Chapter 1 - The Boy in the Straw Hat
My entire body was in pain. I felt like I could easily collapse and pass out at any moment, but I knew that I couldn't. If I did, then Nami would have to face the wrath Arlong was currently dishing out upon me. A beating like this, she wouldn't be able to survive it…
I don't know how long I've been standing here, taking blow after blow from the massive hand of the shark fishman who sought to use my little sister and I to our fullest potential. Our mental, emotional, and physical well being be damned.
After what felt like an eternity, the blows finally stopped coming. Feeling two fingers wrap clean around my throat, I was powerless to stop myself from being lifted off my feet, and then dangled right before my little sister's tear streaked face.
"I grow tired of this game Nami. Don't you realize that each time you disobey my orders, Asuna here suffers for it? If you'd only draw my charts like a good little girl, I wouldn't have to hurt her so much." Arlong said, a sadistic smirk on his face.
Taking whatever breath I was able to get, I made my face and eyes become emotionless so that Nami wouldn't be able to see how much pain I was currently in. I had to remain strong, so that she could be strong. If we ever wanted to have the chance to get out from under the cruel rule Arlong had over our island, we needed to survive this ordeal. No matter how many years we have to take to reach the one hundred million berry price Arlong had set for us to buy back our home island.
"Alright, I'll draw them! Just please put Asuna down…" Nami pleaded, as she bowed her head.
"Fine. So long as you get back to your desk and begin drawing what you're supposed to. And if I catch another picture of that woman, or a false chart, I'll not only give Asuna the beating of her life, I'll start killing villagers as well." Arlong warned, as he tossed me off to the side.
As I landed in a heap, I had to bite my lip once more to keep from hissing as I landed on my bad arm. The cuts that rested there were only hours old, and still very much hidden from Arlong and Nami. When I'm able to return to my room, I know I'll have to change the bandages again. Already I could feel the blood beginning to seep into the formerly clean cloth.
The scars these cuts are going to form won't be pretty, but I'll be satisfied in having them. After all, they're my punishment for being unable to protect those that I love…
"Asuna!" I heard Nami call in worry, as I coughed a few times. Sitting up slowly, I watched as Nami ran to my side and dropped to her knees. Ignoring the sound of disgust that came from Arlong's direction, I let Nami check me over. I didn't need to see the tears welling up in her eyes to know that my skin was already turning black and blue.
"Those charts had better be ready by sun up Nami. Same goes for those weapons I ordered you to make Asuna. Fifty strikes for each task if it's not done by then." Arlong warned, as he turned to leave us in the room that served as Nami's personal hell hole.
Soon as the door shut behind him, Nami let the tears that had been shining in her eyes run free. Reaching over, I gently placed a hand over her orange colored locks. When the sobs began, I pulled her close enough so that she could place her head on my uninjured shoulder. As she cried softly, I glanced around Nami's room as I waited for her to calm down.
Looking over by the far wall where the single window sat, I spied Nami's desk sitting off to the side of it. Poor thing looked to be about as beat up as I did. It was actually hard to believe that just a few short months ago, it had looked polished and brand new. A look that had ebbed away when Nami and I tried to resist Arlong's orders, and ended up being punished along with us when we disobeyed.
To the left of the desk sat an uncountable amount of blank paper in various stacks. That was just how many charts Arlong had wanted Nami to make for him. A life times worth if I didn't know any better. On the right of that beat up desk sat a much smaller, single stack of papers that had carefully applied ink to them. The few charts Nami had been forced to make since our captivity here began.
Other than that, there wasn't much to the room. Save the small pot of ink and the pen that sat on top of the desk of course. And the mat by the door that served as a bed. A bed that not even an animal would use. The same went for my room, except for the desk. Instead of that, my room held a forge.
"I'm so sorry Asuna. If I'd drawn those charts, he wouldn't have hurt you." Nami whimpered out, as I brought my attention back to her. "And why did you have to make that stupid deal with him!? I'm the one who disobeyed him, I should be the one to be punished…"
"Don't worry about it Nami. Besides, I'm tougher than I look. A little beating up hasn't killed me yet has it? And how could I stand back and let him beat you up? What kind of big sister would I be if I did?" I ask her, trying to cheer her up a bit. A mission I sadly knew would fail. After all, what exactly is there to cheer her up about? Our destroyed childhood, our broken dreams? Our torn village, home, and family?
The fact that we are alive is all we have now. The pain I feel, is nothing but a testament to that.
"But what if-" Nami began, as I gently cut her off.
"No buts… We're going to make it through this. No matter what. Remember what Bellemere use to tell us when things got rough?" I asked, as Nami sniffed.
"To continue on living, so good things can come our way…" she whispered, as I gave her a light squeeze with my good arm.
"Good… Don't forget those words. Well get the island back from Arlong, and our freedom one day. All we need to do is make it through each day that comes our way. After that, Nojiko would be free to run the biggest tangerine orchard in Cocoyoshi Village. And you would finally be free to travel the seas and draw the first ever map of the world…" I encouraged, as Nami turned a watery smile up at me.
"And you'll be able to become the most renowned sword smith!" she reminded me, as I returned her smile with one of my own.
"Yeah… I'll learn all the secrets to forging the blade…" I said, looking away so that Nami wouldn't see the lie I was feeding her. I meant what I said about Nojiko and Nami following their dreams once Arlong is forever gone from the island. As for my own dream…
I knew deep in my heart that it would forever remain broken.
….…
Eight Years Later…
Letting out a horrid curse, I yanked my hand back from the blade I had been polishing as the ship I was currently hitching a ride on began rocking violently from side to side. Casting a very irritated look up towards the deck where I could hear shouting, gun and cannon fire, I then glanced down at the finger the damn blade had nicked.
Thankfully the wound was no worse than a paper cut.
Sticking the sore digit into my mouth, I carefully put the blade down beside the barrel I had turned into a seat, and moved to open the hatch of the room I had been given during the duration of my trip with these scum bag pirates.
In order to get to the next island to meet my sister without having to wait about another week at the last island I was on, I had traded passage on the pirate ship of Iron-Club Alvida with my skills as a black smith. Part of our agreement was to leave me out of any sort of conflict they may get themselves into, and to give me a bit of warning should they decide to raid a ship so I would know to be more careful around my very dangerous tools, and the weapons themselves.
Clearly this bit of info was lost to the wind. Then again, I guess I should have expected this kind of shit. I am dealing with pirates after all.
Popping the hatch open just a crack, I watched as the pirates swarmed about the deck. Some were reloading the cannons, while others moved back and forth between the two ships, hauling stolen supplies and any valuables they took from the other ship's passengers.
Even poor Colby was made to go on the other ship to bring loot back.
Colby was the spineless cabin boy of the ship who was forced to join the crew after he climbed into the wrong boat to go fishing for his supper. By the time he realized he was on a pirate's boat, it was already too late for him to run. According to his story any way. Didn't take much for me to get that bit of info out of him either. All I had to do was share my food and warm space in my room for him to sleep to get the kid talking.
