"Going Merry...? Is that-"
"My ship," Luffy finished the cooks half-asked question, voice full of disbelief. "But... How...?"
"I'm sure Merry already told you on Syrup island, Captain," Percy said with a patient smile, arms behind his back. "Once the ship has a worthy captain, it reveals its soul."
"Me... I'm worthy?" Luffy asked, suddenly scared of the answer.
"Mmm," Percy gave the boy a lopsided grin. "How are you not worthy? Even if I wasn't the soul of the Going Merry, I'd still join your crew."
"This is awesome!" Luffy laughed and Sanji and Gin gaped at the raven haired man. "I can't wait until the others see you!"
Percy laughed softly and nodded, "Of course, Captain. Now," He looked at the cook and Gin. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm being kidnapped."
Before any of them could comment, Percy was already striding away.
xxxxxxxxxxx
"Oh, is that really full of food?"
Usopp jumped slightly when he heard the unfamiliar, yet familiar, voice behind him. He turned to see a raven haired man with bright green eyes looking curiously over his shoulder at Zeff, who carried the large bag of food for Don Krieg's crew. "Yeah," He answered despite the fact that he didn't know the man. He felt a strange bond with him for some reason...
"Wow," The man's eyes sparkled as he looked at the bag. "My name's Percy by the way."
"Usopp," The sniper smiled, holding out his hand.
Percy shook it before his eyes focused on Don Krieg, "Who's the giant trashcan?"
Everything went quiet before Luffy started laughing loudly, slapping his hand on the table, and Zoro smirked. Usopp looked quite nervous when he noticed Don Krieg's enraged expression.
"How dare you!" Don Krieg bellowed in anger, "You'll pay for insulting me! I am Don Krieg, the most powerful pirate on the East Blue and the man who'll become pirate king!"
"NO WAY!" Both Luffy and Percy shouted together, surprising everyone around them. "I'M/HE'S GOING TO BE KING OF THE PIRATES!" The two huffed, Luffy pointing at himself while Percy was pointing to his captain.
"You? Pirate King?" Don Krieg started laughing, "That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard!"
"Oi," Luffy looked at Zeff, who regarded him with a bored expression. "If I beat this guy, can I stop working here?"
Zeff didn't speak for a moment, stroking his beard in thought, "Yes, but only if you defeat him."
"YATTA!"
"A scrawny brat like you defeating me, Don Krieg?!" Don Krieg shouted, face turning red with his anger. "I'd like to see you try!"
"Don't do it, Chore Boy!" Sanji yelled, "You don't have to do this!"
Luffy took off his straw hat, a strange expression on his face, "Yes, I do." He handed the hat to Percy, surprising Zoro since he knew how much his captain cherished it, "I'm the one who'll become king of the pirates."
"Of course," Percy flipped the hat onto his own head, grinning widely. "Who else deserves that title but you, Captain?"
Luffy simply smiled back, laughing loudly, "No one! You're going down, Don Kroog!"
"It's Krieg!" Don Krieg shouted, "And I'd like to see you try to defeat me! This restaurant is mine now!"
"The Baratie will never be yours!" This time, both Sanji and Percy said that together, a fire in there eyes that wasn't there before. It was a wonder, though, why Percy was so protective of a place he'd never visited before.
"You must have woken him up from his nap," Zeff said calmly, arms crossed as he regarded Don Krieg coldly. "He wouldn't attack someone so beneath him with no reason."
Zeff was, of course, talking about non other than the Dracule Mihawk, the best swordsman in all the seas.
"Don Krieg!" Someone shouted when the ships shifted in the water and people started falling overboard, "It's him! It's-"
"Mihawk," Zoro whispered and he looked to his left when he heard someone say the same thing. "Do you have business with him too?" He asked Percy.
Percy shook his head, "No, but you do. That's enough for me. I have a question though," He continued when Zoro raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you doing just standing here? Go fight him."
Zoro grinned widely, nodding once, and gripped the hilt of his white sword. He liked this man. "Mihawk," He called out, gaining the swordsman attention.
"I'm bored," Percy yawned as he watched the battles take place.
"Are you kidding me?" Usopp looked at the man as if he was the strangest being on Earth, "How could you be bored with all of this fighting going on?"
"I've seen plenty of fights before," Percy shrugged, cleaning out his ear. "This isn't anything new."
"BROTHER ZORO!"
Usopp and Percy turned in time to see Zoro fall into the sea, a jagged cut across his chest. "There's no way he can swim with that wound," The sniper was saying, getting up to retrieve his crewmate.
"I got him," Percy said and, without hesitating, dove into the cold waters after the swordsman. In merely seconds, he was up again with Zoro next to him. He swam to the edge of the Baratie, handing the green haired man off to Yosaku.
"Is he okay?" Luffy called, looking back at his crewmates.
"HE'S BREATHING!" Yosaku and Johnny called, earning a smile from the captain.
"Luffy!" Zoro breathed heavily as he raised his sword in the air with tears in his eyes, "I won't lose again! I'll be the strongest swordsman!"
"Good!" Luffy's grin grew even wider, "The Pirate King shouldn't have anything less!"
"So many manful tears," Percy muttered before grabbing Usopp's hand, who extended it out to help him out. "Hmm... I can do some quick stitches," Percy nodded, staring at Zoro's wound.
"How are you dry?" Usopp asked but was ignored when Percy took off his shirt to press onto the wound.
"Sorry," The raven haired man muttered when Zoro grunted in pain. "I'm so sorry..."
"Here," Patty handed Percy the first aid kit. "Hope you know what you're doing."
"Don't worry," Percy said calmly as he pulled out a needle and string. "I've sewn up plenty wounds in my lifetime," He leaned over Zoro, starting on the process of sealing his wounds, and muttered quiet apologies.
"Shut... Up..." Zoro finally grunted, lifting his head up slightly to look at Percy with pain-filled eyes, "You apologize... Too much..."
Percy smiled and leaned forward to break the string with his teeth, "Right. Rest now, Zoro. Luffy just has to finish his fight with Don Krieg."
"My swords-"
"Are right next to you. Now, sleep, Zoro," Percy said firmly before giving the swordsman a small smile. "You seem to be good at that."
"Alright, fine," Zoro conceded, leaning his head back. He was out like a light only seconds later.
The raven haired man looked up when he felt someone staring at him and smiled kindly at Dracule Mihawk.
Mihawk's eyes widened slightly at the smile. It was so warm and welcoming, just like his Captain's smile, but his eyes were fierce and protective like his swordsman's. There was no mistaking the small bits of mischievousness in his eyes too. But what really drew Mihawk in, what really got him curious, was the color of Percy's eyes.
What a beautiful green.
