A Marine ran inside the restaurant shouting, "LIEUTENANT FULLBODY! LIEUTENANT! WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM! That pirate we captured escaped! We lost several men to him already!"
"What!" Fullbody shouted back, "When we got him three days ago, he was about to starve to death! I said not to feed him!"
"I'm really sor—"A gun shot was heard and the Marine fell forward. All the customers screamed and ran away from the door. In the threshold, there stood a shadowy figure holding a gun.
He dragged himself to the nearest table and propped himself in the chair. He was dress in grey sweat pants and jacket. Underneath the jacket he wore a black t-shirt and on his head, he wore a sweat band. Setting the gun and his feet on the table, he demanded someone bring him food.
Patty grinned and walked up to him, "Welcome. We'll be expecting you to pay for your meal. Do you have enough money to pay for your meal?"
"How about a bullet?" The pirate aimed at Patty's head.
"So, I take it that you don't posses any money." Without warning, Patty slammed the pirate's head into the table.
Dagger watched as Zeff frowned, "That Patty broke one of my tables."
"If you can't pay up, you can't eat," Patty folded his arms and then he laughed, "Oh, your stomach's growling, you filthy pirate."
"That was a fart," the pirate looked up at Patty, "You Jerk. Hurry and get me something to eat."
Patty boomed, "You're no customer so get the hell out of here!" With that, Patty started kicking the hungry pirate. Luffy, Dagger, and Zeff saw Sanji walk away from the incident. Luffy stayed to watch as Dagger and Zeff followed Sanji to the kitchen.
Zeff stood at the entrance of the kitchen and watched with Dagger behind him. He then grinned and motioned Dagger to follow him back up the stairs into his room with the new sun roof.
"What brings you here, Amy?" He asked as looked at the fallen ceiling.
Dagger grinned. "We're looking for a cook for our ship."
"Where's Malik and Sakuya?"
"I don't know where they are. It's strange because I don't remember anything from the past few months."
"Amnesia? Tell me what you can remember. I may know something that might help you."
"Really?" Dagger's face lit up, "I recall that I was traveling with this pirate captain. His name was Captain Nikola. We were near the Grand Line when my memory started fading… but that was after I got this tattoo." Dagger rolled up her sleeve to show Zeff the Bird of Paradise.
"That's the strangest tattoo I've ever seen, but it's also a pirate's mark if it was completed." Zeff touched the neck of the flower, "There should be a skull here." He leaned in closely, "Look here, someone started to make the skull on your skin, but stopped. Nikola. Nikola." He repeated to himself, "I heard that name before, but it's been so long since I went pirating."
"It's alright. I heard that Uncle Mihawk is around here. Maybe he knows more."
"Hawk Eyes, eh? He might know something," Zeff smiled. "Come with me to get your uniform."
"My what?"
"You're going to be a waitress for the next six months."
"One week," Dagger glared, "Luffy said one week."
"Well, I say six months. Shut up and get dressed." Dagger grumbled to herself as she took the uniform from him and went into the restroom.
"I'm not wearing this," Dagger said as she stepped out of the restroom, but Zeff was not there. She walked outside to see him leaning over the rail and shouting down to the lower deck.
"Hey waiter boy! Here you are." Zeff shouted down and then he eyed the empty plate of food.
"Get going, Gin," Sanji said to the pirate and then he walked to the empty plate and dropped it into the ocean, "They don't have any proof, now do they? Don't get caught, again, Gin."
"Thank you, Sanji!" Gin shouted as his ship left the Baratie, "I won't forget this!"
After the Gin's ship sailed away, Zeff called down, "Sanji. Waiter boy. Get back to work right now! And," He pulled Dagger to his side, "Sanji, for as long as your on my ship, you will keep your hands off her." Dagger smiled and waved down.
Sanji scoffed, "You old fart, when do I ever listen to you?"
Luffy tilted his head, "Eh?"
Luffy and Dagger went into the kitchen and introduced themselves as the new waiter and waitress. For the first few minutes, everything was fine until Luffy had to do some work. Dagger was washing the dishes and Luffy was drying them, however, every time he was done, he dropped it back into the sink and broke the plates.
After that, Patty came to give a broom to clean up the mess. But that was worst that his pervious job and so, the cooks sent Luffy and Dagger out to wait on the customers.
"Damn it, Luffy!" Dagger shouted at him, "Can't you do anything right?"
"It's so hard to do these odd jobs," Luffy talked to himself. Dagger suddenly jumped and ran up the winding staircase.
