I leaned back at my chair and sighed, releasing another cloud of smoke. Sitting forward I reached to place the last rock on the rock tower. The new wanted posters should be getting in just about.
"Captain Smoker! There is an alert." Mart burst in from the outer office and stood at attention.
"We have received notification from Marine Headquarters, that Monkey D. Luffy and his band of pirates are headed towards Loguetown!" Who the hell is Monkey D. Luffy, am I supposed to have heard of him? I thought sarcastically.
"He's the East Blue pirate with a reward on his head of 30,000,000 Beli" Mart announced.
"30 million huh?" I murmured to myself. It has been a long time since we'd had someone of that caliber here. This might actually be fun. It will be good to be up against a real challenge. But still nothing to worry about. Hmmmm Monkey D. Luffy why does that name sound so familiar.
"Want me to congratulate him or something?" I grunted, trying to get Mart to relax, but Mart persisted
"He is the one who defeated Don Krieg and Merman Arlong." He continued working himself up into a fever. He always does this.
"Shut the hell up" I growled. Mart broke off. The I groaned and got to my feet making the marine shuffle nervously
"Damn your yelling. You broke it" I told him.
He apologized at once.
"I am sorry."
"Well forget it." I sighed looking at his stricken face. Ah shit! I then reminded him
"I have my own way of doing things, I work at my own pace you know?"
"Yes" He said, slightly more relaxed. I walked to the window and threw it open before turning back and addressing the soldier. Now that he is calmer I need so more information.
"You were saying." I prompted.
"It seems there are a band of pirates heading for the city today. " He reported.
"What are you getting all worked up for? Since I have been at this post has there ever been a pirate that's been able to get out of this city once they've entered it?" I asked, walking over to my desk, where my jacket was heaped. Putting it on I heard the soldier's quietly utter,
"Well no…"
"Then don't get all nervous. I'll take care of it in my own pace" I told him, putting my arm into the other sleeve, and jerking the jacket onto my shoulders. At that moment Tom ran in
"Reporting sir" he saluted, then continued, "pirates have been sighted in the harbor. Please come to confirm the situation." So it has begun! I thought eagerly.
"Its gotta be the Luffy pirates sir" worried Mart. "There weren't any others mentioned in the bulletin."
"30 million huh. "I murmured to myself, ignoring Mart., "That's something I'd like to see"
"Huh" asked Tom, bewildered.
"Nothing just thinking out loud, forget it." I walked past them, out through door. Tom followed right behind. Mart yelled after me
"Don't you need this?" I heard the rustling of paper He must be talking about the wanted poster. Nope pirates are easy to find. Tom followed after me
"Sir please request back up."
"Don't need it." I told him firmly.
"But the supposed strength of the enemy." Tom pressed. I stopped and looked over my shoulder at him
"Shut the hell up." I can't have my soldiers doubting my abilities. "Don't tell me what to do." I ordered, glaring at him. Don't ruin this for me. I have been waiting for a challenge ever since I was stationed here. Tom immediately leapt to attention.
"I am sorry Captain"
"Whatever. Where is Tashigi?" I don't recall seeing her at all today. Relaxing slightly the Tom replied,
"She has been out all morning. She even missed morning drills." Damn it Tashigi.
"That ditzy girl. Where did she go off to now? " I asked no one in particular. It was then that something cold hit my leg and I heard the cry of a child. Turning back around and looking down. I saw the child in question starring up at me, a look of deep sadness and disappointment on her face.
"Ice cream… " She began. I crouched in front of her and plucked a coin from my pocket. This should be enough.
"Sorry kid" I said, patting her head "Looks like my pants ate your ice cream. Here go buy yourself five scoops." Her face lite up and she smiled wide.
"Lets go," I told Tom.
"Thank you" said the girl. I waved back.
When we got to the docks I immediately recognized the pirates, to be the scruffy looking people surrounding their captain, a man in a brown coat and hat with a curly mustache who was laughing. They could not be more obvious. The captain was shouting about cleaning the harbor out.
"Oi" I shouted, interrupting his speech. The pirates stopped cheering and looked at me. I could see their eyes flash to my uniform and to my sea stone staff.
"Are you the boss?" I directed the question at the curly mustached pirate. I already knew the answer but wanted to be sure. And maybe they would give me information on him.
"Who the hell are you?!" demanded curly mustache.
"You the bastard named Monkey D. Luffy?" I asked curly mustache. I knew what the response would be even before he could reply. There is no way this guy is worth 30 million.
"Well let's see how tough you are since your stupid enough to show your ugly face in my town." I challenged.
"What you have got to be kidding me," screeched curly mustache.
"Get him lads" I let my body turn to smoke and engulf the pirate crew. Wrapping around them all before tightening and pinning their arms to their sides. Grabbing some rope from the warehouse, I tied them all together. It was over before it had even begun. Even as Tom looked on in satisfaction I was grinding my teeth. Where are you Monkey D. Luffy?
"A job well done Captain." Tom congratulated me; "You finished off the Luffy pirates in record time."
"Are you blind or just stupid?" I demanded, my frustration rising "How could any of these pirates be Luffy? If these pansies are worth 30 million. Then it is the end of the world."
"Then what about Luffy?" Quavered Tom.
He is here somewhere. I can feel it.
"He will show himself soon enough." They always do. I reminded myself. "And then the fun will start." I looked out across the harbor as if 30 million Beli captain would appear when his name was called.
"Huh?" came confused squally voice in front of me. I looked down to find a boy in a red vest, jean shorts, and straw hat squatting a few feet ahead of me. His hand was raised to his forehead as he squinted around.
"How did I end up at the harbor again." The kid wondered out loud. When he spotted us he brightened and, throwing his hands in the air, shouted
"OOIIIII!" How did he not get caught up in the fight that just occurred? I wondered to myself. I turned to Tom and asked
"Is that another one of the idiots?" I asked gesturing to the pirates tied up behind me. Although I seriously doubt it. He appears to be a stupid kid.
"I don't think so," replied Tom sounded as though he thought this guy was too stupid to be a pirate. The boy had reached us now,
"What luck! Can you tell me how to get to the execution platform?" He asked with a big smile. Excitement was leaking from him faster then smoke from a chimney. It was then that I saw a tiny scar under his left eye. I don't think I remember seeing this kid before. I don't recall any brats with scars under their eyes. No way that this kid is a pirate though either. Why would anyone let alone a pirate want to go to the execution platform? So then who is he? I wondered
"Execution platform?" I asked
He turned, scratching his head and looked round the docks again.
"Yeah. I think I am lost." He admitted, his voice losing some of its shine.
"I have not seen you around before." He looked up at me his voice instantly brightening.
"Yeah I just got in today." He grinned. He put his hands on his hips exclaimed. "Man what a big city! It's totally different from Fuusha Village." So he is a villager I have heard of Fuusha Village small down on the edge of no where.
"Why are you looking for the gallows?" I asked still not quite satisfied with the village boy story.
"I want to see it." I caught a glimpse of his eyes from under his hat. They were alive with excitement and determination. I had never seen anyone look like that before.
"I want to see the place where the pirate king died."
My cigars almost fell out of my mouth as I gaped at him, stunned. The kid had had enough of my silence and looked around me.
"You don't know then." He asked before turning and walking off
"Wait." He turned around. "Follow the smoke." I said using my power to direct the smoke up the alley behind me that I knew led straight to Main Street that ran all the way up to the platform.
"Ooh" He squealed, his voice cracking in excitement
"Over there" And in a flash he was off his flip-flops clacking on the pier.
"Thanks." he yelled over his shoulder. I turned to watch him. What a strange kid. I soon put the kid from my mind as I spent the rest of the day patrolling around town looking for any signs that pirates were there. Luffy would be smart. He would find ways to hide. I reasoned. I looked for unfamiliar faces. They might have a lot of gold. I realized. So I asked shopkeepers about high payers. Probably would want to buy weapons before going off to the Grand Line. I asked around the blacksmiths and weapons shops. Although I did find out from Ippon-Matsu that Pirate Hunter Roranoa Zoro and Tashigi had been in his nobody had noticed anything suspicious. The day turned up nothing. They probably had not arrived yet. I decided. Calling it a day, I wandered down to the Gold Roger bar. Time to get a drink and relax after a long frustrating day. Pushing aside the skull and crossbones curtain I stepped into the dimly lit entry hall. The old man glared at me as I pushed through the wooden doors that separated the hall from the bar.
"So its you huh?" He sniffed.
"The usual greeting, eh? Not a nice way to treat an old customer" His only customer more like. I smiled, appreciated the break from the "Captain this" and "Captain that"
"You ruined my business," He snapped. "I don't feel like joking around with you."
"Don't think of me as some one who betrayed you. It is not my fault this is the business you choose. The pirates today are all weaklings. That is the real problem" I told the old man's back as he walked to the kitchen and clanged around some pots and pans. It was then that I noticed to glasses down the bar.
"A customer huh? " Monkey D Luffy. I immediately thought. Citizens did not venture to this bar. Only a pirate would come in here. This was the first evidence I had that Luffy was here. Today wasn't a complete bust. At least I knew there was another pirate here aside from the imbeciles I had caught at the harbor.
"That is pretty unusual" I grinned. Finally. The chase is on. Looks like Luffy or who ever this one is knows how to evade notice.
"I'd like some rum." I told the old man's back.
"We don't serve your kind here." He grouched back, still washing dishes. I laughed,
"That's discrimination you know. Today is a special day. Isn't it?" I smiled grabbing a bottle of rum from the bar with my smoke. I heard the old man stop washing dishes. I popped the cork on the bottle and chugged the fiery liquid.
"Ahhh That's the stuff." I swiveled on my stool and stared down and the purple leather stool next to me.
"What happened that day is still clear in my mind. Roger in his last moments. It was muggy and hot just like today." I murmured, losing myself in the memory. I had been running late and was sweating from running in the heat but I what to see him. I finally got to Main Street and pushed my way through the sweaty bodies to the front. And when I got to the front I gasped. He towered over his captors. Even in chains he carried himself with pride. I grinned and the pirate kind turned his head toward me and smiled, victoriously. As if he was not being taken to his death. He did not look defeated at all. I gaped, wealth, fame, power this man had it all. He was the man who had everything. And he faced his death with pride like a warrior. The crowds followed him down the street. As the pirate king climbed the stairs, I could hear him saying, "Inherited Will, The Destiny of an Age, The dreams of people. As long as people continue to pursue the meaning of freedom those things will never die." He kneeled at the top of the platform. As the marines rasied their spears I couldn't look away. A man in the crowd shouted.
"Oi Pirate King! What did you do with your treasure? It's somewhere on the Grand line isn't it? You have it don't you? You're ultimate treasure?"
"Silence!" Shouted the marines from the platform. I leaned forward eagerly to hear the king's answer.
"You're special treasure? ONE PIECE!" The man in the crowd had screamed. There was a beat of silence, and then incredibly, the pirate king laughed.
"My treasure? " The man had asked triumphantly.
"Be quiet!" the soldiers carrying out the execution commanded.
"Go look for it. I left all of it at that place!" The Gold Roger had shouted the challenge to the crowd. The, marines raised their spears and,
"EXECUTE!" The soldiers shouted and stabbed the pirate king. The crowd erupted.
The screams and chants of the crowd echo in my head even now. The pirate king's smile was burned in to my brain. How could he be so happy at his own execution. How did the man who had everything, the freest man in the world be caught? To this day I still wondered. I was pulled from my memories by Mart walking into the bar with a stack of wanted posters.
"This is the new wanted listings. Post this somewhere visible." He ordered. Clearly he did not know that I would be here. When he saw me he leapt into a salute, a few of the wanted posters flying out of his hands.
"Captain Smoker!" he exclaimed. before stammering before stammering out an apology. I glanced at him and saw the name "Luffy" on a paper that was floating to the floor. Luffy? That poster must have a picture on it. I rose and headed over to the paper. Picking it up and flipping it over, I came face to face with the boy in a straw at. THAT BOY! I realized, The lost boy from the harbor. What the hell! No way! That boy if 30 million Beli? I guess that is why he wanted to see the execution platform. Did he know who I was? Was he pretending to be stupid so I wouldn't suspect? There is no way that he would risk exposure to ask a Marine where the execution platform is! Maybe he was just trying to cover up for being at the harbor. Either way I have to check the execution platform.
I was out of the bar in a flash.