A Ripple in Time
Chapter 2: Don Krieg and new crewmates
IMPORTANT NOTICE, PLEASE READ THIS. IMPORTANT NOTICE, PLEASE READ THIS. IMPORTANT NOTICE, PLEASE READ THIS. IMPORTANT NOTICE, PLEASE READ THIS.
Right, so I've planned to have more crewmembers join the Straw Hat Pirates. Of course there are the original members and Jimbei who I think plans to join the Straw Hats. Now I have four additional members from the East Blue Saga joining. Then I plan to have two extra member from the Grand Line join. Overall, that brings Luffy's crew number to 15. Please tell me in a review if you want more people in the crew and if you do, put the name of those you would like to be in the crew and I'll make a poll for you all to vote on. However, each of the additional members have to be those that are already in the Grand Line and not in East Blue.
That's all thanks.
I'd like to thank hellfire45, Dragon boy, NASU LUVER, Awareness Bringer, Thesonofartemis52, mikewebb1211, ConqueredSelf, the death bringer779, Specterchillypepper, Guest, Bvvlaze, 13-BlackCat-2020, Slydoctor, The confused reader, Selfish Celty-Chan, Guest, Guest, InfinityMask, the-Contradiction, name the missing, 3, Military17, daniel2610994, Blackstriker94, Wacko12, Edub102, Guest, NinjaFang1331, PraetorXyn, sephirous001, Okami no Shinigami, slayershadow69, Skull Jokez, Iron-Shadow Dragon, AzureSoulReaper, TBM10, Tombs456, SPeCTeR-ll7, Luffy15, F-ckthesystem125, Chrisfragger, frankieu, Skyguard777, aespopd, deadarm00, watersonic1v2, bugaboo13, walkerxd, The Storm Master 567, uzuuchi007, ivaXter and zerosama.754083 for your reviews.
Awareness Bringer: Alvida is still alive and will be back, just not yet. No, she and Helmeppo won't be bad guys. Helmeppo will be just like Coby, believing that all marines are good and all pirates are bad, including Luffy. He won't be evil, just misguided. Same with Alvida, but she will have a change of heart.
mikewebb1211: Zoro is a bit stronger yes, but not by much. As for Nami, she hasn't activated Haki, consciously nor subconsciously yet. As for Luffy's power, he has to consciously keep them in check especially on the sea as his emotions directly influence them. If he is very emotional he could lose control of his powers.
ConqueredSelf: You don't have to read further, I'm not forcing you to read it so it's up to you on whether you do or not.
Wacko12: So far it is Nami, Robin, Boa Hancock and Alvida. If you want anyone else in the harem then please put it into a review and I will be putting up a poll soon. As for Luffy's Devil Fruit, that is a secret but it will be revealed fully in his fight against Crocodile.
The Storm Master 567: The straw hat he is wearing is the same one he always wears. The reason for this is because Garp trains Luffy after Shanks leaves.
Summary: In the last chapter, Garp decided that he would give up on trying to convince Luffy to become a Marine and instead decided to train him to become the best pirate out there. One that will protect the innocent and not prey on them.
After ten years of training Luffy finally sets out on his journey, but gets swallowed up by a whirlpool. A few miles away, two sailors on a cruise ship pick up a barrel filled with what they assume to booze, but they are attacked by the Alvida Pirates. Coby, the unwilling cabin boy of the Alvida Pirates stumbles into the hull of the cruise ship and finds he same barrel.
Three pirates soon enter and taunt him. When one goes to open the barrel Luffy jumps out and knocks him unconscious with a single strike. Luffy then dispatches them before Coby and he travel through the ship.
Coby exclaims his dream of becoming a marine and capturing Alvida then the very same woman appears. In a bout of courage, Coby rebels and Luffy then punches her. He then begins to dispatch the pirates before defeating Alvida herself.
There the marines then attack the cruise ship and the two along with an unconscious Alvida jump onto a ship with Nami. They travel the seas for a bit where the three become friends before arriving at Shell Island where the infamous Roronoa Zoro is held captive. They eat at a restaurant before travelling to the Marine base after seeing the reaction of the villagers.
There they watch as Helmeppo, son of Morgan bullies a young girl who tried to feed Zoro. He has the two marines throw her out, but Luffy manages to catch her and from there they found out the reason Zoro was captured. Luffy enters the execution site afterwards and gains his own opinion of Zoro before declaring that he will be a member of his crew.
From there, Luffy, Nami and Coby return to the restaurant.
Helmeppo soon turns up to the village and Luffy punches him in the face after he reveals his plan to execute Zoro. Telling Zoro of this plan, he then leaves to get Zoro's swords and encounters Lieutenant Morgan. Disgusted with the man, Luffy destroys his statue with a single finger before returning to Zoro with his swords.
From there, Luffy and Zoro defeat the marines and kill Morgan while Nami steals from the marines. As a result of his father's death, Helmeppo vows to bring the two justice and whoever follows them.
Later, the four are sat in the same restaurant and the marines. Conflict doesn't break out however, and instead the marines allow them to go.
"Normal speech."
'Normal thought/flashbacks.'
"Attacks/translations."
-X- Line Break -X-
For a few months they had travelled through East Blue, in the first month they had met Buggy the Clown and after that, they then travelled to Syrup Village where they defeated the Black Cat Pirates and there Captain, Kuro of a Hundred Plans. Both had been pretty one sided with Zoro defeating Buggy with some difficulty, while Nami and Luffy dealt with the rest of the crew. On the other hand, Luffy defeated Kuro while Nami, Zoro and their new crewmate, Usopp defeated the crew.
Now they were sailing the seas once more, but this time on their new ship named, the Going Merry.
Now, Luffy sat watching as Zoro fought off Nami and Usopp at the same time. Zoro had the handicap of only fighting with Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) and Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki). While Nami and Usopp could use their weapons and in Nami's case, Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki).
One thing he had noticed about the three of them was that Usopp and Nami would never be frontline fighters. It was for that reason he had them mainly focus on Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) and Usopp was showing a great measure of skill forming. Nami on the other hand, was now capable of using Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) easily and was now simply increasing her skill with it, as for Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), she was only slightly capable and would never be a master of it.
He had plans to teach the two some Rokushiki (Six Powers) once they learnt the basics of the two Haki's.
Zoro was actually doing better than he expected. Already he knew how to use the two Haki's and was now simply increasing his ability in them by only using them to fight off Usopp and Nami. This had the added effect of increasing not only his skill, but the skill of Usopp and Nami as well.
Now it came to the Rokushiki (Six powers) and to say he was shocked would be an understatement. Already he could Tekkai (Iron Body) proficiently along with Soru (Shave) and Rankyaku (Tempest Kick) with only minor skill. He could use it, but not very well and was working on improving them.
