A/N: I may have had a little bit too much fun writing this one :P I had actually expected this to be released before the H chapter came out to be honest. XD
If anyone's still unaware, I do announce when I will post new chapters on my profile when they're ready (which is exactly a week after my patrons get it). I know there's the thing about timezones but obviously I'll be following my own timezone for the release dates, so technically you guys across the International Date Line will be seeing this a day before the posted date. Lucky you. :P
So if you want to know about any updates just check my profile for it :)
As usual enjoy! :D
In the skies in between Enies Lobby and Water Seven, a giant golden ship was soaring through the sky. Below its deck was a group of former Government agents sitting in a circle, all of them having received medical treatment from a certain reindeer doctor.
"We're done huh?" Blueno asked no one in particular.
Jabra lifted an eyebrow at him, "You don't sound disappointed. I thought you guys would take this situation harder than we have, since we had already expected this from the start."
Kaku shrugged, "This is the best outcome the moment we were defeated, CP9 does not tolerate failures after all. The fact that we're still alive is a blessing in itself."
Jabra snorted at his answer, knowing it was true.
Lucci looked down at his hands, "He… Could have killed us…"
Fukuro nodded slowly beside him, "Chapapa… Luffy was quite the merciless one when he was with us but he hated every kill he had to make back then."
"Yoyoi! With that boundless strength, none could stand before him! But now that strength has become his burden to bear, for he seeks not death but repentance!" Kumadori sang.
"And that's why he limited himself? To not… Kill?" Kalifa frowned.
Olivia smirked, "Had he been serious, you guys won't even have a body part left to bury. He's already given up his killing ways, adopting that Protective Justice of his. It's like he's keeping as far away as possible from his assassination days."
"I heard about that Justice…" Kaku noted. "It's almost a direct opposite of Absolute Justice, protecting everyone without killing… Even the criminals."
Blueno's eyes widened with realisation, "To have that much strength and not kill the opponent you are fighting, it must have been quite difficult for him to do so while taking on all five of us…"
Olivia feigned surprise, gasping dramatically, "Wow, you catch on quick horn head! I thought you wouldn't have noticed that he had been trying so hard not to kill anyone since the start! Were you not wondering why he never attacked any of you seriously? You guys were so squishy he got scared it would have killed you instantly! Then the little kitten over there just had to push his buttons and you guys were half dead!"
The large man glared at her but kept his mouth shut, knowing what she said had been true.
Lucci clenched his fists, "He didn't even fight at his full power… Even at the end..."
Hattori cooed sympathetically on his shoulder.
"It was a show of respect to you guys as a former agent you dumb cat," Jabra spat. "More than you guys deserve apparently. I mean, when he came back with this brat's hair, we had believed that-"
Olivia kicked the wolf man in the face, sending him crashing to a nearby wall and cutting him short. The auburn haired girl glared at Fukuro and Kumadori, both of them getting the message and keeping their mouth shut.
"What was that?" Kaku asked.
"Chapapa… Nothing you need to know if you value your life," Fukuro stage whispered.
"Speaking of which… Didn't we have another person? The hamster guy or something?" Kalifa asked.
That was when they realised Nero had been left behind.
All of them shrugged at the same time, deciding collectively that the weasel man was not worth their time.
The ark dropped its anchor just as it settled into the Government harbour, Luffy relaxing back onto the throne after powering down the ship.
"Urgh… That was tiring… This chair isn't comfy at all either, my butt hurts…" The Rear Admiral whined.
"Well, that went much more smoothly then I thought it would," Paulie remarked, watching the Franky Family busy themselves with the disembarking preparations.
"Haha! Luck was on our side it seems!" Tilestone laughed, smacking his co-worker on the back.
"It was all thanks to the Marine bros! We couldn't have done it without them!" Zambai shouted out, the Franky Family cheering in agreement.
Franky went up to Luffy with a grin on his face, "Can't thank you enough, Marine bro. As promised, I'll look into making that ship for you while my boys continue their work on scrapping this ship."
Luffy stuck out his hand for him to shake, "Looking forward to it!"
The two shook hands with big smiles on their faces before Franky led the carpenters, scrappers, Kokoro and Chimney off the ark.
Two giants crouched down to bring themselves closer to the Rear Admiral.
Oimo scratched his head sheepishly, "Thanks a lot Luffy! I wouldn't have known what I would do if I found out our bosses weren't even captured all this time after another fifty years!"
"Yeah! Must be fate that you actually found the island they were still having their duel at! And thanks for letting us hitch a ride on your ship!" Kashi grinned.
"Shishishi! No problem!" Luffy grinned back at them. "I know we have a few giants imprisoned so I wouldn't be surprised if they had mistook them as your bosses all those years ago!"
"Hahaha! That's true! Humans look mostly the same to us too!" Oimo laughed.
"So are you going back to your village or are you going to find Dorry and Brogy?" Luffy asked.
Kashi shook his head, "We can't go find them if they're still fighting. We'll go back to our village after we get enough supplies. I hear this city suffered quite a bit of damage so maybe we can work here temporarily."
