Previously,
"I can't use my rubber powers for some reason."
His neutral face met the other's shocked expressions.
The sound of spotlights came next, aimed at the boat from multiple directions.
The mountain in front of them, having two words engraved on it.
THE MARINES
-----------
Now,
"What!" Their resident liar was the first to speak, with what he said being more of an exclamation than a question.
With his words, the others jostled to speak.
"Hey, shitty captain, what do you-"
"Luffy... this bett-"
"Idiot! This isn't the ti-
"Oh my.."
Before his crew could finish each of their sentences, he reminded them of where they were. And, of course, what was making everything so bright.
"We'll talk about it together later, guys! Zoro! Sanji! Run!"
Grabbing his nearest friends, he took them in an under-carry, weirdly enough, not being able to rocket himself out of the boat caused him some sadness. But Luffy, while unable to access his Devil Fruit, was, in fact, still inhumanely strong, strong enough to leap to where he thought a suitable landing would be.
Seeing their captain go off with friends in tow, Sanji and Zoro acted, grabbing the rest and evacuating Merry.
"Oi! Mosshead, keep Nami safe, you hear me!"
"Shut it! Curlybrow!"
As they eventually had to separate due to how they took their jumps, they each landed in safe spots.
-----------
Luffy, having made the jump first, looked at the two he had grabbed. "Shishishi wasn't that fun!"
The small reindeer answered him with a blow to his leg, albeit it felt more like a pat. "You bastard! Warn us!"
The other straw hat decided it was best to calm the doctor down. "We're all fine, Doctor. I think it's best if we try not to be so loud? Never know who might be listening." A teasing smile on her face as she thought of the possibilities.
"R-really?" The once brazen reindeer quickly shied away. Looking around with fear. 'Hiding' in a manner only he knew the logic of.
Returning to the woman's thoughts, it wasn't hard to question and decipher what the captain had said nonchalantly. The inability to access his Devil Fruit? Is that what's causing the slight change in his behaviour? Then... why? If that truly was interconnected, which she highly suspected, then it would be clear it wasn't because of his fight with Eneru. Maybe it has something to do with his-
"Oii... Robin, Chopper, let's go exploring!"
The captain broke her chain of thought, "I do think that would be the best plan of action, Captain." She dusted herself off any rubble or debris that may have gotten attached from their landing.
"Luffy... this is a marine base! We can't just be roaming around! What if they find us!" Chopper, still scared, shivered at the thought.
"Then I'll just have to beat their ass!" Luffy's signature grin relieved the reindeer just a bit.
"Besides, nothing else to do but move, right? Being sleeping geese sure doesn't help. Or was it sitting geese..."
Robin corrected him before he could go off on a short rant about the correct saying. "Sitting ducks. Captain."
She figured that whatever the cause of the change, she'd have to think of it later when they weren't in such a precarious location.
-----------
Sanji had landed with Usopp in tow, hearing the long-nosed man whine about what would happen to them through the entire jump.
"They'll definitely catch us! We aren't even stealthy at all! B-But it's okay! I can protect us no matter what, got that, Sanji? Just relax and let Captain Ussop take care of it!"
The blonde-haired man could only wish he had been closer to Nami instead. "Don't be so loud."
It seemed to do the trick. Ussop, now hiding behind Sanji while making up some lie that Sanji couldn't care less about.
Sanji reached for a cigarette. However, just when he thought he could deal with the situation with a quick huff. He had run out.
"..."
"Stupid Mosshead."
-----------
'Damn Curlybrows.' He thought in his mind as the orange-haired woman shook him.
"Be gentler on the landing! What if I got hurt!? You should be careful with a woman!"
"Woman? You're an evil witch."
This earned him another foray into the beautiful world of insects, especially those that thrive in dirt.
"I'm increasing your interest rate!"
"..."
'Witch.'
-----------
As they scoured around, Luffy couldn't help but take notice of things he never thought of before. Usually, when he thought about things, after a certain point, he'd go red, literally; his brothers had teased him about it many times.
