🏴☠️️Ch.51: The Hidden, Solitary Island! A Sacred Haven to the Gems!🏴☠️️
It had just been mere hours since our escape from Warship Island. And since that time, I've relinquished my 'Siren' form and took on my more human appearance, but I haven't been able to stave off gazing at the magnificent creature napping on his cart as he's being towed by the Going Merry.
🌠He certainly is incredible isn't he?🌠 Astro floats up from behind to eye the Millennial Dragon being pulled at the ship's stern and guarded by a circling Calder.
I nod in agreement, watching Luffy, Hana and Ahio perched on Grandpa Ryu's cart to keep him company. "That and more."
🎇Hey, look! He's waking up.🎇 Hanabi chimes in, taking note of the dragon's eyes fluttering open to reveal the warm, but hazy, amber golden eyes.
Grandpa Ryu's gazes is solely focused on the school of flying fish leaping from the ocean before diving back in.
🎇Do you think Grandpa Ryu misses flying?🎇 Hanabi notes the dragon's look of longing in his large eyes.
"He very well could be." I respond, not taking my sight off him. But my suspicions beat my will to continue gazing at the magnificent beast before me to gaze at the open water the Going Merry continues to leave behind. I've yet to see a single Marine ship following us. Sure, their main flagship was severely damaged, but I don't see any other reason not to send the rest of the fleet after us. I'm starting to think that they have reason to let us get away. Most likely in the hope of us leading them to Lost Island.
But I shake those thoughts away. 'We'll burn that bridge when we cross it. Perhaps literally.' I internally smirk. Right now, our main focus is on getting Grandpa Ryu home.
Unbeknownst to me, while my gaze was no longer on the dragon, the dragon's gaze was most certainly on me. Or more specifically, the gleaming mineral hanging from around my neck.
"No wonder it's called 'Lost Island'." The Guild members and I shift our attention to the crew's navigator as she speaks up from looking at a map of the surrounding area.
"It's not on any of the charts. Its description doesn't even match any of the island in the waters around Warship Island."
"Hey! Grandpa Ryu!" Usopp suddenly yells to the dragon. "Which way should we go?! Where's Lost Island!?"
The dragon doesn't budge, not even taking his gaze away from the "winged" fish that continue to leap from the waters around him.
Luffy being Luffy, choses to be a bit more direct. "Direct" being putting his face in Grandpa Ryu's line of sight to gaze into his eyes to try and see if he can get some answers. The straw hat wearing teen and the colossal dragon stare into each other's eyes for a short moment. "Hey . . ."
But Grandpa Ryu turns his head away, before shutting his eyes and going right back to sleep.
"I think he went to sleep again." Luffy calls up to the crew.
The crew frowns dejectedly, as their only source of locating Lost Island is an inhabitant of said island who can't even give so much as a clue.
"Sorry for the wait, everybody!"
At the sound of the crew's youngest passenger, all eyes turn to see Apis coming out from the galley, carrying a large cooking pot with mittened hands. "I hope you're all hungry!"
The crew, both human and animal, begin to sweat nervously at what concoction lies in the pot she holds.
"Oh, no. Don't tell me she cooked again." Zoro grumbles lowly.
"No one was waiting for her food." Usopp whispers, utterly terrified deep down.
"Her last meal is still sitting away in my stomach." Ghin pales slightly, but steels himself. "I don't think I can survive another helping."
Nami remains silent but based on her expression and twitch of her eyebrow she shares the boys' worries.
Apis runs to us with an eager, adorable look with Sanji trailing behind her, carrying a massive woven basket and long length of rope.
Usopp lets out a long sigh of relief at the sight of the blond chef following closely behind the little girl. "Oh, Sanji! What a relief! For a minute there, I thought you weren't the one who made the meal. I'm so happ—"Noticing the sniper's comment wasn't sitting well with Apis, I karate chop him on the head, leaving him face down on the deck with a notable dent in the back of his cranium. "Den chreiázetai na eísai tóso evaísthitos. [1]"
"Sorry. . ." Comes Usopp's muffled apology.
Apis smiles thankfully in my direction.
"Lunch time!" Apis calls down to those on Grandpa Ryu's raft. She holds up the still steaming pot of fried rice. "Now eat up, Grandpa Ryu!"
"Food!" Luffy exclaims excitedly.
Before the child could protest, Luffy stretches his arms out, grabbing the pot of food.
"Wait! Luffy!" I try to warn. "It's still. . ."
As he pulls the pot back to him, the rubber boy slowly comes to realize that the food's container is still searing hot. It just took a few seconds longer for Luffy than how a normal person would.
"HOT!!" Luffy shrieks, dropping the pot full of food in mid pull, allowing it to spill and piss off a certain blond chef.
"NOOOOO! YOU MOROOOOONNNN!!!"
Both the pot and its contents land atop Grandpa Ryu's balding dome.
The shrimp fried rice begins to sizzle atop his head, turning it a deep shade of red. Like Luffy, it takes a few seconds for the burning to register with the dragon, as his eyes shoot open quickly from the pain.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Luffy begins running around the raft like a mad man.
Leaping from the stern banister, I let loose a jet of water from my mouth, putting out Luffy's blistering hand while in midair.
"Hey, than—" The raven-haired captain's appreciation is responded with me landing on his head causing him to faceplant into Grandpa Ryu's cart turned raft.
Leaping from atop Luffy, I begin clearing the scalding food from Grandpa Ryu's head.
"Grandpa Ryu!" I hear Apis cry.
"Apis!" Nami gasps, as she can only watch as the small girl ziplines down the rope securing the raft to the ship. The cooking mitts she still wears protect her hands from any damage.
"Grandpa Ryu!" She continues to shout, running over to help her injured friend.
She now joins me in sweeping the hot food from his head.
"Grandpa Ryu, are you okay?" Apis asks, worriedly. But the dragon appears to be in a kind of trance.
The dragon calms as the burning sensation is diminishing as his head is now clean of hot foodstuffs. He then shifts his gaze to look at the girl.
Apis blinks, staring attentively at the dragon. From her expression, I can put together that Grandpa Ryu must be telling her something through the power of her Whisper-Whisper Devil Fruit.
"Perfect. I go through the trouble of making that food and it all goes to waste." Sanji complains from back aboard the Going Merry.
"You can make more though, right?" Usopp questions.
"I think Sanji's concern is the fact that the food was wasted in the first place." Ghin inputs.
Apis ignores the males' bantering, and stands, turning away from her dragon friend to gaze out at the open sea.
"What? What is it?" Luffy asks, now since getting up from his faceplant and now holding the half-empty pot while using his sandals as protective holders. He and I glance between the small girl and the direction she continues staring in but has yet to find anything out of the ordinary to warrant such a concentrated stare.
"I know where Lost Island is. . . " Apis murmurs, turning her head to face Luffy and I. "The Dragon's Nest is somewhere to the East of Warship Island."
A wide grin breaks out on Luffy's face. "That's great! How'd you know where to find it?"
🌺Yeah. What brought on this sudden revelation?🌺 Carmela queries.
"Grandpa Ryu just remembered!" Apis squeals in excitement, wearing a bright grin equal to Luffy's.
"I've heard of knocking some sense into people, but this is new." I mumble, applying a cool hand to Grandpa Ryu's head.
🌀Yup.🌀
"We know where it is!" Luffy calls out to the rest of the crew. "Lost Island lies to the east of Warship Island, guys!"
"Yeah! Grandpa Ryu said so!" Apis adds.
"Let's go!"
From aboard the Going Merry, the remaining crew is surprised that the odd turn of events yielded a most helpful epiphany.
"Usopp, take the helm." Nami instructs, running ahead of the sniper.
"You got it!" Usopp obliges, following the navigator closely behind.
"Right! We've spent enough time here! Now. . .TO LOST ISLAND!" Luffy cheers.
Now having a solid destination in mind, the navigator and sniper make way to change their course.
"Dammit, you better eat all of that!" Sanji threatens the rubber boy, still greatly annoyed at all the perfectly good food he cooked has gone to waste.
"Oh, no problem!" Luffy replies without hesitation. To Luffy, food is food, no matter where it's been. I just wish I could fix that problem. One day he's gonna eat something he shouldn't have.
🏴☠️️☠🏴☠️️
Finishing a hearty meal in the galley, the crew has scattered among the deck, keeping themselves occupied until they reach their enigmatic destination.
Luffy has taken up residence on his self-appointed "captain's seat" on the Merry's figurehead. Ghin and (First Name) hang from the ratlines keeping an eye out for any Marine ships that might be following them. Nami, Usopp, Carmela, and Ahio are stationed up in the crow's nest to keep an eye out for Lost Island.
Sanji has since forced Zoro to help him with the dishes back in the galley with Hanabi and Astro floating around, putting everything in its proper place. It was actually pretty comical seeing the two not arguing and trying to kill each other with their own individual fighting styles for once. But the two magic apprentices and their familiars could tell that Sanji was purposely trying to grate on Zoro's nerves.
