Lara's POV;

I woke up with a start. Extremely loud and painful noises were filling the air and even let the ship vibrate. For a moment I didn't know what was happening and jumped out of the bed. Lia, who also got woken up fell out of it.

Mere seconds later the door got thrown open and Yosaku came running inside, only to stop instantly when my hand, formed into a spear, nearly ripped his throat out. Luckily I was able to recognise him, even in my sleepy state, and stopped before killing him. The noise also stopped.

“Giant whale!”, he stammered out and looked wide eyed at my hand.

“Sorry, it woke me up”, I apologetic and helped Lia up from the floor. She was grumbling and laying back down on the bed.

“Make the noise go away”, she demanded tiredly. I obliged and stopped the vibrations of sound around her bed. Stopping sound as well as increasing them was pretty much the only thing I could do currently. I was also trying to create music, but making basic techno sounds was everything I could do so far.

“So what's going on?”, I then asked and turned back to Yosaku.

“A giant whale suddenly came out of the water and crashed his head right into the Red Line. He then started to make this loud noise.” His description was punctuated by said loud noise. Seriously, it hurts! If this shitty whale does not stop then I'm gonna kill it.

Yosaku did say more, but I couldn't hear him. The noise was just too loud. Fuck this! I stopped any sound from reaching my ears and sighed blissful silence. Yosaku was looking at me and said something.

“I can't hear you, I stopped the noise from reaching my ears. It was too loud”, I shouted, he nodded in understanding. I gestured for him to follow me and we walked out on deck. The giant form of La Boum was next to our ship. His shadow blocked the sun and his billowing let the sea vibrate.

Nojiko was staring at the whale with a wide open mouth. Jonny, who was next to Jo, said something to the doctor. Of course, I couldn't hear what he said. The whale crashed his head into the Grand Line again. He stopped again to open his mouth and boom his voice out.

Suddenly the fireball of an explosion was flaming up at the 'chest' of the whale. And then the Going Merry rowed away from the whale. To the opposite of us, but then something happened and the whale opened its mouth to suck the Going Merry inside. Luffy must've hit it.

Nojiko was panicking and shouting at me. I still had my ear protection but lowered it to hear what she wanted. “...do something, that were the Straw Hats, Nami is on that ship.”

Of course, I knew that they were in no real danger, but I nodded for appearance sake and used Geppo to fly to the top of the whale. There I found Luffy inspecting a hole inside the whale. It was metal plated.

“Hi Luffy, nice seeing you here”, I greeted and landed next to him.

“Oh, hi Lara, this whale ate my ship and friends, you think we can go inside from here?”, he returned casually. As if a flying long-ear-human on a giant whale is nothing special. His lack of concern for anything unusual is funny.

“Sure, why not. This looks to be an entrance”, I agreed and opened the metal lid. Under it was a ladder that led inside the whale.

“Cool,” said Luffy before letting himself drop down the hole. I followed him. Luffy landed and crouched down to stop his fall, I used him as my stopper. He was pressed into the ground and I bounced up from his rubber body. The bounce stopped my fall and with a second bounce, I was inside the hallway. Luffy was standing up right away, not minding me using him in such a way.

How the fuck did Krokus build this without killing La Boum? This is a freaking hallway, with electricity, light and even air conditioning. “What is this place?”, asked Luffy confused, or in his normal tone. I'm not truly able to differ between both if it comes to him.

“Someone built a walkway inside the whale”, I explained and began to walk in a random direction.

“How can someone build inside a whale?”, he asked, this time definitely confused.

“It's a mystery whale”, I told him, he nodded. Expression full of understanding.

“I see, that explains it.” The manga and anime did show how Luffy was, but watching him in real life is even above that.

“Anyway, let's see if we find”, I began but was stopped mid-sentence. The floor suddenly shook and turned upside down. Luffy tumbled into me and we both were flown down the walkway. I could have righted myself if Luffy wouldn't have wrapped himself around me. His arms were wrapped around me three times and he was screaming into my ear. For fuck's sake, this day is loud!

Both of us were thrown against the walls, floor and ceiling while travelling down the hallway. At least Luffy's body was cushioning the crashes.

Then two people and a door came out of nowhere and we crashed into them. The door opened and we were thrown out into an open space.

“Oh hey, guys. Help me out please!”, shouted Luffy. He did untangle himself from me the moment we had more room and I can't stop to think that his hug might have been him trying to save me from getting hurt by hitting the walls without him in between.

