#writers write

[renee-writer]

[feralchaton]

Cast out mutts barking and scrounging at the Sawmill. Muzzles chewed clear through; synthetic material mixing with acid spewed. Labouring whales gossip with suckling parasites beaching in the murky lurky pond. Eau de médiocre emanating amongst shallow leech pools. Neither temperance nor justice is ever led by jealousy.

[the-ellia-west]

Thinkin about that one thing where time is said to be the 4th dimension

And it's like us to 2 dimentional creatures, just walk out, there's an open space right there.

Fantasy concept

Mortal: *In a situation* God, how do I escape?

Their Patron God: Just fuckin... step out

Mortal: Excuse me?

PG: Just... fast forward to a time when you're not in prison

M: Wat

PG: You can do that right?

M: ???

[novemberhope]

Summary: Cordelia is a little kid fending for herself. She tries to steal from Shakky. Notes: This came to me a while ago when I was trying to sleep. Finally I found time to write some of it down. Word Count: 1407

The afternoon sun rose high above the Sabaody Archipelago. Bubbles floated gracefully through the air. The many mangrove trees shielded the secluded little beach from sight. But not everyone was living a happily life.

At just six years old, Cordelia knew her way around the island. Her long, dirty black hair fell down her back, tangled and unkempt. She was barefoot as always and her dress was dirty and torn in many places. Many children like her roomed the Sabaody Archipelago, left behind when their parents went to join the various pirate crews and set sail from Sabaody into the New World, or were fished out of the sea when the ships they were on ended up sinking when the crews attempted to set sail for Fishman Island. Some were born on Sabaody, fathered by charming young pirates that then went on their next adventure, not caring who they left behind. Some had family on the island that either couldn’t take care of them or only did the bare minimum. Cordelia had no idea who her parents were. She remembered nothing about her early years and only knew the life on the streets, running away from drunk pirates and drunk marines alike, being depended on the kindness of strangers. She had learned to scavenge, to rely on her small size and swift feet. Adults had come and gone, and she had learned the hard way that trust was a foolish thing.

Today, she had spotted something of interest, guiding her like a moth to a flame. She crept closer, her stomach twisting with hunger, until she spotted a woman sitting on a weathered log, her dark, short hair barely reaching her chin. She wore a tight shirt and even tighter pants.

The woman had a cigarette hanging from her lips as she watched the waves lapping at the shore. She seemed oblivious to the fact that she wasn’t alone at the beach.

Cordelia’s heart raced as she eyed the coins scattered on the log beside the woman—a small treasure just within reach. She crouched low, the grains of sand sticking to her dirty feet, her fingers itching to snatch them. She had many times stolen before; it was a matter of survival, after all.

Just as she was about to pounce, the woman’s smoky voice broke the silence. “You’re not very good at hiding, are you?” She didn’t turn her head, but her eyes narrowed, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Cordelia froze. She took a step back, her heart racing with fear. Her many experiences had taught her that adults were rarely kind. “I wasn’t… I wasn’t hiding!” she lied.

The woman finally turned, her black eyes narrowing at the girl before her. “Bullshit, kid. You were as subtle as an explosion in a library.” She flicked ash from her cigarette and regarded the girl, her expression shifting. “You look a bit worse for wear. You hungry?”

Cordelia was caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone. “I’m not hungry,” she stammered, though the gnawing emptiness in her stomach gave her away.

The woman chuckled softly. “Right, and I’m the queen of Fishman Island.” She leaned over, the sun catching the coins as she picked them up. “You can have one, if you want. But first, you have to speak properly.”

Cordelia hesitated, her distrust showing. Adults rarely showed kindness, but something in this woman’s presence felt different—granted, she seemed tough, but though Cordelia could work with. Fake niceness and then ending up being locked in or hit she could not.

“I… I just need a coin,” she said finally. “Please.”

With a resigned sigh, the woman threw a coin to Cordelia, who caught it with the reflexes of a street cat. The girl’s pretty blue eyes lit up.

“That should buy you a meal, but you can’t keep fending for yourself like this at your age. Do you have a place to go?” the woman asked, her tone shifting into something more serious.

“I’m fine”, Cordelia snapped, making sure to keep enough distance between them.

“You’re what? Five? Seven? You can’t fend for yourself. There are worse things than hunger in these waters, kid.”

