"Wow," Luffy said to himself, still admiring the platform where Gold Roger kicked off the Great Pirate Era, "I can't believe I get to see this!"
Sally chuckled. "I can only imagine, although I personally hope you don't meet the same fate."
Luffy stretched his fingers, tempted to just throw caution to the wind and climb the scaffolding. He just had to know, what was Roger's last sight? What did the man see when he made his world-shaking announcement?
Right before he could, though, something made him stop. His eyes widened at the sheer amount of Haki that it made him gulp.
"Luffy? What's wrong?"
"Nothing… I need to find someone…"
He walked straight out of the plaza and down the many winding streets, Sally hurriedly following him to make sure he did not get lost. Her captain made turn after turn, going from open streets to cramped side paths without breaking stride once. She had never seen something so completely take his concentration that wasn't a meal, sex, or a fight.
Finally, Luffy stopped in a completely abandoned backstreet. The walls were lined with boarded-up windows and empty storefronts except for this one. A literal hole in the wall bar that had no sign, no apparent name, and seemingly no customers but Luffy headed in anyway. Sally did the same and promptly froze at the sight of the one man looking at them from in front of the counter.
Wild, untamed black hair went down to his back with an intense widow's peak forming over his face. Said face was also marked with a blood-red tattoo of interlocking diamonds going down the side of his forehead, over one of his eyes, and down his cheek. The rest of him was hidden behind a full-body green cloak save for the one aged hand nursing his scotch on the rocks.
"Aaah, your Observation is impressive," he complimented, his gravelly voice immediately capturing all attention, "Take a seat, Luffy. I've been expecting you."
"Who are you?"
"Luffy, we should leave. Now." Sally tugged on the end of his jacket, urging him to get the hell out of this bar.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"Oh, don't be so alarmed. I've only come to talk. It's not every day I have a reason to go out, you know. Come, sit down and have a drink."
As terrified as Sally seemed, Luffy just had to know. He moved past the dusty tables across the splintered floor and sat down next to the cloaked man. Sally stayed glued to the door, refusing to budge even an inch.
The young pirate found a glass of amber liquid in front of him. Not wanting to be rude, Luffy took a sip and was surprised. He had first tasted alcohol when he became brothers with Ace and Sabo but the cheap sake on Dawn Island was nothing compared to this. Smooth and refined while still bitter and bracing.
"Thanks. So, who are you?"
"Heh, you don't read the news much, do you?"
"Not really. Why, you a pirate?"
"Oh, no, I'm something much worse. At least, that's what they keep telling me…"
Luffy just frowned. "Cut the crap. You brought me here for a reason, so just spill it."
The older man just chuckled. "Seems like you take after your grandfather in some ways after all… Tell me, did he pull the 'I already signed your application to the academy' line?"
Luffy almost fell off of his barstool. "How the hell do you know that?!"
"Because besides from you and the Fleet Admiral, I'm one of the few who's told that man no to his face and lived. But hey, he was always a sucker for his family. Especially his son…"
The young man downed the rest of his drink in one loud gulp before crushing the glass in his hand. Suddenly it all clicked. Garp muttered some weird things under his breath while training Luffy like "this time it'll be different" and "that'll show that slacker…" but he never got an explanation. But that one comment about a son…
"You… You're my…"
"Yes, Luffy. I'm glad to finally meet you… Son."
"WHAAAAAAAT?!" Sally rushed over and slammed her hand onto the bar, "You can't be, are not, must not be serious! Luffy, we need to leave NOW!"
"At ease, your majesty. I'm just here to talk…"
"Sally, what's the matter? Who is this guy?!"
"Luffy, this is Dragon! Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army! The most wanted man in the world!"
If the entire island was swallowed up in a tidal wave, that would not have been enough to snap Luffy back to reality. He never truly thought about his parents, always assuming they were Marines just like Garp who were KIA or retired to some far-off island. But hearing this… That he was descended from the world's most notorious criminal made him completely re-evaluate his life…
…For all of ten seconds before shrugging. "Huh, cool. That does explain all the complaining Gramps does…"
"LUFFY?! Please take this more seriously!"
Dragon just laughed, expecting nothing less from the young pirate. "Now then, the reason I'm here. I can't help but noticed you've become quite infamous in a very short time, Luffy."
He pulled out a rolled piece of paper, Luffy's bounty poster. His finger went to the humungous asking price for his head, a proud smile on his face. "You've gravely upset the balance of power in the East Blue and that terrifies the World Government more than anything. And not just by defeating all of the pirates they couldn't, but by revealing their own corruption."
Luffy just shrugged. "Those two captains were both jackasses. I did it to help Kuina and Nami, not make some kind of point."
"Indeed, you just happened upon them and acted in your own interest. But even more impressive than that…"
His other hand came out from his cloak, gesturing to the frazzled Sally, "You happened to do what many people assumed impossible: sway a royal from opulence to willingly acting as a pirate. Hence why they've added 'kidnapping' to your list of crimes."
Luffy actually looked below his picture and bounty to see precisely what he was wanted for. Most of it made sense: destruction of property, theft, assaulting Marines, the generic charges they slapped onto anyone. But on the list was indeed kidnapping, making him red in the face.
"That's bullshit! Sally asked to join and I let her!"
"Indeed, but you can understand that the World Government has a very good reason for telling this lie. They want to preserve the status quo at all costs. Someone very high up the food chain wants to keep it that way."
Both of the Straw Hats nodded. They knew who he was talking about, but they both had a very good guess who was really responsible…
"Luffy, you've shown a natural talent for doing the right thing at any cost. Your Haki is advanced, your proficient in your Devil Fruit, and you even have the Six Powers under your belt. You could continue on as a pirate or you could apply your talents to our cause."
Luffy's eyes widened. "You want to recruit me?"
"Of course, we would also bring the rest of your crew into our protection. You can all act as agents, or support staff if that's what you prefer."
