Grand Voyage- Log 36

Log 36: The Three Trials Part 2
The environment around them had changed suddenly, in a manner eerily similar to the infamous Grand Line. In fact, just behind the ship the storm that they had left behind could be seen, still going on fiercely just a few meters away.

But of course, the Marimos didn’t bother to look back. Because right before them was the most beautiful island they had ever seen.

The Isle of Flowers.

True to its name, the island was covered with flowers, of all sizes and shapes. And I mean all sizes. There were ones tall as skyscrapers, some the size of a person, others normal sized, some the size of mouths. Each one had a deep, soothing dark green stalk, and the petals on top where of various, bright, cheery colors. In fact, there were so many of these beautiful colors that the flowers almost seemed to glow, and even the sky above them seemed tinged pink.

And then there was the aroma. A thick, luscious scent drifted to the pirates’ noses, filling their minds with the thought of nature, greenery, freshly picked roses. Almost immediately the crew seemed to age backwards 5 years, stress being lifted from them like snow being scooped up by a little child.

“Woaah...” Stormy said, her cheeks tinged pink.

“Awesome!” Knave said, his eyes shining like stars.

“Incredible...” Sid gasped, his mouth dropping open.

“Amazing,” Art almost swooned.

They were spellbound, unable to tear their eyes away from the heavenly image before them. Finally, Knave leaped from the ship, landing on the shore and discovering a thin carpet of beautiful lime grass that lay between the flowers.

“Let’s go guys!” he said, turning back and waving at them, “we have to explore this place, y’know!”

The others snapped out of it. “Right!” they went, quickly joining him. They dashed into the forest of flowers before them, laughing and jumping around as they enjoyed the sights.

After several hours of, for lack of a better world, frolicking, the crew reassembled in a small clearing, the ground covered by vibrant pink sakura petals. “This place is awesome!” Knave said.

“I know, right?” Art replied, jumping up and down, “I wanna stay here forever!”

“I don’t even feel hungry,” Sid exclaimed, “or tired, or thirsty! It just feels wonderful!”

“I-” Stormy began, but was interrupted by a small sound from a smaller group of flowers. The crew craned their heads, attempting to hear it clearly this time.

“Gao!”

“Gao?” Sid asked, scratching his head, “what the hell does ‘gao’ mean?”

“No idea,” D’Artagnan mused, taking a closer look, “is it just a sound the flowers make, or...”

“Gao!” came the sound again, “Gao! Gao!”

“No, no,” Knave said, shaking his head, “we’re cool! We’re not gonna hurt ya!”

The others stared oddly at Knave. “Who are you talking to?” Stormy asked.

“The voice coming from the flowers,” Knave said simply.

“Um, Knave,” Sid interjected, “there’s no voice coming from the flowers...”

“Yeah there is!” Knave insisted, “he just said ‘Go away! We don’t want to get hurt again’!”

“Gao?” came the sound.

“Yeah, you can come out,” Knave said, grinning happily.

Slowly, the flowers were parted, as a creature that came up to Knave’s knee stepped out. It was a strange creature, with a bipedal ladybug-like shape, but had mushroom like markings all over it. The markings on its back seemed detached, a bit, like it was some form of cape. Small fingers were visible on its hands, and its black, almost chibi-esque eyes peered up at the Marimos with a mix of curiosity and fear.

“Gao?” it asked, tilting its head.

“Hahhh,” Stormy said, “it’s so CUTE!”

“A... mushroom monster?” Art asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Looks like it,” Sid confirmed.

“Gao,” the creature said simply.

“He says his name is Gopher!” Knave said happily.

Gopher looked up at Knave, finally identifying the one who was speaking to him. His eyes lit up, and he let out a cry of joice, leaping up at Knave and hugging him around the neck. “Gao! Gao! Gao!” he went, bouncing in place happily.

“Eh?” Knave asked, stumbling a bit under the sudden weight, “what’s wrong?”

The creature dropped down, still skipping around. It began pointing rapidly at a small path that, had he not pointed it out, would have evaded the crew’s gaze completely. “Gao, gao!” Gopher said, gesturing rapidly.

“‘Follow me’” Knave translated, “‘I’ll take you to my village.’”

“Are you sure we should head that way?” Stormy asked, raising an eyebrow, “it doesn’t seem right to just trust something we just me-”

“He already left,” Art pointed out.

“HE WHAT?!”

