The smell of street food filled my senses as I stepped off of the Sunny 2000. Casette was huge, bigger than Punk Hazard. The dock was crowded with hundreds of people waiting in lines at stands.
Different stalls filed up against the shore, varying from some type of crépe I've never seen before to a gift-shop selling maps.
Tall, sandstone buildings took up the entire city, an old musty look making them have a beautiful edge.
"It's so pretty!" Nami squealed rubbing her hands together. "They must be rich!" I sweat dropped, expecting nothing less from her.
Law sidled up next to me, hands stuffed in his coat pockets. "Do you like it?" He asked me, looking off into the town with a glaze over his eyes.
"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," I said with a small smile, restraining myself from looking too ecstatic. "And that's saying something, considering I've been all over the world."
He chuckled, the sound causing my own smile to come out from hiding. "It seems generic."
I turned to him, "You think so?"
Law considered his answer for a second, analyzing the city. "It looks like nothing but a cluster of thousands of people trying to navigate the crowded streets. But I suppose it could be beautiful in its own way." He glanced down at me with a smirk.
A distant feeling overwhelmed me, making the delighted expression on my face turn stoic and low-lidded.
I nodded solemnly, looking back as my name was called. "Let's decide the groups," Robin stated, waving me over with Law. I blinked a few times to try to regain my composure.
Nami stood beside her with a hand full of straws while everyone else formed a circle around her. "Everyone pick one. Shortest straw stays back to watch the ship," Nami said, extending her arm so that everyone could reach.
Everyone in the Strawhats picked one. Sanji ended up being the one meant to stay back and guard the ship. As for the Heart Pirates, Law made Penguin and Sachi stay back. Not trusting them with individuality not to destroy the submarine.
"Luffy, Usopp, Brook, and I will stick together," Nami said. "Chopper, Franky, and Zoro are in a group. And those of you left are as well."
I nodded, smiling at Robin as she stalked over to me, Law and Bepo.
"Now then! Let's go have some fun!" Nami cheered.
Law, Bepo, and Robin and I decided to head towards the town square. Signs and billboards all over the city were announcing an annual fair that was starting to unfold as the evening approached.
"Shall we see what they have set up for the fair?" Bepo suggested, peeking over from the other side of Law to lock eyes with me.
I haven't had a day to truly do whatever I've wanted for months. But the idea of not having a plan or schedule made my fingers twitch at my sides. Anxiety unexpectedly crawled into my chest, tightening my throat and making a sickening feeling fill my stomach.
"F/N~ya?" Law's hand on my shoulder dragged my conscience back to its rightful place in my mind. I flinched slightly at his touch, but the movement seemed subtle enough that he hopefully didn't notice.
"Yes, let's check out what stalls are up so far," I said, quickly redeeming myself. Robin and Bepo nodded and we continued walking, though I noticed Law had inched closer to me.
Every few feet I kept bumping into people, the streets were absolutely packed and walking was a nightmare. But somehow we managed to make it to the center of Casette, and striding out of the traffic was definitely a satisfying feeling.
"Wow..." Robin's eyes sparkled in fascination as she beheld the extravagant gathering before her. There was some sort of auction being held, and it seemed to be quite a popular attraction seeing as almost a hundred people were sat in front of the auctioneer.
"Gather 'round, folks! Come take a seat and be a lucky witness to these beautiful pieces of history!" The host announced, panning around the crowd of people that had come over.
I tried standing up on my toes over the sea of people to see the other stalls, but the rabble was too thick for me to even see the auctioneer. "Woah!" I gasped as fluffy paws grabbed me from under my arms and lifted me up. Bepo sat me on his shoulders, giving me an almost complete top view of the crowd.
"Thanks, Bepo." I grinned as I patted his head.
My eyes widened as I saw the so called "piece of history" that this man was selling. "Robin!" I called down to her, the surprise and disbelief written all over my face.
"What?" She furrowed her browse at me, signs of curiosity now showing in her expression. Hands grew from the ground as she made a makeshift stool for herself.
She followed my gaze through the curtains. "Devil fruit." Robin breathed, her eyes widening at the sight.
Dozens of crates were behind the auction stage, and every single one of them was full to the brim with a different type of devil fruit. Men in blue uniforms and caps were prying open multiple boxes at once. If anyone got there hands on something like this, it would be a sheer miracle.
"Will someone fill me in?" Law asked in annoyance, a vein twitching in his jaw.
"Put me down." The polar bear gracefully set me on my feet again, muttering a common apology.
With devil fruit, there are very few possibilities and explanations as to what could be going on. And with my past experience in auctions, every one I thought of was negative.
"There are dozens of crates hidden behind the curtains of the stage, and all of them are filled with devil fruit." I stated, still taking in the information myself. "But that's completely impossible unless they are all fakes. And I wouldn't count on a popular auction to pull such a scandal."
Just as I opened my mouth to say more, the auctioneer raised his voice. "The next item, or should I say collection, is one we are very proud to present for the first time ever!" He waved a hand at a few uniformed men, and they brought out a single crate.
"Go on, pry it open for these curious eyes, aye?" Both employees jacked a crow bar on either side of the crate, and yanked it down in one fluid motion. The cover slid off, revealing the cobalt fruits that resided inside.
