Long Ring Long Island

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After about a week in the sky, I've almost forgotten what the Grand Line is actually like. There might not be any faux gods with their pitiful underlings trying to destroy and entire civilization, but there are plenty of other monsters that are out to kill us at every turn. The Grand Line is feared for a reason. Even when the monsters are kind of goofy looking, like the Sea Monkeys that are staring us down with their goofy smiles.

"Don't smile back at them, Luffy," I groan. "You're just going to make them angrier."

"They're the ones that create the tsunami, right?" Luffy asks, still copying the smile of the Sea Monkeys.

There isn't even enough time for me to answer before the Sea Monkeys create a giant wave behind us that will overtake us if we don't get moving. It has only been a day since we touched back down into the Blue Sea, and we've been making our way towards the next island that the log pose is pointing us towards. We have no clue how long it will take, so we are all enjoying time out in the sun while this happens.

"Run away!" Chopper screams. "It's the Sea Monkeys!"

"They're here again!" Usopp bellows.

"Nami! There's no wind!" I start running towards the main mast.

"Pull up the sail!" Nami orders. "We'll use the paddles to get moving!"

I quickly pull the main sail up while Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper (in his Heavy Point form) get the paddles out and start to get us moving. Usopp is up in the crow's nest looking out for any other danger we need to avoid with binoculars. It really is amazing how well-oiled we are as a team when the time comes for us to get work done.

"Emergency! Emergency!" Usopp calls down to us. "Another ship at twelve o'clock!"

"Whoa, another ship out here?" I lean back against the main mast, keeping out of the way of the boys paddling.

"Enemies!?" Luffy asks.

"No...on that ship...there is no flag, and not even a sail!" Usopp replies. "What kind of ship is that?"

"They don't have anything?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"Why are they even on the sea!?" Luffy snaps.

"I don't know, but the sailors look...kind of strange," Usopp says. "They are all just sitting on the deck looking disheartened. It's like they all got killed spiritually!"

"They're going to get themselves actually killed if they don't get out of the way of the wave that will swallow them!" I shake my head. "Idiots!"

The paddle boys get us sailing right by the enemy ship, and Luffy rushes over to the side in order to inform them of the impending danger.

"Hey! You guys, the wave and Sea Monkeys are coming! Turn around now before you get swallowed up!"

In the next moment, all the crew on the ship starts screaming at each other with what they believe they should do. One wants to rob us, another wants to dodge the wave, another wants to attack us, yet another says that they can't be commanded. They are a disorganized mess of a crew. Almost like they don't have a captain to decide what their best course of action should be. All they can do well is argue with one another.

"What is wrong with them?" I shake my head.

"That ship lacks discipline," Luffy says as he gets back to the paddle with Sanji and now Usopp.

"Ignore them," Sanji says through gritted teeth. "They said they wanted to rob us, so we don't have to worry about them."

"I can still hear them arguing," I roll my eyes. "Oh, and there went a cannon. Geez, too bad we can't ask them what the hell is wrong with them."

The wave crashes down on the enemy ship, silencing their yelling in an instant. The Sea Monkeys burst out of the water a second later with big smiles on their faces as they flip around. The Going Merry is easily out of range of the wave and the monsters, so watching the Sea Monkeys happily splash around is heartwarming in a strange way. They are kind of cute from this distance, but it makes me wonder if they were targeting that ship from the beginning.

"I'm glad we have a captain like you, Luff," I grab his hand as I land back on the deck after putting the sail down again.

"I'm the only captain for you, that's for sure," Luffy teases.

"I'm glad that's over," Chopper shrinks back down to his normal form.

"That wave was probably caused by those Sea Monkeys, and they looked like they were having a fun time with it all," Usopp lets out a deep breath.

"The temperature and humidity are stabilizing, so we must be near the next island," Nami states.

"Hey Robin, do you see anything!?" Luffy calls up to Robin who took over the crow's nest when Usopp came down to help paddle.

