Hello everyone! So it has been a hectic month, but I am moving as we all have to. There will be a new update schedule on my tumblr And there will be some highlights at the bottom of this chapter which I hope you will enjoy!
Broggy was crying a river, his tears pouring over everyone like a summer storm and for the first time, Sakura saw the end of a rainbow. His wails were painful to listen to. Like their eardrums were ready to burst.
Sakura wanted to get to healing her friends but didn't want to interrupt the giant grieving. It didn't go on much longer though.
No one noticed Dorry's hand twitching, but Sakura moved to investigate, she moved around the giant and turned him over on his back so that he would be able to breathe easier.
"HE'S STILL ALIVE!" Sakura screamed.
Brogy looked over at Sakura, "What?"
"I felt his breath, he's still alive now please stop, I'm drenched in salty tears!"
Sakura hopped on his stomach, assessing the wound. "Damn, this is going to be troublesome."
Healing the entirety of a body this big was a lot of trouble and Sakura wanted to get to the rest of her friends who were also injured. So she just healed up the wound enough that it would stop bleeding. She checked the giant's vitals, feeling his pulse, by literally getting on his arm and pressing down.
The giant started to move, and Sakura hopped off when he sat up, "I must've lost consciousness,"
"Yep, he's still alive,"
Brogy burst into tears again, "T-Thank the gods! Dorry!"
Sakura sighed, "Okay someone starts from the beginning,"
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Though Sakura had heard most of the story from Miss. Valentine, Usopp, and Luffy felt the need to tell their sides of the story, which included meeting the two giants Dorry and Brogy, who were residing in Little Garden to duel every day for the right to sail back to their homeland, Albaff. The Baroque Work's agents initially came to take down the straw hats but also set their sights on the giants when they realized it was a chance for a huge payoff with their bounty. So they were brought into the crossfire without realizing it.
Now it seemed to be too late as Dorry had been cut down. Luffy and Usopp were bursting when they explained that the two giants had been honorably dueling for over a hundred years and how upsetting it was that it had to end this way.
They seemed to hold a strong sense of a warrior's code. Sakura somewhat understood this sense of rivalry, which shouldn't be tainted by outside interference.
Dorry was able to survive the attack because Broggy's weapon had been worn down from a century of battle. Broggy was grinning ear to ear and embracing Dorry with glee.
"It's a miracle!"
Zoro smirked, "Miracle my ass, it's amazing that those weapons are even intact after 100 years,"
"The real miracle is that you're still able to walk after nearly cutting into your tendons!" Sakura snapped, clutching harshly at Zoro's right ankle, the blood spilling onto her hand.
"Ya!" Zoro's face soured with discomfort and pain, but Sakura didn't bat an eye. "I was trying to save our asses before it was turned into wax!"
"What were you going to do once you cut off your feet, hop on the stumps!?" Sakura applied some more pressure before starting treatment.
When Sakura poured her chakra into Zoro's wound he felt like a soothing breeze had poured into his injury and could feel it closing up and healing until the pain became nothing but a memory.
Luffy was looking on in awe, "Wow, I'm next! I wanna try!"
"This isn't a carnival ride Luffy!" exclaimed Nami.
Sakura rubbed her temples, 'These guys are more of a handful than my teammates,'
Usopp, Luffy, and Karoo had taken quite a bit of damage from Mr.5, but Sakura was able to heal all degrees of burns they suffered from the explosions. The boys looked on like they were watching a magic show when she fixed them up.
"Hey, Sakura what else can you heal? If I get stabbed-
"Don't even think about it!" Somehow she was already worried he might make a game and try to hurt himself deliberately just to see her heal him.
Dorry's words of gratitude were still ringing in Sakura's ears as she watched the two giants start hitting each other again. She sighed, feeling at her wits' end. These giants were like children, always bickering and fighting.
"Enough!" she yelled, smacking both giants on the head with her hand. Broggy and Dorry went down, face-planting onto the ground.
Luffy's eyes lit up with excitement. "Wow, Sakura's really strong!" he exclaimed, hopping around her like a rabbit. Sakura couldn't help but smile at the young pirate's enthusiasm.
But Zoro was looking at her with suspicion, and Sakura felt a pang of unease. She knew that he didn't trust her the way the others did, and she couldn't help but wonder if that was ever going to change. She had come from a different world, after all, and she wasn't sure how the crew would react if they found out the truth.
'Maybe he just doesn't like me,' Sakura thought, feeling a sense of disappointment. The crew's dynamics brought her a sense of belonging and peace from her disruptive thoughts, and she didn't want to lose that. But she knew that gaining Zoro's trust would be a challenge.
"Arm wrestle, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura!" Luffy begged, still hopping around her.
"No!" Sakura replied firmly. "Sit still, there's been enough excitement for one day."
"But I wanna see how strong you are," Luffy whined.
"You still want to see it after that?" Nami interjected. "And I thought your ability was healing?"
Sakura knew this was coming. She took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. "It is," she said finally. "Well, actually, my strength is derived from that ability. It's hard to explain."
