A/N Hope you're all staying safe and sane. Have an update for some entertainment! Please excuse any mistakes! I fix them faster on the Ao3 posting of this. Its the same title but my name there is jewelthegeek
The Man who Smiles at the Execution Platform!
Luffy didn't even register the crowd mummering, forming around the structure below. They were watching as he stood atop a platform that was still there more as a reminder than for use nowadays.
To the rubber man up there though, it was everything.
"That old man said this is the place where it all happened." The smiling boy spoke to himself, using his hand to shield his eyes so he could get the best look from up here. "Twenty-two years ago the King of the Pirates was executed right here!"
"HEY! YOU! UP THERE!" Luffy thought the voice sounded funny, which is why it got his attention. "GET DOWN FROM THERE IMMEDIATELY!"
Luffy found the guy, the crowd had parted so he stood out, especially since he held a weird looking cone thing up to his mouth. That must be what made his voice sound so funny.
"BUT WHY!" Luffy shouted back. He didn't see what the big deal was, he just wanted to look. He wasn't hurting anybody or damaging the platform, he was being careful.
"YOU ARE STANDING ON AN EXECUTION PLATFORM THAT BELONGS TO THE WORLD GOVERNMENT! NOW GET DOWN FROM THERE RIGHT NOW!
Well Luffy didn't really care about all that, but the man did.
"FINE. I'LL COME DOWN BUT FIRST YOU GOTTA SAY THE MAGIC WORLD. AND SMILE TOO." He called out.
"I'M NOT PLAYING! I'LL ARREST YOU IF YOU DON'T COME DOWN!"
The Marine lowered his microphone, but didn't even make it two steps towards the platform before he was knocked out cold, never even seeing the black spiked iron mace come swinging his way.
Standing there was the dark haired beauty Sanji only got a climps of earlier that day. Her white hat with a large red plume shielded her silky smooth skin from the sun. She was covered in a pink wrap, red hearts decorating it.
"Now's not the time for such trifles. Long time no see, Luffy. I've been looking for you."
Though she didn't shout, the crowd had gone dead quiet since she knocked out the Marine, making her easily heard by the boy on the platform. She swung her bat up onto her shoulder, tilting back her head to give him a good look. It also let the crowd get a good look too.
Luffy made a confused sound, his eyebrows scrunched together and clearly he was thinking about it and coming back with nothing.
"Now that's just rude. Do you mean to tell me that you've forgotten my face?"
Luffy looked around the crowd, but it seemed every single person around her had hearts in their eyes, regardless of gender. It seemed Sanji's reaction wasn't exaggerated like Zoro was trying to tell him. Speaking of Zoro, he caught sight of green hair, but he dismissed the man, a shade too bright, wearing some puffy yellow and red striped jacket, and no shirt. Definitely not Zoro.
"Wow! She's absolutely gorgeous!" One man yelled out, which caused a flood of compliments, men and women alike shouting her praise.
"I've never seen such pure beauty!"
"Stunning! Truly a work of art!"
"Her skin looks so deliciously soft!"
Luffy looked really, really, really hard at the women. He looked at her hair, nope. Her nose, nothing. Not even her clothes look familiar! Her weapon-
Her weapon gave him pause, buuuuuttttttt nope. Nah it was nothing.
He didn't remember any of it!
"Gosh. I'm pretty sure we haven't ever met. Who are you?" He asked.
'I'll never forget you." To Luffy, she sounded funny. She was all breathy and low. He didn't understand why she was talking like that. "You were the first man who ever truly struck me."
It took the crowd around them a moment to fully understand what she just said. When they did, they turned furious, shouting up at the man on the platform.
"What!" Luffy didn't understand, he knew that he never saw this woman before in his life. So he could never have hit her! "I never hit you!"
The crowd of course just got angrier at his denials, making Luffy nervous. This wasn't going great. The women kept talking though, so he listened, hoping she would explain. Instead she started...rubbing her stomach?
"When you struck me with your passionate fist…" She paused, giving a little giggle and a sigh before she finished her sentence. "It felt good."
Luffy realed back, not expecting this. It reminded him of something Tani had said during that whole weird talk she gave him and Zoro, in that small boat, and he felt really uncomfortable with where this was going.
People may want you sexually one day, and you may or may not want them back. If you don't, tell them no thanks. If they're persistent, hit them and run.
He hoped he didn't have to hit the women, only so that Sanji wouldn't hit him later.
"Listen up boys, what would all of you say is the most beautiful sight in the whole East Blue?" She yelled out.
The entire crowd, men and women, dropped to one knee and threw their hands out to her, shouting as one "That would be you!"
Luffy looked, but there was no Sanji in the crowd. Too bad, he would have liked this.
"That's correct. I am quite breathtaking, aren't I. There isn't a man alive who wouldn't crumble before my beauty. But I prefer strong men. Like you. I'm going to make you all mine Luffy, just wait."
