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Chapter 24 - Chapter 24 : Giants

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We sailed from Whiskey Peak with our next destination set for Little Garden. I wasn't sure why Miss All-Sunday had told us to avoid that island, and it kept bothering me.

Why can't I get that woman out of my head?

"Anybody up for drinks?" Sanji said, stepping out of the kitchen with a tray of fizzy blue drinks.

He was actually kind enough to offer the men drinks as well, and we even offered a couple to Karoo, Vivi's pet duck.

"Hey, look, a dolphin!" Rose pointed to the distance where the aquatic mammal had breached the surface.

As the creature got further out of the water, it appeared to get bigger and bigger.

"IT'S HUGE!"

"Let's go!" Luffy commanded. We all ran around the deck, adjusting the sails and turning the rudder to take advantage of the wave created by the dolphin. We caught the wave and got even closer to our destination, Little Garden.

We approached the island and once again sailed up a river toward the center.

"You don't think there are monsters, do you?" Usopp asked.

"I don't know, but I hope there are people because we need to stock up on food," Sanji told him.

"What's with the look on your face?" Vivi asked me.

"Nothing, just wondering what's so special about this place that Miss All-Sunday had to warn us about it," I told her.

"It's bothering me too," she replied.

"I don't see anything little about this island," Rose complained.

Just as Rose finished her statement, a loud bird call came from the forest. A huge bird flew out of the jungle and over the ship, terrifying most of the crew. It was an odd creature, looking somewhat like a lizard. As the bird flew off, there was a huge roar from the jungle. A tiger almost as big as the Going Merry stepped out of the foliage and dropped dead.

This place is a deathtrap.

"That's it, this island's not normal. We're staying on the ship and waiting for the log to reset," Nami said, sitting down in a lounge chair.

"Sanji, prepare a lunchbox. I smell adventure," Luffy said, walking to the edge of the ship.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked him.

"On an adventure. Wanna come?" he asked.

"No," I replied.

"May I come with you?" Vivi asked.

Is she insane?

"Not you, too," Nami moaned.

"Yes. If I just sit around here, I'll only think about my troubles," Vivi explained. "At least if I get off the ship, I can keep my mind off things. Besides, Karoo will be with me."

"Wow, your 'trusty steed' is too scared to quack," Rose said, poking the bird, who looked terrified.

Sanji brought out the food for Luffy and Vivi, and they went off to explore the jungle. Zoro said he was going to go for a walk as well.

"You're not really going out there, are you?" Rose begged him to stay.

"Hey, Zoro, wait a sec. We're a little low on food, so see if you can catch anything," Sanji requested.

"Sure, I'll catch something you never could," Zoro gloated, walking away.

That sent Sanji into a rage. The two started bickering about who could bring back more meat, challenging each other to a hunting competition.

"I say we make this a three-man competition," I said, jumping off the boat. "I'll crush you two."

"Whoever brings back the most meat wins!" We laid down the rules for our game and headed into the jungle.

Rose's Point of View

"Are you three abandoning us?!" I yelled after the boys, but they didn't respond.

"It's just us now. We're the only sane ones left," Nami said.

"No need to fear, girls, I'm by your side," Usopp reassured us.

"We're doomed," Nami and I said, accepting our fate.

Nami went back inside to look for a book she thought might have something about the island in it. That left me and Usopp alone to watch for big monsters.

"Keep an eye out; I don't want the ship to get squished," I told Usopp, walking around the deck.

Nami burst out with the book in her hand, but before she could tell us what she had learned, a shadow was cast over the ship. A shaking Usopp wheezed out, "Tur... turn around."

I slowly turned my body.

Please don't be...

Once I finished my 180-degree turn, I saw it. "GIANT!" I screamed and then blacked out.

Steve's Point of View

I wandered through the jungle, looking for something to bring back to the ship for food. Every once in a while, I heard growls behind me, but when I turned, there was nothing there. I took my whips out just in case and was left alone with my thoughts, most of which were about Miss All-Sunday.

Just who was that lady? She looked kind of familiar. Why can't I get her out of my head? She sure was pretty, and I think she was putting out some signals, too. Stop, Steve, you can't think like that. You saw her; she looked like she was almost thirty.

She's too old for you. Then again, some women like younger men. AHHH! What's happening to me?! She's your enemy. She works for Crocodile. No, no, no, don't fall in love with the enemy.

I slapped myself to snap out of my trance. When I looked up, I saw I was surrounded by a pack of small, overgrown lizards. They reminded me of the raptors I'd read about in a book once. There were six in front of me, and they all looked ready to attack.

