(Bellamy POV)
“Déjà vu” was a French loanword in the English language, literally meaning “already seen” and functionally representing the phenomenon of feeling as though one had lived through the present situation before.
It also pretty accurately summed up my feelings for what I was going through right now.
“Uh, captain? It’s about the log pose.” my navigator said one afternoon by way of greeting.
“What about the log pose, Eddy?” I asked with a long suffering sigh.
Did anybody else get that feeling sometimes? It couldn't have been more than four months ago that Eddy was standing in front of me, nervously wringing his hands, as he reported that the log pose was being unreasonable. Pretty much like he was doing today.
“Thing is, it’s pointing down.”
At least, this time it was only pointing down towards Fishman Island and not something ridiculous. “What about it, Eddy?”
That said, weren’t we supposed to find Sabaody…first…Sabaody was a giant tree. Ergo, it had no magnetic field for the log pose to point to.
“Uhm, so I get that there is Fishman island down there, but how do we reach it without finding the Sabaody Archipelago first?” Eddy asked me, scratching his head awkwardly.
"I've frankly got not clue." I confessed. Where was Camie when you needed her?
“We could just sail down one side of the Red Line and see where we end up. It can’t be that far away.” Eddy suggested, and it would have been a simple solution…if we weren’t on the Grand Line.
“Don’t you think it would be a little dangerous sailing that close to the Red Line? It’s a giant stretch of cliffs and waves tend to crash against them. It wouldn’t even take that much for a sudden storm to dash us against those cliffs.” Ross pointed out. If one had watched the episodes in which the Straw Hats were given a very intense welcome to the Grand Line, one should know that the weather could be…sudden and unpredictable. Which made Ross’ concern a very legitimate one. However, just because a concern was legitimate, didn't mean that Eddy was going to give up that easily.
“We’ll just sail a bit further out then. No problem.”
“But can we really trust ourselves to keep sailing in one direction?" Ross asked, keeping up the pressure. "It wouldn’t be the first time that we got turned around without noticing.”
“That one is easy to solve. If we’re sailing to the left, the log pose should point to the right as long as I’m facing the Red Line. And vice versa.” Eddy said with a victorious expression. Again, this was the logical conclusion and as we all knew, the Grand Line was hardly logical.
“But how do we tell if the Red Line we see is actually real? If it isn’t real, we could be sailing to god knows where and we wouldn’t be able to tell.”
“…hate to say it but Ross has got a point.” Sarquiss grumbled. “The only thing we’d know for certain, is that we’re sailing away from Fishman Island but not in what direction.”
“Even if we ignore the issue Ross just brought up, there is another minor issue we should at least consider.” Rivers piped up from the sidelines.
“What issue?” Hewitt asked, joining the conversation as well.
“How far are we going to sail along one side before turning back?” Rivers let the question hang in the air for a while, before continuing. “If we’re unlucky, we could spend god knows how long, sailing back and forth without finding the Sabaody Archipelago. Never mind if we get lost somewhere.”
“…crap.” And that was about as honest an admission of failure as Eddy was ever likely to give, though this really wasn't Eddy’s fault. It was like demanding an answer to a test question which had no solution.
Like seriously, how had everyone, who hadn't been a Straw Hat, found the Sabaody Archipelago? The whole premise of the log pose had been that one couldn’t navigate the Grand Line without it. Not only because a conventional compass didn't work around here, but also because the ocean would regularly go nuts in an attempt to throw realistic expectations out the window. As such, the log pose could be said to be the sole instrument of absolute truth in this world, without which one simply could not survive.
However, one of the few islands which were actually relevant to the plot and touted as the gathering point for all other routes through the Grand Line...had been revealed by Oda not to be a real island at all, and hence was invisible to the almighty log pose.
Despite all this, every two bit character had managed to successfully make it to Sabaody with no issue at all. Let's face it, if trash like Demaro Black could make it, just about anybody could. And the less was said about the thousands of nameless pirates who had been enslaved by the New Fishman Pirates, the better.
I was interrupted from my brooding by Aisa tugging on my clothes. Considering what had happened the last time one of us had chosen to ignore her, she immediately became the sole focus of everyone's attention. “Yes, Aisa?”
“Uhm, do many people live on Sabaody?” she asked me, but unlike the log pose conundrum, this was something I had an answer to, thanks to my regular den den mushi calls with Robin.
“Quite a few, actually. It’s the largest population center around these parts.” Maybe because it was also the only population center around these parts, but that was beside the point. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I can hear a lot of voices from over there.” she answered me, pointing her index finger eastwards.
Huh. That would work.
