Chapter 5: Hungry Hungry Hippos

Chapter 5: Hungry Hungry Hippos

As the sun rose, Halibel took everything in. Kisame was starting to wake up, his watch ended when the Hollow woke up past Midnight. Sasori had already vanished. Franky was still out like a light. Jinbe was in the middle of rolling up his sleeping bag.

To Halibel's surprise, Tsuyu was hopping towards her. Raising an eyebrow, she turned towards the Pro-Hero. "You're up early."

"Well, your crew is leaving today, and I wanted a chance to talk," Tsuyu bluntly put it.

"Oh…what's up, kiddo?" Kisame asked as he put a new green shirt on.

Tsuyu gave a brief blush at the man, before getting back to topic. "Umm…in all of yesterday's excitement, I forgot to ask. What are you doing here?"

"We had a lead on one of my old friends," Jinbe stated as he joined the conversation.

"Really?" Tsuyu asked, putting a finger on her chin. "When did they come by?"

"From what we heard, it could be anywhere from weeks to months ago when he came by here," Halibel admitted.

"I only arrived here a few days ago, so we should ask the townsfolk when they wake up?" Tsuyu suggested.

"We?" Kisame wondered.

Tsuyu's blush couldn't be missed this time. "Well…that kind of leads into why I wanted to talk."

There was a moment of silence, as the three waited.

"Can I sail with you…as your student?" the Pro-Hero bowed her head.

While Jinbe and Halibel simply raised their eyebrows, Kisame's reaction was a bit louder. "HUH?"

"I'm sorry for asking so much of you all, but I need to get stronger. That Demon was a wake-up call. I'll have to be better if I ever want to see my friends again. And you three were so amazing," Tsuyu continued.

Jinbe sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it was a team effort after all."

"Yeesh, you're so humble that it's almost sickening," Kisame laughed.

"Anyway," Halibel interrupted. "Are you sure about this Tsu? Because I'm not sure we can do much teaching if you don't have Reishi or Chakra."

"Although, I could give you a few pointers on Fishman Karate, no special energy required," Jinbe suggested.

"Anything is appreciated." Tsuyu gave a grateful bow. "So, is it okay for me to come along? At least for a little bit?"

"Eh…why the hell not?" Kisame shrugged. "Just don't get swallowed by a fish or something."

"I'm sure she won't do anything that embarrassing," Halibel assured him.

Jinbe cleared his throat. "Could you take us to the good folks of this town? I want to ask around for Brook."

"Sure," Tsuyu agreed as she started hopping back to the crowd of people, the trio following.

Eventually, they were in the middle of a conversation with the town leader, who had quite the story to tell.

"Yeah, that skeleton had washed ashore. His boat was in pieces. So, he stayed a couple weeks. Most of the time, he was the perfect gentleman. Until the last day that is."

"What happened?" Jinbe asked, clearly concerned.

"Well, he came up to me and my wife, and said he had a question he'd been meaning to ask." The man paused. "He wanted to see her panties."

Halibel's eye twitched at that. "Please tell me he got what he deserved."

The man smirked at that. "Yeah, my wife knocked him on the noggin' real hard."

The Hollow visibly relaxed.

"When I went in for a swing, he started running off. Lucky for him, his boat was ready. So, he just ran on and set sail, laughing out of his ass."

"And did he say where he'd go?" a mildly amused Kisame wondered.

"Hmm…well he did mention heading to New Nile Island. It's a couple days' sailing due west," he informed them.

"Why would he go there?" Jinbe quickly asked.

"He didn't say," the man shrugged.

"So…anyone know anything about this New Nile place?" Kisame wondered.

"Yeah, there aren't any towns or people on that island. For all intents and purposes, it's a nature preserve," Tsuyu helpfully informed them.

"Well then, we have our heading," Jinbe decided. "Franky!" he called out. "Go get Sasori, we know where Brook is."

Elsewhere, Sasori was journeying into the now-abandoned mine, curious as to why that Demon went to such lengths to get his hands on it. At first, he wasn't impressed, having seen far more sophisticated ones back in the Elemental Nations. Then, he walked a little deeper. He found himself stunned at the sheer amount of crystals protruding into the passageway.