"Yes...a while ago..." Robin softly answers.

"What!?" Luffy and Usopp exclaim. "Why didn't you say so earlier!?"

"It wouldn't have done us much good since we were trying to get away from the wave and that weird ship," I defend.

"She's on watch," Usopp shakes his head at me. "Robin, you are on watch, so when you see an island, you're supposed to say!"

"You guys!" Luffy finishes the thought. "I see an I-S-L-A-N-D! Land-ho!"

"Now you do it!"

"Both of you, cut it out," I shove Usopp and Luffy. "She doesn't have to say it like that if she doesn't want to."

"There is a heavy fog," Robin says.

"A fog?" Nami asks. "There may be danger. Chopper, go watch the front."

"Yes ma'am!" Chopper salutes with a smile before rushing towards the front of the ship.

"Do you know how much we want to see an island!?" Luffy shouts.

"I'm sorry," Robin gently says. "I'll announce it next time."

"That's better," he firmly nods. "Just keep trying!"

"Stop being such a dork," I shove Luffy once more. "It's not like there are rules for the person in the crow's nest. She's doing her best, and we don't know if she was even on a ship before this."

"You're too sweet," he grins, wrapping an arm around my waist to pull me into his side.

"Hey, you guys," Usopp nervously speaks up. "Didn't you think that ship was kind of weird?"

"There were disorganized for sure," I reply.

"Their captain wasn't there, nor was their navigator. No flag, no sail, then all the crew looked disheartened, and as Akari said, there were disorganized as well as lacking discipline. How could they have been pirates?"

"Maybe they lost a fight, their captain died, and they lost all their stuff?" Zoro crosses his arms.

"Not likely," Usopp shakes his head. "I checked out their ship, and not only was there no sign of a recent battle, but there was also nothing to suggest that they were pirates at all!"

"So they weren't pirates," Sanji shrugs, holding his lit cigarette between his fingers. "No big deal."

"Maybe...but my instinct tells me that they were pirates!"

"You can feel that someone is a pirate now?" I tease.

"I just have a bad feeling about this..." he sighs.

"You always do," Sanji places his cigarette between his lips before heading to the stairs.

"I wonder if there is a town or shipyard on the island," Luffy grabs the railing above us, giving me a split second to wrap my arms around his torso before he flings us onto the upper deck.

"Luffy, don't go on the island until everyone is ready!" Nami orders. "Akari, try to control your boyfriend!"

"I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises!" I chuckle, looking out at the approaching shore. It is difficult with the fog that covers the island, but maybe that means it is hiding something interesting.

"I'll just keep my hold on you, so you have to come with me," Luffy pinches my hip.

"That's why I said I'd do my best, not try my hardest. I'm sure she feels better just knowing that I'm by your side keeping you somewhat in line."

"I hope we meet a good repairman," Chopper muses as he looks ahead.

"The shore is near!" Luffy calls back to everyone. "Get ready to anchor!"

A chorus of 'Yeah' streams back at us.

"Gah! Everyone, listen to me!" Usopp strains out.

"Chopper, Usopp is showing signs of die-when-going-to-an-unknown-island disease," Sanji says. He's leaning back on the railing as he works his cigarette.

"Y-yes," Usopp chokes out.

Chopper rushes over to him in order to look over the railing at the scared boy. "I don't know how to cure that."

I giggle, "That's because it isn't a real disease."

It doesn't take much longer for the Going Merry to get close enough to the island's shore for the fog to part and reveal where we are going to have our next adventure. Except, it isn't anything like I thought it would be.

"We're here!" Luffy cheers.

"There's nothing!" I blurt out, feeling disappointment wash over me.

That isn't completely true. There are tall trees spread out across the area that we can see, but they are sparse considering the vast area that they have to grow. I'm sure there are animals here, yet I can't see a single living thing beside the trees. For our first island since we came back to the Blue Sea, it is kind of underwhelming.

