Legend of the Strawhats

by The White Wulf

John McCallum was an everyday fisherman who had just inherited his father's ship. What should have been a happy occasion with his loving family turned into a day of devastating loss. In a world utterly alien to him John finds himself associated with a boy made of rubber who wants to be the Pirate King. To make matters worse, said boy decided that John was a part of his crew.

2. Chapter 2

Just some notices.

First, the additions to the crew are negligible. For instance, Yamato will be considered new addition whenever I get to them (Jesus Christ that will take forever). There is also one new possible member that has been cemented, one that I believe has never been done before now…I think? Don't really read too many One Piece fics. The ones I do I haven't read in a long while nor will I for some time, at least until I get all my ideas straightened out.

2nd, Fate/Shield was the next in line for the standard updates but due to several plot issues I've decided to skip it for now and move on to Fate/Clover. My muse for Fate/Shield is still going strong, unlike Ultimate Weapon, but Jesus Christ the dialogue I used and the plot progression for the next chapter was just…bleh. My Shirou is intentionally kind of bland, a reflection of his less than human mentality. He has sparks of emotion and such but damn, the way I wrote him was so bland he was basically like flour! Rewriting that chapter effective immediately. As such next in line is Fate Clover.

P.S: For those of you wondering and missed John's appearance is based on Charlie Hunnam with some alterations. His blue eyes are especially bright and colorful, even by our standards.

P.S: Expect some canon divergences to keep things interesting. Not enough to change early adventures, but enough to keep things fresh and interesting until the Grandline. Also excuse my rather horrible attempt at an accent in writing.

No beta's we die like Ace, donut and all.

The Legend of The Straw Hat Pirates

Chapter 2: The Swordsman and The Navigator.

The boat swirled around, the creaking of the wood telling me that any longer in this whirlpool and we were screwed. That and the ocean water was dangerously close to hitting me and Luffy. I turned to Luffy, hoping for support. Instead, the moron was running from side to side, looking for anything he could use.

"DAMNIT IF ONLY WE HAD A PLATFORM! WE COULD PUSH….OUR…way…out."

Luffy and I looked at each other. Our faces became shadowed and blank as we stared at my hand.

….

I slapped myself in the face and from my left shoulder, a long pole grew. I tried my best to make it uniform but the pole looked like a jagged icicle. It grew to be well over 12 feet in length, its creation slow, as the ice wanted to just burst out uncontrollably. It was cold, cold to the point a freezing mist blew from it. I grabbed the ice pole and ripped it off my left shoulder, jamming the pole into the water, freezing it on impact. The depth of the ice was enough for it to become a solid enough platform to push off of. Granted, it wasn't as good as if I had pushed off solid ground, but it was better than nothing. Luffy was right beside me, his monstrous strength helping me heave us right through the whirlpool. A job that should have been impossible for even ten strong men was accomplished by me and Luffy.

In fact, it worked better than intended for instead of plopping out of the whirlpool, we were launched by the thing, its momentum carrying us! Luffy yelled, screaming in joy as the wind hit our faces. I was screaming in terror, more concerned with the damages our dingy had. Creaks from the wood were now screaming, bits and pieces breaking off. I filled the cracks with ice, but even my patch job would only make things worse as time went on. Not to mention making the boat heavier and less streamlined. We landed, hard. I closed my eyes as the ship evened out. Our luck didn't run out, as our boat didn't splinter from the cold of the ice.

After questioning the zany nature of being launched by a whirlpool, which to my knowledge should be impossible, I turned to Luffy.

"We got a problem," I grunted. I let my ice flow from my hand at the head of our boat. It filled the crack and followed my will. It filled whatever cracks were in our keel and would keep us afloat for some time.

Luffy looked at our boat and blinked. While I was staring at the sail, Luffy was watching the small cracks in my ice begin to form. They were mostly surface level, but eventually my stamina would run out and the ice would shatter. While I looked fine physically, I could feel an inexplicable strain on my person that was draining me the longer I kept repairing the ice.

"How long do we got?"

"How on earth would I know that lad? I've no idea how strong this wood is."

"Hmm".

Luffy stretched his neck, a sight I still admit I had trouble accepting. It went on for what seemed like miles before his head came crashing back down to his shoulders.

"There are two boats in the distance!" smiled Luffy "maybe we can hitch a ride with them?"

I smiled.

"You're using your head lad."

Horrific joke aside, I frowned.

"Where the hell was it this morning when you dragged me onto this little boat and went out on open water without proper navigation!?"

Luffy merely grinned and shrugged. By the lord I would throttle this kid. Yet, our relationship has always been like this. Luffy's outright insanity had, ironically, kept me from going insane over the years. Perhaps that kept me from pushing more.

"Alright. Keep an eye out, I'll get us there" I muttered.

I moved to the very back of the boat and situated myself as best I could. The water was calm and even with the broken sail I was able to push us bit by bit through the sea. It was like a gondola…if an ice man was pushing with every ounce of his might to launch you through the seas as fast as possible. It would have been pleasant but my skill was non-existent so our ride was hazardous and shaky.

But hey, we didn't die! I had to admit, as dangerous as it was, it was faster than merely rowing the boat. Luffy placed his foot forward on the prow of our boat, his finger pointed forward.

"TO ADVENTURE!" laughed Luffy.

I grumbled away like an old man, wondering why on earth I was going along with this so readily.

"You know why" I thought "it's better being here than Fuusha village, wallowing in my depression."

I felt Luffy's finger flick me in the head. It wasn't painful, my ice body preventing any real damage. But the boy got my attention. My eyes met Luffy's and the boy gave me a small smile.

"You with me ice man?"

I sighed, a frosty breath escaping me. I heaved the boat forward again, my reforged body more than strong enough to do so, its limits I've yet to find.

"Yea" I muttered "I'm with ya lad. Say, after we get help do you have a destination in mind?"

Luffy shook his head.

"Nah. Need a navigator before we go anywhere else!"

"…is there a particular reason you didn't HIRE a navigator back at Fuusha? Or a ship for that matter?"

Who the hell rides the sea with just a dinghy anyway? I knew Luffy had an in with Dan Dan and could have scrounged money for a boat.

"Too weak" grumbled Luffy.

I had to admit, the lad had a point. The navigators that frequented Fuusha village were not exactly the most…reliable folk. Still, it would have been better to hire a ship to bring us somewhere else, especially without a navigator. There were also the laws regarding the oceans that were admittedly of some concern. To sail out of Fuusha without some navigational experience was fool hardy, even for Luffy.

I heaved the boat yet again. To my eyes, two ships in the distance began to appear. Another few heaves and we closed in. Yet, a sound echoed to both Luffy and me. One that was familiar to me. After all, I'd heard it from films.

