Author's Note: This idea popped into my head months ago. I've always been a HUGE fan of parallel universes and I'm hoping this will be a story for all to enjoy. Please be prepared for some OOC moments and all sorts of other crazy ideas that pop into my head. Here's to hoping you enjoy my randomness.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters of One Piece. Those belong to the god known as Oda.

Part One: The Godless Sea
Chapter One: Darkness Tells No Tales

"There's no sun."

Somehow, it's not all that surprising that Usopp is the one to state the obvious. The rest of the crew arrive to breakfast with confused eyebrows and worried eyebrows, but no one says anything. Just tuck into the silent meal by lamplight. Attempts at conversation are few and far between. Simple morning greetings. Thanks to Sanji for breakfast. But no real, steady conversation. No one's quite sure what to say.

Until Usopp sits at the table. Looks around at all of them. And speaks.

"So we've noticed," Sanji replies, setting a plate down in front of him.

"Are we just not going to talk about it?" the sniper asks, looking between all of them.

"Well," Nami replies. "There's nothing we can do about it, Usopp."

"Is there a storm coming?"

Nami shakes her head. "No. The sea is clear for miles."

"So the sun just disappeared?"

"It's the New World, Usopp," Zoro sighs. "No use trying to explain it away."

A murmur of agreement goes around the crew, apart from Luffy who's stuffing food into his mouth. Most of the others make half hearted attempts to fend the captain off, apart from Zoro, who drives his fork into Luffy's hand when it gets too close to his plate.

"Stop that," the swordsman orders.

"Ow!" Luffy's hand snaps back to his chest. "That's not nice, Zoro!"

"Luffy," Usopp whines. "Don't you think we should be concerned with this?"

The rubber man glances over to his sniper, head cocked to the side. "With what?"

"There's no storm coming but no sun. Its pitch black outside. And no one seems to have any idea why."

"Actually," Robin pipes up, hands folded under her chin as she looks around the table. "I may have read a few encounters similar to the one we are currently experiencing. I came across several strange tales of the New World in our time apart."

All eyes turn to the archaeologist, whose gaze in on Luffy. The captain swallows the food he managed to steal from Usopp's plate and nods at her.

"There's a legend of a sea in the New World. The Atheos Sea. The sea that God cannot touch," Robin pauses, eyes roaming around the table to gage everyone's reactions to her words. "Some sailors report that the sun comes here to die. Others report that the storms were are more unpredictable than that of the Grand Line itself. Strange things happen in the Atheos Sea. Stranger than most care to admit. Some will see their dead loved ones. Others will meet people with tales of events that never happened. I've even found the tale of a group of Marines who claim to have met themselves when lost in the sea."

Silence echoes around the table all eyes still on Robin.

"I get it!" Luffy cries, breaking the quiet with a wide grin as he swallows more meat. "It's a Mystery Sea!"

Robin giggles and the rest of the crew groan.

"Do you really think that's where we are, Robin?" Chopper asks, big brown eyes staring up at her. "In a sea where anything can happen."

"Well, we were on the Grand Line," Nami offers. "Strange things happen there all the time."

"But like this?" Franky wonders. "Meeting ourselves? No sun?"

"Did your account tell how the Marines got out of the strange sea, Robin-chan?" Sanji asks, the plate in front of him all but forgotten.

She shakes her head. "I'm afraid not. Apparently, they were stranded on an island in the middle of the Atheos Sea, where they met themselves. Though, there were several remarkable differences. For the most part, their stories would match up, but certain elements, certain situations are different. That or they never happened. Though, the Marines didn't escape the island. According to the account I read, everything was taken from a ship's log that was found among the wreckage of their ship. Found three years after the crew went missing."

"M-m-missing?" Usopp stutters.

"The crew never returned, Robin-san?" Brook asks.

"Not to my knowledge. Or the knowledge of anyone else."

"Has anyone ever returned?" Nami asks, voice shaking slightly.

"A few rare survivors manage to float back into the New World, most floating on the wreckage of the vessels that they rode into the strange sea."

The navigator spins to face their captain. "Luffy, we should turn around and head back the way we came."