But now? It felt new. Being able to have so many random thoughts in your head at once. He was in awe of just how much a person could think of. He felt multiple simul.. simultaneously. Yeah, that was it. He felt a lot of simultaneous thoughts. Was this how smart people felt all the time? He'd have to ask Robin. And so he did.
"Hey, Robin..." The tanned woman looked at him in question while walking, their reindeer friend walking beside her, handheld.
"Yes, captain?"
"Do you think of things a lot?"
Robin, knowing that her captain was going through or had gone through a change, decided to answer the question with care.
"Of course. Almost everyone does. It usually depends on where you are and what you're doing. But the human mind is capable of many things, there are even stories of great men changing the winning tides of war simply because they sat and thought things out."
Luffy was taking what she said in, still, an unfamiliar sight of him based on what she knew. That night they had at Skypiea, she worried, was an exception, but she was happy to see that it might be a more common occurrence.
"Hah... that sounds boring though. Why would anyone want to sit around instead of fighting..." His frown voiced his confusion
"Some don't like fighting at all, Luffy. To some, it's a sport, a game. To others, it's out of need, necessity. Many have their own reasons. We can't judge them based on that. There are a lot who would rather never fight at all, opting for a more peaceful life."
"But Robin... for peace, don't you need to
be strong enough to make it stay?"
"..."
Robin had nothing to say. What could she say? The captain's words resonated within her. Within her life story. With her struggle. How many times she wished she had been strong enough to do away with those that chased her... alas...
"Though, I guess if you had to sit around and plan, it would be a lot more fun with friends."
"I suppose, Luffy."
Luffy, noticing she had gone a little quiet, decided to say something he had thought for a while now.
"I've been trying to read."
This caught Robin's attention.
"Hmm? What brought that on?"
Luffy fidgeted a bit before admitting that he liked the book they read. What he liked wasn't solely the book but more so what it caused. However, he had no way of knowing.
"When I tried to read around in Skypiea, I couldn't make out a single word..." Puffing his cheeks in frustration.
'Cute.'
Robin had to willingly stuff whatever corner and recess of her mind that came out of. While the captain and his boyish charm had been endearing, it wasn't enough to warrant such responsive thoughts.
"Luffy, those were in another language."
"..."
She looked at him as they walked, the windows to his soul almost giving away how his mind processed what she said.
"That makes so much sense!"
She could only hide her giggles at her captain's antics once she heard him.
"I wouldn't mind helping you become a better reader, Captain."
"Ehh, Really? You're the best Robin! Heh, just you wait and see, I'll be the smartest in the crew!" Even with what he said, Robin almost felt the message instinctively. It was just a way for him to get closer to his ever-distant crewmate. That was how her brain put it together since she knew he had no intention of really being the smartest anytime soon.
'Did he plan for this?'... taking a look at the carefree, happy-go-lucky captain, she had her answer. No. But A small part of her knew that she had asked the wrong question. The correct one is, is he capable of planning this? And the answer to that would be, not yet.
-----------
On a small rowboat facing the now vacant ship, one man sat. Choosing to fish as a pastime. "I'll be damned... to think that someone invaded from the sky..." following this, his hook caught something. Reeling it in, the man was only met with goggles.
He tinkered with it before losing interest and threw it away.
He only stared at the ship in stillness.
-----------
Men were busy, with the sounds of plates clattering about and shoes hitting the floor. Sizzling air in the form of steam, the sheer amount making them sweat.
"Hey, hasn't it been too noisy outside?"
A spoon dipped in soup slowly rose to capture its essence. Meeting lush lips.
"Yeah... I wonder if it's intruders or something."
The very same spoon was flung towards the two talking. With the thud of dull metal hitting flesh, the sheer force of the throw knocked them both over. Tossed and lying on the floor, they could only hold their heads in an attempt to alleviate some pain.
"No chit-chatting!"
The one responsible walked over to them. Hands busy holding a large container.
