I am still alive! XD
Well, since I'm pretty sure a bunch of people want to know, I'll explain why I haven't updated in so long. Honestly, it's a number of things. First of all, finals. Yeah, I had to put writing on hiatus for a while in order to study for those damn things. X( But, hey, I passed! Whee! :D After that, I wanted to take a break and play all those video games I had also put off due to studying...and I kinda lost track of time. X( And when I finally started writing again, it had been so long that I couldn't get back into the groove of it easily and ended up rewriting the chapter until I was happy with it. Sooo... I'm really sorry! DX
But, on the upside, for all of you waiting for the Vongola to show up again, Lambo's vacation will probably be over either during or after the Baratie arc.
Because apparently this site thought it was a URL in the previous chapter, I'll say it again. The cover was made by AndromedaUchiha11 I'm removing any and all periods this time in the hopes that it will actually show up when I post this chapter. XD
Before anything else, let me bring back the subject of Lambo's weapons. I've decided to narrow it down to three options: 1) Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none. 2)Flames only. 3)One weapon and his flames. Gonna put up a poll for it. ...Well, eventually. :P
And, because people still ask me, let me repeat myself once again: THER ARE NO PAIRINGS IN THIS OTHER THAN CANON ONES. The relationships between Lambo and the rest are meant to be purely nakama.
WhatsInAName: Agreed, it is very much pathetic. -_- And hopefully someday I'll get that far. XD
Yuma014: Wow, that's some kickass timing. o.O
Nennae11: I will skip the parts that Lambo isn't there to see. Right now I'm considering him not being there for the battle between Luffy and Don Krieg.
To the guest who wanted me to make Lambo's fighting style like Joseph Joestar's, I have actually not watched Jojo's Bizarre Adventure yet (though I do plan to someday in the future), plus a fighting style that's different every time would be really, really hard to write. X(
Mwah ha ha ha ha: I understand completely. XD And who would he meet at the Baratie?
TheGreatAnimeYoukai: I can't count the amount of times I've said that I can't write chains or whips. X( And, yes, Lambo deserves to be stronger than them after all the stuff he's gonna go through with the Straw Hats. I mean, come on, just look at all their crazy adventures. XD
Anne Whitehead: So having them go all Ace on whoever hurts Lambo? XD That would be pretty fun to see...
Serendipital: Yeah, you may be right... This is why feedback is a good thing~!
farronewp: Although I will show the Vongola's reaction, I'm not so sure about Nana's... It's not that I don't want to, it's just that it would be REALLY hard to write considering how goddamn OBLIVIOUS she is. X( I keep thinking that she would just think that he's on a trip or something. X(
LlamaLamb72: Tsuna: "Lambo, why did you run away and become a pirate?!" Lambo: "I was promised cookies." Tsuna: "...What?" ..XD Erm, right, anyway, I don't like bashing either, so I'm trying really hard to avoid doing that in this fic and any other fic I write. Those cookies sure are tempting, though...
Currently Blank: For the record, I love it when people leave a review on each chapter. :D To answer your question, no, the other Guardians can't feel the bond between Tsuna and Lambo. And Luffy is not as strong as Tsuna right now, but he'll get there eventually. :D
Ddragon21: That would make Lambo waaaaaay too overpowered for my tastes. X(
XXX
From Mafioso to Pirate
Chapter 14: Tall Tales
XXX
"So, let me get this straight," Nami said in irritation, glaring as the child-version of Lambo was laughing and using Luffy's outstretched arm as a trampoline. "Time travel."
"Yep," Zoro said flatly, lying on his back with his eyes closed.
The orange-haired girl cast him a glare, which went completely ignored. "Do you think I'm stupid or something?! You really expect me to believe that?!"
"Don't really care. The proof's right there in front of you."
"I think it's cool!" Luffy shouted back at them happily.
"Haha! You're so stretchy!" Lambo said in delight, now gripping Luffy's finger and stretching it as far as he could. "Stretchy~! Stretchy~!"
"That's 'cause I'm made of rubber!" Luffy boasted, puffing his chest out proudly.
The child looked up at him with sparkling, awe-struck eyes. "Really?! Cooooooooool!"
Zoro smirked at the scene. "It's like there's two of them."
