Chapter 2.
"If we just keep this heading we'll reach the marine base in no time" Coby said
"Really you mean we'll actually reach the place we set out to" Luffy asked
"Of course I'm merely using the skills any sailor should have" Coby said
"If you haven't figured it out by now Coby, Luffy's not like other sailors" I said with my hands in the pockets of my dark blue jeans as my black baggy t-shirt flapped slightly in the wind in my black shoes I continued to stand on my board using the shadows, which cause my eyes to turn purple, to generate a constant wave that was moving us along and at a fast rate too.
"I don't get why you're so giggly about reaching the marine base. That's where they're holding Roronoa Zolo, the famous bounty hunter. He's a demon I tell you!" Coby said as if he were telling a ghost story
"You shouldn't waste your breath once Luffy's set his mind to something you can't change it no matter how hard you try" I said with a sigh
"I wonder if he'll join my crew" Luffy said
"WHAT?" Coby said as I smiled
"What did I say" I said shaking my head slightly
But then once we got to the marine base city, when Luffy asked a fruit merchant if he knew where Zolo was all the people on the street backed away and pressed themselves to the walls of the nearby buildings
'Odd' I thought looking around
"Then lets head to the marine base you said you wanted to join didn't you Coby" Luffy said
"Yeah but I'm not sure if I'm ready yet" Coby said as we walked down one of the streets again "from what I've heard the captain of this base is Captain Morgan" Coby said and as he said Captain Morgan the same thing happened when Luffy mentioned Zolo
'Oh, strange they seem to be afraid of him and Zolo' I thought looking around again
But then later as we arrived outside the marine base Luffy looked over the wall and found Zolo and Coby was at a loss as to why the marines were letting someone as 'Dangerous' as Zolo out in the open
"Hey you three get lost you're an eye sour" Zolo said
"Hn" I said "Then what are you" I said plainly with a slight hint of anger in my voice but then a latter appeared drawing my attention along with Luffy's and Coby's as a little girl climbed up and then used a rope to climb down the other side and run up to Zolo
"Get lost kid" Zolo said and I slightly got mad but I remained calm as the kid offered him so food but then some guy with blond hair walked in to the yard Zolo was in.
"What this" the blond guy said "didn't you know" he said "anyone caught helping a criminal will be executed, so said by my father" he said and the little girl looked scared then the blond guy took her rice balls that she was going to give Zolo and he smashed them in to the ground but I put a small layer of shadows below them and a layer between the guys shoe and the rice balls so no dirt was in them and all he did was smash them, then the guy was cruel enough to have the little girl thrown out only to be caught by Luffy, but then when the blond guy left I went over the wall.
"You still here" Zolo asked annoyed as I stared at him then I sighed as I used the shadows I had under the rice to lift it up
"You might as well eat this since that little girl went through all that trouble to make them" I said holding up the rice to Zolo "And don't worry there's not any dirt in them since I use a bit of my abilities to keep them from actually touching the dirt or the bottom of that basturd's shoe" I said
"Thanks" Zolo said as he gladly accepted the rice "it's good" he said
"Are you really all that strong?" I asked and he looked at me "You're out here for all the world to see and you're only true barrier is those ropes on your arms and around your middle" I said
"I just have to last till the end of the month then I'll be free" Zolo said
"You expect someone like that basturd to keep his word I doubt he has even a shred of honor to his name" I said with anger in my voice
"HN" Zolo said "one question" he said and I looked at him
"What is it?" I asked tilting my head
"Are you gay?" he asked and I instantly got mad and I punched him
"Like hell I am" I said anger clearly written on my face "I'm straight you son of a bitch" I yelled then I stormed off in a rage 'How dare he?' I thought in rage still.
Later though
"Really" the little girl asked
"Yeah he ate every bit of rice" I said not really caring as the little girl looked happy "but I don't get why you'd risk your life like that" I asked
"Well he's being punished for us" the little girl said drawing my curiosity
"You're not making any since" Luffy said
"It's that Helmeppo's fault he's the son of captain Morgan" the little girl started to tell us about what happened three weeks ago when Helmeppo let his beloved doggy out and threatened to have any one who got in his doggy's way executed
'What a disgusting excuse to kill' I thought in anger
And then the girl went on telling us about how Zolo stood up for her and her mother only to make a deal with Helmeppo who threatened to have both the little girl and her mother killed, if Zolo could last one month then he'd let the girl, her mother and even Zolo live though I have a feeling that, that little slim ball of a man has any intention of letting Zolo go free.
