"We've arrived at the restaurant!" Johnny's annoying voice floated up from below. I had taken a watch in the crows nest, and accidentally fallen asleep. At least the two hunters were down below.

"HOW'S THAT, EVERYONE!" He shouted, and I slipped down to the deck. The Baratie restaurant was just ahead of us, and it had a very interesting shape to it. I suppose it fit for sea chefs, but it was honestly kinda cool looking.

Apparently Luffy thought so too.

"Wow, it's a giant fish!"
"This is so exciting!"

A marine's ship floated up next to us suddenly, and Johnny and Yosaku hid as I walked over to the edge of the boat, shading my eyes.

"Don't tell me they're going to attack us..." Usopp said through gritted teeth.
"Hey, there's someone on the deck." I pointed out, and we stared as a man with an iron wrapping on his fist appeared.

"I've never seen that flag before... I am Lieutenant Fullbody, The Iron Fist, of the Marines. Who is your captain?" He called out. Luffy looked him square in the eye.
"I am! I'm Luffy! I just finished the flag two days ago!" He said as Yosaku and Johnny fell into a laughing fit. The Lieutenant turned his attention to them.

"You two! I've seen you before, in some government office." He said, lighting a cigar and smiling in recognition. "Oh! You're those shabby pirate hunters, Johnny and Yosaku, right? Don't tell me you've been caught by these pirates." the Lieutenant said with a smirk.

"Hey, Yosaku. That guy's asking for trouble." Johnny said, striking a rather cool pose.
"Hmph! You said we're shabby pirate hunters? That's really rude. Even though we won't get a single beli for it, we should teach him a lesson, Johnny." Yosaku said, and they both charged.

Two seconds later they were back on our deck, bleeding.
My eye twitched.

"You guys really suck." I deadpanned along with Luffy.
"We almost got him!"

Zoro looked at them with a blank expression. "What the hell are you two doing..." He asked as the Marines shot a cannon at us.
"I GOT IT!" Luffy yelled as he leaped onto the railing.

"RUBBER BALLOON!" He yelled as his body swelled, and launched the cannonball right back...into the roof of the Baratie.
"WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE BOUNCING THAT? IDIOT!" Zoro screamed at him. I groaned while the others freaked as we sailed up to the restaurant.

"Excuse me, mere bastard, but would you happen to be the ship that sent the cannonball at us?" I heard someone say from behind me as we docked, and looked over my shoulder.
I blinked.

"Ah. That was Luffy's fault." I said, pointing at our captain while the crew gaped.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Nami shrieked at me as the chefs whisked Luffy away.

"Well, he needed to apologize anyway, and explain." I commented as I stretched and walked down to the lower deck to put on my leg weights. I grabbed a weight for each hand and began to do my exercises.

"I know where I recognized you from now!" Johnny yelled as I swung the barbells around easily.
"Hm?" was my only reply to his frantic tone.

"You have a wanted poster! You're 'Godhand' Delanoi Kai, aren't you?" He stammered out as he pointed at me. I tilted my head at him as I began to do another set of reps.
"I thought that was common knowledge." I said without a change in my pattern.
"What? Let me see that." Nami said, pulling the poster away from Yosaku.

Her face drained of color, and I paused, halting my exercise to stare at her.
"Really, Nami? You didn't know?" I asked, confused.

"You're...You're really worth 10 million Beli?" She asked faintly as I crossed my arms.
"Well, yea." I said as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Zoro shouted as he stormed down the stairs towards me, and I backed up a bit.
"I didn't think you would get mad over this..." I trailed off, eyes wide.
"You got a bounty before I did! How could you expect me to NOT be mad!" He exclaimed and I rolled my eyes.
"That's all you're worried about?" I muttered under my breath as Usopp stood shaking in his boots.
"10 million Beli...Just what on earth did you do?" He quavered and I smirked.

"I got arrested for fighting and broke out of the Marine HQ in Loguetown." I said simply and they all stared.
"WHAT THE HELL?"
"MONSTER! HE'S A MONSTER!"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DIDN'T NOTICE EARLIER!"
"I WAS DISTRACTED, NAMI-SIS!"