The iron ore was Magnetite, the closest thing to pure as far as the raw material went. Sasori would only need a little heat and some Chakra to turn the iron into workable steel. There was enough here to set the Ninja for life in terms of his Third Kazekage's needs. And that would barely scratch the surface. There was even enough for the plans that Franky had shown him concerning the Dockings.

True, the extraction materials had been utterly wrecked by the Demon, but the Ninja was nothing if not resourceful. As he prepared to start mining, he noticed something. There was power in this metal. It reminded him of when that first storm had hit the Cutty Sark. However, this was far more subtle. On top of that, Sasori couldn't help but feel that he'd sensed it before. It took a second before the Ninja came to a realization.

"Burns"

"Hey, Red!"

Sasori was snapped out his thoughts, turning his head back to the entrance. "What is it?" he asked in a clearly irritated tone.

"We have a SUPER lead!" Franky declared. "Brook was here."

"And why do you assume I care about you pursuing an old crewmate?" the puppet wondered.

"Because that's the direction your 'work of art' will be going," the cyborg retorted.

Sasori scoffed at that. "Well, it's not like I have another set destination in mind. Just help me cut off and seal some of this ore. There's enough for all those blueprints you showed me."

"Holy crap, you're not kidding." Franky had finally come within eyesight of the iron ore crystals and was utterly stunned at the sight.

"Are you going to help anytime soon?"

"Right," the cyborg conceded as a drill emerged from his palm. Without another word, the two got to work.

In less than an hour, they had taken as much as could be carried (increased exponentially by a plethora of Sealing Scrolls). By the time they had reached the Cutty Sark, everything else was ready for departure. Sasori couldn't help but be impressed with the lot. Even Tsuyu had unwrapped some of the rigging with her tongue, which had incredibly unsettled both Akatsuki.

Once the shipwrights had come aboard, the crew immediately hoisted anchor. After a round of well-wishes from the remaining residents (particularly towards Tsu), they set off. Said Pro-Hero had wrapped herself around the top of the main mast, and was eyeing the horizon. Kisame and Halibel had resumed their strolls on opposite sides of the ship. Jinbe was comfortably settled on the wheel. Franky went down below to tinker with his new supplies. Sasori had assumed his lotus position, strings spread out. With that, they had set sail.

Over the two days of sailing, Tsuyu attempted to wrangle some lessons out of the rest of the crew. Sasori gave an instant 'No'. Everything that Franky could teach her involved extreme body modifications. Kisame was little better, saying he would only take students who could at least walk on water, but he'd be glad to start if she got that far. He did provide a short blade (a tantō to be exact) for her to practice if she felt the desire.

Halibel actually went a step further, going so far as to spar and provide pointers. Tsuyu just wished the older woman would actually stay on the ground when training her. Still, as far as traditional teaching went, Jinbe was the best, by a long shot. She was greatly intrigued when he explained Fishman Karate to her.

"It's actually possible to manipulate water in other people?" Tsuyu incredulously asked.

"At a certain level," Jinbe conceded. "I'll be honest, I'm not particularly sure how far you'll get in this discipline…considering the circumstances of different worlds and everything."

"Wouldn't hurt to try," Tsuyu countered. The Fishman had no argument for that.

"All right," he decided as he held up an open palm. "Punch me as hard as you can here."

The Pro-Hero quickly obliged, grunting in effort. Jinbe smiled as the fist met his hand. "Very good." That got a happy "Ribbit" from the girl.

"The most basic technique in all Fishman Karate is the Brick Fist. Though I will say you can only really damage someone once you reach the level of Hundred Brick Fist."

Tsuyu eagerly took all this information in, having always been fascinated by what the other worlds had to offer.

"For now, you'll need this," Jinbe proclaimed as he put down a bucket of water. "Now put a fist in the middle of the water." Tsuyu complied. "Keep the rest of your body still and push your fist forward in a punch. And don't touch the bucket itself."

The Pro-Hero nodded and started her task.

"Keep doing this so you can feel the move of the water. By the end of this exercise, you should know how every drop will react to your every movement."

