" the miles will keep growing,
the crossing's your test,
one you haven't bothered passing yet"
- unknown, Fleeing Juliet
Ch 2 | Her Evasion
They couldn't have arrived at the town fast enough. Between Luffy's constant groaning about being hungry - his stomach affirming it with loud growls - and Coby's newfound seasickness from such a small boat rocking so much, the boy all but kissed the boardwalk thankfully as Luffy tied the boat to a post.
"We're finally here," the straw hat-wearing boy declared, fists on his hips and gazing up at the town. It was relatively small, its streets paved with cobblestone and crowded with merchants selling artifacts. A building taller and that looked more sturdy than the other structures surrounding it was at the center of the town.
"Let's go, Coby," Luffy impatiently said, shooting a strange look at the defeated lump on the ground.
Coby groaned out a "hai" before looking up and seeing Luffy halfway across the town already. He rushed to get up. "O-oi! W-wait, Luffy-san!"
X.
At a small cafe located on the outskirts of Shells Town, sitting alone at a secluded table near the boarded windows, was a young woman wearing a beige coat and black headband. A single apricot curl slipped from the headband, prompting the girl to push it behind her ear. She sipped the cold coffee she had ordered hours ago and read the newspaper a News Coo had recently dropped off.
One would probably wonder why someone was wearing a jacket inside a warm cafe in the middle of spring, but Nami knew she had nothing to worry about. The people of this town were preoccupied with something else entirely.
Having been there for a couple hours, Nami's experienced ears caught a few whispered conversations about a Pirate Hunter being held at the Marine Base in the center of the island.
It was none of her business, but she wondered why the Marines would hold captive a person that searched for pirates and brought them to justice. And the villagers themselves seemed uneasy, almost restless. Nami dared to think that they almost looked… guilty.
Well, no time to ponder over it. She had her own problems to worry about. Taking another sip of her cold, bitter beverage, she planned her next action. The last she'd heard, Buggy the Pirate had a map of the Grand Line. In order for her to get the money, she needed that piece of paper. The newspaper stated that a small town North of here was being terrorized by a pirate with a big red nose…
A blast of warm air flew into the cafe as someone threw open the doors, interrupting Nami's train of thought. She looked up, annoyed, just as an obnoxious voice hollered, "Hara-hetta aaaa!"
She quickly covered her face with the newspaper, peeking over the gray pages to see the same strange boy who was on Alvida's ship. He got away, then. Finding it suddenly ridiculous to be hiding from someone who doesn't know her and vice versa, Nami lowered the newspaper and continued to formulate a plan…
But it was impossible with that obnoxious Straw Hat guy whining to a kid younger than him that he didn't have money to feed himself. Nami could hear the younger boy's exasperation.
"Then why did you come rushing in here, Luffy-san?"
"It smelled good in here. They must have meat," came the whiny voice. Nami could imagine him drooping over the counter with big puppy eyes.
"I only have a couple belli with me. It won't buy much…"
The only answer came from a growling stomach. She heard the boy sigh again. "What can we buy for this?"
The owner counted the money before saying, "One onigiri."
"We'll take it!" came the Straw Hat's voice.
Okay, Nami continued to think, now that clown could be the one at this Orange Town… if I can steal the map there, I could double the amount of money in no time. It also wouldn't hurt to 'borrow' some of that Big Red Nose's treasure as well…
"Ack! How could you just eat all of it in one bite?!"
"You should have bought more!" Another stomach growl. "I'm still hungry!"
Nami felt an annoying tick form at her temple. She shook with barely contained anger, hunching over and unintentionally crumpling up the newspaper in her hands. The waiter that had come to ask if she wanted another cup slowly backed away in fear.
"I don't have any more money, Luffy-san, and it serves you right to be hungry. Not even sharing what I bought. You don't think I'm hungry, too?"
"Ehhh? You're saying this is my fault?!"
"Well you came here with no plan and no money so y-yeah! It is your fault!"
Bonk!
"Why'd you hit me, Luffy-san?"
"Just because."
"..."
The two went head-to-head, growling at each other across the table. They felt a sudden dark aura next to them and looked up.
Coby almost wet his pants, and Luffy looked curious. A demon?
Nami looked down on them with disdain. Suddenly, she pulled out a wad of belli and slammed it on the table.
"Here. That should be enough to buy anything you want on the menu," she stated.
Immediately, Luffy's eyes turned into blinding sparkles. "Wow! Thanks, lady, you're pretty nice!"
Nami huffed, angrily pushing the escaped curl back behind her ear. "Just keep it down. You're bothering a lot of the customers." She turned and went back to her seat.
"Oi, ossan! We'd like to buy 10 more of those onigiri and some yakitori and lots and lots of meat!"
"A-and I'd like some donburi and sushi, please."
"Coming right up!"
When the steaming plate of food came five minutes later, the two drooled as the waiters set it on their table. They both clapped their hands together with their chopsticks. "Itadakimasu!"
They started devouring the food in seconds. "Oi, Luffy-san! That's mine! Hands off!"
"Don't be so stingy, Coby!"
Nami sighed. Those two weren't ever going to be quiet… She looked back at the crumpled newspaper. Orange town, huh?
The sound of something crashing on the floor made everyone stop to look towards the source. A little girl with brunette hair in pigtails and a striped dress looked embarrassed at the sudden attention. At her feet was a broken plate of ruined rice balls. A woman wearing an apron that Nami guessed was the mother came running to the girl.
"Rika! What in the world…?"
The little girl looked up with teary eyes. "Gomenasai, mommy. I dropped the plate so the food is ruined now."
