One Piece: Sail On (The Grand Line)
Disclaimer: I'm only adding this once, you cocky lawyers, so listen... Err, read closely! I DO NOT own One Piece. Now that we have that out of the way... Sit back and enjoy the story. Or don't... Sit back, that is.
Author's Note: I'll keep these short, folks, so you won't be reading what's on my mind more than you'll be reading my story. But, as they say, behind every great novel there's an author (be he sane or insane) and this work also abides by that rule ("great" being a matter of opinion, of course). I was sitting around at work, pretending I knew what I was doing, when this beast of a Sea Kin- err, story, sorry, surfaced above my "I'm a brainless grunt" train of thinking. I tried to just ignore it but alas, like a drunk driver following you down a deserted highway at 3 AM in the morning with his high-beams on, I couldn't quite escape it's allure. So, tuning out what I was supposed to be doing (not like I was tuned in in the first place, eh eh eh...) I thought about it. And thought. And thought. 3 weeks later, I get hired permanently (complete with a raise and medical benefits, yay!) and moved to an even less-engaging task (if that's possible...). So, now I have a bit more time to think about this whale of a tale (har har har) and I'm sure enough of what I have worked out to begin production. So, here it is!
PS: Let me tell you a bit about the story before we begin. It's an AU (alternate universe, yes-yes) set almost directly after the end of the Alabasta Arc, around the time the filler kicks in. Some of the dialog runs together (especially when all of the Straw Hats are together) so I'm just going to let you guys sort out who you think says what, I'll make it painfully obvious, trust me. And yes, there will be pairings, probably multiple ones by the time I'm in my prime, mostly Het, maybe some Yaoi thrown in to appease the Fangirl Gods. When these pairings will occur, and between whom, I do not know and can not say. Where this story is going, not even I know. But, it will get there, rest assured. I leave the rest to you, Constant Reader. Don't let the Straw Hats down.
Chapter One: Fine Print
It was just like nearly every other day at sea. The sun, riding high in the cloud-less sky, spread it's warmth across the great blue expanse as always. The waves lapping against the weathered hull of the Going Merry were more of an allure than an alarm, especially not in such gorgeous weather. But, alas, all joyous moments are meant to end sometime, and this one is not unlike the rest. As Nami basked in the mid-afternoon sun, the truth of this certainty struck home.
"That's more of a shrimp than a fish! Even Sanji'd have a hard time cooking that tiny little thing..."
"You didn't see it! I snagged this guy right out of a Sea King's mouth! I swear!"
"Really?! That's sooo coooool!!!"
Robin finally set her book aside, and glanced over at the three sitting on the port side of the ship. Usopp was proceeding to reminisce on one of his many battles with the giant, Calm Belt-oriented Sea Kings, while Chopper listened on, enraptured by Long Nose's tale of false bravado and out-of-proportion fighting skills. Luffy, his face drooping into somewhat of a pout, was busy staring at his make-shift bobber, hoping something nibbled. Chopper and Usopp had both caught something now, and although Usopp's fish had been not much larger than a guppie, at least it had been something. Turning to the right, Robin caught the swordsman, Zoro, staring at her, a mixture of guardedness and minor hostility openly evident on his face. She smiled sweetly, however, and shrugged her shoulders. "Is it always this noisy so early in the day?"
Zoro's eyebrow twitched, and the left corner of his mouth rose to a half-grin, half-sneer. "Yeah, you better get used to it, it's always this way. Just be glad that Nami's not up and about at the moment, or those would be howls of screaming, not laughter."
The newest addition to the crew laughed softly, and turned back to the book she had set down not a moment ago. Above them, the door to the kitchen/meeting quarters burst open, and Sanji strolled out, managing to balance two separate trays full of what appeared to be tropical punch. After climbing up to the upper deck to give Nami one of his special 'Sanji's Sweet n' Sour Seabreeze of Love™' tropical drinks, he leapt down to the lower deck and proceeded to pamper the other female of their crew in the same fashion, then told the rest of the assholes that they could have one too. Usopp and Chopper each snagged a glass, while the other two males ignored him completely. Luffy looked about ready to just give up on fishing altogether and request a brunch (breakfast was served less than an hour ago, but the Rubberman wasn't like most people when it came to meals) when he felt the pole shake in his hands, the bobber disappearing under the water as the line snapped taunt. Grunting, he leaned back and gave the pole a mighty heave, nearly folding the slim rod in two before letting off and reeling in the slack.
