Chapter 04
Living by our owns goals
"I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy." Og Mandino
"So in short; we're missing our memories, our navigator, and the captain's hat?" Zoro stretched on the railing, not far from Franky; the latter had found that he didn't know the words ships, boats, and prow. He had just kept it quiet until the end of Usopp story, believing he would eventually remember, forcing his brain… until Luffy blew-up his cover asking if he had red laser beams… and rockets. Franky didn't know what a robot was.
"I don't see how that's related." Murmured Usopp seated on the steps leading to the grassy deck. Brook and Sanji were cleaning the kitchen, while the rest of the crew tried to make some sense, outside.
"I have a theory." Said Robin. "You're a swordsman Zoro-san, but more than your identity you forgot everything about your trade."
"Yeah!" Franky straightened. "We all knew what a sword was, but you thought they were sticks!"
Zoro frowned, putting a hand in one of the three swords now firmly stuck in the red sash on his waist. He wasn't very comfortable with them, but it was better than letting them lying around.
"And Luffy-san is the captain." Continued Robin. "And thanks to the logbook, we know that he was very proud to be a pirate. That was taken from him."
"We forgot our skills!" Shouted Usopp.
"Exactly, if I'm correct Sanji-san may be the cook's ship."
"Because he didn't even knew how to boil water?" Asked Franky, before nodding to Robin. "Well, might as well keep reading." Then he added; "Who's going to call the captain?"
Robin, Usopp, and Zoro looked up to see their captain bouncing all over the ship, practicing is new found rubber power.
"IT'S AWESOME!"
Meanwhile, on the kitchen another amnesic crew mate was questioning his presence on the ship;
They were humans!
Humans everywhere! And he was trapped in this ship with humans! Albeit, he wasn't sure what he was, his instincts were telling him that he was different. What confused him was that these same instincts identified them as part of his herd… well they didn't act in a hostile manner and he seemed than the most dangerous male the named Luffy had him under his protection.
Not to mention, some of these humans seemed do have forgot more thing than he did. Swords and tomatoes weren't really in the list of forgettable items.
Even more confusing, he supposedly was called Chopper and was a pirate. He even had a wanted poster! Could pets be pirates? Trustfully, he didn't really liked the fact of being a pet. It seemed degrading. Well he could wait patiently until the female, Robin, found a mention of him in the book.
"IT'S AWESOME!"
The joyful scream dragged his mind away from his toughs. His eyes found the human with a paper bag on his head and the skeleton finishing the kitchen's cleaning. The male called Brook had a hard time explaining very corner of the kitchen do the one called Sanji; the poor human had a very funny reaction to the dishwashing liquid. "It's making bubbles!" He had said with amazement.
The door opened, allowing the entry to the female and the metal smelling guy, followed by an angry swordsman dragging a pouting captain. Long-nose closed the door chuckling at the inflated blood vessel sported by Zoro.
"We made tea." Said the skeleton bringing the teapot on the table, while the others settled around the table.
"Wonderful idea, Brook-san." Retorted Robin with a smile.
"Sanji-kun boiled the water."
"Ah, marvelous."
"He's progressing, now he knows how to turn on the oven on his own."
"That's very heartening."
"It is, isn't it?"
"Can you two stop talking like if I wasn't here?" Shouted Sanji by placing the cups next to the teapot.
Franky cleared his throat interrupting another round of the mild gibe, and lifted the book from the table where they had let him, and handed it to Robin. There was a wordless agreement, that the only one able to read was Robin due to the fact the author was another female… and the fact that the logbook seemed more and more like a diary than anything else. If needed, Robin could edit some passage that the males couldn't handle.
3 June, 220 miles from Loguetown's island, East Blue's sea.
891 hPa, wind 50 knots, E (80°)
It is dawn, but we cannot see the sun. The storm is still strong, black heavy clouds hide the sky, and were barely ripped by longs flash of lightning. Still, the ship maneuvers easily enough.
"I think, we're not on the Merry Go." Said suddenly Robin, turning the book for all them to see.
There was a draft of a ship. It was hasty drawing, but the traits were steady enough to make a fairly good sketch. It was even better that the one with Zoro, evidently, the navigator wasn't accustomed to draw humans, and was more confident in her area of expertise.
"That not the ship we are in." Confirmed Sanji. "The figurehead of Merry Go is a sheep, and this one has a sunflower."
The crew nodded… and blinked.
"Yes, a… What sunflower?!" Exclaimed Zoro. "It's a lion!"
"It's a flower you… you Moss Head!" The crew gasped; Sanji had called the first mate a Moss Head? Wasn't it against some hierarchy rule or something? "Didn't you saw the petals?"