And pleading for me to jump ship when I got the chance. All in all, I could tell that Colby was a good kid at heart, and wasn't exactly cut out to be a pirate. In fact, I was considering offering to smuggle him off the ship when I reached the next island and hauled these pirates in for their bounties.
I may not be able to break the chains held over me by a pirate, but I could at least help to break Colby's. They were the ones who forced him to work in exchange for his life in the first place.
Sighing heavily, I closed the hatch long enough to put my things into my back pack, then check the dagger I had in each of my knee high boots before I opened it again, grabbed my long black trench coat, shrugged it on followed by my bag, and climbed out. Shutting the trap door behind me, I stood up in time to see Alvida heading over to the captured ship herself. Probably to oversee the looting of the people still on board her prize.
Waiting until she went into the main part of the ship, I then made my own way over as well. Instead of heading towards the main part of the ship like Alvida, I made a detour towards the kitchen. It was where Colby normally went to avoid the conflict the crew caused. At the end of each raid though, he'd normally be found by other members of the crew and dragged back to his personal hell hole.
I know my original plan was to wait until the next island, but if I could swing smuggling both Colby and myself onto this passenger ship a mist the chaos, then I'll forego waiting around. The plan for the bounties on the pirates would be a bust that way, but I could easily make up for that in the weapons I've made during my stay with them.
It didn't take me very long before I found the kitchen, and Colby peering into it from the hall way.
"I sure hope nobody's in here." I heard him say, as he tip toed into the room. Following suit, I paused in the door way as Colby made his way towards what looked to be a really big barrel. Looked like it had gotten loose during the raid, and made quite the mess too.
"I wonder what could be inside such a big barrel?" I heard Colby ask no one in particular.
"Probably beer." I answered him, as Colby nodded in agreement to my statement.
"Yeah, probably…" He said, pausing a second later once he realized he had answered someone. Letting out a noise only a little girl would make as he jumped about as high as a cat would in fright, he whirled around in a panic to see who had spoken to him.
Once Colby saw that it was just me, he put a hand over his racing heart.
"Oh, Asuna it's just you." He said, trying to regain his breath. Probably his soul too. "Please don't sneak up on me like that… And what on earth are you doing on this ship. If Lady Alvida sees that you left your room, she'll annul your agreement and make you join for good!" he freaked out, when he got his bearings once more.
Waving his concerns off, I moved further into the room with him.
"If you'd pay more attention to your surroundings, you'd have known I'd been standing there for a few moments. And as far as Alvida goes, I'd turn her head over to the bounty hunters before she could get that iron club of hers over her fat head." I remarked, as Colby went pale.
"Shhh!" He shushed harshly. "She can hear those words from a mile away you know!" He warned, as I turned a narrow stare his way. "Sorry…" He muttered a moment later, as he looked down at his feet sheepishly.
"Colby, why haven't you tried to get the hell off Alvida's ship? Most of the guys on it are morons, and are easily given the slip if you catch the right opportunity." I asked him, as Colby looked away from me.
"I don't know… I don't really have anywhere else to go mostly. And my dream of joining up with the marines is ruined thanks to me being stuck on this stupid pirate crew." He muttered, completely discouraged.
"Not if you get out of here." I told him, as Colby went bug eyed.
"I can't! You haven't seen just how good these guys are at finding and catching me! Not to mention if Alvida catches me trying to leave, she'll kill me with that famous iron club of hers!" He began freaking out again.
Knowing that if he continued to be loud, someone would come to investigate, I walked over to Colby and knocked him upside the head one good time. Not too hard, mind you, I don't want to kill off the brain cells I know he's got buried in there somewhere.
"Ouch! Why did you hit me?" he asked me, as I closed my eyes and prayed for patience.
"Because I felt like it." I answered him.
Colby opened his mouth to retort, but said nothing as his stomach decided to do the talking for him. With his face turning scarlet, Colby put his hands over his belly, like he was trying to hide it from view. Raising an eye brow at his antics, I decided to give the boy some peace of mind by looking back at the barrel that had been in question upon our arrival.
"They stole your breakfast and your lunch again didn't they?" I asked, knowing Colby would know that I was referring to the pirates who torment him daily.
"Uh-huh." He answered, still far too embarrassed to speak just yet.
"Alright then…" I said, as I moved towards the huge barrel.
"Hey, what are you doing Asuna?" Colby asked, as I sat the barrel upright. Reaching into my right boot, I pulled out the dagger I had hidden there before I left my room back on Alvida's ship.
"Seeing what's inside this barrel. You are hungry, aren't you?" I asked, as Colby's stomach answered for him once again. He still opened his mouth to voice his objections once more, but stopped once more when three pirates from Alvida's crew walked in.
"Well, well, if it isn't our favorite coward." the chubbiest of the trio said, as he and a skinny tall guy, and a guy with a tattoo over his right eye began crowding around Colby.
"And what's this? Decide to hide in here with our pretty passenger while all the action was going on? She's must be an easy catch if she decided to come in here with a loser like you." the tall, skinny guys said.
At hearing this, I couldn't help but throw an intense glare at the guy. Luckily for him, he had his focus on Colby, who had sensed the immediate danger the three posed to him, and made a show of putting the huge barrel between himself and the three. Making me have to step back in the process.
"Oh, not at all! We were just hauling this big barrel of beer over to you guys!" Colby improvised on the spot, using my suggestion from earlier to help cover his tracks.
"That's great. We were just startin' to get thirsty." the chubby guy said, as Colby finally got to make the argument I knew he was going to make before the three showed up when I was going to open the barrel myself.
"You can't!" he squeaked. "Lady Alvida will kill us if she found out!"
"She won't find out if you keep your trap shut, right boy?" the guy with the tattoo finally spoke up, as Colby nodded his head once in defeat.
Now what can a girl do to get a kid to grow a back bone? I wondered to myself, as the tattoo guy looked my way next.
"You won't tell either, will you baby?" he began, trying to sweat talk me. But whatever sweet talk he had lined up died in his throat when he caught the resting murder face I was trying to convey into my expression.
"Well now, she plays hard to get doesn't she?" the tall skinny guy said, too stupid to know when to back off.
"Well fix her later, right now, let's get some of this beer." the chubby guys said, as he moved closer to the barrel. "Stand back fellas, I'll open this the old fashioned way."
Pulling a fist back, I rolled my eyes as the guy psyched himself up to punch the top of the barrel in. However, before he could get the chance, this kid in a straw hat bursts out from the barrel, inadvertently knocking the chubby guy out in the process.
"What the hell…" I heard myself mutter, as I stared in shock at the boy who just popped out of the barrel. It was all I could do at the moment, and the same went for Colby and the other two.
"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppppttttttt Sssssssoooooooo Greeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttt!" (I slept so great.) The kid shouted, drawing each word out as he said them, stretching as he did so. When he was done with his stretch, he finally looked down at the guy he just knocked out.
"Huh, whose this guy?" He asked in a very innocent manner, despite what he was just did. When he didn't get an answer, he then looked up at the chubby guy's buddies.
"Who the hell are you guys?" the kid asks, as the two guys went from being shocked to pissed off.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?" they demanded, as the straw hat kid ignored their repeated question.
