I have watched the G-8 filler arc.

  I will be doing the G-8 filler arc.

  Onto our regularly scheduled programming.

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  "Usopp, quick question," I asked, it being late in the day. I was scheduled for the watch tonight, so I was heading to bed earlier to stay well rested. But there was something that had been bouncing around in my head for the past few days now.

  "Sure! What can the Great Captain Usopp do for you!" He smiled, looking up from the table that was covered in scraps of paper, metal, fuses, and what should have been a concerning amount of gunpowder.

  "How familiar are you with the concept of flares?" So far, I'd learned that the tech level of this place was, sporadic, for lack of a better term.

  "They're like fireworks, right?" Usopp asked, giving me a confused look as gears began to turn in his head, hands beginning to move. "You're expecting trouble?"

  "New island, we're going to need to get more food, no clue how long it'll take the Log Pose to reset," I listed a few things. "I'd figured it would be best to have a way to communicate and warn others of danger than not have one."

  Usopp nods. "That should be doable. It'll cut into my supplies, but." He frowned slightly, running calculations. "I think I would have enough to whip a few. But no more than three at the moment."

  Three wasn't a lot. Not counting Carue, that was enough for a full third of us. If we went out in teams of three, it would be fine though.

  "Thanks Usopp!" I grin. I was excited, but still a bit nervous after Whiskey Peak. Little Garden sounded like its own mess. I didn't know what to expect, beyond nature preserve and possibly dinosaurs, thanks to Norris. However, I did want to try and prepare. Not exactly for the unexpected, because the Grand Line did not care for such trifles. "You're the best!" I turn around, preparing to hit the hay, unaware of Usopp's sudden scramble.

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  I groan, laying on my back, Norris Gegumi standing over me, offering her hand with a sigh.

  "You need to stop trying to take direct hits from me, pipsqueak," she said, pulling me up to my feet. "You're lacking about fifty pounds of muscle to be able to do that comfortably, at best."

  Which was fair, as compared to even Usopp, I was a pool noodle. I rubbed my arms, frowning slightly. She had pulled that punch, and I'd still have a bruise before the day was done.

  "I'm still trying to get back into practice," I said, even if that wasn't the whole picture. She was better than me even when I had been practicing, easily. Could probably beat me with both hands tied behind her back.

  "That's what this is for," she nodded, taking a stance again as I brought up my arms. "Begin."

  I barely managed to weave my way around the first punch, the second coming in to clean my clock. A blow I manage to deflect away, my arm striking hers, pushing it away from my body, though frankly, she let me.

  "Better," she grinned, her voice encouraging but scary at the same time. She opened her mouth as though to speak, before a shout came in from the crow's nest.

  "Land Ho!"

  That was more than enough to bring our training succession to an early end, sparing me many future bruises as we watched the island loom into view, everyone gathering on the deck.

  It was green. Even from a distance, that was clear as day, trees filling the skyline. The air only grew warmer as we approached, a dampness filling the air. The closer we got, the more things became defined. The trees were mighty, the island itself looking as if it had been ripped straight out of a children's jungle book.

  My body couldn't contain my excitement as we approached, as we headed toward the mouth of a river.

  "You are far too excited about a place that's filled with monsters," Usopp said as I merely shrugged. Honestly, if there were dinosaurs, those were likely the monsters Ms. Sunday thought would be our demise. Which, sure, dinosaurs were big and ferocious. But I was still far more excited than anything.

  "I think he's too excited by the prospect of dinosaurs to be afraid of anything else," Thomas commented, hitting my thoughts on the head.

  "Do you know how many dreams I will be fulfilling if there are any?" I beamed, mouth wide in a grin as far as it could go, bouncing on my toes. "Haha-ahahah!" I laughed, rubbing my hands together. I was going to pet so many baby Triceratops. I didn't even care if it was legal or not!

  I can only imagine how Nami felt. One of the few halfway sane people on this ship on this ship, laughing like a Bond villain over the prospect of maybe being able to pet baby dinosaurs. Well, dinosaurs in general.

  Slowly, we begin to sail up the mouth of a river, the jungle trees towering over us.

  "This is Little Garden?" Nami peered into the jungle, confused. "There's nothing little here!" I chuckled slightly. With how Ms. Sunday thought it would be our death, I kinda saw it coming. I'd almost enjoyed the sense of humor of whatever asshole chose that naming scheme. But I imagine there are only so many ways you can recreate, calling a place covered in ice Greenland.

