The Warlords


Chapter 9: The Liars, Part 2


Around them, the pirates were fleeing for their lives. At the end of the day, the Black Cat Pirates were nothing more than frightened little kittens. They had no stomach to stand their ground when the nozzles of a dozen cannons were pointing at them.

Crocodile stood perfectly still, paying no attention to the pirates running past him. His arms folded and his face was supremely confidence. The sand around his body was swirling gently.

Captain Kuro couldn't even find the words as he watched everything around him fall apart. Slowly, the thoughts started to form in his head; I… lost…

At that, Kuro erupted in a primal rage that he had never felt before. He was normally so calm and calculated, but suddenly he was overwhelmed by a fury that blocked out all rational thought. He screamed wordlessly as he struck at Crocodile, his body blurring as he spun his claws forward.

Crocodile barely managed to block the attack with his hook. The next second, four cuts appeared across Crocodile's chest, faster than he could dematerialise into sand.

Crocodile simply grunted and lashed forward as a wide blade formed of sand flying from his hands and cutting through the air. Kuro blurred as he sidestepped the attack, and instantly Kuro was behind Crocodile and jamming his claws through Crocodile's head.

This time, Crocodile barely managed to dematerialise into sand to avoid the attack, otherwise it would have killed him. Kuro didn't hesitate and brought up an uppercut which grazed Crocodile's shoulder.

The rest of the Black Cat pirates were fleeing for their lives, but the captain didn't care. All he wanted to cut Crocodile's heart out, and he attacked relentlessly. Even despite his Logia powers, Crocodile was forced onto the defensive, narrowly avoiding the flurry of blades that Kuro unleashed. Every other attack hit nothing but sand, yet Kuro was attacking too fast for Crocodile to avoid them all. Within seconds, deep cuts covered Crocodile's body as Kuro pressed the attack forward.

After another relentless assault, Crocodile was left panting heavily, trying to keep up. After his brief insanity, the rational part of Captain Kuro's brain started to reinforce itself. The rest of his crew had fled, but Kuro was winning this fight and the men with the cannons on the cliff still hadn't fired. They don't want to hit Crocodile in the crossfire, Kuro decided, and that means that I still have a chance.

He would slash Crocodile until he was incapable of fighting back, and then he would take him hostage and force Baroque Works to surrender. He would rally his men again, kill the intruders, and then the operation would continue as it always did. Kuro smiled. Yes, he thought, I can still do this.

He was even feeling arrogant again as he toyed with Crocodile, launching precision attacks to cripple the man's ability to fight. Crocodile wasn't weak, but Kuro was simply too fast.

A cold laugh split from Kuro's lips. "You are still a fool to face me in one-on-one combat," the captain mocked. "I will enjoy shredding you to pieces for what you've done here."

Crocodile was staggering now. Kuro's claws had cut the tendons in his arms and legs. It was agonising to move, yet Crocodile had to force himself to dodge the flurry of slashing blades. He was losing too much blood, and his movements were sluggish. He had to do something desperate now; a last-ditch attack.

Crocodile grit his teeth, before using all of his strength to form another blade of sand that cut vertically. The ground split from the incredible erosion, but Kuro sidestepped easily while the blade of sand hit harmlessly back in the camp. The solid rock ground cut into two with ease.

"You missed." Kuro mocked.

"I wasn't aiming for you, moron." Crocodile smirked.

At once, Kuro realised his mistake. He dropped to the ground just as razor-sharp string cut through the air above him. Behind him, Doflamingo was already pulling himself up. The sand had cut cleanly through the chains like a hot knife through butter.

Doflamingo was laughing again. "Thanks for that!" Doflamingo shouted at Crocodile, before launching himself at Kuro. The wires were flexing from his fingers, and he was feeling more pumped up than he had in a long time. He grinned murderously at Kuro. "You're mine, now."

Kuro darted at him, fast as lightning. This time, Doflamingo managed to keep up, and the a net strings blocked the iron claws. As Doflamingo threaded his powers into a net of swirling wire around his body, Kuro was forced backwards and they began to trade blows evenly.

Sighing, Crocodile slowly straightened his collar as he watched Doflamingo and Kuro dance with each other. Admittedly, Crocodile hadn't expected Kuro to be so strong, but other than that, his plan had gone beautifully.

Crocodile carefully brushed off the dirt from his clothes, and tended to the most serious of his cuts. He smoothed his hair back, and then sat down on top of one of the crates, watching with faint amusement while Doflamingo fought for his life against Kuro.

Absentmindedly, Crocodile noticed that the crate he was sitting on was filled with expensive cigars, ones which would undoubtedly bring a high price at the black market.

Since he didn't have anything better to do, Crocodile carefully selected a cigar, lighting it cautiously before taking a deep breath. The flavour was thick and rich, and surprisingly good. Perhaps it would become a habit, he mused. Crocodile allowed himself to relax, smoking a cigar while casually observing Doflamingo and Kuro clash it out.

It was a fairly close thing. Kuro was much faster and was landing three blows for every one of Doflamingo's, but Doflamingo fought with a relentless intensity that Kuro just couldn't match. As Kuro began to slow down, Doflamingo just kept on going hard.

Within minutes, both parties were covered in blood. Doflamingo's clothes, which had been turned brown by the trek through the swampland, were gradually being dyed pink again by the flowing blood. Doflamingo seemed to be having a great time, while Kuro was starting to be pushed back.

By the time Crocodile was only a quarter of a way through his cigar, Kuro was now noticeably falling behind. The blood loss was getting to him, while Doflamingo didn't seem to care. Eventually, Kuro slipped up, allowing Doflamingo to wrap his string around the cat claws, and break the iron blades into pieces.

After that, Kuro was left trying to fight a losing battle with one-handed. He was spilling blood and the wounds were mounting.

Crocodile fancied he could see the internal struggle going through Kuro's mind. The rational part of Kuro knew that he should run and cut his losses, as there wouldn't be a victory here. However, it was the ego and pride that really drove him, and that refused to give in. That part of him knew that if he ran, then he would lose his entire operation. If Kuro ran, he would be back to being nothing more than an outlaw, constantly on the run. Even as the ego was being constantly pulverised with every blow that Doflamingo landed, it didn't break easily.

Finally, after another wire almost took off his arm, Kuro had to flee. The captain was hobbling, but he still moved quickly as he fled out of the cavern after his men. A trail of blood marked his path.

Crocodile wondered vaguely if he should chase after him, but quickly decided against it. Crocodile had seen something break inside of Kuro as he finally gave in and fled.

Captain Kuro had been completely and utterly defeated, more than just physically.

Despite everything, Crocodile felt a rare twitch of empathy for the man, as he watched Kuro run away.

Crocodile took another deep breath of the cigar as he watched Doflamingo stagger back towards him. Doflamingo was bloody and covered in cuts, but still he smiling like a child at Christmas. Finally, all of his pent-up frustration was dissipated in a long and bloody fight, and he was still enjoying the adrenaline running through his body.

Doflamingo raised an eyebrow at Crocodile, who was still just relaxing with his cigar. "Well, thanks for your help," he said sarcastically, but there were no hard feelings.

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself." Crocodile replied simply. He was definitely enjoying his cigar, and he had just acquired a whole crate of them. It was something to look forward to.

Doflamingo glanced down at his clothes. They had been absolutely ruined, but thankfully he had managed to protect his precious scarf from most of the damage. Still, the lack of fashion suddenly made him even more miserable.

Crocodile noticed the change in mood.

"Did you know…" Crocodile offered, as he was feeling, quite unusually, good-natured. "That there is a huge tax mark-up on designer labels? As a matter-of-fact, luxury fashion items are one of the biggest products smuggled through the black market."

Doflamingo looked at him, puzzled. Crocodile sighed. "I'm saying," Crocodile explained slowly. "That if you looked through these crates, I would wager that you'd come across fashion clothes. Odds are there will be something in pink."

At once, Doflamingo lit up brightly, and proceeded to strip the tops of the crates and rummage through the smuggled goods.

He was halfway through his second crate, when he realised something. "Hey!" He called to Crocodile accusingly. He motioned to the figures surrounding them, still standing at their cannons. "You could have told me about the reinforcements!"

Crocodile feigned ignorance. "Reinforcements?" He said with a smirk. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Doflamingo looked confused. Crocodile's grin just widened.

"Like I told you as we arrived," He said smugly. "Preparation is important."

Curious, Doflamingo later climbed up to the cliffs to have a closer look at the Baroque Works agents and the cannons.

He was laughing about it for days.