"Nah, we're good…"
Dragon's brows raised. "Really? Just like that?"
"Sorry, but a pirate means being free. If I joined your army, you'd be in charge of me, right?"
"That is how a chain of command works, yes."
"Then nope, not happening. Nice to meet you, though." Luffy stood up and headed out, waving goodbye as Sally just hustled out behind him. Dragon just chuckled and poured himself a refill.
"Heh, worth a try… He isn't a D for nothing, after all!"
While Loguetown had its wide selection of bars to choose from, there were the few places that refrained from the harder stuff. One of them, a quaint little teahouse popular with the older residents of the island, was where Tashigi had led Kuina. While the former bounty hunter was aching for something stronger, she had to admit the tea and sandwiches were delicious.
Now that they were done eating, the near-identical ladies were at their table exchanging stories with Kuina recounting some of her time as a bounty hunter and Tashigi going through her time in the Navy.
"Wow, there aren't that many women in uniform," Kuina admitted, "I mean, what, there's one vice admiral and some captain…"
"Oh, you've heard of Tsuru and Hina! I've never met the first one, but Black Cage Hina is a good friend of my CO! They've been buddies since the academy, although she's usually busy with her fleet on the Grand Line. She does call pretty frequently."
"Really? Damn, that sounds tough. You ever get any crap from guys?"
"Ugh, all the time at first! When I first walked into the academy, I was the only woman in the room half of the time! I got called 'honey,' 'babycakes,' 'sweetheart,' and some… less savory names. It took my graduating in the top tenth of my class for them to finally take me seriously."
"Good for you. I got hit on all the time. At least I can just tell them to fuck off or cut a bitch when that happens…"
"Heh, I just kind of assumed you lived in Wano with the rest of the Shimotsuki clan. What brought you all to the East Blue?"
"No idea, I never asked. My father didn't talk about his family much, too busy training me and the others. Where'd you come from, then?"
"Oh, nowhere special. My parents were just merchants so I moved from place to place all the time. Everywhere I went, I thought swords were the coolest thing and tried actually using one. But then… Pirates attacked their caravan…"
"Ouch, I'm sorry. No wonder you hate them so much…"
Tashigi struggled not to crush her cup. "Pirates are nothing but evil. They steal everything valuable and burn down the rest! That's the whole reason I enlisted, so I can make absolutely sure no little girl goes through what I did…"
Kuina took a long sip of her drink. She wasn't too fond of keeping this girl in the dark, but she knew blabbing your status as a pirate to a Marine was a surefire way to cause trouble. Once she finished her tea, she stood up from her chair. "Thanks for the meal, but I still need to buy some whetstones before my ship leaves."
"Oh, that's what you were at the shop for! Here…" Tashigi rooted around the inside pockets of her dark blue jacket to reveal a small whetstone, "He gives you two free ones with every repair job. Take it!"
"Wow, thanks… See you later, Tashigi."
"Bye!" The glasses-wearing girl waved after her new friend, deciding it was about time to head back to the base herself. Right as she got up to leave, though, two Marines burst through the door in a cold sweat.
"Master Chief Petty Officer, there you are!"
"Where have you been?! Smoker expected you back over an hour ago!"
"I know, I know, I'm in trouble but I just met another swordswoman for the first time in my life! Kuina is just the most-!"
"Wait, 'Kuina?' You don't mean this lady, do you?"
The sailor revealed a sheaf of wanted posters. Tashigi quickly found the one baring Kuina's face, making the petty officer blanche.
"She's a pirate… Worth 50 million beris?!"
"Ehm, I'm sorry, ma'am, but it looks like she's the main fighter underneath this Luffy guy that HQ wants on a platter."
Her mind blanked before remembering the Wado Ichimonji, one of the most revered swords in the world. In the hands of a pirate…
Tashigi stormed out of the teahouse, Shigure in her hands and itching to slice Kuina's hands off. As the other Marines ran after her, the pirate poked her head out of the store across the street and sighed.
"Well, guess it's finally time to get chased out of town by Marines…"
Just as clouds began to fill the blue sky, the Loguetown Cooking Contest was down to its final round. To nobody's surprise, Reiju and Carmen made up the final two and were now going head to head for the prize. They had forty-five minutes to make any dish from the provided ingredients that would wow the three judges.
Both ladies worked with all the speed, grace and efficiency of masters. The onlookers couldn't help but watch in silence. Every once in a while, the chefs' eyes would meet. Carmen's glare was one of furious determination, aiming to prove her worth. Reiju, meanwhile, had a challenging glimmer as if this was all a fun game.
"TIME!"
Both ladies stood back from their plates, letting them be carried off to the panel made of local restauranteurs. On one side was Carmen's langoustine paella that immediately drew the judge's eye with its vibrant colors and alluring aroma. Next to it was Reiju's crab bisque with peppercorn gnocchi that made them all swoon from the rich flavors and contrasting textures.
After several long, tense minutes of back and forth, the time had come.
"And the winner, by a single point iiiiiiiisssss… REIJU!"
The Straw Hat bowed to the audience, as graceful as ever. Polite applause filled the square as the victorious woman was handed her long sought-after elephant blue-fin tuna. She almost forgot all about the money especially as she noticed Carmen's head was bowed.
"I… Lost… Again…"
Reiju's eye narrowed. The last thing she needed was this woman throwing a temper tantrum like all of those pretentious gourmands that tried to do her job for her…
Carmen looked up at Reiju and a beaming, confident smile came upon her face. "AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, well, I'll merely have to sharpen my skills until I can finally dethrone you!"
The crowed let out a collective sigh as Reiju shook Carmen's hand. "You really are something else. I think you'd be able to work at the Baratie no problem now."
"Hmmm, perhaps. But I have gotten quite bored of this town. It's about time I branch out and find new inspiration somewhere else… Like, say, on your ship?"
"Huh?! What do you mean?"
"Well, obviously you wouldn't have left one of the most famous eateries in the region unless something far better came along. No doubt some cruise line or the private kitchen of the elite? And you know the old saying: keep your friends close and your enemies closer!"
Reiju felt a sweat drop form over her brow. "Look, you are talented and I understand wanting to be the best but… I don't exactly work on a typical ship…"
"Oh, so something even more extravagant! I must see it for myself, I wish to speak to whomever your captain is to discuss a position on his staff!"
Carmen then felt something cold and scaly slap her shoulder, Reiju having positioned the back end of her massive elephant tuna on the other woman. "Then I'll need some help carrying this. Do you know where the execution platform is?"
"Of course! I worked not far from there once."
And so, the two hiked through the streets with a humungous fish slung between them, Reiju just waiting to see this woman's face when she realized she was demanding to work on a pirate ship.
As Nami and her group kept running from the Barto Club, the redhead was finally starting to wonder if she had made a mistake. Or maybe it was the sixth time Nojiko called her a moron…
In either case, they just couldn't seem to shake the gang. They just had far too many people under their command, able to spread out and outflank them at every corner. Moodie had even to fire a few warning shots to force them aside. Good thing none of them noticed her hands were shaking with every round.
As the cat and mouse game went on and on, all of the girls were starting to get short of breath. There had to be some way out of this! But no matter how many turns they made or shops they tried ducking into, they couldn't shake the crowd of brightly dressed hooligans! And if this kept up, it was only a matter of time before the Marines caught wind of this.
Right as the Straw Hat ladies came upon the main street, they noticed another large procession. A practical parade of men wearing full-body cloaks that made everyone on the avenue stop and pause before someone in the front cackled in glee.
"MWAHAHAHAHAHA! Well, well, well, I just knew that flashy bastard was here!"
"Oh, great…" Makino sighed, "As if we need this too…"
The laughing stranger soon whipped off his cloak to reveal a bulbous red nose, blue hair tied into tassels, and a bright orange tri-corner cap emblazoned with a jolly roger. The sight of Buggy the Clown promptly made the civilians run inside their homes or flee to the nearest shelter.
"W-What the?!" Carina gasped, "What's he doing here?!"
"Probably still sore after Luffy defeated him," Nami guessed, "Crap, there goes our cover…"
"Aaaah, I remember two of you! You're the Straw Hat's crewmates!" Buggy chortled, daggers already in hand, "It would be such a shame if he found you both dead in the gutter!"
"Bah, who cares about them?!" another one shouted, revealing Mohji, "Just show me where the Straw Hat is! Poor Richie still hasn't recovered from what that monster did to him!"
Cabaji, naturally, revealed himself as well, "Hm, the Pirate Huntress isn't here with you, huh? Oh well, I think the blonde ones will make for a good warm-up."
Just as the Buggy Pirates started to advance down one side of the four-laned intersection, another street was filled with dozens of members of the Barto Club.
"Woah, what the fuck?!"
"Dude, that's Buggy the Clown! He knows these chicks!"
"Well, what do we do? We can't let them get away…"
Nami saw the conflicted looks the gangsters had and suddenly got an idea. She ran pell-mell towards them, the other ladies following her lead before pouring all the strength she could into her legs. "Moonwalk!"
The Barto Club men all gaped each one of the six girls managed to jump off of the air and land on the other side. While some like Kaya and Moodie only barely made the distance, they all were now free to rush off behind the baffled thugs.
"Grrr, damn those flashy girls…" Buggy snarled," All of you, out of my way! I won't let a bunch of riffraff stop me!"
The Barto Club boys all grimaced. Those girls might have ripped off the boss and his number two, but they didn't deserve to get shanked by this psycho. They all formed a line across the street opening.
"So, you all want to die then?! Fine! Men, ATTAAAACK!"
The Buggy Pirates surged forward only for a pair of gunshots to down the two closest goons, holes clean between the eyes. The Barto Club all stared in silence as their very leader swaggered up from the nearest alley, Desire right behind him.
"So, that's why you all weren't chasing after those dames…" he chuckled, "Gotta admit, those girls are somethin' else with their little jumping trick. Would've gotten me outta plenty of scrapes if I could do that."
The redhead hefted her pipe. "Now then, I don't give a flying fuck who you are, but nobody threatens our boys and gets away with it!"
"You heard her, guys! Take this clown down!"
The Barto Club hollered as one, charging ahead with guns blazing. The main square of Loguetown descended into total madness as pirates and hustlers fought tooth and nail. As bullets started flying and swords clashed, Buggy and his lieutenants promptly ran up the street.
"Feh, these rats aren't worth my time…" the captain snarled, "Come on! That Straw Hat will come to regret ever crossing me!"
Desire and Bartolomeo both watched before following behind them, the latter scratching his head. "Who's this guy Buggy is after? I heard somebody managed to knock him down a peg but how bad could he be?"
"Uhhhhh… Barto?"
He turned to see Desire looking as white as a sheet in front of one of the many noticeboards. "Yeah? What's up?"
"I'm pretty sure he's after this guy…"
The gang leader looked at the poster that indeed showed a young man wearing a straw hat… And wanted dead or alive for 75 million beris.
"THE FUCKING SHIT?! How does anybody get a bounty that big?!"
"And it's not just him! Look!" She ripped off several of the pages, having dropped her pipe on the ground, "Don't these girls look familiar?!"
Barto glanced down at the stack of papers and spotted all of the girls he was demanding money from earlier. "Oh man… Oh fucking piss-buckets this is BAD! We were tryin' to shake down pirates! Come on, we gotta find those girls and apologize!"
Desire ran off right behind him. She had met a few small fry pirates in her time and had one of their boys turn them into the bounty office for a little extra fun money but messing with the real-deal pirates who earned reputations like that? She was a hothead, not suicidal!
