(A/N: I figured I'd leave this here to remind y'all that I'm NOT writing out Skypiea because I have ZERO ideas for Isaac's story and involvement in the arc as I hated watching this arc and that if I did write it I would probably never get anything done. We're also skipping the Foxy arc so we're starting right at Water 7 as not only is it just an amazing arc but this will introduce a ton of Witch lore the further we get into the storyline of Water 7 and Enies Lobby. It's the 2nd most thought-out arc in the Pre-TS in terms of Isaac's storyline/involvement. The 1st in the Pre-TS? Well, I'll let y'all guess. Anywho, enjoy the chapter, and HAPPY 2025!!!)

Prologue:

" Arriving At The City Of Water "

(ISAAC'S POV)

Times have been crazy since we left Alabasta and Robin joined our crew. First, a ship fell from the sky, and after much research and digging into it, we discovered the Sky Island, Skypiea. It was being controlled by an unruly 'God' named Enel that Luffy ended up beating the crap out of. Then we fell into Marine territory and had to escape that, after that, a group called the 'Foxy Pirates' challenged our crew to a game called a 'Davy Back Fight' and after much trial and error, we won. Finally, we encountered a Marine Admiral known as Aokiji who of course was not approving of us, especially Robin. 

But now here we are three days later and just when I think things are calming down, before I knew it we were chasing a giant frog doing the crawl stroke because Luffy wanted to eat it. As we chased the frog, the Going Merry came to an abrupt stop. "Guess we ran ashore or something..." Usopp said. I then heard a familiar sound, "Is that...A train?" I mumbled. My suspicions were confirmed when I heard Nami shout, "Full reverse, now! Turn 180 degrees!" 

"What the Hell is that!?" Sanji cried. "Turn the ship around, now!" Nami ordered. Right as we successfully turned away, a train zoomed past us on the waves. "HOW THE HELL IS A TRAIN ABOVE THE WATER!?" I shouted. The frog was right in the train's path causing Luffy to shout at it to move, but it didn't. And a few seconds later the train hit the frog, sending it flying. We all stood there stunned until a voice spoke out:

"GRANNY! GRANNY! LOOK! THERE'S PIRATES!"

A little girl and an older lady walked, or in the old lady's case-stumbled, outside of a small building on a land surface. "Bring Granny that transponder snail, Chimney!" "On it!"

"This is gonna be a real pain if they call for help and the Marines show up!" Zoro sneered. The little girl gave her grandma the transponder snail and she picked it up, "Hello? Who is this?... Sorry, you've got the wrong number!" The old lady then hung up. "SHE'S DRUNK OFF HER ASS!" I shouted in annoyance. "My name's Chimney! This is our kitty cat, Gonbe. And this is Granny Kokoro." The little girl introduced herself and her grandma. I narrowed my eyes, 'Pretty sure that's a rabbit but it's probably better to keep my mouth shut...'

"You fellas wouldn't happen to be train robbers, would 'ya?" Kokoro said with a laugh. "I'm Luffy, and I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!" Luffy declared. "Really?" Chimney asked. "Yeah." Kokoro laughed, "What a funny guy." "By the way, Chimney, that thing's a steamship, right?" Nami asked the child. "With a shape like that, I can't imagine it getting very far." Chimney giggled, "You've probably never seen anything like this. This is the only one in the world." She replied. "It's the sea train called the Puffing Tom. It turns paddlewheels using a steam engine and runs on the sea railway." 

"Railway?" Usopp asked. "That's right. It runs a bit below the surface of the sea. The train goes the same route daily, taking passengers from one island to another. It carries ships and mail too." Chimney explained. I crouched and peered over, noticing the silhouette of train tracks beneath the waves, "Wow..." I whispered. "Funny how we didn't notice that before," Luffy said. "You should be more careful. Didn't you see the signal? There's a bell ringing and everything!" Explained Chimney. Usopp pointed upward at the signal, "Is that what it's for? I thought it was just here to welcome us. How were we supposed to know?" He asked. 

Luffy put his hands on his hips, "Well, if we couldn't understand it that frog sure wouldn't get it, would he? That was pretty rude of you to run him over like that. We were gonna catch him and cook him!" He said. Chimney perked up, "You saw the frog? That's Yokozuna! I wouldn't worry about him, he's pretty tough. It's not the first time he's challenged the train and lost. It's actually a real pain." Luffy nodded, "So he that's why he didn't run. I thought that frog was being stupid but he's actually being manly."

"Easy for you to say! You don't have to put up with him all the time! I can't even count how many times he's broken the rail guard! And just imagine what it's like for the passengers on the train when Yokozuna hits it!" Chimney complained. "Alright, change of plans! Since the frog's a fighter, we're not gonna eat him!" Luffy declared. I sighed in relief, 'Thank God...I really didn't want to eat a frog...' I thought. Granny Kokoro spoke up, "So where are you folks headin' off to after this? The sea train can go to all sorts of places!" She began listing off a few different places, one of them catching me off guard as she revealed a special train specifically for the government. Nami refused, "Thanks, but we don't need the train when we have our own ship." She replied. "We'll just follow the log."