"Ah… But won't we change back to wanted criminals now?" Oimo frowned.
Kashi scratched his chin, "That's true… I almost forgot about that, guess we'll have to make a run for it right we leave this ship."
"Oh don't worry about that!" Luffy laughed. "They're too busy with Enies Lobby to care about you guys! Besides, it's not like the Marines stationed here could hope to capture either of you by themselves! I'm sure the city wouldn't mind hiding you guys for a while if you help them rebuild too!"
"Hahaha! That's true! Thanks again Luffy! Do come and visit Elbaf when you get the chance! Kashi and I will personally guide you around!"
Both giants stood up after saying their thanks, disembarking the ship with a wave.
The former CP9 agents were next to approach, Jabra leading the motley group out from their hiding place underneath the deck. The rest of the Straw Hats gathered behind Luffy, Robin standing amongst them.
Jabra crossed his arms, "Guess we'll part here Luffy, before our presence get you in more trouble. You don't need to worry about us, we'll settle our own problems."
Luffy grinned at him, "I know you will."
"Yoyoi! The bonds of friendship remain strong! Fate shall will us together again!" Kumadori sang out.
Zoro glanced at Kaku, finding the long nosed agent staring back at him.
"Too bad we could not have a proper sword duel," Zoro grinned.
Kaku chuckled, "Quite unfortunate it seems. I got done in by your commander before we got the chance to properly cross swords."
"Maybe next time."
Kaku nodded, "I will accept that duel the next time we meet."
"Alright, let's go." Jabra noted the time. "The Sea Train's going to come soon and there's a ton of Marines at the harbour so we're gonna have to sneak out from the back."
"Bye, won't miss you at all," Olivia remarked from the side with a wave.
Lucci stayed behind while the rest made their way to the other side of the ark, the feline agent staring at Luffy without a word. The pigeon on his shoulder tilted its head at the Rear Admiral before pecking its owner on the cheek.
"Weakness is a sin," Lucci finally said.
Luffy smirked, "When someone has something that they would risk their lives to protect, then they are not weak."
Lucci snorted before turning his back to him, "Protective Justice huh… I'll think about it…"
The top hat wearing agent stalks off after the rest of the agents, not once looking behind him.
"What a temperamental kitten…" Olivia sighed, taking up the spot that Lucci vacated.
"I'll be getting some stuff I need in the city, tell me when we're ready to leave, Luffy senpai."
The ponytailed agent then left without a second word, disappearing from the deck with a gust of wind.
"Well, I guess that's everyone." Luffy turned back to smile at his crew. "I wanna eat something nice!"
The rest of the Straw Hats smiled back at him, already used to his easy going attitude.
The Rear Admiral led his crew off the ark, where a contingent of Marines was waiting at the harbour. Captain Sharinguru stood at the front, a bandage wrapped around his head.
The crew tensed at the sight, already prepared for another fight.
To their surprise, the Marine Captain called the Marines to attention and saluted Luffy, his back ramrod straight.
Luffy returned the salute and Sharinguru immediately bowed low to him.
"Welcome back to Water Seven Rear Admiral Luffy! My deepest apologies for your previous treatment here! We have just received the report that it was a frame-up done by those despicable Cipher Pol agents and I should not have jumped to conclusions like that! I will accept any punishment you see fit!"
Everyone at the harbour stared at Luffy with bated breath, most of them already knew the gravity of such a situation. Sure, the orders might have came from somewhere else but if Luffy decided to press charges, Sharinguru had more than just his job to worry about.
But for those who knew Luffy, they all knew he was not cold-hearted enough to do that..
"Shishishi! Don't worry about it! It's not your fault! You're a victim too!" Luffy pulled him up by his shoulders with a broad smile.
A smile graced Sharinguru's face before he started bawling his eyes out.
"Ahhhhh! Damnit! How can I be so stupid! You're the real man Rear Admiral! How could I have suspected such a respectable Marine like yourself?!"
The Marine Captain bowed to Luffy again, "Please! If there's anything I can do! Anything at all! Don't hesitate to tell me!"
Luffy had a sudden idea, "Ah that's right… Those two giants that got off earlier? They kind of got in trouble for this incident because of me and they might have been relegated back to criminal status so they're currently hiding here. I mean, their current position is kind of my fault so could you..."
"Say no more Rear Admiral!" Sharinguru saluted while tears spilled past his eyes, touched that Luffy was still worried about others before himself. "We did not see any giants disembarking your ship, did we men?!"
"SIR NO SIR!" The contingent of Marines shouted back.
"Shishishi! They shouldn't be any trouble so I'll be counting on you!" Luffy patted the Captain's shoulder.
Sharinguru sucked in a breath, "THANK YOU SIR!"
"Speaking of which…" Luffy tilted his head. "What happened to you? How did you and your men get those injuries?"
Sharinguru barely managed to keep his eyes on the Rear Admiral instead of glancing towards the other Straw Hats, "Ah! It was quite unfortunate Rear Admiral… The storm blew through our base before we could take proper precautions which resulted in our injuries. But that's nothing for you to worry about, sir!"
