Where Am I? And Hello There...

Hmm. Nakaba pushed the door open enough to peek through the resulting crack, eye darting from one corner to the other. Seems like the coast is clear.

Pushing it wider open, the amateur treasure hunter found himself in the middle of an empty dining room. He whistled. This was one labor of love, that was for sure. A cozy room for those needing medical treatment, a bona fide kitchen, and who knew what else, all lavished with an eye for comfort, space, and complimentary furnishing.

He imagined sailing the seas with this baby. And with everyone on it as his subordinates. Yeah, now that was more like it. And the ladies, all lining up in fleets.

At ease, babes, at ease! I got enough cock in the hull to go around! Now who's up next? Latika? Nice try, you naughty tramp, you already had a go. Vyrie, how about you? Come up here! Just take it all off! Yes, underwear are also articles of clothing! Oh, come on -- someone, get her to stop the wailing?

Ears perking up at the sound of further banter outside, Nakaba was interrupted from his outlandish daydreams and he noticed a ladder to the side, leading up to a hatch.

"No guts, no glory," he shrugged.

Clambering towards it, he wrapped his hands around the sides and ascended upward, earrings swaying from side to side. He wondered what the crew who'd saved him was like, hoping they weren't murderous pillagers intent on making him their personal vassal or something. Talk about backwards.

With a soft push, he pried open the hatch, the salty sea air immediately flowing through and over his face.

"For the last time," exclaimed a fairly high-pitched, but tough, rusty voice, "if it's labeled 'COLA' then it's off-limits! What part of 'off' and 'limits' is hard to understand!?"

"Well next time, actually label the damn things, then!" a hotheaded reply deflected, "'Cause it sure was on limits when I saw them today!"

"Franky! Sanji-kun!" A woman with orange hair situated her hands on the rail, looking down below at what Nakaba assumed that was the main deck, which from this angle was out of his line of vision. The mast could be seen standing tall just ahead. If he lifted the hatch up just a little more, he might be able to discern the flag, and the jolly roger. Assuming this was a pirate crew. And looking at the way that woman was casually dressed, they probably were. Nakaba licked his lips. She was a pretty-looking one, too -- and that was only from behind.

While she disassembled the heated argument between the two, Nakaba shifted his attention to his right, where he nearly lost his footing. At the nearby table, on a chair, sat a dazzling raven-haired beauty, with two large pillows adorning her chest. She had on a purple blouse with a neckline that plunged into her cleavage like a resigned mountaineer, and matching purple pants that covered her legs whole, Nakaba noted with a frown.

He turned back to the orange-haired woman who was pulling the chair next to the raven-haired woman, dropping into it. Her yellow blouse was a tight fit across her nicely shaped chest, with shorts that exposed plenty of leg.

"Mattaku," she placed her head against two folded arms upon the table before them as she stared ahead, at nothing in particular, "when are these guys ever not a handful?"

The other woman chuckled knowingly, in an amused manner, as she held a finger just above her chin. Maybe because it was nothing new. Maybe she was just like that. "You're very proficient at defusing arguments, Nami."

"Thanks, Robin, but," Nami buried her head in her arms now, "I think I could use a vacation."

Robin just offered another mild laugh again, and looked back to the book Nakaba just noticed she had on her lap.

Then, letting the hatch down, his eyes widened.

Robin... Nami...

Sanji... Franky...

This...

This was the infamous Straw Hat pirates he had heard about!

He thought back to about a month earlier, when he and Akaba were stopped at a bar in a popular harbor.

"Ehh?! Someone broke into Enies Lobby?"

"Yep, declared war on the whole government supposedly. It was crazy. They call themselves the Straw Hats."

"Why that?"

"I think their captain wears one. Kinda pastoral, if you ask me."

Nakaba reviewed his situation with a new perspective. These people were dangerous if messed with. But this was the Grand Line. You were lucky if a fly wasn't somehow some poisonous mutated strain. Just look at the accident he had barely emerged out of.

But then, it was at that same harbor he had stumbled into that stranger. They were hard to identify under their layers of rags, and sounded like an old okama put through a cheese grater. Their words, however, stuck with Nakaba -- at least, after he got over his slightly drunk stupor...

"Hey, Akaba, where you going!"

"Back to the ship, brother."

"But this guy's trying to tell us something!"

Watching his brother's back proceed, unfazed, to the dock, Nakaba sighed and looked back at the cloaked fellow.

"Well, forget about him. What is it that these things do?"

"They're magic earrings, fufu." The stranger leaned in close, unfolding a finger. "One will assert your normality, though be aware that this can vary from situation to situation, person to person, action to action; you can elicit reactions from others, but the most incriminating attributions will be largely blunted, similar to how people give in to self-deceit every day, and while when digging deep enough you will find this logical rewiring in effect, on the surface you can still be viewed in various lights depending on the personality of the affected, or the context of your circumstances; after all, this does not change personalities, it only changes the limits of their perception." Another finger. "The other, on the other hand, will allow you to determine what's normal, by using the word 'normal'. This one is change. This one... is power."

"Huh?" Nakaba's brow rose in disbelief. "Human translation, please? And how do I know you ain't bluffing?"

"Believe me child, it is real, and I would know. I have no use for them now, however, so now it is yours."

Nakaba looked down to the bag in his hand, which didn't feel that much heavier now with two tacky earrings inside them. "Suure pal... look. Say everything you said was for real, then. Devil's Fruit stuff or whatever, who cares. My question is, why me? Us?"

"Simple," the other's still concealed face seemed to physically twist in amusement at the question. "It is because I know that in your hands, there will be 'fun' ahead."

Nakaba had just taken it without further questions, then. It was a free souvenir, at least, so why not.

But as he flicked one with a finger, he couldn't help but wonder of the possibilities.

If all it took was speech, and without anybody needing to even hear him, and the effects would settle regardless, then he wouldn't be in all that much danger. It's not like somebody would tackle him afterward if he was just making a quiet utterance.

A glint streaked his eyes.

Yes... maybe, he could see just how much that weirdo's word held water.

...and besides, if it didn't, then at least he had two earrings with the first letter of his name represented. Which was cheeky. Cool, but cheeky.

Nakaba climbed up the ladder again, then pushed open the hatch oh-so cautiously, looking out to see Nami and Robin still sitting at the table, breeze blowing through their hair. He studied their shapely, delicately formed bodies, slender and smooth and ripe. Their unassuming, bounty-postered faces chattering away with partially bored, partially complacent expressions.

Nakaba covertly felt his manhood through his pants. Options... options...