In the West shore of Jaya, Mocktown, the atmosphere felt suffocating with people having gathered all around a small tavern, watching the ongoing brawl with fear, shock and horror. The air felt heavy, scented with blood and spiced with cries.
"Please.. please stop..!" A voice was crying, but not from pain, but despair. It belonged to none other than 'Big Dagger' Sarquiss, whose hands were bleeding but none of it was his own blood. His voice was cracked, loud enough to silence the rowdy and panicked crowd surrounding him and his captain.
The man once known for his slick tongue, steel resolve and worse ego was begging before the crowd, before his captain, before that man, with his giant dagger trembling in his hands.
Sarquiss didn't want this. He didn't like it. He hated every bit of it. Yet, his hands were moving anyway. Yet, his body was acting on its own, controlled via strings like a puppet to be controlled.
"I beg of you..!" Sarquiss's hands were moved, and another slash across his captain's side was delivered. "Why are you doing this?! Let us go!"
"What the hell?!" Whispers were already breaking out from the crowd gathered there. Some in astonishment, some in shock, some in confusion. "Was Sarquiss begging?!"
But most of the onlookers' attention was not on the duo who were fighting for their lives. No, most of them were looking at the man who was sitting on a crate like a twisted vulture sizing his prey, looking for the best parts before discarding them. The man was squirming his fingers lazily in the air, and flashing his maniacal grin to everyone, making them shrivel in fear and watch out.
"Why, you ask?"
Even his voice seemed deadly, filled with scorn and taunt, making the whole crowd go silent. The man lifted his head to look at the pathetic display of beating in front of him, but it wasn't amusing him, because the captain, the street punk, Bellamy, didn't fight back. No, the guy didn't even scream when the blades sliced him, when his own friend, his own crew, attacked him.
He twirled the jolly roger he had once given to Bellamy between his fingers, clearly able to see the false pride in it in the hands of the man who didn't deserve it a bit. "Because Bellamy, you shamed my sign."
The crowd almost recoiled as the man picked his gaze from the flag to Bellamy, even if his gaze wasn't on them.
"Whether or not the Sky Island exists.. whether the Golden City is myth or truth.. These things? They don't interest me," He criss crossed his legs, sitting in a position that commanded superiority. "Before you act on such foolish dreams, you should have listened to the opinions of others."
Someone in the back of the crowd gasped, "..Isn't that guy.. Donquixote Doflamingo.."
"One of the seven Warlords of the sea?! What is he doing here?"
"No way.. he once had a bounty of 300 million beri on his head!"
Doflamingo ignored them. "I don't need punk ass thugs who can't even recognize the weight of a sign they wear, under my command," he took a step forward, each one deliberate, heavy and somehow louder than the murmuring around him. But if his aura was swallowing the alley like a black hole then his dancing fingers were calling death upon his chosen one.
"Shit, shit! My hands are moving on their own!" Sarquis sobbed, his eyes wide in terror and his hand holding his weapon in a tight grip as his joints moved on their own, towards an unprepared Bellamy, towards his best friend who was already too hurt and injured. "Please stop! Forgive us—! AAAH!"
Bellamy fell. He fell on the ground, inhaling dust, coughing blood, with no strength in his limbs to stand back again. He was dizzy due to the blood loss and yet he couldn't see anything other than his idol, other than Doflamingo, who was mercilessly hurting him, picking him apart using his own friend, making him a spectacle for his crew and others to see. But Bellamy didn't care. For Bellamy, others didn't matter, as long as Doflamingo was there, as long as he could serve him.
That's why the once proud and haughty pirate, clawed into the dirt, pressed his forehead against the mud near Doflamingo's boots. "Pl..Please.. one.. chance..! I.. I will follow your every command.."
"Bellamy! That's enough!" Even the pirates under Bellamy's command were not able to see such a fucked up scene. They didn't want to see him bleeding, they didn't want to see him not fighting back, they didn't want him to be humiliated by the warlord. Because that meant they might be the next. Because that would mean their end.
