(POV: Zoro)
The Grand Line - especially the New World - is full of unimaginably odd islands. However, this is the first one I've seen with charcoal sand, blue-leafed trees, and a giant volcano lodged in its center.
My strong intuition tells me my soles will melt after the first few steps on the sand, which appears to be radiating heat waves that contort the trees into enthusiastic belly dancers.
Luffy groans. "So... hot..."
"Jun-chan!" Sanji calls. "I will hunt the best bear for you and cook it!"
She flashes a nervous smile. "Are you sure a bear would survive in this environment?"
"Are you sure any creature would survive in this environment?" Usopp asks.
"There's always a creature for every environment," I answer frankly. "The tougher the climate, the more powerful it is."
He shrieks in response. "I think my Can't-Go-on-Islands-with-Dangerous-Creatures disease is kicking in again."
Chopper blinks innocently. "There's no such disease."
Nami fans herself with a map. "This volcano does look like bad news, though."
"Is it active?" Franky asks.
She gives a grim nod. "See these slabs of molten rock? They're pretty new. Only recently cooled down by the ocean."
I look around, taking note of each rock with its rippling patterns and solidified bubbles. "If it erupts again, we can just run away."
"You make it sound so easy," Nami whines.
"Food!" Luffy growls.
"You just had lunch!" Sanji yells.
Juniper turns to him. "Can I go with you to look for a bear, Sanji-san?"
"Of course," he responds immediately. "It would be a pleasure to have such a lovely lady accompany me in these endeavors."
I scoff. "Are you bringing her along so she can hunt the bear for you, shitty cook? Because you clearly can't do it yourself."
Jun shoots me a glare, one so obvious that Sanji doesn't feel the need to bite back with an insult this time.
As the crew splits up into groups, they spread out to the areas they want to explore.
"Oi, Zoro! Nami!" Luffy calls. "Let's go to the volcano!"
I look up at the humongous landmark, standing at least 50 meters tall. "Alright."
Nami takes a defeated breath. "I suppose I have to keep our captain alive. We're leaving as soon as I feel the volcano is about to erupt, got it?"
Luffy nods firmly. I already start walking into the dense forest ahead.
"Wait!" Nami calls, jogging up to me. "Don't go too far ahead; you'll get lost."
Luffy laughs heartily. "She's right."
"You're not good with directions either!" She retorts.
As we enter the forest, the atmosphere is surprisingly a lot cooler than on the black-sanded beach. A fresh humidity clings to the air as birds sing harmonic chords, echoing their tunes to each other.
Nami gasps. "This is fascinating! How does the climate here stay cool, despite being right next to an active volcano?"
At a closer look, the trees have gray trunks, with rough bark peeling off like skin from an old man's sunburn. The leaves have jagged edges, taking on the hue of navy-blue, but shimmering like light turquoise under sunlight.
I run a hand along the trunk. It's cold.
"It's coming from the trees," I say.
"Really?" Luffy smiles. "That's so cool!"
Nami rubs her chin in thought. "These trees must have mutated to adapt to their harsh surroundings. I think they may be absorbing water in the soil and using it to cool the air."
I smirk. "We might need to take one of these onto the ship when the days get too hot."
She shakes her head. "I don't think it will be able to survive in the drastic changes of climate in the New World. It's mutated so that it can survive only in a place like this."
"You know so much about trees," Luffy commends.
"In Weatheria, I not only studied the weather but how living forms reacted and adapted to the weather," she explains.
"You're really something else Nami!" He exclaims. "You're the best navigator I ever had!"
"Is that a compliment?" I question.
Nami rolls her eyes.
As we get deeper and deeper through the trees, I shift my concentration to my Observation Haki. I listen to the ruffle of leaves, the rustling of bushes, the crack of dry wood, and the skittering of beetles.
I draw my attention to the movement of water vapor and monitor its temperature. I feel the ground. The soil. The roots. The water. The movement of water as it runs through the veins of the tree like a system of wires.
And when I finally deactivate my Haki, I'm alone, accompanied only by the trees swaying gently with the wind. Luffy and Nami and nowhere to be seen.
How infuriating.
Did they get lost?
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(POV: Juniper) - Present
"Can I ask you something, Sanji-san?"
"Hm? Go ahead."
I chew the side of my mouth while scrambling for the words. "Why do you and Zoro fight all the time? It's not like you hate each other."
He stares at me, almost in shock that I asked such a thing. "Well... he's..."
"You call him 'shitty swordsman' all the time."
"He is one."
"But he's an amazing swordsman," I say. "And you must know that, right?"
Sanji clicks his tongue, biting down on his cigarette. He doesn't want to admit it.
"Okay, well..." I continue. "Zoro calls you 'shitty cook' or 'third-class cook' all the time. And I know he thinks your cooking is amazing."
