Sitting on Luffy's shoulder, letting her wings spread out, the winds soaring through her feathers. The ship sailing at high speed down the steep mountain. She felt like she was on cloud-9, flying in a wind current, being carried through the skies. She blinked her eyes wide, glistening in the sight before her.
She gazed out into the wide spread of the waters before her. Excitement took a wave across her body, a slight shiver making her feather ruffle. Luffy placed a hand over his eyes, looking in awe, "So this is the Grand Line, The greatest sea in the world...!"
At those words alone Faythe felt the excitement flow out out of her.
"FULL SPEED AHEAD!" Both Luffy and the parrot shouted, the ship seemingly heard there statement, gained more speed down the mountain.
"BUOOOOOHH!!"
"Hm? Did you hear something just now?" Zoro blinked, his arms crossed.
"I wouldn't be surprised if that's just noise from the wind. The terrain here is quite odd here after all." Nami rolled her eyes, waving off the superstition.
Faythe whipped her head back to look at Nami, excitedly, "Do you think we'll see a cool island? Or maybe a amazing adventure?! Maybe steal some treasure?!"
Nami looked at Faythe smiling happily, "Not sure about the first two, but definitely hoping for that last one!" Her eyes turning to money signs, her smile growing more at the thought.
"Geez remind me to never gamble with you.." Zoro huffed looking away drily.
"BUOHHHHH!!"
"What's that...." Usopp mumbled, pulling down his goggles to see a closer look, from his spot on the sails.
"Nami! There's a mountain! Up ahead!" Sanji shouted, pointing out into the distance, in his spot beside Usopp, also on the sails.
"A Mountain? That can't be! Once we pass the twin capes up ahead, we should reach the open sea." Nami turned around confused.
"BUOOHHHH!!"
"I'll go check ahead!" Faythe called out, her wings already flapping, soaring ahead the ship. Weaving through the thin clouds, either mist or fog, her vision cleared a bit. When she saw the said mountain, it confused her.
It was a tall wall, almost flat in front of her. Bigger than anything she had seen before. Circling around vigorously, she was shocked to see an eye trailing after her movement once she was in view. Realization hit her as she recognizes the thing from a book Dr. Hui showed her.
She flew back, shouting out, "THATS NOT A MOUNTAIN! ITS A WHALE!" Flying down to sit down on the railings that circled the deck.
"BUOOOHHHHH!"
The parrot smiled upon listening to the cry's of her crew mates.
"WHAT SHOULD WE DO?!"
"SHOULD WE FIGHT IT?!"
"ARE YOU KIDDING?! HOW THE HECK ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FIGHT SOMETHING THAT BIG?!"
"BUT ITS BLOCKING OUR WAY!"
Looking back to Sanji who was holding on to the sails for dear life, almost falling off, "We're too close to see anything! It looks like a giant wall! Where are it's eyes?!" He hollered from his dangling.
Nami must've fell back out of shock or something because she's on the floor deck, "Ah, that's right! Maybe the whale just hasn't noticed us yet!" She added hopefully.
"Well if we don't do anything soon, we're gonna crash!" Zoro shouted, "There's an open space up left! Turn Portside!" He pointed to a little spot near the whale's side.
"But the rudder's broken!" Usopp screamed panicked.
"Well we gotta do something! I'll come and help too!" Zoro screamed back, leaping over the stairs up to the back.
"That's it! I've got a plan!" Luffy shouted. Faythe followed him immediately. Wondering what amazing plan her captain thought up. Her wings now forming back to arms, her talons now back to her human legs. She dashed in after Luffy when he busted the door open. Faythe dashed down the stairs to lead to the cannons. She saw him already loading in a cannon ball in the front one. I grabbed the lighter for him and lit it up for him.
"Thanks, Faythe!" Luffy smiled.
"No problem Captain!" Faythe lifted her feathered arm into a salute. Just as she saluted, the cannon went off, already blasting into the whale's stomach. Listening to the screams of the crew mates above, it sounded like it hit.
"Good! I wonder if the ship stopped now?" Luffy laughed, Faythe patted his back.
"Good going Captain!" Faythe laughed along with him. A sudden crack and noise above deck, made her feathers spike.
"Let's hurry and see the damage!" Faythe transformed into her bird state and flew out.
Upon reaching outside she noticed three things. Make that four. The ship stopped, thankfully. The mast of Going Merry was broken, not good. Everyone is in a panicked state of dread, mostly Nami. And finally, the whale stopped making that sad noise. Flying down beside Nami, transforming back into a bird, Faythe helped her back up to her feet. She leaned on her for support for her shaky legs.
"MY SPECIAL SEAT!!" A scream from Luffy could be heard from the door leading inside.
"N..!!" Zoro started, still in shock, but he collected himself and gave out orders, "NOWS OUR CHANCE! RUN FOR IT!"
"WHATS THIS THING?! DID IT NOT EVEN FEEL THAT CANNONBALL JUST NOW?!
