"What is life if not a gamble?" F.E. Higgins

Walking back to where Coby was wasn't hard considering the loud yell, "LUFFY!" Stopping he turned and saw Coby running up to where he was.

"Hey Coby," despite his best intentions he couldn't hide the excited look on his face, "where's the little girl I have something to tell her."

"O-oh she's over there," pointing to a restaurant over in the distance.

—

"Really!?"

"Yep! He ate every little bit!" Luffy chirped.

"Is he really as bad as everyone says?"

"Of course not! He helped us, he's there because of me, Captain Morgan's son had a bunch of mean dogs and they attacked me. Zoro saved me."

"Oh~ So he was put in prison because he hurt that prissy's dog?" His smirk grew and a crazy glint in his eyes made themselves present. His hand twitched

"Yes! He's supposed to be released after a month," smiling she answered, "that's why I've been bringing him food!"

"For someone clearly one for honor, you would've thought he would've noticed that dip shit wouldn't keep his promise," Luffy mumbled.

"HEY BOW DOWN YOU LOWLY SCUM! Do you want to be jailed like Roronoa!? We're going to execute that brute in three days, we'll make an example of him!"

Luffy looked up, bingo, his eyes glowed for a split second, smirking and head on his elbow, "but you promised him?"

"HA, that promise was just a joke! He's just a stupid beast for believing that!"

An inquisitive, dark look replaced the happy smile once on his face. Swaying a little bit as he stood. His feet dug into the ground with each step forward, "you know I hate it when people don't keep up their promises," he stopped, "but~," he locked eyes with him, "I can leave it to the beast to deal with you later."

Before Helmeppo could say anything Luffy dug his feet into the ground with a scratching sound from the rocks and dirt mixing. And he moved.

His fist met his face with a loud pounding sound radiating through the deafening silence that had taken the town's people.

"Rule number one," he said with each word punctuated , "never wake a sleeping dragon, rule number two, never touch a dragon's treasure." A condescending smile took its place on his face, "and you, just broke both those rules, so what do you think is going to happen now? Now that that beast is 'caged'?"

Helmeppo was shaking, Luffy leaned back up from his place into front of his face and walked away.

After he was a decent distance away Luffy heard Coby, "LUFFY! Are you trying to get the navy to fight you!?"

"I don't care, scum is scum no matter who the father is and scum like him deserved much worse than that," he said calmly.

"They won't let you get away with this!"

"Yeah whatever," he waved him off with his hand, "I need to talk to Zoro."

—-

"Hey!"

Zoro looked up, "oh it's you again, what do you want this time, if this is still about joining your crew the answer is no."

Smiling, "Luffy."

"Hm?"

"You can call me Luffy, hey, I'll untie the rope if you join my crew."

"You don't listen do you? I've got my own mission and it doesn't include becoming a stupid fucking pirate."

"Why? Do you think you're too good to be a pirate? You, a bounty hunter, who everyone thinks is a demon?"

"I don't care what other people think of me, I live by my own code, I've never done anything I don't regret and I don't plan to in the future either. Which is why I would never become a pirate!"

"So tell me," a smirk crossed his face, "you seem to be a bounty hunter that's known for his swordsmanship, so where are your swords?"

His throat went dry, "my swords are my treasure, and for your information if I was out of these ropes I'd show you how much better I am then what you've heard. And to answer your question that priss took them."

Luffy turned towards the base and started walking, "HEY, where're you going!"

He turned hand on his head holding onto his own treasure as if it would blow away if he didn't and smile grew into one that could blind a person, "I'm getting your treasure back!"

A panicked look came across Zoro's face, " Hey wait!"

But, he was already too far- that's a lie, Luffy… just didn't give a shit.

—-

Who knew that walking into a marine base like you own the base would allow you to walk wherever you wanted? Well luffy did. After walking around he found the human waste-of-space out on the roof where he's been standing watching some tall dude yell at everyone, Luffy's throat hurt just watching. And of course the mature thought the first came to his mind when he saw the man was, of course, would he be bigger than a normal sized fat person, if he was fat, because he's bigger? Clearly, a philosopher in the making.

"Hey onion topper!"

Everyone turned from what they were doing, eyes bulged from what he had just said.

"Him! Father, that's the man that punched me!"

And at that everyone, besides that tall not fat man, lost focus and the statue fell and broke.

. . . "Sorry"

"Seize him! I'll have his heart!"

"YES SIR!"

"AYE, AYE SIR!"

