CHAPTER 7: SUBMERGED

The submersion began as they feel a floating sensation that start from their feet. It was one of those paradoxical things, Nami thought, that you enjoyed as you experienced them.

The bubble was growing, and they watched in awe as it grew bigger and bigger without popping. "Uwaa..." Chopper uttered beside her, fascinated, and everyone else watched as it grew to its height and the ship began to descend. It was a feeling similar to when the ship just entered the cloud highway back in Sky Island, though soon enough it began to feel just like they were sailing above the sea…, only in a submarine completely made of glass.

The crew dissipated to look at their surroundings. It was a magnificent show of nature (which Zoro shortly interrupted saying he had seen it before, because he mistakenly got into the wrong ship). The depth of the mangrove forest was a miracle, and the massiveness of the creatures fascinating.

.

But the spell was quickly broken by screams.

"DON'T DO IT!"

"GYAA!"

"STOP IT YOU TWO!"

Naturally, it was the Monster-Idiots (a.k.a. Luffy and Zoro) and they were attempting to catch the fish outside the bubbles. And using their AOA techniques.

Damned idiots

After placing bumps on their foreheads, Nami promptly explained the various ways the bubble could pop. The idiots promptly have a competition.

"HOW CAN YOU TWO BE SO STUPID YOU IDIOTS." Usopp screamed, and Chopper squeaked, and they knocked the two idiots down the grass.

"DO THAT AGAIN AND I WILL KILL YOU!"

But then, Nami noticed the somewhat erotic position Luffy was as she sprawled on the ground, and soon with her peripheral vision she could see blood rising to Sanji's head. A second later, Sanji ended up being the one outside the bubble. Cannoned out by his own nosebleed, of course.

Luffy quickly sat up to catch the bleeding cook. Her hand went through the bubble and headed directly to Sanji, though the force quickly faltered and she barely got a hold of him. On her right, she saw that Chopper hilariously ran to the rooms to get a blood bank ready by the time Sanji's on the lawn.

Luffy had to struggle a bit at the pull, as the seawater was draining her strength. She succeeded in the end though, with assistance, and with Sanji's head ending up on her chest.

Nami's eyes twitched as she saw his body shiver and got ready for yet another nosebleed, but Zoro kicked him away just in time, though arguably with a bit too much force that it'd have put a hole in the ship if it wasn't made up of adam wood.

"Annoying cook." Zoro muttered as he trudged next to Luffy and sat there. Finally, the two Idiots finally got the message (i.e. that they should stop trying to pop the bubble). Everyone joined them in a circle when Nami announced a current will carry them for several hours.

"So…" One mumbled with a smile. A few others smiled in understanding

"...Yeah".

Everyone sighed—a breath of relaxation—as they let a moment of silence pass by, they finally breathed in the fact that they were really together now, once again, in their home—something that did not really sink in due to the simultaneous events that occurred before that.

Then Luffy's stomach growled, followed by Usopp's, and they all laughed.

"Just like old times! Yohohoho~" Brooke laughed, then Franky rubbed his hands in anticipation.

"Now for some food—" He said, though he was cut off when he saw that Sanji was still unconscious. Everybody looked at the cook, and then turned their heads to the massive backpack next to their captain.

However, before anyone could even lay a hand on the bag, they were shortly interrupted by a figure fast approaching, and they soon realized it was a ship much bigger than theirs, being pulled by a creature. The newcomers placed the ships so close that people from one ship could transfer to another.

But then the creature's eyes met with Luffy's, then Nami's, and then Sanji's and they all realize it was Momoo—Arlong's old pet.

Unfortunately (for them) Momoo quickly recognized them as well and briefly re-lived the pain he associated with them. The creature immediately ran for his life, pulling the enemy ship, and leaving a monologuing Caribou behind.

With that (after effortlessly tying up the intruder), the crew returned to their original positions and got the topmost items in the backpack which was, obviously, food. A lot of food.

It had meat, it had rice balls, it had fruits, and pretty much everything else.

Then landed an oddly shaped onigiri in Franky's mechanical hands, and he was reminded of someone all of them owed.

Everyone was munching on their respective food when they realized Franky wasn't eating at all. Luffy's eyebrows furrowed. "Whaz whrong?" She asked, chewing. Everyone else also stopped eating and watched their shipwright. No one moved until Franky heaved a sigh, followed by a half-whisper: "He saved our lives, you know."

"Who?"

"Kuma."