"Oh? And where's it pointing?" Chimney asked. Nami raised her wrist to check the log pose, "Should be someplace east of here." Kokoro nodded, "I see. Well, in that case, that's Water 7 for sure! The train you saw just came from that island's Blue Station. They call it the 'city of water', it's a pretty nice place." She explained. "Water 7, huh?" "They've got great shipyards. You might say that's their 'claim to fame'. When it comes to boats, they're first class! They're always coming up with new technology to build boats for the World Government!" 

"Woah! Then that means they must have some awesome shipwright, too!" Luffy exclaimed. "Not just some! More like damn near all of them!" Kokoro replied. "Alright, it's settled! We're gonna find the best shipwright in Water 7 and get them to join our crew!" Luffy declared. "Is that so? In that case, hold on a sec." Kokoro slowly sat up and walked off before coming back, "I've got something for 'ya. Here's a little map of the city and a reference letter. Give this to a guy named Iceburg and ask him to fix your ship up good! Water 7 is a big place so try not to get lost." 

"Wow, Kokoro! You've got a big heart! We really owe 'ya one!" Usopp cheered. "We're heading back to Water 7 soon, so maybe we'll see you there!" Chimney said. "Sounds good! We'll try to keep a lookout for you!" Luffy replied. "It takes about a week for the log to lock onto the next island, so that'll give you plenty of time to do some sightseeing!" Kokoro added. 

"TIME TO SET SAIL!" Luffy shouted. 

The week went by pretty quickly. Everyone was getting excited about the idea of a new shipwright, and so was I, but I was also occupied by something else. That being practicing my magic. Despite successfully performing the spell circle back in Crocodile's prison in Alabasta, I haven't been able to pull it off again since. Amaryllis had packed a small spellbook with me when she and Jasper sent me off from their ship, wanting me to keep practicing once we went our separate ways. I opened the book to the page I bookmarked, a light spell. I took a breath, trying to concentrate. "Alright. You've got this. Light spell." I put up my pointer finger, and it glowed lightly as I attempted to draw a circle. Suddenly I felt a zap at my fingertip, shocking me. 

"Ow!" Since when did failing magic become a painful punishment!?" I hissed. I ran my hands through my hair, sighing. "I need a break..." I walked up and out to the deck, just in time to hear my crewmates talking about our yet-to-appear new crewmember. "Leave the job of finding a shipwright to me! I'll find the hottest girl in town!" Sanji said. "Who cares if the shipwright is hot! I want a huge manly man, even bigger than a bear!" Luffy argued. "All that matters is that they're good at their job. The real problem is finding someone crazy enough who's willing to join a bunch of pirates." Zoro said. 

I noticed Robin sitting on one of the lounge chairs and I walked over to her, sitting down in the chair next to her. "Still having trouble with that spell of yours?" She asked. Despite our rocky introduction, it was nice having Robin around. She was calm and collected, surprisingly nurturing, and since she joined us I've learned she has a rather morbid sense of humor which I thought was charming.I also liked listening to her talk about her studies in archaeology and she also seemed very interested in learning about my journey with witchcraft. Honestly, she quickly became like the older sister I'd always wanted. 

"Yeah. I still can't seem to do it right. And now I'm being zapped in the fingers for not performing the spell correctly!" I ranted. Robin nodded, "Have you talked to the swordsman about it?" She asked. I shook my head, "I don't wanna bother Zoro with my problems..." I replied. "I thought lovers were supposed to be there for each other?" My cheeks darkened, "L-Lovers? We're not lovers. I mean, yeah, we have feelings for each other and shared a kiss but we haven't made anything official or anything..." I explained. "Well, maybe expanding on those feelings will be a good way to distract yourself from your previous failures," Robin suggested. I nodded, "Yeah, you're right about that. Thanks, Robin." 

I then noticed Usopp hugging the ship and made my way over. "Why are you hugging the ship, Usopp?" Luffy asked. "These tinplates may not mean a lot to you, but they bring back a lot of memories for me!" Usopp exclaimed. "I almost hate to see them go, but it'll be worth it to get Merry the repairs she needs." 

"I get that. I'm proud of her battle scars too, but Merry's taken a real beating since we entered the Grand Line." Sanji said. "The deck squeaks and there's leaks popping up everywhere. Nobody wants to admit it, but if we don't do something about it Merry along with the rest of us is toast." "Yeah but even if we can't get a shipwright, we've still got plenty of money! We can do way more than just repair her, we can power her up, too!" Luffy chimed in. I smiled as I listened to Luffy and Usopp begin to excitedly talk about all the things we could add to the Going Merry. 

"Hey, I think we're there!" Zoro called out. I, along with Usopp and Luffy ran up to see Water 7 in the near distance. "He's right! I can see Water 7!" Luffy exclaimed. "Alright, guys! Time to row!" I chuckled, "Slow your roll, Cap', we've got plenty of windpower to get us there." I reassured. Everyone stood at the front of the deck, gazing in awe at the city of water. "When Kokoro called it the 'city of water' she wasn't kidding!" I exclaimed. Luffy pointed at the giant canals, "Hey, how about once we get there we race on those water slides!" He proposed. 