  "We do need more provisions," Sanji said, peering out into the jungle. Sure, we raided what we could from Whiskey Peak, but that was only going to get us so far.

  "How's the water looking?" I ask. That was just as important, if not more so, than food in the long term. It would take some time, but I could set up a drill and see if I could hit an aquifer. There was a river here, so there likely was one. It was just a matter of finding it and making sure the rock I was in flittered out the nasty stuff. Boil it anyway to be sure.

  "We have enough for a few more weeks. Barring anything out of the ordinary, we should have enough to make it to Alabasta with a week to spare," to my surprise, it was Thomas who answered my question. "We could stretch it a bit longer than that if we tried, but." He shrugged.

  "Why, we have plenty of water right here?" Luffy looked at us confused, pointing down towards the river.

  "Luffy, please don't drink the river water," I shudder at the thought. I didn't know where it had been, but I wasn't taking any chances. "There's, just a lot of stuff that's in there that can and will kill someone if it hasn't been properly treated." I didn't know if it would have an effect on Luffy, but. For the sake of the rest of the crew and Luffy himself, I didn't want to take any chances.

  "Such as?" Zoro asked, crossing his arms.

  "Bacteria like e. Coli, various parasites and small insects that can burrow into your body, literal brain-eating microbes," I listed off. "Water that isn't treated properly is, not good for you."

  "That seems like a lot of weird knowledge to have," Norris crossed her arms. "You're completely right, but still."

  "It's not uncommon for subsections of geology to work with water," I shrug. "I can remember enough of the basics, even if it isn't my specialty, and that includes groundwater contamination from the surface." That, and I knew a few things about not drinking things I wasn't supposed to.

  Before we could continue, a Nami let out a scream, as something flew overhead. My eyes widened in wonder. No way. No fucking way.

  "That's an Archaeopteryx!" I gasp, pointing at the feathered dinosaur as it glides through the air.

  Unbelievable. I quickly take note of the color of the plumage, the other feathers covering its body, all the traits that would be difficult to preserve as fossils. Not like feathers weren't already difficult enough to preserve in the first place.

  "A what?" Several members of the crew turned to face me, my eyes gleaming.

  "An Archaeopteryx! It was the first dinosaur species to be discovered with feathers during the eighties!" I explain excitedly. "Paleontologists used to think it was a missing link between dinosaurs and birds, though it's one of many different species of feathered dinosaurs during the time."

  "What, are you meaning to tell me?" Vivi looked between me and Carue.

  "Is distantly related to dinosaurs?" I nodded. "Most species don't remember, as the Terror bird was long since extinct." But some. Some did remember.

  "Sorry, I was just remembering how many teeth chickens tend to have," I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly, having been running my mouth.

  BOOM!

  The sound of something akin to an explosion washes over us. Volcano? We really were in ancient paradise.

  "That's it, there is nothing normal about this place," Nami groaned, as a tiger appeared near the riverbank, before dropping dead on the spot. "We should stay out of the jungle entirely."

  Usopp nodded in agreement. But Luffy was grinning ear to ear, body vibrating from excitement.

  "Sanji!" Our captain declared, still grinning. "I need a pirate lunch box! I smell adventure!" I pumped my fist, knowing I could count on Luffy. I wanted to explore, but going it alone was a daunting task. I ignored Nami's protests.

  "Mind if I tag along?" I grin, almost matching Luffy's excitement. Nami turned to me, finger raised, only for Vivi to cut her off.

  "Can I come along too?" She asked.

  "Yeah, sure!" Luffy smiled, giving us the thumbs up.

  "Nathan, you should probably see what you can transform into now" Usopp suddenly said, eyes flickering toward the door. I understood quickly. He wanted a distraction.

  "Sounds good!" I gave him the thumbs up. I closed my eyes, focusing. The previous island had been rocky, and arid. The rock type fit the island very well. So what fits a jungle?

  Grass was the first. The plants and trees, the thick foliage, all of it could fall under the grass type. But nothing came. The island had a Volcano, even if we hadn't seen it yet.