"Yes Sensei," Tsuyu obediently said before getting back to it.

The Fishman found himself pausing at the title, before allowing a small smile to form.

After another hour, Halibel sensed something. For the most part, it was only animals she was sensing. Big ones to be sure, but still animals at the end of the day. Aside from that, she sensed one presence. If they were lucky, it was Brook. It did have a distinctly human feel to it.

Something else at the corner of the island caught Halibel's attention. It was Reishi. Very familiar Reishi. The instant Halibel recognized it, she zoomed forward with Sonido.

"Halibel, wait!" Tsuyu croaked as she brought her fist out of the bucket.

"Huh…I thought she'd always be the one following me." With an amused sigh, Kisame vanished with Body Flicker, presumably in the same direction.

"Those two can more than take care of themselves," Sasori noted.

"We must be close to land, assuming her range of sensing hasn't drastically improved," Jinbe commented.

"Why do you think she ran off like that?" Tsuyu asked.

"Either an old friend…or an old enemy," Sasori concluded.

Within a minute, Halibel had reached New Nile Island. It was a particularly dense forest, with a multitude of rivers crisscrossing it. Only the outer mile or so of the island wasn't covered in trees. That sliver of exposed land had the feel of a savannah.

None of that interested the Hollow that zoomed through the trees, nor the Ninja who quickly followed. Eventually, Halibel reaches the far end of the island, no doubt helped by going completely around the foliage. In a little clearing, she sees a woman.

It's a small woman with short black hair, wearing the white garb typical of Hollows. Her head bears a helm with a single horn in the middle of her forehead, decorated with the red crest of a Roman legionnaire. A blue lightning bolt is tattooed on her left shoulder. Reishi is emanating from the collars on her wrists.

The woman is positively fuming, to the point that she doesn't even notice the newcomer. "Damn that skeleton!" she exclaimed as she waved around a bony left leg. "Serves him right for wanting to see my panties."

"As easy to anger as always, I see," Halibel can't help but chuckle. When the woman turns to Halibel, she reveals a blue eye, and an amber eye with a red ring around it. Her mouth had completely dropped open.

"Apacci, it's good to see you," she quietly admitted.

Emilou Apacci rushed towards Halibel, tackling her in a hug. "I've been going absolutely crazy without you. It's been weeks since I've woken up, with nothing but perverts, idiots, and perverted idiots for company," she started to ramble.

"Huh…and here I thought it'd be tougher to find your girls, Halibel."

Apacci jumped in surprise, scowling at the new figure leaning against a tree. "Who the hell are you?"

Kisame chuckled. "Are all your friends so rude? Still, I suppose I should answer. I'm Kisame Hoshigaki, pleased to make your acquaintance," he said with a slight bow of the head.

Halibel sighed at the girl. "Apacci, you can relax. Kisame is a…colleague of mine."

"Colleague? That's all I am after our dinners together? You wound me, Halibel," the Ninja said with no real hurt in his voice.

Apacci's mouth dropped open at that. "HUH?!"

A tick mark popped onto Halibel's head. "I don't appreciate the false impression you're giving to my friend," she growled.

Apacci regained her usual composure, which is to say none at all. "You lying to me, Shark Boy?"

Kisame's smirk instantly died at that as he flared his Chakra. "You calling me a liar?" he asked with a distinct lack of humor.

Apacci was shocked by the sheer amount of Chakra. "Holy Shit…this is worse than Yammy's on a bad day," she thought incredulously.

Halibel immediately got in front of Kisame, which had the effect of reining in that Chakra. "Calm down, she didn't mean anything by it. Isn't that right?" she asked, turning to her friend.

Apacci got back to her feet, growling. "Fine, sorry," came her half-hearted reply.

"Well, it's a start," the Ninja shrugged, almost instantly back to his good mood. "Anyway, may I ask whose leg that is?" He pointed to the bony left leg, which Halibel had finally noticed.

The younger Hollow scoffed at that. "I was making my way to this island for a break. There was a storm and I needed to land. That was when I saw this little dingy start capsizing. Against my better judgment, I rushed in and scooped up the only guy there. It was just pathetic seeing the struggle. If you're gonna try getting through this damned sea, the least you can do is know how to swim or fly!"