Cordelia’s heart thudded in her chest. “You just want to lock me up somewhere to take me away!” she said, taking several steps back. She had seen some kids being rounded up and taken away. It happened now and then and she hadn’t seen any of them ever again.

“Not necessarily, but you understand you need help, right? What’s your name?”

Cordelia crossed her arms defiantly. "I don’t need a name. I’m fine."

"Are you really?" the woman asked. "How about you come with me? I can get you something to eat, no strings attached."

Panic sized Cordelia at the thought of being trapped. "No!" she yelled, turning around and sprinting along the beach, the sound of her bare feet slapping against the hot sand.

As she reached the water’s edge, huge boulders loomed before her, blocking her escape route. She looked towards the mangrove trees, ready to change direction, but she could hear voices coming from there. Frantically, she looked in all directions, paranoia overtaking reason. Gripping the rough surface of one of the rocks, she began to climb.

But as she scrambled, her foot slipped against the jagged stone, sending her tumbling backward. She landed in the water, waves crashing over her, pulling her down. She had never learned how to swim. Fear washed over her as she was sinking deeper.

Then strong arms reached for her. The woman from before had leaped into the water after the girl and caught her just in time. Cordelia was coughing and spitting out water as she was pulled to safety upon the shore. The woman sat down with her on the sand.

"You can’t just run away like that!" the woman gasped, pushing damp strands of hair back from Cordelia’s face. The girl sat on the sand shivering and shocked, water dripping from her face.

"I don’t need you!” Cordelia said defiantly.

"You’re right. You don’t need me," the woman replied. “But you do need food… and a place to stay for the night. Just think about that."

Once again, Cordelia was torn. She had lived for so long on her own, never trusting anyone. And yet, sitting next to this strange woman who had cared enough to save her… she really wanted to go with the woman.

Later, as the sun was setting, Silvers Rayleigh strolled into the Rip-Off Bar. His eyebrows rose as his eyes fell on Shakuyaku, who was preparing food for a dirty young girl that was sitting at a table, looking at him with distrust, scowling at him as he came closer.

"What's this?" Rayleigh asked, as Cordelia scowled at him.

"This," Shakuyaku began, "is Cordelia. I’m thinking about letting her stay for a while."

Rayleigh chuckled. "A little firecracker, aren’t you? How do you feel about staying, Cordelia?”

She glared up at him, her blue eyes narrowing. “You can’t make me stay. I won’t! I don’t trust adults.”

“No one’s asking you to trust us right now,” Shakky said softly, crouching down next to the table to meet the girl’s gaze. “But you could have a meal, a place to rest. No one says you have to stay if you don’t want to. You can always leave.”

For a brief moment, Cordelia looked like she wanted to get up and run away. Instead, she avoided looking at the two adults and grabbed the plate that Shakky had placed in front of her. Ignoring the cutlery, she started to grab everything with her fingers, shoving as much food in her mouth as possible.

“Guess we’ll work on table manners another time,” Rayleigh chuckled.

“Just let her eat,” Shakky said. “She nearly drowned today.”

Cordelia kept on eating. She didn’t say anything but she was clearly watched them closely, ready to bolt at the smallest sign of danger. The danger never came. She still kept eating like every meal would be her last one but eventually she started to allow Shakky and Rayleigh to sit at the table with her. She did not shrink back when they made sudden movements and she even grinned sometimes when they joked around. Very slowly, trust was being built - and for the first time in her life, Cordelia allowed herself to get close to someone.

[writerswritecompany]

The Top 5 Writing Posts From May 2023

In this post, we share the top 5 writing posts from May 2023.

Every month, we look at the posts that people read the most. These were the new Writers Write posts you enjoyed in May 2023:

How To Make Any Story Creepy Using The Uncanny

31 Writing Prompts For May 2023

‘How To Steal Like An Artist’ – Writing Advice From Austin Kleon

How Travel Can Boost Your Creativity

The Top 5 Writing Posts From April 2023

Previous Posts

The Top 5 Writing Posts From April 2023

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Top Tip: Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop.

[peachiecrime]

Prescribed Advice

Humming along the varies melodies: deeper meaning, clutching your heart.

Full of desire, that hold most power: Yourself

Do. It. Yourself.

Be your version of you, not the one others desire

Believe in the words given to others as a gift: for they shall be the once that lift you now

Allow: wondering how?

Laugh, somehow you’ll be fine.

Day, months or even perhaps years, time will make you shine.