"Everyone, look! Luffy's got something!"
"Stand back! I'll show you the trick I used to capture that giant Sea Sna-"
"If it's bigger than Usopp's pathetic excuse of a fish, I'll fry it up in some peanut oil for lunch"
As Luffy's mouth filled with saliva at the thought of how good Sanji's cooking would taste, he yanked once more, and the catch of a century rocketed out of the water, heading straight for the Going Merry. Quick reflexes saved the captain from potential injury: Usopp, standing directly beside him and trying to demonstrate some sort of reeling motion with his foot and both hands, wasn't so lucky. The... fish... flew straight into the teller of tall tales, sending him somersaulting backwards, straight into the mast of the ship. As the... thing... hit the deck, so did Usopp.
"I've never seen a fish with such odd markings before..."
"Can we eat it?! Can we?? Please!?"
"Usopp! Usopp, are you alright?? SOMEBODY CALL A DOCTOR, QUICK!"
"Oi, oi, that's you, baka."
"What. The. Hell. Are. You. People. Doing?" a chilling voice inquired, coming from somewhere near the mandarin orange tree grove. Everyone shut up immediately. The only sounds one could catch were the noise of the waves slapping the sides of the ship, and Luffy moaning in anticipation as to how the strange... fish would taste. Nami deftly lept down onto the upper deck and leaned over the railing, her eyes colder than the deepest depths of all four oceans. Luffy looked up towards her, a goofy grin stuck to his face.
"Heya, Nami! Look, I caught a fish! Heheheh..." their captain proclaimed proudly, poking the 'fish' with one of his fingers. "I bet it tastes goooood"
The girl being addressed shook her head in disbelief. "That's not a fish, baka. It looks more like a trea...Treasure... Chest." Nami's eyes sparkled like newly formed coins in the sun, and her nakama let out a sigh of relief. Greedy, selfish Nami was much, much better than Angry Nami. By an unspeakable margin.
Luffy eyed his catch, scratching his head in confusion. "But, I caught it with a fishing pole..."
"It was probably in an old shipwreck below us... I bet it's filled with treasure!" Nami exclaimed, leaping over the edge of the railing and onto the lower area. Her eyes were still glued to the chest, which now seemed to be utterly huge up close.
Robin set her book down once again, and walked over to the chest that the group had gathered around (everyone save for Usopp, that is, who appeared to be unconscious on the deck still). Sliding in besides the swordsman and the captain, she proceeded to kneel down to better examine the fish-turned-treasure. "The box is in near perfect condition, so it must not have been down there more than one month or so. Notice the lack of barnacles?" she pointed out, looking up at Zoro, who simply nodded.
"B-but... Is it edible?" Luffy questioned nervously, nibbling on his lower lip in anticipation.
"Baka!" Nami replied, reaching over to push his straw hat down over his face. "Sanji, please go cook him up a snack, if he eats any of the treasure in this baby I'll gut him like a fish". Sanji nodded, and headed back up to the kitchen. "Robin-chan, could you please open it? Pretty-please?"
The archaeologist-turned-pirate nodded, and walked away, returning moments later with a small chisel and hammer. "Even if it's only been in the sea a short time, the lock mechanism must already be crusted over with minerals, giving us only two means of opening it: finesse and force." Robin looked up to Zoro again, and smiled. "Sorry, but I don't trust you boys enough to slash and punch at what may be a fine piece of history."
"The feeling's mutual" Zoro grumbled, and turned around to head back to his usual napping spot. She watched him leave, then turned back to the task at hand. "A little pressure here, a few taps there... And that should be it."
