The Adventures of the King:
One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda:
Chapter 4
The Town
Rayleigh decided then and there that trying to anticipate what Roger would do or how he would react should be a task done only when he thought he missed having headaches.
Not having enough money to buy what they needed to fix their ship, Rayleigh had reluctantly suggested getting temporary jobs at the Bermuda port to raise their funds. It wasn't an option either of them liked, but fixing their ship was less expensive than just getting a new one.
Thus, the pirate duo went job hunting, and fortunately hadn't had to look far.
Rayleigh had been surprised that when he mentioned that they should get temporary jobs, Roger was silent for a moment, no complaining, no angry outburst, but thoughtful, and then he'd perked up a moment later.
"I know where we can start looking." The straw hat captain had said. Thus Roger had led his first mate through the town until they reached a building that, weirdly enough, had a giant hole in its front wall.
The Innkeeper, Bron (as the Inn was called 'Bron's Inn'), looked like he was ready to skin someone when they'd approached; he looked at them suspiciously, sizing them up, unless Rayleigh missed his guess.
"What do you want?" he asked gruffly.
Rayleigh wasn't in the mood to deal with someone else in a mood, but thankfully, Roger was a step ahead of him.
The straw hat captain grinned, "I see you have a bit of a problem on your hands," he said, indicating the conspicuous opening in the wall of his establishment with a nod. Bron's eyes narrowed. Roger continued, "We're looking for work, you hiring?"
Rather blunt, Rayleigh had to admit, but he must be getting used to it, as it didn't make him flinch, but it was a bit funny watching Bron wince at it. The man seemed thoughtful for a moment, he eyed the hole in his wall, something dark passing over his features, and then he looked back at his potential employees.
"Your name?" the Inn keeper stated. A familiar spark in Roger's eye drew Rayleigh's attention, and the captain grinned.
"I'm Gol D. Roger." Roger replied with a greeting nod and he eyed his first mate with a note of curiosity in his gaze.
Rayleigh blinked; this was the first time he'd heard his Roger's full name. D—? He thought, curiously the name had an odd ring to it. He also noted belatedly that he'd never formally introduced himself to his captain— oops…
The blonde looked at Bron, smiling politely, "I'm Silvers Rayleigh, Sir, and it's a pleasure." Bron looked at them, an inscrutable look on his face. The man then looked at the sea, not far from where they stood, and then back to them; something in his sharp, unreadable eyes changed, perhaps they softened?
"I could use some help, yes." Bron agreed with a bow and a hint of a smile.
…~…
First things first for the newly hired duo, Bron showed them inside, and quickly made up a list of what was needed to rebuild the wall. Roger eyed the inside of the Inn with an odd wariness that puzzled Rayleigh. Roger noted the destruction of the inside of the Inn, his eyes narrowed, but he said nothing, and Bron handed the list of supplies to Rayleigh.
"Pick these up for me will you?" and he shuffled off and started tidying up, having noticed Roger's scrutiny of the place.
…~…
"How does an Inn get so damaged anyway?" Roger asked as they made their way through the small shop to the clerk desk to make their purchase. Rayleigh shrugged, or rather half shrugged, as his heavy laden shoulder chose not to rise on command at the moment.
"I could have been the storm last night, or maybe an accident," he replied, "weird things happen from time to time." They came to the clerk desk, a man with light brown hair and a black apron stood behind it, and Rayleigh put the heavy bag on the desk and handed the clerk a paper slip.
The clerk held up a hand to stay his explanation. "For Bron, am I right?" he asked, smiling slightly. Roger and Rayleigh looked surprised, but the clerk was forthcoming enough with his own explanation.
"I saw what happened to his Inn," he frowned, and then shook his head sympathetically. "Shame, he didn't deserve that. Are you two helping him out?"
Roger nodded, "Yeah, he's more helping us out though." Rayleigh finished the thought when the clerk bent his head curiously.
"Our ship was damaged during the storm."
"Ah, I thought that ship was new!" the clerk mused as he tallied the prices on the wares they bought. He looked at his customers, "I'm glad he has help though, everyone knows that Bron would never ask for assistance."
"Never—?" Rayleigh asked, a bit shocked. The clerk went about putting their items in another bag as he explained.
"I mean that he doesn't ask for help often. He's a capable man, does things himself; that kind of man. He hates bothering people, so he doesn't unless he has to."
Roger grunted half good humored, half bemused, "Knowing that, I'm glad we asked first now. I'd been wondering if that'd been a good decision or not."
The clerk nodded. "Yes, it was, and thank you for helping him out. I know you have reasons of your own, but if anyone deserves to be lent a hand in his town it's Bron."