"Your friend's gonna catch a cold sleeping on the floor like that, you know." he simply told them, as he climbed out of the barrel.
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KNOCKED HIM OUT!" the two shouted again, as they both pulled out the swords they had carried in on their hips. Holding one out in front of the boy's nose, the kid took one look a the blade before looking at it's owner.
I took this as a sign to get a better grip on my dagger as I pushed my own shock to the side. If they made a move at that range to take the kids head off, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to move fast enough to intercept it.
"Hold it!" The tattoo guy ordered, "Are you really messing with us when you know good and well that we're pirates? Huh?" he demanded, as he stabbed his sword in the straw hat's direction in emphasis.
Ignoring him completely, the straw hat kid turned and walked right over to Colby.
"Hey, I'm starving. You got any food?" he asked, as Colby only gave him that shocked look he still had on his face when the kid first made his grand entrance. That look didn't last much longer after that though, seeing as the two pirates only got more pissed at the boy, and tried to cut him down. This got Colby to freak out and change his facial expression before it got stuck.
Seeing how scrawny the straw hat kid was, I knew I would need to step in before the blow made contact. If those pirates did make contact, it would only go right through that kid and hit Colby. Possibly killing him.
I can't let anyone else die at the hands of a pirate. I desperately thought, as I made to move forward. Only to find that I didn't need to do a damn thing, seeing as the straw hat kid simply turned around and broke the two blades with his bare hands.
For the second time that day, I found myself in a state of shock.
With a clang, the two blade pieces that had been broken off found a purchase in the wooden roof above us. At the noise, Colby finally looked up from where he had covered his eyes in fright. Moving towards him, I knelt down.
"You alright Colby?" I asked him, as he nodded his head once in the affirmative.
Glad he was alright, I stood back to my full height as I looked over at the straw hat boy and the two pirates who now sat on their asses. Scared for once in their lives.
Just who is this guy? I wondered, as the kid in question gave the two pirates a confused look.
"What the heck is wrong with you two all of a sudden?" He asked, as the sniveling pirates began looking like they wanted to cry.
"W-Who a-are yo-ou?' the skinny guy stuttered out, as the straw hat kid pointed his thumb at himself.
"Hm… Oh me? Hi, I'm Monkey D. Luffy." He said, introducing himself with a very monkey like smile.
The two pirates on the ground didn't think so though, for as soon as they saw this, they were on their feet, grabbed their sleeping friend by one arm each before dragging him out of the room like the devil was on their heels.
After they were gone, Colby looked up from where he was on his hands and knees as he watched the door the three had left through.
"What just happened?" he asked no one in particular.
"Beats me." the straw hat kid, now known as Luffy remarked, as he too watched the door.
"I don't care… But watching them get their asses handed to them sure made me feel nice." I added, as my words struck a fearful cord within Colby.
"Oh no, you've gotta run! You too Asuna!" Colby began freaking. "If they come back here with the others, you guys are dead!"
"I don't care about any of that, I'm hungry." Luffy simply stated, as Colby choked on air.
"How can you just blow this off like that? There's hundred of them up on deck! They love killing anything that pisses them off!" he freaked, as he looked over at me for support. "Come on, Asuna, back me up here! You know what I'm saying." he pleaded, as I glanced his way.
"I've said it to you once already Colby, they're all morons. So much so that my sister could rob them in her sleep if she wanted." I told him, as Colby gave me a blank look.
Oops… Sorry, Nami… I mentally apologized for letting that slip. Since we made that deal with Arlong to buy back our island eight years ago, Nami has become a pirate thief. I didn't mention her name though, so I guess she can forgive me as long as she is none the wiser.
"Wait, you have a sister, and she's a pirate thief." Colby repeated, as I just shrugged my shoulders.
"Yeah… Pretty much. I don't exactly hate pirates like she does, but most of them do suck." I admitted, as movement caught my eye. Looking up, I saw Luffy begin making his way towards one of the doors that had remained closed during our little exchange with the three pirates. Seeing it too, Colby decided it was a good idea to latch on to Luffy's arm.
"No, you can't go out there! You'll be killed!" Colby pleaded, not even looking to see that Luffy was passing the exit by for that door I had noticed him heading towards.
No matter how much Colby pleaded or pulled against Luffy, the kid would not be swayed away from that door. Wondering where Colby was being dragged off to, I decided to follow them. When Luffy made it to the doors, he pushed it open, and dragged Colby inside with him. With Colby not paying attention, he easily got smacked in the head by the door.
Stepping forward, I pushed the door off the poor kid, and grabbed him by the back of the shirt to keep him from falling over. Moving into the room as well, I closed the door behind me.
Once the three of us were inside, Luffy gave a triumphant shout as he jumped down the stairs located inside the pantry if the crates of food were anything to go by, and tore off the top of one of them.
"Cool! Apples!" he declared, as I sat down on the very top step.
Back behind me, Colby opened the door to peer out to make sure no one had seen us enter the room before shutting it once more.
"No one saw us, so I guess we'll be safe in here for now." He said, as he moved to sit on the bottom step closer to where Luffy was currently stuffing his face. Core and all would you believe it.
"Did all of that really just happen?" Colby asked me, as I shrugged my shoulders.
"Whatever that was, it doesn't really matter now. If anything, I think we all should just stay down here for the time being. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and Alvida and her crew will leave us behind. You'd be able to start over if that's the case." I told him, as Colby looked uncertain.
"We could… But what about the people on this ship? Won't they know we snuck on board or something?" Colby pointed out, as I thought it over.
"We could tell them that we were prisoners on Alvida's ship and snuck down here to hide. Or that we were passengers who got separated and hid down here to stay safe." I suggested, as I turned to look in a crate that sat close to me. Seeing that it was full of tangerines, I took one from the pile. Pulling a dagger from my boot, I began to peel it. "Just take your pick, stick to it, and don't forget it when asked. I know it's lying, but its either that or you get jailed, or stuck back on Alvida's ship."
Now that the tangerine was peeled, I handed half over to Colby.
"What ever it is you decide you want to do, you might want to decide soon." I warned him. "Who knows how long we'll be here before we are discovered."
"Yeah, you're probably right." Colby agreed, as he took a bite of tangerine.
"Well, that said, I think you should go and introduce yourself and thank Monkey D. Luffy down there. He did save your life after all." I said, nudging Colby in the leg with my own.
Giving me a small smile, Colby got to his feet and took his tangerine half with him towards Luffy. Taking a bite of my own half, I watched as the two boys interacted.
"Hey, you're name's Luffy right? I'm Colby… It was pretty neat what you did with that barrel back there… And thanks for stopping those two guys too…" Colby began, as Luffy gave him an apple filled smile.
"No problem… These apples are really tasty!" Luffy exclaimed, as he turned back to eating. "Hey, do you know if we're on a pirate ship?" he asked then, chewed up apple flying all over the place.
"No… We're actually on a passenger ship that's being raided by a pirate ship." Colby explained, as he sat down next to Luffy. "Pirates under the command of Lady Alvida."