The Marimos followed the miniscule path quite a distance, passing through a field of daisies, a maze of sunflowers, and a small jungle of violets. Finally, Gopher pushed aside a few large leaves, exposing his home, his new companions peering over him.

Gopher’s village was located in a large depression in the ground, and it was filled with activity. Small houses covered nearly 70% of it, with the rest filled with streets, pens of chickens that the mushroom people rode like horses, and more of the mushroom/ladybug figures themselves, bustling around, speaking in “Gao!”s, in all pitches and tones.

“Woah....” the crew gasped at the sight.

“You live here?” Sid asked of Gopher.

“Gao!” the mushroom creature replied, “Gao! Gao Gao!”

“‘Yep!’” Knave translated, “‘we all live here!’”

At his words, Gopher leaped into the air, the small cape-like back section shaking slightly as it took on air, allowing the creature to glide down, landing smoothly in the center of a small crowd. HIs fellow creatures immediately huddled around him, “Gao”ing at him and waving their arms. Gopher turned slightly, waving his arm in a welcoming gesture.

“Easy for him to say,” Art grumbled, “it’s not like we can just jump down-”

“Yahoo!” Knave yelled, taking a running leap and flying into the air. Gravity immediately seized him, and the young captain crashed to the ground, right in front of a large group of ‘Shroomians’.

Dead silence filled the air, as the creatures stared at the strange being who had just landed right in front of them. Gopher rushed forward, waving his arms around frantically. “Gao! Gao gao!” he squeaked in panic.

“GAO!!!” the Shroomians suddenly erupted, throwing their hands into the air with a cheer. Immediately a party feeling seemed to come over them, and they began running around, seizing food, tiny musical instruments, all the things one would usually find at a celebration.

“Wha..?” Sid asked as the rest of the crew finally arrived in the village themselves, having carefully climbed down the slope, “what’s going on?”

As Knave pulled himself up, the crowd of Shroomians began to parted, as a small carriage pulled by two golden-feathered chickens appeared, pulling up beside the crew and Gopher. The door flipped open, and out came another Shroomian.

He was much older than the others, however, with a rather out of place-looking gray beard. His features seemed to be sagging somewhat, and wrinkles covered his face, bags visible under his eyes. Unlike the others who seemed to wear nothing, he wore a set of tiny, yet luxurious robes. He peered up at the pirates, eyes narrowing.

“Gao...” he said simply.

“The hell?” Sid asked, stepping back, “I could have sworn he just said ‘You...’!”

“Gao’n,” the elder said, nodding.

“‘I’ ..... ‘I did’?” the navigator asked, “how can I understand you?”

“Gao’n gao gao,” the elder explainied, “gao gao.... gao’kn gao’nee. Gaoshoku gao gao. Gao gao... gao gao gao.”

“‘We are the native people of this land,’” Sid translated akwardly, “‘we speak a language that is known only to us, with one exception. Each one of us has a counterpart of some other species who can understand us perfectly. It appears Gopher-kun has found his match’.”

“I see,” Knave said, rubbing his chin wisely, “so I can mysteriously understand him.”

“GAO!” the elder barked, comically furious.

“NO!” Sid translated, whacking his captain over the head for good measure.

“Gao gao’n gao...” the elder mused.

“‘And it seems I have found mine today as well...’” Sid translated, then collapsed to the floor in depression, “oh, come on! Why do I get the old guy?!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” D’Artagnan said with a sigh, patting the navigator on the shoulder, “at least it wasn’t an old lady.”

“F*CK YOU!” Sid yelled at his crewmate.

“So,” Stormy asked, taking the initiative, “what are we supposed to do now?”

“Gao gao gao, gao’n gao’shta. Gao’kuria g’n,” the elder replied.

“‘Most who find their counterpart here end up staying,’” Sid said, who had recovered from his funk, “‘we have plenty of food.’”

“Not an option,” Stormy, Art, and Knave said immediatley.

“Gao.... gao’n gaoshite,” the elder continued.

“‘You could leave, or.... no, not that way,’” Sid translated.

“We’re not leaving him behind,” Knave said simply. Gopher tilted his head slightly at this comment.

“What’s the other way?” Art asked.

“Gaot.... THE THREE TRIALS,” the elder gasped.

“The hell?!” the crew cried in unison, flipping over mental tables, “how can you speak english?!”

~End of Log~

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter