A/N: Well, some people have been waiting for the next chapter of Conflict of Interest. That's on the way as soon as it's checked over, but take this as a sort of peace offering.
Okay, basically this is a crossover of sorts between Sly Cooper and One Piece. It's basically a One Piece AU, with Devil Fruits and pirates and Marines and such. So, enjoy the adventures of Sly D. Cooper as he forms a powerful crew to claim the greatest treasure in the world.
And as a final note, I've decided to name all chapters in this story in a similar manner to One Piece episodes.
Chapter 1: Searching for Comrades! – On to the First Island!
The midday sun beamed down on the ocean below, which sparkled brightly in the light breeze. The only object on the seas at that time was a small boat, whose two occupants lay back and relaxed as the wind in their sails carried them towards the nearby island.
"Lepaon island, huh?" one asked quietly, peeking out from beneath his blue cap. "Doesn't look like much."
"Yeah, it is pretty quiet around here," said the other as he adjusted his spectacles. "That's probably because there's a brand new Marine base on a nearby island. That means you need to be careful, all right Sly? No funny business."
"Hey relax, pal; I'm all about discretion," grinned Sly. He paused for a moment. "Anyway, according to those rumors, we should find him here, right?"
The turtle shrugged. "It's quite possible. We heard he was causing trouble on Lepaon, and that was just a couple days ago. He should still be here or on one of the neighboring islands."
"Let's hope so, Bentley," replied the raccoon, pointing to the Jolly Roger flag flapping above their heads. "After all, two isn't enough to make a proper pirate crew."
"I suppose not. Incidentally, about how many people do we need for a proper crew?"
Sly stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, if we're going to be sailing on the Grand Line, we'll need at least 6 more people counting you and me, maybe more."
"And obviously, the first addition has to be good old Murray," Bentley said knowingly, spectacles gleaming.
"Of course!" Sly said eagerly. "I wonder how strong he's gotten."
"Well then, Captain, the sooner we find him, the sooner we find out!"
Sly laughed, rising to his feet and crossing his arms as a fresh breeze blew in from the East.
"RAAAAAAAAH!"
"OOORAAAAAA!"
The two warthogs crumpled to the ground at the bounty hunters' feet with bone-jarring thumps, joining the other half dozen or so guards in blissful unconsciousness.
"Dat was too easy," one hunter said. "I thought dat 'Sword Dancer' Dimitri would have more guards in his club dan dis!"
The other shrugged, picking his nose idly. "Guess they're all out to lunch, pal. It's our lucky day."
"Well, den, " the first replied. "Let's go finish dis!"
So saying, the speaker, a large ram, strode purposefully toward the double doors on the other side of the room and unceremoniously kicked them in.
"Dimitri!" he bellowed. "We've come to collect da bounty on your head!"
"You better come quietly," guffawed his partner, a bull with a crooked horn. "We got no problem with removin' a few of your limbs." He hefted a gleaming axe for emphasis.
The threats were greeted with several seconds of silence. Then, there was a slight stir from across the room, where a tall, lanky figure slouched behind a desk. The figure stirred, lurching forward in his chair, eyes still closed. "'I'm not really in the mood for any real dancing, bros."
The ram advanced another step, swinging his cudgel in a wide circle. "Well dat's too bad for you."
Dimitri massaged his temples for a moment before responding. "Fine, bro. We'll throw down real heavy-style, just like the movies." He rose to his feet, scabbarded sword in hand, and snapped his bloodshot eyes open. He fixed the hunters with a baleful gaze. "Let's see if you can keep the beat."
"Oh, there's gonna be some beatin'," the Bull snorted. "And after that we're gonna split yer bounty 50-50."
Dimitri eyed the wanted poster. "So my greasy sweet self is now worth 23 million belli? Solid. By the by, did you two crackerboxes really know…" he paused as he walked over to a nearby coat rack, retrieving his green jacket. After slipping the garment on, he drew his sword, a thin, straight bladed affair with a black laquered handle. "…just why they call me the Sword Dancer?"
"Heh, it don't matter to us if you got a sword. Specially if it's a puny thing like dat."
"We'll just break it, then break you."
"Ah well," Dimitri sighed, raising his sword. "Dimitri tried to flash you two a warning. Let's dance."
Next Chapter: Causing Trouble. - The Future Pirate King!
A/N: If anyone cares, Lepaon island earned its' name from the French term for peacock, which I do believe is "le paon".
