a drifting island

"From childhood I had never believed in permanence, and yet I had longed for it."
—Graham Greene, The Quiet American

ꕀ

"THAT'S STRANGE."

A beat, then: "This can't be right!"

Vivi glanced up at Nami from where she leaned against the railing. "What is it?"

"The log pose just suddenly changed directions, but according to my map, there shouldn't be anything this close!" Nami held up her wrist, brandishing the log pose for the princess to see, and she gasped. "See? Now it's moving! It must be broken."

It had barely been a full day since leaving Drum Island, and the Straw Hat Pirates were on a direct course for Alabasta, and, as far as they were concerned, it was a time-sensitive mission.

Vivi frowned, studying the needle. True to the navigator's word, it moved steadily to the side, just slightly away from the direction of the Alabasta eternal log pose. "I don't think it is," she said eventually. "Broken, I mean. I've only ever heard stories, but..."

"But what?" Usopp asked, taking a break from trying to fish. Chopper and Karoo followed close behind, intrigued. Even Zoro, who sat against the mast to nap, opened his eyes to look at the princess.

Flushing from all the sudden attention, Vivi cleared her throat. "There are stories about an island called Dagatao," she began. "It used to belong to a larger island formed from volcanoes. According to legends, Dagatao broke off, and it's been drifting ever since. Of course—" she shifted awkwardly, "—it's just a story. I don't know if it's really—"

"I SEE LAND!" Luffy cheered from his seat on the figurehead. He stretched his arms back, latching onto the mast and flipping himself onto the deck, chanting, "Nami! Land! Nami! Land!" When he was on his feet, he paused, looking again. "It looks kinda weird," he added, squinting.

"What do you mean, weird?" Nami asked. She followed where Luffy was pointing, and she could see a small island in the distance. "Is it... moving?!"

The island seemed to drift slowly, shifting with the tides. It bobbed up and down, not unlike their ship.

"I-It must be Dagatao!" Vivi gasped. "The legends were true!"

"Let's go already!" Luffy called, losing what little patience he had.

Nami hummed. "We are running low on supplies," she admitted, "and we won't reach Alabasta for a long time."

Zoro stood, stretching his arms over his head with a grunt. "We'll be fine until then. It'll just waste time."

"Let's take a vote, then," Nami proposed. When Zoro didn't put up a fight, she turned to their captain. "Luffy?"

"Let's go already!" He said, pouting. "What's the big deal?"

"I would also like to see the island," Vivi admitted. "They're supposedly very welcoming to all sorts, even pirates!"

"Pirates?" Usopp asked, crossing his arms solemnly. "Sounds too risky."

"YOU'RE A PIRATE!" Nami yelled. Composing herself, she turned to the newest crew member. "What do you think, Chopper?"

Chopper immediately flushed. "Oh, um—" he looked at Luffy's eager grin as he practically vibrated in his spot. Then he saw Usopp and Zoro, who both shook their heads, and he mimicked them, his eyes scrunched shut.

Nami sighed. "It's a tie, then." She turned towards the kitchen, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Sanji! Come here!"

The cook burst out of the kitchen like a tornado, spinning until he reached the group. "Yes, Nami?" He asked with hearts in his eyes and his hands clasped.

She pointed over her shoulder, where Dagatao was visible in the distance. "Do you want to stop on that island? You're our tie-breaker."

Sanji frowned, considering it. "I'd like to get more food before we reach Alabasta," he relented, giving Luffy a side glance. Shifting, he grabbed Nami's hand and dropped to one knee. "But I'll do whatever you say, Nami! I'm on your side!"

"Great!" Nami grinned. "Looks like we're stopping at Dagatao!"

They steered the ship towards the island, following it as it drifted slowly in the sea. When they finally drew close to land, Zoro frowned. 

"Where are the docks?"

Nami narrowed her eyes. "If it's a moving island," she said eventually, "then it probably can't support a real dock." She pointed at the edge of the island, where several mooring posts were visible, a few boats bobbing next to them. "It looks like we secure the ship to those."