They were sand sculptures. The figures of the cannons and the men were all just sculptures, which had been invisible until the torches were lit by fuse. The flickering flames gave the impression of movement, and a transponder snail and a microphone gave a pre-recorded speech.


"That's the wrong key," Doflamingo insisted. "Try that other one."

"Would you back off?" Crocodile growled. "It's not like they have labels on them."

They were deeper in the caves, and currently searching through the rooms behind the harbour, searching for the missing swordsman.

"But it's clearly that key!" Doflamingo pressed. "That key fits that lock."

Crocodile gritted his teeth. This was the third room they searched, and the third time they had this argument. "The keys all look exactly the same!"

"Just try that key. I bet you that that key will work."

"Oh, haven't you learned from the last two times?"

"This time I'm definite," Doflamingo asserted.

Crocodile sighed, but relented. There was click as the lock opened.

"You got lucky," Crocodile said firmly, refusing to look at Doflamingo's grin. "You were wrong two times, it's pure probability that you're right eventually."

"It's not luck; it's skill. I'm just –"

He was interrupted as suddenly Mihawk stepped out of the room. Mihawk was covered in wounds and bleeding heavily, but he didn't seem to care. There were large cuts that looked like claw marks across his body. There were the remains of broken manacles still dangling off his wrist. His knuckles were especially bloody.

"Well, it's about time," Mihawk grumbled, glancing at Doflamingo with annoyance. "I've been waiting for hours."

Doflamingo looked at Mihawk with surprise. The swordsman never even gave Crocodile a second glance or asked who he was. Just looking at Mihawk's wounds made Doflamingo hurt, but Mihawk was already walking away.

"What the hell happened to you?" Doflamingo called.

Mihawk simply shrugged, and never even turned around.

"Nothing important," he replied simply.

Doflamingo and Crocodile shared a glance, before they both decided that it wasn't their concern and walked away.

Meanwhile, back in the room, the beaten and broken bodies of Buchi and Sham littered the floor. They would not be moving for a while.


A day later, Mihawk was bandaged up again and Doflamingo was over the moon with the clothes looted from Kuro's smuggling operation. The entire harbour had been looted, and a large amount of coins and other valuables were added to Doflamingo's growing horde. Crocodile took a large box of cigars, and made careful note everything of value.

Once the bribes had stopped, the Marines returned to Gloom Town. Without Kuro's money greasing the wheels, suddenly there were a lot of questions and investigations that needed answers. A battleship appeared in the harbour the next morning, and never looked like it was going to move.

It was time for the pirates to leave.

Crocodile had spent most of the time preparing for the journey. The ship that had been left in the smuggler's harbour had been checked and restocked for the voyage.

"Prepare whatever you're taking," Crocodile ordered eventually, stepping off the gangway. "We're sailing off in two hours."

Doflamingo frowned. "You remember that I'm the captain, right?"

"Believe me; I have no interest in being the captain of this… 'crew'," Crocodile scoffed. "But neither am I your subordinate. Right now, I am simply a Baroque Works agent whose services you have hired, and I will accompany you until you have fulfilled your end of the bargain."

"You mean until we've killed this former employee of yours?" Doflamingo pressed.

"Yes; a traitorous employee," Crocodile lied seamlessly. "One who has betrayed Baroque Works to start his own, rival organisation, "The Syndicate", and is currently undercutting our business in the Grand Line. If you end this cancer for us, then Baroque Works will consider it fair trade in return for delivering your crew to the Grand Line."

"Huh…" Doflamingo thought about it for second. "You know, if Baroque Works is such a big company, then why do you need us to take of your mess?"

Crocodile hadn't expected Doflamingo to say something so intelligent, but he shrugged it off quickly. "Resources are stretched thin, and our former employee has proved stubborn. Surely it will be no difficulty for someone of your talents?"

Doflamingo laughed. "Of course I can do it!"

"Then there will be no issues." Crocodile smiled, forcing himself to appear earnest.

As Crocodile walked back to the ship, Doflamingo called out. "Hey, speaking of our agreement, why exactly are we taking Kuro's old ship?" He wondered.

Crocodile shrugged. "Baroque Works was prepared to supply the ship by itself," he lied. "But if there's a suitable ship available, then it is more efficient for both parties to simply take this one."

