away from his. After a moment, your fingers curl around part of his wrist, a tentative, gentle touch; while your other hand fists itself in the sheets, seemingly caught between pulling it lower and pulling it higher. Though subtle, the backtracking movement doesn’t escape the sniper’s notice.

“Y-You first?” you ask.

Usopp nods, perhaps a bit sharply, but he goes through with her request. He isn’t wearing very much to begin with– a simple open button-down, sandals, and sweatpants– but each movement feels to take much longer than it should.

He pauses when he’s down to his boxers, looking to you again for... he doesn’t really know what. But it feels like reassurance when you glance up at him, eyes half-lidded and dark, so he strips the rest of the way and tosses his underwear onto the floor with the rest of his clothes.

Usopp is self-conscious for a moment, but this is the body he’s trained so rigorously for two years, and his worry at your scrutiny is quickly converted into pride at the fruits of his efforts.

He notices your hands fiddling with the sheets, not yet drawing them down, but questioning.

"Is- Is it okay if I...?”

“Yeah!” He answers perhaps a tad too loudly, a tad too quickly, a tad higher-pitched than he normally would. “I mean, yeah. Yeah, uh, whenever you’re ready. Of course.”

It’s about three seconds after his nervous blathering that the corner of your lip twitches and the two of you burst into laughter.

“Your face...” you just barely make out between laughs. He has no clue what his expression was like, except that he must’ve been shaky-eyed and tense as all hell.

“Sorry,” Usopp says once he’s mostly sobered, though some of the remnants of his laughter still manage to slip out. “Sorry. I guess I’m kinda nervous.”

“You don’t have to apologize...” You give him an embarrassed smile, looking up at him from beneath your lashes. “I’m... pretty nervous too.”

“We’re in this together, then, huh?”

“Well, yeah.” Your eyes snap down to your bare body, then back to his. Obviously.”

You get another laugh out of him with that remark, and it helps calm your pounding heart. The giggle fit from earlier had already broken the odd tension that had existed in the room since Usopp’s well-timed entrance, but the knowledge that he’s just as wound up as you are helps put you at ease.

Feeling slightly emboldened, you take one deep breath before attempting to unfurl the white sheets from your body.

Keyword: attempting. Because it doesn’t come loose very easily.

Usopp very obviously snickers once he sees you squirming in this cocoon of yours, then immediately hopes the sound doesn’t offend you– he’s laughing with you, not at you. He’s laughing because he’s nervous, he’s laughing because he’s still sort of in disbelief that this is happening at all. And he really can’t help smiling at the very least, because god you’re so cute how are you allowed to be this cute–

While that train of through runs his course, he busies himself with helping you untangle. Once you’re finally free, he bundles the sheet at the edge of the bed, and when he looks back to you...

He had been sporting a halfie for a good while now, but as his eyes roam the curves of your body, the anticipation of what’s to come is enough to bring him nearly to full mast.

His cock twitches when he realizes that your gaze has been fixed on his member as it grew substantially. Well. That’s sort of embarrassing, but what can he do. He’s excited for this, and he can’t really be upset that his body is letting you know he feels that way.

You look up to him as he puts his weight onto his elbows, and as he leans in for a kiss, you respond to him with gusto. You let out a soft sigh at the feeling of one of his hands roaming upwards from your waist, gentle as it cups at the swell of your breast, slow and tentative before his fingers pinch at the nipple. The kiss is shortly broken by your gasp, and the sound of it surprises him, but he immediately seeks it out again as he rolls the hardening nub between his fingers.

His efforts are rewarded, but he’s surprised even more by the brush of your hand against his dick, a moan escaping his throat as you palm its girth and slowly drag your hand towards the tip. At your pause, Usopp pushes his hips forward, pumping into the curve of your hand. He kisses at your jawline before continuing with his thrusts, his heaving breaths hot by your ear as he does. You tighten your grip slightly, twisting your wrist to help with the friction, and both Usopp’s breath and hips stutter at the sensation. His slowing allows you to take the reins, and in the moments following he treats you to moans even louder than the one previous as you continue to jack him off.

Your wrist eventually begins to tire, so you take a moment to encircle the tip of his cock with your thumb, spreading the pre-cum that’s now beginning to bead out from it. He nuzzles into your neck, groaning and biting down at your skin, the suddenness of it eliciting light a moan from you as well.

You’re just barely able to see it when his trembling hand reaches under himself to begin massaging his balls. “D-Don’t stop,” he pants, “don’t stop.”

And so you resume the motions of your hand, alternating between pumping his shaft and circling the tip– and he shakes over you, you can see it in the arm holding up his weight– his hips occasionally buck into your hand and then still afterward, as if unsure whether to chase the end or simply allow it find him– his body is all tense, sharp lines, and you think he’s close, so, so close–

Usopp seems to think so as well, though; and he apparently doesn’t want to finish just yet, because he places a hand at your wrist to still you and leans back on his heels. His chest is heaving, slick with sweat, and his cock is twitching between his legs. He pushes a curly lock of his hair back over his shoulder, as somewhere along the line it had escaped from the tie at the back of his head.

Pulling himself back from the edge has left his body taut and fidgety, and he needs a little bit of time to recover, lest he blows his load the very next time you touch him. The thought incites a huff of laughter, quick and out through his nose, as he places a hand on your knee. He doesn’t know what for, but the contact is nice.

He can’t help but blush when he notices his pre is smeared across your stomach, translucent and shiny under the ceiling lights. The sight of it is beautifully erotic, and while his member is aching for more friction, he opts to pay you some attention instead.

The hand at your knee pushes outwards, gently coaxing you to spread your legs farther apart. The look on your face is bashful but not unwilling, and at his concerned gaze, you offer him a nervous smile. Usopp returns it as his hand trails toward your slick entrance, pausing at the junction between your thigh and your pelvis. “This okay?” he asks. Perhaps needlessly, judging by the quick nodding of your head, but he likes having the confirmation from you.

You let out a sigh when his fingers finally reach their destination, his ring and middle fingers stroking between your folds, already wet and ready for him. Your hips buck up to meet his hand when it passes over your clit, and he indulges you almost immediately, using the pads of his fingertips to rub it in tight circles. You bite your lower lip to help stifle the loud groan that nearly escapes and toss your head back into the pillows, your legs crossing at the base of his spine. He allows you to revel in it a few moments longer, listening intently to the sound of your whiny gasps, before his fingers slide back down towards your core; and from there it’s but a light press of his middle finger before it’s slipped inside you.

He begins pumping slowly at first, watching your expression carefully for any discomfort– when he finds none, he ups the ante a little. Usopp is gentle but generous, picking up the pace once he sees that you want it by the rocking of your hips and the pleasure in your expression.

When you feel the nudge of a second finger, you plant your feet back onto the bed and your hips rise to meet it, to guide it inside and out again– except he pauses.

Your eyes flutter back open to see Usopp grinning at you, waggling his eyebrows. “Eager, huh?”

