Disclaimer; No I don't own anything.
This is a One Piece fanfic that may possibly turn into a yaoi fic. It follows the Manga not the anime.
Special thanks for the review to ichigo1508 and noface. :)
Noface: Don't think close-mouthed grin and closed eyes, think lopsided, teeth slightly showing grin. Really not much for him to do quite yet considering that the story has only just begun. I have a lot planned though. :)
Chapter 4 (Another Crew Mate!)
Luffy stared at Manny with an expression he couldn't quite place. He hadn't meant to get involved with the rubberman's fight but his arm had reacted by itself. Grinning he waited for Luffy to say something.
"The Captain lost!"
"Captain Morgan has been defeated!"
The three men turned to the marines still standing and waited tensely, Zolo placing a hand on his sheathed swords. "If you still want to arrest us, come and get us!" he said glaring.
The marines looked at each other for a moment before they flung their weapons carelessly into the air and began hopping around and cheering, hugging each other.
"We're free!"
"We're out of Morgan's control!"
"Long live the marines!"
Luffy looked at them strangely. "What's going on? They're happy that Morgan was defeated!"
"Everyone...hated Morgan!" Coby shouted, relieved.
As he walked over to the trio, Manny saw Zolo sway on his feet. He dropped the sword he'd been holding to catch the taller man as he fell, grunting at the unexpected weight. "Ah, Zolo-san..."
"Zolo?" Luffy asked in concern.
"Mah, he must be exhausted." Manny commented as he shifted the man onto his back and the small group made a quick escape while the marines were still celebrating.
"I'm stuffed! Not eating for nine days was worse than I thought!" Zolo shouted happily rubbing his belly as he leaned back in his chair. He had pulled off his bandana and tied it to his left bicep. It was where he usually wore it when he wasn't fighting. After the townspeople heard about what happened, Rika dragged the four of them to her mother's restaurant, where they had been given all they could eat, the townspeople staring through the windows at their saviors. Coby's arm had even been patched up by one of the doctors.
"See, you'd never have survived the whole month!" Luffy said as he continued to shovel food into his mouth. Zolo gave the younger boy an incredulous look.
"You're so scrawny, how come you can still eat more than me!" he said eyeing the empty plates piling onto the table. Manny laughed as he leaned back into his chair. His half full plate quickly being scooped up by Luffy and shoveled into the vacuum that is the boy's mouth.
"Sorry... even I ate quite a lot..." Coby apologized to Rika's mother, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"Not as much as Luffy-san and Zolo-san." Manny said grinning and nursing a bottle of whiskey the woman had been all too happy to part with. It wasn't a cigarette but it'd do.
Rika's mother just laughed off the pink-haired boy's concerns. "Don't worry! Keep eating! It's the least I can do after you saved our town!" she said as she cleared away some of the plates on the table.
"So, what's next?" Zolo asked curious looking to the two black-haired men at the table.
"Well, first..." Luffy said fixing determined eyes onto the lazily grinning man across from him. "I'm gonna ask Manny to join my crew!"
A moment of silence passed before Manny burst out laughing in front of his confused audience. "Hahaha, why would you need me, Luffy-san?" he asked as his laughter tapered off. Luffy just gave the man a large grin.
"Come'n Manny, you're already a pirate so you have more experience than either of us and you can still look for your brother while you're with us." Luffy said but his thoughts were back on Alvida's island when Manny had given Coby his little speech. For a brief moment, Manny's face had been replaced by Shanks'.
Luffy's argument, if it could be called that, made good points. "The Grandline, eh?" Luffy nodded enthusiastically. Manny didn't really know where to go from here so he gave Luffy a lazy grin. "Mah, why not?" Luffy jumped into the air knocking his chair back and cheered, earning himself another small laugh from the other black-haired boy.
Zolo hummed in the back of his throat but was leery of letting a man who hid so much behind that lazy grin of his go sailing with them.
"Your all crazy!" Coby exclaimed. "There are only three of you! If you go there, you'll just be sailing to your deaths! The most bloodthirsty pirates in the world gather there!"
"Well, I guess if we're after 'One Piece'. It won't hurt to head in that direction!" Zolo said smirking until Coby got into his face.