"It's the mane, you… Paper-brain!"
"Bird's shit!"
"Crap bag!"
"Grassy moron!"
That was kind of lame. Though Usopp closing Franky's mouth, while Luffy and Brook were laughing their ass off. Robin was more preoccupied by her tea than anything else. The crew eventually had to stop the fight when Sanji jumped Zoro dropping the two of them on the floor still screaming profanities at each other.
Once, and only once, all of them had calmed down, Robin resumed her reading.
This morning, I had the time to talk with the guys about the events in Loguetown. Apparently, our dumb captain has the devil's luck.
While most of us were shopping for supplies, Luffy decided to play tourist visiting the town and he found himself on the plaza where the famous Execution Platform who at seen Gold Roger died still stood. Truthfully, this time it wasn't Luffy fault that thing at gone wrong; well not totally.
While he was admiring the view from the platform, some woman called him from the plaza… it seemed that, she was doing something, because all the men around were acting, was our captain said, weirdly… Luffy's innocence is one of the things that still astound me.
That woman is named Alvida, which a recall from a wanted poster in being a bulky and very unattractive pirate captain. From what Luffy told me, in the very beginning of his journey he had sent her flying by the means of a punch… and she had come back with slippery power provided by a Demon's Fruit, sexy and among everything else had the apparent desire to marry our captain... Sanji was crying at that part, but I'm not sure if it was in disbelief or envy.
Sanji lifted his head. He was finally mentioned; but the sentence was puzzling.
Alvida was not alone. She had teamed up with Buggy; maybe Luffy had sent them flying in the same direction? Buggy's men trapped Luffy on the platform for what sounded like his execution. Zoro and Sanji tried to rescue him, but Buggy had been already there ready to cut Luffy's head off!
That's when Luffy's Devil luck come into play; Will Zoro and Sanji were battling pirates and evading the marines on the plaza, Usopp and I had to head back to the ship. I storm was brewing, and if we wasted ours chance, we would be stuck in Loguetown with pirates and marines on ours hide. But that storm saved Luffy head.
It is well known that lighting tent to hit the highest point in one area, well, the execution platform was fairly tall. What was surprising however was that a bolt of lightning hit Buggy's sword right when he was going to indulge Luffy from his head.
Luffy survived without a scratch, Buggy was crispy, and the platform completely destroyed.
We escaped Loguetown, after running from a commodore named Smoker who also was a Devil's Fruit user, and now, we're still in this storm sailing in direction of Reverse Mountain.
Thinking about storms; to think that a crazy female pirate associate with Buggy sees Luffy as a prospective husband is a scary thing on his own right. Why? Well because it appears that, that attraction was the result of Luffy's "kick ass effect" on her. Thankfully this particular symptom will be limited to that woman only; otherwise it will be quite awkward. I don't want the Straw Hat's crew changing name to be known as the Heartthrob's crew… – Nojiko will probably die laughing – even if I would get to see the face of Sanji when a bunch of women, bypassing him, would run straight do our dumbfounded captain.
That would be priceless!
But then again, managing a hazardous, silly, oblivious, and rubbery harem-monger will probably kill me. Yes, that was downright a scary perspective. It's probably better if I stop writing for now, maybe to drink something like hot chocolate, before I start to imagine Zoro reaction to a female boarding party invading the ship. The poor guy would have a stroke!
If someone asks about this, I will claim temporary insanity due to lack of sleep.
Usopp was one of the men prepared to laugh loud and high at the scary perspective given by Nami. Until Franky suddenly a faint voice wondered;
"Now that I think about it; where this ship is going?"
Cackles and snickers died in more than one throat. Sudden realization hitting them full force. Luffy's imaginary harem was forgotten. And like one man, they rose, before hustling to the door.
The crew finally made some strange discoveries; the sails were folded up, but the boat wasn't anchored, which abandoned them to the current mercy. Thankfully, the weather was calm if not, they would have toppled over. Next to the helm was a lever, but they didn't dare touch it. Also, there were no compasses. Robin found a large variety of maps in the girl's room, most of them having Nami signature, but they didn't have any idea of the one they were supposed to use.
Finally, after some discussion the crew the crew decided to pull the sails down judging that it was better sailing to somewhere, than staying nowhere. Taking advantage of the weather, they moved to the lawn deck to continue the reading.
Merry Go is still on course, the wind is getting stronger. We will probably arrive at Reverse Mountain at the beginning of the afternoon. I think that I still have time to introduce our first class pirate cook, the strengthening of the bond between men and of course, my treachery.