"Hey there waiter," Luffy turned to see Nami.
"HEY. It's you guys!"
Usopp laughed, "I heard you got to work here for six months!"
"Can I redraw the pirate flag?" Zoro joked.
"What is this?" Luffy jumped down and stared at the table, "You're all stuffing yourselves with these great food while I'm not here! That HURTS!"
"Not really, it's our free will." Zoro said and then looked around, "Where's Dagger?
"AH! Dagger has to work too!" Luffy shouted back and looked around, "Where is she? Come out, Dagger!"
Dagger groaned as she walked down the staircase, "Hello… Guys…"
Everyone looked up to see Dagger as she walked down slowly in the uniform. Zoro was the first one to burst into laugher and then Usopp. Nami scoffed.
"You look like a doll!" Zoro laughed, "Dagger, you look hilarious!" Dagger rolled her eyes. She wore a one piece blue dress with white frills at the collar and at the wrist of the sleeves. The lower part of the dress stopped above her knees and flared out with white frills all around. She wore white stockings with black one brass buckle shoes. In her hair was a small white frilly headband.
She frowned and grumbled to herself as she left the table to find Zeff. But she walked into Sanji when she turned. "Oh, I'm sorry."
"No, it's my fault," he said to her with a smiled and handed her a rose, "I was blinded by your beauty. That dress doesn't do you justice." He took her hands in his, "But never frown, because you never know who might be falling in love with your smile."
A smile quickly appeared on Dagger's face as her face became bright red. Zoro's eyes and face was shadowed over as he watched the two.
"Ha ha!" Nami laughed when she noticed, "Zoro's jealous!"
Sanji turned his head to see her, "OH, Mother Ocean! Thanks for arranging these two encounters today!" He pulled out another rose and gave it to Nami, "Oh, my love! Go on, laugh at me. I, who can't bear torture! As long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter if I'm a pirate or a devil! My heart is ready as can be!"
Luffy gave him a weird look and Zoro continued his death stare, "Which girl are you talking about? You can't have them both."
Sanji ignored him and continued. He pulled Dagger and Nami side by side and said with his love-struck gaze, "But, this is horrible! There's such a great obstacle between us!"
"And that would be me, correct?" Everyone turned to see Zeff, "What did I tell you about Amy?"
"Amy?" Luffy and the crew asked.
Dagger raised her hand, "That would be me." She turned to Zeff, "Uncle Zeff, can I please take the uniform off. It's embarrassing."
"Uncle?" They asked again in unison.
Dagger turned to her crew, "Didn't I explain it already? I traveled the world and I met up with old family friends. I don't have any blood related aunts or uncles. Zeff is an old friend of mine. He helped me get started in my travels."
Luffy scratched his head but everyone else nodded as they understood. Luffy asked, "Whose Amy?" He pointed to Dagger, "Her name is Dagger! I named her and she's mine."
Dagger laughed as she hugged Luffy, "Okay, okay. My name is Dagger."
"Good!" Luffy grinned. Nami shook her head but said nothing. Zoro scoffed and sat back down.
"Sanji," Zeff turned his attention on him, "Why don't you run off and be a pirate like them. We don't need you here anymore."
"You old fart. Ain't I the assistant head chef here? What's this crap of not needing me anymore?"
Zeff folded his arms, "You always fight with out customers, you flirt with every beautiful woman in sight, and you make lousy food. You're nothing more than a burden in this restaurant. That's what I mean." Sanji looked up and saw the other cooks snickering. "And the other cooks don't like you anyway. Why don't you become a pirate or whatever your heart desires? Why don't you just get the hell out of here?"
"What's this crap?" Sanji glared, "I didn't do shit, and now you're just talking bull. I don't care about the rest of your excuses, but I'll never allow my cooking to be insulted. I don't care what the hell you're going to say, but I'm staying here as a chef." He ran up and grabbed Zeff by the collar, "If you don't like it, it's your problem!"
"How dare you threaten your own boss?" Zeff replied and countered by throwing him at Luffy's table, "You stupid eggplant!"
"Damn it," Sanji cursed, "No matter how hard you may try, but I'm staying right here as a chef! 'till the day you go to Hell!"
"I won't die." Zeff shouted back, "I'll live for the next one hundred years! Amy, come here now!" Dagger gave her crew a quick waved and a smiled before running after a fuming Head Chef.
Zeff and Dagger went outside on the deck to cool down.
"Sanji doesn't seem like a bad person, Sir." Dagger broke the silence after a few minutes.