From his "captain's seat", Luffy stretches his arms in the more normal fashion before continuing to gaze out in the "east" direction they've been heading. "So, Lost Island is supposedly out in this direction somewhere. Wonder what it looks like and when we're gonna see it." He then bends backwards slightly to gaze up and upside-down at his friends in the crow's nest. "Hey! Can you see anything from up there, Usopp!?"
"Nope! Not a single thing!" The sniper calls down before sighing in dejection. "We've come a long way. There's still on sign of this Lost Island. I hope this doesn't turn out to be a wild goose chase."
Nami and the macaw siblings dismally sigh as well.
"And then there's Grandpa Ryu. . ." The sniper continues. "I wish there was some way we could help him remember a few more details." He pauses before he gasps in what seems to be recollection. "That should do the trick!" He begins to rummage around in his knapsack, until he pulls out small, but nonetheless heavy, anvil. "So, what say we bonk him on the head with this anvil? That should loosen up some memories in his old noggin alright."
But his answer comes in the form of hard pecking on his head. 🌀Are you out of your mind?🌀
Usopp let's go of the anvil to protect his head from the onslaught of beaks and in turns drops the anvil on his foot. He screams in pain and clutches at his injured foot.
Nami and Carmela leave behind the poor sniper and male Elemental Macaw to shift their attention to the stern of the ship. As they do, a warm smile breaks out on their faces.
In the galley, through the porthole window, Sanji unknowingly finds what Nami is gazing at as well.
Apis continues to watch over Grandpa Ryu from her place at the stern banister.
In the crow's nest, Ahio and Usopp's fighting migrates over to where Nami and Carmela are but it dies out when they catch sight of the brave, young girl below.
Apis continues conversing through her Whisper-Whisper Devil Fruit with the dragon. "Can you believe it Grandpa Ryu? We're almost there? We're almost to Lost Island! And it's there, right? The Dragon's Nest you told me about? And if you go there, you'll get all better, won't you?" There's a brief pause in her conversation, as if listening to Grandpa Ryu speak to her in her head. "What?" She smiles warmly at the dragon's response. "You're so nice! But you don't have to thank me. We're not even there yet."
Overhearing her one-sided conversation, (First Name) can't help but smile fondly at the bond between the girl and mythical creature. But the moment is soon ruined when, out of the corner of her eye, the fish faunus anima spots a familiar sight just off to the port horizon. 'Damn Marine dogs.' But before she can curse them some more in her head, the voice of her captain gains her attention.
"What's that?"
(First Name) crawls off the ratline to move closer to her captain to see what's caught his eye.
"Smoke, perhaps?" Jimanekia's voice appears from thin air before she manifests from her gemstone held within (First Name)'s pocket.
Directly ahead lies a shimmer, dark shadow of some kind. At first glance it appears to be floating between the sea and the sky. Upon closer inspection, as the ship draws in closer, the shadow becomes larger.
"I don't think so. Looks too uniform to be smoke." (First Name) throws out.
Luffy merely shrugs. "Oh, well. Guess we'll know when we get closer."
From the Going Merry's stern, Apis' talk with Grandpa Ryu has since morphed into an argument. One that really caused Apis to throw a tantrum.
During her one-sided argument with the dragon, the shadow's form has now become more ship-like in appearance.
"A. . .ship?" Luffy notes.
"It certainly resembles one, but something's off about it." (First Name) adds, joining her captain's side on the figurehead.
Luffy takes note of the close proximity between them and begins to blush lightly but his gaze then shifts to a bright glow coming from around his first mate's neck.
"(First Name), your necklace!"
(First Name) looks down to see the quartz crystal of her necklace glowing brightly. "What the. . .?"
A glow of a different color from behind catches her eye. She turns to look over her shoulder to spot Jimanekia's gemstone beginning to glow as well. (First Name) shifts between looking at her Gem friend and her own necklace. A particular memory of a conversation between her and her mother rings through her head, back to when she first received the very crystal shard necklace hanging from her neck.
'This gem is not only a gift from your aunt but will be a key that opens many doors to your Gem family history.'
(First Name) outstretches her hand to touch the shadowy image. When making contact, the shadows ripple in front of them, giving way to reveal a perfect mirror image of the Going Merry and the entire crew aboard it.
Before the sheep figurehead could collide with its mirror image, (First Name) removes her necklace, gripping it by the glowing crystal shard and jams it into the mirror form before them. She then turns the shard like an actual key, causing more ripples to reverberate along the mirror image. An opening begins to appear in the watery-like surface and the ship continues sailing on without any resistance from whatever it is that lies before the Straw Hats ship.