Luffy frowned with worry, "Oh? That's bad… I have an awesome doctor on my crew so if you'd like I can have him look after you guys?"
"Your concern is very much appreciated sir, but our own doctor has already treated us! Please do not let these small injuries trouble yourself!"
Luffy nodded slowly, "Hmmm… I'll take your word for it then, Captain. You guys take care now!"
Leaving the still sniffling Captain to dismiss his men, Luffy turned back to grin at his crew.
"Well… Since we're here, I guess all of us deserve some time to take it easy."
Usopp sighed in relief, "No kidding… We haven't even slept well the past few nights."
Luffy grinned, "I'm expecting to get a message from Headquarters regarding this incident soon, so we can just relax for the next few days."
"A well deserved shore leave," Sanji smirked.
"Ah, perhaps I should go look for that old woman for those drinks she promised," Zoro thought aloud.
"Oh! There's still some places I want to see in the city!" Chopper exclaimed.
"Let's go together then, Chopper! I didn't get to explore the city yet!" Usopp suggested.
Nami grabbed her fellow female crewmate's arm, "Robin, you're going shopping with me!"
Robin just smiled at her, "I'll be glad to."
"Enjoy your leave guys!" Luffy waved before disappearing from their sights in a flash of sparks.
At the President's office of the temporary Galley-La headquarters, Iceburg was sitting at his drawing table while scribbling away on a new design.
To his left, Franky sat on a sofa with his arms hanging on the backrest, smiling at his former fellow apprentice.
"So I heard you burned the blueprints… Was that true?" Iceburg asked without looking up from his drawing.
"Nope," the scrapper admitted proudly. "That was a lie that Marine bro cooked up for me."
Iceburg took a moment to glance at him before looking back down.
"Then your life would still be in danger wouldn't it?"
Franky shrugged, "I'm used to it. I ain't the boss of the back streets for nothing you know? Besides, what are you drawing? You seem so focused on it... If you're designing a new ship for those Marines, I'll have you know they already commissioned me to do it."
Iceburg's hands did not stop moving, "Nothing of that. The recent Aqua Laguna was quite troubling to us to say the least. I'm pretty sure the day this island would sink is not that far off… I'm going to make this island float on the sea."
"Woah! Seriously? Is that even possible?!"
Iceburg raised an eyebrow, "Didn't we use to look at a great man do the impossible? If you're a man, do it with a don. Besides, weren't you on board a flying ship just recently?"
"Heh, heh, heh. That's true… You need some help with that then?"
"No, in fact I should be asking if you need help instead. I'd think that designing the ship for a future Marine Admiral would be a much more daunting task."
"Hey, I'll have you know that I haven't forgotten how to build ships yet!"
"Then you should just leave this place."
Franky gaped at his unexpected words.
"What? What did you say?"
"You heard me. You should leave this place like I suggested when I passed you those blueprints. Those guys might still come after you one day and those Marines won't be here to save you again."
"What? Those Cipher Pol agents? Aren't they already labelled as criminals? They would worry more about themselves than me."
Iceburg sighed, "That's my point. They might send others after you just to kill you because you already know what they were after."
Franky frowned, "Then what about you? Won't you be in trouble too?"
"They never found the blueprints on me, but they realised you know its whereabouts remember? They would still look for you instead of me. But if you were to happen to put yourself under someone's wing, you might be safe."
Franky lifted his sunglasses with a hand, "What are you suggesting?"
Iceburg shot him a small smile, "I'm suggesting that you follow that stupid dream of yours, you idiot."
Not waiting for a reply, the Galley-La president turned back to his drawing to continue his scribbling.
Franky let his mind wander, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. His hand slowly reached into his shirt pocket, digging out a set of blueprints that Luffy had given him.
His other hand reached into the other shirt pocket, fishing out another set of blueprints that he had drawn up himself.
The shipwright stared at both blueprints for a long while.
Only Iceburg was present to see the huge grin Franky had on his face.
The following day, while the carpenters helped rebuild the city after the destruction Aqua Laguna had caused, the Straw Hats were still enjoying their time off.
Sanji was busy tasting the various food that the city had to offer, coming up with new recipes for his own kitchen.
Zoro was drowning in alcohol with Kokoro, the two of them clearing out most of the bars in town.
Usopp and Chopper were having a great time exploring the city, sometimes stopping by bookstores or craft stores to browse their wares.
Within a certain clothing shop in the city centre, a female Marine Captain and an archaeologist were looking at the clothing options the shop offered.
"Oh, this one's cute, Robin! What do you think?" Nami asked, hanging a dark green shirt with a windmill picture in front of her chest.
"Fufufu… It certainly does suit you, Nami." Robin complimented before turning back to look at their 'escort'. "What do you think, Luffy?"
"Meh… The colour's a bit off…" The Rear Admiral sighed, his arms already laden with a mountain of clothes.
"Ara? That's true, perhaps they have a brighter colour of the same design?" Robin mused, sifting through the rack to find the specific item.
"Oh! But I think this one's nice for you!" Nami grinned, picking out a blue-striped collared shirt with long sleeves. "Suits her, right Luffy?"
