Ch. 20- Duel
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
The memory continued playing before the Straw Hats' eyes. On one side was Luffy, Past Zoro, and Past Nami, and on the other was Buggy and his crew, who all glowered at the trio. Buggy growled as his hand wriggled out of Luffy's grasp and stuck itself back on his arm.
"Damn you, Straw Hat!" cursed Buggy. "It seems you three still haven't learned your lesson...but no matter! This time, I won't let you get away from me so easily!"
"Yeesh," Sanji muttered. "He's pissed."
"Oh, yes, indeed," Nami agreed.
"You two have fun fighting," Past Nami said to Luffy and Past Zoro. "I'm just here to get the map and the treasure and that's it!"
"Fine," Past Zoro replied. "Coward..."
"I was kind of a coward," Nami admitted, a bit embarrassed by her past self.
"But you're so brave, now, Big Sis Nami!" Aika added.
"Thanks, Aika," Nami smiled as she pet Aika on the head.
"Keep watching," Zoro said. "This is gonna be good."
Boodle grunted as he got to his feet, coughing as he did.
"Dammit...you stupid kids...!" he cursed. "What do you think you're doing?! This is NOT your fight!" He then glared up at Buggy and his men. "This is my town and I'm gonna protect, so stay the hell outta my way!"
"Nope," Luffy said, bluntly...before he slammed Boodle's face into a wall, knocking him out cold, much to everyone except Zoro, Nami, and Past Zoro's shock.
"What did he do that for?!" Franky questioned.
"He could've killed the old man!" Blizzard cried.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Past Nami questioned. "WHAT DID YOU KNOCK HIM OUT FOR?!"
"He was in the way, that's all," Luffy smirked.
"...Smart thinking," Past Zoro spoke. "The old-timer could've gotten himself if he just charged in like that. It's better if he's knocked out."
"You are so damn reckless!" Past Nami barked.
"...Oh, so that's it," Usopp said with some relief. "I-I mean, I knew he wouldn't really kill the guy!"
"Still, he could've gone about it another way," Sanji added.
"I don't think there was another way," Robin answered.
"Luffy certainly has his way of caring, doesn't he?" Brook asked.
"Yeah, he does," Nami answered. "I just wish that sometimes, he'd be a little more gentle."
"Shh~!" Franky shushed. "Something's about to happen."
A pause...but then Luffy took in a deep breath before he shouted at the top of his lungs "BIG NOOOOOOOOSE!"
Hearing that caused Buggy and his crew to gape, although his men had tears of fright in their eyes as they heard the captain get insulted by the feature he was most sensitive about the second time. As for the Straw Hats, they just ended up laughing again.
"ARE YOU NUTS?!" Past Nami questioned.
"You idiot...!" Past Zoro cried.
"You damn brat...!" Buggy hissed. "TAKE AIM AND FIRE THE BUGGY BALL~!"
Soon, the cannon was pointed right at the trio.
"Why'd you have to go and say that?!" Past Nami asked as she turned and ran off.
"Come on, Luffy!" Past Zoro urged. "We gotta go!"
"You guys go on without me," Luffy answered with a confident tone in his voice.
"TIME TO DIE~!" Buggy shouted as the cannon was soon fired.
"I'm fine," Luffy grinned. "Just watch."
"What's gonna happen?" Kumi asked.
"I think I might have a good idea," Chopper answered.
"Gum-Gum...BALLOON!" Luffy exclaimed as he took in a deep breath, inflated his stomach to at least 4 times its normal size, and it ended up catching the cannonball like it was a mere baseball, much to Past Nami and the Buggy Pirates' shock.
"What is he?!" asked one of them.
"Did he just catch the Buggy Ball?!" Buggy questioned in disbelief.
"Hey, he's gotten better control of it, now," Sanji said. "He doesn't have to cover his mouth to keep the air in."
"10 years of training can do that," Robin mused as Luffy bounced the Buggy Ball off his belly and sent it right back towards Buggy and his crew, who screamed in alarm.
"You could've warned me," Past Zoro muttered. Before too long, KABOOM! The entire pub was destroyed while Luffy, Past Zoro, and Past Nami shielded themselves as the dust settled.
"All right!" Luffy exclaimed. "I got 'em!"
"WHAT THE HELL KIND OF MONSTER ARE YOU?!" Past Nami questioned.
"...I think you might've freaked her out," said Past Zoro while the Straw Hats chuckled.
"All right, that's it!" Past Nami shouted. "The fact that you piledrove a lion into the ground is one thing, but this really takes the cake! No human can do what you did! How could you inflate yourself like a balloon, like that?!"
"That was the Gum-Gum Balloon," Luffyf answered with a cocky grin.
"I WASN'T ASKING WHAT IT WAS!" Past Nami shouted. "I WAS ASKING HOW YOU DID IT!"
"Wow, Nami," Usopp said. "You looked ready to tear out your hair."
"I did," Nami replied. "Back then, I didn't understand anything. It was confusing and frightening and frustrating, all at the same time, but after I joined up with Luffy and Zoro, officially, I started seeing that stuff as the norm."
"Shishishi!" Aika giggled. "Big Sis Nami, you were so funny back then!"
"Aika!" Sanji scolded.
"No, Sanji, she's right," Nami rebuked with a slight chuckle. "It was pretty funny back then."
After a moment, Buggy and his crew emerged from the wreckage...the former holding two of his men, who were unconscious and bloody, while next to him stood Cabaji, who held up an unconscious Richie with just one hand. Seeing that made the Straw Hats' blood boil.
"You brats have got some nerve," Buggy glared.
"Unforgivable...!" Past Nami whispered. "Using one of his own men as shields."
Luffy, on the other hand, only gave a cocky grin while Past Zoro stood with a stoic expression.
"Captain," said Cabaji. "What should we do about this horrible disgrace?"
"Oh, Cabaji," Buggy replied. "I'm so angry, I can't even fart!"
"Gross," Aika winced.