"Awesome!" Luffy exclaims. "Hey, guys! Do you see what (First Name) is doing?"
Nami and Usopp now bear horrified expressions and begin screaming bloody murder as the ship sails beyond the reflective, watery surface.
"I see it. . ." Ghin replies, slightly shocked as he climbs down from the ratlines. "Still working on believing it.
The remaining crew, outside those in the galley, are left shocked speechless at what's transpiring.
To the Marines following them, it looks as if the ship has vanished into thin air as the opening (First Name)'s quartz shard made closes up behind them.
Passing through what now (First Name) can guess was a camouflaged barrier of some kind, the Going Merry now sails in a thick veil of fog. The sun can be seen shining through from above but does the crew no favors in aiding in clearly navigating the newfound waters.
Sanji, Zoro, Hanabi and Astro calmly walk out the galley to see what warrants such commotion.
"What gives? It's just fog." Mumbles Zoro.
"From the way Nami was screaming, I thought we were in danger." Sanji says, searching around for the rest of the crew through the fog.
"What in the world is going on?" Nami demands in botheration.
"Can somebody please explain to me what just happened." Usopp asks. "I mean. . .our own ship was right in front of us, but somehow we passed straight through it, right?!"
"This stuff's so thick, I can't see a thing." Luffy comments.
"It was almost like. . .well, a mirage!"
"That's it! A mirage!" Nami exclaims in realization. "I remember reading about it once!"
🌀Makes sense. When warmer air in the sky collides with the cool air near the ocean's surface it can create a mirage at sea.🌀 Ahio explains, agree with the navigator's knowledge.
"But that still doesn't explain how (First Name)'s crystal was able to open up the mirage to allow us to pass through." Ghin cuts in.
"I can explain that bit." (First Name) joins in. "The very mirage we passed through is a product of Gem advancements."
"'Gem advancements'?" Everyone echoes.
"Yes. Us Gems are considered to be one of the most advanced species currently known to the world. But because they are now commonly known to be a very reserved and hidden race, it's unknown to most how far those advancement go." Jimanekia begins to clarify. "Gems must have lived in this area one time or another. They could very well possibly still be."
"Or just had something here they wanted so desperately to protect." (First Name) adds.
A sudden wind picks up, putting the females' conversation on hold. The wind scatters the fog so quickly, that it clears the view all around in a matter of seconds, only to reveal a massive storm ahead.
The waters become more choppy, dark clouds begin to gather overhead. Short rumbles of thunder signal an immediate slow rainfall, but within moments turns into an onslaught of a downpour, quickly drenching everyone on deck.
"What about this? Is this a mirage, too?" Usopp questions, unbelievingly to the abrupt change in weather.
Nami only screams in frustration at not being able to accurately predict the out of nowhere deluge. "What's the deal with this stupid ocean?!"
Her complaints are cut off when a huge wave violently rocks the ship, knocking everyone off their feet. Nobody fell overboard thanks to Calder nudging the Going Merry to her upright position.
"Thanks, Calder!" (First Name) shouts over the storm and roars of the waves, to which the sea king roars loudly in reply.
(First Name) is quick to save her captain from a watery grave, as he almost falls off from his "captain's chair".
"I really wish you'd be smart for once and not sit in dangerous spots, Lu."
The rubber boy only laughs in reply. "Heheheh. Sorry."
"Aaaaahhhhh!"
Hearing Apis' scream, causes the fish woman to glance over her shoulder to find the girl in a pile of limbs with Sanji and Zoro. And the swordsman and cook certainly don't look happy about the situation and are now back to arguing.
"Sanji! Zoro! Stop fighting and raise the sails!" Nami orders. "You too, Ghin! Hurry up!"
"Yes, Nami dear~💞!"
Before joining his crewmates to help tie in the sails, Zoro thought it'd be best for Apis to remain in the galley during the storm. "You'll be safer inside." He advises, grabbing ahold of her by the arm.
But the small native of Warship Island has other ideas. "No!" She yanks her arm out of the swordsman's hold, glaring at him with defiance the whole time. "I have to stay out here with Grandpa Ryu!" She sprints to ship's stern
"Don't be an idiot!" Zoro shouts. "It's too dangerous for you to be out in this storm!"
"I just can't leave him alone in this! I caaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnn't!" As she runs from the swordsman, she fails to notice the ship has begun to tilt again. This time with bow lowering more than the stern. And with the sudden upward angle she now runs at, plus the rain soaking the deck, she has no traction and slips, landing on her stomach and slides right back to where she started, crashing into the starboard bulwark.