"Meh… Who cares anyway…" Luffy answered, eating apple after apple faster than humanly possible. Honestly, how the hell was this kid not choking by now?
Okay, it's official… Monkey D. Luffy you are one strange character… I thought to myself, as I finished off my tangerine half. Using the end of the long black coat I currently wore to wipe the citrus juice from my dagger before sheathing it in my boot once more.
"All I want to know is if there are any boats on board." Luffy said a moment later, as I thought it over.
"There should be. The pirates are still on deck, so none of the passengers are able to get to them." I answered, as I held up a hand when the straw hat kid looked my way. "I'm Asuna by the way."
Soon as the words left my mouth, I felt Luffy's gaze stay locked on mine. I don't know what he was looking for, but his gaze was intense. Whatever it was, I guess he found it because he looked away after a few moments. Looking back at the apples before him, Luffy began munching away again.
"Hey Asuna, are you a pirate?" Luffy asked, as I scoffed at the very idea.
"Look kid, I may not exactly hate pirates, but I'm not one. Nor do I ever intend to be one. Why do you ask anyway? You a pirate yourself?" I asked him, not quite liking where this conversation was now going. No offense, but I need to stay out of the pirate world. Not only am I trapped by one, metaphorically speaking, but my eyes are a little too much like anothers…
Not wanting to go down that road, I put the thought from my mind. Bellemere's last words about that wasn't going to help me with my current situation at home anyway. Besides, if Arlong found out…
Shutting my mind down for a second time, I forced myself to focus on the two before me. Luffy was currently telling Colby how his previous boat got sucked up into the whirlpool we passed earlier. Hence why Luffy was in that barrel to start with. A crazy idea, but the best he could do in a pinch. With the barrel being mainly wood, and as long as he doesn't get sucked in the whirlpool too far, he would eventually have floated back to the surface. Monkey D. Luffy was apparently turning out to be a smart stupid person as Nojiko, Nami, and I used to say about people as kids.
"So what about you Colby? Are you one of the pirates or one of the passengers?" Luffy asked, skipping my question and directing it towards Colby. At this question, Colby got somber. Just like that night I asked him how he wound up on Alvida's crew. So, Colby told him the story I was told. At the end of it, Luffy had stopped eating, and just kept looking over his shoulder at Colby while he paid attention.
"You're pretty dumb, you know that?" Luffy asked, as Colby dropped his chin to his chest.
"Geez, you're brutally honest aren't you." Colby said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"If you hate it, then just leave." Luffy told him, as I chuckled a bit.
"I've been telling him that in the week I've been a passenger on Alvida's ship." I stated, as Colby began shaking his head violently from side to side.
"No way! I can't leave, no way! Just the thought of Alvida finding me scares me so bad I feel sick!" Colby protested, as Luffy let out a laugh.
"Wow, you're a moron and a coward! I hate people like you!" he said, as I felt one of my eye brows go up. Colby had a point when he said Luffy was brutally honest. Blunt too.
Looking over at Colby to see how he was handling such a comment, I gave pause at the look of self loathing he had on his face.
"Yeah, you're right… I really am a coward… If I had the courage like you to float freely in a barrel, I could put these pirates behind me. I do have my own dreams, and I really want to follow them." Colby said thoughtful, as he then looked back over at Luffy. A curious look in his eyes.
"So what first set you off to sea, Luffy?" he asked, as Luffy got that goofy grin of his again.
"Well. I'm going to be King of the Pirates."
At this, Colby shot to his feet in a near dead faint. While I nearly fell off my seat. When Luffy had avoided answering my question earlier, I had him figured for a pirate, but never in a million years would I have expected him to say something like that!
"The king?" Colby squeaked, a cold sweat breaking out over his whole body. "Are you serious?"
"Yep." Luffy replied like it was nothing.
"But that means you're a pirate."
"Yep."
"You're crew?"
"Don't have one yet. If Asuna had answered my question from earlier differently, I would have asked her to be my first crew member. But she didn't look like she wants to at the moment, so I'll ask her again later." Luffy answered, as I grabbed another tangerine from beside me to throw at Luffy's head.
Moving his head out of the way, I was forced to watch as Luffy caught it before stuffing it peeling and all into his mouth. Sending a small glare in Luffy's direction, I decided to see just what he knows about the concept he was speaking of.
"You do realize that to be the Pirate King, you need to find the One Piece, right? The greatest treasure once held by Gold D. Roger, and has been sought after for the last twenty years by pirates since his execution by the World Government." I stated, as Luffy gave me that grin of his once more.
"Yeah, that's the one!" he exclaimed as Colby found himself once again.
"No way! It's Impossible! There's no way someone like you could find it this far into the pirate era! There's just too many pirates out there who are meaner and fatter and-" Colby ranted, until Luffy planted his fist into Colby's head. Much like I had earlier.
"OW!" Colby cried, as he put his hands over his head. "Why did you hit me?" He wined as Luffy crossed his arms over his chest.
"'Cause I felt like it." He said, using the same answer I had earlier.
After giving it a moment for the slight pain to recede, Colby simply rubbed the now sore spot before getting back on his feet.
"It's not like it matters anyway. My shipmates slap me around on a regular basis… Asuna's pretty much the only one who only does it when I need to calm down." he said, as Luffy ignored him. He had already said what was on his mind on the subject after all… If Colby would just man up and leave, he wouldn't have to worry about it. And if he joins the marines and gets stronger, then he'd be able to take on those who would bat him around.
Placing a hand over his straw hat, Luffy got a far away look on his face.
"Its not about if I can do it, it's because I want to." Luffy told him, as he lifted the straw hat off his head to hold it in front of him. "I decided a long time ago that I was going to be King of the Pirates. If I end up dying trying to reach that goal, then I'll die. Simple as that."
The look that came into Luffy's eyes as he said that startled me. It had been years since I last saw anyone with that kind of determination in their eyes. The last time was right before Bellemere was murdered by Arlong. In her eyes I could see the determination for us to survive Arlong's arrival and conquering of our island.
Deep in my heart, I knew that I should be troubled by this look, but instead I felt a need to learn where this determination comes from. While he and Colby had been talking and I was lost in my thoughts, I had briefly over heard Luffy mention how he had ended up in that barrel. Maybe, if Luffy didn't give a rat's ass, I'll ask him if Colby and I can tag along to the next island. On the next island, Colby would be able to join the marines like he's always dreamed of, and I would have enough time to decide if I want to travel further with Monkey D. Luffy. I meant what I said about not becoming a pirate though, that's not going to change.
"Now that my belly is full, I'm gonna go find a new boat. Maybe they'll give me one if I ask nicely enough." Luffy continued, putting his hat back where it belonged before making his way passed me up the steps I still sat on.
Watching as he passed, once he was out of my line of sight, I looked back at the awed look on Colby's face. Apparently I hadn't been the only one to have a chord struck within me.
"I guess I never thought of it that way…" Colby spoke, once he was able to find his voice. "If I put my mind to it, and was willing to risk my life… Would I be able to do something big like that?" he asked, as Luffy paused at the door way to look back.
"Like what?" He asked, as Colby turned to face Luffy and I.