"Great, they're multiplying..." Nami said back sarcastically before heaving a sigh. "Seriously, first the Mafia thing and now this... How did I get stuck with these freaks...?"
"Well, I'm sure it's your own fault."
"...And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Zoro yawned again before frowning in thought. "I wonder what happens to our Lambo when he switches out..."
XXX
Ten Years Ago...
Lambo tilted his head and crossed his arms, watching the spectacle before him.
Tsuna was running around in nothing but his boxers, shouting at the top of his lungs with an orange flame lit on his forehead. In the distance, Reborn was watching with a victorious smirk and Gokudera was cheering his boss on whilst Yamamato just laughed it all off as usual.
"Tsuna's Dying Will Mode sure was different back then, huh?" He mumbled, watching the Dying Will Tsuna accidentally slam into a tree, then proceed to rip it out of the ground and casually toss it to the side before he continued to run as if nothing had happened. "That's...interesting."
XXX
Ten Years Later...
"...Well, I'm sure he's fine," the swordsman said with a shrug.
"Seriously, what is wrong with you guys?" Nami sighed in defeat before turning her gaze towards the ocean. She blinked and moved forward for a better look, squinting her eyes against the sun. "Hey, is that land over there?"
"Huh?!" Luffy exclaimed as he and the child rushed over towards the edge of the ship, bouncing excitedly. "Land?! Where?!"
"Where? Where?" Lambo shouted happily, obviously not really understanding what was going on and was just copying the older boy.
"Careful! You'll fall off, you idiots!"
XXX
"So, we've finally made it to land," the newly-returned fifteen-year-old Lambo observed as he stepped off the boat they had been traveling in for the last few days.
"It's been a while," Zoro agreed, stretching. "So, anything interesting happen back in the past?"
"Hm?" Lambo paused and thought for a moment before giving a nonchalant shrug. "A bit, I guess. But nothing really special happened."
Nami gave him a side glance. "Are you serious? Time travel is nothing special to you?"
The black-haired boy just gave another shrug. "Well, I'm pretty used to it. I used to do it all the time when I was a kid, so I never thought too much about it."
She looked at him in disbelief before sighing and resting her hand on her forehead. "Unbelievable... What kind of idiots would give something like that to a kid anyway?"
"That's the Mafia for you," was his response. The girl just glared at him before sighing once again.
"Hey, Nami, where are we anyway?" Luffy spoke up, causing their discussion to cease.
Nami pulled out her map and examined it. "According to this, we're on Gecko Island." She looked up and pointed towards a stone road leading further into the woods. "If we go in that direction, we should end up in Syrup Village."
"Pretty weird name," the cow-boy remarked. "Well, I guess we should go check it out. We need to refill our food supply."
Luffy's eyes instantly lit up. "Food?! Oooooh! That means we'll get meat right?! Let's go! Let's go!"
"Our captain sure is high maintenance," Zoro mumbled.
"You can say that again," Lambo agreed.
"Hey, speaking of supplies," Nami spoke up, gaining their attention. "Before we can even think about going to the Grand Line, we need to get the essentials!"
"Essentials?" Luffy asked in confusion.
The girl gave a frustrated sigh at this. "Of course! Do you really expect to make it through the Grand Line with a crew of four people?"
Luffy nodded. "Well, yeah."
"Don't be stupid!" Nami snapped at him before turning to the other two, seeing as Luffy just wasn't going to get it. "We're in no condition to go to the Grand Line. We don't even have a real ship yet!" She pointed at their two tiny boats. "Those things won't last one second in a place like that! Not to mention we don't have a doctor, or a cook, or anything!"
"She's right!" Luffy suddenly exclaimed, surprising his crewmates, who looked at him somewhat hopefully. "Before we go to the Grand Line, we need a musician!"
Nami and Lambo just stared at him while Zoro burst out into laughter. "Hahahahaha! A musician? You're really something, Luffy!"
"High maintenance indeed..."
"What the hell do we need a musician for?!" Nami shouted incredulously.
"Because pirates are supposed to sing! Right, Lambo?"
"How would I know?" He sighed as the Nami started a one-sided argument with the other boy. It was then that he noticed that Zoro was no longer looking at any of them. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the foliage on top of the nearby cliff, hand firmly wrapped around the one of his swords. "Zoro? What's wrong?"