Luffy grinned at the thought of Zoro growing stronger until he could even be a match for him. Already Zoro could match Luffy if he simply used the skills that Zoro had and he was only growing stronger.
"Hey, that's enough guys!" The three pirates stopped what they were doing and looked up at the captain. Each of them were sweaty and covered in bruises from their exercise. Zoro shrugged his shoulders and moved towards the stairs and took a seat, as soon as she did he fell asleep. Usopp took a look at the canons, while Nami moved over towards him.
"So, where exactly are we going?" Nami asked. Luffy gave her a grin, one that she returned with a smile.
"Where going to find our new crewmates." He said it in a way that made it seem like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Nami nodded her head as she looked up at the Straw Hat Pirates Jolly Roger. Usopp had made it and she had to admit it was very good.
"We'll need a cook and a doctor as the top priorities, everyone else is secondary." Luffy continued to grin at her and her stomach flipped in all directions as her face flushed. "W-what? Why are you staring at me like that?"
"No reason." He then turned to look at the Jolly Roger as well. "You just missed out the musician."
"Musician? Why the hell would we need a musician?"
"Because pirates love to sing, don't they Zoro?!" Luffy shouted down at his First Mate. "Let's get a duet going, Zoro?!" The First Mate of the Straw Hat Pirates glared up at his captain.
"Fuck off." Despite this, Luffy continued to grin happily before turning to face Nami, his smile turning to a frown, something she picked up on.
"Who is he, or she?" Luffy asked before Nami could speak. "The person that's hurting you?" Nami looked away from Luffy quickly as she realised that her pain hadn't been as well hidden as she had hoped.
"It's no one. I don't know what you're on about." She replied a little too quickly.
Luffy's frown deepened before he brought her into a one armed hug. "It's ok Nami, you don't have to tell us, me. But if you ever need our help," he indicated towards Zoro and Usopp, "you just have to ask and we will be there. Your our nakama and always will be." Nami blushed brightly as she looked into Luffy's eyes.
She could kiss him, she wanted to kiss him. She was going to.
The moment between the two was interrupted by an explosion. Each looked in the direction of the sound to see a rock reduced to a pile of smoking rubble. They then turned to see Usopp standing up proudly while removing his goggle from his eyes.
"Wooh! Well done, Usopp!" Luffy cheered and Usopp grinned up at him. "You are definitely the sniper of my crew." While Usopp still had the habit of calling himself the captain, he was proud of been a valued member of the crew.
"There are people on that island." Zoro spoke up getting a shocked look from Usopp as he turned back to face the island. Luffy smirked at him, something that was returned in kind. The two then turned to Usopp and began teasing him relentlessly about how he had 'killed' someone. Despite been a pirate, Usopp was against killing people and the two had gained a liking for teasing the son of Yasopp.
"COME OUT YOU DAMN PIRATES!" A loud, anger filled voice shouted out. "I'LL SLAUGHTER YOU ALL!" The pirate crew of four turned to see an average sized man with slightly tanned skin. He had short black hair and wore a blue hooded jacket, a purple shirt underneath, tan pants, a watch on his left wrist and sunglasses. In both hands he gripped a blade tightly as he pointed it at them.
"Who the hell are you?" Luffy asked curiously, while not in the least bit nervous, unlike Usopp who was trembling uncontrollably.
"Who the hell am I…I should be asking you that! Who the hell do you think you are killing my buddy?!" The man roared while charging forwards. Luffy simply caught the blade in his left hand before backhanding the man sending him flying.
The man spat out some blood and went to rise up only to find himself looking at the end of a blade. He followed the length to see Zoro staring down at him.
"Don't try it, Johnny." Zoro warned.
"Zoro-aniki! Is that you?!" Johnny shouted in shock as he looked up at his role model. The rest of the Straw Hat pirates looked between the two in confusion before shrugging their shoulders. They had each seen weird things in their lives.
"It's me. Where's Yosaku, aren't you always together?" Johnny mumbled out the fact that so called Yosaku was sick and it didn't take them long to collect Johnny's partner from the island.
"He was fine a few days ago." Johnny whined. "Then he started turning pale and passing out, his teeth started falling out, his gums were bleeding, even old wounds reopened!" He exclaimed. "I was letting him get some rest when a cannonball shot from this ship at us!" Anger returned to his voice as Usopp began turning incredibly pale as he realised how close he had come to killing someone.
Usopp bowed in apology. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Johnny sighed as he knew that accidents could happen. "We've done so much together, we have pirates quaking in fear at the mere mention of our names and now my friend is going to die."
"Are you an idiot?!" Nami exploded before screaming in frustration. "Am I the only one who knows anything about the sea?!"
Luffy raised his arm. "I know somethings." He smartly lowered it with a nervous chuckle when Nami directed a glare at him. "My bad, I don't."
"Your friend isn't going to die." Johnny looked incredibly relieved to hear this. "Usopp, get me some limes from storage." While confused, Usopp did as he was told and quickly rushed into storage in hopes of been far away from Mount Nami in case she erupted once more.
"Limes?" Johnny tilted his head in confusion.
"Oh I remember now." Luffy clicked his fingers in realisation. "Scurvy is the thing you get when you don't eat any fruits or vegetables." Nami nodded her head with a smile at her captain. While he was smart, it was only when he found something interesting or it was absolutely necessary. Other than that, Luffy could be completely clueless, but in a cute way if she had to be honest.
Usopp quickly returned, slightly out of breath and held out the lime. Nami took it and squeezed the juice in Yosaku's mouth.
Yosaku shot to his feet when Nami moved away with a bright grin upon his face. "Yosh! I'm full of energy!" He proclaimed loudly and Johnny took positon beside him with their lefts hand in the air. Both were completely oblivious of the tick mark beginning to form of Nami's face, but Luffy, Usopp and Zoro did and quickly moved to the opposite side of the ship. Luffy due to his more durable body was used as a human shield while Usopp and Zoro hid behind him, both their heads picking out over his shoulders.
"You…YOU IDIOT!" Nami roared as she decked both bounty hunters to the ground with two consecutive punches. "YOU DON'T HEAL THAT QUICKLY, NOW REST!"
Johnny and Yosaku hugged each other closely as they trembled at the sight of a rage filled Nami. "Y-yes, ma'am." They nodded their heads rapidly.
After this had been done, the other three members of the Straw Hat Pirates burst out into laughter, though they quickly stopped when a still frustrated Nami turned to face them. Normally this wouldn't be terrifying, but she had her arms crossed, one foot tapping against the ground, her eyes narrowed and exuding an aura that promised castration in the most painful way possible.
Gulping, the three men whistled while looking in every direction except hers.
