Yo
Authoress: My sister said "Yo".
Luffy: Why?
Naruto: Oh, who knows? *grins evilly*
Authoress: 0_0
Naruto: SHEDOESN'TOWNANYTHINGHERE,BYEEEEEE!
Luffy: *falls asleep*
Authoress: Hey! I do so own something! The plot! Right, Luffy?
Luffy: … zzz…
Naruto: Hah!
Coby felt weak. He was hidden behind a tree, but now Luffy and Naruto left before he could get his bearings back. How were
they so strong? Naruto made it seem like it was nothing, but that was quite something!
Devil Fruits. Maybe Naruto ate one! Maybe… his Devil Fruit is speed! Apparently Luffy ate one and it was… something called Zodiacs. What are they? What were those symbols on his left arm? He would like to ask Luffy—if it wasn't any trouble, of course!
Coby took the girl's hand and escorted her back to town. The Marines were all either knocked out, killed, or in hiding, so they were not hindered on their way.
After dropping her off at the restaurant, Coby walked to the cliffside, discouraged. If all Marines were like them, then he didn't want to be a Marine anymore. Coby felt his dreams crumble into dust, a sense of emptiness ironically filling the void left behind.
He didn't know for how long he sat there, but eventually, he heard someone approach him from behind. He turned around and saw a kind-looking man in a Marine uniform smiling down at him. Who is that? Coby wondered.
The benevolent man reached a hand down toward him in an offer to help him up. Coby took the large man's hand and stood.
"Hello. My name is Kusama Nowaki." The man smiled gently. "Why are you so sad?"
Coby sighed despondently. "I wanted to be a Marine, but after seeing what they were like, I don't want to be one anymore. It was my life's dream. I heard about them and thought it would be cool, but reality is very different from beliefs."
Nowaki frowned ever so slightly. "Well, you can't judge all of the Marines from just this island's. There are many Marines that protect the people from pirates and other unsavory criminals. The Marines here were under the control of a corrupt official. That's being changed now. Vice-Admiral Grell has already gotten rid of ex-Captain Morgan."
"Not all pirates are bad!" Coby protested, then, realizing his mistake, tried to retract what he said.
Nowaki laughed. "Oh, I know that not all pirates are the evil, plundering thieves that most Marines think they are. My Hiro-san became one about a year and a half ago, though I guess that was my fault. I left without telling him where I was going and he got lonely and worried. His friend ended up asking him to join the Marukawa Shouten, and he got into the Emerald Division with him. Now he's the commander of the Ruby Division. I'm very proud of him." He spoke with a beaming grin, his eyes reflecting joy. "We reunited just yesterday. He wasn't angry at me for leaving anymore. We… made up, quite enthusiastically."
"Why did you join the Marines, Kusama-san?" Coby asked curiously, his previous angst forgotten.
"Being a Marine was my dream, too. I wanted to make the world a safer place for my Hiro-san, and I thought this would be the best way to protect him."
"But he's a pirate now!"
"Yes, it's become a slight problem in my original plans. I've already made a change to my plans to accommodate this. Hiro-san already left the island. I know he doesn't want to force me to do anything, like leave the Marines, so he took care of the problem temporarily by going away on his own. It won't work forever, though. Eventually, we'll meet again, hopefully soon. I need to see Hiro-san. He can have his fun being a pirate. I can protect him from within the Marines by changing the status of the Marukawa Shouten from hostile to friendly, but I'll need a higher rank before I can do that."
"So you're going to stay in the Marines, he'll still be a pirate, and that'll work out?"
"Yes, hopefully. Hiro-san just needs to stay out of trouble for a while and I need to climb the ranks quickly. It's happened before with the Shwong Pirates. They were supported by the Tweety. It only works if the pirates have a clear record, though, but I know that the Marukawa Shouten is clear. I already checked them."
"Then I can help Luffy, too! I want to be a good Marine!"
Nowaki smiled encouragingly. "Just remember, it won't be as easy as you think. Training is tough and you need to adhere to all of the rules."
"I can do it. I'll become a highly ranked officer and get rid of all of the corrupt Marines. I can make a change for the better."
"That's a noble goal, Coby. Good luck."
Naruto stopped. He wondered. I feel like I'm forgetting something…
"Luffy, aren't we forgetting something?" Naruto asked.
No reply.
"Luffy?"
Naruto sighed. Just where did he go? That idiot. Well, better look for him now.
Coby walked the path to the Marines base with a confident stride. He would be a good Marine. He would protect the weak. He would make the Marines better as a whole.
He entered the compound and was about to enter the building, but he noticed that the Marines not dead or comatose were lined up in the courtyard. A tall man was standing in front of them, facing them and giving what sounded like a lecture. Coby walked closer, the angle changing enough for him to see that it was…
"Kusama-san?"
The man stopped mid-sentence and turned to him. It was Kusama-san, but he had an angry countenance from dealing with the Marines that broke the oath to protect people in favor of themselves. Kusama-san's livid glare disappeared once he saw who approached him. "Ah! Hello, Coby. I was reprimanding the Marines we talked about earlier. Unfortunately, it seems that all of them except about three followed Morgan willingly. I'm going to have to report them, send them to the higher-ups, and train new recruits for this island. Oh, would you like to join, Coby? You can be the first recruit. It's going to be a lot of work, especially now that nearly the whole base will have to be trained."
