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Chapter 20: Straw Hat Line
"Line! Join my crew!"
"I said no!"
"Don't say no! Let's do it! It's fun! Being a pirate!"
"You're dangerously persistent!"
For some inexplicable reason, Straw Hat Luffy had taken an intense, immediate liking to me. He was currently leaning so far over the bar counter that his rubbery nose was practically touching mine.
What is with this guy? Even though I keep flat-out refusing, he just keeps pushing with that massive, idiot grin on his face...
"...Why do you want me to join your crew so badly anyway?" I sighed, pushing his face away with a tiny, Haki-infused hand.
"Shishishi! Because you're interesting! Pirates are interesting too, so let's do it together!" Luffy laughed, completely unfazed by my rejection.
"That's not a logical reason!?"
Does this guy mistake violent, sea-faring outlaws for a club of free-spirited adventurers or something?
"Listen here, Straw Hat," I lectured, crossing my arms and tapping my foot on the counter. "First of all, piracy is a major crime. The World Government actively hunts you down. Do you really think a rational person is going to become a wanted criminal just because you say 'it's fun'?"
"Chopper, since when are you eating cotton candy?" Luffy blinked, completely ignoring my airtight argument.
"LISTEN TO MEEE!!"
Completely brushing off what I was saying, Straw Hat turned his attention to his tanuki companion... Chopper, I think his name was. The little guy was happily munching on a massive cloud of pink cotton candy.
...And wait, Shakky is the one feeding Chopper the cotton candy. Geez, this terrifying former pirate really has a massive soft spot for cute things!
"Old lady, how do you know what Chopper likes?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.
"Fufu, you're Monkey-chan's crew, aren't you?" Shakky smiled, leaning gracefully against the counter as she wiped a glass.
"You know who I am?"
"Of course. You're a very talked-about crew right now. I'm quite well-informed, you know."
Shakky looked incredibly pleased to be casually chatting with her favorite pirates in the flesh. She looked like an obsessed fan who had just met her favorite celebrities.
Haa, good grief...
"According to my information network," Shakky continued, her tone shifting slightly toward business, "with Monkey-chan's crew making landfall today... there are currently eleven pirates with bounties over a hundred million Berries gathered on this Sabaody Archipelago."
"That many!?" Chopper shrieked in surprise, dropping his cotton candy stick.
Yep. That's the first I'm hearing of it too. Seriously? According to Shakky's exposition, all the notorious rookie pirates who had miraculously survived the first half of the Grand Line were currently swarming the Sabaody Archipelago simultaneously to prep their ships for the New World.
...In other words, the arrival of the worst generation of criminals completely clashes with my scheduled departure date... Fantastic.
"By the way, Monkey-chan. What is your bounty right now?" Shakky asked, resting her chin on her hand.
"Three hundred million," Luffy grinned proudly.
"Among the gathered rookies, in terms of bounty alone, you're No. 2. No. 1 is 'Captain' Kid at 315,000,000 Berries... Oh my, you lost, didn't you..."
"!!"
"There's someone higher than Luffy!?" Chopper cried out again, clutching his furry cheeks.
Luffy just looked somewhat annoyed, his competitive spirit clearly flaring up. He's just as much of a sore loser as he looks.
Just as I was silently judging the rubber man, Shakky shot a sly, sideways glance at me.
"Fufu, but by the way, our little Line-chan here... left all those rookies in the dust with a staggering bounty of 480,000,000 Berries. Amazing, isn't it?"
""""Eeeeehhhh!!?""""
The collective scream from the Straw Hat crew and their aquatic companions shook the bottles on the shelves.
"Why would you leak that!? Shakky!!?" I yelled, my tail puffing up in panic.
Don't use my bounty to flex on them like a proud mother!
It's a mark of how badly I messed up, it's not an honor at all!
"What the heck, Line! You had a bounty!?" Luffy's eyes turned into sparkling stars as he slammed his hands on the counter. "That's great! Let's be pirates then!"
"I! SAID! NO!"
"Even if your bounty is higher right now, I'm still the captain, got it!?"
"I'M! NOT! JOINING!"
"Uho!? You can fly!?" Luffy gasped as I used my Tail Copter to hover out of his reach. "That's so interesting! You definitely have to join my crew now!"
