Chapter Text
Day was as always slow and maintained as if it had anything to offer on the sea at this time. Marine was not holy, nor the other groups on the world, seeing an enemy in one another as if they couldn’t get along and defeat the greater threat, Garp thought on his emeryture which was nothing compared to what he would love to get. Working for Akainu was like a joke for him from the heavens, mocking him loud and clear. Jokes on that damn walking volcano but he won’t be controlled like a marionette and his 5 Berii will be tossed in the moment when he will meet death itself. He will never forgive himself nor that demon in a Hawaiian shirt. He doesn't deserve that shirt, it’s a shirt made specially for the greatest people on Earth. He just knows that when he will reach Roger in the afterlife he will be smacked all the way to hell by him. His thoughts couldn’t escape that topic from the past two years, as it was his curse of Marineford for him. If not Blackbeard, his grandson would still be alive. If not the Marine, his grandson would still be alive. If not Akainu, his grandson would still be alive. If not him, his grandson would still be-
“Mister Garp! M-master…” Coby approached him in his cabin while he layed in his bed. “What is it, son? Something happened? You need a jar to open?” His low but warm laugh filled the room but the boy was apparently more serious than mostly. “Sir we have guests but-”
“but?” Garp sat up, ready to act as if there was coming a fight but the pink haired motioned to calm a little. Boy looked around like there was some kind of conspiracy around, and the older man was proud of how he thought of him, and got closer to whisper. “Those are two pirates from Luffy’s crew… They say they need your help” Ex vice admiral needed a minute to understand the situation and notice the red light in his head that if his people needed help from the marine there must be seriously something bad going on. They knew who to go to, probably instruated or more like informed about his persona. He doubts to find on the deck any young faces as he scared them back on Water 7 so it had to be one of the older ones. While being led by Coby there he tried to think who it would be before his eyes landed at the hand cuffed fishman and a kneeling moving skeleton. “Garp, not really happy to see you, especially handcuffed once again.” Helmsman huffed without any emotion. They had few not so old scars but by the fact of no fresh ones older marine thought that they had to let his students be captured. “I just heard from the captain why you came here but since you are not here for any fight, please let them free. I can’t listen to handcuffed people in need.” Young marines looked at each other in shock to later do what they were asked for. They thanked the young men for taking off the handcuffs as they stood up. The skeleton appeared to be a gentleman by how he acted and spoke. It was a mystery for the old marine how he even could move without any muscles or even speak and see. He knew Jinbe before as a warlord and he knew that he would never come on an unknown ship without a reason. Feeling rather a pensive aura from the fishman right now the skeleton appeared to be open for anything. Garp had to somehow calm that awkward situation with something that always worked. “Would you like some tea?”
“Yes of course”
After first cups the talk could finally start, taking its place in a separate room with Coby and Helmeppo in it as guards and extra compans to the tea. “Excuse me…” The skeleton started “my bad that I forgot to do it at first, my name is Brook, sir. If you were unsure to ask. I’m the crew’s musician sir and I was recruited, as well as Mr. Jinbe, after you met the rest of our crew. That is why you must squint your eyes at me in curiosity. I would do that too but you see, I don’t even have anything to squint! Yohohohoho~ But- Let’s not forget our topic for which we came here. We came here asking for help.” Garp hummed while taking crackers from the bowl in the middle of the table where they sat. “Right, I know from my own experience how much my grandson hates to ask for help so I have to ask at first is it his decision to seek help or not?” Jinbe and Brook looked at each other rather mixed about how to explain it due to yet strange coincidence and for sure traumatic. The fishman decided to explain it or at least start doing it. “Well no or rather he just couldn’t because you see…”
Let’s get back to what happened 2 weeks ago. Strawhats were sailing peacefully by the New World’s seas, calmly spending their lazy time in a hot state of the sun. Luffy as always was bouncing there and there, snatching from everyone some time and by the way some of the snacks that Sanji made before taking a moment of peace to take a book and join the girls on the grass, who were reading and chatting about what they read. The rubber boy couldn’t only find Usopp and Franky who probably hid their minds in their workshops crafting new ideas or finding the way on blue papers how to improve the existing ones. That is what at least told him Chopper when he last saw the cook taking his lead to their cold and dark spaces to bring them snacks. Even the captain knew how dangerous it is to bother them while working so he didn’t dare to interrupt. That’s why Brook decided to entertain his sad and bored friend with the music. It had a soothing tone, perfect to calm a wild soul like Luffy’s to sit and be silenced to a half sleeping state on a grass, next to Zoro who was