Chapter 7: Ford's Decisions
The four pirates stood in front of the king and queen. Both of them couldn't look any happier.
"We can't thank you enough for saving our children." Said Queen Clementine.
"You be given a reward." Said King Phoenix, "First off you be given 5 Million Berries."
"Really?" asked Nami who tried to hide her annoyance as the "Small" sum.
"This is a small kingdom you know." Said Helen appearing behind Nami.
"Oh you do have a point." Said Nami changing her tune.
"What goes around comes around." Said Zoro.
"You got that right!" laughed Luffy.
"Also since the captain was captured, we will be given the bounty. Of 999,999 berries." Said King Phoenix.
"Wait… that was his bounty." Said Luffy.
"Not even a million." Said Nami shaking her head.
"I've heard rumors that sometimes they five bounties like that to say they see them as barely a theat." Said Zoro.
"Wow… that's pretty stupid." Laughed Luffy.
"My guess he was partially trying to get a higher bounty by pulling that." Said Helen, "Pathetic."
"Of course we also promised to restock your food." Said Queen Clementine, "Including plenty of stuff loaded with vitamin c."
"What about meat?" asked Luffy.
"Of course." Said Queen Clementine.
"By the way where is Ford?" asked Luffy.
"Do you mean Stanford or our son?" asked King Phoenix.
"I think he means uncle Stanford." Said Prince Ford walking into the room with his brother and two older Princesses.
"Oh hey Prince Guy!" said Luffy.
"Namely he's been calling me that." Said Prince Ford with a sweat drop.
"Luffy! You are the coolest!" said Prince Fields.
"But it was Uncle Stanford, Ford and Grandma who saved you." Said Princess Violet.
The Straw Hats turned to Helen.
"Where did you think he even gotten that sedative.?" asked Helen.
"My mom is a retired doctor." Explained Queen Clementine.
"I think I'm more scared of her than before." Said Usopp with a sweat drop.
"But come on! He's a good pirate! I mean pirates are never good!" said Prince Fields.
"Actually there are plenty of good pirates out there. It's just that there's far more bad ones than good." Said King Phoenix.
"It's true." Said Helen, "I remember when I was but a young girl studying medicine long time before I started dating your father. A dashing pirate came to the island… and what a pirate he was… one night we…"
"Mom! Two things I don't want to hear about that!" yelled Queen Clementine blushing bright red, "And second! Your grandchildren are in the room!"
She noticed that Prince Ford and Princess Blossom were in the room blushing bright red, while Princess Violet and Prince Fields just looked confused.
"What are they talking about?" asked Prince Fields.
"I don't know." Answered Luffy.
"To answer your question Luffy." King Phoenix deciding to change the topic from THAT, "He's probably in his lab recharging his weaponry."
"Where' his lab?" asked Luffy.
"You don't want to go. He'll just kick you out." Said Prince Fields.
"The only one of us he lets in is Ford." Said Princess Violet.
"You seem like the type to accidently destroy the lab." Sighed Prince Ford.
"I wouldn't!" yelled Luffy.
"He would." Thought Nami, Zoro and Usopp at the same time.
"Don't bother him about joining your crew. He doesn't want to join, okay." Said Princess Blossom glaring at Luffy.
"Oh come on!" said Luffy.
"Boo!" yelled Prince Fields, "I want a pirate uncle!"
"You know Luffy." Said Queen Clementine changing the subject, "We're going to have a feat tonight to celebrate the children's return."
"Really! Awesome!" cheered Luffy.
"That made him forget so quickly." Said Prince Ford.
"I know…" said Princess Blossom.
Helen slipped away during this and headed to Stanford's lab.
Inside the lab, the guns and bombs he used were attached to a strange machine. It consisted of two mechanical arms that spun around.
"Hello Helen." Said Stanford.
"Stanford." Said Helen, "Tell me why are you avoiding that crew?"
"No particular reason." Said Stanford.
"Don't give me that crap Stanford." Said Helen, "I've known you far too long to know you're avoiding them."
"You're not my mother." Muttered Stanford.
"If I was I would have left your father when you were just a kid." Helen.
"Why did I ever tell you about them?" asked Stanford with a sweat drop.
"Mystery for the ages." Said Helen with a shrug, "There's something about that boy isn't there?"
Stanford was silent.
"You're considering saying yes to the crew." Said Helen with a smirk.
"No I am not!" yelled Stanford.
"Don't lie to me Stanford." Said Helen, "Besides, I know for a fact there's plenty of good pirates."
"I'm not arguing with you on that." Said Stanford.
"Good." Said Helen, "Also I'm expecting you to be at the feast tonight."
"I don't know…" said Stanford.
She prepared her smacking hand.
"Okay! Okay! I'll go!" said Stanford.
"Good!" said Helen, "Because I'm sure it would be best if you were there."
Ford nodded, he remembered what Luffy said a couple times about the expedition and wanted to know what he meant.
That night the feast/Party got into full swing!
Luffy started eating at much as he could while Prince Fields and Princess Violet cheered for him to eat.
Nami and Princess Blossom were in a conversation.
"So I'm studying diplomacy." Said Princess Blossom.
"Really why?" asked Nami.