Despite her frustration at Yosaku, Nami smiled as she looked upon her three crewmates. It was incredible boost to her self-confidence when monsters such as Zoro and Luffy could be terrified of her. Though she had a sneaking suspicion that both enjoyed their little interactions and so did she.
They were her nakama.
Maybe, maybe she could ask them for help in dealing with Arlong. They had given her place that felt like home and Luffy had already promised to help her no matter what her problems were.
"So where are we off to, captain?" Zoro asked when Nami left the deck to go to her own quarters.
Luffy looked to Zoro with a smirk. "We're going to a restaurant on the seas to get ourselves a cook." Zoro closed his eyes to get some rest, but he opened them once more when he saw Luffy walking towards Johnny and Yosaku. "Yo! I'm Monkey D. Luffy." He greeted with a smile upon his face.
Johnny shook hands with Luffy with a smile of his own, while he was a pirate there was something about him that made it impossible to dislike him. "I'm Johnny."
"And I'm Yosaku." He introduced himself while also shaking hands with Luffy. "Not to sound rude, but what do you want?"
"I just wanted to know how you knew Zoro. If you can't tell, he's a little tight-lipped about his past." The three young men shared a smirk at the understatement.
"Well." Johnny began. "We used to team up with Zoro-aniki when he was still a bounty hunter."
"Cool." Luffy grinned and the two men returned it. It was kind of hard not to when his happiness was infectious. "So, how would you like to join my crew?" Johnny and Yosaku shared a glance before looking at smiling captain.
"Your cool an all, Luffy-aniki. But me and Johnny are Pirate Hunters."
Luffy continued to grin. "I know." Once again the two shared a glance.
"You do know what that means right. We hunt pirates for a living." Yosaku explained.
"I know." Chirped Luffy. "So was Zoro and now look at him? He's a member of my crew. What's your dreams?"
This time they both gave a smirk. "Zoro-aniki may want to become the greatest swordsmen in the world, but we want to become the most famous and greatest swordsmen fighting duo, the Twins." Luffy opened his mouth in awe.
"That is so cool. I would have not only the greatest swordsmen in my crew, but the greatest swordsmen duo as well. Awesome!" Back with Zoro and Usopp, both chuckled as there captain ignored the fact that they hadn't even agreed to join his crew.
Both bounty hunters grinned before they realised what he said. "Wait! We didn't even agree to join your crew!" Johnny exclaimed and Yosaku nodded his head in agreement.
"But you didn't say no either." Luffy responded cheekily. "Come on, it'd be fun. Zoro was a Pirate hunter and now he's a pirate, why can't you do the same? I'll even teach you loads of cool stuff and Zoro will help you with your swordsmanship."
Zoro snorted in amusement and closed his eyes. Luffy may seem like the dullest tool in the box, but when he put his mind to it, Luffy was capable of almost anything. Luffy had done exactly that, he had baited Johnny and Yosaku and they had fallen for it. Hook, line and sinker. Not that it was a problem for him, he respected Johnny and Yosaku as while they weren't that strong, they constantly tried their hardest and never gave up in the face overwhelming odds, something that would be required in this crew.
-X- Line Break -X-
The sound of steel clanging against steel rang out among the deck of the Going Merry. Nami looked away from the sea and down to the deck to see Luffy stood completely calm with a single cutlass in his right hand, his muscled torso on full view much to her pleasure with the rest of the Straw Hats Pirates surrounding him.
Usopp stood on the stairs, his slingshot in hand with his body practically drenched in sweat and covered in a few bruises. He was by far the least injured and exhausted due to him been mainly out of the action. Occasionally Luffy would close the distance and deal a few hits, but then he would turn and deal with either Zoro, Johnny and Yosaku or all three.
Then there was Johnny and Yosaku, both stood at the front of the ship and like Usopp, were completely drenched in sweat. Not only that, but they were covered from head to toe in bruises and shallow cuts.
Finally was Zoro, he was currently pressing against Luffy, his three swords crossed and covered in Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki). Luffy on the other hand was pushing back against Zoro with all his physical strength and minor amount of Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) with a single hand.
"You've gotten a lot stronger, Zoro." Luffy pointed out with his voice completely calm. That was another thing that Nami had noticed about the enigma that Monkey D. Luffy. Normally he was happy, laid back and all round nice guy that could always make one smile. Yet when in battle, he became a completely different individual. He became calm and calculative in fact, he always seemed bored, though that was probably due to how weak most people were in East Blue.
"Not strong enough it seems." Zoro grunted as he tried to force Luffy backwards by even an inch, yet Luffy didn't even budge. He stood firm and strong with a smile on his face.
A flick of his blade sent Zoro stumbling backwards leaving him open to a sidekick to his chest that knocked him to the ground. Luffy spun round, parrying a thrust from Johnny who stumbled past him. Capitalising on this opening, Luffy slapped him to the ground and then caught Yosaku's blade and brought him into a headbutt.
Thanks to the use of Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), Luffy was alerted to Usopp's attack and leaned his head to the side allowing the projectile to strike the ground harmlessly before he disappeared.
Usopp acting on pure instinct jumped forward and avoided Luffy's first strike, but was unable to stop the second one.
"That was fun." Luffy grinned as he placed his blade by one of the canons and looked at his battered and tired crewmembers. Each had improved greatly. Zoro was easily capable of matching Luffy if the captain of the Straw Hats Pirates only used Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) and was capable of fighting Luffy for a while when he was using Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) as well.
Usopp had finally learnt how to use Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) while Johnny and Yosaku were still working on improving their physical capabilities and swordsmanship. Though, when they finished at the Baratie, Luffy planned to begin teaching them Haki.
However, it was safe to say that everyone had at least doubled in strength in the time they had been training with him, if not more.
"Luffy!" The five male pirates looked up at their lone female companion. They each followed her finger to see a floating ship with a fish on the front. "We've got company!" They then looked down to see a marine boat coming up beside them.
On it, one marine dressed in a formal outfit stepped forward. "Hmm, I've never seen that flag before." He tore his eyes away from the flag and looked at the pirates. I'm Marine Lieutenant "Iron Fist" Fullbody! Who is your captain?" Luffy stepped forward with a grin on his face.
"That would be me. We just got the flag done yesterday." Fullbody simply sneered at them before turning to the well-dressed beauty that took his arm.
"Consider yourselves lucky, pirates. I'm on vacation today, so I'm just here for food and my lovely lady. However, next time we meet," he narrowed his eyes in an attempt to intimidate them, "your lives are forfeit." With his warning said, the marines pulled away.
"Well, I think we can agree that, that was very fun." Johnny, Yosaku and Usopp sweat dropped at Luffy's disregard for the Lieutenant, Zoro smirked and Nami simply shook her head in amusement. Never had they seen their captain scared of anything, why should now be any different.
