A/N: These events certainly aren't my particular theories, but I'm putting them in my story.

Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story do not belong to me. The sentiments expressed in this fanfiction do not necessarily reflect my real views.

Image: That's Dragon because Renji is an OC. I don't own the image, and I don't know who does. I don't think he would have worn similar clothes to Sabo, so his outfit is irrelevant.

The Epic of Renji - Nami's Father

Within the lair of the Revolutionary Army on Baltigo, Monkey D. Dragon looked over the newspaper and saw Luffy's second bounty poster. Taking down the CP-9 must have been an arduous task. He knew of his son's aspirations, and from Dragon's understanding of the Will of D, he was aware that Luffy would eventually become the next Pirate King. Smirking to himself, he decided to add the paper to his collection of Strawhat Luffy wanted posters.

Thumbing through the remaining papers, he glimpsed at a familiar shade of orange. Upon closer examination, he identified various features of the woman - nose, eyes. They all evoked his memory.

Renji had a similar hair color. "Nami," Dragon read. That was the name of his old friend, Renji's daughter. He may have kept an eye on Luffy over the years, but before now, he didn't think to look for his old friend's daughter. He always assumed she perished after the attack on Fahre. Someone must have saved her.

While he wanted to contact one of their mutual friends, Silk, her current ties with the Marines prevented him from calling her at leisure. They had to plan their meetings months ahead of time. She had to be the one to initiate their calls when she had duty away from the headquarters. They wouldn't be able to meet up again for another two weeks. He would probably have to hold her back from trying to meet her.

Drifting off, he thought of the adventures they all had together.

23 Years Before Water 7...

Dragon joined the Marines per his father's request. He didn't trust the World Government or their military dogs for that matter. However, he reluctantly joined to gain intelligence about the figureheads and workings of the military. Although he refused to climb the ranks, he somehow managed to learn quite a bit. As a recruit, he aimed to travel across the four blues gathering information on the various governments of the world.

He aimed to expose the atrocities committed by the government. Over the years, he had a few hunches, but he only had a first-hand experience the first time.

As they sailed towards the horizon, a tattooless, younger Dragon contemplated the rumors he heard of the upcoming island. Within East Blue, other islands knew Fahre as a place to buy spices and silks. Most countries had neutral relations with them, but they may be vulnerable to the World Government because of the materials they grow on their island. Their enchanted silks as well as their spices.

"Woah! Hey! Dragon!" a young man about the same age as Dragon shouted and asked, "What are you doing here?"

He would later reveal his name to be Renji.

They first met at the initiation ceremony a few weeks before they departed. Renji had managed to arrive half an hour before the event ended. Dragon noticed that while Renji may have cared about being a Marine, he had difficulty following rules. His clothes always had wrinkles or stains, and his hair was a rumpled orange mess beneath his crooked Marine hat.

Dragon averted his stare from the man as he spoke. The question was redundant. Someone obviously forced him to be there. The dark skinned man leaned over the edge of the ship as he breathed in the ocean air instead of engaging in a potentially never-ending conversation.

Renji stopped bouncing and joined him by leaning against the edge as well. "You know, I'm going to become just like your dad one day," he grinned. "Then I'm going to be the Fleet Admiral so that I can help people."

Dragon scowled, "Don't talk to me." Disliking the idea of befriending a dog like him, he tried to walk away, but Renji stayed in pursuit.

"Hey, let's be friends," suggested the hyperactive man, "I'm not saying that because you're Garp's son! I just think you're really cool." He flailed his arms as he spoke to emphasize his excitement.

Of course, when Dragon attempted to go to the barracks, Renji's bed happened to be right next to his. Sitting on his bed, he faced his peer. "What?" barked Dragon.

Luckily, Renji had a resilient spirit. He truly did not care if Dragon didn't want him around. Grinning, he said, "We could rise in the ranks together. You just joined, right?"

That would never happen, for Dragon planned to ditch the military as soon as he found proof of their corruption. Some days he doubted himself. The most significant event to occur since he joined was a few days ago when they served fresh meat in the mess hall. No government conspiracies came to light. Although the ship's leader happened to be an asshole, he had yet to indicate that he had irredeemable qualities.

Looking under Dragon's bed, Renji kneeled down beside it. "I accidentally used a drop of water in a bucket of soap when I mopped the deck today," he mentioned as he rumbled through the pristine notebooks beneath Dragon's bed. "You have a neat bed," commented Renji.

Before the strange man could find anything, Dragon attempted to kick him swiftly. However, Renji blocked his attack with his arm. Dragon's eyes widened. Perhaps he was stronger than he initially thought. They exchanged a look. For that time, the rebellious recruit would at least hold a conversation. His interest piqued by the glimpse of Renji's adept perception.

"I take notes on the people I see on our journey. I observe their cultures and how certain people are affected by each other and the world. I'm a sociologist of sorts," he explained. Technically, that was true.

Renji could accept that answer. He plopped on his unkempt cot and folded his legs. "You don't seem like much of a people person. Don't you have to like people?" chuckled Renji, "Didididi, but that's cool! I'm Renji." He pointed to himself with his thumb as he spoke.

Dragon already knew his name, and he could immediately tell that this guy would not leave his side for a while. "I will not become chummy with you, so don't assume we are friends. I work alone, and I am not interested in advancing within the Marines," he stated.

The orange haired man grinned. Already, they were getting to know each other. "Well, if we become friends, don't go blaming me," Renji told him. He wiped his nose with a single finger. "Do you have a Devil Fruit power?" he asked in an attempt to keep the conversation going. As he saw that his counterpart got up to leave the barracks, he followed him out the door.

"No," answered Dragon. Of course, he beat himself up for responding.

Renji crossed his arms behind his neck and looked at the sky. While he almost knew that his crewmate would ask him about his Devil Fruit status, he wanted Dragon to like him, so he didn't say anything. "I think that Gol D. Roger fellow has the Weather Weather Dragon Fruit that I really, really want. Have you heard about it? I'm sure you have from your dad. One time, Garp almost caught him, but then he made the island flood and stuff. Jeez, you dad is awesome. I hope I get to meet him again, but when I meet him, I want to get promoted to Commodore at least," the Marine ranted on about whatever crossed his mind.

The rebel let out a large sigh; he saw their Commander approach from the fore of the ship. His day could only get worse if he stayed in place. He scoffed, "Let's go to the mess hall." While he and his father shared little in common, he somehow inherited his appetite.

"Yeah!" Renji grinned.

As he followed Dragon through the cafeteria line, he awed at how much meat he piled on his plate. And so, he tried to rival him by piling an equal amount of food on his plate. "Hey, I eat a lot, too!" he boasted. Maybe he could out-eat his comrade. They shared the same food preferences, too. He grinned as he mused over how they would become good friends.

Once they sat at a table, someone new sat next to them - a girl with long, blonde hair. Her Marine uniform flawlessly fit the perimeter of her curvy body. Most of the men on the ship would kill to have her sit next to her, but she didn't allow that to get to her head. She glared at Dragon with her brown eyes as she loudly whispered to Renji, "Why are you hanging out with that guy?"

Dragon tried to avoid eye contact as he scarfed down his massive amount of meat dishes.

The orange haired guy spoke as he chewed his food. "He's my new friend!" he incoherently exclaimed. Bits of meat flung from his mouth onto the middle of the table.

"I'm not your friend. You keep following me, and that's why you're here now," explained Dragon - food flying from his mouth as well.

The girl grabbed her belly. As she watched the voracious men scarf down their meat, the sight nauseated her increasingly bubble stomach. She knew her pale skin developed a green tint. These guys ate in such a disgusting fashion that she would accept never touching a piece of meat again. She bit her lip as she peered at the scary-looking guy. "Can't you guys stop eating for a second? I can hardly understand you two!" she whined.

Renji took a glass of water and turned towards the girl. When he tried to talk, water spurted from his nose onto the girl's shirt.

Dragon snickered.

She swiftly punched both of them in the head, and they fell to the floor. "Hey!" yelled the young woman, "You got me wet!"

The rebel rubbed his head as he grabbed for his fork. Instead, a small, feminine hand chopped at his wrist. Dragon exclaimed, "What the hell?" The annoying girl stood with her arms crossed as she looked down at the assaulted man. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked as he got to his feet. Of course, he towered over her, so he glared down.

"I'm a rank above you and a year older, so you better show a little more respect if you want to make it around here. Commander Sakazuki is looking for you, you know. Apparently, you failed to do your latrine duty, so I think you should get written up. But I'll be nice today and let you off with a warning," she reprimanded him after she took few steps back.

Dragon looked over at his alleged friend. "How does she know that?"

Renji rubbed his head and weakly, attempted to get back to his spot at the table. "That's Silk. She's pretty annoying," he groaned. They had known each other for a few months, but they hardly got along. Although they both had somewhat outgoing personality traits, Renji 's laid-back personality contrasted with Silk's steady demeanor. She never succeeded in her attempts to set him straight either.

"I'm not annoying! Don't you think you've had enough food, Renji?" she growled as she pointed towards the stack of a dozen empty plates.

Would Dragon ever get peace again? Perhaps, if he played along with their ridiculous game of cops and robbers, that would satisfy them enough. He grumbled, "What do you want me to do?"

Silk's eyes widened. She didn't expect him to oblige to her command. "Um," stammered the girl, "Let's see. If I want to make you two obedient, then I probably have to get to know you a little better. I already know a lot about Renji, but I need to know you better so that I can get you to do what I want."

"What?" Dragon grimaced, "That's something you covertly investigate." His brow twitched as he watched her pull a clipboard from her blue satchel. "What's that?" he inquired as he observed her flipping through the array of pages with ID pictures.

Silk smirked as she eyed the man from head to toe. "Ah," she gloated with a haunting smirk, "Monkey D. Dragon - son of Garp the Hero, your blood type is F. You are currently 19 years old. You disregard most assignments, rules, and figures of authority. However, your strength automatically promoted you to a First Class Private. I will add to this chart that you aligned with Tenki D. Renji."

Of course, the fact that anyone had tabs on Dragon irked him, but he knew that would be the case to some extent after joining the Marines.

However, one of her remarks stuck out the most. "Tenki?" asked Dragon as his head snapped around, "You're from the Tenki Clan?" He had read about many different tribes of people that roamed the world. To understand the oppression that certain individuals experienced, he developed a curiosity for the Tenki Clan in particular. The Government supposedly experimented on them.

"Yeah!" he grinned. A bone of meat protruded from his mouth. "I didn't tell you?" Did Dragon's sudden interest mean that they had officially become friends?

The Tenki Clan could supposedly predict the weather from kilometers away. "And you're a D," Dragon thought out loud. Perhaps, this person could become useful in joining his potential rebellion. He smirked, "Let's go out to the deck."

Although the dark-haired man never had an interest in making friends, he suddenly wanted to know more about Renji's powers. While he also wanted to bring up the tragedy, his lack of social skills impeded him from asking.

Diverse people of the world amused Dragon. Renji's bright, orange hair set him apart from the squadron. Although he claimed to care about rank, he clearly had deeper motivations. Unfortunately, the Tenki bought the idea that becoming a dog of the World Government somehow benefited the people the most. Even pirates could help more people than the Marines.

Renji stood up and swallowed the contents of his plate of food. "Alright!" he agreed with a broad smile. Spitting a bone out onto the floor in front of Silk, he jumped over the table and darted towards the door.

"Wait!" pleaded Silk as she chased after the men. Those losers should have listened to her. If they weren't careful, Commander Sakazuki would probably penalize them. After Dragon had neglected his chore, she cleaned the men's latrines. She also mopped the deck after Renji supposedly finished last night.

The headquarters promoted her because of these outstanding efforts, so she did not mind using their incompetence to boost her standings. While their leader noticed her efforts, she preferred if the bumbling fools did not realize she bent over backward to keep their squadron afloat. Perhaps, deep down, she enjoyed being the backbone of their ship.

"East-North-East, is there a storm over there?" asked Dragon. He gripped the edge of the ship and eagerly stared out to sea. Although he hardly showed extreme emotions such as excitement, he looked forward to witnessing the powers of a Tenki. They had a small lineage of five surviving members, but their name spread around the world. Someone from the clan traveled with Gol D. Roger.

Renji closed his eyes. He allowed the misty sea to encompass him. The warm winds from the south blew his shaggy hair. "I don't know what direction that is, but there's something over there," he noted as he pointed to the North-West-North behind them, "I think it's a storm." Sweat dripped down his brow. "I can only feel things for about 20 kilometers, so it really doesn't help a lot."

He could predict the weather, but he couldn't tell what direction he faced? Dragon smirked at the irony. No longer did the dark rebel feel the need to stifle his questions. He envied Renji's innocence.

"I thought women inherited that ability," Dragon mentioned.

"Yeah, well, I was the only man in my family who could do it."

Maybe Renji had a relaxing kind of effect on most people. "The fruit you mentioned - why would you want that if you can already sense the weather? Do you know what it does?" he inquired.

"Um," Renji contemplated his reasoning, "I guess I want it because it's cool. I could be a Wizard! They say you can change the weather with that fruit. If I get the fruit, then I can get promoted, too!" He bounced as he talked about the possibilities. While various people called his family wizards and witches, he never put into words that he aspired to have magical powers.