"Is that cannon fire?" I muttered.

"Warning shots."

True. The cannon balls that were fired were aimed at the sides of the ship, not damaging the hull but warning the captains. The ship on the red was a pinkish red, bearing a black sail with an odd jolly roger. The other was a larger cruise ship.

"They're being raided" I muttered.

Luffy nodded. I turned to Luffy.

"What's the plan captain?"

This would be the first time that I could see what Luffy was made of. Words were one thing, actions were another. It was funny though, me saying that. My heart was hammering in my chest and a well of nervousness kept sinking into my bones. If I wasn't made of ice I could have sworn I felt a chill in my bones.

"We get involved" grinned Luffy "and fight those pirates!"

Luffy did not consider himself a hero, I knew that much.

"You want their damn ship, don't you?" I muttered.

Luffy grinned.

"That or a ride" he chuckled "either way we're out of here! SHISHISHISHISHISHI!"

I decided to ignore reminding Luffy that ships that size required more than two people to properly man it. He would learn.

"Alright than captain" I smiled "I'll move us to the cruise ship. Hopefully we don't get shot out of the water."

I wasn't too concerned about the ocean beneath me. Push came to shove I could freeze the water. So long as I was not submerged a foot or so into the ocean, my power was unaffected. Don't ask me how I found that particular fact out, a very awkward day.

I tried to keep my grunts quiet as I brought us closer to the cruise ship. The cannon fire ceased as the pirate ship began docking the cruise ship from the back. The frightful screams above me pissed me off, pushing my fear down. Luffy stretched himself and gripped the frame of the hull. I hugged the lad from behind and Luffy's rubber arms brought us both to the tip of the floor where I climbed off and hung off the edge with Luffy. We peeked our heads over to get a look. I grimaced at the sight. A woman, fatter than anything I had ever seen in my life, was swinging a heavy mace at anything that showed even the slightest resistance. Thankfully no one seemed to have died, but I doubt that would be the case for long. She laughed, the sound cruel and nasally. She kept spouting some nonsense about who was the most beautiful of the seas.

"What's the plan captain?"

Luffy turned to me and grinned.

"Distraction!"

I turned to my friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Wah!"

Luffy gripped the back of my shirt and hurled me over. Somehow, I landed on my feet in the middle of the chaos. All eyes turned to me.

"…for a raid I expected a few more pirates? They're spread out and away from this woman…I'm assuming she's their captain considering the atmosphere…and her hat."

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Luffy stretching to the top of the mast, his rubbery arms yanking individual pirates away from the people. No one seems to notice Luffy grabbing these pirates, their voices muffled. Those that would have seen Luffy were too busy glaring at my arrival.

"So that's your plan" I muttered.

God, this was stressful, but I decided to play the part as best I could. I smiled, hoping it was charming.

"Fingers crossed" I prayed.

"Ladies and Gentleman good day!"

The woman turned to me, her smile quite honestly making my blood run cold. Still, now was the time I deployed the greatest skill mankind had ever developed. The bullshit.

"I have to say" I grinned "this is a first. I've never once intruded on a pirate raid before. Whom might you be my lady?"

I felt the bow I did might have been a bit much. Either way the woman smiled. Her ugliness did not stem from her body shape. On the contrary, her shape had little to do with my revulsion. A memory of such a woman by the name of Ashley flushes my mind. Her smile reminded me of the sun. She had been radiant. Our time together, while short, had been fun. This woman…her smile filled me with nothing but contempt, her face and body a monument to the cruelty of people. However, the appearance of a bob of orange hair caught my eye, its color a far sight from the sea of pink, white, and red. She was weaving silently through the various pathways of the ship. In all honesty I'm surprised I even noticed her.

"Whatever are you doing lass?" I thought. I made sure to never keep my eyes focused on her, didn't want the lass to be attacked.

"I am Alvida the iron mace! Am I not the most beautiful of the seas stranger?"

I forced myself to smile. I was going to kick Luffy upside the head for this. I smiled and stroked my beard, my blue eyes narrowed in what I hoped was a contemplative gesture.

"You are certainly a contender."

YOINK! The bob of orange hair had snuck her hand into the pocket of one of the pirates and stolen something. YOINK! Another was her victim. I adverted my eyes, she wasn't the issue right now. I needed to keep them occupied. Luffy was just sitting up on the mast, waiting for more opportunities.

"For long have I travelled these seas and-"

CRASH, BONK!

My impromptu bullshit was interrupted by a small boy falling to the ground. His hair was an incredible shade of pink but his eyes and face were covered in tears. The snot flowing from the child's nose made my heart ache and if im being honest, a little grossed out. I looked at the crowd of people huddled in the corner of the ship. Instead of hate or fear, I saw pity directed at the boy. The orange hair, Luffy, and the pink haired kid…it was almost too much. But when I saw the bruises around the boy's collar I did the only thing I could think to do in that situation. I froze my face.

I meant that in the literal sense. The inside of my skull froze, trapping my facial expressions into an ice-clad poker face, a nasty little trick I learned when playing poker with Garp and DanDan. I didn't know what kind of expression I had when I saw the child, but I knew it wouldn't help me stop what this pirate was doing if it showed.

Alvida began screaming, her expression akin to a frothing Pitbull. The kid, with his odd pink hair, was shivering at her verbal barrage. I looked towards Luffy who was slightly shaking with silent laughter, chucking Alvida's underlings into the sea. The ass was having fun while I was down here getting hit on by Jabba the Gut. The orange haired girl seemed to finally notice Luffy. Her expression must have been what mine was like when I first saw Luffy stretching. She was smart to be silent though. But even Luffy's jovial time had to come to an end.

"Out of time" I declared solemnly as a good portion of Alvida's men were now gone. I tried to come up with something, anything to get the last of Alvida's men out of commission but sadly that was not the case. I could take out everything on this ship in a second…but that was the problem in and of itself. Precise attacks outside of constructs was not currently in my skill set. You try being a living avalanche of ice and get back to me on how easy it was to control.

I apparently was not as quiet as I thought, Alvida turned to me; her face flushed.

"P-pardon? Did you just cost me this Koby!?" she screamed, turning to Koby.

I shuddered. Dear god no.

"Lad."

Colby turned to me.

"I suggest you come to me."

Alvida tilted her head.

"Excuse me? Did you just order my cabin boy? I don't care how pretty you are, NO ONE ORDERS ANYBODY BUT ME!"

Koby, perhaps out of fear or instinct, rushed to my side. His eyes were frantic and I could see around his collarbone the dark hue of a bruise…one that was matched along his arms and even the side of his head. I felt my teeth beginning to creak. The idea of a child like this boy getting abused by an adult always put me in a bad mood.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!" cried Alvida "YOU MESS WITH MY HEART! ORDER MY BOY AROUND!? ONLY I ORDER MY CREW AROUND!"

