Hey there! Quick note: I don't own One Piece, but I do own Apollo, Futai, Kiwamae, the Camans, and the village. Lots of nameless people in the village and pirates so eh, but still! No stealy! If you've seen Rurouni Kenshi, trust me, you will get the Futai and Kiwamae jokes later!
Enjoy and send review please!!!
Luffy cautiously looked about at his crew, a slight tinge of fear and worry in his eyes, but that was quickly swallowed down. He stood up at the bow of the ship and whined, "MEAT!"
"I swear to god," Sanji snapped from his restful Nami-watching spot, "if he says that one more time…I'll kill him."
"No you won't," Zoro chuckled from his sleeping spot against the mast, not even bothering to open his eyes.
"Why not?" Sanji demanded.
A grin spread on the ex-pirate hunter's face, "Because I will." He instantly stood up and was about to tie his bandana on his face when Nami whacked both him and Sanji on the head, despite their distance from one another.
"Don't you dare!" she growled. "Besides, we're only another hour or less from the next island where we're stopping for food." Sanji and Luffy instantly perked up at the mention of food. Nami pointed off the deck towards the ocean, "See, right over there is the island we're heading for."
"What's it called?" Usopp asked not even looking up from his chemical set.
"Dunno," Nami shrugged. "None of the maps I have give it a name or anything, but I do know that there IS a town there where we can get tons of supplies for cheap." Zoro raised a brow, skeptic at her lack of knowledge of the island they were aimed at.
Their captain however, did not seem to care. "MEAT! Aim that away!" he shouted with as much authority as possible.
A young man stood on a cliff watching the sun drift lazily across the sky. It was only midday, but still pleasant enough to go sun watching and not go blind. Deep purple eyes studied the ocean waters below him as if they would suddenly give him some heavenly sign that all was right with the world and he could go back to sleep. Arms crossed, head down, and legs standing taught, he sighed. Perhaps this day would be just as boring as the next.
"APOLLO!" He spun around, broken out of his dream like state. A pair of men, both tall and muscular, came running for the cliff waving their arms about insanely. The taller of the two, a boy with thick blonde hair piled onto his head reached him first. "Apollo! There's a ship!"
"A ship!" he answered excitedly. Both boys pointed out to the water revealing a ship slowly appearing in the distance and heading for their little island port.
The other boy, one with dark blue hair gasped, "That's not all! It's a pirate ship!"
"Pirates?" Now Apollo was interested. With a quick gesture, they ran to the nearest tree, Apollo climbing it in no time. He strained his eyes and tried to get a look at the flag. "You sure Kiwamae?"
"Positive," the blue haired boy nodded staying on the ground. He aimed a pair of binoculars at boat. "I've never seen that Jolly Roger before."
"Futai!" Apollo ordered to the blonde a branch below him. "Give me a quick boost eh?" The large man complied pushing the smaller man's feet up to the last branch. His bandana covered head poked over the tops of the trees overlooking the waters. The boat was slightly closer, and now he could see the boat and it's Roger clearer. "Is that a Straw Hat? I don't think I've heard of them either. Well, let's get the welcome wag – "after a closer look at their direction he restated his thought. "Why are they heading for the cliffs? Hey don't they go to the port instead?"
"If they've never been here," Futai offered, "then they might not know about the docks." Apollo nodded his agreement and looked about the sea some more. A familiar ship, coming from the opposite direction as the Straw Hat Pirates, caught his gaze, earning a glare and a curse.
His light frame leaped from the tree landing in a crouch next to Kiwamae, "Lemme see those binoculars!" The man handed them over without question. His childhood friend peered through them for only an instant before throwing them to the ground and starting to run. "Caman Pirates! Coming from the north! You two welcome the Straw hats, and I'll take care of them!"
"They're back again this year?" Futai asked his best friend as he climbed down.
"Headed right into port too I bet," Kiwamae sighed. "They just don't understand that Apollo won't let them back in again. I mean, they have what? Twenty guys?" Futai nodded.
Apollo was running. Running through the forests he grew up with as a child in a beeline past old trials and new ones right to the town he grew up in. His mind was running about as fast as he was, "Bastards! They think they can come back again! I'll kill em!"
He stopped in his tracks for a moment catching his breath. "Why the hell am I running?
"Much easier and time friendly if I jog," he chuckled to himself as he slowly began his way again. "Yeesh, what was I thinking, running the whole way there." He laughed to himself, enjoying the trees while pondering how he would beat the living crap out of the Caman pirates.
"Anyone know why there are two guys waiting for us at the cliff?" Zoro asked leaning on the railing of the ship. They were only about a hundred feet from the cliffs and Zoro had noticed a pair of almost angry looking men waiting for them.
"Na?" Luffy asked jumping onto the rail next to him. He put a hand to his brow looking on, "Who're they?" The swordsman shrugged, but rested his hand on the swords anyways, just in case. Sanji and Nami were both working on easing the Going Merry towards the cliff, so that the anchor would catch, the ship wouldn't run aground, and they could get as close as possible to the cliffs. Usopp was in the crow's nest hollering out random directions, until Nami snapped at him to go ready the anchor.
"You there!" one of the men yelled cupping his hands. "Pirates! Please remain aboard your ship!" Zoro raised a brow to his captain, but he just smiled back.
"We," the other man yelled, "Futai and Kiwamae are here to assure that you mean no harm to our village and town!"
Nami gave the signal and Usopp dropped the anchor watching as it crashed beneath the waves. The ship pulled to a halt a mere ten feet from the cliffs. Sanji, Nami, and Usopp joined the other two at the railing regarding the men with little interest. Usopp looked up at their navigator, "Uh Nami, didn't you say this is where the port should be?"
"No idiot," she snapped, "I said this is where we'll dock. We don't have any knowledge of where the city actually is."
"HEY!" All members of the Going Merry turned towards them. "We are trying to talk to you here! We know where the city is."
"Why don't you take us there?" Luffy asked leaning forward and resting his elbow on his knee.
"Because," Futai argued puffing his chest out, "we have to inspect you and make sure you aren't here to raid our village."
"There's five of us," Sanji sighed. "How can we raid you?" The two paused and proceeded in a hushed conversation about god knows what turning away from them. After about two straight minutes they turned back.
"Well," Kiwamae answered sheepishly. "I guess we can take you over. First, who are you guys?"
Luffy leaped across the gap between cliff and boat with a large grin, "We're the Straw Hat pirates! And I'm the captain! Monkey D. Luffy!"
"Small crew," Kiwamae said scrunching his overly bulbous nose. "Anyway! Follow us!"
Apollo casually strolled into the main street of his beloved village heading straight for the docks. One of the barkeeps ran to him panting, "Apollo! Did you hear about the Camans?"
"Yup," Apollo nodded. "That's where I'm going now."
"Oh," the barkeep muttered as the younger man wandered down the street. "Good." Apollo waited until he reached the very center of the town square before looking about at the frightened citizens. Then he placed one hand on his hip and shouted out to them.
"Don't worry guys! Code two!" Most citizens began running inside automatically. "Camans came back, but I'll handle it, just stay indoors and keep it all locked up! Wait for the all clear!" The rest of the citizens ran to their shops and homes locking them up and staying purely safe. Apollo wandered on further to the docks and waited arms crossed.
A large ship had just finished docking, donned with a large green flag. Its symbol was a skull and crossbones with a shaman's headdress around the skull. Three men jumped off laughing and joking with each other heading for the town. Once they spotted Apollo, they grinned slowing their pace. The shortest of the three stepped forward towards Apollo, "Well, well, hello little boy. What are you? The welcoming wagon?"
"You can say that," he laughed back.
"Why don't you welcome us into the nearest bar then?" another asked chuckling.
"Can't do that."
The third looked slightly doubtful of his response, "Why not?"
"Because you're Caman Pirates," Apollo answered loosing the smile on his face. His already dark eyes grew darker as he began cracking his knuckles one by one. He shaded his face beneath short burgundy bangs. "And if I remember correctly, this town has a specific list of those who aren't allowed back in this village, and Caman Pirates are pretty near the top." He stretched his arms before him, laced his fingers, and cracked his hands again. The pirates watched in curiosity and he balled his fists before his face, receiving loud cracks of his knuckles again.
"Who says we can't come to this town?" the first snapped.
"I do." Apollo smirked looking back up and waved them over, "And if you want to get in, you have to go through me."
"Sounds like fun," one of the pirates laughed. He and his friend pulled out swords and rushed for Apollo, one on each of his sides. Apollo just stood there, completely uncaring. Just when they reached him, he dodged their swords, by turning sideways and balled his fists. In about less than a second, he had brought his arms up perpendicular to his body, and beaten the two men in the head with a simple turn of his body. They stood shocked for a moment, blood dripping from their faces, then fell over, swords clattering to the ground.
Apollo turned stonily to the last remaining one, "Why don't you go tell your captain that this town refuses him and any of his men to enter the proximities? If he wants in, then he has to go through me! Now pick up your buddies and go."
