Let us return to the present where our adventurers are relaxing on the sea.
"Sanji!" Luffy wined as he sat on the railing fishing with Ussop and Chopper. "I'm hungry."
"Then someone shouldn't have eaten all the food we had left!" Sanji yelled as he inventoried what little the had kept hidden just in case something like this happened. "Keep catching fish until I say otherwise!"
"I told you it wasn't me this time!" Luffy wined.
"Beautiful day isn't it." Robin chuckled as she walked down the stairs to the main deck.
"It sure is." Nami smiled as she moved a few of her maps on the table beside her. Robin placed her book on the empty spot and sat down beside her. All the while Luffy kept complaining.
"What's going on?" D asked as he crawled along the deck worm style.
"That's something we should be asking you." Nami looked down at him, her eyebrows raised.
"Just felt like it was a good day to practice." D answered. Robin and Nami looked at each other and shrugged. Confusing answers like this were common with him.
"Luffy ate all the food again." Robin answered D's earlier question.
"No he didn't." D wriggled under the table before moving on to the mast. "I had him training till he passed out last night. He couldn't even move till I gave him some vitality." He explained as he began crawling up the mast, still in worm style.
"See!?" Luffy cried out pointing up at D. "I told you I didn't eat the food!"
"When did you give him vitality?" Sanji asked.
"About an hour ago." D answered as he made it to the crow's nest. "Just before you found him and made him start fishing. Zoro's asleep up here again."
"Some look out you are!" Nami yelled as D pushed Zoro out the crow's nest.
"Hey?!" Zoro cried out in surprise as he fell to the deck. "Are you trying to kill me?!"
"If you could die from something like that then you'd never make it to the top of the sword wielding world." D chuckled. "Oh look a ship!"
Everyone looked around to see where the ship was.
"Which direction D?" Nami asked as the sky grew dark suddenly.
"Above." D pointed up as everyone noticed the massive ship above them.
"What's a ship doing in the sky?!" Ussop and Chopper screamed.
"Look out!" Nami yelled as the ship landed in the water next to them.
"That thing is huge!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Watch out below!" D called out as a coffin crashed to the deck.
"What is that?!" Nami, Ussop, and Chopper screamed in horror.
"It seems to be the remains of someone." Robin studied the wood and craftsmanship. "It looks quite old."
"Well that made for an interesting day." D chuckled as he climbed down. "Wonder what this fella was doing up there?"
"I don't know." Robin opened the chedt causing the three scaredy cats to cry out. "But I think we could ask him his story."
"I think she's lost her mind D." Ussop whispered loudly. "She's planning on talking to a dead guy."
"A dead man tells no lies." Robin spoke to answer his doubts. "And it's his bones that will tell me. Not the actual man." She reached into the coffin and began gathering the remains. Much to the discomfort of the scared little ones huddling behind D.
"She's an archeologist you guys." D sighed. "She does this kind of thing for a living. Or at least that was the plan."
"I thought she was an assassin?" Chopper asked as he watched her put the skeleton's broken skull.
"She became an assassin after a bounty was put on her head." D explained. "She always wanted to be an archeologist like her mother."
"Take a look at this Chopper." Robin spoke up as she finished placing the final piece. "What do you make of these three wholes?"
As she spoke she glanced at D and scowled. D put his hands up and mouthed something back. She shook her head before looking back to the skull and Chopper's explanation. Nami watched this curiously. She wondered what exactly had happened to Robin when she was younger. Maybe tonight she'd ask her herself.
"This is a very old medical procedure used to relieve pressure on the brain in cancer patients." Chopper studied the three wholes that sat in a pyramid formation. "I've only seen it in books because it's so outdated. It hasn't been used in almost two hundred years."
"In that case we should be able to figure out where he came from." Robin smiled as she walked into her room. Shortly after she came out with a open book. "Does this ship look familiar?" She asked the crew.
"That's the same figurehead as the ship that fell!" Ussop exclaimed.
"Correct." Robin smiled again. "This ship left it's home port in the Breeze Kingdom as a merchant roughly two hundred and eight years ago. "
"How'd it end up in the sky?" Sanji asked.
