Cursed Seas and Slashing Tides

On the Merry, the Straw Hats sighted an island on the horizon, a massive fountain easily standing out.

"Is that it?" Usopp asked.

"Yeah! It's an island!" Luffy replied excitedly.

They marveled at its appearance.

"How pretty." Robin murmured.

"An island filled with clouds and now one filled with water…" Ryomen muttered.

"Isn't it amazing?" Nami asked him, her eyes bright.

"Yeah, until someone decides to push a Devil Fruit user into the water." Ryomen replied with a shrug.

"When you say it like that…"

"Hey, stop ruining my fun!" Luffy shouted, puffing his cheeks at him.

As they approached, they reached the station where the steam car runs through.

"Wonder where the port is…" Nami mumbled, squinting toward the shore.

"Hey! You there!" A fisherman waved at them from the dock.

"Pirates'll get in trouble if they enter through the front. Steer over that way and come around the other side!" He called.

"Alright! Thank you!" Nami replied, giving him a quick wave.

They passed through buildings built below the water's surface, marveling at the unusual architecture, before a man on the dock stopped them.

"You can't come this way. What are you doing here?" He questioned, eyeing their ship.

"We're here to get our ship repaired!" Luffy replied cheerfully.

"Then there's a cape up ahead. You can drop anchor there." He said, gesturing ahead.

"Oh…thanks." Nami replied, grateful.

"You know, I'm surprised no one's tried to rob us yet." Ryomen remarked, glancing back at the gleaming golden pillar they had brought along.

"Water Seven is pretty civilized and doesn't take kindly to pirates, so we shouldn't have too much trouble here." Robin assured him with a calm smile.

They soon found a place to anchor. Nami, Ryomen, Usopp, and Luffy disembarked, bringing the golden pillar with them to exchange it for cash. They also planned to search for a man named Iceberg, to whom Kokoro had written the letter of introduction.

"Alright! Let's go explore the City of Water!" Luffy declared, marching forward with renewed excitement.

…

"Bull rental? What's that?" Luffy asked, squinting at a sign.

"What do you think it's for?" Nami wondered, equally puzzled.

"What even is a bull?" Luffy mumbled.

"Maybe it's a bulldog. Probably not, though." Usopp guessed, scratching his head.

"The drink, maybe?" Ryomen suggested with a slight smile.

"Rent a drink?" Usopp and Luffy exchanged glances.

"Pfft, hahaha!!" They both collapsed to the ground in fits of laughter.

"Since when are you so funny?" Usopp managed through his laughs.

"'Rent a drink'...What an idiot!" Luffy snickered.

"Hey, don't go too far." Ryomen said, casting them a dark look.

"Yeah…It wasn't that funny." Usopp said quickly, wiping his tears.

"It was a good suggestion." Luffy added, straightening up, his face suddenly serious.

"These guys…" Nami sighed, exasperated.

They entered the rental place.

"Welcome! Renting a bull? How many people?" Asked a man who barely glanced up from his newspaper.

"Four." Luffy replied, not missing a beat.

"You sure it ain't a little more!?" The man's eyes widened as he looked up and spotted the massive golden pillar that Ryomen was effortlessly holding, clearly too large to fit in the small building.

"…Five." Luffy corrected himself.

"Who are you trying to fool!?" The man shouted, nearly dropping his newspaper, but he quickly recomposed himself.

"That can only be carried by a King bull, and the rest of you won't fit. So you'll need two Yagara bulls and one King." He advised, eyeing them with a wary look.

"Um, what are bulls, though?" Nami asked, trying to keep a straight face.

"You don't know? You must've come here with a log pose, right?" He asked, raising a brow. They all nodded.

He pointed toward the water, where sea creatures with boats on their backs were carrying people through the canals.

"They're everywhere in the city. They're essential here since there are more water canals than dry roads." He explained.

"We'll go with what you said." Ryomen nodded.

"That'll be sixty hundred million berries!" The man announced with a big grin.

"I can see the prices behind you!" Ryomen shouted angrily, gesturing to the chart that listed the cost at a fraction of what he'd said.

"You raised it by fifty thousand percent!" Usopp added, exasperated.

"Alright, alright. A hundred twelve thousand." The man muttered, surrendering.