In the background, Sanji swooned. "Ah, Nami's so beautiful when she's smart!"

They maneuvered Merry towards the mooring post farthest to the right, tying her securely. Further down, a young girl sat along the edge of the shore, her bare feet dangling in the water. The post beside her had a rope tied to it, but instead of leading to a boat, it just went straight into the ocean. She kept her attention on the rope and a small pocket watch in her hand, only looking away when she could hear the pirates.

She looked at their proudly painted jolly roger, then to Luffy, who had already jumped off the ship and onto the shore. "Are you a pirate?" She asked, her voice soft.

"Yup!" Luffy grinned. "I'm gonna be king of the pirates!"

"Whoa," the girl marveled, but she cut herself off, her attention jerking back to the timer.

Luffy eyed the rope. It shifted, growing tauter as whatever was attached to it moved. "Hey, what's on the other side of this?" He asked, grabbing the section above the water and pulling. 

"Ah!" The girl exclaimed, shaking her hands and head in tandem. "No, wait—!"

But she was too late; Luffy jerked the rope clean out of the water, revealing a person tied to the other end. They rocketed into the air before falling onto the sandy shore, gasping for breath and rubbing their torso where the rope left a red mark. One hand held a long, metal spear with a barbed prong, fish shoved down it, and the other had a small bound notebook and pencil. A bulging drawstring bag was secured to her hip. The young woman sat up, shaking the sand from her wet hair. She wore long, tight shorts and a tank top clearly meant for swimming, and her short, chin-length hair was pulled into a half-bun. Intricate geometric tattoos that started on the back of her hands and traveled up her arms before stopping at her collarbones were on clear display.

"What the hell, Diwa?" She snapped. "It's only been six minutes!"

Diwa frowned, hunching her shoulders. "It wasn't me! It was him!" She pointed at Luffy, who just stared at the two with mild interest. 

The girl rounded on him. "What is wrong with you?!" She pointed her spear threateningly.

Luffy didn't answer; his attention focused instead on the fish she had. Just as he began to reach for it, he received a sharp blow to the head. 

"What did you do to this lady, Luffy?!" Sanji demanded, grabbing him by the vest. Not far behind, the rest of the crew winced at the potential trouble their captain had already caused.

"Owww!" Luffy whined. "All I did was pull her out of the water!"

Nami shoved the two aside, grinning. "So our captain saved your life!" She cheered, staring down at the short girl, still tied to the pole. "So that means you owe us! I'll—I mean we'll take payment in—"

"I wasn't drowning," the girl interrupted, brandishing her spear, the fish on it wobbling. Setting the bag down, she untied the rope around her waist. "I was fishing." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the straw-hatted pirate flag, easily connecting it to the straw-hatted boy who pulled her from the water. "Listen, Dagatao might welcome pirates, but if you're gonna disturb the peace, you're gonna have to leave." She turned to the other girl, tugging the fish off her spear and handing the girl her drawstring bag. "Diwa, let's go get these to Bayani. Might as well get them sold now."

ꕀ

For Dimayuga Tala, the day had started well enough. According to villagers better-versed in map reading than she was, Dagatao was soon set to drift over more shallow waters. Those were the times when she could catch oysters easily, and the thought made her mouth water. Not only did she get to see the gorgeous reefs and the wildlife living there, but her older brother's adobong talaba was to die for and always sold well. Plus, they often had the pearls Diwa loved to use for her jewelry.

She managed to grab enough oysters for several servings of talaba, but they would be gone in a blink once it was the daily lunch rush. At least she managed to grab a few fish before getting pulled from the water. 

Speaking of...

"Why are you guys following us?!" She yelled, stopping and whirling around to see not just the straw-hatted boy, but his whole crew behind them. They had already made half of the walk home, and she had been unable to shake the rag-tag pirate crew the whole time, not for lack of trying.

Diwa squeaked, seeming just to notice them, and she hid behind Tala's leg, gripping her wet diving clothes with her tiny hand. 

"You have meat," said the boy, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. 