Halibel cleared her throat to get Apacci back on track. "Anyway, I grabbed him and zoomed to this island. Once he woke up, I thought things were starting to look up. At least he showed some damn gratitude and manners."

"Considering the stray limb, I'm sure that didn't last long," Kisame couldn't help but comment.

"THE PIECE OF SHIT JUST WANTED TO SEE MY PANTIES!" she yelled. "I promised to kick his ass, so the little coward started running." Apacci then gave a malicious grin. "He didn't get very far."

Halibel was pinching the bridge of her nose at this point, while Kisame was snickering at the mental picture. "And then what'd you do to the little pervert?" the Ninja eagerly asked.

"I did promise that his ass would get kicked. So I ripped this off," she recounted as she waved the left leg, "and delivered. I kicked him in the ass so hard with this that he fell apart and the pieces started rolling away," she smirked.

Kisame had given up the ghost and was just laughing. "Oh, that's just too good. I wish I could've seen his face. You," he pointed at Apacci. "I like you. Anyone who can come up with something like that is okay in my book."

Apacci seemed perplexed at that, before she started laughing too at the memory. Halibel brought an open palm to her forehead. "Please don't encourage her," she glared at Kisame. That response seemed enough to cow Apacci. Then, it was as if lightning struck Halibel's brain.

"Kisame?" she slowly asked. "What did Jinbe say his crewmate looked like?"

"That he was a skeleton with an afro and wearing a very nice suit," he replied as realization dawned for the Ninja.

"And why did that mineworker chase him off again?"

Kisame sighed before answering. "Because he asked to see his wife's panties."

Apacci froze at that. "Wait…you already know the bastard?"

"To be honest, he's actually the reason that we came this way," Kisame explained.

Seeing her friend's confusion, Halibel picked up the slack. "The two of us woke up and set sail with a Fishman. We both agreed to help him reunite with his former crew. It appears that this skeleton, Brook I believe, is one of that crew. We were following him from Shipwreck Cove."

"I say let the bastard rot," Apacci vindictively said.

"As much as it would be deserved, I'd rather any of us not end up on the wrong side of a Vagabond Drill," Kisame pointed out.

Halibel, not wanting to test Jinbe's limits against those who hurt his crew, found herself agreeing. "Apacci, where's the rest of him?"

The younger Hollow huffed before she started walking into the jungle, obviously in no hurry but not wanting to upset Halibel. At some point, Kisame noticed that they were following a river towards the middle of the island, walking opposite the current. It wasn't before long that they reached the lake of origin. It was huge, and there were hundreds of pastel-colored hippopotamus cruising through the fresh water. They were far larger than any ordinary hippos. Then, against all the laws of common sense, the hippos started singing.

It's a race, it's a chase, hurry up and feed our face!

Who will win? No one knows! Feed us hungry hip-ip-pos!

Hungry hungry hippos! Open up and there it goes!

While the three were baffled at the outburst of song, a submerged green hippo crept up on them. In an instant, it surfaced, massive jaws gaping before it tried to chomp down on all three. The Hollows and Ninja scattered.

"What the hell?!" Kisame and Apacci wondered.

Mid-air, Halibel watched as a cloud of green smoke wafted from the side of the hippo, eventually assuming a form that vaguely resembled a face. "Good madam, could you perhaps get me out of here?"

"YOU!" Apacci screeched, confirming the others' suspicion.

"Brook, I presume?" Kisame asked.

Before a clearly shocked Brook could ask how he knew his name, "We're with Jinbe," Halibel quickly informed him. "He should be here within the hour."

"AH!" the floating ethereal head exclaimed. "Such good news. Now, back to the matter at hand…"

Before Brook could finish, Kisame had already used Body Flicker to get by the green hippo. He then swung Samehada into the creature's belly hard enough to lift it off the ground. That sent the mammal into a coughing fit. Soon enough, a skull with an afro came hurtling out, covered in various bodily fluids. In the instant Halibel caught the skull, she quickly dunked it in the water, spinning Brook like he was in a washer. When she pulled him out, all the bodily fluids were gone.

