Chapter 3
Bounties
How long has it been since they began sailing in search of One Piece?
Boa Hancock couldn't believe it when she was faced with the newspaper, saying that it has been over a few months since they began their journey. A few months since they left the protection of their home island, a few months since they went to their journey around the world to find the One Piece.
It didn't really help that Luffy doesn't have a clue where it could have been. And it didn't help that none of them are people-person.
Hancock hates men, little annoying things like children, other women who'd gawk at Luffy, or any being in particular, except snakes. Definitely except snakes.
Luffy, on the other hand, hates the government. And really, he doesn't talk much. Which is why whenever it was Luffy who'll brought out a conversation, Boa Hancock would blush furiously.
But even though they rarely 'socialize', The Straw Hat Pirates which consisted of three Pirates (of course, Salome is counted) has been gaining quite a reputation of its own.
That is the reason why they have this so-called bounty placed above their heads, something that symbolizes or says that they are already a threat and an enemy of the Government, and that capturing or killing them would give a huge sum of money.
Luffy, Boa Hancock and Salome, the three members of the Straw Hats, all have their own bounties. A feat that only few Pirate Crews could achieve. All of them are seen as the World's enemies, which is why it didn't truly surprised Luffy that they were being attacked right here, right now, at a place considered as one of the Marine's territory after seeing their well-drawn flag.
Water 7.
One of the nearest towns found in Enies Lobby.
"To the left," Luffy mumbled as he kicked another incoming cannonball that tried ambushing them.
"Hancock—" "I'm on it," Hancock responded as she turned and did a handstand while spinning to kick several cannonballs from their rear.
"Salome, guard the front," Luffy instructed as he has foreseen yet another incoming attack while blocking the cannons directed at the ship's middle part, along with its sails and its masts.
The White Snake's eyes dilated before it quickly moved towards the front of its ship, its long body's muscle size becoming larger while its scales turned a darker shade. And before the Marine could truly see its size, the huge snake caught the cannonball and hurled it back towards them.
None of the Cannons hit their stolen ship. None of these are fast enough to land a strike, or strong enough to pass through the Ship's major and only defenses: The Straw Hats pirates themselves.
"Hancock!" Luffy yelled towards Hancock who was kicking away and petrifying people stupid enough to look at her beauty.
"Yes Luffy-san?" Hancock responded through the battle.
"I think I've decided," Luffy said before taking a huge bite off from the Devil's Fruit, much to his crew mate's surprise.
He was the only one standing.
All seven Marine Battleships were destroyed by these monstrously strong Pirates and all that's left is their ship, the Battle Fleet's Mother ship where the highest ranking of the group was staying at.
Vice Admiral S-Bone, Marine HQ Captain T-Bone's eldest Gorilla-like brother, was on the floor, and he was already beaten to a pulp, being caught off of his guard by the man's incredibly powerful new techniques.
He did his homework and made a background check to the Straw Hat before deciding to attack the Pirate's Crew, something his fellow Vice Admirals never did, especially him.
He knew that attacking at a close combat would have meant instant defeat, as this Pirate Crew not only houses any pirates, but they housed two of the World's newest set of Supernovas and a monster, a giant sea serpent.
He also knew that Hancock has the ability to petrify and kill anyone foolish enough to fall under her charms, and that the Straw Hat's Captain has innate ability over Haki. He also knew that the giant snake can change its length and muscle mass, but he never knew that the Straw Hat has it as well.
He never knew that the Straw Hat utilizes a Devil Fruit, leading to his downfall.
"Kill me now."
"Why should I follow your orders?" the cold deep voice answered him before he felt a heavy feet pressing down on his face.
"Tell me, Vice Admiral? Why. Should. I?" the man repeated, the pressure on his face becoming heavier and heavier, enough to suffocate the Vice Admiral before it was released.
"If I die, I die with the side of Justice," Vice Admiral S-Bone replied before coughing out blood and glaring at the man before him, whose eyebrows had met before turning to smash his foot on his face, which seemed to have been one of the most painful thing he had felt.
However, before the Vice Admiral could retaliate (not that he had any energy left in him), he found himself being lifted from the ground, his neck being strangled by the One-hand's dark grip who was glaring at him.
"Fine then! I'd let you die with this rotten Justice of yours!" The anger and coldness from his voice cannot be stopped, but the Vice Admiral could truly see the pain in those black orbs.