Zeff looked at her, "I know. He's a good kid. I want him to go and follow his damn dream instead of staying here with a bunch of old cooks."
"Don't worry," Dagger leaned over the rail, "Luffy will get a cook for us, and he always gets what he wants. He got his eyes set on Sanji. It's only a matter of time. Speaking of Luffy and things, can I please take off this stupid dress!"
"No," Zeff replied.
"Please," she begged, "Please! Uncle ZEFF! Don't do this to me!"
He looked down at her and sighed, "I don't like to see you beg. It's demoralizing to see a princess beg."
"Hush." Dagger snapped, "I don't want anyone to know. It's already difficult to keep a low profile. I'm worried that the two bounty hunters have me on their bounty list."
"Go on and changed back into your normal clothes. You don't have to work anymore," Zeff grinned, "I just wanted to humiliate you."
"Why, thank you." Dagger said sarcastically.
"Man… it's already been four days." Usopp said, "I'm getting fed up with this place. When do you think we can leave?"
Zoro scoffed, "Beats me."
"You don't think he'll really be stuck here for six months right?" Usopp asked.
"Why not?" Nami smiled, "We got free food and a cozy atmosphere."
"You're the only one that gets free food." Zoro snapped.
"Dagger gets it too." Nami turned to Dagger who was leaning over the rail.
"Don't get me into this," she said, "Look, there's Luffy." Luffy walked beside the ship carrying a large trash bag.
"Hey, Luffy! What's up with you? Hurry up and get out of this mess! Dagger got out of it and that stupid dress in the same day! OW!"
Dagger smacked him beside the head, "Never bring that up again if you value your life. I don't care about the pink dress, but this one. I'm going to kill whoever brings it up."
Luffy shouted back, "Can't you guys just wait a bit longer? I'll talk to the boss again. Eh?" Luffy dropped the trash down and went to look at something in the fog.
Slowly a large ship came into view. From out side on the Going Merry, Dagger could hear screams from inside about the approaching ship. It was enormous, bigger than the Baratie. It's menacing figurehead was broken and as the ship came out of the fog, the sails were ripped and holes were in the ship.
"HEY!" Usopp cried, "We ought to get ourselves out of here."
Nami cried out from behind them, "That ship is HUGE!"
The fog disappeared showing the whole ship. Dagger smirked at the piece and said something to herself. From the cracks of the ship, she knew who made it. A large shadowy figure came down from the ship and into the Baratie.
Within a few minutes, Dagger and the rest observed the customers run out of Baratie screaming to their cruise ship and sail away.
Usopp asked, "What's going on in the restaurant…?"
"Let's go check it out," Zoro causally said.
"WHAT! You serious?" Usopp screamed.
"What's wrong? You scared?"
"Ha ha! Don't be silly! I laugh in the face of danger!"
"Nami, Dagger. You stay here to keep the pirates off the ship if they attack." Zoro looked over to the girls.
"Alright," Dagger replied, "Don't blame me if anything goes wrong."
"Bye-bye," Nami waved.
In a few moments, Johnny and Yosaku came over the Going Merry to see Nami looking over some papers.
"What's up, Aneki?" Yosaku asked as he approached her, "You've been starring at the bounty list for a while now.
"Oh, it's nothing!" Nami laughed.
Johnny lean over to see what Nami was looking at, "Ah, Nami. You've chosen the most valued pirate! But it's not best to target Arlong alone. He's not only fierce but strong."
"Arlong?" Dagger came over when she overheard, "That repulsive Merman. I've met him once before. I was lucky to get away from him. How much beli is he worth?"
"Twenty Million," Johnny replied, "Isn't it quite temping to go after him for the reward, but he's too strong that even we can get butchered by him."
"Twenty Million!" Dagger laughed as she walked away, "I'll butcher you faster than him."
"Huh?" They looked at Dagger.
"Oh, I didn't mean anything by that."
"Umm," The three of them turned to Nami, "Excuse me, but I'll like to change for a sec, can you turn around."
Dagger rolled her eyes and walked to the other side, but as soon as she reached the bow, she heard a splash. When she returned to the stern, she saw Nami at the railing and the bounty hunters in the sea.
"What happened?"
Nami looked up at Dagger through her bangs, "I'm going away for a while for business. You can't expect me to stay now, can you? I'm a thief that steals from pirates so I'll be taking this ship. I enjoyed my time with you and the gang, but I must leave."
"You can't be serious. Luffy won't like this. Dagger stood in an attack stance, "I'll have to stop you and I really don't want to fight you. Eh? I must've left my belt in Kaya's mansion!" She looked down and noticed the belt was gone and so was her dagger.