"Zolo-san! You agree with him?" he shouted before turning pleading eyes onto Manny.
"Mah, whatever the Captain wishes." he said lazily taking another swig of whisky.
"Manny!"
"What's it to you? It's not like you're coming with us."
"No, but I'm worried about! Is that so wrong! Can't I worry about my friends!" Coby shouted slamming his hands on the table, taking Zolo by surprise. "Luffy-san, we haven't known each other for very long, but... we're friends aren't we?"
"Yup! We're going our separate ways but we'll always be friends!" Luffy said happily a grin stretching across his face. Momentarily distracted, Coby looked delighted at Luffy's proclamation before looking down.
"I never had friends growing up." He began sadly. "No one would ever stand up for me. Even I wouldn't stick up for me! But the three of you taught me to fight for what I believe in!"
"That's why I'm going to the grandline."
"Mah, makes sense to me."
"Umm... that's true..." Coby said rubbing the back of his head before he seemed to remember he was supposed to be against it. "No! No! I'm trying to convince you that it's too reckless!"
"What about your plans?" Zolo said tapping the boy on the forehead with the hilt of his sword.
"Huh?"
"Mah, even though you were just doing chores on a pirate ship Coby-san, you're still a pirate. You shouldn't underestimate the marine's ability to gather information." Manny said his lips turning down into a sad smile. "If they find out about your past, they won't let you enlist!"
"Excuse me..." someone interrupted as they came into the house. Low and behold... It was the Marines. "You gentlemen are pirates, correct?"
"That's right. I even have a crew now! Which makes me a genuine pirate captain!"
"Um... You saved our town and base. For that we are grateful, but we're still marines and we can't shelter pirates." He said reluctantly. "I'm sorry but I have to ask you to leave. But to show our gratitude, we won't report you to the government." The news got the townspeople in an uproar. They had only just been saved by these people and now the marines were trying to kick their heroes out.
"Hey! Marines! What kind of Bullshit are you saying?"
"Are you kidding me? Or have you all gone nuts?"
"They're your saviors too!"
Luffy just nodded standing up. "Hmm, well then... let's go! Thanks for the food, ma'am." Zolo and Manny gave each other a look before standing to follow, Manny's lazy grin in place again.
"Luffy-san..." Coby muttered as the three made their way past him.
"Aren't you with their group?" The Marine questioned Coby when he saw that he hadn't moved to follow.
"Eh! I... I..." Coby began before stealing him self. "I'm not... not.. I'm not one of them!" Luffy smirked as the three men headed out the door, Manny a little reluctantly.
"Please hold on..." The Marine called to them. "Is he telling the truth?"
Luffy seemed to contemplate something before speaking. "I know all about his past..."
"Luffy-san...?" Coby asked nervously.
"I can't remember where but he used to be with this fat, female pirate. I think her name was Alvida." Zolo glanced over at Manny in confusion but was only met with a lazy but reassuring grin.
"Stop... Don't say anymore..." Coby cried. 'If they know I worked on a pirate ship before... then they won't let me join the marines!'
"It was a fat and ugly female pirate, this guy spent two years-"
"SHUT UP!" Coby shouted punching Luffy in the face and knocking the boy's straw hat from his head. The townspeople and Marines looked on in surprise but Zolo, finally catching on, just hmphed, while Manny leaned back still grinning and holding back a laugh.
"Why you-!" Luffy shouted and began punching Coby back, again and again.
"Both of you stop it! I won't allow this town to get into any more fights!" The marine shouted in panic and was relieved when the other black-haired boy in their group grabbed Luffy by the back of his shirt, effectively stopping him.
"Mah, mah! Luffy-san, you went overboard." Coby lay on the floor a little more bruised than before.
"It's clear that you're not friends!" Cried the Marine. "Please leave this town immediately!" The three men left, leaving Coby to take the opening they had given him.
'He..did it for me.. He wanted to make me mad.. make me hit him..' Coby thought realizing what Luffy had been doing. 'Even in the very end, I still needed his help!'