Tala stepped toward him but stopped short. Dull pain shot up her knee, and she stumbled, grimacing. "Shit!"

"Tala!" Diwa cried, grabbing her free arm to keep her upright. "Are you okay?"

"It's the cramps," Tala grunted, putting a hand on her knee. "I surfaced too soon." She glared at the straw-hatted boy, who tilted his head to the side.

"Cramps?"

With another grunt, she nodded, standing up straight and leaning on her spear for support. "When you're diving, if you surface too quickly, the pressure can screw with your joints. Any diver worth their salt knows how to avoid it. I think most doctors call it—"

"Decompression sickness," a small creature with a blue nose and antlers spoke up, ducking out from his spot hidden behind the green-haired man. 

"Ah," Tala agreed, tipping her head to the side, eyebrows raised. "You know of it, then?"

"I'm a doctor," he said, his eyes gleaming with a quiet sort of pride. "I've never actually had a patient with decompression sickness before, though," he added as an afterthought. "Would you mind if I take a look?"

She shrugged. "Sure. After we get these to my brother." Tala made to turn back around, waving the fish at them, but a large bird landed her head, squawking loudly. It had mottled brown and white feathers that looked particularly ruffled (as if a bird could have a bedhead). She stumbled slightly under its weight, scowling.

"Ow! Abal, what are you doing?"

"She says you're back too early," the doctor translated. "They wanted to surprise you."

Tala furrowed her eyebrows, an amused grin working its way on her face. "You can understand animals, too? You're full of surprises, Mr. Doctor."

As the small creature preened under her praise, the osprey squawked again, digging her feet into her perch's hair impatiently.

"Right, sorry," she apologized. "Where's Bayani, then?"

"Over here!" A deeper voice called, and everyone turned toward a cluster of palm trees, where a tall, long-haired man limped out, an easygoing grin on his face. "You're back early," he remarked. "And you brought friends!"

Tala straightened, shoving herself under his tattooed shoulder to help steady him. "They're not my friends," she replied harshly, "and you forgot your cane!"

Abal cawed, flying away from Tala's head before placing herself on top of the older man's other shoulder. Once settled, she dug her beak into her wings, grooming them calmly.

The man flapped an untroubled hand. "Technicalities," he dismissed, turning his attention to the pirates, who watched on silently. "I'm Bayani! Hope Tala isn't giving you too much trouble!"

"Eh," the straw-hatted pirate shrugged carelessly. "I'd win if she tried to start a fight."

Tala bristled, the only thing keeping her from lunging being her position as Bayani's support. "Why, you-!"

Bayani laughed, a low, boisterous thing that seemed to bubble up from the bottom of his stomach. "I like you," he declared. "What's your name?"

"Monkey D. Luffy!" He said, meeting the older man's grin in kind. "I'm gonna be king of the pirates!"

The orange-haired woman immediately smacked the back of his head. "Idiot! You can't go around telling that to everyone!"

Luffy frowned. "But I thought this place was nice to pirates!"

"Don't worry; we are," Bayani assured them. "Most of our trading is with pirates passing by, in fact—" He glanced at the bag in Diwa's arms, adding, "Did you get any oysters? Batari said we'd be going over shallow waters soon."

Tala shifted, trying to hide a proud grin as she puffed her chest. "Yeah. Got enough to last a day or two." Pausing, she eyed him, craning her neck with narrowed eyes. "Hey, wait, what are you doing out here, again?"

Turning, Bayani motioned with his free arm for the others to follow him as he began walking toward a small cluster of buildings in the distance. "I decided to close shop early today," he admitted eventually. "Thought we could enjoy some food and just relax before the festival later, y' know? You guys are welcome, too," he added, sparing the pirates a smile over his shoulder.

The blond pirate joined them, his eyes bright. "You cook?" 

"Some," the older male said, grinning wryly. "Nowhere near as well as our father, but I'm pretty decent."

From under his shoulder, Tala scoffed. "Decent? Oi, you ever had adobong talaba before?"

The man nodded. "Once or twice."