The final pirate, without even picking up his crewmates, ran away.
"Futai here!"
"And Kiwamae!"
"We've brought a small crew that wants to buy supplies and stay in town for a while!" they both chorused. The small gates to the town opened up and a single man, around fifty stepped forwards quieting them.
"Be quiet you two," he hissed. "Apollo is taking care of the Caman pirates! We're on a Code two!"
Sanji pushed them back, "Wait, Caman Pirates?"
"Are they attacking the town?" Nami asked in a hushed voice.
"No," the old man answered. "You see, we're a pretty peaceful town…"
"That's what they all say," Zoro scoffed.
"…and we have a strict law that we abide by. If people cause us trouble, they are banned from the town indefinitely. One of the young men in our town, Apollo, has been keeping this town safe by enforcing that law. Last year, the Camans caused so much trouble they nearly killed twenty people, so Apollo banned them. They just came back today, and boy is that kid pissed."
Luffy smiled that insane grin of his, "Apollo? Pirates? I wanna see this!" Without waiting for anything, he bolted into the town wanting to see Apollo and the pirates.
"Luffy you moron come back!" Zoro growled giving chase. Sanji, Usopp, Nami, Futai, and Kiwamae followed after running at top speed. When they reached him, he was stopped stock still in the middle of the street watching something. There in the street, was a man, a young man, no older than Sanji or Zoro, in a baggy, long sleeved black shirt in the middle of a circle made up of twenty men. All of those me were armed, and looked very dangerous. Zoro reached for his swords, "That kid is gonna get killed."
"I don't think so," Luffy shook his head tilting his hat back. He smiled again, "I wanna see him fight. He looks cool!"
"What an idiot," Nami grumbled, but no one argued with the captain. In a mere moment, the fight began. The boy fighting was like liquid, like silk. He slipped in between the weapons, people, and bodes like it was nothing. He kept them away from him, but didn't even bother attacking. Sanji stared in disbelief, "What is he doing?"
Futai nodded pensively, "Ah, he wants them to get in a neater position first."
"One he gets them all on one side of him," Kiwamae continued, "then he can fight better. Or at least in a way he has more fun."
Apollo's face was turned to them for a brief moment, and for that moment, Zoro thought he had found a twin. The boy's smirk of confidence reminded him so much of himself when in a fight that he cracked a smile as well. After that smirk, the boy leaned back on his foot farthest from the pirates. His left fist wet straight out in front of him and his right kept tucked close to his chin. In a loud voice he shouted, "It's over!"
Like lightening he shot. In a straight line he went, right and left fist alternating back and forth in a fury knocking into the pirates. When half of them realized what h was doing, they attacked back, but it was in vain. He spun, dived, ducked, dodged, and moved in all the right ways to escape their attacks and land hits of his own. His smile never wavered, his eyes shone a bright gleaming purple, and his fists pounded into them all until only one was left standing before him. He cautiously stepped over to the man, who had on a large hat covered with feathers. The boy's voice laughed, "Hey Captain."
"You bastard!" the man growled, his hands shaking and gripping the sword before him. "How dare you disgrace me you punk kid!"
"Captain," the boy laughed, "it's your own damn fault." His voice grew serious and cold as he crossed his arms, "You're the one who betrayed the law here! We specifically said that you and your men could never come here again, and yet here you are! I said you could leave, but no, you had to go and start a fight. Now I suggest you leave."
"Never! I'll kill you!"
"This kid's in a mess of trouble," Sanji sighed lighting a cigarette.
"You don't know our Apollo!" Futai cheered. "One man alone with a sword? Nothing. Especially not when he defeated him once last year." The Straw Hat pirates took a glance at the two locals then turned back to the fight. Apollo shrugged and walked closer to the pirate. He stepped back out of fear, so the kid stepped closer. This repeated itself about five times, until he pirate was only two feet away from the face of a shop.
Without much warning, the pirate grew a look of pain ad confusion on his face, and then promptly fell over. Behind him was revealed a young boy, about eight years old, gripping a large club in his hands and looking very shocked. Apollo broke out into a laugh, "Nice one kid! But aren't you supposed to be inside?"
"Uhhhh," he stammered.
"Ah forget it," he laughed again ruffling his hair. "Helping me bring down the bad guys; I might have to give you my job when I quit."
As if remembering that they were an audience, Luffy clapped his hands, "Wow!"
"Huh?" he turned around smiling at the Going Merry crew. "Oh thanks."