"Robin-chan, you're the greatest!" Nami practically squealed, leaning over briefly to cling to the older girl, who looked slightly distraught at being attacked in such a manner. It was short-lived, though, as Nami immediately diverted her attention back to the still-unopened chest before her. "Please be jewels... Please be jewels..." she chanted under her breath as she grabbed the lid. Pushing slightly, the lid refused to budge, so Nami threw her back into it, pushing upward with all her might. The chest lid sprung open with a loud pop!, sending her tumbling over the top of the now-open chest, straight into Luffy. If the hat wasn't still covering his face, he may have made it out of the way in time. However, it wasn't. And he didn't. When the dust settled, Nami found herself straddling Luffy's chest, panting in exertion, while he mewled in pain at having the back of his head slammed onto the hard wooden deck without warning. "What's in it?!" Nami panted, straining to look over the lid she had just flown over. "It's so heavy, it must be a sack of gol-"
"It's a book" Robin stated, reaching into the chest herself. Indeed, what she lifted out was a book, a thick one at that. But, she noticed something wrong immediately. "It's a book... That's missing pages?"
Nami managed to get her elbows up over the top of the chest, not even bothering to apologize to Luffy for sitting on him. "That's not a book, it's a ship log. I have one somewhere in my study area for the Going Merry, actually." Her eyes stopped shining, while her mouth took on a pouting expression not much different than Luffy's. "It's not jewels, though..."
"Let's see what this one says before we toss it back into the sea" Robin suggested, gently opening the cover. Indeed, nearly all the pages had been ripped out: only a few remained at the end, and of those few, only one had any writing on it. Clearing her throat, Robin began to read...
The Rainwaver
Date: Unknown
We arrived at this uncharted island nearly three weeks ago, and are now getting ready to finally set sail for our homeland, Alabasta. The men are all homesick, and although this island is hospitable enough, something about it sets the mind on edge, gets on the nerves, gives you the heeby-geebies, ect., ect. We appear to be the only human habitants, which is odd enough. Most islands on the Grand Line have some form of civilization, and those that don't stick out like a sore thumb. The food supply is moderate, there appears to be no real carnivores here, yet... That doesn't explain some of the remains my men have stumbled across in their explorations. Some of the bones they have 'recovered' (tripped over is more like it, I would say) were badly ravaged, with tooth marks being the most prominent feature. I'd hate to think of what kind of creature could bite into a mammal's femur hard enough to leave an array of cracks and bite marks. I have told my scouts to go to the other makeshift camps, to tell the other men of my plans to leave this next morning. The king should be pleased at our find, perhaps even enough to award me with a promotion, maybe even a spot in the Royal Army if I'm lucky. Anyways, enough babbling, I can hear the men approaching through the woods now. One last thing... Something strange happens every once and a while. The wind here dies down, all the fauna grows silent, and if you listen closely, you can almost hear the trees moan their secret songs of growing. Here it is now...
Captain of the Rainwaver,
Gustav Stark
Robin finished the tale, taking a sip of punch to ease her dry throat. "I remember reading about that ship in the Royal Library. It was sent east, to seek out new supply routes during the droughts, but never returned."
Nami glanced at the Log Pose wrapped securely around her wrist. "Well, it's giving us a east-southeast heading right now... Who knows, maybe the island he was talking about is our next stop!"
The archaeologist smiled softly. "It sounds pretty interesting. I wouldn't mind exploring it, and if there's still plenty of food, we could stock up as well."
Luffy finally managed to stand up, pulling his straw hat off his face with a small pop! "Yosh! Set course for... Mystery Island!!" he declared, pumping both fists into the air. "Sanji, pack us all lunches!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll get right on it."
"G-guys... Usopp s-still isn't moving!"
"..."
"He's just being lazy, like Zoro always is."
"Shut up, pirate thief."
"Do you really want to die?!"
"You do seem to nap a considerable amount of time, Mister Bushido."
"Hmph..."