already napping there. Jinbe was that day the one who was in charge of taking a better look on the sea, sitting by the main dock with a tea cup in his hands, letting the breeze sooth his hot skin with its ghosty cold touch. Nami told him that probably today or tomorrow they should reach the island but nothing appeared on the horizon yet. Day was great at this point, calm, warm and sleepy. That was until the fishman noticed the land. It didn’t looked any different than the other ones from the where they were, what was a plus for the crew because maybe this time their captain won’t do anything stupid there. That is until he called after the crew about the land on the horizon. Everyone called in joy as they started to slowly prepare for docking by the land. But closer they were, something weird was going on. Part of the crew’s hands started to shake like they were in a deep fear. Even the engineers left their work to see what was going on upstairs that they couldn’t normally work. It didn’t stop Luffy to joyfully jump around, couldn’t wait till they would reach the ground. That is until they did and the rubber boy was the first to jump off the ship. With the first step the dread took over him which almost made him back step. It was an unusual feeling for him as if this island yelled to get away from there. Yet his pride and determination didn’t stop him but encouraged him to get deeper into it. “Oy Luffy, wait for me!” Usopp called while jumping off the ship too, and didn't want to lose his friend from sight. “Usopp! This place is super scary! We have to explore it~!” His captain giggled as the long nose shivered with each step towards him, while putting on his hat. “That’s why I told you to wait for me… We can't separate on a land like this one, I don’t like it and I feel only bad energy from it… Maybe we should leave it be?” Sniper cried out while hugging his captain’s arm, visibly scared. “Besides there’s tons of snails, isn’t it a bit suspicious? Maybe it’s some kind of Marine’s secret fortress or worse, some secret emperor’s base and now they send us their troops and before we will notice we will be dead???” Luffy drugged them deeper into the moggy tall woods as Sanji, Nami and Chopper joined them, leaving the other 5 by the ship, knowing that faster or slower they will find each other. There was barely any grass, leaving the ground to be only a pile of crunchy leaves surrounding the dark trees whose ends were far far away from the point where fog let them see any leaves on those. By the bark were slowly moving snails of many colors and kinds, bringing any color to this grey forest. The weather was a bit cold there but not that cold to make them wear anything more than shirts. “Such a strange place…” Nami said under her nose before she could notice someone in the woods. “Have you seen that?”
“See what, Nami-san? Sanji asked her, turning towards the place where her hand pointed. There was nothing.
Navigator signed, and she had to leave this place as fast as possible. The feeling of being watched was giant, it was hard to breathe because of that and the moisture all around. There was no way of coming back behind them. Sanji tried to light his cigarette a few times, which never happened. “God damn it… only to die in a place like this one. Hope the mosshead didn’t lead the other group towards a worse spot-”
“DOWN!” Sniper yelped as he and Luffy dragged the others two to kneel down as from nowhere shoot multiple things. Some of them were slugs, some arrows, some daggers and some apparently random objects like cups, beans, pots and even brooms. Two things had yet in common: being missed by the 4 pirates and having a small snail on it each. As they stood up Luffy laughed out “Wow Usopp! I didn’t know you can use haki! Since when did you hide that before us?” The long nose was pretty confused while trying to find the right pop green. “I don’t know what you are talking about but we can’t stay here. I feel that there’s many people, some of them are our enemies but the question is why are they all here…” Before he could find those Nami walked before them. “We won’t find out without capturing some of them~ ZEUS!” Cloud left her stuff to eat her eggs and make their opponents turn into dust. Not only the thunder grilled the people all around but it cleared a bit the air around them. They really saw rather many opponents, mostly some familiar faces from the Buggy’s crew and maybe some other ones too but they couldn’t really name them at this point. They were covered by slugs too. “I don’t think they are aware of doing it, they tried to shoot at us snails, right? It must be connected to it so be careful with those!” Navigator insisted as she noticed her captain playing with some of the laying men. His smile ripped off him as he looked in the other direction to see the other people. There was someone who he hadn't seen for many years.
“Benn!”
“Benn?” Sanji and Nami looked at each other as Luffy ran to him ready to touch him before his best friend stopped him. “Don’t touch him! at least not yet. We have to take all of the snails, fried or not, there has to be a checkout before anything.” Said Usopp to which Chopper agreed, taking his tweezers to work. “But it’s Benn! He would never shoot me, he’s my friend!” Luffy cried at the sniper who was rather confused about how to calm him down. With help the cook came to kick his captain by the head. “That’s why we suspect snails! They could, I don’t know… Possessed them? I think that’s the word?”