As Straw Hat persistently kept at it, I hovered near the ceiling and literally pointed a finger of judgment at him from above.
...But it completely backfired.
The reason this guy wants me to join his crew is definitely just because I'm a rare creature. I figured that out just by looking at his current lineup of a reindeer and a skeleton... I'm just the next collectible for his weird zoo!
According to Hachi, the reason the Straw Hats had come to our bar in the first place was to ask Ray-san to do the resin coating for their ship, the Thousand Sunny, so they could travel to Fish-Man Island. Hachi had brought them here, claiming he knew a highly skilled, trustworthy mechanic...
"Ah... but either way, Ray-san isn't here right now," I pointed out, floating back down to the counter.
"Why not?" Luffy asked, picking his nose.
"Because he's already got a prior customer—me. He's down at Grove 52 working on my ship. He said it would take two to three days."
"I see. Then I guess we just have to wait."
Saying so, Straw Hat casually strolled behind the bar and started raiding our fridge again, pulling out a massive ham on the bone.
"Wait, wait, wait! Are you planning to eat us out of house and home while you wait!? If you're going to kill time, go somewhere else!"
"Mmgh, munch munch munch! Mmgokoga, munch munch."
"I can't understand a single word you're saying with your mouth full! Look..." I rubbed my temples, trying to think of a distraction. "If you guys just got to the Sabaody Archipelago, why don't you go to Sabaody Park!? It's a massive, super fun amusement park! It's the perfect way to kill time!"
"Amoofmen barm!!" Luffy's eyes widened behind his stuffed cheeks.
"Swallow before you speak... hm?"
Straw Hat gulped down the entire ham bone in one go. His arm suddenly stretched out with a cartoonish shwomp, wrapping tightly around Hachi (Fish-Man), Camie (Mermaid), Pappag (Starfish), Chopper (Tanuki), Brook (Skeleton)... and sweeping right across the counter to grab me (Dwarf).
...Eh? What's with this hand? I instinctively reached out and grabbed the sleeve of Esune's shirt next to me in a panic.
"Alright! Then let's go! To the amusement park!!" Luffy cheered.
""""Eeeeeh!!?""""
Without slowing down, Straw Hat retracted his arm and bolted right out the front door, dragging all of us behind him like a kite tail.
Wait a minute, why am I getting dragged along too!?
"Big Brothe... Hyaaaaahh!?" Esune screamed as she was yanked off her feet.
And Esune, sorry for making you collateral damage.
As we were pulled violently into the sunlight, I thought I heard Shakky's voice calling out from the bar, "Have fun, kids."
—————
Located across Groves 32, 33, and 34, the massive amusement park known as Sabaody Park is arguably the most famous tourist spot on the entire archipelago. The air was filled with the smell of popcorn, the sound of cheerful music, and the sight of massive, shimmering soap bubbles floating through the sky.
Dragged here entirely against our will by Straw Hat Luffy, we were currently...
"Yaaahooooooo!!!"
"Fuheheeeeyy!!!"
"Kyaaa!!!"
"Aaaahhhhhhh!!!"
...having an absolute blast.
"Roller coasters really are the best! Let's ride that one next!" Luffy cheered, pointing at a massive track winding through the mangrove roots.
"Alright! Let's go, let's go!" I yelled, caught up in the adrenaline.
"Yohoho! I think I'll rest on a bench for a bit. Gag..." Brook groaned, clutching his ribcage as he swayed dizzily.
We rode the bubble-themed merry-go-round, screamed our lungs out on the free fall, spun the teacups until we were dizzy, and swayed gently on the scenic gondolas...
Yep, yep. Amusement parks are fun no matter how old you are or how many times you come.
Watching how genuinely ecstatic Camie, Pappag, and Hachi were brought a smile to my face. When we rode the giant Ferris wheel, Camie looked out over the ocean and was so overwhelmed that she burst into happy tears.
Apparently, Fish-Men and Merfolk have always dreamed of coming to Sabaody Park, looking up at it from the dark depths of the sea. Seeing them experience it freely made my chest feel warm.