"Look! We have to prepare a meal for 1000 people! In two hours, the boys from the night shift will show up! I will not allow time for lazing about or any distractions, especially you new recruits, do you understand me!?" A stern look made any arguments null and void, except for one question.
"But... the siren?"
However, it was another cook who answered them, a chuckle leaving him, "Lads, it's nothing to worry about. The day this fortress falls is the day the world falls! Besides, come recruiting time, when Chef Jessica blows up, she's a lot scarier than..."
A pan went flying.
-----------
"Commander! There you are! Where were you?!"
The mentioned commander strolled in, throwing his fishing rod at his subordinate, forcing him to catch it. "Didn't catch anything today."
He continued his walk, going over the window that overlooked the calm water.
"Again?!"
"Yeah... I had a good catch before yesterday, though."
"That's not what I meant! Commander, if you're always absent..."
"Eh, what's the big deal? Fishing, I've heard, improves patience, you know?"
A cadet rushed in, halting their conversation.
"Commander! I have a report! According to the watchmen and maintenance crew that were nearby when the ship fell..."
The cadet stumbled over his words, "They... well... they saw..."
"Out with it already!"
"They said they saw ghosts, sir..."
.
"The ship fell from the sky!"
.
"I'm telling you! I saw a body with three heads fly from the ship! It sounded like it was laughing too!"
.
"I saw a silhouette of a large appendage attached to a head! It could be the remains of a zombie! You have to believe me!"
.
"Out of nowhere, I saw a flash of green and orange! It could be the lights of their souls!"
.
All those questioned gathered together, unwilling to budge on their stance. "There's only one explanation." The oldest one said.
"It's a ghost ship!"
.
The second in command hit the table with might.
"Don't be ridiculous! There is no doubt in my mind! That ship belongs to the Straw Hats! There's no way it's a ghost ship! Not to mention you're telling me it fell from the sky?!" The lieutenant reprimanded the cadet, angry at the thought of such outlandish lies being believed.
"That one is actually true." The now-seated commander inspected the papers in front of him.
The lieutenant could only look to his commander in shock.
"I told you fishing wasn't a waste." His grin was smug.
-----------
Marines were scattered across the now empty ship, yellow-coloured tape covering most of the exterior.
"What an interesting vessel..."
The commander stepped foot aboard, followed closely by his lieutenant. Looking around to take in the vessel.
His sharp eyes focused on the figurehead before moving on to the battered, improvised craftsmanship of the hull. The reinforcements were clearly not made by a shipwright, yet it was still the work of a skilled individual.
Noting a bird that rested on the sails, he was unable to discern its descent. "What bird is that?" Thankfully, someone knew, "Oh, sir, it's a South bird."
"Commander! I found one of these in the rooms!" A cadet held onto heavy trinkets of gold, sizable enough to fetch a fortune. Drawing away from the bird, he saw the expensive jewellery pieces.
"Ingots and a crown. They look pretty old... perhaps from some ancient ruins?" The commander contemplated.
"Send them to the forensics department!" His lieutenant was adamant about getting to the root of it.
"No need to be so loud. Let's do some exploring, shall we?"
Stepping inside the cabin, what met their eyes seemed to be the recreational area. The commander walked over to the kitchen present. His subordinates examining the rest.
His focus was caught by a sharp knife, holding it against his hand, the sharpness of it visible. 'Well maintained...' His eyes darted to the kitchen itself. Seeing the organised and thought-out layout of equipment.
"Medical and history books..." One of his men said to themselves. "I guess that means some ghosts like to study?" He smiled as he rubbed his chin.
"Ghosts again? How ludicrous." His lieutenant voiced his opinion.
Deciding it was enough for him, he walked back to the main deck. Clasping his hands, he glanced around. "Thanks for the hard work. Continue the investigation of this ghost ship and report if there's anything amiss."
"Ghost ship!?" His men said aloud, undoubtedly scared.
-----------
"That ship most likely visited Jaya recently..." The commander led his close associates.
"What made you think that, sir?"