The mother kneeled to give the girl a hug. "Oh, Rika, never mind that. I'm just glad you're alright. Who did you want to bring it to? We can make another batch."
"Roronoa Zoro-oniisan."
At the name, the temperature of the cafe seemed to drop several degrees. The few customers in the small establishment bent their heads to whisper to each other, shooting glares at the girl. The workers paused in what they were doing, holding their breath.
Luffy ate slower after the sudden shift in moods in order listen, still stuffing his face with food. Coby started to sweat a little. Nami inclined her head to hear a little better.
Rika's mother grasped the little girl by her arms and slightly shook her. "Rika." Her voice was firm and cold. "Never speak of that man again. And you may absolutely not give him any food."
Rika's bottom lip trembled. "But he's not a bad man, mommy. He tried to help-"
"Rika!" It was a worker in the kitchen who spoke this time. "Listen to your mother. Do you want us all in danger?"
The little girl shook her head, pigtails flying.
"Alright, then," the man nodded.
Rika sniffled, and her mother sighed, getting up.
"Roronoa Zoro?" a voice piped up, and Nami almost face-palmed. "Who's that?"
"Luffy-san!" Coby hissed. "Shut up!"
"Ehhh?" Luffy pouted. "But he sounds really cool."
"He is!" Rika suddenly yelled. Before her mom could silence her, she explained, "He got put in the Navy Base because he protected us!"
"Rika!"
"Whoa, really? He's here now?" Luffy asked, intrigued.
"Yeah, I can show him to you if you'd like," Rika said, a new determination in her voice.
Luffy shoveled the rest of the food in his mouth in one go. "Okay, kid!" he exclaimed after he swallowed.
Ignoring her mother's calls and Coby's protests, Rika took Luffy's hand to lead him to where the prisoner, Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, was being held.
After a heated internal debate with himself, Coby decided to follow, his chair clattering to the floor in rushing to catch up.
"W-wait for me!"
Nami herself stood up, ready to leave not only this cafe but this town. She had a feeling that wherever that boy with the straw hat went, he created trouble. And she didn't want to get caught up in anything that distracted from her main mission.
A hand caught hers as she stepped out the doors.
"Wait!"
Nami looked back in surprise to find the older version of Rika looking at her pleadingly. She already knew what she was going to ask before she said it.
"I'm sorry, lady, I can't help you," Nami stated. No nonsense.
"Please," Rika's mother begged. "I don't know you, and you don't know me, but I feel like I can trust you."
Nami almost laughed. She was the last person anyone should trust right now.
"I saw what you did back there. I'm sure you're a kind person. I just want my daughter back safe. Can you please make sure she comes back?"
Nami slowly slid her hand out of the woman's grasp. "Sorry," she repeated, although more reluctantly. "I can't help you."
She started walking away.
"I'll pay you!"
Nami stopped.
X.
"Luffy-oniisan is a pirate? You don't look like one," Rika said skeptically. "Pirates are scary."
"I'm going to find the One Piece and become the Pirate King!" Luffy told her. "I'm looking for a crew. Not sure how many members I'm going to have, but they'll all be with me when I find the One Piece. Maybe this Noah Rozo guy can be my first nakama," he said thoughtfully.
"Roronoa Zoro," Coby corrected. "And he's a pirate hunter, Luffy-san. The first thing he'll want to do is capture you."
"He can't do that if he's already tied up by the Marines," Luffy said logically, completely missing the point. "I'll just ask him."
"T-this is s-such a bad idea," Coby whimpered.
The three of them were walking to the Base at the center of town. We're deliberately heading for danger, Coby thought grimly.
"I mean," Coby continued. "Think about it. If they arrested the guy, it must be for a good reason, right? He must be dangerous. And we can't just go there to watch him l-like-like tourists!"
Luffy hummed. "I wonder if he's strong."
"Oh, yeah, very strong," Rika answered, swinging her arm with Luffy's. "He has three swords he carries around to fight people."
"Sugeee!" Luffy grinned, excited to see this guy.
Coby looked depressed. "You two aren't even listening to me."
"Hey, Rika, how do you know so much about that Rozo guy anyways?" Luffy wondered.
Rika looked down. "Zoro-oniisan actually protected my mom and I, and even the other people, from the Marines here. They're really mean to us, and sometimes they take all the money we make at the cafe. It makes mommy really sad."
At this, Coby grew quiet. As a boy who wanted to be a great Marine, it made him a bit uncomfortable to hear how the people that he regarded so highly were treating civilians badly.
"One day, this rich guy and his mean dog came to the cafe and attacked mommy and me. Zoro-oniisan protected us," Rika continued.
"He slashed the rich guy's clothes off," she giggled at the memory, "and then the guy had to run home naked. He was so mad, he told his dad about Zoro-oniisan. He lied though, because Zoro-oniisan was arrested for killing an innocent person. It was unfair! And no one stood up for him, no one told the truth! We all just watched him being beaten, and mommy told me to be quiet so that we wouldn't get a beating, too."
Remembering the events, Rika started to tear up. She used her sleeve to wipe her nose. She suddenly let go of Luffy's hand to pull out something mushy and white from the pockets of her striped dress. "I want to give him this, even if it's small. He hasn't eaten for days."
Luffy looked down at the smushed rice ball in her tiny hand and grinned. "Alright then, what're we waiting for? Let's keep going."
Coby even nodded, sniffing a little from the sad tale.
"Hm!" Rika agreed.
A large, gray brick wall soon came into their sights. Behind the fort was the Marine base, the navy's signature blue and white flag flapping in front of the gray building.
"Zoro-oniisan is behind that wall," Rika announced. "We need to-"
Before she could utter another word, Luffy had already stretched his arms to wrap around her little body and Coby's. Rika's eyes almost bugged out of her eye sockets as she screamed, pushing at the rubber appendages.