"Better without the collar…" Luffy muttered almost inaudibly.
"Ah, he's right!" Nami grinned before hanging the shirt back on the rack.
"Do I really have to be here? I wanna go explore with Usopp and Chopper…" Luffy whined.
"Oh stuff it," Nami smacked him lightly on the arm. "Don't forget you owe us for that stunt you pulled yesterday!"
Luffy pouted at her, "You just want me here to do it again isn't it?"
The Marine navigator flashed him a scheming smile, "No idea what you're talking about, right Robin?"
"Fufufu, I'm quite looking forward to it," Robin chuckled.
The Rear Admiral sighed again just as a bat flew into the room, circling once over Luffy's head before dropping a sealed envelope on top of the mountain of clothes in his arms.
Robin's eyes widened in surprise, "Isn't that a messenger bat from the World Government?"
Luffy dropped the pile of clothes on a nearby countertop before plucking the letter from the top of the pile.
Cutting the top open with a finger, the Rear Admiral unfolded the letter and read its contents.
Both women noted the distinct frown that appeared on Luffy's face.
Nami was about to ask what was wrong before Luffy broke out in a wide grin, folding the letter and tucking it underneath his cloak.
"We've been summoned to Marineford," Luffy announced, picking the pile of clothes back up from the counter.
Nami looked at Robin, "All of us? Even Robin?"
Luffy nodded, his grin still plastered on his face.
Robin frowned, not believing it to be good news of any sort, "What for?"
"For your acquittal of course!" Luffy laughed. "You'll no longer be a criminal!"
Nami cheered before pulling Robin in for a hug, "Isn't that great Robin?! We did it! We really did it!"
Robin was still in disbelief, her mind still registering the fact that she would no longer officially be a criminal.
"Ah, since the ark's half scrapped, we'll have to take Merry there won't we? So when do we set sail?" Nami pointed out.
"A Marine battleship will arrive to escort us. We'll be using the Tarai current through Enies Lobby to reach Marineford." Luffy explained.
Nami tilted her head, "Tarai current?"
"It's a giant whirlpool that connects Enies Lobby, Impel Down and Marineford in a triangular current, accessible only by moving through the Gates of Justice." Robin supplemented.
"I see! Using such currents would shorten the travel time to travel to these locations!" Nami exclaimed.
Luffy nodded, "Once we're done there, we can proceed with the plan to mothball Merry. Then we'll return back here for our new ship!"
"But is it really necessary for us to travel all the way to Marineford just for my acquittal?" Robin wondered aloud.
"Who knows? Maybe those old men wants to talk to you?" Luffy grinned.
Nami dumped another load of clothes on top of Luffy's arms, "Leaving that aside, we're still not done here yet!"
The Rear Admiral groaned as both girls went back to picking out clothes.
A few days later, the Straw Hats were moving towards the Government harbour together. A large crowd was gathered to see them off, cheering for them as the heroes who had protected their mayor from rogue Government agents.
Franky was waiting at the entrance of the harbour with Iceburg beside him.
"Oh hey uncle Ice and swim trunks guy! What are you guys doing here?" Luffy waved.
"Hey Marine bro! Just wanted to tell you to look forward to that suuuper ship of yours! We'll be done by the time you get back!" Franky waved back.
"We will help too, it's the least Galley-La could do after what you've done for us," Iceburg added.
"Great! I'll be looking forward to it!" The Rear Admiral grinned.
"I'll also keep in mind to add the… Special designs you guys specifically requested," Franky glanced pointedly at Nami and Robin.
"Oh, do add in a fridge with a lock as well, almost forgot about that," Sanji supplemented from behind.
"Meanie…" Luffy pouted at him but the chef refused to back down.
"One more thing, we'll be throwing a big party when you return, so tell us in advance when you're coming back so we can prepare the food and booze!" Franky gave a thumbs up.
"Heh, I like this guy already," Zoro smirked.
The Straw Hats marched into the harbour amidst the cheering of the citizens, only to be greeted by the salute of a contingent of Marines.
"May the winds be in your favor, Rear Admiral!" Sharinguru saluted, Luffy returning back the salute a moment later.
Boarding Merry, the crew realised that another group of Marines were present on the ship, a very familiar old man standing at the front with a huge grin on his face.
"Gramps!" Luffy yelled out, already leaping forward to give his grandfather a hug.
"Bwahahaha! You little brat! I barely took my eyes off you for awhile and you already got yourself involved in something big again!" Garp laughed as he hugged his grandson back.
"So you're bringing us to Marineford?" Luffy asked, looking up at his grandfather with sparkling eyes.
"Yep! You better be thankful I was still around these parts when you did what you did! Or they'd probably send someone like Momonga or some other punk to pick you up! Like hell I'll let them!"
"You're the best gramps! Shishishi!"
Garp released Luffy to ruffle his hair, both of them grinning at each other.
"Oh, that's not all I'm here for!" Garp suddenly remembered. "I brought two guys I'd like you and that Zoro to meet."
Zoro pointed to himself with a raised eyebrow.