You’re able to share a laugh with him, but you’re sure that you must be flushing red at his remark, so you can’t help but bring your hands to your face.

“Aw, no, don’t get embarrassed,” he says apologetically, though there’s still humor in his voice. His free hand tugs at one of your wrists. “I liked it a lot! Really!” His honesty flusters you even more, but you let him nudge your hands away. “Hey, don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad, just...” Sort of embarrassed and caught off guard by it.

If you’re pouting, he doesn’t point it out, but you think he gets it. He gives you an easy-going smile, the same one he's been showing you for ages now– patient, happy, and kind. The one that you now realize has probably spoken to his feelings for you more loudly than you’d understood even yesterday.

He leans closer to you, kissing you rather chastely before he begins moving his fingers once again. He crooks them now and then, pressing against your walls experimentally before he finds the spot he was looking for.

“Oh, yes, right there...” you whine, one hand clutching at the pillow behind your head while the other runs up his chest to grasp at his shoulder. He smiles– a bit cocky, but he’s doing so well that you don’t see it fit to complain about it. He pays extra attention to that spot after each plunge of his fingers, and soon enough, you’re responding in kind with small noises of approval from high in your throat.

He leans towards you again and you welcome him with open arms, accepting his kiss and deepening it, even as you pant into his mouth out of pleasure.

“Usopp,” you exhale, one hand fisted in his hair while the other presses insistently into his back. “Usopp, please...”

“Tell me what you want,” he replies, though it comes out sounding more like a question. He thinks he knows what you’re asking for, but he doesn’t want to screw this up.

“I-I want you... inside,” you confess, your hips nudging up to meet his hand once again. Your request goes straight to his cock, and it twitches slightly at your added whimper of, “Please, Usopp.”

The request takes some of the breath out of him, and really doesn’t think he can form a proper sentence at the moment– he’s so turned on he can’t believe it– so he nods, pulling out so he can line himself up with your entrance.

He pauses to glance once more at you, wanting to make sure you’re ready– and at seeing the confirmation, he steadily pushes himself inside.

Both of you let out a moan, oddly in sync, and he leaves a few moments for the two of you to breathe. For you to get accustomed to the stretch if you need to, but also for himself to get accustomed to... everything. The wetness, the warmth, the slight movement of your walls around his member– he gulps, fixing his hips in place as he knows he should wait for your signal.

A brief squeeze of his arm does it, coupled with the insistent look in your eyes. Usopp slowly pulls his hips back, waiting until only the head is left before thrusting back in. Your sigh of pleasure sends another wave of arousal through him, and on his next thrust he watches your eyes flutter closed and your head tilt back further into the soft linen of the pillowcase. He returns to kissing at your now-open neck as he begins rolling his hips, pulling back and fucking into you a few inches at a time, reveling in the soft, breathy moans you’re letting out.

“Is that good?” he murmurs into your skin after a little while.

“Yeah,” you whisper back. “Yeah, so good...”

You can feel him smile into the crook of your neck– perhaps proudly, or simply relieved– and he lays one more kiss onto your collarbone before he pushes himself up so that his arms are fully extended and bracketing you on both sides.

His gaze on you, clearly roaming from your face to your body and back up, makes you slightly self-conscious, but you resist the urge to cover yourself.

"You look beautiful,” he suddenly blurts out, then blinks, like he hadn’t been expecting it. "That just slipped out, but it’s true,” he laughs, his cheeks going slightly pink.

With a smile on your face and cheeks to match his, you prop yourself up for a moment so you can kiss him again. It’s pretty sloppy, especially as he resumes his thrusts– your teeth clack against his at least once, and you nearly bite down on his lip once he starts to speed up. Instead, you fall back into the mattress, grabbing both your legs to spread them further and moaning at the repeated slap of his hips against yours. “Usopp, oh, yes...!”

His hand takes hold of your breast once again, rolling your nipple between his fingers just as he did earlier, before it trails down your abdomen towards your sex. You can feel the coil in your lower body becoming tighter and tighter, knowing that just a little more friction will take you a long way.

“Usopp, please–” Your thoughts and sentences are fragmented, but you hope he can get the idea by the touch of your hand at his wrist.

And thankfully, he does, because he presses the thumb of his free hand against your clit, inciting a loud moan from you. He rubs and pinches it sporadically, not always in time with his strokes– still, it manages to do the trick, and the pleasure builds until you feel the coil come loose. You cum with his name on your lips, your hands grasping at his wrists, legs curling around his waist.

Usopp cants his hips so he can help you ride out your orgasm. “Fuck, Y/N,” he groans, head in a daze. The feeling of you tightening and shifting around his dick is almost too much. His breaths, now higher-pitched and shaky, draw out into a long moan, and he moves his hip in tight circles for a few moments before pulling out. From there, it’s only two tugs before he finishes, his cum spilling over your stomach.

You pull him toward you for a kiss, and though half out of breath, he meets you with vigor.

#usopp #usopp x reader #one piece #one piece imagines #ns.fw #slurp #I ummm hope this is any good lol #it's kinda long sry #I didn't know how to make it shorter but also like. believable yknow?

54 notes · View notes

eternal-bruh · 7 years

Text

Why being caught in a Casual Loop is best to be avoided: I

Chapter 2

”Um..." Nami hesitated at the shocked look the sailor is offering her. He looks as if he is genuinely surprised that she can even speak in the first place. She knows the word, but she feels so crippled, not knowing how to speak this strange language and having doubts at each interaction that she will not be able to understand more than a few simple sounds at a time. But anyways, the navigator has to try if only to smother the overwhelming curiosity gnawing incessantly away at her. Because damn her and her curious personality, this request is the simplest and most rudimentary one in her line of work and she’ll lie if she’d say that she was not dying to know about it. Ever since they’ve been strapped here.

"... Map?"

Maybe because he is still shocked with her sudden sound-making ability or because she is damn intimidating, the man that seems to be barely three years older than her looks and looks. And her mind suggests as she shifts from foot and foot that he might be the one with the problem.

After two minutes that seem like years, he raises an eyebrow and considers her squirming form in return for a few more unnerving moments in which Nami wants nothing more than to yell for Robin's help. But she bites her lip at the last second, knowing that they, some way or another, have to find a way to communicate in cases like these by themselves. Not only rely on Robin’s albeit wider expertise in this area. The archeologist already has enough on her plate as it is, if her drooping shoulders basically every other moment of the day, are anything to go by.

At long last, the shaggy haired guy nods and leaves to search for a map, presumably. Nami taps her foot impatiently and hopes that he didn’t leave her standing like an idiot in the middle of the deck for real. Blood will be spilled in that case, with or without knowing what he is screaming about.

Nami sighs in relief when she spots him making his way back to her position, an old looking piece of parchment in hand. She inhaled sharply when it is placed on the barrel in front of her and moves with trembling fingers to unroll it.

"What do you plan on doing with that map, young lady?"