"Well, after you try Bayani's, you won't wanna try anyone else's. He makes the best in all of Dagatao," she replied, standing as straight as she could, grinning.

Bayani flushed, chuckling as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know about that, but I can lend you the recipe later," he offered.

Nodding again, the man paused before doing a double-take. "Ah, I can't believe I let a beautiful lady carry him like this! Here, allow me." He ducked under Bayani's other arm, and even if Tala wanted to protest, her brother didn't have to lean down for support under the blond man.

"Oh, uh, thanks," she replied, furrowing her eyebrows. She glanced at Abal, who was still resting on Bayani's shoulder. The osprey raised her wings once as if to shrug before returning to preening.

Shrugging herself, Tala continued walking. "Our house isn't very far from the shore." She motioned with her free hand to a small wooden house with a thatched roof just beyond the palm trees. "I'm Tala, by the way." She ducked her head back to where Diwa trailed behind them, whispering to the orange-haired woman. "That's Diwa over there. She's a little shy."

"It's lovely to meet you," The man crooned, and Tala was almost certain he would have bowed if he weren't holding up her brother. "I'm—"

"Oi, fish girl!" The straw-hatted boy caught up with them, his whole face contorted into a pout.

Tala rolled her eyes. "What?" She asked.

His frown only stretched further, like a cartoon character. "Gimme," he said, reaching for the fish she held. She lifted the butt of the spear to his forehead to push him back, and he turned his attention to the blond. "Sanjiiii," he whined. "Cook some food! I'm hungry."

The blond, Sanji, glared at him, but as he opened his mouth, Bayani waved a hand. "Don't worry," he said, smiling widely. "I'll cook enough food for all of us."

Sanji grimaced. "You might regret saying that," he grumbled. "Luffy eats enough for at least ten grown men."

Luffy ignored the jibe, turning his attention to Bayani. "You can cook?" His eyes shone eagerly.

"Yup," he affirmed, a tattooed arm reaching out to swipe his long, dark hair behind his ear. "My legs might be shit, but I know my way around a kitchen."

The doctor creature perked up, moving closer until he trailed next to Luffy. "Ah, I meant to ask, what happened?" He paused, flushing. "I mean, if that's okay to ask!"

"You're fine, Mister Doctor," Tala answered for him, once again shoving Luffy's face back. "He's got the cramps, too. Just worse. If you wanted your patient, he's your guy."

The tiny creature turned his head, looking at Bayani with wide eyes.

He nodded. "She's right." They reached the house, and he continued as Tala tugged the door open, "usually, the cramps don't last long and you can recover quickly, but other times..." He motioned to his legs, grimacing as he stumbled past the doorframe. "Other times, you're not so lucky."

Luffy had stopped paying attention, just waiting for the chatter to die down before yelling, "You! Join my crew!" While brandishing a finger at Bayani.

Tala bristled, but Bayani just laughed again, his shaking shoulders jostling Abal, who squawked indignantly.

"Sorry," he told the shorter boy once he had calmed down, "but my days of doing much other than cooking are over. I certainly couldn't hold my own in a fight."

Luffy frowned but eventually let it go, settling at what he assumed was their dining table. "I'm hungry!"

Smiling, Bayani grabbed a thick wooden cane that sat propped against the wall before limping to the far side of the home, where the kitchen was in plain sight. Sanji trailed behind them, and so did Luffy. Wherever Sanji went, there was sure to be food.

"Here," the short, angry girl said, rolling her eyes as she held out a plate filled with round pastries. "Take these; they should tide you over until he's done. They're called bibingka."

Without hesitation, Luffy took the plate and began to eat the pastries whole, all but inhaling them. They tasted delicious, and he hummed as he ate. "Are you sure you can't join my crew?" He asked the guy with the bird through a bite of the pastry.

"He told you already," the angry girl snapped, glaring at him. "Bayani can't join your crew, Mr. Future Pirate King."

"It's okay, Tala," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder and pulling her into the kitchen. "How about you help me cook? Take your mind off it."

