"What are they planning!!? There's no way they can survive by jumping into the ocean..!!"
"It's a ship!! Based on the flag, it looks like the ship of the Strawhats!!!"
"How did it manage to sneak in among the fleet of warships!!?"
"Shall we fire at it!?"
"No, Nico Robin is there!!"
Everyone began swimming or making their way towards the sailing ship. Zoro was helping up Wyper—who held Chimney close. While Usopp was dragged aboard, "Hurry!!"
"Merryyy!!!" Usopp blubbered out in broken cries, "Merry is alive!!!"
Faythe didn't have to worry for how long she and Luffy would be underwater, because almost immediately they were sent spiraling with the other Devil Fruit Users, by non other than Kokoro herself.
"OWAAAAGH!!"
"HOLY!!"
"There, get onboard, Devil Fruit Users!!! NGAGAGAGA!!"
Faythe managed to catch Chopper midair and bounced along the floor with Luffy's hand still clasped in her own.
Robin on the other hand was caught by Franky's strong arms. Both sent a smile to the other.
"ITS MERRY! ITS MERRY!!" Chopper cried into Faythe's chest, "WUOOO!! I LOVE MERRY AFTER ALL!!!"
Franky carefully put Robin down and started to take in the situation, "I can't believe it... This ship was already tossed off into the ocean...!!"
Nami looked around frantically, "Who steered her here!?"
Zoro marched across the deck, looking for the rudder, "That's not important right now!! Give us orders, we need to get outta here!!" He addressed the navigator.
Luffy laid flat on his back, his hand giving a slight squeeze to Faythe to make sure they were still there, "That was close... I thought we were about to get killed by the warships!!" He then turned his head to see the red head looking up at the sky with a dazed look, but a smile on her lips nonetheless, "Hey, Fae!! You saved me there..! Than—" He was cut off by Faythe yanking his hat down to muffle his next words.
Without even looking at him, she answered, "Wait after we hear that from someone else, first."
A laugh of pure joy left Robin's lips, "Derishishishi... Everyone." She addressed—gathering everyone's attention, "Thank you."
Smiles slowly began to bloom on everyone's faces.
"Shishishishishishi..!! Don't worry about it!!" Luffy giggled, then he turned to Faythe, while adjusting his hat, "Can I say it, or...?"
Faythe snorted and only smiled.
"THANK YOU, FAE—!!" He could only roll over and grab Faythe into his arms—with Chopper in her's. And just begin to roll around the deck with peals of laughter leaving the three.
"Enough nonsense!! You can goof off when we get out of here!!" Zoro frowned at the giggling scene.
"What do you mean by nonsense, MARIMOOOO—!!!??" Sanji went flying at the speed of light.
Zoro had to raise a sword to block a frightening kick from the cook, "Shut up!! If we die here, everything would have been for nothing!!"
"Learn to read the room, bastard—!!" Wyper grabbed Zoro into a headlock as he almost lifted the swordsmen off the ground with no effort.
Chopper managed to squirm out of Faythe's hold and bite Zoro's ankles while he was distracted from fending off the two angered crew-mates, "Apologize to Robin-Chan, PUNK—!!!"
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE—!!" Zoro screamed out, "OW!!"
Nami sighed at the scene, "Sanji-kun~! Go steer the ship, please!!"
Sanji immediately jumped off the pile of wrestling men. His tie looking slightly crooked as he sent one final petty kick at the swordsmen, "Okaaaay, Nami-San~!!"
'RATHER THAN LET THEM ESCAPE, BLOW THEM UP ALONG WITH NICO ROBIN!! ADMIRAL AOKIJI SAID SO!! ALL SHIPS, PREPARE TO FIRE!!'
That shrill and annoying pitch of voice could only belong to one person, "Man Child..." Faythe scowled.
"Thought he died." Wyper frowned.
"Me too!" Franky fumed in aggravation, "THAT SPANDA BASTARD!!"
Usopp hurried over and warned the crew, "They're aiming at us!!"
Nami leaned over the rails to check the currents, "Receive wind from starboard and steer toward the East!!"
Wyper and Faythe immediately started sprinting towards the sails and ya led at the ropes to gain more wind currents.
"No!! We're blocked!!"
"A number of cannons are aiming at us, too!!"
"It's impossible not to get hit!!!"
'FIRE!!!'
Usopp held the rails to brace himself, "HERE THEY COME!!"
But instead of feeling the side of the ship tilt from impact, Faythe watched one of the warships get hit instead. Her eyes widening at the strange occurrence, "What...???"
"F-Friendly fire!!?"
"The other cannonballs aren't hitting us, either!!"
Almost immediately the pirates listened to the uproar of hollering marines struggle to grasp the situation.
"Where are you aiming at, all of you!?'
"Something's weird!! The aim was off for no reason, and...!!!"
"Don't make strange excuses!!!"