"So big! So empty! And endless plain!" Luffy is still excited for the discovery of this island, which helps raise my excitement levels for what we could find here.

"It's plain alright," Sanji deadpans. "There's nothing to see here."

"I wonder if it is inhabited," Robin muses.

"Yahoo! A giant plain!" Luffy flings us, Usopp, and Chopper onto the island without waiting for approval.

Luckily for me, I still have my arms wrapped around Luffy, mainly because I had a feeling he would send us flying onto the island. A small part is because I didn't want to let go of him. I'll be honest, a part of me is a bit disappointed that he has his vest all the way buttoned up.

Anyways, Usopp faceplants and skids for a moment when he touches down on the island while Chopper rolls ahead of us for a few more seconds. The little reindeer had some speed on him when Luffy flung him.

"I can always count on you to land us on our feet," I press a kiss to Luffy's cheek as our arms pull away from each other. "Flying through the air like that doesn't really freak me out anymore. Not like when you did it the first time so we could get closer to Zoro. My heart almost burst out of my chest."

He chuckles, grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers. "It's a lot of fun though, isn't it? Don't you want to get your heart racing?"

"For somethings, yes, if it is for the right reasons. Like when you say something that gets me flustered, my heart might race then, and that is a good feeling. When you fling us through the air now, I feel a lot of relief and freedom."

"I'm glad," he smiles, leading us forward and deeper into the island.

"You alright, Usopp?" I ask the boy as he dusts himself off.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Usopp nods. "I'd be better if I was still on the boat, but at least I'm not alone."

"There isn't even anything out here, so I think we'll be fine as a small group exploring."

"WOW!" Chopper exclaims, getting the three of us to hurry up and join him.

"What is it, Cho..." Luffy's mouth hangs open as we all watch the extremely tall bear walk by us on two legs.

"Ah!" Usopp screeches.

"What the hell am I looking at?" I mumble.

"A human?" Chopper genuinely asks.

"You idiot!" Luffy shouts at our doctor as he points at the bear. "How can a human be so furry!? It's a bear! A bear!"

"Don't yell at him!" I pout. "He hasn't seen much of the world, so he was just wondering."

"T-tall!" Usopp shockingly shouts. "This bear is tall!"

"It isn't the only thing around here that is abnormally tall," I stare at the trees, feeling Luffy's arm stretch as he heads for a small cluster of trees. "I noticed the trees back on the ship. They are skinny for trees their height, and they are pretty sparse despite having so much area for them to grown."

"Look at his!" Luffy tugs me back to his side, handing me one of two long apples in his hand. "It's an apple, but it looks like a carrot." He takes a bite, but I have a little more reservation.

"Don't eat that! It could be poisonous!" Usopp snaps.

"It's yummy!"

I take a small bite, pleasantly surprised by how sweet it is. "Oh, this is tasty. Chopper, I think you would really like this."

"Hm," Usopp grimaces as he uses his sniper goggles to look off into the distance. "There's a house over there."

"Is someone in it?" Luffy asks.

"Do you think it could be a repairman?" Chopper bounds up to me, taking the rest of my apple.

We don't even take a step towards the house before a long deer crosses our path, followed by a long cheetah. Seconds later a long seagull glides by, and an extremely long dog passes by. These animals aren't just long, but they are skinny as well. Each strange animal that passes shocking us even more than the last. The boys' jaws drop as their faces seem to lengthen with each animal, but my face seems to scrunch up as the confusion builds within me.

"So, long...everything is extremely elongated here," Usopp speaks up once we finally start heading for the house he spotted.

"How do you think they got so elongated?" Luffy asks.

"Chopper, do you think you could figure it out?" I ask. "Since you are a doctor."

"After looking at all of this, I think I'll elongate too," Chopper transforms for a moment to look like a noodle.

The house that has been built on this strange island reminds me of a dumpling. A squished dumpling, which I guess goes with the theme of elongated things in this place. With the first signs of human life, Luffy takes us straight to the front door.

