Author's notes:
-Hi everyone! Thanks for keeping up with this story! I've never really done this before, and I'm so glad people are enjoying this!
- Haki is gonna be a bit weird here. Won't be explored too much until at least part way into the grand line, kinda like canon. As a child, Yamato showed CoC, but had not yet shown CoO or CoA at the age she would have come to the East Blue, so although she will reach that point, for now her CoC will be uncontrollable as to when it's used or it's range. Otherwise, she would no- or low-diff pretty much everyone until maybe Moria or CP9.
- I completely forgot to even point this out. I've altered the canon, so now instead of the 20-year prophecy from Toki, it's 12. By extension, this means Yamato would be about 10 years younger than her canon self, give or take. Technically she should be 16 pre-timeskip, but I think having her older than Luffy is more interesting and fun. Especially because Luffy is the second youngest anyways on the crew, besides Chopper.
Anyways, enjoy everyone!
-Orange Town Arc-
2 Days Later
Open Ocean, East Blue
The crew of the future Pirate King slowly meandered along in their tiny boat. They had run out of food yesterday evening, which meant three full crates lasted less than 48 hours.
The boat barely had enough room for the three, given two were full grown adults and one was a nearly 9-foot-tall demon/oni princess. Zoro still didn't really understand what she was, but figured it didn't matter much. His new Captain trusted her fully, so why shouldn't he. That title would take some getting used to, Zoro was not the type to serve anyone.
The journey had started simple. Their first day on the open ocean, the three began told stories of their pasts. Luffy and Yamato talked about where they grew up and the years they spent together. They joked about their fights, the monsters they ate, and even how they started their little counting contest to see who was the strongest. Their last fight took nearly 2 whole days, with Luffy barely coming out on top.
Zoro told them about his training and travels so far. How he left his village in search of one man, and got couldn't find his way home, so he began collecting bounties for money. He had even found himself a couple stray followers, though he hadn't seen them in some time.
He had also explained that he wanted to be the greatest swordsman ever since he was a child, and that fully solidified after meeting his childhood friend Kuina. She was his first rival, and at the dojo he trained at, she was the only one who could best him in single combat. Even full-grown adults had stood no match for his revered 2-sword style, and yet any time he faced her, day or night, he could not win. So he kept training, and grew stronger and stronger. And yet he lost again and again, until the record was 2000-0. Anger had flared in the boy, and in a fit of rage, he challenged his longtime rival to a duel with real blades.
And she defeated him, marking it 2001 times. Afterwards, she had revealed to him her own plight, that she wouldn't be stronger than him forever, simply because she was a girl. Yamato grew angry at this, just as a young Zoro did, but Luffy calmed her down. Zoro explained that after they had spoken, they had formed a pact that one of them would be the greatest swordsman in the world. Yet tragically, she died the next day in an unexplained incident. But her death resonated with him, reminding him that even the toughest people he knew could die. Luffy and Yamato both picked up on his meaning, and silently vowed to be more careful around stairs.
Yamato gave him the shortened, yet still important, story of her childhood pre-East Blue. Who her father was, what he had done to her and Wano, and how she ended up being picked up by a marine ship in the middle of the ocean, led by Luffy's marine grandpa. Zoro was now even more at a loss to just how lucky and powerful she was or could be. He realized that he had better train harder, refusing to be less than the second strongest on this crew. Maybe when they had some space he'd challenge her to a spar to see their current gap in strength.
Strangely, for whatever reason, even though they were now a full-blown crew and would probably say everything about themselves, no one brought up Ace. Or that Luffy's grandpa was Garp. Maybe they forgot.
…
The second day was a little more of the same, but after some time they kinda just floated, making small talk about whatever came up. Weather, thoughts on their journey and the future, how they trained in their spare time. They were all becoming much more comfortable together as a team. During this time, Zoro started to really pick up on the other two's dynamic. They may have argued all the time, but they seemed to always know what the other was thinking, to a degree. And they always seemed to gravitate to each other, even when asleep. Zoro noted this during his first watch alone, but decided this wasn't important. Their relationship in his head could be best summed up that they were like brother and sister. Probably due to their near ten years of history together.
Also, they were in a pain in the ass. They easily riled one another up, and although their bickering never seemed serious, their close proximity meant it was going to keep happening. Zoro silently prayed to whatever gods existed in the world that they would find a bigger ship soon.
Individually, Zoro found he actually liked them both in their own weird ways. Luffy, for his grand ambitions, was a simple guy who loved to eat and be happy. When he wasn't causing a fuss or annoying the other two, he was looking outwards to the seas ahead of them, always on the lookout for a new adventure. Zoro knew he couldn't follow anybody, and he expected that this rubber man was not just somebody to be taken lightly. And his itch for more made Zoro just a little more excited about their futures, though he'd never verbalize this.
Yamato was also an interesting character. She was tough as nails, quick to respond in anger and seemed to smile almost as much as Luffy, though maybe not as expressive as him. From her short story alone, Zoro could tell she was much more impacted by her time in Wano than she let on, just by her tone. She must have been lonely, and from the way the two explained their meeting, Luffy's split-second decision must have been one of the greatest moments in her life. So she laughed hard, fought hard, and experienced life to the fullest just like their Captain did, because she really was that happy. Though, Zoro may have been thinking too hard on this, so he simply stopped thinking. He decided to leave his train of thought on this alone for now, and just watch and listen.
Yamato's conclusion about Zoro was that he was a blockhead, just like their Captain. He always seemed to try and seem smart, but he was just as dumb as the two of them. He also tried to pretend he was not paying attention, but she knew he was watching and listening, even with his eyes closed, lounging back. She instantly knew Zoro would be fiercely protective of them from his demeanor and the look in his eyes, even if he wouldn't admit it, and her sixth sense told her that he was extremely powerful. Maybe he was destined to become as great as he dreamed. She decided that she liked him a lot, and was excited to see just how far he could go. And she would be there, just like Luffy and the rest of their future nakama, cheering the man on. She was glad he was their first nakama, because when the going inevitably gets tough, he would definitely be the most reliable one they would know.