Before Luffy could ask who it was, a figure wearing a green vest over a white collared shirt dashed forward with a pair of knives slashing towards the Marine swordsman.
Zoro barely blinked when he unsheathed a sword to deflect the knives away, smirking at the sight of the blades.
"Kukri knives? You have some rare stuff."
"Errr… Should we help?" Chopper asked in concern.
"Stay back, he's mine," Zoro grunted, aching to fight a swordsman after that missed opportunity with Kaku.
The figure dashed forward again, spinning his kukris in his hands. The black visor that he wore hid his eyes and prevented his opponent from anticipating where he was aiming at.
Zoro still lashed out with the swords in his hands without hesitation, catching both of the knives mid spin.
The figure only had time to gasp at the swordsman's superior kinetic vision before both of his weapons were flicked away from his hands, embedding themselves on the deck of the ship.
Zoro grinned as he laid one of his blades on his assailant's neck, waiting for him to admit defeat.
On Luffy's side, another figure wearing a Marine jacket with a blue neckerchief kicked at where the Rear Admiral's head was, missing by mere inches when Luffy chose to tilt his head backwards.
Luffy raised an eyebrow at the sudden attack, sidestepping the punch that was thrown towards his chest right after the kick.
The figure disappeared with a quick burst of Soru, reappearing behind Luffy to punch at his back.
His fist hit thin air as Luffy's afterimage disappeared, the real Luffy appearing behind the assailant to push him down on the deck with an outstretched palm.
"Bwahahaha! They're completely no match at all!" Garp laughed.
"It's your win Captain Zoro," the blonde male with the green vest surrendered. "You're way too strong…"
Zoro sheathed his blades but his eyes never left the blonde Marine, not recognizing the person but somehow feeling a hint of familiarity.
The other figure also got up on his feet while dusting his knees, "Ahaha… You're way too strong Rear Admiral, I even tried my best too!"
Luffy tilted his head at them, "Do I… Know you from somewhere?"
The jacket wearing Marine pointed a thumb at himself, "It's me! Coby! You rescued me from Alvida and signed me up with the Marines!"
"Huh?! Coby?! No way! You changed a lot!" Luffy gasped out in surprise, clasping a hand on the youth's shoulder.
"Another friend of Luffy's?" Usopp asked.
"Yeah. Apparently Luffy rescued him from some pirates and helped him join the Marines way back at Shells town. Man, he looks so different than before…" Zoro explained.
"Oh wow! We need to catch up then! Come on, I'll introduce you to my crew!" Luffy laughed, slapping him on the back.
"Hey… You guys still remember me right?" the blonde figure asked.
Both Luffy and Zoro tilted their heads at him, "Who?"
The figure gritted his teeth and raised his visor in frustration, "It's me! Helmeppo! I was the one that tied you up at Shells town!"
"Oh!" Luffy smacked his palm with realisation. "The stupid boy at the restaurant!"
"As much as I hate to admit it, but yes!" Helmeppo cried, Coby trying his best to console him about accepting his past.
Luffy called over his crew, introducing each one of them to Coby and Helmeppo. The two younger Marines saluted each of the Marine Captains with awe on their faces, it appeared that the Straw Hats had became quite a topic amongst the Marines back at Headquarters.
"Well I'll leave you guys to catch up," Garp waved at them with a grin, shooing them off.
The Vice Admiral turned towards Luffy's crew, "Captain Nami!"
Nami stood at attention with a salute.
"Navigator right? My ship's right outside the harbour, just follow my ship and we'll guide you to Marineford, got it?"
Nami nodded an affirmative while Robin stepped up beside her.
"If I may ask Mr. Vice Admiral… Is this really necessary just for an acquittal?"
Garp grinned at her, "Nico Robin eh? The one my grandson is trying so hard to protect. I didn't get an opportunity to talk to you the last time because of that damn vixen…"
The Vice Admiral pointed his thumb towards Luffy who was busy leading Coby and Helmeppo towards the kitchen, "It's also to inaugurate him as a Vice Admiral so of course we'll have to go there, the old farts are trying to make a big show out of it to cover up the CP9 thing. Anyway, you guys will find out the details when you get there, I can't be bothered to listen to everything they told me."
Garp grinned at them conspiratorially before leading his group of Marines off the ship.
Nami immediately gave the order to set sail, the rest of the crew scrambling to obey. As the ship pulled out of the harbour, Luffy sat himself down at the dining table with Coby and Helmeppo inside the kitchen.
Luffy told the both of them to get comfortable and to dispense formalities, prompting Coby to loosen his necktie while Helmeppo took off his visor.
"Man, this brings back memories! I remember you were only this tall when I first met you!" Luffy reminisced, raising his hand just slightly above the dining table.
"Ahahaha! Yeah, we both changed a lot! I'm no longer the crybaby that I was and it was all thanks to you! If I never met you I'll probably still be stuck on Alvida's ship," Coby scratched his head in embarrassment.
"Shishishi! How did you two end up with Gramps anyway?"