  It wasn't until the buzzing in my ear could be heard that my thoughts shifted, my body along with them. My body melded, skin becoming chitin, arms thinning yet increasing in strength, a pair of moving horns on my head. They clacked together, the dense material making them up just as strong, if not stronger, than steel. My fingers flexed, down to three digits, each consisting of a thick, heavy material.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Bug? Bug? You know what, nobody was supposed to know we were here. I could work with this. Shame I didn't have a lot when it came down to secondary types, but better now so I could have Scizor or Volcarona for later. I prepared to turn around.

  "EEEEKKKKK!"

  Before a scream of terror that would put Usopp to shame came from the group, followed by the sound of someone hitting the deck. I turn around, finding Thomas, pale as a ghost and just about as dead to the world, lying down on the deck, face up.

  "Wimp," Zoro commented, looking at my appearance with great interest.

  "I don't know. It looks, creepy," Vivi commented, shuttering slightly as Carue hid behind her.

  "A mouth shouldn't move like that," Nami looked at me, transfixed but disgusted.

  "Vivi! Nami! I'll save you!" Why was Sanji suddenly shouting about saving?

  OW! He just kicked me! In the face!

  "Pinsir," I growled out, steadying my body. I stared at him down, Sanji's foot likely tapping the foot of the deck, his expression softening just a bit.

  "Is that?" He didn't get to finish the thought, as Nami grabbed him by the ear, pulling hard.

  "Of course it's Nathan, who else would it be?" Nami shouted, taking the wind out of my sails for a brawl between me and our cook.

  "What's going on?" Usopp kicked down the door, emerging onto the deck, before he gazed at the scene before him. For a moment, I expected him to pass out too, given the whole, giant, hideous, human-sized bug. "Fascinating. Now please don't move whatever monster that's supposed to be's mouth, okay? It just looks wrong."

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  "So, the two of them are pretty much always like this?" Norris asked, watching the two men stalk into the jungle. While it was a good idea to get more food, the competition was going to get out of hand and get out of hand, fast.

  Then again. A slight grin crept its way onto her face. This could be the opportunity she was looking for.

  "Yeah, pretty much all the time," Nami nodded. "I'm thankful you're staying behind, just in case something shows up."

  "You shouldn't be too thankful. I'm considering going hunting myself," that earned a gasp from Ussop and Nami, as if already pleading with her not to go. There were plenty of reasons not to. Sanji or Zoro by themselves would be able to get them enough food by themselves.

  There was one reason to go. A show of strength. She knew Zoro was stronger than she was, and while she hadn't seen Luffy train all that much, she could tell he was strong. Sanji was third, not far behind Zoro. Which left her contenting with Nathan for fourth. When he was transformed, granted, and even that was a toss-up between forms. Without it, he was dead last.

  She probably had the edge, but between fitness training with Zoro, and hand-to-hand training with herself, she hadn't had time to try and spar with any of his forms.

  But she wouldn't know for sure, and the creature he transformed into gave her pause. She still didn't understand how he came across such abilities. They had to come from some sort of Devil Fruit. But a Fruit like that would be highly sought after.

  Unless.

  That brought a frown to her face slightly. That was a prospect she didn't want to consider.

  "You okay?" Nami looked up.

  "It's fine. Just got lost in my thoughts is all," she said, stretching her back out. "Anyway, I'm going to head out, and see if I can get some spare food in case the two get unlucky and can't find anything."

  "But who will help us to defend the ship?" Usopp asked, looking into the jungle.

  "Thomas should wake up soon, and you're both capable yourselves," she shrugged. Neither was terrifying, but both were capable enough. "Plus, if something comes along that you can't deal with, that's what the flare is for." Speaking of which, she grabbed the second, leaving a third behind on the ship. Luffy's group had the first, presently in Vivi's possession. Nobody wanted to trust Luffy with something that caused a fire so easily, and Nathan's powers made it so he often lacked opposable thumbs.

  She walked into the jungle, smiling slightly. It was different from home, but all the same rules applied.

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  "You're handling the heat pretty well," Vivi commented, as we stopped by the river. Luffy playing around on its edge. I didn't like that, but so long as I kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't drink anything, it should be good. Right?

  "Back home, the weather is eclectic at best. You can go from it being pleasant to being more humid than a swamp in a day," the Central US. The place where Mother Nature was off her meds all year long.

  That, and I had the foresight to carry water with me. Keeping hydrated was important.

  Still, this place was a jungle by every stretch of the word. Heat, bugs, the whole nine yards. No dinosaurs yet, but with the Archaeopteryx, I knew there had to be some around.

  "Hey, look at this!" There was a slash, Vivi and I whipped over to Luffy in panic, only for him to be holding something in his hands.

  "Is that an Ammonite?" I breathed. It was, it couldn't be anything else.

  "I think it is," Vivi moved in to get a closer look as I frowned. What the hell was it doing so far upriver? Cephalopods were not a freshwater species. The entire group resided in saltwater environments.

  "That means armored squid, right?" Luffy was still having fun with his catch.

  "Scientifically, its name is based on an old word for horn, like what is found on a ram. Note how it kinda spirals, like what can be found on a sheep," I approach, getting a good look at the front to be sure it is not a nautilus. "What is surprising is seeing this guy in a river. Squids, octopus, the whole general portion of that family line are overwhelming if not entirely live in salt water."

  That could mean a few things. Simple evolution was possible. Maybe the rivers had more food, or maybe the outside environment didn't have enough, and those that adapted survived. Or the water was salty. Given the greenery, I found that unlikely. Plants could have adapted, like mangrove trees. It also meant that any attempt to get water from an aquifer was very likely a fool's errand. If salt water had pushed this far upstream, then the aquifer had to be contaminated.

  Then a shadow fell over us, the earth-shaking with the sound of footfalls. It was massive, scales covering its entire body, crunching lazily on some leaves. I open my mouth.

  Wham!

  I groan, Carue having smacked me with his wing. Still, I look up at the majestic dinosaur, smiling.

  "It took, what, all of three seconds for Luffy to start using it as a jungle gym?" I watched as our Captian shimmy up the neck of the massive dinosaur, which was a bit more vertical than it should be.

  "Get down from there!" Vivi shouted. Not like Luffy was going to listen.

  "It's a Sauropod," I said, shaking my head. Sure, a hippo killed more people than any lion on pure averages, and even a small sauropod was big and likely dangerous. But Luffy was made of rubber. "He's fairly safe. What's it going to do? Eat him?"

  It was then I saw a long tail slink into the underbrush. Smiling, I decided to go after it. Triceratops was more my speed than any long neck ever was.

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  "I thought you said it wouldn't!" Vivi turned, only for Nathan to have vanished into thin air. What did she do? Her fingers dug into the flare. If Nathan just vanished, and Luffy eaten, now would be the best time to.

  Thunk!

  The nose came out of nowhere, the dinosaur's neck cut clean in half, a massive figure holding a sword cleaving it in two, before catching Luffy in his hand.

  "Ho Ho Ho Ho!"

  It was a giant, whose laugh might as well have been an earthquake.

  "I haven't seen a human as lively as you in quite a while!" He continued to laugh. From her place on the ground, she could hear what Luffy said, but the giant's voice carried more than well enough. "I'm Dorry, the Greatest Warrior of Elbaph! And all of you are invited to my place!"

  Vivi gulped, as Carue lay there, passed out in fear. But she had to ask. "Excuse me, Dorry, sir! But there was another one of us. Did you perhaps spot him?"

  "A third, you say?" The giant ran his fingers through his beard. "I do believe so. He was heading in that direction." He pointed with his sword.

  "Over toward the three horns nesting grounds," Dorry paused, lost in thought. "Or is it the thin arms? I don't quite recall. Either way, they wouldn't be too much to handle. "

  Three horned? Thin armed? Those didn't sound too dangerous. But still, she was worried. This place was dangerous, and running off on your own spelled disaster.

  "Don't worry, Vivi! Nathan's strong! He'll get back with us when he's ready!" Luffy shouted, smiling a confident grin.

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  I was not a tracker by any stretch of the imagination. But I was 99% sure that these were not triceratops footprints. The three toes proved that much.

  I scowled, standing up. Well, the plan to pet the Triceratops seemed to be a bust. Might as well head back to the river then.

  It was at that moment I felt something wet hit my back, my head slowly turning around.

  "Clever girl."

  God, I really needed to stop saying stupid things before I was about to die.

  The T.rex, to its credit, stiffened for a moment, before roaring in my face.

  "Oh come on, you aren't even the right species!" I said it. I couldn't hear it, but I knew I said it.

  Chomp!