At least, those were the ones he saw before he felt a painful stab on his chest, before he felt it being ripped apart from him.
"ACK!" the Vice Admiral yelled as blood dropped from his mouth before he lost consciousness.
"Pathetic," Luffy mumbled under his breath as he dropped the man before turning to crush his heart beneath his feet before walking away from the murder scene. Hancock stared at Luffy, having watched the fight midway till' its quick end.
"What are you looking at, Hancock, come on," Luffy asked, raising a brow to the woman who was staring blankly at him.
"Nothing," Hancock said, surprise at Luffy before following him from his tracks and detonating the bombs she and Salome had placed around the Ship.
It didn't take long before Hancock, Luffy and Salome were sailing away, watching the ship slowly sink beneath the oceans.
To say that Hancock wasn't bothered by what she saw isn't a complete lie, nor was it the complete truth.
Hancock is, in some way, confused as to what her emotions would be over the matter.
She hated the Government, she hate their corrupted ways of handling things and hated them for what they did to her, to her sisters and to Salome in their past. She hated how they treated her like toys, how they treated the World as a mere game.
And her hatred for the Government was strong enough for her to hate the Marines. One of the people, who tortured her, was one of them. The one who bought her from the Slave's Market was actually a Marine asked by those foolish Celestial Dragons.
She hated how they could turn blind to the World's corruption and act as mindless puppets to them.
But she felt a bit bothered as to how Luffy killed that man as if he wasn't even human (then again, he seemed more of an animal than a man). She didn't know why but the way Luffy stared at the man, the anger that she visibly saw and how he remained unfazed after ripping out a man's heart truly confused her.
Then again, she isn't the one to be bothered by these actions.
She loves Luffy for who he is, for standing up to them, for accepting her for who she was and for understanding what happened to her.
She loves him as a whole, with his flaws and his imperfections.
"I hate them, I hate them so much," Hancock heard Luffy from his cabin, having locked himself in it for quite a while.
She wanted to pity those Marines, a part of her heart, the human part who loves Luffy and cares deeply for Salome, wanted to.
But a part of her, the one that can remember the days from her slavery, the one who hides and kept in all those memories, cannot help but see Luffy's action as one thing: Justice.
Luffy woke up after having slept for a whole day, worn out from 'overusing' his Devil Fruit's ability, as Hancock commented, and from 'adjusting' from its powers.
"How far are we from Alabasta?" Luffy asked as he stared at the Bounty Posters he had collected from their little escapade in Keeps Island.
"A f-few days, t-two weeks as tops…I guess," Hancock guessed.
Luffy sighed. They truly needed a Navigator. And fast.
First because the only sense of direction they could use now is their log pose.
Second, they'll die if they ever encounter a storm, as proof when they almost did die and was only saved because of Salome.
Third, they do not, in any way, have a clue as to where One Piece is.
"So, are you—" "Yes, I'm feeling quite fine, Hancock," Luffy said. It quite irked him how Hancock was treating him more of a baby ever since he 'fainted'.
"Are you su—" "A hundred percent sure."
They continued to sail towards Alabasta in their stolen ship, not really knowing how far or where the island actually is.
However, after a few days, a newspaper arrived to their ship.
Alabasta Saved By Sir Crocodile!
The Royal Shichibukai, Sir Crocodile, has once again, became the hero of the great Kingdom of Alabasta after destroy three Pirate Crews and protecting the town. He successfully defeated and caught Buggy the Clown, a terror of East Blue and all his Pirate Crews. All hostages of the ship was freed, including one of the World's best Cartographer, Nami, who was thought of dead last….
…
…
….As of now, all the freed hostages had been successfully escorted back to their own homes.
Luffy tightened his fist and stared at the Newspaper, re-reading only the vital part once more.
'So Alabasta is under jurisdiction of Crocodile. Darn it, I was too late,' Luffy thought as he glared at the news clipping and the Shichibukai's image plastered along with it.
Luffy isn't a stranger to the word Shichibukai, having him and Hancock being invited in it (and at the same time, declining) after their first 'adventure' inside the Grand Line.
He knew that these seven so-called Warlords of the Seas were known to possess great power, power that threatens the World Government so much they decided to include them in their ranks. As they said, 'If you cannot beat them, then make them join you!'