Luffy wrinkled his nose. He was definitely not interested.
"Oh gross. No thanks. Just who the heck are you?"
'You still haven't figured it out?" The women now sounded really annoyed, but before Luffy could tell her again he had no idea who she was, a group of policemen showed up, cutting in.
"This is the police." The one talking held a wooden baton, while others held cocked rifles. "Put your weapon down and come quietly. I am placing you under arrest for assaulting a police captain." Said Captain then stood up, groaning and holding his head. The other police officer who was speaking then spun and pointed at Luffy. "AS FOR YOU UP THERE! GET OFF THAT PLATFORM!"
"Hold on. Who did you say you were arresting?" The women spun, showing them her face, giving them a cow smile.
"Were arresting you." The police officer now sounded unsure, and the women dug in deeper.
"Are you really going to arrest me?" She cooed, and the men swallowed. She let out a giggle, and the men were hers, hearts forming in their eyes.
"We've got a big problem here Sir. She's too beautiful!" One of the men said. They all were lowering their weapons.
"I really dont give a damn. Arrest her!" The man giving orders said, but still he too lowered his baton.
"Do we have to? Can't we just stand here and look at her?"
A whistling was the first clue, coming in fast and loud, followed by someone yelling out "Surprise. Next thing the soldiers knew, the fountain they were standing next to was being blown up, sending shrapnell and large pieces of marble everywhere, and blowing back the police officers.
"A terrorist bombing!"
"Look out miss!"
The crowd and Luffy watched as a huge piece of the fountain flew towards the beautiful women, and just as some men prepared to jump in front of it to save her, the chunk of metal and marble seemed to just...slip by here, never touching her.
"Did that just…?"
'It slipped right past her."
"Man. That's weird." Luffy said.
Snicker brought everyone's attention to where the fountain once was, and they found a man covered by a thick brown cloak, not nearly as nice as the woman's.
"That little stunt was dangerous you know." The woman said, moving away her cloak to show off her impressive body. The others in front of her still hid their faces, though the one in front who caused the most damage continued to talk.
"I'm flashaly sorry, but your smooth skin is unharmed of course, so there's no need for trouble. Fairest Alvida."
"Alvida?" Luffy briefly recalled a woman who was very large, from the ship where he met Tani, and they helped save Coby. This was not that lady. "I don't see Alida."
The womens cape flared out as she quickly turned back to the boy, fist clenched and hunched as she shouted at the boy. "Don't be so dense! I'm Alvida!"
"Are you sure? Cause I don't think you're here." Luffy said, scratching his head.
"I guess I really did change after eating the fruit called-" Alvida took a second to skillfully remove her clock with a flurious, revealing her beautiful body fully. "The smooth-smooth fruit. No attack can hurt my skin, because it slides right off. Unfortunately, a lowly fruit couldn't improve much upon my already stunning good looks. One big change you might have noticed is that I lost my freckles."
"Sure. that must be it." Luffy didn't want to argue with the women, he was ready to go, and she seemed a bit, uh, dis a loo, uh, something. Ace would have just called her crazy.
"After becoming a whole new person, I decided to join forces with someone who shared my goal of finding you." Alvida pointed at the group covered behind her, who finally decided to uncover themselves in a similar flurious.
Standing there was an entire crew of clowns. Now that reminded Luffy of something…but what was it?
"Now that I've flashily made my entrince let me introduce the real star of the show!" Buggy yelled out.
It was less than two minutes and one argument about the clown's name later that Luffy found his hands and head trapped between two pieces of wood. That wasn't right, he was arguing with someone on the ground!
He looked up and saw the scarf man that had fought Zoro on the one wheeled bicycle. Buggy drew his attention back to ground below.
"To all of my followers, hundreds of billions of them around the world, we will now super flashily begin the public execution. You're trapped Monkey D. Luffy. You can't move so much as an inch. Tell me, strawhat. Feel Honored?" Buggy nearly choked on his next words, his stomach dropping suddenly as he remembered that day. Twenty two years ago. Standing in the plaza, looking up. The silence in the plaza, the ringing in his ears, the noise as the blades fell and Captain's head dropped, rolling nearly off the platform, but someone grabbed him-it-no! No! No!
No! He wasn't some kid anymore! He had visited here many times, worked through this, moved on!
He could do this.
He could do this.
"You'll die in the same place as the King of the Pirates!"
In town, Nami stopped running to pull out an odd looking instrument. All around her the air was changing, and it wasn't good.
"The barometric pressure is dropping fast. I've never seen such a sharp drop before!"
"You know, I thought I felt something strange." Sanji mentioned, the air was getting heavy all around them.
"There's a storm headed straight for the island,"Nami said.
"A storm?" Usopp asked.
"Yeah, we better hurry back to the ship or we're gonna be in trouble."