"Ugh..." Mohji groaned as he stood up. "What happened? Where the hell am I?"
"Wait, how'd he get there?" Usopp asked. "I thought Luffy pummeled him!"
"He must've stumbled back to his boss when Luffy walked away," Franky answered.
"Oh, Mohji," said Cabaji. "So you're still alive, are you?"
"Cabaji!" Mohji shouted. "What the hell do you think you're doing with my Richie?!"
"This cat?" asked Cabaji before he threw Richie to the ground. "I was just using him as a shield. I didn't want to get my clothes dirty."
"Jeez," Blizzard muttered. "Getting thrown into the ground by Luffy, followed by being used as a shield and getting blown up? I almost feel sorry for that bastard lion."
"Richie, are you okay?!" Mohji asked as he ran to his pet's side. The lion opened his eyes, gasping for breath, but the moment he saw Cabaji, he gasped in horror before he ran in hid behind a wall.
"He said 'Keep him away from me!'" Chopper translated.
"Typical wild animal," Sanji said. "Once they realize who's stronger, they back down without putting up much of a fight."
"Rrrrgh...damn you, Cabaji!" barked Mohji, only to finally notice Luffy, Past Zoro, and Past Nami. "GAH! C-C-CAPTAIN BUGGY, IT'S HIM! THE BOY IN THE STRAW HAT! HE'S GOT DEVIL FRUIT POWERS, JUST LIKE YOU DO! HE'S A RUBBERMAN!"
"A...rubberman?" Past Nami repeated.
"Yeah!" Luffy answered before he stretched his cheeks. "See?"
"GAH!" Past Nami gasped.
"A Devil Fruit, eh?" Buggy asked. "So that's why he was able to deflect my Buggy Ball...but tell me, Mohji." He used his disembodied hand to grab the so-called "Beast Tamer". "If you knew that...WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER?!"
"I-I TRIED TO!" Mohji cried, only for Buggy to hurl him right at the trio. "AAAAAAAAAAHH! GET OUTTA MY WAY!"
"Heh," Luffy smirked as he raised his foot. "How about...outta MY way?!"
WHAM! He kicked Mohji right in the jaw, sending him flying directly towards Past Nami, who yelped as she jumped over him.
"And now it's time for the real fight!" Luffy exclaimed.
"This ought to be good," said Sanji.
"Get them, Cabaji!" Buggy ordered, and soon, Cabaji jumped onto his unicycle and sped towards the group with his saber brandished.
"I'll cut you all into pieces!" Cabaji declared.
"Oh, no!" Kumi cried.
"Look out, Big Brother!" Aika shouted, but just when it looked like Luffy was going to be skewered, Past Zoro stepped in the way, blocking Cabaji's blade with his own.
"Not so fast," the swordsman glared. "If it's a swordfight you want, then come after me, instead!"
"Roronoa Zoro," Cabaji mused. "As a fellow swordsman...it will be an honor to cut you down."
However, Luffy noticed that Past Zoro's wound was starting to bleed, again, causing him to glance up at him while trying not to show any concern.
"Hey, Zoro," Luffy said. "Maybe you ought to rest a bit. Let me handle this guy."
"I got this," Past Zoro reassured.
"Zoro, are you nuts?!" Chopper questioned. "You were in no condition to fight! You could've exacerbated your wound!"
"Never stopped me before," Zoro shrugged.
"WHY DO I EVEN BOTHER WITH YOU?!" Chopper questioned.
"The Breath of Death!" Cabaji shouted as he got up in Past Zoro's face pulled down his scarf, and breathed out a fireball, which the swordsman barely managed to avoid. However, Cabaji proved to be just as dirty a fighter as Buggy, for he threw a kick right into Past Zoro's side, causing him to scream in pain while Luffy and Past Nami gasped.
"Oh, no, Zoro!" Aika cried.
"Oh, come now," said Cabaji. "I didn't kick you that hard, now did I?"
"That's not fair!" shouted Past Nami. "You kicked him right in his wound!"
"Talk about a cheap shot!" Kumi agreed.
"Yeah!" Chopper added.
"I call my next trick," Cabaji began as he used his sword to kick up some dust from the ground, "'Murder at the Steam Bath'!"
"Ugh...!" Past Zoro groaned as his wound bled. "What kind of circus trick is that? All you're doing is kicking up dust!"
But then, Cabaji jumped out at him with the intent to kill, but Past Zoro quickly blocked him with his own blades. Unfortunately, Cabaji ended up using the same strategy again: kicking the swordsman right in his weak spot.
"GAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Past Zoro screamed while the Present Zoro winced. Even now, it somehow still hurt, even that wound had long since healed.
"This is horrible!" Chopper cried. "At this rate, Zoro's losing a lot of blood!"
By now, Robin had decided that Aika and Kumi had seen enough and promptly covered their eyes, to Nami's relief.
"He did it again!" Past Nami yelled.
"Hmph!" scoffed Cabaji. "What kind of man screams like a woman?"
As for Luffy, he just stood by, watching with this blank look of seriousness.
"Your friend's odd abilities have been given us quite a lot of trouble," said Cabaji, teetering on his unicycle. "So you're this big, scary 'Pirate Hunter', are you, Zoro? Well, this should teach you not to mess with the Buggy Pirates."
Past Zoro grunted as he staggered to his feet.
"Hey, you!" Past Nami barked at Luffy, who didn't even seem to acknowledge her. "Zoro's seriously hurt, right now! How is he supposed to fight?! And worse yet, you're just standing there and watching him get killed like this!"
Luffy didn't say a word.
"How come Luffy's just standing there?!" Usopp questioned. "Why doesn't he help Zoro?!"
"Because he knows it's not his fight," Brook answered. "If Luffy were to interfere, now, he'd only be making things worse."
"If we both tried to fight at the same time," Zoro began, "I'd be more worried about making sure Luffy was all right, rather than focus on fighting my opponent."
Usopp gasped before he glanced at Luffy, who remained uncharacteristically stoic.