Bellamy paid them no heed, he continued grovelling in the dirt. "Even though I had lost–"
"Pathetic." Doflamingo sneered. "You lost, not against a captain but a mere crew. And you still have the audacity to beg?"
Bellamy's broken ribs were making it harder for him to breathe, yet he rasped, "The captain.. he is a kid.. not a big deal.. He wasn't there when we fought.."
"So you let his crew mop the floor with you," Doflamingo stated with venom in his voice.
Bellamy coughed, tasting iron. "The kid... is babysitted by his crew.. I think the real… strength is hidden inside… the crew not in the kid."
Doflamingo snorted at that. Sure, he had no doubts that 'Strawhat' Luffy was a mere kid, but even kids can be dangerous. And the World Government definitely isn't a fool for crowning the kid with 50 million beri bounty at the very beginning and then even inviting him for the Warlord position.
"You lost. That's the only truth that matters," Doflamingo stated, turning away from his royal follower, who was nothing more than a fool now.
"But I.. never intended to disobey your orders. I swear on the sign." Bellamy cried, begging his idol to not leave him yet. "If I hadn't picked that fight.. that fake captain would have climbed to your position!"
Bellamy had hated it when he had read the news about that Strawhatted kid being invited to the position of a Warlord. He had hated the thought of someone like that brat being in the same position as his most worshipped idol. And he hated him a lot more, when he read the news of the very same brat getting a bounty of a 100 million beri.
Doflamingo paused, he turned towards the grovelling man on the ground, his smile twitching, but he didn't want to stay any moment there with that pathetic excuse. "Cute sentiment, but I have no use for broken dogs."
With that, the final verdict had been delivered, sauteed with Doflamingo's twitching fingers and sprinkled with Sarquis's scream, who was trying to stop himself but the strings had no mercy. They led him to drive the blade deep into Bellamy's gut, finally making Bellamy shriek in pain.
"Trash like you belong in the gutters of the world," Doflamingo snorted, before turning to the crowd, with his arms raised like a prophet, he continued, "Fufufufufu! Hurry! A New Age is coming! One where only the worthy will survive! All the worthless trash will vanish in the wave of the new age!"
The crowd of pirates were dead silent, as if witnessing the declaration for the new age.
Doffy titled his head, as if he suddenly remembered something annoying. "Speaking of New Age.." he clicked his tongue. "That damned P.P.P. has been eating into my market. Their little toys.. their flashing gadgets that they claim the 3C's can't break. The marines are loving them. The people use it, no matter the price. All of them are blind. Even today's newspaper proves this."
He crouched beside Bellamy, grabbing his bloody chin with his hand. "Did you know, Bellamy? They use 'workers', also known as.. slaves," he whispered for only the guy to hear. "Children. Men. Women. All beaten, broken, starved and worked to the bones. And bodies worth less than your spine."
Bellamy whimpered.
Doflamingo smiled wider. "Maybe I'll sell you to them. Give them something worthless to toss in their factories."
.
The last of the footsteps had faded beyond the walls of the Going Merry, taking with them the joy and relief and, leaving just plain tension behind. At least that's the case for everyone, except one.
But inside the galley, the quiet tension was worse. It was too quiet for a ship that had hosted the Spades and the revolutionaries for a while. There was only the faint creaking of the ship and the occasional lapping of the waves that was daring to interrupt the hush veiling it.
Sanji was standing alone near the stove, with a cigarette burning between his lips. The smoke was curling around him like a ribbon, almost blending in with the steam wafting off the pots and pans. He wasn't rushing. There was no need to rush anymore. The plates had already been set down by Zoro, each of them overseen by him. The food was made beforehand, just needed to be reheated. With each dish tailored to everyone's tastes.
There was his spicy seafood pasta along with black tea, Nami's favorite tangerine glazed sweets, Usopp's tender roasted fish with a light sauce, Robin's delicately spiced sandwiches with flower cut vegetables, Chopper's veggie medley along with berry parfait, Zoro's grilled sea beast meat with white rice and sake, and Luffy's all time favorite mountain of meats.
It was a meal that would be devoured within seconds with smiling faces on any other day, but today was not that day.