Usopp gulped. "Is it gonna be big?"
"HEY!" Another voice cut in. A few feet from the group was Zoro, who counted his crew mates and frowned.
"Zoro!" Nami shouted.
"Where is he? Have you seen him around?" Zoro asked, mostly aiming the question at the one person who would actually know where he was. She was giving him a small smile as he approached, and he really didn't know what to do back? Smile? Wave?
"You mean Luffy?" Usopp asked, stopping Zoro's internal dilemma as he just turned to the sniper instead of doing anything.
"Yeah. We got seperated. And I keep getting this feeling." Zoro scratched the back of his head and explained. "It's not good. It usually means that something bad's gonna happen."
Like he summoned the very thing with his words, people were running towards them and shouting about pirates.
The five strawhats tensed, but listening further people were shouting about the Buggy pirates, not them.
Everyone but Sanji, who had no idea what had transpired with the Buggy pirates before, tensed up again. They all looked to Tani.
"Where?" Zoro asked her.
Tani didn't know her way around the town well yet, but she figured she didn't need to. She looked towards the sky, and pointed to exactly what she expected.
"There, where the smoke is. The execution platform."
Then people started shouting some very alarming news.
"There's going to be an execution!"
"Buggy the clown is going to kill strawhat Luffy!" Another person shouted.
Every single one of Tani's crew members turned and looked to her.
"YOU DIDN'T MENTION THIS!" They all yelled. Tani shrunk back from their anger, not expecting it at all.
"He'll be fine." She said, and even without the lightning he really would be this time, his haki could probably stop Buggy's blade. But she had a feeling she could count on the lightning. "Zoro, Sanji, and I will go and just, make sure. Usopp, Nami, get back to the ship." Tani handed over her shopping bags to Nami, apologizing, to which Nami rolled her eyes. The only thing Tani kept was the new staff. Then she spoke.
"Set off, but wait as long as you can. Luffy will get us to the ship, but we need a ship to board."
To the boys she gave a quick "come on." before taking off, leaving them no choice but to follow quickly behind her.
"Treat that fish like a Lady, you got that Usopp!" Sanji yelled out over his shoulder as the groups parted ways for now. Briefly Tani questioned this decision, don't split the Party being her main problem, but they didn't have a choice. So as she ran through the streets she hoped that DnD rules wouldn't come and bite them in the ass.
Luffy continued to pay no mind to the idiot clown above him, and put all his focus on trying to get out. No matter which way he streched, he could not get out of the stupid trap!
"Pirate Monkey D. Luffy." Luffy did his best to look up at the man who held him captive. "Of the Strawhats, will be flashily executed for the crime of being stuck up and making me angry!"
Below the stand, the buggy pirates started celebrating, shooting off their guns in the air, cheering, dancing. The crowd further back gave them a weary eye, but continued to watch what was happening above. Would he escape? Would he really be beheaded?
"Oh boy, I've never seen an execution!" Luffy said, not quite getting it.
"Well you're about to kid." Buggy stared at the kid, watching him finally understand just what was about to happen.
Luffy's eyes bugged out, and he started yelling at the clown. "What? Stop joking!"
"It's no joke!" Buggy let out his signature laugh, and called out for the festivities to start.
Luffy panicked, flailing about once again, but it was no use. Buggy now had a foot on his head, holding him down. It didn't hurt, but it was frustrating. The whole place was getting dark, even the sky was changing to be gloomy and overcast as storm clouds rolled in and thunder rolled in warning. This place was no longer cool.
"I'm so sorry. Really I am. Please spare my life." Luffy tried, in a monotone voice, to do it, but it didn't feel right to beg for his life like this. No, he didn't like it at all. If only he could get out, they could fight and Luffy knew he would win. This guy wasn't being fair!
"You've got quite a big audience here today Staw hat. You want to say a few words before you die? Aw, cat got your tongue? That's alright, stay quiet or say a few words, it doesn't matter, you're still going to Die." Buggy told him, holding his sword just in his vision but not blocking his view of the crowd gathered to watch him die.
Wind whistled as it blew through small openings between buildings and into the plaza was the only sound as everyone waited to hear what this kid was going to say.
Boot pressing down on his head and sword blade hanging in the corner of his eye, entirely fed up with this situation and the man keeping him from his next adventure, Luffy screamed out over the crowd.
"LISTEN." He told them, as if they weren't already doing just that, listening and waiting. "I AM THE MAN WHO'LL BE KING OF THE PIRATES."
The statement echoed around the plaza, ringing out over and over.
The people around him felt something most had never encountered before, and for others it had been exactly twenty two years since they had felt it. An overwhelming force, some power, it washed over them and left the weak. It was mean or malicious, just there.
Only a few people dared to mummer, confused and in disbelief.
"What?"
"He said King of the Pirates?"
"In this town of all places?"
"That's a crazy thing to say."