She didn't know how to go about explaining chakra to everyone in this world. She already trusted her friends here, but these were otherworldly secrets, and she wasn't sure what kind of reaction she might receive.
"So," Zoro stood in front of Sakura, he grabbed her arm and started pressing his fingers into them. "Where the hell does all that strength come from exactly? You look like a damn rag doll, and your arms feel soft as jelly,"
Well, that dispelled her disheartened feeling as she slugged the green-haired swordsman, stomping away with her cheeks puffed in anger.
"Who's a rag doll?"
The atmosphere calmed, but the situation was far from resolved. While they managed to win their battle against Borque Works and escape the agent's trap, they were still stuck on the island. The giants revealed that it would take a year for the Log pose to reset.
Surviving on the island full of dinosaurs wasn't as big an issue as the fact they would be too late to save Vivi's country if they chose to do that. On the other hand, they couldn't sail blindly through the Grand Line, because that would also likely spell death.
Nami, Vivi, and the rest of the crew were gathered together when they heard Sanji's voice in the distance. He rushed towards them, a look of relief on his face.
With his eyes locking onto Sakura's he exclaimed. "Thank goodness, Sakura-chan. I was so worried when you ran off like that on your own! I thought one of those overgrown lizards might've dared to attack you!"
Zoro scoffed, "This gorilla?" The comment earned him a heavy hit from Sanji. Sakura watched on, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Sanji, where were you?" Sakura asked, breaking the tension.
"Oh, I just finished talking to that Mr. 0 guy over a transponder snail," he responded casually.
"HUH?" Nami and Vivi exclaimed in unison, their faces contorted in confusion. Sakura's eyes widened as she tried to piece together what Sanji had just said.
When Sanji chased after Sakura, he also found a makeshift hideout created by Mr. 3, he also discovered a transponder snail. It was explained that's how communication worked in this world, similar to cellphones or radios. Sanji had picked up a call and it was the leader of Baroque Works calling in, he thought Sanji was Mr. 3.
"Since he thought I was Mr. 3 I went ahead and told him I eliminated everyone."
"Sanji you're a genius!" Sakura compliemented. They wouldn't have agents chasing after them if they thought the group was already dead. Now the only issue that remained was leaving the island. Which was a damper on the parade, as Usopp pointed out that it would take at least a year for the Log Pose to reset before they could go anywhere.
They had to option to set sail without any direction but on the Grand Line, that was suicide.
"So we're finally free of people chasing us but we can't go anywhere!?" Usopp cried out in furstration. After all that effort, it was for nothing.
"Can't go? Do we still have business on this island?" Sanji asked, before reaching into his back pocket. "Just after I managed to get hold of this too,"
He held up a log pose, but it was an eternal log pose, one to Alabasta that he managed to fight for and take from that otter and vulture that had taken the recordings of their faces before. Everyone's jaws just dropped.
"We can set sail now!" Luffy exclaimed jumping.
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"I'm the winner!"
"No, you're not! My lizards way beefier!"
"It's the length that counts!"
It was hard enough to get everyone to board the ship in an orderly fashion, but the only thing that got Zoro and Sanji racing back quickly was that they were ready to settle the hunting contest they started.
They had both caught fairly large dinosaurs that could easily sink the Going Merry if they tried. Of course, now those were nothing but chunks of flesh the crew was meant to eat.
Sakura swayed when she stepped on deck, her vision blurring momentarily. 'Why do I feel so off?'
Was she perhaps getting drowsy after today's excitement? That wouldn't be far-fetched.
"What do you say, Sakura Chan, I'm the winner right?"
Very absent-minded at the moment, and only registering her name, Sakura gave an indifferent, "Yeah sure,"
"What the hell do you mean sure!?" Zoro protested, "His catch is way smaller than mine! Get down here and check!"
Sakura groaned, "What does it matter? We can't even fit them on the ship!"
"Come here!"
"No!"
"Hey, I swear-
"Just cut up what we can fit on the ship and let's get going!" Nami ordered causing the two men to scatter from the top of their kills in fear for their navigator's temper.
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Sakura stood at the edge of the ship, her eyes fixed on the horizon as she braced herself against the mast. With each rise and fall of the waves, she repeated two deep inhales and one long exhale to steady herself. The swaying of the ship was more pronounced than before, and Sakura couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that settled in her gut.
According to the giant's instructions, they were supposed to head towards the western end of the island, leading them back out to sea. As they reached the clearing, Broggy and Dorry were waiting for them. Or so they thought.
"Ahead is a great obstacle," Broggy warned, with Dorry chiming in. "That prevents people who come to this island from reaching the next."
"No matter what, keep going straight ahead!"
Some of them wanted to stop and question this because it gave a sense that something was off. But Luffy who had great respect for the giant's integrity and strength was willing to trust them without question.
The group wanted to question their sudden warning, but Luffy had great respect for the giants' integrity and strength and was willing to trust them without question. The Going Merry crossed the threshold back into the ocean, and the giants drew their weapons, causing Sakura to feel even more uneasy.