"L-luffy-oniisan, y-y-your arm!" Rika shrieked, horrified.
Coby, already used to the abnormal stretching, tried to calm her down even as he grew nervous as to what Luffy was about to do next. "Calm down, Rika. He ate a weird fruit that made him a rubber man so he can do stuff like that."
Luffy laughed, ignoring Rika's screams, and bent down to jump over the wall. "Here we go-"
Something abruptly whacked his head and Luffy's rubber neck lengthened as his head slammed to the ground. He let go of his two loads to clutch his head in pain.
"Itaii! Oi, that hurt!" he yelled in surprise. He was rubber, so why did that hurt?!
"Hold it right there, you rubber demon," a female voice said sternly.
Luffy turned around, still hunched on the ground, to see the orange-haired girl from the cafe earlier. She towered over him, small fist still up and a hand on her hips as she scowled.
What's her problem? Luffy thought warily.
As if she could hear his thoughts, Nami's frown deepened. "Are you really going to see that prisoner?"
"Yeah," Luffy replied simply.
"Well, you can do it without the girl," Nami said, pointing at Rika, who was still in shock over Luffy's strange power. "I need to bring her back to her mother."
At the mention of her mom, Rika finally snapped out of it. "Wait, onee-san. I still need to give this to Zoro-oniisan." She pulled out the poor excuse of a rice ball and held it triumphantly. "He needs to eat."
Nami sighed. "Isn't it possible the marines have already, er, fed him?" she tried to convince Rika.
The little girl shook her head. "I know they starve him. That way he has no energy to fight."
Nami suddenly felt uneasy and turned to see the pirate she just pounded, shamelessly staring at her. She opened her mouth, ready to teach him some manners, when he spoke first.
"You look familiar. Do I know you?" he wondered, cocking his head in confusion.
At this Nami grew nervous. "What? No. We've never met."
"Actually I feel like I've seen you somewhere, too," Coby piped up. "Weren't you… hmmm, no…"
"Listen," Nami said quickly, before they could pinpoint her. "I just came for the girl. I'll be out of your hair in a-" She stopped when she saw the space next to Luffy empty.
"Where is she?!"
The three looked around and didn't find any sign of the little girl. Nami ran a hand over her hair, stressed, and very aware that she was wasting time.
"She climbed over the wall, damn it," she muttered, and Coby, having heard, panicked.
"What?! She's all alone with Roronoa?!" he yelled, hands on his cheeks in horror. "They say he's a demon in all forms, and that his swords can even slice up steel! He's probably cutting her up to eat her right now - he hasn't eaten so he doesn't even care if she's human. Oh, it's too late-"
Luffy punched him on his head.
"... Why'd you hit me, Luffy-san?"
"Just because."
"Alright," Nami resolved. "We need to get her." She made a deal with the mother and needed to hold up her end. She might've been a thief, but she was by no-means a person who dishonored a deal. Pirates did that.
And she hated pirates.
Without warning, Luffy wrapped his arms around her waist and barely gave her time to protest before he coiled his legs and jumped the wall.
X.
When they landed, Luffy received another hard punch to the head.
"Oww! Why do you keep hitting me?!"
"A little warning next time, idiot!" Nami yelled, her heart still racing. Coby himself just regained consciousness after a short period unconsciousness from the rush.
Nami composed herself after hearing Rika crying. She looked over to see the small bundle of blue stripes on the ground, an ugly blond man with a double chin and bowl haircut laughing at her. Nami felt her blood unexpectedly boil.
"Rika!" she called, running towards her. Quickly taking the girl into her arms, she whipped around to sneer at the man. "What'd you do to her?"
The man brushed invisible dust off his purple suit. "Feeding a prisoner is condemnable to two months in prison. I let her off with a warning."
Rika's small hands clutched Nami's shirt, curling more into her. Nami could see a bruise forming on her cheek. "You-!"
Before she could do anything, a figure to the right of her moved. Nami stumbled back with Rika.
Coby's strangled voice drifted from behind her as she gaped, unable to speak.
"Green haramaki… dark hood… deadly aura… it's him."
The man lifted his head, his eyes promising death even with the thick ropes binding his arms behind him. His white shirt was stained with blood and dirt, his legs left free and mobile. The bruises on his arms and face only made him more menacing.
"R-r-roronoa Zoro," Coby whispered.
"Ooo, is that him?" came Luffy's voice. "Huh? Where are his cool swords?"
Said man spit on the ground before sending a glare at the blond jerk. "Oi. Navy brat. You ruined my lunch."
"N-navy brat?!" the man stuttered, outraged. "I'll have you know that I'm the valuable son of Captain 'Axe Hand' Morgan, head of this Navy base. You have no right, Roronoa Zoro, to address me by any other name than 'Helmeppo-sama'."
Helmeppo looked down, and Nami noticed the traces of white on the dirt: the remainders of the rice cake. With a smirk, Helmeppo smushed the food further into the ground. Rika let out a whimper.
Nami blinked.
It was so swift, Nami wasn't even sure it happened until Helmeppo face ended up scrambled in the dirt. Zoro's legs had swung up to grab the guy's neck and bring him down in one smooth, powerful move. Helmeppo squirmed under the weight of Zoro's boots.
Luffy's laugh echoed across the courtyard.
Sensing things were getting dangerous - well, even more than they already were - Nami slowly retreated, Rika still in her arms.
Helmeppo escaped from Zoro just as her back pressed against the wall. Humiliated and angry, the blond man elbowed the defenseless Zoro in the stomach. Zoro only grunted, gritting his teeth.
