Wealth, Fame, Power…

Chapter 37: Notoriety

It was another calm and relaxing day aboard the Going Merry. The sun was out in all of its glory, and the ocean was calm and peaceful. So peaceful in fact, that even the uptight Zoro couldn't help but pause his training for a relaxing nap on the deck.

"Wake me up if something happens," the swordsman muttered with a yawn.

"Sure thing Zoro!" Luffy yelled from his seat on the figurehead of the Merry. "Nami are we almost there?"

The girl in question gripped the newspaper in her hand tightly as a vein appeared on her forehead. "For the last time Luffy, we just left Cocoyashi yesterday, so stop asking me that!"

"Aw c'mon, don't get mad. I'm just bored."

"Well then go bother Sanji or something, I think lunch is almost ready," she huffed, turning the page and relaxing back into her lawn chair.

Luffy just shrugged at her suggestion. He had already pestered the cook a while ago and was promptly kicked out of the kitchen, so that was no longer an option. "Nah, I'd rather just take a look at what Usopp's doing."

Said long nosed boy heard his captain's suggestion and smiled warmly at him. "Sure Luffy, I could use an extra set of hands for creating my new weapon of mass destruction."

"Ooooh, what is it!?" he said excitedly, jumping down from the figurehead to go stand next to his friend.

"Check it out!" He began excitedly. "I call it, the tabasco star!"

"Wow!" Luffy cooed, mesmerized by the small red pellet.

Nami could only roll her eyes from across the deck as she tried to focus back in on her reading. I can't even decide anymore if I think he's cool or stupid.

"So what does it do Usopp!?"

"Well I'm glad you asked! You see, it's made entirely out of concentrated tabasco sauce, so if I'm ever able to shoot it into anyone's mouth, or even their eyes, I can pretty much stun them with searing pain!"

"That's so cool!" Luffy jumped. "But what do you need me for?"

As if he was preparing to explain that part, Usopp reached into his satchel and pulled out another identical red pellet, presumably one he made earlier. "Well I figured you could help me out on the taste test to see if it was spicy enough to do the job."

It was amusing to see how quickly a smile crept onto the rubber man's face at his crewmate's suggestion. "You got it Usopp!" he exclaimed as he took the pellet from his friend before popping it into his mouth.

Usopp gaped in surprise at the lack of hesitation and hastily followed along and consumed his own.

Seconds had passed and still nothing… Even Nami was watching now out of the corner of her eye, curiosity getting the better of her.

After a grand total of fifteen seconds of having the tabasco star in their mouths, the two pirates turned beet red as smoke began to leave their airways.

"Ahhhhh!" They both screamed together, running in circles around each other like the two knuckleheads they were.

Nami covered her mouth with her hand at the severity of their reactions. Sure that looked painful and all, but she was also trying to suppress some laughter from escaping her at this inappropriate time.

Not seeing any water around to soothe his aching tongue, Usopp went with the next best thing. Not hesitating in the slightest to dive right into the ocean for his sweet release.

Luffy on the other hand could do no such thing, and he knew it. But seeing his friend brilliantly jump into the large mass of water tempted the boy far too much, and so he went with a less risky approach. In no time flat, the rubber man extended his neck down over the edge and submerged it completely into the sea.

This turned out to be a solid plan for the boy, until he felt his body go limp and he fell backwards onto the deck…

Nami, who had admittedly let out a few laughs at the situation, was now sitting up as she gave her captain's body a weird look. "Luffy?"

Whether or not she knew how Luffy's weakness worked, she was about to get a really close glimpse of it, because while his body was now a pile of putty on the deck, his head was still down below, and it wasn't gonna just stay down there.

And right then, on que, the boy's head came retracting back like a rubber band in motion. The straw hat teen having no control over it in his weakened state.

And so… Nami found herself throwing her hands up in a panic to catch the flying head coming at her. Doing so just in time before they could collide in a nasty headbutt. The cost of that however, was the sheer force of it knocking her off of her chair.

"Uhh," The girl moaned, sitting up on the deck and rubbing the back of her head. She soon noticed the sick looking head of the rubber man resting on her stomach in a daze. His hat was oddly not on his head, it appeared to be over with the rest of his body, the fishing line making sure it was secure on his lower neck. Normally she would have seriously freaked out by now at seeing his weird powers up close like this. But after taking a bit to get used to it, she didn't find it creepy at all anymore.

Although, this could have also been because of the other fiery emotion running through her right now…

"Damn it Lu-"

But she stopped herself when a piece of paper slowly drifted its way down onto his face, landing perfectly face down and bringing him to his senses.

When Nami saw that he was coming to, she lifted the paper off of his head to scold him, but froze when she saw the content on the sheet of paper. Or better described, poster…

Nami's widened eyes looked from the parchment, down to her captain, only to see that he was just as shocked before they both demonstrated it out loud, easily getting the attention of everyone of their friends. "AHHHH!"

"C'mon! Let us out already you stupid old man!" A familiar clown yelled out in annoyance. "It's been almost two weeks! Can't you cut us some slack or something!?"

Mayor Boodle met Captain Buggy's eyes with severe distaste, he appeared to be fed up with all of the grumbling. "Oh be quiet you, do you think that I want to hold you here and keep an eye on you? Of course not! We called the marines the day that kid beat you, but the nearby base said they would be delayed. Apparently some no good troublemaker took down their squad captain, so now we have to pay the price!"

Captain Buggy cursed under his breath as he shifted uncomfortably inside his cage. This had to be considered cruelty, they had him and his whole crew packed in here like sardines!

"Ugh, just let me go you old bastard! I promise that we'll leave immediately without causing anymore trouble!" He was really starting to get desperate now. He'd tried everything to escape but it just wouldn't work. Where the hell did these damn villagers get seastone anyways!?

