CHAPTER 41
Cutting through the waves as smoothly as the wind was the Going Merry, sailed, nestled safely in the shadows of Masira and Shoujou's ships. They were protected on all sides, the salvagers determined to make this as pleasant a trip as possible and not deter them from their destination. Though there was a visible frizz of emotions running haywire on the deck. It was akin to the effects of performers stepping onto the stage, and despite vigorous rehearsal, still rolling up the curtain unprepared, or missing their cue.
Thankfully, inspite of the prior foolery on their captain's part, they were making good time for the knock up stream.
However comical the thought was of sailing straight towards a giant geyser that would shatter ships like glass.
Nami was the one who stated they were making good headway, exerting her position as navigator. To ensure they kept on that steady pace, she had taken the helm, mostly to ease her own worries. Her fingers were clenched so tightly on the wheel that they turned ghostly. She wouldn't have any mishaps before they reached what she believed would likely be their doom. But this was what Luffy wanted, and regardless of her own exertion of authority, no one trumped the captain. No matter how many times they begged, scolded, or openly despaired.
"What are we thinking?" Her head hit a knob on the wheel hard enough to turn red. This couldn't even qualify as a pipe dream; frankly, the path was too narrow for that. They were trying to find a giant geyser under the ocean that would shoot them into the sky through a storm cloud no one even knew existed before. It had been said out loud in so many different ways as if they were talking facts, and now here was the situation being seen through to the end.
Despite her growing fears, Nami wouldn't let it cloud her instincts, as she kept a lookout for the skies and the slightest shift in the winds.
In times like these, she reminded everyone why she was the navigator for this crew, and it was not just because most of them couldn't read a map the right way.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Luffy's laughter. She turned to see him crouched beside the South Bird, his fingers poking at its head as he twisted it from side to side.
"Luffy, stop playing with the bird's head," Sakura marched over to scold him.
"But look!" Luffy grinned, releasing the bird's neck. Its head snapped back to its original position, facing stubbornly south. "It's stuck! It really can't turn its head in any other direction, how crazy is that?"
"As crazy as sailing to the sky," She answered dryly.
Usopp stroked his chin, observing. "Gee, there sure are some strange birds in the world."
The South Bird let out a series of indignant squawks. "JOH! JOH JOH JOH!"
"What did it say?" Usopp and everyone turned their heads down to Chopper, waiting for their reindeer friend to interpret the animal.
"He said, 'I'm going to look in a different direction and mess with you guys,"
"Kills the point if we know what he plans on doing,"
Grabbing his belly, Luffy dared the bird to just try, and it did, but sadly the South bird proved to live up to its name, and at that very moment, listening to the pirate's laughter, it could not have hated its gift more than this present. Its head snapped like it had a set spring in its neck.
Sakura bit her lip to keep in her own laughter, but that would've been overpowered by Luffy's. "Cut it out!"
"But it's funny, you're laughing too!"
"I'm not!"
"But I saw you smile!"
"That's not the same thing!" Sakura huffed, clenching her fists at her side.
Their bickering could be heard from their guides; both ships had most of the crew pointing their ears in the strawhats direction, curious if it would dawn on them the severity of their choices to sail for the knock-up stream and if they would become engrossed with fear and dread. But they were behaving like this was a regular trip on a riverside rather than the Grand Line.
Shoujou couldn't help feet the beads of sweat on his forehead, "Their nonchalant behavior is worrying."
Masira shrugged on the other side, "There's no sense in worrying."
Overhearing the two, Sakura responded, leaning on the railing, "Yeah. If we die now, we die now."
Usopp's knees buckled. "WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT OUT LOUD?!"
Luffy stretched his arms wide, turning up. "The sky's calling!"
"Maybe not the way you're thinking." Sakura couldn't stop the devious side that gleamed through, and Usopp noticed with great panic. Which now reached critical mass.
"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!" He sprinted in circles around the deck, arms flailing. "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! WE'RE GONNA FALL INTO THE OCEAN OR GET SUCKED INTO A WHIRLPOOL OR-
Nami rubbed her temples. Hopefully, they would be able to arrive before someone caused some kind of calamity.
..
..
..