Both of the street punks rushed right past a woman in pink, now eagerly watching them flee. "Oh my, I think I smell opportunity coming…"
Thankfully for Luffy, Dragon's little detour took them on the opposite side of the island. As a few clouds started to gather in the sky, the pirate figured he could just swing by the plaza one last time on his way back to the ship before they left town.
Instead, he started to notice a whole horde of people running away from the coast of town and battening down their hatches. He wondered if it was due to the oncoming storm only to get his answer strolling up the plaza.
"Heh, how did I figure you would come here…" Smoker asked, cigars puffing away as he calmly walked into the now deserted yard, "You pirates treat Roger like he was some kind of god."
"What's the problem with that?" Luffy said, crossing his arms, "I was just leaving, anyway."
"Oh, you think so?" He looked at Sally right behind him. "With a member of Goa royalty in tow?"
"She's part of my crew, and she chose to come with me. If you ever met that jackass Stelly, you'd understand."
"Can't say that I have. But this is the end, 'Chaos.' No pirate gets away on my watch." Smoker then reached into his pocket and blew the whistle, a shrill piercing noise washing over the plaza. In a matter of seconds, uniformed Marines in white blocked all of the streets, dozens more positioned in sniping spots on rooftops or on balconies.
Sally gulped seeing such a huge force of Marines. Luffy grabbed ahold of her wrist, offering her a show that he wouldn't abandon her here. He stared ahead at the captain, tilting his hat up. "You're pointing a whole lotta guns at me. You planning on using them?"
"Cocky little shit… This is your only warning. Surrender and come quietly, or you and your whole crew are getting shipped off to Enies Lobby for a trial."
The blonde released herself from her captain's grasp. "Well then, sir, I'm afraid we must formally decline your invitation. We have business elsewhere today."
"Tsk, have it your way. MEN!"
"Yes, Captain!"
"OPEN FIRE!"
Dozens of bangs exploded out at once, Sally ducking herself to the ground while Luffy simply stood still and let the shots bounce right off of him save for catching the ones that would have hit his hat. Those he easily crushed in his palm and let the mangled metal ball fall to the ground. The sailors gasped in terror.
"So the intel we got from HQ wasn't exaggerating," Smoker admitted, "Fine. I'll deal with you myself!" Plumes of smoke emerged from behind him, Luffy quirking an eyebrow. He figured this guy had to have a Devil Fruit with his reputation.
"White Spark!"
Smoker himself then dissolved into a cloud of puffy white gas that rushed right at him, making Luffy put up his guard. As soon as the smoky mass had engulfed him, Luffy leapt straight up in time to avoid a barrage of punches from all sides. He looked down to see Smoker seamlessly reform his body from smoke.
"Huh, nice trick…"
"This is the power of the Plume-Plume Fruit! I can turn into smoke at will, you can't run from me forever and you'll never be able to fight back once I catch you!"
Luffy just smirked. He knew it was only a matter of time before he came across a Logia user, and one who had gotten far too comfortable using his powers.
"Oh yeah?! Then come and get me!"
"White Fist!" Smoker's arm launched like a smoke-powered rocket as Luffy fell back to the ground, leaning out of the way and landing on his hands. The pirate then flipped back onto his feet and charged ahead and leveled a punch right at the captain's face, his fist blackened by Armament Haki.
The Marines around the courtyard almost dropped their weapons in shock at seeing Smoker down for the first time, none more so than the man himself.
"What the…?! How?! How did you hit me?!"
"Fuck you, that's how!" Luffy then leapt into the sky and readied a Gum-Gum Battle Axe but Smoker quickly regained his footing. On his way down, however, Luffy twisted himself around and landing a Gum-Gum Whip that sent the captain tumbling to the ground even as his body dissipated into vapor.
"W-What?! AGAIN?!"
"This can't be happening, he's punching SMOKE!"
"The fuck is this guy?! We aren't paid enough to deal with this!"
"Everyone, hold your ground!" Smoker ordered, "We cannot grant him an opportunity to escape!"
Right as he said that, three of the men guarding one side of the plaza fell into a dazed, groaning heap. Kuina charged right over them, the Wado Ichimonji gleaming in her hand. "You were saying?"
"Hey, Kuina! Nice timing!"
"Heh, took me long enough to find this plaza. Now come on, we need to get out of here!"
"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Kuina turned to see Tashigi bursting out the door of one of the surrounding shops, her blade already drawn.
"Whoa, is that your twin sister?!"
"Ugh, no, but I don't blame you." Kuina's grip tightened as Tashigi stomped into view, almost foaming at the mouth.
"You… I can't believe you, a pirate! And using such a historic blade for evil! It's disgusting! Your family would be ashamed of you!"
"Don't talk about my family. You need to get out of this little hero fantasy of yours. If you think the Marines are all sunshine and roses, you're in for a world of hurt."
"Shut up! I'm not listening to morality advice from the likes of you!" Tashigi held Shigure in front of her, blade gleaming in the sun, "I'll personally drag you into a cell and then take the Wado Ichimonji back to where it belongs!"
"Captain…"
"Yeah, Kuina?"
"With all due respect, butt out of this one. I need to take care of this."
Luffy nodded. He may not fully understand it personally, but he knew swordsmen had code of honor when facing each other. Interference from an ally was a huge insult to the fighter.
"Ready to get schooled, petty officer?"
"That's Master Chief Petty Officer to you, pirate!"
In the span of ten seconds, Kuina and Tashigi crossed the plaza and locked swords. Metal hummed and grinded against one another, the near-identical swordsmen grunting in effort as they put all their strength into breaking the other down.
Several of the Marines behind Kuina aimed their rifles only for Smoker to raise his hand. "Hold your fire."
"C-Captain?!"
"One, you might accidentally hit Tashigi and that's inexcusable. Two, she'll never forgive you and you don't want to see her truly angry."