"South birds are typically inhabitants of the jungles of Jaya." A laugh stopped him from continuing, "Did you know? There's a rather interesting tale of gold that originates from there... in any case, I'm certain that is no ghost ship."
"But sir... why did you tell the others that it was?"
"Why reveal all the cards?" Yes, there wasn't any need to cause panic. There was a useful proverb, after all. 'Too many cooks spoil the broth', speaking of which...
"You go and reinforce the security along the coast and make sure that the sea-gate has no exploitable weaknesses." He said to the man nearest. "You reinforce security at the ammunition bunker, detention facilities and major passageways. You're also granted authority over the personnel for now."
The men left for their duties with a quick salute. Leaving only his lieutenant.
"You look dissatisfied."
"No, sir..."
"Don't worry, the night is still young. They won't be able to move much without causing a ruckus. But that goes for us too. At least without blowing up our cover story, that is. So, wait until morning and take your unit to search all the crowded zones, understood?"
"Why crowded zones, sir?" Confusion was evident in his tone.
"You'd be surprised at how fast dust can gather in an open machine."
Seeing that stupor was still present in his Lt., He clarified, " If the straw hats were to wear our uniforms..." The Lt's eyes rose.
"Anyhow, why don't you start with checking the dining hall until morning?"
-----------
"Sanji, don't you think we should stay here for now?" Ussop didn't want to leave the cover of the forest. Why would he? There was no reason to in his mind. Why would they need to be wandering around when it was safe right here?
"We'll need to get going eventually, besides. If those spotlights are any indication... they'll probably be having a lot of patrols. With this forest being so near the main building... don't you think they'll be checking this place extensively first?" While his voice was calm, his face still showed his irritation. He needed his cigarettes, damn it!
"Y..you're right... Let's go then. Maybe we could try blending in? We don't have bounties, they shouldn't be able to tell who we are if we play our cards right." Reasoning that since they were unknown to the world, they could accomplish this with no worry.
"Sounds good." Sanji liked the plan, but the bit about bounties annoyed him, reminding him of a certain patch of floating moss.
-----------
Hiding in tall leaves, a pair of figures could be made out if one looked closely. "Achoo!" A man sneezed, grabbing the alert of the nearby patrolling marine.
Acting fast, a woman threw a pebble at an opposing rock. Making the marine turn his head, enough for her to rush behind him for a swift knockout.
"What's your problem!? You almost got us caught!" She screamed at him. Thankfully, she took notice of her surroundings first, making her yell less intense than what it could've been.
"Someone must've been talking about me." With a cool face, Zoro responded with no worry at all.
Nami wanted to get angry, but settled to rein it in for now. "Ugh, still... security looks tight. They're no doubt on alert because of our entrance. They probably know we're the Straw Hats, too, because of Merry." She walked to the cliff they were near, looking over the marine base.
"Don't tell me... this is!"
-----------
Meanwhile, on another cliff, Luffy lay on the ground watching the stars. Chopper was next to him as they looked at the constellations. Of course, Chopper was the one calling them out, and Luffy asked him to explain. "Hey, what's that one?" He pointed to a big scoop. "That one is called the Big Dipper! It's supposed to have a smaller one called the small dipper."
Off to the side, Robin was busy surveying the ship. Deciding to use her ability to hear what the marines were saying on the Merry, she had her suspicions confirmed. "Looks like they're under the impression it's a ghost ship." She knew that while only two of them had a bounty poster, it wasn't as if the Marines were going to be completely oblivious as to who they were.
The captain had defeated a warlord, after all. One of them surely knew that Merry belonged to the Straw Hats and so, by extension, she figured that they were aware of their presence. Must be a higher-up, possibly the commander themself.
Why keep the others under the impression it was a ghost ship? Probably not wanting to cause panic and lure us into a false sense of security... indicating that this commander was one of the more intelligent ones. How troublesome...
-----------
The man in question sat in his office, lying back in his chair. His legs were propped up on his desk.