I ignored their squabbling and walked back up to the upper deck to try to get some peace as I completed my weight training. Zoro was the first to follow and sat next to me.
"I forgive you for getting a bounty before me." He said and I gave him a look.

"10 million still seems a bit high for just escaping from prison though." Nami said as she walked up to sit on my other side.
"I didn't say I escaped from prison. I escaped from the MARINE HEADQUARTERS in Loguetown. That's a whole different ball of pain." I replied without turning to look at her as I began leg training.

"Anyway, why is Luffy so late?" Zoro wondered aloud and I smirked.
"Maybe they made him work for a month or something." I said as Nami slapped me in the arm, nearly sending me off balance.

"Why didn't you tell them that it was just an accident caused by those marines? You're so stubborn!" She complained as I regained my feet.
"Hey, when I'm exercising, do you think you could try to NOT hit me?" I hissed and she just glared at me.
"Hey, lets go see him! We can eat while we're there too!" Usopp said and I grinned.
"Good idea!" I said, dropping my weights as we stood to go inside the restaurant.

We were greeted at the door by a large man with huge forearms and a million beli smile. "Welcome to our restaurant, mere bastards!" He greeted and I grinned at him, placing a hand on Zoro's arm briefly as he growled slightly.

"Table for four please!" I said with a polite smile.
"Of course! Right this way." He replied and showed us to a very nice table.
"Here is our shitty menu! May I order you all something to drink to start?" He asked, and I ordered some rum as the others got their favorite drinks.

"By the way, have you seen a kid with a straw hat and red vest around?" I asked innocently as he gathered our drink menus.
"Ah. That shitty kid that busted up the restaurant. Honor is having him work here for a year to pay off his debt." He replied as he walked off, and we exchanged glances.

"A year? That's a long period of time.." Usopp said hesitantly and I scoffed.
"This is Luffy we're talking about. They'll probably kick him out before he destroys the place even more." I said as I fiddled with the tableware. Zoro snorted.
"You have a point there." He said as the waiter came back with our drinks and took our orders.

"I still can't get over the fact that you already have a bounty, Kai." Nami said quietly as she sipped her wine. I frowned and leaned back in my chair, relaxing as the rum hit my stomach.

"What, worried that marines will come after us?" I snorted as I took a drink.
"No. It's just that every time we fight someone, you end up getting hurt." She said bluntly and I nearly choked on my drink as Usopp laughed.

"That hurts, but I really don't have anything I can say in my defense. I'll put up much more interesting fights from now on." I said with a grin as I took the comment in stride, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Hey, busboy!" Nami said with a wave of her hand. I looked over to see Luffy standing there with a white apron on.
"I heard you have to work here for one year!" Usopp gloated.
"The apron suits ya." I said with a smirk, and Zoro leaned over to look at our captain over his shoulder.
"Hey, can I change our pirate flag?" He teased.

Luffy got mad.

"You're sitting comfortably and eating while I work? That's so unfair!" He shouted. Zoro glanced at me and I smirked along with him as Luffy stuck some snot in his drink.
"Unfair? But we have the right to be here." He said.
"That's true." Usopp agreed as he tried to keep from laughing.

"This restaurant is really good though..So it does almost seem unfair..." Zoro said with a smile as he raised his glass to his lips...

...and shoved the contents down Luffy's throat.

"So why don't YOU drink this!" He said as he wrestled with Luffy, and I started laughing so hard that tears ran down my face.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" shouted Luffy as he writhed on the ground.
"WHAT AM I DOING? WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Zoro yelled right back.

"Oh! Thank the heavens that we have met today! You may laugh at me, my love!" a voice interrupted and a weirdo appeared from out of nowhere to fawn over Nami. I stared in shock at the caterpillar working it's way across the man's brow.

"C-curly brow..." I muttered in shock as Usopp nearly spit out his drink.
"It looks like a caterpillar!" He exclaimed as Zoro snorted and looked smug. A tic started in my eye at the chef's fawning over Nami.

See, this is why I don't mind being mistaken for a guy. I don't want idiots like that all over me.