Silence occupied the air between the usually-rambunctious crew, all of whom recalling the events and their underlying suspicions that indeed—he had saved their lives back then.

First he spared them in Thriller Bark, then he saved them in Sabaody, and finally he—along with the Rose riders and Hachi—protected the Sunny Go, using last bit of will he had left.

"It may be because he was a revolutionary, though I doubt that's the whole story." Franky said, and he sadly reminded them that though the next time they meet the man he will be a ruthless enemy, all of them owed him their lives.

…

It was a long moment of silence. It may have moments of introspection dedicated to Kuma, or for the two years, or for all they experienced when they were apart. For a while, the air remained quiet and nobody moved.

However, after a while Usopp, the self-named Resident Clown, decided it was suffocating and his eyes darted everywhere to find a change of topic. His eyes ended on the largest non-living thing in sight: Luffy's backpack.

"Now… what else is in here?" He voiced out, pulling everyone back to the present. He put his hands in the bag and began to rummage through Luffy's massive backpack. As his hands moved inside, however, his amused and intrigued expression soon changed to one of confusion, bewilderment, and then utter disbelief.

"This must be months of food supply for a person!" Usopp gasped in awe as he rummages through it. "Clothes, toothpastes, shampoo that can last years…"

"There're even vitamins!" Chopper added, looking rather amazed at how all these things can fit in one bag. He (along with the rest) had by them already completely forgot about a certain Caribou tied up and his attack a few minutes prior. Nami was looking behind Usopp as well, curious.

"Scores of insect repellents?" Nami laughed and Usopp's furrowed his eyebrows in thought.

"It's overkill, sure, but a lot of thought came into this. No way Luffy prepared this for herself."

"Yeah." Luffy mumbled, still chewing. "Hammock did it for me."

"Hammock?" They blinked a little before they realized. "Boa Hancock?!"

"Yeah, that's what I said."

Usopp leaned back at this, palm on his furrowed forehead. It seems like the most beautiful person in land did ask Luffy to marry him, after all! Hell, he's already acting like a housewife!

Nami and Robin, on the other hand, shifted their heads towards a certain swordsman, who had his back turned from them but they noticed that his shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly and head turned down oh-so slightly. He walked away, and looked anywhere but the Captain.

In any case, Usopp felt like he's really hungry after all this commotion, and he just grabs a sandwich and puts it in his mouth. "Are you swure thishis okay? It's not poishoned ishit?" Usopp asked apprehensively, while he's chewing it.

"How wrude." Luffy mumbled as she munched on her meat. Nami watched Luffy's mannerless eating and remembered a peculiar rumor she heard a long time prior.

"Luffy… I hear that he is the ruler of an island. And island inhabited only by men." She uttered, finger on her chin as she mused. "Is this true?" Then she looked up in wonder. "How does that work, anyway?"

"That's not something you ask Luffy, though." Usopp said, waiting for smoke to rise out of the rubber girl's ears. But then Usopp realized something about Nami's question and blinked in disbelief. "Wait, WHAT—the island of men?"

Sanji abruptly stood up and flew next to Luffy, shaking her shoulder, while Zoro watched apprehensively, arms tightly crossed over his chest. "LUFFY-CHAN YOU WERE IN THE ISLAND OF MEN!? WHAT DID THEY DO TO Y—"

Luffy ignored him and looked at Nami to answer her question. "Hmn…" She began as she recalled asking Glorio a similar question. It was just odd and she recalled the trait had been particularly troublesome when she had to explain to them why she's bleeding down below even when she wasn't injured. She only remembered a few words out of Glorio's very intricate explanation though. "Something 'bout evoluter and divouruty."

Robin was amused by the most of their faces (while trying to decipher), but she coolly provided a translation. "Evolution and Diversity?"

"Yeah, that's what I said." Luffy furrowed her eyebrows. "You guys sure like repeating what I say."

"I see…" Robin said, analyzing, ignoring Sanji's depressed mumbling of 'island of men' over and over again right beside her. Nami noticed her thinking and realized she had remembered something.

"What are you thinking, Robin?"

"Well I heard most of the men there are castrated, other than the royals and a few others."

"EH? How does that even work—"

"The royals choose women of their choosing outside the village. It is the most extreme measure to ensure in-breeding never happens." She explains. "It has to do with genes."

"I think I get it." Chopper mumbled as he chewed. "Still odd though."

Luffy on the other hand had no idea what they were talking about, so she just continued to grab something inside the bag to eat. After a couple of mouthfuls, her hand ended up on that fruit she got from Rusukaina. She blinked at the remembrance and Chopper looked at the fruit curiously.