He never rips his gaze away from me. I may be the one asking questions, but he seems like he's searching for the answer in my eyes.
"We just have different values."
"How so?"
"Well, for one..." He takes the cigarette out of his mouth. "He doesn't believe that a woman, such as yourself, should be treated with the utmost respect. He's improper, unprofessional, and clumsy."
I blink. "Utmost respect... I think he does treat women with the utmost respect."
"Huh?"
"But you do too," I say. "I'm not sure how else to put it."
There's a rustling nearby. Sanji and I turn in the same direction, following the movement of the tall bushes and shrubs.
He squints. "Must be an animal."
I activate my Observation Haki within a small range. I sense a lion-like creature holding the body of a deer in its bloody teeth. It senses us as well.
I hover a hand over one sword handle. "It's a beast."
The sounds of nature seem to pause for a moment, allowing the predator to vocalize its threatening snarl.
It jumps up, flashing its long claws and eager to latch onto prey. I pull my hand away from my sword and stand still. Sanji has intentions to pummel it first.
"How dare you try to attack a lady!" He shouts. "Anti-Manner Kick Course!"
His leg shoots up a full 180 degrees, landing a crippling blow on the creature's belly. The wind around us picks up, surging through the forest as the animal flies through the sky. It disappears out of sight.
He clicks his tongue. "What a disappointment. It wasn't a bear."
Then, a low rumbling courses through the land below us, accompanied by a small vibration only enough to shake gravel.
I swallow. "The volcano."
Sanji's transponder snail rings, and he picks it up promptly.
"Sanji-kun!" Nami says from the other side of the line. "The volcano is about to erupt. You and Jun-chan need to head back to the Sunny now!"
"Roger that!"
"And have you seen Zoro?"
"Hm? Wasn't he with you guys?" I ask.
Nami sighs. "He got lost again. I was hoping someone might have seen him walking around. But the others said they haven't seen him either."
"That dumbass," Sanji grumbles.
"Sanji-san. Go ahead without me," I instruct. "I will look for Zoro."
He frowns. "Juni, it's dangerous to-"
I push him lightly. "Go. Ahead."
He gives a hesitant nod before sprinting away. "I trust you, Jun-chan!"
I plant my feet firmly on the ground and close my eyes. I extinguish any distractions from my mind. I ignore the intensifying earthquake, the aggressive rustling of trees, and the crumbling of rock.
The island is quite big, so I expand my focus to only one-half of it, starting from the shore where the Sunny landed and ending on the volcano. I scan the area for his strong presence. I have to appreciate the fact that his aura is so clear and abundant - it makes him easier to track.
However, I pick up nothing except for small traces of his aura, none significant enough to suggest that he's there.
I breathe in deeply. I hold for a few seconds. I breathe out slowly.
I stretch my range to every edge of the island. On the other side of the volcano, the land scoops up and ends on a cliff. Fog drifts through the trees, escalating down the mountain. And within that mist...
"Found you, Pirate Hunter," I whisper.
Somehow, he's managed to make it to the other side of the island. He's distressed, hoping that trekking up the mountains will magically lead him back to the Sunny.
The rumbling has intensified so much that it's difficult to maintain proper footing, so I keep my steps short and light as I sprint. Despite him being miles away, all I can do is run. Run and hope my legs or lungs don't give out before I make it there.
My entire back is still sore from those exercises in the crow's nest, and it consumes most of my energy just to keep my noodly arms pumping.
I can't think about failing now. The crew is counting on me.
The crew is counting on me.
But why do I care? Why should I care?
I'm an outlaw. A criminal. They're pirates. We don't owe each other anything. If the government is after me, shouldn't I be looking out for myself and only myself?
"Pirates are the lowest of the low," the old man would say. "They'll turn their back on anyone whenever they see fit."
That's right. If I get attached and lose my guard, they'll just betray me, and I'd have no one to blame but myself.
Still, I can't help but feel drawn to the Pirate Hunter's presence. Drawn to the company of the crew. I am a strong Observation Haki user. I know when a person harbors either deceptive or genuine intentions.
My old man was right in many ways, but this is not one of them. I have to let go of him and trust myself.
That's all I can do now.
As the earthquake becomes increasingly violent, I keep my steps quicker and lighter. But this dense forest is delaying me.
I draw out one sword while changing my running form. For a quick moment, I draw all of my Haki to the ground, predicting the shifts and cracks. My steps grow progressively faster and heavier until I'm sprinting at full speed, still aware of where to step to avoid tripping or losing balance.
"Lighting Step..."
I stop, stomping both feet on the ground on a stable spot, and prepare for a quick burst.
"... Hermes' Drill!"