Doflamingo glanced at the ship sitting in the harbour. It was a caravel class ship, quite small but sturdy. Caravels were great at taking a beating, and it was inconspicuous enough, doubtlessly why Kuro had used it for smuggling.

The ship was actually a design that Kuro had copied from one of his previous jobs, although there had been modifications. It lacked a figurehead, and there weren't any distinctive sails. Crocodile doubted that Kuro had ever treated the ship has anything other than a means of transport, but perhaps it would make a decent pirate vessel.

Of course, Crocodile never had a ship of his own to give away. 'Baroque Works' was nothing more than a name and there was only one person left in the company, with no funds or influence left. Still, it was important that Doflamingo never realised that.

"Alright then," Doflamingo said dismissively. "Just one thing, does our new ship have a name?"

Crocodile shook his head. "I never bothered to ask Kuro," he replied dismissively. "I suppose you'll have to name it."

Doflamingo scratched his chin, deep in thought. "Hmm… that's something to think about."

Crocodile walked up the gangway and was just about to disappear below deck. "One hour, and then we sail out," Crocodile reminded him. "It wouldn't do to be here when the Marines come snooping."

As soon as he was safely out of sight, Crocodile allowed himself a small smirk. Yes, he thought smugly, I judged him correctly straight away. Doflamingo was loud, brash and arrogant. He had more muscles than wits, and Crocodile was confident he could be easily manipulated. Crocodile would use Doflamingo as a smokescreen, a loud rookie to attract all the attention, while Crocodile would sneak back into the Grand Line.

It would then be fool's play to then set Doflamingo up against the Boss, although obviously that was a fight that Doflamingo stood absolutely no chance of winning. It would be enough of a distraction for Crocodile to try again at stealing the Syndicate's records. Once he had the ammunition to put the Syndicate out of business, then he could restart Baroque Works.

Of course, Doflamingo and whatever misfits that followed him stood no chance of survival. Not that it matters, Crocodile thought mercilessly, they are nothing but pawns, anyways.

All Crocodile had to do was keep Doflamingo in the dark until they reached Grand Line. That wouldn't even be difficult, he thought smugly, men like Doflamingo are too blinded by their own arrogance to see the truth.


Doflamingo was still staring thoughtfully at his new ship even when Crocodile was out of earshot.

"Hey, Mihawk," he called out suddenly. "Can you think of a name for this ship?"

The swordsman was busy sharpening his sword, and shook his head without even looking up. "Not a clue."

"Hmph…" Doflamingo snorted. "A ship needs a name. This is going to be bugging me now."

Mihawk paused from sharpening his sword momentarily. "So Crocodile is joining the crew," Mihawk stated eventually, but there was a hint of a question in his voice.

Doflamingo grinned. "Sort of."

Mihawk raised an eyebrow quietly.

"Crocodile is trying to manipulate us into assassinating his former boss," Doflamingo explained simply. "He's going to travel with us to the Grand Line, and then he's going to betray us. I expect he'll use us as bait, and then leave us to die. As a matter of fact, I'm ninety percent sure that everything he's said has been a lie."

"Oh," Mihawk replied. There was no shock or outrage, just faint acceptance. Mihawk returned to sharpening his sword. "So do you want to kill him or should I?"

Doflamingo just laughed. "Kill him?" He said between chuckles. "Now where's the fun in that?"


On the other side of the island, Captain Kuro was in a bad mood. As a matter of fact, it had been nearly a decade since he had been in such a foul mood.

Once the money stopped flowing, the enterprise ground to a halt. Within days of his defeat, all of his contacts cut all connections. Suddenly, his bounty was reactivated, and it wouldn't be long before the bounty hunters and the marines started their pursuit again. He could never return to Gloom Town.

It had taken years for him to lose his trail. How many more years could he survive being a wanted man?

He had lost everything; his business, his anonymity, his ship.

What remained of the Black Cat Pirates had gathered on a small beach, huddled over a campfire. He could see the treasonous glances flickering between his men. His two most faithful stewards, Sham and Buchi, had never made it out. How much longer would the Black Cat Pirates follow a failing captain?

Somewhere, through all the plans, Kuro had become old. He kept himself lean and in good shape, but he could feel himself aging. Sooner or later, Captain Kuro was beginning to realise that retirement wasn't an option. No matter how hard he ran, it was the fate of all pirates to die either on the gallows or the sword.

"How long are we going to sit out here?" One of the pirates grumbled. Kuro remained quiet.