Luffy couldn't help but smile. He left out the third reason: he didn't want to violate the same code of honor either. As much as the young buccaneer wanted to commend the captain, he had to block several oncoming White Fists in a row.
With a flex of his Observation, he could sense hundreds more men rushing down the streets. Somebody clearly rounded up the troops and/or called for backup from a neighboring base. He looked up and saw thick gray clouds starting to blot out the blue sky. They were running out of time and Smoker was nowhere near letting up.
He also looked just in time to see six figures leap over the line of sailors blocking the eastern street. They were soon scattered by a rain of gemstones, shotgun blasts and pistol shots.
"Hey there, Captain!" Nami said as she summoned a bo staff of clouds into her hands, "Need some help?"
"Hehehehehe, yep! Come on, we need to get out of here!"
"Where do you think you're going?!" Smoker called, "Men, arrest every last one of these pirates!"
"Yes, Captain!"
And with that, the plaza descended into a madhouse as the full force of Loguetown's Marines tried their damnedest to capture half a dozen pirates. They easily outnumbered the Straw Hats ten to one and that number was only growing as more men poured in.
They quickly discovered that the pirates' quality was more than a match for their quantity, especially with the likes of Nami spawning dozens of clouds that smothered the sailor's heads and left them easy pickings for her crewmates. Plus, Nojiko revealed one of the other things she bought at the town markets: packets full of acorns.
The bluenette threw the seeds across the ground and channeled her power, the Grow-Grow Fruit quickly urging them to sprout and blossom into half a dozen healthy green timbers that lifted several Marines off the ground and led to even more bedlam as Kaya used them as a vantage point to fire her gems from. On top of that, Sally used the chance to climb up as well and summon a swarm of hornets that further broke apart the sailors and made a few duck for cover.
Some tried sniping them from the balconied buildings surrounding the yard only to find someone had beaten them there. Moodie had taken refuge in one, shooting any incoming Marine in the kneecap before looting their gun and ammo for herself. The blonde was more grateful than ever that she picked up how to handle a firearm in her travels, even if she was far from a sharpshooter. It helped that with her Chill-Chill Fruit, any guard who walked under the banister was instantly struck with a freezing cloud that made them sigh and wonder what they were even doing her anymore.
The battle was so intense that no one noticed two girls approaching with a massive fish slung over their shoulders. Carmen, naturally, took one look at the madness and tried to turn around.
"What, I thought you wanted to meet my captain?" Reiju asked with a smirk.
Carmen looked into the massive brawl and quirked an eyebrow. "You cook for the Marines?"
"Oh, heavens, no! See that one in the straw hat?"
Carmen could only blanche as she watched Luffy leap out of a cloud of smoke before easily knocking aside a line of Marine charging at him with bayonets. "WHAAAAT?!"
"Hmph, I tried to tell you," Reiju shifted into her half-lion form, much to the panic of the nearby sailors, "Now run along, Carmen. I doubt you'd want to become a pirate."
The Loguetown chef blanched as Reiju charged into the fray, frazzling the Marines even more. Now that the entire Straw Hat crew was assembled, the Navy found themselves completely overwhelmed especially with Smoker being stuck dealing with Luffy and Tashigi in a duel with Kuina. The sky above turned gray from the blanket of clouds, a harsh wind beginning to blow across the island.
In the midst of this chaos, however, nobody could have predicted the sound of an evil cackle that filled the air. Luffy and Smoker stopped mid-grapple to see Buggy the Clown approach.
"Goodness, it seems like you keep making a mess of things, Straw Hat…"
"What are you doing here?" Luffy rolled his eyes, "I beat you already, get lost."
The clown was about to charge ahead only to stop a gunshot landed right in front of his feet. "WHAT THE?! Who did that?!"
"Yo." Bartolomeo and Desire walked out from one of the alleys, both brandishing their weapons.
"You two again?! Do you have a death wish?!"
"I dunno, what do you call some clown picking on your family?" Desire snarled, "If any of our boys are offed, no Devil Fruit power is gonna put you back together again."
"What are you two doing?!" Makino yelled, "Don't mess with him, he's a really dangerous pirate!"
"I don't care who he is! Nobody hurts the people I care about! And hey, consider this payback for us causing you trouble earlier, yeah?"
Buggy's hands split off from his arms, daggers clenched between his fingers. Before he could make a move, however, something large, black and shiny smashed into the back of his head. And thanks to the Chop-Chop Fruit, his head seamlessly detached from his neck and ended up flying all the way across the plaza and landed on top of the execution platform.
"CAPTAIN BUGGY?!" Cabaji and Mohji turned to find Alvida, her mace still positioned in midair before she hoisted the weapon on her shoulder.
"Oh dear, did I interrupt something?" she tittered, "Now then, which one of you two wants to be next?"
"Why you little-!" Cabaji readied his unicycle, his blades primed to slice her down. Rather than dodge, Alvida simply stood there and let his swords strike her skin. Much to the shock of him, the Marines watching and Luffy's crew, the cutlasses slid right off her skin.
"HUH?!" the chief of staff balked, "Impossible, that was a direct hit!"
Alvida just laughed. "It doesn't matter! Thanks to my Smooth-Smooth Fruit, my skin is so flawless that anything will just slide off! It's how I lost all of my freckles, after all."
Nami just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and a few hundred pounds…"
"Wait a minute, that's 'Iron Mace' Alvida?!" one of the Marines shouted, "She doesn't look anything like her poster!"
"Who cares, capture her NOW!"
Several of the men in white rushed to grab her but Alvida remained supremely confident. So much so that she just barely leaned out of the way of the first punch, nobody noticing that one of her feet lifted out of her boot. As she stepped onto the cobblestone, she turned in a half-circle with the grace of a swan while landing a brutal back-kick to the nearest sailor. Her other boot, already unclasped, came off from the blow and thus she spun like a figure skater on the rocky street.
"Catch me if you can!" Alvida literally skated off, kicking one feet after another while smashing any Marine out of her way with her trusty mace. Luffy had to admit, she actually had a decent handle on her Devil Fruit.
The captain, however, was at his wit's end. No pirate had even managed to strike him before, let alone beat him so thoroughly. Smoker had even spat out his cigars as bruises covered his bare chest and face while Luffy was barely winded. And the real kicker was that Luffy was clearly not fighting at his fullest.
"Damn… You really are something else…"
"Thanks. You going to let us go now?"
"Why would I ever do that?! Look at the mess you've made!" Smoker gestured to the battlefield around them but Luffy shrugged.
"Hey, you attacked us. We were just on our way to leave."
Smoker rushed in for another attack, a right hook that Luffy easily ducked under and landed an elbow strike that made the Marine cough up a mouth full of bile.
"How?! How can you read my moves…?"
"Like I'm gonna tell you!" Luffy's foot then swept under Smoker's, knocking the captain on his side before a Gum-Gum Pistol smashed into his face. Smoker could feel his head bounce off of solid stone, almost knocking him out.
And with that brief break, Luffy turned in time to see two figures staring at him. Desire and Bartolomeo were dragging an unconscious Cabaji and Mohji off into an alley, both covered with welts from being pistol-whipped and beaten with a pipe.
"Hey! Thanks for the help!"
While Desire just shrugged, her friend actually yelped in surprise before bowing with a blush on his cheeks. "N-N-No problem, Luffy, sir! W-We're just really so-sorry for the m-misunderstanding with your crew!"
"The fuck's gotten into you?" Desire whispered before clearing her throat, "Yeah, don't worry about it. You're really damn impressive, kid."
Luffy just chuckled. "Hehe, thanks! Sorry if Buggy made a mess, I'll make sure he goes away for good this time."
Bartolomeo stood back up, ready to ask all sorts of questions about Luffy's fighting style and powers before he gurgled. Blood leaked from his lips as he looked down and saw several daggers poking out from his stomach.
"BARTYYYYYYYYYYY!" Desire screamed as the knives pulled out and her friend slumped to the floor. She watched as the hand holding those knives flew all the way over the battlefield to the top of the execution platform where Buggy cackled as his hand reattached to his arm.
"Serves you right for siding with the Straw Hat! Now then, time to exact my revenge!"
"YOU WANNA FIGHT SO BAD?! I'M GONNA TURN YOUR BRAIN INTO A PANCAKE, YOU BIG-NOSED BASTARD!" Desire charged ahead like a bull, blindly swinging at any Marine stupid enough to get in her way. One by one, they fell like dominoes as she swung her pipe left and right, carving a path through the warzone much to the amazement of the other Straw Hat Pirates.
Nami, in particular, gulped as she realized she could have been in serious trouble. She might actually pay the next toll she ran into…
Fueled by sheer rage, Desire leapt straight onto the execution platform in one jump before swinging with her all might. Buggy easily separated into pieces, swirling around the top of the scaffold. Desire had to weave and dodge as a pair of disembodied hands rushed at her again and again, one set of daggers coated red in Barto's blood. She bashed and blocked every attack, but was so distracted in her rage and panic that she didn't notice she was being backed to the edge of the platform.
"Time to die!" Buggy's head goaded right before something landed between him and Desire.
"That's enough," Luffy ordered, "You wanted me? I'm right here."
Buggy tried in vain to pull his hands out of Luffy's iron grip, but all he could do was sputter in rage. The straw-hatted pirate turned back to Desire, his glare lightening. "Go check on your friend. I'll handle this."
Desire just gaped. "Wha-?! But… We tried to…"
"I know, Makino told me. Don't worry about it, you stepped in to help against Buggy twice now. Now go, while all the Marines are still busy."
The redhead just nodded, climbing down the ladder and rushing along the outside of the yard to reach Barto while she still had a chance. Once she was back on the ground, Luffy released Buggy's hands so they could rejoin with the rest of his body.
"How fitting, boy. You want to be like Roger so badly? You can die in the exact same spot as him."
Luffy's knuckles turned white. "Don't talk about him. You're just another fake pirate, what would you know about Gold Roger?"
Buggy just chuckled. "More than you, I can assure. Now then, before I kill you, there's one question I've had since I first saw you. Tell me, where did you get that hat?"
"Huh? It's from Shanks, why?"
"I knew it… Just seeing it again made my grind my teeth… That damn red-haired brat, you really are just like him…"
"Hey! What did Shanks ever do to you?! Don't you dare talk bad about him!"
"I can say whatever I want! I was the one unfortunate enough to be on the same crew as him!"
"Wait, WHAT?!"
"But you can learn all about that in the next life… Now then, it's time for you and your crew to DIE!"
As thunder clapped and lightning streaked across the blackened clouds, Smoker looked up just in time to see what happened. In the literal blink of an eye, Luffy socked Buggy directly in his bulbous, red nose and launched him clean off the scaffolding. But in that instant, a bolt of white-hot lightning ripped from the sky and struck Luffy dead on.
But even that paled to the real shocker. Smoker's jaw dropped when, in that moment, he spotted the look on Luffy's face in the split second before the bolt made contact.
He was smiling. A broad, confident grin in the face of imminent death…
"Oh my God… He is just like him… That day… Roger was killed…!"
Smoker could see it clear as day. The shining sun as the King of the Pirates was forced past the full plaza, hands shackled and ankles bound but still smiling to the bitter end. And then, right as the government was about to silence him…
"You want my treasure? You can have it! I left everything I had together in one place! Now you just have to find it!"
Smoker noticed that the entire plaza had gone silent as sheets of rain began to hit them all, the battle had halted from the surprise of the lightning strike. The execution platform was now a smoking load of rubble and slag. A hole had been punched in one of the building's roofs where Buggy now laid, unconscious as his nose swelled even bigger and a brighter red than a tomato.