-Several hours later-
The Going Merry had finally found what appeared to be the island mentioned by the Rainwaver, and Nami had been right: The Log Pose had led them almost directly to it, quivering slightly in it's glass cage as they neared the shoreline. After dropping anchor, most of the crew had disembarked (Zoro was amazingly still asleep, even during their landing) and were all now standing on a sandy beach, trying to figure out what to do next. Sanji had suggested they search for food immediately, seeing as their stores had grown quite low since leaving Alabasta (Luffy blamed it on ghosts: no one was fooled). Usopp and Chopper both wanted to stay behind and guard the ship, each managing to come up with excuses more exaggerated and ridiculous than the last. And Luffy... Seemed not to care, as he was running up and down the beach, shouting happily about an adventure. Nami, of course, took charge immediately.
"Not all of you can stay behind and guard the Going Merry. Robin's the only one here I trust enough not to snoop around my stuff: Zoro never really left, so those two can stay behind."
"A-alright..."
"But, Nami! She's from Baroque Works! What if... She sabotages the ship?!"
Nami ignored them both. "Now, let's see... I want to chart out the island's topography. So, who gets to come help me haul stuff around?"
"I'll do it, Nami-swan!!!" Sanji's eyes lit up, imagining a day alone with the female navigator.
"No. You need to find us some food, so you can make me a wonderful dinner, alright? Pwease?"
"For you, anything! Come on, you two grunts" Sanji gestured at Usopp and their reindeer/human nakama, lighting up a cigarette and taking a deep drag. "I'll need help carrying all the supplies back."
"That's settled. Now, that leaves me with... Luffy! GET THE HELL OVER HERE! And for the love of God, NO I DO NOT WANT TO SEE THE CRAB!" Nami screamed down the beach, pinching the bridge of her nose. This is going to be a long, long day she thought despairingly. Little did she know, her premonition wasn't that far off the mark. Not too far at all.
Luffy trudged along the small game path trailing through the woods, staggering every now and then from the weight of the immense pack strapped to his back. "Namiiiii... Are we there yet?"
The girl in question gritted her teeth: this would be the 8th time she answered that very question, and they were barely even halfway done with the trip. "No, we're not Luffy. No, no, no, no. Ask me one more damn time, and I won't let you have any of the picnic lunch I had Sanji pack for me. Got that?"
The young pirate grinned from ear to ear, and quickly nodded. "Yosh! Lunch is coming , lunch is coming!" He managed to pick up his pace, and soon enough disappeared from her view. Well, at least that gets him out of my hair for the moment Nami grinned, glancing around the leafy forest, finally managing to hear some of the wildlife nearby. This path should lead us straight to the spot I saw... Thank God I'm not with Zoro, he'd have gotten us lost already. Suddenly, she heard Luffy shout out, and nodded happily. He must have come across the clearing.
A minute later, she made it there herself, and found him sprawled out in the ankle-high grass, her equipment setting beside him. The clearing they had come to was a decent size, perhaps ten yards long and fifteen yards wide. It was nestled up against of of the hills jutting up out of the island, and being above the lower tree level, gave them a good view of nearly three sides of the island. Nami smiled, patting herself on the back for noticing such a quiet spot to begin her charting from.
"What do you want me to do now, Nami?"
She took off her own backpack, much lighter than the large one, and tossed it to him. "The picnic stuff's in there, so maybe you could get it all spread out? And don't you dare start eating without me!" She shook her fist: whenever you gave Luffy anything that had food in it, you had to make sure he knew it wasn't all his, or you'd never see it again. Nami learned that lesson the hard way.
"I-i wouldn't... Honest!" Luffy nodded, already unzipping the pack to see what Sanji had made them. She knew she was risking going hungry by letting him set up their little feast, but if she didn't start drawing a map of the island soon, they'd be up here all night, with the bugs and the wild animals and the bats...! Shuddering, Nami rushed over to begin her work.
Several hours passed by without notice, and Nami only stopped working when she realized that it had already started to cool down as the sun got lower in the sky. Walking over to her pack to pull out the sweater she had brought, Nami finally noticed her captain. "Oh... Luffy."