"Blaugh!" Brook coughed out the last bit of water. "Thank you madam. I greatly appreciate the assistance. Now, I hate to ask this, but could you find the rest of me?" he questioned, clearly embarrassed.

"Uh…I don't think we have to worry about looking," Kisame pointed out. The rest turned towards the herd of hippos approaching. From that day, the Ninja would swear those mammals had an evil glint in their eye.

It's a race, it's a chase, hurry up and feed our face!

Who will win? No one knows! Feed us hungry hip-ip-pos!

Hungry hungry hippos! Open up and there it goes!

The tone of the vocalizing hippos (they were all baritone) was distinctly more menacing, no doubt aided by their massing on the group. "What in the actual hell?" Apacci wondered.

"Well then…I think this calls for some assistance. Summoning Jutsu!" Kisame slammed a hand on the water. In a poof of smoke, four Bull Sharks had appeared, all looking particularly ill tempered. Brook's mouth dropped open in shock.

"The hell? You summon us to deal with filthy hippos?" the biggest asked.

"Oh cool it, Mei. You know it's been ages since we've had a good hunt," the smallest argued.

"Jiro's right, plus this is a chance to one-up those damned Hammerhead sisters," another agreed.

"Indeed, surely these are a more worthy prey than those monkey abominations," the last pointed out.

"Fine, Zoku and Ushi made their point. I still expect some good koi to cleanse my palate after such dirty creatures," Mei mumbled.

"And you shall have it," Kisame promised. "Just make sure to leave the bones. We need to put this idiot together after all."

"Hey!"

"It'll be done," Jiro assured him.

Behind the Ninja and sharks, Apacci leaned towards Halibel. "What else can he do?"

"Oh, just instantly create and control a lake's worth of water, absorb the Chakra and Reishi from his enemies, make clones…" Halibel started listing off.

Apacci gaped at that. "I need to meet more Ninja," she decided.

"Alrighty…how about we wrap this up before the others get here? What Jinbe doesn't know can't hurt us," Kisame suggested.

"Right," Halibel agreed as she drew Tiburon.

"Hey squirt, show me how good you are!" the Ninja yelled at the younger Hollow.

"Oh, you're asking for it!" Apacci said, fierce grin in place.

Eager, Apacci took aim at the nearest pink hippo. "BALA!" A barrage of red Reishi orbs were unloaded onto the creature's stomach. Sure enough, a ribcage was hacked up. That set of bones instantly gravitated towards the sitting skull. "Excellent. You all just need to get my bones released. Then, I can take care of whatever remains for you."

"I'm gonna hold you to that," the Ninja shouted as he pushed a yellow hippo into the pack of Bulls. When taken from all sides, the hippo stood no chance. Although, the Bulls made a point to spit out the unnaturally black blood shed. Mei tossed the lower vertebrae at the growing pile of bones.

Halibel swiftly decapitated a red hippo, drove her hand down its throat, and hurled a right forearm away. Apacci had found the rest of the right arm, and was currently in a tug of war with another green hippo. Having enough, she ducked her head. A mass of Reishi started to coalesce at the tip of her horn.

"CERO!"

The hippo was utterly obliterated in a flash of red, along with the tip of the humerus. "Ah…Please be careful!" Brook nearly begged.

"Be grateful I'm actually doing this, you damn pervert!" The younger Hollow chucked the bone, bouncing it off Brook's forehead.

Slowly but surely, Brook was pulling himself together, thanks to his Revive-Revive Fruit. He was already halfway there, if you counted the leg Apacci was using to beat in another hippo's head.

As Kisame slammed Samehada into another hippo, the rest of the massive mammals had formed up.

It's a race, it's a chase, hurry up and feed our face!

Who will win? No one knows! Feed us hungry hip-ip-pos!

Hungry hungry hippos! Open up and there it goes!

"IF I HEAR THAT DAMN SONG ONE MORE TIME, I WILL TEAR THEIR THROATS OUT!" Apacci roared.

"You and me both," Kisame muttered in agreement.