They loaded the golden pillar onto the King bull, who looked back at it, beads of sweat forming on its face.

The four then climbed onto two Yagara bulls, Luffy with Usopp and Ryomen with Nami.

"Okay, let's go, Yagara!" Luffy cheered.

"Thanks for coming! Please take care!" The man called, waving them off.

"Thanks for the map!" Nami replied, holding it up.

"Don't die!" Ryomen added as a farewell.

"What kind of goodbye is that?!" Everyone yelled, baffled.

…

Not long after, the bulls brought them to the bustling market square.

"Look! A big bull!" Luffy pointed at a massive sea bull approaching with its mouth open, as if ready to attack.

It spotted the King bull, immediately closed its mouth, and looked away, trying to make as little noise as possible as it swam by.

"Why do they have masks?" Usopp asked, looking at the masked people riding the bull.

"They look so high-class…I wonder who they are." Nami mumbled.

"There are more of them on Yagaras too." Ryomen pointed out.

They continued through the city, eventually taking a water elevator that lifted them to the city's center.

"We're here! The best shipyard in the world!" Usopp cheered.

"Woohoo!" Luffy echoed, throwing his hands up.

"There are a lot more dry roads here." Nami said, glancing around.

"Why are so many people gathered there?" Ryomen asked, spotting a crowd on one of the roads.

"Let's go see!" Luffy replied, already heading over.

…

"What's going on here?" Nami asked a man from the crowd.

"There were pirates causing trouble, but the shipwrights took care of them." He explained, looking at the scene in admiration.

"They beat the pirates?" Luffy asked, surprised.

"They're idols in this city. Good at both combat and shipbuilding. They're the pride of Water Seven." The man said proudly.

"Really? That sounds interesting!" Luffy grinned, looking around eagerly.

…

On the main street, they stopped at a currency exchange, placing the golden pillar just outside. Inside, they spoke with an appraiser.

"Four hundred million berries!" He announced, causing them all to gasp in disbelief.

"Not so loud, idiots!" Nami scolded, bringing them back to reality.

"Seeing what you've brought…It's truly remarkable. This is amazing gold." The man said, shaking his head in awe.

"We can fix the Merry!"

"And buy a bronze statue!" Usopp and Luffy cheered.

"Why bronze when you can have a gold one?" Ryomen remarked, glancing at Luffy with a smirk.

Luffy looked at Ryomen in awe. "I like how you think."

"We're not buying that." Nami shot them down firmly.

"If you agree to the price, I'll go prepare the money right–" The appraiser began, but Nami suddenly slammed her legs on the table, causing him to freeze.

"What's wrong, Nami?" Luffy asked, confused.

"Was she always this cool?" Ryomen murmured, impressed.

"I have three things to say…Mr. Appraiser." She said sharply.

"Yeah, if that's even your real name!" Luffy added, looking at the appraiser suspiciously.

"It's not." The man replied, deadpan. Luffy gasped, horrified.

Nami gave Luffy a glare that promised retribution.

"One—This guy has a bounty of a hundred million on his head." She pointed at Ryomen.

"What!? But I–Mhmh!" Usopp quickly covered Luffy's mouth.

"Two—I don't agree with your appraisal."

"Three—If you lie one more time…I'll scalp you. That's all."

…

"One billion berries…" Luffy mumbled.

They stumbled out of the exchange, each holding suitcases, wide-eyed and dazed.

"We're rich…" Ryomen muttered.

"I'm rich…" Nami whispered, her eyes gleaming.

"Hey!!" The others immediately protested.

They then set off on the two Yagaras, heading to find the shipwrights.

"Robin would be helpful right about now…" Ryomen commented, now carrying six suitcases after Luffy had nearly flung his own into the water.

"Oh, stop complaining. You've been through worse." Nami waved him off. "Now, let's go see these shipwrights and get the Merry back in shape."

"Hey, look over there! It says water-water cakes!" Luffy pointed eagerly toward a nearby food stand. "Let's buy a thousand!"

"Shut it." Nami groaned.

…

They arrived at the entrance of the shipbuilding factory, a towering gate labeled with a massive '1'.

"Hi there!" Luffy called, moving up to the fence and giving an enthusiastic wave.

