Cursed Seas and Slashing Tides

The morning sun filtered across the deck of the Going Merry, casting a warm glow over the crew lounging lazily. With no one chasing after them, the tension from the previous night had evaporated.

"How is he?" Nami broke the quiet, her gaze drifting to Vivi.

Vivi sighed in relief, her shoulders relaxing. "Not in a serious state. He got off easy, thankfully."

"That's good! Anyone who can throw such a great party must be a good guy!" Luffy chimed in, grinning as usual, his infectious energy cutting through the calm.

"Ah! How fortunate! I couldn't bear to see Vivi-chan so sad!" Sanji swooped in beside Vivi, his heart-shaped eyes as obvious as ever.

"Leave her alone. You're disgusting her." Zoro said with a smirk, leaning against the mast with his usual relaxed stance.

"Don't butt in, moss head!" Sanji shot back, the two quickly devolving into one of their million arguments.

"So, what are we gonna do now? We don't even know where Alabasta is." Usopp stated, breaking away from the argument to voice his concerns.

A new voice interrupted from the upper deck. "I can help with that."

Everyone's eyes snapped up, landing on a figure casually perched on the railing above. A woman in a cowboy hat, with an air of danger surrounding her.

"What are you doing here, Ms. All Sunday!?" Vivi's voice trembled with a mix of shock and anger.

The woman's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Is that how you greet the one who saved your bodyguard?"

"You were the one who hurt him in the first place! What do you want!?" Vivi demanded, her fists clenched.

Ms. All Sunday's lips curled into a mocking smile. "You seemed so earnest, I couldn't resist. A princess declaring war on Baroque Works to save her country...How pathetic." Her taunting words hung in the air.

"Don't underestimate us!!" Vivi shot back, fire burning in her eyes.

The crew immediately tensed, prepared to strike. Sanji and Usopp positioned themselves beside the woman, weapons at the ready.

"Don't point those at me. It's dangerous." She waved her hand lazily, and suddenly, both Sanji and Usopp dropped like stones from the upper deck to the floor below, shocking the others.

"Hey, she's beautiful!!" Sanji cried out from where he lay, hearts in his eyes despite the fall.

"Don't get too excited. I'm not here to fight." Ms. All Sunday's eyes scanned the deck curiously. "Hm? I'm not seeing our mutual acquaintance."

"Who are you talking about?" Nami's suspicion was evident.

"Why, Ryomen, of course. Isn't he the one who brought Mr. 8 back?" She asked, her smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Nami's eyes narrowed dangerously. Sensing Nami's tension, Ms. All Sunday's smirk widened. "I was hoping to meet him again. We had such a…deep exchange during our first meeting." Her words were loaded with amusement.

"Ryomen!!" Nami shouted, her voice laced with frustration.

Inside the ship, Ryomen groaned as he stirred from his restless sleep, rubbing his aching head. He heard his name being called from above deck.

"Ugh…my head's killing me." He mumbled, nearly losing his balance as the ship rocked gently underfoot. He clamped a hand over his mouth, trying not to hurl.

Dragging himself up to the deck, Ryomen squinted against the sunlight. "Did we reach an island or something?"

"When you left the ship, you said you met a guy." Nami growled, pointing accusingly at Ms. All Sunday. "So what is this!?"

Ryomen blinked groggily at the woman before him, slowly piecing the memory together. "No…I really thought she was a man." He muttered defensively.

His blunt response made Ms. All Sunday's teasing expression falter ever so slightly. But she regained her composure, dropping down to face him directly. "Really? Am I that unattractive to you?" She purred, leaning in.

The alcohol still swimming in Ryomen's system hit him like a brick wall, and before he could respond, he leaned over the side of the ship and threw up into the sea.

"How dare you!?" Sanji roared, his protective instincts kicking in.

"He really doesn't like her." Zoro muttered, amused.

Ms. All Sunday tried to keep her composure despite the insult. She turned her attention to Luffy, and with a flick of her wrist, his iconic straw hat flew into her hand.

"So, you're the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy." She said, examining the hat in her hand.

"Hey! Give me back my hat! Are you trying to pick a fight? You're our enemy! Now get lost!" Luffy barked, fists clenched.

"What rotten luck. Being hunted by Baroque Works simply for befriending a princess." She said while putting on the hat.

"But the worst luck of all, is where you log pose is sending you! If you're going toward Little Garden…well seems like we won't need to deal with you. You'll never reach Alabasta, or get to see Sir Crocodile's face."

Luffy's frustration bubbled over. "We'll show you! Now give me back my hat, you…dumbhead!"

Ryomen finally straightened up, wiping his mouth. "Lady, you heard my captain. Give the hat back."

"You're no fun." Ms. All Sunday pouted playfully, tossing the hat to Ryomen.

