Journey to One Piece

280. Blow it up

Surfacing in the New World stirred a lot of emotions within the Straw Hats. They were supposed to have arrived here two years ago, but circumstances forced them to take a different route. It was said that this was where the true journey began.

The Straw Hats were genuinely thrilled to be here and celebrated. The ship sailed on for quite some time before they heard the den den mushi crying.

"Why is it crying? Does it have a stomachache?" 

"Of course not. This is an emergency call," Ken replied.

Luffy reached out to pick it up, but Robin cautioned, "Luffy, wait. It might be a trap. The Navy often does this to lure pirates."

"I am Monkey D. Luffy. I want to be the Pirate King." Luffy didn't hesitate and picked up the call.

"Why are you doing this?" Both Usopp and Chopper protested. The den den mushi on the other end finally responded, sounding distressed.

"Pirates? I don't know. I don't care... Please help us. A samurai... A samurai is killing us. Please, we're trying to reach the Boss but he isn't answering." the voice on the other side said.

"Boss? I don't know where your boss is. Where are you?"

"No boss... Please tell our boss... The samurai is killing us... We... We're in Punk Hazard." The voice shouted before letting out a scream and then falling silent. It seemed gruesome from the shouts and screams.

"Ahh... Somebody died."

"It looks scary."

"Samurai? What do you think, Brook? From Wano?" Zoro asked.

"Wano again. That name has been haunting us for quite a while," Brook remarked.

Luffy was about to hang up when Ken stepped forward and stopped him.

"He's already dead. You can't talk to the dead, Ken," Usopp said. But Ken didn't care and just held the receiver near his mouth.

"Yo, G5, I heard you've been looking for us. Why don't you all come to Punk Hazard and we'll settle who catches whom," Ken said.

"Huh?"

"It's an emergency call. Many others can hear us," Robin explained.

"So, he just invited them?" Usopp said, sounding nervous.

"Hahaha. As expected of my brother," Luffy laughed. With those words, Ken ended the call.

"Aren't you scared?" Nami asked, as she also knew that the Navy might be setting a trap for them.

"It's better to face them on our terms, or we might have to deal with their sneak attacks. Plus, I don't think everyone will come, they might think of this as a trap too," Ken said.

The ship sailed on, and since the emergency call came, it meant they were close to the island. And they were right. They saw the island, and it looked like a winter island. Ken knew it would be completely a winter island, not one with one part burning and the other ice-cold. This was because the legendary fight between Akainu and Aokiji never happened. After the events of Marineford and getting humiliated, the Goroesei appointed Akainu as the Fleet Admiral and didn't allow Sengoku to make any recommendations. Aokiji decided to leave the Navy due to irreconcilable differences with Akainu, and now he was someone entirely off the radar.

Some said he had retired, others claimed he had been consumed by rage and became a pirate. Many rumors circulated. Hopefully, he hadn't joined the Blackbeard Pirates, or else Ken would love to give him a piece of his mind.

"What is this island? It isn't showing up on the Log Pose?" Nami asked as she examined the three pointers, none of which directed to the current island.

"Some islands aren't large enough to generate a significant magnetic field," Ken explained.

"We just received an emergency call. Maybe it's from this island," Sanji suggested.

"Yosh. We need to get onto this island," Luffy declared.

"You just want to see the samurai, don't you?" Usopp exclaimed. Luffy didn't seem to mind and had already made up his mind.

"So, who will go with him?" Ken inquired.

"Let's have a lottery like we always do," Franky suggested. Soon, they were given strips. The ones with the marked strips were selected, and the four chosen were Luffy, Jinbe, Ken, and Robin. Each of them was excited. Ken had already mapped out the entire island with his Haki, and he knew exactly where everyone was. He wore a smile on his face as he sensed their presence.

"Franky, take the ship into the air and make it invisible with the reflectors. We don't know who might come from G5, so it's better to gain a very high altitude and thus avoid any potential danger," Ken instructed.

Franky nodded. The four of them donned warm suits and were now prepared to explore the island. Jinbe was thrilled to explore the island with the new crew and couldn't wait to test out his new powers. After everything was set, Ken and the others leaped onto the island, while the ship gradually ascended into the air and soared to a great height. Since Caesar was still in the vicinity and they were being hunted by the Navy, it was customary to take some precautions.

"Vivi, if I ever tell you to blow up the island, do so. No questions asked," Ken informed her before departing.

"What?"

"You're joking, right?"

"Nope. I have a feeling that we might need the railgun this time," Ken stated.

"Got it."

Luffy hadn't heard Ken's words, or else he would have asked for more details. This island was too dangerous to be left as it was. It was the place where Albert began his journey, so this place held many memories, and it was time to put an end to it.

Soon, they were on the cold, windy, and chilly island. The island was even colder than the Winter Island where Chopper had grown up, so one could imagine how frigid it was. Only Ken seemed immune to the cold, as his sword was expelling the cold for him, which led the other three to huddle close to him.

"I should get myself a cool sword that can expel cold and heat when needed," Luffy remarked.