***Amaya's POV***
Lots went down during the time I checked on Chi and the plane. Luffy finally pounded Hordy into the seabed. Naturally, Noah, the large boat chasing Shirahoshi, became the next looming problem.
Luffy attempted to smash the boat to bits with his elephant gatling before it nosedived into the island. Luckily the princess was able to access her latent powers and summoned a group of sea kings to pull the sunken vessel away.
Whew! That was a close call. Chi also sighed in relief on my shoulder. We jumped off the Sunny where my plane was redocked, joining the others on the ground.
There was a new type of chaos in the plaza as many of the newly freed humans made a break for it.
"We shouldn't be here!"
"Hurry up or they'll catch us!"
"Let's go! We humans have nothing to do with this battle!"
There were several fishmen who also claimed to have only joined the Fishman Pirates due to fear. Jimbe headed off the group of fishmen who were trying to escape without any repentance, saying that they will wait for Neptune and his family to make a decision.
The snailsponders throughout the island also went off.
There is something that we would like all islanders to know. The voice of the second minister rang throughout the island. The Straw Hats were not involved in the kidnapping of the Mermaids at all. We admit that we made a mistake in our fact-checking process and we take full responsibility. We want to apologize.
Well that was nice.
"Suuuuuper," Franky broke the silence in our group while pushing the button on his nose. "Afro!" He called as his blue hair sprung out into an afro.
I laughed at the unexpectedness of his move.
"Franky-san, that's so cool!" Brook comments.
"Isn't it super?" Franky questioned rhetorically.
"Hey Chopper? Ya alright there?" Usopp asked the teetering reindeer.
"Yeah...I'm fine," he kept teetering on his hooves before nearly falling over.
Luckily I snatched him up in time as I knelt to the ground. Laying his head on my lap, I let him rest.
"When I use the Monster Boost, I can't even walk for a couple of hours from fatigue. But I can still treat you. Is anyone hurt?" Chopper explained.
"Look who's talking!" Zoro retorts.
"Everyone looks okay." Robin answers the bluenose.
"Ama-chan! I used a daring technique and I'm exhausted too!" Sanji exclaimed with heart eyes as he was already laying on the ground. The energy of how he drug himself over using his arms told another story. "Let me put my head in your lap, too! Please!"
I shook my head in exasperation as I made room on my lap for him to join Chopper. Sanji wasted no time in joining the reindeer. I ran my hand through his hair, having nothing else to do. "I saw you, Sanji. I was up in the sky with you in case you forgot." I remind the blonde.
"I did! You were amazing!" Usopp exclaimed. "How you were shooting everyone down while flying that thing!"
"That was actually Chi, doing the shooting. She had most of the fun until I left the plane."
"Chi Chi!" She straightened her back in pride.
"I was impressed that you were jumping around in the air like Sanji." Franky mentions.
I smile. "Yes, I've also learned Sky Walk. I figured if I want to become the strongest in the air, I need to be able to fight there even without a plane."
"Ama-swaaann! You're so beautiful when fighting those pest!"
"Oi, give it a rest and get off Ama, Curly Brow!" Zoro snapped at the chef.
"What-ya say, Moss Head!?" He shot off the ground to square off with the swordsman.
The princes of the kingdom then reappeared. They were carrying the two passed out figures of Hordy and Vander Decken. They soon had both of them along with all of Hordy's commanders chained up in the plaza with guards stationed all around.
"Waahhhh!" A wailing sound entered the plaza from above.
"They're back! Luffy!" Brook announced.
"Oi, Luffy!" Usopp waved.
"Somethings wrong." I say, standing up to receive them.
"Please help me!" Shirahoshi screams as she swims down. "I cannot stop Luffy-sama's bleeding!" In her hands was an unconscious Luffy. She promptly placed him on the plaza floor as the rest of us quickly gathered around.
"Oi, Luffy! Say with us!" Usopp shouts.
"Luffy!" Franky joins.
"Luffy-sama pushed himself so far in order to save us!" Shirahoshi explains as large tears cascade down her face.
"This is bad!" Chopper exclaims. "There are hemostatics in my backpack! Get it for me, Ama."
I dug through his blue bag, looking for the supplies that I would need to treat Lu.
"Found it!" I go over to Luffy and start to get to work. "Usopp bring Chopper over here too. A second opinion is never a bad idea."
"Is Luffy-sama going to be okay?"
"I can stop the bleeding, but he's lost a lot already." I explain, packing the would he received before applying pressure.
"He needs a transfusion." Chopper finished the assessment.
"Luffy is the only one with blood type F among us." Sanji states.
"Oh no! Wait, what about Ama?" Usopp questions.
"I don't know what blood type I am," I state worriedly as my best friend was injured.
"How could you not know?"
"I've never really bled! And when I did, I was unconscious or in the middle of a war! Give me a break!" I snap at the sniper.
"There must be somebody in the plaza!" Franky suggests.
Franky and Chopper started to call out to the people.
"Really? Nobody?" Zoro questions, seeing no response from them.
That's right. It was taboo to donate blood to humans, wasn't it? That's not good then. What are we gonna do?
"M-My blood type is not F but mine's red too! It's no good?" Shirahoshi offered.
"Yes but thank you for offering." Chopper replied.
I tried to scour my memories. How did Luffy survive the first time? Ding! Wait!
"Where's Jimbe?!" I hurried question.
Click Clack Click Clack
The sound of wooden sandals echoed off the plaza floor. "I'm here." Jimbe spoke. "Take my blood. It's F. You can have as much as you need."
"Jimbe!" A couple of them spoke in happiness. A smile graced my lips, seeing my friend once again.
"But it's against the law." Chopper reminded the fishman.
"I am a pirate!" Jimbe retorted.
"I'll prepare for the procedure. I can move for a while." Chopper insisted on taking over.
I moved to the other side, so I wouldn't be in the way. I sat next to Jimbe as Chopper hooked up the tubes to his and Luffy's arms.
"It's good to see you, Jimbe." I smile at him. "Thanks for watching over Luffy, especially after the war while I was away."
"It's surprising to see you, but I'm glad to see you're well." He gave a heartfelt smile in reply. "Does that mean that he is also..." he trailed off.
I held a finger up to my lips. "Shh. Don't be spoiling my surprise now."
He chuckled. "I should have guessed after everything he told me about you."
"Jimbe," Luffy's voice broke the conversation.
"What is it? I didn't know you were awake." Jimbe comments.
"He just woke up." I determined based on his heartbeat, thankful that he missed what we were discussing.
Lu kept his eyes close as a small smile made an appearance. "Hey Jimbe," he smiled wide. "Join my crew!"
"He's up! Let's move!" Zoro prompted.
We all dashed onto the Sunny with Usopp carrying Luffy. Using an air bubble, we raised the ship above the plaza.
"Why did you have to leave the plaza as though you were running away?" Shirahoshi asks.
"Can't you see? We had to fight with a lot of spectators watching." Zoro states. "If we stayed, they'd treat us like heroes or something. Just the thought of it makes me shudder."
I chuckle next to him with Nami on my other side.
"Becoming a hero is not a good thing?" The princess asks again.
"Let me tell you something. A hero is someone who will share his own sake with other people. But I wanna drink it all by myself!" Greene declared.
Chi and I burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of that statement.
"Again, that's not how you define a hero!" Nami snaps.
"Why can't you join us Jimbe?!" Luffy's angry voice semi-shouted. "Come on an adventure with us! To the sea! It's gonna be fun!" His voice turned into a whiny pout.
"Yeah, join us, Boss!" Usopp tagged in.
"It's nice to have a former Warlord with us!" Chopper exclaims happily. "And Luffy, you need complete rest!"
Jimbe took a kneeling position in front of Lu. "As I said, I can't join you right now! I'm grateful that you asked me. I know it'd be fun to sail the sea with you all, but I still have things that need to be done. I have my current responsibilities which I'm just taking a break from right now. When I fulfill my duties and am free from them, I promise I will come to see you all again. And if you haven't changed your mind, can I take up your offer then?"
"You swear!?" Luffy questions.
"Whoa whoa, when a man talks about his 'duty', you can't press him." Sanji comments.
"He likes Jimbe quite a bit huh?" Robin mentions.
"Yohoho."
"It's not much of a surprise. Those two really hit it off when Luffy freed us from Impel Down. Jimbe's watched over him quite a bit during the war."
"Luffy thinks so highly of you! So we're all gonna wait for you, Jimbe!" Franky announced the crew's decision.
"All right. Thank you."
"Now what are we gonna do? Head to the New World?" Greene drops the main question onto the floor.