Sanji turned towards the door, peeking out of the galley to find others still looking towards the ocean, towards the departing ships. It wasn't because they had nothing better to do, but rather, they didn't know what to do now. But most probably, Sanji knew that everyone would be drowning in their own guilt and uselessness if they were left alone.
"Food's ready," Sanji called out, not expecting any excitement or response.
One by one, the Strawhats trickled in, with Zoro still carrying Luffy, not letting him walk on his own. Because when he did that on his own the last time, he was on the verge of falling in the treacherous seas. Even though it won't harm him, none of them really want to see him disappear from their sight for even a moment right now.
There were no words, except for Luffy humming happily while swinging his legs, the shuffling of the feet and the scraping of the chairs against wood, and lastly, a few mumbling thanks.
"Waaaaah! More food!" Luffy excitedly chirped the moment his eyes set on the huge mountain of meat awaiting him. "Sanji, you're the best!" he cheered, practically launching himself into the plate the moment he was seated down.
He grabbed the first piece of meat and chomped down like a starved being, his cheeks bulging comically, almost adorably as he chewed. "Mmmmfghh! Sooo good!!!"
Sanji truly wanted to say 'Will ya slow down, a bit?' but seeing Luffy finally energetic while eating his food stopped him.
But unlike Luffy, the others weren't nearly as enthusiastic, even at the sight of their favorite food and the delicious smell wafting from it.
Usopp was poking his roast with a fork, pushing it around in small circles as if it was something foreign. Even Nami was stirring her fillet with a knife, not even bothering to lift a bite to her mouth. And Robin, she just sipped from her teacup, not even touching the beautifully made sandwiches. While Chopper had taken a single bite of his veggies and kept nibbling on that one piece like a rabbit, with his eyes downcast.
Sanji noticed it all. He frowned and watched as the food, which he'd poured so much care into, sat mostly untouched. But the truth was that even he didn't feel like eating today. He didn't have any appetite for even his most prized dish. Only Luffy was eating like normal, if not more so. But even so, he wouldn't waste food.
Sanji glanced at Zoro, who shrugged, noticing the awkwardness too, pushed his plate over to Luffy and uncorked his sake.
Luffy looked up at Zoro, before a bright grin spread over his face and he reached over, forking the extra food. "Thanks, 'ro!"
"Not hungry," Zoro muttered.
Sanji's patience was running thin. He knew he didn't have any appetite and the others might be feeling the same, but that didn't mean they had enough energy to even wallow in guilt. None of them had taken a bite of anything for a while, most of them hadn't even eaten since yesterday, and that was too long on his watch.
"What the hell is wrong?!" he muttered under his breath, knowing the answer fully. "It's like a funeral here."
The words were meant to stay quiet, but the silence was just so loud that they rang like a bell.
Luffy blinked and looked up, his cheeks stuffed like a hamster. "Huh? What're you talking about, Sanji? It's delicious! Everyone should eat! Right, guys?"
No one responded, not even picking themselves up to look at Luffy.
Luffy tilted his head, confused. "No one's eating?" He looked at each of them, his eyes scanning their faces and plates one by one. Usopp's lips were thin, pressed together like he might cry if he opened them. Nami's eyes were vacant, almost as if she looked at him she might break down. Robin looked calm, but with the way her fingers were trembling told another story. Chopper was chewing the same bite like it was rubber, while being lost in his own thoughts. Even Sanji hadn't taken a bite from his plate and.. Zoro had just given him all of his.
Luffy's smile faltered. "Come on, guys," he said with a chuckle that came out a little too loud, a little too forced. "Don't look so gloomy. We're all here, right? I'm here now! And that's what matters!"
He grinned and waved his chopsticks, determined to bring joy. "The food's gonna cry if you guys don't eat them. Or Sanji will scold you all–!" It was a jab worth picking, but Sanji merely rolled his eyes. "Or.. Or.. how Zoro will get lost if he doesn't eat some meat..?" he continued, grinning, teeth showing, as he lifted some meat in his fork and pushed towards Zoro.