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Once we had a heading, it didn't take very long before the Black Pearl was berthed in a little bay by Grove 43. Muret and Nero decided to stay behind and guard the ship and our cargo, while the rest of us were going to find ourselves a coating craftsman. With the marines preoccupied, those two were going to be more than enough to ward off just about anyone aiming to loot our ship.
I had briefly considered heading over to Grove 41 to check if the Straw Hats were here too, but eventually decided against it. There really wasn’t any tangible benefit in doing so, and I could get better quality intel elsewhere. Like Shakky’s Rip Off Bar.
Sabaody really was a beautiful place, the soft green harmonizing splendidly with the clear blue sky and the sapphire sea. All of it interspersed with a multitude of bubbles refracting the plentiful sunlight in just the right way, that one was always surrounded by miniature rainbows wherever one went. It was no wonder then, that Sabaody had developed into one of the greatest tourist destinations this side of the Red Line, despite the absolute absurdity of its geographical and dare I say, geological character.
Anyway, my objections to its irrational existence aside...
Sabaody really was beautiful and there was lots to see and even more to do, though I could have also done with fewer ambushes. Maybe it was my objectively lower bounty or the bevy of smaller bounties in my group, but bounty hunters kept trying to collect our heads.
…it may also have had something to do with the fact, that Aisa was recognized near instantly as Supernova number 12, and immediately received the title of being the easiest one to nab. The silver lining of it all was, that instead of becoming scared, she became angry and fried the “icky, nasty, disgusting, gross boys”. I think it was safe to say that Aisa had, if not overcome, at least learned to deal with her anxiety regarding the silencing of voices.
She had looked so proud too when Laki praised her for being a ‘fierce Shandian warrior’, but she nevertheless kept seething, until we brought back Happy Aisa by plying her with a truck load of sweets and snacks. I never figured out where she put it all, but after exposing her to the goodness that was cotton candy, we were more or less dragged along on her quest to sample everything the tourist quarter had to offer.
Though finally, after taking the scenic route through Sabaody’s culinary delights, we found ourselves opening the door to Shakky’s Rip Off Bar. Or to be more precise, we had the door opened in our faces, seconds before a trio of bodies filled our field of vision.
“Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to be rude to potential pats…patrons. Thank you for taking the trash out by the way. You wouldn’t know how rare it is to find pirates with manners these days.” Shakky commented, leading us to her bar.
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I was also ninety percent positive she had been about to say patsy, but her poker face was immaculate and impossible to read. Though I guess, that was a New World veteran and former amazon queen for you. She was far more dangerous than she let on, which also meant that I probably shouldn’t be rude and piss her off.
“Why, it was no trouble Shakky-san. As someone once said, manners maketh man.” I replied, giving her my most winning smile.
This was especially true as I wasn't friends with Hatchi and had no connection either with the Roger-Rayleigh-Shanks lineup. Half the reason Rayleigh had been willing to give Luffy the time of day had been because of his hat and what it signified.
I had none of that.
“Hmmm, must have been a wise man.” Shakky mused in response to my words.
“Well, he was certainly one of the most interesting characters I had the pleasure of watching back home.”
“Your home must be something special if it keeps producing interesting characters like that.” Shakky said by way of a compliment, taking a slow drag from her cigarette, before adding to the cloud of smoke inside the bar. “Can I get you guys anything?”
“As long as the price is reasonable.” I replied.
“No one alive has ever claimed otherwise.” she grinned and I saw a shudder run through my crew. As if I needed reminding that she was a former New World Pirate.
“Then, I’d like a coke please.”
“That’ll be one hundred thousand belli.” I ignored the collective spit takes from my crew, as they turned to regard their own drinks in horror. None more so than Lily, who was rapidly realizing that spending any extended amount of time at this establishment was liable to leave us bankrupt and begging by the roadside.
Thankfully we still had sufficient funds from Skypiea and the Dead End Race to cover our tab but damn…I knew why I was here, but who were those poor fools who had wandered into this wallet death trap earlier? But high way robbery or not, the drinks were good and the price wasn't too extravagant, if one considered that it included the cost of information. Though most of the crew stopped at one, thanks to Lily glaring anyone into submission who even dared to look at the fridge the wrong way.
“Tell me Shakky-san, what’s the news around?” I asked after draining my drink.
After I set it down on the counter, my empty bottle disappeared faster than I could blink, and this despite Shakky never deviating from her slow, deliberate pace.
“Sabaody is heating up, Bellamy-chan, but what can you expect with so many super rookies gathering in one place at the same time?”
“You mean Captain Kidd and the others?”
“Exactly. Counting the cutie here," she answered, winking at Aisa who preened. "that makes thirteen pirates worth a hundred million belli or more on the island right now.”
Ah, so Luffy and crew had already arrived? That was good to know. We probably should get our shopping done pronto and get ready to leave before Luffy…wait a minute.