Naturally, that made Shirahoshi voice her opinions on wanting us to stay, followed by Sanji's wholehearted agreement. A soldier from Neptune's army soon caught up, so we could talk to Neptune over a snailsponder. Neptune convinced Luffy to attend a banquet. Luffy lost at the word banquet.
I smiled at the simplicity of convincing the rubberman.
Once we arrived at the palace, a group of flounders came to carry us to the banquet. There were air bubbles covering their large backs, so we would have plenty of room.
The group of fishmen gathered in the arena floor started to chant 'heroes! Heroes!'
"Shut up! I just want meat!" Luffy's voice was drowned out by the surrounding noise.
"That's right! I want sake!" Greenie agreed.
"Luffy-sama! There is a stage right in front of you!" Shirahoshi told Lu as she swam in the area in front of us.
"A stage?" He wondered.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Let's start the banquet with the Straw Hats and the Sky Goddess! First, we present to you the greatest diva of the deep sea! Maria Napole!"
A band started to take it away, setting the stage for the diva to sing her number.
"And the Swing Jazz Orchestra!" The announcer continued.
The jazz band kicked it up a notch before stage lights started to make their appearance.
"And special guests! Their beauty will take you away! The Mermaid Cafe Dancers!" The announcer finished.
A group of mermaids took the stage, dancing to the music filling the room. Sanji was going nuts for the ladies as Brook's soul was on fire for the music.
"Ah, here it comes. There's no banquet without it!" Zoro comments as a mermaid holding a large bottle of sake was coming over.
We were all handed drinks filled with sake.
"And now King Neptune, would you like to make a toast?" The announcer spoke. Where is this voice coming from? Eh, who cares? It's anime.
Neptune cleared his throat. "Before I give a toast, I really want to express my gratitude briefly-jamon. All of you Straw Hats and you Sky Goddess. Thank you-"
"It's banquet time!" Luffy interrupted the king's speech to kickstart the party.
"Cheers!"
Platters of food were soon served as well.
"You guys have some of the best sweets ever!" Chopper praised.
Chi took off from my shoulder after hearing Chopper's comment on the sweets. She's always had a sweet tooth.
I smile to myself. Well their sweet being great here is to be expected since they make sweets for Big Mama herself. Wait...
I move over to sit next to Jimbe. "Hey Jimbe, I've got an odd favor to ask."
"What is it, Ama-san."
"Please Jimbe drop the 'san'. We're friends after all."
He just looked at me expectantly. I sigh, giving up. "The next time we run into each other. Don't act surprised or that we know each other. I have a feeling that we will be in a tough position otherwise."
"I can do that, but why? What makes you think that?"
I hum, trying to think about how to explain this. "Call it a hunch, but most of my hunches are always correct. Naturally, we're still friends no matter the circumstance, but we will simply need to act aloof."
"Very well. I'll follow your lead on this one." He responds.
"Thanks Jimbe." We drank a bit before another thought occurred. "Oh, right! Once we separate, you might want this." I hand him a slip of paper with a number written on it. "It's for a certain someone you may want to speak to. He can fill you in on the rest if you're curious. I trust you enough for that. All I ask is that you keep it all to yourself for now."
"Thanks Ama-san. You continue to surprise me." He took the slip of paper as I stood up to walk back over to Luffy and Zoro.
Luffy was gorging on pieces of meat, not bothering to remove the bones as he ate. Meanwhile, Zoro was drinking like there was no tomorrow. I sat down between them, smiling at their antics.
"Ama! I challenge you to a drinking contest!" Zoro spoke with a slightly red face.
I shrug with a grin. "It's your loss. You're on!" He always forgets that I have the drink-drink fruit stored with the other fruits I've copied. It takes forever for alcohol to even start to have an effect on me, much less become drunk.
"Count me it!" Nami joined in.
"Super! Leave it to me!" Franky also joined the competition.
We all clinked cups as our battle began.
Bang
What?! Franky was the first to pass out? That's a shock.
Bang
There goes Nami.
Zoro was being stubborn like usual, drinking each cup with a defiant grin at this point.
Bang
And he's out. Ding Ding we have a winner, me. I polish off my drink before leaning back to relax. This was a fun way to spend the rest of our time here. I'm sure we'll leave in a day or two for the New World.
I smile, excited for our next adventure.
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I'll try to post again this weekend, but I've got some things to take care of first. Thanks for everyone's patience. Hope you enjoyed! Until Next Time...
World_Imaginer