Luffy almost looked like a kid who was desperately trying to fix a broken toy with duct tape and a smile but Zoro didn't even look up, he didn't glare, he just took another sip of his sake, painfully clenching his fists below the table and drowning his guilt with a bottle.
Luffy's shoulders slumped, barely noticeable but there. He turned to Chopper, not wanting to give up. "Hey, Chopper, you like veggies? You can have mine too! Sanji always hides them in my food!" he pouted, ignoring the slight glare from Sanji.
Chopper gave a half hearted smile and shook his tiny head. "You need them, Luffy. I have plenty on my plate."
"Then what about you Usopp? Wanna tell an amazing story today?" Luffy tried harder, but Usopp just shook his head, his mouth still shut.
He turned to Nami, his eyes almost glossy by now. "Would Nami like some sweets then? It has a tangy flavor, Ace gave them!" But even that didn't work as Nami merely shook her head and started sipping a glass of water to avoid talking.
"Robin! Would you then like to know about… something?" Luffy tried once again, but even that didn't work as Robin just smiled half-heartedly before continuing sipping her tea.
Luffy's shoulders slumped, as he looked down at his already half empty plate. "...You guys really aren't gonna eat, huh," his voice was soft, not sad but just… disappointed. He could sense the drop in the mood, the crew's inner feelings as if his own. He knew what they wanted..
He sighed, setting his fork down and leaned back in his chair with a new vigor and determination. "Fine. I get it."
The crew finally looked up, finally showing at least some expression on their faces.
"I know what you wanna ask," Luffy stated, meeting each of their eyes, his usual cheer was dulled around the edges as rare seriousness took its place. "So just ask. Ask anything. I'll try to answer them with my best."
The silence that followed Luffy's open invitation was deafening. No one had expected him to say that. They hadn't expected him to be that self aware and have such observation skills. So, for a moment no one moved, no one spoke even when the table was heavy with the weight of so many unspoken things.
But then, slowly, Chopper whispered, "Are.. are you really okay now..?"
Luffy blinked, then grinned, "Yep! Stop thinking I'm weak! I'm not! I might not be as tall as I should be, but that doesn't mean I need babying!" Luffy poked his tongue out.
Usopp was next, even though his question sounded more like a sob, "Ho-How did you.. come back from the d-dead?" Usopp's voice cracked halfway through the question, and he flinched even after asking it as if saying it out loud might curse Luffy once again to death.
Luffy beamed, stuffing some meat into his mouth happily, now that finally everyone was picking on their food too. "I'm not completely sure. But I am pretty sure it was Mama and Vinie who brought me back!"
"Mama?" Robin echoed, her fingers tightening around her teacup. "Vinie?"
"Yeah! Mama always comes or calls me when I am hurt," Luffy said with mouth full. "And Vinie's super cool! She's weird. But cool! I barely get to see her anymore… she doesn't visit me.. Oh! Oh! She's made up of different animals and stuff! Sometimes a wolf, sometimes like a deer?" Luffy beamed, completely confident in his answer.
The crew looked at each other, unable to process the answer in a way that wouldn't shake their worldview.
"..Made of animals? Wolf? Deer?" Sanji repeated slowly, confirming to himself that whoever the being is, it's not human. But why would they be? If they had the power to bring back the dead, then such a being could only be something.. otherworldly.
Meanwhile, Robin tilted her head, intrigued, but also clearly confused. Though she could deduct some points. "..Are they gods too?"
The question wasn't meant to be asked aloud but it happened and so did the flicker in Luffy's smile. "I guess you could say that."
"Your sibling?" Zoro questioned with an intrigued expression. They already knew about Halad, the former god of sky, who was dead. But with Luffy's words, he could deduce that there might be more.
"Yes," Luffy answered softly.
"..Luffy, why do you always get sick after using your devil fruit power–?" Nami's voice came, worried and sharp.
"Don't call it a devil fruit," Luffy cut in, his tone shifting like a knife through the air and his voice was low, serious, sharp enough to pierce bone. "It's not that. It never was and never will be."
That caught everyone off guard, especially the lack of smile on his face and his unfamiliar red eyes glimmering and peeking from the strawhat on his head.
