27. Arrival on Firewind Island

4 days later.

Firewind Island was finally in sight.

I or better now we, me and Alexandra got delayed in our journey, by two days, because in my fight with Rear Admiral Horin I got thrown against the second, smaller mast of my ship, thus the ship lost some of ist speed.

„Finally we're here. We got delayed enough already."

„Yeah Captain, whatever you say. So what's up with this island?"

Alexandra, or Alex for short, was currently wearing one of my tank tops as a dress, and I also  slightly altered it to fit her size, as I couldn't really let her stay in the marine uniform, one because it's suspicious, and two, I didn't want her to keep looking like a man. And she herself didn't have any clothes. So I had no choice but to give her one of my own.

Now that she was wearing something a little more feminine, her great figure was for all to see. She had, like I previously mentioned, pretty big boobs, at least D or even DD, i don't know. Her waist was small, which was accentuated by the belt of her old marine uniform, which she wrapped over the tank top on waist height. She also got a big bubble butt. Her shoulder length black hair was currently still loosely hanging from her head.

All in all, she looked like a small wild succubus, out to seduce and drain all men. I too had to mention, that she didn't have any underwear for woman currently. And I may or may not have accidently tossed her old clothes including her underwear into the ocean. What it meant, I leave it to imagination.

Cough

I'm a young and vigorous man too OK. And although I like to say I'm mature, but that didn't mean my body, which was in puberty had no sway over me OK? I'm not a pervert! Not at all!

Well…. Maybe a little.

But isn't that true for all men? Aren't we all a little bit perverted?

„Currently there should be something called Fire Festival on going. Where many tourists arrive. So we can sightsee a bit. You also can use this chance to buy you new clothes. And don't forget, you are a woman now, so I may accidentally throw all men's clothes you bought in the sea again. Cough… I mean you should get used to your identity as a woman, so no mens clothes."

She glared at me when I mentioned throwing clothes over board.

„Damn Pervert. Just what did I get myself into, joining your crew."

She grumbled. But what should I do? I did this all to let her get a bit more accustomed to her real gender, doing it for her own good. Well that her own good is coincidentally also in line with my inner pervert, is just a bonus.

But all my perverted thoughts aside, I really wanted to help Alex, finding her real self. She had to pose as a man all her life, so now I wanted her to live life as a woman freely. And if she did, but at the end still choose to dress and act like a man, then I would support her decision with all my might.

I'm her Captain now. So I have to look after her and the rest of my crew. They are my family after all. In this regard I'm similar to my father, we both view our crew as our family, but he looks at his crewmates as his sons, but I, I see them more as siblings, with me being the big brother.

„Gorarara, well now it's too late having second thoughts, now you are part of my crew, my family. Even if you wanted to leave, I wouldn't let you. And if you run away, I will chase you until the ends of this world!"

Alex smiled a bit.

„How domineering."

I smiled, too.

While we talked, we reached the port on the south side of the island. We docked our ship and left it, only to find us in a weird situation.

The island, which should have been full of laughing and happy tourists and locals, was deadly silent. No people as far as I could see. Even the wind which should gently blow across the whole island, was deadly silent. It was as if we were on a completely different island. But that's not possible.

It may sound arrogant, but I'm probably one of the best Navigators who are currently alive. I could even easily navigate in the Grandline. So how is it possible for me to make such a huge blunder, like getting on the wrong island. Another possibility is that the map is wrong, and the island was wrongly depicted on it. But that is also not possible, as maybe one or two maps are wrong, but Firewind Island is pretty famous and it was on at least a dozen maps I had. All depicting it being here were we arrived.

After inspecting the surroundings more closely I could see some of the trademark red trees, so then that means, we are indeed on Firewind Island, as trees that are red and looked like that, are only located on Firewind Island.

„Captain what's going on? Where are all the people? Didn't you say that there should have been a festival going on right now?"

Alex was just as confused as me. I shook my head.

„I also don't know what's going on right now. Let's go a little more inland and investigate."

I said as I began to walk into the town.

As I walked, I also released my Search Domain, to look for someone, who could tell us what happened.

