Chapter Four: This isn't "Goodbye"
Ace: 11
Zoro: 10
Luffy: 8
Sanji: 10
(The following morning)
A/N: And I changed something, because after some more thinking, I realized that Sanji should stay at the Baratie for a few more years? So yeah, he'll be left behind, stay with Zeff a little longer (Stubborn little chef)
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Line Break
The five of them are once again in the Zeff's quarters in a heated argument. None knew how it began. Zoro was arguing how the three of them should just leave Sanji and keep going to avoid the marines. Luffy was insisting that Sanji come with them for an adventure, with Ace supporting Luffy. Sanji adamantly refused, saying he owed the old man too much to just up and leave no questions asked. Zeff subtly insisted that Sanji's life would be wasted and that he should pursue his dream—their dream.
That had gotten Sanji's attention. 'The old fart's right.' He admitted to himself. 'My life cost him a leg, which cost him adventure.' He found himself staring intently at the peg leg that was once Zeff's foot. 'I could pay him back with an even greater adventure, but I don't want to risk running into them.' Pushing down unwanted memories, Sanji shook his head. 'No, that's not it. I could face them on my own if I wanted to. What's really holding me back is the fact that I don't want to leave so soon. The old fart's the most fatherly figure I'd had my whole life, and I've only just gotten accustomed to it.'
"It's too soon for me to leave." Sanji looked from Luffy to Zeff, then Luffy again. "I need to stay with this old fart. With his shitty personality he's going to need a little company, lest he become an antisocial loner, which will make his food taste like crap." Sanji noticed Luffy about to protest again, as well as Zeff. He spoke again before continuing. "If you guys ever need me, you'll know where I am. If I ever need you, I'll contact you somehow. And I'll join you guys on this adventure, too, when that time comes. "For now, I'll be with this old fart."
"Don't have to leave." Luffy pouted. "Just bring the ossan with us!"
Sanji gaped. "You can't just do that!"
"Why not?" Ace asked.
"This restaurant is his treasure! He'd never leave it behind. And I don't want to leave either. Not yet, anyway. But if the time comes, when the time comes, then maybe I will."
Luffy solemnly watched Sanji a bit before grinning widely. "Ah! I see. Well, then I guess we'll see you!" The rubber boy bounded over to the mini-swordsman who was already waiting at the door, beginning to chat about adventure and meat. Ace stayed behind and put a hand on Sanji's shoulder, smiling the same D-shaped grin his brother had.
"We'll meet again sometime! Sanji!"
The chef found a smile—though not as wide as Ace's—grow on his face. Luffy, Zoro, and Ace climbed into their little boat and set sail, Ace recounting the directions Zeff had intructed him. Luffy began to jump on the boat, making it rock softly, his arms waving in the air.
"Join my crew in the future!" Luffy called back grinning.
"No, my crew!" Ace interrupted.
Zoro let out a laugh as the two bickered. "Later Swirly-Brow!"
Sanji was already out of earshot but his far-off retort still sent his message. Next Stop: Logue Town!
One week later…
A humble sailboat docked itself near the harbor of Logue Town, out of sight due to its miniscule size. The trio stared at it for a bit, etching its structure to memory. They had conversed that they would have to begin stowing away from now on. Surely a sea known as "The Pirate's Graveyard" was more dangerous than that of East Blue? Ace, Zoro, and Luffy decided then to look around together, asking about the Grand Line. Luffy gaped at everything they passed with awe. The buildings in Foosha weren't this big! Zoro noticed when the enviorment grew less and less maintained and darker with each step they took. Luffy tripped once or twice and Zoro himself nearly stumbled on uneven cement.
"Ace. Do you know where we're going?" Zoro muttered, ignoring the subtle stares of the men as they passed by. "This doesn't seem like the ideal place to lay low. You know we get into fights easily."
"Ah, I know. But the best place for us to get information without anyone really caring about why are places like these, right?"