"Prepare to die," Cabaji began as he wheeled toward Past Zoro, "RORONOA ZORO~!"
But just when it looked like he was about to finish Past Zoro off for good, the Straw Hat first mate stood up and punched Cabaji in the jaw, sending him falling to the ground in seconds, while Past Nami gasped and Luffy beamed.
"Yes!" he cheered.
'Oh, man...that was so close. I almost thought Zoro was done for.'
The Straw Hats gasped slightly upon hearing those words.
"Were those...?" Nami asked.
"I think those were Luffy's innermost thoughts," said Robin. "He didn't want Zoro to see that he was really worried."
"I see," Blizzard said. "Luffy doesn't visibly show concern because while he does have confidence in what we can do, he still worries for us. He just doesn't want us to see that."
"Haa...haa..." Past Zoro panted. "You're a real annoying bastard, you know that? I hope you enjoyed kicking my wound like that!" He then held up his sword...and sliced his wound open even further, to everyone except for the current Nami's shock.
"What the hell?!" Sanji questioned.
"Wait, what happened?!" Aika asked, Robin's hands still covering hers and Kumi's eyes. "I can't see!"
"Trust me, you two don't need to see this!" Blizzard answered.
"Ouchie...!" Luffy winced while Past Nami gasped in horror. The current Nami, however, just shuddered.
"...Haa...!" Chopper sighed as he fainted.
"Chopper!" Blizzard cried as he ran to help him.
"...Oh, my good lord..." Robin whispered, feeling quite unnerved by what she saw.
"...Sorry you had to see that, Robin," Zoro said he put his hand on her shoulder.
"I-I'm fine," Robin assured. "I'm fine, Zoro. Really."
"You sure?" Zoro asked.
"Yes," Robin nodded.
"...Okay," Zoro replied.
"My goal," Past Zoro began while his injury dripped with more blood, "is to become the World's Greatest Swordsman."
"What the hell are you gabbing on about, now?" asked Cabaji.
"Is this enough of a handicap for you?" asked Past Zoro as he put Wado Ichijmonji's hilt in his mouth. "I'll show you some REAL swordplay."
"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed. "So cool!"
"Hmph," Cabaji scoffed...although he too had been unnerved by what he had seen. "So, Roronoa Zoro...you wish to make a fool of me, is that it?"
"I'm not sure if I can keep watching this...!" Past Nami bemoaned with a hand to her stomach.
"You and me, both..." Usopp muttered.
"Come on, Zoro!" Luffy cheered. "You can do this!"
"I can't lose," Past Zoro said. "Not even once...to anyone who calls themselves a swordsman!"
"So you exacerbated your own wound, just to preserve your reputation?" Cabaji asked. "Well, don't worry. Your wounds are quite severe. They'll make an excellent excuse for when you lose."
"On the contrary," Past Zoro began as he poised himself to attack, "if I lose to the likes of you while my wounds are only this light, then I might as well give up on my dream, here and now!"
Cabaji only scowled.
"You bastard...!" he hissed.
At that moment, Past Nami put her hand on Luffy's shoulder...and unknowingly causing his heart to thump, again.
"Hey," she said, causing him to look at her. "That shack behind the pub...or what's left of it...that's where they're stashing the treasure. As for Buggy, he's probably got the chart of the Grand Line, right now. I'll get the treasure now, while Buggy's crew is out cold...and honestly, it doesn't matter to me if you guys win or lose this fight."
"Damn, that's cold," Franky commented.
"Yeah, pretty much," Nami shrugged. "I don't really care for who I was back then, honestly."
"However," Past Nami began as she looked to Luffy, "if you do manage to get the chart from Buggy...then I just might consider teaming up with you again, okay?" On that, she turned and dashed off. "Have fun, boys!"
"Sure!" Luffy answered with a grin. "Thanks!"
"Jeez, she serious?" Franky asked.
"I think Nami really did mean that in the nicest way," Robin said, "even if it did sound a bit standoffish."
"And now, Roronoa Zoro," Cabaji began as he held several toy tops, "have a taste of the greatest of all my circus tricks! I call this one 'The Dance of a Hundred Kamikaze Tops'!" He then threw several them at Past Zoro, who grunted as he tried to deflect them, while Cabaji used his unicycle to climb up a building. "And this one is called 'A Hike in the Mountains'!"
"What's he up to?" Sanji asked with narrowed eyes.
"Circus Trick," Cabaji began as he leaped high into the air, "'Fireworks in the Cool Summer Breeze'!"
"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed as he watched. "He went flying!"
"And now," Cabaji began as he pointed his saber down at Past Zoro, "'Sting of the Unicycle'!"
At that moment, Buggy smirked before he held up his arm at Zoro.
"Low Flying Chop-Chop Cannon!" he shouted as he "fired" his hand at Past Zoro. "Quickly, Cabaji! I'll hold Zoro down and you finish him off!"
"With pleasure, Captain!" Cabaji grinned.
"SHIT!" Past Zoro cursed.
"Why that dirty bastard!" Franky barked.
"That certainly isn't fair!" Usopp yelled.
Just when it looked like Buggy was about to grab Past Zoro, Luffy went and stomped right on his dismembered hand, causing him to scream in pain.
"Luffy?!" Past Zoro questioned, while Past Luffy smirked.
"Don't interfere with Zoro's duel," he said.
"Heh," Zoro smirked. "You tell him, Captain."
By now, Robin had allowed Aika and Kumi to look, and needless to say, they were both in awe.
"Big Brother is-" Aika started.
"So cool, right?" Zoro asked.
"Yeah, Aika, we're pretty sure we got that," Usopp smiled.
"I don't need the Captain's help to kill you!" Cabaji shouted as he was about to drop down on Past Zoro, who quickly rolled out of the way. He grunted as he clutched at his bloody wound, which throbbed painfully.
"That looked like it really hurts," Aika said.
"Yeah, reminds me of that time that Doflamingo's saber tooth slashed me," Kumi said. "Not a fun day."