He waved as the pirate duo left the shop and made their way to the next shop with fabric. It turned out that everywhere Rayleigh tried to give people the paper slip –Bron told them, as he couldn't give them straight money to use, they would give these paper slips to the clerks of the stores, and the clerks in turn would send him the bill for the items later. He'd done it before, so there should be little trouble- that all the clerks had told him to keep them, that they knew where to send the bill.
"Well, he did say he'd done this before," Roger commented to Rayleigh after the third shop clerk told them to keep the slip.
They stood in line at a local paint shop, both pirates sporting bags of wares now. Rayleigh frowned.
"Yes, but it seems like it's happened enough for people to know on sight?" They were speaking in rather quiet tones, but the folks in line heard them anyway. A lady just before them in line smiled when she looked at them.
"Bron has been having rather trying luck lately." Roger and Rayleigh looked at her curiously, but it was the clerk three people up that continued.
"That hole in his wall is the biggest thing to happen thus far!" several heads nodded in agreement. The man that was at the clerk's desk now commented a bit roughly.
"Stupid carriage was going way too fast."
Roger's eyebrows rose, nearly meeting his hairline, "A carriage did that?" he asked, shocked, "I thought it was damage from the storm!"
"Afraid not," an older man behind them in line mumbled.
The pirate duo looked behind them at the old man. He sported a cane and had a red scarf about his neck. He continued, "The crazy bat that ran into his shop even had the audacity to say that his shop was in the way. Pitiful…" he mumbled, and a few agreeing grunts followed.
"Wouldn't the authorities force the jerk to pay for the damage though?" Roger asked.
The man in front of the woman in front of the pirates spoke up then, his long hair swaying when he turned to face them, "The port leaders said that the guy was connected to the right people, so they couldn't do anything about it."
"Connected to the right people?" Roger asked, but Rayleigh was the first to proffer a theory. "Nobility, likely," he sighed and went on, "at least, they're the only force strong enough to escape the law without so much as a rebuke."
Roger nodded, "Ah, yeah, I think I've heard a few stories like that somewhere. Shame though, now he's stuck fixing the damage."
The clerk sighed, "Yes, it is a shame, though I think Bron can be a bit too stubborn at times. The village got together and pooled money to help him out. We gave it to the Port leaders to give to him, but they said he wouldn't take it." He shook his head, a tinge frustrated, but there was an obvious care in his eyes. "The proud fool..."
Leaving that shop initiated the last trek of their day, according to the list Rayleigh carried, that is. Roger and Rayleigh's hands were well full, but they persevered through it.
The last shop was a small lumber-ware store.
"You think we could arrange this so only one of us carries the bulk of it until we leave?" Rayleigh asked, looking down at their loaded down hands. Roger nodded.
"I'll carry it, you're the only one who can interpret that chicken scratch."
He referred to the list that Bron had given them; apparently, penmanship wasn't among the Inn Keeper's better virtues. Rayleigh chuckled, but didn't argue. It took a while to arrange things so Roger could hold everything and walk around, but they made due.
Walking down the aisles of the small shop, Rayleigh skimmed over the prices of the wood. The blonde was figuring the numbers when Roger spoke.
"Silvers Rayleigh—" he said in a thoughtful tone. Naturally, said man's attention was gained immediately. The first mate looked at him, gaze inquiring. Roger seemed not to notice, but continued anyway. "Good name," he mused, "has a nice ring to it."
Rayleigh wasn't sure if he was thinking out loud or if he expected a reply, so he simply hummed appreciatively. "I've never heard of the name 'Gol' before." The blonde put in. He felt Roger's eyes on him, and he continued, glancing at his captain, "Where's it from? Do you know?"
There was a silence, but Rayleigh could almost hear the gears in his captain's head turning. The blonde guessed that he was ordering what he would say first.
"Our name isn't a common one."
Rayleigh blinked, and looked at Roger fully, as if seeing his whole expression would make the words make more sense.
No such luck.
Roger's gaze was there to meet his first mates when he'd turned. That intensity was back, but it was contained to the pirate's eyes alone. There was more to those words than face value revealed. There was a story in there somewhere, but the intensity also spoke of a secret that wouldn't be revealed just yet.
"I see." The blonde replied a bit hesitantly, but said no more on the subject.
Supplies gathered, Roger and Rayleigh made their way to the clerk's desk. There was a bubbly sound of chatter at the desk there were three people in line ahead of the pirates, two women and a man and the clerk.
"I'm telling you, he did it on purpose!" The woman third in line said heatedly, she glared out the shop window, bending somewhat as if to see something outside. The man replied.
"No one does stuff like that on purpose; it was just a freak accident!"
The woman who was at the clerk's desk shushed them, glancing around, she looked uncomfortable, "At least no one was hurt this time. Those men, they're barbaric hoodlums!"
"Accident or not," the clerk said in a diplomatic tone, gaining the trio's attention, and the pirate's as well. "It was taken care of, so there's no need to be riled up."
