Lambo was up in the crow's nest, taking a much needed and deserved nap. The entire night, Lambo took watch and stayed up practicing with his weapon. He's making good progress after just one night of self-teaching.
He is at least good enough to not hit himself or his allies in the midst of the battle, although he's still not proficient enough to be considered a threat. But that's okay, that was only one night, he just has to continue practicing every night if he wants to get stronger.
Not to mention he couldn't go to sleep below deck with the other guys if he wanted to, Nami got her own room since she was a girl, Luffy snores make it really difficult to sleep. He's not used to it being very noisy at night.
Hell, he's not used to it being very noisy or chaotic throughout the day. It only gets loud whenever Gokudera and Hibari get into fights. But ever since Tsuna placed Reborn in charge of their punishments, fights within the manor decreased rapidly.
Didn't mean they didn't happen; they just went to places where there would be the least collateral damage.
Lambo was just about to fully succumb to sleep when a familiar loud and childish voice startled him awake.
"I Finished!"
The young teen decided to go down to the deck to see what Luffy is so excited over now. Nimbly climbing down the rope ladders, only to be met with the sight of Luffy holding up a black flag with a poorly drawn Jolly Rodger.
"Luffy, what the heck is that?", Lambo deadpanned at the, supposedly, older boy.
"Look it's our pirate mark.", Luffy giggles, "Now that Usopp joined we have five people, that's almost a whole crew! I think it's about time we got our own flag!"
"... Luffy? Is that really going to be our mark?", Zoro asked, making the closest expression to horror that Lambo has ever seen on the swordsman.
"What do you think? Nice huh?", Luffy asked, smiling proudly at his work.
"Our mark should be scary." Zoro comments apprehensively, "It should strike fear into our enemies' hearts.
"If our enemies were terrified infants, then this would be perfect.", Nami said sarcastically.
"The design itself is fine, Buggy's was really no better, but I think someone else should paint the mark instead of our brainless captain.", Lambo reports his opinions on the flag dryly.
Usopp tsked the group as if a mother would, waving his finger in the air as he shook his head.
"You guys should've really told me about this.", Usopp chastised, almost mockingly, "Maybe you didn't know this about me, but I am an artist."
He is?
"Does that mean you draw?", Luffy asked in awe.
What? Is this seriously the guy that Lambo is going to sail the seas with?
"When it comes to painting, I'm in a league of my own!", Usopp proudly bragged, "I've been drawing graffiti for fifty years straight!"
No one would fall fo-.
"Woah fifty years?", Luffy asked in awe.
Lambo mentally face palmed, of course Luffy would believe him.
"That would mean he is an old man by now.", Zoro teases the long-nosed teen, playing along with Luffy's childishness.
"Which would give him five or six grandchildren and I don't see that.", Nami plays along as well.
"You gotta give me your skin care regime for when I get to be old as you.", Lambo joins in as well.
"That's so cool!", Luffy exclaims
Usopp just stares at them all in confusion.
"Huh?"
Several minutes later, Usopp stood up, proudly presenting his redone version of the flag.
"Behold! My true art!"
He held out the flag for everyone else to see.
"Ta-da!"
Lambo tilted his head at the flag that looked more like Usopp then Luffy. He drew a mark for himself!
"It looks a lot like you on that flag.", Luffy stated irritably.
"Jerk!", Luffy and Zoro said simultaneously, both punch Usopp at the side of his head in unison.
Another several minutes later, Usopp revealed the flag once more to show it being the same mark Luffy attempted to paint earlier but done more professionally.
It looked awesome and sent chills all over Lambos body in excitement. This is all really happening. It's a little hard for him to believe it's actually happening now.
"So, how do you like this one?", Usopp asked, arms crossed, eyes closed, and chin up in pride.
"Wow, that's actually pretty good Usopp.", Nami awed over the flag.
"I couldn't imagine anything else as our mark.", Lambo praised with a small smile.
"Yeah, let's keep it! That's the one!", Luffy agreed joyously.
"So, we finally settled on it? This is going to be our mark?", Zoro asks to be sure.
"It sure is!", Luffy confirmed eagerly, "Hey Usopp! Draw it on the sail too!"
"Right!"
After a while later, the sails had the exact same mark on them as well and the flag was up and waving above the crow's nest. Lambo couldn't help feeling himself swell with pride. This was just another step for him as a life of a pirate.
And it felt great.
"Okay! It's all~ done!", Luffy exclaims, satisfied, "Now the Going Merry has everything she could possibly need!"
Luffy laughed as he stared up in pride and awe of the ship he was to captain.
…...