"...That's it," Past Zoro said as he forced himself to his knees. "I've had enough of this shit...I'm tired, dammit...!"
"Oh, you're tired, are you?" asekd Cabaji. "Hehehehe...what's the matter? Anemic? Sounds to me you've finally given up. I'm not surprised, honestly...it's amazing you've still forced yourself to stand after all I've given you."
"...You didn't let me finish," Past Zoro spoke...as he kicked Cabaji off his unicycle. "What I mean is...I'm sick and tired of all your damned parlor tricks!"
Hearing that caused Cabaji to gasp...but then he growled in anger as he stood up.
"Fine then!" he barked as he charged at Zoro. "No more tricks from me...I'LL GIVE YOU A TASTE OF MY REAL SWORDPLAY!"
On that, he charged at Past Zoro, who took on a familiar stance as he prepared to perform his signature.
"Three-Swords Style..." he whispered. "Oni...GIRI!"
On that, he charged at Cabaji and SLASH! He cut the Acrobat down with a single swing of his swords, leaving deep gashes on his chest, stomach, and arms.
"GAAAAAAHH!" Cabaji cried while Buggy gasped in disbelief. "U...unbelievable...! How could we, the Buggy Pirates, the scourge of the seas, lose to a bunch of...common thieves...?!" On that, he collapsed to the ground in defeat, while Past Zoro panted heavily.
"For your information," Past Zoro said as he took off his bandanna, "we're not common thieves...we're...pirates...!"
With that sentence uttered...he, too, soon collapsed on the ground, the adrenaline subsiding and the pain and exhaustion taking hold.
"Luffy..." he rasped. "I'm...gonna take a rest now...okay?"
"Sure thing," Luffy grinned as he put his hand on his arm. "I'll take it from here!"
Soon, Past Zoro sighed as he finally lost consciousness. Now...it was just Luffy and Buggy.
"Damn, Zoro," Usopp said. "There's badass, but there's also crazy! ...And you were both, even back then!"
"Eh," Zoro shrugged. "No big deal, really."
"...I'll admit it, Moss-head," Sanji said. "You've got guts...guts which you almost spilled...but guts, nonetheless."
"Are you finally acknowledging me as your better?" Zoro smirked.
"Let's not get carried away," Sanji glared.
"Ugh..." Chopper groaned as he woke up. "What happened?"
"Past Zoro won," Kumi answered. "He's resting, now."
"You bunch of brats," Buggy began, "call yourselves pirates?!"
"That's right!" Luffy answered. "Now how about you hand over that map to the Grand Line?"
"So that's what you're really after, are you?!" Buggy asked. "Well, tough luck, boy! A couple of no-named, greenhorned pirates like yourselves won't last even one hour in the Grand Line! I mean...what are you going to do when you get there? Go sight-seeing?"
"Nope," Luffy answered, bluntly. "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates."
Hearing that caused Buggy to falter, comically.
"DON'T BE SUCH A FOOL!" he barked. "If you're going be King of the Pirates, then that would make me a god, wouldn't it?! THE WORLD'S TREASURE WILL BE MINE, SO YOU CAN JUST SHOVE OFF AND GO BACK HOME TO YOUR MOMMY!"
"First off, my Mom's dead," Luffy said as he took a fighting stance. "Second, quit your gab and come at me, already! I'm getting bored, here!"
Buggy only growled as he brandished his knives.
"You and that straw hat of yours," he said with a venomous tone. "You both remind me of that man when we were young...that red-haired bastard."
"Huh?" Luffy muttered in surprise. "R-red hair?"
"He must mean Shanks," Robin said.
"I don't get it," Franky spoke up. "He and Shanks were pals back in the day, right? Why would he hate him?"
"I think we're about to find out," said Nami.
"You said 'red hair'!" Luffy said. "So that means you're talking about Shanks, right?! You know Shanks?!"
"Piqued your interest, have I?" Buggy inquired. "Yes, I do know him. So what?"
"Where is Shanks, nowadays?" asked Luffy.
"Oh, so you want to know where he is, do you?" Buggy asked with a toothy smirk. "Well...I might know something, but then, I might not."
"What a jackass," Sanji murmured under his breath. "Exploiting Luffy's connection to Shanks like that."
"You're telling me," Franky agreed.
"What are you talking about?" Luffy asked, not really grasping what Buggy was attempting to do. "Are you stupid or something?"
"WATCH YOUR MOUTH, YOU INSIPID MONKEY!" Buggy barked as he brandished his knives. "Shanks and I are mortal enemies! You won't be getting any information about him from me without a fight! Not even as a parting gift as I send you down to Hell!"
"Hehe!" Luffy smirked as he took on a pitching stance, getting ready to throw a punch. "No matter! I'm willing to beat it outta ya!"
"Yeah, go Big Brother!" Aika cheered.
"You'll be dead," Buggy began as dagger blades appeared out of the soles of his shoes, "before you can even get a single word out of me! Not even rubber can deflect sharp blades, am I right?!"
"Probably," Luffy answered.
"...Did he seriously just tell him that he's weak against sharp objects?" asked Blizzard.
Nami sighed and shook her head. Even back then, her would-be fiancé was still quite dense, not that she minded. She just wish she didn't have a headache every time.
"Chop-Chop...RICE CRACKER!" shouted Buggy as he sent his legs spinning towards Luffy, who effortlessly jumped over them. "Not bad, but let's see you dodge these...WHILE IN MID-AIR!" He then threw his knives at Luffy, who grinned as he stretched his arm to a nearby support beam of a building.
"No problem!" he exclaimed as he easily dodged the knives.
"Yeah! Go Luffy, go!" Usopp cheered.
"Dodging isn't enough, though," Sanji said. "Luffy's gotta find a way to get a hit in on him!"
"Big Brother can do it!" Aika added. "I know he can!"
"Well," Buggy smirked, "this is getting more and more interesting!"
"Hell yeah it is!" Luffy replied as he stretched his arm behind him. "Now Gum-Gum...PISTOL!" He then threw his fist toward Buggy, who sidestepped to the right, avoiding the punch.