He had gotten everything out, and had even spread the blanket out on the ground before setting down all the food. He had prepared a plate for her, even remembering to give her silverware instead of implying that she follow his usual 'just eat it with your bare hands' philosophy. His plate had remained untouched, and as she saw him lying there snoring, she felt that warm, familiar tugging in her chest. He waited for me. She smiled, and after grabbing a small blanket out of her backpack, she silently made her way over the picnic spread, finally making it to Luffy's side. Plopping down beside him, Nami never took her eyes off his peaceful, sleeping face as she shook the blanket out and covered him from head to toe with it. Luffy always looked completely at ease when he slept: no matter what the circumstances, he seemed to be having the time of his life while out cold. She had spent most of her time those three days after Crocodile was defeated helping Chopper tend to Luffy's prone form, his body cut, bruised, cracked and crushed from his fight with the monster. Not once did she see him frown or cry out during his rest. Below the noise of the local woodland creatures and various birds in the forest nearby, she could even hear his light snores.
"Nami..." Nami looked down, and wasn't surprised to see Luffy still deep asleep, mumbling her name out of reflex alone. "Thank... You."
She blushed, and after a moment of indecisiveness, reached beneath the covers and in no time at all found his hand, still slack from sleep. "You're welcome" Nami whispered back, closing her eyes and wrapping her fingers in his own, giving them a brief squeeze. However, her joy was short: a moment later, the once-prone hand squeezed back. Her eyes shot open, and the first thing they saw were Luffy's own eyes, now open and awake and aware.
"Nani? Why are you holding my hand?"
She felt like she was going to die from embarrassment. Now that he was awake, their fingers still hadn't separated, and Nami began to notice, for the first time really, how warm and soft his hand was, despite all his fighting. The callouses were right at home, and even seemed to compliment, the smooth parts of his palm. Nami blushed deeper, and finally managed to release her hand from his, mumbling a stream of "Sorry, sorry, sorry"s as she stumbled off to her work area.
Luffy sat still for a moment, then turned his head to the right to watch Nami go about her work, noticing how her hands were trembling and she was blushing still. His right hand felt unusually warm, and he brought it up before his face to make sure nothing had bitten it or set it on fire. After assuring himself that it was just a Mystery Feeling, Luffy lowered his palm to his nose and took a deep breath. Like the other nights that he had woken up with this phenomenon, his hand smelled faintly of oranges.
As he contemplated what could make his body parts smell edible, Luffy felt something stiff poking into his back, a rigid object that he hadn't noticed sticking up out of the ground near the edge of the picnic blanket. Reaching behind him, he stretched his arm at an impossible angle behind his own back, his fingers probing along the cool dirt. A moment later, they found the object, and with a swift tug, brought it out.
"Hey, Nami! Look at the stick I found! Heheh..."
Nami let out a sigh of relief: It seemed that instead of dwelling on their 'encounter', her captain had turned his mind elsewhere. "Not now, I have to get this map finished before all the bugs and b-bats come out" she shuddered again, imagining the hillside swarming with the flying rodents.
"But, it looks so coool" Luffy whine-pouted, trying the attract her attention. "It's all white, and it has a skinny middle and these bulges at the ends..."
"There's no such thing as a white stick, baka" she teased, drawing a few quick lines on one sheet of map paper before moving on. "It's probably just a rock, or a fossil, or a..." Nami stopped, and slowly turned around, her eyes squinting closely at the 'stick' Luffy was waving around. "Oh God! It's a bone! Where the hell did you find that?! Throw it away! NOW!!!"
He stared at her as if she was out of her mind. "Nami, they're all over the place, of course it's a stick. Look, there's a big round one by your foot!"
No... She looked down, and sure enough, the remains of a human skull were showing through the dirt near her left foot. Shrieking, Nami hop-spun away from it. "W-where did these all come from?! What are they doing here??"
"They were here when we got here, I saw em right away. Why, what's so wrong about white sticks? See, they even make funny noises when you smack them together!" Luffy reached down, grabbed what appeared to be a leg bone, and brought it up sharply, slamming the two pieces together. A loud crack! resounded through the woods nearby, as the bones themselves snapped in half from the impact, resulting in Luffy falling over in surprise. "Oops, that was a little too hard! Heheheh..."
"Luffy, this is no laughing..." Nami stopped, and turned her head to one side. "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Luffy responded, looking baffled. "I don't hear anything."
