Chapter 3: Maiden Voyage

Chapter 3: Maiden Voyage

Morning came, and headaches were going all around. Franky pulled some funky-looking drink out of his fridge-stomach, gulped it down, and headed off to make some final adjustments to the Cutty Sark. When he got there, Sasori was in the middle of drawing seals on the port cannons. The cyborg raised an eyebrow at the puppet. "Even though it's been a while, I'm still amazed that you don't need sleep anymore."

The Ninja didn't even bother to turn away from his work. "That's because, unlike you, I'm far more puppet than human. I only kept my human parts because I needed them to use Chakra."

Visibly uncomfortable, Franky moved on. "Hey Sasori…you ever wonder why we woke up like we did? Metal, wood, and all?"

He actually paused at that. "If there is someone in charge of this, I get the feeling that we are wanted at our peak strength. We'll need it just to survive if we go far enough west."

"Ya know," Franky grinned, "I didn't figure you as the adventuring sort."

"A fair assessment," Sasori conceded. "I'm not one for leaping before looking, but that seems to be the only way to do things in this world."

"Well, I'm gonna make sure you let loose once in a while when we're out there. Life's too short for that sort of attitude."

The Ninja scoffed before returning his work. "We only have enough materials here to finish the cannons and the Coup de Burst. If you want to complete your Docking Bay machines, we'll have to use whatever we run into on the way."

"Yeah…at least the Cutty Sark itself is done," Franky noted. "So we can leave whenever everyone else is ready."

Sasori spoke up. "I'm almost finished the seals, so I'm going to get some ammo soon. Let everyone know that they need to hurry and grab the essentials. I want to at least depart before noon."

Franky waved his hands and turned around. "Yeah, yeah, I know…you don't like to be kept waiting."

Once the cyborg had departed via foot rockets, Sasori put the finishing touches on the seal of the cannon. With the proper amount of Chakra (or whatever energy worked), blasts of elemental energy could now be fired through the artillery. The Ninja gave a once-over to his armaments. Nodding in satisfaction, he vanished with Body Flicker.

Back at the site of the party, Jinbe was snoring away on his little bench. Halibel was just now starting to wake up, rubbing the back of her neck. Kisame had taken a seat, Samehada leaning against him. He looked at the Fishman.

"Would he have a heart attack if I was just gone when he woke up?" he absentmindedly wondered.

"Probably," Halibel guessed.

Before they did anything else, Franky rejoined them. Jinbe was startled awake by the big man banging down. "All right…Sasori says the ship is ready, and he wants to leave by noon."

Jinbe nodded. "Okay, I'll get some provisions for the journey." Franky walked up to his crewmate. "I'll come with you."

Kisame took a quick look around. "I guess I'll head to the ship…unless any of you want me tagging along."

Halibel considered it. "I'm just going to ask around and find out if anyone's seen my friends."

"Tell me what they look like. I'll ask around the shipyard while you handle the coast," Kisame suggested.

"We can ask around while we're shopping, that way we can hit the whole town before we leave" Jinbe pointed out.

"Thank you." Halibel gave a grateful nod to the both of them.

After descriptions of Apacci, Mila-Rose, and Sung-Sun were given, they all went their separate ways. Hours passed, but nobody in Shipwreck Cove had seen the three girls, much to the forming crew's disappointment. The only consolation for Halibel was that she got a new outfit. Jinbe had kindly gotten both her and Kisame something, since their Espada and Akatsuki apparel had been nearly ripped to shreds by the Fijis. It kinda creeped her out that the Fishman correctly guessed their measurements. Still, she appreciated the white blouse.

Still, noon came, with the ragtag team either on or by the boat. Kisame was tugging at the collar of his plain blue T-shirt (he'd already joked about Jinbe's lack of imagination). "So…which way we headed?"

"Well…I want to follow up that lead for Brook…if that's alright with the rest of you." Jinbe said this with just a hint of authority, as if daring the others to say no.

Halibel shook her head. "You're helping me with my friends, I see no reason to impede the search for yours."

The Akatsuki members simply gave a noncommittal shrug.

"Setting out already?"

Everyone on the Sark turned towards the dock. Burns had appeared without anyone noticing. Davos was walking up behind him.

"Yep," Franky responded as he looked over everything after all the Cola had been installed.

The sharply-dressed man gave a sly smile. "Now Franky, Sasori…you two wouldn't be leaving without so much as a thank-you after my generous hospitality. Not after wrecking so much of the shipyard in your little squabble."