She would've fallen overboard, had a certain scaly tail not caught her in time.
Apis open her eyes to find herself in (First Name)'s (Favorite Color)-scaled arms, now having shifted into her 'Siren' form.
"I'll keep an eye on Grandpa Ryu for you. You best stay in the galley where it's safe, until we can get out of this storm." She reasons.
Apis tries to argue. "But—"
"He's probably more worried about you being out here in this situation." (First Name) gives the girl a stern look, showing that there's no room for arguing with her, but also calmly enough not to frighten her.
Apis frowns, but gives in. "Okay. . ."
"Besides, I need someone to look after the Pack for me." (First Name) smiles. "Think you can do that for me?"
Apis nods with conviction, before calling all the animal members of the crew in the galley, seeing as they couldn't do much with their current predicament.
Now with their young charge in the safety of the galley, (First Name) hurries to the aft deck to uphold her promise. Making sure the raft's tow lines are tightly secure, she then sets out to lean over the rail to check their large passenger. "Just a little bit longer, Grandpa Ryu!"
The dragon's only response is a raise of his head to meet eyes with the fish woman faunus anima. Gazing into his eyes, she could see that despite his disposition, he is very well aware of the situation but holds no fear for it.
Giving the dragon's raft a quick examination, (First Name) notes that its holding rather well, despite the rough waves. But (First Name) keeps a close eye on it. The last thing they need is Grandpa Ryu's raft drifting away in the middle of a terrible storm.
Just ahead, a bolt of lightning strikes the open water before the Going Merry.
"Get moving!" Nami orders, continuing to observe the fierce storm from the crow's nest. "If we keep drifting that lightning's gonna hit us!"
Luffy calmly stands at the bow deck, also observing the storm. "It almost seems like the ocean's trying to push the ship back from something. Maybe (First Name) and Jimanekia were right about Gems wanting to protect something here. But what?"
A powerful wave suddenly knocks against the back of the Merry, leading (First Name) to stumble against the banister. The alarming sound of snapping catches her ear. Under the heavy strain from the storm, the ropes tethering Grandpa Ryu's raft to the ship snap, its severed end whipping around in the air, striking (First Name) across her face, along the bridge of her nose.
The young woman squeaks in pain. But left with no time to nurse her wound, as the rope hitching the dragon's raft to the ship is quickly beginning to unravel and causing the raft to begin to trail behind.
With only split seconds and no other ideas in mind, (First Name) snatches the ropes, coiling it along her forearms for better grip. But with the dragon's weight, plus the storm, (First Name) finds herself lurching forward.
Lifting a webbed-foot, she plants it on the banister, preventing her from crashing into it. With her new foothold, she pulls with everything she has. But the ropes begin to dig into her forearms, leaving some nasty red rope burns on the skin not covered by her scales. Though excruciatingly painful, she shuts her eyes to try and bear with it and used every fiber of her being to not let go.
Suddenly, the pain lessens greatly, and she feels two new presences flanking her.
Zoro and Ghin, each grasping at a length of one of the ropes still wrapped around the first mate's arms, pull back with all their strength.
Through their combined efforts, they safely manage to re-secure the rope lines to the ship.
"Nami! I see a light over there!" Sanji yells, noticing a break in the storm clouds, allowing sunlight to shine down.
"That must be the eye of the storm!" Nami exclaims.
"Guys, do you see that?" Shouts Usopp, hanging from the starboard ratlines. "There's an island below the light!"
"Then that's where we're heading!" Nami replies. "Come on!"
As an extra precaution, (First Name) has Jimanekia fetch another rope for more support to Grandpa Ryu's raft.
The Going Merry presses on, heading right for the eye of the storm and the island that lies in it. Though the crew a bit waterlogged, but still alive nonetheless, thanks in most part to the instruction of their talented navigator.
The seas have instantly calmed as the ship enters the eye of the storm, which is a stark contrast to the barrier of storm clouds surrounding it.
"An island hidden by a mirage and surrounded by stormy seas." Nami muses. "Well that certainly explains why no one's ever found it. It's not lost anymore though, now that we found it. And you still believe this storm was created to protect this place, (First Name)?"
"Most definitely." The faunus anima assures. "Gems have no trouble shaping their surroundings to aid them. There's hardly anything impossible for a Gem."
"It looks more like a castle that sank into the ocean instead of an island, if you ask me." Luffy comments.
The island wasn't great in size like Warship Island. In fact, the only similarity between the two is that they both have a tall mountain at the center and mostly covered by forests.