"O-onion topper!? You dare call me nam-! H-HEY LET ME GO!"

Luffy sped off back into the ugly zebra print building.

"SIR."

"What!?"

"Someone's in the parade ground!"

—

"What!? Luffy went into the fortress!?" Coby sighed, "Why is he so reckless?"

Coby moved forward and started to unite the ropes, "hey! Now you're being reckless! Do you want to get killed?!"

"You were imprisoned unfairly, I hate seeing the navy act like this, I am going to become a proper sailor! Like how luffy's going to be King of the Pirates!"

"What!? Doesn't he know what that means?!"

"Haha I was shocked at first too, but he'll succeed or die trying! That's how he is."

BANG

Zoro looked up to the top of the building with pure loathing at the Captain.

—-

"THERE HE IS GET HIM!"

"Where's Zoro's swords?"

"I'LL TELL YOU, JUST STOP DRAGGING ME!" He stopped, gasping, "they're in my room we just passed it."

"DROP THE CAPTAIN'S SON OR WE'LL SHOOT!"

"Don't wanna,". He moved the pansy wagon up as a shield.

"H-HEY WAIT, D-DON'T SHOOT!"

"He's using Helmeppo as a shield!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

—-

"I'M GONNA DIE!"

"Good, you're alive! Now get outta here before they get out here."

HuFf HuFF, "I, haven't …. Untied you yet."

"Don't worry about me, I just have to survive the month and they'll let me go. So just beat it —"

"THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LET YOU GO! YOU'RE GOING TO BE EXECUTED IN THREE DAYS!"

"WHAT'RE YOU SAYING THAT IDIOT FROM BEFORE PROMISED ME AFTER A MONTH I'LL BE SET FREE!"

"He never intended to keep his side of the bargain, that's why Luffy punched Helmeppo! He found out he was lying to you!"

"What?!"

"Please, the navy is your enemy now, let me untie you! I won't ask you to be a pirate but at least team up and get out of here, you're both strong so I know you can do it!"

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE!"

"CAPTAIN MORGAN HAS REQUESTED YOU'RE IMMEDIATE EXECUTION!"

—

"This must be it," he looked around the room, "ah! These must be his, hm~," smirking, "a three bladed swordsman, how fun." Grabbing the swords he turned to the window, "Cody!"

—

"SURROUND THE FORTRESS! IF THAT STRAW HAT ESCAPES, YOU'LL ALL BE SORRY!"

"You three aren't simple outlaws, are you!? You're going to overthrow me!"

"Roronoa Zoro! Peasants and pirates may tremble at your name! But you're no match for the great one! You may be a barracuda, BUT I AM A GREAT WHITE SHARK!"

"TAKE AIM!"

Sweat rolled down his face, fear in his blood racing against his heart. Every sound resentanting through the air, every smell, everything was on display, he could feel everything, no, no nonononono - I CAN'T DIE YET. What is life if not a gamble.

"FIRE!"

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

"huh, where'd they go!?"

The dust cleared revealing Luffy, Coby, and Zoro away from where the bullets were aimed. Covering the top of his head and moving down his neck and arms was fur of greys and browns. Eyes pointed up and followed every sound that could be heard. Sharp calculating eyes roamed the firing squad. The three swords were tied to his back and his hands were a mix between paws and hands, claws from between his fingers that were shortened. He was crouched over.

He stood up and gave the swords to Zoro, "TRY HARDER NEXT TIME, IF I CAN'T EVEN DODGE THAT I AIN'T WORTHY OF BEING KING OF THE PIRATES"! Turning back to Zoro, who was now standing up, "well since I untied you your apart or my crew now, but still if you decide not to fight you'll die and if you do fight you'll become a outlaw like me, so Mr. Roronoa will you really join my crew." Checkmate.

His eyes widened, "what are you? The spawn of the devil? You're lucky I don't fancy dying yet, ALL RIGHT, YOU'VE GOT YOURSELF A PIRATE!"

They both turned to the marines seconds passed before Luffy finally spoke, "looks like the beast was let free from his cage, my bad."

Please read!

Thank you for the suggestion for a linx, Monxu Aki! Now to answer your question think of every battle he plays as a game, if you win game you take all chips in the pot, but if you lose then you lose all the chips you had bet, so if Luffy has a fruit that affects someone like Lin Lin's fruit and he wins the battle he will keep all the changes he has made but if he loses that battle, he loses everything he had changed. Now sorry for the late update! And see y'all next sunday, and happy Father's Day!