"While I agree with the sentiment," Zoku admitted, "I feel I should point out that the foul energy coursing through them is rising with each round of singing."

Sure enough, lights were starting to appear in the hippos' gullet.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding! Everyone get behind me," Kisame shouted as he raised Samehada.

"The hell can you do against that?" Apacci asked.

"Just do as he says," Halibel gently ordered.

The three quickly formed up around the slowly reforming Brook, who was now standing with both legs. Apacci had enough of bludgeoning for one day, so he got his left leg back.

The second the three were ready, the hippos started firing their lasers. Brook had horrible flashbacks to the Pacifista. The others were stunned by the sheer malevolence in the energy. To Halibel and Kisame, it almost matched that energy from their first storm. Unlike that time, it was far more animalistic and feral. Whether that was due to the hippos themselves, or whatever empowered them, was unclear.

Regardless, the hippos were not letting up. Any lasers that came directly for the group were absorbed by Samehada, much to the newcomers' shock. "Halibel, Apacci…let's put this guy together so he can actually pull his weight," Kisame suggested. "I'll keep him safe, you two attack from above. My Bulls should get an opening right about now."

Just like that, one hippo was dragged down by four sets of jaws into the already cloudy water. Then, a cane was spat out towards Brook. The skeleton caught it with his single right arm, and let the sheathe drop to the ground. Kisame laughed at that. "Oh goodie, another swordsman," he chuckled as he gave a feral grin. Brook couldn't help but compare the blood thirst to Zoro faced with a good opponent, and shuddered at the thought of those two meeting.

Halibel and Apacci didn't waste a second, diving into the hole. With one to the right, and one to the left, the Hollows unleashed their moves in sync.

"Bala!"

Flashes of yellow and red tore through the hippos, exposing their stomachs. With Brook's left arm, hip, and neck, all the pieces had been found. Without a second's hesitation, Halibel tossed the rest of the bones back. While there was wear and tear, Brook was back at full strength.

"Thank you everyone. Now, to do my part. Could you lovely ladies get some distance? I've got something special for those hippos," Brook told them.

After a scoff from Apacci, the two vanished with Sonido. Brook then opened up his skull, plucking out a miniature violin. "What the hell?" Kisame wondered.

"PARTY MUSIC!" Brook bellowed out as he started playing.

In an instant, the hippos stopped firing their lasers. Eyes glazed over, the mammals started looking up at nothing. Kisame smirked, recognizing the symptoms. "You put them in an illusion with music, didn't you?"

"Oh my, quite an astute warrior you are," Brook praised as he raised his own sword. "But I believe you wanted to see my skill with the blade, yes?"

"I'm ready and waiting," the Ninja said as he latched Samehada onto his back. Eager to oblige, Brook leapt above the hippos, blade unsheathed. In an instant, he was behind them, sheathing his sword.

"Three Verse Humming: Soul Notch Slash!" The second Brook sheathed his sword, the hippos cried out in pain as massive gashes spilled out black blood, the wounds freezing over shortly after. Strangely enough, as the black blood came out, the hippos started to revert to a normal appearance. They shrank as their skin assumed a more natural palate. The black blood itself shot out towards the western ocean, gone in the blink of an eye.

Brook had a serious expression. "Those poor creatures had something else's soul driving them," he revealed. "We're lucky that my Revive-Revive Fruit was able to separate the parasite from the animals."

Halibel reappeared, putting a hand on one of the hippo's wrists. "They'll live, provided they get some rest."

Apacci rejoined the men, a puzzled look on her face. "What could possibly control those animals this far away?"

"I could think of a few people capable of something comparable," Kisame remarked.

"Let's just make sure that no black blood ends up in our systems in the future," Halibel suggested.

At that point, her and Kisame's heads perked up. "Well, looks like the ship will reach land soon. How do you feel about seeing Jinbe and Franky again?"

Brook gasped as he turned towards the coming ship. He hesitated for a seconds. Then…

"YOHOHOHOHOHO!" He scurried towards the Cutty Sark, fast enough to leave a trail of smoke on land and cut across the water's surface.