"Do you think I could join the marines?" He asked Luffy, as I felt a small smile tug at my lips. The whole two weeks I'd been on Alvida's ship and let Colby stay in my room, I can't tell you how many times Colby had talked about the marines and his dreams of joining him. But he's yet to outright ask such a thing. Of course I believed he would be able to, but I've made no mention of it. If Colby wants to find the courage to go and join the marines and put Alvida behind him, he needed to find the strength and courage to do that on his own.
Luffy's words about his own dream of wanting to become the king of the pirates, as outlandish as it sounds; must have given Colby the courage he needed to ask that particular question.
"Marines?" Luffy echoed, posing it as a question, as Colby held up his hands with the passion that was filling him about his dream.
"Yes! Catching bad guys is the only thing I've wanted to do since I was a kid! It's been my dream since I was little!" Colby all but shouted, his voice gradually going back to his normal volume towards the end. "So do you think I can do it…?" He asked gently at the end.
"How should I know that?" Luffy asked him, a giggle in his voice.
Even though Luffy's words weren't exactly meant to encourage, that's just what it did as Colby became excited once more.
"Then I'm gonna do it!" He shouted, as he began making his way towards the door as well. Seeing as it looked like the two boys were about ready to leave, I got to my own feet as well. I still had to see if Luffy was my and Colby's ticket out of the mess Alvida had put us in.
"I'm not gonna be stuck living as a cabin boy for the rest of my life! I'm gonna break out and turn right back around to catch Alvida myself!" Colby continued to shout, but before he could take the first step up the stairs, the ceiling above us was busted down by a familiar iron club. Snatching Colby up by the back of his shirt, I hauled him up to where Luffy was standing by the door. When the dust and debris finally settled, the three of us came face to face with a very pissed off pirate lady.
"Who are you planning on catching, Colby?" Alvida spat, as she glared daggers as Luffy and I. "Is this twig and that girl gonna help you?" she demanded, as Colby quivered on the spot. All of his courage and determination having vanished the moment the fat old hag showed up.
"Well? Answer me!" she shouted, as Colby opened his mouth to answer, but all that would come out were whimpers.
Before Luffy or I could do or say anything, I get this cold chill down my spine. Stepping to the side, I managed to avoid being turned into a pin cushion by a few sabers that had suddenly appeared through the wall. Luffy on the other hand just had to stay perfectly still. They stuck out of the wall all around his tall frame. When they didn't look like they would be moved any time soon, Luffy and I turned our attention back to Alvida.
Alvida's face turned smug as she examined Luffy from head to toe.
"Hmp… I'm guessing you're not Zoro the Pirate Hunter." she stated, as Luffy tilted his head to the side in a curious manner. Ignoring his look, Alvida then turned her head towards me.
"Obviously you're not Zoro either, but I know you sometimes haul pirates in for their bounties Asuna… But it looks like your bounty hunting days are done now that you've left that room I was so kind as to let you rent with your work as a black smith and meddled in my business. I would find it quite useful to have someone of your skill as the smith for my ship." she said, as I narrowed my eyes in her direction.
"Sorry, but no chance of that happening." I told her straight up, as Alvida's smug look grew a little wider.
"Of course you will, want to know why?" she asked me, before turning a wild look in Colby's direction. "Colby!" she shouted, causing the poor kid to jump in fright.
"Y-yes?" he asked, his voice trembling horribly.
"Who is the most beautiful in all the seas?" she asked him, as Colby began scratching his head in nervousness. Like he always did when Alvida called him out.
"I-uh… Give me a sec… I know this…" he panicked, as Alvida's smug smile began to look like an ugly grimace the longer she held it on her face.
All the while, Luffy just holds up a hand, points in Alvida's direction as he looks over at Colby.
"Hey Colby, whose the fat lady?" He straight up asks, as Colby's, Alvida's and her crew's jaws all drop to the floor in dead shock.
It was at this very moment that I heard and felt something I hadn't in the past eight years. To be honest, I didn't know if it was how the crew looked like they could piss their pants at any moment; or if it was the outraged look Alvida had on her face the moment Luffy's words sunk in. Hell, it could have been the half fear of Alvida, and half hero worship for Luffy that was in Colby's expression that triggered the laughing fit that had me doubled over.
"Okay, it's official Luffy…" I said, gasping for breath… "You're absolutely insane!"
Taking a deep breath, I glanced back at Alvida. Apparently my laughter was fuel on the fire, for she looked a little more pissed than when my fit had begun. Seeing this, I couldn't help one last snicker.
Which ended up being just enough to make Alvida's boiling anger erupt as she threw her club up over her head in fury.
"YOU RATS!" She shouted, as she brought the club down where Luffy and I were standing. Dodging out of the way, Luffy and I both managed to land next to Colby.
"Hey Asuna, can you jump up there?" he asked in a whisper. Nodding my head once as a yes, Luffy then turned a grin to Colby. "Let's get out of here."
That was apparently Colby's cue to hand on to Luffy as he jumped up through the hole Alvida had created to get to us. Following after them, I used the elevated part of the pantry that hadn't been destroyed to jump up towards the hole in the floor. Using the quick reflexes I'd built up over the last few years, I managed to haul myself up on the deck before any of the pirates could try and cut me back down to where Alvida was.
Getting to my feet, I was just in time to see Luffy land on his feet with Colby next to him. Poor kid hadn't been expecting Luffy to jump so high, and was clearly in shock for about the hundredth time for today. Like the other times, he was quick about getting over it the moment danger came into play. Jumping back, Colby gave Luffy enough room to begin fighting.
Reaching into my boots, I pulled out my daggers got ready to jump in at a moments notice. For a brawler, Luffy was pretty good at using his fists as his only weapon against the pirates wielding swords. If anything, I think that if I were to jump in right at this moment, I'd only get in his way.
He was pretty strong and nimble for a scrawny kid with what appeared to be no muscle mass what so ever.
As I was about to consider putting my daggers back in my boots and watching the rest of the fight on the side lines with Colby, I noticed as the small group of pirates Luffy were fighting back him up towards the upper part of the passenger ship we were still on. Catching the glint of light off of metal, I spotted the trap for what it was.
Having his back turned, and his mind focusing on the pirates in front of him, I knew that Luffy hadn't seen the guy yet.
Getting a good grip on my daggers, I rushed forward. Crossing them over one another, I managed to get into place right at the last second. The clashing of steel on steel alerting Luffy to what was going on behind him.
My arms shook from the force of holding the pirate I had stopped back, but I managed it. Daggers weren't really my specialty when it comes to fighting with blades, but I didn't have a sword on me at the moment. Nor would I for a long time to come either…
Putting that aside, I made a right feint with my foot. Thinking I was taking a step, the pirate tried to knock my weight off what he thought was my firmly planted foot. Only to end up giving me a something to launch my foot off of as I kicked him in the side, making him falter just enough to knock him away from me with my daggers.
"It's not fair to attack from behind!" Luffy shouted at him, as he reached passed me to grab the pirate I had just unbalanced by the head, and throwing him at his buddies. As he knocked them over, Luffy sent a greatful grin my way.