Huffing, Tala shot Luffy one final glare before allowing Bayani to lead her toward the kitchen, adjusting her grip on the bag in her hands. It was that motion that reminded Luffy of how they met in the first place, and he trailed after them, now on a new mission.

"You can swim?" He asked, watching as she stuffed the fish into a container and put them in a fridge, resting her spear against the counter.

"I can," Tala nodded, some of the tension leaving her shoulders, and she puffed her chest out slightly. "I'm the best freediver you'll find on Dagatao. Can hold my breath for almost fifteen minutes."

Grinning, Luffy inhaled, but before he could say anything, another bibingka was shoved into his mouth. Coughing, he scowled at Nami as he swallowed the rice cake anyway. "What was that for?" he grumbled.

Nami grimaced. "Stop talking with your mouth full," she chided, voice hushed. "And you were going to ask her to join the crew, weren't you?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, if you ask her now, she'll definitely say no," Nami retorted, rolling her eyes. "Personally, I'd love to have more girls on the crew, so I don't want you to mess this up."

Luffy frowned before shrugging, turning his attention back to the smell of food as Bayani and Sanji prepared to cook and Tala sorted the oysters from her drawstring bag. Curious, Nami tilted her head, peering over her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

Tala held up an oyster, prying it open. "There are certain types of oysters we use for pearls instead of eating." She nodded toward Diwa, who was watching with wide, eager eyes. "Diwa helps me dive, so I give her those after. She's fantastic at making jewelry; the whole village loves her."

Almost instantly, any irritation vanished from Nami's face. "Jewelry? Why didn't you say so?" She turned to Diwa, kneeling to be on her level. "How much would you say it goes for?"

Diwa blinked, tearing her eyes away from the oysters plunking onto the table. She grinned proudly, raising her chin. "Lots! The necklaces are most popular, though." She dug through a small pouch tied to her waist, producing a small pearl necklace decorated with a single seashell pendant.

Nami squealed, putting an arm around Diwa's shoulder and steering her back outside. "Why don't we talk more about this..." She paused as they reached the door, glancing back and pointing at Usopp. "Make sure Luffy behaves would you?"

Usopp winced as the door fell shut, eyeing Luffy disdainfully. At that point, the captain was still shoving food in his mouth, his cheeks stuffed comically full. Clearing his throat, he sat at the table awkwardly, glancing around the cozy home.

"So, where is everyone?" Vivi asked eventually. "You all are the only ones we've seen since we've gotten here."

Bayani hummed from over by the stove, with Sanji hovering to watch and Tala hovering just to hover. "There's a festival tonight, for good luck before we travel over shallow waters."

"It's rare, but Dagatao's been beached before," Tala added, sparing a glance at the pirates. "Takes about the whole village to push it back to shore."

"Would it really be that bad, though?" Usopp asked, tilting his head. "I mean, a floating island seems kind of stressful. Nothing I, the great Usopp, couldn't handle, but still. A normal island would make things a lot easier."

Tala shrugged. "It's not about easy or hard. It's about being one with the ocean. I've seen so much, been to so many places—we'd never wanna give up that freedom for an island that just sits there." She offered a brazen grin. "Plus, diving would get boring if it was always the same place over and over again, and I've got a reputation to keep."

Luffy, who had been looking increasingly excited the whole exchange, eagerly pointed a finger at Tala. "Join my crew!"

Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and Vivi facepalmed while Chopper just watched on curiously.

Tala glared at him before snorting and shaking her head. "You're a crazy guy, y'know that? Anyway, I'm not going anywhere. Like I said, I've got a reputation to uphold. I'm Dagatao's best freediver."

"That's debatable," a nasally voice called from the door. Leaning against the open doorframe was a young woman with her long dark hair pulled into a low braid. She wore a low-cut tank top that showed off the complex tattoos spanning the length of her arm and her collarbones.

As Sanji made various swooning noises, Tala crossed her arms with an arched eyebrow. "It's really not," she disagreed. "The village doesn't exactly go to you with diving jobs do they, Marilag?" She shook her head faux-sympathetically. "Oh, no, that's right, they all go to me." Her finishing grin was almost predatory.