It almost squashed all the questions from the Strawhats, even though they had still plenty of them swirling inside their mind. But not Sanji's, whose eyes flicked towards Zoro, before he nudged his calf under the table, hard.
"Stop that," Zoro hissed at Sanji.
Sanji didn't say anything; he just glared at Zoro, wanting him to spill the beans now.
Zoro scowled before sighing, knowing that he had no way out of it now. "Luffy.. can I tell them what you told me that day? About… how much time you have left."
The air dropped a few degrees at that single sentence, hitting the table like a tidal wave. Nami's knife clattered. Usopp sat up straight. Robin's eyes widened. Chopper stopped chewing. Sanji's cigarette fell to the ground. And Luffy froze, like a deer in headlights.
Instead of shock, dread was looming on the table this time, with so many questions rising and spiralling.
"...What?" Nami breathed.
Chopper's mouth opened and closed like a drowning fish. "Time? Left?"
"You.. gonna l-leave us a-again..?" Usopp cried, his eyes glossy.
"The heck!?" Sanji's mouth was hanging, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. And Zoro was hiding this secret from everybody?! He truly wanted to kick the damn mossbrain in the head to make him understand that he could not carry that huge secret all on his damn fucking shoulders.
Luffy didn't speak for a few seconds. His shoulders were tense, his jaw frozen, not even finishing the bite of the food which he had been eating for a while.
"...Sure," he finally mumbled, too softly. "Go ahead," he said without looking up but then like nothing was wrong, he picked up a piece of fish and took a slow, almost distracted bite, as if he didn't want to acknowledge the truth himself. As if he didn't want to accept the bitter truth which he knew was coming for him.
Zoro took a long, measured breath, his eyes fixed on the wood grain of the table, which all of a sudden felt too interesting.
"...He told me," Zoro started, his voice low. "He told me that piece of him, his divine powers–whatever you wanna call it–was never meant to return back. He gave it up, on purpose, willingly. But it's no longer staying hidden. It's not letting him stay human for long."
Chopper's ear twitched. "Wait, gave it up? You mean—"
Zoro nodded. "He pushed part of it away. Maybe to live like us. Maybe to feel like us," Zoro looked at Luffy, who nodded quietly. "But now.. it's coming back. With every battle. Every step forward. Every damn adversity. It pulls more of that godhood back into him."
Robin's gaze sharpened. "So, it's not just using the power that's killing him.. it's getting it back that killed him."
"..I think so," Luffy mumbled.
Zoro paused, waiting for Luffy to give any more inputs and when he saw the guy not doing so, he continued, "I think his mortal body wasn't built to carry that weight. That divine power–Nika, Joyboy, call it whatever.. It's like a wildfire in a paper house."
Usopp's fale paled. "So, it's not that he's burning out.. He's being overwritten."
"And he's still smiling through it like an idiot.." Sanji muttered, clenching his fists.
Zoro stared ahead. "Because that's the part that even he won't say out loud." Zoro muttered, watching as Luffy's face was slowly and slowly hiding behind his strawhat. He knew he was hitting the nail, he knew he was telling the truth but that didn't mean he wanted to see Luffy like this.
"That he's scared?" Nami whispered.
Zoro shook his head, "That it's his choice."
And true, it was all Luffy's choice. Whenever his body had turned into his original self, it was solely because he wanted it, he needed it. Only once was it forced but since then the whole dam, which was stopping the powers from flowing in, had cracked.
"Luffy told me, once, 'If I gotta fight destiny just to stay with you guys.. I'll fight it. I'll fight the whole damn world.'" Zoro continued, his voice barely steady but he still forced himself to continue, "But you didn't do that, Luffy. You broke that promise when you died. You didn't fight destiny. You didn't s-stay.."
Zoro's words hung in the air like a slap to his face. He could hear the wind brushing against the Merry's hull but couldn't hear the clink of his own fork on ceramic, the way his hands trembled ever so slightly before dropping back to the table. Luffy didn't look up. He couldn't. His face was already mostly hidden beneath the brim of his strawhat now, casting long shadows that danced over the food he was no longer eating.