I rose an eyebrow watching this woman lose her mind. My expression must have been worse than I thought as her antics merely got worse. I had forged all pretenses at this point and stepped in from of Koby fully, his body obscured by mine. I should have done the poker face trick honestly, might have made this situation a tad easier. Alvida hefted her massive mace and glared at me. Yet even as she hefted her mace to crush my skull, she still tried to…seduce me? I wasn't entirely certain. I'm pretty sure she was trying to lean forward but…

"Pirates are weird," I thought.

"I HAVE A CREW! A BOUNTY! WHAT DO YOU HAVE!?"

I smiled gently.

"I have a Luffy."

"Wha-GURK!"

Luffy appeared beside Alvida, driving his fist right into her side so hard she folded in on herself. She gagged on the ground where in Luffy raised his foot and smashed her head into the ship. She twitched a few times and promptly passed out. I stared at the sight of the violence cool and calm as ever. Was this due to my Logia fruit? Or had I become desensitized to violence after the fourth time I watched Luffy and his grandfather suplex a bear the size of a Ram Truck? Either way, I could live with this.

I turned to the people and noticed a few of the pirates seemed shell-shocked. Unlike Luffy, I wasn't in the mood to simply declare my status as a Devil-Fruit user. I cracked my knuckles as two men approached me. Koby rushed to the larger-than-life Luffy, content with leaving me behind. I smiled, kid was smart, rushing to the stronger of us two. Unlike Luffy, this would be my first taste of genuine combat.

The first man rushed me, his form…seemed slow. It wasn't as if time slowed down but rather that his movements were well in my reaction time. I blocked his sabre with my left arm. I didn't give the pirate any time to wonder what the hell just happened when I socked him in the jaw with my other hand. I then used my momentum to shoulder-check the other pirate. Heaving all my weight and strength behind my blow had sent the second pirate careening through the air. He smashed into the ship's railing, crumpling helplessly.

"Did I just kill a man?" I thought.

Worse yet, I had launched a man well beyond a few meters. I knew training with Luffy would make me stronger…yet the fact that I was now technically super-human was just mind-boggling…well superhuman by my old world's standards. Here? I was probably just better than average sans the ice. The sight of Garp chucking a goddamn cannonball would never leave my memory.

If one needed a reality check on strength, that would do it. The rest of the fight was spent knocking out what remained of Alvida's men while Luffy decimated the remaining number. Every one I knocked out (hopefully) Luffy would just launch into the sea or slam into the boat three at a time. The fight must have been boring for the captain, as Luffy moved quickly, his smile absent from his face.

As the last of the pirates fell, Luffy turned to me and pointed at all the pirates that were still on board.

"Hey John, think you can get these guys tied up?"

I sighed and watched as Luffy began rummaging through the barrels that were on the deck. Soon enough, he was laughing away on top of a barrel, eating some apples. Alvida and her men were still knocked out and the people in the corner began to move. I tried to smile reassuringly at them, to let them know we meant no harm. It must have done something. Even the orange haired girl seemed to calm slightly…only for her body to stiffen in response. She joined the rest of the people. I honestly lost track of her even when she was right in front of me.

"Wh…what do you want" whispered one of the women? She was utterly terrified, clutching whom I assumed to be her husband to her chest. His eyes were beginning to open and he seemed ok for the most part.

"We are not here to harm you" I smiled "Instead I ask if we can bother you for a ride to the nearest island."

The man with a white navyish captain's hat stood on shaky knees, he swallowed staring at me and Luffy.

"Is…is that all?"

I turned to Luffy. My captain seemed to stew in his thoughts and then smiled.

"A party!" declared Luffy "Let's have a party! Come on! Hey John, can you lock these guys up for us! Don't need them around."

I stared at Luffy.

"A party" I chuckled "now?"

"Why not!" declared Luffy "besides, we all need something to brighten our days! We almost died, they almost died, seems like a good time to me!"

I stared at my friend who grinned back at me.

"Your logic, as always Luffy, is flexible."

He smiled at me as if I had crowned him the King of the world.

"That wasn't a compliment."

"SHISHISHISHISHI."

I turned to the captain who was now helping people up. I walked towards a man and offered my hand.

"You feel up to party?" I asked grinning.

The man merely blinked at me. Slowly their smiles began to grow and I felt a small warmth in my heart. I turned to Luffy whose grin was like the sun. He walked up to people, talking to them as if they had been friends for life.

"HEY JOHN!" yelled Luffy.

I rose an eyebrow, having been in the middle of moving some people.

"You know where their stuff is?" asked Luffy "this Alvida guy was robbing them and no one knows where it went? Any chance we can give it back?"

"That's a woman" I stated.

Luffy's eyes literally bugged out of his skull

"THAT THINGS A GIRL!?"

The reaction drew quite the laughter from those around us. Even I had to admit, I had a laugh at this Alvida's expense. I wasn't ordinarily one for making fun of someone simply because of their appearance, but her? I made an exception for her.

"But sure" I stated, "so long as we can find where she was storing it."

Luffy grinned and gave the girl he was talking to a thumbs up.

"It's here."

I turned to face whoever spoke. A flash of orange hair and a reluctant grimace greeted me. She was holding a sack of what I assumed to be their valuables.

"Thank you lass."

I took the bag. I frowned a bit at the resistance she gave me but eventually the woman let the bag go. She seemed to almost be in tears at the loss. With a toss to Luffy I set to work. Luffy proceeded to take each item out and toss it to its respective owners. The girl chose to join the circle, watching Luffy like a hawk. I heft another man over my shoulder, now having two, than three, and shocking I was going strong with even a fourth man over my shoulder...I was curious how many I could carry damnit, leave me be.

"You…who are you guys?" asked a man after his wallet was returned.

"Me?" smiled Luffy "The name's Luffy and I'm going to be King of the Pirates!"

-Narrator's P.O.V-

The people around the two members of the Straw Hat Pirates seemed to be having the same reactions. Shock, surprise, and most importantly…fear. They were focused on Luffy and ignored the odd sounding man that was hefting a fourth person on his shoulder. He disappeared to the cabins below as the others gaped at Luffy.

"The…Pirate King?" muttered the man, his face going pale.

The straw hat kid laughed.

"Damn right!" smiled Luffy.

"DISGUSTING!"

Luffy pouted at the orange haired girl. She shook and covered her mouth, her outburst as unexpected from the others as it was from herself. They all shook, ready for the young man to completely change his attitude. Instead, he laughed. The girl was not amused.

"You…you laugh!? Do you have any idea what these people went through with these pirates!? And you want to be the king of them?"