"Thanks a bunch Asuna!" he said, giving me a thumbs up. Nodding at him, I moved to stand next to him as the pirates got on their feet once more.
Readjusting the grip on my daggers, I got ready for the next round with the idiots, but that plan was tossed to the winds when Luffy grabs me by the wrist, and begins running for the other side of the ship.
"Luffy! What the hell are you doing!?" I demanded of him.
"You'll see, just run!" he shouted, not slowing down in the slightest.
As we went to pass the mast in the center of the ship, Luffy reaches out one arm to grab on as he keeps running past. When he did this, I was thinking that he was going to use the mast to turn in a circle to get behind the pirates. So I maneuvered my body to do the same. Only as I went around the mast, I noticed that Luffy had kept going straight, and that his arm was stretching out way past what any limb was meant to.
Seeing this, I held the same look as everyone else did this time. The pirates chasing us were even so shocked by what they were seeing that they payed my nearness to them no mind. One of them even looked my way to ask if Luffy was even human before looking between Luffy's hand that was still holding onto the mast, and the rest of his body that was still heading towards the front of the ship…
Once he had gone quite a distance, Luffy stopped and turned a not so friendly smirk towards the pirates.
"Got ya!" he said, before he let himself come flying back towards his hand. As he did so, the momentum allowed him to knock all the pirates down once more. "GUM-GUM ROCKET!" He shouted as he went.
As he past the mast, I noticed that his limb had retracted back to it's original shape and position as if it'd never happened. Almost like… Rubber…
Moving back around the mast itself, I looked at where Luffy's hand had held on. The spot his hand was in looked a little more worn than the rest of the wood, but other than that there wasn't any damage. Blinking from that spot to Luffy and back a few times, I shook my head to clear my thoughts. The only explanation I could think of as to how Luffy was able to do such a thing, was that he had eaten a devil fruit.
According to legend, devil fruits come from the Grand Line. The world's most violent sea that many people go in, and no one ever comes out. The previous pirate kind is said to have hidden the One Piece on an island hidden within the Grand Line's deepest depths.
Was Luffy from the Grand Line? If not, then he must have stolen the devil fruit from some one? And if that wasn't the case, then he had to have eaten it without knowing what it was… And all of that was if this really was from the result of a devil fruit.
Looking back towards Colby to see what his reaction to all of this was, I saw Alvida trying to climb up from the hold behind him. Not wanting him to get hit from behind by that iron club of hers, I ran towards them. Thankfully, Alvida was in shock too, so I was able to make it past her without a problem.
Not that it would be happening again, seeing as my movement was enough to help her snap out of it a moment later. Same thing went for Colby, seeing as he was then able to ask the one question I was sure was burning in all of our minds at the moment.
"Luffy… What are you?" Colby asked, as Luffy turned a care free smile in our direction.
"Oh, that…" Luffy began, as he reached up to hook a finger in the right side of his mouth, and pulling it far from his face. "I'm a rubber man." he answered, as I felt Alvida move to stand behind Colby and I.
Colby must have felt it too, for he freaked out and ran to hide behind Luffy, while I simply turned to look over my shoulder. She was still just as livid as she was back below deck, but this time she was more wary of Luffy. Keeping an eye on her, I turned around so that she wouldn't be at my back anymore, and moved to stand on the other side of Colby. That way if Alvida attacked, I could just yank the poor kid out of the way. After all this excitement today, Colby looked like he was ready to pass out. If that happened, I wanted to prevent him having an untimely death.
"Rubber, huh…" Alvida said, as she kept her glare fixed on Luffy. "So you've eaten of the devil fruits, haven't you?" she asked him, speaking the very thing I was wondering myself.
"Yeah." Luffy answered, as he let his cheek go. "I ate the Gum-Gum fruit when I was little."
"Uh-huh…" Alvida said, as she moved her club to sit on her shoulder. "I had heard rumors of their existence, but hadn't seen any evidence of it until today. Not to mention how skilled you are at fighting. More so than the average deck swabber. I know you're not the Pirate Hunter, but are you a bounty hunter nonetheless?" she asked, as Luffy shook his head.
"No, I'm a pirate." He answered, as Alvida's expression became disbelieving.
"A pirate!? All by yourself at sea?" she questioned him, as Luffy's smile never changed.
"Yeah… I don't have a crew yet, but I'll find them. I've got one person lined up but no luck yet. After her, I'll find about… Nine or ten more guys…" Luffy figured up, as he held up both hands, alternating between holding up nine and ten fingers. "Might not be until tomorrow, or next week, or whatever…"
Letting out a laugh, Alvida's expression turned into a dark smile.
"So, then tell me… If we're both pirate, and we aren't of the same flag. Then that would make us enemies, am I right?" she asked, as Luffy's smile grew ever so slightly.
Not liking the sound of it either, I locked my eyes on Alvida, waiting for her to make the first move.
Colby liked it even less than I did, as he grabbed Luffy's arm and gently tugged on it in the direction facing away from Alvida.
"Luffy, Asuna, let's just go." He whispered, as Luffy turned a confused expression his way.
"Hold on, why?" He asked Colby, who got a pleading look on his face.
"You saw how powerful she is with that club… And all of the nasty pirates in these waters, she's the most…" he trailed off, as he took in the serious look Luffy's face had adopted. It was clear as day that Luffy had no intention of backing down. And from what I just said, there was no way in hell Colby was going to be strong enough to stop him.
"Do you really want to give up on your dream now Colby? After we came this far?" I asked him, as he turned to glance at me. By the time this question had left my lips, my face too had become serious. Narrowing my eyes at Colby, I watched as he flinched back somewhat. "If I can't trust you to keep going forward Colby, then I'll just have to hand you over to the marines with these pirates. If you go back on what you said and make my efforts wasted, then the coin your head will bring me will have to do instead… It won't add up, but it'll be all I get…" I told him. I knew that saying this was cruel of me, but Colby can't turn back forever. Some things, you just can't turn back from.
Where we currently stood with Alvida, I knew that to turn back would be a death sentence for Colby…
As my words sunk in, Colby's eyes glazed over. At first, I thought it was fear he was looking at me with, but I was wrong. When his mind brought him back from wherever it had taken him, a bright light of determination began burning in his eyes as he turned a nervous, and angry glare towards his former captain.
"Go on, tell me Colby. What am I?" Alvida asked, trying to force Colby to submit like she always did. What she didn't know just yet, was that it wasn't going to work this time.
"You're…" Colby began, as he steeled himself. "YOU'RE THE UGLIEST THING ON THE SEAS!" He shouted, as the deadpan expression Luffy had crated earlier when he had called Alvida fat returned to his former crew members. Luffy on the other hand, was all but rolling across the deck in laughter. Even I couldn't attempt to hide the smirk on my face either.
As for Alvida herself, she became so angry she couldn't move.
"What… Was that?" She asked quietly, only to end up fueling Colby's need to finally speak out.
