Chapter 18: Early Return
Man, I never get motivated to do this anymore. I just have to keep pushing. For those of you who really like this story, I'm sorry that I can't update more often, but you may go to my profile page, where I have posted links to a forum-style roleplay I participate in. The plot is somewhat like the one in here. Well actually, the only thing this fanfic has in common with the roleplay is that there's a person whose name is Grim Kraken and the Straw Hat crew gets trapped in his slave camp for a company that serves pirates. But you'll like it anyway.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece and 4Kids owns the hospitalized clone. Please review.
"That's Dendes, sir."
The overseer, who was identified as Leith, sat up. "Of course, Dendes, sir."
Meanwhile, Nami was mystified. Dendes, that's the guy who appeared at Kraken's office. And the cook at the kitchen said he was Kraken's first mate!
"Good to see the rookie learn something new today." Dendes replied. Then his scowl left, replaced by a mere stern look, as he continued walking down the road.
Nami looked at Dendes, then at Leith, who was getting back up. "It sounded like Dendes was talking as if you were new to this place." she said.
"So I am," he said as he stomped on his cigarette. "Just joined yesterday".
Then a question came to Nami's mind. "But why did you become an overseer? Did Dendes or Kraken offer you a high salary?"
"Salary?" replied Leith. "Money's no good for anyone working here."
"What?" replied a surprised Nami.
"I mean, you can't spend it here on this island," continued Leith, "and Grim Kraken doesn't let anyone off this island. In fact --"
"If Kraken doesn't pay you, then why do you work here?" interrupted Nami.
Leith shot a stern look at her, not as stern as Dendes's, but stern nonetheless. "That would be none of your business, slave." He kept scowling for a few seconds, then stormed off.
Nami was stunned, but then she realized that she was going to be late for her cartography duty, so she hurried to the navigators' lodge. But in her mind she kept the image of Dendes and Leith. Something seemed strange about seeing them together. And what did Leith mean when he said that Dendes is back early?
...thump...
...thump...
...thump...
"Dammit, Luffy! What the heck are you doing!" yelled Sanji.
"I'm trying to get us out of here." Luffy innocently answered.
"Well, can't you try harder?"
...thump...
"I think I'm doing just fine."
...thump...
"Just fine?"
...thump...
"Yeah."
...thump...
"Luffy, that is not the sound of doing 'just fine'."
...thump...
"Well, you just have to trust me."
"TRUST YOU!" (At the same time, "...thump...")
"Yeah, just trust me."
...thump...
Sanji and Luffy both heard a yawn. "Gosh, why do you have to be so loud, shitty cook?" spoke Zoro.
...thump...
"What--"
"Luffy's getting us out and he thinks he's doing 'just fine'."
...thump...
"Well, it doesn't sound like it."
...thump...
"See, Luffy?"
"Okay, I'll try harder."
...thump...
...thump...
...thump...
A groan came out.
"Feeling the pains of drug addiction?"
"Shut up, seaweed-head."
"Maybe if we ever get out of here, you should get a sucker instead."
"Last time I checked, lollipops are bad for your health, and they don't attract ladies."
"Sure, real funny."
During the whole conversation between Sanji and Zoro, Luffy was rolling back and forth on his side, against the door at the speed of an average toy wind-up car.
Well, that was pretty short, but the next chapter will be longer, whenever I get to updating this.