"So, you're studying to become a doctor huh? It's a lot of work, be prepared."
Kaya looked up at the direction the deep stoic voice came from to see a tall man wearing a fedora and a suit standing in the doorway to her study.
"I'm aware.", she politely acknowledged his earlier comment, "But I want to help people just like they have helped me when I was sick."
"Hmm...", the stranger regarded her carefully, making no move to encourage or debunk her goal.
"Tell me, I'm looking for a boy, young teen, a mess of curly black hair, and dresses similarly to a cow, his name is Lambo, have you seen him?"
Kaya stared at the man, unsure whether or not to answer his question. She had to find out some answers first, without revealing that she did, indeed, see Lambo. For the rest of this conversation, Kaya has to be very careful with her words.
It's good thing she's a woman raised in the upper class. Nobles and rich folk alike use their words like weapons, or in other cases, such as Kaya's and her families, use their words to dance around the other in order to get what they need or want, without receiving any backlash from the exchange.
She is out of practice, but she knows what she is doing.
"Why are you looking for this boy, has he done something wrong?", Kaya asks innocently, "And if so, who are you to be going after him?"
The strangers' eyes narrowed, seemingly knowing what she was up to, but seeing no other way for him to get what he wanted, he would have to play along.
"Pardon my manners miss, my name is Reborn, the world's greatest hitman and the advisor to the Decimo of Vongola.", Reborn introduced himself with a small respective bow and the tilt of his hat.
Kaya struggled, but succeeded, to keep her expression neutral for what this person's identity could mean for Lambo, but she does let her eyes blow wide in shock at his identity. How is a kind caring boy, such as Lambo, connected to such a widely known mafia?
Being completely neutral to this revelation would raise suspicions on her, they most likely already suspect that she knows he's a hitman, the world's greatest no less. There's a chance it may be a bluff, but she's not taking any chances when it comes to the safety of those that helped protected her and the village, those that Usopp is with right now. Plus, something is telling her, no screaming at her, that this man is who he says he is.
Which means, Lambo somehow got mixed up with the largest, not to mention the strongest, mafia family the East Blue has ever known. Especially since their Tenth became the Decimo several years ago. When he became head of the mafia family, they became even more stronger, with new ties with new allies, stronger ties with older allies, stronger people, stronger members, it didn't matter the job.
The Vongola is filled with the best of the best, even almost every pirate in all of the East Blue avoids them, most pirates from everywhere else does as well. Vongola has connections everywhere, even in the Grand Line.
How on Earth did Lambo get mixed up with these people?
…...
Lambo was lounging around the deck along with everyone else, par Luffy, laying on top of the thick railing. He couldn't help but wonder what was happening back with Vongola. Did they miss him? Did his leaving affect anything at all?
Suddenly a loud 'thunk', surprising Lambo, causing him to almost fall off the railing and into the sea. Now that's not as big of a deal as it would be if it was Luffy, he could swim just fine, but he would rather stay dry.
Lambo looked over to the source of the noise to find Luffy with a big box that has DANGER printed in big red lettering across all sides.
"Whew, this sucker's heavy.", Luffy heaved.
"Luffy...", Lambo states blandly, eyes digging holes into the box, "What are you doing?"
"What the hell is that!?", Nami exclaims worriedly, with good reason.
"Found it in the storeroom.", Luffy cheerfully replied.
Lambo peered over the edge in order to see... multiple cannon balls inside.
The teen sweat dropped.
This guy is trying to blow them all up.
"It's a crate full of cannon balls!", Nami states in shock.
Thank you Nami, is no one going to mention how Luffy may have almost blown them up with how hard he dropped that crate full of death balls?
"I figured since we had our own cannon, we can get in some target practice.", Luffy explained.
Usopp chuckled with a smirk, "Just leave the cannoning to me! I can recollect to the time when I was three years old and jumped at a passing canon ball..."
"Nobody cares Usopp.", Lambo says watching Luffy go over to the canon, ignoring Usopp's new lie.
"Hey, listen!", Usopp shrieked at the straw hat wearing boy.
"Zoro! You know how to shoot this!?", Luffy calls out to his sleeping first mate.
"He's asleep Luffy.", Lambo sighs, laying back down at the railing as he went back to staring at the sky.
"He does nothing but sleep.", complains Nami.
"He's no fun.", Luffy groans disappointed, before brightening up and turning to the cow themed dressed boy.
"Hey Lambo, you were with the mafia, do you know how to work this thing?", Luffy asked curiously.
"Wait, you were a part of the mafia!?", Usopp shrieks.
