🏴☠️️Ch.48: Prelude to the Grand Line! Meeting the Mysterious Girl, Apis!🏴☠️️
Two days have passed since we've left Loguetown behind and it's been nothing by calm waters and clear skies.
The Guild is actually fitting in quite nicely. Luffy and Usopp practically begged for Hanabi and Astro to show off some of their magic. And they happily oblige, performing so of their simpler spells that their most certain of which will not blow the Going Merry to smithereens. Like they told me, they're still learning control.
As of now, the crew is taking advantage of the peacefulness before reaching the Grand Line entrance.
Luffy's sitting at his usual spot on the sheep figurehead of the Going Merry, Zoro is napping like almost always, Usopp is up in the crow's nest keeping a lookout for anything of important or interest, Nami leans against the bow bulwark, looking over the map, Hanabi, Astro and their animal partners are playing with the Pack, Ghin is running through some Arnis warm-ups I've been teaching him to better his tonfa-style fighting.
And me? I haul myself out of the ocean shaking off the excess water before throwing on a cute cover-up and make my way to my lounge chair to record my new findings in another one of my marine life research journals from the dive I just went on since early this morning.
I've also been stitching some more sketch and design books.
"Nami. . .!" I hear my captain whine. "Shouldn't we reach the Grand Line soon?"
The navigator responds with a deadpan expression. "What do ya think? We just left Loguetown two days ago. It'll take some time before we get there. Just be patient."
A wide grin spreads across Luffy's face. "'Kay!" The raven-haired young man can't contain his snickers.
Sanji lets out a peaceful sigh as he looks toward the sky. "Feel that sunshine. With weather like this it almost seems that storm was just a bad dream."
Meanwhile, up in the crow's nest with Usopp, the curly-haired sniper spots something with his spyglass.
A flock of seagulls swarm around something floating on the ocean's surface a good distance away from the Going Merry.
"Huh? What the heck is that?" The sniper mutters, before calling down to the rest of the crew to announce his findings. "Hey! I see a flock of birds, starboard!"
"Are you sure?" Luffy looks up to Usopp in the crow's nest.
"Yeah. . .and they're surrounding something. I-I can't make it out exactly. But it's big! I wonder what it is."
"Maybe a fish." The captain theorizes. And it's actually a pretty good guess. Either that, or it's just the boy's stomach coming up with ideas instead of his brain.
Usopp uses this opportunity to test his new goggles he purchased in Loguetown. "Maybe. Or. . .a small boat, a fish? I don't know."
"I heard it's common for sea birds to flock above fish and even trail them." Sanji speaks up.
"It is?" Luffy can barely contain his excitement.
"Sounds like lunch, if nothing else." I chuckle.
"You said it, (Nickname)!" Luffy reels his arm back before stretching it out starboard. "GUM-GUM. . .GRAB!!"
"Whoa! That's a stretch!" Usopp exclaims in awe.
"It never gets old, though." Ghin joins everyone on the bow deck.
Luffy's arm stretches past the floating object but as it retracts he grabs hold of it. "I caught it! Com'ere!" But what the rubber boy tends to forget is that when any of his limbs retract, they come back much faster than when they extend. "It seems pretty big!"
"Nice one, Luffy." Nami praises.
Luffy's arm begins reeling back way too fast.
"You're reeling in fast. Dial it down or we're gonna-" Sanji starts to explain, but he and Ghin are quick to duck out of the way from their captain's incoming, rubbery arm.
The crew's green-haired swordsman that is (or now rather was) napping near them, however, isn't so lucky and is knocked overboard and into the ocean.
"Oh. . .I'm sorry." Luffy says.
"DUMBASS!" The chef and quartermaster roar, shaking their fists.
The object Luffy caught is dropped onto the deck, but my focus was solely on recovering Zoro.
I throw off my cover-up before diving into the ocean, morphing into my faunus anima form the second I hit the water. I find the semi-conscious green-haired swordsman floating a good distance away from the ship.
Upon swimming back to the ship, Trigger hangs some rope off the side of the Going Merry to haul Zoro back on-board.
Everyone now hovers above the object Luffy fished out of the ocean. The object turns out to be a fair-skinned little girl with dirty blonde hair tied back in a very thin braid, wearing a long mustard yellow dress with maroon with mustard colored circles along the sleeves. She has a dark maroon sash, and has the same colored undershirt, along with a white, pointy hat and red shoes.
"Ew. . .That's no kind of fish I've ever seen." Sanji comments.
"That's no fish. It's a little girl!" I kneel down to examine the child after wrapping myself in my cover-up again.
Luffy approaches the rest of the group. "Huh. A fish person? Where's her webs like (First Name)?"
"A fish person? You idiot! She's just a little kid." Usopp rebukes.
"But the question remains: What is a kid doing all alone in a sinking dinghy out in the middle of the ocean?" Ghin addresses the elephant in the room.