"As long as you are with me, I could be a pirate or a demon! Oh, but we are fated to never be..." He swooned and I groaned, rolling my eyes.
"Is that because of me?" came a rough voice, and I looked up to see a man with a peg leg standing against a wall.

"Honor!" Curly brow said in shock, and the head chef grinned.

"This is a good opportunity to get rid of you. Go on and become a pirate. We don't want you around here anymore." The head chef said and I snorted.
"I can see why, what with his womanizing." I scoffed and Zoro smirked, but didn't say anything.

"Hey, crazy old man. I am the second chef of this restaurant, and you're telling me you don't need me? What the hell?" Curly Brow asked as he gritted his teeth. I was surprised he didn't break his cigarette in half.

"You always fight with customers, and only flirt with beautiful women." The man started to list. "Your food isn't that great, you drag the rest of us down. Most of the other chefs don't like you. I think you know that though." He finished and I let out a low whistle.
"That's a long list." I whispered to Usopp, who nodded.

"So, you need to get out of here, and become a pirate or whatever you want. But you need to get out of this restaurant as soon as possible, Sanji." The head chef said as a closing statement, and Curly Brow stalked forward, grabbing him by the collar.

"What the hell are you talking about, Zeff? You think I'm not going to get mad about this, you crazy coot? Whatever the reason, you don't hate my food. I won't leave even if you tell me to." He ground out angrily.
"YOU DARE TO GRAB MY COLLAR, BRAT?" Peg leg shouted as he threw the younger chef into our table.
I grabbed for my plate and rum hastily, as did the rest of the crew.

"LISTEN! I DON'T CARE HOW MANY TIMES YOU TELL ME TO LEAVE, BUT I'LL BE A CHEF HERE FOREVER! I'LL BE HERE TILL YOU DIE!" the cook Sanji yelled angrily as the head chef snorted and walked off.
"Well, I won't die for 100 years." He retorted and Luffy grinned at the cook.

"That's good! You got permission from the owner!" he said as he put his fists on his hips.
"I DON'T WANT IT!" Sanji yelled at him.

Not more than two seconds later, the table was righted and all of us had cups of hot tea in front of us, with the exception of Nami.
Curly Brow was fawning over her again.

"I am so sorry for the mess. As an apology, I've ordered you a fruit in macedonia along with a Gran Mane wine." He said, serving her carefully. She clapped her hands together and smiled.
"Thanks!" she exclaimed happily.

I took a sip of my drink.

"This is good tea." I mentioned to Zoro, who nodded.

"HEY! What about us?" Usopp asked Curly Brow angrily as Zoro took a drink.
"What? I've ordered you hot tea, and you're still unsatisfied, asshole?" He growled and Usopp looked angry.
"You want a fight? Beat him up, Zoro." He said and I snorted as Zoro's eyebrow twitched.
"Do it yourself."

"You don't even take dishes away for us guys!" Usopp complained, pointing at the dishes in question.
Curly Brow leaned over the plate.

"You didn't finish your mushrooms. Eat em." He retorted lightly.
"I left it because I hate mushrooms. I ate a poisonous one when I was very young." Usopp said as he and the Sanji glared each other down.
"This isn't a poisonous mushroom, so eat it!"

"Could you both stop fighting for me?" asked Nami sweetly.
"Yes Ma'am."

"By the way, Mr. Chef... The food here is quite expensive.." Nami trailed off as she caressed the cook's cheek and he had a look of rapture on his face.
"For you, its on the house." He said as she gave him a huge.
"Oh thank you!" She said happily.

"But you still have to pay." He said, glaring at the rest of us as he walked off, a spring in his step.

"You're tricky." Zoro said with a slight frown and perturbed look.
"You'd better watch me!" Nami said with a grin as she swirled her wine.

A few days after that, I was standing on the deck doing weight training with a spare set of cuffs as Zoro was napping. A million thoughts were going through my mind, and none of them exactly pleasant.

"What's on your mind."