Then Helmeppo was punching his jaw, kicking his chest. Right as he was about to deliver a blow that would have all men screaming for the heavens, Helmeppo himself got a tooth-knocking punch to the face.
He flew to the side, rolling a few feet before stopping. He stood up slowly, holding his jaw, to face his attacker.
"W-who're you?" he said, now noticing the boy in the straw hat. Coby stood near Zoro and almost pitied him for his situation until Zoro glowered at him. He squeaked and shifted closer to Luffy.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who's going to be the next Pirate King! And I've decided," Luffy started.
"Zoro!" He turned to the pirate hunter. "Join my crew!"
X
With Rika on her back, Nami scaled the wall and arrived to the top. She looked back when she heard the boy with the straw hat declare his dream and ask the pirate hunter to join him.
It surprised her - him? A pirate?
But that would explain why he was with Alvida before. Or fighting her. Whatever. Still, it was hard to believe.
No matter, Nami thought grimly. All pirates are the same, and if he's one, then I hate him, too.
She glanced to her right and saw a tree she could climb down. Rika was trying to look back to see Zoro.
"Are they alright, onee-san?" she asked worriedly.
Without looking back this time, Nami answered, "They're both demons, so they'll be alright. I don't know about the shorty, though."
She swung down the branches and landed roughly on the ground, Rika's extra weight making her grunt. "Let's get you to your mom."
Even though they were on safe ground, Rika didn't want to be put down. Instead, she climbed all the way up to Nami's shoulders, her hands fisting on her short orange strands.
"Ow! Hey!" Nami protested, her hands flying up to get the girl down.
"I like the view up here," Rika explained.
"Otou-san used to let me ride on his shoulders." She played with Nami's hair. "But now he's gone so I can't do it anymore. Mommy only lets me go on her back."
Nami let her arms fall back to her side, then reached up to secure Rika's legs to her shoulders. The streets were busy even in the afternoon heat, and Nami took the opportunity to do some quick work.
When they passed a teriyaki stand, Rika's stomach growled and Nami sighed. She reached into her jacket to pull out some belli from one of the many wallets she had pickpocketed, asked for two sticks of the meat, and gave one to the girl.
"Ah, arigato," Rika thanked as she munched.
Nami took a bite out of her own and walked back to the cafe. Before she opened the door to the cafe, Rika's mother came running up to her.
"Rika? Oh, thank you so much! Oh, thank you, um… eto…"
The woman's cheeks tinged red when she realized she didn't know this stranger's name. Nami smiled. She didn't want to admit it, but she really only accepted the woman's request because she had seen how desperate she was - enough to ask a stranger for help.
Nami helped Rika down and the little girl ran to her mom.
Nami's smile grew sad.
"It's Nami."
"O-oh yes! Thank you, Nami! And, um…"
The woman searched her apron pocket before pulling out 200,000 belli, but Nami was already shaking her head. "No, keep it."
"Oh, but I want to-"
"I'm serious," Nami said firmly, gently pushing the hand back. "You need it much more than I do. Besides, you remind me of someone, and I'd feel uncomfortable taking it from you. Take care of Rika."
The mother nodded. Rika started pouting, sad. "You're leaving, Nami-oneesan?"
"Yup. But you don't have to be sad. I don't know when, but I'll be back. So take care of your mother until then, Rika. Don't make her worry."
"Mm!" Rika promised.
Nami waved, then disappeared in the crowd.
X.
Rika's mother watched Nami's form blend into the crowd, then went back into the cafe.
"Is everything alright, Miss?" A navy officer asked.
Rika gasped. Filling up the cafe were a whole squadron of marines.
They had been specially invited to a lunch in this cafe, but Rika's mother had another secret motive. Huddled in one corner were a handful of the town's people and the staff of the cafe.
"Not quite," Rika's mother answered, holding Rika closer to her. She smiled down at her daughter. She decided to do the right thing.
"A man… Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, in fact, was wrongly imprisoned a week ago. He is getting executed tomorrow for something he did not do. We want you to know the truth, Captain Morgan…"
X.
Nami pickpocketed a few more people before buying a few provisions for the trip to the next island. After a while, the streets seemed to get more crowded.
For such a small town, this place sure has a lot of people.
"-Zoro to be free before his execution! She's trying to convince the Captain to release him right now! Is Ririka crazy?"
Nami stopped to listen, tuning her ears to two guys murmuring amongst each other. Something was going on. Rika's mother was talking to the Navy Captain?
"What? Do you think the Captain Morgan will listen?"
"He has to! He is a righteous and just man."
"Still, I don't think Roronoa Zoro should be freed. Murderer or not, he shouldn't be walking around with swords-"
Nami stopped listening, shaking her head. If Zoro had accepted that rubber boy's offer, he wasn't a pirate hunter anymore. He was a pirate. The guy with the straw hat didn't look like the type to keep his identity secret. She could already see the disaster ahead.
And now there were Marines all over the place. They strolled out from the cafe and headed towards the base. A big guy wearing a metal mask on his jaw stood out from them, wearing a white cape. He must be the Captain, Nami observed.
Other officers went to control the crowd, urging them to go back to their homes.
Nami pulled the jacket's hood over her face, propping the bag of food on her shoulder. Things were about to get crazy, and she couldn't be anywhere near it.
"Hey, you!"
She turned around. Her mistake.
The light breeze blew off her hood and she scrambled to put it back on, realizing that a Navy officer had called her. The man held the apple that had fallen from her bag and she snatched it from his hand, clearing her throat.
"Uh, thank you," she muttered. She started walking away.