"Very interesting powers you have there, boy!" the clow pirate mused as he brought out another knife. "However...YOUR OUTSTRETCHED ARM MAKES A PERFECT TARGET, SO I'LL JUST SEVER IT!"
"Oh, no!" cried Kumi.
"Not so fast!" Luffy shouted as he grabbed a window pane and sent himself flying towards Buggy with his other arm out, like a scythe blade. "Gum-Gum...SICKLE!"
"CHOP-CHOP QUICK ESCAPE!" Buggy yelled as his head popped off before Luffy could strike, and the Straw Hat Captain ended up crashing into a building behind Buggy. "GYAHAHAHA! You underestimate me, boy!"
A pause...but then, just as the Straw Hats expected, Luffy popped out of the wreckage with hardly a scratch on him.
"Yay, Big Brother's okay!" Aika exclaimed.
"As we thought," Brook added.
"Dammit," Luffy cursed as he put his hat on his head. "How the hell am I supposed to clobber you if you keep flying to pieces like that?"
Nearby, the Straw Hats could see Past Nami, as well as some of Buggy's men, and they could hear them muttering about how they should just stay out of the fight, but they decided not to pay it any mind. After all, their main focus was on Luffy.
"Chop-Chop Cannon!" Buggy shouted as he fired his arm at Luffy again, but the boy managed to catch his arm before the knives could connect. "Separate."
Soon, Buggy's entire fist went flying off his wrist, and Luffy ended up getting nicked in the face when he tried to dodge, and he was soon sent flying back into the wreckage while the Straw Hats winced a bit.
"That has GOT to hurt," Franky grimaced.
"Is Big Brother okay?" Aika asked, worriedly.
"I dunno," Chopper began, "but...suddenly, I got a bad feeling."
"Me, too," Usopp agreed.
After a moment, Luffy emeged with a bloody temple. For some reason, his eyes had darkened as he stared at his hat...and a closer look soon revealed why: there was a slight tear in the rim.
"...You bastard!" Luffy growled.
"Aww, what's wrong?" Buggy asked, mockingly. "Was I not supposed to cut your face or something?"
Luffy seethed angrily as he looked down at his hat.
"How dare you...!" he hissed. "Nobody nicks my lucky hat and gets away with it!"
"Oh, shit, he's done it, now," Sanji muttered while Kumi and Chopper embraced each other in fright.
"I just remembered how scary Luffy gets when he's mad...!" Kumi whimpered.
"THIS HAT IS MY TREASURE!" Luffy yelled at the confused Buggy. "ANYBODY WHO DAMAGES IT IS GONNA PAY!"
"So it's that important to you, is it?" Buggy asked with a smug grin, and instantly, the Straw Hats knew he was up to something.
"Damn right, it is!" Luffy barked.
"Well, in that case," Buggy began, "YOU SHOULD TRY PROTECTING IT BETTER!"
On that, Luffy turned and gasped upon seeing one of Buggy's knives being thrown at him. He yelped as he dodged to the left...but in doing so, he accidentally left his hat exposed...and not long after, Buggy's fist, which held three more knives, pierced right through the bowl and yanked it right out of the boy's hand, much to his horror.
'No...! Not my hat! I promised Shanks I'd bring it back to him...now he's gonna hate me!'
The Straw Hats gaped upon hearing that thought. Aika even hugged the hat in her arms, like a vice. They knew that Shanks' hat meant so much to Luffy...but to think, Luffy was so afraid for its care, that he also feared Shanks' rejection if it ever got damaged. No wonder he always got so angry whenever it got so much as a scratch on it.
"Hmph!" Buggy scoffed as his wrist reconnected to his arm. "How is this old, tattered hat a treasure?" He then laughed while Luffy sat on the ground, silently. "Treasure usually refers to gold, silver, and jewels! And those things reflect their owner's grandeur!"
"...Sonuvabitch...!" Blizzard growled. "How dare he!"
"If I ever see that bastard, I'll pummel him to a pulp!" Franky shouted.
"I can't believe I actually used to have that same kind of mindset for a time," Nami glared. "God, I am so DISGUSTED, right now!"
"Shut up!" Luffy seethed. "I promised I'd bring that hat back to Shanks!"
"What?!" Buggy questioned as he looked to Shanks' hat. "So you mean that this used to be HIS hat?!" He then growled as threw it to the ground. "I thought it looked familiar." He then snorted and hocked up a loogie, then spat on the hat, to Luffy's growing anger...so much so, the memory began to turn a bright red. "Shanks and I used to work on the same ship, together, back when we were pirates-in-training...that damn, detestable, red-haired bastard!" He then stomped on Luffy's hat and scrunched it up under his foot...and that was more than enough to send Luffy charging at him in a rage.
"RAAAAAAAAARRGH!" he roared. "SHANKS IS A BETTER MAN THAN YOU'LL EVER BE! YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL HIM YOUR SHIPMATE! AND DON'T EVER BADMOUTH HIM AGAIN!"
"Time for my Chop-Chop Quick Escape!" Buggy exclaimed as his head went flying from his torso, once again...but Luffy managed to land a powerful kick to his stomach, causing him to cough up blood before his body fell down.
"Bastard got what was coming to him!" Usopp barked.
"Damn right he did!" Sanji agreed.
Then, Luffy looked over and picked his hat up.
"Damn you..." Luffy cursed. "You cut my hat...you spit on it...AND YOU STOMPED ON IT?!" He then began to wipe off Buggy's spit against the clown's mouth. "HERE! YOU HAVE IT!"
"GAH!" Buggy gagged. "KNOCK IT OFF! STOP IT!"
"Why should I?!" Luffy questioned. "It's your spit!" He then grabbed Buggy's face by the cheeks and pulled on them, painfully. "Now you listen to me! I don't ever wanna hear you mention Shanks and yourself in the same breath again, you got me?!"