"I'm leaving to join the marines! Then I'm gonna spend my days training, and when I'm strong enough, I'm gonna come back and catch your fat lousy ass!" Colby shouted at her, as Alvida only became angrier. Holding my daggers as the ready, I prepared to step in. Colby was finally able to say what he wanted to Alvida, yes; but that doesn't mean she won't try to kill him for it. That was something I couldn't let happen. How could Colby join the marines then if I did?
Besides, too many of the marines are corrupt now a days. Like I had noticed early on in this trip, Colby had a good heart. Maybe his heart can change that…
"Do you know just what you're saying to me right now?" Alvida asked Colby, as he kept going.
"Of course I do! If I want to join the marines, then I'm gonna join them and catch dirty pirates like you!" he declaired, as Alvida decided that she had enough.
"YOU'RE DEAD KID! " Alvida shouted, as she raised her club over her head to bring it down to crush Colby.
I took a step forward to try save him, but before I could go beyond that, Luffy had already pushed Colby to the side and taken his place. All Colby and I could do was watch in horror as Alvida's club bashed full force into Luffy's head.
For a full five seconds, I thought that Luffy had been killed. Boy was I happy to be proven wrong when instead of falling over a corpse, Luffy's monkey smile returned full force.
"That won't work…" He said in a sing song voice, as Alvida began to get a bit nervous. "I'm rubber, remember?" he said as he knocked her club off of his head like it was nothing.
For the third time that day, I was shocked into silence as Luffy flung his arm way back. So far that you couldn't see how far his fist had left the ship over the open ocean.
"GUM-GUM PISTOL!"
Then just like that, Luffy's rubber body snaps back, as he launched a full forced punch right into Alvida's over sized gut. The momentum and force behind his was so great, that Alvida went flying off of the passenger ship. Looking all around us, I could see that Alvida's crew still had that look of intense fear, but for once it wasn't of their captain. It was of the tall scrawny kid…
Their fear grew even more though, when Luffy looked their way next.
"Hey you! Go find a boat and give it to Colby. He's gonna go join the marines, and I'll kick your asses if you try to stop him." Luffy warned, as they all moved at once to do as they had been persuaded. Practically tripping over each other in their haste.
"Thanks Luffy." Colby thanked him, as Luffy threw him a large grin.
"Eh, it was no big deal." Luffy replied, as he then glanced over at me. "But what are you planning on do now Asuna? You could still round them up if you want." he said, as I thought it over.
I suppose he was right about that. Unfortunatley, that ship would be difficult to sail just on my own. Not to mention one of the crew could also easily escape whatever bonds I put them in and slit my throat while I slept. But would the berries I get for handing them over make that risk worth it?
Before I could make a decision on that, a cannon ball comes out of no where and begins to shake both ships around.
Looking in the direction it came from, we saw a couple of marine ships.
"The marines finally showed up." Colby remarked, as Luffy's grin widened.
"Perfect timing too. All you have to do now is head over and tell them you want to join." Luffy told Colby, as he went back to his regular smile. "But I'm a pirate, so I've gotta go!" with that said, Luffy checked to see if Alvida's crew had a boat in the water yet.
Looking myself, I could see that they were currently lowering one to the sea right now. Seeing that he was safe from the water, Luffy hopped over the railing to land in it. The boat only jostled around a bit under his weight thankfully
"I can't go near them like this! I'll just be arrested with the other pirates!" Colby protested, bringing up a pretty good point in the process.
"He has a point Luffy, and the same goes for me as well. That being said, do you mind if we tag along until the next island. Colby should be able to join at the marine base there, and I can catch up to someone." I suggested, as Luffy shrugged his shoulders.
"That's fine by me, but you might want to hurry up and get in if you're coming." Luffy answered, as I glanced over at Colby.
"It's alright with me." he said, as he gave me a smile of his own. "Besides, you helped me back there. The least I can do is help you out as much as I can."
Giving him a small smile of my own in return, I jumped up to stand on the railing.
"Alright then, let's get out of here. When you land on the boat, hold on to the side. When the two of us hit the boat, we're going to send it down faster." I told Colby, as he nodded his head once in understanding.
Taking a deep, nervous breath, Colby joined me on the railing. I ended up having to grab him by the back of the shirt to help him keep his balance though. After a short count down from three, Colby and I joined Luffy in the boat, and just like I thought, we sent it down to the sea. The poor guys on Alvida's ships let out a yelp of surprise and pain when the rope suddenly tugged against their hands.
I felt a twinge of guilt from this, but it faded quickly. I wonder just how many people each of them have hurt and killed over the years. All they just got was a little rope burn. It would easily heal over time. The mental, physical, and emotional scars they've left on others wont.
Taking my head out of my thoughts, I concentrated on helping Colby get us the hell out of there, while Luffy just held on for dear life. Not that I could blame him. Like Alvida, I had heard of the devil fruits before, and how the holder of such a fruit becomes an enemy of the sea, loosing their ability to swim for the rest of their days. So I guess if the fruits are real, so is that part.
It took some tricky maneuvering on our part, but eventually Colby and I were able to get us out of danger. Luck must have been on our side today, seeing as we even got away without having the marines tail us. Sitting back to take a break from all the excitement of the day, Colby threw his head back to look up at the sky.
"I can't believe we actually managed to get away." he said, as I checked our surroundings one last time before I sat down against the mast, putting my bag beside me. After all of that fighting done with it on had me wanting to be without it for a bit. Still, I'm glad I brought it with me when I left that room back on Alvida's ship. In our quick departure, I wouldn't have been able to go back for it.
"If we had left any later than what we did, we probably wouldn't have." I said, as Colby trembled slightly at the thought. Not that I could blame him. The government doesn't take piracy lightly, even if it's forced. In fact, I wouldn't put it past the marine base we would have been locked up in to have Colby executed right away and quickly just out of mercy.
As for me on the other hand…
The thought had me reaching into my coat pocket to feel the worn letter I had stashed there. It was my single treasure that Arlong didn't know about. Nami, nor Nojiko knew of its existence as well. Only one other back home knows about it, the one Bellemere had entrusted with it right before her death.
I felt the urge to read it once more, but I refrained. I wasn't alone at the moment after all.
Taking a deep breath, I withdrew my hand from my pocket. Instead, I busied myself with checking over my daggers. It was a familiar comfort when I needed to keep myself from thinking about things.
"It sure was fun though." I heard Luffy say, as I glanced up from my daggers. Luffy sat just on the other side of the mast from me, enjoying the sun, the sea, and the wind.
"So Luffy, if you're looking for One Piece, then that means you're headed for the Grand Line, right?" Colby asked him, as Luffy glanced over his shoulder at him. "The people I've asked about it says its a pirate grave yard." Colby finished, as Luffy nodded his head once.
"Yeah, that's why I want a pretty strong crew." Luffy answered, before he looked back at me once more. "About that Asuna, are you sure you don't want to be the first member on my crew?" he asked once more, as I paused what I was doing to look up at him.
From what I saw today, Luffy sure wasn't what I'd expect from a pirate who wants to become the Pirate King. Then there was the range of emotions I went through today. Most of the time, since Bellemere's death and Arlong's arrival, I've tried my best to be void of most of the emotions that makes a human, human. Not to mention the loyalty Luffy showed towards Colby, and after just becoming friends barely an hour ago.
