[1:35PM, The Boot Town Inn]
Zoro opens his eyes and groans, feeling the effects hitting. "Morning." Reiko says as she comes in, smirking and clearly having just returned from throwing up. Chopper enters hurriedly and Zoro sits up. "What time is it?" He asks. "Um... 1PM?" Chopper says looking at the time. " 1 PM!?!" Zoro says bolting up. Chopper grimaces as he came up quickly, so did his stomach as he threw up. Chopper and Reiko grimace, "Yeah... First thing first, lets get you to the bathroom.." Reiko says.
[Hours later]
Zoro looks as dead as brook as he lays in bed. Reiko is staring at the ceiling while laying on the couch, looking equally similar to Brook in appearance when the door opens and Nami and Gigi storm in. Gigi looks very frustrated and Nami looks flustered and resigned. "Damn bastards!" Gigi says flopping next to Nami on the bed. Chopper looks up from next to Zoro "What happened?" He asks. "The merchants were charging unfair prices because we're 'outsiders'" Gigi says sitting up, crossing her arms over her chest deeply annoyed. Nami nods, "Yeah! They charged TWO THOUSAND BERI for this hat!" Gigi says gesturing at the orange hat Nami is wearing. "Gigi fortunately stepped in and haggled it down though." Nami says with a slight blush. Reiko nods knowingly with a smirk.
Shortly, Reina and Robin arrive too, Robin looks carefully composed and Reina looks outraged like Gigi. "Let me guess, did something similar happen to you guys?" Reina asks, seeing Nami and Gigi. Gigi nods and Reina settles heavily next to Robin on the bed opposite them. "They charged us unfair prices." Gigi says. "2000 for a damn hat.. Even if it makes Nami look prettier." She says. Nami blushes. "Did you learn anything useful?" Nami asks, changing the topic with a hint of hopefulness. Reina snorts, "All I learned is that they hate us and think we're from the depths of hell." She says annoyed and bitter.
Just then, Sanji arrives at the inn with a dark expression that matches the others. "SANJI! YOUR BACK!" Chopper says running to him and then stops, seeing his expression "What happened?" He asks, face falling seeing his serious expression. Sanji doesn't say anything and they all look at Sanji, normally loud and happy but currently silent with a dark expression. He then says, "I went to church... I went to to help... to make something for them that tasted like joy. I was respectful, I didn't have an impure thought, just wanted to help... but he.... he made me feel like every 'gentle' thought I ever had was... was a lie to hide.. a monster.." He says, voice breaking slightly. Chopper hugs his leg, crying and Nami comes over and hugs him too. Afterward, he forces a smile, "So how did it go for you ladies? Did you buy anything..." He asks and then trails off, seeing their faces. "oh... i'll go make some drinks." He says and goes off. Silence fills the room once Sanji leaves. A dark heavy silence in a group of people who have been treated unfairly.
Soon Sanji returns, carrying drinks. Nami downs hers in one go as soon as she gets it and Reina does the same with hers. Then, the door opens and Brook, Franky and Usopp enter, with similar dark expression. Usopp takes a drink from Sanji and downs it. They notice the mood of the room, "It wasn't just us huh?" Franky says, with none of his usual flair, with a hint of tiredness in his voice. "The only nails they sold were for my coffin. Because i'm dead! Yohohohoho..." Brook says, laughing sadly, his usual skull jokes feeling a lot heavier now.
As the crew sits in this depressing mood, suddenly the door opens again and Jinbei and Luffy enter, wearing the same expression that every other crew member that entered before did. "Luffy didn't eat." Jinbei states and they all turn in surprise to look at Luffy to then see his expression. Luffy looks around the room, sensing the mood of the room. His fists clenched. "I don't eat meat from people who make meat smell like rot." He says flatly. The room is silent, then they all speak up, Nami and Gigi with unfair prices, Robin and Reina with the cruel words, Franky, Brook and Usopp with discrimination, whispers and then Sanji with the Church and the preacher. "Those bastards..." Zoro mutters hearing these. Luffy listens silently to the tales from his crew of unfairness and discrimination. Jinbei tells what happened to the others and they turn to Luffy,.
"What should we do Luffy?" Nami asks quietly. Luffy is silent for a moment, fist clenched tight, knuckles white and shaking in anger but he exhales, composing. "They made Nami cry," Luffy says, his voice dangerously calm. "They made Robin want to hide. They made Sanji hate his own food. They whispered that Brook and Franky are abominations. And they treated Jinbei like a fish on a hook." He says, the crew sees his eyes, not of the cheerful adventurous Luffy, but the one who beat warlords and emperors, the one who fought for justice, equality... and most importantly, his crew.
"Those people... the preacher.. I want to kick their ass for what they did to my crew..." He says but trails off. The sun dips below the horizon, casting its final blood orange rays on the crew, illuminating his face, showing his dead serious expression. "... but I don't think I have to." he finishes.
On cue, the bell in the town square rings, BONG, the sound reverberating and echoing through the town rhythmically. Luffy looks toward the town entrance, straw hat, low and darkening his eyes.
"Hell has come to town." Luffy says, voice certain, with deadly seriousness