"What's that?"

"I got it from Rusukaina." She turned to look at Zoro, who touched his slick-backed emerald hair when he felt her stare. "For Zoro."

"Eh? Only for Zoro?"

"Yeah. It tastes like booze. Really good booze." She told them with a smile. "I only found one, and since Zoro likes booze best, I wanted to give it to him."

Robin chuckled at this. "That's… rather sweet of you."

"Eh?" She shrugged, just before she turned to Zoro, who was then staring at her with a startled face. She threw him the fruit and he caught it, turning away, and whispering his thanks.

"What's with him?" She asked, thinking he'd be openly thankful. She was pretty awesome, after all. He wasn't not the only one who likes booze!

It was Robin who answers her question. "I think he is ill."

Luffy's food dropped to the floor and her eyes widened, her head quickly whipping to see the swordsman who looked just as bewildered as she did. "CHOPPER! ROBIN SAYS ZORO IS SICK." She yelled, just before extending her hand to his shoulders and ricocheted herself to his direction.

"EHHHHH!?" Chopper yelled back (as if they weren't next to each other a second prior), and motioned to run to their swordsman. But he realized that even when he was walking, then running, then jumping, he had not moved an inch from where he was. He flinched when he realized one of Robin's hands was holding up his backpack and keeping him from moving.

"I don't think his illness can be fixed." Robin mumbled mysteriously with a small smile, implying aura surrounding her. Chopper almost cried in terror.

Luffy, on the other hand, gasped. "WHAT. I thought all sickness can be healed! You said all sickness can be healed! CHOOOOPPPERRR." Luffy hugged Zoro tighter, near tears, and he blushed like hell. She noticed this and placed her palm on his forehead.

"He's burning! OUCH!" She yelled, albeit because she was being pushed by Zoro (to no avail). Luffy, unaffected, turned to the crew. "CHOPPER! ZORO IS GOING TO DIEEE! IS THAT WHY YOU ONLY HAVE one EYE NOW?" She cried and rubbed her face against his because Zoro can't die.

"O-OI! LUFFY!" He continued to push her although it's in vain due to her elasticity, and his blush turned brighter every time.

At the sight everybody else, sans the oblivious Chopper, were desperately stifling their laughter.

Meanwhile… Sanji, now gaining consciousness, saw the scene and dragged himself across the lawn to get her attention. "I'm… I'm the one dying, Luffy-ch-chan…" Though Franky placed his small yellow hand right on his back to keep him from crawling away.

…

"We're almost there."

Those were words that sprung Captain Caribou back to reality. He had lost hope in getting away before his crew arrived and he had entered a daze as the blasted crew just goofed around for a while (mostly centered about teasing the pirate hunter). He half-dazedly watched as the sexy red-head suddenly stood up and headed for front of the ship, followed by Strawhat.

He watched them goof around for a minute more and watched as Strawhat voiced out in bewilderment that they were not going to where the log pose was pointing. The navigator explained why, and that thing they'd call mystery flow, but Strawhat obviously didn't really get it. "But we should get there quickly!"

The redhead sighed. "But following straight down is impossible. We can only follow the currents."

"Tsk."

"Anyway, we're exiting the Euphotic zone now and it'll get much darker after the down flow." She told them, and looked at their attires. "We should wear our winter gears."

At this, gears in Captain Caribou's head jumpstarted, instincts reminding him of the dangers ahead.

Euphotic Zone, he repeated inside his head.

Eupho—

HOLY SH*T!

He shot up and yelled, telling them to turn tail, looking even paler than he actually was. "I-It's there!" He stuttered, near-squeaking, as if everyone knew what 'it' was. "I'm sure! We've confirmed it!"

Long-nose cynically crossed his arms, the annoying bastard. "If you knew something so scary is there. Why are your crew going there as well?"

"We're not! We're—"

The navigator shook her head. "I think he means to say they intended to 'massacre' us before we get to this point."

"Yes, that's it." Then he paled as he realized the slip. "EEK!"

But apparently, he was not even worth their time as the captain then went to sit at her spot, looking down, while the others tried to discuss what to do next.

And then there it was: Massive yellow tentacles with each suckers as big as Momoo.

He felt his soul flush down the drain to hell.

Of course, Strawhat, being like herself, said something ridiculous that brought him back to an even worse hell. "Let's tame him!"