"I guess you're right about that…oi, Luffy. Stay with us. Don't want you to get lost."
Ace snorted but kept quiet, opting to pretend he hadn't heard anything of the like. Fortunately, Zoro hadn't heard, as he was busy with Luffy. Ace stopped walking suddenly, getting bumped into by his two younger brothers.
"Ace! Why'd you stop?" Luffy asked. Ace gave no reply and began going down the steps to a bar. Luffy quickly followed after, and so did Zoro, after waiting a minute to stare at the sign before catching up.
'A bar named Gold Roger…?'
Once Zoro was inside, he looked around for a sign of his brothers, which wasn't really that difficult, largely due to the fact that Luffy couldn't stay still or quiet to save his life. They were at the front with the bartender. As Zoro approached, he noticed Ace's hardened face.
A minute or so ago…
"Oi, ossan. Why is the bar named like it is?"
The old man was startled at the question and more so the youth that the voice portrayed, searching for the source and finding two young boys with messy, raven hair. Brothers, perhaps? "...Oi, answer the question." The freckled one to the right repeated with a frown, as if he already knew the answer. The old man shrugged.
"He was a true pirate." The elderly bartender replied. "He has much of my respect."
The young boy's eyes widened in surprise, as if that wasn't what he'd been expecting at all. His companion's head snapped towards him as well.
"You know him, old man?!" The bartender reminisced his first and only meeting with the pirate not yet king.
"He came to this bar once, when it went by another name." He told them as he refilled another man's glass. "It was right before he began the journey that crowned him 'The King of the Pirates.' He had a terminal illness, and wanted to go out with a bang!—and what a 'bang!' that was, starting an entirely new era." The old bartended laughed.
"Stop messing with me!" The freckled boy said furiously. "Why don't you hate him?!"
"You're making it sound like I should, young lad. Why do you hate a man you've never met?"
Present…
The old bartender's attention was taken by another boy, whom had plopped down on a stool beside the younger raven-headed boy. "Don't run off like that, you two! You could've gotten lost." The green-haired boy scolded. He had a sword wrapped up on his back—why would he have a sword?. The freckled raven looked insulted at the mere thought.
"You. Telling me. Not to get lost?"
"Did I stutter? What are you implying?"
"Shishishi! Oi, everyone's looking at you. Stop being idiots!"
The two stared at Luffy, who's words registered a moment later and found that, yes, they were being stared at by the other patrons. A man, clearly drunk (the one in this role usually is), stumbled over to the kids.
"Th-the'ell some…some bratz do..doin' in a pla-ce like 'is?" He stuttered looming over them. Luffy reeled back.
"Ew, old man. You reek."
ˆTHE HELL'D YOU SAY?!"
The drunk man swung his fist but Ace caught it and jumped off the stool, bringing the man down, Luffy followed suit and pinned him to the floor after knocking out his breath. Ace knocked the guy unconscious with a swift kick to the head and the two returned to their seats as if nothing happened. The rest of the patrons continued to gawk at the unconscious heap on the floor. And that's also when the old bartender noticed the green-haired kid drinking some alcohol…a few other empty bottles beside him. Suddenly, another unnamed stranger took charge and attacked the boys, only to be knocked out by a covered sheath. All the patrons stood up. Like hell they'd get done in by a bunch of brats!
"Hou? So they want more, eh? Our last bar fight had been a week or so ago, back in Low Town." Ace smirked, cracking his knuckles.
Luffy laughed his usual "Shishishi!" and rolled his arm around in its socket. "It's been a while!"
"A place this close to the Grand Line should put up a better fight." Zoro grinned, drawing the Wadō Ichimōnji.
'Who the hell are these kids?" The old man wondered worriedly.
Ace charged forward first, ducking under a man's grasp and quickly struck his knees, making him stumble into the man behind him, who furiously knocked him out of the way and went for Luffy. The youngest laughed at his first victim, stretching to grab ahold of his shoulders.