Nami screeches and almost drops the map on the planks when an old, short woman pops up from the other side of the makeshift table, eyeing her with the most suspicious pucker of the lips the navigator has ever seen. And she has been a pirate and a scourge for long enough now. Her eyes widen to disbelieving proportions at the unimpressed, stern looking lady wearing a pair of large, round glasses and white hair tied up in a crisp bun. She looks so out of place on this ship, but somehow still fits in readily. It looks like she is waiting for an answer to whatever question has startled Nami earlier, but the navigator didn't catch a word of it.

"Nami, are you alright?!" Robin's breathless inquiry seems to give the strange lady all the answers she needs, but Nami could care less as she catches Robin’s arm in a death grip and swears to never let go.

"Strangers, huh?" She speaks more for her own benefit, though Robin nods anyway.

"She just wished to look."

The old woman waves a hand in dismissal.

"Yes, yes, I figured that out. It's fine!" She announces loudly to basically no one but the two of them, her eyes fixed on Nami's still disturbed form. "You. Can. Look." She adds deliberately slow.

The orange head purses her lips, trying in vain not to bristle at the tone of voice, but finally understands the message. This old bat is looking down on her, of course she should have seen that coming. She feels like a goddamn toddler, with no way to make herself understood even though there is a language she can speak. Nami knows that she'd be fighting a losing battle if she tries to argue. Toddler language against crazy stuff from the Void Century. Go figure.

"This is our navigator. She wanted to know who wanted the map." The sailor from earlier feels the need to explain himself, seeing as the Strawhats' own navigator is already pinning him under an accusing stare.

Nami exhales, swallowing her nerves and pointedly choosing to ignore the stare of the old woman as she works to smooth out the map and take a good look at it. What she finds has her eyes widening and her mind screeches to a halt for a second there because this just couldn’t freaking be and let’s be serious.

But this wide, fucked up world has convinced her that things can go either way at any second. Since it hasn’t blown up by now in their timeline, she has let herself believe that nothing quite like what they have encountered can possibly bring about this. This sort of rapture in their reality. Maybe shei being overly dramatic, but Nami guesses that maybe the world has already blown up right around now because this wasn't right. It couldn't have been right. Even if they got sent five hundred years into the past this couldn't have been slightly right. Not for this over the top, flipped around world. Not in what she used to call their world.

"W-W..." The word lodgead inside her throat doesn’t want to come out and it’s all for the better, a cynical part of her still working brain believes.

Robin bites her lip, trying hard not to give in to the tidal wave of desperation because Nami needs her as moral support and she can’t do that to her. But even the usually clear minded former assassin is having a hard time believing that this is the place called home in the future. Not knowing what to do, she calls out the first name to roll on her tongue.

"Chopper!"

The small reindeer has been exploring the strange ship's deck ever since they embarked, but pauses at the strange tone Robin has spoken in and follows it upwards in surprise. The dark haired woman is supporting Nami's shivering form, though she does not seem to be doing too well herself. Mind already whirling, the Zoan user enters his doctor mode automatically.

"What's the matter, Robin?! Do you need a doctor? Is Nami okay?"

Robin waves the string of questions away and answers shakily. "I need you to call everyone over here, please."

Chopper blinks, but nods nonetheless and sprints away to inform their friends.

"You look positively horrified." The old woman comments absently, judging them behind her grey, judgy eyes, Nami’s mind sneers. "Why?"

Robin's smile is awfully sour. "It a shock."

"Why?" The old navigator repeats her question as if just asking it will unlock some goddamn secret treasure chest. Nami would have known if this was the case.

The archaeologist chooses not to respond this time around and studies instead the lines of the map, trying to memorize everything she can.

"Nami-swan, Robin-chwan!" Sanji's shout breaks her concentration. The cook is watching them with clear written concern under his usual fool façade.

His stare manages to snap Nami out of her shocked stupor.

"What happened?" Franky bows over the group, looking at the map over their heads. "Somethin' wrong with the map?"

"Lots of things are wrong with the map!" Nami rasps, slamming her palm next to the piece of paper and successfully attracting everyone's attention.

"Can you read it to us, Miss Nami? I'm afraid I don't understand everything there..." Brook says softly, though he still manages to scare the crap out of the two standing on the other side of the barrel.

Nami sighs in frustration and ruffles her already disheveled locks.

"You see this?!" She jabs a finger at two jagged sets of parallel lines drawn vertically in the middle of the map, spread further apart.

"Uh-huh..." Luffy agrees as he rubs his chin in deep thought.

"This-" Nami's index finger contours the mass of land covering what is supposed to be half of East Blue in their time. "This isn't in our world!"

The echo of her exclamation leaves the colorful group in a grim silence, but the navigator can't be bothered by it. She is on a roll now.

"This land is connected to the Red Line itself. Well, it doesn't look too solid judging by the jagged lines that indicate possible ruptures of the land, but even so, how can it be?! And there're no islands! Look!"

The Strawhats eye their navigator warily. She seems to be so into it that she forgets to breathe for a couple of moments there. Chopper unknowingly releases a sigh in relief when he hears air whooshing out of Nami’s nose.

“But it looks-“ Zoro points at a few circular masses thrown like random dots on the ocean.

“Okay, there are a couple of them.” Nami grunts. She moves her finger downwards to South Blue. "This is the almost same. And North and West Blue, too!"

"But where is the Grand Line then?" Zoro insists impatiently. He crosses his arms, index finger tapping his forearm restlessly.

"It isn't marked with anything..." The orange haired woman stops and starts mumbling to herself. What she’s saying, only Nami herself knows.

"What sea... this?" The foreign words leaving Zoro's mouth take them all by surprise, but the small, old woman seems more indignant than perturbed. She watches Zoro from under the thick, black rim of her glasses and she seems to ponder if he is really worth giving an answer to.

Most of all, she raises an eyebrow at the rudimental way of speaking, but grudgingly approves that they at least know a little of the language. Though it seems at various degrees and only that black haired woman knows it best, but credit goes where it’s deserved. The old navigator's mouth pulls taut, not liking the strange group and their out of nowhere appearance on her boat. It is best they are left alone, especially after seeing the orange head's reaction to finding out what the old woman feels that is general information. Even for someone that has lived under a rock in the capital. These kids look the part. So why are they acting like surprised maggots when even provincials from the Outer Rim, like the village they were picked from would not find this so earth-shattering. But she also knows that whatever their business here is, they are now travelling under her care.

Actually, she has heard that strange language before and now whenever they speak it, it reminds her of dangerous lands and bad people. Dark places and overcast skies filled with smoke and ash from a thousand burning corpses and trees. Most of all, though, it’s the haunting vibes that would never stop bothering her for the rest of her life.

Even so, she decides that answering will be the best option in this case. Their faces are as white as the clouds on the sky and most look on the verge of passing out which will not be beneficial when there isn’t any real doctor aboard. She’d hate another death at sea to be on her hands.

"This is the Grand Blue. The one and only sea of this world."