"Of course not, Amy." Nami smirked, "Or should I say Bloody Amy."
Dagger jerk back in surprised, "How did you know?"
"We knew. Luffy and I. We knew when Kuro told us all about you."
"What… He knew all along…? And he didn't tell me… What else do you know?"
"Kuro didn't tell us anything more. I guess he value you as a friend to not tell us all of your secrets." Nami took out a parchment of paper and showed it to Dagger, "Isn't this you?" She walked up and took it from Nami. On the piece of paper it showed a profile of Amy's head holding a fan that covered part of her face. She was grinning mercifully. However, in the picture, Amy had a different hair style than Dagger. As Dagger stared, Nami took this chance to throw her overboard into Johnny.
"Dagger can't swim!" Nami called down, "Get her before she sinks!" She waved down, "If we were meant to be, we'll met again. Bye-bye!"
The Going Merry sailed away as Johnny and Yosaku shouted angrily. Dagger was phased when she fell into the water and was clinging on to Johnny.
"Get me out of the water…" She said weakly. The Wanted poster was gone, probably sunk to the bottom of the ocean. There came a large wave from nowhere and swept the three of them toward the Baratie where they were founded by Luffy.
"Yosaku! Johnny! Dagger! Are you guys okay?"
Zoro shouted down, "Where's the ship! What happened to Nami! Get Dagger out of the water now!" He reached down to Johnny and pulled Dagger up. She sat on the deck heaving for air.
"I'm sorry, Aniki!" Yosaku shouted up, "She left and took off with the treasure!"
"What did you say!" Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro shouted in unison. They got the bounty hunters out of the water and the two explained what had happened.
"Damn! She took advantage of us!" Zoro punched the wall of the Baratie and looked down at Dagger who was coughing for air, "And she almost killed Dagger!"
Usopp was fuming too, "That ship was given to us my Kaya!"
"Hey wait!" Luffy stood on the rails, "I can see it. It's the Going Merry. Where's your ship?"
Yosaku and Johnny looked up, "We still have it, but…"
"Zoro, Usopp, leave right away. Fetch Nami using their ship"
Zoro shrugged, "Never mind. There's no need to chase that woman."
Dagger stood up and leaned on the wall for support. She said before Luffy, "She is our navigator! And we are not sailing without her."
"I'm not sailing without her as my navigator!" Luffy crossed his arms.
Zoro looked at them both and sighed, "Fine. What pain-in-the-asses… Hey, Usopp, let's go." The ship was ready and docked beside the Baratie. "What about you Luffy?"
"I haven't repaid the restaurant yet, so I can't go."
"Where's Dagger?" They both looked around and she was no where in sight.
There was a shouted from Don Krieg's crew and Luffy and the gang turned their heads to see. "It's Hawk Eyes." Zoro whispered and then he saw Dagger beside Zeff.
Zeff crossed his arms and looked down at Dagger, "There he is, a swordsman above all the world's swordsmen."
"You bastard!" One of the pirates called out, "Why did you attack us?"
"To kill time," Hawk Eyes replied.
"Bullshit!" The pirate pulled out two pistols. But as soon as he aimed at Hawk Eyes, he was knocked down.
Dagger stood over him, "Don't disrespect him, you low life."
"What! Who are you?" The pirate looked up, "I'll kill you instead!"
"I won't do that if I were you," Zoro appeared behind him.
"Who the Hell are you?"
One of the other pirate looked at Zoro's sash, "Three swords! It can't be!"
"It can be," Dagger stood akimbo, "Roronoa Zoro. Now, back off." She turned to Zoro, "What are you doing?"
He ignored her and faced Hawk Eyes, "I've been sailing the seas to face you."
"What's your mission?" Hawk Eyes replied with a question.
"To be the best." Zoro replied with a grin and reached for his bandana, but it was not around his arm.
Dagger handed it to him, "I have it. Sorry I didn't give it back."
"Thank you," Zoro took it from her and tied it around his head.
Hawk Eyes looked over to them, "Fool."
Zoro drew his ivory sword from its sheath, "You've got some spare time, don't you? Let's duel."
"You can't," Dagger looked at him, "Not now. You're…" Zoro gave her a stare.
"Duel? Such a pitiful weakling." Hawk Eyes said. He jumped from his small boat to the deck of the remains of Don Krieg's ship. "If you were a fine swordsman, you should've been able to judge the difference in strengths without drawing your sword. Challenging me… Are you that brave? Or simply reckless?"