I'd hate to be on the other end of that, Usopp thought, watching the exchange with wide eyes.

Marilag scoffed, entering the home and settling at the table, where Luffy was still finishing off the plate of rice cakes. "Yeah, but you'd be better if you'd catch more instead of just swimming for fun."

Tala bristled at that, turning fully to face her. "I would never catch more than I need," she said lowly. "Everything that comes from the ocean is a gift, and I would never set foot in the water again if I even thought of taking it for granted."

"Whatever," Marilag said, rolling her eyes before turning her attention to Luffy. "I could join your crew," she offered, rolling her shoulders back with a grin. "Tala's just bitter about it, but I'm just as good as she is. Plus, I know that more is better."

Luffy grunted, not even looking up from the plate as he began to lick the crumbs off. "Nah. I want Tala. She's cool."

Though she tried to hide it, Usopp definitely caught sight of Tala's reddening cheeks. Huh.

ꕀ

The center of the town was much busier than the shoreline or Tala and Bayani's house, and Nami looked around with glee.

"Everything's so colorful!" She said with a grand sweeping gesture that made the two new pearl bracelets on her hand clink together.

Zoro gave her a distasteful look. "Stealing from kids now? I know you're a witch and all, but this's a new low."

She scoffed, smacking the back of his head. "I didn't steal these, idiot!" She held up her wrist again, wiggling it back and forth so they jingled again. "Diwa gave them to me herself. Isn't that right?"

Diwa grinned. "Uh-huh! Nami's super cool! Plus, since you guys are traveling so far, it'll be good to get my name out there."

Nami returned her grin, a hand over her heart. A true businesswoman in the making. She reminds me of me.

Zoro glanced between the two warily before deciding it wasn't his business.

Up ahead, Bayani and Tala led the group, the latter flanked by Luffy and Marilag, who were both noisily debating who should join the crew.

"I'm just saying," said Marilag, "if she doesn't even wanna join, you should take me. I'd be much better."

Luffy shot her a petulant scowl. "I don't care. I want Tala."

Nami watched the girl in question dip her head down, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And that's great and all, but I've got stuff going on here. I can't join your crew, Mr. Future Pirate King."

Sanji, who had been eagerly trailing behind the two new women, sighed. "I understand, Tala, but unfortunately, Luffy isn't great at taking no for an answer."

"Yeah," Usopp snorted. "We all said no at first. But he's persistent."

Tala glanced back at Nami with a raised eyebrow, who nodded begrudgingly. "It's one of his many... interesting qualities."

She furrowed her eyebrows, head swiveling back to look at Luffy, who was attempting to talk to Abal as she rested on Bayani's shoulder.

"Huh. We'll see about that."

"Tala! Bayani!" An older woman called, her graying hair pulled into a low bun and tattoos spanning her neck to the backs of her hands. "It's good to see you two. Marilag," she greeted as almost an afterthought.

"Amihan," Bayani greeted as the group trailed to a stop. "Everything looks great."

"Grandmother," Marilag greeted.

Amihan spared her granddaughter a grunt, her attention still focused on Tala, eyeing her still-damp hair and clothes with a wry grin. "Get some last-minute diving in?"

Tala flushed, rubbing the back of her neck. "We were near a coral reef—I couldn't resist. Got some oysters and flounder, and I got a bunch of great notes." She held up the bound notebook she had been pulled from the ocean with, shaking it back and forth.

"Ah, that's wonderful! I'm so proud of you, Tala."

Marilag eyed the two venomously from the sidelines.

"Notes?" Vivi asked quietly, tilting her head to the side.

"Tala loves the ocean," Bayani told the group, watching his sister and Amihan converse excitedly. "She wants to be a marine biologist."

Luffy wrinkled his nose. "Marine? She wants to join the Navy?"

"Not that kind of 'marine,' you idiot," Nami snapped, rolling her eyes. "She wants to study the plants and animals that live in the ocean."

