Ch 10 - I am Staying Out of the Way.
Luffy, Nami, Emmy, and Zoro arrived at the bottom of Buggy's base in the middle of the mayor's face off against the clown, who was taunting him from the rooftops. The mayor had a spear in hand while Buggy had a detached hand around the mayor's neck. The mayor was lifted up into the air and his legs were flailing about as he tried to kick his way free. There was also a cannon aimed at the old man, most likely one with a Special Buggy Ball fitted to it.
"I-I-I won't let you destroy this town! Even if it costs me my life!" the mayor choked.
"Tch," Buggy scoffed at the pathetic display this man was showing him, "Is the Buggy Ball ready?! Good! Then Fi- WHAT?! STRAW HAT?!"
Quick as a flash, Luffy stood in front of the Mayor with Buggy's phantom hand clutched tightly in his. He waved to the clown with Buggy's own hand, "I'm here to kick your ass just like I promised," Luffy announced and then let go of Buggy's hand. It flew back up to its master.
Emmy knelt in front of the Mayor, swiftly removing her headband. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," the mayor coughed as Emmy helped him to his feet.
"How dare you just come waltzing back here to Captain Buggy so flashily?!" Buggy shouted.
"Listen! All I want is the map and the treasure," Nami reminded the crew.
"Yeah, I figured," Zoro shrugged.
"What are you doing here, you young'uns?," the mayor asked as he tightened his grip on his spear, "You're outsiders. This is not your fight. This is mine."
He held his spear in front of him and made a run for Buggy. "I will protect this town!"
"Feel Feel Pull," Emmy said and tugged her hand. The Mayor's feet flew back as if someone had yanked his ankle out from under him and he fell face down onto the street.
"Eh?!" he gasped as Emmy walked up to him.
"I apologize, Mayor-san but this is for your own good," Emmy said and put her hand to the back of his head, "Feel Feel Repose."
A heart-shaped cloud of light blue smoke puffed around the mayor's head.
ZZZZZZZZ!
The Mayor's whole body sagged as he began to snore. Emmy fit her headband onto her head and nodded at Luffy. "Okay, he's good."
"OOOH! Another power?!" Luffy cheered.
"What?! What did you do to the Mayor?!" Nami cried.
"I made him feel sleepy," Emmy explained and Nami's jaw dropped.
"For how long?!"
Emmy shrugged. "For about an hour or two...Or until I release it."
"Then release it!" Nami demanded.
"No," Emmy said and folded her arms across her chest, "I had no choice. He was determined to put his life on the line. I could feel his resolve."
"It was for the best," Zoro grunted, "Otherwise, he'll get in our way."
What is with these people?!, Nami thought. She had chalked them up as good for nothing pirates and was sure they would bring nothing but trouble to her and this innocent town but then they kept doing unexpected things. Zoro's dedication to carry Luffy out to safety was one and the girl taking away the wounds from Chou-Chou was another.
Nami and the Mayor weren't able to see what exactly had happened but what they did know was that Chou-Chou had gotten into a terrible fight, protecting his master's store, and it seemed Luffy and Emmy had lent him a hand.
"You're up, Luffy," Emmy said, interrupting Nami from her thoughts.
Luffy tilted his hat back. He took two steps forward and puffed up his chest, "BIGGGGG NOSEEEE!"
The screams of horror seemed to come from all around them, including Nami herself. She clutched her hands to her face and gawked at Luffy. "That's the one thing you shouldn't say!" she screeched, "I knew it! You are a good for nothing pirate! You're just asking for trouble! Idiot Luffy! IDIOT!"
The only three, who reacted to it with anything other than fear was Emmy, who was laughing behind her hand, Zoro, who was readying his swords and studying the rooftops to see who would be the first to attack, and Buggy, who was just really, really pissed.
"Damn you, you flashy idiot! I'll teach you to mess with me. FLASHILY FIRE THE BUGGY BALL!" he commanded.
Nami screamed and sprinted away from Luffy and the base. "Look what you did, Luffy! Why'd you have to say that? You idiot!"
"Oy, Luffy! Run!" Zoro shouted but then he noticed that Emmy was standing calmly behind her brother.
"It won't work," she said, catching Zoro's eyes.
Kaboom!
"GUM GUM," Luffy shouted, sucking in enough air to make his body as big as his first boat, "BALLOON!"
The cannon ball hit him right in the belly button but then bounced right back in the direction of where it was launched.