Boodle simply shook his head once again. "I'm sorry, but I just can't-"

"I'd listen to him if I were you."

Boodle turned on his heels instantly when he heard the unfamiliar voice. He knew it couldn't be any of his fellow villagers, his shift had just started. "Who are y-woooooooooooow."

The old man's eyes were met with some of the most smooth and voluptuous curves he'd ever seen. In front of him was what he could only describe as a pirate goddess, and an intimidating one at that. Her giant spiked club making that obvious.

"Listen here old man, that clown over there is coming with me. Got it?"

"I am?" Buggy said with surprise. His entire crew silent as they drooled over the newcomer.

Alvida rolled her eyes and waited for the old man to respond, but it never came. He seemed to have rolled down onto the ground into a pure, lovestruck bliss, and she sure as hell wasn't gonna mess with that.

"Alright you dumbass, listen up," she started, looking the clown pirate dead in the eyes and pulling out a familiar looking poster. "This guy, the one who castrated you and your crew a while back. You're coming with me to help take him in."

Buggy's jaw hit the ground comically. What the hell? How did that brat already have a higher bounty than him!?

When Buggy didn't move from his baffled state, Alvida grew impatient and slammed her club down into the pavement. "Are you even listening!"

Buggy shook out of his hilarious state and got back to talking in record time. "Sure lady, I'll do whatever you want if it means you let us out of this cage. But why do you want the straw hat kid? Revenge like us?"

The once angry red lips of the woman began to mischievously curve upwards at the proposed question. Her cheeks as well managed to turn one or two shades closer to red. "Well… Let's just say… He's got something I want."

All around the East Blue, the news was spreading like wildfire. And many of the places that Luffy had any remote connection to were all celebrating his achievement greatly. And it wasn't long after this that the grapevine reached some more… foreign places.

"No way… The little bastard actually did it!" A tipsy red haired man cried out to his crew. In his one singular arm, the man held onto the wanted poster proudly. Jumping up and rejoicing with everyone around him joining in. "Check it out everyone! Luffy really made it!"

"No way, that little shrimp!? Quit talkin shit Captain!" A large round man with white and green striped clothes yelled.

"Wow! Are you for real Shanks!? Our Luffy really got a bounty!? How much!?" A man with familiarly large lips and a name tattooed on his forehead questioned.

The red haired man now identified as Shanks sat back down onto the tree stump he was using as a chair. "Thirty million! Can you believe that!? Not even you had that high of a first bounty Mihawk!"

The stern natured swordsman didn't react to the loudness of his friend. He was used to this behavior by now. But he did have a point, this was an exceptional first bounty indeed. "I'm honestly not surprised at all about it Shanks, the boy is just like you. In fact if he were proficient in the art of swordplay, I would have thought he was your kin."

"Haha! Nope, instead he has those useless rubber powers! Ahaha!"

Hawkeye wanted to interject on how creative he was at using them, but decided against it. It didn't make a difference at the moment. The boy was far too weak for it to matter any time soon.

"Alright everyone! Let's start the party back up! This time for our good pal Luffy!"

However, the captain's suggestion was only met with long and painful groans from all of the wasted and hungover men.

"Aw c'mon you lightweight sissies! Are you even pirates!? Get up and start singing and drinking again!"

Little by little, the crew began to recover, the life and upbeat nature of their captain rubbing off on them fast.

"Hell yeah, there you go! Now help me sing for the few that are still sleeping! What do we do with a drunken sailor everyone!?"

After that, it was full party mode. And Mihawk couldn't help but roll his eyes as the musicians joined in, getting a full blown shanty going.

Ah yes, that night everyone slept peacefully at the thought of their rubber friend living out his dream, but there was still one more who was greatly affected by this news. And he was doing his best to act on it right now, working toward his own dream.

It was easily past midnight, but Koby kept on pushing himself. Ignoring the aching in his arms as he struggled to complete his 50th push-up. And even when he did finish it successfully, he collapsed right after. Sweat coating the floor and the wanted poster under him. It seemed that the boy could always draw on Luffy for some extra motivation. "One day… I'll see you again Luffy… And I will get your approval, I won't be helpless like before…" The boy said to himself between ragged breaths. "I will bring true justice on you, even if you are my friend."

Having had enough laying around, the pinkette decided to get back up and continue his rigorous self-training. He was just in the process of picking up the sweat covered wanted poster when a kick came flying out of nowhere, hitting him hard in the ribs and sending him back down to the ground.

"I can't believe this crap, are they just handing out bounties these days!?" An irritating, yet familiar voice screeched.

Koby gritted his teeth in pain and looked up to his attacker, already knowing who it was. "Lay off Helmeppo, we agreed to leave each other alone and train separately, so give that back."

"Hah, bite me," the blonde said smugly as he ripped the poster in half without a second thought. "You may worship that little shit, but not me. He took everything from me, so I'm gonna make sure he suffers! You can keep worshipping him all you want Koby, but that won't get you anywhere. I'm gonna become a real marine, a ruthless pirate killing machine. And when I find that straw hat bastard, I'll make sure he pays for all the pain he's caused me!"

Koby winced at the venom in Helmeppo's voice as he stormed away, that was some serious hate right there. Getting back to his feet and looking down at the remains of Luffy's wanted poster, the boy couldn't stop thinking about the blonde's words.

You're wrong Helmeppo, Luffy is a good person. And a killing machine isn't what a real marine is… I'll prove that to you one day.

Well, here it is guys. I'm sorry if you already expected an increase in the bounty, but I wanted to keep things realistic. These first couple bounties are gonna be pretty much the same until we get into some huge plot jumbling changes down the road ;)