Helmeppo grimaced, "Urgh… We were part of the team that was meant to escort my dad to Vice Admiral Garp for his transfer to be locked up… But things happened…"
"What he meant to say was that Morgan escaped and took him prisoner. I tried to prevent them from shooting both Morgan and Helmeppo and your grandfather took us in after he saw what we did." Coby explained.
"Ah, he did tell me that the Morgan guy escaped when I beat up Arlong!" Luffy remembered.
"And we got to witness the 're-inspection' of the sixteenth branch too… It was not pretty…" Helmeppo shivered.
"Weren't you with Gramps the last time I saw him though?" Luffy tilted his head.
"Oh, you mean when you almost died?" Coby frowned at the memory. "Both of us were training at Marineford so we weren't there. But there was quite a big ruckus when they found out about your condition though… Some of us were quite distraught at the news."
Luffy smiled sheepishly, "Sorry for making you guys worry."
"Speaking of training… Your grandfather's training was crazy! I heard yours was way more intensive than ours too! How did you survive him?!" Helmeppo asked.
Coby's eyes sparkled, "That's right! I'm also curious about that Rear Admiral! What did you actually go through during your training?"
The Rear Admiral grinned and began retelling of his own training under Garp's tutelage. Both of them listened attentively, starstruck as Luffy recounted of his trainee days wrestling with Sea Kings, sparring with Warlords and even dueling the Vice Admiral himself.
"No wonder you're so strong…" Helmeppo gulped, awed by Luffy's tenacity.
Coby clenched his fists with determination, "Rear Admiral! I… I will train even harder… Then one day! One day! I will become an Admiral to stand beside you!"
Luffy grinned at the youth's words, "Shishishi! Don't keep me waiting too long!"
That was when the kitchen door was pushed open and Olivia strutted into the room wearing only a loose T-shirt and a pair of shorts.
The former CP9 agent gave her mentor a nod and a smile while ignoring the guests, going straight to the fridge to pick out a bottle of milk.
Helmeppo fell off his chair while Coby stared at her in shock, a finger pointed at her.
"You… You! You're one of the rogue Government agents! You guys betrayed the Government and deceived Luffy! Didn't all of you defect to join a criminal organisation to create a weapon to destroy the world?!" Coby gasped.
Olivia glanced at the young Marine while gulping down her milk, wiping her lips with the back of her hand with a sigh.
"So that's the official story huh? How original… Not that I expected that useless sack of shit to come up with anything better anyway."
Helmeppo drew out his Kukris, "They issued a kill on sight order for you guys! What are you doing here?! Here to take revenge?! Don't think we won't sto-"
Olivia disappeared from where she had been standing, poking two fingers into Helmeppo's eyes and leaving him screaming in pain while rolling around on the floor comically.
"MY EYES! ARRGHH!"
"You're too loud blondie," Olivia muttered, gulping down the rest of the bottle of milk.
Coby stood on his feet, his eyes darting in between Luffy and Olivia with uncertainty.
The female agent grinned at him, "What? You wanna go too, pinky boy?"
Luffy ruffled her hair, "Stop bullying my juniors Olie."
Olivia stuck her tongue out at him, "Aren't I your junior too? Playing favourites now are we, Luffy senpai? I'm hurt."
"Ummm… Err… Are you… Really a rogue agent?" Coby asked in trepidation.
Olivia just shrugged, tossing the empty bottle into the nearby trash bin with a flick of her wrist.
"Who knows? You can just see me as an ordinary stowaway on this lovely little ship."
The auburn haired girl giggled at her own words before leaving the kitchen,
Helmeppo was still rolling on the floor while clutching at his eyes while Coby stared at Luffy.
The Rear Admiral only shrugged his shoulders and gave him an apologetic grin, "It's a long story."
A few days passed before the group finally arrived at Marineford. They had to pass through Enies Lobby where Luffy had intentionally paid the hospitalised director a visit, Spandam fainting from fright upon the sight of the Rear Admiral.
The director woke up a while later, thinking he had been seeing things. That was when Olivia dropped down from the ceiling and punched him hard in the face, knocking him out again before the girl disappeared with the wind.
The Tarai current brought both ships pass the gates of Impel Down before finally arriving at Marineford without incident. Unless the antics of both grandfather and grandson could be counted as incidents. Both of the Marine officers' crew were ready to tear their hair out from their combined selfishness and childishness, it was a wonder that they managed to reach their destination at all.
Both ships docked at the Marineford harbour, a division of Marine soldiers waiting to receive them.
The Straw Hats were met with a chorus of salutes as soon as they stepped off their ship, all of them minus Luffy looking around the fortress in awe.
"Heh, they look exactly like you did when I first brought you here, Luffy," Garp grinned upon seeing their faces.
Luffy looked over his shoulder and smiled, "Impressive place isn't it? I spent two years training here with Gramps and the Admirals!"
"Impressive? This place is a fortress!" Usopp gulped.
"It's so awesome!" Chopper's eyes sparkled.
Nami nodded, "It truly does live up to the Headquarters image..."
Zoro smirked, "So the strongest in the Marines are gathered here eh? I wonder if there's any swordsman I can convince to duel..."