Usopp at just joined the crew when Luffy decided to train with the cannon. Usopp gave it a try, and marvelously hit square on a tall and rocky narrow islet. I wasn't preoccupied with that, until a pirate hunter boarded our ship destroying everything he saw; it appears that Joni and his ill friend Yosaku were taking a rest on the islet when Usopp took aim at it… Zoro knew them and calmed a distraught Joni. After hearing the symptoms of Yosaku, frustration took over and I screamed at the still pained Luffy and Usopp to bring the sick man lemons juice.
Yosaku had scurvy and I used the excuse to try making them understand the importance of a diversified alimentation at sea. I'm not sure that I succeed in such, but Luffy makes the decision to find a cook.
Fortunately Joni new of a ship restaurant, the Baratie, where we could hopefully find a chef.
That when we meet Sanji, the fourth members to join, and our chef's crew…
"I'm a chef?" Sanji was mystified. "I can cook? But… but I don't…"
"Robin-san has a theory." Interrupted Usopp before explaining the findings they made when relaxing on the railing. Then he shrugged, dismayed. "The problem is that we don't know what our skills were until the moment we don't remember them… Well, even if we understood that, we still don't have any idea of what happened."
Sanji is originally from North Blue but was educated in East Blue aboard the Baratie. Even if he is a cook, he knows how to fight. However, he only uses his legs. One kick is powerful enough to easily destroy furniture, pirates and stand up to Zoro's katana. In perspective, Sanji is another powerful member of our crew. Sanji is a tough man, with a strict conduct code, similar to Zoro's view of an honorable battle. Sanji has a short temper moreover it's not unusual to see him screaming at Luffy stupid behavior, or brawling and trading insults with Zoro.
Nevertheless, the first time I saw him I though he has a silly blond wannabe womanizer with a curly eyebrow…
"What? She saw my face? It's a disaster!"
"You're that ugly?" Asked Usopp. Sanji had hidden is wanted poster somewhere, and aside from Luffy no one knew what he looked like.
"Strange." Said Franky. "If you're not fond of your appearance now, there is no reason that you liked it then, so… How could you be a womanizer?"
"Ah, the question isn't supposed to be; how could the navigator know his face?" Blinked Zoro.
"Maybe, his face was terribly disfigured during our journey." Said Robin smiling.
"Yohohoho! You're scary Robin-chan!"
"I didn't see any scars." Interjected Luffy outstretched on the grass. "It seemed natural."
Sanji let out a low whimper, grasping is only support; a brown and already wrinkly looking paper bag.
"Could we just carry on?" Sighted Usopp crossing his arms.
We arrived at the Baratie, following Joni indication, two days later… at the exact same time has a boat of the Marines transporting the lieutenant Fullbody, the Iron Fist. Whereas Luffy was cool as a cucumber informing the Marine that the flag was only hissed two days ago, the lieutenant found Joni and Yosaku and started insulting them. Our two pirate hunters didn't take it well and attacked the officer!
The struggle ended so fast that it's even worth recording. Joni and Yosaku lost, of course. No wonder Zoro helped them with some bounties, because heck, they needed all the help that they could get.
It was…
Robin frowned interrupting the lecture.
"What?" Grunted Sanji still sore about their jokes.
"Nothing, the words are rushed and a little difficult to understand, that's all."
It was then, when I was putting some order in Joni's collection of wanted posters that I saw him. It was like having a bucket of cold water tossed at me. Of course, the only person capable of sinking my good mood could only be Arlong. Without the other knowing, I was already planning to take advantage of the first opportunity and robs them from their ship and all the treasure within.
"SHE WAS WHAT?!"
Robin jumped, wide eyed, when the crew appeared ready to lunge at her. She tried to placate the men;
"No, think about it; the navigator, this Nami started writing these events at already happened a while ago. And in the beginning she states clearly that the Straw Hats were, and still are, her crew. Something happened and forced her to act like that."
Then their unfazed captain – who they had totally forgotten about – came rolling on the lawn all the while poking his nose;
"Yeah, continue the story."
"You didn't understand one bit did you?" Asked Zoro
"The story is fun; I beat all the bad guys! So Nami couldn't be bad since she's writing it."
At Franky's chuckles Zoro lifted an eyebrow.
"Sorry, Zoro, I think there is some logic in what the captain is saying."
Once everyone calm again, Robin started again.
It seemed that the lieutenant had been on a vacation with a date, and in a typical dominant and arrogant male's manner ordered his men to sink our ship. Asshole. Luffy rushed and did his Rubber Balloon trick, turning in a large inflatable captain, stopping the canon ball… who bounced on the restaurant roof.
