Ch. 4- Romance Dawn for the New World


One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Fake Blizzard © Me


At the Sabao Dome in Grove 33, everyone is an a huge uproar.

"We're in a state of panic, here!" said one of the news reporter. "When the Marines tried to arrest Soul King Brook, his fans started rioting! It seems the star in question has fled the scene! He was a pirate, after all!"

"Damn you, Brook!" shouted the manager. "You dirty traitor!"

XXX

Up in the sky, it is revealed that Brook is riding on a flying fish with the Rosy Life Riders.

"YOHOHOHOHO!" Brook laughed. "Thank you, ever so much! You showed up just in time!"

"Don't thank me," said the Rosy Life Rider. "Shakky sent me. Your crew is waiting for you at Grove 42!"

"Ah," Brook sighed. "Feelings of anticipation are filling my heart, even I though I don't have a heart! YOHOHOHOHOHO!"

XXX

In Grove 41, Sanji has just gotten a call from Franky.

"WHAT?!" Sanji questioned. "What do you mean, 'Nami went to go find Luffy'?! The Marines are coming, you idiot! How could you let her go off on her own?! She could get herself hurt or WORSE!"

"Will you relax?!" Franky asked from the other end. "Look, she's not alone, okay? She's got Snowy with her! She'll be fine!"

"I'm not leaving anything to chance!" Sanji said. "I'm gonna go look for her!"

"All right, fine!" Franky said. "But come and meet us at Grove 42, got it? We're waiting for you, there!"

"Got it!" Sanji said before he hung up.

"So what's going on?" Zoro asked.

"Weren't you listening?!" Sanji asked. "Ugh…okay, let's see here. Marines. Coming here. Nami in trouble. Find Nami, Blizzard, and Luffy. Get to ship. Run away. Understand?"

"No, I don't!" Zoro answered. "Why are talking to me like I'm two years old?! Talk to me like a normal human being!"

"I just that a knucklehead like you would understand something like that," said Sanji.

"Fine, then," Zoro said. "You. Cut. Later."

"Whatever," Sanji said.

"By the way," Zoro began, "don't you think that island over there getting a little rowdy?"

"Yeah, you're right," Sanji agreed. "Island. Rowdy."

XXX

In Grove 44, Blizzard is running as fast he can with Nami, who is guiding him by the direction of the Vivre Card, riding bareback on top of him.

"Keep going, Blizzard!" Nami said. "Luffy should be somewhere up ahead!"

I can tell! Blizzard thought. I can smell his scent way up ahead!

Nami felt her heart swelling with anticipation. She wondered how much Luffy had changed in the past two years. Has he really stronger? Especially after his older brother died in his arms?

I'm coming, Luffy, she thought. I'll be right there, soon!

XXX

In Grove 46, the gathering point of the Fake Straw Hats, Luffy is now standing next to his impostor.

"We just found one of the culprits!" exclaimed the fake Luffy. "We'll start by teaching this fool a lesson! The rest of you, take heed! This is what happens to anybody who defies me!"

"Yeah!"

"Kill him, Big Boss Luffy!"

"Pump him full of lead!"

"Hey, Zoro, Sanji," Luffy said. "Do you know this guy? Blizzard and I ran into him, earlier and-"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, PIRATE SCUM!"

The Marines have appeared, surrounding the pirates, armed with swords, rifles, bazookas, and cannons.

"Straw Hat Luffy and his underlings! Surrender yourselves! Grove 46 is completely surrounded! You have nowhere to run!"

"The Marines?!" the fake Luffy muttered.

"Uh-oh," muttered the real Luffy. "How did they find me? I'm wearing a disguise!"

"What are you talking about, kid?!" asked the fake Sanji.

"Captain!" the fake Zoro said. "The Marines have got us completely surrounded!"

"Don't sweat it," said the fake Luffy. "Why do you think that we recruited so many pirates in the first place? Some of these men have bounties of over 100,000,000 Berries! Caribou! Coribou! Get that soldier from before! Use him as a human shield and bust us outta here!"

"Soldier?" a Marine repeated. "What soldier?!"