Three hours of sailing through the Grand Line, and so far, no interruptions or unexpected turn of events to take them off schedule. It was almost eerie considering these waters were inherently told to give nothing but troubles to its guests.
Since there was nothing much to do topside, Sakura decided to check on the state of the ship, just to ensure they really wouldn't be knocked off schedule by any surprise leaks. Due to their rush, no one had time to do a double take on the wounds of their ship after wrapping it up, but a good medic knew to always check on your patients.
Going below deck, that's when you could really hear the condition of the ship. The way the wood groaned under the press of the waves, the only sound in the dimly lit belly of the Going Merry.
Sakura ran her fingers along the freshly welded seams of the hull. The repairs were solid, but the damage ran deep. The Merry had been pushed to her limits, and even now, Sakura could feel the strain in the metal beneath her palm. A bone mended but never fully healed.
She didn't know if there was even a place for her to give her opinion, but she couldn't help the think and wonder how much longer they would be able to sail with the ship in this condition. When they came out of the forest that night, and she saw the states of everyone, it was the injuries of the Going Merry that had angered her more. As a medic, she couldn't admit that out loud.
"I'm sorry," She whispered.
"Sorry for what?" Sakura jumped hearing the voice before the footsteps coming down the ladder. Zoro's dim figure appeared through the shadows. "What's with that look?"
She tugged at the edge of her shirt, straightening her posture. "The ambience makes you look menacing, so try not to come behind people under these conditions."
"What?"
"Never mind, did you need something?" Her voice was clipped.
"Just what are you doing?"
Feeling like she was about to get prodded by the third degree once again, and not appreciating that it was the same person. Sakura decided to close in on the offensive and started to charge towards Zoro. Who had to start stepping back. Their footsteps soon synced as they circled around.
"I'm checking on the ship, but would you like to accuse me of something or give another one of your unwarranted statements?"
Zoro felt his tongue tripping over itself as he attempted to maintain an arm's length between them. He was not one to back away, and that was the impression he had given Sakura, so she found this struck two chords, one that soothed her ego and the other that aggravated her heart.
"I wasn't-
"You know, I thought we were actually starting to get somewhere in Alabasta,"
"I get-
"And then you just up and turn around on me for no reason, why?"
"It's just-
The distance in their steps drew closer when Zoro accidentally misstep and ended up hitting a barrel, which was enough time for Sakura to corner him. His back met the wall. And all he could do was stand there and face her head-on.
"And I've put up with it long enough!" Another step and they were pressed barely a hairs length away, at least for Zoro, that's how it appeared, as he attempted to dig himself into the wood behind, but it seemed Sakura was going to persist regardless and press further. "I'm not dealing with you talking behind my back to everyone else like you just did with Robin! If you've got something to say to me, say it!"
But Zoro felt like his tongue had tied itself into a knot. It started when the scent of Sakura's hair hit him. She had leaned in close, her eyes hard and her face contorted with the intent to intimidate, and if anyone else was trying to do that at this height, he would find it amusing, but in Sakura's case, it was working all too well. Zoro just wanted to slink away from this situation; he regretted following her down in the first place. She had turned away from him completely, and he realized that she was taking great efforts to keep from interacting with him. It felt as if he had swallowed a knot of metal, and it was just sitting in his chest. He wanted that to stop.
He wasn't unfamiliar with regret, but it had been so long since he endured that feeling that he forgot how unpleasant it was, sticking to your insides like wet tar. He had forsaken regret after Kuina passed, and he chose to carry both of their dreams, which meant there was no room for that emotion. Even if he made a mistake along the way, it would be nothing more than a pothole in his path that he had to step over, even if it tripped him. There was no time to stop and maul over it with regret. And yet she managed to hurl that feeling into him, and he needed to rip it away.
She was giving him that chance right now, holding it in her hands for him to toss, but he just found himself falling short of the words that he needed.
'I'm sorry' or 'I didn't mean it' was all well and good, but where would he go from there? Zoro also didn't care for worrying about the future, and yet was in this predicament of trying to interpret the conversation. He felt like a cornered animal.
She moved to push past him, but his hand shot out, fingers closing around her wrist.
"Hold on,"
"Do you actually have something to say to me?"