"You know… I'm a princess who's not going to inherit the throne…" said Princess Blossom, "You know what that means… police marriage… minds as well know my politics if I have to…"
Nami began to sweat drop.
Meanwhile Usopp and Prince Ford were talking about the ammo that Usopp had created.
"Really that's really interesting." Said Prince Ford.
"Why thanks you!" bragged Usopp.
"Please don't be a braggart about this." Said Prince Ford with a sweat drop.
Meanwhile Zoro had gotten in a precarious situation. He didn't know how this happened, but it did.
"Bah!" said Princess Lillie smiling at Zoro.
He looked at the baby who he now holding rather awkwardly.
"She likes you a lot." Said Queen Clementine.
"Take her back!" mumbled Zoro.
He tried to give her back to the queen, but the little princess let loose a very loud cry, so Zoro stopped trying to give her to the queen and the baby stopped crying.
"Seriously?" asked Zoro.
The baby princess laughed that he wasn't trying to get rid of her.
"Just wait until she falls asleep." Said Queen Clementine.
Stanford watched Luffy. He wanted to talk to him, but now wasn't the time.
"Stanford." Said King Phoenix approaching him, "I want to talk to you privately."
Stanford nodded. Both of them went outside to talk.
"So…" said Stanford, "What did you want to talk about."
"Stanford… we've known each other for the past 28 years." Said King Phoenix, "You taught me many things growing up, you helped solve many problem in the kingdom, helped me at the Revere, you even gave away Clementine and I named my first child after you."
"I know all that." Said Stanford.
"I think it's finally time for you to know the real reason why I canceled the ordinal expedition and why I refuse to plan out another." Said King Phoenix.
Everything became quiet to Stanford, even the noises from the party to seemed to stopped to him.
"The reason isn't because I'm worried about losing men…" said King Phoenix, "I'm worried about one man… one man that I consider to be part of my family…"
Stanford's eyes widened when he said that.
"Wait… you're worried about…" said Stanford finally realizing it.
"I'm worried about losing you." Said King Phoenix.
Stanford sighed and then yelled out "Then why didn't you just say that from the beginning!" yelled Stanford.
"Seriously!" yelled King Phoenix, "You blame me! You didn't even think that I was worried about you even once! Even Luffy figured it out!"
Stafford blinked… the two things that Luffy said wanted to talk to him about.
He face palmed.
"There's a reason why Helen calls you the smartest dumb guy or the dumbest smart guy she ever met. You might have a great knowledge but you don't get people." Said King Phoenix, "I mean come on… you can be tone deaf sometimes and you can't seem to re between the lines."
"I get it!" muttered Stanford.
King Phoenix sighed, as much as much as it pained him to say it… he did think that Stanford should do something…
"You should join that pirate crew." Said King Phoenix.
"What." Said Stanford.
"I can tell you're thinking about joining." Said King Phoenix.
"No… I'm not." Said Stanford, "Sure there is a charisma about Luffy and he…"
King Phoenix gave him a look.
'Fine… I'm sort of completing joining him." said Stanford.
"Like I said you should go with them…" said King Phoenix, "Even if it means cutting all ties with us."
"If you just." Said Stanford.
"A scientific vessel would be gigantic target, not to mentioned what else could happen to you." Said King Phoenix, "You been there… you know what they do."
Stanford gritted his teeth.
"Your chances of survival I figure would be much higher if you join a pirate crew." Said King Phoenix.
Stanford was silent.
"If I join." Said Stanford.
"Officially I would have to disown you…" said King Phoenix, "Claim you finally got sick of our rejection, you stole money from us and then joined a pirate crew."
Stanford was quiet.
"But in private… I'll be rooting for your crew" said King Phoenix with a smile, "So the choice is your Dr. Pines."
Stanford took a breath and made his decision.
"All right." Said Stanford.
They went back inside to the party and came to a rather concerning site.
Nami was tying up Princess Blossom.
Thankfully the rational side of their brains kicked in quickly realizing what they were doing.
Especially since Luffy was still stuffing his face with the young prince and princess still cheering him on, Prince Ford and Usopp were having a conversation and Zoro was still struggling with the baby princess while the queen and her mother watched amused.
"Your conversation went to there?" asked Stanford.
"Yes… it did…" said Princess Blossom blushing.
The conversation went to her hobby, which was becoming an escape artist.
Said hobby also tied into the fact that she's a princess and they do get kidnapped a lot. But yeah… she had Nami tie her up for practice.
"I have to get better…" said Princess Blossom, "I wasn't able to when not only my life was on the line but my brothers and sister…"
"We figured that…" replied her father.
"Listen, I have an announcement to make." Said Stanford, "After much thought I've made a decision about something."
He took a breath and looked at Luffy.
"Luffy, I have decided to accept your offer and join your crew!" said Stanford.
Almost everyone in the room was shocked. Zoro smirked, Helen laughed, Queen Clementine smiled while Prince Fields cheered "Awesome!"
Everyone just yelled out "WHAT!"
Indeed there was a new member of the crew.
Next Time: Stanford is officially a member and settles into the crew. However to should be pointed out he wasn't what one o them were expecting... Who is it and what were they expecting? Find out next time!