"EHHHH?!" the pirates cried as the cannonball blew not just the rooftop but the whole building into smithereens.
"Geez, at least warn us," Zoro scoffed but he had a grin on his face.
"What the heck are you?!" Nami seethed.
"Whew, fewer enemies," Luffy grinned.
Nami stomped over to Luffy. "I knew something was weird from the time you fought the lion. No human can do what you do. Explain yourself!"
Emmy frowned and tilted her head. "Why are you so bossy?" she asked out of genuine curiosity.
"I'm not bossy!" Nami huffed, "I'm just trying to get some answers."
"Well, there are ways to do that without shouting," Emmy said.
The sound of splintering wood and glass bottles breaking broke up the argument. The group turned to see Captain Buggy, climbing out of the debris while holding two smoking bodies in front of him. "How dare you flashily try to do me in?"
"He used his henchmen as shields," Nami gasped.
"Captain Buggy! Please be careful!" came a shout from the other side of the street. The lion tamer was running towards his captain with his hands in the air, "Those two are Devil Fruit users! One is an empath and the other is a rubber person!"
"An empath?" Nami echoed and looked at Emmy, who nodded in response. Then she moved to Luffy, "A rubber person?"
Luffy arm stretched and sailed down the street and punched the lion tamer right in between the eyes. The blow sent him straight back to where he came from. "STAY DOWN!" Luffy shouted and then grinned at Nami as his arm retracted back to normal, "Yep! Rubber. See?"
"That explains how he bounced the Buggy Ball back," Buggy mused, "Devil Fruit user, eh?"
From the rubble, a new man burst through, also holding an unconscious man in front of him. He tossed the body aside and aimed his dark, beady eyes at Luffy.
He had shiny black hair that went down to his shoulder on one side but shaved short on the other. His face was slim but Emmy couldn't see anything below his nose since he had a thick blue and white checkered scarf wrapped around his neck. He wore a long black vest that he left unbuttoned, exposing his chiseled torso, green sash, and white pants.
"Captain Buggy, please leave this to me," he requested.
"Very well, Cabaji," Buggy said in his high pitched voice, "Show them your acrobat show!"
Cabaji leapt high into the air, landing on a unicycle, and came cycling towards them with a sword in hand. He aimed his blade directly for Luffy. "I, Acrobat Cabaji, Chief of Staff, will take on Captain Buggy's anger!"
Clang!
Zoro sprung into action, blocking Cabaji's blade with one of his own. "I'll clash swords with you."
Cabaji's eyes narrowed. "Roronoa Zoro, it's an honor. To think I would get to slay a swordsman like yourself."
Emmy's eyes went down to Zoro's side where his new bandages were starting to turn red. "Zoro-san, your wounds aren't-"
"Stay out of this," Zoro growled, "This is my fight."
"But-" Emmy started to say but then Luffy pulled her back.
"Let him," Luffy said with a grin, "He just said this was his fight."
Zoro smirked and gave an appreciative nod to his captain as Emmy was hesitantly led away to the side of the street. Next to her, Nami wasn't as convinced. "What are you saying?! He can't fight in those conditions!"
"You're surprisingly worried for someone who doesn't like us pirates," Emmy mused and Nami stiffened.
"Acrobat Technique: Old Man Arsonist!" Cabaji called. He puckered his lips and blew out a heavy stream of fire directly into Zoro's face.
Zoro cried out in pain as he stumbled back, trying to prevent his face from melting off. As he did so, Cabaji swung his leg out, kicking Zoro hard in his bleeding wound.
"GAAAHHHHH!" Zoro roared as he fell onto his back and writhed in pain.
"What's wrong?" Cabaji taunted, "I'm sure I didn't kick you that hard."
Luffy calmly watched while Emmy squeezed his hand tightly. Zoro!
"He fights dirty, going after his injury like that," Nami seethed.
"Acrobat Technique: Murder at the Steam Bath!" Cabaji announced next. He stabbed his sword to the ground and spun round and round on his unicycle. It kicked up the dust and dirt, shrouding him away from Zoro's eyes.
Zoro scoffed. "What steam? That's just an ordinary cloud of dust."
Suddenly, Cabaji's sword swung out from the cloud and Zoro hurriedly raised his two katanas to block his attack. Just as he did so, Cabaji's leg came swinging out again.
Thwack!
Blood spurted out as Zoro's wound opened up again and the swordsman rolled to the ground. He yelled even louder than before.
