Categories > Anime/Manga > One Piece > Sitting on the Waves
ONE PIECE
SITTING ON THE WAVES
CHAPTER 6: TRAPS
BY
Sgamer82
A few setbacks aside, everything was going as planned. Huncaza was set up to take the Straw Hat pirates' bounties. All that remained was for them to stumble into his trap.
There had been several reasons for targeting the navigator. Most obvious was the fact that without a capable navigator, "Straw Hat" Luffy's ship wouldn't be going anywhere. Secondly, Leda had told him she had never reversed her regressions except on herself. So there was no way of knowing if she could do so if she used her powers on Monkey, Roronoa, or Nico. If she couldn't, that was two hundred thirty-nine million Berries right out the window. The girl had no price and was, therefore, expendable. Finally, she was the one member of the crew he could most easily convince Leda of changing.
He looked to his crew. About a dozen, strong and talented each of tem. He nodded, and most of them went towards the forest to get ready. The Straw Hat crew would begin searching the forest for Nami soon. They needed to be ready.
----------
The forest between the Chibi no Mi Nursery and the docks divided into two parts. One half of forest to the east, one half to the west, and split down the middle by a man-made path that led to the village. Robin and Chopper searched the west side. Usopp thought he had seen Nami come through here so Chopper, with his sense of smell, was attempting to track her down by scent. Should they locate Nami, it would be Robin's job to catch her.
Usopp and Sanji looked through the forest's east side. This was in case Nami tried to switch sides while hiding to throw off pursuers. Zoro and Luffy were keeping to the path in case she turned up there and because nobody wanted to go searching for them and Nami if they got lost in the woods. The crew had searched all night. The sun was rising and nobody had yet had any luck.
"Nami!" Luffy called out from the path.
"You know," Zoro began, "She's trying to run away from us. Should we really be letting her know where not to go?"
"You're right." Luffy replied, "Nami! We're not here! You can come over!"
Zoro gave Luffy a knock to the head. Even if she was a dumb brat right now, she wasn't that dumb. Zoro kept his own eyes open. No sign of Nami was showing up around the bushes. However, Zoro had begun to get a strange feeling he and Luffy were being followed.
The gunshot confirmed his suspicions.
----------
"How is it coming, Doctor?"
"It's strange." Chopper answered, "I had her scent a while ago but now it's getting all mixed in with something else."
"Wildlife?" Robin inquired.
"No. The scent is definitely human."
Robin didn't like the sound of that. It could be the person with the Era-Era power. Or someone working for her. Robin took a careful look at her surroundings. After ascertaining where everything was, she closed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.
"/Ojos Fleur/."
On the many trees of the forest several eyes began to appear. Robin was beginning to think they had been maneuvered here. She needed to make sure.
"Is something wrong, Robin?" Chopper asked apprehensively.
"Maybe not. But I'm beginning to susp-"
Robin's sentence suddenly cut off with a scream as she brought her hand up to her right eye and fell to her knees.
"Robin!"
"Doctor! Go. Now! You have to warn the others! It's a trap."
"No! You're hurt!"
"I've had worse. You can take care of me after. Go now!"
Reluctantly, Chopper transformed to his fully-animal shape and galloped off to warn the other Straw Hat pirates of the danger.
Meanwhile, Nico Robin stood, and prepared for battle.
----------
Sanji and Usopp were searching, also. There wasn't too high a chance of finding Nami here. But it would be plain stupid not to cover every possibility.
"Hey, Sanji." Usopp said. He couldn't stand the dark, quiet forest and was eager to keep some noise going. Fortunately daybreak was coming so it wasn't so bad. But even so...
"Yeah?" Sanji answered. He was getting annoyed with all of Usopp's idle chatter.
"Have you given any thought to just who it was that made Nami younger?"
Robin had told them all the story as they came to the forest. There had been some speculation but nothing definite. They didn't know anyone in this town so it was difficult to know if anyone there could be the person who caused this.
"A bit." Sanji replied, "Do you have an idea?"
"Well, do we know if this Era-Era fruit requires the person to be close to the target?"
"No. What's your point?"
"Well, if it needs proximity, or even actual contact, then that would narrow down our search for whoever it is."
Sanji grunted an affirmative. Usopp was right. In fact... now that he came to think of it...
"Of course!" Sanji yelled, "It was so obvious!"
"What?!" Usopp asked, startled by Sanji's sudden shout.
"That lady at the orphanage! When we first came to town, she and Miss Nami shook hands!"
"She did?" Usopp asked as understanding dawned, "Didn't she hold Nami's hand yesterday, too?!"
"Right when the changes started getting worse!"
Sanji and Usopp had it. They were sure of it.
"We gotta go!" Usopp suggested, "Hunting the forest might not actually do any good. If Leda's behind this then she may have Nami with her!"
"That won't be an option, I'm sorry to say."
The pair looked to the source of the voice and saw a slender man dressed in a black shirt and green pants. He seemed somewhat out of place for the great outdoors. Behind him, however, were a group of about seven or eight burly men who looked every bit as wild as any animal in the wood.
"Usopp! Go and tell the others what we know. I'll keep them off you."
Usopp didn't hesitate to run for the path. Sanji noted, as Usopp left, none of the big men made a move to chase him. Nor did the slender man make a move.
"This was just what you wanted, wasn't it?"
"Good guess." the man said. Sanji noticed his voice was a bit higher than most. But didn't swell on it as the large men attacked.