After we had been running around and playing together for a few hours, Esune gently pulled me away from the group and lightly poked my shoulder.
"Hm? What's up, Esune?" I asked, wiping some stray cotton candy off my cheek.
"Um... Big Brother... well, um..." She fidgeted, looking down at her shoes.
"?"
"Would you... like to ride the Ferris wheel one more time? J-Just the two of us... this time..."
"Sure. Hey, Luffy! Esune and I are going to ride the Ferris wheel again. Don't eat all the churros!"
"Got it~!" Luffy waved, already halfway through a massive skewer of meat.
Leaving the chaotic Straw Hats behind, Esune and I boarded a private bubble-car on the Ferris wheel. As we slowly ascended above the park, the noise of the crowds faded away, replaced by the quiet hum of the machinery and the beautiful view of the sun beginning to set over the Grand Line.
"So, Esune. Is something wrong?" I asked gently, taking a seat across from her.
"...No, it's just..." She looked out the window, the orange light reflecting in her eyes. "I thought this might be the last amusement park I ever get to go to with you, Big Brother... so I wanted to have a little time just the two of us... to, you know, make memories..."
"..."
Well, if the guy she sees as her older brother is leaving for the most dangerous sea in the world, it makes sense she'd get sentimental...
There are no airplanes in this world, so you can't just casually visit another island whenever you want.
She probably thinks this might be a permanent goodbye.
"...Big Brother... is it absolutely impossible for me to come with you...?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.
"..."
"I don't want to be separated from you..." A tear spilled over her eyelashes and traced down her cheek.
"..."
"Big Brother..."
"Nnngh!! You massive bro-con!!"
"Fumyuuu!?"
I leaped across the carriage and playfully squished her cheeks together, forcing her lips into a fish face.
"Listen to me! This time, I'm only going back to check on how my homeland, Dressrosa, is doing. Once I confirm everyone is safe, I plan to immediately resume my search for the Huge Huge Fruit!"
"Yes..." she mumbled through squished cheeks.
"Once I do... I'll drop by Sabaody again. And if you still want to travel the seas, I'll let you on my ship then as a full-fledged crewmate."
"!! Really!?" Her eyes widened, instantly brightening.
"Yeah. Will you help me search for the Huge Huge Fruit?" I grinned, letting go of her face.
"Yes! Of course!" Esune beamed, wiping her eyes.
"Heheh, then be a good girl, keep up your Haki training with Shakky, and wait until then. I promise I'll return to you safely."
"~♡"
Just as I patted her head, the Ferris wheel completed its full rotation, bringing us gently back down to the boarding platform.
When we stepped out into the bustling park, Luffy and the others were nowhere to be found... The only ones there were a panicked Chopper pacing frantically back and forth, and Brook sitting rigidly on a nearby bench.
"Oro? Just you two?" I asked, looking around.
"Where did Straw Hat-san and the merfolk go?" Esune asked, tilting her head.
"Ah...! Line! Esune~! Camie is! Camie is...!"
"?"
Chopper toddled over to us as fast as his little legs could carry him, crying his eyes out in sheer panic. It was cute, but mostly alarming.
"What's wrong? Weren't you guys eating ice cream? Did you get a stomachache or something..."
"Camie got kidnapped!!" Chopper wailed.
"...Huh?" A cold chill shot down my spine.
"W-While we were picking out ice cream flavors, Camie suddenly disappeared into the crowd... So I called Sanji on the Transponder Snail, and he told me to stay put right here so we wouldn't get lost, but Luffy and the others ran off to look for her...! At this rate, Camie is going to be sold as a slave...!"
"!!"
Come to think of it, I got completely careless...
We were just enjoying ourselves like normal tourists, but Merfolk are the most highly valued, sought-after species in the underground slave trade... They fetch hundreds of millions of Berries. She was the perfect target for the kidnapping syndicates operating on this island...
Because a mermaid like Rozuo visits our bar so safely and often, I tend to forget, but a mermaid coming up onto land is inherently an incredibly dangerous act.
Wait, Rozuo was a former slave too, wasn't he.
(...Camie got kidnapped because I suggested Luffy take everyone to Sabaody Park to kill time... I practically sent her into the lion's den. This is entirely my fault...!)