The two craftsmen paled at that. "Not at all," Sasori quickly claimed as he bowed his head to the man. "Thank you for the refuge," the Ninja added with a bit more honesty.

Franky gave a salute. "Yeah, what he said."

While this was going on, Davos approached his trio of new friends. "Speaking of thank-you, just let me know if any of you three come back to this neck of the woods. Anything you want is on me."

Jinbe sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Well…that's much appreciated."

Halibel jumped off the ship, right besides Davos. She handed him three sketches. "If you see any of these girls, tell them to meet me on the way to Fiddler's Green."

"And say that to anyone wearing this!" Kisame added as he waved the remains of his Akatsuki cloak.

The old captain nodded at both of them. "It's the least I could do."

"Thanks!" the Ninja yelled from the ship.

"Thank you." Halibel and Davos shook hands, before the Hollow returned to the ship.

Burns cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "There's something you should know before heading west. A big storm is going to hit you on the first day. And before you say anything…" he cut off Kisame's coming comment. "Yes, this happens to literally everyone going west on their first full day at sea. Consider it the first obstacle."

Jinbe nodded confidently. "I'll make sure to whip everyone into shape before that," he joked.

Kisame smirked at the Fishman. "Is that a challenge?" he asked in mock offense. Jinbe gave a small nod.

Halibel sighed at the two before turning back to Burns. "Is there anything particularly unusual about these storms?"

"It will be extremely ferocious. The storms here are definitely stronger than the ones in most worlds. The Grand Line is honestly the only near comparison off the top of my head. Now, I'm not saying I don't trust you to manage…but I have a little extra something."

Burns pulled out what appeared to be a scroll from his pocket, and tossed it to Sasori. The puppet quickly read the cover and his eyes widened. "This is an S-Rank Wind Style Jutsu. Opening it would propel us at least a day's journey within minutes."

"Where did you get that?" Kisame suspiciously wondered.

"Oh, a Hokage came by months ago and made these en masse for me to give out to anyone who needed it," Burns explained nonchalantly.

"Which Hokage?" both Akatsuki asked.

"The young blonde man with whiskers who wore a lot of orange."

The two Ninjas gaped at Burns.

"That brat?" Sasori spat out.

"Huh…never knew the kid had it in him." Kisame admitted.

"Regardless," Burns continued. "Use that if you ever need just a quick getaway. I'd recommend saving it, but you're free to do as you please with it."

"Thank you for the parting gift. We'll be sure to use it wisely," Halibel promised.

Satisfied, Davos and Burns gave a parting wave. "Fare thee well," the latter called.

Jinbe returned the wave before strolling to the helm. "Sasori, if you would be so kind as to set the sails?"

The former Sand Ninja nodded as he sat into a lotus position beneath the main mast. He opened his right chest cavity, and hundreds of Chakra Strings zoomed out towards the rigging and canvas. "I assume that you're a competent helmsman?" he asked the Fishman.

Franky laughed at that. "Buddy, you have no idea. He could drive us through any storm with his eyes closed."

"Please don't," Halibel sighed.

Jinbe slowly turned to her. "I promise to keep my eyes open in anything worse than a drizzle."

"I'll take what I can get," she muttered while wondering what the Fishman defined as a 'drizzle'.

"Hey guys," Kisame called out as he pointed towards Shipwreck Cove's exit. It seemed that the entire town had come out to see them off. A solitary voice rang out to the crew in the form of a song.

The King and his men stole the Queen from her bed

And bound her in her bones.

The seas be ours and by the powers

Where we will, we'll row.

That solitary voice was joined by a choir that resonated throughout the entire island.

Yo ho, all hands

Hoist the colors high.

Heave ho, thieves and beggars

Never shall we die.

Jinbe and Sasori stayed the course as they listened. Kisame and Halibel were transfixed, trying to figure out what the song meant. Franky had gone below deck, mumbling about getting something.

Now some have died

And some are alive

And others sail the sea

With the keys to the cage

And the Devil to pay

We lay to Fiddler's Green.

The whole town began to rumble as everyone stomped their feet in time with the tune, along with raising their voices so the heavens could hear.

Yo Ho, haul together

Hoist the colors high

Heave ho, thieves and beggars

Never shall we die.