“Control them”
“Thanks Pinokio, They could control them!” Usopp huffed on the nickname as he inspected the other ones together with Nami. They didn’t find anyone they could be friends with anymore and after everything they could go with the unconscious man back on the ship. The navigator was super helpful with it. Walk was of course faster but at least they knew the direction back. Good that others stood in or by Sunny. At first they wanted to scowl at them for taking so long but their voices stood in their throats as they saw who Chopper carried on his back. “Luffy! Where did you find the vice captain of the Red haired Pirates?” Jinbe asked in deep shock. Sanji… Nami… Usopp… And Chopper… Needed a moment to replay those words to make clear what they heard. They almost jumped off their flesh if not clothes while their captain explained how they did it, letting others over calculate their situation and make sure that Beckman will have a comfortable rest. They talked long enough to decide to step one mile away from the island and wait until their captain’s friend would wake up. It wasn’t an easy situation for them. That is why they had to wait a bit. Chopper took good care of him for a week, it appears he was dehydrated and had dislocated collarbone. That is why he needed extra days to even communicate and talk. Since then he appeared to not really remember or even know his situation, accepting every person around and talking with the doctor about particular things. Even Luffy agreed to wait for any rougher talk until they could be sure of his health and that he was not controlled. After dinner Benn found himself sweating in fear to later ask Chopper to gather everyone so he could talk.
“What happened Benn? Why were you there?” Luffy asked straight up as he entered the room. Man looked down while lighting a cigarette. “I’m… not sure even myself. Shanks was the first one who noticed this island and straight up knew it was not a safe one so he sent me, Lucky, Yasopp and a few stronger underlings to make a grand review.” Grey haired man noticed wide worry from Usopp who tried to not show it much, letting him continue the story. “Our main sniper from the beginning knew where to shoot before they could shoot us. Lucky was the one who got back to our captain and made a rapport as the two of us got deeper into the forest. My memory was cut down the moment when I saw… A giant snail… Like the one for showing giant streams in cities. It happened so fast that I couldn’t register the moment-” Yet the sniper couldn’t handle it. He left the room with a loud bang as Luffy ran after him.
“Mr. Usopp argued long with Mr. Luffy until he lost his… How to say it… He lost his proud mask crumbling before our captain who apparently knew his father too and he wanted to save him too. Two days later we left Sunny to Mr. Beckman, Ms. Robin and Mr. Jinbe as the others left for escapade to save Mr. Shanks’ crew. While there, we now knew how to treat our opponents, or more like, the snails. We were foolish to think that we could handle it.” Garp listened without even eating on the side of the story. Situation was bad, it was visible. It sounded like an island that he once saw from 30 years ago but to be sure about everything he let them finish first. “Our sniper, as you might know or not, uses special seeds, called pop greens, that grow super fast and in specific situations. Pushed by that information he made experimental seeds made of ones that were growing by the slimy or greezy circumstances to scare away or even kill snails all around the plant. He could make only 5 of them yet he shot only 3. At Brook and Franky two what worked as they should and one at Luffy which at first had to be shot at Yasopp but... “
“But Mr. Luffy froze at the moment when he saw Mr. Shanks being under control of the snails too. We don’t know where exactly he is because after the plant hit his back he froze, said ‘grumps’ and then ran away in some direction. Me and Mr. Franky had to get away from there too because Mr. Usopp because of that moment of weakness of decision got snailed too, as the others did too.” Skeleton narrowed his empty gaze at Coby who in shock listened to everything. He couldn’t bear that new knowledge as if he had any choice to not to.
“And why should we believe all of that?” All eyes landed on Helmeppo. “What if it’s just some kind of a sneaky psychological trap?” Brook stood up. Jinbe felt it won’t go well so that is why he stood up as well, ready to at some point stop him from getting further. “Have you lost someone ever? A parent… A friend… Even an enemy? Because I lost way too many. I have been dead for the past 52 years, for 50 years I was alone on the dead waters where no one could enter nor escape, couldn't join my dead friends- no, my dead family because of the devil fruit. Mr. Luffy gave me back my will to live and if I will lose because of your mind mixing words not only with him but my new family once again I won’t hesitate anything. You will die trying to kill me because I am already dead… Yo… ho.... ho... “ With every step his slow laugh was getting deeper and closer to the yapping man who now probably shitted himself. “Soul King, sir. Please stop threatening this idiot. I’m sorry about him, we understand that this situation is highly stressful and unnerving to you and your… Family, as how you called them and that is why we have to diagnose the situation better a-and prepare and all-”
“We take this job from now on, the only thing we will do is restock in the closest city. You are for sure tight with food too.” Garp said low while looking somewhere distantly just to be with back towards everyone.
“Garp-sama…”
“As how the baron bones said, I can’t lose any more of my family again”
Luffy’s anger was softened immediately as he saw how his friend crumbled in tears, shaking on his knees now, pulling his thick locks out of his bun and out of his scalp. “Luffy I won’t survive losing another parent! I just won’t!”