"We're in trouble!" Usopp screamed. "They're firing at us!" The Straw Hat Pirates turned and saw a cannonball coming towards them at great speeds. Before it could even strike the ship, Luffy simply leaned over the side of the ship and plucked it right out of the air much to the shock of his crew.
"Gramps was known for not having any canons on his ship because he could throw cannonballs faster and further than canons ever could." He threw the ball in the air and caught it a few times before a feral grin came across his features. "Let's see if I can do the same."
Then he threw the cannonball.
There was an explosion before they saw the marine boat begin to sink into the ocean as a result. Jaws dropped as they continued to sail towards the Baratie.
-X- Line Break -X-
After docking at the Baratie and finding a seat, they were treated to the sight of numerous guests eating and just simply having a fun time. The Straw Hat Pirates didn't have to wait long to be served as a slim, but muscular man with blonde hair and eyebrows that had a swirly pattern on one end. The oddest feature about him though, was his heart shaped eyes as he stared at Nami.
Luffy leaned over to Zoro. "Psst, Zoro." Zoro opened his eyes and stared at the young pirate captain. "Is it just me, or do his eyes look like hearts?"
Zoro turned to look at the waiter and saw him swoon at something Nami said. "No Luffy, you aren't seeing anything." Happy that he wasn't seeing things, Luffy nodded his head and watched the waiter continue to flirt with Nami. For some reason, this made him feel the desire to cause a great deal of bodily harm to the waiter and he didn't know why.
Johnny and Yosaku looked at each other before snickering when they saw the anger in their captain's eyes. Sure, it was scary as hell, but the reason for the anger was quite amusing. Usopp was just confused and Zoro, well Zoro was asleep.
Coughing, Luffy got the attention of the waiter and Nami. "We'd like to order some food." His voice was harsh and the waiter looked incredibly disgruntled. Nami on the other hand couldn't help but smile at the anger in his voice. With Luffy he could just be angry that he was been stopped from getting food, but she liked to think that he was jealous.
"Fine." Before they could do anything, Fullbody burst into the room. His suit was soaked and his was missing his beautiful date. His eyes wildly looked around the room before they landed on Luffy and co.
"You!" He shouted and stalked forwards. "I will kill you."
The waiter quickly appeared in between the Marine Lieutenant and Straw Hat Pirates and glared at the man. "Sir, I have to kindly ask you not to fight in here." Fullbody tried to get past the waiter only to be stopped.
"Get out of my way, waiter!" He roared.
"I ain't no waiter. I'm a cook, but we're short of hand so I had to fill in." Once again he intercepted Fullbody. "Sir, I have asked you not to fight in this here, but not only are you dead set on doing that, but you are trying to fight customers. If you don't back off, I will beat you black and blue."
"Don't fuck with me!" Roared Fullbody as he went to hit the waiter/chef. However, the waiter/chef easily dispatched the Marine with minor effort.
Despite his earlier anger at the chef for flirting with Nami, Luffy had to admit the chef was skilled. He would have been a match for Zoro when they fought Buggy the Clown. That was good and his decision was made, this waiter/chef would be his cook.
"Yo, Nami." The thief looked towards him. "What was his name again?"
"Sanji, why?" Luffy grinned at her and they knew what it meant, it was the grin he got whenever he found someone he wanted on his crew.
"What the hell are you doing to the Marine Lieutenant of all people Sanji?!" Shouted an outrage waiter as he stomped over towards Sanji.
Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette. "Oh, it's just you, the shitty cook."
"What the hell are you doing to our customers?!" He pointed towards the battered form of Fullbody. "How do you explain those injuries?!" Sanji just shrugged non-commutatively before another man entered the room.
"Sanji are you running wild in my restaurant again." The customers and the staff looked to see an aged man with a peg leg and ridiculously tall hat upon his head.
"Shut up, shitty geezer." Sanji replied while the man beside him began explaining about how it was true. It was quite amusing to watch the elderly man tear into the subordinate before stalking off leaving Sanji to glare at Patty – if Luffy remembered correctly – who also walked off.
Then the door burst open and in came an exhausted looking individual. He was relatively thin man with short, scruffy hair, beard and a moustache that was barely visible. Under his eyes were dark circles as though he hadn't slept for a long while and he wore a green shirt with a skinny jacket over the top that was emblazoned with a red dragon on it. To finish off his outfit he had a white and blue stripped bandana and grey pants
"Please. Anything will do, just please get me some food." He begged as he dropped to his knees. This place is a restaurant isn't it?" He asked as he looked round at some of the waiters and customers who were looking at him.
Each were looking at him with disgust and fear.
"Man-Demon" Gin, that was his name and moniker and he cursed himself for been a member of Don Krieg's crew. They had struck fear into the hearts of many and it was no wonder they were hesitant to feed him. Especially since it was common knowledge that Don Krieg Armada had been crushed as soon as they entered the Grand Line.
"Are you all deaf?! I'm a customer so come and feed me!" He shouted and Patty walked towards him.
"And how exactly do you plan to pay for your food, ya squid-faced crook?" Patty tauntingly asked and Gin glared up at him. The Don Krieg Pirates fingers twitched and Patty noticed this with a grin.
"Do you take lead?"
"No money, huh?" Gin shook his head then Patty's huge forearms smashed him through a nearby table. More than a few customers and staff members cheered and shouted words of praise towards the cook turned waiter.
Luffy frowned and narrowed his eyes, Johnny and Yosaku rose up to go and help their fellow pirate, but Zoro placed one arm on each shoulder and forced them back into the seat while Luffy shook his head.
"Don't get involved, not yet." Reluctantly, the newly turned Straw Hat Pirates nodded their heads, but continued to glare at Patty's back who was taunting the downed form of Gin.
"Please tell me you don't think of having him as our cook?" Nami asked with disgust present in her voice.
Luffy shook his head once more. "No. He's an asshole plain and simple." His eyes then moved towards Sanji who had just returned from the kitchen with some food and drink in hand.
Sanji kneeled down and held out the food and water to the man. "Eat up." Gin looked at the food before pushing it away.
"I won't take your charity." Sanji narrowed his eyes and Gin gulped before looking away.
"It ain't charity. To me, anyone that is hungry is a customer." It obvious that Gin was torn between eating and not eating, but eventually hunger won the battle and he scarfed down the food like there was no tomorrow.
"That was delicious!" He exclaimed and Sanji smirked at the praise. "It's the most delicious thing I've ever had! Thank you so much." Nodding his head, Sanji got up and found himself looking at the smirking form of Monkey D. Luffy. Behind him he could see that most customers had returned back to their meals.
"What?"
"You're a nice guy." Luffy said. "You should join my crew, I need a good cook and if his reaction is anything to go by, you're a really good one."