Luffy liked Zoro. He seemed really strong and cool. That's about the extent he would "think" about his newest nakama on the matter.
…
The third day began much the same, though once Luffy began whining about food, he received a couple of smacks, one from each person. Face now bruised and cheek puffed out, Luffy fell backwards, and laid quietly for once. That is, until he spotted a bird slowly gliding almost a mile above them.
"Hey a bird!" Luffy exclaimed. "I'm gonna catch it and eat it. I'm soooo hungry!"
Stretching his arm out, he grabbed the top of their miniature mast, intent on slingshotting himself up.
"Let me help!" Yamato excitedly said, standing. She wound up, and smashed Luffy in the butt as he got prepared, calling out her move, dubbed "Thunderclap Bagua," a weaker version than her father's. Her swing launched him upwards, with Luffy yelling and screaming about how he was gonna kick her ass once he landed.
"You sure like hitting him," Zoro stated, using a hand to block the sun while staring up at the dot that was their Captain.
"He's fun to hit, cause he always bounces back," she giggled. The two had been doing this back and forth for years, and no matter how many times she smacked him, he always came back cheekily and never seemed to stay mad. Must have been 'cause they established this right off the bat, no pun intended. And in all their years together, even after the mediator of their fights, Ace, left, the two never seemed to have a real verbal fight over this, or anything else for that matter. They just connected. She smiled.
Above them, Luffy slammed into the bird's beak, head first. Both Yamato and Zoro expected this to knock it out of the sky, but it didn't seem to react. In fact, it almost looked like Luffy was stuck.
"Guys…" he called down. "I think I'm stuck," he stated, astutely. The bird continued to fly on, uncaring of its new guest currently held in its jaw.
"That idiot!" Zoro roared, grabbing two paddles from below his seat. "Grab the other two Yamato, we gotta chase that moron before we lose sight!"
"You can't tell me what to do!" Yamato shouted, but still reached for the spare paddles. "I'm the First Mate!"
Zoro grunted at her, ignoring her plight, and continued paddling as fast as possible. Yamato followed suit, trying to keep an equal row speed so they wouldn't capsize.
In the distance, a trio of men seemed to be floating mindlessly in the open ocean. They must have noticed the boat, and began to yell out.
"Hey! Stop! We need help!" one cried.
"I can't stop now, just hop in!" Zoro called back.
"What?!" the three shrieked. Zoro and Yamato continued rowing at immense speeds, and the three pirates barely had enough reactions to grab ahold and hoist themselves up.
The new guests began breathing heavily, staring downwards, until they caught their breath. The one in the front made to draw his sword, as did his two compatriots, and they looked up.
"Thanks for the pickup, now drop the paddles and, what the hell?!" They realized two things in that moment. One: A giant 9-foot-tall woman(?) was glaring at them while rowing rapidly, club strapped to her back. And Two: the other individual was currently armed with three swords, meaning he could only be one person.
Rather than even bothering to try anything, the three looked at one another, nodded, and leapt right back out into the ocean. Probably for the best. They'd maybe find another boat passing by.
"What was that about?" Zoro grunted. His head was turned still, trying to keep his eyes on the giant bird.
"No idea. Doesn't matter, we gotta catch up with our moron Captain," Yamato retorted. She swore to herself if the idiot fell over the ocean and drowned, she'd kill him! He wasn't allowed to die.
…
Meanwhile, about a mile over the ocean, Luffy looked down, staring blankly, picking his nose. At some point or another, maybe they'd get over an island and he could just fall. Benefits of being rubber. No worries over these normally dangerous activities.
As fate would have it, an island did appear, and the bird quickly drew nearer to the coast. Luffy began to struggle about, attempting to free his head. Something must have worked, and as they reached said coast, Luffy fully dislodged himself and, and using the bird's massive beak as a ledge, launched himself downwards like a rocket. Hey! That might be a good name for a move. He'd have to try it later.
At his current speed, he'd have no ability to react before landing, so he let fate dictate wherever that may be. This just so happened to be right onto a group of thugs, who in a million years would not have anticipated a rubber boy to fall from the sky on their heads. The massive dust cloud that formed from Luffy's landing quickly dissipated, and after extracting himself from a hole, he came face to face once again with that orange-haired girl, currently with her mouth agape in confusion.
"Who are you?! How are you alive?!" she exclaimed, seeing him completely unhurt from the fall.
Luffy simply brushed himself off, and looked her up and down, confused. "Didn't I tell you already? I'm Luffy."
Realization dawned on the girl, recognizing him from that Alvida incident, but before she could respond, the goons that had been chasing her had finally started getting up. Rather than beg for help, she simply said "Thanks for the assist boss! I'll let you handle this one!"
She quickly scampered off out of sight, and Luffy heard noise behind him. "So, you're the girl's boss huh? Guess we should kill you then!"
Luffy turned and stared at them, realized they were a group of weak-looking pirates, and quickly beat the crap outta 'em. No use talking to guys like that.
"Sweet! Now it's 16-11. I should beat up more of these guys so Yamato never catches up! Shishishishi!"
"So, who really are you?" A girl's voice called from above. It was that same orange-haired girl who left him to fight.
"Are you dumb? I already told you, I'm Luffy. Monkey D. Luffy."
She leapt down from the roof and landed in front of him. "Well Luffy, you seem pretty tough. You beat those pirates like it was nothing!"
"Those guys?" Luffy pointed over his shoulder. "They seemed pretty weak to me. Now, are gonna tell me your name finally?"