"We don't have a ship. We're stranded on this godforsaken island now." Someone else grouched. The mood was quiet, but it was getting dangerous.

"What's the plan, Captain?" There was a touch of sarcasm in the word "Captain".

Kuro didn't respond. He sat perfectly still, thinking. All eyes were on him, and every hand was close to a weapon. None had been drawn yet, but it wasn't far away. Pirates were like cats – their loyalty was dubious at best.

"We shouldn't be here." Someone else spoke up, at the back. "We should have disbanded years ago. With every plan we just get fewer and fewer."

There was another silence. Finally, some brave soul dared to break it. "I should have left with Jango when I had the chance."

That was the breaking point. No one had mention Jango in nearly ten years, not aloud. The former captain's betrayal was still a sore point with Kuro.

One by one, a group of Black Cat Pirates started to stand up. Their weapons were in their hands now. Half a dozen fake cat ears dropped to the ground.

"I've had enough of this." One of them proclaimed finally. "I'm leaving. I'm sick of being on the losing side."

The deserters turned around and started to walk away. Kuro watched them leave through the corner of his eye. Kuro had no love for any of them. They were all just tools, pawns to be played. But still, if they left, then Kuro was by himself. How long would a captain with no ship, no crew and no hope be able to survive?

Finally, Kuro spoke up. "Anybody who wants to leave…" He said slowly and quietly, but his voice was heard clearly over the quiet beach. "…must do so over my dead body."

The words cut through the night like a blade. The deserters stopped walking, but now everyone was standing up, weapons drawn. Kuro caught the glint of uncertainty in their eyes, but combined with a spark of defiance.

Kuro pulled himself up slowly. His face was unreadable, but inside he felt a dread like he had never felt before. This was it; every captain's worst nightmare. The captain versus the crew.

How much fight did Kuro still have left in him?

The air was so tense that Kuro could feel every eye on him tightly. He slowly put on his one remaining cat claw, and flexed the blades experimentally.

Suddenly, just as things were about to get violent, the standoff was broken by the sound of laughter, and heavy footsteps approaching across the beach.

"Wow, Kuro," the intruder exclaimed loudly. "You've really fallen hard."

The pirates suddenly turned to the newcomer, a figure walking across the beach wearing a thick trench coat and a dark sunhat covering his face. There was a large object, larger than the man himself, slung across his back. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and seemed utterly at ease among the large group of pirates.

Kuro recognised the voice. It was deeper and more confident than what he remembered, but he had never forgotten it. For the second time in a few days, Captain Kuro was left completely shocked.

"You!" Kuro shouted. Some of the other, the older, members of the Black Cat Pirates recognised him as well. This was the man responsible for their greatest defeat.

"Yep," the intruder said coolly. He lifted up his hat to reveal an abnormally long nose, and a smirk. "Me."

Usopp grinned confidently, even as the men that outnumbered fifty to one all drew their swords. Kuro was staring, dumbfounded by surprise. Usopp had changed over the last ten years. He was no longer a lanky teenager, but had filled out into a bulky, heavily built man. He now had a small beard, and he had lost the baby fat and the silly face. His jaw was strong, with well-defined cheekbones, but his nose was still incredibly long.

Kuro had never expected to see this man again, but he had always hoped.

As his brain finally processed what his eyes were seeing, a hollow laugh burst from Captain Kuro's lips. The sound caused most of the crew to jump; no one had ever heard Kuro laugh before. The plans were already whirring through the captain's head.

"You!" Kuro cackled maniacally. He was more excited than he had been in years. "And to think I thought this was going to be a bad night!"

Usopp was laughing as well, but with a lot less crazy. "Oh, the night's not over yet!" He chuckled.

Kuro didn't seem to hear. "All I have to do is capture you!" The captain said in an almost wondrous voice. It was the voice of someone who couldn't believe his luck. "And your captain's desire to protect his crewmates is legendary! If I ransom your head, then he would turn himself in! Once I become the man who hands over the World's Most Wanted, I'm set for life!"

The Black Cats Pirates started to realise the same thing, and one by one they all pointed their blades at Usopp. They were grinning too.

Captain Kuro was suddenly laughing so hard that Usopp started to fear for his sanity. "The last time I checked…" Kuro stammered. "His bounty poster just had the phrase "Name your price" on it! They couldn't fit all the zeroes! I'll be rich beyond my wildest dreams!"