Some people, like the green haired man Luffy nearly mistook for Zoro, could only stare, jaw hung wide open at the declaration, and the… the powerful feeling the tang out with it.
It was a statement. A fact.
Another man, hidden in the shadows, smiled at the declaration. He made no move to help though, not yet.
Buggy decided it was time to bring the focus back to him, his breathing ragged but that could be mistaken for anger. Yes anger was a better emotion right now. This was not going at all how he planned, but he could get it back! He could get mad!
He raised his sword, and just at that second somebody dared to flashily interrupt. He would allow it, because a last taunt at the rubber boys crew would be extra flashy!
"Stop the execution!" Three separate voices called out.
Buggy easily spotted them, people were scrambling to get away from the trio, scared of the retribution they just brought upon themselves.
"Tani! Zoro! Sanji!" Luffy cheered from where he was locked up, happy to see his friends.
Someone gasped at Zoro's name, Tani heard it, but she didn't have the chance to see who it was. She looked but got distracted by a familiar mess of vibrant green hair. Tani covered her mouth as it formed a small oh, having totally forgotten he was here.
Loguetown wasn't her strong suit, clearly. She was better prepared for the later arcs, like Skypiea and Water Seven. Some of the early stuff and some of the newest stuff, she was lost on. She didn't think it was this bad. She forgot Daddy the Father and Zoro running into Tashigi here and now this! How could she forget the Strawhats number one fan!
"Luffy, you idiot." Zoro yelled, looking at where his Captain managed to end up now. "Guess all that fooling around finally caught up with you."
"You starting a side show or is that just how you look? Pretty sad. Now." Sanji directed his speech to the swordsman next to him. "What we gotta do is drive these goons away. Allow us, Tani."
Being addressed made Tani realize that there was other stuff happening around her, and she'd be damned if she missed this fight.
"Oh no, I'll be helping." The girl said, stepping forward, looking for a target she could try the new staff out on. She was so excited, she could feel the adrenaline spike, the rush of blood and strength, and she smiled. She wanted to make a good first impression for Bartolomeo. She doubted she could beat out Zoro on the coolness factor, he has three swords after all, but she didn't want to be seen as weak or in need of protection. All the Strawhats could hold their own!
The crowd was now positioned between two pirate groups ready to fight, and when they realized this, along with just who the groups were, they screamed.
"It's pirate hunter Zoro!"
"Can't believe you get recognized everywhere we go." Tani said, teasing Zoro more than anything. All the whole the crowd backed away, some leaving completely, others staying to watch.
Free entertainment, after all.
"Hey guys!" Luffy called out to them with a smile, relaxed for the first time since he had been trapped. His crew was here. They'd get him out.
"You made it Zoro, but you're just a little bit too late." Buggy said, bringing his sword up over his head.
The three strawhats wasted no time moving forward, Zoro and Sanji in front of Tani, and undiscussed the two men started fighting the clown pirates and covering Tani as she attempted to race ahead to get to the platform.
Everyone's jaw dropped to the floor while they watched two men take on a group of fifty pirates, but as impressive as it was, there were still too many of them for Tani to break away, and she was forced to join in the fighting.
Zoro cut down man after man, only a few able to block the first attack, only to be taken out immediately by the second. The three blades in his hands sang as they skillfully cut pirates down, though he had to concentrate harder on Kitisu. The sword kept trying to cut deeper, draw more blood, take more, destroy more.
He refused to let the sword have control.
But it was taking longer.
Sanji dogged swords while kicking his opponents unconscious. When there were a few he would spin on his hands, kicking out and getting a few guys at once, but it still wasn't good enough. He noticed Tani join in the fight, and gritted his teeth. Everything in his body said to go protect her, but she told him she didn't want that. He settled on watching out of the corner of his eye, but this slowed him down.
It was taking too long.
Tani only made it a few feet before a brute stepped in her path, leering at her. She didn't even let him get out any cliche words, didn't even stop walking, twisting her staff apart and brought it up swinging. Finally she paused in front of the man as the pole made contact with his jaw, sending him flying back and into another person.
Tani didn't have time to even think about how badass that just was, because two more had replaced the man she just defeated. She kept swinging, knowing that when it came down to it she could defeat all those who stood in her way. She just couldn't do it in time.
She was taking too long.
Above them, Buggy's laughter carried far, and he taunted them, still holding the sword above Luffy. "Not even the great Zoro can stop me now! There's nothing you three can do! It's the end for your captain!"
"BASTARD!" Sanji yelled, kicking another goon away.
Zoro only glared up at the clown, cutting down another one of his men.
Tani couldn't even register what Buggy was saying, too busy focusing on her fight, trying to down the men as quickly as possible.
"Tani! Zoro! Sanji! Usopp! Nami! Sorry!" Tani glanced up at the platform when her captain yelled sorry, seeing his signature grin from ear to ear. Thunder rolled overhead, nearly drowning out his last words. "But...I'm dead."
The three crew members on the ground in front of him couldn't even shout, the blade was coming down too quickly.
And the lightning striked.
The light was blinding, Tani had to shield her eyes, in fact many people did the same. It lasted incredibly long as well, and finally when people could look at the platform once more they saw it on fire.
They watched a single piece of wood break off, tumbling to the ground.
They watched as the first raindrops fell, doing nothing to douse the fire which had now set the entire platform ablaze.
They watched the platform fall.
Only three people moved, all three holding their breath, waiting to witness a miracle.
In front of them a straw hat floated down from the sky, and just as it touched the ground Monkey D. Luffy picked it up, and placed it back on his slightly charred head, laughing as he did so.
"I'm still alive!" He called out cheerfully. "Thats nice."
Nobody could speak, they had all lost the ability to form a thought, let alone speak. Zoro removed Wado from his mouth, not wanting to admit that the sword nearly had dropped out of it, sheathing his swords while not taking an eye of his captain.
Sanji's cigarette hit the ground.
Tani's arms hung limp at her sides as she panted, badly holding onto the two halves of her weapon, watching her captain stroll towards them as if he didn't just announce he was dead.
"That was divine intervention." Sanji said.
"Lightning will strike right when we need it most? Fucking hell Tani, give more explination next time." Zoro said, trying to sound annoyed, but really he was impressed. If anything made him believe in her stupid future powers it was this. The past, though well guarded, still happened once. Knowledge was out there to those who sought it. But this? A bolt of lightning? This he knew no one could predict this.
No one but Tani.
"Holy shit. You've really seen-"
"Shut it, cook. Our troubles are not over." Zoro told the chef before he went and spilled the girl's secret after like a week of knowing it. For a gentleman he sure is an ass.
"Attack! Surround all the pirates, now!" A deep, raspy voice shouted, ending the conversation for now as the Strawhats watched marine after marine pour into the area. From all sides, they yelled as they came. It took thirty seconds tops before they were fully surrounded. Tani looked, but the crowd of innocent people was gone, leaving only the pirates and marines in the quickly filling area. Bartolomeo was gone, and it would be a long time before their paths crossed again.
The Buggy pirates were closest to the marines, having surrounded the Strawhats, and began the fight, obviously not going to just surrender.
"Wow! So cool! Everybody here went crazy so quickly." Luffy said, dodging three pirates as they got sent flying back, taken out by marines. Tani, Sanji, and Zoro started closing ranks around their senseless captain.
The rain was picking up now, starting to become a bit of a bother. It would start soaking through their clothes soon, and if they didn't leave it would keep them stuck here.
Zoro got close first, grabbing Luffy by the back collar of his red vest.
"Luffy."
The rubberman shrieked, flailing about until he realized it was just Zoro, upon which he immediately settled down. "We don't have time for this, we've gotta get out of here."
"We better hurry back to the Going Merry or we'll never be able to leave this island. And we sure as hell won't get to the Grand Line." Sanji said, kicking away a marine.
"Really? Tani? Is that true?" Luffy called out.
Tani looked away from where she had just jabbed hard into a marines stomach, grimacing. Pirates she was okay fighting, corrupt marines no problem, but these guys were just like, regular marines. Just doing their job, but that job included attacking her. So she felt bad about hurting them, but she wasn't just going to give up so easily, so fight it was.
But now, she had an out.
"Ah Captain. We have to go, now." Tani stressed, and really they did. Luffy nodded and barely got the words out of his mouth before he took off.
"Well that's no good! Run!"
A marine saw their escape, but was too far to stop them. For that he was kind of thankful. Still, he yelled out to warn the others that the Strawhats were getting away.
Marine after marine attempted to bring them down, but the rain made it hard to see, and their opponents were strong and skilled. Every kick, punch, cut, and swing did damage, and kept them moving out of the plaza and into the side streets of town, no marines left chasing them.
"What the hell is up with all this rain?" Zoro asked. He didn't understand where it came from. It was sunny all day, and now this? Don't be mistaken, he was grateful, that bolt of lightning was the only thing that saved Luffy. But the storm had done its part, and it could go away now.
"Nami was right about this storm, if we don't get back to the ship and set sail soon we're gonna be stuck here for good." Sanji said. His hair was sticking across his face, wet and heavy, making it much harder to see. He refused to do anything about it, had to keep one eye covered, so he focused on not slipping as he ran.
"It's actually a good thing. If we make it, then the marines won't be able to follow us in this." Tani pointed out, struggling to talk and run and breath. She hated running, it was like being a doctor's companion. She would have to add sprints on the deck to the training schedule or something.
"Run! Just keep running!" Luffy called out to his namaka, not worried at all. They were stronger together.
"Which way is the sea?" Zoro asked.
"I don't know! The rain makes it hard to tell where we're going!" Sanji yelled back.