I place my fingers against her neck. Feeling a pulse, I sigh in relief. "She's alive. She probably passed out from exhaustion and dehydration. Let's get her into the galley." I carry the girl in my arms and form a makeshift bed on the galley bench with a blanket over her.
🏴☠️️☠🏴☠️️
Seeing as it is close to lunchtime, the crew lingers in the galley as the food is being prepared and to keep an eye on the girl's condition. So far, she looks much better than when they all first found her.
The crew's sniper takes notices of the slight movement coming from their unconscious passenger. "Hey, I think she's waking up." Usopp begins to lean in close to the child to the point where his head hovers above the girl's.
"Usopp, I don't think you should lean in so-" Jimanekia attempts to warn the sniper but she's too late.
The little girl wakes to the smell of food being cooked and immediately sits up, headbutting Usopp's chin in the process and knocking him to the floor.
"-close." The Yellow Pearl finishes.
"That hurt!" The girl yells, clutching her now throbbing forehead.
"You're awake." (First Name) sits on the bench next to the girl, holding a glass of water out for her. "Don't worry. You're fine now."
"She certainly woke up a lot quicker than I expected." Nami comments.
"Nothing that some grub won't cure. I'm cooking some soup, if you're hungry." Sanji says, not taking his eyes away from cooking.
The girl's eyes wander around the galley, taking in her surroundings. "Lucky!" She mutters excitedly.
"I'm guessing you were shipwrecked?" Nami speculates while directing a kind smile at the young girl. "You are lucky. What's your name?"
The girl's expression of relief turns defensive. "Before asking a stranger questions, it's polite to give them your name first."
(First Name) whistles, impressed. "Quite a lot of spunk for such a small kid. I like her."
Nami is surprised at the girl's sass, but chuckles, finding it a bit endearing. "Good point. I'm Nami." She winks, as she begins to introduce everyone. "The woman beside you is (First Name), the walking ball of sunshine next to her is her friend, Jimanekia. The chef cooking that delicious food is Sanji."
"Hi." Sanji greets before returning to cooking.
"This here is Ghin." She motions to the quartermaster. "Don't worry, despite his gruff exterior, he's a real decent guy."
The former Krieg Pirate shows no offence from Nami's comment and merely waves slightly in response. "Hiya."
Nami then motions towards a pissed off *cough*pouting*cough* Zoro lying against the wall. "That's Zoro. Despite his scowl, he's a good guy."
"Shut up." The swordsman grumbles, still upset from being knocked into the ocean by Luffy.
"And you've already met the one who's lying unconscious on the floor. That's Usopp." Nami nods her head in the direction of the unconscious curly-haired sniper that's now sporting a bruised dent in his chin.
"I'm Luffy." The captain speaks up to introduce himself. "And I'm the captain of this pirate ship."
The girl's body goes rigid, her eyes widen to the size of saucers and her braid sticks up like a frightened cat's tail with the rest of hair frizzing out. "What?! Pirates?!"
(First Name) heaves a heavy sigh at her captain's tactless attitude. "Hilahilaʻole. Kumsumbua zaidi, kwa nini sio? [1]" She mumbles as she backs away from the girl so as to not scare her any more than she already is before joining the rest of the crew at the table while Jimanekia heads back to the women's quarters, as she doesn't feel like physically eating this time.
"That's right. And we're on our way to the Grand Line." Luffy continues proudly.
The girl is now frozen in shock, her face now turning a purple shade.
"What's wrong?" Nami asks after a moment, but she has now become a living statue.
"She isn't moving." Luffy notes.
The Siren shakes her head at her crew mates' inexperience in this kind of situation. "No person would be exactly thrilled to wake up on a pirate ship. Especially not a kid who's been shipwrecked at sea." She walks up to take the empty water glass from the frozen girl's hands and goes to place it in the sink. "Sure, we may mean her no harm, but the same can't be said for other pirates."
"She's got a point." Ghin agrees. "And the Marines make out all pirates to be the same. Nothing but thieving murderers who take what they want and leave nothing but destruction in their wake."
"Yeah. Now that you say it out loud, we could have handled that a bit more gently." Nami admits.
"So, what are we supposed to do with her?" Zoro questions.
Luffy looks to his second mate and swordsman. "Uh. . .I'm not sure. I'll have to think it over. We can deal with this tomorrow."
(First Name) walks back over to the girl and closes her gaping mouth with a single finger. Her action causes the girl to break out of her shock before she throws the blanket over her form and curls up into a ball, turning away with her back facing the pirates, almost as if she believes that if she ignores them long enough they'll go away or disappear. She didn't even bother to touch the food Sanji had left out for her. Most likely assuming it's been poisoned or drugged.
Lunch for the Straw Hats goes off without a hitch and as night falls each of them heads back to their designated quarters for a good night's sleep.
The only soul still up in the middle of the night is the girl the pirates picked up. She internally curses at the bad luck of escaping from the Marines only to be picked up by a group of pirates. Her stomach then grumbles to signify her hunger. She's beginning to regret not eating any of the food that was left for her from earlier.