"GRAAAH!" Buggy cried in pain. "I don't...know what your connection to Shanks is, but I don't care! I'll say whatever I damn well please! Now Chop-Chop-"
"Oh, no, you don't!" Luffy barked as he punched Buggy in the face. "No way are you splitting apart again, bastard!"
"Yeah, you tell him, Big Brother!" Aika cheered.
At that moment, Buggy managed to push Luffy off of him and stood to his feet, growling in anger.
"Never in all my life has anyone ever pissed me off more than Shanks ever has!" he said. "That bastard stole a great treasure from me! That's something I can never forgive!"
"What are you talking about?!" Luffy asked.
It was then that Buggy explained his past to Luffy. Many years ago, when he and Shanks were on the Oro Jackson together as Roger's apprentices. One day, during a battle with some rival pirates, Buggy found a map to a treasure that lied hidden beneath the sea, but instead of sharing his find, he hid it from his crewmates. For a while, Buggy and Shanks did talk about their futures: going their separate ways to start their own pirate crews, although they did have different ideals, and they actually agreed to fight to the death if they ever met each other again. That's when Buggy learned that during the fight, the Roger Pirates had secured a Devil Fruit: the Chop-Chop Fruit, to be precise.
At first, Buggy wasn't interested in having the fruit because he wanted to keep his ability to swim. However, when he heard that people would sell a fortune for just a single one, it was something he felt that he couldn't pass up.
"Are Devil Fruits really worth that much money?" Chopper asked.
"Oh, yes," Robin agreed. "Many in the black market pay for just a single Devil Fruit. Think about Kaido for instance. Imagine how much Doflamingo must have made when he sold his SMILE Fruits to him."
"I knew the guy was probably loaded," Usopp said, "but to think, he probably made billions off those things!"
The following day, Buggy pretended to eat the Devil Fruit that his crew had captured, but it turned out to be a fake one, since he hid the real one in a barrel. Just when he was celebrating his success, Shanks startled him when he came to talk to him, forcing him to hide the Chop-Chop Fruit in his mouth, and at first, he thought he was home free...until Shanks startled him a second time, causing him to swallow the fruit, whole. Not just that, but he accidentally dropped the map, too, and jumped into the sea after it...only to instantly feel the effects of the Devil Fruit on his body as the water sapped his energy, and it was due to this that Shanks had to dive in and save him.
Despite this, Buggy was ungrateful and bitter towards Shanks, saying that he had ruined his life, much to the Straw Hats' ire.
"He really is an idiot, isn't he?" Zoro asked.
"Ungrateful dick," Sanji sneered. "Treasure be damned, if somebody saved my life like that, I'd sure as hell be thankful to them for the rest of my godforsaken life!"
"Apparently, Buggy felt his life really didn't matter," Nami said. "He just wanted treasure and nothing more."
"So...you're saying that Shanks saved you, like he saved me?" Luffy asked with that usual dopey smile.
"NO, YOU IDIOT!" Buggy shouted. "I'M SAYING HE RUINED IT! IT'S HIS FAULT THAT I LOST MY FORTUNE!" He then grinned as he separated his torso from his legs. "So, I changed my plans. If I can't get the treasure that's in the sea, I'll take all the treasures ON it, instead, using my newly-gained Chop-Chop Fruit powers! I don't give a damn how insignificant a fly you might be! If you put your hands on my treasure..." He then went flying...right passed Luffy and headed toward Past Nami, who was sneaking away with a giant bag in her arms, "I'LL RIP YOU TO RIBBONS!"
"Uh-oh...!" Past Nami squeaked.
"Oh, no!" Aika cried. "Big Sis Nami!"
"Yeah...not my best escape," Nami said.
"GET YOUR GRIMY HANDS OFF MY TREASURE, YOU BITCH!" Buggy yelled.
"KYAAAA!" Past Nami shrieked, while Luffy glanced over at Buggy's legs...and soon after, an impish grin appeared on his face.
"Oh, dear god," Blizzard snickered. "I know what he's gonna do, now."
Before long, Luffy approached Buggy's legs...and kicked right in between them, causing Buggy to freeze in place, just before he was about to slice Past Nami up.
"Guh...!" Buggy groaned before he collapsed. "My...balls...! That was a cheap shot!"
As for the present Straw Hats? Well, they ended up bursting into hysteric laughter, once more.
"I know I probably shouldn't laugh," Sanji began, "but...but you gotta admit...he had it coming! AHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Usually, I don't find something like that funny," Franky began, "but in this case, I'll make an exception!"
"I almost feel sorry for the poor bastard!" Usopp cried with tears in his eyes.
"Yohohohoho!" Brook guffawed. "It's easy for me to laugh, since I don't have those, anymore!"
"It's even funnier now than it was, back then!" Nami added while Robin was leaning against a laughing Zoro's soldier, unable to hold herself back anymore. Chopper was rolling on the proverbial floor with Blizzard, who was laughing just as hard as everyone else. The only ones who didn't find it funny were Aika and Kumi...mostly because Robin had once again covered their eyes.
"I don't get it," Kumi said.
"What's so funny?" Aika asked.
"We'll...we'll tell you when you're older, Aika," Robin answered, trying to catch her breath.
"Don't forget," said Luffy while's Buggy's lower half writhed in pain, "our fight's not done yet, Buggy."
"Phew...!" Past Nami sighed in relief. "I'm saved."
"Hey, Nami!" Luffy called, causing the 18-year-old girl to look at him. "You better drop that bag and get the hell outta dodge, or else he'll keep chasing you!"
"Drop the treasure?!" Past Nami asked. "Are you crazy?! No way am I leaving my treasure behind!"
"Your treasure?!" Buggy questioned.
"Damn right!" Past Nami shouted in determination. "MY treasure, Buggy! I'm a master thief and I stole this treasure, fair and square, so it's mine now!"
"Oh~!" Luffy realized as he pounded a fist in his palm. "That makes sense!"
"Well, not really," Usopp muttered.
"Hush, you," Nami replied.