It takes Nami two days to calm down and analyze the situation from an objective point of view. In that time, their ride passes swiftly through what should be the Calm Belt and enters the hypothetical Grand Line, making full speed towards the New World.

Or where the New World should be.

Though if any of them had any doubts that this is the same sea they have been travelling on until a short while ago, the often Sea Kings attacks and very rare, but still certainly there, illogical behavior of the weather convinces them otherwise quickly. Which is a short lived relief.

Unfortunately, it rapidly becomes a presence that serves to remind them of their own time, which to Nami seems like a far, far away dream even after such a brief span of time. And it makes her want to cry whenever the treacherous thought sneaks inside her mind.

"Nami-san, are you hungry?" Sanji startles her from her latest and depressive trail of thought. Light brown eyes glance up in quiet surprise at the soft smile the blond is displaying and her stomach doesn't hesitate to growl pointedly.

"It seems so." The navigator giggles quietly as she gratefully accepts the bun and small cooked fish. It isn't one of Sanji's most amazing masterpieces, but it will have to do. She barely remembers the last time she ate.

"I'm glad to see that you're back, Nami-swan!"

In all honesty, she should have expected this kind of reaction. But she is still surprised at how calm Sanji was when he's said it. This act in itself signals that something is on the cook's mind and Nami has no qualms about asking, desperately wishing to escape her own muddled head for a little while.

"Something wrong, Sanji-kun?" The orange head asks nonchalantly as she shoves a third of the bun in her mouth. Her gaze never strays from the blond and she watches Sanji's lips tighten into an ironic upturn.

"I suppose it's the same thing that's been keeping you occupied for two whole days.” He says. “Robin-chan has been fighting a losing battle with the old woman. She wouldn't show the map to us anymore."

Nami's mouth goes taut as she considers his words. A part of her really wants to inspect it further, but the other screams and trashes that it wants nothing to do with it anymore. She wishes more than anything to call this all just a bad dream and pinch herself on the arm until she wakes up. But it won’t work, of course. Nami may be a dreamer, but she isn't delusional. She can only continue to hope.

Heaving a shaky sigh, she munches on the rest of her meal quickly, unmindful of Sanji's advices to slow it down and stands up when she is finished. She pats away the dust on her jeans and glares at the shining disk on the sky with more determination than she had just ten minutes ago.

"Nami-san?"

"Mind helping me convince that stubborn crone?" Nami grins slyly and the cook mirrors her expression after a second’s hesitation.

"It will be my absolute pleasure!" Sanji intones in obvious delight as he shakes a cigarette from his pack and lights it up in one fluid motion that always managed to impress Nami.

The cook consider his choice to take a new package before disembarking on No Name Island has been his best one yet.

The duo maneuvers easily around the working sailors, spotting some of their friends along the way as they direct steady steps towards the main cabin’s doors. Nami does not hesitate to knock on the weathered wood three loud times before she takes a step back and crosses her arms, her foot automatically starting to tap an impatient rhythm on the ground.

Her mental count is at 86 seconds when the old woman decides to throw the door open, face as unconcerned as ever. Her eyebrows draw up though, when she spots Nami's narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

"What is it now, girl? Haven't you had enough of moping around?"

Nami mostly understands the first part, but only catches a whiff of the main idea in the second. The question is, at least, one that she can answer.

"I see map again. Please?"

There is no answer as she has feared. She might have to start begging with gestures because she doesn't want to risk saying stupid things besides the word 'please', but Sanji chooses that moment to intervene.

"Please, miss Zahra." The cook insists politely and Nami doubles back at the form of address for which the old woman – Zahra, apparently – rewards him with her attention. "It is important."

"Why? What else do you want to see?" The older navigator asks catatonically. "Haven't you already seen enough?"

Sanji's eyebrow pulses, a sure sign that he is struggling to keep up with the sudden accelerated rhythm of conversation and Nami can sympathize with him on that matter. But otherwise he appears nonplussed by the words coming out of the old navigator’s mouth.

"Then you explain, please?" The orange head decides to tackle the subject another way.

"About islands and map." Sanji helpfully includes his two cents and Nami applauds inside her mind for their collaborative creativity. It seems that he has practiced speaking the language and got even better than her during her short seclusion from the world.

Zahra takes a minute to make her decision. Rubbing her temples, she turns to reenter her room.

"Gather your friends then."

Sanji grins victoriously and Nami winks at him before dashing around the deck in search of the others with the cook hot on her heels.

"This," Zahra begins, pointing to the irregular mass of land where the Blues are supposed to be, "continents."

"Continents." Robin translates for the benefit of those not knowing the word.

The old woman purses her lips at the horrid language, but does nothing to reprimand her.

"This is the only sea, Grand Blue." She contours the water.

"That is the Grand Blue, the only sea. What is this?"

Zahra's grey eyes barely acknowledge Robin's pointing finger, tracing it towards their time's Reverse Mountain.

"We call it the Gate. The capital has carved passages through it and created a way for ships like ours to enter the other parts of the Grand Blue. Of course, the continentals did not like it too much. Been having wars with them over it for centuries!"

"What'd she say, Robin?" Chopper asks curiously, having trouble understanding everything even after looking through Robin's notes.

"They call Reverse Mountain 'the Gate' and apparently the capital has created it to allow ships to travel to the other Blues, I suppose. There was something about a war with people from the continent." The archeologist taps her chin silently before another thought occurs to her. "Are there islands, too?"

Zahra scoffs. "Of course! But not many are known or are too important."

She moves her finger to punctuate along the ocean.

"The kingdom of Alabasta. Shandora, Wano, Dressrosa. Water's Seven and the capital itself." Her finger pats an accumulation of islands drawn as little, scattered circles, but otherwise unmarked. "Others are either not inhabited or discovered yet."

"Water's... Seven?" Franky chokes from the back, clutching Robin’s journal like a lifeline.

Zahra's eyes don't lose any time in fixing him up with a glacial beam. "That the name, blue hair."

"Maybe that's how they call it in this time." Usopp lifts his shoulders in a shrug, trying to offer a little support at the curious name. "Why that name?"

The old woman hesitates, apparently judging if the long nosed kid is an idiot or has really been living under a very uninformative rock. Sadly, neither is true.

"Water's Seven docks. The city has seven docks and it's built on water." The intended duh makes Usopp wonder if the word would sound the same in the ancient language.

Robin bites her lip when she sees her theory proved true right before her eyes. And she isn't sure if she would rather weep with joy or remain thoroughly disappointed.

"This... wasn't how I wanted to find out about this. If I am to be completely honest." The black haired woman releases an airy laugh devoid of any amusement that successfully confuses her crewmates.

"Did she say anything else, Robin?" Franky prods gently, hoping to not upset the archaeologist further, but wanting to know if anything about his home city was added.

"I only caught the names. She was listing islands, right?” Zoro doesn’t seem to mind the subdued atmosphere. “And then something about Water Seven's name or whatever."