"Exactly. Where's the birds? The random animals? I could barely hear you sno- I mean, hear myself think, a minute ago!" Nami twirled around, trying to to peer into the darkening canopy around her. "Where are you, you damn birds?!"
Deep in the hillside, somewhere above their current position, a long, deep moan sounded. It stretched out to an inhuman length, then finally faded away, leaving an unbearable silence in it's place.
"That's it, pack up. I'm tired and I want to get back to the ship. Now."
"Yosh!" Luffy nodded, and began to put away the picnic he had so carefully laid out.
Ten minutes later, and they were moving back through the forest again. But, all was not well. One point of conflict was the fact that Nami had no idea where they were going. She thought they had followed the trail they had taken in, but nothing looked familiar, nothing at all. Being a navigator gave her an advantage over most pirates: her sense of direction was undefeatable on the open seas. Neither cyclones nor changing seasons had ever truly affected her acute knowledge of compasses and maps. Yet, as Nami deftly leaped over a small stream, she knew that the rules of the sea were different from the rules of the roads, or land in general for that matter. Yup, they were lost.
And she was sure something was following them.
She first saw it when she glanced back at Luffy, who was jogging along briskly, glad to have a chance to stretch his legs after his long nap. Over his right shoulder, in the trees, something had been standing there, and as she peered at it, the mystery shape had moved, slowly shuffling back behind the tree and out of sight. Of course, running while looking behind you wasn't always the most natural thing to do in the world, and Nami nearly broke her neck a moment later. As she turned forward again, the ground opened up beneath her feet, and she realized that a ravine had popped out of nowhere in order to swallow her whole. And it would have succeeded, if not for Luffy.
He saw her glance back to check on him, saw her eyes trail off over his shoulder, and noticed the way her jaw tightened. A second later, though, his attention was ripped away from Nami, and thrown instead to the dark hole that had appeared before them, the bottom unknown as the shadows grew shadows of their own and the sun disappeared behind the hill. "Nami! Look out!" he shouted, knowing she couldn't stop in time. As her feet left the ground, Luffy spread his own, his feet already sliding across the forest floor. Her weight shifted, and her body began to fall as he threw one of his arms forward, leaning back in the process to keep from getting thrown face-first from whiplash.
His arm stretched... stretched... and his hand finally found her own! Gripping her lower arm tightly, Luffy whipped his shoulder back, shifting his feet and using the weight of Nami's pack as a counter-balance. As she flew out of the hole, his arm snapped back into place, and they both proceeded to jump across the gap properly, managing to make it across without a problem. As they followed the path around a corner, though, Luffy cast his eyes back to the gap, he caught a glimpse of something strange: Fingers. There were fingers on the edge of the hole they had just lept over. Glancing down at the hand that had caught Nami, Luffy realized it was too warm again, and found himself smiling for some reason unknown to his simple mind.
Another five minutes of running through the dark forest got them to an open field, and Nami stopped to catch her breath. The hole that had nearly swallowed her whole was still fresh on her mind, and her heart was going a mile a minute. Luffy... Saved me... Thank God... Even her thoughts seemed out of breath. After a moment, though, she had herself under control, and they set off at a brisk walk. She guessed that they were much farther north than they had originally landed, since the only openings in the forest she remembered marking on her maps were to the north.
"Nami."
She turned toward Luffy, opening her mouth to ask him what was wrong, but she never got that far. There, standing about ten yards away, were several figures, a dozen at most. They shifted while standing still, seeming to sway to a wind that was not felt by her or the grass around them. She could barely make out anything but their basic body shapes in the dusk, but even then, she knew something was wrong. There was something terribly wrong with what she was seeing, something she couldn't put her finger on...
"Hello, who are you?" Luffy questioned openly, addressing the nearest figure. No response. And then, it came again: That long, drawn-out moaning, dragging on and on, chilling Nami to her very bones. Because this time, she wasn't hearing an echo. The figures in the field were making that noise. "That's not a good answer" he frowned, shrugging. "My name's Luffy. What's yours?"
The lead figure took a step towards them, and Nami knew that it wasn't a friendly being they were trying to converse with. "Luffy, hit him and let's get out of here. Something's wrong. I wanna go back."