And at the base was Luffy, laughing like a madman as he hopped out of the wreckage completely unharmed.
"Nice try, jackass!" he shouted to the raging heavens, "Bring your A-game next time!"
"LUFFY!" Nojiko and Kaya rushed up to him, astonished to not see a blemish on him.
"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!" The marines all went, "How is he still alive?!"
"Guys, come on! I'm rubber! Everyone knows rubber innovates electricity!"
Makino just chuckled. "That's insulates, Captain! Now come on, we need to go!"
"Right!" Like nothing ever happened, Luffy steamrolled past all of the Marines with his crew all rushing behind him as the winds only picked up and the rain came down as a deluge. The only exception was Kuina, still clashing blades with Tashigi.
Kuina had to give this Marine credit, she did not give up. Tashigi's technique had holes in it, ones she exploited to leave cuts and disrupt her attacks, but she refused to back down even an inch.
Once again, their blades locked and the blue-haired fighters were only inches apart. Kuina smirked. "So, what are you after? My bounty? A promotion? Or do you just wanna hang my sword on a wall?"
"Of course not!" Tashigi snarled, "I don't care about prestige or that crap! I just can't stand seeing a beautiful sword being used by an evil pirate!"
Tashigi twisted around to break the lock, then rushed ahead to stab Kuina through the stomach. The Wado Ichimonji lashed upwards, forcing the bespectacled Marine back. "Me, evil? That's a bit much. You don't even know me."
"What else do I need to know?! You're a pirate, and a disgrace to the Shimotsuki clan! I bet your father and grandfather would be ashamed of you!"
"Oh? For what? Taking down two corrupt Marine captains? Tell me, where the hell were you in either case?!"
Tashigi flinched back as if she was struck. She had heard all about Morgan and Nezumi. The first one just put her into a funk the rest of the day, but it wasn't the first she heard about some CO getting too big for his britches. But Nezumi… The thought of a captain willingly working with a monster like Arlong, all to line his own pockets… She had slashed away at training dummies to the point where she got reprimanded by the base's accounting office and needed the Shigure repaired the next day.
"Heh, no answer? If you don't mind, I'm going to finish this duel now. I've got places to be." Kuina sheathed her blade, widening her stance. Tashigi copied her movements, desperate to prove herself against the first real swordswoman she ever met…
"One-Sword Style…"
Another flash of lightning masked their move. Suddenly the two were on opposite ends of the plaza.
"…LION SONG!"
The Marines held their breath before Kuina returned her sword to its holster while Tashigi fell to her knees, hurriedly clamping a hand over the gash under her left shoulder.
"No… NO! NONONONONO! DAMN IT AAAAAALL!"
"Heh, not bad. Keep working on that technique, Tashigi."
The petty officer turned as Kuina began to run towards the entrance of the plaza. "Wait! Where are you going?! Finish me off, pirate!"
"Sorry, not that kind of pirate!" And with that, Kuina hurried to follow the rest of her crew. Tashigi struggled to her feet, even used the Shigure's sheath like a cane only for a hand to clamp on her shoulder. "Captain?! What are you-?!"
"Let them go, Tashigi."
The whole squad gaped at his words, none more so than his protégé in front of him. "BWUH?! But, Captain, they…!"
"As far as we know, they haven't raided any shops. We've kept collateral damage to a minimum, no civilian casualties, and we even have Buggy the Clown and his gang to lock up. All in all, I'd say that's a job well done."
"Um, sir?"
"What is it, cadet?"
"Um, well, I was actually just near the platform when that Luffy kid confronted Buggy. I could've sworn he said something about knowing Red-Hair Shanks…?"
Smoker arched an eyebrow at that. "Send a message to HQ to look into Buggy's past to verify that claim. Being connected to one of the Four Emperors is no small news."
"Yessir!"
And with that, Smoker simply lit up two new cigars even as the rain poured down and the rest of his men picked themselves up off the ground. As he and Tashigi left for the base, the captain actually cracked a slight smile. He hadn't met a pirate who could so badly outdo him in ages. And he'd have a hell of a story for Hina the next time they met for drinks.
"Captain, sir?"
"What is it, Tashigi?"
"Sir… I was taught at the academy that-"
"All pirates are nothing but scum? I read that textbook long before you did, young lady."
"Erm, yes, sir… But… Why would…?"
"Here's something they don't tell you in the academy. There are two main classes of pirates out there. The vast majority are what the old-fashioned types called Morganeers. They raid, pillage and kill anyone in their sights without a care in the world."
Tashigi nodded grimly, even as she felt her cut leak blood. "And the others?"
"Peace-Main Pirates. They're an odd bunch. All they do is sail around, kicking the crap out of anyone who picks a fight with them, and lounge about looking for adventures and that fanciful stuff."
"R-Really? But… Why don't they…?"
"Tell you all of that? Because trust me, Tashigi, they just need you to follow orders. But every once in a while, you get an order that stinks."
Smoker then left Tashigi to enter the sickbay and get her arm patched up while he went to make a very fascinating report to the higher-ups. True, the infamous Straw Hat Pirates got away but there wasn't a single casualty among their ranks and Loguetown would be back in order once they got those trees Nojiko grew out of the plaza.
All in all, Smoker could only laugh at how… Just it all felt.
"Damn it all, I told you the weather was getting bad!"
"Nami, you have no right to complain! If you just paid those hoodlums, we wouldn't have been held up!"
"Stop bickering with her, Nojiko! We've got to skedaddle before the Marines start chasing after us!"
"Makino, what about those gangsters from the square?! Shouldn't we help them!"
"Kaya, we don't have time for that! We need to leave, now!"