"Luffy-san," Hancock mumbled, worried at what news bothered her Captain so much that Luffy was already frowning, his usually cold eyes seemingly irked by whatever it was he was reading.
As if snapped out of a trance, Luffy jolted and looked at Hancock before handing him the newspaper.
"Oh…" Hancock mumbled as she saw the headlines, understanding now why Luffy got a bit carried away.
"Yes. Oh." Luffy began, barely hiding his anger. If Luffy has one flaw, then that would be his unquestionably high temperament whenever things do not go according to his plans, something that didn't quite disappeared during the past 10 years he had back in Impel Down.
"But look on the bright side, Luffy-san, don't you think that most people won't—" "What bright side? We'll have to search once more for another damned Navigator before we starve to death for not having enough sense of direction or die in this unbelievably unstable weathers here in Grand Line," Luffy stated calmly yet darkly, another proof of his 'irritation'.
"What are you—" "And East Blue. Of all places she should go in East Blue. Where the heck is this East Blue to begin with," Luffy complained quietly, as if stating facts.
"Umm, that would be—" "I should've chosen another—" "Oh darn it! Here me out Luffy-san!" Hancock raised her voice, a feat she never thought she could've done in front of Luffy, surprising her Captain.
"Okay. Okay," Luffy mumbled as if in surrender.
"First of all, what the heck are you talking about?! All of this with Navigator and she and this and that, what are you saying?!" Hancock yelled, her cheeks tinted with red as her jealousy filled her. Who is this girl he was talking about anyways?
"Second, I know that having our bounties being increased is not something that you truly fancy but why are you connecting this girl with it?!" Hancock continued, pissed off as to how Luffy could connect a girl and their bounties.
"What the heck are you ta—" "Let me finish first, Luffy-san. I won't lose to this woman whoever she was, this I promise you! I'll show you that I'm the best wife there ever is by finding her in East Blue, which is, by the way, one of the five oceans of our world," Hancock said before walking out, dropping the newspaper he had clutched oh-so-tightly with her hands on the floor, revealing what she just read.
Eight Battleships Destroyed
Straw Hat Pirates Strikes Again!
With the new murder incident, the Straw Hats showed how notorious they truly are…
….
….
And after bringing down all these men and almost killing Vice Admiral S-Bone, the World Government and the Marines had come to the decision of doubling their bounties!
…
Boa Hancock now has a bounty of 2…..
Straw Hat now has a bounty of 3…
The White Snake now has a bounty of 8….
Luffy glared at the newspaper which seemed to only have bad news for them, not that it wasn't unexpected or anything.
Newspapers from the World Government aren't really pirate-friendly in the first place. And then, he heard crashing inside the kitchen, before a loud voice cursing out, a loud, Hancock-voice.
"Darn it, first Nami disappears, second our bounty rises and now, I'll have to face her," Luffy mumbled under his breath, with Salome watching her Captain with nothing but sympathy.
And if the little snake is correct, out of the three, what Luffy hated the most is him having to deal with an angry, misunderstood and competitive Boa Hancock, the woman known as the Beautiful Gorgon of Grand Line.
A.N: I'm still mulling over the Devil Fruit (really, your opinions had swayed me somehow, but I think of using a certain fruit already, and has removed the three Paramecia – if you looked closely at the Story above).
And here to answer the questions:
youshouldn'tneedtoknow – The answer would be given in the Future Chapters (but you are free to assume what you want for now XD)
mehmee – Yes, he lost his arm. I think (if I am not mistaken, please correct me if I am) I 'hinted' (or I just confirmed it now) that he lost his left arm.
Mad10041 – There's a reason why I placed Plant as Logia and not Paramecia. And if I truly decided that I'd go with the plant (with lots of weakness, as stated by one of the reviewers), then I have a few 'tweaks' on it. Likewise, I believe that even if it wasn't in the primary elements of nature, as long as it is a form of element, it could be classified as Logia (the one with a 'watery' body).
Feel free to ask question, clarification, or put in your ideas about the possible fruits remaining (I think it was the Plant, Water, Lightning and Fire).
Like it? Hate it? – I hope you didn't – Share your opinions through your reviews! I'll be waiting!
PS: Anyone who could give an accurate answer for the bounty shall receive a cookie!