I turned to see Zoro frowning lightly as he stretched out on the deck. I groaned as I set my weights down and walked over to sit next to him.
"Are you serious about looking for 'Hawk eyes' Mihawk?" I asked him softly. He raised his eyebrow at me.

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm going to be the best swordsman in the world, and he's the current best. It only makes sense that I would fight him." He responded and I let out a slow smile.

"Then nothing I say will change your mind about it." I mumbled to myself as I leaned my head back. If he was this dead set against it, there was nothing I could do.
"What are you talking about?" He said in a low tone. I almost winced.

"Hawk eyes Mihawk is one of the Shichibukai, the Seven Gods of the Sea." I said and Zoro just gave me a look.
"I know that. So why are you so worried?" He asked and I closed my eyes.
"Am I that transparent?" I said to myself.

I stood as I gathered my training gear. "I'm worried..because you have no idea what you're doing trying to fight him now." I said matter of factly as his expression became angry and he got to his feet, storming over to me.

"So what? So you're saying that I should just give up now?" He hissed as he stared me down.
"I didn't say that. But you aren't ready yet." I said quietly, moving past him and down into the cabins.

I breathed deeply, trying to compose myself as I heard some commotion up on the deck. Zoro could handle it. I groaned, putting my head in my hands.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice when someone walked up behind me. I saw stars as someone smashed me over the head, and passed out.

I awoke with a jerk as I was dragged up the stairs.

"What the hell?" I snapped as I struggled to get to my feet.

I took inventory of myself quickly. My hands were tied behind my back, my spare cuffs still on from training that morning. My ankles were tied securely, there was no way I could slip out of them. I looked up as I was dragged to see...

"Nami? What the fuck are you doing?" I snarled as she dragged me into the galley. She grinned down at me.

"I have no idea how you got such a high bounty if I could sneak up on you that easily." She said as she tapped my nose with her finger. I snapped at her finger and she frowned as I glared at her.
"You really think that we'll let you get away with double crossing us?" I hissed as I fought the ropes. She merely smirked and walked out the door, and I heard it lock behind her.

Was she...crying?

I let myself relax on the ground as I cast around for something to cut my bonds with. Nothing. She was thorough.

I took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. I knew that Zoro would be pissed when he found the Going Merry missing, and I hoped that Johnny and Yosaku had been able to get off the boat. I rolled over and managed to pull myself onto the couch in the galley, settling in for a long ride. If Nami was planning on turning me in for my bounty, then this could get ugly.

Days passed and I was still feeling fine, if a bit dizzy from lack of food. I had gone without food before, and this wouldn't be any different from back then. I was about to take a nap when Nami entered the galley with a large...fish-man? I stared as Nami turned to the merman.

"Pick him up and follow me." She said and the merman walked over to me, trying to intimidate me with his height. I grinned up at him from under my headband, daring him to touch me as I relaxed into the couch.
"This one is pretty defiant." He said as he picked me up by the jacket collar and threw me over his shoulder.

"You know that you just missed the marines, right?" He asked and Nami snorted.
"I saw them leave. It's fine though, I can collect his bounty anytime. Just keep him locked up securely."

The trip was short and sweet, and Nami stopped outside the door of a large building.

"Just stuff him in one of the cells, I'll deal with him later." she said as she walked inside the park as the merman turned to walk around the building. Down flight after flight of stairs we went before he stopped in front of a spartan cell, empty save for some chains lying in the corner.

"You're pretty quiet." the merman said as he wrapped the chains around me.
I smirked dangerously.

"What, am I supposed to threaten your kneecaps?" I said caustically, and the large fishman laughed.
"You have a sense of humor. Unusual for a human." He said as he connected the chain to the wall and stood.
"You seem intelligent. Unusual for a merman." I responded dryly.

His fist plowed into me and I slammed against the wall with a jerk, but didn't let out a sound
"You're going to be a fun guest." The merman said as he left the dungeon.

I sighed as I started to work on reaching my cuffs in the dark. If I could just reach them, I could get out of this mess. There was no way in hell I was going to meekly go back to imprisonment by the marines. They'd probably just turn me back over to that man anyway.

And I would rather DIE than go back to that life.