“Thirteen?” I asked, my bewildered face being met by Shakky's grinning one.
“Yes. In no particular order; Jewelry Bonney, Capone Bege, Basil Hawkins, Kidd, Scratchman Apoo, Trafalgar Law, Killer, X-Drake, Urouge, Roronoa Zoro, Monkey-chan, little Aisa…and you.”
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Because the news coo had been late today for some reason, this had been news to me. Welcome news absolutely, but news nonetheless.
It seemed that the World Government had found out about our little encounter with General Gasparde, and quickly decided that they may have misjudged just how much of a danger my crew and I posed to their world order. Though, there had been almost no new bounties issued for my crew this time round, the only exception being Nero “the Renegade”, who had received a bounty of forty two million belli. Well, and Sarquiss had gotten a new epithet, and we all agreed that Sarquiss the Hornet sounded much better than Big Knife Sarquiss. It was also much more fitting, as he hadn't used his kukri at all since eating the SMILE and unlocking his stingers
I, on the other hand? In spite of the absolute lack of involvement on my part in the whole affair, being in command of a crew capable of taking down a pirate worth near a hundred million with relative ease, apparently warranted a bounty greater than the one of our defeated opponent.
Hence, I was now the proud owner of a head worth one hundred and thirty two million belli and the newest addition to the little club, which would come to be known as the “Worst Generation”. It felt…good, almost like I had finally passed the qualifying rounds and reached the starting line in this warped competition. And my crew was quick to celebrate the achievement.
“Congratulations, captain!” Eddy cheered.
“Another drink, ma’am…miss!” Hewitt said ordering a beer, before quickly backtracking when Shakky smiled at him.
“We’re going to go fucking broke…screw it! One more for me too!” Lily shouted, slamming a wad of bills down on the counter.
It took a lot of effort to stop my crew from thoroughly inebriating themselves, but through a lot of cajoling, coaxing and otherwise convincing, I managed to keep my crew in a semi-combat ready state by the time I was ready to head out and find Rayleigh.
“Don’t cause trouble, Bellamy-chan.” Shakky warned me as we were leaving, to which I smiled back.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
After all, Luffy would cause enough trouble for both of us.
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We caused trouble near immediately, but it really hadn't been my fault. Honest.
By pure chance, we had stumbled across one solitary armored dude, dragging a pretty black haired nurse off in the general direction of Grove 60. A nurse anyone familiar with the franchise would no doubt recognize, as the 13th potential wife of St. Charloss…or would that have been the 8th wife, as the prat was going to get rid of numbers one to five?
Now, most of us were very well aware of who this guy was, his distinctive armor being a dead giveaway, but unfortunately I had two crew members who knew shit about Blue Sea politics. Ok, that bit might have been my fault for not filling them in, but in my defence, I had been busy trying to toughen up my crew enough to survive the coming fiasco.
It had not been meant to empower Laki until she was able to smash a hole through the guard’s visor and fling him, armor and all, into the nearby sea. In hindsight, I probably should have kept the two people, who had been witnesses to Enel effectively enslaving an entire people, away from the island with the most obvious custom of slavery around.
That Marie hadn't technically been a slave nor part of the local slave trade, became inconsequential the moment Hewitt explained the general gist of the situation to Laki.
Which left me in the unenviable position of having to decide what to do about the near catatonic girl in Laki’s embrace. At least my crew was holding their tongues instead of getting into an uproar, which would have caused irreparable damage to the unity of my crew.
This outing had definitely turned into a pickle.
“What’s done is done.” I told my crew. “There aren’t many witnesses around, but there'll certainly at least one or two who are watching us right this moment. Which makes it inevitable that the world nobles will hear about this sooner or later. I don’t know when it’s going to happen but I'm determined to be far away by the time that happens.”
There was no disagreement on that point. Good. “Laki, you and Sarquiss take the girl back to the ship. Tell the others that the ship is to be prepared so that we can depart at a moment’s notice. Go!”
“My…my fiancé, Judy…hospital. Please.” Marie whispered and I gave her a small reassuring nod.
Laki looked slightly apologetic but nodded anyway, while Sarquiss gave me a lazy salute, before ripping his coat off and freeing his wings. Then he grabbed the two girls under his arms and sped away into the distance.
“Hewitt, take Rivers and Mani to stock up on provisions. Rivers should be able to transport what you need quickly using Fuza and these bubble transport systems. But before you do, do make sure to pick up the girl's fiancé from the hospital.” I ordered. Curse my bleeding heart.
That left Lily, Ross, Eddy, Aisa and I to head out and meet up with Rayleigh. Hopefully, shit didn't hit the fan before I got there.
Actually, hopefully shit didn't hit the fan after I got there either.