Luffy blinks at her, cheeks expanded out with the food stuffed to the brim. "Why?"

Zoro grimaces as bits of the half eaten food spill onto his plate and Sanji kicks the captain under the table, growling about table manners.

"Haven't you listened to anything Robin said?" Usopp demands.

"It sounds like an adventure!"

"An adventure that will end with us dead!"

"I don't want to die!" Chopper wails.

Luffy laughs. "Silly Chopper, no one's dying. Sunny will take care of us."

"Mugiwara right," Franky pipes up. "Sunny can carry us anywhere. No problem."

"I'm sure that's what those Marines said about their ship," Usopp cries.

"Are you questioning my shipwright skills, Nose-bro?"

"Oi, shut up," Zoro orders. "If Sencho says we're going, we're going."

"But Luuuuffy."

The whines begin immediately, overlapping protests and demands of another plan. All of which are cut off when thunder shakes the ship and several dishes crash to the floor. The crew stills, staring around at each other in confusion before eyeing Nami.

"I thought you said there wasn't a storm for miles," Zoro hisses.

Before she can open her mouth to protest, the ship tilts. Sanji grabs Nami, cradling the navigator as the entire crew falls toward Sunny's wall as waves turn the ship to its side. Acting fast, Franky does the same for Robin and Zoro manages to catch Chopper, protecting the young doctor from the fall and the barrage of eating utensils that follow. Luffy, to the captain's glee, manages to catch most of the food, quickly shoveling it into his mouth.

Within seconds, the ship tilts the other way and the crew manage to get their footing again.

"What are you all standing around for?" Nami shrieks. "Get to your places. Go. Go!"

"Nami," Robin's calm voice freezes everyone again. "I'm not sure that would be wise."

Stunned, the navigator turns back to her. "Wh-what?"

"This sea cannot be tamed. It does what it wants and it does to others what it wants to do. I think it might be wise if we stay indoors and allow the storm to take us where it pleases."

Nami stares at her, mouth agape. "You're - you're telling me you think the storm wants to take us somewhere?"

Robin nods, hands sprouting from the floor as the ship tilts again, steadying the crew. "By all accounts, this sea moves of its own accord. All attempts to fight or go against it end in failures."

"So we just wait the storm out?"

"Yes."

"Yosh!" Luffy cheers, glancing at Sanji as the ship straightens out. "More meat!"

"You just ate," Sanji snaps.

"Now is not the time for food!" Usopp cries.

"Why not?" Luffy asks. "We've got nothing else to do."

The Sunny amusement ride lasts longer than they had hoped. Chopper remains on Zoro's lap, clinging to the older pirate. Usopp, after the second or third time they tip, does the same, much to Zoro's obvious annoyance. Nami clings to Sanji, much to the cook's delight, while Robin goes about trying to catch everyone before they hit the wall - particularly Brook, who's afraid of smashing to pieces - and Luffy rolls around with gleeful yips of excitement.

Finally, after what must have been hours of being trapped in the gallery, the sea calms and the Sunny stays in one position. After a hesitant okay from Robin and Nami, Luffy bursts onto the deck, jumping and yipping in excitement about the new mystery sea.

Usopp groans, letting his head fall onto the table. "Are we really going to do this?"

"Do what, Usopp-san?"

"Travel deeper into this insane sea."

"We don't exactly have much of a choice now," Nami whines.

"Or at all," Sanji pipes up. "Robin-chan said we can't get out of here."

"We could have at least tried."

"I don't think that would have been in our best interest," Robin pipes up. "Our best chance at surviving, according to those who managed to survive, is to go with the ocean's current."

"We're here now," Zoro snaps before anyone else can speak up. "There's no sense in whining about it. We just have to see what happens next."

"As much as I hate to agree with the marimo," Sanji says, lighting a new cigarette. "He's right."

"Don't agree with me, cook," Zoro scoffs. "It makes me uncomfortable."

"Oi, listen here, you shitty marimo."

"You wanna fight, cook?"

"Stop it!" Nami snarls. "We have enough to worry about without you two morons arguing."

"Sorry, Nami-san."

