"End of the line, end of the line! We've reached Wayward Island in West Blue!"
Naru groaned sleepily and cracked an eye open. Dazzling sunlight leaked in through the small window of her cabin, effectively making the room hot as an oven. She slowly rose from her mattress and looked around. She located her scarf in the far corner of the cabin, and bent down to pick it up.
It had been four days since they'd left North Blue. The cargo ship had stopped at several small islands on the way, and to entertain themselves, Naru and Kurama had spent their days out on deck, sparring and fighting each other.
Naru tied the scarf around her head and yawned loudly. "Kurama?" She pushed the door open and found said man sitting on the railing just outside her cabin.
"Mornin', sweetheart," Kurama said and looked at her over his shoulder.
"Hey." Naru inhaled deeply, humming as the fresh air made her muscles relax. "You've been up all night?"
"Nah, just got here. We've arrived at Wayward Island."
"Yeah, I heard." Naru tugged at the collar of her jacket. "Is it just me, or is it really warm out here?"
"This is normal weather fer West Blue," Kurama said and smirked. "Compared ta North Blue though, it's hot as hell."
"That's what I thought. Let me just..." Naru grabbed the right sleeve of her jacket and tore it straight off. "Much better," she sighed and did the same thing to the left sleeve. "Shall we?" she said and gestured towards the shore.
"Ya know anythin' 'bout this place?" Kurama asked.
"Nope."
"So, we're just gonna walk around till we find a village?"
"Yup."
"Arite."
They waved goodbye to the sailors of the cargo ship and walked ashore. The scenery presented to them was beautiful, with wide fields full of flowers, lush forests and small mountains.
"First time I've ever seen flowers," Naru stated and bent down to pluck a small blue flower from the ground. She twirled it around in her fingers a few times before crushing it and tossing it over her shoulder. "Fragile... alright!" She looked around. "Where do you think the nearest village is?"
She looked at Kurama, who shrugged in reply. "Dunno," he said. "Choose a direction and start walkin', sweetheart."
"Cheers," Naru grinned and inhaled deeply. "South from here, there's a lake," she said and started walking. "Someone's bound to live close to a lake, right?"
"Ya caught the scent of a lake?" Kurama wondered.
"I suppose? Or maybe it's animal instinct, you know, to find water as soon as possible."
"Does yer Devil's Fruit ability affect ya even when yer not really usin' it?"
Naru brought her hand up and rubbed her forehead. "I think so," she said absentmindedly. "I think I never bothered to learn how to completely suppress it, so my nose and ears are as sensitive as a tiger's. Clearly I've got the instinct part as well. Is that bad?"
"Nah, if it's been workin' so far, I don't think it's harmful," Kurama snickered. "I was just surprised."
"Why?"
Kurama didn't answer, much to Naru's dismay. She glared at him from the corner of her eyes, and suddenly, she wanted to rub that constant smile off his face. It was not natural, how he could always be grinning like that.
Naru sighed and pushed those thoughts away. Whatever the reason, Kurama could do as he liked, as long as he behaved as a proper crew member.
They walked for a good hour before arriving at a trail. They had relied on Naru's sense of smell, which had brought them through a forest and a field of tall grass.
"Finally," Naru sighed and bent over to stretch. "I thought we were never gonna get out of there."
"If I still had my katana, I could'a cut through the grass," Kurama said tantalizingly.
"Ah yes." Naru smirked at him and started to move along the trail. "But if you'd still have your katana, I'd probably be dead. So sorry, but I prefer the tall grass."
Kurama tipped his head back and released a bark of laughter. "Touché," he said. "Just remember ta buy me a new one."
"Buy it yourself. What makes you think I could afford a sword?"
They kept bickering as they moved along the trail, and didn't stop until they reached a crossroads. The road split in five directions, and a tall sign with several arrows was placed in the middle of it.
"That's helpful," Naru grumbled and circled the sign a few times. When she finally stopped, a crease appeared on her forehead. "There are only five roads to take, but seven signs."
Kurama walked up to her and observed the sign. "There's one extra pointing towards the mountains," he stated and followed the direction of a stray sign. "Noroi mountain."
"It says Noroi's mountain," Naru corrected him. "Noroi must be a person."
She stared at the high outcrop, but before she could even begin to fathom where this odd name came from, Kurama broke her train of thought. "The other stray sign leads towards the forest," he said and pointed. "Roa."
"Who?"
"The sign says 'Sasuke'."
Naru frowned. "Well, that isn't the village for sure," she said and shrugged. "Let's see..." She grabbed hold of the lowest sign and hoisted herself up from the ground to read the highest ones. "Oh, there would've been a trail leading from the docks," she stated.
"I'm shocked," Kurama said sarcastically.
"Yajirushi village, that could be the capital," Naru said and jumped down to the ground again. "In the same direction we were walking. Towards the lake."
Kurama's smile grew wider. "Don't sound so smug, sweetheart."
"See, there's Yajirushi village. I told you it would be near a lake."
Kurama sighed. "So ya did," he said. "And I never said it wouldn't be."
Naru shook her head and hummed at the view presented to them. Yajirushi village was located in a valley, surrounded by high mounds. The north side of the village was surrounded by a small lake, and all together with the beautifully spiraling trail that lead to the town gave off a vibe of perfection.
"Down there we might have our next crew mate." An excited grin graced Naru's lips, and she hummed in delight as she started trotting down the hill.
"And my new katana?" Kurama jingled as he followed her.
"Don't start again."
"Whatever ya say, sweetheart."