Zoro didn't answer immediately. His grip wasn't tight, just enough to stop her. The silence between them stretched.
He opened his mouth-
A sudden jolt rocked the ship, sending both of them stumbling. The quiet was shattered as shouts erupted from above deck, the waves outside turning violent, slamming against the hull like fists.
Zoro's grip tightened instinctively, steadying her before he released her arm.
..
..
..
"What is going on?!" Sakura was hit with the full force of the storm, the waves had started knocking against the ship, and the skies were so dark it looked like night was nearing. It had been painted with clouds, and they were frantically on a current heading them towards the center of the biggest one forming. The cumulonimbus cloud. An hour early, ahead of schedule. It looked overhead, its shadow swallowing the sky.
According to Nami, the log pose was still pointing up to the clouds, right through the center of the clouds. And she already saw the path to get there, commenting that the wind was directing them towards the whirlpool.
That whirlpool wasn't felt by anyone but Nami, but they all saw it when the seas began to churn like someone had taken a giant ladle and started stirring. Sakura climbed to the crows nest where she could see the whole picture and it was quite taking. In a painting, it would captivate, but in reality, it was rather troubling.
The oceans swirling made the ship look like a mere speck of crumb on its mouth. Mashira and Shoujo had remained on the outskirts, getting the Going Merry just close enough for the seas to start taking them away towards the center. Perhaps it was due to all the close calls with death in the past, but it took a while for them to realize that this Sky Island could be nothing more than a pipe dream, and they were willingly seeking death.
"NOBODY SAID ANYTHING ABOUT A GIANT WHIRLPOOL. THIS IS A SCAM," Nami exclaimed at the top of her voice.
"THIS IS OUR MARK! GOOD LUCK, STRAW HATS!"
Their cheers were drowned out by the screams of Usopp and Chopper, who clung to the rigging like lifelines. "TURN THE SHIP AROUND! TURN IT AROUND!"
Sakura, on the other hand, felt her heart racing with excitement instead of fear, "No turning back now,"
If she was going to meet her end like this, she might as well do it in high spirits. Compared to dying in war, this was far more laughable to put on a tombstone.
They watched as a huge eel-like sea king got swallowed up by the whirlpool, which seemed to be a preview for what was to come for them. The two salvagers had already sailed their ships out of the danger zone, but was determined to watch them voyage to the end.
Luffy's laughter cut through the noise and the panic of his friends. He spoke with a grin on his face, the words breaking through his teeth. "A dream inside a dream. Now that's a great adventure! If we don't do this, we'll regret it for the rest of our lives!"
"THE REST OF OUR LIVES IS GONNA BE FIVE MINUTES IF WE DO!" Nami's retort died as the ship lurched, the bow tipping toward the abyss. It was too late. Every muscle on deck tensed. Sakura braced, her fingers digging into the mast only for the Merry to land with a soft plop, bobbing harmlessly on suddenly calm water.
Usopp peeled his face from the deck. "…Where's the whirlpool?"
Nami didn't answer. Her face was pale, her eyes locked on the cloud above. The whirlpool was gone, but the sky had just begun to scream.
The air screeched from the sound of a gunshot in the distance. They followed the sound, and it led them to a new presence on the seas. There stood a ship that looked like a giant raft made of the entire trunks of trees, the mast holding a three skulled Jolly Roger.
"We caught up with you, Straw Hat Luffy!" a voice bellowed from the deck. Familiar faces apparently, according to Nami.
"They're from Mock Town," Nami muttered, her fingers tightening around the railing.
"We're gonna take that hundred-million-berry head of yours!"
While this wasn't the time for small talk, Luffy, who never cared for social conventions even at the most crucial moments, was more enamored with the mention of a bounty. A milestone he had been waiting to cross, and even the sky wouldn't get in the way of confirming he had passed it.
"My 100 million bounty, what are you talking about?"
"So you don't know! There's a hundred-million bounty on your head! And your crewmates, Pirate Hunter Zoro worth sixty million! And The Scarlet Witch Sakura worth 80 million!"
Sakura's jaw nearly hit the deck. "WHAT HE SAY?!"