The man behind her stayed where he was, the same look of confusion on his face that that pirate Luffy had on his face. The look of recognizing someone, but not quite putting a finger on it.
Nami walked faster, pushing past more people, putting as much distance as possible between the marine and her.
A sudden cry pierced the air and she knew her cover was blown.
"Stop! Thief! I-it's Cat Burglar Nami!"
"Cat Burglar Nami?"
The marine drew out a brown flyer from his coat. It showed a young girl sticking out her tongue playfully, dirt on her face and hair but eyes shining triumphantly as she carried a sack over her shoulder most likely filled with treasure.
It got passed to the other officers. "She has a 16 million beli bounty! After her!"
Nami ran.
She didn't care now, as her hood flew back, and discarded the whole jacket into the wind. She carried the bag all the way to the docks, where her small boat was floating. Ignoring the cries of marine men, she quickly set the bag in the boat and untied it from its post.
She could feel the wind picking up, but knew it wasn't enough for a quick getaway. After releasing the sails, Nami propped the wooden paddles on the boat's sides and began to row.
The marines stopped at the docks, apparently debating whether or not to go after her. Nami smirked, rowing a little slower as a gust of wind carried her several yards more.
As she got further and further away, she saw a little figure run up to the shore, waving at her. How did she get there so fast? Nami could barely hear her yell.
"-mi-onee-san! See you later! Nami-onee-san!"
"See you, Rika," Nami whispered.
She sailed away.
X.
Luffy heard a commotion outside the walls and looked over, briefly wondering about that one angry girl and Rika. Helmet Hippo's voice brought him back.
"My father will execute you both!" he was saying, still clutching his jaw.
Luffy looked at him, then turned to Zoro. "So, Zoro-"
"Don't ignore me!"
"- whaddaya say?"
Zoro examined the lanky boy and thought of his offer. " To be on a crew with the Pirate King, huh? What an honor," he replied sarcastically.
The tight restraints around his arms were sore and Zoro decided he was bored with staying here. He had a promise to fulfill, after all, for a certain someone.
"I don't really want to part of the scums of the sea, but I don't have a choice, do I?"
"You do," Luffy said. "You can either be killed here by the Marines, or come with me. Your pick, shishishi."
Zoro smirked. "You're the true son of the devil! Alright, fine - I'd rather be a pirate than die here!"
A grin split Luffy's face and he jumped around with joy. "Yatta! My first nakama! Alright, this is perfect!" he rejoiced happily.
For a second, Zoro's face blanched. "First?"
Luffy stopped yelling and smiled at him. "Yeah, you're the first to join. We're going to find other crewmembers on the way!"
Luffy looked at him for a long second. "You can't back out!" he suddenly shouted.
"I wasn't going to!" Zoro yelled back, indignant, but not wanting to admit he had thought about it. Being on a ship with this kid seemed like a death wish. He hoped this guy knew what he was doing.
Zoro shifted. "I need my swords before I go. The marines took them to that building."
"Okay! I'll get them for you," Luffy said as he ran in the opposite direction. Zoro didn't notice but Coby did.
"Luffy-san, the base is that way," the boy said.
"Ah?"
Luffy suddenly stretched his arms all the way across the courtyard, grabbing a post near the base. "Gomu gomu no… Rocket!"
He flew past Zoro, hollering at Coby to untie his new nakama.
What the hell is this guy?! Zoro and Helmeppo thought.
Coby did as Luffy requested, working to untie Zoro's ropes, when he was stopped by Helmeppo.
"Hold it right there! I will not simply allow a prisoner to escape under my watch. You and that Monkey boy will both be executed with Roronoa," he proclaimed.
"Ah," Luffy suddenly said, before he entered the building. "I almost forgot."
He stretched his arm to Helmet Hippo and wrapped his arm around his shoulders all the way to his waist, trapping the rich jerk's arms against his own body.
"You're coming with me!"
"AHHHH!" Helmeppo screamed.
Carrying his load like a sack of potatoes, Luffy entered the building, which was surprisingly vacant. He looked around, then looked down at his unwilling guide. "Where did they put Zoro's swords?"
"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW? LET ME GO!" Helmeppo shrieked, squirming.
Luffy ran in no particular direction. "For the navy captain's son, Helmet Hippo, you're pretty useless."
"WHAT WAS THAT?! AND IT'S HEL-MEP-PO!"
"Where's that place you people put your weapons?" Luffy questioned him.
"You mean the armory? Like I would ever tell you," Helmeppo scoffed. "And besides, that would be the last place the officers would put it in because we know it's the first place you would look. We're not stupid like you pirates!"
Luffy grew tired of Helmet Hippo and stopped. He didn't let go of him but stood him upright so that they faced each other. "Oi."
Helmeppo looked up and almost soiled himself.
T-this guy, he thought, shaking. He's not messing around. What's his deal?
He saw Luffy's eyes and was reminded of all of the fears he never knew he had. He quickly looked away, suddenly fearing for his mortal life.
"U-u-um… t-the a-a-armory was it?" he stuttered. "R-right this way."
He nodded his head left, to a corridor that led to the main hallway.
Luffy's face transformed into a happy one and if he didn't still feel like a fish that lost its fins, Helmeppo would've thought that what he saw was an illusion.
Who was that kid really?
X.
"Hurry up, kid, I can hear them coming," Zoro said between gritted teeth.
"I'm trying," Coby replied, "but the knots are too… knotted!"
Coby was sweating profusely, and not just from the heat. The commotion from outside the walls was getting closer, and he deduced that the Marines finding him like this - trying to help a criminal escape - probably wasn't the best way to introduce himself and his dream to become like them.