Usopp start to laugh harder as well. Kuro really should have been more worried about that.

"That's right!" Usopp grinned brightly. "And to think; all you have to do is capture me!"

He said that with such force and confidence that suddenly they stopped laughing, and started to wonder why Usopp wasn't more scared. Kuro must have realised this too.

"Don't be fooled!" The captain snapped. "We faced him before! He's still the exact same pathetic little liar that we faced a decade ago! Do you remember when you were lying on the ground, with your bum in the air? Without your captain to protect you, you are nothing!"

Kuro drew his claws, while the pirates all lunged forward. Usopp jumped backwards, and as quick as flash he had drawn the object on his back and was spinning it in his hands.

It was a hammer, but it was the largest hammer that any of them had ever seen. The handle was six-foot long, while the head was bigger than a man. In big letters, the words "5 TONNES" was been printed on the side. Usopp carried it with one hand.

"Got to admit, I wasn't expecting to meet you," Usopp smirked, spinning the huge hammer around idly. "I came back to the East Blue on other business; but when I heard that you were nearby, I just couldn't resist. I figured I'd come back and show my gratitude to an old acquaintance. Tell me, have you ever been thrown face first down memory lane?"

"Five tonnes?" One of the pirates stuttered, moving backwards in shock. Others were looking nervous.

"Ha! As if," Kuro barked dismissively. "He's still nothing but a little liar. I'll bet that that hammer isn't really five tonnes, is it?"

Usopp grin just widened as he held up his hands in mock innocence. "Alright, you got me. It's true; the number is completely fake."

Usopp stood completely still for a second, before suddenly he snatched up his hammer with both hands, lifted it over his head, before bringing it down quickly on to the ground.

The impact caused a small earthquake across the island.

At once, the shockwave sent the pirates flying in all direction. A huge layer of debris rose up, causing the earth to wave as if it were made of liquid. A cloud of debris rose from the beach, erupting in a huge explosion.

Kuro never even had time to run. Suddenly, he took the full brunt of the blast. It sent him bouncing off the ground and flying fifty foot before landing roughly in a pile on the other side of the beach.

In one blow, the Black Cat Pirates had been completely and utterly decimated. They never stood a chance.

A twenty-foot wide crater was left in the ground. A small mushroom cloud of dust had burst over the area, covering the beach with ash. There wasn't an unbroken pane of glass in a mile.

Usopp was strolling forward, twirling his hammer absentmindedly.

"The hammer is actually fifty tonnes." Usopp said with great satisfaction. "I stopped over-exaggerating everything years ago; it's much more fun to under-exaggerate instead."

Captain Kuro had so many broken bones his body felt completely numb. He tried to move, but his limbs just weren't responding to him anymore. Somehow, even despite his broken teeth and bloodied mouth, he still managed to gasp. "But… you're just a… little liar…"

Usopp was standing over Kuro now. His grin never dropped.

"Oh no…" He proclaimed triumphantly. "I am the World's GREATEST Liar."


Some distance off the coast, a woman with orange hair, sitting in a small sailing boat, watched with a complete lack of surprise as a mushroom cloud rose up over the nearby beach. The shockwave caused the boat to wobble dangerously.

She sighed, but she hadn't really expected anything else.

"Usopp…" she muttered idly. "You're still exactly the same as you've always been. You always have to be so over-the-top…"


Author Notes

The end of the Gloom Town Arc!

Crocodile "joins" the crew!

Crocodile's plan thickens!

Things never went well for Captain Kuro at all!

Doflamingo gets a new ship!

First appearance of two Straw Hat pirates, and they have business in the East Blue!

Please, let me know how I did. It was a fun chapter to write.

Also, the currently-nameless ship that Doflamingo has picked up is, of course, the same type as the Going Merry. Kuro stole the designs from when he was working for Kaya, and later built his version of it to use a smuggling vessel. Doflamingo and Co. took it from Kuro, and it's their ship now. Think of this ship as the twisted cousin of the Going Merry.

The next chapter marks the beginning of a brand new arc, one which I'm really looking forward to. The crew is getting bigger, and it won't be long before they start attracting attention.

The next arc features Loguetown; where Bartholomew Kuma is having a really bad day…


Next time: "Loguetown; It's a Great Place for an Execution! Bring Your Friends!"