"Those posers weren't pirates" smiled Luffy.

He jumped down and grabbed a couple of people by their shoulders, his grin infectious. They seemed to shake at first but relaxed as Luffy's general attitude lightened their moods.

"Not even close" roared Luffy "They had to hurt others to feel strong. A true pirate, a REAL pirate, is someone who adventures the seas in search of treasures and dreams! Any dud that just raids people aren't pirate. They're just losers and weaklings."

Everyone stared at the boy. Slowly a small girl walked up to Luffy, ignoring her mother's attempt to hold her in. The orange haired girl stared at Luffy, ready to move at moments notice.

"Really?"

Luffy smiled and patted her head.

"Yea, really!"

He turned to face the crowd.

"There are bad Pirates for sure, so don't go around trusting everyone with a pirate flag!"

"The lad's got a point. A real pirate searches for treasure and adventure."

Everyone turned to the man who spoke. The little girl turned to John and blinked. She stared at him intensely to the point that John was a little uncomfortable. John rose an eyebrow at the child, wondering why she looked at him like that. Even after three years, John failed to understand how exotic his appearance was. John had always assumed it was his blonde hair. Thus far no one else seemed to have it. Yet, it wasn't the case. His beard was short but thick, his skin tanned from the sun and his clothing was a simple shirt and pants.

For all intents, John was indistinguishable from someone from the North Sea but it was his eyes that would attract the most attention. A startling shade of azure blue, bright as pure ice. His accent was so alien to people that his very words seemed to carry more of a presence, adding to his mysterious allure. Even the orange haired girl blinked at his appearance. Her eyes almost went out of her skull when she noticed that all the pirates and Alvida were gone!?

Once again, the oddity of his own eyes and voice eluded John and the man turned to the captain.

"I locked the place for Alvida and her men. Just let me know if they get rowdy" stated John.

The captain nodded but seemed hesitant. Luffy grinned and turned to the orange haired girl.

"Pirates can suck, I admit!" smiled Luffy "But I not looking to be just a pirate. I'm gonna be The Pirate King and find the One Piece! Any loser that has to trample on people are not pirates. I'll be the first to knock their teeth out! So…we cool?"

John sighed and rubbed his eyes. Damnit, he shouldn't have taught the kid the word "cool". The captain shook his head disbelievingly. Luffy jumped back up on the barrel and began searching for food, his laughter like a musical balm for everyone. As the party resumed at full force, John turned to the captain.

"Seems like you got a bit of a problem?" asked John.

The captain swallowed and nodded.

"Our navigation tools were destroyed during the raid and our navigator is unconscious. We can't move in the open waters like this without a navigator..."

John turned to Luffy. The boy was the captain, he'd leave it to him to think of a solution. It would be good practice for the boy. But like the captain that trailed off, John was left in shock. The boy was leading a conga line of all things. One of the guests of the ship also whipped out a violin, laughing as she played a tune. John stared at the instant party incredulously, wondering when the hell that Luffy had gotten to this point. He turned his head for a literal second. Turning back to the captain John sighed.

"I suggest you tell everyone before they party too hard".

"Folks. Folks!"

The party died down and turned to the captain. A few were annoyed at the festivities being stopped for a second time.

"I'm sorry to say that we won't be going anywhere," said the captain "our navigator is unfortunately still knocked out."

A few questions regarding the safety of the navigator were asked. Thankfully the man would be fine, just out of commission till they reached a doctor. The orange haired girl stepped forward.

"I can help you with that."

The captain blinked. Even John had to kind of stare at the girl surprised.

"Um…are you certain."

The orange haired girl smirked something fierce, a competitive gaze enflamed in her eyes.

"Of course I can, I'm the best navigator in the south blue!"

The people were ecstatic. But none so more than Luffy. Immediately the boy's head stretched to meet Nami's gaze. Everyone screeched at the sight.

"You really that good!?"

The girl took a step back and smirked.

"The best."

"GREAT!" smiled Luffy "join my crew!"

The girl immediately turned him down.

"No."

Luffy pouted.

"Come on!" he pouted "we'll have the greatest adventure and for that I need the greatest navigator!"

The girl rolled her eyes. Even John had to admit that Luffy might have been jumping the gun a bit. But questioning his judgement never ended well.

"Lad" sighed John "you don't even know her name?"

Luffy turned to the girl and stared at her with a gaze more serious than ever.

"That's right. Sorry. What's your name?"

The girl blinked at Luffy. She seemed hesitant to say it but relented. Maybe it was Luffy's puppy dog eyes that made her relent.

"My name is Nami" she stated.

"Cool!" smiled Luffy "join my crew!"

John slapped his hand into his face and sighed. After the third no from Nami and the slightly uncomfortable look in her face John had enough. A frosty breath later and Luffy was trapped in a column of ice. The people all froze, looking at the slightly frosted body of John, his eyes a deeper blue than before. If the people screeched at Luffy, they stared dumfounded with snot leaving their noses at John.

"B-b-but why!?"

"It's called consent Luffy, we talked about this," groaned John. "The girl said no. At least get to know her better before asking again. You have no idea why she's currently travelling the seas. She may not even want to sail the Grand Line either. Have some sense lad."

Nami stared at the ice, her eyes losing some of its focus.

"W-what? B-b-but she's got the l-look John! A D-d-dream!"

Luffy broke free of the ice, shivering. Nami seemed even more shaken at what Luffy had just said. The kid may seem to be an idiot but his instincts were usually spot on. If I was being honest, it was kind of creepy actually.

"Y-Y-you suck" shivered Luffy.

"It cooled your head, didn't it?"

Luffy nodded.

"Yea yea, you could have just said something."

"You're usually not the type to listen to reason Luffy" I sighed "now, I think you have a party to get to, I'm going to check on Alvida one more time."

"NO!" yelled Nami, as John turned to leave "Just no! You can't skip over that, what are you two!?"
Luffy grinned and pointed at himself.

"I'm a rubber man and John's an ice man!"

Nami seemed to struggle a bit so I supplied for her the rest of the story. Even the other members of the ship were staring at the two of them.

"We both ate devil fruits. Luffy ate the Gomu-Gomu no Mi and I ate the Hie Hie no Mi."

This was something John struggled with. The boy Luffy looked as if he belonged in Brazil, yet the people referred to these fruits with Japanese names. It was all so damn weird.

"Devil fruits aren't real" muttered Nami.