Behind the pirates, a group of marines caught sight of them, calling out and charging. This pushed the pirates into overdrive, somehow running faster.
"Damn they're like roaches." Zoro said, and looked to Sanji. "Do you want to stop and fight 'em?"
"There's no time for that." He replied. He would love to kick their asses, but if they stopped every time they would never make it.
Up ahead of the group stood a woman. She waited patiently, her wet hair dripping as it covered her face, arms at her sides. The pirates would come this way. They needed to, if they were going to the harbor. She heard their wet, fast footsteps before she saw them.
One by one the group noticed the figure waiting for them. When Sanji realized it was a woman, his eyes turned to hearts. When they drew close, and Tani and Zoro recognized Tashigi, they slowed, and the other two followed. They all came to a stop just before the women, who spoke.
"I didn't know you were Zoro. And a pirate as well. You lied. You're just another liar!"
The woman was clearly upset, and Sanji took her Sade immediately.
"Oh great, what the hell did you do to that girl?!" Sanji yelled at the swordsman.
"Sanji, stay out of it. This is between them." Tani said, keeping her voice low and quiet.
"You never asked me what my name was, did you? So I never lied, did I?" Zoro called out to her, thankful for Tani distracting the cook.
"YOU KNOW THERE'S NO WAY I'M GOING TO ALLOW SOMEONE LIKE YOU TO LEAVE TOWN WITH SUCH A LEGENDARY SWORD. GIVE IT TO ME. THE WADO ICHIMONJI. RIGHT NOW."
Zoro smirked, and Tani felt a stab of jealousy at the look he was giving the dark haired woman in front of them. It was inviting, it was a challenge, it was sexy. It said "Come and get it."
Tashigi did just that, swinging at him hard, and Zoro easily blocked it, but they stood locked like that.
"Zoro. Don't get lost on your way back to the ship." Tani called out, and tugged on Sanji's hand. He squealed, and she squeezed as hard as she could to prevent him from letting go.
"We don't have time for a nosebleed, Sanji. Get it together and let's go."
Zoro's eyes dropped to where her hand met Sanjis, and he didn't like the possessive feeling that tore through him. He had a second to meet her gaze before Tashigi pressed, and his eyes snapped back to his opponent, her face close now that she leaned forward.
He blinked away the memory of Kuina doing a similar move. He needed to focus.
Sanj, meanwhile, was still arguing with Tani.
"But...but… he can't fight a girl!"
Tani will say it's because of the cold that she lost her shit for half a second.
"Fucking hell Sanji not all women need your protection!" She snarled, startling everyone else present. "Women can do anything a man can do! We can be just as strong, if not stronger. So she can handle herself. She wants this. Leave it."
Zoro remembered a different take on it, from a long time ago.
"When a girl grows up she gets weaker than men." She told him.
"YOU'RE INSULTING ALL THE HARD TRAINING I'VE DONE. WHEN I BEAT YOU ARE YOU GOING TO BLAME YOUR STUPID GENDER?!" He yelled back at the girl.
Zoro couldn't speak the words, but he directed his thoughts at her spirit. See Kuina? There is a woman who gets it. Who will never quit, never give up.
"Let's go!" Luffy said, and took off. Tani pulled Sanji along, and he just managed to call out a warning before they left.
"Hey Zoro, if you hurt her I'm gonna kick your ass!"
The group of three continued to run, and by luck they realized they were going the right way, and were almost there.
"I see the ship! The harbor is up ahead!" Luffy yelled. Except it wasn't that easy. Standing between them and where they wanted to go was a weird shaped shadow, that only made sense when they got closer.
A Marine with a bike, two cigars hanging from his mouth, and who still didn't bother to close his coat in the rain.
"Strawhat Luffy. You're finally here." All three of us skidded to a halt again, with Sanji throwing up an arm to help steady Tani as she almost slipped in the rain, but also subtly placing himself between her and the enemy. It was a very smooth move. "I already told you that you couldn't make it to the grand line without beating me first."
"Oh yeah! I forgot!" The rubber boy said cheerfully.
"You're really stupid." Smoker told him.
As much as Tani wanted to shout off some quick reply at Smokers own stupidity about the Arlong Pirates, she didn't. She couldn't. She was all out of energy. She had confronted Dragon, today was done. She didn't have it in her for another showdown with an even scarier man.
Luckily she also knew Smoker would follow after them, and thus give her another opportunity to rip him a new one in the future. If she got over how terrifying he was.
Dragon wasn't actively trying to arrest them, she supposed.
Sanji whispered to Luffy, urging him to leave. But Tani knew better, knew he was staying, so she whispered something else. This was it after all, the first enemy he needed it for.
"Haki. Use it."
She tried to pull Sanji away, and again he struggled to leave the fight.
"Sanji, Tani, go on. I'll be right there." Luffy reassured.