"So you're a pirate, huh?" Sanji looked the young man up and down and while he didn't look like much on the outside, there was something dangerous about him. His eyes held a certain glint that made him shiver in fear and his entire body exuded power in a way that shouldn't be possible. Not even Zeff exuded such an aura so effortlessly hell, he was pretty sure that Zeff couldn't match this aura even if he tried.
"Yep, gonna be the Pirate King." Luffy answered with a grin that Sanji couldn't help but return. He had a big dream, just like his own dream.
"Good luck with that." Gin mumbled, but both young men heard it and turned to look at him in questioning. Seeing that they had heard him he decided to elaborate. "Don Krieg wants to be the Pirate King and he's the most powerful man in East Blue yet, the moment we entered the Grand Line our entire Armada was defeated by a single man."
"What did this man look like?" Gin shook his head at Luffy's question.
"Didn't get a good luck, but he had this huge sword that looked like a cross I think. But he was strong, with a single swing of his blade he cut a ship in half." Sanji's eyes widened in shock after hearing that.
Luffy on the other hand locked his fingers together behind his head with a grin. "Not surprised to be honest, that Dracule "Hawk eyes" Mihawk, one of Shichibukai (Seven Warlords of the Seas) and the Greatest Swordsmen in the world. He is even capable of fighting "Red Haired" Shanks who is a member of the Yonkō (Four Emperors)."
"We didn't stand a chance." Gin said breathlessly as he realised how outclassed they had been while Sanji regarded Luffy curiously. He had picked up on the nostalgia and fondness when mention Shanks name, which meant that he had met or knew Shanks on some level.
"No, you didn't." Luffy then turned to Sanji. "So what'd you say, fancy joining my crew?"
"Sorry, but I refuse. I have my own reasons for being here."
Luffy continued to grin. "It doesn't matter, you're joining my crew one way or another." Sanji matched Luffy's grin with a smirk.
"Hey, what's your name kid?" Gin interrupted much to Sanji's relief. He had nearly given in their battle of wills.
"Monkey D. Luffy." He reached out with one hand and Gin shook it. "How about you?"
"Gin. No last name that I know of."
"Cool." Then Luffy turned to see Sanji had disappeared.
"Say, Luffy." Said person turned back round to face Gin. "You said you're looking for crewmembers, how many do you have?"
"Including me and Sanji, six." Gin smirked in amusement when he counted Sanji even though the chef hadn't even agreed to go with him. "Why, you wanting to join?"
Gin shook his head. "No, just a word of warning. We had thousands of men and yet, we didn't even make it to the first island in the Grand Line. There are only monsters in the Grand Line so I wouldn't even bother going there."
"Then it's a good job I'm a monster myself. If you ever change your mind, there will be a place on my crew if you need people to call friends." Then Luffy began walking back towards his table. "It's been fun." Shaking his head in mirth, Gin also left in hopes of finding his own crewmates.
-X- Line Break -X-
Zeff watched Sanji move away from the young captain that had offered him a place on his crew and he cursed the young chef. The boy didn't want to leave no matter how much he wished to find his dream. Sanji was far too honourable and loyal, he believed the debt he owed Zeff hadn't been paid yet, the only way it would be paid if Sanji found All Blue.
Then his eyes turned back to the young boy, Monkey D. Luffy. It was shocking to see that the grandson of Monkey D. Garp was a pirate, but then again he shouldn't be surprised. Monkey D. Dragon was the leader of the Revolutionary Army, there had to be a pirate in the family somewhere.
But that's not what caught his attention.
No, it was the amount of power the boy was suppressing. While the elderly cooks power and body had deteriorated over time, his ability to sense others power had not been lost to him, and as he used it to sense the boy's power he found himself struggling to stand upright due to shock. The boy was easily the most powerful pirate in East Blue hell, he was stronger than Zeff had been when he was in his prime.
Then his eyes turned towards the boy's crew. Small it was, but each were in the top ten most powerful pirates in East Blue. They would easily survive the beginning stages of the Grand Line without problem.
He didn't know why, but Zeff got the feeling that the crew of Monkey D. Luffy would shake the very foundations of their world.
-X- Line Break -X-
Luffy looked around the Baratie as pandemonium raged throughout. People were screaming in fright were rushing in every direction known to man. Scratching the back of his head, Luffy looked at his crew. Well, most of his crew. Nami had decided to stay behind for a bit to finish some odd bits and bobs, while Johnny and Yosaku waited at the dock to guard the ship until she came off.
"Anyone have a clue about what's going on?" Usopp shook his head while Zoro shrugged his shoulders before he grabbed hold of a man by the scruff of his jacket.
"What the hell's going on?" The man took note of the swords that Zoro and Luffy carried before gulping at the look sent his way by both men. While Zoro's eyes were narrowed showing his irritation, Luffy simply sent him a sideward glance that froze him in place.
"D-D-Don Krieg's flag was seen on a ship sailing towards us, he docked and asked for food. The Head chef Zeff gave it to them and warned us that Don Krieg would be back for battle." The three pirates could tell that parts had been left out, but they didn't need the whole story.
Dropping the man on the ground, Zoro followed after Luffy and Usopp. "What do you plan to do, Luffy?" Asked Usopp while he clenched his fists nervously. He had only ever been in one life and death situation and it still made him nervous just thinking about how close to death he had come on numerous occasions. Now however, he had grown stronger and while the nerves were still there, he planned to use the words that Luffy once used to inspire him so greatly.
"My grandpa once said that a man who has nothing to lose is the most dangerous opponent, but he also said that a man who could lose everything he hold dears would fight till he couldn't fight anymore. He said that a man like that, could shake the very world as nothing would stop him from protecting the things he cares about most. Your dream is to become a brave warrior of the seas, then Usopp, hold that dream close to your chest. Whenever you enter a battle, even if the you are in the face of certain death, never back down and stand up. Fight until your entire soul gives out and then, then you will be a brave warrior of the seas."
It had been a shock to hear words with such a deep meaning come from Luffy, but they inspired him, they drove him and they would be the creed upon which he followed. Luffy was his captain and he would protect him and fight beside him as a brave warrior of the seas. And if he died, he would die happily knowing that he had never given in and had continued to fight.
"We're gonna kick Don Krieg's ass." Zoro smirked as he spared a glance in Usopp's direction. When he had first met the young man, he had been sceptical on how useful and battle proficient he would be. He had potential and had begun unlocking it, but that was only half the battle. Some people had the potential, but not the will and Usopp had lacked that. Now however, Usopp was walking calmly and steadily, occasionally there would a brief shiver, but that was expected for those who had been in very few life and death battles.
"Then captain, let's not keep Don Krieg waiting for the asskicking he deserves." With that said, the three Straw Hat Pirates made their way towards the staff as to give them a helping hand in dealing with Don Krieg and his crew.
