Finally the Sunny made it to Sabaody Archipelago. It’s beautiful.
Bubbles are rising from the island.
The Sabaody Archipelago was, unexpectedly, a series of trees growing in the middle of the ocean near the Red Line. The branches stretched up to the sky, sunlight filtering between leafy branches towards the ground in an otherworldly display of magic, almost like an old forest. All around, bubbles glowing in the colours of the rainbow popped and floated in the air.
Luffy stared in awe before exclaiming, "Awesome! There's tons of soap bubbles floating around!"
What's going on?" Usopp muttered, turning to Keimi. "They just keep floating up, one after another..."
"Who's blowing them all?" Luffy volunteered the question.
"They're rising from the island," Keimi replied.
"Just saying that doesn't really help..." Usopp muttered.
"Why?" It was Luffy's turn.
"If I may..." Surprisingly, Robin actually began. "Sorry for interrupting, but is the Log Pose alright?"
"Ah!" Nami looked to her wrist. "Oh, right... It's still pointing to Fishman Island, but... won't this island cause it to change its course?"
"Nyuu, you don't have to worry about that," Hachi remarked. "The Sabaody Archipelago is just a lot of trees. It doesn't have a magnetic field."
You mean trees with roots in the ocean that sink and emerge with the tides?" Sanji asked.
"That's right, lady," Hachi nodded sagely. "Although the mangroves here never sink. The Sabaody Archipelago is the largest mangrove in the world. They call the trees here the Yarukiman Mangroves."
"Pumped up groves?" Luffy grinned. "Yeah, they sure look like they're excited! I'm getting excited too!"
"In all, there are seventy-nine trees, and all of them are like small islands," Hachi continued to explain. There are towns or other structures on each one. All of the islands together are known as the Sabaody Archipelago."
"Huh?" Chopper noted as they passed a particular grove. "There are numbers written on the trees!"
"Yeah, each of the seventy-nine trees have a number assigned to them," Hachi agreed. "The closest grove, grove 44, is the civilian entrance, so let's take the ship a little closer."
"Now that we're seeing them up close, those roots really are huge, huh?" Luffy gasped as the Sunny drifted on its course in.
"They're pitch-black inside," Chopper remarked.
"Incredible..." Brook sighed. "Is that a bridge?"
"Yeah, that's how each of the islands are connected." Hachi explained.
"Oh, I see..."
"Yosh! We're here," Hachi called. "This is grove 41. This is where we're dropping anchor."
"I'm setting foot on it first!" Luffy leapt off on his way once the Sunny was close enough to the coast.
"Alright everyone, don't forget the number here!" Hachi announced as the rest of the crew disembarked. He was wearing a jacket over his shirt, hiding his extra arms granted by his Fishman heritage, while a bandage took care of the sun on his forehead. Keimi herself wore a long skirt, hiding her tail admirably. "Like I said earlier, all of the islands are connected via bridges, so if you remember the number, you won't get lost."
"Even then, there's one guy who'll get lost, right?" Usopp muttered.
"There is," Chopper agreed.
Both looked at Zoro.
"Huh, what?"
Both sighed.
Yukiko laughs and spoke, “But these bubbles are amazing! Many of my water Pokémon would love this place!”
"These truly are mysterious bubbles. I wonder how they work,” Robin muses agreeing.
The roots of these Yarukiman Mangroves secrete a unique kind of resin," Pappagg explained.
"It's sticky," Aki observed as she lifted a shoe to look at the resin stuck to the heel. Robin opted to wipe her hand on the nearest cloth, i.e. Usopp's shorts.
"Don't wipe it off!"
"So, when these trees 'breathe out', the resin is blown out as well, and forms these soap bubbles," Pappagg explained.
"I see..." Chopper murmured. "So that's why they're all floating into the sky?"
"So all of this is actually natural?" Usopp observed.
"OI!"
"Huh? Hey, Luffy!" Usopp panicked as he spotted the tiny black dot that was their fearless captain. "When did you get up there!"
"I can see an amusement park over there!" Luffy hollered back. "Let's go! Let's ride the Ferris Wheel!"
"An amusement park?" Chopper exclaimed.
"That's the Sabaody Park," Caimie explained. "How nice... the Ferris wheel... riding on that is my dream."
"Your dream?" Chopper asked. "Why can't you ride it?"
"Don't be stupid!" Pappagg scolded. "You can't do that, you know!"
"Yeah, I know..." she sighed.
Chopper watched the mermaid sadly flip away. "I want to ride it too, but I guess I can't..."
"Why is that?" Yukiko asks.
What's our goal on this island? You said something about coating for the ship earlier, didn't you?"
"Nyuu!" Hachi confirmed. "We have to find a coating mechanic, and have him coat your ship with this resin! Simply put, that will enable your ship to travel under the sea!"
"Seriously?" Franky sceptically muttered.
"It makes sense," Yukiko observed. "A bubble is completely round, so its shape would mean that the water pressure is evenly distributed around the ship as it sails underwater. And the Resin must be waterproof."
"That's the only way humans can reach Fishman Island." Hachi continued. "However, if you get an amateur to do it, the ship, and the humans riding it, would be crushed by the water pressure. I know one mechanic who's trustworthy, so I'm gonna take you to him."
"Octopus San, you're such a nice person for helping us out..." Brook sighed.
"Yes but.........In exchange..." Hachi's tone turned very serious. "I'd like you to make just a single promise to me."
"Sure, what is it?" Luffy cheerfully asked.
"Once we enter the city, we might run into the World Nobles walking around there," Hachi's voice was toneless, serious now, a far cry from the silly octopus one would think he was.
"World Nobles?" Chopper echoed.
"Who are they?" Luffy asked.
"The citizens of the holy land, Mariejois," Robin added.
Yukiko frowned at how serious this was. And for some reason, she did not like hearing about these people.
"Mmm?" Luffy considered. "And, what about them?"
Hachi swallowed nervously. "No matter what may happen in the city... I want you to promise that you won't lay a hand on the World Nobles!"
The crew started at this request, as the tension in the air rose.
"No matter what...?" Nami echoed.
Sanji took out his lit cigarette from his mouth. "What do you...?"
"Got it?" Hachi whispered. "Even if someone were to be killed... right before your very eyes... just pretend you didn't see anything!"
The crew blinked at that.
"I'll say it once more..." Hachi said, deadly serious. "Just pretend... you didn't see anything!"
Yukiko was shocked at this.
Pretend to ignore such a thing?
Who are these World Nobles?
Then Hachi looked over at Yukiko.
With her creatures, and especially her devil fruit, she would be more valuable than any slave......
Then he walked over to Luffy.
"Strawhat. I think it is best for Yukiko to stick with you. Don't let her leave you no matter what."
"Huh?"
"With her abilities and especially her looks, no doubt a World Noble will want to take her away. Don't let her leave your side. Ok?"
Luffy was silent at this. If Hachi sounded serious about Yukiko, he had to mean she would be in danger if she wasn't around him.
"Alright."
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