"Annoying, loud bastard," Apacci growled as she picked her ear.

Kisame turned towards the expectant Bull Sharks, heads past the surface of the incredibly murky water.

"All that energy from the black blood is long gone," the sensor Zoku declared. "Let us know if you ever figure out where it came from. Power like that is concerning."

"Right," Kisame agreed. "Thanks for the assist. I'll send a messenger when I have the koi you want."

Mei nodded. "That would be much appreciated." She turned to Uchi, who was rubbing a particularly nasty cut. "Oh grow up, it's not that bad."

With that, the four Bull Sharks vanished in a poof of smoke, much to Apacci's confusion. "Huh? Where the hell did they go?"

"Back home, they only stick around for a job or if it's fun," the Ninja explained.

"Why didn't you summon the Hammerheads like before?" Halibel wondered.

"The Bulls are the only ones who can survive freshwater. Plus, they have experience with hippos, and are great in real murky water," he stated.

"I noticed that they were angry when the Hammerheads were mentioned. Why is that?" Halibel asked, genuinely curious.

"The sharks aren't actually united like the other summons. They've been split into tribes for centuries. The strongest and smartest species carved out their own turf, with the weaker ones trying to avoid the crossfire. You have to earn the loyalty of every single tribe before they accept the contract. Only one strong enough to pass all the tests is worthy of summoning them, at least from their perspective. It took me years, but I managed," Kisame shrugged.

"Wow," Apacci lamely put it. She was fascinated by the story no doubt, but her mind was more occupied with processing that fight. She'd noticed something that was still sticking out to her. Halibel had trusted this Kisame. Apacci was utterly bemused at that. She turned to the Ninja, still answering Halibel's questions about the Shark Summons. "What has he done to earn her trust?" she couldn't help but wonder.

"Did your partner have the Sharks Summons too?" Halibel asked, snapping Apacci out of her thoughts. "Wait, partner?"

Kisame chuckled at the mental image. "Nah, he had Crows. Trust me, those were far better for him, considering his personality and techniques. He wouldn't have lasted a second in some of those tests, especially with his poor health and endurance." His smile shrank, seemingly deep in thought.

"Ya know, I'm kinda jealous. You and Jinbe have already found some of your friends, and we haven't even been at sea for a week," he chuckled.

Halibel put a hand on Kisame's shoulder. "I'm sure we'll find something leading to him soon," she assured him.

"I hope you're right."

With that, the trio started making their way back to the Cutty Sark, already hearing a tearful shout of "SUPER!"

Back in the waters around Shipwreck Cove, Davos was making his way back after another crabbing trip in La Entrada. Before he reached the harbor, something caught his eye. It was a human, falling from the sky. "Seven Hells, that's the third time this month," he grumbled as he turned the ship, ready to pick up and 'debrief' whatever poor soul had been dumped this time.

Then, the oddest thing happened. There was no splash. The person had barely left a ripple when their feet touched the water. Odd, considering they'd been going at terminal velocity. After a few minutes, the figure had walked to the side of his boat. If this had been a month ago, Davos might've been a little shocked at a man walking on water. But alas, he's already becoming jaded with the insanity of the Sea of Second Chances.

It was a young man, with a slim face. Long dark hair was tied in a ponytail. His black eyes looked like they had seen hell, earning Davos' sympathy. However, all that paled to what the old captain's eyes were drawn to. The man was wearing a black cloak, with red clouds decorating it.

"You recognize this coat?" the stranger asked in a deep voice.

"Yeah," the captain replied. "My name is Davos Seaworth…what's yours?"

"Itachi Uchiha."

Davos visibly relaxed at that, extending a hand. "Do you want to come aboard and have a seat? I have a message for you."

Itachi suspiciously eyed the hand. "Who was it from?"

"Someone else who wore that cloak. Big, blue fellow by the name of Kisame."

The Akatsuki froze at that. "You met Kisame?"

"Yeah, he and a couple others actually saved me and this very ship from a monster," Davos recalled.

"Kisame saving lives?" Itachi couldn't help but wonder. "What was the message?"

"He wants you to meet him," Davos simply told him.