"I don't know about that. This will be the end for you." Smoker said, stepping forward.
Luffy gave a single chuckle, and told his two crewmates to go again, and this time they listened, leaving him to settle this himself.
Strolling through town as rain poured from the heavens was a single man wearing a green clock, thinking over everything that had happened here today.
Bratty child. She had courage though, standing up to him. Courage or stupidity. Either way, his son would be safe with her watching his back.
Destiney. Fate. Dreams. These unstoppable ideals are held deep in the heart of humanity. As long there are people that seek freedom in this life, these things will not vanish from the earth.
"The pirate king. Fine by me."
Cannons fired at the Marry, which already rocked roughly in the churning waves.
"If we stay here even a minute longer the Going Merry will be done for!" Nami called out. She managed to reach the anchor, struggling but pulling it up.
"You can't set sail yet! Luffy and the others aren't back!" Usopp said, looking out over the rail, searching for any sign of the crew.
"There's no other choice! If we stay here she'll be sunk! Right rudder full!" Nami yelled. It was accident by a particularly harsh gust of wind, loud crack of thunder, and a violently rock of the ship that almost sent them both tumbling.
"What about the rest of them?" He asked. He didn't like leaving them behind. He didn't ever want to get left behind, so leaving them behind made something sit unwell inside him.
"We'll pick them up later!" Nami didn't like it any more then he did, but they needed a ship to escape. They would come back.
A voice called out Nami's name, catching both hers and Usopp's attention. They looked back to shore and saw Sanji and Tani running along.
"Where are the others?" Nami yelled at them. Sanji's mood instantly switched to annoyed.
"Who cares! We'll just get them later." The chef called to them. If they weren't running for their lives Tani would have elbowed him in his side for that.
"LOOK OUT!" Usopp yelled, pointing behind his crew mates on shore. He saw they needed help, and making a quick decision he ran and jumped over the rail, shooting off exploding stars before he hit the churning water below.
"YOU DARE TO HIT A LADY?!" Sanji roared as his leg connected with a group of marines who were sneaking up on us.
Luffy stood, now alone in the street, panting. It was difficult, at first his punches went right through him. Then he started using Tani's advice and coating his fist in Haki, and finally his fist connected with Smokers gut.
It had been a long time since Smoker had last been hit, which was why it was the shock more than anything that made him freeze in that critical second. Luffy punched him again and he fell back into a building, the brick crumbling around as he lay there.
Luffy, thinking his opponent was unconscious, started walking away, he had to get to his crew after all. But he only made it a few steps before Smoker called out to him.
"Why." Smoked coughed, that punch had broken a few ribs, and the building falling on him wasn't great, but instead of finishing the job this Pirate was just… walking away? This guy loved to fight. This guy anillated his opponents. What was going on? "Why not kill me."
Luffy made a curious hum, as if the question was absurd, because to him it was.
"Nah, I don't want to do that. I just want to be free, and I'll kick anyone's ass who gets in my way."
"A great way to live."
A green cloaked figure seemed to appear out of nowhere, and Smoke only needed one glimpse of the tattoo to know who was standing before him.
"It's you."
Luffy had no idea who it was, and hoped this guy didn't also expect the rubber man to know who he was. Luffy was sick of people like that today.
"Who are you?"
Dragon looked at his son. With this marine here he couldn't say much, but he hoped his son understood that he was wishing him all the best on his journey.
"The World is still waiting for our answer."
The sky turned green over the entire island, and it was that second Tani, who was all the way by the shore, knew without a doubt that Dragon had a devil fruit. Nothing else could account for what was going on. It lasted for mere seconds but to the people caught in the wind tunnel it felt like much longer. Luffy and Zoro smashed into building corners, and had been hit multiple times with porch decorations, though it would leave no mark on the rubber boy, Zoro felt every collision.
Sanji did his best to hold Tani down, but the wind grew too strong and they were blown over, and flung around the docks for only a second.
Then it all stopped.
The wind dropped them unceremoniously onto the pavement along with plenty of debris from the town's buildings. Usopp, having been actually lifted out of the water by the wind, landed upside down on a pile of rubble. Luffy was nearby and suffered minimal damage, his rubber body protecting him. Sanji helped Tani stand up, and she plucked a twig out of his hair with a light giggle, making him blush.
"Tani. What was that? What just happened?" Luffy asked, but she didn't have time to answer.
"Help! Luffy!" Nami's voice pierced through the rain, and they all looked out to sea, where the Going Merry was quickly heading out.
Tani swore loudly. She was hoping she would have made it back quicker to avoid this, but now there was no choice. While Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp ran to the shore and Luffy ran in the opposite direction, Tani stood stiff, pale, and terrified.
She didn't want this. She didn't want to do this. She had no choice.
She was going to hate this.
