Chapter 13: The Human Torch
The island ahead was a phantom, swallowed whole by a dense, milky fog that refused to reveal any of its secrets. The Spade Pirates' ship drifted forward blindly until its hull crunched softly against a sandy shore, jolting everyone aboard.
"Have we landed?" Taft asked, swiftly securing the rigging.
"I think so," Ace replied, peering into the impenetrable grey wall. A wide, adventurous grin spread across his face. "You know, doesn't the idea of exploring a mysterious, fog-shrouded island in the dead of night just send a thrill right through you?"
A chorus of immediate, unanimous "NOs" answered him.
"Great! Then it's decided! We're exploring!" Ace declared, completely ignoring the collective dissent. He vaulted over the railing, landing with a soft thud on the unseen beach.
"Let's go," Roy said, following suit. He was still stuffed from the Sea King feast and the thought of a walk to settle his stomach was appealing.
"I'll stay and guard the ship," Thomas the cook announced quickly.
"Me too," added Jerry the helmsman. "Someone has to make sure we can actually leave this place."
"Suit yourselves! The adventure awaits!" Ace called back, already a blur in the fog. Roy, Joseph, Slott, Jin, and Taft exchanged resigned looks before jumping down to join their incurably enthusiastic captain.
The beach gave way quickly to a dense, oppressive jungle. The darkness beneath the canopy was absolute, a tangible thing that pressed in on them. The air was alive with the deafening, rhythmic chirping and buzzing of countless insects, a sound so constant it felt like a physical pressure in their ears.
"Ace, a little light, if you please," Roy said, swatting a bug away from his face.
Ace shot him an aggrieved look, clearly offended at being used as a living lantern. But with a sigh, he complied, snapping his fingers. A soft, warm "Firefly" glow emanated from his palm, pushing back the darkness and casting long, dancing shadows between the gnarled trees.
Crunch.
Ace, who was leading the way, stopped dead in his tracks.
"What is it?" Roy asked, moving up beside him.
"I think I stepped on something." Ace crouched down, sifting through the leaf litter with his free hand. He held up a small, rusted metal object. "A nail."
"A rivet," Taft corrected, taking it. "The kind used in shipbuilding."
"So there are people here, or at least, there were," Joseph mused, his hand instinctively drifting toward his weapon. "But it's too quiet for a populated island."
"Let's keep moving," Jin urged, glancing nervously at his Log Pose. "It's too dark to see anything properly now."
Suddenly, Ace stood up straight, his nostrils flaring. "I smell barbecue," he announced, his eyes closed in concentration.
He began to wander, sniffing the air like a bloodhound, until he bumped directly into Roy. He leaned in, sniffing Roy's shoulder and chest intently.
THWACK!
A fist, hardened by years of wielding a massive sword, connected with the top of Ace's head.
"OW! What was that for?!" Ace yelped, clutching his skull.
"We just ate a grilled Sea King! I smell like barbecue! Now focus!" Roy retorted, shaking out his stinging hand.
Sulking, Ace led them onward, rubbing the new bump on his head. They pushed through the final line of trees and found themselves at the base of a large hill. And there, carved into the hillside like a gaping maw, was the entrance to a massive cave.
"Roy," Ace said, his voice suddenly dropping to a serious, conspiratorial whisper. "Have you heard the saying that circulates among us seasoned pirates?"
Roy, a pirate for all of two days, played along. "What saying?"
Ace's face split into that familiar, infectious grin. "Where there's a cave, there's treasure. So..."
"So...?" Roy prompted, already knowing what was coming.
"So let's go plunder it!" Ace declared, striding confidently into the darkness.
"He's the one who says that," Joseph muttered, pointing at Ace's retreating back.
The others nodded in weary agreement. "Yeah, that's his line."
"Come on," Roy sighed, gesturing for them to follow. "Let's make sure he doesn't get himself eaten by a cave-dwelling Sea King."
The interior of the cave was vast, its ceiling lost in shadow high above. As they ventured deeper, Roy's sharp eyes caught something on the wall. He grabbed Ace by the shoulder and pulled him—and his light—closer.
"What now?" Ace grumbled.
"Look," Roy said, running his fingers over the stone. "These marks. This cave wasn't formed naturally. It was dug out. With tools."
"You're right," Joseph agreed, examining the clean, sharp edges. "These are pickaxe marks. This explains the rivet we found outside."
"Then there has to be treasure!" Ace's eyes transformed into glittering Berry signs, his previous annoyance forgotten. "Come on!"
The deeper they went, the more evidence of human activity they found: scraps of cloth, broken pottery, even the rusted remains of a lantern. The only downside to their impulsive exploration was the lack of a real light source. Every time they needed to inspect something, they had to drag their human torch over.
"Ace, over here!"
"Ace, I need light!"
"Ace, shine this way!"
The Fire-Fist user was beginning to look genuinely drained, his expression souring with each summons. "I'm a pirate, not a candelabra," he muttered under his breath.
Just as Ace's patience was wearing thin, Roy, who was scouting a few steps ahead, held up a hand. "Wait. I see light up ahead. Real light."
"HA! It's the treasure room!" Ace extinguished the flame in his hand with a snap, plunging them into near-total darkness save for the faint glow in the distance. "I knew it!" He took off at a sprint.
"Ace, wait! It could be—!" Roy's warning was cut short.
From the darkness ahead came a single, startled yell that echoed through the cavernous passage.
"HEEEELP!"
It was Ace's voice.
HELPPP ME TOOO WITH SOME STONESSS. THEY KIDNAPED ME.