"Somebody's up there."
"What? Where" The black-haired boy quickly looked up, narrowing his eyes. "I can't see anyone..."
Luffy looked up as well. "Where? Where?"
Zoro's eyes suddenly widened. "Watch out!"
"Huh? Whoa!" Lambo and Luffy both yelped and dived out of the way as several small somethings shot out of the bushes and landed where they had been standing. "What the hell?!"
Hearing a rustling sound, the four looked up just as numerous black flags with skull and crossbones shot up from the bushes all around the cliff face.
Luffy gaped. "Whoa! That's awesome!"
"Luffy, you've gotta stop being impressed by the people trying to kill us!" Lambo shouted at him as he stood back up and looked around cautiously.
"Look! Up there!" Nami, who had hidden back with the boats, shouted, pointing upwards.
Looking in the direction she pointed, they were just in time to see someone step out of the bushes and stand near the edge of the cliff. "Who's that?" Lambo mumbled. "...And what's wrong with his nose?"
Above them was a dark-skinned young man who looked to be around the same age as Luffy. He was rather slim and had very curly black hair, along with an unaturally long nose. On his head, over his curly hair, he wore an olive-green plaid bandanna, and over that a pair of goggles. He wore a pair of brown overalls with a white sash tied around his waist and a blue and white striped armband on one of his arms, and there was also a bag slung around him by a strap.
The boy smirked down at them. "Behold! I am the leader of the pirate crew who has taken over this island! You may address me as Captain Usopp! If you're thinking of invading this village, then think again! My crew of eighty-million men will crush you!"
"INCREDIBLLLLLEEEEE!" Luffy shouted, gaping while the others just stared at the scene with half-lidded expressions.
"Come one, Luffy, he's obviously lying," Lambo said, looking at the other boy incredulously. "There aren't even that many people living in the world."
"It's obviously a lie," Nami said flatly. "Like, really, really obvious..."
"No way! They saw through it!" The boy, Usopp, shouted in panic.
"Even he's admitting it now," Zoro muttered.
"Wait, he was really lying?!" Luffy exclaimed, looking shocked and betrayed.
Lambo sighed for what felt like the millionth time. "Yes, Luffy. Yes he was."
"...Alright, eighty-million may have been a bit of an exaggeration," Usopp admitted. "But I still have many powerful allies!"
At that, a few of the flags at his far right started to move up and down. Nami smirked and arched an eyebrow. "You mean those three?"
At that, the flags froze for a moment before three young children burst out of the bushes and started to run back into the forest. "She figured it out! Run!"
"H-Hey! Don't run away!" Usopp shouted after them in panic.
"...They were just kids?" The cow-boy asked, watching them run with an arched eyebrow.
"Hey, look," Nami suddenly said. The three boy turned around to face her and saw that she was holding up a small, metal ball. Probably what Usopp had flung at them before. "I've never heard of a pirate using pachinko before."
Lambo frowned. "Pachinko? He threw pinballs at us?"
"This guy sure is interesting, huh?" Luffy grinned.
Lambo glanced at him. "No, I'd say that honor goes to you."
The other boy blinked in confusion. "Eh?"
"Well, it doesn't look like he's much of a threat," Zoro said, sheathing his sword.
"H-Hey, you! Don't make fun of me!" Usopp shouted down at them, rummaging through his bag. "I'm a man of pride!"
"A slingshot?" Lambo observed as the long-nosed boy took the item out of his bag. "I take it back, he is pretty weird..."
"And it's because of that great pride that I've earned the title 'Usopp the Proud!' I'll have you know that my skills with the pachinko are better than any pistol!"
"A pistol, huh?" Luffy suddenly spoke up, his hat casting a shadow over his face. As he did, the atmosphere around the five of them suddenly grew tense. "Are you ready to bet your life on it, then?"
"M-My life?" Usopp stuttered fearfully, hands holding the slingshot starting to tremble.
"They aren't meant for just scaring people, you know," the straw-hat-wearing pirate continued.
While Nami and Lambo watched the scene in confusion, Zoro seemed to catch on. He glanced at the both of them before turning back towards Usopp.
