One Piece: A Sea of Endless Possibility

From a bit behind Rose, Alphonse, a few bills in his hand as he placed them on the counter, the man now cleaned of blood, turned to Coffret as she adressed him. After a moment, Alphonse turned to leave, beginning, "I thank you for your help, once again, but...I've made up my mind. Thank you." Adjusting his glasses, he gave another quick bow, before turning to leave.

Swallowing his last bite, Avalon sighed, "What a butt." While Rose reluctantly let out a snort of laughter, Avalon leaned back in his seat, grumbling, "Well, whatever. It's not like I made a deal with him or anything: I just didn't want him to die fighting those guys."

Rose pouted, "Alphonse wouldn'ta died!"

Avalon snickered, "Oh man, you'd have had a heart attack if you saw him covered in blood."

Rose insisted, "It's fine if it wasn't his!"

Feeling beaten, Avalon kept his mouth shut, while Rose turned to Coffret, beginning, "My dad said the ship's ready!" With a bit of a pout, she muttered, "But I don't want you leave... But if..."

Avalon grunted, "She's not gonna marry Alphonse."

Rose mumbled, "I know, but...maybe? And then she can stay!" Avalon rolled his eyes: it was the other way around yesterday...
 
Coffret laughed.

"I'm sorry, Rose, but I'm not ready to get married just yet. I'm sure your cousin feels the same way. Though I'm sure we'll be back some day. I have to catch up with you on our latest adventures, and I couldn't possibly go without Mrs. Kim's cooking for too long."

She turned to Avalon.

"Ready to go?"

---

Down at the docks, the Big Coffer Pirate's ship could be seen somberly sailing away towards the horizon, having had most of their cargo confiscated. Coffret had to admit, she felt kind of sorry for them, but she herself had procured one of Jersei's potion making kits, so she couldn't say anything about it without being a hypocrite. She watched as the finishing touches were put to the Hinnon Breeze, the last of their bearings being brought on board. Then, one of the village men walked up to her with a pot of dirt.

"Here you go, miss, as you requested. A pot of island soil. Don't know what use you'll have for it, though..."

Coffret smiled at the man, graciously accepting the pot.

"Ah, thank you so much! And, well, it's not exactly for me."

She put her palm on the surface of the dirt, waited for a short while, pulled it away, and watched as a small shrub grew forth. She turned to Rose, who had followed them to the docks to say her final goodbyes before they left, and handed her the pot.

"There you go. When I found out the soil on this island was of the perfect alkalinity to grow them, I figured that instead of giving you a bunch of them that'll die eventually, I'd give you something you can nurture and watch grow, as a memento of me. Look!"

She pointed to a small pale bud, flushed with pink, sprouting from the bush.

"After a couple of weeks or so when it's grown enough, take it out of the pot and plant it somewhere the sun shines. Just make sure to water it every day, and nature will do the rest. Oh, and talking to it once in a while won't hurt, either. You might not think so, but plans enjoy company just as much as we humans do."

Apart from the gift in form of a rose bush, Coffret gave the girl her signature, warm smile.
 
While Avalon overlooked the ship from the sidelines, Rose looked at her gift with wonder. Nodding her head, "I'll take good care of it, I swear!"

Avalon grinned, "And we get bounties, you can read the news articles to it."

Rose lit up nodding, "Good idea!" Blinking she wondered, "You are you and what did you do with the dumb pirate who came in yesterday?"

Before Avalon could say something in which Rose would probably use to twist against him, voice came from above, calling, "There you two are!" Beckoning them, he suggested, "Come on, let me give you the tour!" Glancing down to his daughter, who seemed eager, he frowned, "You've already seen it."

Rose giggled, "I'm gonna take this to my house! I'll put it in the window so it can get a lot of sun!" As if in a hurry, she made her way off.

As the two Coal Pirates began to make their way up the gangplank, Rose's dad noted, "Oh yeah, where we were moving your stuff, we found that, so I figure we'd put it up."

Blinking, Avalon looked up, spotting a flag waving in the light breeze. A grin crossed his face as he saw the dark gray skull of the jolly roger, two bones crossed behind it's narrowed eyes, a round chuck missing from the cranium.

After a moment, Avalon growled, "Hey! You broke into my stash!"

Rose's dad blinked, shrugging, "What, under the board? It was such an expected hiding place I didn't think there was much valuable there except your cash. I mean: that flag, some flower..."

Avalon grumbled, "Let's just go..."

Taking them onto the Breeze, he began to show them around. On the upper deck, one triangular sail was rigged to the goat shaped headpiece and the main mast, which had two black sails. The raised deck towards the rear of the ship had a smaller mast with yet another square sail and the steering wheel, made of brown, fresh wood.

The were two entrances to the lower decks. One was a door on the main deck, leading to a dining room with one table and a few mismatched chairs. The stair case there and the hatch both led the the main hallway, which branched into several rooms, including a kitchen near the stern. One large room was strung with hammocks, while another had a few beds: they were a bit plain, but otherwise seemed to be serviceable for sleep. There were a couple other spare rooms as well, and another stairwell. The stairwell led to the last deck, which had a storeroom (fully stocked, courtesy of the Big Coffer Pirates), bathroom (complete with a firewood and pump operated bath!), and the rotary to raise and lower the anchor. There was also a small cannon deck, but it was poorly stocked, with one rusty cannon.

"Sorry, someone bought me out there. You'll have to figure out something else for the cannons," Rose's dad explained as they returned to the deck after Avalon voiced his displeasure.

Letting out a sigh, Avalon muttered, "Oh well..."

Scratching his chin and stache, he began, "Now, about the price...man, this is gonna be a tough one. I've had it for a while, and I want to give you a discount for helping out, but..." Shaking his head, he asked, "Er, do you have any questions?" As Avalon blinked, he turned to Coffret, asking, "Any questions? It's an old ship, so..."
 
Coffret looked up at the ship's mast. She admired the hard work put in by Rose's father and his men to make the ship hospitable again.

"No, I don't think so. The ship may be old, but from what I can see, it should prove serviceable. As for the price, I really wouldn't feel at peace with myself if you reduced it below reasonable cost for the labor and raw material put in, so whatever you think sounds good is fine."
 
Rose's father nodded, "All right, well; 100,000 beris it is then."

"This should more than cover it."

Avalon blinked, looking around to see Alphonse handing off a small stack off bills. The pirate growled, "Hey! We're buying it!"

Adjusting his glasses, Alphonse sighed, "Really? You're going to enter auction against me?"

From behind him, a voice pouted, "Ehhhhhh?" Approaching, Rose dragged a small wheeled cart behind her as she frowned, "I thought you were leaving with them!"

Going past her and grabbing another box off the ground, Alphonse placed it at the base of the gangplank, before beginning, "I said I was leaving. You assumed the rest." As Rose pouted, Alphonse turned to her father, requesting, "You'll look over my father's things in case he returns?"

Alphonse's uncle scratched his head in confusion as he muttered, "Well, I guess, but..."

"This is our ship!" Avalon growled.

"This is the ship I will be taking on my own expeditions, yes. You've let me on to the idea that there is value in taking risks," Alphonse stated, before turning to Coffret and noting, "While you pointed out to me that there is a certain feeling of discovering something that I could not experience from the safety of my own home while my paid expeditions traveled the world for me."

Stepping on the gangplank and looking up at the flag atop it, Alphonse began, "I wish to experience those feelings: the 'fun' of taking risks that lead to the 'excitement' of discovery." Turning to Avalon, he finished, "Can I trust you to captain this ship to a path that that will lead me to that which I seek?"

Avalon blinked, anger fading, before grinning as he stepped over, slapping Alphonse on the back as he finished, "Paths? You're the navigator on this boat."

Blinking, Rose looked between the two for a moment, before comprehension dawned on her face, the girl cheering, "You are going with them!?" Rose bounced as she giggled, "We did it! We did it we did it we did it we did it we did it we did it we did it!"
 
Coffret lit up, clapped her hands together, and walked over to Alphonse.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I thought you'd come around sooner or later, but I was getting worried. Welcome to the crew!"

She then gave a thumbs up to Rose, smiling brightly.

"It's all thanks to you, little trooper! Now we've got ourselves a grade A navigator."

Rose grinned widely, continuing to jump up and down. Then, her excitement somewhat waned.

"I... I'll miss you though..."

She said in a slightly melancholic tone. Coffret was about to console her, when she clenched her fist and put a strong, determined expression on her face.

"But! I have to stay strong! For your sake. And for the rose bush!"

She turned to Coffret, blinking at her with big eyes.

"Just promise me you'll come back here to have the wedding!"

Coffret was glad that Rose had gotten her spirit back after it faltering for a short moment, but she wasn't so sure about her newfound determination.

"Uh, sure... Heh..."

She laughed a bit insecurely, hugged Rose goodbye one last time, and then watched her waving silhouette grow smaller as the Breeze sailed further and further away from Elder Point. When the girl was completely out of sight, she turned to Alphonse and Avalon.

"We now have a very important decision ahead of us..."

She let her eyes wonder from one face to the other with a stern look.

"Sleeping arrangements. While I can't say I'm exactly prude, with a growing crew I think it would be best to split up our two existent sleeping quarters into Gentlemens' room and Ladies' room. And I'm sure two big, sturdy guys like yourselves wouldn't mind letting me and any potential future female members take the room with the beds. Alright, now that that's decided; I think I'm going to see how to get that brewing stand we got from the Big Coffer's to work."

Not actually expecting to have a discussion, Coffret went down below deck and installed a temporary potion making station in the bedroom. After figuring out how all the pieces went together, she brewed an infusion of Regorgia and tapped it into some of the vials she had bought back in the Elder Point market. She then went above deck, watched the sky fade into darkness and become studded with bright, milky stars, before heading back down and falling promptly asleep.


Chapter 3: The wind stirs in Cloud Valley

After a peaceful dream, Coffret woke up to the gentle rocking of the ocean waves. Trying to roll over under the covers, she felt almost stuck in some way. Trying to move once more, her nerves woke up from their slumber, and she opened her mouth to scream. But no sound escaped her mouth, because her lungs had been almost emptied of air.

"Oh no... The Sedativa must've made me unaware that I was overexerting my injury and made it worse."

She tried taking deep breaths, but when she tried to refill her lungs, she had to stop halfway because it felt like they were pushing against a needle cushion as they expanded.

"Av... lon... Alph... se... e...lp..."

She tried to shout as loud as possible, but her meek words probably didn't carry far enough to reach the two only other living beings on the ship. Wrapping her arms around her chest, she prayed that she wouldn't fall asleep, because surely, if she did, her breathing would completely cease, and she wouldn't wake up again.
 
Coughing, Alphonse waves his hand in front of his face, trying to shake away the smoky smell. The Navigator hissed, "What are you doing?"

Frowning into his pan of meat and eggs over a stove, Avalon muttered, "Something wrong."

Looking over his shoulder, Alphonse scoffed, "They're not supposed to be cooked together."

Avalon grumbled, "Well, if you can cook, what am I doing here?"

"Only barely," Alphonse admitted. Letting out another sigh, he said, "I'm sure Coffret is more capable."

Avalon wondered, "Why? Because she's a girl?"

Alphonse's eye twitched as he muttered, "I'm not going to answer that." Turning away, he ordered, "Just open up the ship to air out that smoke."

While Avalon went to it, Alphonse headed down the hall, reached the decided Ladies Bedroom. Knocking on the door, he called, "Miss Coffret?"

No answer. Knocking again, Alphonse wondered if she'd gone to the deck, or her little workshop. Deciding to check, the Navigator cracked open the door. Seeing the woman still on her bed, Alphonse opened his mouth to call again, but she seemed to be mostly awake. And yet, why wasn't she responding?

Sensing something was wrong, Alphonse stepped in. His ears caught Coffret's breathing, but it was short and weak despite being so quick. "Avalon!" Alphonse called as he rushed to the bedside. He heard the sound of boots as he ripped the covers off, getting a closer look, noting that Coffret seemed to be fighting the urge to pass out.

"What's wrong with her!?" Avalon shouted as he made his way over.

Sweating a bit, Alphonse recalled, "She wasn't injured yesterday, was she?"

Avalon explained, "She's been fine! Well, she did mention her ribs yesterday, but that probably healed!"

Alphonse blinked, "Broken bones take weeks to heal. Months!"

Avalon frowned, "Huh? Since when? Or maybe I haven't broken as many bones as I thought."

Eye twitching in irritation, Alphonse muttered, "My first aid knowledge is limited to seasickness, scurvy, and basic wound treatment. If it's internal, I'm as useless as you are here."

Avalon tried to think, before suggesting, "If we flag down some ship..."

Alphonse snorted, "You think there will be any nearby? Let alone one that would allow themselves to be boarded by pirates."

Gritting his teeth, Avalon, insisted, "Wait there!" Turning away, he left the room, leaving an increasingly concerned Alphonse. How much time did they really have? Should he...

Returning, Avalon held a glass jar filled with dirt and water, a flower still within. Alphonse swallowed as he remembered its apparent value, and Avalon began, "Yesterday she crushed this thing up and it healed my wounds! If we use it..."

Alphonse shook his head, explaining, "Even if we did do it properly, we don't know exactly what ails her. The best way would be for her to ingest it, but we risk choking her: she's in no condition for that!" Defeated, Avalon looked down, before snarling, "Then what are we supposed to do!?"

Adjusting his glasses, Alphonse began, "Put down the flower and go to the deck." Meeting eyes, Avalon studied him, before nodding, placing down the plant and rushing out. Alphonse made to rejoin him once he gathered what he needed. Out on the deck, he unfolded a map, calling to Avalon, "Man the wheel!"

As the horned man moved, Alphonse mentally calculated, using a compass to deduce which way they needed to turn, eventually calling, "Hard to port!"

Avalon wondered, "Is that your left or mine?"

Eye twitching, Alphonse growled, "Yours!" As the wheel rolled, the ship began to bank, their course changing. As they moved, Alphonse began, "I had hoped to get to Nine Heights within the next few days on our supplies, but we need civilization now. Cloud Valley should suffice if the locals are as amicable as I remember, but if the fog is particularly bad, then landing may be difficult."

"You think you can manage?" Avalon asked.

Alphonse insisted, "I said difficult, not impossible."

The following journey was quiet, but tense. Alphonse and Avalon regularly checked on their ailing crewmate, opening up the ship to do the best they could to improve airflow, not daring to move her. Neither even had an appetite, the men gripped with concern.

Several hours passed until they two spotted the clouds that the island was known for, the mist making it a bit difficult to see as they got closer: while they had plenty of vision, a ship was a mass of wood that could not so easily stop. As they went, Alphonse gradually had Avalon pull the sails, lowering their speed.

Finally, landmass came within sight as a dark silhouette. Taking a spyglass, Alphonse looked around spotting a dock. Shaking his head, he sighed, "Off on my mark. I'd have liked to sailed straight into it."

Avalon grumbled, "Shut up and tell me how much I should turn by."

Directing the captain, the Hinnon Breeze pulled up to the dock as it came to a stop. Avalon didn't even wait for Alphonse to lower the gangplank before going up to the bow and calling loudly, "Hey! We need a doctor!"
 
A monk dressed in cloth robes was performing his daily duties, raking leaves outside the Great Temple, standing on top of but one of many hills that made up the majority of Cloud Valley's landmass.

"The fog's really thick today..."

The monk thought to himself. Cloud Valley was famous because of how close to the ground the clouds floated above it, and it wasn't unusual for a few of them to wander all the way down. But lately, almost every day, the island had been blanketed in a thick, eerie mist.

A forceful wind blew through the canopy above, rustling the trees, and ruining the monks' tidy pile, scattering the leaves he had so carefully raked together. He sighed heavily and clicked his tongue, but continued his labor nonetheless. At first, the fog was so thick that he had trouble seeing the end of his rake, even less the fine leaves scattered on the ground. But as a bit of time passed, it seemed to clear up more and more, and he eventually had all the leaves gathered up in a neat pile again. The monk took a deep, satisfying breath, proud of his work, and leaned against his rake while steering his gaze towards the open ocean. The air was still milky with mist, so it was mostly like looking out into opaque nothingness, but there was a sense of serenity to be found in the void that the monk very much appreciated. But, there definitely seemed to be something stirring the perfect stillness. Like a blot of ink splashed on a fresh piece of paper. The monk squinted his eyes, trying to discern its shape. The blot seemed to grow ever larger in his field of vision, so he deduced that it must be a ship heading towards the docks. He wondered what business it could have on the island, since there were no scheduled deliveries at this point in time. When the ship finally appeared to have arrived, unintelligible shouting could be heard. The monk was unsure what the shouting was about, and was worried that it came from a Pirate Captain ordering his crew to plunder the temples. But then, as if ordered by the gods, the fog cleared completely, allowing perfect vision down to the docks. And, as though the fog had been hindering not only eyesight, but also sound from traveling through the air, the shouting could be heard clearly once it was gone. It was then that the monk realized that the shouting voice was calling for a doctor. The monk immediately dropped his rake, and ran down the grovel path to the docks.

"Hello! Hello! What seems to be the problem?"

The monk inquired with slightly bated breath, standing at a safe distance from the ship.
 
From the docks, Alphonse tried to look through the mist, but wasn't having much luck, even as Avalon continued to call. "Nothing's happened...has it?" Alphonse wondered.

Then, the wind picked up again, Avalon's shouting ceasing for only a moment, before he once again cried, "Are there any doctors here!?"

Finally, their call was answered, a man approaching, but stopping short, before returning the call. Stepping a bit closer, Alphonse began, "We have a wounded woman on board, but no means to help her. If you have any medical experts, we would be in your debt. Time is of the essence."

"Can he help us!?" Avalon yelled.

Alphonse's eye twitched as he sighed, "I'm asking!"
 
"A woman, you say?..."

The monk seemed immersed in thought for a while, looking up at the trail leading to the temple.

"...Alright, take her up that path. You should end up in a garden in front of a set of red doors. Wait there, I need to run ahead and set things up."

And with that, the monk was off, sprinting back up the hill, the cloth of his robe plastering against his skinny legs, pushed by the force of the wind and his speed. Arriving at the garden, he opened the doors to the temple and let them slam shut behind him, running through a bamboo floored corridor...
 
A wave of relief washed over him as the monk offered to take her in. Once the gangplank was lowered, Alphonse made his way over to the hatch below, Avalon right behind him. Returning to the ladies room Avalon raised his hands, but Alphonse snapped, "Be careful with her!"

Avalon glared, "What? I wasn't gonna toss her around or anything."

Alphonse murmured, "It's just...a wrong move could worsen her condition."

A bit of brainstorming later, the two slowly descended the gangplank, each holding one end of a hammock carefully, holding it by the sides of the ends to ensure Coffret was stable. It took some time, but eventually, they reached the red doors, the garden flanking the path they'd taken. Hands tied, Avalon raised his foot, thumping it against the bottom of the door a few times.
 
Sweat was breaking out all over the monk's body as he continued his sprint through the temple.

"For the love of the gods..." *huff puff* "I really ought to keep myself in better shape..."

He finally reached another set of doors, even larger than the red front door, embossed with an intricate pattern. He shoved them open, and then fell down on the tatami floor, resting against the wooden frame while breathing heavily.

"Chizan! What's the meaning of interrupting the Elder's meditation like this!?"

The hall which the monk, whose name was Chizan, had entered so barbarically was the most sacred chamber in the temple. The walls were all painted with once colorful but now matte depictions of scenes from holy scriptures lit up by gilded candelabras, mainly gods and goddesses performing miracles and people revering them, or fighting wars with legions of men behind them. At the far side of the room facing the doors was an altar with various sacrificial items and lit incense on display. In front of the altar, a small and elderly monk was sitting with his legs crossed and eyes closed on a pillow with barely any stuffing, seemingly immersed in heavy meditation. Next to him was another monk, younger and much larger in size, who seemed to be mostly observing the Elder rather than meditate himself. It was also he who had called out Chizan for his interruption.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt, but..." Chizan still had trouble catching his breath, and had to stop himself mid-sentence to fill his lungs with air. "A pirate ship has docked down at the shore. They claim to have an injured woman on board. They're calling for medical attention."

The large monk was obviously taken aback by the reason for Chizan's intrusion in the chamber, but still angry nonetheless.

"Injured woman?..." He mumbled. "Still! We don't know if they're lying or not. What if they're using it as an aversion to plunder the temple? Did you even see the woman?"

"No, I just asked them to carry her to the temple, but..."

"You asked them to carry her to the temple without supervising them!? For all we know they could've raided the living quarters by now, or--"

The large monk was interrupted by the Elder who raised his hand, who had been resting on his thigh, against him.

"Your intentions are good, but that's enough, Genryu. You don't have to continue grilling young Chizan."

Flustered and with a meekened expression, Genryu turned back to the Elder and bowed his head down.

"I'm sorry, Master, I let my anger carry me away. But, can we really be sure that..."

The Elder silenced him again.

"All is as it should be. I have sensed their coming for a while now. We will help them in their time of need, and they shall return the favor, so the core of our teachings say."

The Elder slowly raised himself into standing position, picking up a walking cane next to him, but still not opening his eyes.

"Genryu, come with me. We shall prepare the surgery room. Chizan, return to the front door. Guide the two carrying the woman to the medical ward. After that, it is our turn..."


Coffret grunted a bit as Avalon and Alphonse lifted her over to the hammock, but she didn't have any energy to do more than that. During their whole trip up the hill to the temple her body was in a hazy state on the verge of passing out, but her mind was still awake, fighting to keep her so.

For a while, there was no reply to Avalon's knocking. But, eventually, Chizan appeared. He had a look at Coffret's limp body and agonized expression, and was reassured in the Elder's conviction.

"Follow me." He said after pushing the doors wide enough for the two to enter with Coffret hanging between them

"Ah, normally I'd ask you to take your shoes off, but..." His voice trailed off, and he kept leading them through the corridors of the temple at a steady, albeit slow pace so as to not disturb Coffret.

Eventually they reached a corridor with large open windows flanking the sides, showing that they were being led out of the main temple building. When they were once again met with walls on all sides, they were standing in a room with a much more sanitary feel than the main temple, yet still retaining an old fashioned look.

"You can put her down there..."

Chizan pointed at a low table propped against the wall.

"Now, if you excuse me, I must return to my duties. The Elder and Genryu will see you in a bit."

And with that, Chizan made a hasty departure, once again leaving Avalon and Alphonse alone with the almost lifeless Coffret. They had to wait a bit, but eventually, a door opened, and Genryu stepped out, taking a look at Coffret.

"So, this is our patient..." He said in a mellow voice. "If you don't object, I will carry her into the operating room. Don't worry, we'll take good care of her. You guys just stay put right here. Please, have a seat. This might take a while." He pointed to some cushions on the floor. Despite his large and a bit intimidating size, Genryu's words left his mouth with such a calmness that it would soothe even the most anxious of souls. Gently, he lifted up Coffret, and carried her through the door, closing it behind them.

Time passed. It wasn't until evening and the sun starting to set that the door opened, Genryu stepping out once more.

"I know you're worried, but she'll be fine. A couple of her ribs were broken, and some blood had leaked into her lungs. She's all patched up now though, and just needs some rest. The Elder's back in there watching her. Now..." He said, sitting down on one of the cushions, almost pathetically small for his size. "Tell me about yourselves. What brings you around these parts? I understand that you're pirates... Our faith enforces us to give a helping hand to all living creatures, but I really can't just let a couple like yourselves waltz into our sanctum without asking questions." His voice was still calm, but there was a certain seriousness to it.
 
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At Genryu's behest, Avalon and Alphonse took to the cushions, Alphonse resting on his knees while Avalon plopped down, letting out a sigh.

Slipping off his shoes, Alphonse said, "Take off your boots."

Avalon groaned, "Does it really matter?"

"These people are helping us. Show a bit of respect," Alphonse stated.

With a sigh, Avalon slipped of his boots, before leaning back on his hands. Thinking back, he said, "So, you've been here before?"

Alphonse explained, "To the island, yes, but I was young, and I never came to this temple."

Losing interest, Avalon sighed, "Okay then..."

The pair returning to silence, they could only wait until Genryu returned, explaining Coffret's situation. Alphonse had to admit that there was nothing they could have done, but was glad that this seemed to be the best course. He began, "We can't thank you enough for your aid. To explain ourselves, we initially intended to move past your island, but we encountered a medical emergency, and had to change our course."

Avalon couldn't help but clench his fist in excitement, grinning, "We're heading to the Grand Line! Well, we have one more stop,, but I can't wait, since it's supposed to be really amazing. We just got a ship and a Navigator...that's him. And you've already met Coffret, sort of..." Thinking back to the newspaper, a look of horror crossed over his face briefly, before he began, "Er, but enough about us. What do you guys do here?" Alphonse gave him a look as Avalon shrugged, "Read?"
 
Genryu nodded, injecting the occasional question about some detail or "I see" as Alphonse explained their situation. He managed to keep a straight face for that part, but he couldn't help but chuckle at Avalon's excitement as he revealed his plans to head for the Grand Line. He chuckled even more at the suggestion that the main objective of the temple monks was to read.

"I admire people with such determination and drive. And, yes, I suppose we do a bit of reading once in a while. After all, as monks, it is our duty to know the verses of our holy scriptures and sutras. Our other duties include praying, meditating, sacrificing to the gods and goddesses, and helping all our fellow living things in this world. In order to protect the religion and maintain it the way it was designed long, long ago, we shield ourselves from outside influence and live in this secluded community. To make things go around, each monk has a specialized occupation. Some of us tend to the farm or the animals, some of us weave the fabric we use to clothe ourselves and some of us expand and keep maintenance of the temple, among other things. Myself, I'm responsible for ringing the sacred chime during rituals, as well as studying medicine and surgery under the Elder. The Elder is the most spiritually connected to the gods out of everyone here, and his vast knowledge is priceless. He has lived for ages, and was one of the founding fathers of this monastery, you know. He has also raised me since I was a little child, left alone at the very same doorstep you two stood stomping at to get inside with the maiden. Coffret, I believe you called her? Anyway, most of the monks here have come here by their own free will at a certain age, but since I've grown up in the monastery, I suppose I share a more personal connection with the Elder... Ah, sorry, I seem to have went out on a tangent there, hehe..."

He was embarrassed, having spoken so passionately and sincerely about something he hadn't been asked to share, and rubbed the back of his head while excusing himself. Just then, the Elder stepped out from the operating room.

"She's a heavy sleeper, that one. And a fighter. Not once did I doubt, nor will I, that she'll pull through. Still, it would be wise to have someone keep an eye on her."

The elder went up to a cabinet on the wall, opened it, and pushed one of the many small buttons on display in it. Somewhere in the temple, a light went off, telling someone to make their way to the medical wing. As simple as the monks lived, they did have some, compared to the rest of the island, technologically advanced equipment for efficiency. The Elder then went back over to the group sitting on the floor, standing before them with both hands resting on his cane.

"I'm sure you two are eager to continue on your journey, but I cannot let your go until that lass is well rested and fully recovered, which, to my estimate, will take at least one more day or two. Until then, you're free to stay with us, if you so please, or you can return to your ship and we'll notify you when your companion is up and running. But I do hope you'll at least stay for dinner. I think there's some mighty fresh fish on the menu today."

The elder spoke his last sentence in a kind of cheerful melody, licking his mouth as he finished.
 
While Genryu went off on a bit of a ramble, Avalon did his best to listen closely, but he couldn't help but feel his attention drift for a few moments at a time, until suddenly being snapped back by the mention of animals. Genryu then stopped talking about animals for a bit, until Avalon regained his focus at the mention of surgery. And then it kind of faded a bit until Coffret came up.

Alphonse just listened patiently, nodding at intervals.

As the elder entered, Avalon listened closely to his offer, but Alphonse said, "Thank you, but I think we should decli-"

"Huh? I'm not passing up free food," Avalon insisted.

Alphonse countered, "We've taken enough of their hospitality as it is."

Grabbing Alphonse by the shoulder, Avalon stood before guiding him away, telling the monks, "One sec." Once they were a few steps away, Avalon slung his arm over Alphonse's shoulder, leaning in as he began, "Look, let's face it: I can't cook, you can't cook-"

"My cooking was fine," Alphonse stated firmly.

Raising his hand and waving it a bit, indicating 'so-so' with a light grunt of "Eh," Avalon continued, "But really though, I have a crazy idea."

"You're not asking a monk to become a pirate," Alphonse rumbled. Avalon's eyes widened in surprise, so the Navigator stated, "I saw your eyes light up when he mentioned he was studying medicine."

"S-so?" Avalon stammered.

Pushing the horned man's arm off of him, Alphonse added a bit loudly, "And could you have conversed in a way that didn't seem like we were scheming?" As Avalon shrugged, backing off, Alphonse nodded to the monks, "We would be...honored to stay for dinner, but I feel like I must return the favor somehow."

Avalon clapped his hands, nodding, "Aw yeah, fish tonight!" Blinking, he looked to Alphonse and added, "Wait, what?"
 
The Elder raised his eyebrows and chuckled in delight as Alphonse offered to return the favor.

"Well, well! Such fine and courteous young men you are! You see, in all actuality, we've been having a slight predicament on the island lately, and..."

Genryu flinched, casting a flustered eye at the Elder.

"Uh, surely, we shouldn't bother outsiders with matters that are of no concern to them..."

The Elder continued chuckling, but gave Genryu a slight whack with his cane.

"We need help, and these kind gentlemen have offered it. But! Let's not discuss this here. Let's do so over dinner. Now, to the dining hall!"

Shooing the younglings along, the Elder hummed a cheerful tune while heading towards the dining hall.


Entering the large mess hall, it was already somewhat packed with men, all dressed in the same cloth robes. The entrance of the Elder and Genryu garnered the usual amount of attention and bows, but as the group moved along the long lines of low tables and cushions, a whisper could be heard spreading through the room, caused by the two unknown faces now making their way to the head table. "See, those are the guys I was telling you about..." Chizan could be overheard telling to the monks in the seats neighboring him. Reaching the head table, which was lacquered to have a more lustrous finish than the other tables, the Elder gestured for Avalon and Alphonse to sit down to his left, while Genryu took his usual seat to the right of the Elder, and then called for the attention of everyone in the hall.

"Aherm, silence! Attention please! Thank you. Now, as some of you may have noticed, we have some guests today. Unfortunately, their friend seems to have been involved in an accident, and is currently hospitalized here at the temple." More whispering ensued. "So, while their friend is resting, let's show them some hospitality, shall we? Well, enough about that already. Now, let's enjoy our meal!" A round of applause spread through the crowd after the Elder's short speech, and soon, a group of monks came in, rolling around trolleys with bowls on them, handing them to the monks seated around the tables. Once everyone had been served, they sang a short prayer, and the Elder gave the signal for them to start eating. "Well, dig in then, boys!" He said, turning to Alphonse and Avalon. But, there wasn't a whole lot to dig into. The bowl was full of bits of boiled white fish and a clear, salty broth tasting of not much other than seaweed. The Elder happily munched and slurped away at his food, but all-in-all, the general mood in the room seemed pretty down, and many of them just took slow sips of the soup with solemn expressions on their faces.
 
As he entered the room after the other men, Alphonse was a bit surprised at how much time had passed since they noticed Coffret's condition. But that surgery certainly did feel like an eternity.

Taking his seat, Avalon was still a bit nervous about that favor, but the promise of food was rapidly dominating his mind. His eyes watched hungrily as the trolley came around, dropping off his bowl, full of that broth with a few bits of fish. Blinking, he whispered, "Is this the appetizer?"

Jabbing him in the stomach, Alphonse grumbled, "Be grateful."

This was it?

Avalon's eyebrow twitched in anger. Then he shook his head: this was definitely appetizer sized!

The elder began to meal, a prayer ringing out, and the monks began to eat, Alphonse deftly taking his bites. Hoping it wouldn't be that bad, Avalon took nearly all the fish in his chopsticks before scarfing the whole thing down and draining the broth.

His stomach grumbled at the measly offering. It had only made him hungrier. Letting out a low moan, he slumped in his spot at the table, not even noticing as Alphonse glared.

Turning to the elder, Alphonse sighed, "I apologize for my Captain, he can be a fool." Well aware Avalon was probably fantasizing jabbing the chopsticks through his glasses, Alphonse asked, "But I wonder, does your temple receive much in the way of donations?"
 
The Elder had very clearly picked up on Avalon's signals of hunger and disappointment, but pretended not to. Instead, he turned to Alphonse with a tender, but treacherous smile.

"What's that? Oh, not to worry! We have plenty of very generous donors, so we never lack funding. However, I am terribly sorry that we are unable to offer you anything but this very simple fish soup this evening, and normally we would, but... You see, it's about the predicament I was speaking of earlier. We are, as practicing monks of this religion, obliged to grow our own crops and raise our own cattle, in order to make sure that our foodstuffs has been brought up in a way that aligns with the interests of the gods. And so, we have our own farm, and even a small ranch on a couple of neighboring hills. Our tilling of the soil has not been a problem to anyone, seeing as we're the only humans occupying the island, however, we are not the sole inhabitants. You see, we share the land of Cloud Valley with a certain breed of birds. Cloudgrazers, they're called, because they fly at such great heights, even the lowest altitude they ever reach grazes the top of the clouds. Because they dislike descending below the clouds, they roost here on the tops of the highest hills of Cloud Valley. We see them as direct descendants of the god of the skies from our legends, and as such we revere and treat them with utmost respect, and we're very grateful to be sharing this island with them, and up until recently, we've been able to live side by side with each other just swimmingly. Unfortunately, with emphasis on up until recently... A few weeks ago, a Cloudgrazer actually descended below their roost, and attacked our farm. The damage wasn't that extensive, but when we tried to get back to work, more of them came. Now, it's as if they've marked it as their territory. We don't know what the cause of this unnatural outrage and sudden behavioral change is, but we'd like to find out how to fix it, and ease their minds. The only problem is that very few of the monks here are suited for an expedition above the clouds. So far, Genryu is the only one who has volunteered to go, but I can't let him go on his own. And, since you mentioned repaying a favor... Would you two dapper young fellas mind accompanying him to the Cloudgrazer's roost, and find out what is causing their distress?"
 
Alphonse listened closely to the elder's explanation while Avalon seemed to be distancing himself a bit, focusing on the empty bowl in front of him.

Adjusting his glasses, Alphonse muttered, "Cloudgrazers...I'm not overly familiar with them but I am a bit fascinated. By your description though, their patterns do seem to have been disrupted. As for helping, while I would like too, it's not exactly my call too ma-"

Before he could finish, Avalon slammed his palm down on the table. After a moment, he nodded with a smile, "Yeah, that sounds like we can handle. I'm good with animals."

Catching Alphonse's gaze, Avalon blinked, "What?"

Alphonse admitted, "Excuse me, but I'd assumed you were gonna say something rather idiotic."

Eye twitching, Avalon opened his mouth to growl, but his stomach did the job for him, the rumble audible to just about the whole table. Scratching the back of his head, Avalon offered an awkward smile to the other monks.
 
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The Elder watched Avalon's display with amusement, and then broke out in laughter.

"A hya ha ha ha ha ha! Excellent, I knew I could trust you boys! Now, it's getting late, so I won't let you set out until tomorrow morning. Genryu will be your guide, he'll take you to the roost."

A certain look of disdain crossed Genryu's face at the mention of his name.

"So, until then, you should be well rested. And perhaps most importantly, well fed." The Elder continued. "I'm sorry that fish is all we have to offer at the moment, but I hope it will be able to fill you up somewhat, at least."

He knocked his cane into the tabletop, and a monk strode up to the table.

"Get our guests a second serving. In fact, get them a third one, as well. And make it hearty!"

With that, the monk scurried away to fetch some more food. The rest of the dinner passed, cloaked in a warm atmosphere and cheerful chattering. Once it was over, the Elder led Avalon and Alphonse out of the dining hall, through some hallways, before reaching a corridor lined with several sliding fusuma doors in neat rows. The Elder pushed one of them to the side, which opened up into a traditional, and quite simple, tatami-mat lined room, with shōji facing the decline of a billowing green hill outside. At the center of the room was a kotatsu, on top of which was a small pottery bowl filled with water, and with a single, pink lotus flower floating on top.

"This is one of our spare rooms. If you wish, you may spend the night here. There are some futons in there," the Elder pointed at another set of fusuma doors in the room, leading to a closet "which you can use if you please. Now, is there anything else I can get you, or are you set for the night?"
 
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