Usopp was looking through his binoculars, where he could see the posters up closer; there were the clear head-shots. Zoro looked like he had just gone through a slaughter, Luffy was smiling brightly with a great grin, and Sakura looked rather sinister; her back was turned, but she had faced towards the camera. "Yep, he's telling the truth. Zoro, Sakura, you have bounty's now!"
Pushing Sanji aside, who wanted to confirm if he had a poster himself, she grabbed the binoculars from Usopp to find her poster. And sure enough, she saw it in the pirate's hands.
"What the hell?!"
"Congratulations," Robin smiled at her. Zoro and Luffy were more ecstatic about this, and they had a small celebration. Zoro was grinning widely with pride, while Luffy flailed his arms like a happy flag. Sakura slumped over the railing. While the boys were on top of the world, she wasn't sure how she should feel. Prideful? She somewhat understood why they were this giddy.
In her world, there was the bingo book, which held the bounties for dangerous shinobi. While this was used as a guide book in tracking enemies, if you were inside one, you meant something. Something big. So maybe she should've been more flattered, knowing she made enough of a spectacle to earn it.
Celebrations were cut short when the ship shifted and their stomachs lifted to their chests as the ocean floor started to bulge like a swollen belly. The knock up stream had appeared at the best moment. Everyone moved to brace themselves, latching onto the ship as the water continued to rise higher in a single direction, up.
And then it burst. The knock up stream shot them high fast, like a cannon ball. The knock-up stream had stabilized into a pillar of water that continued to move towards the sky.
"THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING?" Sakura called. Until this moment, she hadn't truly believed it was possible. She saw that the stream had also knocked apart the other pirate's ship, and they were capsized in the aftermath.
The ship was sailing vertically now, on the water's surface, the sails being carried in the wind, and the force held the ship in place. But that didn't last long as the hulls started to lift from the pillar, and if it was completely removed, they would also be falling back into the ocean, and from that height, there was no chance the ship would survive.
"If this keeps up we're going to fall!" Sanji exclaimed.
Usopp held onto the balcony railing, his body flapping like a flag, as he responded, "What do you want us to do? We're barely holding onto this ship ourselves!?"
And then they saw the sea king from before, that had been sucked into the whirlpool, start falling from the sky, becoming a victim of the knock up stream, and even more debris from previous ships started to fall like large rain drops.
"Spread the sails now!" Nami clicked into play fast, shouting instructions over the wind. While this might have been a wall in their way, to her, it was the same as the ocean and currents she navigated. A current they could ride, and there was no better at going up against the wind and seas than her.
"Catch the wind at starboard and sail to port!" The new wings on the Merry caught the updraft as the ship was ripped from the ocean's grasp and hurled skyward. And soon they weren't just climbing up the pillar, they were flying over it. The sensation was dizzying. The wind screamed past their ears, the sea shrinking below them into a distant, shimmering blue sheet.
They plunged into the clouds. For a few minutes, their world felt thick and wet, pressing against their skin like a cold, damp blanket. Sakura gasped as the moisture clung to her lungs, the sudden lack of oxygen making her chest burn. Devil fruit users didn't have a great affinity to water, and she was no exception to that.
Then they were through, bursting into open sky. The Merry slammed back onto something solid with a hard splash, sending up a spray that drenched them all. Coughing and sputtering, the crew blinked up at their surroundings. The crew was met with a jaw dropping sight that made them forget about all their toils to reach this point.
A vast, endless sea of white stretched in every direction, the sky above them a brilliant, impossible blue. The air was thin, crisp, and they realized they were now sailing on the clouds.
They had made it.
That's all for now Folks. I hope this read gives you a breather from any tough times, and that 2026 will be your new best year!
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EARLY CHAPTERS FOR MEMBERS NOW: BUYMEACOFFEE
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter (94, 95, 96, 97)
-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter (42,43, 44)
-Crossroads of Fate chapter 33, 34, 34, 35, 36
-Through the Looking Glass chapter 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47
- (Bleach crossover) Kunoichi amongst Reapers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
-Commission: Demon slayer x My hero academia (PART 1 & 2)
- Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams
-(SEQUEL) Through the Spyglass chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6
-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi