Bound to Duty.
Luffy, now blind, becomes the temporary master of the mansion at Cher until he recovers. In his reign and stay at Cher, the staff he hires becomes the greatest companions for him.
Bound to Duty
1
"Monkey D. Luffy. I have an offer for you, and that is for you to stay at Cher."
"I am going to the New World; do not stop me."
"But how? Will you ever? Face it Luffy, you've become blind."
The black-haired boy stood silent, unlike his usual cheery disposition. Sighing once, he grabbed for a plate of pork ribs. His lack of vision earned him a plate of vegetables instead. With obvious irritation, Luffy resolved, "Fine."
"So you'll go to Cher?"
"It will be temporary."
"Of course, Luffy, of course. Though you are the only heir to Cher and the mansion there…"
"Temporary, Osmond, I do not care to be an heir."
"I… shall now be referring to you as Master Luffy." The white-haired old man bowed deeply, and made his way out.
…
"Osmond, thanks for taking care of my brother." A tall smiling man stood in the hallway, acknowledging his butler and for the work he had just accomplished.
"Master Ace, that is only my job." Osmond bowed deeply once again.
"I suspect that Luffy will be bored to death at Cher. Until he recovers, hire the staff for the Cher Mansion, Osmond."
"Of course."
"Hm… they better be… interesting, I do want Luffy to be kept busy. It must be so hard to be blind."
"Yes, Master."
…
"Crud, he's only worth a thousand beri." A swordman sheathed his sword and held the body of an injured man by one of his broad shoulders.
Just as he was making his way to turn the man in, an old man ran into him, and all sorts of papers fell out.
"I'm sorry, Mister! But there's a –"
"Stop right there! I know you've got money, old man!" A distant voice shouted angrily at the old man.
"A thief? Or a bandit?" The swordsman answered for him.
"Yes, it appears to be so."
With a sigh, the green-haired swordsman dumped the body onto the old man and unsheathed his sword, once again, to deal with the evils of the world.
To his surprise, the bandit turned out to be a lady, though not exactly a "lady." She was in fact very tattered and bruised and looked nothing like a proper lady. The swordsman wondered if he should sheath his sword, when she nimbly stepped to his side and plucked out all the money he had. Two hundred beri.
"I thought you were a bounty hunter, Mr. Swordsman." The girl waved the couple of beri in the air with an utterly disappointed look. "But this is all you got?"
In one swift motion, the "Mr. Swordsman" stood just behind the girl, with his sword focused, but not touching, her neck. Colour drained from her face as she dropped the money and chuckled tentatively. "What are you getting so dangerous for, Mr. Swordsman?"
"The name's Zoro and I do not care if you're a man or a woman if you're taking my money."
"Well, then, I suppose we share a common interest!"
"Ehem, excuse me…" The two turned toward the old man, who really looked helpless with the unconscious man by his side.
But Osmond had seen how capable Zoro was, and how also, for a woman, nimble the girl was. With a cough, he made the offer.
"Would you both like to earn some money?"
"What?"
"It will only be temporary, but you see, there's an empty mansion that is in dire need of staff and –"
"No!" The girl flatly refused instantly. "I steal; I do not work my ass off for some petty wage."
"Ahem! I assure you both, that the pay will indeed be great, for it will be Cher Mansion you will be employed for."
"Cher… Mansion…" The girl stood appalled for one moment, and the next, she put on a smile and stretched out her hand for a shake. "My name is Nami."
Of course, Nami had an idea as to just how grand, and thus full of money, Cher Mansion was.
"Then if you will please follow me…"
Without any answer, Zoro was pulled along, for Nami saw him as a necessity and she had a secret selfish desire to have him as her guard… in case anything got dangerous.
…
"We'll need, at the very least, a butler, a cook, a chauffeur, a footman, and a maid."
"Just hire the cooks. I don't need the rest."
"Master Luffy –"
"Fine! Then hire someone I can play with."
"Yes, well I've brought two for now, Master Luffy."
"Oh," The dark-haired master only just realized that there were two other people in the room. Whoever they were, they were skillful enough to mask their presence. A surge of excitement formed to his lips as a smile.
"UH, I don't need to be here, I was just –"
An elbow stab silenced Zoro as the orange-haired girl spoke up instead. "Hi, uh, Master Luffy? I'm Nami and this swordsman here is Zoro, and I know he's got a weird hair colour –"
Luffy turned around, but his blind eyes did not let him see.
"OH." She gasped upon seeing her soon-to-be master blind, and she continued, rather rushed, "Zoro's hair is green by the way. Like seaweed. Or a plain of grass. Or hm,"
"That's enough, orange-head!"
In the midst of their fight, Luffy burst out laughing.
"I like you guys. You're hired, the both of you."
"Yes, Master Luffy. What should their positions be?"
"Cooks, of course!"
tbc.