Little Garden was a nightmare wrapped in a postcard. The air smelled like wet moss and monster breath, and the trees were so tall they blocked out the sun half the time.
It had been two days since we met that giant, Dorry, and in that time Emma had fought off three dinosaurs, two massive insects, and one overly aggressive bird that tried to steal our food.
Me? I contributed moral support and sarcastic commentary.
"This island hates us," I muttered, brushing giant mosquito guts off my arm.
Emma adjusted her blades, scanning the thick jungle ahead. "It's not that bad."
"Not that bad?" I said, glaring at a distant volcano that looked one sneeze away from erupting. "You've got a weird definition of 'not that bad.'"
We pushed deeper into the forest, following a faint smoke trail. That's when we heard voices—human ones.
I ducked behind a boulder, motioning for Emma to stay low. "People. Actual people!"
She peeked over. "Pirates, from the look of them."
The group wore matching coats with symbols on their arms—an insignia of a baroque-style mask. They were laughing around a campfire, weapons stacked beside them.
"Baroque Works," Emma whispered. "I've heard of them. Secret organization that works in the shadows. Bounty hunters and assassins for hire."
"Oh great," I said. "Because dinosaurs weren't enough."
We tried to sneak past them, but of course, fate hates me. My foot stepped on a branch, and it snapped louder than a gunshot.
"Who's there!?" one of them shouted.
"Crap," I hissed.
Before I could blink, they were already charging toward us with swords drawn. Emma leapt forward, deflecting a blade with both her weapons. Sparks flew as steel clashed in the humid air.
I ducked under a swing, rolled into the dirt, and immediately regretted all my life choices.
Emma yelled, "Stay behind me!"
"Gladly!" I shouted back, crawling behind a rock.
She moved like lightning, but there were too many of them. One pirate got around her, charging straight at me. My instincts screamed, Move!
I raised my hand in panic—then something exploded.
The ground beneath the pirate warped, and he shot backward like he'd been hit by an invisible truck, slamming into a tree with a crunch.
Everything went still.
Emma turned toward me, eyes wide. "What… was that?"
I stared at my hands, still trembling. "I—I don't know!"
Another pirate lunged at me, and I instinctively did it again. This time, the air itself seemed to bend. The man was thrown upward, flailing like a ragdoll before landing face-first in the mud.
"I did that," I breathed out, half amazed, half terrified. "Oh my god, I did that."
Emma grinned, cutting down the last of their attackers. "Well, whatever it is, keep doing it!"
"I'd love to," I said, "but I have no idea what I'm doing!"
We eventually beat them—or, well, Emma did most of the beating. I mostly screamed and occasionally flung people with invisible force fields.
When it was over, the camp was a mess of unconscious pirates and broken trees.
Emma rummaged through a bag they'd been guarding and pulled out a small glass sphere filled with liquid and a needle inside. "An Eternal Pose," she said, smiling.
"Eternal what now?"
"It's like a special compass. This one's set to Alabasta."
I blinked. "Alabasta… wait, that's where Luffy and the crew go next."
Emma raised an eyebrow. "Luffy?"
"Uh—" I coughed. "Just something I heard… from a book."
She shrugged. "Well, it looks like our next destination is set."
As she tucked the Eternal Pose into her belt, the sound of another battle echoed in the distance—explosions, yelling, and someone shouting about wax.
"Think we should check that out?" Emma asked.
"Nope," I said immediately. "That sounds like someone else's problem."
A massive burst of smoke rose above the treetops.
"…Okay, maybe we should at least peek."
We climbed up a hill and looked down into a clearing—and there they were. The Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy, Zoro, and Nami, all mid-fight with a guy wearing a number on his back and creating giant wax sculptures.
Emma tilted her head. "That's them again, huh? The ones you spotted back on Whiskey Peak."
"Yeah…" I whispered. My heart pounded in my chest. "Looks like destiny's not done messing with me."
We watched as Luffy sent Mr. 3 flying with one punch that could've leveled a house.
"Guess we're heading to Alabasta after all."
She smirked. "Then let's hope the next island doesn't try to eat us alive."
"Knowing my luck?" I said, groaning. "It definitely will."