"Tani!" Zoro called out, all of the guys having paused and looked back noticing they were missing two of their group. When Luffy jumped and grabbed a pole, changing directions and stretching as far back as he could, all three of them understood Tani's look.
"What?" Usopp's eyes were wide.
"No! He can't!" Sanji said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I'm not gonna like this." Zoro finished, resigned to his fate. He stepped back towards Tani and reached out to her, pulling her into his chest so that when they landed on deck he could at least protect her some. It was the last thing he could do before his captain was sailing towards them at an unholy speed, grin on his face.
All of them screamed as they sailed through the air, the rain stinging their exposed skin. By some miracle they hit the sails first, absorbing most of the momentum, and then only fell a few feet to the deck.
"You're here!" Nami cried, sounding extremely happy even in the storm. There wasn't time for a nice reunion though, the ship rocking violently in the sea reminding them that they weren't out of the woods just yet.
"Feels like she wants to capsize!" Luffy shouted loud, but the rain made it hard for the others to hear him.
"Never! She'll hold!" Tani shouted back, the rain, nearly slipping as she moved to tie down and loosen different ropes as directed. A light giggle, like bells, cut through the noise, and it was as if time itself slowed for Tani, all other sounds going mute as the sound rang out before slowly faded away. The roaring of rain pelting the deck and waves crashing around them came back startlingly fast, and though disorientated she whipped her head around, searching for the source. She saw no one.
Tani knows she heard a giggle.
She finished her task and returned to the front deck where everyone was gathered. All six of them, drenched and cold, tired, sore, and relieved, stood there and caught their breath while waiting for Nami to yell out the next order.
"Hey look! A light!" She called out instead. Everyone's shoulder sagged, taking the cue from Nami as a few minute breather. Usopp held the mast, afraid of letting go and getting carried off to sea before even making it to the Grand Line. Sanji went to join Nami near the rail, to both see what she was pointing out and, Tani suspected, to be close by if herself or Nami happened to fall in and needed to be saved by a handsome prince.
Luffy, or course picking the most precarious spot, was sitting between Nami and Tani on the ship's rail, one hand on his hat, the other in his lap, not even hanging on. Tani wanted to pull him back to deck, her anxieties screaming that it was a very bad idea to stay up there, but she gripped the rail tighter and stared at the beam of light being cast from a large tower instead. Only the shadow could be made out in this storm, though somewhere through those dark clouds there was a sun still high in the sky.
"Is that a lighthouse?" Usopp asked.
"It's one of the guild poses." Nami corrected. "The entrance to the Grandline is somewhere ahead!"
"The Grandline is somewhere just out ahead." Luffy's voice was filled with wonder as he
"What now?"
"Do we have to go there in the middle of a freakin' hurricane like this?!" Usopp complained. Tani looked to Luffy, who was chuckling and looking at Nami, who let out a small giggle. Zoro gave a nod and Sanji smiled while shaking his head.
"Okay then. I think we should say something to mark the occasion!" The chef said.
"Yeah!" Luffy cheered.
Sanji disappeared for a minute, coming back with a barrel. Tani had to will herself not to cry when she saw what he had, the wave of emotion almost as strong as one in the storm around them.
The rain continued to fall, fast and cold, now like a jab with a needle every time one hit her skin. She was tired, hungry, and crashing fast, but she wouldn't miss this for the world.
Sanji kicked his foot up onto the barrel, showing great restraint as it didn't crack under his heel. He went around and looked each one of us in the eye before finally calling out his dream.
"I'm going to the Grand Line to find the All Blue."
"I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"
"To help my friends when they need it most"
"The world's best swordsmen."
"I'm going so I can draw a map of the entire world."
"I guess I'm going to be a brave warrior of the sea!"
Though everyone else was silent, the last crew member decided to quietly call out her dream with them, though only one of them heard her high voice cry out.
I'll carry you all as far as I can, on the great Sea of Adventure!
"And now, to the Grandline!" Luffy called out, and Tani quickly raised her leg with everyone else, giving a shout.
They all brought their heels down.
Wood splintering off yet somehow missed hurting anyone, and the group looked at eachother, as if to say they would help each other achieve each goal.
"Sanji! We need to celebrate! Feast!" Luffy cried out, breaking the serious moment. He wanted to mark the occasion, and what better way than with meat!
"After the storm." Nami told him.
"Why doesn't Sanji start, and then if we need him we can get him." Tani suggested.
Nami nodded, letting Sanji go do what Tani knew he was itching to do, cook the Bluefin Tuna.
Everyone got to look for a few more minutes at the lighthouse, long enough that Tani started doing jumping jacks just to warm up. Finally Nami started tossing out orders again, and eventually the crew sailed the ship around the lighthouse, where we could see clear skies ahead.
Everyone made their way into the galley for some food, Tani lagging behind, and gave the mast a pat as she quietly spoke to the ship.
"I'll help you go as far as possible, Merry."