He crosses his arms, brow furrowed in concentration. The swordsman isn't exactly sure if the countries on the list are the only ones remaining or not. Or the only ones that exist at the moment, though this particular thought does not sit right with him.

"Yes." Robin agrees softly. "At this point, there are only these five islands. Others are not discovered or inhabited so they didn't write them down. Also, she was pointing toward the capital just now."

"Oh. And what has you so worked up then?" Luffy asks bluntly, basically confused why this is such a big deal and partly concerned about his friend’s grey face.

One corner of Robin's mouth pulls upwards.

"Because I was right – Shandora being called Shandora means that we have been sent back to the Void Century." The historian turns around to face her friends and extends her arms in a un-Robin-like gesture. "This 'capital' being here means that we've been sent more than nine hundred years into the past."

Usopp swallows heavily, past the lump in his throat, past the sickness he knows he was coming down with since it was only a matter of time. And now past the uncharacteristic way Robin is eyeing them. As if she thinks that she is dreaming.

At some point, he manages to croak.

"Ni-Nine hundred?!"

"Damn." Zoro clicks his tongue, decidedly not in the mood. He wonders if there is any alcohol to be stolen from under the deck.

"That means that this is the ancient language and we are now heading towards the capital. So we should expect to see many differences to our own world." Robin nods as she speaks and Nami resists the urge to rub her temples. If this is her friend’s way of having a breakdown, she would have been decidedly happier with anything relating to crying and shouting. Hell, suicidal thoughts all the way. But an out of character Robin is too creepy to not give anyone nightmares. Damn, they always manage to get into the worst situations without any visible way out.

Her questions more or less answered, the navigator turns towards Zahra with a small smile.

"Thank you for... help." The orange head recites the word out of Robin's little notebook. It has become their one and only dictionary in this apparent past.

Zahra nods and rolls up the map, departing without another word.

"So," Brook begins, looking to be debating whether a song would be appropriate in this situation or not, "what do we do now?"

"Go to the fucking capital and find some damn answers!" Zoro roars, his temple twitching visibly. Many men stop and throw him irritated glares over their shoulders while others simply wish to see what the green haired stranger is so worked up about now.

Sanji clears his throat and jabs him in the small of his back. It thankfully seems to do the trick.

"I second that!" Usopp nods fervently, half hidden behind his swordsman friend now that he isn’t in homicidal mood anymore.

"I suppose it's the best bet we have." Franky lifts his sunglasses on his forehead, watching his crewmates' half shouts of agreement.

"Come on, you guys!" Luffy complains loudly. When he knows he got their attention, he allows his usual wide, confident grin to overcome his features. "This is an adventure! We should have fun, too!"

Chopper sniffs, but readily agrees. There is no point in arguing with Luffy anyway.

"Yohoho! Luffy-san really knows how to lighten the mood!" Brook hums, feeling pumped up for the road ahead. At least someone has to be.

It takes only four more days until they arrive at the Red Line and, consequently, to their time's Sabaody Archipelago. But there is nothing there to be seen but a relatively small patch of trees. They are half the size of the Yarukiman Mangroves they are used to encountering and look like they offer no shelter. There’s certainly no island underneath their branches. Only bare roots and the ocean.

A few ships are in sight, but then again, ships have always been in sight ever since their ship entered deeper waters. None of them even remotely resemble a pirate one. Rather, the locals who own them are busy fishing just like Luffy, Usopp and Chopper are doing after having robbed some poor sailors of three fishing rods. The trio is busy making funny faces at the people on the other boat that floats closely to theirs while the rest of the crew is relaxing near the railing.

"Water Seven is the place where Pluton was constructed," Robin recounts slowly and Franky nods behind her in silent agreement, "and then it was shipped off to Alabasta.” She stops, flips another three pages. “Technically. But there was no mention on the Poneglyph about Pluton's whereabouts in Alabasta the last time we've been there."

"What!" The shipwright's jaw falls at the news. "So it didn't tell you anything about it?"

"No details as far as I'm concerned. It has been only mentioned in passing. The real information is still out there somewhere." Brown eyes glint in the sun's rays. "Now closer than ever, it seems."

"I wonder what this 'capital' is all about." Nami mumbles distractedly, making air quotes with her fingers and noticing with a prayer of thanks that Robin is back to her usual self.

"The better question would be what we'll be doing there when we arrive." Sanji exhales a cloud of smoke, stubbing his consumed cigarette on the railing he is leaning up against. He makes a mental note to beg tobacco selling places out of Zahra. "We have zero clues and now there’s important we are careful not to stand out..." The blond trails off, eyes his friends and promptly reformulates his earlier statement. "Too much."

"The even better question would be how do we get to the New World?" Usopp leans back to stare at them all, only to receive blank stares in return. “What? Am I the only one who thought about that?!”

When only blank stares greet him again, the sniper fights hard not to lose it.

“C’mon guys!”

"Sanji-kun is right, but Usopp's words are worrying me. Though I believe that Fishman Island must be still here. Or at least some form of it." Robin gazes at the commotion around the deck with interest.

The ship has slowed down noticeably in the last hour or so and they are now floating through the calm waters, heading straight for the dark red mass of rock towering over them imperiously.

"Let's begin, boys!" Zahra appears on deck then, her eyes scanning the crowd of fully equipped sailors critically. Most are holding barrels and buckets along with large brushes and cloths in their hands. Her critical gaze stops on the Strawhats and the old woman opens her mouth to reprimand them. "You kids stay out of the way. Got it?"

Most nods with the exception of Luffy. He still doesn’t understand any of her words.

“Is lunch ready?” The captain asks as he wrestles with a fish his size.

No one answers him. Instead, they watch as the workers move as one, starting to apply a sticky substance to various parts of the ship.

"They are... coating it. Please tell me they are coating it." Franky whispers in awe with a hint of fear, watching the men work carefully, but efficiently.

"So we're going under like usual." Zoro is glad that at least this is something they are familiar with.

"I wonder how long this will take." Chopper rubs his cheek, his bright eyes more interested in the current proceedings on the vessel than his latest catch.

"Chopper, it's pulling!"

Only Franky has been around the Sunny when it was coated before and he is honestly surprised by how little it takes the sailors to finish the job. Granted, the last time there has only been one fishman to the job with small help from the cyborg when Den allowed it. These guys’ collective effort took half an hour and by then the Strawhat pirates have already caught two big fish and a smaller one that were to be served for dinner later in the day.

Robin and Nami – the newly formed annoy-Zahra tag team, as the woman herself put it– have been pestering the old navigator with various questions about the nature of their next part of the journey, but have been left with barely a grumbled out response in return. This has them stuck with even more curious inquiries. For the moment though, they've been assured that their underwater journey will be taking only half a day at most after which there is a five days' journey to the capital if the winds are in their favor. If her calculations are correct, Nami concludes that the islands they are sailing toward can’t be too far into the New World.

"Or maybe it's because the weather isn't so abruptly changing and so they're going at full speed?" The revelation only manages to bring about horror and she spends the next few minutes moaning and groaning because of the unfairness.

