Ameliorate ✦ One Piece

54

"I knew I heard of it before!" Akira called out to no one in particular, a proud smile on her face as she pushed her way through the door and out onto the deck of the ship where the rest of the group was gathered.

"You've got it in one of your books?" Nami's voice reached her from one of the upper decks where she was manning the tiller, navigating them through a narrow channel of the island which she decided would lead to one of the old docks of the island which she'd seen from a distance.

"Yup!" Akira nodded, slowly starting to climb up towards the girl while letting her eyes take in all of their surroundings, everything so vivid and vibrant as palm trees towered over them and cast a shade over the wood of the ship. "One I snatched from Kaya's library back in Syrup Village," she continued. "You know... before getting thrown in a well and fighting a bunch of cat-people."

Akira ignored the look she received from Vivi at those particular words, focusing instead on the sounds of the wilderness which surrounded them. She'd never heard a monkey in person before, but if she had to assume, she'd guess that was what was making them. And a bunch of buzzing and chirping of other bugs and birds. It was like the jungle itself was alive.

"So, what does it say?" Nami's question brought her focus back.

"Well, that's where things get a bit tricky," Akira muttered as she flipped the book open to its introduction. "Literally the first page has a warning about it all basically being a bunch of made-up fiction."

"Oh..." There was little chance for the disappointment in Nami's tone to go unheard at that.

"But hey," Akira shrugged, not too upset by it herself, "it's inspiration." She slammed the cover closed again, stashing the book away in her bag as Nami began to pull their ship up to the stone shape which must've at least once been a dock.

"Now this is what we came to the Grand Line for!" Luffy's loud voice came from the main deck, the boy himself pressed up against the railing as he looked at the island beyond it. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"And... done," Nami muttered to herself once she was sure the ship was secure, only then sending a nod to Zoro who was in charge of the anchor.

"Why do they call it Little Garden?" Usopp questioned as he stepped up next to Luffy. "It does not seem very little to me." Akira agreed with the observation, especially as she began to climb back down and all of it seemed to grow larger now that she was lower to the ground herself.

"I don't know, but I am excited to explore," Nami said from behind her, hands on her hips as she evaluated the scenery. "This island wasn't on any of the maps I've ever seen, so... if it's uncharted, it's probably uninhabited."

"Maybe for good reason," Usopp muttered fearfully.

But he wasn't the only one worried about the notion. Vivi seemed to share the sentiment as she rushed to the edge of the ship herself. Although, for different reason. "If there's no people," her eyes continued to wildly scan through the area, hoping to see some kind of sign that would disprove Nami's theory, "then there's no boat to take me home."

"I guess you're stuck with us," Sanji said as he walked by.

"In the meantime... adventure awaits!" Luffy either ignored the worries or didn't even hear them in his excitement. However, it was excitement soon followed by a pause and another realization which distracted him. "I'm starving."

"Well, it's a good thing that the pirate lunches are packed and ready for exploring." Sanji brought the captain's attention to him and his hands which were full of wooden lunch boxes as he carried them over to the group and began to pass around.