Chopper looked at Luffy and then at the canals before growing fearful, "I think I'll pass..." He said. "Even if it was a water slide, you still can't swim," Zoro added. "Oh, good point." I noticed some numbers on parts of the structures, "More importantly, what's with those numbers?" I asked. "They look like walls, but they could also easily be gates." Sanji guessed. Our ship was passing a much smaller ship with a man fishing in it. He looked up at us and began shouting, "Hey, hold on! Pirates shouldn't sail in the front! You've gotta be more discreet! Use the backstreets over there instead!" He pointed in another direction.

"Okay, thank you!" Nami shouted back at the man. As we entered the backstreets, we noticed several boats in the water. In fact, there was water everywhere with buildings jutting from the depths. 'It's kinda like that one city from my world...What's it called again? Venice?' I thought. "But the city is flooded and the houses are submerged in the sea..." Chopper spoke up. "The city was designed with the base being submerged," Robin explained. "HURRY AND DOCK THE SHIP!" Luffy shouted excitedly. Another man in front of a coffee shop directed us to a proper place to dock, and after a little more sailing we were far enough from the city to finally put down the anchor. 

Zoro was pulling the rope to furl the sail when suddenly the mast snapped, causing Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, and I to collectively scream. "What are you doing!?" Usopp cried. Zoro caught the mast, "Nothing! I just pulled the rope!" He replied. "Holy crap! If the Merry's falling apart this easily, we're lucky we made it here at all!"

"By the way, they don't seem to be scared of pirates here. Doesn't that seem strange?" Nami asked. "It's 'cuz we're shipyard customers just like anyone else." Zoro replied and Usopp was hitting Zoro's back, "Stop talking and fix the ship already!"

"They probably aren't worried about pirates because they have enough security here to take care of any who misbehave," Robin said. "Bet there's plenty of Marines here too. Probably comes with the territory." Sanji added. I cringed, "Aren't you guys at all worried about being arrested!?" "I don't think it'd be a problem since we're paying customers." "Alright, if you say so..."

Luffy, Usopp, and Nami went off to cash in the gold we got from Skypiea and also to find Iceburg, leaving the rest of us aboard the Merry. A little later, Robin, Chopper, and Sanji left too. Zoro was taking one of his naps and I got a little idea in my head, 'Maybe I can go and find some booze to bring back for him!' I smiled to myself before walking to Zoro. I crouched down, shaking him gently. "Hey, Mossie. Mossie~" I cooed. Zoro opened one of his eyes, "What is it?" He asked groggily. "I'm gonna go run a little errand, but I promise I'll be back soon." Zoro nodded, "Be careful." He said. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing my sword and my satchel and hopping off the ship. 

After a little roaming around, I found a small bar. When I entered, there was a person a little older than me wearing a black beanie with lilac-colored bangs covering a little bit of the left side of their face behind the bar counter drying a glass with a towel. They looked at me monotonously before speaking, "Blueno's out right now." I assumed Blueno was probably the owner. "I'm just here for a drink," I clarified. They nodded, "Alright." I sat on a bar stool and looked at their little name tag, 'Dell...Never heard that name before.' I thought. Dell put the glass down not making eye contact, "What'll it be?" They asked. 

"One Strawberry Daiquiri and uh...Do you guys have any sake bottles I can to go?" I asked nervously. Dell nodded slowly before getting to work. The silence was deafening and gave me anxiety. "Soooo, uh, how long have you lived in Water 7 for?" I asked. "About 5 years," Dell replied. I nodded and Dell handed me my drink along with the sake bottle. I took a sip before I noticed Dell staring at me, narrowing their eyes. 

I averted my eyes, feeling nervous again before they spoke up again.

"You're a witch too...Aren't you?" 

I nearly choked on my daiquiri. I then looked at them timidly, "Wh-What was that?" I stuttered. We stared at each other for a moment, long enough for me to notice Dell twitch slightly before turning around. "Nothing." They said. Not wanting to potentially get into any trouble, I chugged my drink, put money for that and the sake on the counter, and while grabbing the sake I dashed out of there and back to the ship as quickly as possible.

'That didn't just happen right!? And what did they mean by 'too'!? Are they also a witch!? More importantly, how much trouble did I potentially avoid just now!?' My mind was racing before I finally made it aboard the Going Merry once again, panting. I was exhausted as I walked towards Zoro who was still in his spot sleeping, plopping down next to him. I then looked over and saw someone investigating the mast. He had a long nose like Usopp's but it was more square. 

"Zoro, who's that?" I asked. "What do you mean? It's just Usopp." He replied. "Uh, no it's not." Zoro's eyes then shot open, drawing his swords, "HOLD ON A SEC! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

"Sorry, I didn't intend to disturb your nap." The square-nosed man said. "I'm Kaku from Galley-La. I was sent here by Iceburg to inspect your ship." He explained. "Ooooh. Nami, Luffy, and Usopp must've found him then." I said before yawning. "I'm going to sleep, c'mon Mossie." Zoro looked at Kaku one more time suspiciously before following me back to his original resting spot.

TO BE CONTINUED...