I ground my back teeth together, a dark, familiar anger boiling up inside me. The memories of the explosive collars in Mary Geoise flashed through my mind. I wasn't going to let another person suffer that fate. Not on my watch.
"Esune!"
"Y-Yes! Big Brother!" She jumped, sensing the shift in my tone.
"Go to Grove 52 immediately and call Ray-san! Tell him what happened!"
"U-Understood!"
"Chopper and Brook, if your crewmate told you to stay put, you shouldn't move from this spot! Let the others find you!"
"What about you, Line...?" Chopper sniffled.
"I'm going to hit up Human Auctioning Houses at random and search for Camie."
"A-Alone!?" Brook gasped.
"Heheh, this lawless island is basically my backyard by now, so don't worry about me. Anyway, I'll be right back!"
Leaving a sharp whoosh in my wake, I rocketed out of Sabaody Park in a blur of motion.
—————
"Now then... I said I'd search every single one, but where should I start..."
Sickeningly enough, there are quite a few slave markets on this island—otherwise known as Human Auctioning Houses—mostly concentrated in the lawless zones between Groves 1 and 29.
If it were a familiar presence like Esune's, I could use my finely-tuned Observation Haki to track her specific presence across the island. But since I just met Camie today, I didn't have a read on her yet. That trick wouldn't work.
Figuring it would be easiest to start from the top and work my way down the list, I arrived at the largest Human Auctioning House located in Grove 1 first.
Slipping past the heavily armed guards at the entrance, I snuck through the dimly lit, foul-smelling holding area, making absolutely sure no one spotted my tiny form...
"Bingo...! Found Camie right off the bat."
There she was, locked inside a reinforced iron cage in the holding area, looking utterly terrified. And worse... an explosive slave collar was already strapped tightly around her delicate neck.
Uh-oh~, they've already got the collar on her...
If it were just the iron bars keeping her in, I could easily bend them with my dwarven grip strength and bust her out right now. But the collar is a completely different story. That mechanism can only be opened with a specific, closely guarded key. If you try to force it off or tamper with the lock... it explodes, taking the wearer's head with it.
"Ray-san could probably pop it off smoothly using advanced Haki emission, but my Armament Haki isn't nearly dexterous enough for something like that yet..."
For the time being, I easily slipped through the narrow gaps in the iron bars and landed silently right in front of Camie.
"Yo!"
"!? L-Line-chin!?" Camie gasped, her eyes widening in shock.
"Shh! Keep your voice down. There are guards outside," I whispered, holding a finger to my lips.
"Ah, sorry..." she whispered back, tears of relief pricking her eyes.
"I might be the first one here, but Luffy, Hachi, and the rest of the crew are frantically searching for you too. Don't worry, we're going to get you out of here."
"Hatchin is!? He's coming for me!?"
Despite the explosive collar and the terrifying situation, Camie's cheeks flushed a bright, lovestruck pink at the mention of the octopus Fish-Man.
"...Eh? Are you and Hachi, like, in that kind of relationship?" I asked, genuinely taken aback.
"Eeeeeh!? N-No way... I'm not... H-Hatchin's bride yet..."
Her face turned bright red as she fidgeted shyly, momentarily forgetting she was locked in a slave cage...
I don't know...
Seeing her act like this, I suddenly lost the urge to save her. No, I'll save her, but... seriously?
I see, Hachi... even being a six-armed octopus, he's somehow incredibly popular with cute girls...
Is it simply because he's tall...!! D-Damn it...!! If I could just eat the Huge Huge Fruit and get a growth spurt, maybe I'd have a chance...!!
"Line-chin?" Camie asked, looking at me with concern as I aggressively bit my thumbnail.
"Nnngh, my brain just short-circuited out of jealousy. Anyway, Camie, I'm going to go look for the key to your collar. Just sit tight and wait here a bit."
"Okay. Thank you, Line-chin, for coming to save me!" she smiled warmly.
"...Save the thanks for when you're actually safely out of here. Heheh."
I slipped out of the cage, blending into the shadows, and dashed away. The key to that explosive collar has to be somewhere in this Human Auctioning House, likely held by the manager or a Celestial Dragon.
First, I have to find it!
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