Franky came back up from below, a folded black flag in his hand. Smirking, Sasori extended a few Chakra Strings, pulling it to the top of the main mast above the crow's nest. The flag unfurled to reveal a Great White Shark with its nose pointing straight up, its jaws open. Franky turned to Jinbe. "I'll put the Straw Hat flag up when we've found everyone…but until then…" he pointed towards the flag with a grin. Jinbe gave a small smile. "It'll do."

Yo Ho, haul together

Hoist the colors high.

Heave ho, thieves and beggars

Never shall we die.

Jinbe and Franky joined in with the chorus, spirits lifting as they dreamed of a reunified crew. Meanwhile, Kisame and Halibel came to a realization. This song was nothing less than a shout of defiance against the sea's might, of humanity's enduring struggle with the elements. Feeling inspired, the two found themselves humming along.

YO HO, HAUL TOGETHER

HOIST THE COLORS HIGH!

HEAVE HO, THIEVES AND BEGGARS

NEVER SHALL WE DIE!

At the farthest reaches of the Sea of Second Chances, as far West as West went, what seemed to be a man sat at the edges of an island. It was filled with lush green fields, and the constant sounds of an almost heavenly orchestra. Despite this, the man was irritated. He had felt the song and spirit emanating from Shipwreck Cove.

'How dare they intrude upon my domain without knowing their proper place?' he thought. The man (nay, the god) saw this song as nothing less than humanity's boasting of stripping one of their betters and taking what was never theirs. He was also offended at the mere thought of three 'mongrels' who had the gall to claim lordship over his element. Determined to put an end to it, he rose to his feet, towering over the island. He grabbed a mighty gold trident that lay by his side. With a single swing of his weapon, the god's power surged from one end of the sea to the other.

Back at Shipwreck Cove, the Cutty Sark had returned to the sea proper and set a course Northwest to follow their lead on Brook. Once the island was nothing more than a speck in the distance, their good mood following the stirring song was broken by the sounds of thunder.

"Well…that was quick," Kisame couldn't help but comment as he saw the horizon swallowed by black clouds.

The sea itself was swelling up and down. The waves were growing exponentially. Lightning was illuminating the darkness almost every other second. Whirlpools were forming near instantly. Jinbe was forced to put in more effort to stay the course. "Batten down the hatches!" he commanded.

Sasori immediately sent more strings to secure the ship's various doors and openings. Thick ropes shot out to tie themselves off around the cannons on deck, making sure they wouldn't get tossed around. Once that was done, Sasori shot twice as many strings as before towards the sails, giving him more room to micromanage.

"Uh, guys…" Franky shivered as he pointed out two gargantuan tsunamis hurtling towards them from opposite directions. All too soon, they loomed over the Cutty Sark. Without a word, Kisame jumped to the starboard railing, and Halibel to the port.

"Water Style: Water Wall Jutsu!" The tsunami crashed against Kisame's defense, diverting the water safely around the ship.

Halibel simply stood midair, and delivered a single vertical slash. The wave instantly parted enough for the Cutty Sark to pass unscathed.

Franky's eyes bulged in shock at the two, his mouth dropped open. He didn't have long to gawk. Lightning was starting to crackle right above them, and the rain was pouring at an insane rate. The crew could barely see to the other side of the ship. With the obscured vision coupled with turbulent sea, the effect was incredibly disorienting. Figuring he should prepare for the worst, Franky went below deck to prepare and man the Coup de Burst.

Sasori was barely holding on thanks to his Strings, his entire body bouncing off the deck before he would pull himself back down. Still, he never broke his Lotus position, in no small part due to not feeling the rain with his puppet body.

Jinbe had one hand in front of his eyes as the other struggled to keep the wheel steady. Kisame had rooted himself in place with Chakra through his feet, Samehada driven into the ship for stability. Halibel had gone with the opposite approach, zooming through the air with Sonido as she powered through the pelting rain, pointing out whirlpools so that Jinbe could avoid them.

It went on like this for the better part of an hour. Just when the crew thought they were ready for the long haul, the ship was hoisted up by a tidal wave forming right under them.

"BRACE YOURSELVES!" Jinbe roared over the howling winds. His warning was timely. The second after the Ninjas, Hollow, and Cyborg grabbed onto the Cutty Sark, the ship was sent careening out of control. The tidal wave had crashed back into the rest of the sea, right into the gaping maw of a massive whirlpool.