But seeing as she's still in her spot in the galley from earlier, she could find something to eat that she thinks wouldn't be tainted.
However, just as she's about to reach the fridge, her legs bump against a hidden tripwire, setting off a trap hidden in the kitchen for a certain midnight meal stealing captain.
Both the little girl and the meal stealing captain in question ring loudly in the night, waking the rest of the crew.
Though a certain fishwoman was already awake to get a glass of water from the galley. Upon hearing the little girl's screams, she sprints to check on her. She always did have a soft spot for children.
Though it seems she wasn't the only one awoken to check the causes of the screams.
Sanji reaches the galley first and is about to walk through the door, but is ultimately distracted by (First Name) in her pajamas that showed off the curves of her midsection as well as many of her scars.
(First Name) is able to snap Sanji out of his stupor before they both enter the galley.
As the blond chef flicks the room's lantern on, the fishwoman bursts out into laughs at seeing her captain caught raiding the fridge, red-handed, by the giant mousetrap (courtesy of Usopp and Trigger).
Granted, the trap was put up a few weeks ago, but Luffy just doesn't seem to learn.
"How many times. . .?" Sanji sighs. "Luffy. . .this always ends the same way. You never learn, do you?"
The rubber boy only struggles to get out from the trap's hold, but even with his strength and Devil Fruit, he is utterly helpless.
Looking away from her captain, (First Name) spots the girl cowering in the corner with the blanket she left for her still on her form.
Sanji follows the woman's gaze. "What're you doing there?"
The girl could only laugh nervously.
☠🏴☠️️☠
Sanji and (First Name) eventually free Luffy from the trap and the chef cooks up something to satiate Luffy's midnight "snacking" while the seamstress/marine biologist checks on the girl as she fixes herself a pot of tea.
"Yummy!" Luffy's happy exclamations are muffled by the piece of meat he's now stuffing his face with.
"I would have made you something to eat, Luffy. Just stop trying to take food without asking first." Sanji says.
"But I'm hungry!" Luffy replies with his mouth full.
The young girl's stomach decides to make its predicament known by growling loudly and causing said girl to blush in embarrassment.
The blond chef turns to look at the girl. "What's wrong? You're hungry, too?"
The girl responds only by turning her gaze away from the chef.
"You skipped dinner. I know you skipped lunch. What is this? A hunger strike? You think the big bad pirates are gonna poison you? Is that it?"
The girl shakes her head side to side wildly.
Sanji gives her a look of confusion.
"If you just sit there doing nothing like that, he's gonna clear everything off the table." (First Name) chimes, finishing off her tea. Her comment causes the girl's eye to widen.
"That's okay; More for me." Luffy grins, reaching for the bowl of soup on the end of the table closest to the girl.
It isn't okay in (First Name)'s eyes, however. She lifts a leg up before slamming her foot onto her captain's head, sending it crashing against the table. "You've eaten enough to feed ten men, Luffy. She hasn't had a single morsel ALL DAY! SO, DON'T BE GREEDY!"
"Yes, ma'am." His reply comes out muffled as his head is still pressed against the table.
(First Name) removes her foot from upon her captain and slowly ebbs towards the girl's side of the table. She takes a spoon and the bowl full of soup. She dips the spoon in the soup and then puts the spoonful of heavenly tasting liquid in her mouth. After a few seconds she holds the bowl out towards the girl, giving her a calming smile. "See? Nothing to worry about? Besides, Sanji's too honorable a chef to taint such perfectly good cooking with something like poison."
This seems to be enough for the girl to suck up her fear (or possibly pride) and snatch the bowl from (First Name)'s hand and drinks down the whole bowl, not even using a spoon. She sighs in satisfaction. "Yummy!"
"Told you so." (First Name) smirks as she sits beside the girl.
Sanji bows in thanks at the girl and (First Name) for their kind words.
"Yeah, I know it. Was there any doubt? I picked Sanji personally." Luffy boasts lightly.
"I've never had anything this good!" The girl replies smiling all the way.
"That smile suits you much better." (First Name) compliments.
"Yeah, it's nice to see you're finally smiling." In comes Nami, agreeing. The navigator is followed by Usopp, Zoro, and Ghin.
"Nami~💞" Sanji sighs dreamily.
"Luffy, are you eating again?" Nami huffs in disbelief.
"What's wrong? I didn't have much lunch!" Luffy argues.
"Are you kidding?" Usopp retorts.
"You emptied two pots, Captain." Ghin adds.
"I don't remember." Luffy scratches at his head in confusion.
Nami approaches the girl. "You poor thing. Did you really think we were evil?"
"Well. . .I guess." The girl hesitantly admits.
"Well, you aren't alone. That's a common sentiment these days. We're getting used to it."
"You're not gonna sell me off?"
"Now why would we go and do a terrible thing like that?" (First Name) cuts in.
"Yeah! No way!" Usopp agrees.