"What happened?" Roger asked, the group looked at them, as if only now registering their presence.
The woman who'd spoken first, answered first, still heated, "The harbor guards, they're being despicable again!"
"Who?" Rayleigh asked.
"Oh, you're the men that Bron hired, right?" The woman first in line clarified for the group. "They wouldn't know."
"There's nothing to know!" the man in between the ladies said drily, rolling his eyes, "Ignore them, they're paranoid females; looking for trouble where no trouble is!"
"There is trouble, and you cannot possibly deny that it could have been them." The first woman snapped at him.
"Uh, what?" Roger said, shifting his load, but looking confused.
"Gracious!" The clerk said in surprise, and he walked around the desk and rolled a cart away from a corner and brought it to Roger and Rayleigh. "Here, put your things down, forgive me for not noticing sooner!"
"We're fine," Roger said with a grin, but he put his load down anyway, "We're strong." Rayleigh, following suit putting his part of the load down, eyed his captain. How could he make a declaration like that?
The clerk smiled politely, though he still looked guilty, the woman from the line went on, "The harbor guards of this town bully people and they cause trouble!"
"It was an—" the man tried to say, but the woman spoke over him.
"Those guards are the ones who ran that cart into Bron's Inn!"
…~…
Roger and Rayleigh were silent in their surprise, and the woman ranted on, still speaking over the man in line,
"They hate Bron."
"They can't hate him, he's never done anything to them!"
"No, people hate for dumber things, I assure you. They did that to be cruel!"
"If they wanted to be cruel, they'd throw him in prison!"
"What's the 'fun' in that, when he can be humiliated in public; have people pity him! You know how much Bron hates that!"
"Everyone, please—!" the clerk said in a firm, but calm voice. The arguing duo quieted. And the clerk went on, but he addressed the pirates, "The mayors of the town will see to those men. The guards have been known to be troublesome, but they protect the town from pirates and bandits, so we mostly deal with it."
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed, "If they protect you, you shouldn't have to fear them." Roger nodded in agreement.
"Thank you!" The woman in line announced, throwing her hands up and glaring at the man in line. The woman who was at the clerk's desk spoke up,
"Yes, the mayors usually deal with the guards if things get out of hand. The guards protect the town, but the mayors protect us from them." She smiled kindly at the words, and even the bickering duo behind her seemed to agree.
"The mayors are good here, then?" Roger ventured, his tone sounded odd to Rayleigh's ears.
"The mayors are our saving grace." The clerk said definitively. The customers nodded emphatically.
"If they're so good, then why not get better help? You know, the kind that won't pester the citizens?" Roger stated more then asked.
Rayleigh made a mental note to ask Roger what his tone is all about, he almost winced, Roger sounded borderline annoyed.
"The harbor guards have… implied, in the past that they… liked, it here, so they wanted to stay. If the mayors ever were more insistent, the guards would cause more trouble."
"Then why not call the marines?" Rayleigh asked, something in the back of his mind was waving red flags, but he pressed it down, figuring he might be being paranoid.
"The mayors have it under control." The man in the line stated, and added, "We've had a meeting, and they told us that they have a plan to do away with those men, but they need time, so they asked us to be strong, and endure just a little longer, and we have thus far."
The clerk walked back to his desk and went on with his customers wares. "The mayors, Palos and Gendo are the backbone of this town. They help us be strong; I don't think any of us would be dealing with this half as well if they weren't here."
"No one but Bron, that is," The woman third in line, then second, as the first lady got her things and stepped aside. "That man never lets those guards push him around. He pummels them if they bother him."
The man, now at the clerks desk, nodded, and smiled, "He stands on his own, that Bron, I really admire that man. Between the mayors and Bron," he paused and looked at the pirates, looking vivid and resolved, "This town won't crumble with them around."
…~…
"Well, they're determined not to despair." Rayleigh commented after they'd left the shop. "That's something."
Roger hummed as he pushed the cart –the clerk let them borrow it, since they were doing something for Bron- . "I don't know, how would you deal with something like this happening in your hometown?" Roger asked him.
Rayleigh didn't have to think much on that one, "I wouldn't." he said simply.
He felt Roger smile. "Good." The captain said with a nod, his straw hat bobbing with the motion.
They were almost back to Bron's Inn. The blonde was about to speak again, when he suddenly felt that intensity from Roger blast into him, but before he had a chance to register what caused it, a dark mass filled Rayleigh's corner vision, he felt a thrush of wind, and then he heard a crash.
Rayleigh whipped around, and saw that their cart was now on its side, and Roger was just jumping back on his feet, he held his hat in place, but he was glaring at something off to the side. Rayleigh followed his line of sight, and spotted what could only be what had filled his corner vision earlier.
The blonde starred at, possibly the biggest man he'd ever seen.