"Whoa, hold on." A man in a hat stepped forward, giving him a light push back. "You're an outsider—let's keep this conversation outside."

The shipwright with a distinctive long, square nose approached them, his eyes sharp and inquisitive. "What's your business at the dock?"

They all stared, visibly taken aback.

"...Usopp?" Luffy questioned, half-serious.

"I'm right here!" Usopp replied, giving Luffy a light slap on the back of the head.

"Um…we're here to see Mr. Iceberg." Nami said, regaining her composure. She handed over the letter of introduction.

The man took the letter, glancing over it. "Oh, a recommendation from Ms. Kokoro." He said with a nod.

"Are you middle-aged?" Luffy blurted out, squinting at the shipwright.

"I am but twenty-three." The man replied flatly, arching an eyebrow.

"You talk like an old man." Usopp observed, failing to stifle a chuckle.

"I get that a lot." The man replied, chuckling himself.

"Do you know Iceberg?" Ryomen asked, watching the shipwright with a hint of curiosity.

"Everyone here does. He's the city's mayor and the president of this company." The man replied with a touch of pride. "But he's very busy. You're looking for repairs, correct?" His gaze lingered on Ryomen.

"That's right!" Luffy replied, his enthusiasm undamped.

"Where did you dock?"

"Over at Rocky Cape." Usopp told him.

The man nodded, then stretched his legs. "I'll go assess your ship to save time before you speak with Mr. Iceberg."

"You'll go…on a Yagara?" Usopp asked, skeptical.

The man laughed. "It'd take forever like that. Give me ten minutes." He turned and sprinted toward the edge, launching himself out with incredible speed.

"He fell!" The group shouted in shock, rushing to the edge to look.

"Don't worry about him." A calm voice called from behind them.

They turned to see a man and a woman approaching.

"Who are you?" Luffy asked, curiosity written all over his face.

The man ignored the question, smiling faintly as he watched the figure darting across the rooftops. "He runs around town freely. He's known as 'Mountain Wind' the Galley-La Dock One shipwright foreman—Kaku."

"Yeah, but who are you?" Luffy pressed, still curious.

"Ill-mannered brats!" The woman snapped, suddenly delivering rapid kicks at them.

"Whaaa!!" They exclaimed in surprise, stumbling back.

"What's the big deal?" Ryomen asked, frowning.

"You want a fight?" Luffy added, rolling up his sleeves.

"She really scared me!" Nami mumbled, visibly shaken.

Usopp lay on the ground, clutching his nose. "Ah…I think she broke my nose…"

The woman sighed, regaining her composure. "I apologize. I lost my calm. But please, show some respect toward Mr. Iceberg."

"Please don't get Kalifa angry…otherwise…all hell breaks loose." The man beside her muttered, sporting fresh bruises.

"Most of those kicks landed on him!!" Luffy exclaimed in shock.

"You're the ill-mannered one!!" They all shouted back at her.

"Um, who are you all?" Iceberg asked.

"They're part of the Straw Hats." Kalifa answered.

"With Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Ryomen, and Nico Robin, they have a combined bounty of three hundred and nineteen million." Her gaze lingered on Ryomen for a moment longer than the others.

"I see…must not have been easy getting here." Iceberg commented, nodding in acknowledgment.

"We actually wanted to give you this." Nami said, handing him a letter.

"From Kokoro…'Check out their ship'…" He read aloud before tearing the letter into pieces.

"Aahh!" The group exclaimed in surprise.

"Please fix our ship! We'll pay you!" Nami pleaded.

"We've been sailing a long time, and the Going Merry is barely holding together! Please, old man!" Luffy added.

"Guys, if he doesn't want to—" Ryomen began, but Iceberg cut him off.

"No problem." Iceberg said with a shrug.

"He agreed so fast?!" Usopp shouted, shocked.

"Then why'd you tear up the letter?!" Usopp and Ryomen demanded in unison.

"I didn't like the lip mark. She's my drinking buddy." Iceberg replied with a grin.

"We'll wait until Kaku returns. In the meantime, since I'm bored, I can show you around."

"Okay! Let's go!" Luffy exclaimed happily.