Not too long after, Luffy was carried away by angry cooks. We waited, and when an hour was long past and there no signs of ours captain, we entered the restaurant hoping to, as Zoro said, hit the spot. Funny thing; Luffy was our waiter. He even had an apron.
So he goes from captain to waiter? Though Zoro with a facepalm. Talk about demotion!
Secretly everyone was thinking the same; some had even difficulties maintaining a calm demeanor to the abashed look on Luffy face.
From what we heard he was forced to work for one year to pay the damage. While we were kidding our captain slash waiter around, someone caught my attention shouting something about love, evil, and destiny. We learned very quickly that Sanji had a weakness for women. That was our first encounter with Sanji… and at the same time, Zeff the owner of the Baratie, mentor of Sanji, and former captain pirate known as Zeff the Red-Leg. But we didn't know that yet. We only saw Zeff has a rough looking cook, with an unbelievable tall chief's hat and peg leg, who send Sanji flying at our table!
Thanks God, we saved the dishes!
Luffy laughed at the navigator retort. At least, she knew that food was important!
Sanji excused himself for the trouble by ordering fruit salad and wine for me… and tea for the other.
"That's not fair!" Murmured Usopp.
Two days later, the imposing frame of a heavily damaged galleon ship loomed over us, breaking our moments of peace. The sails were torn, and something appeared to have wanted to ripe the wooden hull apart. It was a Don Krieg's ship, a particular vicious captain pirate. And my opportunity to sail away. Joni and Yosaku were the only one on Merry Go, and I didn't have any problems with throwing them overboard.
Meanwhile a famished Don Krieg boarded the Baratie. He was brought to the ship restaurant by a pirate named Gin, who had been saved from starvation by Sanji. Gin apparently had been in the lieutenant Fullbody's custody, but had managed to escape into the Baratie. After being given food by Sanji, he went searching for his captain, convinced that the Baratie was the best place to restore Krieg and his crew forces. Indeed, something terrible happened to them immediately after their arrival in Grand line that ripped the entire Krieg's fleet into pieces; after seven days at sea they're destroyed by one man.
The crew eyed the logbook incredulously; one man destroyed a fleet? Impossible!
That boat was the only boat that survived the disaster.
Don Krieg begged for rations, and even has the other cook and clients wanted nothing more than call the Marine; Sanji kicked is way in, giving the captain pirates a plate of food. And once his forces returned to him, the only thank Krieg gave Sanji was an elbow on the shin that send our chief flying across the restaurant.
And Krieg announced his decision to take over the Baratie, threatening the cooks so that they feed his men starving on the damaged ship. They try to resist of course, but Krieg had a heavy iron armor protecting him from bullets, cannon balls, and brute strength.
Zeff was the one that interrupted Krieg's verbal diarrhea about who was the strongest, the most powerful – in short, the villain speech – with a large bag of food for the pirate starving outside. It was then that Krieg recognized the chief as the pirate captain Zeff the Red Leg; a man who already sailed the Grand Line, and Krieg already planned to steal Zeff's journals containing essential information about the most dangerous sea in the world. With the journals of the experienced sailor, and the harmless appearance of the restaurant ship, Krieg though that he could sail the Grand Line sheltered from danger.
"That's not cool." Remarked Luffy.
Sanji's frown unseen behind the paper bag, drummed his finger on his knee, trying to understand why he would give food do a dishonorable pirate.
Surprisingly enough, Baratie's cooks versus Krieg's crew hasn't the first combat ensued that day. That's because when Krieg's boarding party prepared themselves, the galleon ship was cut into pieces. By the Hawk Eyes Man, Dracule Mihawk, the world greatest swordsman. Arriving in what seemed a raft, one of the most hazardous men in the sea, cut the already damaged, but enormous, ship with only a sword. And from his own admission he merely destroyed the ship, and followed the pirate crew all this way from the Grant Line, to kill time.
Zoro saw his opportunity to prove himself challenging the monster in a duel, even if minute before Luffy ordered him and Usopp to chase after me. Not that I knew at the time.
Luffy wanted to stay because of his debt to the Baratie owner, and Zoro wanted to stay to test his worth against Mihawk. And I? My God, I was crying all the way back to the only place I could call home. What a difficult sailing it was! In the middle of bittersweet feelings. Torn between the facts that the treasure only brought me closer to the freedom, and the sour knowledge that I had to robe the first friends I acquired in all this year. And I was disgusted by my own weakness; I part of me wanting nothing more to come back and…
Robin blinked, and rubbed her neck with a sullen look before continuing. The rest of the crew were too concerned at that point to care for her antics; they wanted the mystery resolved, dammit!