Zoro simply huffs, settling back in his seat.

"Robin-san." Brook turns to the archeologist. "Does the sun ever reemerge in any of the tales you've read?"

"In the tale of the Marines." Robin nods. "After they found their way to the island and met themselves, the next day, the moon was replaced by the sun instead of pure darkness."

"Isn't that the one where they didn't make it back?" Chopper asks in a small voice.

"In most of the stories they don't make it back," Usopp mumbles.

Chopper presses himself closer to Zoro, one small hoof digging into the swordsman's shirt. Zoro shoots Usopp are sharp glare and the sniper clamps his mouth shut.

"For right now, I think it's just best if we hope we don't happen upon the island," Robin says smoothly. "As long as we keep our heads, we should float out of the Atheos Sea just fine. Sunny is made of Adams' Wood. I don't foresee us sinking anytime soon. Do you, Franky?"

"Of course not. Sunny is suuuper strong. There's nothing to worry about."

Robin nods as though it makes her case.

"So," Nami summarizes, "In short, as long as we don't go on that island, we'll have a better chance of making it out alright."

"Ooooooi!" Luffy's voice echoes through the still open door. "Minna!"

The crew push their way out onto the deck, staring out at their captain. Luffy sits on the Sunny's head, bouncing in excitement. He glances back at them, shape illuminated by the light spilling out from the gallery, and points directly in front of them. In the distance, illuminated by a solitary, strange dim glow from above is a lone island.

"A mystery island!" the captain cheers.

"Luffy," Nami starts.

"We're going to explore."

"Luffy," Usopp says. "Didn't you hear what Robin said earlier? That's a terrible idea."

The captain laughs. "Don't be silly Usopp! It'll be an adventure."

"But, but, but," the sniper stutters.

Nami sighs and shakes her head. A number of eye rolls go around the crew. By now, its a fact of the matter that arguing with the captain is pointless.

"Does anyone else wish we'd kept Tora-o around?" Usopp mumbles.

Though Law had never had much more luck talking Luffy out of terrible decisions than the rest of them, their captain seemed oddly accustomed to actually listening to the older man's opinion. At least more than he listened to anyone on his own crew.

"No," Zoro growls, moving to the stairs and down to his napping spot. "Wake me when we get there."

Usopp blinks after him before looking around at the sniggering crew. "What? What did I say?"

Nami shakes her head again. "Everyone just get in positions for docking. Apparently, we're heading for the Mysterious Island."

"This was a terrible idea!" Nami cries, arms wrapped tightly around Sanji's neck.

"It was your idea!" Zoro shouts back over the whipping winds, one arm wrapped around Sunny's rails, the other holding Chopper close to him.

"Yes, well, sometimes I have those. You're supposed to tell me when they're dumb."

"I did!"

"Shishishishi." Luffy's laugh echoes in Zoro's ear as he clings to the swordsman from behind. "Zoro's worried."

"Of course I'm worried. We're in the Sea of Choices. And this was a bad choice!"

"Cool it, Zoro," Sanji pulls Nami a little closer, wincing at the freezing rain that pours down on them. "Robin said this might happen when we got closer to the island. Luffy, don't put your arm there. If you tear his stitches, Chopper's going to kill you."

"Luffy!" Chopper twists in Zoro's grip.

"Oi, stop it. I am fine." Zoro snaps. "Will everyone please focus on the task at hand?"

"If you start bleeding to death, that will be the task at hand," Usopp pipes in.

"I didn't ask you, Usopp."

"If we could all please calm down." How Robin manages to raise her voice and still sound perfectly calm, no one will ever understand. "We're almost there."

Sunny tips and everyone clings tighter, trying to keep themselves from fall into the unforgiving waters.

"Once we get to the island, everything will be fine," Robin tells them.

"Are you sure?" Chopper asks, twisting again to look at the archeologist.

She nods, pushing some wet hair from her face while Franky holds her close. "According to the reports, the only people who manage to leave this sea alive are those who landed on the Island of Choices."

"Yosh!" Luffy cheers, adjusting his grip so he can hold his swordsman by the shoulders instead of the abdomen. "To the Mysterious Island!"