Chapter 15 : Snow Falls

"Aren't they quite lively?" Nami asked rhetorically as she watched Usopp and Luffy dancing around, Talking about Elbaf, It's giants and how they want to visit there one day for sure.

"I don't know about you guys, But I feel exhausted from all that earlier..." Nami said as she wiped some of the sweat of her forehead as she sat down by some barrels and looked over to Vivi "Vivi can you keep an eye on the Log Pose for me?" Nami asked as she handed it over to the girl who had nodded her head at Nami.

"With this, It looks like we can finally go to Alabasta, well that's only if, There's no further trouble..." Nami stated as she smiled at Vivi and Carue who seemed to grow more hopeful and excited by the minute as they drew closer to their home.

"Well, Now you've just jinxed us, we're bound to run into trouble now" Axel stated as he walked over after hearing the conversation while he smiled at the two girls who returned the gesture back at him.

"Yeah well, With you group of monsters on board, There's nothing we can't handle! We will get to Alabasta no doubt about it" Nami stated with confidence as she seemed to grow more tired and was still sweating causing the Axel to grow a little worried.

"Yes we will... I have to return no matter what... After all... I finally found a way to save Alabasta!" Vivi stated mostly to herself as she affirmed her goals for the coming future.

"I Have to survive, And return to Alabasta...!" Vivi said a sudden grave tone to her voice as she thought back on Igaram and there previous conversations about their situation.

"No need to strain yourself Vivi, Because I'll be by your side!" Sanji said with a grin as he walked over with confidence in his voice while carrying a silver tray which prompted him to ask "How would you like some Petits Fours as today's snack? For drinks we have coffee or tea..." Sanji inquired while holding the tray to them only to notice Usopp and Luffy staring intently at the food in his hands as drool spilled from their mouths.

"You're shares are in the kitchen" Sanji stated to the two with disinterest as they bolted towards the door leading to the kitchen, Usopp much more desperately than Luffy as he wanted to get his before Luffy ate it all.

"Also for Axel a hot chocolate" Sanji said as he handed a cup to Axel who recieved it with stars in his eyes with child like glee as he took a big gulp only for it to burn his tongue.

"Ahh, Ah H..Hot, It burnt my tongue" Axel exclaimed as he stuck his tongue out to get some of the cool air to blow onto it to hopefully relieve the discomfort.

"You idiot, It's called a hot chocolate you're supposed to drink it slower!" Sanji shouted at Axel with pointy teeth as he lightly kicked him upside the back of the head while thinking he is as dumb and immature as a child.

"Hey, What was that for?" Axel questioned as he held his head where the bump that was forming on it started to appear.

"For being an idiot!" Sanji yelled at Axel who looked away while pouting like a child.

"I'm going to go talk to Zoro" Axel informs as he walks away heading to the upper decks while slowly sipping at his hot chocolate, As he reached the top deck he saw Zoro constantly swing a weight bar with five hundred kilograms set on one side displacing the weight as he continued endlessly.

"Two thousand six hundred and twenty... Oh hey Axel, what's up?" Zoro asked when he saw Axel coming towards him, While continued to swing the weights no end in sight as noticed Axel look at his upper body then look away like he had been caught.

"Are you sure your injuries are healed enough to be doing this type of training?" Axel asked as he sat down by Zoro watching him train as he talked.

"Probably not... But as I've been made aware of enough times lately, I need to get stronger, I need to at least be able to cut through metal" Zoro stated, His conviction shown plain as day in his eyes which made Axel smile as he watched.

"Well I can break metal but that is much easy than cutting straight through it, Looks like you've got your work cut out for you, But I know you will figure it out soon" Axel said with a smile as two grabbed his bat and started swinging it next to Zoro causing him to smirk at Axel in content as they trained.

"How much does that thing even weigh?" Zoro asked curiously to Axel as he watched him swing the bat from the corner of his view.

"I don't know, I'm pretty sure it's more than a ton though" Axel informed much to the shock of Zoro as he knew Axel has used the bat from a young age as they continued besides each other in peaceful silence.

"EVERYONE! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!" Vivi's loud shout cutting into their peaceful silence causing them to walk over to see what is wrong only to notice a panicking Vivi as she hoped over Nami who seemed to have collapsed to the ground.

"NAMI'S FALLEN DOWN WITH AN EXTREMELY HIGH FEVER!" Vivi continued as the rest of the crew began to worry especially Axel as the image of his sister flashed through his mind.

.....

Axel stated out side with Zoro who was still lifting weights, To help keep watch as the others were treating and stressing over Nami.

"Didn't want to go in and check on Nami?" Zoro asked as he looked at Axel from the the corner of his eye's while he continued lifting the weights.

"Nah, I wouldn't be any help, Besides I don't like seeing others like that" Axel said a little sorrow in his tone as he thought back to his sister as Zoro watched him a little worried at Axel's mental state.

"Understandable" Zoro said as they fell into a comfortable silence while waiting on news about Nami's condition.

.....

Having sailed for an entire day in search of an island with a doctor after Vivi's declaration to get help for Nami so that she may get them to Alabasta on the fastest route the crew encountered snow as Axel sat Zoro while he kept watch through binoculars.

"Hey, Uhhh guys... do you think a person could... Stand on top of an ocean...?" Zoro asked to the rest of the crew below as he handed the binoculars to Axel so he could verify what he thought he was seeing.