"...Zoro," Luffy whispered, but it barely passed his lips. Like he truly wanted to respond but didn't know what words could make it right.
"Do you know what it felt like, Luffy?!" Nami spoke next, her voice brittle, knuckles white and the damn dam of emotions within her finally breaking to pieces. "Seeing you dying? Watching you take your last breath?"
Usopp's eyes were streaming with tears by now. "I wasn't even there for you. I didn't even know about it. I couldn't do anything. And it damn fucking hurts!"
"That power killed you. You staying in your god mode for goddamn 4 days chipped at your body," Sanji said flatly, not even pretending anymore to hold in his rage and anxiety. "And now it's crawling back into you, eating you alive while you goof around, and say 'I'm fine' and 'I'm not weak' like we're just supposed to watch without knowing any damn thing!"
The pressure in the room was rising with each of them finally letting go of their emotions and saying them out loud. And yet, Luffy didn't lift his head. His shoulders stayed hunched.
"I didn't want you guys to worry," he mumbled.
"Too bad," Chopper cried, his voice shaking. "I am worried. I am terrified, Luffy! Every time I feel like my doctor skills aren't working, I feel helpless.. useless. I don't know what to do! I don't know how I can help you.. So, why am I a doctor if I can't do anything!"
"M'sorry, Chopper," Luffy whispered, before he exhaled shakily, "But I meant it, you know. When I said I'd fight destiny," he finally looked up and the crew froze because his smile wasn't goofy. It wasn't soft. It was broken and scared.
"I am fighting it. Everyday," Luffy said, his voice steadier than his face. "Every time my body pulses erratically. Everytime my flesh bleeds. Everytime I command the winds. Everytime I push myself hard. Every damn time I feel free. It's almost like I am carrying the sun inside my chest, and it burns. It hurts. It hurts so much," Luffy's lips curved into a broken smile, but a smile nonetheless. "But I stay. I bear all of this. Every single time. I still crave freedom. I still crave this. Home. You guys. So, I come back."
"Why didn't you tell us any sooner?" Sanji asked, quietly. "Why carry the weight alone? Because we are weak? Because we are not stronger and you always end up protecting us?" Sanji gritted his teeth, feeling weak.
"No.. it's just because I didn't want you to be scared," Luffy answered, looking at each of them, one by one. His crew. His family.
"Well," Nami muttered. "Too late for that, dumbass."
Luffy grinned weakly. "Yeah… I figured."
"Well, no going Nika for you, from now," Zoro stated, sitting straight.
"But–" Luffy started, eyes wide, already protesting.
"No," Zoro cut in firmly, tone brooking no argument. "We will fight together if any strong enemy comes. All of us. That's the whole damn point of being a crew. So, no going Nika. No burning your body for our sake. Not again."
"Yeah!" Usopp puffed his chest out. "What's the point of being the world's greatest sniper if my captain keeps burning himself and dying before I get to show off?!"
"You're not our weapon, Luffy," Robin said gently. "You're our captain. You got to lead us, not burn till death."
"You're not allowed to make choices that leave us behind, dumbass," Nami added, arms crossed, eyes red but determined.
Chopper sniffed, nodding. "I'll fix you but I won't let you break again just to protect us."
Sanji exhaled a long puff of smoke. "You fight with us, Luffy. Not ahead of us. With us."
There was a long beat, before Luffy gave a small, breathless laugh. "You guys are real bossy today."
"And you are finally listening," Nami smirked.
Luffy took off his strawhat, showing his still white streaked hair at the edges and his reddish eyes–the permanent changes in his being. "Okay," he said. "I'll try. No more going Nika unless there's no other choice. I promise."
Zoro narrowed his eyes. "You better mean it."
"I do," Luffy nodded. "But if it ever comes down to choosing between my life or yours, I am choosing–"
"We'll kick your ass before it comes to that," Sanji cut in smoothly.
"Or after," Zoro added.
"Both," Chopper squeaked.