"The name's Nami!" Nami pointed to herself, smiling. "I'm a thief and a navigator." She shook a map in front of, showing her newly acquired loot. "This here is a map to get to the Grand Line. I'm gonna use it to help me find more dumb pirates and rob 'em blind."
"A navigator! Awesome! I need one of those!"
"Really? Wanna team up?" Nami was now smiling widely, recognizing she had a strong person who could do her bidding.
"Sure! Welcome to the crew!" Luffy happily replied, extending his hand.
Nami's smile instantly disappeared, and she smacked his hand away. "What? What do you mean crew?" she asked, a hint of aggravation creeping into her voice.
"I'm a pirate Shishishishi. My crew is on the way, they'll be so excited to meet you! I got this one guy, his name is-"
Nami cut him off. "Nope. Never mind. I'm not teaming up with pirates, I hate them! I only like money and mikans." The glare she threw his way would have leveled most people, but Luffy didn't seem to mind.
"You hate pirates? Why?"
Nami hesitated for a moment before she said, "They took someone important from me."
Luffy's eyes widened just a little bit more. "Who were they? The pirates and the person?" The look of concern on his face actually seemed legitimate.
Nami's expression softened. The guy in front of her did not give her the airs of the evil and conniving pirates she knew. But he was a pirate, and could become just like those she hated. She internally put some walls back up, just to make sure she gave herself some emotional protection.
"Does it matter?" she asked quietly. She looked him in the eyes and said "Look, you don't seem too awful, maybe we can help each other out, just for now. There's a pirate on this island I'm trying to rob, and I could use some assistance. I'm trying to collect 100 million beris to buy a certain island, and I know these pirates got a ton stashed." She smiled slyly. "I'll even split the loot, 70-30!"
Luffy made to reply, but his stomach spoke first. A loud grumble echoed, and he grabbed at it, slumping down.
"I'm hungry. Can I help after I eat something?"
Nami blinked. She didn't expect him to comply so easily. "Sure? Umm, let's see." She looked around, and realized that given the town was currently abandoned, she could probably break in somewhere. "Follow me, I'll make you something as thanks for earlier."
"Sweet! I hope you make me twice the food, since I saved you twice!" he replied cheekily.
"Yeah yeah yeah, fine. But you better not mess up my plan!"
…
Meanwhile, Zoro and Yamato could finally see land in the distance.
"You think he landed there?" Zoro asked, continuing to row.
"If I know Luffy, then yeah. But I swear, if he's eating without us, I'm sending him through a building," Yamato replied, gritting her teeth.
…
Luffy was eating. Quite a bit. Possibly enough for three. Something in the air told him he would get punished for this, but he wasn't sure why.
Nami and him had raided a couple fridges after he told her it had been a full day since he ate. She felt kinda bad, and figured she'd at least help him prep some food. At no point did she expect this human vacuum to consume three houses worth of food, but here they were.
A good 10 minutes later, he sat back in his seat at the table and relaxed. Nami sat adjacent to him, looking the boy over. How he could eat that much, and not be bloated or dead was beyond her, and she was kinda jealous. Who wouldn't want to be able to eat anything, in any amount, and still be fit and thin?
"So Luffy, are you finally ready for my plan?"
"Sure! I ate enough for now, I'm good." Luffy took his hat off and started spinning it on his finger mindlessly. "So what are we doing?"
"Well, there's a ton of those pirates all at the center of town at a bar. Their leader is a man known as Buggy the Clown, he's a bastard that attacks villages and raids all sorts of small islands." Nami looked at Luffy, waiting for some kind of hint he was paying attention, but he was still spinning his stupid hat, looking off into space.
"Would you cut that out! This is serious!" Nami yelled, grabbing his hat and tossing it over her shoulder.
"Hey! Don't touch my special hat! It's my treasure!" Luffy glared at her, and moved to grab it. The look he gave was the most serious she had seen him yet, and she felt kind of bad. Luffy reached down, picked and dusted his straw hat off, and placed it firmly on his head. He made his way back to the table, before plopping down and crossing his arms.
"Sorry," Nami began, "I didn't realize it meant that much to you. Why's it so important?" She watched him slip the hat back off and stare at it intently, as though it held all the answers in the world.
"My friend Shanks gave it to me. He made me promise him that I wouldn't give it back until I was a great pirate. So I'm holding onto it for now, until the day we meet once again as equals." The seriousness in his tone told more than just the statement. Nami realized just how deep this boy's ambitions went, and that he would do anything to reach them, regardless of how tough the road may be. He dropped it back on his head, and looked at her again, motioning for Nami to continue.
"Anyways," Nami started again. "This guy means business. But he has something I need, so I gotta trick him. That's where you come in. Ever been tied up before?"
…
Zoro and Yamato finally made landfall, and tied the small boat up, next to another slightly larger vessel, with a pirate mark on the sail. Looking around, they quickly noticed that no one seemed to be around. And a massive ship peeked around a corner of a nearby building, with a circus elephant mast head partially seen.
"Hmmm, this seems odd, don'tcha think?" Zoro asked.
Yamato nodded, before taking a deep breath in. For what it's worth, a Zoan has increased senses, and wolves have a strong sense of smell.
"I smell Luffy, he's with someone else who smells of mikans. And… wait a minute…. I smell food! On him! That bastard DID eat without us! I'm gonna kick his ass!" Yamato made to run off, before Zoro grabbed the hem of her tunic.
"Hold on there, monster girl," Zoro said, causing the girl to pout. "If he's with someone, that probably means that he's off to do something stupid, and might need help. We need to get to the bottom of this before we walk into a trap. This quiet town and that ship means there are pirates, and pirates mean fights," Zoro said, pointing to said ship.
"But Zooorooo," Yamato complained. "It's not faaaaair. I'm hungry too! I gotta eat something!"