'Avoid it!!!'
'Impossible!! We'll crash!!'
"What happened!? Is something wrong!!?"
"UWAAAAHHHH!!"
"We didn't realize the Gates of Justice were closed!!"
"The Gates blocked the current and created a bunch of whirlpools.. They're now overriding our steering...!!!"
"The whirlpools messed up our aim!!?"
"Don't be swallowed up by the current!!!"
"Idiots!! Why did you close the gates!?"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
"The lever to control the Gates is located near the third prop of the Bridge of Hesitation!!! We didn't do anything...!!!"
"UWAAAAHHHH!!!"
It was like a crazy version of domino effect. One after another, the warships started swerving into the other, causing explosion after explosion. It was turning into a show of massive lights.
Sanji let out a long and sharp whistle, "Whoa, that was more than what I expected!!" He chuckled at the chaotic scene.
Usopp whipped around to the smiling cook, "Sanji!! Could it be...!?" Like it wasn't obvious enough from his previous statement.
Sanji blinked at the stupefied Sniper, "They're not the kind of enemy we can get away from just with our guts, right?" He pointed a finger to the side of his head, signifying that he used his brain.
"A-AMAZING, SANJI!!"
"ARE YOU A GENIUS!?"
"Eh hee hee." Sanji smiled cheekily.
"That's some miracle work right there." Wyper chuckled.
Zoro having enough of hearing everyone praise the cook, he started shouting, "Don't be so happy, all right? The whirlpools are dangerous for us, too!!"
Both Luffy and Chopper—both incapable of moving—were laid on the floor panicking, "Oh yeah!! We're gonna die!!"
"Oh quit whining, you big babies." Faythe crossed her arms, "We got a navigator that guided us up on the most dangerous weather phenomenon geyser in the Grandline."
"Thank you, Fae~!" Nami winked at the red head, before turning to the situation at hand, "There's no sea that Merry can't cross while we're on it!!"
"WUOOOO!!! THAT'S RIGHT!! I'm counting on you, Navigator!!!"
"Just hang in there until I manage to read how the currents flow!!"
"Sure thing!!"
The Merry swerved on the rocky tides, the waves threatening to tilt the ship over at any chance. But the Merry continued onward, sailing on as if she were trying run away with the crew herself.
'Don't let them get away. FIRE!!!'
Looking out at the mess of warships, Faythe whipped around to see Man Child stand on the closest rail and point at them aggressively, "Everyone!! Brace yourselves!!"
"Shit!! It's heading straight for us!!!"
"We can't dodge it!!"
The pirates could only watch as both Sanji and Zoro picked Luffy up by the wrist and ankles and used him as a slingshot. As soon as the cannonballs curled into the stomach of Luffy, launching him back a bit—Faythe took the opportunity.
In opportunity, she meant flying forward and kicking the back of Luffy's back, putting more force in trying to aim the cannonballs back.
Luffy let out an agonized groan, "DOHEAHHH—!!!"
Using the strength of all three crew mates, and Luffy's limp rubber body, the cannonballs were fired back and destroying everything behind them. Seeing the massive destruction, they all turned to give their crew two peace signs of victory.
Sanji and Zoro tried to act innocent.
Luffy laid half-dead on the ground.
And behind the Captain, was Faythe's cackling figure on the rails, throwing up the victory sign before giving the marines a middle finger, "SUCK IT, LOSERS—!!!"
Usopp looked at the group with an almost empty expression, "WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE, DEVILS!!??"
Using the current to wrap around an unsuspecting warship, the Merry sailed in a perfect breeze without interference. Nami stood at the front, her heeled sandal situated on the low rail as she gazed at the horizon with a confident grin, "I see a path to victory..!!"
She then turned to give out orders with a raised hand, "Wyper!! Hard to Port!! Make yourself useful when Chopper is out of commission!!"
Wyper did so with the most pissed off smile, "UNNECESSARY COMMENT!!" He shouted with a r he isn't as he used his strength to easily shift the entire ship in a hard left.
"Good luck, Angel-Channn!!!" Chimney cheered him on in the back.
"ORRYYEAAAHHH—!!!"
"Toward nine o'clock!!" Nami kept her eyes trained on the shifting currents.
'The pirate ship is heading toward the falls...!!'
'FIRE!! FIIRRREEE—!! What are you guys doing!!? Are you idiots!!?'
'They seem to have caught the flow of the whirlpools!! They're moving at a rapid speed!!'
Even if they were to point they're cannons now, they're fired cannonballs wouldn't be able to reach them from how close they were on riding the edges of the tides to escape detection and line of fire.
"Damn it!! DAMN IT ALL TO HELL, BASTARDS—!! Using all of Enies Lobby... Eveb after using all the war force of Buster Call..."
Luffy's smile grew larger the more the sky grew more blue, "GOOOO!! KEEP GOING—!!"