Me and Luffy looked at each other. Luffy stretched his body and inflated himself, much to the joyous reactions of a few children. Luffy laughed as he was used as a human trampoline. As for John, he just turned into ice. Perhaps it was due to John's mentality but his appearance was not human. He looked like a medieval knight in armor, complete with a seamless helm where his head would be. He seemed bulky and odd, like the form wasn't his. It honestly made it worse for Nami. She couldn't help but think they were freaks. A surge of guilt filled Nami which than led to a self argument of wondering why she felt guilt for thinking that these pirates were freaks.

John and Luffy watched Nami struggle with this internal monologue, complete with odd and even absurd facial reactions. John turned to Luffy, his ice form dropping his voice several octaves.

"You sure you want her on the crew?"

Luffy just grinned, chuckling at the sight and nodding.

John sighed and let the ice flak off his form. Perhaps he needed this party? Lord knows dealing with Luffy could stretch anyone's sanity.

-John's Point of View-

The trip to the nearest island had proven two things to me. First, that we are extremely lucky. The second, that Luffy's raw instincts were absolutely terrifying. Nami? The girl turned out to be some kind of navigating savant. I've never seen someone navigate the open seas without any equipment whatsoever and a paper map. Forget about being the best navigator in the south blue, she was likely the best navigator bar none. The poor girl, even after getting us to this island, was not free of Luffy though.

"I said to leave me alone," grumbled Nami, landing on the harbor.

Luffy just chuckled, his new companion Kobi following his every step. He looked at Nami and grinned.

"You brought us here for a reason!" grinned Luffy "I wanna know what it is!"

"You just want to know so you can get me on your crew" growled Nami.

Luffy grinned even wider.

"Yup!"

"You could at least pretend to be sneaky about it!"

Luffy grinned wider.

"Lying's for losers. I want you on my crew Nami."

The girl sighed and shook her head.

"Why? Because I can navigate? There are a dozen navigators here you can nab."

Luffy grinned.

"Sure. But you got that fire! I can tell. Like I said earlier, you have a dream!"

Luffy's own eyes seemed to rage with a passion.

"Besides they suck."

Nami couldn't help the giggle that escaped nor the smug shrug. But honestly, I couldn't blame her being won over by Luffy. The passion Luffy exuded was every bit as infectious as the boy himself. He jumped in front of Nami, landing right in front of her, locking eyes with her. Nami jumped a bit, staring at Luffy.

"You got fire! A dream! Something you want to accomplish beyond anything else! I want people like you on my crew! A crew that will sail together to accomplish our dreams! What's your dream Nami?"

Nami stared at Luffy and turned away, her hand gripped her arm something fierce.

"You're annoying" she muttered.

Nami's grin grew and she leaned forward to Luffy.

"Say…I'll consider joining your crew if you can help me with one thing?"

Luffy blinked.

"Sure! Name it."

"There's something I need in the vault of this place."

I sighed, watching Nami string Luffy along her whims…even if she didn't realize it was for the wrong reasons. The two left, completely in their own little world. A part of me wanted to get involved but…honestly, I doubt anything I said would change Luffy's mind. Besides, Luffy was no one's fool but his own. Instead, I decided to invest my time in the things that Luffy decided not to worry about. The necessities. Water was a first. Luffy had no source of clean water when we went out the first time. I had a theory about my ice…but I wasn't going to test that unless it was a genuine emergency. I'm pretty sure Luffy had brought water with him but our trip in the whirlpool broke it, that I had no doubt.

The second was food. Yet, with Luffy on the boat food would become scarce no matter what I did. Both of these were something that I would leave till we had arrangements made for travelling. Which left option C. Clothes.

I decided to shop around with what little money I had on hand, see how bad the prices were. Thanks to the captain of that ship, the bounty for Alvida and her men was ready for pick-up whenever I pleased. Supposedly it would have been more complicated, but the old captain knew some people. All I had to do was show up and announce myself. Seemed simple enough. If I needed the extra money for something I can always come back after collecting that bounty.

"Speaking of" I muttered, perusing the various stalls by the harbor.

I recalled the moment Luffy declared himself to be the pirate king. The thought of Garp had me remembering that mountain of a grandpa. The man had been a wellspring of knowledge but was every bit as insane as Luffy. I had discovered quite a few things about the world thanks to him. The key one was the definition of a pirate. In my old world a pirate was simply somehow who attacked and pillaged at sea. That definition still stood, but the world government here had a much broader and dangerous idea of it.

I had tried, for a long time, to get Luffy to just call himself an adventurer. After all, the boy had no interest in actual piracy as I understood it, just the one piece. I had brought this up to Garp one time when the man was over and to my surprise, the man bluntly told me that it didn't matter. So long as someone sailed the seas unaffiliated with the world government or trade organizations…you were basically a pirate. The basic rights given to affiliated ships were not present for those that were unaffiliated. There was a lot of legal jargon that Garp chucked at me but the basics were as follows. You fly a flag that wasn't government approved you were allowed to be shot at by Marines no questions asked.

It shocked me. Owning a boat without a permit made sense. Having a license that showed you were able to use the damn thing was a good idea…no matter how much it sucked having to renew said license in my old life. Yet here…the only way that someone could sail between islands with their one private boat was if they were affiliated with some trade group. Even cruise ships like the one Luffy and I saved fell under a trade group of some kind. In other words, the only way to sail the world was to be rich. To be fair, it was highly unlikely that you would come across the Marines on the standard islands. Yet, if it was an island heavy in trade and had Marine presence? You could get shot by a trigger happy Marine and there would be no repercussions.

It was insane to me the idea that the government would restrict such basic freedoms. I admit though it did make me feel better to realize that even if I was called a pirate, it didn't mean I had committed any crimes by my own standards. I wasn't going to join Luffy if all we did was rob and murder people and let's be honest, Luffy would do neither of those things without an explicit reason. I knew the boy well enough for that.

I smiled as I walked down the ports looking at the various stalls and colourful people. If there was one thing, I knew for a FACT that existed in this world, it was a black market. With such heavy restrictions there was no way in hell there wasn't a black market somewhere. Granted I knew very little about such things but the concept was sound. There had to be something selling stuff for cheaper than the government prices.

The harbor shops seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. In Fuusha, there was a town where the trade unions sold their wares.

THEY SUCKED.

That one shop back in Fuusha was selling a shirt for 14,000 berries. Highway robbery that was. I sighed as I counted my berries. At first, I had cheered when I had earned my first 1000 Berri. I thought this world had super money or something and that everything was cheap. Instead, I learned that the money was like Japanese yen. I basically only had 300 dollars USD with me. A decent amount of pocket money but ultimately, I couldn't buy anything with substance.

As I window shopped a clothing stall caught my eye. Along it was a hat and jacket combo. The older woman who was manning the stan gave me a surprised look. I smiled and the woman blushed. I had to admit, even with the small wrinkles around her eyes the woman was beautiful. Her body was full and flush and her brown hair was kept in a bun. Her hands were weathered and strong, showing signs of use. Her face was small and dainty, with a button nose. Her eyes were a chocolate brown and she stood as I approached.