Reiju was about to transform in order to speed things along only to hear a frantic set of footsteps that could only be made by someone running in heels. The chef turned and gaped to see Carmen furiously hoisting the elephant blue-fin tuna on her shoulders as she ran as fast as she could after the pirate crew.
"Oh no, you don't! Take your fish back and then let me onto your ship!"
"WHAT?! Are you insane?! You'd willingly join a pirate crew just to outdo me at cooking?!"
Reiju did at least fall back enough to take the massive tuna off of Carmen, leaving the other chef free to explain herself. "Oh, it's true I plan on defeating you someday but it's more than that! If you all are heading to the Grand Line then that means I might finally be able to find the All-Blue!"
"What's the All-Blue?" Luffy asked only for Kuina to yell at him to focus. Right as she did that, however, someone else came dashing out of an alleyway.
"There you all are!" Desire yelled, "Make way, I'm joining you!"
"HUH?!" Carina yelped, "Why?! You've spent all day either hustling us!"
"Sure, you can come with us! And the other chef, too!"
"Oh, Luffy…" Makino shook her head. Sometimes he was a bit too naïve. But, they did have the hammocks to spare in the cabins and both women had proven useful in some way. Desire was a solid enough fighter and Carmen was a cook on Reiju's level which would help as they now had eleven mouths to feed.
Thankfully, the docks were free of any interference so Luffy jumped onto the Merry and lowered the gangplank himself. His newly expanded crew all rushed onboard with Luffy hoisting the anchor and Nami furiously steering the ship to catch the turbulent winds. None of them even noticed the cloaked figure on the roof, watching them depart with a wry smile.
"Safe travels to you, my son. Go and prove to the world that just how wrong the World Government is…"
He pulled out a poster from his coat pocket and chuckled at the sight of his own crooked smile.
"Revolutionary" Monkey D. Dragon – 6,666,660,000
"Heh, he'll surpass me in no time…"
The storm raged on, uncaring of the many ships bobbing on the frothing waves or bashing into the side of the port. This was also true for the Going Merry, the little caravel forced to dance on the raging waters as Nami desperately tried to steer the ship in the right direction.
Carmen and Desire, being the ones with no sailing experience, were tasked to keep the rudder steady to keep some modicum of control. Outside of the cabin, the rest of the crew were furiously keeping the sails pointed against the wind. Finally, after minutes of struggling against the weather, they had started to float away from Loguetown.
Just when some of the crew could take a brief breath of relief, they all turned in surprise to see a brightly colored galleon following them.
"Aw damn it, that's Buggy's ship!" Kuina growled, "Guess that explains where his goons were in that fight!"
"What are we going to do?!" Kaya shivered, "We can't aim the cannon when their off the starboard side, especially in this weather!"
Right as Luffy was going to leap into action, a deafening bang that definitely wasn't thunder rang out. The Big Top suddenly found itself sinking below the storming sea as a hole was blown clean through the hull just above the keel, Luffy spotting pirates furiously rushing to lifeboats to escape a grave under the waves.
"What the?! Who shot them, the Marines?!" Carina shouted only to spot a small vessel, less than half the size of the Merry floating up to them.
As the weather shifted from a maelstrom to just a normal bout of rain, Nami stumbled off the bridge and was surprised to see that the approaching boat was shaped like a heart. While the flag above the sail was blank, the navigator rolled her eyes. What the hell could she want now?
No one else had to wait long as Alvida herself walked out from the little ship's cabin, a white flag in her hands that she waved even as her mace rested against her legs. Luffy just shrugged, figuring he could always just send her away again if she bothered him.
The last thing he, or any of his crewmates watching, expected was for the pirate woman to bow her head to the deck with her mace falling to the wayside. "I, Alvida, hereby surrender to you, Monkey D. Luffy. Please, accept me onto your crew."
That made Luffy pause, scratching his head. "Wait, now you want to join? What happened to 'making me yours' and stuff?"
"I watched that fight with Smoker and I realized that I truly was no match for you. Even now with my Devil Fruit, you are a far stronger fighter and I wish to learn from you. I was already impressed by you, but now I truly admire you, Luffy. Please, allow me to contribute to your journey to find the One Piece."
"Hold it right there!" Nami yelled, "You expect us to trust you?! How do we know you aren't going to start a mutiny?!"
"This ship of mine? Consider it yours, a scout ship you can use at your leisure."
Luffy blinked. "You'd give us a ship? Just like that?"
"Of course. I plan to dedicate myself body and soul to you, Captain. I can helm this ship while you steer yours in front and I will act as backup in any confrontation with other pirates or the Navy."
The other girls all looked at one another, wondering just how genuine Alvida could be here. It was obvious she didn't have her old ship anymore and for all they knew, this small vessel contained everything she owned. And she not only attacked Buggy himself, but also sank his ship with the clear intent to help them.
"Fine," Luffy said seriously, "But I don't want any funny business. On my crew, all of my crewmates are equals and we support each other. Also, no pillaging innocent ships like that cruise liner, understood?"
Alvida bowed once again before looking up with a tearful smile. "Yes, Captain! Thank you for your generosity!"
Luffy wasted no time tying a rope to the bow of Alvida's ship and then throwing the length to the Going Merry and asking Makino to tie the other end to the stern of the caravel. As surprising as it was, the other girls figured that having a second ship even just to get supplies or to outflank Marines in a naval battle could be a helpful tool.
And so the two ships merrily sailed away from Loguetown. Though the sky was still blackened and the waves were choppy, the mood was high as they passed the lighthouse meant to guide ships to the Grand Line. According to Nami, it was less than a week's time to reach the entrance to the world's most infamous ocean.
And so, the Straw Hat Pirates have a new cook, a street hustler with some muscle and an experienced helmswoman who gifts them a new scout ship! We'll get into the proper motivations of the new girls next time along with their next stop which will NOT be the Grand Line. There's going to be a little detour, but where? You'll just have to see!