"That's MY treasure you've got those grubby hands of yours on!" Buggy spat. "It's not yours until you get away with! For a thief, you seemed to have forgotten the basic tenet of thievery!"
"A bad guy, lecturing a thief?" Past Nami quipped. "Sorry, but I don't really argue with pirates."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Buggy questioned.
"I would never stoop so low as to take lessons from you!" the girl declared as she stuck her tongue at Buggy...and seeing that made Luffy's heart start thumping again.
'She's kinda cute when she sticks her tongue out, like that...'
Nami blushed and giggled a little at this.
"Wow...this is almost embarrassing," she said, while Robin chuckled and put her hand on her shoulder.
"Rrrgh...!" Buggy growled. "In that case, you'll suffer the consequences! Chop-Chop FESTIVAL!" On that, he sent several of his body parts flying all around. "AHAHAHAHAHA! LET'S SEE YOU TRY TO SAVE YOUR LITTLE GIRLFRIEND NOW, RUBBER BOY!"
"She's not my girlfriend!" Luffy argued.
"I'm not his girlfriend!" Past Nami shouted.
"Classic case of denial," Sanji said with Usopp nodding his head in agreement.
"No, seriously, I wasn't crushing on him as much as he was crushing on me, back then," Nami pointed out.
"Whoa! Yikes! Yee-hee!" Luffy yelped as he dodged Buggy's flying parts. "Dammit, how am I supposed to fight this guy if his parts are flying all over the place?!" He then spotted something on the ground: Buggy's feet, walking by themselves. "Eh? His feet aren't flying...hmm..."
The Straw Hats instantly realized that Luffy had just developed a new strategy, right then and there, just like how he was prone to do in a fight. Quick as a wink, Luffy chased after one of Buggy's feet and grabbed one of them.
"Aha!" he exclaimed. "Gotcha!" He then began to pull off the shoe and the sock, and he gagged a bit as he wrinkled his nose. "Ugh...blegh! Jeez, someone hasn't cleaned their feet in a while!"
"Says the one who walks around with stinky sandals," Blizzard muttered.
Once Luffy had removed Buggy's footwear, he began to tickle the clown pirate's foot, which caused him to laugh uncontrollably, then he slammed Buggy's foot on the ground, toes first, causing him to grit his teeth in pain, and finally, Luffy pinched his ankle, causing him to scream in agony, and all the while, poor Past Nami was freaking out so badly, she looked like she was about to have a heart attack.
"...That's an...amusing way to fight," Brook noted while Zoro sighed and shook his head.
"I often wonder if Luffy's taking these fights seriously,"the swordsman muttered.
"CUT THAT OUT, YOU BRAT!" Buggy barked.
"YOU cut it out, you jerk!" Past Nami shouted as she slammed the bag of treasure into Buggy's face, and at first, it seemed to do some damage...but then, the Straw Hats noticed him snickering.
"Thank you very much, Nami," Buggy began, "for giving me back my treasure!"
"Oh, crap...!" Past Nami cursed before she began to tug the bag back. "Let go of it!"
"YOU let go!" Buggy demanded as he tugged the bag, too, even going as far to hold it with his teeth while his severed hands held a pair of knives. "It's MY treasure!"
"Hey, Buggy!" Luffy shouted as he ran to Past Nami's aid. "You're supposed to be fighting ME, remember?!"
Before Buggy even realized what happened, Luffy kicked him right in the jaw, unwittingly knocking the treasure out of Past Nami's hands as he did. Buggy's parts then fell to the ground while the pirate himself lied unconscious among his stolen riches.
"Heh!" Luffy smirked as he wiped the blood from his temple. "That was for the mayor, you jerk!"
Past Nami gaped in awe while the Straw Hats all smiled in admiration. Then, Luffy went up to her with a smile as he held out his hand, causing Past Nami to smile back at him before she took it and allowed him to help her to her feet, and this smile was not one of cunning or trickery...this was a genuine smile of gratitude.
"You okay?" Luffy asked.
"Y...yeah," Past Nami answered. "Thanks for saving me...Luffy."
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "No problem!"
'She said my name...!'
The Straw Hats chuckled at that thought.
"Oh, right!" Luffy realized as he glanced over at the unconscious Buggy. "The map!"
"Oh, great," Past Nami groaned. "I gotta pick up all that scattered treasure on the ground...oh, well! Better do it now, while he's out cold."
Soon, Luffy searched Buggy's coat and pulled out the chart he had kept hidden on his person.
"We got it!" he exclaimed. "The chart of the Grand Line is ours!"
"Hold it right there, rubber boy!"
"Huh?" Luffy muttered before he turned to see Buggy's floating head, then picked his nose, clearly unamused. "Oh, it's you again, huh? Come on, man, this isn't really fun anymore."
"I'll kill you for this embarrassment, Straw Hat!" Buggy shouted. "Now, come together! Chop-Chop...wait...WHAT?!
The Straw Hats all gaped upon seeing that not all of Buggy's parts had reassembled...reducing him to about a mere quarter of his regular size. Nothing more than a small body with just his head, hands, and feet!
"Looking for these~?" Past Nami asked in a singsong voice, standing over a bundle of ropes, which had Buggy's parts all tied up.
"Oh, my god, no way!" Usopp exclaimed with a laugh. "Oh, this is rich!"
"Well, I figured I could do SOMETHING for Luffy after he and Zoro went through for me," Nami shrugged.
"Hmph," Zoro scoffed.
"NO! MY BODY PARTS!" Buggy cried.
"HAAAHAHAHAHAHA!" Luffy guffawed as he stretched both his arms back. "Nice going there, master thief! Now just leave the rest to me!"
"No! NO, WAIT!" Buggy yelled. "DON'T!"
"Nice meeting ya, Buggy...NOT!" Luffy grinned. "Now Gum-Gum...BAZOOKA~!"
On that, Luffy slammed both fists into Buggy's face and sent him flying through the air until he disappeared in a twinkling.
"YAHOO!" Luffy cheered as he heaved his fists into the air. "I WON!"