So, he wanted to advance his standing in the military by becoming stronger. "While I don't have a fruit, I'll eat the first one I get," Dragon admitted. Why was he sharing all this information with someone who aspired to work for the government? He frowned.

Renji repeatedly slapped Dragon on the back. "Dididi, it's alright, Dragon. D's don't need fruits, don't you know? But if we get them, then we're just about undefeatable."

Dragon's eye twitched. He did not require his crewmate's comfort. However, he agreed that he could achieve his goals without super powers.

Commander Sakazuki emerged from the lower levels of the ship. His tan cape flowed in the wind as he promptly stomped towards the two young men. Looking down at them, he scowled, "Monkey, Tenki, your work has been abysmal lately. Do I need to have you demoted?"

Renji dropped to his knees and bowed his head. Tears dripped from his eyes as he pleaded, "I'm sorry Commander. Please forgive me! I tried my best to clean up the deck, but your gross cigar ashes are hard to clean up." Somehow, he failed to realize his lack of respect.

"What did you say?" shouted the superior as he glared at the young man's blubbery apology, "And you," Sakazuki pushed his finger onto Dragon's forehead. "Show some respect. You have neglected your latrine duties since you got here. Silk covered for both of you idiots, and looking after you two isn't her responsibility. You're Marines. Everything is your responsibility. Do you hear me?!"

The sobbing mess on the floor agreed, but Dragon stayed silent. He wondered why that woman he hardly knew tried to cover for him. Most likely, she had ulterior motives. He would have to investigate her later.

"Listen up," the Commander roared, "Once we land at Fahre, we will gather the appropriate amount of supplies to continue on our journey. You two will stay back to clean the kitchen. Straighten up your look, Privates. You look ridiculous."

When the official finally left, Dragon pulled Renji up from the floor. He scoffed, "You say that you know what D's are made of, but then you collapse into a pathetic mess whenever that asshole comes around."

Renji put his hands up in defense. He sniffed, "He just scares me."

"Because he can control molten lava?"

"What?" screamed Renji as his jaw dropped, "What the hell? I didn't know that!"

Dragon pushed his palm to his forehead. How did he get caught up with this idiot? "You need to toughen up, Renji. If you want to keep following me, you need to stop whining and start learning about how messed up this world is," he declared as he pointed towards him.

"I don't want to be grumpy like you," pouted the orange haired man, "I want to be happy and make other people happy, too."

"I'm not grumpy!" growled Dragon. Unfortunately, he learned the ills of the world first hand. Their current system only benefited a few groups of people.

Renji stuck his tongue out. "I'm tough, too. I don't need your stupid lectures," bickered the Tenki.

Dragon could not deny an aura about Renji that radiated integrity. Maybe he could revolutionize his perspective through strength. Because Garp defeated him, he persuaded Dragon to join the Marines. That's how he learned to handle disagreements.

Curiously, Renji's naive disposition juxtaposed his muscle definition. Earlier, when Dragon attempted to kick him, he blocked the attack. "How strong are you?" asked the dark haired man.

"I'm super strong!" bragged Renji as he gripped the air with his fist, "You must be pretty strong if you're Garp's son."

"Stop comparing me to him," Dragon scowled, "My strength has nothing to do with him." Although his power had a lot to do with his father, he would never admit that. Garp threw him into caves, forests, and oceans with no food or water. All his life, he had to find his way to survive because of his father. Despite his upbringing and genetics, Dragon could acknowledge his old man play any role in the person he became.. "Prove your strength to me, Renji," he taunted.

Renji grinned, "No problem. I wanna arm wrestle." Of course, he noticed that Monkey's initially reacted in a peculiar fashion. "When everybody leaves, we'll do it in the mess hall. The only rule is you have to put everything into this."

Hours later, the ship docked, and everyone left, Dragon and Renji sat at the same table from earlier that day. Their eyes met as they leered at each other with a hunger to win. While they stood for different values, they figured that their counterpart would eventually come around. Joining their hands at the zenith of their arms, they gripped as tightly as they could.

"I'm not gonna go easy on you!" they simultaneously declared.

Pushing against the opposing arm with sheer force, they held a solid stalemate for several minutes. With no end in sight, neither party would ever succumb to fatigue or pain. Their teeth ground as their arms pulsated. Sweat dripped to the table, yet for that moment, they battle remained bloodless. Their eyes never left each other as their arms seemed to stand perfectly in place. However, upon closer inspection, the joint rapidly oscillated.

"What are you guys doing?" yelled a feminine voice from the corner of the room.

