The Blind Brawler [ Roronoa Zoro X OC]

Chapter 12

The Going Merry hit the mountain slope with an incredible splash and took off down the canal. The icy wind stung my skin as we ripped by, the rain being blown off of my hair and clothes. I held a firm grip on the wooden rail of the ship to keep myself from being knocked down.

Luffy's awed voice called down to us from upon the figurehead, "Whoa! I can see it! This is the greatest sea in the whole world: the Grand Line!" A grin broke onto my face as we sailed down toward the salty waters below. The rubber man cheered, "Somewhere out there, the One Piece is waiting, and we're gonna find it! Let's go!" The pirates all began to cheer together as we blasted into a cold, dense air that I assumed was the clouds.

I had to admit, his enthusiasm was contagious. However, I had to remind myself I was not staying with these pirates for very long. A twinge of sorrow dampened my mood at that thought, but the prospect of the many fights I will get to win on this sea was worth this temporary pain, "No regrets. This is a large sea. Maybe our paths will cross again someday."

My thoughts were interrupted by an incredibly loud and deep reverberating tone. Zoro then called out, "Did you guys just hear something?!"

"Huh?!" Nami asked him, "What's that?!"

"That groaning sound! Didn't you hear it?!" He called back to her.

"It was probably just the wind! At this speed, everything sounds distorted!" She hollered at him.

I was not convinced, "No, I heard it too! It was coming from up ahead!" The groaning sound rang out again. There was no way it was the wind, of that I was sure, "I've got a bad feeling about this!"

"Nami!" Sanji called down from somewhere in the rigging, "I see a mountain up ahead!"

My bad feeling grew worse at the chef's report. Nami seemed in denial, "What?! That's impossible!"

"But it's right there! I can see it!" Sanji argued.

"Who cares?!" Luffy yelled, "Go!" I shook my head, "How can he be so carefree?"

The groan resounded, almost blocking out Nami's voice, "After we pass the Twin Capes up ahead there should be nothing but ocean!"

The heavy air passed us as we broke out of the cloud bank. There was a moment's pause before the pirates all let out blood-chilling screams that made me jump, "What?! What is it?!"

"It's a black wall!" Luffy answered me.

"No, it's not!" Nami screamed back.

Zoro's voice rang out right next to me, "Then what is it?!"

"It's a whale!" Usopp screamed. His panicked yell was answered by another loud bellow that shook us to our cores. I pressed my hand over my ears and hunched over, yelping in surprise and pain, "What are we gonna do?!" The marksman called down to us.

"Should we fight?!" Luffy asked, sounding more confused than confident.

"Are you out of your mind?! A ship this size taking on a whale?! You're gonna kill us all" I screamed at the rubber man.

"D-d-d-do something!" The marksman sputtered, "Our path is blocked! How do we escape?!"

"Calm down!" Sanji called out, his voice oddly level as he tried to be a voice of reason, "If this creature looks like a giant wall to us, we must be a speck!"

"That's right!" Nami agreed with him, "It's highly possible that this thing isn't even aware that we're here!"

The way they were talking set me on edge, "Is it really that big?" I said more to myself.