With the water swelling around them, Kisame, Halibel, and Jinbe felt something, thanks to their own sensitivities toward water. Power. There was energy coursing through the ocean itself. It was absolutely suffocating to the trio, to the point they'd be driven to their knees. Not even the Tailed Beasts or Aizen or the Emperors compared to this sheer presence. Now that the three noticed, their enhanced senses could feel that same power in the wind, rain, and lightning. They, putting the pieces together, came to a realization. Something had created and sent the storm.

While Franky and Sasori had figured out something was unusual, they weren't able to focus and realize what exactly. Regardless, the crew were all brought out of their thoughts by the feel of their ship careening down. Before they knew it, the Cutty Sark had been completely submerged, upside down as a matter of fact.

To the East, 'Burns' was looking off towards the blackened horizon. "Oh, Brother," he said in a disheartened tone. "As easily offended as ever."

Davos was besides him, hands shielding his eyes from the intense lightning. "I've never seen a storm like that. Those folks seem to be attracting danger like no one before. Think they'll be alright?"

Burns gave a contemplative look. "I wouldn't have brought them together if they'd fall to something as petty." Spot woofed in agreement.

"Petty?!" Davos wondered in shock.

"Yes, you saw what those three in particular were capable of. I have faith in them. It's as simple as that." Having made his point, 'Burns' sat down, scratching Spot behind the ears.

To the West, the trident-wielder smirked as he felt the ship go under. Satisfied with himself, the massive being relaxed. He set the trident down, his intense power starting to retreat back into him at a slow pace. So sure was he that he didn't need anything close to full power to finish off the nuisances.

Back at the Cutty Sark, the crew struggled with their vessel being turned upside down. Franky was the first to start struggling for breath. To be fair, this was in comparison to a puppet without lungs, a Hollow, and two people with gills. And even they were beginning to feel the strain of the water pummeling them from all sides. Sasori was desperately trying to keep the sails from ripping apart, rooted by the main mast. Franky joined him in the effort to keep the ship together. Kisame and Jinbe were still managing to hang on.

Halibel was hurtling around the ship, her tactical mind quickly searching for a solution. As she moved, she noticed how the waves were still pushing against the ship, to the point that the masts almost broke the surface. And there was a huge tsunami coming up again.

Halibel zoomed back to the Sark with Sonido. "JINBE, KISAME!" she yelled to make herself heard in the water. "TSUNAMI COMING IN FROM THE RIGHT!"

Hearing that, Jinbe had an idea and let go of the railing, shocking the others. "ALL RIGHT! LET GO KISAME! WE'RE GOING TO PUSH THE SHIP UP!"

"YOU CRAZY?" the Ninja asked. Regardless, he still let go of the Cutty Sark, letting himself be swept back towards the others. With only a split-second to spare, Halibel grabbed the two men and got into position a few feet beneath the churning surface.

"WHEN I GIVE THE WORD, WE'LL GET A RUNNING START AND PUSH UP THE PORT RAILING!" the Fishman declared. Sure enough, the massive tidal wave crashed against the keel, tilting the ship up over 45 degrees from its original upside down position.

"NOW!" As one, Kisame, Halibel, and Jinbe shot themselves to the port railing. The Ninja encased himself in a Water Style: Water Shark Bomb Jutsu to propel forward, while the Hollow and Fishman pushed their natural speed to the limit. At the apex of the ship's rocking, 6 hands connected to the port railing.

Thanks to the momentum from their 'running' start, the Cutty Sark was slowly being pushed back up. For a few nerve-wracking seconds, Sasori thought that the three would fail since the underwater current was starting to pull the ship back down.

"RRRRAAAAAHHHHHH!" All three warriors roared with exertion as they fought the power of a god. With a final effort, the masts and railing (both port and starboard) breached the surface. The momentum did the rest of the work. Kisame, Halibel, and Jinbe all fell onto the deck, panting from the effort. Sasori was staring at the three, startled at how easily they had managed to work together. Franky was just straight up cheering, hiding his relief at not having to resort to the Coup de Burst so early in their journey.

The ship was still a bit turbulent, but it was apparent to everyone that the worst was over. After a bit more panting, the three started getting up. Jinbe made his way to the helm, resuming his post. "Thanks for spotting that tsunami, Halibel," the Fishman gave a polite bow of the head. "I wouldn't have noticed until it was too late to take advantage of."

Steadying herself, Halibel nodded. "No problem."

Kisame started to situate himself in a comfortable seat. "You did good, Kisame. Couldn't have done it without you, Kisame. Really appreciated the help, Kisame," he grumbled.