That was saying something. Rayleigh was used to being the tallest person in a crowd, but this person effectively dwarfed him!
Roger continued to glare. He said nothing, but the Blonde knew something was up. He wasn't the only one who knew either, the townspeople around them had backed away, and had become very quiet.
The stare down continued. That intensity from Roger was sharp and tingling on Rayleigh's nerves. He looked at the very tall man a ways away. He had not moved. He simply stared back at his captain, and he felt the intensity start growing, on the side, he saw people wincing and stepping further away.
Could they feel it too?
Rayleigh made his decision. He took a breath, and moved, taking a step toward his captain. He felt unfamiliar, and heavy eyes on him. He knew without looking that the very tall man was watching him now, but the blonde's focus was divided. The closer he got to Roger the stronger the intensity was. When he was finally at Roger's side, he put a hand on the man's shoulder.
Roger flinched and he glared at Rayleigh. It was not enough that that man over there purposefully knocked their cart over, but he could sense his first mate telling him to let it go!
"— did that on purpose." He snapped like a curse under his breath. Rayleigh nodded, he seemed shaky, but Roger dismissed it.
"Too many people could get involved." Rayleigh said quietly, and gave a subtle gesture around them. Roger restrained a flinch, he expanded his focus. Indeed, there were people all around them. Now was not the time for a fight. That didn't mean he had to like it though.
"Fine then." He mumbled, but, for the life of him, he'd die before he turned his back to this guy. He had to leave first. "What are you looking at?" Roger snapped at the very tall man, not an ounce of shame in his tone. "Get binoculars if you can't see where you're going from up there!" Rayleigh cringed.
The very tall man, Rayleigh might've sworn that he was made of stone, but he cracked a smirk, and he slowly turned and lumbered his way down the street, the townspeople parting, giving the man plenty of space.
"Jerk—!" Roger groused, annoyed, and he began picking up their things. Rayleigh joined him, but then the other people of the town pitched in.
"Becareful around him." A woman in a green dress advised as she helped right the cart.
"Was he one of the harbor guards?" Rayleigh asked, Roger shot him a look, keenly interested. A man beside them, picking up wood planks nodded and answered.
"Yes, and his name is Pob, he's very strong and likes being trouble."
"Pob, huh—" Roger mumbled, and he looked the direction said man had gone.
"He's probably giving you trouble because you're helping Bron." The woman in green said in a whisper, and several grave villagers nodded.
"Why?" Roger asked. But, he thought, hadn't he seen that Pob guy near Bron's place when he'd first seen the damaged Inn?
The man grunted in a tone that was somewhere between amused and nervous. "Bron socked him and sent the ugly lug flying one day. The guy's despised him since."
That made sense.
"Just be careful, Sirs," the lady said entreatingly. "Those men are dangerous." The fear in the air was nigh tangible. Roger and Rayleigh gave their thanks, and with their cart on its feet again, the pirates were on their way.
…~…
"There you are!" A voice called out to them. Rayleigh looked up, and Roger looked around the heaping load in the cart and saw Bron stand up from the entrance stairs where he'd been waiting for them. Rayleigh waved.
"I was beginning to wonder if you'd gotten lost." Bron went on, smiling as he saw the wares they had.
"The clerk let us use the cart to get it over here." Rayleigh explained when Bron eyed the cart. "He said we could bring it back tomorrow." Bron nodded and he waved them toward the door of the Inn.
"You get everything?" he asked. Rayleigh gave him a rough summary of what had happened at the shops, but he left out what had happened in the street, Roger noted that with some curiosity. Why didn't he tell Bron?
The three made quick work of getting the wares into the Inn, and after Roger pulled the empty cart into the Inn, Bron shut the door. The Inn looked tidier, and a black tarp now hung both inside and outside the hole in the wall of the Inn and was secured with rocks and hooks to keep it from blowing away.
There was a silence then. Bron had them help him organize the pile of wares they'd bought. Afterward Bron stretched and commented, "That ought to be enough for the day," he headed for his kitchen and looked back at his employees. "Are you two hungry?"
A loud, obnoxious growl from One Gol D. Roger's stomach answered the question well enough. Rayleigh snickered, but Bron wasn't so subtle; he outright laughed.
"Then stay here for dinner, you've earned it!"
And so they did.
In the back of Rayleigh's mind though, there still lingered a question. One that he'd not asked Roger when the man had mentioned his name.
Why had he said 'our' name?
Author's note: Hi There! I have a bit more time on my hands, so I may be able to work on this more than I thought. I like coming up with a plot and figuring out where everything goes and when it goes! It's fun! Just so everyone knows, I did intend for Rayleigh to ask about 'Gol' instead of just the 'D' in his name. Figured I'd add that for the sake of clarity. Tell me what you all think!