"Hello" I smiled "how much would those be?" I asked.

The woman stared at the hat and jacket, giving me a small look.

"You want these in this weather? I only had them out because they haven't sold yet."

It was a plaid buttoned shirt with a slightly raised color. Underneath he plaid the shirt was lined with grey fur, said fur peaking out from the collar and wrapping around it. It was a bit thicker than the plaid I saw back home but that suited me fine. I was out at sea, I needed clothes that could withstand the wear and tear of the ocean. That and I was made of ice. Didn't matter what kind of weather there was, I'd always be cool. The hat reminded me of the one I wore out home. It was a grey baggy beanie that flopped on the back. I had loved that hat, having worn it out to the point this hat looked identical to. Granted my hat was a dark blue and not grey, but the similarities were enough for me.

"Works for me" I smiled.

She smiled back and pursed her lips.

"I'll sell it to you for 26,000 Berri."

I nodded. I had the money. In my wallet

"I also need 6 jeans, like the ones I have. Do you have them?"

She nodded, gesturing to the rack further down.

"Underwear as well?"

She gestured to another rack. To my surprise they were vacuum sealed in plastic.

"What are they made of? I'm going to be spending a lot of time on a ship so I'd rather not having something that isn't going to last."

She smiled.

"It's made with a cotton from an island on the Grand Line."

Bullshit. My face must have told her something because she laughed. For all my talk of a poker face I can't seem to maintain it.

"The cotton is farmed from an animal called a Laigoo. Basically, their cotton is made for sea life."

What? I desperately wanted to scream bullshit but the problem was that it was zany enough to be true. I decided to suck it up anyway. I nodded my head to the plaid jacket and hat.

"Say, if I buy six packs of those underwear, six jeans, and six shirts…mind giving me a discount?"

The lady smiled and twirled her hair. I appreciated the attraction she gave me; she was beautiful. But for now, I had business to do. By the end of it I had managed to score quite a decent haul for me and Luffy and got to enjoy some flirtatious discussion with a beautiful woman. A win I would say, even if it did cost me almost all the money I had. I didn't know how long I'd be on this island so I unfortunately had to decline a dinner. However, Sarana the clothing owner was kind enough to give me a large back-pack with my purchase.

I thanked her and went on my way, making sure she knew that I reciprocated our mutual attraction. Damnit, if only we were here for a night, it would have been interesting to see what kind of conversations we'd have over dinner and where said dinner could have gone.

"Ahh" I sighed, smiling away "I forgot how nice it is to talk to a woman."

Makino didn't count, as the poor lass was smitten over Shanks, the lucky bastard. That and she was pregnant with the man's child. I wasn't a stranger to courting a single mother but there was a difference between flirting with mutual attraction and just being an overbearing oaf who doesn't take no for an answer. I wasn't going to harass Makino like that when she obviously carried a torch for Shanks. The dude looked like a badass too from the bounty poster I saw. Good for them, hopefully it ended well.

So lost in my thoughts I didn't even notice when Luffy's hand grabbed me by the shoulder and yanked me to him. I flew helplessly through the street as the rubber boy's strength carried me to where he was. As I landed everyone noticed the new jacket and hat, I was wearing. I sighed, lamenting the bag of clothes now on the ground. I glared at Luffy as I collected our things.

"Is there a reason you dragged me here?" I asked, staring at the restaurant.

"We're breaking Zoro out!"

I stared at Luffy, feeling the sudden urge to punch his rubber head.

"I'm sorry what's happening?" I asked.

"I met an awesome sword guy named Zoro! He's tied to a post in that Marine base and we're going to break him out! He's the next member of our crew.

I blinked and turned to Nami.

"You sure you wanna consider joining this crazy lad?"

Nami blinked and smiled cutely.

"Why wouldn't I."

I stared blankly at her. The girl was cute, hell beautiful beyond compare, but it was obvious to anyone with experience to women that she was dragging my poor boy along on something. I wanted to say something…but decided otherwise. There was something more going on with this Nami girl than I could see. Luffy seemed to have connected with her in some capacity and the boy, while foolish, was no one's fool. I'll let my captain handle this. Wait.

"Say" I smirked "now that you have possibly four crew members, what is my station anyway?"

Luffy grinned "Nami is the navigator"

Luffy pointed into the distance.

"Zoro is the first mate."

I blinked confused.

"You" smiled "are the Quartermaster!"

I stared at Luffy.

"You do realize that the Quartermaster and the first mate are basically the same jobs, right? At least for a pirate crew?"

Luffy shrugged.

"Nah. You procure everything we need for a trip and keep us organized while helping Nami and the others!"

I stared at Luffy.

"….than what the hell does a first mate do in this crew of yours?"

Luffy grinned.

"He stands with me on the front lines!"

I stared.

"So…basically you have crew members that fight and others that don't?"

Luffy nodded.

"Everyone has a role!"

"…wouldn't it be more efficient if everyone trained and fought together?" I supplied.

Luffy blinked.

"But Shanks said not everybody can be a fighter in your crew? That you needed a variety of skill sets. There was once a pregnant woman in Shanks crew back when he was young? Shanks even had his daughter with him for a while and I know for a fact that she couldn't throw a punch to save her life!"

I nodded. The woman example was weird as hell but whatever.

"A fair assessment" I said "but I think what Shanks meant was less about non-fighters and fighters and more about making sure you have a diverse skill-set for a crew. If all you have are meat heads that can only fight, you'll likely drown or starve."

If pirates were anything like the ones, I was familiar with, then I wanted to make sure someone like Nami was highly trained and ready for any scenario, come what may.

"This is why I wanted you around" smiled Luffy.

"For advice?"

Luffy chuckled.

"Sorta! You give me advice but you never try to make it an order. Gramps was always like that, saying it was advice but really, they were threats to make me do what he wanted."

Fair. Sad, but fair. I was basically this kid's sound board. Great.

"Since you offered you can train them as Quartermaster!"

I sighed. I wasn't going to try and follow the logic that Luffy used to arrive to the conclusion that I "offered".

"Luffy you are quite literally stronger than me."

Luffy blinked and tilted his head.

"No, I'm not."

I stared at the monster in front of me. I watched this kid decimate wild animals with his bear hands, chuck boulders, and whip full grown men around like they were toys not a few hours ago.
"I'm pretty sure you are" I said.

"Nope! You're just being humble now! Remember the last time we fought! You beat me in seconds."

"That's an entirely different situation!" I declared "you got caught by surprise, a normal fight you'd kick my ass!?"