"What?!" Nami suddenly cried out.
"What's wrong Nami?" Sanji asked her concerned.
"The Log Pose is pointing into the sky!" Nami exclaimed.
"Sky Island." D chuckled drawing everyone's attention. "An island in the sky."
"Really!?" Luffy exclaimed excitedly. "That's so awesome!"
"Is there really an island in the sky?" Zoro asked in disbelief.
"It does explain quite a bit." Robin nodded as she put all the pieces together in her head. "How else would a ship this large fall from the sky two hundred years later?"
"Plus D said it so it's got to be real." Luffy grinned. "So let's go to Sky Island!" He cheered. Ussop and Chopper joined him.
"And how do you expect us to get there?" Nami asked.
"D'll take us!" Luffy cheered.
"I could pick the ship up and take it." D nodded as he thought about it. "But most likely it'd destroy the Mary in the process."
"No Sky Island!" The three idiots yelled.
"Calm down you guys." Robin chuckled. "D, did you take that ship up there?" She asked.
"Nope." D shook his head. "First time seeing it."
"There you have it." Robin smiled. "If that ship got up there then I'm sure we can get up there as well."
"Yay Sky Island!" Luffy, Ussop, and Chopper cheered again.
"If that case we should find out more before we try." Nami nodded. "Let's salvage the ship."
She quickly instructed Ussop in preparing an air supply. She then designated Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy as the ones to go down. Sanji and Zoro was more to control Luffy since he wanted to go down no matter what. So Ussop built them suites and a way to have air and communicate with the ship.
"How do we look?" Luffy asked excitedly. The three of them were wearing barrels that Ussop put together for them. Luffy's entire body was covered in two barrels.
"You guys look awesome!" Chopper answered, his eyes sparkling.
"Yah. Pft." D agreed while trying to hold back his laughter. "I'm sure you guys -pft- will be just fine down there."
"You don't think they'll make it?" Nami asked.
"Not like that." D shook his head. "No offense Ussop. You did good with what's available."
"So what do you suggest?" Robin asked. "The best way to figure out what happened would be to check the ship. Unless you have an ability that could help?"
"Nope." D shook his head again. "Already checked. The souls already passed on. And since the ship is at the bottom of the ocean I can't do anything with it." He thought for a bit. "But I could guarantee that you'll make it down to the ship safely. But you might not like it."
"What could you possibly do to help that we wouldn't like?" Zoro asked. "If we need to get down there then just-" suddenly Zoro's vision went black. "What's going on?!" He screamed as something seemed to constrict around him.
The rest of the crew watched in fascinated horror as D, whose head suddenly grew to ten times the size, sucked on Zoro like a piece of candy. After about a minute he spit Zoro out who looked like he had passed out. "Now you'll be just fine." D's giant head grinned. "I've sealed all possible cracks in the suite. Who's next?" He asked deviously while looking at Sanji and Luffy. The two turned to run but D's tounge shot out and grabbed the both of them. Muffled screams could be heard as D swished them around in his mouth.
"I'm so glad we're not going." Ussop whispered as he shuddered in horror. Nami and Chopper nodded.
"Things never get boring with him." Robin chuckled. "Especially at night." She winked at Nami who blushed furiously.
"Wake these guys up and send them down." D chuckled as his head began to sway. His body was still the same size as normal. Which made him look hilarious with a giant head. "I've got to shrink my head before it gets blown around in the wind." He swayed around a bit before he seemed to get an idea. "Nami." She looked up at him while Robin conjured several hands to slap the three divers awake. "Poke my head with a needle to let the air out."
"Are you sure?" Nami asked as she imagined his head popping like a giant balloon. "Doesn't seem like a good idea."
"It's that or this." He answered as suddenly he passed gas loudly. It lasted for several seconds and his head was noticeably smaller. "Only problem doing it this way is that it stinks terribly."