"You kinda do have an evil look. I can see your point." Zoro comments towards the rest of the crew.
Usopp comes in and pinches the swordsman's cheek and pulls it outwards. "You're the expert on bad looks."
The two then go at it in a hand-to-hand brawl.
"Why are they such morons?" Nami huffs.
Ghin smiles, Sanji and Nami look annoyed, while Luffy and (First Name) laugh at the sniper and swordsman's antics.
The still unnamed girl starts to chuckle along with the crew's captain and first mate.
"We have plenty more to eat, mademoiselle." Sanji puts on the charm, albeit dialed down quite a bit.
"He's serious. And if you stick around, you'll see these pirates are more friendly and fun than scary. I promise." The navigator declares.
The girl then smiles brightly. "More please!"
"As you wish." Sanji sings.
"Me too!"
"Get your own, Luffy!" The chef snaps, his attitude shifting a complete 180.
"I already tried." Luffy moans in disappointment.
Morning dawns and the Straw Hat Crew awakes to begin their morning chores.
Luffy's at the capstan, reeling in the anchor line. Zoro and Ghin are outside lifting said anchor and hooking it to the ship's rail. Usopp and Sanji are on the yardarm, unfurling the sails. And (First Name), still in her sleepwear, is giving both the Pack and Coven baths.
A sudden explosion coming from the kitchen interrupts their morning work.
"Uau! [2]" The explosion causes the soapy water in the bath to slosh around soaking every animal in the room, plus (First Name). But it doesn't really bother her since water slides off her with ease. Can't say the same for her clothing and animal friends. "Well, it looks like bath-time got done quicker than I thought." She exits the bathroom followed by her animal companions. She then shields herself with her arms as they shake off the excess water.
🎇What was that?🎇 Hanabi chimes.
🌠It's a little early for such excitement🌠 Astro adds.
The explosion causes the rest of the crew's attention to be directed at the galley. But wait. If Sanji is up with Usopp, who's in the galley?
Their answer comes when the galley door swings open to reveal putrid, thick, black billowing smoke to escape and the little girl staggering out of it. She is covered in soot and waddles with a dazed, swirly-eyed expression.
Sanji watches from the crow's nest before calling down to her. "Hey! What's the trouble down there?" The suave cook's tone is a little tense. Which is quite understandable, considering the state his kitchen might be in, based on the amount of smoke coming out of the room.
"No trouble! I've just been cooking!" The girl responds back up to the blond cook with a smile and a thumbs up.
The girl's positive attitude does nothing to calm the chef. "What?!"
Ignoring the cook's obvious distress, the girl calls out to the rest of the crew. "Everyone! Breakfast is ready!"
"Ah? Breakfast?" Luffy
Zoro doesn't share his captain's enthusiasm. "I wouldn't get too excited."
🎇Do we have to, Boss?🎇 Hanabi whimpers.
Since leaving Loguetown, Hanabi and Astro have since dubbed (First Name) as their respected leader and gave her a name which suited such a position. At first it was 'Mistress', then 'Princess', and it went on and on from there until they finally settled on 'Boss'.
"Well, we're gonna hurt her feelings if we don't." (First Name) replies as she gets changes (Feel free to change the color scheme!) out of her swimsuit and does up her hair with her two newly made hair accessories and finished off with a zulu beed choker.
A/N: Images in collages do not belong to me. All rights go to their rightful artists. I just put them together to make picturing the story easier for you all.
"Besides. . .she went through all the trouble. So, who knows?" She looks over her shoulder as she finishes changing. "Maybe it won't be as bad as it seems."
Oh, how wrong she is. The sight that greets the crew upon walking into the galley is certainly not backing up the Siren's statement.
The cooking area is nearly destroyed and on the table lie several white, pristine plates with what looks to be clumps of mushy ash that everyone (save for Luffy) is hesitant to call food. Even the animals cringe at the sight of it.
✨'Not as bad as it seems', huh Boss?✨ Astro deadpans from her place on the fishwoman's shoulder, while his sister is perched on her opposite side, also looking down at the abomination on the plate.
"Okay, okay. I get it. Don't rub it in." (First Name) groans lowly. "But we don't want to hurt her feelings. Not after she went through such lengths to cook for all of us."
The two animal sprite sisters sigh in defeat.
🎇Yeah, I guess you're right.🎇 Hanabi mutters, sulking against the woman's shoulder.
"You made this all by yourself?" Nami makes an attempt to sound pleasant about the situation.
The little girl, whose face is now littered with a few bandages, nods proudly. "Mm-hm!"
"The appearance is. . .quite unique." Usopp chirps, while forcing a nervous grin, trying to come up with a positive spin for whatever's sitting on a plate in front of them. "Yes, unique!"
Luffy is the only one who doesn't seem to be bothered by the physical state of the "food". "Yeeaah. Let's eat."
Sanji almost looks ready to pop a vein at the state of the kitchen and the burnt, mangled pots and pans sitting in the sink. But he remains as calm and collected as ever.