Calmly drifting towards the island's shore, it becomes apparent that aside from the animal life, the island is devoid of any human citizens. For quite some time, going on the decrepit state of what was once a city, now turned ruins. Heavy vegetation can also be seen growing along the crumbling stone structures.
"Whoa! Check out that stone work! It actually looks like a dragon!" Usopp points out a surprisingly intact dragon shaped statuary that slightly peeks out from the shallow waters near the shore. "Y'know, I bet you those Millennial Dragons built this place themselves."
"Wow!" Luffy gasps, excitedly. "I never knew dragons were so good at building stuff!"
(First Name) can't help but giggle cutely at Luffy's gullibility. The sweet-sounding chortle causes the males of the crew to blush and avoid gazing at the young woman in embarrassment of being caught. "I doubt that, Luffy. Seems to me that the people who once lived here crafted these to honor the Millennial Dragons who occupied this island."
Luffy and Usopp actually take the time to ponder (First Name)'s observation.
"Well, whatever." Zoro replies dismissively.
"Yeah! Who cares?" Luffy agrees, heedlessly. "We made it to Lost Island!"
Nami locates a stone slip to dock by and allow the crew to disembark. They guys join together to drag Grandpa Ryu's cart on land. Carmela has since treated the rope burns along (First Name) arms, now wrapped in gauze and the cut across her face already beginning to scar.
Richie offers to watch the ship, along with Calder and the Guild members.
"No signs of life." Sanji comments, taking a look around as he first steps on land. "I wonder if anyone lives here anymore. It looks like this place has been reclaimed by nature."
"Does anyone know where the Dragon's Nest could be?" Nami brings up a most important question, after surveying the surrounding area without much clue.
"Hey! Grandpa Ryu!" Apis calls to the sleeping dragon on his cart. "Hey, I'm talking to you! Geez! We're on the island with the Dragon's Nest! Would you wake up and tell us where it is?!"
The dragon slowly opens his eyes enough to gaze at the little girl before falling back asleep. Apis blinks in confusion at the dragon.
"What'd he say?" Luffy asks.
Apis now looks trouble after "speaking" with Grandpa Ryu. "Well, he said he's not sure. . .But he said that this place might not even be the actual Lost Island."
"What?!" Zoro exclaims.
"You can't be serious." Sanji remarks.
"So, going through all that. . ." Ghin groans, gazing back at the surrounding barrier of storm clouds with his arms crossed over his chest. "And only to find out that this may not even be the place we set out to search for."
"So, we went through that freaky mirage and storm for nothing?!" Usopp laments.
Saddened, Apis shifts her gaze to the ground.
💥He said he wasn't sure.💥 Trigger cuts in. 💥So, it's still a possibility that this could be the place.💥
🌺Let's piece together what we know.🌺 Carmela chimes in. 🌺We've got a deserted island that Gems have gone through so much to protect that they created a mirage around it, along with a storm cloud barrier that could capsize most vessels.🌺
"So, even if this isn't the actual Lost Island, it has to be related in some way or form. Or at least enough to provide actual clues to its real location." Jimanekia theorizes.
"You really think so?" Apis asks, hesitantly.
"It's a better lead than the one we got here with." (First Name) agrees.
"Apis!" Luffy calls out. The rubber boy points to the island's mountaintop in the distance, just past the city ruins. "See that! If the Dragon's Nest is on the island, I bet we can spot it from up there!" He suggests, surprisingly with great thought in mind.
"Right! We can't see anything from down here, so why don't we go take a look." Nami responds optimistically. "What do you say?"
"Yeah!" Apis nods.
"Right! Let's go!" Luffy grins.
Traveling through the forest, the boys and Tito push the ton-weighing, dragon-occupied cart up the stone pathway. Usopp, Sanji and Ghin pushing from the rear, while Zoro, Luffy, and Tito pull from the front.
"Aw, it's not fair!" Usopp grumbles, straining to keep up with his task of helping push the massive dragon up the slope. "We men have to do all the work, while Nami gets to take a stroll. She should be back here pushing with us!"
"Hey, back there! Less caterwauling and more dragon-hauling!" The navigator shouts back.
"Sure! That's easy for you to say!" The sniper argues.
"Would you shut up and push!" Sanji growls, before doing a complete 180 and beginning to swoon over the orange-haired navigator/thief. "Nami's so gorgeous when she's ordering us around~💞"
"You really are hopeless, Sanji." Ghin mutters.
The stone pathway begins to angle upwards sharply in numerous sections of ramps. Finally reaching the top of the summit, the Straw Hats take in the site before them.