But technically, Zoro wasn't a criminal, right? So maybe he could explain…
The footsteps got louder and his wishful thinking flew out of his head. They were both going to get shot on the spot!
Where was Luffy?
No.
For once, he needed to do this without the rubber man coming to his aid. Marines suddenly came from the building where Luffy just went in with Helmeppo.
Did he get caught? Coby wondered. If so, it's even more important for him to do this alone.
They surrounded Coby and Zoro, gun barrels pointed at them. Coby gulped nothing and stood up.
He dug his heels further into the ground and stood, arms spread, in front of Zoro.
"Oi, kid, what are you doing?" Zoro demanded.
"I-I don't know," Coby replied, and truthfully he didn't. He just resolved that he wouldn't run or hide and be protected, especially when another person was just as defenseless. Luffy was always protecting him.
Now it was his turn to protect Luffy's first crewmate.
A thundering voice then came from the building.
"Stand down, men!"
A seven-foot tall muscular man stepped out, white cape billowing about him. His heavy steps approached the group and the Marines made way for him. His axe hand swung down and stopped just a few inches in front of the shaking Coby.
Zoro tried to look around Coby to see the man.
Captain 'Axe-Hand' Morgan spoke then.
"This man… was wrongly convicted!"
X.
"Hup!" Luffy lightly grunted as he jumped over two marine soldiers.
He looked back as one of them shouted for more reinforcements. "Where did they all come from?" he asked, looking down at Helmeppo.
"Did you call them, Helmet Hippo?" Luffy cocked his eyebrow in suspicion.
Helmeppo squirmed. "O-of course not! How could I, being dragged around like this? They must be here because I had been gone for too long and Father sent them for me. I am important, after all," he drawled.
"We have to hurry, they must be after Zoro! I can't have my first nakama killed!"
"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!" Helmeppo yelled, ticks appearing on his head. He sighed, giving up and hanging limp like a rag doll. After a while he said, "Left."
Luffy turned left and stopped abruptly.
He had entered a room filled with guns and ammo, bombs and gunpowder. His eyes sparkled and he let Helmeppo go. "SUGEEEE!"
"Hey!" Helmeppo hollered as he fell to the ground.
Luffy ran around the room, admiring his romance - swords, spears, even armor. He had to try them on!
"Oi," Helmeppo said, sweat dropping. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Luffy snapped out of his trance, looking back at his captive with a pout. "Oh yeah."
He put down the armor and shield and started looking for Zoro's swords. There were a lot, and nothing quite stood out. What had Rika said again…? A glint by the corner of the room caught Luffy's eye.
Helmeppo stood by the door, shaking his head, arms crossed. "I'm telling you, they're not here. We're not stupid enough to-"
"Found them!"
Helmeppo's mouth dropped on the ground.
Luffy held the three deadly swords in his arms. "Rika said he had three and these were the only ones that were together." Simple logic, of course.
Marine voices came from the corridor. "This way!"
Luffy grinned, settling the swords on one arm and grabbing Helmeppo again.
"Time to go!"
He ran out the door and turned towards a set of stairs.
"Wrong way! That leads to the roof!'
"Only way," Luffy said. The Marines were behind them, their footsteps pounding the floor, and it'd be hard to fight with both his hands occupied. Not impossible, but hard. So Luffy started climbing.
He got to the roof and saw a statue being lifted with ropes by struggling Marines. Helmeppo saw the statue as well and his eyes grew wide. He squirmed around to look at Luffy.
"Don't you dare! It's my Father's so-"
Too late, Helmepo was dragged with Luffy as the straw-hatted boy ran towards the base of the statue to land on Captain Morgan's rock chest, safe from the Marines below. Luffy set Helmeppo down and the latter freaked.
"What have you done? If we even get a scratch on this, my father will kill us both! No, just you!" He changed tactics, hysterical.
"That's right," Helmeppo reasoned. "I was just an unwilling victim in all this."
Luffy picked his nose, wondering how they could get down to Zoro. From up here, he could see that the both Coby and his new nakama were surrounded. Zoro was still tied to the post.
"What are you looking at over there?" Helmeppo demanded. He pulled himself further up to look over the statue's shoulder. He could see his father standing with a bunch of Marines and almost cried.
"Father! Father! Help! This pirate has kidnapped me!" he hollered down. To Luffy he said, "Now you'll get it, Mugiwara."
Unknown to them, the Marines were struggling even harder to hold the stone statue up. With the extra weight leaning at the top, the statue started to crack.
X.
"Fatherrr! Fatherrr!"
Captain Morgan looked up to see the owner of the annoying voice. Seeing as it was just his son, he went back to talking business.
"A woman and some of the townspeople told me," he continued, "that they had witnessed your heroic actions and that the accusations against you were false."
Zoro stayed quiet, as did Coby.
"They requested that you be released before your execution tomorrow. Of course, as a Captain of Justice, I told them that their worries should be put to rest, for I would take care of the matter. Their consideration for you, Pirate Hunter, is surprising. So, Roronoa Zoro, you will not be executed tomorrow."
Coby breathed a sigh of relief.
"Your execution will be today."
The guns came back up at the signal, the Captain's thick palm above his head. Coby could feel himself about to faint. Why was the Captain doing this?
"I can't have citizens trusting a criminal more than their own Navy leader," the Captain explained, as if hearing Coby's internal question.
"'Please, save him! He's innocent!'" He mocked the people of Shells Town.
"Am I not respected here? Huh? Roronoa?! Enough that they beg for a prisoner to be released and doubt my judgment?! I'll have them see what happens when they think they can go and make their own justice!"
Captain Morgan turned to his men. "Today, men, just as I was about to release him, Roronoa Zoro escaped with his little companion and cut down two of my men!"