Emmy couldn't take it anymore and she started to run towards the swordsman but then felt Luffy immediately pull her back.
"Emmy," he said, with his eyes glued to the swordsman, "How is Zoro feeling right now?"
Emmy batted her eyes and then forced all her energy towards the swordsman. She winced when she felt the dull, burning sensation from his stab wound but then she pushed it aside to gauge his actual emotions. She gulped and then stepped back to her original spot. Pain...Determination...Anger…Pride.
She relaxed her stance and nodded at her brother. "I see."
"What? You aren't going to stop him?!" Nami exclaimed, "He's hurt so bad it's almost mystifying that he's still alive. Why're you guys just standing by and watching?! He's going to get killed! Isn't he part of your pirate crew?!"
"If we interfere, Nami," Emmy said slowly, "It would be worse than death for him. He's put his pride and life on the line."
Cabaji smirked and raised his sword. "Roronoa Zoro is about to get defeated!"
He charged forward on his unicycle as the swordsman got up to his feet. His face was covered in sweat but Zoro's stance was unwavering as he clutched two katanas in his hand.
"Annoying bastard," the swordsman growled as Cabaji's blade came thrusting towards his side, "Is poking my wound that much fun?!"
The swordsman stood his ground, allowing Cabaji's sword to pierce his already opened wound and slicing it further open. The acrobat cycled past him and pieces of Zoro's shredded bandages fluttered to the ground.
"Wh-Why didn't you dodge that?!" Nami gasped.
Zoro ignored the navigator and turned towards Cabaji. He grinned menacingly at him. "Is that enough of a handicap for you?," he asked the acrobat.
Zoro tightened his hold on his katanas and lifted them. "Now I'll show you the difference in level between you and me.
"Wahoo! So cool!" Luffy cheered, swinging up the hand that held Emmy's for a makeshift double fist pump.
Cabaji began to sweat from the swordsman's dominating presence. "So...this is Roronoa Zoro, huh? You think you can mock me?"
"I am to become the world's greatest swordsman," Zoro stated, "I can't lose even once to anyone who calls himself one. If I lose to someone like you with such light injuries, I might as well just die right now."
"Do it, Zoro!" Luffy whooped, "Kick his ass!"
Nami folded her arms across her chest and turned on her heels. "I can't go along with this," she said flippantly, "You pirates can injure yourselves for all I can. It doesn't matter to me whether you guys win or lose. I"m gonna use this chance to swipe their treasure and get outta here. Let's team up again if we ever get the chance. See ya! Good luck with the fight!"
"Eh?!" Luffy called after her as she dashed off into an alleyway. He didn't make an effort to stop her but he looked at his sister for answers.
Emmy sighed. "She was starting to care too much about us," she explained, "She was worried about Zoro."
Luffy grinned. "So she likes us."
Emmy nodded. "She's starting to...but she doesn't want to."
"Taste my ultimate acrobatic move!" Cabaji cried out suddenly and held out handfuls of spinning tops. He hurled them at Zoro and even more of them came whirling out from under his clothes, "Acrobat Technique: the Dance of 100 Kamikaze Tops!"
The swordsman easily sliced all of them into itty bitty pieces but Cabaji wasn't done.
"Acrobat Technique: A Hike in the Mountains!" He cycled up the side of a building, going at a perfect 90 degrees from the ground, and when he reached the top, he did a backflip so that he was directly over Zoro with his blade pointed directly down the swordsman's face. "Acrobat Technique: Fireworks in the Cool Summer Breeze!"
"Whoa, he's high!" Luffy cheered.
Emmy frowned and looked curiously at Cabaji, "He's not a swordsman, is he? He's just a man with too many hobbies."
Luffy nodded. "En! En! He's bored."
"SHUT UP! Silence in the peanut gallery!" Cabaji snapped as he plummeted towards Zoro, blade in hand. "Sting of the Unicycle!"
Emmy felt a pang of hostile delight coming from behind her and she whipped around to see Buggy holding out his palm towards Zoro's back. "Ground-hugging Chop-Chop Cannon!" he cried. His hand split from his arm and sailed towards the swordsman, "Cabaji! I'll hold Zoro down. Finish him off!"
"Luffy," Emmy gasped and pointed at the incoming hand.
"Ah," Luffy said and stomped his sandal on the back of Buggy's hand just as it was about to fly past.
"AHHHH!" Buggy cried out in pain just as Zoro jumped out of the way to avoid Cabaji's blade.