"We probably could've flipped the ship without you," Halibel pointed out.

"…well screw you too," Kisame retorted with no real malice.

"Okay okay," sighed Jinbe. "Thank you," he added with a small smile.

"That's more like it," the Ninja responded.

With that, the crew finally started to relax. Sasori and Jinbe kept a steady course northwest.

Back West, the trident-wielder shot his head up in surprise. He had felt the ship emerging from the depths. He had sensed how easily the three had moved through the water. The god found himself impressed at the fledgling crew managing to power past one of his storms. Plus, that annoying singing had died down, so his hair-trigger mood had settled.

"We shall see how they handle some of the more interesting inhabitants of my sea, then I'll know if they're worthy of my attention," he thought to himself. "Maybe I'll put my back into the next storm." Smirking, the god settled back into his rest.

To the opposite end of the Sea of Second Chances, Burns smiled as the storm dissipated. He just knew that the Cutty Sark and its crew had made it, relaying just as much to Davos.

"HA…those boys and girl must have the devil's luck!" Davos couldn't help but cheer.

"…something like that," agreed Burns as he stroked Spot.

As for the Cutty Sark itself, it had a day of smooth sailing after the storm. The next 24 hours found Kisame and Halibel walking alongside the ship, keeping an eye on their surroundings. Their monotony was broken by an ungodly smell. Unnerved, the two landed back on the ship, seeing that Jinbe had noticed it too. As the ship kept its Northwesterly course, the smell grew stronger. In a few minutes, Franky started heaving when he caught a whiff. Sasori was able to completely ignore it without functioning nostrils.

With a few more minutes, the water had turned black. The reek of the rotten seeped into the ship itself. Schools worth of dead fish were limply floating on the surface. Even a pod of whales had passed. It would've been enough to feed entire cities for days. Jinbe had bowed his head, bitter at such a needless loss of life. Franky looked to be on the point of tears.

It was absolutely clear to the crew that the ocean had become poison. Kisame and Halibel found themselves thankful they had returned to the deck before walking over the horrid mixture. As the ship sailed on, the dead multiplied. The further into the dark mass they went, the riper the bodies. Except, no scavengers were present. The tainted flesh simply fell apart from exposure, sinking into the depths.

After an hour of this, Halibel gave out a cry of "LAND!" Aside from the numerous inlets and rivers, a small hill was the only distinctive feature. Before the Cutty Sark got any closer, the crew heard splashing. Everyone dashed to the starboard railing, and saw someone coming towards them. It was a woman, clad in a green skin-tight suit, broken goggles strapped to her forehead. Her left arm and right leg had been bent at odd angles, clearly broken. The remaining limbs were doing something resembling a breaststroke, only managing thanks to unusually large hands and feet. An incredibly long tongue was sticking out of her mouth. Green hair was trailing through the dark water. One eye had swollen shut. She was coughing up blood and struggling to breathe.

Having seen enough, Halibel vanished with Sonido. She instantly picked up the girl, and brought her back to the deck. Once the stranger was laid down, Sasori rushed by her side. While treatment was a priority, he was also very eager to analyze a poison that could be so widespread and deadly at the same time.

"BLEUGH!" The woman turned over and coughed up a lungful of the poison, her body convulsing. Sasori took a vial and filled it up for later study. He then pushed the stranger onto her back, and began applying Chakra to stabilize what he could. Halibel was gripping the woman's hand, and keeping her down with the other.

"What's your name?" Halibel asked in an attempt to distract and calm the girl.

"Tsuyu Asui, please call me Tsu" she answered in a quivering voice.

"Tsu, what happened?" Sasori inquired.

At those words, Tsuyu's eyes went wide and she started hyperventilating. "A Demon. He was a Demon!" With that, Sasori had heard enough. He pulled out a sedative and injected the girl. Her convulsions lessened and her eyes closed, everything going black for her.

Kisame looked at Tsuyu, to the poisoned sea, and at the distant island. "What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?"

A.N. A little shorter than usual, but I'm glad I got something out that moved the plot along. I struggled with this "transitional" chapter. Plus, I wanted to introduce the 'trident-wielder' who will be one of the final villains of my story. Also, I was looking for an excuse to use that wonderful song, and what better way than to defy a god. Still, I'm definitely going to enjoy writing for this little island adventure.

Welp, that's it for now. Til Next Time…Have Fun!