"Didn't you say Samurai don't get hungry while we were sailing?"
Yamato stopped and held her thumb and index finger to her face for a moment, contemplating the question, before coming to her conclusion. "Well, I'm not actually a samurai yet… sooooooo… bye!" Yamato pulled herself loose and raced off to who knows where. Either to find grub or beat their moron Captain. Maybe both.
Zoro sighed, and made his way into town. His mastery of directions meant he knew he'd find Luffy immediately, even without Yamato's senses. Definitely. He just needed to go… right!
They were to the left.
…
Luffy and Nami walked their way towards the bar in the center of town. Well, to be fair, it was more like Nami was walking Luffy. The boy was currently tied up, with ropes wrapped to and fro around his torso in a tight set of knots.
Nami had concocted this plan, though Luffy wasn't sure why. He told her he could kick all their asses himself, but she wasn't sure about that. Buggy was a big-time pirate in these parts, and although she had seen a little of what Luffy had accomplished, and even a little of what his devil fruit could do, she didn't want to take any chances.
The plan was to convince Buggy that she was giving her boss up, so she could get her hands on his treasure when his guard was down. After, she'd help free Luffy and they'd get the hell outta there.
As they approached the bar, a lookout called out from the roof. "Captain Buggy! It's that girl! She's returned with someone else!"
A host of circus-themed pirates quickly exited the bar, encircling the two to provide no route escape, growling and grumbling as they did so.
"What should we do Captain?" one man asked.
"Let's kill 'em and be done with it!" another called out.
"Stand down everyone," a voice called out from within the bar. Those near the doorway made way, and a new man appeared. He was wearing traditional pirate garb mixed in with a clown theme. An orange Captain's jacket laid on his back, and his head was adorned by a pirate cap of the same color. His face bore two intersecting bones. His most distinguishing feature however was the bright red nose.
"So girlie, why have you come back to us? And why shouldn't I kill you, right where you stand? Gyahahahaha!" he laughed.
"Permission to come aboard, Captain!" Nami declared. "I've had some, creative differences, with my bonehead boss here, and have decided to give him up to you. Please let me join your crew!" She even held out the sea chart she had stolen as a peace offering.
"WHAT?!" the crowd erupted. Yells and calls were given out, questioning Nami, as well as declaring her an enemy that could not be trusted.
"Silence you fools!" Buggy shouted out, silencing his men. Turning back to Nami, he said, "Well, this does sound… interesting…. Hmmmmm… Why not? Welcome aboard! Men! Let's celebrate!" His men looked about for a moment before cheering loudly, excited at the prospect of another party.
Nami smirked to herself. Yes! She thought. Now to get my hands on his treasure, get that chart back, and get the hell out of here. I'll play it cool first, and the second he lets his guard down, I'll be outta here!
A couple pirates slowly made their ways forwards, hoisting a very large iron and concrete cage. They dropped it unceremoniously next to Nami, took the rope and chart from her hands, and pushed Luffy in. Somehow, the rubber boy had not said a word this whole time, and was spacing out, without a care in the world. That is, until the celebration began. Once the food and drink came out, Luffy's stomach started growling once again.
The group was feasting and dining, with various circus acts occurring and cheery music to encapsulate the moment. The party was taking place on top of the bar, with tables set up and food and booze lined every which way. Nami was taking the seat next to Buggy, giggling while sipping drink after drink. The grog was weak, and she kept an eye on her pace to keep her wits about her.
She got up and made her way over to Luffy. "How ya doing, 'Boss?'" she mocked lightly.
"Let me outta here! I'm hungry!" Luffy replied frowning and annoyed. She tossed him a slab of meat from a nearby table, and he happily scarfed it down. "Okay, you're not that bad. You can join my crew for sure!" he smiled.
"I would never join pirates!" Nami nearly yelled, almost loud enough for the others to hear. Dropping her tone, she whispered, "Don't you realize the situation you're in? They're gonna plan to sell or even kill you." Luffy frowned at that. "But, if my plan works, maybe I'll let you outta there. You don't seem so bad."
"So then why don't you let me go now?"
Just then, Buggy made his presence known. "How are you doing kid? Still mad your partner here ditched you huh? Gyahahahaha!"
"Nah, she's just dumb. We'll be fine and sail together after this."
"Gyahahahaha!" Buggy laughed. "You really are a flashy moron. And do you know what happens to flashy morons who try to steal MY treasure?!"
"You let them go?" Luffy asked, cheekily.
"That's right, I'm gonna let you- What are you stupid? I'm gonna kill you!"
Suddenly, it appeared that an idea came to Buggy.
"Men! I have just come up with the most flashy idea! Bring out the cannon! And, load one special buggy ball gyahahahaha!"
Nami put down her glass and looked on as a few of Buggy's men wheeled over a massive cannon. Another scampered over, carrying a red cannonball with a clown face on it, matching Buggy's pirate mark.
"What's going on?" Nami asked, concern starting to enter her voice.
"Watch and be amazed," Buggy said simply. "Now men, fire the Buggy Ball! Let's demonstrate the power of real pirates!"
The cannoneer lit the fuse, and the crowd watched in anticipation. Even Luffy looked on, while quietly reaching his hand behind his back as far as it could go to grab some meat. He unfortunately missed, and his arm swung back and knocked him over.
As the comically long fuse reached the base of the cannon, the smiles on the crews' face grew all the larger until finally…
DOOOOOOOOOM!
The blast rocked the cannon backwards, and decimated a street's worth of buildings. It almost seemed like half the town laid in ruins.
"Gyahahahahaha! We'll destroy whole villages with just a few of these!" Buggy laughed manically. "Now Nami, it's your turn!"
"What, me?" Nami asked, terrified.
"Yes. I want you to blow up your old boss. Prove to me that you're loyal."