Zoro collapsed on the ground, panting heavily. Sweat was seeping out of his pores almost as much as the blood coming out of his side. He propped his arm against his knee and gritted his teeth.
Luffy grinned at the clown with his back towards the swordsman. "Stay out of Zoro's fight."
"Enough...I'm tired," Zoro grunted, which made Cabaji laugh.
Emmy stood in the middle of Luffy and Zoro. Both of them had their backs turned to her so they didn't see the small smile that formed on her lips before she wordlessly took a step back. The resolve of both her captain and her nakama were unshakable and she could feel that the fight had just begun. The way she could help was to be like the mayor and just stay out of the way.
"Finally given up, have you? Thought I must say, I'm impressed you could fight with such injuries," the foolish Cabaji said.
"I meant I'm tired of your crappy-ass aerobatics," Zoro growled, "Emmy is right. You have too many hobbies. You haven't mastered any one of them."
"How dare you?!" Cabaji snarled and readied his blade, "I'll just finish you off with my real sword skills! DIE!"
Cabaji zoomed forward on his unicycle with his sword pointed forward. Instantly, Zoro was on his feet with a white katana in his teeth and a katana in each of his hands.
"Oni…" Zoro said. He moved with such speed that Emmy didn't see him for a second and she didn't even blink. The big, green haired man that was not easy to miss seemed to vanish and then appear right behind Cabaji with his blades out behind him and a knee on the floor, "Giri!"
Cabaji's cuts were so severe and so sudden that blood bursted out of him while he was still falling down. He didn't even have time to take a breath or blink.
"CABAJI!" Buggy shrieked as he watched his henchman's defeat.
"We..the Buggy Pirates...beaten by mere...sneak thieves?" Cabaji gasped.
"We're not sneak thieves," Zoro shouted with as much breath as he could. He sheathed his katanas and then succumbed to his exhaustion, "We're pirates!"
He started to fall forward and he braced himself to land hard onto the street when he felt his chest drape over something soft. He was so tired he could only angle his head slightly and peer out with just one eye. The first mate smiled back at him as she carried him into an alleyway, with one of his arms draped over her shoulder.
"You won," Emmy said as she laid him down gently, ignoring the pain his wound was inflicting on her, "Now you can sleep."
As soon as his head hit the pavement, Zoro started to snore and Emmy stepped away from him until she couldn't feel his wound anymore. She let out the breath she was holding and sank against the building herself. His exhaustion mixed with her own was too much for her to take in. Their actual physical state was also an added factor. "Luffy…" she called out, "Is it alright if I go to sleep too?"
"Ah!" Luffy shouted and he held up a fist towards a very irate Buggy, "I'll handle the rest! Leave it to me."
"Okay," Emmy murmured and her head started to nod, bouncing up and down like a slow basketball, "Food...Fight...Feel."
She fell into a deep sleep with the sounds of her brother's fight just around the corner. Her mind drifted to Chou-Chou and she dreamt of running a pet store with him. They had many customers both human and animals.
Luffy entered her dream and he walked in with his Straw Hat hanging from the back of his neck. He didn't look happy though. He was glaring at her and she could feel that burning rage rise out of him again. She was overwhelmed with fear that she didn't know what to say. Then he opened his mouth.
"YOU BASTARD!"
Emmy woke up with jolt and she gasped. She wasn't dreaming. Luffy really was mad about something. Her headband had accidentally fallen off during a rather forceful head nod. She got to her feet and ran out to the street, forgetting about the headband for a second. Her brother sat in a pile of newly formed rubble with a deep cut along his left cheek. In his hand, he held his straw hat. There was a very noticeable rip on the brim.
"How dare you damage this hat!" Luffy thundered, his eyes blazing into the clown's, "Whoever damages this hat absolutely must pay!"
"Luffy," Emmy whispered, flinching from the level of anger.
"Is that hat really that important to you? If so..." Buggy said with a menacing grin.
Emmy's eyes widened when she saw his hand lift up from Luffy's blind spot with sharp knives between his fingers. He flicked one of them at Luffy and the rubber boy turned just in time to avoid it. However, Luffy lost his balance and he started to fall forward.
"...THEN PROTECT IT BETTER!" Buggy cackled. His hand flew towards the hat, directing the knives right at its center.
"AH! Noooo!" Luffy cried.
"FEEL FEEL PULL!" Emmy yelled.