"One of our scouts from earlier must've been capture!" said a Marine lieutenant commander.

"This is bad!" said a Marine captain.

"Big Boss Luffy," said Caribou. "I'm afraid that's quite impossible."

"What do you mean?!" asked the fake Luffy.

"That soldier from before," Caribou began, "he lied to us about summoning the Marines. Didn't you?"

Caribou had pinned the soldier from before down on the ground with his foot.

"N-no," he panted. "Please! Don't shoot! I told you, I have a family! Don't kill me! I've got two kids and one more on the way!"

CHAK! Caribou pointed his pistol at him.

"No, you idiot!" shouted fake Luffy. "Stop!"

The fake Blizzard whimpered and covered his eyes with his paws.

BANG! BANG! Caribou shot the Marine soldier in the chest, twice, and the soldier stopped moving altogether.

"Those bastards," a Marine commanding officer said. "They have no intention of surrendering!"

"KIHIHIHI…" Caribou laughed. "I don't appreciate your unspoken rule about how you can lie to pirates."

"Caribou! That crazy son of a bitch!" the fake Luffy muttered. "He disobeyed my orders!"

"CAPTURE THE PIRATES!" a Marine shouted, causing the Marines to charge forward.

"KIHIHIHIHIHI!" Caribou laughed. "I smell blood. The stinking blood of hypocrites!"

The pirates rushed the Marines, as well.

"You damn Marine fools! Our boss is Straw Hat Luffy, the man with 400,000,000 Berries on his head!"

"Slaughter every last one of 'em!"

"Huh?" muttered the real Luffy. "Why are they calling me their boss?"

"I don't get what you're saying!" said the fake Sanji.

"Hey, you idiots!" shouted the fake Luffy. "Come back here! Don't just charge them, blindly!"

WHAM!

"AAAAAAAH! HELP!"

The impostor Straw Hats looked up and see three Pacifista cyborgs, attacking the pirates.

"RUN! IT'S THE PACIFISTAS!"

"Those are the human weapons from the Paramount War, two years ago! Why the hell are they here?!"

"Pirate: Straw Hat Luffy," said PX-5. "Target acquired."

"P-Pacifistas?!" the fake Luffy murmured. "Is this for real? D…did he just lock onto me?!"

"Uh-oh," the real Luffy said under his breath. "I think it's time for me to split."

With that, Luffy turned and walked away, but then ZOW! BOOM! PX-5 fired his laser from his mouth, hitting several pirates.

PX-6 happened to hit Doughty, who is on the ground, bleeding from the head, mouth, and chest.

"Lip 'Service' Doughty," said PX-6. "Bounty: 88,000,000 Berries."

"CAPTAIN DOUGHTY!" Doughty's men cried.

"This can't be happening! This must be a nightmare!"

"Not even a man worth over 80,000,000 Berries stands a chance against the Pacifistas!"

XXX

Not too far away, Nami and Blizzard spotted the chaos going on down below, standing on the roots of one of the trees.

"Oh, no!" Nami cried. "Quick, Blizzard! We gotta get down there, fast!"

Blizzard nodded before he dashed away.

XXX

The Pacifistas are attacking pirates, left and right.

"We're in big trouble, here!"

"Big Boss Luffy! Do something!"

"The Pacifistas are gonna wipe us all out!"

"Hey?! Where did Big Boss Luffy go?!"

It is revealed the fake Straw Hats are running away as fast as they could.

"Hurry up! We gotta get outta here!" said the fake Luffy. "We can't fight something that can take out someone like Doughty like it's nothing!"

Suddenly, the impostors braked to a halt, for Sentomaru and the Pacifistas are now standing in their path.

"Oh, no!" the fake Nami said.

"Do something, Captain!" cried the fake Zoro.

The pirates suddenly began to cheer.

"All right! Big Boss Luffy's gonna fight for us!"

"Yeah! Go, Big Boss Luffy! Show 'em what a 400,000,000 bounty can do!"

Sentomaru looked at the pirates surrounding them.

"Why are these fools calling you Straw Hat?" asked Sentomaru.