"This here folks is the Wind Wind Fruit!" Gasps and hushed whispers from the horde of people followed his words. "That's right! Your eyes are most certainly not playing tricks on you!"
I suppose he expected this response, seeing as he continued to talk without hesitation. "A large company owned by the one and only warlord, Doflamingo, is mass producing these fruits! They will be auctioned off in boxes of thirty, the lowest bid starts at one million beli!"
My eyebrows twitched as I inhaled the information and went into an immediate state of analysis. He had spoken over the producer swiftly in probable hopes that no one paid too much attention to it, but I heard his name clearer than I ever could.
Doflamingo...
The corners of my mouth unconsciously tugged down, my teeth scratching together in stress. I knew that name, had heard it countless times before in my father's parlour room. The man who had regulated trade with him, and had also offered countless times to take me off of my father's hands. I knew he was a pirate, but I never wandered my thoughts to the possibility that he could be working under the World Government.
"Doflamingo." Law's raged and gruff voice sent chills down my spine. I turned towards him only to seeing him wear an expression I'd never seen him wear before. True anger.
Law's livid posture made me slip a hand onto his bicep. "Relax, Captain. Let's go find a tavern to sit and discuss what we've just gathered." His brows were still furrowed and his eyes kept their fury, but he gently set his tattooed fingers over mine and pushed my hand back to me. Though he kept a firm stare as he responded.
"There's a lot to talk about. We'll find a place to rest for the night." That was his stern answer, nothing else left his lips as Robin and Bepo led the way to an inn that they had spotted downtown.
Law's P.O.V.
I kept a slow pace behind the others, trying my best to keep out of their space. But no matter what, F/N always shortened her strides so that I wouldn't be left behind. And although I'm not appreciative of her company at the moment, I'm sure I will be grateful for her in the near future.
"Here," Robin said, pointing up at a sandstone building with a wooden canopy. "This is the inn Bepo and I had spotted earlier. Good thing I took note of it." She smiled and waved for us to follow her inside.
It was built like any other tavern with low ceilings and short circle tables. A bar counter closed off the dining room from the kitchen.
Pirates were everywhere. Each seat filled with a different unknown crew. Glares were sent our way as we sat at a table in the far right corner. F/N on one side and Bepo on the other, Robin next to them.
"What can I get for y'all?" a perky waitress asked us, blonde curls bobbing in their pigtail holders. I slid my eyes over to F/N, watching her quietly as she ordered a simple bottle of rum. The way her eyelashes batted slightly as she nodded her head was mesmerizing.
"And you?" the waitress asked me.
"Moonshine." She nodded and scribbled the order down into her notepad before skipping off to the bar.
F/N chewed at her bottom lip as she stared off into space, her eyes holding unspoken thoughts. "Shall I start with my piece of information?" She asked, rubbing her temple and panning through the people at the table.
"By all means," Robin said with a nod, taking a sip of her red wine that had been dropped off by the waitress.
"Doflamingo is a vaguely remembered name in my mind. But now that I've thought back on it, it's become vivid." F/N started. "My father works in the black market, selling anything that was worth the labor. Doflamingo was one of his suppliers."
"Wait, 'works'?" Robin furrowed her brows. "Didn't Luffy say that your dad was dead?"
I hadn't heard the news before. "Luffy was only saying that to save me the trouble of explaining. But it seems that it was in vain as we are sat here now discussing the very matter," she sighed.
"Look, I'm not going to express my entire life story to you. But the facts that matter in this situation are crucial, if you have any information then please enlighten me." There was this hard look in F/N's eyes that sent a shiver down my spine. My mind flashed back to the expression I saw on her face while walking through the streets, a mix of confusion and emptiness.
Bepo apologized immediately after. "I am not familiar with Doflamingo. The information I know is as limited as the next pirate," Robin stated while taking a short sip of her wine.
I decided that it was my turn. "We are well acquainted with each other, although I wish it were otherwise. He's a warlord and if anything this entire ordeal is going against his contract with the government. So I'm still confused as to why he's doing it if he knows it's going to corrupt his image." I said, the words coming off my tongue with so much hesitation I didn't think I'd be able to say them.
The table fell silent as they took in the information. F/N twirled her onyx curls around her finger, eyes distant and uninvolved. I slid my arm under the table and set my hand on top of hers, earning a small glance of understanding in return.
"Let's call it a night, get our rooms and relax. This matter can be discussed in the morning, seeing as the moon is already out." After F/N said that, we all looked to the windows. And, indeed, night had fallen.
F/N's P.O.V.
I slipped into my room, shutting the wooden door behind me. The flat consisted of a simple king bed with red sheets and a nightstand. Although the room did come with its own washroom, which is great considering I wouldn't have to bathe with random women.
The room was pitch, all light coming from the sheer moon. My mind was still going over the information I was given, but it only started to give me a headache.
I felt it again. That dreadful dip in my stomach that put static in my fingers. I lifted my hand to my neck, rubbing it in discomfort. An empty and painful feeling tugged at the back of my throat. Like dehydration.
Quickly, I went to the bathroom and started drinking the tap water to try and make the feeling go away. I took a deep breath and stood up straight, but instead of a mirror I saw pitch black as I dropped to the floor.
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i felt like that was a good spot to end it! youre all going to enjoy the next chapter for sure. lots of action and love.
sorry for the late chapter and i hope u enjoyed!
Total Word Count: 2303