Another pirate quickly appeared and reloaded the cannon. Buggy watched on, snorting and laughing to himself as a box of matches was handed to Nami, excited at the prospect of more violence.
"Can't we go back and keep the party going? We were having so much fun!" Nami argued, feebly.
"This IS what I find fun, Nami!" He glared at her, harshly. "Do. It."
Nami looked helplessly to Luffy. He looked at her without a care in the world. Her hands shook, and sweat was visible on her face. She never wanted to stoop to this level, but what was she supposed to do. Kill this kid? He saved her life twice!
Luffy noticed her demeanor and laughed, before looking down. "This is what happens when you go against pirates with weak resolve Nami," Luffy said sternly, hat shielding his eyes.
"Weak resolve?" Nami asked, with some acid in her voice. "You mean no resolve to kill someone like it's nothing?! Is that what it means to be a pirate?" Her tone was icy, but Luffy could tell there was fear in her voice too.
"No," Luffy replied, some warmth returning to calm her. "It means being prepared to risk your life!"
A jester-looking pirate seemed to have enough of this exchange and walked towards her. "What's the matter girlie? Don't know how to fire a cannon?" He grabbed the matchbook from her hand and quickly lit one, intent on lighting the fuse. Both Nami's and Luffy's eyes widened, but for two different reasons. Luffy saw the white blaze move before anyone else.
As Nami reached under her skirt to grab her hidden 3-piece staff, the man disappeared in a flash. A hole was in his place, and massive form was now standing next to Nami.
Nearly every pirate stared eyes wide and mouths agape at the sight. A massive woman had appeared, hoisting a club and sporting an extremely aggravated look on her face.
"Captain," she stated. "Permission to kick your ass after I kick everyone else's?"
"Shishishishi," Luffy laughed. "Sure! But get me out and save some for me!" he grinned.
…
Meanwhile, Zoro was on the move. That blast from the cannon came within a few feet of his current position, and if Zoro was a gambling man, he'd bet Luffy was wherever it came from.
"That idiot, he better not have gotten himself killed!" Zoro shouted, running towards the noise coming from where it had been shot from.
Surprisingly, he actually went in the right direction this time.
…
"Say Luffy," Yamato asked, ignoring the yells of fear around them. "Do you remember what I told you before we went on our adventure. About how if one of us ate without the other, the one who didn't eat gets to BEAT the other?"
Luffy audibly gulped. "Uhhhhh, of course I do!"
"So, Captain, was the food worth it?"
"C'mon Yamato!" he nervously replied. "Now's not the time! Get me outta here, and we can settle this after!"
"Yeah!" Nami chimed in, just as confused at the situation as everyone else. What the hell even IS she, Nami wondered. "We gotta run, these guys aren't a joke! And, uhhh, it's the Captain's orders?"
Yamato looked around, blinked once, twice, and sighed. "Fiiiiiiiiine. These guys don't look like much, but I guess I'll help him out." She turned to Nami and gave her a smirk, "and I guess I do need to listen to our Captain, right?"
She leapt towards the cage and called out "Thunderclap Bagua!" smashing it to pieces.
"What do you mean our Captain?!" Nami asked, irritated. "I never agreed to join his crew, he was just helping me out!"
"Sure sure," Yamato laughed. "I always have an idea of how the rubber idiot thinks. And he's already decided you'd be in the crew. That little speech proved it. He stole it right from his hero, right Luffy?"
"Shishishishi, yeah," Luffy replied as he stood up, Yamato assisting with the rope around him. "She's a navigator, and she says she's the best."
"A navigator? Awesome! Now we can actually go places!" Yamato cheered happily. The two laughed while Luffy was released, and Nami looked on, almost amused. These two morons don't have a care in the world! she thought. And yet, she couldn't help but feel gravitated towards their stupidity.
Finally, the shoe dropped and the Buggy Pirates regained their composure, albeit still scared.
"What do we do Captain?" one man wailed. "She smashed that cage like it was nothing!"
"Yeah Captain! That monster is scary!"
"Hey!" Yamato and Luffy called out loudly.
"I'm not a monster!" Yamato shot back.
"Yeah!" Luffy defended. "She's a diving wolf!"
"Divine wolf you moron!" Yamato snapped at him, whacking him on the back of the head. "And that's just my devil fruit! I'm not even in that form!"
"Are you two done with your little farce?" Buggy asked, annoyed. "I don't care who you two think you are, I am Buggy the Clown. Terror of the East Blue! And I do not fear upstarts trying to pick a fight. Men! Prepare for battle!"
"Ayyyyeeeee!" His men called back, drawing weapons and blades from anywhere they could find them.
"Mohji! Cabaji! Let's show them the power of the Buggy Pirates!"
A loud booming was heard, as a massive lion made its appearance. It was ridden by a strange individual, who appeared to be wearing an animal costume. Or at least part of one. Next to him wheeled a man with a half shaven head, scarf around his neck, riding a unicycle and wielding a generic cutlass.
Seeing the pair, Luffy and Yamato laughed, hard. This even drew Nami to giggles, and she wasn't even sure why. She was certain they'd all die right now!
"Do you have four ears?" Luffy asked the lion rider, finally calming down.
The man had a furious expression in his face. "This IS my hair, you ingrate! And for that, I'll kill you!" The lion lurched forwards, sprinting headlong at the three.
"Nobody mocks the Buggy Pirates and lives!" the unicyclist called out, charging as well, sword pointed downwards in a jousting maneuver.
Luffy and Yamato couldn't not laugh again, and the red-faced Mohji prepared his whip, excited to kill these brats.
Just before they drew near, two flashes occurred. Yamato was no longer at Luffy's side. She was airborne, crushing the head of the lion as it leapt, and sending the pair flying.
The other was green, and his sword blocked the racing cyclist. Zoro was now on the scene, and he was annoyed.