"Yo." Luffy greeted the staff of the Baratie and each jumped in shock except Zeff and Sanji. "Need any help?" They looked from him to Zoro and then to Usopp before Zeff gave a chuckle.
"Yea sure, kid." Then they turned to watch as the newly fed Don Krieg pirates made their way towards them. "Hard to believe that a single man did that, even if it is Dracule Mihawk." Zoro stiffened before turning to look at the Don Krieg pirates.
'Mihawk did this, wiped out thousands of men single-handedly.' He clenched his fist tightly as he realised how outclassed he was. Then an image of his crew - a crew who had grown on him since he had met them – flashed across his mind. 'No! I will beat him and if I can't, then I'll just get stronger until I can.'
Then they heard a scream of fright, followed by a shout that left most confused. "DON KRIEG, OUR SHIPS BEEN CUT!" Those privy to the knowledge of Dracule Mihawk narrowed their eyes as they realised that either the man had come to finish what he started or another incredibly skilled swordsmen had arrived.
"Luffy-aniki!" Turning around, they saw a slightly beat up Johnny and Yosaku rushing towards them.
"What the hell happened to you idiots?" Zoro asked rudely, though the Straw Hats knew it was his unorthodox way of showing that he cared. The two swordsmen came to a stop, slightly out of breath.
"Nami-aneki has stolen the Going Merry." Johnny gasped out.
"What?! Nami stole our ship!" Usopp cried out while Yosaku and Johnny nodded their heads. Zoro turned to face his captain and watched for any sign of acknowledgment. There was none, except for the disappointment and understanding in his eyes. Before he could even ask what his captain knew, the man he had dreamed of fighting finally made his appearance.
His eyes instantly locked onto the figure that the Don Krieg pirates were scrambling away from. Shock, terror and excitement coursed through his veins as he gripped the handle of two of his blades tightly.
The man himself was sat upright on what looked to be a coffin. He black hair, a short beard and sideburns that pointed upwards with red coloured eyes. He wore red and black ornate clothing with a wide brimmed hat that had plume on it, an open black coat, white pants and large pants. To finish off his attire was the blade, Yoru strewn across his back.
"Why did you have to follow us here?!" One of the Don Krieg pirates shouted before squealing like a little girl when Dracule turned his gaze onto said man.
"To kill some time." He spoke nonchalantly as the Don Krieg pirates raged and whined about how it was unfair. One man even had the gall to fire his pistol at Dracule Mihawk however, to the shock of those watching, he pulled Yoru free and redirected the blade.
Zoro on the other hand was looking at the capsized galleon and noticed that it made a very good fighting platform. Perfect for when he challenged Dracule to a fight.
"What the hell just happened?!" One of the Baratie staff exclaimed in shock.
"He deflected it." Zoro turned his gaze back to Dracule Mihawk, who was also watching him. "I've never seen such skill, such graceful movement as the one he used. Simply moving the bullet with the tip of his blade." Dracule smiled happily, he recognised the young man for what he was instantly; a true swordsmen. That little explanation proved his thought process.
"A sword without grace, is nought but an iron bar." Mihawk spoke up.
Zoro narrowed his eyes as he asked the question that had been on his mind since the start. "Did you cut that ship as well?"
"I did."
"Then you really are the greatest swordsmen." He drew Wado and he took pleasure in noticing the way Dracule Mihawk's eyes flashed with recognition. "I set sail to meet you."
Dracule raised one eyebrow at that. "And what did you intend to do when you found me?"
"Surpass you!" Zoro declared proudly much to the shock of those listening. Luffy grinned as he watched Zoro land on the capsized galleon and point Wado Ichimonji at Mihawk. "You said you were free, right? Fancy a duel?"
Mihawk closed his eyes as a smirk crossed his features, seeing this young man before him filled him with a sense of nostalgia. For Roronoa Zoro, reminded him of a younger version of himself.
Before anyone could react, Mihawk disappeared and then appeared across from Zoro. While shocked at the speed, he gripped his blade tightly in preparation.
"You are weak. If you were a competent swordsmen you would know the difference between us without even crossing blades. Yet you still challenge me. Is it conviction, arrogance or ignorance that fuels you?" Mihawk taunted and Zoro bared his teeth in anger.
Stabbing his blade into the ground, Zoro tied his bandana around his head tightly. "None of them. It is my ambition that fuels me, that drives me. But not only that." His eyes then turned towards the grinning Luffy, something Mihawk picked up on. "I promised someone that I would surpass you." He turned back to Mihawk while picking up Wado from the ground while drawing another one of his blades. "I just never expected to find you so soon."
Zoro popped Wado into his mouth and then unsheathed his final sword. Mihawk breathed out some air before revealing a tiny kogatana hidden inside of his necklace.
"What do you plan to do with that?" Zoro asked and despite there been a blade in his mouth, it was still clear what he said.
Mihawk looked down at the tiny blade before looking back at Zoro. "I am not the type of person who would hunt a rabbit with a cannon. This is the East Blue, the weakest of the Four Seas divided by the Red Line and Grand Line. "I have to apologise however, for I do not have a blade smaller than this."
Zoro released a shaky breath as his vision began to get clouded with anger. Gritting his teeth, he calmed himself and glared at the swordsman across from him. There's a limit to how much you can underestimate me!" He roared before disappearing through the use of Soru (Shave).
Surprised by this, Mihawk barely managed to raise his kogatana in time to block the three blades in time, even then the strength and the use of Tekkai (Iron Body), plus Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) on Zoro's blades knocked Mihawk backwards.
Landing on the ground, Mihawk was more prepared this time and regarded Zoro with shock and respect. 'To think that there is a Haki user in East Blue, though with Garp's grandson as your captain I should expect that he taught you a few things.' He had underestimated the young man at first, no more.
This time, when Zoro attacked, Dracule Mihawk was easily able to parry the three swings. Each time their blades met there would be a loud clang followed by multiple cuts forming on the ground.
"Oni Giri (Ogre Cutter)!" Zoro shouted as he used his signature attack of the greatest swordsman. Even then, each blade was redirected flawlessly and perfectly.
Growling, Zoro spun round and went to cut across Mihawk's chest with both blades in his hands. The Shichibukai simply swung upwards and knocking the blades off course before slashing at Zoro's chest however, his blade met resistance in the form of Wado Ichimonji.
"You're skilled, Roronoa Zoro." Then the two met in a clash of steel once more.
-X- Line Break -X-
"This is insane!" One of the staff of the Baratie exclaimed as he watched the two swordsmen clash repeatedly. Zeff had to agree with the man as he watched Zoro only just manage to deflect one of Mihawk's slashes. Despite doing incredibly well, Zoro was still unable to match Mihawk's greater skill, strength and speed.