"Alright, you're all gonna gang up on me?" I looked around, but the lizards only responded with hisses and growls.

"Fine, you asked for it!" The raptors closed in, and I leaped into the air. "Here we go! Whip Hurricane!" I swung my whips as fast and as much as I could, creating a flurry of strikes similar to Luffy's Gatling.

"You done?" I landed and looked around. The raptors didn't answer. I had cracked most of their skulls with the attack, killing them instantly. I used my whips to tie the animals together by their tails to make transportation easier.

"I'd better head back to show those two losers what a winner looks like," I said, heading back to the ship, dragging my catch behind me.

Rose's Point of View

Where am I? What happened?

When I opened my eyes, I saw Nami and Usopp sitting on a log, talking to... A GIANT!

Don't panic, just stay calm. Deep breaths. You can do this. You're just seeing things.

I opened my eyes again and nearly had a heart attack. I snapped my eyes shut a second time.

If I didn't see that freak, this wouldn't be a problem. Wait... That's it.

I reached into my jacket and pulled out one of Zoro's old bandanas and tied it over my eyes. This time, when I opened them, I didn't see anything.

Much better.

I stood up but moved slowly, trying not to trip.

"What are you doing?" I heard Nami ask.

"Trying to get over to you. Give me some help here; I can't see," I said. I felt Nami's hand on my arm, guiding me to a seat.

"Why is your friend wearing a blindfold?" I heard an unfamiliar voice ask.

"I'd like to know that, too," I heard Usopp ask.

"If I don't see it, I can't pass out," I explained.

"Oh, that makes sense," Usopp said, understanding my attempt to combat my fear.

"I don't," I heard the giant's voice ask.

"You see, Rose here is afraid of giant things like you, Mr. Brogy. So to remain calm, she's blocked her view," Nami explained to the giant, who I now knew was called Brogy.

"Nothing against you, kind sir. I just wish you'd all shrink," I told him.

I'm not some giant-racist... Or are they a different species? I'm not a species-cist.

"How long will the log take to reset?" Nami asked.

"One full year."

We're doomed.

I heard Nami and Usopp fall down in shock, likely thinking the same thing I was. Suddenly, there was a huge rumbling noise.

"It's time," I heard Brogy stand up. "I have a duel to go to, but please feel free to stay."

The ground shook as the giant walked. I took the opportunity to take off my blindfold. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. When they did, I saw that we were near a cave in the jungle.

"He took it right on the head!" Usopp yelled.

I could hear the banging of metal behind me, but I was too nervous to turn around.

"What's happening?" I asked Nami.

"Two giants are fighting," she explained. "I suggest you don't turn around."

"Let's take this opportunity to go," I begged, but Usopp refused to leave.

"This is a man's duel! A battle of pride between two warriors!" he cheered.

"Well then, I'm taking Rose back to the ship," Nami told him.

"Go, I'm going to stay here. I wanna be just like them one day."

"You want to be a giant?!" I yelled.

"No! I want to be a brave warrior," he told me.

I took a seat back down on the log. "Let's not get split up. We can wait for Usopp."

The giant returned shortly after and sat down. Before he did, I retied my blindfold.

"I'm gonna be like you one day, a brave warrior of the sea," Usopp told the giant.

"To be a warrior of Elbaf is to die without losing our pride. Pride is our greatest treasure," Brogy told Usopp.

I thought I heard a very faint boom in the distance, but I couldn't see anything since the blindfold was covering my eyes.

I must be hearing things.

Steve's Point of View

I arrived back at our meeting spot and found Sanji and Zoro, each with animals of their own. They were already arguing about who had more meat when I walked up.

"I caught the most, so I win," I gloated.

"What are you talking about? Just because you got multiple lizards doesn't mean there's more meat," Sanji told me.

"Mine weighs more. You both lose," Zoro said.

We got into a long argument over who was the rightful winner of the contest.

"Alright, whoever makes the next catch and brings it back before the volcano erupts again will be the winner," I said, starting the next round.

We each went out into the forest again. While inside, I saw someone standing in the trees who looked a lot like Vivi. I went toward the girl, trying to figure out what she was doing here by herself.

"Where's Luffy, and why did he leave you alone?" I asked her, but she didn't answer.

Did she not hear me?

When I got closer, I touched Vivi, and she crumbled to dust.

A trap!

"You fell for it." I felt something bonk my head and knock me out.

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