"Where?" Itachi asked, betraying the slightest sense of impatience.

"Fiddler's Green. He started heading towards it with the others about a week ago," Davos explained.

"What others?" an increasingly bewildered Itachi questioned.

"Oh, they weren't anyone from your world."

That response wasn't what Itachi expected, so he was silent for a few seconds. "What?" he asked in the most carefully emotionless manner he could muster.

"Looks like you'll be needing that seat. Come on up, I'll explain everything," Davos offered as he opened his Captain's Cabin.

Wanting some answers, Itachi hopped onto the boat, entering as Davos closed the door behind them. There, he'd be told everything the general populace knew about the Sea of Second Chances. Of how all who died seemed to live again. How different worlds merged together. How monsters ruled the Sea. Then he heard the story of the day Kisame Hoshigaki fell from the sky. How he, the Hollow, and the Fishman had defeated a giant jelly their very first day together. How they found Sasori (Itachi tensed when hearing that) and the Cyborg at Shipwreck Cove. How they beat a horde of little pests. How they made it through the worst storm that Davos had ever seen.

Itachi sat transfixed at the tale. His old partner, the bloodthirsty Akatsuki, had actually saved people, twice in as many days. He was forming a crew and taking on this hellish sea. From what Davos said, it sounded like friendships being made. The thought seemed incredible for the Uchiha. He knew that he had to see this with his own eyes. Maybe one day, he would seek out his little brother, but for now, he knew where one friend was.

"Well…it wouldn't do to leave my partner hanging," Itachi decided. "I'll need a guide."

"I'll see what I can do," Davos promised. "In the meantime, let's get you a ship. You're lucky you landed right by the shipyard."

With that, the two sailed into Shipwreck Cove.

The black blood exorcised from the hippos had rushed through the ocean. It eventually came to a deep, dark cave. The location was towards the middle of the Sea of Second Chances. There was a single resident, with dark power emanating from the creature. The shadows of the cave completely obscured the figure. Except for its dark green eyes. All 20 of them were glowing.

A webbed hand scooped up the black blood. "So, my puppets had their strings cut. How amusing. And it looks like this bit of my blood has run its course." Sure enough, the black blood stopped moving. "Pity, I'd hoped my slaves would reach the entrance islands."

"My Lord," an absolutely massive crocodile big enough to tear apart the enhanced hippos emerged from the water at the mouth of the cave. It bowed its head in reverence.

"Ah, Gustave," the being hummed in its deep voice. "What news of your hunt?"

"Your Majesty, while there's no news of the map itself, we have located one of those who made it. He's on Old Nile. I can make it there and back within the month," Gustave promised.

"No, once you get the location out of him, I want you to immediately fetch the chest. Then, you shall return with it in tow," the being commanded. "We have worked a century towards this."

"Indeed, Almighty Cipactli," Gustave agreed. "I shall remove this last obstacle to your ascension."

Cipactli chuckled in a deeply inhuman tone. "My most faithful servant, I'm confident you are up to the task," he claimed. Then, all his eyes locked with Gustave's. "Don't disappoint me."

The crocodile shuddered before coming out of its bow. "I won't."

A.N. What has my life become? What kind of twisted reality convinced me to put in laser-shooting hippos against my crew? I think I've ruined Hungry-Hungry Hippos for whoever reads this. Still, this was an odd one for me. On one hand, I loved bringing in Apacci and Brook. On the other, I feel like I still need to do some setting up, which is why I added that last scene. Yeah, another contender for Big Bad is sending out his number one minion. All I'll say is that Cipactli is a really nasty creature from Aztec Mythology. As for what he looks like or what he's after…I'll let you use your imaginations. And Gustave was inspired by an infamous Nile Crocodile that's said to be a man-eater, big enough to take down hippos. Although, it'll be a few islands before he meets our crew.

Also, I'm feeling good about starting Itachi's journey. Didn't think I'd be bringing him in so soon, but here we are. Another thing I didn't plan ahead was having Tsuyu join the crew and start Fishman Karate. Hope that it's believable (at least in terms of what these crazy worlds can do).

Til Next Time…Have Fun!