"Straw Hat Luffy and Pirate Hunter Zoro. I can assume those goggles belong to them as well... regardless, with the reported number of beds being seven. I can take a guess that there are as many members as there are beds..."
A picture of a well-maintained kitchen lay on his desk: "A skilled cook."
Another picture of books, "A knowledgeable doctor... and inferring from the gold and the history books... There may be a historian."
-----------
"It's surrounded by land in all directions... did we land in a lake?" Nami's worry was palpable. "I doubt it," Zoro said, looking off to the side, "And what makes you so sure?" Nami questioned.
"A hunch."
-----------
"Luffy, our priority should be getting information relating to our escape," Robin said as she let Luffy lead her and Chopper. Eventually, stopping at a large structure.
"Don't worry, I have a plan!" Luffy exclaimed with his arms raised, catching both of his friends by surprise. Chopper being the first to speak, "You do? What is it, Luffy?"
"Well, the diner always has a lot of people! People like telling stories while they eat! So we can escape after we ask them!" Resolute in his idea, eyes sparkling in anticipation.
Robin should've known. While their captain may be getting smarter, he was still the same person. It was adorable to think that they could waltz in, share a table to eat and leave. Smiling, she determined to lead Luffy to a better, feasible plan. It could work like homework, she humorously thought.
"Captain, I'm afraid you might be too infamous to have a nice chat with the Marines over food without them trying to arrest you." This caused Luffy to frown before he rebutted, "What if we wear disguises? There's no way they could know then!"
Ordinarily, that'd be fine. It was probably what the others were going to do anyway, but a feeling told her that this commander would be expecting that: "I don't think we can disguise ourselves as Marines, Captain."
"Then what if we disguise ourselves as inspectors?" The reindeer offered. Dr Kureha told him that oftentimes, inspectors would visit the Marines. With many types, one for checking the food, one for hygiene, equipment, etc.
"That could work, doctor. Provided, there's a good excuse for it. If we're lucky, they may already be due for an inspection of sorts, seeing as how it was the end of the month last I checked. It's a good idea." Robin praised.
"It's nothing, it's not like I like your praise or anything, dummy~" Chopper did his signature dance.
"Then it's settled!"
Luffy ushered them onwards into one of the three openings of the structure.
"We'll check the food! I haven't eaten since the party in Skypiea."
-----------
"So these are the uniforms? They look a bit strange, don't you think, Sanji? More like..."
"Like cooks?" Sanji finished his sentence. Being familiar with the kitchen and in a working sense, he could easily tell what uniforms they'd stolen. It wasn't by choice, however. In their infiltration of the base, they'd been forced to make a lot of last-minute turns and decisions.
"Well, it should help us move around easier." Ussop asserted. He was happy that he didn't need to worry about being caught outright.
"Hey! The two of you!"
Standing in a hallway, they should've figured they'd be noticed.
"Y-yes?" Ussop asked, terrified that the jig was up.
"What are the two of you doing? Don't you know that the head chef is testing the new recruits? Get to the kitchen already, she'll be mad."
"She?" Sanji said to himself, dreaming about the image of a female chef bossing him around. Ah... how perfect! What if she even...
Ussop, realising he'd lost Sanji for now, grabbed his arm and replied to the man, "Of course! We're so sorry! We just got lost, you see... could you tell us where the kitchen is?"
The marine could only sigh. "Sir, I can lead them there."
The Lt looked at the two 'cooks' suspiciously, having doubts because of the commanders' words earlier. "No, it's fine. You carry on with the patrol, I'll take them there myself."
-----------
The commander stared at the pictures on his desk.
"What I can't figure out is why come here? What's the purpose..." Until a thought hit him.
"Unless... since the ship came out of the sky... they must've not had a choice as to where they landed. Unlucky, huh?" He rubbed his chin, standing up and heading towards the window.
"Well, it's been a long time since anything interesting happened around here. Ha, this might be entertaining." He stared at the boat.
His stomach rumbled.
"I think I'll visit the kitchen before calling it a night."
-To Be Continued-