"Ooooh, so this is what it looked like when he died!" Luffy exclaimed, scanning his surroundings eagerly.

"Hey, you! Get down from there, that platform is a landmark of this town, it's off-limits!" A marine officer called up at him. Luffy looked down at him. His face drooped.

"Aw, I'm just looking," he pouted. Completely ignoring the marine's demand, Luffy began to look around again, eyes drinking in every little thing they saw. Which was, for Luffy, a big deal.

"I'm warning you!" The marine shouted, "If you don't come down right—"

"I'll take it from here, soldier," a deep voice said from behind the marine. A giant, hulk of a man was looming in the shadow of the tower, with short, wiry white hair and two cigars hanging out of his mouth.

"C-Captain Smoker, sir!" The marine saluted. Smoker stared avidly up at Luffy. "I heard that Grove kid was here, but instead I get Straw Hat Luffy? It's like losing 10 beli and finding 100. You there!" He shouted at Luffy.

"Eh? Who are you?" Luffy questioned him.

"Oy, you just met me ten minutes ago…"

Brett watched the scene safely from the roof. As a general rule, Brett hated Pirates, but from what he heard about Straw Hat Luffy and his crew, he didn't seem to be a bad guy. Although he didn't make much contact with people nowadays, being from East Blue, Brett knew that Luffy had taken out Buggy the Clown, Don Krieg, and Arlong, three of the biggest baddies East Blue had to offer. And in turn, Luffy landed himself a 30 million beli bounty, which is double Brett's current bounty (although Brett technically never did anything). Intensely curious, Brett advanced on the scene, hoping to hear more.

"Listen to me, Straw Hat. I know all you rookie pirates have dreams of being the Pirate King, but you'll never make it on the Grand Line if you can't get past me. So let's settle this."

Luffy cocked his head to the side. "All I have to do is kick your ass? Fine!" Luffy grinned his big grin and wrapped his arms around the platform stand.

"Gomu Gomu no… Rocket!" He shouted, blasting off towards Smoker like a cannon. Brett's eyes widened.

So that's how he did it. Devil's Fruit user, should have guessed, Brett looked up at the sky. It was a murky shade of gray now. Was it just him, or was there a certain chill in the air that didn't feel natural? Ignoring this intuition, Brett turned his attention back to the fight at hand, and was stunned.

Buggy the Clown had Luffy on the execution platform, locked in the stocks. There were pirates and marines scattered about on the ground below, watching raptly. And running towards the platform were two men, a tall, gangly one with blond hair and a suit, and a green-haired man wielding three swords.

"Roronoa Zoro," Brett said to himself, recognizing the swordsman instantly. Were the two part of Luffy's crew? It would explain why they were making a mad dash towards the platform.

Buggy was laughing his head off, he seemed to be having the time of his life. Holding his sword to his side, he announced to the crowd at large,

"Finally, my revenge is complete! Before I flashily execute you, Straw Hat, do you have any last words?"

There was complete silence. Brett held his breath, not knowing why he was taking such an interest in this, but not caring at the same time. And then…

"I AM THE MAN WHO WILL BECOME THE PIRATE KING!"

It was as if time had stood still. Everyone standing in the village square, marine, pirate, pedestrian alike, looked up at Luffy as if he were something supernatural.

"To say something like that, here of all places…" Smoker whispered to himself, staring wide-eyed at Luffy.

Brett was just as stunned. "I…wow…" was all that could come out of his mouth as he watched. Buggy still laughed, and raised his sword up high. Brett made his mind up right there; he jumped from the rooftop toward the platform, his hands outstretched.

"Kaze Kaze no…." the words were hardly out of Brett's mouth when he realized he was going to be too late. The sword was coming down. Luffy smiled and said he was dead. Time stood still again, for the second time in an enternity…

A flash of white illuminated the entire square. A fork of lightning zigzagged down and struck Buggy's blade just before he struck. There was a terrible sizzling noise, and Buggy fell over backward. Luffy stood up, still grinning like an idiot, and laughed a hearty, full laugh.

"Whew, I thought I was a goner for sure!" Luffy proclaimed as he jumped off of the platform and was immediately greeted by his crewmates.

Brett, still mid-jump, landed a few feet outside the square instead. He turned in time to see the three pirates being bared down upon by Smoker and the marines. If he missed his chance with Buggy, this was it instead. Brett watched as Smoker's arms turned to a thick, white smoke, and grabbed Luffy around the middle. His two mates tried to help, but to no avail.

Brett popped his neck and back. He pulled a pair of black gloves, studded with white jewels, out of his back pocket and slid them over his hands. He crouched, and in an instant sprang up and flat-out sprinted towards Smoker. He was there in a flash, and before Smoker even knew what hit him, he received a brutal punch to the face that sent him flying into a building.

"Go, I'll buy you some time," Brett said, flashing a smile at the three. All three looked surprised, but the blond one and Zoro got the message quick enough. Turning around, they ran towards the docks.

"C'mon Luffy, we need to go!" Zoro called as he ran.

"Why are you fighting him?" Luffy asked Brett.

"You all don't seem that bad. Just a hunch," Brett replied.

"Well, what are you waiting for then? Let's go!" Luffy laughed and turned to run. Brett looked questionly at him.

"Go where?"

"Our ship, duh."

"You trust me enough to let me on your ship?"

Luffy laughed again. He stretched his arm out and caught Brett's, pulling him with him. As Brett lurched forward against his will, Luffy said "Let's call it a hunch."

Brett looked at him, flashed another smile, and began to run.

Another fork of lightning flashed across the sky. Smoker picked himself out of the small pile of rubble he was knocked into.

"Oh, you're gonna pay for that one. You there," he barked at the nearest marine, "get my Bike. Make it quick."