What the hell was going on!? Don't tell me Luffy legitimately believed I was stronger!? Sure I could accept that Luffy thought I could beat him in a fight. But to be stronger!? Was he insane!?...wait. I turned to see Nami staring at me and nodded.

"Not you too" I muttered.

"Well you are an ice man" muttered Nami "doesn't ice trump rubber or something?"

Koby looked so out of place I wanted to laugh. What was I now? A Pokémon?

"Wait what?" muttered Koby.

I rubbed my forehead. Did the kid literally learn nothing when we fought!? That whole debacle was just to be an example that there was more to combat than just strength. Yet, this kid took it as a sign that my strength was greater!

"I going to surpass you one day" grinned Luffy "so get ready for that!"

"I'm going to die" I thought "I'm going to die from my friend punching my soul right out of my body."

I decided to derail this topic before it got worse.

"Ok. So, Zoro…what did you need?"

Luffy grinned.

"The base isn't that big. I was wondering if you could distract the marines for a bit?"

I rose an eyebrow.

"Distract them? Why?"

A strategic Luffy was a concerning Luffy.

"I want to get Zoro his swords but I need time to search for them. I mean I could fight everyone there but I don't want Nami to get caught. If me and you both go, then that's less Marines that Nami has to deal with to enter that safe!"

Nami blinked, staring my friend as if he was the first thing she had ever seen.

"um...thanks" muttered Nami.

Luffy grinned and gave her the thumbs up.

"Well, that works for us. I think the Marines are waiting on us to collect the bounty anyways" I said.

I turned to Nami and gave, what I hope, was a reassuring smile.

"Why not come with me? If you need something from that vault than coming with me might be best."

A little girl left the restaurant and gave Luffy what looked like a rather horrible rice ball.

"Here you go!"

It could have tasted like garbage but Luffy ate it like it was the best thing in the world.

"It's so good!" declared Luffy "I know Zoro loved his too. I promise."

The girl sniffled.

"You're going to free Zoro right? He doesn't belong there…he was just saving me."

There was a story there. But it was one that would have to wait.

"Alright" I said "lets do it your way Luffy. Wait for fifteen minutes once I get in to start your rampage. Let's see if I can't get the bounty off Alvida before you start."

If someone told me that I would be raiding a base of law enforcement I would have laughed at them. Now? Now I was on a roll. From what I learned from Garp even the Marines were not to be trusted too much. So long as Nami wasn't taking all the gold for herself, then I was content to watch over her and make sure she got what she needed. Luffy had a point after all…she had brought us here for a reason. I separated from Luffy, who quickly launched himself over buildings towards the Marine base.

Me and Nami went to the office building, which wasn't too far from the restaurant Luffy dragged me to. Near the building was Luffy, sitting on the roof, waiting for his chance. A good ten minutes and the two of us were in. Nami was cool as a cucumber but me? I had to admit I was a tad nervous. Thankfully the young marine at the desk was very helpful. The fact that she was also attractive was beginning to stir some questions in my mind. Was everyone hot in this world?

"I've just had my people confirm with those on board" smiled the officer, a young woman named Shanxi "your total since she's alive is 3,000,000 Berries. There's also an extra 25,000 for bringing in her crew. The Captain of the Grand-by also stated that you and your accomplice were responsible for the hunt. Thank you for the help bounty, Hunter. What was your name."

"Jeager" I said.

God, I really just call myself a drink? Well, better that than my actual name.

"Inputting it into our system now" she smiled.

I watched for the third time this woman talking into a god damn snail. Apparently, the creatures were basically cellphones. The way she talked you'd think she was inputting it into a computer.

"Say" I asked "are those snails available for commercial purchases?"

The officer blinked and smiled sweetly at me.

"Yes they are! Although none are bred here in our shell town."

I blinked and she shrugged.

"You would think with the name but no. Your best bet might actually be Logue town if you're ever in the market for one."

I smiled but frowned as she went to the vault. I noticed that Nami was now walking into the hallway, she winked at me as she followed the nice officer and I couldn't help but sigh. Hopefully she didn't rob these officer's blind. As much as I hated the policies of their government overall, the basic grunts didn't deserve to be thrown around. Suddenly another officer came to the desk…his mouth was odd since the bottom half was replaced with a metal prothesis. He was also built like a brick shithouse.

"Are you Jeager, the Bounty Hunter."

"umm….yes. How can I help you?"

Damn these Marines were quick.

"Your services have been rendered and you are now free to go."

I blinked.

"I'd like my money first though."

"The great Morgan has decreed for you to leave you lowly bounty hunter. You should be proud for having handed in a bounty to the glorious Marines."

I blinked.

"…are you trying to tell me that you're keeping my bounty from me?"

"Keeping it from you" growled Morgan, his damn axe hand coming down to bury itself into the desk in front of him.

"There is no keeping something that doesn't belong to you! The money here is for the Marines, not for some lucky bounty hunter to collect a bounty! You've done a service to the world; be grateful you have any recognition at all from the great Morgan!"

"SIR!"

"WHAT!" bellowed Morgan

"A pirate is freeing Pirate Hunter Zoro, we need back-up!

"CAN YOU LOT NOT DO ANYTHING YOURSELVES."

The giant of a man turned to me.

"Begone you pathetic bounty hunter. There's no need of you here."

I rolled my eyes as the lumbering giant walked away. The man was huge, I'll give him that, but he didn't feel all that threatening. In fact, all the things that made him threatening just felt like overkill, an almost overcompensation. Who the hell used an exe prothesis to replace their hand? A moron, that's who. I hopped the desk and moved to meet up with Nami. She was fiddling with a lock and turned her back to me. The nice woman Shanxi was no where to be found. In fact, I was kind of disappointed that the vault was simply down a series of hallways. You'd think the security would be better? The lack of personnel was also a giant security risk. I didn't pass by a single officer on my way here.
"What happened to the marine you were following?" I asked.

"Went to meet up with the other officers outside. Damn it you distracted me, I almost had it."

"It needs a key right?" I asked.

Nami nodded and I gestured her to move. The safe was massive and circular in nature. It looked for all intents and purposes like those gaudy safe vaults from my own world. The one difference was a massive key lock. How the hell Nami was going to pick it I had no idea. I placed my hand on the lock and let my ice expand inside. My hand began to expand from the lock, the ice breaking off and creating a small handle. With a twist, the lock opened.

"If it needs a key, I can usually open it like this" I smiled "sorry for distracting you lass. Now, what is it that we needed?"

Me and Nami opened the door. I eyed the hallway wearily as the vault was screeching loudly as it opened. The second there was a large enough opening, Nami began to furiously search for whatever it was that she was after. As for me, I decided to collect the bounty that I was owed. It was easily like 20,000 dollars back home. I wasn't missing out on 20 grand because of a corrupt moron. Besides, it looked like Morgan only got involved because he was there in the first place, not because I wasn't allowed to collect the money.