"That means their chefs here are probably the best too. I wonder if they would let me look at their kitchens..." Sanji wondered aloud.
Robin remained silent as she looked around her, still not fully at ease being surrounded by so many Marines. She glanced at her protector, finding the Rear Admiral grinning back at her confidently.
The archaeologist nodded at him, pushing her fear away to the back of her mind.
"Come along now you little kids, the sooner I'm done here the sooner I can go eat my crackers and chew out the other recruits," Garp snorted, motioning for them to follow him.
The Vice Admiral lead the motley group of Marines through the corridors of the fortress. Any Marine that happened to see Luffy either saluted him or gave him a friendly wave and smile.
The group rounded a corner to find a set of doors with two Marines guarding it outside.
Garp went straight towards them without hesitation, the two guards flinching upon seeing his advancing figure.
One of the guards quickly raised a hand to stop him, "Vice Admiral Garp! Fleet Admiral Sengoku asks that you please use the door and not-"
Garp smashed his way through the wall beside the door before the guard could finish his words, "Nope! Not cool enough!"
Sengoku, who was standing at the side of the room, sighed dramatically when he heard the loud noise behind him.
Garp gave his old friend a wave before settling himself down on the couch at the other side of the room, a packet of crackers already in his hands that he pulled out from nowhere.
Luffy climbed through the hole his grandfather had made while the rest of his crew made the more sensible choice of walking through the door the guards opened for them.
The Rear Admiral immediately stood at attention in the middle of the room, his crew following his example a step behind him.
Sengoku smiled at the young Marine, walking towards his desk while his eyes remained on Luffy.
Right before he sat down on his chair, the Fleet Admiral took a moment to glance at the seat to make sure it was free of any foreign objects before sitting down on it.
"Rear Admiral Luffy… I believe some congratulations are in order for your recent achievements. No doubt you already know that you've made quite a name for yourself, as some of us would be eager to tell you."
As if on cue, the door to the room swung open again, the three Admirals walking into the room with Aokiji at the lead and Kizaru bringing up the rear.
Luffy's two mentors had big grins on their faces while Akainu had a scowl, as though he had found out the race horse he had bet on was a cripple.
The icy Admiral came to clap Luffy on the back with a grin, whispering beside his ear, "Knew you could do it. Sakazuki didn't believe us at all, too bad for him."
Luffy grinned back at his mentor before Aokiji moved off to join Garp on the couch.
Kizaru ruffled his hair as he walked past, "Good job Luffy, treats on us lateeeer."
Akainu sighed as he stepped in front of Luffy, clearly not as elated as the rest.
"Con… Con… Congratulations..." the Admiral finally admitted through gritted teeth before joining the rest on the couch.
Sengoku waited for the magma Admiral to take his seat before addressing Luffy again.
"As I had been saying, well done on saving an innocent life from the hands of corruption. In light of such an achievement, there was a unanimous decision to promote you among the ranks of Vice Admiral with a commendation."
The fact that no one had even addressed or acknowledged Robin's presence and involvement was not lost on the Straw Hats.
Luffy glanced at his grandfather who was still munching away on his rice crackers, "Will gramps be the one presenting them?"
"No, Admiral Akainu will be the one doing it."
Akainu grimaced while Aokiji and Kizaru smirked.
Garp stood up immediately while pointing a finger at the Fleet Admiral indignantly, "HEY! I thought I said I will be the one doing it?! You made me miss out on his ceremony at Alabasta!"
Akainu coughed, "Hmmm… I concur, I say let Vice Admiral Garp present Luffy's award to him."
"Ohhhh? I remember the losing side of the bet for you was that you congratulate Luffy personally noooo?" Kizaru drawled.
"Don't tell us you're backing out now, Sakazuki? After all the bold claims that you had given?" Aokiji glanced at him.
Akainu glared at them, "If… If Vice Admiral Garp wants to do it, I don't mind giving him the chance…"
Sengoku cleared his throat, "Gentleman, in case you have forgotten… Protocol dictates that a higher ranking officer is required to promote another officer to a station of a rank that remains below their current rank. As such, Vice Admiral Garp is not able to promote Rear Admiral Luffy to a Vice Admiral position."
"To hell with your protocol Sengoku! I'm gonna be the one standing up there with my grandson after that stunt you pulled at Alabasta! And don't think I've forgotten what you tried to pull off with putting him in the spotlight!" Garp shook his fist at him.
"Yeah! And I want gramps to give me my eventual Admiral rank too!" Luffy stuck his tongue out at the Fleet Admiral.
"Stop being so selfish you two!" Sengoku yelled at the grandfather/grandson duo. "Think about how this will look like to everyone else!"
"If I don't get to do it this time, I'll wreck that ceremony of yours!" Garp threatened, unperturbed.
"And I'll er… Hmmm… I'll… I'll put more thumbtacks on your chair! Yeah!" Luffy grinned.
Both members of the Monkey family blew a raspberry at their superior.
Everyone in the room sweatdropped at their childishness.
"Grrrr… Fine! Akainu will promote him! But Garp will be the one to present his new position!" Sengoku relented with a sigh.
