| 10. Nezuko Can Swim?! |
Skypeia Saga
"What?! That lobster is a messenger of God?!" Ussop exclaimed.
Conis' father looked downwards, as if ashamed to face their guests. "Yes. It usually transports offerings to God. So it's headed to the north east of Upper Yard, the sacrificial altar."
"Offerings? Nami-swan, Robin-chwan, Nezuko-chan, and uh.....the rest will be sacrificed to that God?! That son of a bitch!" Sanji couldn't help but to be mad.
"The rest, really?" Ussop is dumbfounded.
"Conis-chan, are you alright?" Sanji noticed Conis' strange behavior when she came back from the ship. Something is bothering her.
"I'm okay, just worried, that's all." Conis replied.
"Zoro, Robin, Nezuko and Chopper can handle themselves. I know Nami will come with them if they decide to check out the island. They'll be fine." Luffy said then he jumped down from the railings.
"H-how can you be so sure?" Ussop asked the rubber man.
"I know because my crew is strong."
They discussed the whereabouts of the sacrificial altar and things. It seems like they need to take a long milky road since they can't reach the altar by foot. Pagaya also warned them about the priests that are protecting the island.
"So it's like saying that if we want our ship and friends back, we just have to come from the front." Sanji leaned his back to his seat and lit up a cigarette.
"So that is heaven's judgement, huh?"
"I see. So we just have to beat up God and the priests?" Luffy grinned.
"Is that what you're thinking all along?" Ussop sighed, not knowing how to react at Luffy's simple mind.
"This is going to be fun! Shishishishi."
-
Meanwhile, at the sacrificial altar.
Chopper is panicking because they are surrounded by giant sky sharks.
Nezuko stayed silent, just observing. The demoness felt her tummy growl, indicating that she is hungry. It's been three weeks since she last ate something. Nezuko mastered to control her bloodlust long ago, so she doesn't have to worry about her getting out of control again. However, if she starve, she'll get weak.
"Are you okay, Nezuko?" Robin asked the demoness.
"Hmm." She hummed in response, not looking Robin in the eye. She sat on the corner of the ship, making decisions.
Unfortunately, Luffy already ate all the food stock when they arrived on the sky island. So she needs to hunt. There's a lot of sharks lurking around, so it won't be a problem.
She decides to eat a shark or two. Their meat could fuel her for at least a week. It's been three weeks since she has last eaten something. She estimated that the feast she ate back home would last for a month but the fight in Arabasta took quite a bit of her fuel.
She jumped off the ship, landing next to Robin and Zoro. Nezuko ran down the altar's stairs and looked at the water seriously. Zoro ran after her as well.
"Are you planning on swimming to get in the island, Nezuko?" Zoro joked, several sky sharks are starting to notice them.
"If I have to," Nezuko replied.
"Nezuko! Zoro! Get back up here! T-those sharks might eat you!" Chopper.
Because Chopper shouted, a sky shark got near them and devoured Zoro. The creature then swam away. The situation made Nezuko freeze on the spot, taking a while to realize what just happened.
"Zoro-san!" This is a shout from Nezuko, worry is visible on her face. She started taking off her jacket and dives in the shark-infested water.
"Nezuko!" Everyone shouted. Chopper quickly went down from the ship to go after Nezuko but he's stopped by the hands of Robin.
"Chopper! You're a devil fruit user!"
"Nezuko-chan is too! We almost lost her when we took the knock up stream! We can't save both of them!" Chopper turned to Nami while crying, who is also frozen of shock.
Out of adrenaline, Nami ran down the altar. Ignoring her fear. She can't face Luffy if they lose two of their precious comrades. But before she can dive in, Zoro flew from the sea. Punching a large shark to death. The green-haired swordsman safely made it to the altar.
"Zoro! Nezuko is still on the water!" Nami's tears are falling like waterfalls. Robin is silent the whole time because she can't do anything too.
"HUH?" Without second thought, Zoro is ready to dive again. But he stopped when he noticed the water is starting to boil.
"Nami! Zoro! Get out of there!" Robin shouted.
"B-but Nezuko—" Nami didn't get to finish her sentence when Zoro picked her up to his shoulders and he ran to the altar's stairs. The water started to form hot bubbles and they might get burned if the bubble pops in them.
By the time they arrived at the ship, the temperature went up. Chopper then lay on the ship's dock helplessly. He isn't really good at hot weathers.
"What the hell is happening?! Nezuko-chan!" Nami can't do anything at the moment.
"Look, something is surfacing." Robin pointed down.
They heard a sound of a sword cutting something. Pink cut lines started to appear on the water. The sharks lurking around are cut into pieces cleanly. The water turned red in a blink on an eye.
"Ah shit. I think I cooked all of the sharks. I meant to save them for the food stock." A voice behind the straw hat said.
"Huh?" They all turned around. Their eyes almost popped out of their sockets when they saw Nezuko. Wet and very much alive.
"NEZUKO?!"
Nami and Chopper ran to hug the demoness. "You idiot! You made us worried!" Nami cried while embracing the demoness. Robin sighed in relief. She treats Nezuko like a little sister, after all.
"No way. Not only you're not affected by sea stone, you can swim as well? What exactly is your devil fruit?" Robin can't believe what she saw.
Nezuko thought of something. She can't just reveal that she is the last demon in her era and the first demon in this world.
"I don't know what it is. I can't explain it either. I found my devil fruit in my dad's room when I was eight. It's a blue flower-shaped devil fruit. I tried to look it up on the library, but I found nothing about it." Nezuko said in a straight face. Lying alone drains her energy and making her hungrier. The boiled sharks looks tasty in the background.
"I can control everything using my blood." Nezuko then used her sharp nails to cut her arm. Rich red blood flows out.
The moment her blood touched the ground, it created a huge fire and part of the stone floor melted.
"You probably eaten a sister fruit of Lava lava fruit, a logia type devil fruit. Or something like that." Robin said.
"So that's what happened earlier. But that still doesn't explain how you're not affected by the water while Luffy sinks like a hammer." Zoro.
"Please fuzz about it no more. I'm just built different. If you excuse me, I'm hungry." Nezuko laughed it off.
The demoness jumped off the altar and began to eat one of the sharks.
"Oi, everyone! Go check out the island! Use my boat to cross the water! I'll catch up later!"
