We all stand in the cave with Grandpa Ryu still lying down on the bed of straw with Apis on his back, and everyone stands in awe at the Millennium Dragon in front of us, and she comes into view. "Hey, everyone!" She greets us with a smile.
"Just like Gramp Bokuden said, the legendary Millennium Dragon," Nami states to the others.
"Yeah! Isn't it cool!?" Luffy beams next to her.
"It's not like he's yours!" Nami scolds him disapprovingly.
"So when you get closer to the Grand Line, you see things like this?" Zoro wonders, and he's not wrong; wait until we arrive.
"Well we saw those Sea Kings before, but this isn't one of those..." Sanji replies as they look at Grandpa Ryu.
"Scared, Zoro?" I tease him; he snaps his head, looking right at me with a glare, "Come on, take a joke. Swordsman." I tease him some more.
"Are... Are you sure it's tame?" Usopp asks fearfully when Grampa Ryu moves his head towards him, bending his nose slightly before licking his face as if tasting him.
"Oh! Sometimes he gets a bit senile! If he thinks you're food, he'll try to eat you!" Apis warns him, but still, Grandpa Ryu bites down on Usopp's head, trapping him.
"Too late...!" Usopp cries in fear of being eaten by the dragon.
"It doesn't hurt at all, right?" Luffy laughs at our friend's misfortune. "You look like a trout!"
"A-A-Are you just going to stand there? Get me out!" Usopp yells, trying to pry himself free of the dragon's grip.
"Let's just let him eat him," Zoro says, and I stand next to him, but he's refusing to look at him for my earlier teasing.
"Zoro...~" Usopp cries, and Luffy laughs while watching our friend struggle.
"You better not, he'll give you food poisoning." Sanji taunts him.
"Shut up, Love Cook!" He snaps at him; having enough, I walk over to Grandpa Ryu and pet him on the head; he releases the terrified Usopp, who runs away, hiding behind a rock.
"That's better; you don't wanna eat him, he'll make you ill." I whisper-yell to Grandpa Ryu, and I know the others heard me as Luffy lets out a laugh and a yell of protest from the cowering Usopp. Apis jumps down from Grandpa Ryu's back towards me, and I catch her before settling her down on the ground, and she stands on the other side of his head looking solemn, and everyone else but Nami and I sit down around the cave.
"What the Marines want is... this Millennium Dragon. The truth is, after thinking. It over... is that we've decided to take the Millennium Dragon back to Lost Island." Nami explains to the boys.
"Y-You can't be serious! The Marines are closing in! It was hard enough getting away just by ourselves but with something that big..." Usopp begins to protest in his usual fear-stricken way.
"Grandpa Ryu... really wants to go home! So..." Apis exclaims, silencing him for a moment.
"And I bet Luffy said 'Sure! I'll take you back home!' or made some other stupid promises..." Usopp remarks, making a funny voice.
"Yeah! I promised we'd taken him there." Luffy answers with a goofy grin; Usopp stands up with a long groan.
"But we don't have any idea where that island is! How're we supposed to get there!?" Usopp asks in almost outrage.
"Things'll work out," Luffy replies.
"No, they won't." He cries out, trying to reason with our Captain.
YOU ARE READING
The Straw Hat's Red Devil - Sky Island Saga (No. 3)
RomanceShe's the Daughter of Red-Haired Shanks; she was dropped off to live with Luffy. She met Ace & Sabo, but when Sabo died, it was the last for her as she vows to take revenge. Years later she leaves the island and sets on adventures of her own, she so...
THE GRAND LINE CAN WAIT: PART 2
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