I still don't own One Piece. Please review, I haven't been getting any at all lately. And I'll just warn you now that this is the longest chapter yet.
Shortly after Nami, and Usopp arrived at the slave camp, Ugama had enlisted them at the clerk building, where they went through a diagnostic check to find the job most appropriate for them. Nami ended with the job as a cartographer, and Usopp was sent to work at a warehouse to produce raw materials. The whole time, they still didn't know where Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were.
Kraken was sitting in a dark room. There was no light whatsoever. When Dendes came in through a door, there was still no light.
There were actually three doors. One from the west, one from the north, and the door which Dendes came through, the north - west door. Beyond the north door was a cellar, where three pirates yet to be questioned are sleeping.
"You haven't left yet?" Kraken asked.
"You said that when you're done with the intruders you're going to either enslave them or execute them. I'll get the bounty on their heads when you're done."
As Kraken stood up in the dark, he spoke, "How do you know that I'll decide to get rid of them?"
Dendes answered, "Past experiences."
"Whatever" Kraken replied. "Don't move. There are more traps here than furniture."
"Like you keep telling me. Has there ever been an asshole who's survived a trip out of this room? No. All those who entered this room, they were took into the cellar. Then -"
"I made this room. It's stupid enough to hear a lecture on a dumb room that I know nothing about."
"I thought you'd love to hear about your marvelous creation. One armed with traps for the purpose of execution than for privacy."
"So it is."
Luffy woke up. He was facing the ceiling, not that he could tell in the dark.Then a lantern came on, and Luffy gave out a big yawn. Zoro and Sanji woke up at that moment as well.
"That was a nice nap" Luffy said.
"I think you should pay attention, Luffy. We're stuck in these weird straitjackets in a barely lit room with some strange guy in front of us."
"That's right." Kraken spoke. "Pay attention. Now, I'm going to ask each of you a set of questions, and I want you to answer honestly, because your life depends on it."
"Says who?" Sanji asked. "And who are you anyway?"
"I'll tell you later." Kraken replied as he pulled out a remote. "And I can use your straitjackets against you, so don't speak unless I ask you first. First, I'll ask this boy, Monkey D. Luffy."
"Hey, you know my name!" Luffy replied.
"Of course, you retard." Kraken scolded back. "You're a wanted man with 30 million belli on your head."
"There's money on my head?"
"I mean there's a bounty for your head! As dumb as you are...Anyway, let's talk. Now, what was your motive for coming across my island?"
"Simple." Luffy answered. "Me and my crew were sailing across this sea to get to an island."
"And what were you going to that island for?" Kraken asked.
"Uh, relax, stock up on supplies, check out the tourism, I guess. And beat up any pirate or Marine I meet."
"I see. And what do you hope to gain from all this?"
Then Zoro realized, He's interrogating him! He wants to know why we entered his territory!
Luffy answered, "To become King of the Pirates!"
Kraken didn't say anything. He just kept his face stern, the frown there as always, and stared at Luffy's face. After a few moments, he just walked over to Zoro.
That's it? Luffy thought.
Kraken kneeled down in front of Zoro.
With his eyes looking straight at him, Kraken asked, "Is what that boy said true?"
Zoro nodded.
"Well then, what's your dream?"
Zoro responded, "To become the greatest swordsman in the world."
Kraken waited a second, then spoke, "That dream is dangerous and almost impossible to fulfill. Did you know that?"
"Of course I knew. I've always known. But I have to do it."
"Why?" Kraken asked.
"Because I've made a promise. Two promises actually. One promise to my late friend, one to myself. Both tell me I have to become the best in the world."
Kraken thought for a second, then stood and walked to Sanji.
Sanji was laid on the loor, not in the mood to sit up against the wall like Zoro and Luffy. His hair covered his left eye as always, and his cigar was long gone. Kraken stood over him.
"Do you have a dream of your own, or a reason to be with these two?" Kraken asked.
Sanji answered, "My dream is to find the All Blue."
Kraken said nothing.
"Well?" Sanji asked. "Aren't you going to tell me there's no such thing? It won't change the way I think, though. I'll still believe in that legendary ocean."
Kraken just asked, "Have you made a promise to someone as well?"
Sanji replied, "Yeah, to some worthless old geezer who saved my life and treated me like a son. What about it?"
Kraken walked away towads Luffy.
Kraken asked, "I forgot to ask you this. Do you have any promises you made?"
Luffy answered, "Yeah. I promised my friend that I would find One Piece."
Kraken asked another question, "Where is your friend now?"
"I don't know. He's somewhere in the seas. I have to find him."
There was silence.
Finally, Kraken started walking towards the door. He started mumbling something in his breath. The three Straw Hats couldn't hear him, but they were trying to hear. None of them were really sure why they cared what he said. It was as if there was something in what he was mumbling that wanted them to listen. And...
He seemed to be saying one word over and over. They still couldn't say what Kraken was saying, but then he turned and yelled,
"WORTHLESS ! YOU CAN'T FULFILL YOUR DREAMS ! YOU HAVE NO CHANCE! I SHOULD JUST KILL YOU !"
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji all had a look of surprise. Then Kraken turned around again and picked up the lantern.
"Wait." Luffy spoke. "Are you Grim Kraken?"
"...Yes." came the reply. Then he unlit the lantern. Immediately, Luffy started screaming.
"WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! IT'S ALL DARK!"
They barely heard the door closing.
"GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, LUFFY!"
Dendes had been waiting for Kraken to come out.
When he did, Dendes asked, "So, you're keeping them?"
Kraken answered, "They're still too dangerous to put in the slave camp. I just don't want them dead."
"Well that's a first." and Dendes grinned in the pitch-black darkness.
Kraken saw him.
Being stuck in the darn straitjackets, Zoro and Sanji could only wait for Luffy to stop screaming.
When it got quiet enough, Zoro asked Sanji, "What do you think was with Kraken at the end?"
Sanji replied, "Nami said he was the closest to finding One Piece in this age of pirates. Remembering that, I'm not surprised. Then again, there are the seven warlords...this is too confusing.
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