He caught it but immediately handed it to Luffy before staggering back and throwing up again.

"Again!?" Sanji raged, glaring daggers at him.

"I get that he doesn't like her, but this is ridiculous…" Usopp mumbled.

"I can't believe he's that disgusted just because she touched it." Nami said in astonishment.

Luffy happily plopped the hat back on his head. "My hat's fine! Great!"

Ms. All Sunday was visibly fuming now, her patience thin. She tossed an eternal log pose at Vivi. "It points to the island of nothing—one stop before Alabasta."

"Is she on our side now?" Nami asked, confused.

"It's probably a trap." Zoro said, his tone flat.

Before anyone could decide, Luffy reached out, grabbed the eternal log pose, and crushed it in his hand.

"Are you crazy!?" Nami shrieked, kicking him square in the back. "Maybe she was trying to help!"

"She doesn't decide where we go!" Luffy declared, his voice firm.

Ms. All Sunday sighed. "Too bad." She said, leaping onto a massive turtle beside the ship. "Let's go, Bunchi." With that, she sailed off into the distance, leaving the crew in stunned silence.

Ryomen turned to Vivi, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Who was she?"

"Crocodile's partner…Ms. All Sunday." Vivi replied, still shaken by the encounter.

She noticed Ryomen was about to vomit again. "Even her name?!"

"He really knows how to hate someone." Zoro remarked, chuckling.

"That's it!" Sanji finally lost his patience, charging toward Ryomen, but something unexpected happened.

Out of nowhere, disembodied arms appeared on Ryomen's back, slapping him repeatedly. His face quickly turned red and puffed up.

Luffy burst out laughing. "Hahaha! What happened to him?"

"Did he throw up so much his face went red!?" Usopp muttered, horrified.

Nami rushed over to Vivi. "Did you do that? Did he try anything on you?" She asked with concern.

Vivi shook her head quickly, flustered. "No, he didn't! I don't know what happened!"

"Alright, but if you ever want to hit him, I'll allow it." Nami said seriously.

"No, thank you." Vivi replied, her eyes wide with uncertainty. Staying on this ship was going to be quite the adventure.

Back on the giant turtle, the woman looked ready to kill any poor soul that dared to cross her path.

…

"Hey! I think it's gonna snow again!" Luffy exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with childlike excitement.

Vivi shook her head, her tone practical. "Unlikely. We were close to the Reverse Mountain, that's why it snowed before. But that doesn't mean we should let our guard down! The Grand Line is full of surprises."

Sanji suddenly appeared, balancing a tray with effortless grace. "Who wants to try a new special drink I made!?" His voice carried over the deck, cutting through the seriousness with a cheerful ring.

"Yeah!!" The crew shouted in unison, including Karoo, whose enthusiastic quack echoed their excitement.

Vivi let out a soft sigh, rubbing her temples in exasperation. "These guys…"

Nami, standing beside her, gave a small chuckle. "It's alright. They don't want to die either, you know. When it matters, they'll be serious." She shot Vivi a reassuring smile. "And being with people like this...doesn't it relax you?"

Vivi's shoulders softened, a smile tugging at her lips. "It does." She admitted, glancing over at the rowdy crew with fondness.

Just then, Ryomen approached the girls, holding out drinks. His expression was relaxed, though the usual seriousness in his eyes hadn't entirely left. "Here. I'm surprised Sanji didn't give you one already." He said with a playful smile.

"Thanks." They both responded, accepting the drinks.

Vivi hesitated for a moment, glancing up at Ryomen. Her eyes softened. "I didn't get the chance to say this before, but...thank you for bringing Igaram back. I'm glad to know you're just as kind as when we first met."

Ryomen blinked, momentarily stunned by her words. The memory flickered through his mind, something distant yet significant.

"Hm? You two met before?" Nami asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Hmhm. At a Reverie. We were both children then." Vivi clarified, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

"What's a Reverie?" Nami questioned, the term unfamiliar to her.

"It's a meeting that takes place every four years. All the rulers of the world's kingdoms attend it. It's held at Mary Geoise." Ryomen answered, his voice carrying a touch of bitterness at the mention of that place.

Nami trailed off, sensing the tension and not wanting to probe too deeply into old wounds. "So you two met when you were…"

"Yeah." Ryomen replied bitterly, cutting her off before she could finish. He turned his gaze back to Vivi, surprise evident in his tone. "I'm surprised you still remember me."

"How could I not? We may have spent little time together, but I consider you my friend." Vivi said with a warm smile, her sincerity catching him off guard.

Ryomen's face turned slightly red, and Nami, standing beside him, narrowed her eyes, sensing a shift in the air.

Before she could speak, the crew's sudden exclamations cut through the moment.