Outside Luffy walked away from the restaurant and the townspeople with a smile on his face. Zolo though couldn't help but taunt the marines. "Come on! Didn't you want to arrest me?" he asked as he slouched past his hands in his pockets with Manny right behind him laughing at the man's antics.
Down at the docks, the newly formed pirate crew stood in front of a little ship. "Mah, Luffy-san is such a bad actor!" Manny said laughing as he untied the ship. "But, this way, even though he was a pirate before, it won't be such a big deal."
"It's all up to Coby, now. He'll get in somehow!" Luffy said happily.
"Well, it's a good time to be leaving. Everybody hates us... that's the way pirates should leave a town." Zolo said as they pushed off.
"Hahah! I guess that's true!"
"Lu-Lu-Luffy-san!" Manny looked back at the dock in surprise to find Coby there, panting. "Thank you very much, Cap'n Luffy! I will never forget you for the rest of my life!" he said straightening into a salute.
"This is a new one. I've never seen a marine saluting pirates," Zolo commented, amused.
"Hehe...Coby! We'll meet again someday!" Luffy shouted back waving his hands.
"Ten-shun!" The trio was even more surprised when the rest of the marines stood behind Coby and gave them salutes. The sight was enough to cause Manny to double over and heave with hearty laughter and even cause Zolo to begin snickering. Never in his five years as a pirate had he ever even heard of such a thing happening. 'Luffy-san sure is an exciting person to be around' he couldn't help but think again as the town disappeared into the distance.
"Yahoooo! We're off! Grand Line! Here we come!"
"Ugh.. I'm starving..." The small boat drifted across the sea with no clear destination in mind. It was making good speed, but without a map or compass, who knew if they were traveling to or away from land. To make matters worse, in all the commotion to leave the Marine base, they had forgotten to stock up on supplies. With no supplies, no food, and no water, Manny hoped they found an island soon.
"Don't you think it's strange that you can't navigate?" Zolo asked his "Captain" in annoyance. Only his first day as a pirate and already he was lost at sea.
"No, drifting has worked pretty well for me. What about you? You're supposed to be the holy terror of the seas!"
"I don't recall ever calling myself that." Zolo retorted plopping his head into his hand while his elbow rested against the side of the boat. "I followed a pirate I was after out to sea, but I couldn't find my way back to my village. So I made the best of things. I went after pirates that were in the are. I had to earn money somehow..."
"Ah, so you got lost?" Manny asked from his lounging position at the back of the ship. When he had found out about their lack of supplies and the navigational abitliies of the rest of his crew he'd gone silent trying to figure out wether to cry or burst out laughing. The latter won. Currently, he was steering the ship in a general western direction, using the sun as a guide, and hoped they hit land soon.
"Shut up!" Zolo yelled comically.
"Mah.. never heard of pirates who don't know how to navigate before! We need to find a navigator soon." Manny said as he adjusted the rudder again, lazily watching the sea.
"And we need a cook, and a musician, and-"
"IDIOT! THOSE CAN WAIT!"
The two men flopped backwards, lying on the deck, their stomachs growling loud enough for Manny to hear.
"Soooo hungry..." Manny looked away from the pair and tried to smother his laughs into his arm.
"What about you Manny, aren't you hungry?" Luffy asked turning to look at the amused man. Manny's grin grew a little strained.
"I can survive off of very small amounts of food for long periods of time, so I'm not really that hungry yet." Luffy and Zolo had noticed the strain but didn't comment on it, just chalking it up as one of the many things the blue-eyed man was hiding.
"Hey! My hat!" Luffy cried as a strong gust of wind blew his hat off his head. "No! That hat's important to me!" Fortunately, Zolo caught it before it fell into the water. Luffy plopped it back onto his head the moment he got it back. Manny turned to stare back out at the sea.
"You mentioned you were looking for your brother." When Manny turned to him, Zolo continued. "Why are you looking for him?" Zolo was curious about the other man. Luffy was straightforward and Zolo understood him to an extent but Manny made him nervous. The moments when Manny's lazy grin had faltered and given the green-haired swordsman a look of what lay underneath had made his spine chill. Luffy too watched his more mysterious companion in interest.