"This guy here," he spoke, motioning towards Luffy. "He's a real pirate."
After he spoke those words, everything went silent. Everyone watched as Luffy and Usopp continued there standoff, while all around them the flags fell down to the ground.
...
...
...
...
...
After what seemed like an eternity, the slingshot and pachinko both clattered to the ground. Usopp followed soon afterwards, falling on his butt and exhaling the breath he had been holding.
"Real pirates are scarier than I thought," he mumbled, loud enough for them to hear.
Luffy and Zoro glanced at each other before suddenly bursting out in laughter, promping the long-nosed boy to look at them in confusion.
"Sorry, I was just copying what I heard someone say a long time ago," Luffy admitted, smiling. "From a pirate I know."
"Ah, so that's it," Nami said as she and Lambo glanced at each other in understanding. "Nearly had me fooled."
"Me too..." The cow-boy admitted before looking back at the young captain. "Hey, who did you hear that from anyway? It was a pretty cool line."
"It was, wasn't it? I heard it from Shanks!"
"Shanks again, huh? You must really look up to that guy."
"W-Wait, did you just say Shanks?!" Usopp interrupted, gaping. "As in Red-Haired Shanks?! The famous pirate?!"
Luffy nodded. "Yeah! By the way, does your dad happen to be Yasopp?"
Usopp blinked. "Eh?" There was a pause before his eyes went as wide as saucers. "WHAT?!"
Lambo winced as the boy slipped and tumbled down the cliff, landing on his back. "...You know him, Luffy?"
Luffy shook his head negatively. "No. But I know his dad."
"Do you really know my dad?!" Usopp exclaimed as he picked himself up. It was then that he remembered that he was speaking to a group of possibly dangerous pirates and he stepped back, continuing in a more hesitant tone. "Um... So... How do you know him?" Before anyone could reply, there was a familiar, monstrous-like rumbling sound, which caused the long-nosed boy to look around wildly. "Wh-What was that?!"
Luffy but a hand on his stomach unhappily. "I'm hungry..."
"...Any place we can eat and talk?" Lambo asked, trying to keep himself from giving yet another sigh.
XXX
Twenty minutes later and the four pirates were eating at a local restaurant along with Usopp. The ice had been successfully broken between them and now they were conversing as if their previous confrontation never happened.
"Pretty good, right?" Usopp asked as Luffy stuffed his face with as much food as he could fit into it.
"It's awesome!"
'I'm starting to think he's secretly just an abyss on the inside...' Lambo thought with half-lidded eyes as he watched his captain practically inhale everything edible. He then decided that it was time to get back to the matter at hand. "So, Luffy, how do you know this guy's father?"
"I met him when I was a kid," Luffy started. How he could talk with a mouth full of food would always be a mystery to Lambo. "He's in Shanks' crew."
"I can't believe my dad was on Shanks' crew this whole time!" Usopp said happily. "But how did you know I was his son?"
"Well, you look a lot like him. And I he talked about you a lot, so I remembered your name, too."
"You said Shanks was famous, right?" Zoro asked. "If this Yasopp guy is in his crew, he must be pretty strong, right?"
"Yeah, what was he like?" Lambo asked interestedly.
"Oh, well he was really great with a pistol. He was Shanks' sharpsthooter!"
"Really?!" Usopp exclaimed eagerly.
"Yeah! He's probably still in Shanks' crew. Yasopp's a great pirate!"
"He is, isn't he?! I always knew he was a really great pirate! Disregarding his own life to go sailing around the world... I'm so proud of him!"
"Hey, this makes it easier for us, doesn't it?" Nami spoke up suddenly. "Is there any place around here where we can get a ship?"
"Well... This is a pretty small village, as you can see..." He gave a smile and shrug. "Sorry, but there's no way you can find a ship anywhere around here."
"What about over there?" Zoro asked, motioning out the window.
Lambo followed his gaze to see a rather large building a little ways away from the village, just visible on a hill. "That's a pretty big mansion for such a small village." He looked at Usopp questioningly. "And you said that there was no one around here who could help?"
"Hey, do you know the people who live there?" Nami asked the long-nosed boy excitedly. "Maybe we could ask them for some money for a ship!"