Coby was now looking for Naruto and Luffy, as he had recently joined the Marines. He wanted to thank them for helping him escape from the fat prats and getting him to this island so that he could be a Marine.
Where could Naruto and Luffy be? Well… Knowing Luffy, he's always hungry. Off to the restaurant I go…
So Coby made his way to the restaurant closest to the docks and entered the establishment. There he saw that Luffy was indeed eating his heart out. That poptart cat from before was there as well. It was a bit odd that Luffy was not aiming to eat it, but it was still alive… and there was a replenishing supply of already-cooked meals set in front of him. That was probably it.
"Luffy? Where's Naruto?" Coby questioned.
"Mmmh-muh-rahsh-meh-shom-ur," mumbled Luffy.
"I'm right here," Naruto appeared behind Coby, startling him.
So that'swhat I was forgetting. I forgot Coby from the Marine Base. Hmm... He doesn't look hurt. thought Naruto, mentally smiling at the fact that his friend wasn't hurt.
"AAAH!—O-oh, Naruto!"
"Yes, yes, the Almighty Naruto is here," he said dramatically, rolling his eyes.
Luffy swallowed bowling ball-sized bolus, before pointing, "Naruto's right there!"
"Just how do you eat all that, Luffy?" Naruto questioned, looking at Luffy as if he was a new specimen.
Luffy stared at him blankly.
Naruto sighed, "Nevermind."
Coby looked between the two as they were conversing. He mustered up his courage—and hoping that Naruto and Luffy wouldn't shun him for being a new recruited—
"I-I'm going to be a M-Marine!" Coby yelled as his voice slightly quivered.
They stared at him with no expression—not of happiness, not of betrayal. He kept going.
"A-and I'm thankful that you both freed me! Of Alvida!" Coby realized that he was crying. He didn't even realized that he said "Alvida" out loud.
…
…
…
They smiled.
"I guess this is where we say goodbye, huh?" Naruto murmured softly, his eyes still as blue as ever, but had a tint of sadness left.
"Try your best—just not enough to catch us along the way! Shishishi!" Luffy's smile grew to an enormous grin.
Coby didn't care that he was crying. He was just so happy—so glad!
"Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said over and over.
Creeek!
"Alvida? You said Alvida?" There stood Commander Ripper, a Marine they had never encountered, at the doorway.
Coby stood frozen, unable to move. Then he stood straighter, more braver than he had been.
"Yes, I was held captive as a navigator in Alvida's crew," Coby said in his most serious Marine voice.
…
"I see. I'll have to report to Captain Kusama about this," Ripper said, turning to leave, but Nowaki stood at the doorway, behind Ripper.
"Did someone call me?" Captain Kusama asked.
"Hai, Captain Kusama! Apparently the-soon-to-be-recruit was part of Alvida's crew," he stated.
"Ah! I already knew that. I talked to Coby a little while earlier. He's kind in heart and has good intentions. His situation was circumstantial; he was forced into the crew."
"Oh."
"Yep! In fact, he's one of our newest recruits that I believe will go far," Nowaki cheerfully informed.
And with a bow, Commander Ripper left without saying anything.
"So, Coby, ready to start on the regime?"
Coby nodded.
Nowaki laid a heavy hand on Coby's shoulder and gave him a pat. "Well, then, say bye to your friends. We'll go back to the base and I'll show you what to do."
"Hai!" Coby turned to Naruto and Luffy, gave a small bow, and said his thanks again.
"I guess this is where we take our leave." Naruto smiled sappily, and they walked out.
It wasn't even a few minutes before Coby ran out and started waving frantically at the retreating boat. Marines started appearing and saluted to the trio.
Goodbye, Naruto. Goodbye, Luffy. Good luck on your journeys. May we meet again.
At this time, Zoro stirred from his slumber from the boat's uncomfortable floor.
"Wha—Are those Marines saluting at us?" Zoro stared disbelievingly at the dock.
"Yes. Yes, they are," nodded Naruto sagely.
"Ah~ I'm hungry!" Luffy shouted.
Peace. Calm waves tug at the boat, leading it which way and that.
Gggrooowl~
Until Luffy spoke.
"Ah~ I'm so hungry!" he whined.
"How are you hungry?! What I've heard from Naruto, you ate mountains of food! And that was only at the end! Besides, we have apples," Zoro pointed out.
Luffy whined.
"He wants meat. Oh, speak of the bird-devil," Naruto grinned and pointed at a large—and did he say large?—seagull, seemingly heading towards land.
An island.
However, no one quite cared. They wanted the meat.
Slurping up his drool, Luffy swiped his right arm over his left, showing the thirteen symbols on his arm and murmured in excitement,
I call upon the twelve stars...
Come forth,
Sagittarius!
A flash of light. The sound of a million arrows being shot in the sky.
Authoress: Ooh! Gotta love them cliff-hangers!
Luffy: I'm hungry.
Naruto: You ate in this chapter!
Authoress: *rolls eyes* Some things never change.