"Not only did you guys rescue me, but you've given me food and shelter as well. I finally found a way for me to pitch in and help!" The girl explains.
"That's real thoughtful. Thank you." Nami chuckles nervously.
Zoro examines the "food" a bit more closely. "Uh. . .is this considered food?"
His "answer" is Nami and (First Name) stepping on his feet from under the table causing him to open his mouth for a scream. But the orange-haired navigator drops the plate's contents into his mouth and closes his mouth up for him before he could hurt the little girl's feelings.
"Seriously, though. Is this stuff really safe to eat?" Usopp voices, concerned.
Luffy however has already begun digging in. "Oh, yeah. Tastes good."
The little girl perks up at Luffy's compliment of her, most likely first time, cooking.
"Of course. After all, you can't judge a meal by appearance alone." Sanji tries to be positive.
"Are you sure about this, Sanji?" Ghin asks cautiously.
But everyone, nonetheless, takes a bite at the exact same time.
A single forkful leaves the room with a stunned silence. Even the 'arguably strongest woman on the seas' is having a tough time keeping the burnt slop in her mouth. But thanks to years on the seas, she learns not to be picky about food, no matter how bad it may look or taste. Also, years of tasting her younger sister's horrible cooking have caused her to develop a sort of "iron stomach".
The rest of the crew doesn't have her strong will, however. Each of them goes red in the face with a slight tinge of blue in the center, unlike Zoro who is now completely blue and semi-conscious due to the fact that he, quite literally, had the whole plate's worth shoved down his throat.
The screams of the crew resound loudly, causing the whole ship to shake, before the entire crew lunges for their glasses of water to somehow ease the burning sensation now in their mouths. Usopp, however, is drinking straight from the pitcher.
The Pack and Guild don't fare any better. Both animal sprites fall from (First Name)'s shoulders, upon their first bite. ChouChou looks ready to keel over. Ahio and Carmela comically lose their feathers for a few seconds. And Richie, Tito, Umi, and Trigger now have their heads stuffed into a water-filled sink to calm their burning tongues.
Luffy is still not bothered by the dish's horrendous taste. And (First Name) strenuously cleans the plate before sprinting towards the fridge and downing a bottle of milk, smoke literally billowing from her mouth afterwards. Sanji, on the other hand, is doing marvelous holding back tears, while not going for something to ease his set-on-fire mouth.
"It. . .wasn't that bad, was it?" Asks the little girl, who reaches for a piece from someone's plate to test. Her instantaneous reaction says it all. Her face turns the same blue-tinged red as everyone else's and begins sweating profusely. "SPICY!! My mouth feels like it's on fire! I must have used the wrong seasoning!"
"That's okay. It's a common mistake." Sanji reassures the moping girl. His kind words bring a smile back onto her face. "Next time you'll know which spice to avoid." The cook then looks to the rest of the crew, who have just recovered from the ordeal and now eye the remaining "food" on their plates with disdain.
"Yeah. It's not like you can just get everything right on the first try." (First Name) chimes in, finishing off her milk. "Besides, I found it rather enjoyable compared to the gunk one of my younger sisters cooks up. A word of advice though: Ask for assistance when you've never set foot in the kitchen." She ruffles the younger girl's hair with a comforting smile before turning serious when she looks to the crew. "This little lady was generous enough to cook for all of us. So, I want to see every crumb gone from those plates."
Zoro, Ghin, Usopp, the Pack and the Guild look at her like she's crazy.
"Don't give me that look. It's either eat what's on your plate. . ." She points to the plate before shaking a fist them next. "Or would you prefer a knuckle-sandwich instead?"
"We'll take the knuckle-sandwich!"
And that's just what they got. But (First Name) wasn't planning on letting anyone leave the galley till every plate was eaten.
The groans of the animals, magical sprites, and the human males (minus Luffy) of the crew echo lowly. "Wǒ fāshì. I kalosýni aftoú tou mikroú koritsioú chánetai se ó, ti sas arései. Ea merită destul de bine-- [3]" (First Name)'s multilingual verbal abuse is cut off when she comes to realize something. "Huh? Now that I think about it, we haven't learned your name since you woke up yesterday."
"It's 'Apis'!" The child answers, smiling. "My name is Apis."
"Right, then." (First Name) turns back to face the crew. "Apis deserves the respect of seeing you eat her meal. And on my word as a fellow sea cook, wasting food will result in severe consequences." The fish faunus anima lift up one fist and methodically cracks each finger, a sickly-sweet smile on her face. "Besides, Sanji and I'll fix up something a bit later. Won't we, Sanji?"
"Dear (First Name)-koi, working side by side in the kitchen with you would be a dream come true~💞!"
(First Name) chuckles before smiling warmly at the cook's enthusiasm, oblivious to the jealous looks the cook is getting from the human male crew members, along with protective ones aimed at her from the Pack and Guild.