"It's a whale." Faythe stared blankly.
"SHUT UP, FAYTHE! I KNOW WHAT IT IS! I WAS SPEAKING METAPHORICALLY!!"
"MAYBE ITS JUST REALLY SLOW!"
"WHO THE HELL CARES! LETS JUST GET OUTTA HERE!"
The ship took a sharp turn to the left and rode the winds like it was running for its dear life.
'BUOOOOHHHH!!!'
"AGHHHHHH MY EARS!" Sanji shouted over the oar he was rowing with.
"ROW! JUST ROW AS FAST AS YOU CAN!" Zoro shouted across the deck with his oar.
"WE'VE GOT TO GET AWAY FROM THIS THING NOW!" Usopp screamed from his spot beside Sanji.
Faythe's attention was then turned towards her captain, stalking out of the door war. When he stopped in front of the deck, turning to his side he reached his arm back. Nami must've noticed what he was doing, because her face was an instant expression of fear.
"How dare you..." He glared up at the whale's eye, "Destroy my special seat!!!!" He stretched his arm out, punching the eye straight into its pupil.
"THAT IDIOT!!!!!" Faythe heard the whole crew shout out in sync, that set her off. Laughter burst out at this hilarious senario. Glancing back at her captain, she saw that he wasn't done yet.
"Come at me, you bastard!!" Luffy put his fists up, still shouting at the whale, looking him in the eye.
"Just shut the hell up already!!" Usopp and Zoro both high kicked him in the head, both in sync, and both done with what their Captain was trying to do.
As if on cue when Luffy said 'Oof' from the kicks, the whale opened its large mouth. The size of it could fit almost a hundred more Going Merrys.
Not good.
As the wind started to be sucked inwards, Faythe's feathers were instantly out, already in her bird form, she flapped her wings trying to get out of there.
She saw Luffy already fall off the ship, trying to reach him, the suction of air was pulling her back in with the ship. Everyone being swallowed whole.
/:/~***~/:/
"Faythe.."
"Faythe!!" A sudden slap on the cheek, had awoken the winged parrot from her unconscious.
"OWWIEEEE!!" She complained rubbing her cheek, now glowing red from the slap.
"YOU IDIOT! YOU DON'T SLAP A LADY!" Sanji hollered.
"HOW ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO WAKE HER?!" Zoro complained.
"SOMETHING OTHER THAN SLAPPING HER!!" Usopp joined in the argument.
"Uhh guys..?" Nami voice was barely heard over the shouting but it grabbed their attentions, non the less.
"WHAT?!" They all shouted in sync.
"Uhhh weren't we sucked in a whale..?"
"Yes..? Why do ask..?" Faythe shifted up, dusting off debris from her feathers and shirt.
"Then, why are we outside..?"
Everyone paused at the statement, all looking around.
"Is this a dream..?" Usopp chuckled nervously.
"If this is a dream, then I think we can all agree we're all having the same dream." Sanji said cautiously.
"But... That doesn't sound right.." Faythe added, her face twisting in a more puzzled expression.
"Your right. It doesn't." Zoro stood forward, arms crossed.
Staring out in front of them was a tiny island, a little cabin was sitting peacefully in the middle. Everything else looked like they were never sucked inside. Looking up Faythe, gazed up at the sky above her. It looked normal, some birds flying by. But something in her gut told her something.
She was still inside something.
The feeling of entrapment. It made feathers raise. Nami noticed this as she stepped up beside her, "Faythe, what's wrong." Her head tilted to one side, wondering what's making the parrot girl so restless.
"We're still inside the whale." Faythe confirmed lowly.
Usopp whipped his head to Faythe at the answer, "What do you mean 'we're still inside the whale?!'" He waved his arms around in a familiar manner that made the girl perk.
"Ya what do you mean? We're clearly outside! Maybe the whale missed or something." Sanji added with a puff of smoke from his cigar.
"No, we're still inside. It's a feeling I get when I feel trapped or caged in." Faythe said shivering. She spread out her arms, feathers now danced down her arms and legs. She leaped off the front railings, now going to scout out the area. As soon as she leaped into the air with her bird form, a giant sea monster formed or rose from the water. It's fiery pattern that was engraved in it's limbs and head.
"ITS A GIANT SQUID!!" Nami and Usopp screamed out, running back to the cabin for safety. Both Sanji and Zoro got in positions for attacking.
A sudden jab in the squid made the duo pause. Precisely three jabs. Jabs that were made of huge hooks, that pierced through the squid. It was a dreadful sight for the parrot circling above. Flying back down to stand beside Zoro and Sanji, she kept her wings out.
"It seems we got company." Sanji said looking past the squid carcass.
"Indeed." Zoro placed his hands on his three swords that hoisted his waist.
"Crap." Faythe muttered, her eyes piercing at a man that was reeling in the squid on the island.
/:/~***~/:/
Word count : (1746)