"N-No!" Usopp suddenly shouted, bursting out of his chair and slamming both hands on the table, startling them all. "You can't go there!"
The pirates all stared at him. "...Huh?"
Usopp froze for a few seconds before turning to the side and trying to act natural. "U-Uh, I mean... I-I suddenly remembered! Th-There's somewhere I have to be right now! The owners a friend of mine, so just go ahead and order anything you want. W-Well, I'll be on my way!"
"Well, that was weird..." Nami said as they watched the boy rush out of the restaurant, not looking back.
"Yare, yare..." Lambo turned back to Luffy. "What'll we do, Captain?"
Luffy seemed to think for a moment before standing up and grinning. "I think we should go to that mansion!" He then plopped back down onto his chair and grabbed some more meat. "After we finish eating!"
"Agreed," Zoro said, grabbing an apple.
Lambo stared at them for a second before sighing and reaching for some grapes. "Fine, fine."
Nami just looked at them. "...Seriously?"
XXX
About six minutes later, the four pirates were almost finished eating and ready to go towards the aforementioned mansion. It was then, however, that the front door suddenly burst open and there was a shout of "The Usopp Pirates are here!"
"What's going on?" Nami asked as they all turned back to look at the commotion.
"It's a bunch of kids," Lambo said, frowning. "I think they're the same ones from the cliff."
There were in fact three little boys there, all with wooden swords raised in the air. Thing thing that stood out most about them were their hairstyles. One's hair resembled a green pepper, the second's resembled an onion, and the third a carrot. All in all, pretty weird, but Lambo had seen stranger things up to this point and was able to bounce back from the sight pretty quickly.
"Huh?" One of them said as they looked around in confusion. "The captain's not here..."
"Hey, you!" The pepper-haired one shouted as they made their way over to the four pirates. "Where's our captain?! What did you do to him?!"
"That was some good meat!" Luffy exclaimed happily, apparently ignoring the three kids.
They instantly looked at him fearfully. "M-Meat? Don't tell me our captain was..."
At this, Zoro smirked and Nami started to snicker. Lambo just cast them a half-lidded look as he mentally weighed the pros and cons of going along with it.
"Wh-What did you do?!"
"Your captain..." Zoro said, his smirk turning more malicious by the second. "We ate him."
The three children stared at him in absolute horror before pointing at Nami and shouting, "AAAAAH! WITCH!"
The girl blinked before glaring at them. "Hey! Why are you pointing at me?!"
"Yare, yare," Lambo said, bringing their attention to him. "If it makes you feel any better, he didn't taste that good. I guess we cooked him for too long..."
"C-Cooked him..." And with that, all three children fell backwards onto the floor, not moving.
Zoro arched an eyebrow and nudged one of them with his foot. "Looks like they passed out."
Lambo sweatdropped. "Maybe we went too far?"
Nami glared at him. "It's because you guys were so stupid!"
"Weren't you laughing, though?"
"Sh-Shut up!"
Luffy looked at them and blinked. "Wait, what happened?"
XXX
"That was a really nasty joke, you know," the carrot-haired boy, Ninjin, said as the children lead the four pirates towards the mansion.
"Sorry, sorry," Lambo said, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "Didn't mean to make you pass out..."
Finally reaching the mansion, Luffy gaped at it. "Whoa! This place is HUGE!"
Lambo examined the building as well. It was pretty big, sure, but nowhere near as big as the Vongola Mansion, so it didn't leave much of an impression on him.
"Fancy," Nami commented. "Are you sure Usopp's here?"
"Yeah. Captain Usopp comes here all the time."
"Why would he come to a place like this?" Zoro asked, frowning at the mansion.
"He comes here to lie," Ninjin answered.
"To lie?" Nami asked, frowning disapprovingly. "That isn't something he should be doing!"
The pepper-haired boy, whose name was Piiman, shook his head vigorously. "There's nothing wrong with it! It's different, right?" He looked at his friends, who both nodded.
"Aren't you being a bit hypocritical, Miss Pirate Thief?" Lambo asked, smirkling slightly.
"I don't wanna hear that from you, Mafia-boy!"
"Hey, I haven't-"
"So, what did you mean by that?" Zoro asked, cutting off the brewing argument.