Manny gazed at them for a moment. "He's the only family I have left." The words were spoken in a wistful voice. Zolo knew there was more to it than that and scowled fiercely at the other man.
"Fine, don't tell us." He muttered earning himself an amused smile. The idiot could at least try to look offended. "Why's that old hat so important to you anyway?" he asked his captain, turning away from Manny.
Luffy raised a hand to his hat. "It belonged to someone that I made a promise to."
Zolo looked thoughtful. He recognized that story. "Yes, we should all keep our promises." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Manny nod his head in silent agreement.
Zolo looked up at the sky, and noticed something. "Oh! A bird!"
"Looks pretty tasty..." Luffy said. "Let's eat it!"
"How?" Zolo asked raising an eyebrow at the excited boy.
"Leave it to me! I'll catch it!" He stretched his hands to grip the top of the mast and let his body relax, causing him to go sailing upward with a yell - "Gomu-Gomu Rocket!"
"Can't believe he thought of that..." Zolo said with a sweat drop that only got bigger when he saw Luffy's head land in the birds beak. "Huh?"
"AHHHHH! HELP!"
"YOU IDIOT! What the heck are you doing! Jeeez!" Zolo said his face morphed into a comical look of anger. Manny quickly stood taking aim with the gun he'd kept from his fight with the Marines but at the same time Zolo grabbed the oars and began madly rowing after the bird. Manny lost his balance at the sudden jerk and he fell back between Zolo's legs, the shot missing and almost hitting Luffy.
"Manny!" Rubbing his head sheepishly, he decided that it would probably wouldn't be worth it to try again. Manny squirmed as he tried to get out of Zolo's personal space. Behind him, Zolo's face was tinged pink. The black-haired boy was rubbing against a very sensitive part of his anatomy.
"Why didn't you do that before Luffy shot off and got stuck!" Zolo asked angrily as he watched the other boy crawl back to his spot.
"Sorry Zolo-san, but I thought the bird could lead us back to land and before I could say anything, Luffy-san was already up there." Manny yelled slightly over the wind giving the glaring swordsman an apologetic grin.
"Ahoy! Wait!"
"Huh?"
"Ah? Shipwreck survivors?" Manny asked.
"I can't stop! Just grab on and climb in!" Zolo shouted as he continued to row right at them. The three men panicked as the speeding boat came closer but quickly grabbed on as it past, awkwardly tumbling in.
"Haha! You made it!" Manny cheered keeping an eye on Luffy.
"Were you trying to run us over?" They shouted as they slumped against the side of the ship. "Whew.. thank god!"
"What kind of people are you!" One of them yelled before one of men whipped out a knife. "Hey! Stop the ship! We're pirates of Buggy the Clown!"
"What!" Zolo asked menacingly his face growing dark.
"Mah, Zolo-san, keep rowing." Manny said as he got up in front of Zolo, slipping the gun into the back of his jeans, easily balancing on the speeding boat.
The Buggy pirates looked up at the slim man and blanched at the almost maniacal grin that spread across the man's face. The leader lunged for his neck and Manny kicked the man in his knee distracting him with the pain while at the same time he brought his arm up against the inside of the other's and twisted the man's arm under his armpit holding it in place and making him drop the knife. Then he slammed his forearm into the man's face and struck him once in the chest with the edge of his flat hand, finishing the move off with a hit to the back of his neck. The man crumpled to the deck.
The next one's hand he grabbed with his right and using his right leg flipped the man onto the bench behind him. The other man's arm he grabbed by the wrist and elbow, twisting it behind him and smacking him in the back of the head with his elbow. Manny was about to hit him again, but the second man had recovered and moved up behind him with the knife. He went to slash Manny across the back... but was stopped cold by a hit to the back of the head.
Manny looked behind him at the noise, still holding the other man in the painful grip, to see Zolo standing there with a sheathed sword in hand. "Impressive." he commented with a slight smirk.
Manny gave a playful grin in return.
Turning his attention to the "pirates", Zolo asked, "Throw 'em overboard?"
Manny looked at the man in his grip and gave a frightening grin. "Let's not."
I like criticism. It's how I get better. Please review.
