Two Dreams, One Adventure

The Bubble Archipelago

Holy shit this is a long chapter. Well, enjoy it I guess!

Sanji called for them to come down, and Luffy heard and opened the hatch. "You guys should listen to this." Luffy hung his head out of the hatch with Zoro sitting next to it to listen. Pappag spoke about the thugs on Sabaody that kidnapped people to sell them in auction to the World Nobles. Mermaids were especially valuable. "The 'Makuro Crew', a gang of three fishmen that have been after Caimie for awhile. Since we got eaten by a beast and disappeared, Hacchi might have thought we were taken and so went to get them himself." Caimie agreed. That was the most likely scenario of how he had gotten caught.

"Why don't you just swim away?" Luffy asked bluntly.

"Fishmen are much stronger than mermaids. It's easy for the Makuro Crew to kidnap them and sell them. Plus, mermaids are weak on land, so once they're captured, there is little hope," Pappag said honestly.

"That's disgusting. Selling and buying people... it's just so wrong," Chopper said in distaste. Luffy nodded his head. Everyone else looked bothered in their own ways.

Zoro commented on the fact that the octopus fishman named Hachi sounded like the guy from Nami's island. If it was him, then he wouldn't want to save the guy. Sanji agreed, Luffy as well. All of the fishmen had been enemies of Nami and therefore them as well. Back when there were only four of them.

It was only over half a year ago, but it felt like so much longer. Pappag said Hachi could beat them easily, but they brought the flying fish riders into it..." Franky asked who they were. Luffy said it was a lame name. "They're another kidnapping gang. If those guys are after you, you're done." The leader's name was Duval. He wore a metal mask, hiding his face and searching every ship for somebody.

Luffy smiled and told Caimie they'd save the takoyaki fishman. Luffy then slipped and fell from the crowsnest, landing on his head with a bounce. Caimie and Pappag screamed when he fell, but he just bounced, and was fine. He dropped his hat though, and put it back on his black and white hair.

"Ah, I'm a devil fruit user. I'm a rubber man!" Luffy said proudly.

"But I thought you had good senses," Pappag said.

"Well, I'm a monster right? Who says I can't have more cool stuff?" Luffy asked lightly. And almost on cue, Luffy's arm started glowing. "I'll be right back," he said, and climbed up the mast and jumped to the other one and onto the bathhouse. It was his usual place. He discharged them, these ones on full blast. Really, trying to force them was detrimental in every way. He wouldn't do that again or he'd be out of the count of something and vulnerable for no pay off.

He went flying back and hit the deck hard, rolling into the wall. To the two sea folk, Luffy looked incredibly durable by now. "Shishishi! It's not any easier to deal with," he said, rubbing his face. Pappag asked what that was. "Another monster thing I guess. Well, it's from a rock that stabbed me." Caimie had her face in shock. Luffy moved his arm and pointed to where he had been impaled in his sleep.

Just that one moment changed so many things. "You're... very interesting," Pappag said carefully. Luffy took it as a complement. He looked up and said people were coming from the air. They were incredibly loud and reeked like sushi. "That's them!" But they just flew over the ship and flew away.

Luffy listened and told his crew they were targets. "Looks like Duval is wanting one of us. Well, now that I've heard them and know what direction they're in, should get there easily! Neehee." The fish that brought them that far fled, and Luffy was the new guide, recognizing the scent trails as well.

"We could be going straight into a trap, you know?!" Usopp said.

"Don't freak out, we'll be fine. I'll protect the ladies no matter what, Caimie-chan!" Sanji said, sounding cool at first but then losing that quickly. Zoro climbed down with his open shirt, sweaty a bit but not looking tired at all. He was lifting the lightest weights after all. He asked what was going on.