"Wow he really is standing on the Sea!?" Axel exclaimed as he too could not believe his eyes as they looked at the man who looked a bit taller than average with wavy lips and a sad expression who wore a checkered jacket and had bow and a quiver full of arrows standing on the surface of the ocean.

"Then how do you explain that?" Zoro asked at Usopp's negative reply below as he pointed to the weird man who stared back at them causing them to in turn stare back until it started to turn awkward right when the man finally spoke to them as the ship got close.

"Quite cold today isn't it?" The man asked blankly as he continued to remain still and stare at them as they drew a little closer to the man while Usopp, Luffy, Zoro and Axel all sweat dropped at the man casually talking to them while standing on the ocean.

"...Yeah it is pretty cold today" Luffy said as he looked at Usopp the both of them still the picture of confusion in regard to the man standing before them.

"Y..Yeah for real, Its freezing today" Usopp stated while he turned to Luffy in silence when they both looked back at the strange man when he spoke again.

"Is that so?" The man asked, After the question everyone went silent and it turned awkward as they stared at each other.

"How are you standing there?" Axel who couldn't take the silence finally asked the curiosity getting the better of him as he looked closer at where the man was stood.

Axel's question was quickly answered when from below the man a massive ship rose from below the sea surface forcing the Going Merry to drift back from the displaced waves as the balloon shapped wooden with metal layers unfurled from the top and rolled up leaving the deck of the ship exposed with a large number of soldiers with green coats and rifles when the figure head of the ship appeared from the waters below and clicking into place where it was supposed to be.

After the ship emerged they quickly boarded the Going Merry with a large number of troops as they surrounded each member of the Straw Hat's with at least ten soldiers each holding a rifle pointed at one of the small crew aboard the ship.

"What's going on out here!" Sanji asked as he rushed out after feeling the ship rock dangerously only to stop at the sight before him and pull out his cigarettes then lighting one as he turned to luffy.

"Well, What's going on?" Sanji asked as he took a look around at the crew noticing Zoro and Axel up in the crowd nest surrounded much like his captain was on the upper deck and Usopp surrounded on the main deck when a bunch ran up to him and levelled their rifles at him from all directions.

"We were ambushed" Luffy informed nonchalantly as he and the other combatants were not ethe least bit worried, Confident upon their strength and ability to deal with the situation before them should the need arise.

"Yeah that's what I figured... From the looks of it..." Sanji said as he continued his smoke his cigarette despite the rifles pointed directly at his face by the soldiers around him.

"Hmm, That makes five people in total... There can't be only five people on this ship, well whatever, Let me ask you something" A large round man with purple hair and metal platin the lower half of his face around his mouth asked as he chewed on a bit of meat upon the the knife, His meal apparently including the knife as he ate that too.

"Why would anyone eat a knife?" Axel asked disgustedly joined by zoro who also showed a horrid expression at the man speaking to them who continued his dialogue.

"We wish to head for Drum Kingdom, Do you happen to have an Eternal or Log Pose on you?" The large man asked as he finished of the small gem adorned knife as he talked down at them with arrogance clear in his tone.

"No, And we've never even heard of that place before..." Sanji told the man who looked at him disinterestedly when he turned to the rest.

"If you're done asking, Hurry up and go away" Luffy blatantly told the man who did not seem to take them seriously at all as his gaze turned to their ship.

"Oh there's no need to rush through life like that, Well if you don't have it, Then I might as well take all your treasure and your ship instead, But hold on I'm feeling a little hungry" the man finished his monologue as his jaw stretch impossibly wide and latched onto the side of their ship as he tore a chunk of it of the ship and chewing on it, causing the immediate anger of the Straw Hat's.

"DON'T YOU DARE EAT OUR SHIP!" Luffy shouted as he attemptempted to rush forward only to get pushed back by the people around him with rifles in his face.

"Don't you dare move, his highness is in the middle of his meal!" One of the soldiers exclaimed as he pointed his gun in Luffy's face when he was suddenly punched in the head by an angry Luffy which laughed him back into a few others knocked out cold.

Seeing Luffy's actions caused panic in the masses of soldiers who started firing at Luffy causing the rest of the Straw Hat's combatants to smile inventory as they too acted and attacked.

"Should've done this From the beginning" Zoro stated as he spun around, his swords drawn and slashing down the enemies surrounding both him and Axel.

"So can I kick their assess now?" Sanji asked as he delivered a powerful high kick to one of the soldiers necks, Of which sent him flying into two others knocking them all out cold as he break their bones with his kicks.

"Wait we can talk about this" Usopp fearfully said as he dodged and avoided bullets while trying to hid in the current situation.

"Lets do this!" Axel said as he looked to Zoro who smirked at him when Axel jumped out of the crows nest down to the main deck as he slammed his bat into soldier after soldier causing them to be sent flying battered, bruised or broken into others or over the side of the ship into the water never coming up as he was soon followed his example exiting the crows nest landing on the ground as he blitzed passed enemies slashing and smashing them.

Axel noticed as the big man attempted to eat their captain only to be sent flying from a Gomu Gomu No Bazooka that hit him directly in the chest sending him way off into the distance resembling a shooting star.

"That's what you get, stay off our ship next time!" Axel stated as he knocked a couple stragglers of the ship by smacking then with his bat.

As the purple haired man's crew took after the shooting star they told them to never forgot them to the point it sounded like they were begging.

"What annoying people" Axel said receiving nods from al of the crew who were present during the weird exchange.