“I'm gonna save you, my elven princess!”, shouted the blond cook before jumping inside the acid. If he wants to get wet, so be it.

Now that I could move around again I righted myself and used some Geppos to float in the air. The Going Merry was drifting under me, so I landed on its deck. Ussop and Nami were looking at me with gaping mouths.

“Ah! It's the scary elven lady from Arlong Park and she can fly”, shouted Ussop in fright. He was shaking in his boots and holding his extremely shacking sling somewhat aimed at me.

“Idiot, that is Lara, not Lia”, shouted Nami and bonked him on the head. So Lia is the scary one?

“Oh right, sorry then”, he apologised with a massive lump on his head.

Two thumps were heard before anything else could be said and the bodies of Luffy and some guy with a crown were thrown on board. Vivi was carried princes style by Sanji, he must have switched his target.

“Who are these guys?”, asked Ussop, yet no one answered him. Zoro and Sanji were now also back on board, totally soaked in whale stomach acid. This can't be good for the skin.

“Looks like the whale has calmed down”, noted Nami. Indeed, the acid waves were calming down.

“We're inside the whale now, this means we can easily kill it and feed our village”, declared the crown guy suddenly. Both he and Vivi raised a bazooka and shot at the whale, but Krokus an old man with a flower like hair, who stood next to a giant metal door, jumped into the flight path of the cannonballs and got hit. He fell down into the acid but was mainly uninjured. This guy was a member of Gol D. Roger's crew, a simple bazooka wouldn't hurt him.

“Fufufufu, try to resist, but it won't matter”, laughed Vivi. They both reloaded their bazookas and were then knocked out by Luffy.

“I don't know who these guys are, but I better make them sleep for now”, he said casually.

Sanji sent a flying kick to his head in retaliation.“Don't hurt a young lady idiot.” He too got hit by Nami for doing stupid things. Getting hit seems to be the norm on this ship.

“So what are you doing inside the whale?”, I asked nonchalantly and watched Ussop how he bound the two intruders with rope.

“We got eaten because our idiot of a captain decided he should fight a freaking mountain sized whale”, growled Nami. She was shaking her fist at the mentioned idiot with a fierce glare.

“Hey, he damaged my favourite sitting place”, defended Luffy while pointing mournfully at the severed head of their lamb figurehead. I'm pretty sure that Ussop can fix that, somewhat.

“Anyway, let's dock on the island and speak with the old man, he might know what these guys were speaking about”, suggested Zoro with a light kick at the crowned guy.

We did just that and were jumping down from the ship just in time to watch Krokus climbing out of the 'water'.

He sat down and began to tell us that the crown guy and Vivi were part of a nearby island and that they want to hurt the whale for food. He also told us why the whale was crashing his head against the rock. La Boum was a member of the Rumba Pirates. A pirate crew that crossed the Rivers Mountain fifty years ago. They left the young whale here because they couldn't protect him on their journey and Krokus thinks that they either left the Grand Line or died.

La Boum, now fully grown up is crashing his head into the massive wall because he wants to reach the other side, where he believes to find his pod members. He is not stopping and the Red Line is not giving in. The fact that Brook is still out there, thinking about La Boum and his promise to him, is almost saddening. Ussop and Luffy were both crying.

“Anyway, let's get you out of here, the stomach acid is not good for your ship”, announced Krokus after a pause of silence. He opened the giant metal door for us while explaining that he was treating the wounds La Boum was suffering from the inside because he was too big.

Soon enough we were back out and could see the ocean and real sky.

“What are we gonna do with these guys anyway?”, asked Zoro now. He pointed one of his swords in the direction of the two captives.

“Eh? Just throw them over board”, answered Nami casually, even with a dismissive wave of her hand. Zoro shrugged and did just that. He did not even unbind the two. They splashed into the water but resurfaced quickly.

“Don't think that this is over, just because you have beaten us once. We will get this whale”, shouted the crown guy at Krokus.

“And you are pirates aren't you? Our organisation might be interested in you”, shouted Vivi. Both then turned around and swum off. They were so fast that they made a splashing wave.

“Strange guys”, commented Ussop. The rest, I included, just nodded in agreement.

“Anyway, now that I know that you are safe I'm gonna go back to our ship. We want to set sail as soon as possible”, I announced.

“But what about the party?”, asked Luffy in confusion.

“Is there chicken to eat?”, I asked with a glance at Sanji.