Mother of God Luffy was corrupting me.

"So, what did I miss" asked Nami.

"Some douche named Morgan tried to cheat me out of the bounty. Said some things about the great Morgan or whatever."

Nami turned to me, her jaw low at the absurdity of my statement.

"I'm not kidding" I sighed.

It must have been fifteen minutes or so when I began to hear loud cheering outside. I was beginning to get a little anxious. How loud must the cheering have been for me to hear it here?

"Have you found it yet?"

My concern for Luffy was growing as the cheers got louder. Nami didn't seem to be having a great time either.

"Damnit!" yelled Nami "where is it!?"

I turned to her but accidentally bumped into her at the same time as I turned. She tumbled for a bit before knocking over a chest. As it popped open, a letter became visible. The symbol of some jester skull was apparent and Nami snatched the paper. She growled as she crunched it.

"DAMNIT!" she yelled, chucking the paper away "it's not here! Someone got it before me."

I frankly didn't care. I felt for the lass, truly, but my main concern was the cheering. Was it possible that the Marines took out Luffy.

"Lass, I have to check on the boy. I'll be back if you need me or come with, I don't care which."

I rushed out of the vault and began racing towards the nearest exit. I must have been lucky because it led to an open field. One where Morgan was bleeding on the ground beside a young blonde main with…the ugliest hair cut I've ever seen. DAMN, somebody needed to be executed for what they did to the poor boy's hair.

I almost smiled at the feeling of Nami peering over my shoulder. For all her talk of not joining the crew, she seemed pretty concerned for my boy Luffy. She had the perfect opportunity to leave after all. Speaking of which. Luffy was laughing, as usual, with a solidly built man with green hair. He had three swords with him and was grinning at Luffy. Honestly the two of them talking, one would think they were old friends.

"LUFFY!" I yelled "you ok?"

Luffy just grinned, I began to say something but I couldn't hear over the sound of the Marine's cheering away. I looked at Nami and the girl merely shrugged.

"Marines are weird" I muttered.

I noticed the nice marine girl was waving at me. Her sleeves had been rolled up now showing a rather impressive musculature.

"I'm so sorry!" she sighed "I didn't mean for anything that happened today. Please, let me get your bounty."

I smiled.

"Now lass, there's no need for that. I alrea-"

She shook her head.

"Nonsense! You deserve proper compensation for your work!"

I sighed.

"Lass I already got my-"

"Nope! Not taking no for an answer!"

She left abruptly and I stared at where she was.

"….I'll tell her when she comes back."

Nami just rolled her eyes.

"Take the money. Not like the Marines will notice."

I stared at her, quickly realizing that this navigating savant was also a thief. Luffy approached, grinning away as he gestured to Zoro.

"Zoro meet our navigator and Quartermaster!"

Zoro blinked. Up close the dude was obviously well built. The three swords were odd, along with the mint hair, but to be honest it was the least weird thing I've seen.

"Isn't a Quartermaster?"

I look at Zoro and shook my head, swiping my hand across my neck. Zoro shrugged uncaring.

"Fine. Before we do anything I'm eating. Havn't had a damn thing for weeks."

Luffy grinned and began to lead us to the restaurant he dragged me to. I shook my head at his playful nature.

"Better have Sake" grunted Zoro.

Surprise surprise, they had Sake.

The food proved to be excellent but I chose not to have much. Luffy wasn't a fan of how quickly I left the table but to be honest I wasn't in the mood to travel to the next island in a shit boat. Luffy had his chance to prepare, now it was my turn. Finding the captain we saved was easy, avoiding that Marine officer wasn't. Yet, I got what I needed from the guy.

"You sure?" I asked.

The captain smiled, gesturing to his crew.

"It's not a problem. Our next stop is back to base to report everything and that's all the way back on the northern tip of the south blue. We're going to pass a lot of islands on the way there. I can say with full honesty that me and my crew don't mind dropping you off on any island you're trying to reach…besides"

The man grinned as he leaned in closer.

"I'm pretty sure sailing with you lot will be a lot more fun than sailing with ourselves."

I gestured to my sack of berries.

"At least let me pay you" I asked.

The captain shook his head.

"This boat wouldn't even be here if not for you. So long as you help procure food we're good."

I smiled.

"Fine. If we end up overstaying our welcome let us know."

The captain saw me away and I smirked. That was how you get transport to another island. Knowing Luffy the dumbass would have had us sailing in a fucking rowboat.

"...why do I have the feeling that's more accurate than I would have liked" I muttered.

An easy fifteen minutes to pay for water and some extra "Luffy Provisions" and I was ready to go. As I left the harbor I noticed that Koby and Luffy were there. Zoro and Nami were staring at Luffy like he was a moron while Koby looked like someone brutally murdered his car. Seriously the poor boy was a blubbering mess.

"I'll miss you!" cried Koby.

Luffy grinned.

"Chase your dreams Koby! It starts now alright. Say, you wouldn't happen to have a rowboat around would you."

Nami looked at as if someone had just asked her to die.

"Luffy."

The rubber boy turned and grinned.

"John!"

I tilted my head to the ship we saved.

"Got us a ride. Said they were heading to base and wouldn't mind dropping us off on any island along there route. Got food, water, and extra clothes."

I turned to Nami and Zoro.

"Didn't get you two anything, sorry."

Zoro shrugged, not likely caring. Nami on the other hand took on a smug expression.

"I'm covered, thanks."

Luffy grinned.

"Hey John is there an Orange Island on those guys route?"

I shrugged.

"You'll have to ask the captain."

Luffy grinned and nodded.

"Cool! Gotta get there to help Nami get her map."

"She was after a map?" I thought.

The poor girl blushed a bit.

"I said I'd be fine on my own!"

"Can't have our navigator getting into trouble without us!" laughed Luffy.

Nami blushed harder and looked as if she was about to sock Luffy a new one.

"I'M NOT YOUR NAVIGATOR!"

"Good" muttered Zoro "the crew didn't need a witch!"

"SHUT IT YOU!"

I sighed and rubbed my head. We had to be the most rag-tag group of pirates that had ever existed. But hey, better here than wallowing in some room by myself.

"Alright than" I grunted "to Orange Island. Must be a hell of a map."

END

I think this chapter might be a little full, so to speak. But hey, I'm writing this for fun mostly and I can't wait to start digging into John's level of power and how Zoro and Nami will develop as front-line fighters. If it wasn't obvious, Luffy has a strong sense of rivalry with John…I wonder how that has motivated our little rubber monster/god?

By the gods…what have I unleashed?