Luffy looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Me too. Gomu Gomu No... Pistol!" he shouted, thrusting his right arm forward, his fist catching the head figure squarely in what one would assume was it's face. Whoever he was dropped like a rock, and Nami cheered to herself while Luffy snapped his arm back into place, flexing his muscle at the rest of the crowd. However, their victory was short-lived. Not a second after the person dropped, he was pulling himself back to his feet, seemingly unaffected by the force of the blow. Any normal human wouldn't be moving for days after getting punched by Luffy.
"I think we need to get out of here. Now." Nami whispered, slowly backing up. As they turned to walk away, the moon cut through the clouds, and lit up the field briefly. What it illuminated made her feel like throwing up. All the 'people' standing before them were dead. Well, they should have been. Their skin was rotting off their bones, their eye sockets nothing more than black craters in a hairless skull. What little clothes they had left on had been eaten away at by moths and other nameless insects, reducing the articles to nothing more than filthy rags.
"Luffy, w-what the hell are those things?! LOOK AT THEM!!"
The captain, however, remained silent. He had never seen something this unnatural, something this bizarre, in his life. And as the moonlight faded, the leader took a slow, dragging step towards them. And this time, the others followed suit.
"C-come on, Luffy! We need to get the hell out of here!" Grabbing his hand, Nami pulled him along, pushing him to keep up with her as she shifted to a flat-out sprint across the field. The edge of the forest loomed ahead of them, seeming to rush forward as she closed the gap. Fifty yards... Twenty five yards... Ten... Five!
As they made it to the first of the trees, though, both Nami and Luffy skidded to a stop, breathing in rigid gasps and wheezes. Ahead of them stood a lone figure holding a torch, his face thrown into darkness by the hood draped over his head.
"Who are you?! Stand back, or we won't hold back this time!" Nami shifted her weight as she shouted out her warning, dropping lower to the ground, her right hand already reaching for the four metal rods that remained secured to her thigh at all times. Luffy, to her amazement, just stood there, panting slightly, his eyes still locked onto the dark figure. "Luffy, I'll take this one, watch for the others in the field!"
"No."
"That's it, prepare for the beating of your... Wait, what?! No!?! Do you want me to die??"
"We're not fighting her" Luffy responded, pointing to the figure holding the torch.
"Oh, we are so fighting... her... Luffy, how do you know it's a she?!"
As Nami spoke, though, the figure ahead of them reached up to it's head, and pulled away the hood, revealing...
"What the hell?!"
... To Be Continued ...
Finishing Notes: Well, that's the first chapter. I had originally planned on including the rest of the crews adventures on the island into this first chapter, making it a 3-parter, but I got so caught up with Luffy and Nami that I couldn't just set them on hold, sorries! Anyways, yes, you see the first pairing in this chapter (with a few hints on another pairing that will be revealed in Chapter Two) as well as a mysterious woman figure... Bwhaha, I love making cliffhangers! As a side note, sorry for not including at least a good fight scene to start the story off with a bang (and a few smacks, grunts and screams to boot). I'm treating Luffy with kid gloves right now: Anyone who's written One Piece fanfics knows how hard it is to capture him on paper, and I want to make sure I can get it right before anything. But, when the fight scenes do come, they'll be a lot longer than, "Luffy punched the guy in the face, the guy stabbed Luffy, Luffy punched him in the face again, Luffy won." This next chapter has a good fight scene in it, I'll tell you that much. Anyways, that's about it. Oh! And for extra credit, if anyone wants to go look up the song Sail On by The Masterplan, perhaps try to find it with a One Piece video to match, and you'll see the song that made me change the title of this story before the first chapter was even finished (I won't bore you with the original title, it was uber-lame -gags-). I'll update in a week or so, so look forward to the next chapter in this Grand (Line) Adventure!
PS: There will be more hand-holding. Yay!
Translations:
Baka: Stupid, idiot, moron, ect.
Gomu Gomu No...: The phrase Luffy begins his attacks with, symbolizing the Devil Fruit powers he uses to make his body stretch.
Nakama: If I even have to explain this one, you shouldn't be reading One Piece fanfics.