[spiced-wine-fic]

[hidden-sides-of-phaantomace]

Hey guys! I dropped a new chapter of my book "An Open Heart" yesterday on AO3 and today it's coming out on wattpad. Please check it out!

[seeking-athena]

When I was 17 I decided I wanted to be thin

I started counting calories, until they started counting me

How many celery sticks will keep me full today?

Ward off the pangs of hunger, the emptiness inside

Drink more water, it'll make me feel full again

Feast on the praise I'm receiving, because suddenly people see me

When I got a little older, I learned to eat again

I relished in it, savored food like I savored life

But everytime I woke up hating myself,

I starved myself

If I couldn't love myself, I'd love the gnawing hunger in my stomach

Embrace the feeling of my stomach eating me alive

Feed the voice in my head that said I didn't deserve to have the things I loved

In 2007, my life burned down

In my grief, I couldn't eat for months

The only food consumed was forced down

I thought about letting myself starve

I ate my pain until I couldn't stand the taste of it

Now I take sunshine in a pill

I'm finally able to fully embrace life with all the energy I've never had before

But food has once again become an enemy

The desire has gone, replaced with repulsion

Food rots in my mouth, bile rises, the body rejects

Hunger gnaws at my inside, eating me alive

All I hear in my head is the doctor telling me that I could stand to skip a few meals, so I'll keep doing that until it shows.

[renee-writer]

For anything else can be controlled. Shut down. Stopped. Cash is freedom. Bills in hand means you aren't being manipulated by anyone or anything. Your 'social credit score' won't matter. You can give to charity, hand money to family needing gas, that veteran down on his luck.

So keep it cash only. Better yet, buy some gold.

[starredeclipse]

Exploring where you don’t belong: A short story

(want to read part one? Here you go )

Ever since that first day…..Madison has been alone, two weeks had passed and her parents still had not returned, after the third day she tried calling the cops but they laughed her claims off and dismissed what she said as a prank before she got a strong warning over the phone. It’s not like she didn’t try, she called the cops and they were of no help, she realized right then and there that she was on her own.

So after she fixed her alarm clock Madison started taking care of herself, she wasn’t the best at it since she never got taught on how to use the stove but luckily the microwave was always available, the clothes washing…..that was another story….she didn’t understand how to use the washer, it had so many buttons and it already leaked a lot of soap out of it the first time she touched it…..clearly she had done something wrong but she didn’t know what so she kind of just cleaned up the mess the best she could and didn’t touch it ever again. Luckily the sink was always available and she did have some soap products still that didn’t get taken so when she ran out of clothes during the first week she just simply started hand washing her clothes and hanging them up on the shower pole to dry.

It was a slower process but it did work, she made herself simple food options, luckily she never gets tired of chicken nuggets! Unfortunately the box of that had already run out but she still had other food so she wasn’t too worried….yet.

Today was just another day of being alone, she remembered how some kids in her class wished they could be alone so they could spend all day playing video games but to be honest….being alone isn’t what its cracked up to be…..she missed her parents and she didn’t understand why they were just gone, why there phone numbers no longer worked and why they didn’t just come home. Did she do something wrong? Had she somehow made them so mad that they just left her? Was this all her fault somehow? School never let her have those thoughts linger too much and luckily after school she would be hanging out with her friends……its not like she would get in trouble for staying out too late with them, after all she had nobody to tell her to go to bed or that she couldn’t hang out with her friends or that this was a bad idea and that they shouldn’t be going to a abandoned Pizza place with the large bear on it.

She walked behind her friends, Jack and Brittany were talking about a new movie they wanted to see while Teddy and Molly sort of just listened in but they didn’t say much until the group arrived at there destination “Well this this is the place, did everyone remember to bring there flashlights?” Teddy asked “Oh you know I got mine, I snagged it this morning” Jack said with confidence as he pulled it out of his bag revealing one of those black heavy duty flashlights “I didn’t forget mine” Molly took out a pink flashlight, it was small with a limited light trail when turned on.

“Really? Your not going to be seeing much with that” Teddy sighed before he saw his friends other flashlights “Well at least the rest of your flashlights are decent, come on, I’ve never gone further into this place, I’m kind of excited to explore the rest of it finally” to be truthful he was always scared to explore further into this place but now that his friends were joining him, he felt confident.

Molly looked unsure but Jack walked in with Teddy followed by Brittany, Molly looked at Madison “Are we really doing this?” She seemed kind of scared and honestly so was Madison “yeah, looks like it, come on we better go in or they won’t let us live this down if we bail” now was not the time to become a chicken, Molly sighed before she nodded to herself “Your right, your right, you always are” her blond hair hung loosely in its ponytail as she mentally prepared herself to go inside, Madison held the door open for her when she was ready and together everyone went inside “Woah this place is so cool!” Brittany squeaked as she took pictures “Yeah the lobby is pretty cool” Teddy said in agreement before the red head turned around to face her friends “Come on group photo in front of the counter, its only the best place for a photo before we really start our adventure!” She seemed so excited now that they all were inside “Sure why not” Jack just went along with it, he stood in front of the counter and waited for the others to join him before they all watched there friend drag a chair over, she sat the camera on the chair before she set the timer and joined her friends “Let’s do silly poses” yeeeaaahhh Jack wasn’t doing that but Teddy at least did some bunny ears while Brittany and Molly did some peace signs, everyone smiled before the camera flashed, a picture was officially taken “Yeah I bet that looks great!” Brittany went and picked up her camera before Teddy clicked on his flashlight, it was almost like a signal just went off, that it was officially time to adventure further in.

Molly looked unsure but with the boys walking into the main party room, everyone else followed close by “Wow, there confetti all over the floor” the red head spoke with awe in her voice as her flashlight showed all kinds of different things. There was several tables, chairs, confetti everywhere and the occasional deflated balloon, the paint was peeling from the walls but oddly enough Madison saw supplies next to the stage. She walked up to the stage to look at these supplies further and her flashlight confirmed they were construction materials “hey guys, I think maybe this place might be being renovated?” Everyone looked over to where she was flashing her light “Nah, I mean maybe somebody bought this place but I haven’t heard anything about them trying to restore the place” Teddy said with a thinking look on him “I mean maybe there just storing that stuff here, like a storage unit” Molly suggested, that seemed possible, when all the kids gathered by the stage the stage lights suddenly flashed on, everyone jumped and some even yelped in surprise since it was quite bright and startling “Wha? Huh?” Teddy froze, they were the only ones here, who turned on the stage lights??? “I-I-Is this place haunted?!” Molly squeaked fully freaked out “D-don’t be silly, ghosts aren't real!” Jack sort of shakily spat, it was obvious he was just trying to put on a brave face “Yeah, yeah he right” Madison said but she didn’t believe that “Maybe its some old tech we don’t know of, lets look around, I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for why those lights suddenly turned on” Teddy was spooked but he wasn’t going to be a coward, he took Mollys hand when she looked like she was just going to leave, she squeaked but she didn’t pull her hand free as Teddy started to lead her away from the door, they went to go find the cause of this together, meanwhile the rest of the friends stuck together and went into another room to see if they could find the cause of the lights. Brittany took photos here and there, the flash of her camera illuminated the dark spaces temporarily leaving the group on edge with ever single flash, this was like a horror movie.

Jack stopped when he located a electrical box with a switch “Ah this says stage lights” he proceeded to pull the switch back down, they heard the lights turn off but in a matter of three minutes the switch began to slowly slip into the on position until they heard the stage lights turn back on “Looks like its just a slippery switch, well that explains things, it just slowly slipped itself into the on position” Madison and Brittany let out a sigh of relief before they all heard a scream “Is that Molly and Teddy?!” Brittany sounded panicked, they sounded terrified, the three of them ran back into the party room, they came to a stop next to the stage, all eyes staring in disbelief……

[maisiejanescripts]

me: *posting my resume as a freelance writer on zip recruiter*

zip recruiter: “hey! here’s multiple jobs and you don’t even have to go in! you can work remotely!”

me: “nice!”

zip recruiter: “it’s all for helping to program ai!”

me: “not nice. no thank you. do you have any jobs where i’m working with people on a project that isn’t ai? just a company in need of a writer for scripts for films or skits?”

zip recruiter: “no. ai is the future, silly-“

me: “i hope you all burn. goodbye.”

[feralchaton]

There were silver spoons growing up, but I only got to polish them, then watch my family use them. Promises glazed in emptiness, blended with razors and glass atop a spork made of fool's gold. Traded in for bamboo and abalone on my own time. Jealous there were quarters instead of dimes for mine.

Finished throwing pipe bombs along bridges last week. Cast off, no lines, no trails, no roads. Free. First, they hate, then belittle, then copy, then fade. Watching from afar while fear creeps in, as hit by hit - blow by blow - each met with a growing smile. Masochistic tendencies learned in battle.

Sent death and famine; we sat playing rummy until dawn speaking of and to one another in hushed tones of reverence and understanding.

Sent devils to one who sees past the horns. Birthed of the same light; recognized and known. The ones who keep some safe at night, a place in which light can't abide. Where angels slay and demons play, and mirror one another. Light and shadow have the same home, hand in hand, together.

Threw caution to the wind but couldn't keep noses clean. Hands felt clammy and sticky. Some perceived power or greed? Something unfelt and unseen? Like a leech striking out blind in the wood. What is wished on others is what will be celebrated or endured.

We do not have to be saints to house a heart that is pure.

[the-ellia-west]

Food Themed Ask game 2.0!

🍄 Mushroom - What's the worst/most toxic relation your character has ever been in? What's the best?

🌽 Corn - Who's your POV or Most common POV?

🫐 Blueberry - What's one piece of dialogue that shows your character's personality?

🍏 Apple - What is your Character's favorite food and drink?

🍠 Yam - What is your character, when simplified to a single Trope?

🥨 Pretzel - Post a character Profile please?

🍷 Wine - How fucked up is your character on a scale of 1-Oh good God? And How do they deal with it?

🍞 Bread - What is your character's Motivation?

🍍 Pineapple - If Your character could steal one thing from a supermarket, what would they steal?

🥩 Meat - What is your character's (Murder) bodycount?

🍦 Ice-cream - How often is your character happy? Are they an Optimist or a Pessimist?

🥧 Pie - What is the sweetest thing your character has ever done for someone? Who was it? Why did they do it?

🍬 Candy - If your character had to choose a spouse in Stardew Valley, who would it be? If you don't know what stardew valley is, Give me a fun fact about your character.

@mk-writes-stuff @phoenixradiant @somethingclevermahogony @darkandstormydolls @latay7 @sunnyjustice @aestheic-writer18 @illarian-rambling @agirlandherquill @vyuntspakhkite-l-darling @pastellbg @nkikio

Please ask me these as well :] - I would love it

Also, feel free to ask my side blog @jakkon-and-rose-topic too, I've got another ask game over there you can ask either of my blogs!

Thank you! (Also this is open to anyone to play and ask questions! Please use it!)

[novemberhope]

Summary: The Strawhats are on their way to Fishman Island but are attacked by the Kraken. Zoro also gets attacked by a fishman. When Neri shows up unexpectedly, Zoro gets a glimpse of her improved fighting skills after not seeing her for two years. Notes: It's been ages since I read Fishman Island so this might not 100% align with canon. Also, I hate writing fights. Word Count: 1272

Zoro stood firmly on the deck, his eyes narrowed in determination. Around him, chaos had spread like wildfire. Luffy, as always, was laughing, as the giant kraken approached them, slamming it’s tentacles into the ship's sides.

"Let’s take this beast down - or keep it as a pet!" Luffy shouted.

“Are you crazy, we’re not keeping that as a pet!!” Usopp exclaimed in horror.

“Don’t let it break the coating of the ship or we’ll all drown!” Franky warned.

Zoro knew they could only fend it off for so long. They had to take the fight away from the Thousand Sunny.

“Luffy!” he called. “I’m going in!”

He put his bandana on and glanced at his crewmates one last time before diving into the dark and cold waters, thankful for the protective bubble around him that allowed him to move under water without drowning.

Immersed in the chilly depths, Zoro still felt the pressure of the ocean around him. Or maybe that was just him coping with the strange feeling of moving around deep down in the ocean with only a protective bubble around him. As he descended towards the kraken, he could see Luffy and Sanji not too far off, also within protective bubbles, joining him in the fight.

The kraken’s tentacles thrashed all around him, a few times coming dangerously close to actually smashing his bubble. Zoro clasped his swords tightly. He aimed his blade and made his move, slicing with speed and precision as he slashed at the beast's tentacles. Suddenly, something dark darted through the water, catching his attention. A figure appeared, a fishman it seemed, with gleaming eyes and teeth that looked like razor blades, and muscles rippling under his skin. With a swift motion, the fishman lashed out, blocking Zoro's path and launching a strike aimed straight at him, clearly trying to slice through the bubble.

“So, the great Pirate Hunter decided to swim into dangerous waters?” the fishman sneered, a twisted grin on his face. “You shouldn’t have come here, human.”

Zoro narrowed his eyes. “Whoever you are, I don’t have time for you. Get out of my way.”

The fight began. Zoro parried the fishman’s attacks with astounding skill, but the fishman was relentless and powerful. Each blow drove him closer within the reach of the kraken’s tentacles. The beast continued its rampage, and in the distance, he could still hear Luffy and Sanji fighting, but they were too far away.

A tentacle came at him with full force and he had to use two swords to block it. At the same time, the fishman came from behind, also full force, while another tentacle came in from the side - something that wouldn’t have fazed him that much up on the surface but down here, fighting within the protective bubble, it was a different story in an entirely new environment. He not only could not let the attacks touch him, he had to make sure the entire bubble stayed intact.

Just as he was ready to attack three-sword-style and simply hope to get both the tentacles and the fishman at the same time, he sensed a sudden shift in the water. There was something coming in at full speed, something that forced the tentacles away and blocked the fishman’s attack.

And then something huge burst onto the scene — the shimmering silhouette of a beautiful betta fish mermaid with seemingly translucent shining pale blue scales, shining rather brightly in the dark ocean, with a cloud of shiny dark brown hair billowing behind her.

It was Neri.

The last time Zoro had laid eyes on her was two years ago during the chaos in Sabaody when Bartholomew Kuma had used his powers to teleport each of them to a different location. Last thing he had heard was that he had teleported her to Fishman Island where she had undergone some training. And when he had returned to Sabaody, Rayleigh had told him that since Neri already was at Fishman Island, she would await the Strawhats there. Which… made sense but still, it had been a bit disappointing since he kind of had been looking forward to seeing her again.

The mermaid’s long, dark brown hair flowed around her, and her brown eyes shone with a determination he didn’t know she had. Gone was the timid, everything but confident girl he remembered from two years ago. Right now, she exuded confidence and strength as she used her hands to form the water in front of her into a magnificent trident.

Their eyes met. Her whole face lit up and she smiled, clearly very happy to see him again. And he who rarely ever smiled couldn’t help but smile back.

“Zoro!! It’s so good to see you!” she cried.

“Neri!” he shouted back. “I thought you were waiting for us on Fishman Island!”

“I was!” she said, still smiling. “But I couldn’t wait to see you all again so I thought I’d meet you half way! But Zoro - what happened to your eye?”

Unfortunately both the kraken and the fishman cut the reunion short and stopped Zoro from answering any further questions. They attacked again but were both hit by powerful waves coming from the water trident. The kraken tentacles came again and this time, were blocked by Zoro’s swords. The fishman turned towards Neri, showing her his ugly grin.

“You think you can defeat me? You’re nothing but a mere mermaid!” he hissed at her.

With elegance and strength that she did not have two years ago, Neri moved around the fishman, parrying his strikes with her trident. Each dodge, each thrust made it very clear to him that she indeed has used the last two years to work on her fighting skills. Being this deep under water, bending it to her will had become second nature to her. Gone was the timid and careful girl who often had been unsure if she would be able to do something.

“Do not underestimate me,” Neri said to her opponent.

The trident vanished. Instead, Neri held out her hands, forming underwater currents and using them to push the fishman off balance and right in striking distance of Zoro. His swords glinted in the dark. He struck fiercely, again and again and again, while also holding the tentacles at bay that were still coming his way.

“Let’s try it together,” Neri suggested, one more forming the water into a trident.

“On my mark!” Zoro yelled, and he and Neri coordinated their moves. Neri spun the trident, flinging the fishman’s defenses aside, allowing Zoro a clear path. He slashed out with his swords both at the tentacles and the fishman.

In a moment that felt like eternity, Zoro’s blades carved through the water and met their mark, the fishman pirate collapsing into a heap, defeated, and immediately started to sink deeper into the ocean. At the same time, Luffy and Sanji had driven the kraken further back so that it became more difficult for it to attack Zoro.

Breathing heavily, Zoro stared at Neri, who smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling with joy.

“You’ve improved,” he admitted gruffly, the corners of his mouth hinting at a smirk.

“A little,” Neri replied, blushing.

Just then, the kraken’s roar echoed through the water. Luffy and Sanji were yelling while fighting it. Apparently Luffy had yet to give up his plan to keep the beast as a pet.

“Let’s go join them!” Zoro suggested.

The swordsman and the mermaid swam towards the kraken. The Strawhat’s journey to Fishman Island had only just begun - and now that the crew was complete again, nothing would stand in their way!