"Oh yeah, you still just joined up.", Lambo mutters turning on to his side to Usopp, "I was a mafioso sent off on vacation by my boss. They all didn't think very highly of me, never trained me nor sent me out to missions. Thought I would mess up preparations for some important Gala, so they sent me out on vacation were I met Luffy, and he convinced me to join the crew, so I sent my Famglia a letter basically saying, 'I'm a pirate now, I quit.'"
"Wow.", Usopp breathed, "You have guts."
Lambo shrugged, "Not really, they were literally my famiglia, I mostly left them then the mafia."
Nami turns to the younger teen, "Wait, you mean all that stuff you've talked about before was from your family."
"Yep."
Nami's frown grew deeper as she stared at the nonchalant boy.
"Anyway, they never sent me on a mission, remember?", Lambo said, talking about Luffy's earlier question, "I have no idea how to work that thing."
"You know, to the south of here is a reef that would make excellent target practice.", Nami comments, looking away from her map.
"Let's go!", Luffy exclaimed excitedly, "For real guys, let's go!"
Lambo groans as his ears are invaded by the overlapping voices of Usopp and Luffy excitedly looking over the cannon to try and see how to work the device.
Lambo looked over to see Zoro still peacefully sleeping, maybe he's got the right idea.
…...
Reborn sailed through the waters, looking over his maps and charts, trying to figure out where Lambo may head to next, there isn't much in the direction they're sailing, so where could they stop at next?
His eye caught on to a restaurant floating near in the middle of nowhere.
He looked over the chart and the name.
"Interesting...", mumbles Reborn.
Interesting indeed, Reborn knows that restaurant. In fact, he knows the owner. A chef who used to be a notorious pirated captain that happens to owe him a favor.
Reborn got the boat ready and steered it towards the correct direction.
'Before you go, I just want you to know that when I saw him, he looked really happy.", the girl said just as he was about to leave, back facing her, "And the sad thing about that is, he looked like someone who has rarely been happy in his life. Just think about that.'
Hasn't been happy?
When has the stupid cow not been happy?
He's so damn happy all the damn time that he keeps throwing grenades everywhere just as much as Gokudera throws his dynamites to start a fight, just because he's so damn happy and thinks he's the strongest thing there is. Just yes-…. Just last we-… last month?
.
.
.
Year?
Now that he thinks about it, when has the stupid cow truly ever caused trouble? When the bazooka came into play, and that was only past stupid cow getting into trouble.
He remembers to how Hibari said that there was a major difference between the past and future Lambos. They all ignored the Cloud Guardian, thinking they knew better.
But what if he's right.
.
.
.
When was the last time he saw the stupid cow cry? Get angry besides that one spat before he was sent off on his vacation? Get scared?
Be happy?
'... he looked really happy.'
What did they do to Lambo?
…...
Lambo startled awake, crashing down on to the deck, fortunately, from the loud 'bang' that belonged to nothing else but the canon.
"That was way off the mark!", Luffy shouts over the whistling noise of the canon ball and the great big splash caused by this landing.
With a low groan from the mild pain of his none to light landing, Lambo sat up to see Zoro awake, looking beyond confused. Guess he wasn't the only on awaken from the loud canon fire caused by none other than Luffy and Ussop.
"Hey, what's so loud down there?", Zoro called down from his spot, confused.
"Canon firing practice.", Luffy answered back before contemplating on how to aim the heavy device, "It's not going very well."
"Like I said, let the expert aim the thing.", Usopp boasted.
Lambo rolled his eyes, "Luffy, you need to share your toys, your seventeen, not seven."
With a pout, Luffy allowed Usopp his turn.
"Judging by the flying distance of the last one... this should do it!", Ussop said satisfied after adjusting the angle of the canon.
"Fire!"
They lit the fuse and a cannon ball burst from the weapon and made contact with its intended target. Turning the reef into a crumbled heap.
Lambo whistled at the sight, "Nice shot Usopp."
"Awesome!", exclaimed Luffy, "You hit that thing on the first try!"
"Woah, I did.", Usopp breathed not quite believing it himself, before gathering himself back together and began bragging once again, "Whatcha think? I'm pretty magnificent when it comes to aiming. So, impressed yet?"
Luffy nodded, "You better believe it! So, it's all settled, you'll be our sniper."
Lambo huffed a quiet laugh; he could have told you that. Of course, Usopp was a sniper. He's been unknowingly showing off his skill the moment they met him.
"Wait, I don't get to be captain?", Usopp asked, still hung up about being a pirate captain.
"No! I'm still the captain.", Luffy denied.
