As soon as the Going Merry was in the proximity of the island, the two passengers on board jumped off and disappeared. They did say they needed a ride to Whiskey Peak, so this must be their destination.
You look ahead through the thin fog, waiting for anything noticeable to pop up. The crew is discussing what could be awaiting them on the land there. Maybe prejudiced citizens or terrifying monsters? Despite the uncertainty, you still have to remain there for a certain period of time. The log pose has to adjust itself and no one knows for sure how long that is going to take.
Not long after, you enter the river leading up to Whiskey Peak. Suddenly, cheers and warm greetings ring out, surprising the crew. Some feel a little suspicious but some are already engulfed in this welcoming atmosphere, bathing in the praise of the people.
Even the mayor himself comes to greet you. "Welcome. My name is Igarappoi," the man with curly locks on both sides of his head says. "You may be a little shocked by the welcome but this is Whiskey Peak, a town of liquor and music. Hospitality is our middle name!"
"Liquor?" Zoro raises an eyebrow.
"Music?" Something in your eye glistens. When the mayor mentions a banquet being held, you think back on the time in Cocoyasi village. The celebration after Arlong's defeat was unforgettable. You remember how light you felt on your feet as if drifting among the lights and laughter.
"We hope that you may entreat us with tales of your adventures," Igarappoi adds.
"Gladly!" Sanji, Luffy and Usopp shout out excitedly, forgetting about all the worries or suspicions they may have had.
"The idiot trio..." Nami mumbles and shakes her head. You chuckle at the name she gave those three but to be honest, you too are looking forward to it.
ஐ
Night time arrives and the party is still continuing onwards. Usopp is telling everyone about his unbelievable stories, Nami and Zoro are holding a drinking contest, Luffy just finished eating 20 people worth of food and Sanji is thoroughly enjoying the company of several beautiful women.
After you finished your plate of food and listened to Usopp's interesting retelling of the time you entered the Grand Line, you stand up and confidently walk over to the music band. You take a seat at the vertical piano. "May I join you?" you ask with a compelling smile. The band members look at each other delightedly and promptly matched their tunes with yours.
You started off with a simple and light-hearted piece, bringing everyone into the mood of getting on their feet. Next, you play something faster and captivating, making the audience want to dance their soles off. You smile wider when you see Luffy grabbing onto Usopp's arms, spinning him wildly around the room while somehow following the tact of your music. The happy drunk Nami tugs the tired and grumpy drunk Zoro to start moving along. Sanji is occupied with kicking his legs in the air along with the women he is holding around their waists.
To you and a lot of other people, this evening has been sensational. As energy and excitement slowly die out, you finish your performance with a slow and soft tune, lulling everyone to their sleep. Unknowingly, your body sinks down and as you enjoy the coldness of the piano cover against your arms, you drift off to sleep as well.
ஐ
When you open your eyes, all you see is darkness. You feel cramped and whenever you try to move, your body hits hardwood. Your head is spinning as if you hit it on something several times.
Is this Déjà-vu?
With all the strength you could muster, you struggle to take out your knife. Once you slid it out of the holding, you ram it into the ceiling of the box. "Argh!" You hear someone scream. Suddenly, the lid is being removed and you could see the night sky above you.
A green-haired swordsman peeks over the rim of the box. "Careful, you almost stabbed me with that," Zoro says and points at the knife between your hands. You only blink at him blankly. "So... what are you doing in a box anyway?" he asks jokingly.
"As if I'd know," you answer and take his hand to pull yourself out. "Why is your head bleeding?" You look at him with concern.
Zoro casually wipes it off, "No need to worry about this. I had to fight a few people. This island is full of bounty hunters."
"Bounty hunters?"
"I am guessing they were after us the whole time. The banquet was nothing but a scheme," he says but slightly regrets it when he sees your gaze turning blue.
"Oh..." You look at the ground. "Their intentions were bad from the start." Just a bit, you feel like a fool for letting your guard down so easily. Unconsciously, Zoro's hand travels towards your head, wanting to comfort you and let you know that it was alright to enjoy yourself. Also, that he was happy seeing you perform so stunningly.
"There's no time for negotiating! The princess' life is in danger!"
His hand stops moving and he snaps back to reality. You turn your head to the direction of the mayor's voice, wondering why he is screaming so desperately. The next moment, Nami comes up to Zoro and tells him to go save the princess. After a while of them bickering back and forth, he was forced to do the task.
"If anything were to happen to the princess..." the mayor says with gritted teeth, "then it would be the end of our kingdom!"
You kneel down beside him. Seeing how he is laying on the ground and bleeding, he must have been injured in the fight. "Hold on a bit," you say as you examine his wounds. With the move of a hand, you heal his cuts and stop the blood from running down his face.
"How did you do that?" he says with a baffled expression.
"It's just a useful ability of mine," you reply nonchalantly. "As thanks, I would like to know a bit more about the current situation."
"Well... what the two in your crew already know is that Miss Wednesday and I both infiltrated the organisation Baroque Works to find the identity of their leader," he starts. "My real name is Igaram, I'm captain of the royal guard. Miss Wednesday is Nefeltari Vivi, the princess of the kingdom Alabasta."
"Igaram and Vivi..." you repeat. "Your names sure shortened a lot!" You chuckle happily. "How about I call you Iga? That's even easier to remember."
"That sounds absurd!" he splutters but then pauses and thinks about it. "But I guess you can refer to me with what you choose." You nod approvingly. "Miss..."
"Call me Y/N."
"I see," Igaram says. "Y/N, you should be careful around Baroque Works. It's an organisation of bounty hunters. And I apologise for saying this but the bounty placed on you is an overwhelming amount. Furthermore, you're on the top priority list in the organisation."
Hearing this you are a little taken aback. On its own, your hand moves to your golden gun.
"I have to say this. Over the course of two years, I have been in Baroque Works, I never imagined a kind girl like you could be S. G. with the rumours I heard."
✘