They stared and Luffy proceeded to tell them her reasoning. "So we can travel faster!" then she seemed to realize something and scratched her cheek. "The problem's we're underwater."

"No that's not the problem!" They all yelled and Caribou had completely lost all hope of surviving.

But the he heard them: "CAPTAIN!"

And his brother. "ANIKI!"

He squealed their names in joy, hope reborn within his heart, reviving his soul.

Then one tentacle rose up and crushed his ship, bodies floating to the surface.

"They look like jellyfishes." Pirate Hunter mumbled behind him, the bastard.

He sobbed for his crew, though only for a few seconds, as his mood swiftly changed from despair to utter disbelief as he realized that –even when a few members were screaming in terror—the rest was either drinking tea, sketching, watching someone sketching, and waiting for captain's orders.

Caribou finally accepted that everyone in the ship had a mental problem and decided that if he allowed them to use their own devices they—and more importantly him—will die. So he taught them about instant diving suits and made sure the long-nose (the most normal one, in his opinion) told the idiots that they should stay as far away from the ship as possible.

He watched as the monster trio leave the ship, hoping that they really stay as far away from the ship as humanly possible.

Still, Kraken attacked the ship and as he watched the larger-than-life tentacle approach them as such speed, he thought he'd be joining his brother soon. Instead, Caribou witnessed a guy shooting missiles from his shoulder that sent shockwaves kilometers away, the 50 belli talking pet turning into a massive ball of fur that can deflect an attack from the kraken, and a freaking giant hand sprouting from the ship.

Caribou began to sweat then. If the crew was like this, how was the capt—

"Whoa! Sanji got out of his bubble!" He turned to see that the Black leg was moving so quickly in water. "He's as fast as a merman! Sugoi!"

Then one of Kraken's tentacles promptly got fried.

Shortly after that, he witnessed another tentacle effortlessly get chopped up, by an attack he didn't even see. "AMAZING!" The pet squeaked while the robot said SUUUPPEEERR.

And finally, the captain knocked it out with her giant black hand.

And there he thought Kraken was the monster.

...

"Tsk."

Zoro frowned as he felt them falling the massive waterfall outside their ship. He saw twirly eyebrows was feeling the same, and they simultaneously looked at the captain, gesturing to go to her. It was too late though, as they soon got sucked in along with Kraken.

The sensation was very much like falling in land, only in land you fell in a straight line. He had whipped his head at least a dozen times to make sure the captain was not out of his sights.

It lasted a while, and by the time it stopped, he could hear his heart beating in his ears a little too loudly. Thankfully, it didn't take long to find the captain. But there was a distinct absence of her bubble.

His stomach dropped and he yelled. "LUFFY!" And without having to think he swam to her so quickly he left his bubble behind—and just as quickly, they were back inside.

He was panting, heart palpitating, and it wasn't because of the physical exertion. It was because of the wave of fear and panic that breezed through him every time she was in genuine danger.

Zoro folded his legs and placed her between it. With a huff, he looked at her unconscious form and his hand went to her stomach to push the small amounts of water she ingested. It was not much, which meant she must've lost consciousness as soon as her bubble exploded.

When he exhaled his final shaken breath, his hand rose to wipe off some water in her face and the hair that was blocking her clear breathing. They soon caught a current and they just floated along with it, and Zoro barely took his eyes off the captain's face.

When she woke up, it was like she just had a nice nap, and he almost laughed in relief. "Yo, Zoro." She said, sitting up a little and didn't seemed surprised they were now in the same bubble.

But before he smiled he caught himself and forced a frown, which was easy when he recalled of the danger that had just passed. "You realize you almost died," he said and frowned further at her seeming obliviousness to danger, especially as it was not the first time. He also knew he was also like this, but being at the other end of the spectrum of who-would-worry for-whom was quite uncomfortable.

"Mah, I knew you were going to save me." She just told him, shrugging, and he can only heave a sigh, only with a small smile plastered on his face.

"So…" She asked, making herself comfortable between his legs, and he looked away a little. "Where are we?"

"Beats me."

It was only now that he really recognized how dark it was. His eyes soon adjusted and he sensed Luffy's did too. And then later they see light and realize they were all sea creatures glowing. At this, Luffy shifted her position to have a better look. The idiot had no idea what she's hitting, of course.

"SUGOI! They're glowing!" She yelled and turns to him. "Can we eat it?"

"…No."

"Eh?" Her shoulders tense from excitement softened a little as she tried to get a better look at him. But it strained her neck so she went back to her position before, to his chagrin. "You're still sick."

"…I'm fine." He cleared his throat. "Go back to ogling the creatures."

But she didn't and suddenly she didn't have much interest in the novel creatures, and it made him lose his breath a little. He can sense her lifting her arms to likely touch his face or forehead again and he stopped it by holding it down.

She is so close, he mused, and he barely even noticed he was leaning down when—

"MARIMOOOOOOO!"

They see him use his Blue Walk to approach them in the speed of sound, and he popped his head into the bubble. And with an annoyingly annoyed look, he glared at Zoro. "YOU!" He then squeezed his hand in and placed them on Zoro's face and pushed him away from Luffy.

"OH! SANJI!" Luffy laughed, easily ignoring the hostility, completely used to it. "Where's your bubble?"

His face contorts to his mellorine face, blood splattering out of nose. "Are you okay, Luffy-chan~"

"You lost your bubble didn't you?" Zoro interrupted and Sanji's face changed back to his annoyed smug face. "I'm not an idiot." He said as he pointed behind him with his thumb. Sure enough, the bubble was there safe and sound, just floating there with the current.

Until a massive glowing tuna passed by and ate it whole a second later.

…

"MOVE IT, Bearded Swirly Eyebrows!"

"You're taking too much space, you moss-head!"

"How inconsiderate of me. Sorry for occupying space in my bubble, NUMBER SEVEN."

"SHUT UP!"

By this time, they're all back to back to each other, with Sanji telling Luffy the captain should lead the bubble and she shouldn't do it between the first mate's legs.

"There it is!"

"What?"

The Kraken.

They can only shrug it off and assist in getting the bubble to it. "OIIII. Kraken!"

It flinched and its hostile gesture was obvious. Zoro and Sanji readied themselves for an attack. Their gestures though quickly softened as they felt the usual softness and strength emanating and surrounding their captain, albeit much more pronounced. "My ship and I could use your help." She told the monster in a casual tone that one would not use on monsters.

"Will you help us?" Then she smiled. "You'll be of great help."

The kraken's guarded expression remained unchanged for a second, before it turned pleasant and they could swear it even blushed.

"Oi, oi." Sanji mutters with an awed huff. "She actually tamed it."

Zoro chuckled and grinned. "That's our captain."

...

They find the ship about to be attacked by a really weird giant man. Luffy would've been fascinated if it's not intent on destroying Sunny. "SURUME! Save the ship!"

And yes, she named it after an octopus.

They entered their ship's bubble and breathed in air. Luffy even lied on the grass, happy to be home. She turned and saw an undone rope though. "There's a rope."

"What for?" Sanji asked, and Zoro tilts his head a little in thought.

"I think we had a guy tied up earlier."

Luffy blinked at this. "Oh, I forgot about him."

Caribou, inside the barrel, winced at this. "How rude!"

"Don't worry, we took care of him." Franky said, passingly pointing at the barrel filled with nails, and proceeded to watching the Kraken fight to weird deepsea man.

Surume managed to land a few punches before they felt heat and apparently an underwater volcano was about to explode. Surume, not wanting to be a fried kraken, ran as fast as he could, and they reached a chasm just in time for a massive explosion.

Rocks were carried by the force, but it was stopped for just enough number of seconds by Usopp's Volcano Sargasso. A smaller rock hit Surume in the head though, and he carried them in his unconscious state.

.

The next thing they knew, their eyes felt like they were blinded. Not by darkness, but—surprisingly—by light.

Still, when Zoro opened his eyes, the first thing he did was look for his crewmates, particularly his troublesome captain—and he breathed out when he saw her move. "Ouch." She said as she patted her head and looked around as he did, eyes blinded by the bright lights. The rest of the crew soon moved and they all look around.

The ship was on its side, but everyone was safe.

They all dusted themselves and arranged whatever felt displaced in their bodies (which were mostly clothes, sans a cigarette for Sanji, and Brooke who had a detached head). "The light is blinding my eyes!" Brooke yelled, amused, as he reattached himself. "Although I don't have eyes. YOHOHOHOHOHO."

Franky just laughed and yelled SUPPPERRRR, while Nami and Usopp mumbled a complain about the uncomfortable ride. Chopper was quickly near Kraken to check up on him, while Robin—as always—was the first to explore her surroundings, even by sight.

Robin's face brightened as she faced a direction. "We're here." And everyone turned to the same direction, subsequently gasping in awe.

Fishman Island.