Apis' expression then turns gloomy again. "I'm sorry. I know it's horrible. I'm just not a very good cook. All I wanted was to do something nice."
Nami smiles at the girl's kindness. "Apis, don't worry. Nobody's mad at you. Really."
"How's this? Leave the cooking to me from now on. I'm sure that there are many more things that you could do to help out." Sanji comforts.
Apis smiles in response.
"Are you sure?" Luffy asks. His mouth still full of the burnt beyond recognition food. "This is good stuff."
The rest of the crew sweatdrops at their captain's willingness to eat just about anything.
"Eat. . ." Everyone tells him in an attempt to prevent any more suggestive comment from spewing from his food-filled mouth. Instead, he starts listing more dishes to be cooked up.
(First Name) then squats down to Apis' level. "Why don't you help me with my animal friends. You all really seemed to hit it off quite well. I'll even introduce you to my hermit crab, Nestor."
Apis pretty much jumped for joy. "Really? I'd love to!"
After the crew's rather. . .interesting breakfast, it's time Apis' story comes to light, now that she's more comfortable around them.
"So, what's your story? Why were you adrift at sea?" Nami questions. "Were you stranded or was someone after you?"
"I escaped from a Marine ship. They were holding me prisoner." Apis explains while petting ChouChou, who's now napping away on the girl's lap.
"Marine ship?!" Usopp parrots.
"Prisoner? Why would Marines kidnap a little girl?" Ghin queries, putting a strong emphasis on the word 'Marine', feeling the unnaturalness of Marines being bad guys rather than pirates for a change.
"I got away three nights ago." Apis continues.
"Three nights ago? That was during the storm." (First Name) notes. "You are a lucky little lady. Your little dinghy didn't stand a chance.
"How'd you get in trouble in the first place?" Zoro's questions, making Apis visibly flinch. "They had to have held you prisoner for a reason. What could a little girl like you have possibly gotten into to get the attention of the Marines? Everyone knows they're a bunch of twits, but I still can't imagine them labeling you an enemy. I mean, what d'ya do?"
Apis begins to curl into herself on top of the barrel she's sitting on. "Well, um, I. . ."
"What's wrong? Are you hiding something?" Luffy's question brings about quite the defensive reaction from the little girl.
"No! It's nothing like that! You have to believe me!" She quickly exclaims. "I'm innocent. But still. . .I can't talk about it."
"You can't tell us?" Usopp asks in disbelief.
"Easy, easy. What's the big deal?" Sanji chides lightly while drying his hands from washing the dishes, coming to Apis' rescue like the gentleman he is. . .some of the time. "She must have her reasons. If she doesn't want to say, we shouldn't press her."
Nami smiles warmly. "Yes, I agree. But it would be helpful if you would at least tell us where you're from."
It hits Apis that she never relayed that information. "Eh, um, I'm from. . .It's a place called Warship Island."
"Warship Island?"
"Do you know it?" Usopp asks the navigator.
"No, but it should be labeled on the map." Nami then pulls out a map and begins to look it over.
"Odd name. Why's it called Warship Island?" Luffy inquires.
"Uh, well, because the shape of the island looks exactly like a warship." Apis explains further.
"Heh. I like it." Luffy remarks with a grin.
Nami gasps, grabbing everyone's attention. "Look!" She taps to a small island on the map near the Grand Line.
"Ah. It's close to the Grand Line." Usopp comments.
"We're here. So, the distance between us and Warship Island is reasonable." The navigator drags a finger along the open sea where they currently reside towards Apis' island. Her questioning gaze then shifts to the young girl. "Well, what do you wanna do, Apis?"
Apis looks to be at a loss for words.
"We can take you back to your island. We're headed to the Grand Line, but it's no problem for us to drop you off."
Hope shines in the little girl's eyes. But that light is quickly extinguished. "Thank you." She replies, looking down sullenly. "You were all so nice to save me and I feel bad for having you go out of your way. . .but I wanna go home more than anything!" She speaks up loudly this time. "I'm sorry, I'm being selfish. Maybe you could hand me to a ship that's heading west on your way to the Grand Line. I'm sure I can handle things on my own from there."
"I don't think that's the best idea." Ghin cuts in. "An approaching pirate ship would cause other vessels to turn tail and sail on or even invoke a counterattack."
Apis' head sinks in dismay. "Yeah. You're right."
"But still, we're on no one's time but our own and Warship Island isn't that far off. So, we can do it, no problem." (First Name) assures.
Apis' head snaps up. "What?"
"Well, I'm fine with this either way." Nami comments as she turns to face Luffy. "And you, dear captain?"
Luffy responds with his signature grin. "Sure! Sounds great to me."
"It's close to where we're going." Usopp adds.
Luffy's grin widens. "I know. And the island looks like a warship."
"I think that's a 'yes'." Sanji concludes, grinning down at Apis.
"Really?!" The girl squeals. "You don't mind changing course and taking me back home?"