"HOW CAN YOU NOT TAKE JUST ONE WOMAN—FROM THOSE INSIGNIFICANT PIRATES....!????"
The Man Child's shrieking tantrum was silenced when Robin used her ability to wrap arms around his body.
Faythe smiled at the sight, Robin sending the red head only a smirk as she said, "Clutch!!"
The sounds of bones snapping and bending out of place was heard in the background.
"It was about time." Faythe held up a fist.
Robin walked over to her side with a snide smirk, her fist gently bumping into her's, "You and me both, Mrs. Faythe."
"Fae."
Robin's eyes widened.
Faythe glanced up at the archeologist with a bright and soft smile on her lips, "It's about time you call me that, friend."
Robin's face significantly softened at the term. Her mind racing back to when Faythe stopped her moments after departing from Sanji and Chopper back at Water 7.
"Why is it that everyone is convinced that one you leave the crew, your no longer friends...!? Being a crew mate, and a friend—are two different things!" She shouted, "If your in trouble because of this government that threatens you, I'll reach out and help you! You don't even have to ask!"
Then it fell back further to the night of netting Aokiji.
Robin kept quiet at that, "I... I don't know why you..." Her eyes trailed down in thought, "Why do you keep sacrificing yourself for people...? You always get hurt... You always end up fighting the big bad guy... Even though they're way more stronger than you are..." Robin edged closer and gave a squeeze with her hands, "Why...??"
Faythe chuckled quietly, "I already had this conversation with Usopp... He hates the fact I keep trying to protect everyone... He told me to runaway as a result... Of course I didn't listen..." Faythe leaned her head against the comforter that covered her, "I fight big bad guys that are ten times stronger than me because I have something to protect..."
Her eyes widened.
"I fought Crocodile because I was protecting Vivi... I fought Enel because I was protecting Usopp and Sanji as they escaped with Nami... I fought Amiral Aokiji because I was protecting you..." Faythe smiled at her, "And do you know what they all have in common..?"
Robin frowned at the question, "Many... Big enemy... Protecting someone... Sacrificing yourself to a degree..." She stopped listing when she saw the red head's amused smile, "What is it?"
Faythe snorted and beamed the woman, "I was protecting my friends."
Robin stiffened at being referred to as a friend, "Friend... Such a simple thing..." She smiled softly.
"Yet, I'll do anything for them." Faythe pressed her forehead against the Archeologist affectionately, "That includes you."
Robin finally understood just how much Faythe had meant those words. Her sea green eyes stared at the serene looking redhead. She had now began to see this writer—no, friend, as someone who holds their words to their heart. And it particularly reminded her of a certain boy that wore his emotions on his sleeve—like an open book.
"Thank you..." Robin quietly released her signature laugh, "Fae, I mean it."
Faythe's eyes couldn't have looked any clearer as she heard her nickname come from the woman's lips. A charming and gentle smile turned her lips up, "Anything for a friend."
Nami's voice could be heard above the harsh angered screams of the marines and stray fired cannonballs, "FRANKY—!! Your turn!"
The cyborg was already sprinting to the back deck, his wrist popping open.
'Block their course!!'
'They cannot get away from the whirlpool anyway.'
"This will probably hurt the ship a little, but..." Franky positioned his wrist at the angle and released a compressed heated air shot, "COUP DE—VENT!!"
The ship was suddenly in the air. Like it had been punted in the air like a soccer ball getting kicked right up in a large arch.
Faythe quickly held Robin and Chopper close as the sudden action had made a few people lose their balance.
Usopp faced the back end and cleared up their grand escape with a shot smoke screen, "HISSASTU CHO KEMURI-BOSHI—!!"
Even if they continued to shout and aim blindly, they'd never leave another dent on the ship nor the crew again.
Why?
Because the crew had escaped.
Faythe blinked, "We escaped," She muttered.
As soon as those words left her lips, it suddenly registered in her head on what exactly they did. She immediately turned to Franky as he made it back to the center front deck, "But then what you guys did was really outrageous... First of all, how can you shoot the flag of the World Government?"
Luffy tilted his head back and stared at the Cyborg like he had asked the dumbest of questions in the world, "We only took back our Nakama who was taken away." A bright smile split across his face when he turned to his crew.
With raised arms in the air, the entire crew erupted in cheers and cries of joy and accomplishment.
"THIS FIGHT IS OUR VICTORY—!!!!"
/:/~***~/:/
Now we have another member calling Faythe—Fae. I think it's sweet.
Mentions of the argument about the difference between a crewmates and friend is a mention back to Chapter 29 (Solo Mission)
Mentions of the late night chat between Faythe and Robin is in Chapter 16 (The Bad Ones)
But other than everything else, I believe it's time we say goodbye to a crewmate...
Even when we just got one back.
Prepare yourselves.
Because I'm not.
Word Count:(2542)