Sanji meanwhile, tore his gaze from the fight and looked at Luffy. The captain and the rest of the Straw Hat pirates had varying reactions to the fight. Johnny and Yosaku were cheering on their crewmate, Usopp looked lost, no doubt because he couldn't keep up with the insane speeds of the two combatants. Luffy on the other hand, was clenching his fists tightly as his eyes narrowed upon the fight. He looked like he was visibly restraining himself from coming to the aid of his comrade.
'Monkey D. Luffy. Why do you care so much?' He asked himself internally, every pirate he had met hadn't cared whether his crewmembers died or not. So why did Luffy care so much, he was a pirate. Why wasn't he like the rest?
A gasp of shock made Sanji turn to look back at the fight and he watched as Mihawk drove his blade into Zoro's chest before leaping backwards as to avoid been decapitated.
-X- Line Break -X-
Clutching his chest tightly, Zoro slowly got to his feet as he stared at the impassive figure of Dracule Mihawk. He could feel his blood seeping out and down his clothes, but he didn't care. No all he cared about was at least forcing Mihawk to use his blade, Yoru. Nothing else mattered.
"Nanajuni Pound Ho (72 Pound Phoenix)!" Following were two slashes of pressurised air that Mihawk calmly avoided. With a roar, he charged forward once more, but it seemed Mihawk had enough as he parried the three strikes before burying the blade into the man's chest.
"Why do you not retreat?" Mihawk asked calmly as Zoro still stood with a blade mere inches away from his heart. "Do you wish for me to pierce your heart?"
"Heh, I don't have a fucking clue." His teeth tightened around Wado. "But I get the feeling…that if I step back; then I'll lose something precious." Zoro spat out some blood and Mihawk didn't care that it splattered over his clothes. "A promise would be broken…and I could never stand here again."
"That is called defeat. You refuse to accept defeat even if it means your death?" Mihawk question and Zoro gave a bloody smirk.
"Death would be better." Impressed by the level of conviction, Mihawk stepped back and with a single flick, rid his blade of all the blood on it.
"Tell me your name?"
"R-Roronoa Zoro."
"I shall remember it." Mihawk reached behind his back and freed his blade, Yoru. "Take pleasure in knowing that you have impressed me greatly today, Roronoa Zoro. As a sign of my respect your skill, I shall end this duel, with this. Yoru."
The technique had not been finished, nor perfected. However, he would use it even if it caused more harm to him than his opponent. This would be the last moments of this duel and he would go out with everything he had. Just like Luffy's grandfather had said. Even in the face of certain death, face it head on and not on your knees.
"Santoryu Ogi: Sanzen Sekai (Three Sword Style: Three Thousand Worlds)!" There was a sound of multiple slashes as the two men appeared where the other once stood. There was silence as the audience waited to see who had won.
Then two of Zoro's three swords shattered as blood spurted out of multiple wounds all over his body. 'I lost.' Zoro collapsed to his knees as the two useless handles and Wado clattered against the ground. "I..." Mihawk rose one eyebrow as he turned around revealing to the audience a shallow cut upon his cheek.
"What are you doing?" Mihawk asked as he saw Zoro stand before him with his arms outstretched.
"A wound on ones back…is a swordsman's shame." Mihawk smiled and before anyone had the time to react, he slashed at Zoro. A deep wound opened from Zoro's left collarbone to his right hipbone and then Zoro collapsed backwards into the ocean.
The Straw Hats crew sprang into action. Johnny and Yosaku jumping into the ocean after Zoro while Usopp picked up Wado Ichimonji in case anyone tried to steal it.
Luffy on the other hand had his sights set on Dracule Mihawk. "I'll kill you!" He shouted and Mihawk had barely enough time to turn around as Luffy used Soru (Shave) to appear in front of the Shichibukai. Knowing he had no time to do anything, Mihawk channelled Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) to his face.
Yet even then, it did nothing to lessen the pain as a Tekkai (Iron Body)/Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) punch collided with his cheek.
Grunting, Mihawk was launched off the galleon and directly over the sea, Luffy hot on his tail with the use of Geppo (Moonwalk). Appearing above the flying Mihawk, Luffy released an earth shattering roar before another punch. This one was different, it carried all of his strength, all of his rage and anger.
The difference between the two punches was as clear as day. The first one simply knocked Mihawk backwards while cracking the floor, this one launched Mihawk straight into the ocean causing the water to split and release a humongous wave in all directions.
Those on the Baratie screamed in shock as they rushed inside as the wave rushed towards them. Each terrified beyond belief after witnessing the strength that the unsuspecting looking young man held.
Landing back on the galleon, Luffy glared at the tiny spec that Mihawk. He wanted so badly to kill the man after what he did to Zoro however, he couldn't. Zoro was still alive, if barely and would kill him if it wasn't him that killed Mihawk. He would feel robbed of his dream and Luffy didn't want to do that.
"Hey, Luffy can you hear me?" Luffy turned to where his soaked crewmates were. Sorry for worrying you, I know that if I don't become the greatest swordsmen…you'll be embarrassed." He coughed up some blood causing Usopp to panic. "I swear; that until the day I fight him and win…I'll never lose again. Any problems with that, Luffy?!"
"Shishishi. Nope." He laughed with a grin on his face, something Zoro returned.
"I'm going to sleep now." Usopp mumbled something along the lines of, 'lazy bastard' though it was obvious he was joking.
"Hey guys, take him and follow Nami." The three conscious men nodded their head and quickly left the area in search of a ship.
"So he left." Don Krieg strutted forwards arrogantly. "Guess he wasn't that strong after all if a kid like you managed to do that." He then turned to the staff of the Baratie. "I'll be taking your ship and rebuilding my fleet. Now hand over the log Zeff, with that information I can easily conquer the Grand Line." Luffy scoffed gaining a glare from Don Krieg. "You got somat to add?"
"I do actually." Luffy directed his own glare at Don Krieg. "You want to get the logbook, then you gotta get through me."
"No problem." Don Krieg turned to face his crewmembers. "You go ahead and get the logbook, this won't take long." He then turned round only to find that Luffy was no longer where he once was. "Looks like the little shit ran away. Coward." He spat out.
A tap on his shoulder made him turn around to see Luffy stood their calmly. Gasping in pain, Don Krieg was launched backwards a few feet before rolling a few more backwards.
Getting to his feet, he saw Luffy walking towards him calmly while rolling his right shoulder. "Get moving you idiots!" He shouted at his crew and they rushed towards the staff of the Baratie. However they were intercepted by Sanji and the cooks. In a matter of seconds they defeated every grunt before they came across an odd looking individual covered from her head to toe in iron plating's.
"Behold my invincible iron wall!" He exclaimed.
Sanji narrowed his eyes before taking a step forward drawing attention to himself. "I'll deal with him."