"Nope." Luffy
"Yes! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'm going home!" The girl cheers, jumping up and down in joy. "You have no idea what this means! I didn't ever think I would make it out of the ocean, let alone back to Warship Island! You're amazing, all of you!"
The crew can't help but smile at Apis' enthusiasm.
"I'll prepare tons of dishes for you! For everyone!"
"No, that's okay!" Is everyone's quick response.
"But why not?" Luffy complains, never being one to turn down a free meal.
🏴☠️️☠🏴☠️️
The rest of the meal goes off without a hitch as Sanji and (First Name) prepare more edible food for the crew.
Once everyone's belly was filled, the fishwoman faunus anima gets right to work on cleaning the damaged areas of the kitchen, along with some help from her gun-crazy otter and magic-gifted animal sprites.
"Hey! We've got company approaching!" Usopp's voice warns from out in the crow's nest.
The sniper's panicked announcement forces the rest of the crew to drop what they're doing and come out onto the deck.
"Just our luck! We're in deep trouble! It's the Marines!"
"Marines?!" Nami exclaims.
"And were not just talking about one or two ships either!"
Nami sprints to port side and spots an entire fleet of Marine battleships fast approaching the Going Merry.
"Why would the Marines dispatch an entire fleet to this area?" Nami wonders aloud.
Hanabi and Astro float to sit on the ship's bulwark.
🎇I've heard it's not uncommon for the World Government to station ships near the Grand Line in order to pick off rookie pirate crews🎇 The fox-like sprite suggests.
🌠But I have to agree that an entire fleet seems a bit excessive🌠 The lion-like sprite adds.
🌺So, maybe it's something else entirely.🌺 Carmela voices, perched on one of (First Name)'s shoulders with her brother as the fishwoman moves to stand close to the navigator. Richie currently stands in front of (First Name) because she's aware of her desire to keep her identity secret for the time being.
"What's going on?" Luffy asks, coming out running from the galley with Apis and the rest of the crew.
The animal members of the crew, plus (First Name), notice the little girl go pale as she catches the fleet's branch number painted onto their ships.
"Are they here to claim the bounty on my head?" Luffy asks, gawking at the number of Marine ships.
"They wouldn't send this many just for you. (First Name), maybe." Nami argues.
"Maybe the Marines feel they need an entire fleet to capture me. I am kind of amazing."
"Shut up!" The navigator is quick to cut off Luffy's boastful ramblings.
"What's wrong with you?" Sanji questions Apis, who backs away in fear slightly at the mere sight of the Marine ships.
(First Name) slowly approaches the girl and kneels down to her level. "Apis." She places a hand on her shoulder before looking over her own at the Marine ships. "Are those the perros [4] who took you?"
She shakily nods. "Yes. Those ships belong to Branch 8! They're the ones I escaped from! What am I gonna do?!"
The girl's worried cries are cut off by the sound of cannon fire and three incoming cannonballs heading right at the Going Merry.
"AHHH! They're firing at us!" Usopp shrieks, stopping halfway down the ship's starboard ratline.
(First Name)'s response is quick. She places her thumb and forefinger curved into her mouth, letting out a sharp, long whistle.
Calder's long tail lifts out of the ocean, swiping two cannonballs away while Tito's battle aura kicks in and catches the remaining projectile in his jaws before landing perfectly back on the deck, biting down on the cannonball, crushing it to pieces.
"Whoa!" Apis and the humans of the crew breathe in awe.
"ATTENTION, PIRATES! YOU HAVE TRESPASSED INTO RESTRICTED WATERS AND ARE HEREBY ORDERED TO STOP AND SURRENDER!" A Marine shouts over a bullhorn from the ship front-lining the rest of the fleet.
"There's no way we're gonna stop for Marines." Usopp says coming down the remaining ratline.
"How d'you wanna handle this?" Zoro asks Luffy. "'Cause I wanna fight 'em."
"Then, I say let's fight." Luffy agrees.
"I'm all for it." Ghin joins in, tonfas at the ready.
"You're crazy!" The sniper exclaims. "Why must we always fight against impossible odds?!"
Usopp's panicked rants are drowned out to (First Name) as a seagull (one of many that recently gathered on the ship) perches itself on her shoulder and begins letting out soft cries.
Though in the fishwoman's ears it sounds like she's speaking with a human being.
💧My lady, a strong wind approaches. Use it to escape your enemy!💧
Unknown to (First Name) and the rest of the crew, Apis appears to understand the conversation between the seagull and the crew's first mate.
Sanji catches Apis looking at the interaction between the seagull and the (Skin Color) skinned, (Hair Color) haired young woman. "Apis, what is it?"
"A wind's coming." She breathes softly. "He says it's a strong one."
Nami looks over her shoulder after hearing the younger girl's soft prediction, before looking up at the sky. "Zoro, Ghin. Lean the sail pointing south." She orders sternly,
The green-haired swordsman gives the navigator a confused look.
"Usopp, Sanji! Right rudder full!"