Without warning, his axe arm came down and slashed two of his own men across their chests. They went down.
The officers looked up in horror, unable to move or speak as their Captain's eyes crinkled, the jaw brace he wore hiding his menacing grin.
He started to laugh, throwing his bloody axe hand up towards the sky.. "As a result, my men shot the criminal and the boy. Justice… was served."
Coby fainted.
X.
"He must not be able to hear me," Helmeppo moped.
It was hard to think for Luffy, and after a while he stopped. "Hey, Helmet Hippo, how can we get down there?"
Helmeppo whipped his head to stare at Luffy. "How about you turn yourself in? If we don't get off this statue soon-"
Just as he said this, a great big crack! was heard. Helmeppo squeaked.
The top of the statue started to slide down off the building. It hung dangerously high from the ground.
"Hey, you're doing it!" Luffy said, seeing the ground get closer. He held on to Zoro's swords and his hat to keep it from sliding off his head.
"I'm not doing it, you imbecile! The statue's going doooowwwwnn!"
Captain Morgan's stone chest broke in half and started its descent to the ground.
X.
"Hey, kid, snap out of it!" Zoro yelled at Coby, who was still unconscious. He moved Coby's head with his boot but the boy just didn't wake up.
"Well, that's one down," Morgan chuckled darkly. He held his axe up, the metal glinting off the sun. "Any last words Roronoa?"
A shadow passed over the sun and Zoro glanced up. He had to force himself not to bug his eyes out and risk warning the Captain of the incoming projectile. The scream was faint but got louder.
"-ahhhhh-"
"I thought I was supposed to get shot," Zoro smirked.
"-aaaAAAHH-"
Captain Morgan stiffened. "Don't be a smartass, Roronoa. Face your death."
"AHHHHHHHH! FATHER!"
"What the-?!"
The captain looked up just in time to have his own face slam into his body, burying him into the ground. The rock crumbled into smaller rocks and the rubble clattered onto Coby and Zoro. The former woke up in a daze.
"W-what-" Coby murmured, in a daze. He looked around him, for a second thinking that he was somewhere else entirely. The whole courtyard was filled with gravel dust and rocks. Luffy sat on a heaping pile of rubble, covered in gray-white dust.
"Luffy-san?!"
"Shishishi! That was fun!"
Luffy hopped off one of the stones, dusty but unharmed. "Found your swords, Zoro!"
Helmeppo groaned from the pile. He looked down and saw one of his father's eyes staring back at him. He grimaced, quickly shuffling to get off the stones. "F-father…'
Helmeppo turned to Luffy. "Look what you did you-"
"Luffy-san, hurry!" Coby interrupted, still frantic. "They just tried to execute Zoro and I just now."
"Eh? Why?"
"That Captain is crazy!" was Coby's response, stopping a moment from trying to untie Zoro. His small form began to shake.
"I'm no Marine," he said, "but even I know that you should never turn on your comrades! It's an absolute dishonor to the Marines!"
"Shut your mouth, boy," came the voice of Captain Morgan, rising from the rubble. His form dripped with scratches and blood from his wounds. "Before you say something you'll regret."
Helmeppo came to help his father up, dusting him off. Morgan looked at him coldly. "Look what they did, father. You should execute them all-"
The Captain landed a punch across his son's face that pushed him to the end of the courtyard.
"Gauugh!" Helmeppo spit out blood.
"Helmet Hippo!" Luffy yelled.
Coby only untied the knots faster.
Luffy took one of the swords and cut the ropes. "You take too long, Coby."
Coby sighed, head dropping in relief. Luffy always saved him.
The straw hat boy thrusted the swords at his newly freed First Mate, still staring at the crumpled heap that was Helmeppo. He fixed a glare, then, to Captain Morgan.
Morgan ordered his men to attack.
"Kill them! Kill them all for disgracing my name and statue!" He crushed the remains of his statue into dust.
The Marines officers hesitated, but pulled their triggers after a second. The bullets came at high speed towards the group.
Luffy took the first round of bullets, letting them pelt him. He hunched over, seemingly in pain.
The second round flew at Zoro, and the swordsman closed his eyes as he walked through all of them, crossing his arms once.
Captain Morgan started laughing maniacally. "Yes! Kill them all!"
"HUp!" Luffy said. "Just kidding." He lifted his face and grinned.
"Have them BACK!" The bullets bounced back with twice the speed and power to the Marines. They fell over with various wounds.
"What? What are you?" Morgan demanded.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! The man who is going to be Pirate King! I ate the gomu-gomu fruit so I'm a rubber man!"
He ran towards Captain Morgan, his grin replaced with a scowl. "And I'm gonna kick your ass!"
X.
On Zoro's side, Coby looked at the unscathed swordsman.
A tinkling sound on the ground led him to look down.
A gold shell casing, split cleanly in half.
As he continued to look, Coby found the shells littered all around Zoro, cut into two.
Coby gaped in shock. Such precision! Roronoa Zoro … Just how powerful is he?
Zoro put his third sword between his teeth. Coby gasped, not believing his eyes. Rika's voice came into his head.
"He has three swords he carries around to fight people."
There it is… the sword style rarely used, if ever - Santouryou! Coby thought, in complete admiration of the skill.
The marines waited, but since he didn't attack, they ran towards him. Their guns useless, they used their swords and slashed at him. Only... they couldn't. Their swords were stuck.
Zoro smirked. In one swift move, he brought all the swords down, some of them getting cut in half, useless. "What dull swords," he remarked.
Now defenseless, the marines trembled in fear. Zoro ran towards them, slicing through, and when he came back out, all of the clothes of the officers had fallen off. They were left in only their underwear. They all ran off in embarrassment and Zoro sighed, taking his sword out of his mouth.