"G-get outta my way!" shouted the fake Luffy. "Do you know even know who I am?! I'm the son of Dragon and the grandson of Garp! I…I HAVE A BOUNTY OF 400-"

SHPLAK! Sentomaru drove the side of his giant axe into the fake Luffy's crown.

"STRAW HAT'S NOT SOME PIECE OF CRAP, LIKE YOU!" shouted Sentomaru.

"WHAT THE HELL~?!" the pirates cried.

"B-BIG BOSS STRAW HAT! HE GOT BEATEN!"

"Now I understand," said Sentomaru. "These impostors had these pirates all fooled. PX-5! Identify him!"

PX-5 looked down at the fake Luffy.

"Pirate: 'Triple Tongue' Demalo Black. Bounty: 26,000,000 Berries."

The pirates gasped in shock.

"AN IMPOSTOR?!"

"Uh-oh," the fake Sanji muttered. "Our cover's blown! Run for it, or they'll kill us!"

The fake Straw Hats continued to run away, while the other pirates grew angrier.

"That guy was just pretending to be Straw Hat Luffy?!"

"That bastard tricked us! He took advantage of the real Straw Hat being dead!"

"I've been had!" shouted Albion. "And by a 26,000,000 Berry punk!"

"Huh?" the real Luffy questioned. "So that guy was pretending to be me, the whole time? So that means that the Zoro and Sanji were fakers, too! But they really did look like the real ones."

"The impostor Straw Hats may be fools," said Sentomaru, "but so are you lot for allowing yourselves to be misled! You're all under arrest!"

The pirates gasped in shock.

"And the real Straw Hat is alive!" said Sentomaru. "He's actually somewhere around here! PX-5 picked up his signal the moment we came ashore! TARGET HIM, PX-5!"

BEEP! BEEP! PX-5 beeped before he opened his mouth. ZOW! BOOM! He fired his laser at Luffy, who jumped away at the last second.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" the pirates cried.

TMP! Luffy landed on the platform where the fake Straw Hats stood. FWUP! PLOP! His cloak and fake mustache fell off.

"Man, that was close!" Luffy said. "Hey! What the hell did you do that for?! This backpack has all my lunchboxes in it!"

The pirates went slack-jawed and bug-eyed before they looked at Luffy's wanted poster.

"HE LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE WANTED POSTER~!"

The fake Straw Hats screamed.

"SO THAT WAS THE REAL STRAW HAT LUFFY?!" the fake Sanji questioned.

"Get ready!" said a Marine captain. "We came here, expecting the real deal, anyway!"

FWUFF! FWUFF! A giant storm cloud suddenly appeared over some of the Marines.

"Get out of MY WAY!"

KRRZZZZZT! BABOOM! Thunder clapped, and lightning flashed, striking down the Marine soldiers. TMP! TMP! TMP! TMP! Blizzard appeared, galloping passed the charred bodies before he skids to a stop.

"Blizzard?" Luffy asked. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at the ship, by now!"

Nami hopped off of Blizzard's back and waved her arms at Luffy.

"Luffy!" she called. "It's me!"

Luffy squinted at Nami for a moment, but then his eyes went wide as saucers.

"Nami?" he asked before his face lit up. "Oh, my god, Nami! It's you!"

He jumped down from the platform and ran to Nami, who did the same. Just as the distance between them grew shorter…

"Pirates: 'Cat Burglar' Nami and 'White Wolf' Blizzard. Bounty: 16,000,000 Berries and 350,000 Berries," said PX-6.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! He opened his mouth, about to fire his laser beam.

Luffy gasped.

"NAMI, LOOK OUT!" he shouted.

ZOW! BOOM! PX-6 fired his laser, but luckily for Nami, she didn't get hit. However, she had been sent rolling on the ground a few feet away.

"NO!" Luffy cried before he ran to his navigator's side. He looked her over and didn't see any bruises, but as he did, he spotted Nami's hair and her…chest.

"Whoa!" he said. "Your hair got longer! Your boobs got bigger, too! Oh, well." He helped Nami get to her feet. "You okay?"