"Wait! We need to take our money." Usopp said, turning around, only to see several men making off with four of their suitcases.

"What?!" Nami shrieked.

"Stop! Who are you?!" Usopp shouted in a panic.

"The Franky Family…" Iceberg muttered, his eyes narrowing.

"Wahahaha!! Thanks for the four hundred million, idiots!!" The men cackled as they sped off on Yagara bulls.

Ryomen's brows furrowed, and he clenched his fists, but before he could act, someone else intervened.

A blond man in a blue jacket suddenly leapt down from a bridge overhead, swiftly tying up the thieves and knocking them into each other.

Usopp exhaled in relief. "He's a shipwright too, right?" He asked, glancing at Iceberg.

"Yeah, he is."

"Hey, thanks! That money's ours, by the way!" Usopp called out.

"Hm? Money?" The blond man eyed the suitcases. "Oh…this…"

Without hesitation, he began steering the Yagara away, suitcases in tow.

"Hey, hey! Get back here!" Usopp yelled, waving frantically.

Suddenly, a man in a top hat, with a pigeon perched on his shoulder, appeared and grabbed the blond man by the ear, dragging him back.

"Stop! What are you doing!? I said I wouldn't run anymore! Let go of my ear!" The blond man protested, squirming. "I'll remember this…Lucci!"

"Trying to steal other people's money to pay off your debt? Shameless!" The pigeon scolded him.

"I just found it!" The blond man muttered defensively.

"They're coming back, what a relief." Luffy sighed.

"What kind of attitude is that?! That was four hundred million!" Usopp yelled, tugging at Luffy's cheek.

"And who left the money lying around?" Ryomen grumbled, tugging at Usopp's cheek in return.

"And who's supposed to be supervising these two?" Nami huffed, stretching out Ryomen's cheek as well.

Luffy tried reaching for Nami's cheek in retaliation, but she slapped his hand away with a glare.

"Do you want a beating?!" She warned, her tone sharp. Luffy quickly shook his head, backing away.

"Who were those guys?" Ryomen asked.

"The Franky Family ship dismantlers. Also bounty hunters on the side. You should never leave your ship unattended or they'll sell it." Khalifa explained.

"Good thing the others stayed on the Merry…" Usopp mumbled.

"They didn't seem that strong." Luffy commented.

"Those were just henchmen. The family's leader stays in the shadows. Don't underestimate Franky." Iceberg warned.

"Franky?" Luffy asked, confused.

"Where did you think their name came from?" Ryomen shook his head.

Just then, the two men arrived beside them.

"We got him, Mr. Iceberg." The pigeon said.

"Thanks, Lucci." Iceberg replied.

"Sorry for the trouble this idiot caused." The animal told the group.

"It talked again!" Luffy's mouth hung wide.

"Come on and apologize to them, Paulie."

"Did that money belong to you? I picked it up for you." Paulie said to Luffy.

"Thanks!" Luffy took the suitcases.

"How about a finder's fee?" Paulie asked, then was immediately struck on the head with a hammer by Lucci.

"Sorry about that. He's racked up so much debt from gambling that he's greedy and has no manners." Lucci explained.

"It's a talking pigeon!!" Luffy was stuck on it.

"Gambling debts, huh…?" Ryomen mumbled, taking out a hundred berries and a piece of gum. "Will this help?"

"Of course not!! But thanks." Paulie replied, accepting them. "Lucci, I'll let you off for now, thanks to him." Paulie pointed at Ryomen as he chewed the gum.

"Huuuh…Ignoring him, I'm Rob L—uh, I mean Hitori the pigeon! This is Rob Lucci. Pleased to meet you." Lucci exclaimed.

"Did the pigeon almost refer to itself as a human?" Nami questioned. "Wait, it's ventriloquism, isn't it?!"

"So cool! I didn't even notice!" Usopp exclaimed, impressed.

"So the pigeon can't talk?" Luffy mumbled, disappointed.

"Can I learn it too?" Ryomen asked curiously.

"It takes a lot of practice." Lucci replied, staring at Ryomen with an intense glint in his eyes.

"Oh…"

…

The crew was then guided into the factory by Iceberg.

"Whoa!!" The Straw Hats looked at the machinery in awe.

