You Never Know

by straw honey

A man cast away by society, and a woman praised by it meet in a chance of luck. A past unearthed, and a future uncertain, the two must either fight or give into fate. LuffyxNami

10. The Shadow

You Never Know

Chapter 10 The Shadow

Fire and Smoke

Thunder broke out across the cloudy sky. The rain didn't cease in its efforts to drown the Earth for its countless sins. Convoys of military troops patrolled the surrounding area. Police patrols, black SUVs, and hummers filled the normally quiet run down streets. Crackdowns on crime occurred, anyone outside curfew was detained and questioned for further answering. The threat of martial law had become a reality outside the presence of the two groups facing off.

A tank rolled past the Buggy's grocery store, causing the chainsmoker named Smoker to draw yet another cigar from his coat. "Why the hell are there tanks in my city?" Just as he asked the question, a reverberating wind picked up around them. Gazing up, a blinding light descended. Spinning blades and a massive metal helicopter soon landed on the ground next to them. "I spoke too soon." Glancing at the man in white, Smoker said, "I don't remember an FBI investigation requiring tanks and attack helicopters."

"It's extra precautions to prevent Strawhat from escaping his overdue punishment. Justice has to dispense itself." Glancing over at the ballistic helicopter Lucci pointed towards it, "This man will burn the city down trying to find Strawhat. Negotiate with me and I will get rid of the military's presence."

Smoker didn't move his eyes from his adversary "And if I decline?"

"Then you and this city will face absolute justice from the highest ranking personnel in the military, five star admiral Akainu."

Smoker bit down hard, almost snapping the cigars in two. "Red Dog…" he muttered, behind the cloud of smoke. "I'll tell you everything I know."

The man in white smirked. Turning towards the chopper, he shook his head waving the death bird away. Starting up soon after landing, the helicopter rose into the air, this time two other helicopters escorted the vehicle, flying alongside it as they disappeared into the thunderous rain. "It's a shame that you call yourself a man of the law, yet you are not willing to enforce justice on criminals that deserve it."

Smoker tossed the bent and broken cigars away. "One must interpret the law before acting upon it."

"Never question the law, it is truly right and just."

"Only a foul would believe that."

"Those that maintain order must."

"And if justice is injustice, what is the point in fighting for an unjust cause?"

"Silence!" Lucci yelled, "Answer my question! What do you know about Strawhat? Why didn't you kill him?"

"Since you spared the people of this city," he said while rolling his eyes, "I suppose I should start from the beginning … but first let's move this inside. It's pouring."

Afraid of the Dark

In the comfort of his Police Department, Smoker examined the federal officials packed into his office. Taking out a Cuban cigar from his drawer, Smoker told his end of the story. "Our investigation started two years ago, when Strawhat was still active in the military. After the successful killing of the terrorist leader Marshal D. Teach, "Monkey" D. Luffy, was given an honorable discharge. Sources conflict as to why that was the case. Official reporting from the military said that when Strawhat's squad battalion leader, Portgas D. Ace, died Strawhat suffered a breakdown, followed by violent insanity, resulting in an honorable discharge the day after the killing of Marshal D. Teach. Of course military secrets are kept tight shut, especially when it comes to special ops. We tried getting testimonies from the military, but they denied any involvement, saying they were exempt from interrogation. We did end up getting information from someone within the military close to Strawhat. First private Coby, the name of the soldier that debriefed us of Strawhat's time in the military. Coby told Tashigi that Strawhat had saved his life years before. Inspired by Strawhat, Coby joined the Marines. Coby suggested that the militaries report was inaccurate. He went to see Strawhat on the day of his departure, Coby described Strawhat as someone in grief, not crazy and deranged as the military had said. The private didn't want to speak further for his safety, but he said that there was some sort of cover up. The commander overlooking operations in Alabasta didn't file the report ..."

"Enough with the conspiracies! That traitor should face military execution by gun squad for betraying his country! I don't want to hear testimony from some traitor. This is irrelevant."

War ready soldiers patrolled the streets, decked out with fully automatic rifles and bullet proof armor head to toe. They worked their way through each block, breaking into building and businesses that had any sign of refuge. Dogs barked at the intruders and women screamed for their lives, clinging to their children as soldiers tore through their belongings. Glass shattered, tables broke, walls destroyed. From the eyes of those that fought not long ago, it seemed like Alabasta had repeated itself. This time the conflict waged on in their homes, not thousands of miles away.