"Well, that wasn't much of a challenge," he said in disappointment, yawning. Coby looked on in awe.
"Tell me when Luffy's done," Zoro told Coby, settling by the post he was originally tied up on.
"S-sure," Coby said, watching as Zoro pulled his bandana over his eyes and promptly started snoring.
H-he FELL ASLEEP?! Coby thought in dismay, a large sweat dropping from his head. T-this guy is something else…
X.
Luffy and the navy captain stood at opposite sides, only a few yards from each other. A slight wind blew the dust in the middle of the two
"Helmet Hippo admired you! He kept saying you would save him!" Luffy suddenly yelled.
"Ha! That poor excuse of a son?!" cackled Captain Morgan. "The only reason I hadn't hit him earlier was because he wasn't even worth the effort or attention!"
"But, Mugiwara, why do you care? Don't you hate him, too? After all, he was the one responsible for getting Roronoa Zoro imprisoned here."
Luffy clenched his fists. "Anyone who hurts a friend with no regret is unforgivable!"
"Friend? Don't make me laugh, Mugiwara!" He was already laughing. "How long have you known my bastard son? Ten minutes? How could he possibly be your-"
"Enough talk!" Luffy yelled, impatient. He cracked his knuckles.
"I'm gonna kick your ass!" he repeated.
X.
Helmeppo lied on the dirt, crumpled on the ground. He had heard everything that the Monkey brat and his father had said - as well as his father's view of him.
He painfully shifted his body enough to see a blur of red in the distance, the straw hat-wearing boy standing to fight against his father. Helmeppo reflected upon what his father and Luffy said and found that he surprisingly agreed with his father.
He was a good-for-nothing nobody.
And friend?
Helmeppo would scoff if he could.
What could have possibly made that stupid boy think that he was his friend? Perhaps it was because he had helped find Roronoa Zoro's swords? But even then, he tried to discourage the stupid Monkey brat.
And after all that he had done and said to him? How could he even consider… how could he stand there and defend him?!
Slowly, Helmeppo lifted up a trembling hand, closing it into a fist.
Tears and snot streaming down his face, Helmeppo smiled brokenly. He hoped Luffy could see him.
Thank you… Luffy-san. Win this fight!
X.
Luffy whipped his arm to throw a punch but it landed on the Captain's Axe. Grunting, Luffy squinted as he leaned his whole body in the punch. From the corner of his eye, he could see Helme Hippo raise his hand into a fist. Luffy grinned, understanding immediately.
"Of course!" he answered out loud.
The axe started to crack.
"Nani?!" Captain Morgan yelled, shocked. That's all he could do as Luffy's punch broke through the metal to crush his jaw brace and throw him up into the air. The Captain's large frame flew up in the air, blocking the sun.
Luffy then coiled his legs and jumped further than he threw the Captain, coming up just above him.
"Gomu gomu no… Leg Axe!" Luffy whipped his leg up and brought it down with all his strength. Morgan coughed up blood in midair before shooting down like a bullet to the ground. The impact caused a small crater to form, and subsequently waking up Zoro from his short nap.
"Huh? Morning already?"
"YOU WERE JUST IN A FIGHT!" Coby couldn't resist yelling. The swordsman didn't look all that intimidating with a slight bed head and sleepy eyes.
"Oi, senchou," Zoro called. "All set to go ?"
Luffy settled his straw hat more firmly on his head. "Yeah!"
Captain Morgan laid spread-eagled in the middle of the crater, unconscious, white irises looking up at the cloudless blue sky. He was defeated.
Zoro got up and strolled to his chuckling captain. As they walked away - Luffy, of course, complaining that he was hungry - Coby stayed behind.
The short boy looked at the two monsters and the wreck they caused around them. Luffy and his crew would be a force to reckon with, Coby could already tell.
And it would be his job to stop them.
He glanced at the fallen Marines and from the corner of his eye, Coby could see a hurt Helmeppo trying to get up. He could make this right.
If he wanted to become a great Marine, he couldn't be following pirates around… even if that pirate was his friend.
Coby stared at the retreating back of Monkey D. Luffy, the familiar open red vest waving in the slight breeze. Zoro walked beside him now.
Unwanted tears welled up in his eyes. He could feel the snot dripping down his nose and he sniffed before taking a deep breath:
"LUFFY-SAN!"
Luffy turned around, confused.
"I'M STAYING HERE!" Coby cried. ""What I saw today… doesn't mean my dream has changed! I'm still going to pursue true justice!"
Luffy's face stayed blank. Zoro stopped ahead, a slight smile on his face as he looked at the crying boy.
"I'll get stronger… and won't need any saving…! The next time we meet, Luffy-san, I'll be a marine…" Coby sniffled, "and you'll still be a pirate!"
He looked up in fierce determination, snot running down his nose and meeting Luffy's eyes even through the tears that didn't stop.
"So watch your back, Pirate King! I'll be right behind you to catch you!"
At this, Luffy grinned from ear-to-ear. "Shishishi!"
He raised one arm in a gesture of goodbye. "See you later, Coby. Train hard!"
Coby sobbed.
X.
End of Chapter 2
X.
I just had to finish this… even at 4:30 in the morning.
(slowly sinks into bed) Please… review… Zzzz... construct-ehh(snore)-ive criticismmm appreshiayytedd...
AH! And before i forget, i need your guys' opinions:
"Berri" or "Belli" ?
I looked on Wiki and saw Belli first so i used it, but I want to know which one is more "officially correct" I guess :p
Thank you! (and good night, er, morning. whatever.)
forgottensongs