"It's a city. . ." Nami gasps.
The ruins still hold such magnificence, despite its run-down appearance. Stone structures line both sides of the pathway. Most of which still stand in pretty good shape, despite their caved in roofs and some walls sticking out haphazardly. Vegetation grows along the doors, windows, and peeks out in every crevice and crack. A chilling feeling hangs in the air, making the ruins seem more like a cemetery than a once great city.
"Whoa. . .check it out. . ." Luffy breathes. "It looks all abandoned and broken down. (First Name), do you really believe Gems and people used to live here?"
"Of course." Zoro grunts. "Who else do you think lived in all these houses?"
"Well. . .why did they leave then? And where did they go?" Usopp strains.
"Who knows? Maybe they found a better island to live on and moved away or something?" Sanji surmises.
(First Name) and ChouChou come to an abrupt halt when they spot Apis lagging behind in a field of tall grass looking at something.
Walking to stand next to the little girl, she now sees that the thing which has grabbed the girl's attention is a toy of some kind.
"Whatchu got there, Apis?" (First Name) asks, squatting down next to the child. In her outstretched hand, she reveals a spinning top with a dragon emblem and small crystals of different colors within it on its circular face. (First Name) gently takes the toy from the younger's open hand and begins examining it.
"It's a Millennial Dragon toy." The fishwoman faunus anima notes.
"I wonder if the children who lived here played with dragons like I did with Grandpa Ryu."
"It's most certainly a possibility. And it looks like my hunch on their connection with the Gems was spot on too." She points out the colored crystals along the dragon. She hands the top back to Apis, but the girl does something surprising. With her small hands, she bends (First Name)'s fingers to wrap around the top still in her hand.
"You should keep it." Apis says. "As a reminder for the bond your ancestors had with the dragons."
(First Name) wanted to protest, but the pouty, stubborn look of the young child makes her hold her tongue and just accept the offer. "I'll promise to take excellent care of it."
Light chirps from overhead gain the two girls and dog's attention. Up above, three green birds circle over them.
Apis laughs lightly. "Hi! Do you know if there's a place here where dragons might nest?" She asks the birds.
"Hey, Apis, (First Name), ChouChou! Come on! You don't wanna get left behind!"
Apis appears now pleased after conversing with one of the birds, who has now perched itself on her shoulder. As a huge smile breaks out on her face, she quickly snatches (First Name) by her free hand and pulls her along—with ChouChou on their heels—to catch up with the rest of the crew.
"Guess what!?" Apis starts, excitedly. Rhetorical, she continues not giving Nami any time to answer. "I was just talking to the birds and they told me there's a building with a dragon emblem on it and some other weird-looking markings."
"What?" Nami gasps.
"Really. . .?" Usopp wheezes, overhearing the girls' conversation.
"It could be the Dragon's Nest! What are we waiting for?! C'mon, (First Name)!" The (Hair Color)-haired woman can't help but smile at Apis' enthusiasm and allows herself to be dragged by the much small girl.
Continuing along the stone path, the pirate group, little girl and dragon finally reach the top of the mountain. And like Apis' new bird friends told her, there really is a building at the summit. It couldn't be seen from afar due to the thick forest surrounding it. The building is actually the most well-kept—with some ware damage—compared to the rest of the city. Domed in shape and very large in size, with enormous stone doors with a dragon emblem etched into its surface. And at its very center, within a faded green circle, are yellow, blue, white and pink connecting diamonds. The former sigil of the Gem species from near centuries ago. But the pink diamond shape is half crumbled, signifying the shattering of one of the original four Gem leaders.
With a final heave-ho, the boys manage to haul the dragon's cart up the few short steps.
"Please tell me we don't have to push anymore." Groans Usopp, after collapsing from exhaustion.
Apis' bird friend flutters off her shoulder and flies away. "Thank you so much for showing us the way!"
"Wow, what do ya know? We traveled a lot further than I thought." Sanji comments, gazing down at the rest of the island from their high view.
"Thank you all so very much." Apis says, happily.
"Excellent work, boys." (First Name) praises causing the boys to blush again.
"That painting must be the dragon emblem." Nami observes the dragon-shaped etching on the stone doors.
The emblem itself is a bit blocky and complex, but still retains the shape of a dragon.
"Yup! Guess so." Luffy answers.
"Seems awfully small for a dragon's nest." Ghin remarks, skeptically.
"This is it?" Usopp echoes with equal skepticism.
"Even if it is, where's the door?" Zoro points out, confused. "How're we supposed to get inside it?"
"The door's right there!" Luffy says, pointing right at the structure.