"Coby's report is relevant. We couldn't rely on government intel, so we had to gain information from people around Strawhat. None of the remaining members of Strawhat's group existed according to the government. They were either marked dead or fighting in covert warfare halfway around the world. With nothing to work with, we attempted to find anyone who interacted with Strawhat and greeted him when he came back from the war."

The wind rose in tempest, throwing about the trash lining the broken down slum. Bolts of lightning struck the dark night, thunder following soon after. No one dared enter the night of broken glass, lest thee face those who proclaim to protect them.

"There was one instance between Strawhat and a red headed woman coming back from a business flight in Alabasta. Sources conclude that it was a chance encounter. That the conversation didn't hold any meaning, that they were just passing strangers. Tashigi suggested that the young woman could be the same girl reported in the incidence today, but the coincidence has been thrown out the window considering they hadn't had any recorded conversations since."

"How are you so sure about that, Smoker? What if that redhead was part of his criminal organization? To let a potential criminal go would be dishonorable. If one is to exert justice, one must have no mercy. There are no innocent when it comes to breaking the law."

A shadow hulked its way between narrow avenues. Lights peaked within the dark alleyways, inches deep in the sudden flooding rain. Old street lights disappeared between each brick building. Nothing could be seen but the light at the end of the alleyway, only to be plunged back into darkness a second later. Every shadow on the night moved precisely, every calculation natural. Nothing but the void of light existed outside the rundown houses.

"Believe me she has nothing to do with him. After all I had surveillance on Strawhat 24/7 when he rose into power."

"And you did a horrible job of stopping him."

All that could be discerned was the moon overhead, a faint illumination descended, but never enough to brace the shadow. When soldier inspected the void for sudden movements, all they see were old cardboard boxes and trash floating into the streets. Occasionally, a homeless person would be found in the blinding circles. The homeless ignored the commotion and flashing lights. They drunk from their sweet liquor bottles, figuring they would suffer either way. Some were beaten, others taken, but few enjoyed the dreary nights unabated. Comforted by the vicious sea wind, rain drenching their poultry attire. Nothing existed past their next meal, holding onto hope in a society that simply did not care. Care they may, but never enough.

Taking a puff of his smoke, the police chief glanced at the others in the room. Nothing a single word. "Sources concluded that Strawhat had nobody to return to. His mother had died giving birth to him, and his father left before he could even crawl. No other existing relatives were around. Strawhat was supposed to die, but everyone knows that he has an absurd amount of luck. Like Romulus and Remus, a wolf stumbled upon him in the form of Portgas D. Ace, Strawhat's deceased commanding officer. Turns out that most of Strawhat's squad grew up with him, and later joined Strawhat when he created his syndicate. We didn't learn this association until much later. The government and military covered this up like a grave."

"Talking about government actions are strictly classified. If a corrupt police officer like you had top secret government intel, you would have leaked information to Strawhat."

"Are you trying to call me corrupt, or are you trying to cover up the government's blemishes, Lucci?"

Soon the streets changed, once broken and brittle now paved and smooth. Lights once broken and dim now bright and stainless. Buildings stout and brick, turned tall and concrete. A whole new world dawned on the other side of the freeway. A tale of two cities if ever a tragedy. Even now the presence of the military and police diminished, lukewarm at best. The wind blew with less vigor, but its power undoubted. The rain flowed down the paved paths, leading towards the freeway underpass. The shadow passed between the clean concrete structures: litter and graffiti cleaned, greenery arose, and alleyways paved and well lit. The shadow's presence grew closer towards the incident that had occurred earlier that night. The concrete jungle soon became an occupied colony for its foreign invaders. The military, FBI, and media claimed its share, the line between flashing police lights and cameras was all but blurred. As the shadow wandered, it stopped at the headway of light from afar.

Smoker grinned seeing the deep scowl on his interrogator's face, and the agents standing around with similar displeasure. "Strawhat had literally nothing but a paycheck from the military and fight money leftover from his MMA tournament. What bothers me is Strawhat's decision to join the military after going undefeated in all his ranked matches. Some say the fight with that hotshot Doflamingo was rigged, personally I don't care. He never went back into fighting, and as far as we know did nothing of importance for the next six months after serving in the war. We tried getting a hold of Strawhat's spendings during that time, but he was still classified homeless under city papers, and hid his stash of cash like a hermit. Secretive as he was, we found out something very interesting."

"Is this information you attempted to hide from us, Smoker? Why didn't you inform the government? I was right about you then as I am now. By the end of this case, I guarantee that you will face justice before the law. Have a taste of absolute justice for your rogue operations."

Alleyways, once empty places for seclusion, began bustling at the seams. The dormitory silence of the windows above, released vibrant life and light. The shadow stopped such madness, soon even the most devoid of chatter shut their windows from the boisterous commotion coming from the now famous street. As the flashing sirens grew in frequency, the visible crowd grew in turn. The shadow lumbered forth in the darkness, hidden behind the veil with which humanity could never comprehend. Soon the shadow bordered the source of light―and a source of pain for others. It crossed through the poultry defense of yellow tape, the shadow disappearing from sight under the scornful light. Government agents and officers packed the narrow street. Everything for a quarter mile was quarantined and questioned. The shabby neighborhood, an eyesore on this side of the city, soon felt the brunt of government intervention. Nothing could escape the manhunt the government desired. Behind the plethora of armed government agents, the totalled white van remained on site. Four dead bodies lay stone cold on the pavement, left in a mangled mess. At last, blood sprayed across the shattered brick wall. The shadow stood behind them all, the agents, the officers and their sirens, the windowless van, the dead bodies, and the hole in the wall...

"We shared everything we got, we just dug a little deeper after the FBI said Strawhat had died." Smoker grinned at his mockery, seeming the continued disdain plastered on each of the agent's faces. "After Strawhat's syndicate got into a firefight with a rival cartel, the Beasts, we arrived at Strawhat's manner right after. Searching through Strawhat's belongings during our initial investigations, we found proof of purchase and later selling of a nonprofit called Mikan Co."

"The company deals with feeding the poor and homeless around the world. Although the purchase didn't seem all that surprising, considering cartels and terrorist groups use them to smuggle money for tax and laundering reasons, Strawhat purchased the majority of the company's stock right after he got back from the war. Meaning he had some sort of intentions to use this company prior to his criminal activity. Tashigi did the number crunching and found that the nonprofit did incredibly well financially. Turns out that right before shit hit the fan, Strawhat sold the company to someone close to him for a single beri. When we looked up the new owner of the company, we found out the associate was a widow named Makino. Our investigations concluded she had nothing to do with Strawhat criminally. We couldn't pin her on anything considering she had no criminal record and was raising a newborn baby alone." Smoker took a long puff, "Besides purchasing the company, Strawhat didn't really do anything significant. That is...until the funeral happened."

Beneath the steady drawl of sirens and reporter's clammering for views, the shadow reappeared. From darkness rose an uncontrollable rage that took the shape of a wicked flame dancing about a scarlet orb. Soon everything turned pitch black, all but the gloomy dull moon packed behind the endless rain. Panic broke loose at the sudden lose of blinding light. Within an instant, the ember-like-crystal restricting the darkness, splintering off into innumerable directions. The prison that held the oblivion within vanished, from it the sins and wickedness of mankind sprung. On the verge of collapse, the shadow consumed the malevolent corruption. No light could escape the black hole soon upon it.

"We received word that the military had hosted a small funeral in honor of Portgas D. Ace, for his leadership in special operations and the takedown of Marshal D. Teach. Coby, who left the military after Strawhat's discharge, told him that Ace was having a funeral in the city. Strawhat was apparently never notified by the military. The day the funeral occurred, Strawhat shows up in his old military briefs to the funeral place. When Strawhat gets there he is barred entry. The room is full of politicians and high ranking military officials, none of which he could recognize from the war in Alabasta. Strawhat pleads with them, saying that he fought alongside Portgas D. Ace, that he was his brother. No matter what he said they refused his entrance. When Strawhat realized that all hope was lost, he asked if he could at least look at the face of his brother. The lieutenant overlooking CP-9's squadron, Spandam, told Strawhat to get lost." Smoker puffed with a grin, seeing the death glare of his interviewer. "Spandam told Strawhat that Portgas D. Ace was a coward, that he got in the way of CP-9's mission to eliminate Marshal D. Teach."

Lucci slammed his hands the table in front of him, "You have absolutely no proof that Spandam said such things!" Rising to his feet, the man in all white said, "Are you going to take the word of a war hero over that of a criminal who betrayed his country?"

Nothing could stop the darkness as it crossed city. All that lived cowered in fear with the shadow's encroaching presence, no longer hidden in its invisible veil. Flashing lanterns soon flickered off as all remaining lights dimmed to nothingness as the darkness drew. No car drove down the worn down road when the shadow arrived. The lightning ceased its roaring, and the thunder retreated. The only sound that could be discerned was the rain pelting the concrete, as though to escape from something.

"We have confirmation that Spandam said that because no one provided testimony contrary to central command except for Vice Admiral Garp―the only dissenting view. Garp was the only high ranking commander defending Strawhat and Ace's actions during the war. A week after the funeral, Garp received an honorable discharge and Strawhat's battalion got disbanded indefinitely. Strawhat's denial from his brother's funeral proved to be the catalyst for change. Strawhat went mad with rage there and then. No one could restrain him as he fought countless high ranking officers on his way to the alter. Strawhat almost made it too, but Akainu finished him off."

Lucci snarled, "Strawhat couldn't make it past the front door. Our superior tactics and numbers were overwhelming as that lunatic Strawhat attempted to murder top ranking military officers, important politicians, and diplomats. His actions were barbaric, and deserving of death on the spot for challenging true justice."

Some street thugs claimed that they didn't fear the night after what had occurred, bolstering their street cred by entering the street without a care in the world. The shadow approached these naive hooligans, those that could recognize the darkness froze in place. Scream as the ignorant might, the shadow consumed all that knew. Bodies lay scattered about, drenched in the water that made sudden rise. When a group of deviants challenged the shadow in the night, those bearing a familiar gang tattoo on their right shoulder, the darkness let it consume itself. Police cars rushed towards the scene at the sound of agonizing pain, not far from the original incident. The shadow left without a trace, a moment later flashing lights arrived in the middle of the bleak scene.

"True justice." Smoker rolled his eyes, "thank God you aren't the one making the laws." He glanced at his watch noticing the time. "After Strawhat's arrest, he was sent to a military trial. Strawhat's luck landed him an entire army of military personnel willing to defend him to the death at court. Before long, Strawhat's heroic triumphs abroad outweighed the skirmish at the church, and Strawhat's charges were dropped. But the caveat to this was that the government would monitor him at all times. That's where we came in. We had the responsibility of watching his every single move. If the kid f'd up, we were supposed to book him.

"But you never did. Instead you sat complacently with that captain of yours, while the largest criminal organization in the city sprouts out underneath your nose in as little as six months. In six months a 19 year old is able to create an empire, becoming a direct threat to the countries stability. Yet you insist that you fight "for the people" of the city. I'm convinced that you and everyone under you works for Strawhat. Its physically impossible for a group to grow out of proportions like that in such a small period of time. Tell me how is that possible, Smoker? The police officer in charge of stopping that criminal."

"So you want to know how Strawhat goes from crying at church to being the leader of the most powerful crime syndicate in the city, let alone the grand line in under six months? Without a doubt it has everything to do with who Strawhat is. At the core of things, Strawhat cares deeply for those he considers friends. He built an empire upon the sheer will to help his friends." Smoker took one last gray breath, putting out the cigar in his tray before tossing it away. "We both know how Strawhat made his money, so I don't need to explain that you. What I can tell you is why I didn't kill Strawhat after my first encounter …" Grabbing a cigar from inside his jacket, Smoker began lighting it before saying, "On second thought I will tell you tomorrow. My men need some rest, they've been on the beat all day." Getting up, Smoker put the unlit cigar down.

"Where the hell do you think your going?" Lucci flipped over the table in a fit of fury. "I order you to continue or else face federal arrest and imprisonment―!"

Just then the door slammed open. Police captain Tashigi panting in the doorway as she yelled, "Police chief Smoker! … You need to see this!" Tashigi extended her phone trying to catch her breath.