"This is for my own ambition! And a promise to a fallen friend."
Dagger looked at Hawk Eyes and shook her head. He looked at her with his eyes. They simply stared at each other before Dagger moved out of the two dueler's arena. Hawk Eyes pulled on his necklace and unsheathed the small concealed dagger.
Zoro asked when he saw it, "Hey, what's the meaning of this?"
"This is the smallest sword I carry."
"Don't mock me! Just don't regret it when you die!"
"You're but someone who's yet to experience the real world!"
Dagger sat and watched the fight. With that tiny sword, Hawk Eyes parried Zoro's attacks skillfully. In her mind, she already knew who was going to be the victor, but in her heart, she hoped it would be Zoro.
She grinned when Hawk Eyes brought out his real sword. Zoro had gained his respect.
"Kid, announce your name." Hawk Eyes shouted.
"Roronoa Zoro!" Zoro stood in a new attacking stance.
"I'll remember that. It's been a while since I've seen such a strong will. As a reward, a gesture to a fellow swordsman, I will wield this black sword, the most powerful sword in the world to end your life."
"What!" Dagger stood up but she was silence by Hawk Eye's gaze.
Zoro replied, "I appreciate your offer."
The two charged at each other, but there was only one victor. The two swords Zoro wielded broke and he sheathed the ivory one. He stood with his arms reached outward.
"What's this?" Hawk Eyes asked.
"Attacking from behind is a shameful act among swordsmen."
"Well said." Hawk Eyes slashed Zoro with his black sword. Zoro flew back as blood spurted from the large wound in his chest.
"ZORO!" Dagger called as she ran to him, but he already fell into the sea. "Why?" She turned to Hawk Eyes.
Yosaku and Johnny jumped into the sea to rescue Zoro. Luffy stretched his arm and grabbed onto the rail behind Hawk Eyes, "Bastard!" He flew toward Hawk Eyes, but landed in the deck of the ship.
"You're the young swordsman's friend?" He asked ignoring Dagger, "Thank you for watching over him. Rest assure, that man is alive." Dagger let out a sigh of relief. He looked as Zoro was dragged onto the ship, "It's too early for you to die. My name is Juraquille Mihawk! Become stronger by finding your true self, and I will duel you again. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you. Surpass this sword! Surpass me! Roronoa Zoro!"
He turned to Luffy, "Kid, what's your mission?"
"To become Pirate King." Luffy replied.
Hawk Eyes smiled and looked at Dagger, "That's a difficult path, harder than surpassing me."
"Like I care. I'm going to be one anyway." Luffy stuck out his tongue at him.
"LUFFY!" Zoro called out as he held his sword up, "If I don't become the greatest swordsman in the world, you would have a problem, won't you? I will… I will never… LOSE AGAIN! Until I defeat him and become the greatest swordsman, I'll never be defeated anymore! Any problems with that, Pirate King?"
A wide smile appeared on Luffy's face, "NONE!"
"Good team. I hope we met again." Hawk Eyes turned away from Luffy and at Dagger, "Why are you here?"
Dagger ran beside him to say something, but Don Krieg shouted first, "Hold it right there, Hawk Eyes! Didn't you come for my head?"
"No, I came here for her. You're not worth my time."
"What! Well, die before you go!" From Don Krieg's armor, cannons appeared and fired at Hawk Eyes.
"A true fool." He replied as he pulled out his black sword and deflected all of the ammo from Don Krieg.
Once the smoke died out, Hawk Eyes and Dagger were no where to be seen. Hawk Eye's small boat was gone too.
"Usopp," Luffy called from the Baratie, "Get going! Take care of Nami."
"What about Dagger?" He called back.
"Dagger will come back. Don't worry."
"Alright! Zoro and I will go get Nami, but you just make that cook one of us!" He threw Luffy's straw hat and Luffy caught it.
"Yeah! Now go!"
Wow, such a long chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one. I stayed up until one o'clock writing the end… Dagger's past is catching up with her. I hope this isn't confusing when I said Uncle Zeff and Uncle Mihawk. Remember, not blood related.
Thanks you for reviewing! Thanks: storywriter10791: Yeah, I am; Shadw: Don't get confused now, they're not blood related; i-dun-did-it; WildGamer: I can't make Dagger fight Nami! Lol. Nami will lose and Luffy will get pissed; Kinrutarose: If it's only a one time appearance, I guess that would be fine, but Dagger got a past that you still don't know about yet…; SuperMegaGirl; and Son of Monkey D. Luffy.