"He comes here to visit Miss Kaya," Piiman said. "She's been really weak and depressed ever since her parents died a year ago."
"So the captian comes here and tells her stories to maker her laugh," the onion-haired boy, Tamanegi, added with a smile. "He's the best liar in the whole village!"
"Oh, so he's a good guy," Luffy said, nodding.
"He is! I like the way he always sticks his nose in everyone's business!" Ninjin said, smiling.
"I like the way he overreacts to everything!" Piiman added.
"I like the way he lies!" Tamanegi finished.
'None of those are even good qualitlies...' Lambo thought to himself, but decided against voicing his opinion.
"And has he cheered this lady up?" Nami asked curiously.
"Yeah!"
"Great!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly. "Then let's go ask her for a ship!"
Lambo looked at him in disbelief. "Luffy, do you really think she's just going to give a ship to a bunch of strangers? Pirates for that matter?"
"We won't know until we try!"
"How the heck are you so optimistic...?"
"That's impossible," one of the children said. "The guards will never let you in!"
"Really? That will be a problem..." Nami admitted, frowning.
"Why? We can beat them easily," Zoro said, shrugging.
"You can't just go around beating up everyone, you idiot!"
Lambo watched them argue for a few seconds before turning back to talk to Luffy, only to blink when he realized that he was no longer there. Looking around, he quickly spotted him hanging onto the metal gate surrounding the building, apparently having climbed up it while they weren't looking.
'Whoa, Shells Town flashbacks,' he thought, while out loud he said, "Luffy, what are you doing?"
Luffy grinned back at him. "We can get in from here!" Keeping his hands firmly grasping the gate, he jumped back down onto the ground, allowing his arms to stretch with him.
"Wha-What's wrong with him?! He stretched his arms all the way up there!" Piiman shouted in shock as the three boys stared in horror.
"Gomu Gomu no..." Luffy started as his three crewmates panicked and hurried to grab onto him. The kids, despite their fear, hurried to grab on, too.
"SORRY TO INTRUUUUUUUUDE!"
And with that, the seven of them were sent flying over the gate.
XXX
"Successful entry!" Luffy said, his voice muffled due to the fact that he had landed face first onto the concrete.
Nami, who had landed on the grass with little to no injuries, glared at him and shouted, "NO IT WASN'T!"
Lambo, who had landed in the bushes along with the three kids, pushed himself up and groaned. "Ow... We need better break in plans... You guys okay?"
"Ugh... Yeah, we're fine..." Zoro said, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head.
Lambo blinked and stared at the ruined pavement that the other two boys had landed on. "...How the hell do you not have a concussion, Zoro?"
"E-Excuse me!" A feminine voice suddenly called out. They all turned to the source to see a pale, blonde girl wearing a white dress standing behind one of the windows in front of a tree where Usopp was sitting. Both were looking at them in alarm. "Are you alright?"
"D-Don't worry!" Usopp said quickly, cutting off anything they could say. "Th-These guys probably just hear about how great I was and came to join my crew!"
"No, we came to ask you a favor," Luffy said, pointing at the blonde woman, who Lambo assumed had to be Kaya.
"Me?" The girl asked, confused.
"Yeah! See, we need a ship and-"
"You there!" A new, male voice shouted at them. "What are you doing here?"
"Kurahadol!" Kaya exclaimed as they all turned to see who it was.
The only way Lambo could think of to describe his appearence was butler-like, and he most likely was one of Kaya's butlers. Black hair sleeked back, a black suit, and glasses. He was pretty much the physical representation of what Lambo had always imagined a butler to look like when he was a child.
"You're trespassing," the man said sternly, looking at them all as he used the palm of his hand to push his glasses up.
"Who's that guy?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.
"The butler, probably," Lambo answered as the man continued to stare at them with calm, yet ice cold eyes.
Lambo quickly decided that he didn't like this man.
XXX
And chapter 14 is finally finished! :D Once again, I am SOOOO sorry this took so damn long. X(
If you're wondering why I went with the japanese names for the Usopp Pirates...it's because I just wanted to. :P
Which reminds me, I'd better get to work on updating my other fic now, too. :/
Well, see ya guys next time! :D