Sanji takes it upon himself to solve the upcoming issues of their arrival and speaks to Zahra about the port they are going to dock at. He finds himself surprised at how willing the old crone is to tell him all about it. But either way, the cook brushes it off and concentrates on catching everything she is saying, gritting his teeth when he sees that she is slowing down and using simpler terms intentionally. Sanji swallows his frustration and nods along. By the end of his little chat, he has acquired enough information to formulate a good strategy for the visit on the main island of the so-called capital.

As last minute preparations are being done, Sanji returns to his friends' side, ignoring their burning stares full of curiosity.

"We'll talk after we sink." He explains briefly, wondering how strange that sentence really sounded.

Barely a minute later, three fishmen and one merman surface on opposite sides of the ship. They exchange a few rushed words with Zahra before another middle-aged sailor, starts tying thick ropes on the masts and railings.

"What those for, Zahra?" Franky asks, excited as he gives a helping hand in tightening the knot on the foremast.

The old woman raises an eyebrow, but decides to humor him. "For those who will carry us." She indicates in the water's direction where two large, multicolored fins are protruding its surface.

She smirks at Franky's impressed whistle.

"Everyone grab onto something and keep tight! We don't want to have our friends here run back in vain for your stupid asses!" Zahra's voice reverberates over the deck and, as one, everyone clings to anything glued to the ship.

"Make sure you guys keep an eye on Luffy and the others, alright?" Nami shouts over her shoulder, bracing for something like an impact to come.

But there was none.

"But is it going to be fine?" Usopp is glancing around nervously. The water level is past their heads now. "We've been sinking for a while now."

"Yes, ever since they finished with the coating." Robin agrees, prompting the sniper to release an undignified shriek. "I don't know what they did, but the rate of sinking was so slow, it was barely noticeable."

"Maybe it has to do with the mass of the ship?" Brook proposes, double checking his hold on the railing. "I don't sink if I run fast on water."

"You mean to say that this ship's extremely light?" Franky asks from behind Luffy’s wild tuft of hair. The shipwright has one of his massive hands wrapped around their hyperactive captain, keeping his struggling form in place.

"Could be, seeing as we've got here in, what, four days?" Zoro guesses, lounging on the ground and entirely too unconcerned.

"It took six, you stupid algae brain!" Sanji grunts from his side and receives the stink-eye in return. "But I agree with the idiot. It can be one of the reasons."

No one has time to offer anything else. The ship suddenly lurches forward and sinks the rest of the way into the water. A wave of nostalgia and wonder hits Nami as she takes in the underwater landscape once more and its array of different life forms. She is also able to take a good look at the large creatures pulling the ship. There is a Sea King with pale green skin with colorful dots are splotched all over its body that is guiding their ride from the front, while another one swims by next to him. The beasts are very tame with the fishmen handling them and their kin is avidly avoiding the vessel at all costs.

"This is new." Chopper confesses, looking all around them with wide eyes. "Usually they won't hesitate to attack ships."

"Yeah. Seems like these guys know what they're doing." Usopp agrees, tapping his fingers on the wooden floor nervously. "I wonder why everyone's still latched to the ship, though."

"Probably as a safety measure." Franky concludes. "We should take their example and do so as well." He added mostly for the benefit of his impatient captain still struggling in his hold. Luffy only huffs and crosses his arms.

"Now you better start spewing, stupid cook." Zoro blurts out, eye narrowed on the back of the man's head, daring him to argue. "What did that hag say to you?"

Sanji sighs, knowing he has landed in the middle of them for that very reason. "Alright, don't get your panties in a twist, algae."

"You-"

Now that he has their attention, Sanji continues. "So I asked her about the city mostly. What we can find there and who we can talk to about some important stuff. She finally told me at some point, but first insisted I know about the islands themselves."

He stops, feeling the desperate need for a cigarette, but doesn’t want to risk the old crone's wrath by lighting it up underwater and having her yell at him that he'll set fire to everything. It won't be the first time, either. Seeing as no one is planning to interrupt his monologue, the cook continues on, swiftly recalling the shocking next bit he is about to relay.

"The main island of this capital where we'll be docking on is named Raftel."

"What!" Nami's shout makes even the Sea Kings turn their way, but it unfortunately is quickly covered by a series of unintelligible stammering from the others, culminated by Chopper's strangled yelp.

Sanji sees Usopp's face gradually lose all color so that it is in the end as pale as a sheet of paper. Franky whistles again in that annoyingly unconcerned manner of his that makes the cook want to deck him for being so stupidly unimpressed with anything they stumble upon – especially the goddamn island that has sparked so many legends in their time and caused everyone to lose their shit and minds over. For which they would trade a civilian life for something resembling an endless and futile search. Brook releases a nervous laugh that seems more in tone with the problem here and Sanji approves and turns his head to see Robin's taut mouth and Zoro's shuttered expression. It’s rewarded with a glare from the cook because why does he have to be so damn unexpressive when there is the obvious issue at hand and is he the only one at least a bit concerned about it. Luffy simply continues to regard him calmly, urging the story on. Which gives Sanji all the thumbs down needed to know that his captain either isn’t buying it or is slowly coming to the conclusion that things won’t go his way this time around.

"The four surrounding it are Poseidon, Pluton, Uranus and Atlantis – Fishman Island, in our time."

"So they are named after the three Ancient Weapons-" Robin stops abruptly, eyes going wide before she bursts out laughing. "But then again, of course they are!"

Nami cleares her throat uncomfortably at the exclamation.

"And Fishman Island seems to be on the surface. It's kind of great, actually." Usopp flashes a wavering smile full of dashing hope and Sanji, heart heavy, inwardly prepares to destroy it.

"This means that the city before us is just a small settlement then, no?" Brook would smile, had he possessed muscles to do so.

Heads turn just in time to see the first coral roofs rise in the large air bubble. There are noticeably fewer houses than the Fishman Island they know, but this is only expected of such an early settlement. There is little agitation inside the city, but their guides carefully avoid it by swimming around the bubble full of air. The pirates use this chance to study the small crowds, so familiar yet full of strangers.

"I suggest we admire the sights for now." Brook says, hoping to share in the thirst for adventure. "Yohoho!"

Five long days that seem to stretch on endlessly later and the time travelers conclude that Zahra has not, in fact, lied to them. In front of their very eyes, sprawled on the horizon, Raftel's high stone buildings and towers spiral into the clouds over the island as they come into view – competing with one another in height and architectural design. After the initial shock, the crew’s expectant gazes settle on the approaching port, lined with merchant vessels and civilian fishing boats alike that creates a solid fence for the city limits.

"This is. Something else." Robin says, breathless all of a sudden as the others disembark behind her.

The archeologist glances up and down the wide street, to the unique decorations hanging on houses and stalls that consist of flags, lanterns and an array of exotic and colorful flower arrangements. Finally, Robin looks to the mass of cleanly cut marble and stone of the large palace sprawling not far out in front of them. It feels so gigantic against the ordinary buildings and in turn makes Robin feel so small in comparison.