Twisting my feet, I lunge forward, accelerating ahead with a thunderous boom. I secure the sword in my right hand, letting it spin along with my body in a spiral motion. I cut through the air like a heated knife, obliterating any trees or animals standing in my way.
Within a second, I cover hundreds of meters and cut a path for hundreds more. I transition back to my light and quick steps while expanding my Haki once again to find Zoro.
By now, I'm just past the volcano, so I should be able to reach him in less than ten minutes. I pick up his presence again in my range, but this time, he has walked closer East. Closer to me.
I sigh in relief.
I can reach him in a little more than five minutes.
Up above, I can see the red-hot lava boiling in excitement at the top of the volcano, spitting fire and molten mist. Now that I've cut all the trees in my path, the scorching heat settles in. I try to blink away sweat running into my eyes.
Four minutes.
I approach another patch of dense forest. This time I draw out two swords and slow down. I step in a specific cadence, moving back and forth like I'm swaying to a passionate dance.
"Echo Step... Bloody Storm!"
In quick motions, I throw projectiles at every angle and direction while keeping my form precise. The blades fling through the trees, chopping them down more and more with every echo. They hail through the area ahead of me, mowing down the forest in quick, choppy blades.
Three minutes.
I return to the light sprint. I move along with my echoing attacks. They automatically clear the way as I cover more ground. Lava pours over the brim of the volcano. It gurgles like a hungry predator. I begin scaling the mountain and narrow down my Haki range once more. One slip-up now will set me back significantly.
Two minutes.
"Move!" I scream to no one in particular.
I hit the trees with more of my attacks. Branches fly in the air; in every direction. By now, I must have made a noticeable scar on the island. At this point, lava is overflowing the volcano at a tremendous speed. Some streams of lava spew out in long projectiles.
One minute.
The Pirate Hunter is within proximity. Around me, the trees change. There's a crust growing along the trunks and up the branches. It crackles like fire. It hisses like ice. Soon, all the trees are coated with some sort of black, crystalline substance. I ignore it and return my focus to running.
"Pirate Hunter!" I call once he reaches my range of eyesight. "Oi!"
He squints at my approaching figure. "Oh, Jun."
Once I slow down and stop right next to him, my hands fall to my knees.
"Let me..." I take some more labored pants. "... give me... just give me a second."
"Where is everyone else?" He asks.
I brush away the wild locks of hair that fell on my face. "Hopefully on the Sunny already. How the hell did you make it over here, anyway?"
"What do you mean?"
I stare at him, baffled. "What do you mean 'what do you mean'? You're on the other side of the island!"
"Really?" He scratches the back of his neck. "I was trying to head back to the Sunny because this volcano is erupting."
"Speaking of which..."
We scan the area. The lava has been able to reach the bottom of the mountain, but at our elevation, it can't go any further. Even so, we can't return to the Sunny. We'll have to wait for them to go around the island to pick us up.
"These trees," I start. "They're covered in some kind of crystal."
"It is weird for them to be here in the first place," Zoro notes. "If the volcano has been active, it should have wiped out any plant life during each eruption."
"So this crystal must be protecting them."
A blob of lava lands nearby, hissing steam like a threatened snake.
"Keep your Observation Haki up," I warn. "We're not safe up here."
Now, large drops of lava are raining down on us.
Zoro dodges each one heading his way. "We need to go higher up!"
I nod. Unsure of where the elevation ends, we sprint up the mountains with the rain of lava close on our tails. Zoro and I evade them with ease but struggle against the steepening slope. At this rate, we're practically climbing our way up.
The balls of lava grow into boulders.
"This is some kind of volcano," I say through gritted teeth.
With every rock I grab to hoist myself up, the soreness in my arms transforms into excruciating fire licking at every fiber of my muscle. With Zoro's athleticism, he makes it to the top of the cliff first and offers me a hand.
I ignore it and pull myself up as fast as possible. My arms shake uncontrollably.
A ball of lava slams into the rock near us at such a high speed, the structure begins crumbling before my eyes. Just a few meters ahead of us is where the cliff ends. Below that - rock and violent ocean waves. I ball up a tight fist.
Either way, this is the end for me.
"We have to jump," Zoro says firmly.
A few pebbles crumble off as he slides half of his foot over the edge. The lava is now unavoidable. With Zoro yelling at me from the front and the volcano growling at me from the back, I close my eyes and wait for an opening. An opening of courage.
It comes for a split second, and within that second, I open my eyes and leap off the edge without warning. Zoro quickly follows.
I raise my arms to the draft of the ocean, falling feet first. We're at least 100 meters above sea level, and it greets us below with its lively movement. Some excess lava accompanies us as we soar through the air.
The wind blasts against my face with more force the longer I fall. Before I get the chance to register the fact that I jumped off the cliff, I plummet - hard - into the cold seawater.