"What kind of island is this..." Usopp flutters in the wind.

"Hello!" Luffy knocks on the door. "Excuse me!"

"Wait! We don't know if there's danger!" Usopp has snapped out of his fluttering nature.

I try the doorknob, and the door swings inward. "Oops, looks like they don't have much to fear if they left their front door open."

Luffy and I have barely taken a step inside when Usopp grabs the back of our shirts to keep us out of the house. "Wait! Hold on you two! This must be where the boss of this island lives! It's probably a monster with a snake like body and-"

"Calm down, Usopp," I scan the house, but don't see a single person inside. "There's no one here. You can take a deep breath and calm down."

"Hey! Luffy! Usopp! Akari!" Chopper calls for us from outside the house.

"It's Chopper," Luffy states, taking us outside to follow where Chopper's voice came from.

A little way around the house is Chopper looking up at a long white horse with the neck being longer than any other part of the horse's body.

"It's a giraffe!" Usopp exclaims.

"No, it doesn't have any markings of a giraffe," I point out.

"Neigh," the horse almost says to confirm my point.

"Wow," Luffy breaths out.

"Wait, no, you're right, Akari," Usopp says. "That's just a white horse with a long neck! A long white horse!"

"Are you a horse?" Chopper happily asks as the horse lowers its head.

"Neigh."

"What a beautiful horse," Luffy's eyes sparkle as he takes in the pure white horse that is in front of us.

"Its name is Sherry, oh, it's a she!" Chopper is giddy as Sherry nuzzles her forehead against his.

"She seems to be well taken care of, and a wild horse wouldn't be this tame," I gently run my fingers over her back leg.

"She has a saddle on her, so there must be someone living here," Usopp reaches up to tap the saddle.

Luffy lets out a low hum, and I tilt my head to side-longingly look up at him. I've always known he was observant, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary over where he is looking.

"What is it, Luffy?" Usopp is the one to ask.

"Usopp, is that bamboo?" Luffy points to the single stalk of bamboo.

"Uh, yup."

The three of us look up, but it is impossible to see the top. Either our angle is wrong, or the bamboo is so tall that we would never be able to see what is at the top.

"I can't see the top of it," I say what we all must be thinking. "How did it get so tall? Ugh, we keep coming back to that same sort of question with everything we see here."

"Look carefully, this bamboo..." Luffy draws out as if waiting for it to do something.

And it does. The bamboo stalk shuffles away like it knows we've figure it out.

"Wah! It moved!" Luffy and Usopp shout.

"Where the hell are we!?" I scream.

"This must be some kind of animal too!" Luffy declares.

The bamboo stalk changes directions and head back at us. In a split-second decision, Luffy shoves me out of the way, letting the bamboo stalk slam directly into his face.

"It attacked Luffy!" Usopp shockingly exclaims as Luffy is sent flying back due to the force of the blow.

"Luff, are you okay!?" I shout, but I don't worry for long as he lands on his feet. One hand keeping his straw hat on his head.

"Be careful, Luffy!"

"I won't lose to a stupid stalk of bamboo!" Luffy rushes back towards the bamboo. "Gum-gum Whip!" He flings his leg at the bamboo stalk, easily getting it to split in two.

"Hurray! We won!" Usopp fist pumps as he jumps around.

"Hell yeah! It broke!" Luffy bellows as he dances around.

I giggle, "I would hope that you would be able to break it, Luff. With all the people I've seen you defeat up to this point, a single stalk of bamboo shouldn't hold you back."

With how everything has been happening on this island so far, I'm only a little surprised when a small man crashes down among us. The boys stop celebrating as the three of us stare at the man that must have been the one controlling the bamboo stalk. He has a thick white beard, small squinty eyes, a round nose, and plenty of wrinkles to tell his age. He's wearing a purple-brown hat with brown fur lining and brown cloth on the sides, a yellow tunic with green lining and a circle design at the end of the sleeves and one side of the

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