"It’s. It's..." Nami trails off, light brown eyes impossibly wide and sparkling with the usual reflection of money as one hand covers her mouth in shock.

"It's made of gold!"

The navigator's shout echoes down the street, attracting a few confused stares. Usopp offers them sheepish smiles and a small wave in return and, luckily, the citizens carry on with their business.

It falls on Sanji, as it is, to thank Zahra and the sailors for getting them there. But if it is for sweet Robin-chwan and Nami-swan, the cook will do it without grumbling. Too much.

And so, after learning this convenient combination of words from the magical little notebook of one of his objects of affection, he decides to get this over with.

"We thank you for the help!"

And the blond bows to the small woman to add effect.

Zahra scoffs and inclines her head jerkily. "You kids better not cause trouble around here."

"Yes-"

"Now get lost!"

Zoro chuckles as he sees the stupid cook manhandled by the old hag.

"I'm glad it was so funny to you, stupid water caricature freak!" The cook grumbles as he takes out a cigarette from his rapidly emptying pack and curses. He forgot to ask Zahra about it as he should’ve. He inwardly hopes that he'll be able to find some tobacco around here since it seems like a rich city. Especially judging by how everything sparkles in the sunlight-

Sanji's feet draw to a stop as the man himself gapes like a fish out of water. "What."

"Look at this! Look!" Luffy shouts, jumping up and down in the middle of the street. "It's all gold!"

"Oh my god, it really is!" Usopp exclaims from his spot next to the nearest building, touching it with overwhelming reverence that borders on something less healthy.

"It seems like Shandora wasn't the only city of gold." Robin smiles with bemusement at the crew's antics.

"Yow, bro! How many Berri do you think a single house here makes?" Franky rubs his chin and smirks as his businessman side takes charge.

"More than ten million for sure!" Nami screeches obscenely loud again, her eyes definite Berri signs and knees shaking. The navigator looks like she could melt into a puddle at any given moment because of the luminescent sight of so much precious metal splayed right in front of her.

"Really?!" Chopper's jaw hangs open and the reindeer hugs the nearest statue of gold that he finds in his path with a white knuckled grip.

"Come on, stop fucking around!" Zoro scowls, eye narrowed at the too relaxed attitude of the others. They are in enemy territory, damn it!

"Yohoho! I believe it will be better if we’d find a change of clothes first." Brook proposes, walking with hunched shoulders in the hope that not too many people will notice his ghastly appearance. Of course, that is a futile wish since his height is outstanding on its own, but many luckily assume that it is a costume. "I can see a large variation in clothing styles!" The musician points out from his vantage point.

Zoro wants to groan at the sight. The skeleton is right – the clothes are totally different and he is certainly not looking forward to put such things on. Some are different, probably signaling that there are natives of other cultures visiting the island. He spots a few Alabastian outfits and others that would belong to Wano, judging by the samurai-styled clothing. There are also normal ones in the sea of white and color, but of course the Strawhat pirates won't go for normal. They have to go for more than normal so the completely abnormal will be covered expertly.

Sanji finally snaps out of his fit of admiration for Nami and Robin and straightens as he clears his throat.

"Brook’s right. Our first stop is a shop with clothes!" The cook announces to the audience in general and grabs Luffy by the scruff of his vest. He gestures Usopp and Chopper to detach themselves off the golden objects they are holding onto lest they get arrested for being too weird for this timeline.

They are being the too-obvious outsiders in this moment and the blond is starting to feel self-conscious.

"Zahra showed me the general direction the nearest shop is in so we should leave before someone decides we are too out of place and does something about it."

Zoro raises an eyebrow at the tense posture of the idiot, but bites his tongue. He doesn't like agreeing with the guy on principle, but he is right this instance.

They end up going the wrong way two times and it isn't because of Zoro, shockingly. The third try is the charm and the pirate crew finally find themselves standing in front of a large shop’s entrance. It is decorated with colorful lanterns and garlands hang from its roof and over their heads in a mildly irritating manner. The inside is equally as cheerful and it smells of lily perfume and incense.

"Are you sure this is a shop for men, too?" Zoro grounds through his teeth, watching Robin and Nami converse about a dress they've found through the folded materials. Another look and the swordsman knows that there are only dresses in here.

"Yes, I'm freaking positive!" Sanji growls back. "Now shut up and go find some rag to wear. We don't have money for you, too!"

The swordsman rolls his eyes and mouths sarcastically. "Enough only for Nami and Robin, of course."

"Of course, algae." Sanji replies and sticks out his tongue, though he is distracted from a possible stare off with said water plant when the salesgirl approaches them with a hesitant smile and a skip in her step.

"How may I be of help to you?"

Robin intervenes before Sanji can begin bewitching in another language.

"We search for suitable clothes to wear."

The brown haired woman nods in understanding and helpes select garments for everyone. The process is a little tedious and seems complex at first sight since there isn't any scale of measurement besides the naked eye. This coupled with some of the more unwilling ones and it is way past noon when the crew had barely managed to cover half of its members.

Needless to say, there isn't only Zoro in the Disgruntled Club, but Usopp and Franky too. The trio isn’t willing enough to wear those long dresses – considered unmanly – but they do not have a choice in the end because Robin, Nami and Sanji working together prove to hold a little too much persuasive power over them.

In complete contrast, Brook seems totally content with the way his new white attire covers his bony body and makes it so much easier to pass of as normal. He combined it with a black scarf wound around his neck high enough to cover up to his nose and his hat hangs low over his eyes. Now the musician can easily say that he is artfully camouflaged.

Chopper uses the same method to cover his furry body as much as he can while keeping his hat on and hoping that his antlers will appear to be part of it. He spins around in a circle and grins happily, watching his white toga and blue embroidered shawl covering it swish with each movement.

Nami gets herself an outfit not unlike the one she has worn in Alabasta. The only difference is the large, orange flowered shawl wrapped around her waist and draped over one shoulder that hides her midnight blue bra and exposed back. The navigator was hesitant to cover herself up in this heat, but the salesgirl warned her about walking around in only that. Even if she is an Alabastian, it was advisable to wear it because of the sudden bouts of rain the rainfall season often brings. So Nami consented to the beautiful shawl in the end.

Usopp is standing in place awkwardly, not feeling up to walking around or even breathing as a matter of fact. He still doesn’t understand why he can’t keep his pants on underneath, even though he will probably die of overheat. The others look pretty happy with their dresses, but the sniper doesn't feel extremely comfortable without his pants. The cream colored toga and yellow and brown shawl are a nice touch and they certainly appeal to his artistic side. He has to hand it to the shopkeeper – she has chosen colors based on his former clothes well.

He is also forced to reconsider his earlier thoughts when he discovers the amazing inner function of hiding his satchel behind the shawl without it appearing to be anything there. These long clothes aren't that bad and this definitely awards the garments points in the sniper's book.