After several minutes of arguing and going to the kitchen Usopp finally conceded to his newly appointed position.
"Alright, I'll let you have this one.", Usopp laughed, "But, the second you do something cowardly; I'm taking over your post."
"Pot, meet kettle.", Lambo mumbled to the crew's sniper, but was ignored, as he shared the small ink pot with Nami, making careful strokes on his paper.
"I can live with that.", Luffy agreed to Usopp's 'condition', "You know guys, I was thinking. There's one other position we have to fill before we can head out to the Grand Line."
Lambo looked up, pausing on what he was working on, "We do?"
"Your right.", Nami agreed with Luffy.
He never thought he'd see the day when the Navigator would agree with the captain without some sort of fight or yelling match, mostly her doing the yelling.
"The kitchen is really nice on this ship.", Nami points out, Lambo silently agrees, looking over his unfinished drawing of said kitchen, hiding it under some unused papers, "Just pay me and I'll do it."
"I... don't see that turning out well.", Lambo comments dryly, looking away from the group.
An irk mark appeared on the side of Nami's head, "What's that supposed to mean!?"
"You're an expensive lady Nami, that's what I mean.", Lambo deadpanned as he spoke the obvious.
Nami sweat dropped as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Oh... right."
"Suppose it is vital for long trips.", Zoro agrees.
Luffy does his signature laugh, "Shishishi, no decent pirate ship should be without one... a musician."
"Ugh, are you an idiot!?", Zoro shouts.
"Why is that even a question?", Lambo counters.
"What do you think we're doing out here!?", Nami shouts at Luffy.
"Just when I thought you were going to say something smart.", Usopp groans.
How did any of them become a part of this guy's crew again?
"We're pirates!", Luffy tried in vain to defend himself, "And pirates sing a lot, didn't you know?"
Suddenly a loud crash interrupted their conversation, more like a berating on their captain's stupidity.
"Get out here you damn pirates!", a voice shout from outside.
"Did we have another crew member I was unaware of?", Lambo asks.
"Of course not!", Nami shouted at the younger boy with sharp teeth.
Lambo looked off to the side with half-lidded eyes, "I didn't think so."
Luffy stormed outside, slamming the door open.
"Hey! What the hell!?", he calls out to the stranger, "Who are you!?"
"Shut up! Who I am means nothing!", the man angrily shouts back.
"It kind of means something to us, so... yeah.", Lambo mumbled to himself, knowing the stranger wouldn't hear him.
"You stinking pirate!"
With that said, the man lunged forward with his sword, causing Luffy to jump out of the way as he sliced through the hand railing in front of the kitchen.
Lambo watches through the window, behind Usopp and Nami.
He sighs tiredly, "We just got the damn boat yesterday and already someone is trying to wreck it."
"Hey guys, how many are there?", Zoro asks from his spot from the back.
"Uh... one.", Nami answered.
"Then just let him handle it.", Zoro said, unbothered by the news of an attacker on the ship.
To be honest, neither were Nami, Usopp, and Lambo. They were just confused about the stranger's behavior and Lambo was low-key worried about the ship.
Lambo winced from another crash.
"Hey, we may need some glue.", Lambo called out to Zoro, who mumbled something to himself thoughtfully.
Then there was another loud crash, caused by Luffy this time as he screamed at the weird man to stop destroying their ship. A bit counter-productive, don't you think Luffy?
"Lots of it.", Lambo added on to his previous comment.
"We're going to need more than just glue!", screeches Usopp, "Kaya gave us this ship!"
Zoro squeezed past the three to look at the fallen man outside, Lambo following close behind him while the other two stayed inside.
"Johnny?", he called out tiredly, "Tell me that isn't you."
Lambo peeked around Zoro to see a darkly tanned man with a mark on his cheek, black messy hair cut closely to his head, wearing a dark purple shirt, blue hoodie with the sleeves pushed up just beneath his elbows, beige pants, a black wristwatch, and mid-calf black boots.
"Huh?", the man looked up at the two, "Whose saying my name like they know me or something?"
Lambo is pretty sure this is the most shocked he has ever seen Zoro looked so far.
The man, Johnny, sat up ram rod straight with a small noise of surprise.
"Big bro Zoro!", he exclaimed, shocked.
"Big bro?", Lambo said confused.
"Later.", Zoro quietly told the younger boy before speaking down to Johnny again.
"Johnny, it is you!"
"What are you doing here big bro!?"
"Where's Yosaku, isn't he usually with you?"
"What's going on?", Luffy asks the question that was on everyone's minds, "Do they know each other or something?"
Gee, how did you guess?