… Come back and... No. of course I didn't. Nobody could defeat Arlong. He was too powerful, that was my thought at the time. I had to correct my course more time than a novice; frankly I'm not sure how I make it back to Cocoyasi without knocking Merry over a reef or something.
"Cocoyasi? I have already heard that name before." Said Sanji.
"When Nami-san introduced herself, she depicted Cocoyasi Village has her hometown." Robin answered, noting that the crew was confused. Thus far, Nami was very up-front with her narrative, but his time she was beating around the bush. The navigator appeared disturbed enough about, whatever the situation was, to even write about it.
"It feels has if she was afraid of going home." Whispered Franky.
Therefore – very far from my blurry vision – Zoro stood challenging the actual world greatest swordsman.
Zoro had his three katanas draw and Mihawk countered every attack with a small pocket knife. Luffy was livid from what a heard, but it was Zoro's battle for a dream that he had since he was a child. And Luffy couldn't intervene. He trusted Zoro to find whatever he was searching for in this one-sided struggle.Mihawk ended accepting Zoro skills, drawing his large black sword out of respect. That attack cost Zoro two katanas. For Zoro, the combat was finished, but holstering his last sword he turned his front so that he could receive Mihawk last attack with honor.
Miraculously, Zoro survived. The wound gained then run from his shoulder to his hip. I see it like a testimony of his strength. However for Zoro it's a remembrance of the moment that followed, when Joni and Yosaku fished him out the sea, when Luffy wanted to punch Mihawk, when Usopp's shaking hands gripped his shirt to hoist him on the ship, and when Zoro lifted Wado Ichimonji's blade to the sky promising Luffy to never lose again.
Robin detached her eyes from the page to glance over the first mate, sitting on the bench, arms crossed and looking at the sky with frowned eyebrows. Her eyes lowered to his open coat catching a glimpse of the long scar. Like the navigator say, a testimony of his actions.
Mihawk went amused for the rest of the day leaving the Baratie's crew and Luffy to their original problems.
Sanji engaged combat with a man named Pearl, who somehow caught himself on fire after Luffy head-butted him. Sanji handled him well, until Gin toke Zeff hostage breaking the chief peg leg. In the end Gin attacked Pearl wanting to fight against Sanji by himself.Sanji already wounded from his last fight didn't last long, but as his opponent got ready to deliver the last blow… Gin withdraws. Don Krieg wasn't impressed with what he considered treason and launched a gas bomb at them, after ordering Gin to throw away the mask gas that every man in the Krieg's crew possesses.
And finally Luffy started his combat with Don Krieg.
Luffy's body is resistant to bullets and cannon balls, but Don Krieg had a special shield who hurled iron stakes, easily piercing Luffy's rubbery skin. However, sharp weaponry didn't stop our captain, even when Krieg covered himself with a thorny mantle to avoid Luffy's punch. The rubber right hook got Krieg's jaw thought the spikes throwing him to the ground.
Krieg was then forced to use an exploding spear…? Sanji wasn't very sure, but the spear had the particularity to explode where it impacted. That spear too didn't last long against Luffy's punches. Consequently, Luffy's last attack sends Krieg skull do a forceful encounter with the Baratie ground. Luffy himself fell on the ocean… which was very unlucky considering all the piece of the last Krieg ship floating around.
Ah, yes, Devil's Fruit users are incapable to swim. They were cursed to be anvils until the end of their lives. Thankfully, Sanji saved him.
"So is not that you forgot how to swim, you cannot swim." Said Franky nodding to him. "I had wondered if swimming was one of your skills that you couldn't remember."
Gin still affected by the gas picked is captain up, ordering the retreat.
I'm not sure how Sanji become our cook, neither he nor Luffy were forthcoming when I asked; that's to say, Sanji claimed that he only accepted because of me, and Luffy responded with a "Of course he accepted! I'm going to be the next Pirate King!"
From what a gathered, it was around Mihawk arrival that Luffy and the other discovered my treason. But only after the duel between Mihawk and Zoro, that they – Luffy aside – finally give me chase. Zoro was the most pissed. Usopp was incensed that I dared to steal Merry Go. They both told me so. But now that I think about it, none of them told me about Luffy reaction, I think that when he found me Zoro said something about "captain's orders", but I'm yet to hear something like that coming from Luffy's mouth. Probably, the idiot just put his pinky finger up his nose and said; "So? Go catch her."
"Shishishishi!"
Luffy laughed while the other tough; yes, you would probably say something like that.
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