"Get going!" She snaps, leaving no room for questions or arguments.
"Listen to her, she knows what she's doing!" (First Name) backs her orange-haired friend up, as the seagull flies off her arm and back to its group.
The four hurry along and follow the navigator's orders.
"What's happening?" Luffy asks.
"A sudden gust of wind is heading our way." (First Name) replies.
"We can ride it out and move on." Nami adds. "If we try to take out the fleet head on, we'll end up losing, no matter how well we fight."
Luffy pouts at the prospect of skipping a fight. "Somebody sounds chicken."
🌀The tides are in the crew's favor for once.🌀 Ahio smirks.
🌺We're not free as birds just yet, brother.🌺 Carmela responds.
Apis flinches slightly under (First Name) and Nami's analyzing stares.
'She was able to understand the seagull like I was able to. Don't tell me she has. . .' The fishwoman faunus anima's thoughts are cut off as the winds predicted hit the sails hard, causing them to snap as they catch the strong breeze.
The sudden movement rocks everyone onboard. Carmela and Ahio catch Hanabi and Astro, who were sitting on the bulwark when the winds came. (First Name) catches Nami and Apis, holding them under her arms. And Richie and Tito have their claws gripping into the wooden deck to keep from flying off, despite their large sizes giving them an advantage.
"Ha! Wow, this is fast!" Luffy exclaims at the bow of the ship, holding down his hat to keep it from blowing away. "We got a good wind, huh?"
Standing beside the captain is the crew's sniper, who is now looking back at the Marine ships becoming a speck on the rear horizon. "We did it, Luffy! Look! The Marines are falling behind!" Luffy joins Usopp in looking behind. "I've seen dead snails move faster!" The sniper taunts, despite the Marines not being able to hear them.
Ghin, however, seems to be the only one who's noticed the Marines have halted in their pursuit.
All at once, the sudden gust comes to an abrupt end and the Going Merry comes to a complete standstill.
Zoro and Ghin appear to be the only crew members to notice the Merry's lack of movement.
Meanwhile, Usopp cheers and chortles at the masterful escape. "Haha! They aren't following us! See? Old Captain Usopp can even scare a Marine fleet away!"
"Perfect! Another triumph by our expert navigator!" Luffy praises.
"Well done, Nami, (First Name). How you predicted that wind before it even hit~💞." Sanji swoons.
Nami "humbly" responds, getting out from under (First Name)'s arm. "Oh, all I did was pay attention to my gut instinct."
"Only you could be humble in your perfection~💞." The cook continues.
"Shall we continue onto Warship Island?" Luffy grins.
"You mean you'll still take me!?" Apis, who has also gotten out from under (First Name)'s other arm.
"Of course!"
"Okay! To Warship Island it is! Let's go!" Usopp shouts.
(First Name), who lost her balance from the sudden wind burst and had her back and back of her head slammed against the front of the galley, rubs her sore head, but gasps as she doesn't feel the ship to be moving at all. To confirm her suspicions, she looks up the ship's jolly roger and the now lifeless sails. 'Oh, crap!'
Nami's sudden scream leads (First Name) to guess that she has become aware of the situation as well.
"Nami, what wrong?" Luffy questions, looking up to the navigator.
"Are you hurt?" Usopp asks.
Nothing but incomprehensible squeaks come from the orange-haired navigator's mouth at first. "We're screwed! We've entered the Calm Belt!"
(First Name), Carmela, Ahio, Tito, Umi, and Trigger stare over the rails of the ship and at the calm waters. Or, at least, calm for the moment. And the same thought run through their heads at this very second. 'Here we go again.'
☠TO BE CONTINUED . . . ☠
On the next One Piece . . .
"What exactly is the Calm Belt?"
"We're supposed to head straight for Warship Island!"
"Luffy gets us into one reckless thing after another."
"Wait, (First Name)! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
"Don't you find something mysterious about Apis? Like she's hiding a secret?"
"Like that? What's she doing?"
"Is that what I think it is? Wicked!"
~🏴☠️️Ch.49: The Miraculous Creature! Apis What Are You Hiding?🏴☠️️
☠🏴☠️️☠
☠Current Crew: Luffy | (First Name) | Zoro | Nami | Usopp | Ghin | Sanji☠
🐾The Pack: Carmela | Ahio | Tito | Umi | Trigger | Calder | Richie | ChouChou🐾
💙Pets: Nestor the Hermit Crab💙
💎Gems: Jimanekia the Yellow Pearl💎
🔮The Guild: Hanabi (Familiars: Akihiro | Xìngyùn) | Astro (Familiar: Hunter)🔮
🏴☠️☠🏴☠️
Translation(s)
[1] - Idiot. (Hawaiian) Traumatize her some more, why don't ya? (Swahili)
[2] - Whoa! (Portuguese)
[3] - I swear. (Chinese) This little girl's kindness is wasted on the likes of you. (Greek) She well enough deserves-- (Romanian)
[4] - dogs (Spanish)