"Dammit Luffy, what did you get us into now?" he asked.
"Hi Zoro! Don't know," Luffy responded simply. "Got us a navigator though," he said, pointing to Nami. The girl didn't even attempt to correct him, resigned at that point to just accept what he said for now. She was moreso confused by the new member, Wait, did he just say Zoro?!
"Great. At least that's one less thing to worry about." Looking at the opponent in front of him that he was currently holding with one sword, he smirked. "Need me to get rid of this guy?"
"Sure!"
"You must be Roronoa Zoro," the unicyclist declared. "It'll be an honor to kill you." The man wheeled backwards and blew a stream of fire. Zoro dodged and came at him, not even nothing to pull out his remaining blades.
"I wish I could say the same, but a chump like you ain't worth the spit."
Meanwhile, Yamato had made her way back to the group. "That was boring. Can I beat those other guys to?" She pointed at the rest of Buggy's crew, who stood speechless at the sight.
"Shishishishi, not if I do first!" Luffy yelled, rushing forwards happily.
"Hey!" Yamato responded. "That's not fair, you got a head start!"
"16-12 by the way!" He called over his shoulder. "Gum Gum Gatling!" He called, fists flying rapidly in all directions, striking countless goons.
"Divine Serpent!" Yamato yelled, swinging her club in the direction of more pirates. The air blast itself sent a ton flying, and any it connected with may as well have been sent to the moon.
Nami watched in awe as all of this went down. She nearly forgot about the treasure, just watching and impressed at the view in front of her. Someone tried to sneak up on her, knife drawn, but his stealth lacked any class, and she quickly struck him down with her bo staff, unmoved. A couple more made their way at her, but she held her own. A girl alone wouldn't survive in these waters if she couldn't fight. Realizing that she was no longer needed though, she exited stage left, and disappeared, with the intent of finding Buggy's treasure and recovering the sea chart.
Meanwhile, the clown in question was getting red in the face, almost to the color of his nose. His first mate was dispatched in a moment, and his chief of staff was not fairing much better. He'd have to get involved now, and he knew just the way.
A knife appeared between his fingers, and he silently sent his hand out. None of Luffy's group saw it coming until a yell was shouted out.
The knife struck true in Zoro's side, and he went down. He barely had time to block a swipe from Cabaji, and tumbled off, holding his wound.
"Gyahahaha!" Buggy laughed. "That's what you get when you mess with us! Now Cabaji! Finish him off!"
The unicyclist was sweating profusely, and none of his tricks seemed to work, but seeing the state Zoro was in reinvigorated his energy. "Time for you to die Pirate Hunter!"
"Zoro!" Luffy and Yamato called out.
Luffy reached forwards, intent on pulling him away, but Zoro knocked his hand back and rolled out of Cabaji's sword path. "Zoro?" Luffy asked.
"If you think that I'd even remotely lose to a lackey like this, I should just kill you too," Zoro called back. "I already told you, I'm to be the World's Greatest Swordsman."
Luffy smiled his trademark grin. "Shishishishi. You're right, sorry! Kick his ass Zoro!"
"Are you calling me a lackey!" Cabaji yelled out. "I'll show you my true sword prowess! Now die!" He charged once again, no style or skill to his movement, just dead set on stabbing the swordsman.
Zoro had removed his two other swords from his scabbards finally. One was placed in his mouth, the other two held upside down. "Oni…."
"Die!" Cabaji yelled, now right upon the green-haired man.
"Giri!" The slice was so fast, no one could process it. Cabaji stopped for a moment before blood exploded from his chest. He fell backwards, calling out weakly, "How could the Buggy Pirates lose to thieves?!"
"We're pirates," Zoro responded simply. He placed his blades back in their proper place and made his way to Luffy and Yamato. "That was annoying," he complained, holding the hole in his side.
"You must suck Zoro, Luffy and I haven't gotten touched yet!" Yamato laughed, pointing to his wound playfully. "Guess you better restart your training!"
A tick appeared on Zoro's forehead. "And where were you? Fighting useless goons and a lion? Big whoop!"
"Once we finish here, we're gonna settle this!" Yamato argued, staring him down. Zoro nodded, doing the same. And then they laughed. The two had now formed an unspoken agreement that one of them would be the real number two in the pecking order.
"Shishishishi, you guys are dumb," Luffy laughed. "By the way, I'm winning Yamato. Score is 25-20. I got dibs on big nose too!" Yamato growled, but looked away. She'd give him this, but the next Captain she was certain she'd get.
"You've gone and really flashily pissed me off!" Buggy yelled. "Now I'll kill all three of you! Starting with that rubber bastard in the Straw Hat. That hat really pisses me off. It reminds me of that damn redhead, who ruined my life!"
"Shanks?" Luffy asked, confused. "You know Shanks?"
"I don't know, maybe I do, maybe I don't," Buggy shot back. All tension evaporated.
"That's stupid, either you do or you don't," Luffy replied mildly. Zoro and Yamato nodded their agreement.
"Shut up! I'll kill you, then enter the Grand Line, and kill that cheeky bastard too!"
"You know where Shanks is?"
Buggy smirked. "You'll have to beat me in order to find out."
"Okay!" Luffy responded smiling, rushing forwards into the fray.
…
Nami had collected a massive bag of treasure, and was making her way through the backstreets of town.
"This must be 10 million beries right here!" Nami laughed to herself. She had found Buggy's stash, and tricked the guard to easily swoop the pirate's loot, along with the chart.
"Almost there, just a few million beries to go, and I'll finally be at 100 million." As she walked, she looked up towards the sky. "And then maybe I'll finally be free Bellemere."
A crashing sound was heard a street over. Nami jumped at the sound, and it drew her out of her momentary monologue. Peering around a corner, what she saw she could honestly say shocked her.