"A dolphin!!"

A massive shadow loomed over the ship as a colossal dolphin breached the surface, its gigantic form leaving them in awe.

"It's huge!!" The crew's voices rang out in shock, scrambling to get the ship out of its path.

…

The Going Merry finally reached the shores of Little Garden, and the crew found out quickly how misleading its name truly was.

"So it's a jungle…but everything's massive." Nami muttered, her eyes widening at the sheer scale of the island. She crossed her arms, already deciding her stance. "Alright, I think I'll stay here!"

Usopp, standing beside her, nodded rapidly in agreement. "Same here! No need to risk my life out there!"

Ignoring their reluctance, Luffy's excitement burst through. "Sanji! Prepare me a lunchbox!" He yelled, already preparing for an adventure.

"Alright, just hang on for a moment." Sanji replied, vanishing into the kitchen to fulfill Luffy's request.

Ryomen, meanwhile, turned to Vivi with a calm smile. "Vivi, do you want to explore the island with me?"

Nami, who had been listening nearby, glanced over quickly before turning away, her expression unreadable.

Vivi blinked, then smiled softly. "Sure. Might help clear my head."

Ryomen nodded, then looked towards Luffy. "Luffy, do you want—" He stopped mid-sentence, seeing Luffy already charging into the jungle with a backpack.

"Alright then." He muttered with a sigh, shaking his head.

"C'mon, Karoo!" Vivi called to her duck companion, but Karoo stood frozen, his eyes wide with fear.

Nami chimed in with a smirk. "Your trusty bodyguard looks too scared to even quack…"

Vivi, flustered by the situation, tried to hide her embarrassment. She hurriedly climbed onto Karoo's back, pulling Ryomen along with her as they ventured into the dense jungle.

"We'll be back soon!" Ryomen called out as they disappeared into the undergrowth.

…

The jungle loomed around them, the thick foliage casting shadows on the forest floor. After walking for a few minutes, they stumbled upon something unexpected.

Ryomen stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "What's with that giant bird?"

Vivi gasped, recognizing the creature before them. "It's not a bird! It's a dinosaur!"

"A dinosaur?" Ryomen repeated, the term unfamiliar to him.

Before Vivi could explain further, the pterodactyl screeched, its eyes locking onto them with dangerous intent.

"Dammit! We need to go!" Vivi's voice was filled with urgency. She turned to climb back onto Karoo but found the duck missing. "Karoo!? He must've been frightened!" She exclaimed, her voice laced with worry.

She turned to Ryomen for help, only to find him already mounted on the pterodactyl's back, the dinosaur now under his control, fresh wounds evident on its face.

"What the!?" Vivi's shock left her speechless.

"What are you waiting for? Climb on. We'll find Karoo faster like this." Ryomen said calmly, extending a hand to her.

"Uh…right." Vivi stammered, quickly climbing onto the dinosaur and settling behind Ryomen.

"Hold tight." Ryomen warned before the pterodactyl took off into the air, its wings slicing through the wind. Vivi's grip tightened around Ryomen's waist, her fear of falling momentarily overpowering her thoughts.

As they soared through the sky, the landscape below unfolded in vast swaths of greenery, dotted with towering trees and strange creatures. Vivi's initial fear faded, replaced by wonder as she took in the breathtaking view.

"How have you been?" Ryomen's voice broke the peaceful silence.

Vivi hesitated, her mind drifting back to the weight of her responsibilities. "Could've been better. Trying to regain my kingdom has been a real challenge these past few years." Her voice was tinged with sadness.

"Sorry to hear that, but...I was wondering more about Vivi, not the princess of Alabasta." Ryomen admitted, his tone slightly awkward.

Vivi smiled softly at his concern. "Oh. I guess…I'm pretty desperate. Feeling like I might fail myself and everyone who believes in me…It scares me." She confessed, her voice quiet.

Ryomen glanced back at her. "I won't pretend I know how you feel, but if you need someone to help, I'll be there for you. And you can bet I'll make sure you succeed, no matter the cost." He said with quiet determination.

Vivi smiled gratefully, her heart lifted by his words. "Thank you."

"What about you? How have you been doing?" She asked, turning the conversation back to him.

Ryomen's expression softened. "Alright. The people I've met so far make me think my escape was worth it." He said with a faint smile.

Vivi's eyes softened as she glanced at him. "So you escaped, huh? Well, your bounty made that pretty clear." She joked lightly before sighing. "I'm just glad you're safe. Knowing what they were putting you through…I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

Ryomen shook his head. "It's alright. Having you by my side was enough." He said, his words sincere, making Vivi's cheeks flush ever so slightly.

The two flew in comfortable silence after that, the sound of the wind and the pterodactyl's wings filling the space between them.