Bayani nodded in ascent. "She dreams of creating a book of every living creature under the sea."

"And who's the old lady?" Zoro asked, watching Marilag try to interject in their conversation, her grandmother waving her off.

"Amihan is one of our elders," Bayani explained. "She makes most of the final decisions around here, and she's also one of the best tattoo artists of the island—" he motioned to his own tattoos. "But before that, she was the best freediver around. Tala really looks up to her, especially after our parents passed."

"Ah, Tala!" Amihan called, raising her voice as she noticed the group behind them. "You've brought guests for the festival!"

Tala blinked, "Ah, yes, uh—"

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Nami interjected, taking pity on her. "We're the Straw Hat pirates. We didn't mean to intrude—"

Amihan waved a hand. "Oh, nonsense! We love having guests, especially during times like these. The more the merrier!" She made a grand sweeping motion, leading the group toward the large gathering of villagers closer to the center. "Come, we're starting now."

They followed her and joined the throng as Amihan made her way to the front, standing before a wide grand table with several chairs lining each side. "People of Dagatao and esteemed guests!" Her voice was loud, immediately commanding everyone's attention. "As we grow closer to sailing over shallow waters, we hold this festival for good luck and the hope that those above look upon us favorably. Dagatao has sailed this side of the Grand Line for nearly four centuries now, and we shall be blessed for centuries to come!"

The crowd cheered uproariously in agreement.

"Oh, I don't know about that," A voice called from a distance. Silence fell over the crowd as everyone looked to see a tall, gangly man in a thick overcoat flanked by others dressed very similarly. They all wore similar pit viper sunglasses and sharp clothes in various shades of reds and blacks.

Pirates, Nami thought with a groan. Very tacky pirates.

The man who spoke lounged on the main table, grinning. "This is a really nice place, though. It'd be a great spot for pirates."

Amihan, to her credit, barely faltered, facing the man with crossed arms. "Thank you, sir. We welcome everyone here at Dagatao, pirates included."

"Hm." He leaned forward, scrutinizing her. "We're the Spider Pirates; I'm Kasiga Tarantula. You in charge here?"

"I am."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Tarantula said, grin widening. "But I think there's just a bit too many people here. We don't like to share, y'see."

"What are you trying to say?" Amihan asked, her face cold steel.

Tarantula rose, shrugging off his thick coat to reveal three pairs of arms. Two hands reached out, grabbing Amihan's face and pulling her closer. "I'm saying we'll be taking this island for ourselves. Dagatao is renowned—no one'll expect it to be a pirate hideout."

The crowd broke out into panicked murmurs, and from the side, Nami heard Tala ground out, "You dare—"

Bayani caught her by the collar right before she lunged. "Don't, Tala."

"But they—!"

"Not. Now." Bayani's face was hard, his voice cold-a stark difference from his usual jovial nature. Nami shivered.

Unfortunately, there was no one to hold Marilag back, who ran forward. "Unhand my grandmother!" She demanded, pointing an accusing finger at Tarantula. "You fiend!"

Tarantula laughed boisterously. "Your grandmother? Ooh, how noble." Another two arms reached out, striking Marilag across the face and sending her flying. The arms holding Amihan shifted, lifting her up in the air. "Itsy, grab the granddaughter. We're gonna talk business."

He looked back at the crowd, still murmuring. "And the rest of you! We'll be merciful and give you five hours to get your shit and get outta here. After that—" he shrugged carelessly, "—I can't make any promises."

ꕀ

WC: 5.2k
Status: Edited

Hello hello! Welcome to the first chapter of Sink or Swim! I'm super excited for this story; One Piece is an integral part of my childhood, and I just have so much love for the characters and the story itself.

I know that I put "OC x ??" in the description, and that's partly because there might not be any pairings at all? Part of the reason that I love OP is because Oda chose to deliberately not focus on any romance (except for Usopp and Kaya, but that's fine they're cute), so unless there ends up being a dynamic that I really really love, there probably won't be any romance at all.