Nami simply smiled and said, "I am now."

Luffy smiled before he closed his eyes and puckered his lips, but then, WHAP! Nami slapped Luffy right across the face.

"OW!" Luffy cried. "Dammit, Nami! That hurts! What'd you do that for?!"

"THAT is for making me wait for two years!" Nami shouted.

Luffy rubbed the red palm mark on his cheek, when suddenly, Nami pulled him into an embrace.

"And this…is for coming back," she said.

SMEK! She kissed Luffy deeply on the lips, which Luffy returned. Oh, how Luffy missed the taste of Nami's mouth. In fact, this one tasted even sweeter than he remembered.

Blizzard smiled at the captain and navigator's reunion.

"How touching."

Luffy pulled away from Nami and looked up to see Sentomaru and the Pacifistas.

"You, again?!" Luffy questioned, standing before Nami protectively. "Are you gonna get in our way, like you did, last time?! I was supposed to not get into any trouble because it'll make it harder to leave!"

"Oh, don't worry," Sentomaru said. "You and your little girlfriend won't be going anywhere, anytime soon! I'm a Marine soldier, now, unlike two years ago, and I'm going to arrest you, Cat Burglar, and White Wolf, here and now!"

"Nami…you better get outta here," Luffy said.

Nami nodded and backed away.

"PX-5! Get him!" Sentomaru ordered.

ZOW! PX-5 fired his laser from the palm of his hand, but Luffy simply motioned his head to the right, dodging the beam so fast, it was almost unseen!

"Too slow," Luffy said.

BOOM! The laser beam exploded.

"What?!" Sentomaru questioned.

"Oh, my god…!" Nami whispered.

"Gear…SECOND!"

PLUMP! FSSSSS! Luffy threw his arm to the side, causing it to pump blood through his body.

"Gum-Gum…"

FWASH! PX-5 prepared to fire his laser at Luffy, again.

"LUFFY, LOOK OUT!" Nami cried.

ZOW! PX-5 fired his laser, but Luffy suddenly disappeared, and then reappeared right above him!

"JET PISTOL!"

POW! Luffy sent a powerful punch right into the Pacifista's face.

Nami gasped.

"He used…Haki…!" Sentomaru whispered in shock.

"HE TOOK DOWN THE PACIFISTA WITH ONE BLOW?!" the pirates shouted.

KABOOM! PX-5 exploded.

I knew Luffy had it in him! Blizzard thought.

Luffy landed on the ground, right beside Nami, but at that moment, he spotted PX-6 approaching Blizzard from behind.

"BLIZZARD!" Nami cried.

"BEHIND YOU!" Luffy shouted.

Blizzard turned to face PX-6, who raised his hand at the wolf-dog. ZOW! He fired his laser at him, but the wolf-dog jumped back before it could hit him.

Now it's my turn! Blizzard thought before he galloped toward PX-6, gaining speed with each sprint.

WHOOSH! He began to spin around like a top, heading straight for PX-6.

Twister FANG!

BOOM! Blizzard pierced PX-6, right through the chest and coming out from the back!

"White Wolf, too?!" Sentomaru questioned.

KABLAM! PX-5 exploded, as well.

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered. "Way to go, Blizzard!"

A…amazing! Nami thought. Luffy and Blizzard…they've gone up a whole new league!

"Luffy!"

Luffy, Blizzard, and Nami looked up and saw Zoro and Sanji, approaching them.

"Hey, look!" Nami said. "It's Zoro and Sanji!"

"There's no mistaking it, this time!" said Luffy. "Long time, no see, huh, guys?!"

"Luffy! There you are!" Zoro said. "We were looking almost everywhere for you!"

"Why are you and Blizzard always in the middle of some huge fracas?!" Sanji questioned, when suddenly, he spotted Nami, or rather, how much she had "grown".

"Hey, guys!" she greeted them.

Sanji gasped.

"NAMI, MY DEAR~!" he swooned.

PLOOSH! He suddenly got a nosebleed so huge, it sent him rocketing into the sky.

"What the hell?!" Zoro questioned.