And finally Luffy laughed, loud and bright with his head thrown back and his chest rising and falling like the weight had cracked down at least a little.
.
The sea was stretched out like a lazy painting with blues and clouds hanging low along with the sun already halfway done with its shift. But amidst it, a thin crrk-crrk-crrk echoed across the calm waters as a line of ice paved itself across the seas of the Grand Line, without any fear of the weather becoming treacherous any moment. And riding that line, half asleep and half bored, was none other than Admiral Akoiji, a.k.a, Kuzan.
"Man, this is such a drag.." he mumbled, one hand lazily resting on the handlebars of his ice bike while the other adjusted his sleep mask slightly above his eyes. "Why do I keep getting pulled into this stuff? I'm practically on vacation.."
His breath was fogging the cold mist curling off the frozen path below. He wasn't in a hurry though, not really. But his mind wasn't exactly idle either. It was just lazy enough to take detours around thoughts which were not adding up.
"..That G-8 mess, though," he muttered. "Three brats wrecking everything then vanishing like ghosts.." he frowned, not liking the extra work burdened on his shoulders. "But something doesn't add up.." his brow twitched under his mask, trying to concentrate on the matter but then laziness and procrastination was something Kuzan actively hunted for, if he could.
And what Kuzan found when his eyes opened slightly was scattered planks, torn sails and a mess of drifting figures just bobbing on the waves ahead. There were floating wreckage and among it were people who were screaming, scrambling and flailing. That made sense considering the record-breaking horrible weather yesterday around the seas of the G-8 base… all of which is the doing of the 3C's.
Kuzan sighed. He truly didn't want to make this problem his own but he was a marine, an admiral and his primary job was to help the civilians. So, with a lazy roll of his wrist, he made the ocean hiss and crackle as ice bloomed outward in a wide crescent, forming a flat, steady platform for the drifters… who were way too large in numbers and didn't waste a second in hauling each other up with wide eyes and frostbitten fingers.
"Holy crap, there's so many," Akoiji blinked, clearly able to see the two to three hundreds of the survivors practically exploding onto the ice, flopping and crying and bowing and cheering.
All of them were dressed in fancy, showy clothes with striped patterns, mismatched hats and sparkly outfits that made them look like a circus crew, which they actually can be.
Akoiji was turning to leave, wanting to have no part in the further rescue or ridiculousness of the circus crew, but before he could actually do that, one of them strutted up to him. Probably the leader of the jesters. He was tall-ish with a chunky middle and spindly limbs, with hair that jutted up into two pointy tufts and a cleft lipped, fox laced grin plastered on his red nosed mug.
To Kuzan, the man looked like a rejected carnival mascot filled to the brim with confidence only.
"Ah! The great savior!" The man said with dramatics. "I'm Foxy, thanks for saving The Foxy–"
Akoiji was already deadpanning, as he raised a hand to stop the blabbering man. He truly didn't have the energy to deal with the jester now. "Ice path's that way. Go walk before you talk me into freezing you solid."
The man, Foxy for a fox, blinked, before his eyes widened and he dashed towards his crew, never turning back again.
Akoiji didn't wait till they were far enough to leave. He sighed, "Geez.. Foxy Pirates, huh? So, they're still alive?"
But well, he is not here today to capture these small-time ones, so with a flick of his wrist, he turned his front wheel and kept riding as the ice path kept reforming beneath him with each lazy push of the pedal.
It was only an hour later when he spotted an island with green plains and ridiculously tall trees and animals in it. But that didn't catch the attention of the Admiral the most. It was the Going Merry which did. Nestling against the shore, swaying gently with the waves like it hadn't just been guided out by two strange ships this very morning.
"..Huh," Akoiji squinted. There were no signs of fires, no battle signs, no torn sails. Hell, there wasn't a single scratch on the ship.. and the occupants of the ship were all enjoying themselves on the shore side, having a picnic party while playing in the waters or talking to a short man. And in the center of it all was Monkey D. Luffy, the kid said to be targeted by the 3C's relentlessly.
"Well, that saves me the search," he whispered, "After all, it was either the 3C's ship or the Strawhats."