SITTING ON THE WAVES
CHAPTER 6: TRAPS
BY
Sgamer82
A few setbacks aside, everything was going as planned. Huncaza was set up to take the Straw Hat pirates' bounties. All that remained was for them to stumble into his trap.
There had been several reasons for targeting the navigator. Most obvious was the fact that without a capable navigator, "Straw Hat" Luffy's ship wouldn't be going anywhere. Secondly, Leda had told him she had never reversed her regressions except on herself. So there was no way of knowing if she could do so if she used her powers on Monkey, Roronoa, or Nico. If she couldn't, that was two hundred thirty-nine million Berries right out the window. The girl had no price and was, therefore, expendable. Finally, she was the one member of the crew he could most easily convince Leda of changing.
He looked to his crew. About a dozen, strong and talented each of tem. He nodded, and most of them went towards the forest to get ready. The Straw Hat crew would begin searching the forest for Nami soon. They needed to be ready.
----------
The forest between the Chibi no Mi Nursery and the docks divided into two parts. One half of forest to the east, one half to the west, and split down the middle by a man-made path that led to the village. Robin and Chopper searched the west side. Usopp thought he had seen Nami come through here so Chopper, with his sense of smell, was attempting to track her down by scent. Should they locate Nami, it would be Robin's job to catch her.
Usopp and Sanji looked through the forest's east side. This was in case Nami tried to switch sides while hiding to throw off pursuers. Zoro and Luffy were keeping to the path in case she turned up there and because nobody wanted to go searching for them and Nami if they got lost in the woods. The crew had searched all night. The sun was rising and nobody had yet had any luck.
"Nami!" Luffy called out from the path.
"You know," Zoro began, "She's trying to run away from us. Should we really be letting her know where not to go?"
"You're right." Luffy replied, "Nami! We're not here! You can come over!"
Zoro gave Luffy a knock to the head. Even if she was a dumb brat right now, she wasn't that dumb. Zoro kept his own eyes open. No sign of Nami was showing up around the bushes. However, Zoro had begun to get a strange feeling he and Luffy were being followed.
The gunshot confirmed his suspicions.
----------
"How is it coming, Doctor?"
"It's strange." Chopper answered, "I had her scent a while ago but now it's getting all mixed in with something else."
"Wildlife?" Robin inquired.
"No. The scent is definitely human."
Robin didn't like the sound of that. It could be the person with the Era-Era power. Or someone working for her. Robin took a careful look at her surroundings. After ascertaining where everything was, she closed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.
"/Ojos Fleur/."
On the many trees of the forest several eyes began to appear. Robin was beginning to think they had been maneuvered here. She needed to make sure.
"Is something wrong, Robin?" Chopper asked apprehensively.
"Maybe not. But I'm beginning to susp-"
Robin's sentence suddenly cut off with a scream as she brought her hand up to her right eye and fell to her knees.
"Robin!"
"Doctor! Go. Now! You have to warn the others! It's a trap."
"No! You're hurt!"
"I've had worse. You can take care of me after. Go now!"
Reluctantly, Chopper transformed to his fully-animal shape and galloped off to warn the other Straw Hat pirates of the danger.
Meanwhile, Nico Robin stood, and prepared for battle.
----------
Sanji and Usopp were searching, also. There wasn't too high a chance of finding Nami here. But it would be plain stupid not to cover every possibility.
"Hey, Sanji." Usopp said. He couldn't stand the dark, quiet forest and was eager to keep some noise going. Fortunately daybreak was coming so it wasn't so bad. But even so...
"Yeah?" Sanji answered. He was getting annoyed with all of Usopp's idle chatter.
"Have you given any thought to just who it was that made Nami younger?"
Robin had told them all the story as they came to the forest. There had been some speculation but nothing definite. They didn't know anyone in this town so it was difficult to know if anyone there could be the person who caused this.
"A bit." Sanji replied, "Do you have an idea?"
"Well, do we know if this Era-Era fruit requires the person to be close to the target?"
"No. What's your point?"
"Well, if it needs proximity, or even actual contact, then that would narrow down our search for whoever it is."
Sanji grunted an affirmative. Usopp was right. In fact... now that he came to think of it...
"Of course!" Sanji yelled, "It was so obvious!"
"What?!" Usopp asked, startled by Sanji's sudden shout.
"That lady at the orphanage! When we first came to town, she and Miss Nami shook hands!"
"She did?" Usopp asked as understanding dawned, "Didn't she hold Nami's hand yesterday, too?!"
"Right when the changes started getting worse!"
Sanji and Usopp had it. They were sure of it.
"We gotta go!" Usopp suggested, "Hunting the forest might not actually do any good. If Leda's behind this then she may have Nami with her!"
"That won't be an option, I'm sorry to say."
The pair looked to the source of the voice and saw a slender man dressed in a black shirt and green pants. He seemed somewhat out of place for the great outdoors. Behind him, however, were a group of about seven or eight burly men who looked every bit as wild as any animal in the wood.
"Usopp! Go and tell the others what we know. I'll keep them off you."
Usopp didn't hesitate to run for the path. Sanji noted, as Usopp left, none of the big men made a move to chase him. Nor did the slender man make a move.
"This was just what you wanted, wasn't it?"
"Good guess." the man said. Sanji noticed his voice was a bit higher than most. But didn't swell on it as the large men attacked.
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