🌀He means how are we supposed to open the doors, moron.🌀 Ahio deadpans.
💥There's no way of safely opening it.💥 Trigger retorts. 💥No handle. A keyhole. No nothing!💥
"And I'm very much against damaging a piece of Gem history, if it's all the same to you all." Jimanekia adds.
Out of nowhere, Apis and (First Name) gravitate towards the doors in some kind of trance.
The crystal of (First Name)'s necklace begins to glow again, this time more softly. At the same time, Apis grasps at her own dragon claw necklace. Both girls' eyes frozen to a respective spot.
(First Name) stares at a gap at the center of the four diamonds of the Gem sigil, while Apis gazes at a spot on the dragon emblem where a piece of stone is missing. One of the dragon's claws isn't there.
"Those pendants of yours. . ." Nami catches onto the girls' ideas. "You mean they're. . ."
Sanji and Ghin catch on as well. "So. . . they're keys that open the door to the Dragon's Nest, huh?" The cook finishes the navigator's thought.
Apis stares over her shoulder at the crew, before nodding in confirmation. She then turns to (First Name). "Together."
With bated breath, the pirates look on in anticipation as the two females stand before the massive set of doors. Removing their necklaces from around their necks, they each hold their pendant tokens up to the door.
Just before (First Name) could insert the crystal into the slot she notices Apis having trouble reaching the gap her dragon claw would go into.
"I. . .I can't reach it. . ." She sobs, teary-eyed. Her one moment to shine and her height goes and ruins it.
Luffy chuckles. "That's 'cause you're so short, silly!"
"Yeah, so?" She sasses to cover her embarrassment. "Not all of us can be giants, like (First Name)."
Luffy heeds no mind to the girl's snappy attitude and calmly takes the claw from her hand. "Here, let me do it." He raises the item to its slot. "Let's see. . ."
But before he could set it in place, an unsettling rumbling sounds from beneath the pirates' feet.
The ground beneath their feet suddenly caves in, leaving the crew to respond with only screams of horror as they fall into darkness.
They would have met with a very uncomfortable landing, if it wasn't for. . .
"Light Ribbons!"
With a wave of her arms, Jimanekia summons numerous ribbons of light to act as a trampoline to cushion everyone's fall. Even Grandpa Ryu, still safely on his cart.
Everyone catches their breath, as the free-falling stops.
With wide eyes everyone looks up to see the giant hole they fell through.
Usopp is the first to break the silence. "Hey, guys. . .We're still alive, right?"
Zoro grunts in pain. "Well. . .sure feels that way. . ."
From above, Carmela and Ahio glide down, having avoided falling like the others.
🌀Everyone okay?🌀
🌺Anybody hurt?🌺
"Who was it again. . ." Grunts Sanji. " . . .that claimed to have a key that would open the door for us?"
Apis laughs nervously.
"This isn't on Apis." (First Name) responds. "Our combined weight, plus the instability of the floor, caused it to give out right under our feet. And don't forget, I had one of the "keys" too."
💥Besides. . .we're in, aren't we?💥 Trigger finishes, taking in the new surroundings.
"Here." Luffy hands Apis the dragon claw of her necklace.
At the same time, Usopp locates (First Name)'s necklace lying in front of him and returns it to its rightful owner. To which said owner, thanks the sniper with a peck on the cheek, leaving him to feel elated on cloud nine and the other males to give him 'if-looks-could-kill' glares.
"Well, it may not have been through the front door, but we're in." Ghin admits.
Apis grins, giving a thumbs up. "So, it all worked out."
"Yeah, but. . .just what is this place?" Zoro questions, lowly.
The room has support pillars along its walls and carvings etched from top to bottom all around.
"Hey. . ." Luffy calls out, grabbing everyone's attention to see him focused on the room's dome ceiling. "Look up there."
"What is. . .that?" Apis breathes.
Painted on the dome ceiling is a kind of mural.
(First Name) eyes narrow at the figures depicted up above. "Those are. . ."
☠TO BE CONTINUED. . .☠
On the next One Piece. . .
"Hey! Is this place really Lost Island or what?"
"Look at that! This can only mean!"
"Look out!"
"That nutjob! He actually followed us all the way here!"
"Alright! Let's fight! You too, Zoro!"
"Just go! I'll take care of this guy."
"Guys! We've got even more trouble!"
"That is one huge armada!"
🏴☠️️Ch.52: Escape the Temple! Return To Warship Island!🏴☠️️
☠🏴☠️️☠
☠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] - You don't have to be so insensitive. (Greek)