A Sea Cat.
It had to be a Sea Cat.
The Monster Trio were thinking of food and Saki was thinking 'friend' while sparkles surrounded her. I think the poor Cat was more scared of Saki than the three who were starving.
"That thing's HUGE!" Luffy hollers.
"A Sea Cat!" Vivi gasps.
"A SEA MONSTER!!" Chopper and Usopp cry out, throwing their arms into the air.
"A NEW FRIEND!!!" Saki beams.
'Oh no....we're gonna get eaten again...aren't we?'
'Probably. Just accept your fate...'
"Our course is steady. I wish we'd get there already," Nami sighs, eyeing the Eternal Pose in her hand calmly.
Zoro came running to the main deck, unsheathing his katana and swinging them around wildly. "OUR FIRST MEAL IN FOUR DAYS!"
"FOOOD!!!" Luffy stands next to the swordsman, flexing his muscles.
"YOU ATE ALL THAT FISH YESTERDAY!"
"WELL, I'M HUNGRY!"
The Sea Cat flinches at the dark looks it's receiving from the two males. It pales and begins to back away from the ship.
"Ah! It pulled back!"
"Reverse ship! BACK! BACK!!"
"L-L-L-L-Like I can do that!!"
"Don't let it get away! Make sure you kill it!" Sanji came running to help hunt the Sea Cat. "You'd better make some damn good cooking, you monster cat!"
"NO!!" Viv grabs a broom and whacks the boys across their heads, sending them slamming their faces directly into the railing. Saki whacks them all with the hilt of her Norowareta Ha for good measure.
The Sea Cat takes this opportunity to dive back into the sea, disappearing quickly.
"Vivi! Saki!" Luffy glares at them over his shoulder. "You jerks, what the hell do you guys think you're doing?!"
"W-Why? Vivi-chan...Saki-chwan..." Sanji eyes them as if they'd killed a kitten. Ironic, since he was just about to do so.
"You can't eat it!" Vivi states with a frown. "In Alabasta, Sea Cats are sacred creatures!"
Saki glares at them darkly. "That Sea Cat was gonna be my friend..."
Everyone sweatdrops.
"Why didn't you say so?!" Luffy exclaims, responding to Vivi's statement.
"There sure are a lot of things in the ocean, huh?" Chopper comments with a nervous smile while Usopp lies on his back, collapsed from fear and shock.
"Y-You still have a long way if that scared you." Usopp then immediately stands upright, a brave facade plastered on his face as Chopper turns his head to him. "Heh," Usopp smirks confidently, placing a leg on the cannon. "How about I tell you of the time I fought off Sea Kings in the Calm Belt?"
"Sea Kings?!" The doctor gasps in shock.
"The big kind. And there were this many!"
"My food got away..." Luffy cries pathetically, gnawing on the railing in an attempt to satisfy his hunger.
"Don't worry...You'll be able to eat all you want soon," Vivi states with a smile and the rubber boy immediately perks up at her words.
"REALLY?! What kind of cat will it be this time?!"
"Not one that is gonna be my friend," Saki grumbles.
"Vivi," Nami calls out, walking towards the stern deck. "It looks like the wind and climate have begun to stabilise."
"Yes. We've entered Alabasta's climate zone. The fact that a Sea Cat appeared is proof."
"I'll bet those things behind us...are even more proof that we're close to Alabasta," Zoro smirks, eyeing the many ships on the horizon.
"Look at all those ships! When did they..." Luffy trails off.
"Hm?" Saki tilts her head and blinks. "I thought you noticed them. They've been there for a long time now."
"EHHH?!! Why the hell didn't you say so?!" Nami yells, irritated.
Saki waves her hand sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry."
"Oi! They all have the Baroque Works mark on them!" Usopp informs, his eyes squinting through his goggles.
"The employees have started to gather. Those are probably the Billions. The subordinates of the Officer Agents," Vivi states grimly.
"2000 of them will be tough..."
"Ooh! Ooh!" Sak raises her arm excitedly. "I'll knock 'em out in one blow! Pick me! Pick me! I'll do it!"
"Eh? No, I wanna kick their asses, too!" Luffy protests.
"Then let's do it together!" Saki grins, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Yeah! Yeah!"
"Idiots, don't worry about them. They're small fry." Zoro smirks.
Saki pouts. "I could get rid of 'em in three seconds..."
Later, Zoro's plan was put into action and the Straw-Hats, Vivi, and Saki tie a white cloth around their arms.
"Alright, make sure you tie it tight. There's too much we don't know about our enemy," Zoro states while tightening the cloth around his arm.
"I see." Vivi smiles, helping Nami tie hers on.
Saki, meanwhile, was having a terribly hard time trying to tie it. "Chopper~? You're a doctor, can you tie it please~?"
Chopper nods happily. "Sure!"
Saki crouches down for the little reindeer and Chopper ties the white gauze expertly. "You're so good! Thanks, Chopper!"
Chopper blushes and does a little dance. "Saying that won't make me happy, bastard!"
Saki giggles.
"If we use these to confirm our identities, we won't have to doubt our friends," Nami says.
"Did he really look like you that much? When he did the 'Mane Mane no mi' transforming thing?" Sanji questions.
"The problem was that he didn't just look like us....he was us!!" Usopp explains. "Too bad, you really should've seen it! We were even dancing with the guy!"
"Well, at least we won't have to worry about Sanji since that guy never saw him," Nami says.
"I'm not interested in male ballerinas..." the cook states, lighting up a new cigarette.
"Since we know that guy is among the enemy...we can't go around acting carelessly on our own," Zoro says grimly, sitting down on one of the steps on the stairs.
Chopper approaches the long-nosed boy and points his hooves at himself. "Hey, what should I do?" He asks.
Usopp squats down to the little reindeer's height. "Do what you can. It's ok to retreat from enemies you can't beat!"
"Speak for yourself."
"Do what I can...." Chopper smiles. "Got it!"
"I can see the island!" Luffy shouts.
"We're going to a port called Nanohana," Vivi says, brushing a lock of her blue hair behind her ear. "We have to hide the ship."
"I can do that," Saki volunteers. "I'll guard the ship while you guys are gone."
"That would be great. Thanks, Saki." Nami smiles. "Just.....don't get lost." A bead of sweat rolls down Nami's temple at the thought of Saki somehow ending up on a totally different island.
"I won't!"
"Yosh!" Luffy's exclamation brings the girls back to the current conversation. "Whatever happens from now on....this left arm..... is the mark of a nakama!"
The Straw-Hats, the honourary Straw-Hat, and the lone pirate form a circle, outstretching their arms with the white bandage wrapped around their wrists.
"Now, let's hurry to dry land! TO EAT! Oh, and Alabasta....."
"Sort out your priorities," everyone but Saki and Luffy chorus.
Fun fact: Saki's love for Chopper came around mostly because he needs love! Obviously. And the other reason was because my best friend loves Chopper. He was the entire reason she started watching One Piece. (After some begging, annoying her and photos of Chopper). She's still only up to episode 9 or 10 🙄.