As the waves beneath them shifted unnaturally, Sakura's gut feeling was proven correct. A shadow could be seen looming underneath the blanket of water until it burst through in a speckle of white and red - a giant goldfish.
Sakura's jaw, along with the rest of the crew, dropped in disbelief. Turning back, she saw Brogy and Dorry with their weapons raised high, facing the goldfish. They spoke of it with familiarity, calling it Island Eater, which was an appropriate title given its size and potential threat.
"I am not getting eaten again!" Sakura exclaimed, memories of their encounter with the whale Laboon flooding back to her.
Nami called out to Usopp, who was upstairs at the rudder. "Turn the rudder, Usopp!"
Trembling in a cold sweat, Usopp replied, "I can't! S-straight ahead, right Luffy?"
Luffy nodded. "Of course!"
"Are you nuts!?" Nami watched as the monster opened its mouth. Many protests came from Sanji and Vivi, but it was already too late. They were engulfed in darkness, the light becoming lost as the creature's mouth closed with the ship.
"Just keep going straight!" Luffy remained adamant.
"Hope you realize where we are coming out of this thing if nothing happens here!"
Then a phenomenon. A heavy force no one could predict came up from behind the ship and pushed them through the goldfish. Literally. The force was so great it split the fish apart with enough kinetic energy to take the Going Merry to the air as they saw the light of day again.
'Was that the giants?' Sakura glanced back and they were both leaning over, with their weapons as if they had just landed a heavy blow. It was so powerful that even the ocean had parted.
Sakura just had to heave a sigh in disbelief as Little Garden became a pebble in the distance.
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"I want to go to Elbaf!" Usopp cheered, dancing around with Luffy. It was exhausting for Sakura just to watch. The ship had been sailing for hours, with the salty smell of the ocean permeating every corner of it. Sakura had been feeling queasy ever since they returned to the ship, even the sea's scent wasn't soothing.
As she scanned the horizon, Sakura noticed that the sun was beating down on her relentlessly, making her skin sticky with sweat. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, hoping to cool down a bit, but the heat was still overwhelming. "It's a little hot," she muttered under her breath, wishing for a cool breeze to soothe her troubled mind and body.
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Zoro's muscles ached as he swung the heavyweights, his mind focused on the motion and the sound of the metal sweeping through the air. He was lost in the rhythm of the exercise, his thoughts drifting back to Little Garden and the newfound frustration that accompanied the memory.
He recalled the feeling of the hot wax surrounding him, trapping him like a bug in amber. He had tried to cut his way out, but his swords were useless against the wax.
But then Sakura had come to his rescue. Zoro watched as she unleashed her power, creating a fierce force that shattered the wax and set him free. It was a display of strength that left him in awe.
Zoro gritted his teeth as he swung the weights again. He was determined not to be caught off guard like that again. He had to become stronger, to push himself to his limits and beyond. He couldn't let his weakness be exposed again.
As he continued his workout, he could feel the sweat cooling against the sea breeze. The salty air filled his nostrils, invigorating him with its briny scent. He welcomed the sensation.
"10048, 10049, 10050..." he counted, his mind focused on the task at hand. He had to become stronger, hone his skills and become a true master of the sword.
They had assumed she couldn't fight and Zoro hadn't sensed a warrior spirit in her, but that had proven to be misleading instincts because she was far stronger than any of them imagined.
He thought about the way she swooped in, she had a grace to her movements then, with her tiny body producing so much power. It sent shivers through him.
Kuneda would've been happy to learn someone like her existed. She was a better swordsman than Zoro in his childhood, yet she believed that she was incapable of becoming the world's greatest swordsman even though it was her dream, her goal in life. She believed that once she was older, her biology would fail her in her path as a warrior. If only she could see the doll-like girl kicking ass the way she had.
Zoro hesitated in his next swing as a thought occurred: 'She didn't explain her power.'
It seemed she had a lot of endurance and discipline as well, as she didn't boast her ability needlessly. 'She's pretty amazing,'
He shook his head at the thought. He had to stop thinking about her now and focus on his training.
"WAH!" A heavy thunk brought him back, he glanced from the upper deck to see Luffy clutching his hand and some splintered parts of what was once a barrel with Sakura crouching on one side with Luffy. While the others were just standing around spectating.
"Sakura, you're really strong,"
"Thanks,"
"You have like monster strength,"
"Hey…."
Luffy wasn't weak and his devil fruit powers only made him a better fighter with a good defense against physical attacks like blunt heavy hits. But to be bested in strength meant that she was ahead of them in that category, including Zoro.
"Let's go again!"
Sakura was up and walking away already, "No, Luffy, I'm done,"
"Just one more time!"
"You said that twice already!"
"One more!"
"No!"
"More!" He started chasing her around the deck with Sanji screaming at him to leave her alone, along with Nami.
Luffy had wrapped his arms around her like a snake's coil and they were arguing louder, while Sanji attempted to untangle them.
'Amazing….what am I thinking?'