"You, you deal with me." Pearl sneered. "You only use kicks, how lazy."
"Like you would know a thing. A chefs hands are everything, I can't risk them in fights. My feet will be more than enough."
"In the past sixty-one fights I have won every single one without a single scratch. I haven't lost single drop of blood because while you protect your hands, I protect my entire body. That is why I'm called "Iron Shield" Pearl!" The man proclaimed to the world.
"Like I care what you're called, I'll beat you into the ground anyway." Launching forwards, Sanji performed a flawless roundhouse kick that Pearl blocked by raising one shield. In response, Sanji pushed off the shield and performed a spinning hook kick that collided with Pearl's face knocking him backwards.
The Don Krieg pirates felt a shiver of fear run down their back when Pearl raised one hand and dabbed his nose. Their fears were proven correct when he pulled his hand away revealing blood. "B-blood? My blood?"
"What the hell's wrong with him?" Sanji spoke more to himself than anyone else.
"My iron wall has been broken. These guys are dangerous." His breathing became erratic and his eyes wild. "Danger! I'm in danger!" He screamed a few more times before his form was covered in flames. "Don't you dare get close to me! Fire Pearl Daitokuten (Fire Pearl Huge Favour)!"
Fire balls exploded out from his body and Sanji dodged them effortlessly as Pearl went into a frenzy, even hitting his own crew.
"With my fire and my iron shield, I'm invincible!" Sanji didn't care for what he had to say and kicked Pearl in the face. "W-what? How?! Even wild animals are too scared to come!"
"Idiot. What kind of a cook is afraid of fire?"
"Danger! More pearls! More pearls!" More fireballs erupted from his body at greater speeds and density than before. Before anything could happen though, a cannonball attached to a metal pole slammed into Pearl's breaking the iron shield and knocking him unconscious.
"Gin! What the hell are you doing?!" A random Don Krieg pirate shouted. Gin gave a nod towards Sanji and turned to face his former comrades.
"Sanji gave me food when no one else did, he saved my life and I owe him greatly. Besides." This time he directed a smirk at Sanji. "What kind of pirate lets his crewmate face a fight alone?"
Sanji felt a tick mark develop as he glared at Gin. "I ain't joining that kid's crew." Shrugging his shoulders, Gin turned back to face his former comrades.
"Surrender guys, I really don't want to have to hurt you." The Don Krieg pirates shared a glance and then looked at Sanji and Gin. They each dropped their weapons and a loud bang made them look to see Don Krieg dropping to his knees with Luffy stood over him.
-X- Line Break -X-
Luffy watched as Don Krieg rose to his feet, he could hear the sounds of the two parties fighting with one another, but his eyes were kept firmly on Don Krieg. Smirking, he made a, 'come get me' motion and Don Krieg roared with anger before charging forwards.
Stepping to the side, he knocked Don Krieg's punch to one side before ducking under the swing of his spear. Grinning, Luffy performed a back handspring avoiding a punch that collided with the ground slightly cracking.
"That's some strength you got there." Luffy cracked his fists in preparation. "However, it's nothing compared to mine." Don Krieg roared as multiple guns appeared from in his armour and unleashed a hail of bullets at Luffy. Said person simply laughed as he shot forwards, his form weaving in and out of the bullets. Before Don Krieg could react, Luffy had already buried a fist into his stomach and then followed up with an uppercut then spinning back kick sending the man stumbling backwards.
"Little shit." Growled Don Krieg as Luffy bounced on his toes. He went to fire some more bullets when he realised that somehow, they had been broken. "What the hell! No matter." From his wrist, flames spewed out and Luffy leaped backwards avoiding the flames easily before having to roll to one side when Don Krieg thrust his spear into the ground where he once stood. "Stand still!" He roared in outrage as the ground where his spear touched exploded.
"Okay." Luffy did so and Don Krieg smirked.
Rushing forwards he thrust his spear at Luffy, but Luffy stepped to one side, his left hand gripping the pole and then he kicked it. There was a snap as the head of the spear fell to the ground uselessly.
"H-how?" Luffy capitalised on the opening and landing punch after punch into Don Krieg's abdomen and face, occasionally he would launch a kick but the result was the same. Don Krieg falling to his knees before Luffy.
"You may be strong in the East Blue, Don Krieg. But compared to the pirates in the Grand Line, you're nothing." He tapped his finger against Don Krieg's armour and it smashed into hundreds of tiny pieces. Don Krieg looked down at the pieces in shock, though it wasn't for long as Luffy kicked him in the face knocking him unconscious.
"Thank you, son." Zeff stood beside Luffy as he looked down at Don Krieg.
"Meh, you're welcome old man." Scratching the back of his head, Luffy looked at Sanji and Gin, the latter gave a smirk.
"Your offer to join your crew still open?" Gin asked and Luffy nodded his head. "Then count me in, captain." Grinning, Luffy shook hands with his new crewmate before turning to Sanji.
"I ain't joining your crew, just came down to thank you for…"
"Oh do shut up, shitty brat." Sanji growled at Zeff had given him when he was a kid. "I know you want to go with them, so just fucking go with them. I know that the sea calls for you and you are destined for far better things than been a simple chef."
"Oi! Don't go deciding things, shitty geezer." The two chef's butted heads against one another in a test of strength before Zeff broke away.
"Look, Sanji." Said person knew that Zeff was been serious when he referred to him by his name. "I know that you owe me a debt for saving your life." Sanji looked down, but looked back up when Zeff placed a hand on his shoulder. "You really want to pay me back?" The blonde haired chef nodded his head. "Then go out there, live your life on the seas, be a pirate, fight, cry, laugh, have fun, find All Blue, but most importantly, live. That's how you can pay me back for saving your life, shitty brat." A smirk was one Zeff's face as Sanji's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.
Sighing, Sanji nodded his head and then turned to look at the grinning Luffy. "What the hell we standing round for, someone stole our ship. Then let's go get it back." Still Luffy continued to grin as did Gin.
As the three walked away, Zeff watched them go as Patty stood beside him. "So you finally got him to go out and follow his dream." Zeff nodded his head and he heard Patty sigh. "It's gonna be quiet now that he's gone."
'You won't regret your decision, Sanji. With a captain like the one you've got, you'll be right in the thick of all the action.' Zeff turned and walked back towards the Baratie. 'And I can't wait to hear about what you accomplish.'
A/N: There we are, the next chapter done and I'm really sorry for how long it took me to get this done. I think I did a pretty good job so please let me know what you did and didn't like so that I can improve it for next time as to make it more enjoyable for you.
Now as a reminder, don't forget to put in a review who you would like to be in Luffy's crew as I have already revealed three of the additional six members joining the crew. So once again, please let me know who else you'd like to have join the crew for when they enter the Grand Line and I'll put them in a review.