"Gomu-Gomu no...ROCKET!"
The men, in a moment of bewilderment, lost focus on the other two boys, Ace and Zoro. Ace picked up a long piece of wood that was probably once the leg of one of the bar stools and used it as a staff. Charging forward, he hit two men in the face at once, and used his momentum to land a foot on each of their shoulders. He kicked them both sideways and used the staff to strike the men behind him and before him before moving on to another group. He noted for later that he should get some sort of pipe soon, like the one they had back at Dawn, and one for Luffy, too. Kicking a man in the face and knocking him down still connected to his foot, Ace used the falling man to barrel into another's gut with his "staff."
Zoro was doing just as well, weaving through their legs with his katana and taking advantage of his smaller stature he sliced up their feet and sliced some deeper gashes on their legs to render them immobile from the pain. The footfalls of the fight indicated that the cellar was directly beneath the wooden floorboard and Zoro knocked out a few more men as he subtley cut through the floorboard, creating a rough square. As soon as he had finished he jumped out of the way and grinned at the floor fell, taking a several patrons with it. He continues fighting, excitement clear on his face.
The first man Luffy had knocked out with his Rocket got his head embedded into the ceiling...oops. But no worries! He's alive. Laughing as he launched his attacks, he missed a few punches and got knocked back a little. He was about to say his usual line when the patrons began to ask why he didn't seem hurt depite being punched multiple times, but Ace's warning not to do so echoed in his head. He bounced from place to place, rocketing a few times with a chair in hand, and careful not to harm his brothers.
The three regrouped as they were surrounded, and finished off the rest of the patrons. The bartender simply gaped and as the bar fell silent sans the trio's laughs and satisfaction and the muffled groans from their victims. The two ravens and marimo returned to their spots at the counter which stayed surprisingly intact.
Footsteps clambered down the narrow steps into the bar and the trio froze at the sight of the marine attire.
"...Hey, old man. What happened here? Bar fight?"
"Yeah. Idiots had another fight." The bartender said truthfully.
"Who are those kids? They shouldn't be here in a place like this."
"They're the kids of one of my friends who's out of town." he lied.
To the major relief of the three under the counter, the marine had a drink and left behind a sack of Beri for the damages, as well as his drink.
The three had been served some juice (to Zoro's dismay) and chatted more with the old man. When they left, they had knowledge of which ships were heading to the Grand Line and their purpose. The old bartender bid them goodbye and sighed at the mess, but couldn't bring himself to place the blame on those boys, especially the one that strinkingly resembled Roger minus the freckles. The one in the Straw Hat also seemed to resemble the great pirate in personality. Just like Roger, he knew these three would become just as great as Roger himself.
The three made it back to the main streets, Luffy eagerly begging to see the execution platform. Ace's mind softened ever so slightly when it came to his dad, and grew curious as well. Zoro followed along.
"I wanna see it!" Luffy said excitedly. "The Pirate King's last view!"
(1,348 words)
I lied and I'm late.
(Garbage is mysteriously thrown into author's face…somehow)
Welp, the best I can say is sorry(more trash…is that a rotten tomato?!)BUT I ALWAYS HAVE AN EXCUSE. (even more trash)
…ew.
But anyway, I've been into another fandom, Boku no Hero Academia(My Hero Academia)! And my new SECOND fav character is Todoroki Shouto. Or Midoriya Izuku. It changes.
But anyway, the other reason this chapter came out so late was purely due to the fact I was thinking too hard on Sanji's situation but today I decided 'F*ck it' and just wrote the chapter my own damn way! It's not fun if my head hurts, anyway.
You readers shouldn't pry too deep into these kind of fanfics anyway.
Sorry for the delay, and I hope—nah who am I kidding? This might happen a few more times as this story is not my first priority. It is actually my third. So yeah. Aaanyway…
Ace: 11
Zoro: 10
Luffy: 8
Sanji: 10