In the end, Usopp opts to just watch in amusement as Luffy bounces around in his new acquisition. Their captain is grinning widely, whirling in place continuously as he tries to make his own white toga and flaming red shawl fly along with Chopper's. His trusty straw hat is perched safely on his head, gaining the approval of his navigator and cook in style and color palette.

Robin smiles down at her lavender dress and gold embroidered shawl before her head lifts to watch Zoro and Franky's protests with infinite amusement. She was surprised to see the shop having such a large tunic for their uniquely shaped shipwright, but the salesgirl surprised the archaeologist when she got one out for him to try on.

It is white with blue embroideries and has a matching striped white and blue shawl over it. The color is slightly darker than his hair, but it matches well enough.

Zoro on the other hand, looks to be contemplating bloody murder under that green toga and white and red lined embroidered shawl. The color is very close to that of his coat so the archeologist can't understand why he is being such a baby about it.

"It doesn't look too different from what you usually wear, Zoro." Robin knows that she is threading into dangerous territory, but she cannot help herself.

The swordsman glowers at her predictably furious. "That was a long coat and this is a freaking dress. Check your eyes woman!"

The black haired historian grins teasingly and drapes a yellow veil over his head. "This will go nicely with your hair."

"Hey-!"

"You better take Robin-chan's gift! It will hide your ridiculous locks, y'know?" Sanji snickers behind his yellow shawl as he exits the fitting cabin leisurely, sporting a white toga embroidered with golden stitching.

Taking the bait right off the bat, Zoro plunges into another swear fest right on.

"Um. How much?" Nami asks, uncertainty creeping inside her chest. All these clothes are amazing, but she is afraid of the price they now have to pay.

The salesgirl smiles sweetly and answers without much thought. "These will be thirty Pons."

The navigator raises an eyebrow at the surprisingly low price, but does not complain and hands her the money with a grateful smile as the others fill out of the shop. Her light brown gaze lingers on the discarded clothes they have been wearing until now, not sure if they should take them along, but considering they do not know the extent of their stay here Nami supposes they are better left behind. Flashing another grateful smile to the brown haired woman behind the counter, she turns around and follows her friends out into the street.

Her mind flashes briefly to the small coins jiggling inside her bag and she takes one out curiously, flipping it on her palm. On one side of the golden coin is a circle with four large dots placed at its diameter points with another, larger one right in the middle of them. Nami frowns in confusion at the simplistic and overly strange picture. There are a few small characters in the ancient language that she'll have to ask Robin about, but the image itself reminds her of the World Government flag even though it did not look like it at first glance. But then again, these might represent the archipelago they are in.

Nami flips it to the other side and her eyes widen when she makes out a ship behind which there is a faded skull with a crown over its head. There are more ancient words on this side and her curiosity flares.

"Where should we go now?" Brook asks, walking at a leisure pace in front of Nami's distracted form.

"Robin!"

Robin raises an eyebrow at her approaching friend. She somehow seems out of breath, but her mind is clearly elsewhere.

"Can you read what's written on these?"

Robin nods at the simple request and accepts the golden coin thrust into her palm.

"Let's go eat!" Luffy declares loudly, pumping a fist in the air. Usopp, Franky and Chopper immediately agree with the idea, but Sanji is having none of it.

“Now wait a damn minute!” The cook protests vehemently, even though starving is a big no-no in his books, too. “We have no way to make money so we’ve got no way of filling Luffy’s bottomless hole. Understand?” He eyes his captain pointedly, but it is the others who nod in his stead. Sanji sighs, left with no other choice but to follow.

They move slowly through the crowds, trying to find a nice and cheap restaurant while also making sure Zoro doesn’t get lost in the influx of people populating the streets. It is a nerve wrecking half an hour of Nami and Sanji inspecting different places and deciding if they are suitable enough, but most prove to be simply too high or low class or not fast enough when it comes to cooking a large variety of dishes in a short amount of time.

In the end, their navigator has the mercy to announce that they will be stopping at a rather small establishment filled with cozy sofas and low tables. Everything looks nice without it being too expensive. It also offers a good side view of the palace and the pirates are now able to inspect the large structure more conspicuously.

"It's big." Zoro observs, feeling an incoming headache as he drops in his proclaimed seat.

"And made of gold, too." Usopp adds with honest incredulity. He shifts his legs left and right, not sure how to arrange them under a dress so he takes Nami’s feminine example. "Just how rich are these people?"

"Very, if the gold houses are any hint." Sanji puffs out a smoke cloud, keeping his eyes fixed on the golden building glittering in the late afternoon sun.

"It only says 'capital' and its amount. In this case it's one hundred Pons." Robin relays the information to Nami, who thanks her and pockets the coin.

"This means," the navigator's eyes pin Luffy down with a merciless glare, "that Sanji is right and you can't eat too much. Who knows how much an inn costs and we need to survive here, got it?"

The raven head pouts, but he knows that his friends won't budge and, frankly, he understands why the situation is so dire. None of the money from their world work and it isn’t like they had much of those with them either. And until they figure out how this world goes and why they are here in the first place, working is out of the question. So they should take care of the remaining amount for now.

The captain nods grimly, surprising his crewmates with his mature way of responding.

"This… went better than expected." The orange head whispers to no one, accepting the simple sheet of paper that composes the menu that their waitress handed to her with a smile.

“I can’t read any of it.”

“Yohoho, me neither! So what is our next move, Sanji-san?" Brook asks after the waitress takes her leave.

The blond startles out from his inspection of the building. He assesses his friends' expectant faces and licks his dry lips.

"Zahra – even she didn't know where we could talk about our, uh, special situation."

"Did you tell her anything?" Zoro interrupts, ready to gut the idiot if he had spilled anything.

"No, but she took a wild guess." The cook sighs in resigned defeat.

"And was she right?" Franky approaches carefully.

"Close enough to not be entirely comfortable. But anyway," he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "she only said that we might be able to find somebody who could help us if we go to the palace. She said to ask to speak with the head of Science."

"Science then." Robin translates for everyone. "Probably a department of some kind."

"There is something like that here?" Usopp blurts in shock.

Sanji gives him the stink-eye, but does not make any effort in explaining the matter further. "After we eat, I suggest we go see about that."

The Strawhats agree, faces grim and determined.

"That old woman really has it in for you. Giving you so much free info." Zoro can't help himself anymore and makes sure to couple his words with an appropriately teasing smirk and wiggling eyebrows that leave the cook itching to kill him and on the verge of gagging.

"At least I was useful for something, you ungrateful moss ball!" The blond clicks his tongue and kicks Zoro’s seat strong enough to inconspicuously move it a few inches, not in the mood to argue with the damn bastard. Instead, he focuses on the nice looking lady shyly approaching their table to ask for the orders and beams like nothing happened.

Zoro shakes his head, feeling that the day is not done making a fool out of them yet.

Chapter 3

#opbigbang #opbigbang2017 #fanfiction #one piece #luffy #straw hat pirates

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