As my domain spanned nearly 300 meters in each direction, allowing me to cover this whole small town, if I stood in the middle, it didn't take too long for us to find someone.

It was a small girl, no older than 8 or 9. I was stunned. Such a small girl, all alone. Where are her parents? Or other adults that look after her.

I didn't know what to say. She also started crying as soon as she saw me. So I only helplessly looked at Alex. She seemed to understand and walked up to the girl, before getting on her knees in front of her and patted her head.

„Don't worry, this big onii-san may look scary, but he is just a big softy. Though he's slightly perverted, but you don't have to worry about him."

Ugh

Did she really have to say that I'm a pervert.

Ah whatever. It seemed to have worked, as she slowly stopped crying and looked at Alex with an innocent look.

„Are you sure Onee-san? This Uncle looks really scary."

A slight chuckle escaped Alex as she nodded.

Ugh

The second jab.

„What onee-san, what Uncle? She is older than me, OK!"

As I thought of this, I felt a sudden chill. And when I looked at Alex I saw her coldly looking at me. As if she could hear what I thought.

„What are you looking at me for?"

„Hmpf you know what you just said."

Ah! Did I again say that out loud? Damn I have to be more careful or I might get in more trouble.

Woman sure are scary. Now I can kinda understand, why Master was so scared of Mother Aria.

„Well, just ignore that Uncle. Can you tell Onee-san where your parents are, or the other people?"

Ah the jabs. So cruel!

The small girl trembled in fear a bit but she still nodded and told us what happened.

„It was yesterday. The Fire Festivall, was just as grand and joyous as every year, at least until all the wind on the Island suddenly disappeared. Followed by am explosion and a loud roar. But it wasn't the end, after the roar, a strong suction force suddenly appeared. It took all the others towards the center of the island. Nina, only escaped this, because she was trying to fish and sell it during the festival. So the suction force only carried Nina, towards the town, before it disappeared."

I frowned. Just what happened? Is the legend I heard really true?

The legend of the origin of the island and its peculiarities.

The reason for the wind, is because a very powerful beast is sealed and forced into a slumber in the center of the island. The wind is its breath. Then once a year, it manages to awaken and then it strikes its seal in order to break out. The following impact, generates the powerful wind, that blew all the leaves on the island into the sky. As for the reason the red trees, it's said, that these trees, absorbed the blood of the beast, that seeped out of the wounds, that appear, after it hits the seal.

I thought it was false, as it just sounded, like something, the locals came up with, to attract more tourists. But now hearing what happened, it seemed like it may be true. And the beast finally regained its freedom, whether someone helped it break out, or it did this from its own power is still not clear to me.

Since the seal held for all these years, then why should it give in now of all times? So an interference on the outside may be possible.

Anyway, this sounded fun.

„Gorarara, come Alex let's check out what happened in the center of the island."

I laughed and already ready to depart to the center.

„Sigh. Little Nina, that's your name no? Stay here. I and that big uncle over there will look what happened. And if we can find your Townsmen, we will bring them back."

Alex, sighed and talked to the little girl before also getting ready to depart, but a small hand on her sleeve stopped her.

„Onee-san, can't you stay here? I'm scared."

New tears formed in her eyes, seemed like Alex left some impression in her, and she really was scared that Alex would leave her.

Poor child.

„I'm sorry, but I have to follo…"

Before Alex could finish her sentence I interrupted her.

„Don't worry Alex, just stay here. I will be back before you know it."

„But it's dangerous to go alone!"

She tried to protest.

„Gorarara, don't worry I was alone for the past two years, so I know my limits, and won't do anything dangerous. Just stay with the kid."

I laughed, and before Alex could say something else, I already quickly went away. I could only hear her sigh and then calming the girl down again.

Well, Adventure, here I come.

It took me around 2 hours to reach the center of the island. I switched to the Warning Domain, instead of the Search Domain as I traveled.

When I reached the center a surprising scene appeared before me.

There in the center of the island, was a giant crater around 200 meters wide and 100 meters deep. It was filled with tens of thousands of corpses, all with very deep cuts all over their body's. But in the center of it all, wasn't the legendary beast or even something living, no he was the only living being here. What was in the middle of the crater was….

A sword.