But then we all heard the clatter of dishes in the restaurant that the little girl and her mother ran and as we went in to see what was going on Luffy heard Helmeppo say that he was so board he might just have Zolo executed that angered Luffy just enough that he punched Helmeppo only to have Coby hold him back
"What a waste" I said walking in with my bangs hiding my eyes "You really don't know the meaning of honor do you" I said glaring down at Helmeppo with my eyes currently on the verge of turning purple "What a disgrace" I said "Leave before I kill you myself" I said "Luffy" I said "Let's go get Zolo to join your crew" I said
"Right" Luffy said and the two of us walked out
"What? Hey, what are you guys crazy or something?" Coby said
"Depends on how you look at things" I said with my eyes back to normal but I was still angry "Either were crazy for being brave and doing the right thing or we're brave because we're crazy" I said with a smirk as I looked over my shoulder "But either way I tend to do what I want, for I still have my dream to fulfill and I need to join a crew that will help me with this" I said smiling "So Luffy what do you say can I join your crew?"
"Of course" Luffy said smiling as the two of us walked to where Zolo was
Luffy went in first and told Zolo about his plan to have him join his crew and then Luffy decided to go get Zolo's sword
"What is that guy" Zolo said since Luffy first started towards the base but went the opposite direction only to use his gum – gum rocket to speed the other way after Zolo informed him of his error.
"He's what's known as a rubber man" I said walking up to Zolo "And fair warning you call me gay again I'll kick your ass" I said crossing my arms as I glared at him
"Right" Zolo said with a small smirk "So if you're not gay then why do you look similar to a girl" he asked and nearly punched him only to stop my fist centimeters from his face
"Duh I am a girl" I said flicking his forehead as I sighed "I had to dress up like a boy for a while or else I would have had to deal with a ugly jealous captain, and trust me she was ugly enough as it was" I said with sigh "The names Kuroichi D. Ryu, but just call me K.D." I said "I'll only allow you to call me Ryu if you join Luffy's crew" I said as I started to untie the ropes on Zolo's arms then Coby joined me and tried to untie Zolo as well.
"Hold it right there" someone said causing me to turn and see a man with blond hair with an axe for a hand wearing a marine captain jacket without any sleeves with a row of marines in front of him with their bullets aimed at us
"Go ahead shoot but I'll give you fair warning all your bullets will miss their targets" I said facing the marines with only confidence on my face and in my eyes not even the slightest fear could be found
"K.D. what are you nuts" Coby said
"K.D. so you're the pirate said to be nothing more than a shadow" the man said "Then if I kill you I'll be known to all as Captain Morgan the man who killed the Shadow pirate." The man said
"So you're Captain Morgan the basturd who kills innocent people for no reason" I said with my hands in my pockets "Tell me how do you expect to kill a shadow?" I asked as a slight breeze blew some of my hair slightly
"Simple" captain Morgan said "Men Ready, Aim, FIRE" he yelled
"Fool" I said as the marines fired their guns but like I said none of the bullets hit their targets "what is a shadow, is it solid? is it liquid? Does it have matter? Does it have mass? Can it take damage?" I asked as I opened my eyes as my normally brown eyes turned purple for a moment "does it have strength?" I asked as all the barrels of the guns started to bend so that they were all now in knots as I my eyes returned to normal "does a shadow exist for everything?" I asked
"What gibberish are you muttering" Captain Morgan said "Men" he said then he noticed their guns "Damn"
"The answer is unknown but one thing I know is clear. With everything there is a shadow it is the duty of those cursed by the shadow fruit to become that shadow to those they see unjust to become the opposite yet similar, a shadow. And I see you as UNJUST" I said pointing at Captain Morgan but then Luffy showed up "Good timing Luffy" I said smiling at Luffy and he just laughed and then I noticed that he had three swords on his back
"Who the hell are you?" Zolo asked still slightly shocked not only from what he saw me do but from the fact that Luffy just jumped from a window completely unharmed
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy and I'm going to be King of the Pirates" Luffy announced with Pride
And with in less than a few moments the battle was won as Luffy and Zolo managed to defeat Captain Morgan but even though we won I still felt slightly depressed as I looked down at my palm in anger and sadness
"Hey Ryu" Luffy said running up to me with a smile on his face snapping me out of my thoughts
Then we all went to the restaurant that little girl and her mother run where they fed Luffy and Zolo all they could eat which was quite a lot
"Hey Ryu" Luffy said causing me to look up from my plate that I was staring at "What's wrong" he asked and I looked down at my plate again
"It's nothing" I said as I ate some food then as I set my fork down on my plate again I started to get lost in my thoughts again
"So can I call you by your name yet?" Zolo asked
"Sure" I said not really listening but yet I heard him still.
"What's up with her?" Zolo asked
"She's probably wondering more about what to do next since she is a shadow user or a shadow as others say" Luffy said
"A shadow?" the little girl asked looking at me and I looked down at her then I looked away as my bangs hid my eyes
"I'll go to the ship now" I said "Thank you for the food" I said
"But you barely touched your food" Coby said noticing that there was over half of my plate still full, but I just walked out without a word and then when I reached the boat I made myself a little makeshift bed and fell asleep for in truth when I start to dwell on what makes a shadow so powerful it's a sign that I'm a little sleep deprived or that I've started to lose faith in myself again