Currently, the supposedly revered Captain Buggy was hunched over, holding his gut and panting heavily. Luffy's arm was reeling backwards to his body, snapping back into form.
"You stupid brat!" Buggy yelled angrily, after catching his breath. "You really think you have what it takes to beat me?"
"Of course I do! I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"
"King of the Pirates?!" Buggy screamed, dumbfounded. "If you're the Pirate King, then I'm God!" He spat a dribble of blood. "Now try this on for size, Chop Chop Cannon!" He launched his fist forwards, knives between his fingers. Luffy caught it easily, holding them in place. Buggy slighly smirked. "Separate."
His hand split into pieces, continuing forwards between Luffy's fingers. The slices just left some small slashes in Luffy's cheeks, but knocked his straw hat cleanly of his head, taking a small chunk with it.
Luffy's eyes darkened at that.
"Uh oh," Yamato warned. "This won't be good." Zoro looked at her, and realization dawned on his face. Their Captain was pissed.
"YOU BASTARD! YOU NICKED MY HAT! NOBIDY TOUCHES MY TREASURE! IM GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!"
"Gyahahahaha. That piece of trash is your treasure! Well then…" Buggy stared him down. "You should take better care of it!" His hand suddenly swooped in from behind, blades cleanly slicing through the hat's material and leaving holes in the top. Buggy's hand returned to him, hat on the top, and he ripped it off.
"I promised to return that to Shanks you bastard!" Luffy screamed, sprinting forwards.
"This is Shanks'?!" Buggy angrily called out. "I knew it looked familiar!" He threw it downwards, stomping and spitting on it.
Nami saw the look in Luffy's eyes as he rushed forwards, and they said it all. The anger flashed worse than any sea monster she had ever seen. They almost seemed like a certain man's, but just not as ruthless. The boy's look was to beat the snot out of his unlucky enemy, not to brutalize and kill them.
Even Yamato realized the situation. The look on her best friend's face was one she hadn't seen in quite some time, and she almost wanted to step in and beat the stupid clown with him. Zoro felt the aura escaping off of her and Luffy, and placed a hand on her shoulder, grounding her. They both knew it was Luffy's fight, whether they wanted to intervene or not. She bit her lip and watched on, unsatisfied.
"Chop Chop Quick Escape!" Buggy proclaimed, trying to separate to escape danger at the last moment. His arrogance in his abilities got the better of him, and Luffy landed a punch right in his smug face before he could get away.
Buggy's head flew one way and slammed against the side of a nearby building, and his body went another. After a moment, Luffy finally seemed to calm down, and he picked his damaged treasure up. "You'll never be on the same level as Shanks," Luffy stated.
Buggy's body slowly reformed, and the man rubbed his jaw, making sure it wasn't broken. Anger flashed in his eyes at the mere thought of the redhead.
"Says you! That smug loser will get what's coming to him. Never in my life has anyone made me more angry than Shanks. He ruined my dream, and stole a great treasure from me!"
The confusion etched on Luffy's face spoke volumes. This didn't sound like Shanks at all!
Buggy continued his monologue. "I'll never forgive him. When we were cabin boys, sailing on the Grand Line, our crew got into a battle with another band of pirates. We destroyed them, and took all of their loot as a prize. I had even found a map on one of them, marking the location of a hidden treasure somewhere in the Grand Line. We had also come across a devil fruit, something none of us had seen in quite some time. I had planned to take both and leave my crew, but Shanks just had to sneak up on me. I tried to hide the fruit, and ended up swallowing it. I even lost the map to the cruel ocean, and nearly drowned trying to recover it! Shanks pulled me out, but to this day I'll never forgive him. Or anyone who tries to take MY treasure!"
At that moment, he split apart again, and his arms and head rushed straight at Nami, who had thought no one had noticed her hiding. "Oh crap!" she screamed, and started running.
"Come back here you filthy thief! No one steals my treasure!"
Realizing what was happening, Luffy made a quick decision. He wound up his leg, and laid a nice he'd kick on the unsuspecting nuts of one Buggy the Clown. His body instantly crumpled, and his currently floating limbs collapsed, tears in his eyes. Luffy smirked.
"You're fight is with me remember?" Luffy turned to his crewmates. "Zoro, Yamato, make sure nothing happens to Nami. I told her I'd split that treasure with her before we left."
Zoro grunted. Yamato gave a thumbs up. Neither expected that they'd need to do anything.
Nami ran up to them panting, "Thanks you guys. You're lifesavers!"
Zoro and Yamato shrugged. Now the trio watched on for the climax of the fight.
Well, it could have been a climax if Luffy was also distracted by protecting Nami, had his other members been knocked out. Instead, Buggy now had his full attention. And boy, did Luffy have some anger to get out on him.
One walloping later, Buggy was a crumpled mess, on his knees. He was panting heavily, and was covered from head to toe in bruises and lumps. "I'm not sure why you'd hate Shanks so much for saving your life, but whatever," Luffy said. "See ya Buggy!" Luffy announced.
Luffy sent both of his arms backwards quite a ways.
"Wait!" Screamed Buggy. "What are you doing?! You can't do this to me! I'm Buggy the Clown! I sailed with-"
"Gum Gum…." Luffy's arms shit forwards, full speed. "Bazooka!"
The hit sent Buggy miles away. All they heard was his screams of anguish as he disappeared into the sunset.
Luffy removed his straw hat from his head and sighed. "This sucks. He ruined my hat!" he complained.
Nami made her way to him, feeling his sadness at the sight. "Hey Luffy, thanks for helping me today," she smiled. Looking at his hat she asked, "If you want, I can patch that up for you? It's the least I can do."
"Really?! You can do that?!" Luffy exclaimed, light returning to his eyes. "Thanks, Nami!" She smiled back at him, feeling the excitement now rolling off him in waves.