"Urgh… I would not have minded not being there…" Akainu grumbled.
Aokiji placed a hand on his shoulder, prompting the magma Admiral to turn and glance at his colleague while expecting him to console him.
"Remember, drinks are on you tonight," The ice Admiral reminded with a smirk.
Akainu barely just managed to keep his blood from boiling over.
Sengoku sighed before continuing, "The ceremony will be held three days from now with rehearsals in preparation for it. Your crew will also be involved with the preparations with the exception of… Nico Robin…"
The archaeologist shivered slightly at finally being mentioned, as though she was the elephant in the room.
"Your… Acquittal will be announced after the ceremony… In the meantime, stay out of trouble."
Robin nodded slightly at the Fleet Admiral's words.
"If there's nothing else, all of you are dismissed," Sengoku announced, standing up from his table to leave the room.
Kizaru and Aokiji immediately went for Luffy, ruffling his hair and clapping him on the back with promises to catch up later before leaving the room.
Akainu gritted his teeth and congratulated Luffy again, an obvious vein popping out at the side of his head. He turned to Robin while wearing a frown on his face.
"I… Apologize… For the… Ahem… For the... Inconvenience… The Marines might have… Erm… Caused you… For this misunderstanding…"
Everyone noted the obvious strain in his voice as though the words had been wrenched out from his mouth.
The magma Admiral coughed once before leaving the room awkwardly, not taking a second glance back.
Garp grinned at Luffy before pinching his grandson on the cheek, "You better show up for those rehearsals you hear me? If I find out that you skipped on any one of them I'm gonna beat you black and blue got it?!"
"Ahhhhh! Stupid gramps! I'll go when I feel like it! You're not going to be able to order me around anymore soon!" Luffy growled, struggling against his grandfather's grip.
"Why you! Getting cocky just with this?! Did you forget what I taught you already you little brat?!"
"Shut up! I'm gonna beat you soon! Just you wait!"
"Ha! In your dreams you damn brat!" Garp finally released his grandson with a grin.
Luffy grinned back at him despite the aching in his cheek, he knew Garp was still proud of him despite all the harsh words he threw out.
The Vice Admiral took a look around to make sure that no one else but the Straw Hats were in the room.
"There's a stowaway on your ship isn't there?" Garp asked.
"Yep!" Luffy admitted, not surprised that he knew.
"Hmph… I don't care what you do with that girl, just keep the vixen away from me when she comes here, you hear?"
Luffy stuck his tongue out at him, "I don't think Hancock wants to see you either, gramps."
"You cocky little brat," Garp rustled his hair before leaving the room through the hole he had made.
The rest of the Straw Hats finally relaxed when the Vice Admiral left, following their commander out of the room through the door instead of the hole.
"Congratulations Luffy! You're closer to being an Admiral soon!" Chopper cheered.
"So only Luffy's being promoted this time huh?" Usopp wondered.
Nami smirked, "What's that? Do I see jealousy?"
The sniper grinned, "Not at all. Luffy deserves the credit, I'm fine just where I am right now."
"Hmph… The ranks never bothered me either." Zoro murmured.
"Seeing as how we're already a special unit, it doesn't really matter anyway," Sanji remarked.
"Hehehe, as long as the gold is still ours, I won't complain," Nami giggled, thinking back on the gold they have.
Robin smiled serenely at her crew.
The crew rounded a corner to see Commodore Hina waiting for them, an unlit cigarette dangling on her lips.
"Oh? Done with your meeting Hina sees," The female Commodore grinned at them.
Hearts replaced Sanji's eyes, "Oh my! Commodore Hina! Were you waiting for me, your pri-"
Hina pulled Luffy into a crushing hug while ignoring the Marine chef, prompting Sanji to immediately break down crying on the floor muttering about the world's unfairness.
"Hina! Great to see you here!" Luffy greeted with a smile while his face was smothered in her chest. "Where's Smokey?"
"He's still on his way, as are most of the other guests." Hina ruffled his hair before releasing him. "Congratulations on your promotion, Hina is proud."
"Shishishi! Thanks Hina! What are you doing here?"
The female Commodore glanced at the Straw Hats behind him, still ignoring the crying Sanji, "Hina will be in charge of your crew's rehearsals. Since none of you have experience in formal military ceremonies, Hina shall take extra care in teaching you."
Sanji leapt up to his feet immediately, "I'll be in your care Miss Hina!"
"This idiot…" Zoro sighed.
"At least it won't be as bad as the one in Alabasta right?" Usopp hoped.
Nami blanched, "Urgh… Please don't remind me… It was so stressful to just stand there with everyone's eyes on you."
Chopper clapped his hooves together, "We can watch Luffy this time!"
Hina glanced at the archaeologist, "In the meantime, Miss Robin is allowed to participate as a guest. We'll be addressing your… Special circumstances at a later date. Hina suggests that you avoid any unwanted attention in the meantime."
"I understand, I will refrain from causing trouble," Robin promised.
"What about me?" Luffy asked with sparkles in his eyes.
Hina gave him a small smile.
"Hina was told that instructor Zephyr will be taking care of you."