“There will be as much chicken as my goddess demands.” He then spun around and run inside the ship. Not even thirty seconds later and he came back with a whole roasted chicken. How? Lia has to learn that!

“Party it is!”, I declared and rushed at the golden brown goodness. Luffy tried as well, but he was bitch slapped into the Grand Line. I didn't use Haki, so it should be fine.

“She knocked Luffy out!”, cried Ussop in fear.

“He fried fo grab my chicken”, I defended myself while munching on the crunchy chicken skin.

“As you have every right to my angel.” See, Sanji agrees with me.

Nami just shook her head with a small smile. “Let's set anchor, I want to speak with Nojiko.”

Ussop and Sanji helped to redirect the ship and the Going Merry anchored only a few minutes later next to the Shadow. My crew was already waiting on land, with the exception of Lia. She was probably still sleeping.

“It's good that you're safe.” Nojiko then hugged Nami and nodded at me in thanks.

“Who's this guy?”, asked Luffy when he saw Jo. He even pointed at him but looked at me.

“My name is Josef Mengele, I'm the ships doctor. May I know who you are?”, answered Jo for himself.

“Cool, we still need one.” And with that, the conversation between Luffy and Jo was over. The reason was simple, Luffy smelled food. Sanji had set up a grill and was cooking some fish.

“Strange guy”, commented Jo with a small frown. He then shrugged and came to me.

“So captain, what happened?”, he asked. First time getting called captain, feels funny.

“Luffy, the guy with the straw hat, angered the whale and their ship got eaten. But Krokus, that's the old guy, has built a house inside the whale's stomach as well as a gate to the outside.

We sailed through the gate and will now have a small barbecue before setting sail again”, I summarised.

“Back to the Grand Line and shit already happens”, laughed Jo. He studied the other straw hats for a moment but seemed to not find anyone of interest.

“Krokus is a doctor as well, might want to exchange some info”, I suggested. Jo merely nodded before making his way over to the old man.

So, how long till the Log Pose is set? Nojiko has ours. So I walked over to her and Nami, they were sitting at a table that Ussop has put down. Both of them already had a drink in their hands. With a side glance, I noticed how Luffy was fighting La Boum. He just finished ramming the main mast of the Going Marry into the whale. No wonder their ship didn't last.

“Hey Nojiko, is our Log Pose set?”, I asked and sat down on the opposite of them.

“Wait a moment”, answered the bluenette, she looked down at her wrist, where the compass was strapped on and nodded at me.

“Yes, we can set sail anytime we want.” That's cool, we decided to let the pose set randomly. I am not against having a similar travel as the straw hats, but doing it intentionally is not what I want.

If the pose sets us for the same path, then we simply can ignore it and sail to a different island. Sure, the Log Pose is a sure way to travel on the Grand Line, but not truly the only way.

That would be impossible. The Marines are perfectly capable of navigating paradise without problems. And other bigger pirates do as well. It's a major plot hole in the manga. There it's said that a different route is impossible, but how are the Marines and pirates then able to sail to islands they want to reach?

The answer is simple, a map. They use maps to navigate, sure, it is a lot harder but still possible.

“So that is what this thing does.” Seems like I missed the explanation to Nami. Well, wasn't important to me anyway. I shrugged and then ducked under the incoming Luffy. He was kicked by Sanji and crashed right into the Log Pose that Nami now held.

Did I even miss how Luffy found the Pose and gave it to Nami? Anyway, the compass shattered and Nami looked horrified. And that is why Lia bought the sturdiest one on the market.

“You idiot!” With a mighty kick, she sent both Sanji and Luffy into the ocean. She huffed in anger and then sat down. “What are we gonna do now?”

“I just so happen to have another one. You can have it, as thanks for convincing La Boum to stop with his stupid antics”, said Krokus from the side. He pulled another one of the normal Log Poses out of his pocket and gave it to Nami.

“Thank you, really. I don't know what we would have done without one.” Nami even bowed a little in thanks.

“Welp, I think it's time for us to go”, I announced. Don't want to linger any longer. At the end, we will really have the same course as them.

“It was nice seeing you Nami, maybe we will meet again soon.” Noijko gave Nami another hug and climbed back to the ship. Jo was already on board. And our two sword trainees were in the middle of climbing the ladder.

“I wish you the best of the world my elven angel. Please stay safe until we meet again”, shouted Sanji while I jumped on board as well. I pointedly ignored him.

A moment later we have set sail and were on our way to the first stop.