"Alright guys! Time to go, we got us a new crew member!" Luffy declared.
"I never said I'd join the crew, just team up!" Nami replied annoyed, though his laugh was infectious.
"Awesome!" Yamato exclaimed. "Now we can actually go places on purpose!"
Zoro grunted. "I don't think we should trust her," he sighed, "but Captain's orders. Yet again."
The original trio quickly made their rounds on the tables for food and booze, eating and drinking almost everything left, and packing up the scraps. While Luffy had been mid-bite, Yamato clobbered him, leaving him a comically bloody and bruised mess on the ground. Once they were ready, they grouped up again with Nami.
Nami picked up her sack of treasure, and realizing it was too heavy, quickly split it into two smaller bags. "Can someone hold this one?" she asked, holding one bag out.
Yamato grabbed it and hoisted it on her back with her sack of grub. "Too weak to carry it all huh?" she teased.
Nami made to reply, but before she could an angry mob lead by an old man in wooden armor had appeared.
"We heard the commotion. What happened? Where are the pirates?!" the man in the front exclaimed.
"We kicked their asses!" Yamato replied cheerfully.
"You did?! Who are you people?" the old man asked.
"Pirates!" Luffy responded happily.
"More pirates?!" The townspeople yelled.
"No more of this nonsense! Capture them!" The group rushed the small band of pirates, who quickly turned tail and ran, Luffy laughing the whole way.
"You idiot!" Nami yelled. "Now they think we're bad guys too!"
"That's fine," Luffy laughed. "This town needs a victory. They chase us off, they feel good. This seems like a good town after all!" He continued smiling while they ran.
Nami stared at him, until she realized what he meant. None of these people had been here, meaning they had been hiding this whole time, probably out of fear. If that was the case, and they were now chasing pirates out, especially the ones that beat Buggy's crew, they might feel just a bit stronger themselves. For being a moron, Luffy was actually right.
Nami smiled at this. Maybe he was a good guy through and through.
The group reached the docks and jumped aboard the two adjacent boats, and quickly disembarked, Zoro and Luffy in one, Yamato and Nami in the other.
As they set sail, Yamato flipped the bag onto her forearm and sent it flying towards shore, right at the townsfolk.
"To rebuild your town!" she called happily.
"Who told you to do that?!" Nami yelled angrily. She punched Yamato on the top of the head, leaving a sizable lump.
The oni teared up comical tears. "Ow! How'd you hurt me!"
"Shishishishi Yamato, guess she's stronger than you now!"
Nami leaned across and whacked Luffy now. "Ow!" he complained, rubbing a new lump on his head as well. "Why'd you do that?!"
"You got us chased out of town, and you're her Captain. So I'm blaming you too!"
"Meanie!" Luffy retorted, sticking his tongue out with all the dignity of a 10-year-old.
Nami sighed, and leapt from her boat to Luffy and Zoro's, who were aimlessly setting the sail. "Port to starboard!" Nami commanded. "Set our bearing that way!" She pointed.
"Aye aye!" The trio responded, preparing to sail onwards. Hopefully to somewhere with food.
As the crew sailed into the sunset, Luffy needed to get one last word in.
"Hey Yamato, 27-20!"
…
That's all for this one everyone!
This is my first arc that's really gonna start deviating from the original story, although not significantly. Sad to not include the Chouchou's moments, but honestly, if Yamato is there, that whole period of running from Buggy never happens. In fact, I may have given him and Cabaji too much credit, with full focus the trio definitely win this pretty handedly. Poor Mohji and Richie got one-shot, though they did get one-shot originally anyways so not much changed. They all suck anyways.
No Chouchou means no Mayor Boodle or meeting him at all and helping him save the town intentionally, but some of the logic still applies. Luffy and Yamato still feel bad, and still want to help the town in their own way. Figure this character moment should still kinda happen. Chouchou probably doesn't get his mega pet store though from the cover story, RIP.
Also, I will have non-canon throwaway moments/chapters of the crew in a sort of slice of life style, which you saw this chapter, and is probably gonna be in the next chapter. It's to give context to inter-crew relations, non-romantically and some light touches of romance, since we have a new dynamic of the East Blue 6. I want to show that these characters actually start to get to know each other throughout the day-to-day, not just during arcs. Will probably do these intermittently as the story progresses. Kinda adds something extra, at least to me, like that non-canon episode where Nami gets that expensive chart paper and spends a day drawing maps, or when Brook reads the logbook while trying to find his place in the crew. Still deciding if I want to follow the Oda route and have their journey be like 6-8 months before Sabaody, or if they'll have a longer time to develop bonds. Especially Brook. He knew them for a week or something before being launched across the globe.
For the most part, most chapters will be most or all of certain arcs, depending on length. Baratie and Arlong Park might need to be broken up, unless I wanna make them 12-15k words each, at least :P
Next up, possibly some fun stuff. Then, my least favorite arc, Syrup Village. This is also another arc people stop writing at, since it's pretty lame in retrospect after everything else that's happened. If I hear enough comments of people wanting me to speed through it, that's always an option. Kuro is kind of a weak sauce villain (power-wise he's so-so in the East Blue), and it's really slow. Thankfully, since this is mostly crew-centric with minimal non-crew or pre-crew perspective, and I get to write it, I'll at least be skipping some of the fillery stuff. Won't spoil how the fight turns out though, regardless of how long the chapter turns out.
Also! I do have some ideas for arc villains and enemies to kinda smooth over having someone on the Sanji/Zoro/Luffy tier. It's gonna be tough sometimes, but the longer I write, the more ideas I get. And as a note, I'm using "weaker" variants of attacks Yamato has shown off thus far in the actual manga, per her wiki, just without being haki infused yet. That's where those names come from.
See you all next time!