Dragon's arm fell limp and slammed against the table. "Dammit!" he cursed. That annoying girl came back and purposely broke his concentration. "I thought everyone else went to the island."

She crossed her arms and grinned. "I stayed back to keep an eye on you two," she laughed, "Delinquents like you can't stay here without strict supervision."

"I won!" cheered Renji, but no one seemed to care. His stomach growled. "Silk, I'm hungry," he whined.

Silk tightened her fist as she sneered, "Don't ask me for things like that."

"We heard you've been cleaning up after us," Dragon taunted with a small grin. He knew most people feared him for whatever reason, so he used that notion to his advantage. "I bet you'll do the dishes for us if we leave. Renji, why don't we leave immediately to get food from the town?"

She protested, backing away from him as he approached her. "Who told you that?" Silk stuttered. Rank meant little in the realm of strength. She knew Dragon could easily overpower her, so she guarded her face with her clipboard. Trembling and panting, Silk realized she could not defeat this man in combat. However, she took a swing at him anyway. "Don't bully your superior, Dragon!" she shouted.

The tall man bent over in pain. He had let down his guard.

"Food! Food! Food!" Renji chanted.

Silk panted as she walked away. Now, she no longer feared him.

Dragon instinctually grabbed for Silk's shoulder, but Renji blocked him by standing between them. "Man," he complained, "I guess Silk isn't gonna make me any food. I'll just have to eat in the city. Silk, you wanna come, too?"

Silk wanted to see what kind of clothes the famous Fahre had to offer. No one ordered her to look after the two incompetent fools, so she agreed with a sigh, "I'll go get my stuff." Rationalizing situation, she decided that she would come back as soon as she finished looking around the town. They planned to dock there for the next 12 hours.

Renji grinned, "Dididi, I knew you'd come around." Once she left the room, he turned to Dragon. "Silk is annoying, but she's my friend, too." he laughed once again.

In response, the brooding man diverted his attention. He growled as he tightened his fist, "That girl makes me angry."

"Right!" Renji decided, "I'm gonna wash some dishes!" Prancing over to the sink, he broke nearly every plate he touched. At least, he would try to wash the dishes. The Admirals that initiated him commended him for his perseverance.

On the other hand, Dragon took a seat. He tapped his fingers on the table and squirmed thinking about Silk. She angered him more than she should have, but why? Perhaps, the notes she took of him irked her. If he were to revolutionize the world, he could not afford to have anyone observing him as carefully as she did. Standing up, he resolved to go to her suite and settle this matter.

Dragon had waited nearly half an hour for Silk to return, so he left without a word and burst open the door to Silk's suite. "Hey, what's taking you so long?!" he shouted as he walked into the room. "What? Where are your clothes?" he shouted as he scanned her from top to bottom. Never had he seen a woman naked.

Silk covered her ample chest. "I'm changing," she grumbled, "You need to get out." What an idiot!

However, if he liked her body, then maybe she could use that to her advantage. Maybe he would follow her commands if she used her sex appeal. Albeit, when she glanced at his deep frown and crossed arms, she realized that he showed no sign of interest.

Dragon wondered why women took such a long time to get dressed. That was until a strange feeling in his slacks broke his train of thought. "Fine," he grimaced as he slammed the door. At 19 years old, he could not find the words to describe the sensation he felt when he looked at Silk. His heart raced as cold sweat developed on his palms.

Upon entering the mess hall, Renji greeted, "Hey, so I washed the dishes, but I broke most of them. That's just how things work I guess."

"Um," Dragon stammered. This situation was stupid - he could never share something embarrassing with Renji. They had just become acquainted that day. Already, the feeling shrunk as time passed. He took a deep breath and tried to forget everything happened.

The fact that Dragon ran to Renji in a moment of desperation entertained him. Maybe his happy-go-lucky demeanor complemented Dragon's cynical nature. If he managed to revolutionize Renji's thinking, perhaps they could become friends for a long time.

Renji grinned, "Come on, Dragon. You were gonna tell me a secret, right?"

Silk stomped into the room. "He's not gonna tell you anything! Let's just go!" she shouted with her face full of redness.

The two guys followed her out the door. Dragon tucked his hands into his pockets as Renji pushed down on his shoulder. He had a feeling that these people would refuse to leave his side for a long while, but he also hated to admit that he wanted them.

A/N: I don't know how long this story will be, but I have a lot of stuff planned!

I threw Silk into the story because I didn't want to make another OC. I'll change her name if you guys hate me for it.

If Renji used a bō/staff to fight, would that be too cliche?