He even showed the same towards me after I saved him from that pirate trying to kill him from behind. He may have put some distance between the pirates to launch an attack, but he could have easily just left me to face them, yet he didn't. With traits like these, I can't think of any reason why Luffy wanted to be a pirate. I do wish I could find out what that reason was.
Monkey D. Luffy, you are one strange pirate indeed… I thought, as a deep ache began in my heart. But I can't join your crew and abandon my home to its fate…
"I already told you Luffy, I won't become a pirate. I don't hate you or anything, but I have something I need to finish back home. Something that could take years and years." I answered, as Luffy pouted in my direction.
"Aw, come one Asuna! Join my crew!" Luffy whined, as I narrowed my eyes at him. I've seen the look he was giving me many times with Nami, and sometimes we would pull it on Nojiko or Bellemere. It meant that he would persist until I agree to join him. The only way to get out of that, was to make a little agreement. One it looks like I'll have to use here in this situation.
"Look Luffy, I'll think about it. But, if I do think about it and arrive at the conclusion that I do not want to join your crew, will you accept my answer and leave it be?" I asked him.
Looking back at me for a few moments, Luffy crossed his arms.
"I guess that's okay. So long as it's not a no." He said, as his face suddenly lights up in his earlier excitement. "Oh, I've got it! You need to reach a certain island to meet up with your sister, right Asuna?" he asked me, as I nodded my head once. I was actually surprised that he remembered me saying that. "Alright it's settled then. I'll help you get to that island, and when we find your sister, I'll get your answer then. That should be enough time for you to decide, right?" he asked me, as I let out a sigh equal parts annoyance and relief.
"It should be." I said, getting the feeling I'm going to regret that when we finally find my sister.
"Okay, awesome… Now that's settled, I need to start thinking about who else I want to join my crew." Luffy said, as he thought it over. "Say, what do you guys know about that pirate hunter guy?" He asked.
"Pirate hunter guy?" Colby echoed, as I switched the dagger I was holding out with the other one for cleaning.
"I think he's talking about Roronoa Zoro. Alvida mentioned him back on that passenger ship." I explained, as I continued what I was doing. "I haven't heard anything about him lately though. It's been a few months since I last took in a bounty."
Readjusting his glasses, Colby poured over the things he heard before we put Alvida and her goons behind us.
"I think I heard one of the guys back on Alvida's ship say that he was taken prisoner at a marine base near by." Colby said, as Luffy's face began to show disappointment.
"Oh… So he's a weakling, huh?" Luffy asked, as Colby's hair began to stand on end at what Luffy was implying. Even I couldn't stop the snort that left me at this.
"Weakling? I haven't met him face to face or anything, but I've taken in a few bounties of my own, so I've heard some things. That man is known for his ability to haul in the most dangerous criminals from all over the East Blue." I said, as Colby nodded his head up and down violently.
"She's right Luffy! He's as violent as a demon, but even he puts them to shame with how scary he is. He dices up his bounties, like a gruesome animal. Some have even taken to calling him a demon in human form…" Colby said in a near frightened whisper. "There's probably a pretty good reason the marines have him locked up. So if you go and ask him to join, there's nothing that's gonna stop him from doing the same to you!" he began panicking just from the mere thought of it.
A quick fist from Luffy was enough to snap him out of it. This time though, Colby didn't even bother to ask why it was done. The same answer would have been given anyway. As Colby nursed the bump on his head, I finished cleaning my other dagger.
"Listen Colby, not all of the marines are as good as gold as you think they all are. Some are corrupt. So I think it's best that you hold off on your judgement on the pirate hunter until we've seen him with our own eyes. Besides, it's Luffy's crew that he's going to be joining if that's what Roronoa Zoro decides to do." I told him, as Colby got a defensive look on his face.
"But the marines are all good people deep down! How else are they able to catch so many bad guys?" Colby argued. "Besides, don't you hate pirates, Asuna?" he asked me, as I shook my head.
"What I said earlier was that I didn't hate all pirates." I corrected him, as I finished packing my things back where they belonged into my bag. "The same thing also goes for the marines. Might just be how I was raised, but that's what I honestly think on the subject."
At my words, Colby just went quiet as he processed them.
"I guess you have a point, but I can't believe that most of them are bad. And even if they are… I'll just remain myself, and hope that they can learn a better way…" he said, as a sheepish smile crossed his face. "Once I get enough courage to do so anyway."
Nodding my head in acceptance of his answer, I also silently hoped that he would never have to learn otherwise. Pirates were vicious, and the marines had to mirror that in order to more effectively catch them. That left scars of all sorts. Colby will have to one day face this, or worse, but I believe he would pull through some how.
"That aside, we're going to have to stop at the island where the pirate hunter is jailed either way. We have the bare minimal in supplies, about a days worth from the looks of it." I announced, as I glanced around the single barrel, crate, and cloth bag, and the coil of rope pinned up on the mast of the small boat the three of us would be sharing for the night. "Luckily, that island is only a night and half a day away."
"Yeah, the amount of food on here wouldn't last me a single morning…" Luffy agreed, as I turned to raise an eyebrow in his direction. What I saw when I did had me nearly drowning the ass.
While we had been talking, Luffy decided it was a good idea to blow through all the food we had. Colby must have noticed my angry posture, because he moved to the back of the boat as quietly as he could.
"Luffy…" I said, my voice barely above a whisper. Turning to see what I had called him for, Luffy froze with a worried look on his face.
"Hey Asuna, what's that strange look for?" He asked nervously.
His only answer was my fist burrowing into his rubbery skull. I must have hit him harder than I thought because it sent his head bouncing quite literally off the floor of the boat, then it snapped right back into place.
"OW, ow ow! That hurt! Why'd you hit me!?" He asked, as I gave the kid a skeptical look.
"I don't know. Maybe I felt like it since you ate all of the food." I scolded him. "Your lucky that island isn't too far away, so you'd better hope there aren't going to be any storms any time soon. Because if there are, and Colby and I end up starving because of you, then I'll kill you, gut you, and we'll survive on Monkey D. Luffy bread. Got me?" (Monkey Bread… So damn delicious…)
The thought of being the food, rather than eating it, made Luffy look a little green as he quickly nodded his head in understanding and muttered an apology.
It took me a minute to accept it, but I did nonetheless as I backed off from the straw hat kid. I knew before I got on this boat that something crazy might happen around Luffy. I just thought it would have something to do with that devil fruit ability he has, and not his stomach.
With that, the three of us decided to remain quite and enjoy the moment of peace we had. If I'd known exactly what was going to happen next, I would have said that we needed it…
Tomorrow, Colby would split ways with us to chase his dream as a marine, and Luffy and I might leave with his first crew member. That is, if he can turn a pirate hunter into the first mate for his crew, and future pirate ship.
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Next Chapter: Chapter 2 - Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro
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Okay, here is the first, completely rewritten chapter 1 for my story Sword Smith Asuna. I hope you all enjoyed it! I'll be working on chapter 2 for this when I'm able to. So, until next time!
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