The blades stopped just a breath away from stabbing through the woven straw. From the sideline, Emmy had her hands clasped tightly together and struggling to lean as far back as she could.
"Luffy," Emmy said through gritted teeth, "I can't hold it much longer."
Luffy quickly moved the hat away from the blades and Emmy let go of her hands. Buggy's hand resumed its trajectory and almost took out its owner.
"Kyaaa!" Buggy screamed as he leapt out of the way. He glared at the girl, "How dare you intervene so flashily! Die!"
His hand veered back and came straight for Emmy.
"EMMY!" Luffy yelled but the girl was too stunned and tired to react. Just as they were about a second away from hitting her straight in the face, Luffy's arm stretched out, grabbing her by the wrist, and pulling her to his side.
She blinked up at her brother, who was scowling so much at Buggy that Emmy could see all of his back teeth. Luffy was visibly shaken with anger and his straw hat rattled in his hands. Once again, Emmy felt the searing wrath within her brother and it was ten times more intense than before.
"If you're going to fight, fight me! Leave Emmy and the hat out of this!" he roared at Buggy, "She is my nakama and this hat is my treasure!
Buggy sniffed, not taking Luffy's rage seriously in the least. "How is that old tattered hat a treasure? Treasure refers to sparkly gold, silver, and jewels. You call this filthy hat a treasure? Cut the crap."
"That's the hat Shanks and I swore over!" Luffy shouted.
Buggy's eyes widened. "What? That's Shank's hat? No wonder it seemed familiar," he growled irritably, "He always wore this by my side."
A pang of confusion and surprise appeared in both Luffy and Emmy. "You and Shanks sailed on the same ship?" Luffy asked.
"Yeah. Back when we were comrades," Buggy said, "We were pirates in training together."
That ticked Luffy off and he slammed his hat a little too harshly on Emmy's head before racing towards Buggy.
"Shanks is a great man! You, his comrade? Don't compare yourself to him!" Luffy roared.
Emmy's whole world spun as she sank to her knees. It wasn't the hit from Luffy that affected her. It was Luffy himself. His anger was ripping into her sense of self and she was slipping into the voices and emotions again. She moved a trembling hand to the top of her head, to keep Luffy's hat in place as she tried to crawl back to the alleyway where her headband rested. I need…I need...to stop...my power…before...I hurt someone…before I hurt...Luffy...
Emmy collapsed just an inch away from getting to her headband. She could feel her own heart pumping wildly in her chest and the burning desire to just rip the clown's nose right off of his face. She could hear Buggy's maniacal laugh within her mind. His greed and his maliciousness stirred in with his anger also started to grab a hold of Emmy. There was just so much hate between him and Luffy. Emmy's body began to project those emotions outwardly, egging Buggy and Luffy on in their rage, becoming a vicious cycle of malice and loathing. Her world turned red.
I hate...them...Everyone...Everyone...must...die…
Suddenly, her thoughts disappeared along with the red. Emmy blinked as her sight refocused. The navigator's feet stood right by her nose with Luffy's hat in one hand and a heavy sack of something in the other.
"...N...Nami?" Emmy stammered as she slowly sat herself up. Her hand went to her head and she felt the fabric of her headband. "You...came back?"
Nami folded her arms across her chest. "I didn't know if it would work," she sniffed, "I just noticed that you always took it off right before you were doing something crazy so…"
"How...were you not affected by me? Did you not feel any hate or rage?" Emmy whispered.
"I should've known that feeling was from you!" Nami huffed, "I knew I wouldn't suddenly get worked up over nothing!"
Emmy's eyes widened. 'Worked up'? That level of projection and she only got 'worked up'? She must have a very strong sense of self...
"Th...thank you," Emmy breathed, feeling both mentally and physically drained, "I owe you one."
"Damn right you do," Nami sniffed again and then she looked over at Luffy, who was in the middle of pounding in Buggy's detached torso, "I can't believe Luffy got so angry over just a hat. I didn't think anything would faze him. What's so great about this hat anyways?"
"You can ask him yourself," Emmy said as she pulled herself back into the alleyway and slumped to the floor. This time she decided to lie on the ground so her headband wouldn't fall off anymore, "I'm going to sleep now."
Nami watched the girl as she drifted off to sleep. Something looked different about the girl than before but Nami couldn't quite put her finger on it. She took a step closer to inspect the girl but then she got annoyed with herself. Tch. Why do I care about these damn pirates? Especially these weirdos. They bring nothing but trouble.