"Oh dear lord!?" Nami screamed as the smell reached her. Ussop passed out and Chopper ran around screaming for a doctor before the wind sent the horrid smell to his nose and he also passed out. "OK ok!" Nami screamed. "I'll poke your head just don't do that again!" She ran to get a needle.
"Hurry quickly." D called after her. "They up yet?" He asked Robin who had covered her face with a mask of hands.
"They we're but it seems they passed out again from poisonous fumes." She answered him simply.
"Sorry about that." D chuckled. "Try to get them up. If they're not up when Nami gets back up they will be after. If not we can always drop them in the sea with an anchor and wait for them to wake up." He grinned deviously. "Since I sealed the suites they shouldn't be in danger from something like that."
"I've got the needle!" Nami called as she arrived on scene.
"Alright. Be careful where you poke or else I'll-" as he spoke Nami tripped. As she fell she let go of the needle to catch herself. Nami, Robin, and D all watched the needle as it spinned in slow motion towards his face. "Nooooo!" D cried out as the needle poked him in the center of his giant nose.
Boom! A giant shockwave rippled away, the Mary at its center. The ocean became violent as even the weather was affected. Deep beneath the sea an ancient creature's slumber was inturrupted.
"He exploded!?" Nami screamed as her and Nami stood up. Standing at the center of the deck was D's body, without a head. "Why'd you explode?" Nami asked the headless D.
" " D's body stood there silently for a few seconds before falling to the ground lifelessly.
"Real funny D." Nami growled as she kicked his leg. After a few moments of getting no reaction she became a little worried. "Your ok right D?"
"I've never seen him in this kind of shape." Robin moved forward hesitantly. She softly placed two fingers at his throat to check for a pulse. "!?" She stood up, tears in her eyes.
"I killed him?!" Nami screamed.
"Looks like it." D leaned on her shoulder looking down at the headless body. "Real shame, that one. Heard he was a really great guy."
"D!?" Nami screamed.
"The one and only." He chuckled. "Or not." Another D stepped from behind Robin. "Can't kill what's not real." He grinned.
"Ow!" He cried out as Nami smacked him. "What was that for?"
"It's not funny." She yelled.
He moved to say something but noticed her tears. "It's sorry for playing a prank like that." He sighed as he pulled her into his arms. "Are you upset too?" He asked Robin.
She just smiled. "You can't full me with my own ability. A copy won't have a pulse."
"Guess again." The headless D jumped up. He then reached into his chest and pulled out a beating heart. "See? It beats."
"!!!" Nami passed out in his arms.
"Oops." D chuckled as he studied Robin. "Your looking a little green there." She just covered her mouth as she breathed slowly through her nose. "Where'd those three go?" He pointed at where Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy had been lying before.
Robin swollowed experimentally before speaking. "They we're knocked into the water." She pointed at the speakers Ussop had installed so that they could communicate. The three's voices could be heard.
"Looks like these things really do work." Zoro's voice came through.
"There's some interesting fish out here." Sanji's voice came next.
"This is so awesome!!" Luffy cried out. "It got light after it got dark!"
"That would be the saliva activating." D spoke in the receiver that would transmit down to their suites. "It provides a light source for you guys but doesn't make you visible to the sea life."
"Don't mention saliva." The three spoke at the same time shuddering.
"Look at that huge fish!" Luffy cried out in amazement. "It could eat the Mary in one bite!"
"Is it just me or is it getting harder to breeze." Sanji asked the others.
"Woops." D chuckled. "Forgot to work the pumps." He quickly waved a hand and the air pump began pumping precious air to those below. "To used to being able to breath under water."
"I've woken everyone else up." Robin walked up behind him.
"Wah!?" Ussop and Chopper screamed. "Why's there a headless D lying on the deck!?"
"Forgot that too." D waved his hand again and the corpse turned into petals and blew away in the wind. "Time to work guys."
"What happened?" Nami asked as she rubbed her head. "Last thing I remember is going to get a needle for D."
"Come instruct the boys." D called over to her in order to distract her.
"Anyone else here some strange noise?" Ussop asked suddenly. In the distance could be heard chanting.
"Sal-vage! Sal-vage! Sal-vage!"