Smoker got up, putting the lighter up to the new cigar. "What is it?" he asked, as he read headline on the article. The lighter dropped out of his hands and onto the floor. "Strawhat …"

Nobody

The shadow traversed the city thereafter, nothing could stop the darkness as its presence grew closer towards the city's downtown. The shadow bulked, placing polished black shoes onto the wet ground. From eternal darkness stood a man in all black―all except for a rolled up red dress shirt, hiding the stains of passing blood. The man with no place to call home overlooked his destination.

In front of him, a large complex stood with flashing neon lights in each of the many tinted windows. A huge line of night owls stood outside in the pouring rain, waiting for a chance to get inside. A gigantic bouncer sat in front of the clubs entrance, examining the ladies before giving yah or nah, making the guys and couples wait in the pouring rain. The building didn't stop at the ground floor, instead it rose upwards into the sky, towering over all the nearby night clubs on the busy youthful street. The music thumped its way into his ears and chest as he neared from across the street. Brushing past the people in line, the well dressed homeless man made his way towards the alleyway adjacent to the club.

The massive bouncer caught sight of him, "Where the hell do you think you are going?"

Never looking back, "I've got business with your boss." The bouncer checked him out from head to toe, "Alright hotshot. You need me to show you to him?"

"No. I've been here plenty of times, just open the door."

Going through a small set of keys, the huge guy asked, "Are you a friend of the boss or something?"

"Business partners. Strictly business." When the door unlocked, the homeless man grabbed him by the shoulder, "Keep the door unlocked. This meeting is going to be short."

Not having a clue as to what was going on, the bouncer shrugged and walked away. After watching him go back to his post, the young man slipped inside. The room, like the night was pitch black. Except unlike outside where the lights were only flashing red and blue, in here they were exuberant epileptic flashing colors. Strolling inside, he could tell without looking far ahead in any direction that the place covered a considerable area. The blinding strobe lights made his surroundings difficult to distinguish. He began walking aimlessly, finding himself smack dab in the middle of a dance floor.

The place was packed to the brim, strangers grinding up against one another slowly giving into the rhythm of the music and alcohol. Glancing at the ground blocked by the dancing strangers, the tiles changed color to the tempo of the music. Tilting his head back, he could see through a glass ceiling of the same design, the lights above were of a mellow darker color, but soon the mirror turned pitch black. Making his way through the club, woman threw themselves onto the dapper gentleman, surprisingly attractive in more formal attire. Though they didn't recognize him just like everyone else, blinded by the darkness, exuberant lights, and many drinks. Others offered his ecstasy and harder drugs, all of which he waved away, keeping his eyes vigilant. Soon a backroom became distinguishable, much darker than the club floor and adjacent bars. A set of poles with velvet lines blocked his way. A massive humanoid came out from inside the drapery.

Flipping through a clipboard full of papers, "Name?"

"I've got business with your boss."

"Name?" This time putting the clipboard down.

"I can't hear you all that well. Mind if I step inside so I can hear your question again?"

Seeing the man much smaller than him ask a genuine question, he let him through. "My name is," rolling up his cuffs the homeless man grinned, "Strawhat." A body lay on the ground, the slamming of the large man's skull against concrete didn't breach the clubs uptempo atmosphere. A huge cheer could be heard through the drapery, the song genre changing from pop to EDM. The song Into the Night by Nero, came on blaring plast the concrete walls. Fixing his tie, Luffy made his way through the pitch black hallway, several rooms for VIPs came into view. Many of them occupied with prostitutes and strippers, dancing for their wealthy patrons. Making his way all the way down the hall, a faint light led him towards some narrow metal stairs.

Climbing up the flight of stairs, the entire dance floor could be seen from a balcony in front of him. The second floor also had a significant populus, though this group had obvious signs of wealth. Standing over the balcony, the homeless man studied the epileptic dance floor. Nothing out of the ordinary indicated what he was here for. Searching the floor he found himself on, he could tell that nothing good could be found if he stayed a second longer. A group of huge body guards made their way through the crowd. When they got to the balcony, nobody suspicious could be seen. Walking up the next set of stairs, they appeared darker and wider than the ones from before.

When the youth reached the top of the spiral staircase, he found himself in a deep black and velvet room. The floors appeared to get smaller and smaller as they went upwards, but the general feel of a luxurious club felt increasingly more apparent. On this particular floor, instead of the guest dancing to the rhythm of the music, professionals danced on poles and on sugardaddies laps. No one seemed to take heed of him, the rich too mesmerized with the women in front of them, the workers and prostitutes ignored him for his lack of cash. When he reached the end of the strip club, a steel door blocked the way. Using the keys that he stole from the bouncer, the homeless man snuck inside, walking up a set of well lit concrete stairs. The barren stairs led towards a luxurious gold lined elevator, stationed just above the dance floors. Waiting for the elevator to appear, Luffy could hear people screaming and yelling from down below. Heavy footsteps ran up the stairs as the homeless man flashed out of view.

When the elevator neared the last floor on the line, the young man ripped open the button panel, breaking them apart in all sorts of ways. A ding came on, signifying his eventual stop and to others his arrival. Strolling out of the elevator, nothing could be seen in the pitch black huge corridor. Only the glass panels above and below him had any source of light. Looking upwards, the ceiling was made of the same material, except no light came from it. A glance downwards revealed the glass flooring design continued all the way to the bottom. Standing over the glass, the youth could see that the clubgoers didn't leave nor heard the commotion on the upper floors.

Stepping around the glass floor, the homeless man walked over and looked out one of the many tinted windows. They revealed the surrounding city through expensive stained glass. On one side of the city huge monolithic buildings soared into the sky. New highways intertwined, and off in the distance suburban homes and mansions sat upon hills overlooking the city. Walking back around, he checked to see if the elevator moved, instead it sputtered in its broken state. On the other side of the building, the youth spotted other large buildings, but not as high nor as numerous. The slums reached out towards the sea at the bottom of the hill. The sight of clear poverty took up the greater part of his view. The encroaching rain and storm clouds made anything that low indistinguishable. Gazing past the lowlands and into the sea, he could see the monstrous waves conjuring up for the ocean's wrath. He clenched his tired fist, contemplating shattering the window, seeing the lowlands impending doom. "What will happen to her? Will the waves reach her? I need to finish up business here quickly. I gotta get back to her in time."

Just then a group of massive guards stomped into the pitch black room. "The target is on this floor, shoot to kill!" Machine guns got drawn out of black tuxedo's hidden in the dark.

"Wait." One of the invisible armed men said, "I think this is the same guy that's been killing our men on the street. Let's make him suffer." The monstrous men grinned back at him, putting away their guns for shivs and knives.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." They couldn't see anything but the glass flooring that only covered a fraction of the area. "You think you can fuck with us and try getting away with it?" They took turns harassing the shadow hidden somewhere in the darkness. Some stabbing outwards at random times at the hint of any movement as they encroached. "Come out you coward! Do you know who the fuck you are messing with!" One of them reached the elevator, "The fucker jammed the elevator! Who does he think he is? That guy is screwed when the boss sees this!" They laughed in agreement, though the laughter discontinued. The little light coming from within the elevator, showed the death of their comrade.

"Who do you think I am?" the shadow said.

The guards paused, reaching for their weapons. "Don't shot him!" The leader of the guards said from across the entire room. "Make him pay!" They got back their senses, screaming as they ran towards the dark presence near the elevator.

"I'm surprised you don't know who I am," the shadow emerged from the darkness onto the stainless glass floor. "Dead men call me, Strawhat."

Their former confidence vanished as the slaughter began. The group soon dwindled down to nothingness, as they pleaded for their lives in the dark. But the darkness took no prisoners, ending the lives of those that no longer deserved it. The shadow walked across the blooded dark floor into the light. The tiles soon turned from fleeting blue to flashing purple and green, the genre changed. Under Control by Calvin Harris & Alesso came on. In an instant the homeless man traversed the entire glass floor, reaching into the darkness for the guard. "Why did you let your men die?"

"Because I know what happened," stepping out of the shadow himself, the huge bodyguard said, "I'm sorry, Strawhat."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it." Fist drenched in blood, clenched once more. "You are involved in this."

"No," the bodyguard said, "After you went underground, we tried looking for you. We tried everything, but you just vanished."

"And why did you try looking for me?"

"Because I wanted to say that I was sorry. That I couldn't save Brook in time. That I couldn't save everyone. That I failed you." The massive guard threw himself onto the glass floor, bowing as low as he could, "Strawhat, please forgive me!"

"No." The homeless man said. Coming out the darkness, he stood before the pleading man, fist at the ready. "They are all dead. You are dead. No one that matters to me back then is still alive. You almost killed the only thing that matters to me now. I can't keep you around. I have business to attend to."

"There is much you do not know. Just trust me! Everyone is still alive. I had to infiltrate this group for reasons you don't know, nor need to know right now. All I know is that you must leave, they called the cops already, the military is going to be on the roof any second. Leave while you still can."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I should have helped you as soon as I saw you on the news." Slamming his hands on the glass, he pleaded, "Please forgive me!"

"Jinbe…" the young man whispered, "I will forgive you."

"Thank you," the massive man said, his head finally rising up to face his former friend. "I know there is nothing stopping you. Just meet me here when you are done, we have to leave immediately.

All That Remains Disappears

The homeless man shook his head, disappearing back into the shadows. A few seconds later, he traversed a grand set of wooden stairs, leading towards an even more exuberant floor. Exotic wood paneling, painting, and gold framed the entire upper part of the building. Directly in front of him a massive door sketched in ivory and silver displayed scenes of vicious animals in a state of constant war. Though as the youth emerged onto the top floor, the lights soon went dim and the door vanished from view.

"Shashashasha!" The monolithic door creaked open. The dance floor glass revealed a vibrant light from all the way at the bottom. Nothing appeared to occupy the room except for a wooden desk and a lone massive creature too far to discern. "Well if it isn't the puny human trying to get in my way." Standing out of the luxury leather chair, the humanoid stood at least twice as high as him. "Why did you come? To have a premature death?"

"I've got a business proposal. Give me all the money you have and die."

"Shashashasha!" The massive creature laughed. "Such arrogant words for a tiny human! You are inferior to me in every way!" The fishman gloated, "Though you managed to get past my men, which means ..." His muscles and veins bulged outwards as he lunged across glass floor, "I will kill you!"

"No." The man within the shadow said, strolling towards his foe, back into the light, "I know you." A smirk crossed his face, "Your name is Arlong, isn't it?"

"How inherently inferior are you not to know my name?" The huge menace stopped his mainiac sprint and chuckled, "Who do you think you are?"

"It doesn't matter who I am, what matters is that you hurt my friend, and for that you must perish."

"Are you talking about that redhead bitch? My inferior subordinates said she was quiet the specimen! They tried bringing her back to me as gift, but as inferior beings go, the driver fucked up and hit her instead. Even before the accident, they could never have their way with her. All because of that damned Strawhat! That bitch deserves getting hit by that van, it's the least that could happen for getting my men killed!"

"What did you say?" Even in the vibrant club lights, a certain darkness awoke.

"You heard me! That bitch deserved getting hit by the car! My men should have rap―!"

A jaw breaking punch went all the way across his face, sending the giant flying into the expensive ebony furniture. Adjusting his now broken nose back in place, the giant gazed up from his broken seated position, "Who the hell are you?"

"You know who I am. You knew me as Strawhat."

Arlong's eyes widened as his body froze in place. Though this petrification soon ended, rising back onto his feet with a fake grin, "You can't be Strawhat! Strawhat ran away like a little bitch after I manhandled Shanks! Shashasha! And where is your prized possession you always have with you? You are not Strawhat!"

"You're wrong. You didn't kill Shanks, you surrounded a family owned bar Shank's and his wife owned. Shanks sacrificed himself so his family and friends wouldn't get killed. If anything …" Strawhat slammed his foot into the glass, "You're the coward!"

"An inferior being calling me a coward? I will rip your head off!" Arlong got up in a fit of rage, snatching up his massive blade from the wall. Rushing towards the homeless man like a psychopath, he swung the blade around, creating massive punctures and cracks everywhere. "Die you inferior being! It's impossible for you to win! Just die!"