"Sanji?!" Nami called.

"What's with him?!" asked Luffy.

THUD! Sanji fell to the ground, his face covered in blood.

"Hey, you idiot!" Zoro shouted as he went over and started to shake Sanji. "Wake up! Snap out of it! This is no time for you to start spazzing out!"

"Nami…big boobies…!" Sanji murmured, laughing.

Wow, Blizzard thought, sweat dropping. Some things never change.

"Roronoa! Black Leg!" Sentomaru exclaimed. "They're alive, too! PX-7! Get them!"

PX-7 appeared in front of Zoro and Sanji, the latter of whom finally snapped out of his short coma and looked up at the cyborg.

SHEEN! He raised his hands, preparing to fire his laser beams at the two Straw Hats, but then…

"MOVE IT!"

SLASH! BAM! Zoro cut PX-7 in the side and Sanji kicked him in the neck.

"I cut him!" Zoro exclaimed.

"Well, I cut broke his neck!" Sanji snapped.

KABOOM! PX-7 exploded, leaving the pirates even more shocked than before.

"It really is the Straw Hat Pirates!"

"They're nothing like those phonies!"

"Hey, Luffy," said Zoro. "You're Number 10."

"SHUT UP!" Sanji snapped. "WHY ARE YOU STILL GOING ON ABOUT THAT?! Luffy, you, Nami, and Blizzard better get going! Everyone's waiting at the ship!"

"Oh! Okay!" Luffy said. "But first, could one of you get my backpack for me?"

"Okay," said Zoro. "Where is it?"

Luffy pointed to the piece of rubble where his backpack is.

"That thing?!" Nami asked.

"It's huge!" Zoro added. "What's in there?!"

"Boxed lunches," Luffy answered.

Why does that not surprise me? Zoro, Nami, and Sanji thought in unison.

Luffy got on Blizzard's back, and then held his hand out to Nami, who allowed him to pull her up on to the wolf-dog's back, too.

"Well, see you around!" Luffy called to Sentomaru. "Who knows? Maybe we'll be seeing you again!"

"Wait, Straw Hat!" Sentomaru shouted.

"Luffy, come on!" Zoro called, holding Luffy's backpack.

"Follow us!" Sanji called.

"We're coming!" Luffy called back. "Blizzard! Let's ride!"

WOOF! Blizzard barked before he galloped off after Zoro and Sanji.

"After them!" shouted a Marine commanding officer. "Don't let the Straw Hats escape!"

The Marines began to give chase.

"Oh, man, this is great!" Luffy said. "It's been so long! I wonder how everyone's doing! Huh? Hey, guys! Stop!"

SKRRRRSH! The Straw Hats braked to a stop.

"Luffy, what are you doing?" Nami asked.

"Why are we stopping?" Zoro asked. "We gotta go!"

Luffy was looking out to the West, his signature toothy grin on his face, and when Zoro, Nami, Sanji, and Blizzard turned to look in the same direction, they smiled, as well.

"RAYLEIGH~!" Luffy shouted.

The Marines stopped in their tracks, and the pirates. There was Rayleigh, sitting in on a tree root, far away.

"D…D…DARK KING RAYLEIGH?!" they all shouted.

"I came to check up on you all, just in case," said Rayleigh, "but now I see it wasn't necessary. Your Haki has become more refined since the last time I saw you, Luffy!"

"Yeah!" Luffy agreed.

"Well, go on then," said Rayleigh. "Go to your friends. They're waiting for you, you know."

"Yeah!" Luffy answered. "Rayleigh! Thanks so much for the past two years!"

"Ha-ha-ha…" Rayleigh chuckled. "I understand that you're being grateful, but now's not the time for formalities. Hurry and go."

Luffy hopped off of Blizzard's back, and then he threw his fists in the air.

"Rayleigh!" he shouted. "I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna be…KING OF THE PIRATES!"

The pirates and Marines stared in surprise, but Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Blizzard, and Rayleigh, the very last of whom is tearing up, all smiled at Luffy, who laughed.

TO BE CONTINUED…


Review, please!