One Piece (Love Story) [Part Two]

Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Four [Rewritten]

-Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-Four-

"What?!" Sanji brightened. "We're finally going to Fishman Island? Really?!" he excitedly asked as his one visible eye turned into a heart.

"Whoa! Sanji's acting weird!" Chopper exclaimed.

"When isn't he ever acting weird?" I raised an eyebrow. "I assume Fishman Island is a pervert's wet dream with all those mermaids around" I said, listening as Kokoro chuckled.

"Fishman Island, huh? That's tricky" Nami softly frowned.

"Yeah, I guess so—is that going to be tough after what happened in your village?" Luffy asked.

"They were pirates, not all Fishmen are going to give us trouble like that" Zoro reasoned.

"See, everybody knows Fishman Island is awesome—even Zoro, and he's stupid" Sanji grinned as he spun around. "Fishman Island is one of the most famous spots in the whole Grand Line! Beautiful mermaids leap and dive painting the water with their elegant tail fins—there you can frolic with the fish and make all your dreams come true!" he dreamily sighed.

"He certainly has a way with words when it comes to the ladies" I sweat dropped.

"Wow! For real?" Chopper blinked. "Neato!" he awed as Kokoro laughed, finally gaining the blonde's attention as he halted and stared at her.

"Let me dream, dammit! I'm not hurting anyone!" he dejectedly cried at the sudden reminder that Kokoro herself was a mermaid.

"Sanji! That's rude!" I scolded.

"Relax, there are young mermaids too!" Kokoro snapped at the blond. "The thing is, even if the place is nice to visit, that doesn't mean it's easy for people to get there" she told us.

"I assumed that was the case since it's at the bottom of the sea" Robin said.

"Would be pretty difficult seeing how none of us can actually breathe underwater" I nodded.

"Eh, we'll figure it out on the way" Luffy waved.

"Well, on the way is a problem too" Kokoro said as she threw this morning's newspaper down onto the table. "Take a look at today's paper and you'll understand" she motioned.

"Huh? What is this?" Nami curiously asked as she peered down at the article being shown. "Fourteen ships have disappeared this month alone, all in the same place—I don't understand" she frowned.

"Fourteen?" I questioned, now taking a look at the paper as well.

"They call that patch of water the Florian Triangle" Kokoro said. "Anyways, you won't be making it to Fishman Island until after you sail through there" she explained. "Every year, over one hundred ships go missing in that area and nobody has a clue as to why—what's spooky is that later they show up totally empty without a single crew member insight. Other people say they found ghost ships with crews of men wandering the ocean, lost in a haze" she eerily recounted.

"You mean they're like zombies?! Scary!" Chopper cried.

"Scary? That sounds awesome!" I sparkled.

"Hanging out with a bunch of skeletons sounds cool!" Luffy grinned, causing me to laugh as I quickly nodded in agreement.

"Hanging out? That's some imagination of you got there" Zoro said.

"No way! No ghost ships for us—not on my watch!" Nami wildly shook her head. "We're passing straight through that place!" she cried. "I mean, what really happens in there?" she curiously asked, desperately wanting a logical explanation to what she had just heard.