"It's huge! Even more amazing up close!" Luffy exclaimed.

"They're making a giant galleon! Who's that for?" Usopp asked.

"This place is full of craftsmen!" Nami mumbled.

"Can't wait to see what they do to the Merry." Ryomen muttered.

As they passed through the factory, everyone greeted Iceberg, asking him to check their work.

"Hey old man, you seem like an amazing shipwright. Want to join my crew?" Luffy asked Iceberg.

"What is he saying!?"

"How rude!"

Paulie and Khalifa exclaimed in unison.

"You don't have a shipwright?" Iceberg asked.

"Nope. We came to get our ship fixed and maybe find one." Luffy replied.

"There are a lot of shipwrights here…But I don't know if anyone is willing to join a pirate crew. If someone wants to go, they're yours."

"Really? You're so generous! How about you, mister?"

"Can't. I'm the mayor." Iceberg replied.

"So what?" Luffy asked.

"Luffy, this place, its people—they're all part of his crew. He can't leave them behind." Ryomen explained.

"Oooh, why didn't you say so? Shishishi!" Luffy chuckled.

"By the way…Is there a woman named Nico Robin on your ship?" Iceberg suddenly asked.

"Yeah, she's really smart!" Luffy replied before Ryomen could intervene.

"Luffy…" Ryomen palmed himself in exasperation, noticing two briefcases on the ground.

"Where's Usopp?" He asked, looking around.

"Who knows? Probably wandering around. He looked giddy at all the machines." Nami replied with a shrug.

"I'll go look for him. You guys can wait for Kaku." Ryomen said, leaving the briefcases as he went to search for Usopp.

"Maybe we should also go…" Nami mumbled as she looked at Ryomen's back.

"Can't you stay for a little? Kaku seems to be back." Paulie exclaimed as he saw a figure approaching in the distance.

"Alright! We'll talk to him then search for Usopp!" Luffy said determinedly.

…

"Did you see anyone leave recently?" Ryomen asked a shipwright.

"Huh? Yeah. There was this kid with a few guys around him." The shipwright replied, then returned to work.

"Was it Usopp…?" Ryomen mumbled, worried, and headed back toward the city center.

"Have you seen a guy with a nose this long?" Ryomen asked a passerby, gesturing at his finger.

"Saw someone like that get carried toward the market." The stranger replied.

"Thanks!" Ryomen quickly left, his concern rising with every step.

As he neared the market, he saw a crowd gathering, staring in shock at something.

'Please…Don't let it be him!' Ryomen thought, clenching his teeth.

But as he got closer, he saw a familiar figure lying on the ground, bloodied.

"Usopp!!" Ryomen rushed over. "Hey, talk to me! Are you alright!? Who did this to you!? Was it those bounty hunters!?" He exclaimed, his voice tight with anger and concern.

"Yes…I'm so useless…They took the money…" Usopp muttered weakly, starting to cry. "I'm…so sorry…I'm useless…"

"It's alright, Usopp! A few berries aren't worth more than your life!" Ryomen reassured him.

Murmurs spread through the onlookers as they curiously glanced over.

"What the hell are you staring at? Get lost!" Ryomen snapped, his glare scattering the crowd.

"What happened!?" Nami's voice rang out as she came on a Yagara.

"Nami…" Ryomen glanced at her. "He was attacked by the Franky Family. We need to get him back to the Merry!" He moved to lift Usopp, only for Usopp to grab his shoulder.

"No…I…need to get it back!" Usopp said with determination.

"Usopp, we have plenty more. It's not worth it." Ryomen tried to tell him.

"It doesn't matter! I…have to take it back!!" Usopp's voice was hoarse but fierce.

Ryomen looked at Usopp quietly, then nodded. "Alright. Nami, take the money back to the ship and tell Chopper to come to the Franky Family's hideout."

"Huh? You're really taking him there?" Nami asked in disbelief.

"If that's what he wants…I am. If they touch him again, they'll regret it." Ryomen's gaze was steady and resolute.

....

Hope you liked the chapter! I just wanted to let anyone interested know that I'm starting a new fic called Resident Evil: Blacklight!

Just posted the first chapter, so if you could give it a read and tell me your opinion I would appreciate it!