"You are right about one thing," the blade rose into the air, striking downwards with the full force of a shark. "I'm not Strawhat. I'm Monkey D. Luffy." The blade moved a centimeter under his eye, cutting him just beneath it. Moving at the speed of the slashing blade, Luffy moved around him in one fluid motion, enough for the tempo of music bellow to change. Black Skinhead by Kanye West came on. "You hurt her. You have no right to exist."

"What?" Arlong yelled, attempting to swing over his shoulder going for the decapitation. But it was too late. With one hand on the back of his head, Luffy slammed Goliath into the glass bellow. The flooring cracked in a thousand directions. The ground shook, becoming unstable with each passing second. "I will destroy everything, that ever hurt her."

"I will get my men to hunt her down! Do you hear me! They will have their way with her! I will destroy everything you love you worthless human!" Arlong tried yelling in his pool of blood, dripping into the floor below.

A single foot rose into the air. "NO ONE WILL EVER HURT HER!" Luffy screamed at the top of his lungs. In one fluid swing, the glass and his skull felt the absolute breaking point. The floor evaporated in an instant. The two of them fell an entire floor, shattering the next one on impact. The ground broke once more, this time, the homeless man didn't feel weightless free fall. On the side, Jinbe held him over the broken ceiling, dragging him in with a frown. "The cops and the FBI will be here any minute. They will not be happy about this." Peaking over the side, Arlong fell through every single glass floor, creating a massive bloody crater at the very bottom, the body barely distinguishable from the top. "We must hurry! There is a secret exit used in cases like this! Follow me if you want to live!"

Luffy did as he said, glancing out the window he saw what Jinbe was talking about. Helicopters roamed across the sky towards them from the slums, a jet flew by the side of the building. "Run!" they sprinted and hopped down a flight of secret stairs, hidden in the darkness.

"Where are the others?" he had to ask.

"Now is not the time! You have to leave! Quickly in here!"

Following the sound of his voice, Luffy emerged in a garage, the looks of which must have been well underground. "They will be here any minute. Take this!" Jinbe ran over to a piece of drapery, revealing a red luxury motorcycle. "It's the only thing fast enough and narrow enough to help you escape in time!"

"What about you, Jinbe?"

"Don't worry about me. I can buy myself sometime. You cannot. The government wants you dead, do you hear me? Don't ride directly to the blackmarket, go around towards the mansions out of the city, and loop all the way back around. This is the only the only way!"

"How did you know I would go to the blackmarket? And I can't afford to not go back now, she needs me!"

"I know you would go to the black market, because it's you, Luffy! Besides you will get caught if you return now! By tomorrow, the military will triple its presence in the city! A whole legion will be here! Get the hell out of the city if you know what's good for you!"

"I won't! I need to see her! Besides I need to get her money ..."

"Money won't be an issue." Beneath his large coat, Jinbe revealed a sizable briefcase. "This is packed with cash. I don't know how much you need, or when we can get in contact again. The military and FBI are wiretapping every frequency, but if you really need money …" Jinbe handed him a piece of paper, which Luffy crumbled into his pocket. "I think they will take you in, they are as corrupt as ever. The government always turns a blind eye to them."

"Thank you, Jinbe. I'm sorry about what I said earlier," he began to get teary eyed.

"Don't worry about it. You just couldn't believe I was alive. We all are alive. Trust me."

"Thank you," Luffy said once again, this time with tears breaking through. "I will try to do as you say!" Luffy's happy grin turned for the worse, "but the storm …"

"If you're worried the black market will flood, I doubt it. But if you want, I will send someone just in case." Luffy shook his head, and Jinbe grinned. "Take heist, the Marines are just above us!" he joked.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy couldn't help but laugh, "See yeah Jinbe! Please help her if you can!" Hoping on the motorcycle, he stored the briefcase to the side of the engine.

"Of course Captain!" Jinbe bowed in respect. Pushing the garage door button, the exit slid open. Immediately water flowed into the room. "Go! She is waiting for you!"

The engine roared to life, sliding onto the slippery pavement above. Seeing the hill that led upwards towards the northern side of the city, and the hill that led towards the slums, Luffy drove with a head full of steam.

Under Control

AN: This chapter should answer most of your questions for this fanfic thus far. Also this story is about 60% finished more or less...have a nice day! :)