The Straw Hats all smiled, proudly at their captain. Sure, it was a somewhat easy victory...but a victory, nevertheless.
"So, Nami, this means you're gonna join up with me, huh?" asked Luffy.
"Well...for the time being," Past Nami answered as she held a bag of treasure. "Looks like being with you and Zoro just might make me a fortune!" She then lovingly hugged the bag. "I gotta hand it to Buggy, he sure knows treasure when he sees it! This booty's gotta be at least worth 10 million Berries...maybe more!"
"For the time being?" Aika repeated. "Does that mean you're gonna leave, eventually, Big Sis?"
"Aika, sweetie," Nami smiled as she squat down to her height level, "as you can see...I'm here to stay."
Aika giggled as she hugged the navigator, who returned her embrace and gave her a kiss on her cheek.
"Hey, you think you can help me out?" Past Nami asked. "All this treasure is kinda heavy and I had to divide into two bags."
No response.
"Uh...hello?" Past Nami asked. "Luffy?"
Luffy blankly stared down at his hat, which had three tears in the bowl from Buggy's knives, and at that moment, the memory turned a shade of blue, once more.
'How am I gonna tell Shanks about this? What if he never forgives me?'
The Straw Hats felt their hearts clench, just a bit, upon hearing that thought. Seeing the memory turn blue didn't make things better.
"...That hat really means a lot to you, huh?" Past Nami inquired.
"...Eh," Luffy shrugged as he put his hat on his head. "It's fine, as long as I can still wear it, right? Besides, I felt better after kicking Buggy's ass. Shishishi!" He then went over to Past Zoro and began to shake him awake. "Yo, Zoro! Wake up, buddy! We gotta go!"
"Unh..." Past Zoro moaned as he sat up. "What happened...? You take care of Buggy, yet?"
"Yup!" Luffy answered. "And we got a map of the Grand Line and some treasure to boot! Pretty good day, huh?"
"I guess so," Past Zoro said before he put his hand to his forehead. "Crap...I'm still delirious. I don't think I can walk without help."
"Well, duh!" Past Nami exclaimed. "If you could, I wouldn't think you guys were even human, anymore!"
"Hey, don't go lumping me in with him!" Luffy argued.
"You're even less human than he is!" Past Nami barked.
"Seriously, Zoro!" Chopper shouted. "What were you thinking?!"
"Will you relax?!" Zoro asked. "It's in the past, now! Why does it matter?!"
"You should take better care of yourself!" Chopper shouted.
"Oh, yeah!" Luffy remembered as he glanced over at Boodle, who was still out cold. "I better go wake the old man up!"
"Hey, you three!"
The trio turned to see a bunch of people, obviously the townsfolk, and they were holding various weapons, like pitchforks, hoes, brooms, pipes, wooden swords, and baseball bats.
"We're the citizens of Orange Town," said one of them. "Did the pirates have a mutiny or something?"
"Oh, good, the townsfolk!" Past Nami said in relief. "I almost thought you were Buggy's backup crew. Listen, if you just put down your weapons, we'll explain everyth-"
"Oh, my god, look!" cried a teenage boy, about Luffy's age at the time. "It's the mayor!"
"Mayor Boodle!" a middle-aged man ran up to Boodle and propped him, trying to rouse him from his slumber. "Mayor, are you okay?! Speak to me! Who did this to you?!"
"Did Buggy and his damn pirates do this?!" asked another man.
"3...2...1..." Nami counted.
"No," Luffy answered, bluntly. "I'm the one who knocked him out."
"HUH?!" Past Nami questioned, while the townsfolk turned and glared at him.
"What the...?" Franky muttered as he raised his sunglasses.
"...Did Luffy really just admit that he knocked the old man out?" Usopp asked.
"Why would he go and do that?!" Kumi asked in disbelief.
"Because Kumi," Blizzard began, "Luffy is Luffy."
"Luffy, what did you go and tell them that for?!" Past Nami shouted.
"Well, you did see me, didn't you?" Luffy asked.
"Just because I was you doesn't mean I was gonna tell them, stupid!" Past Nami barked.
"YOU knocked out the mayor, kid?!" questioned a man, armed with a spear. "How dare you!"
"Are you pirates, just like Buggy and his crew?!" another man asked.
"Yep, we sure are," Luffy answered, causing Past Nami to face-fault in disbelief.
"GET 'EM!" a young man with a sword shouted while Past Zoro, despite being in pain.
"YOU MORON!" Past Nami yelled at Luffy, which startled him. "WHY DID YOU GO AND SAY THAT?!"
"Well, we are, aren't we?!" Luffy asked before he grabbed Zoro and one of the bags of treasure. "Anyway, let's book it!"
And that's exactly what they did while the angry mob gave chase after them.
"Don't let them get way!"
"They'll pay for attacking the mayor like that!"
Nami only sighed and shook her head.
"I fell for such an annoying guy," she said as she looked at Luffy with an endearing smile, "and yet...I don't regret it all."
"Heh," Zoro smirked, as did the rest of the Straw Hats.
"Why do you always have to make things so difficult?!" Past Nami questioned as she ran.
"These are pretty good folks, huh?" Luffy asked, not really giving a straightforward answer.
"Yeah, so what?!" Past Nami asked.
"The reason they're all so worked up," Luffy began, "is because they love their mayor, so much! It probably wouldn't matter what we said, right? Shishishishishi!"
As he said this, a brief image of Woopslap, Makino, the Dadan Family, and all the townsfolk back in Windmill Village appeared before the memory returned to normal.
"I see," Nami smiled. "Luffy knows what it's like to have folks around him who care about him so much."
"In a way," Robin began, "he might have been testing the people of Orange Town."
"Shishishi!" Aika giggled. "He goes about it in weird ways, but Big Brother really is a terrific guy, y'know?"
"You can say that again, Aika," Sanji smiled.
As Luffy, Past Zoro, and Past Nami continued to escape by running into an alleyway, they happened to run into some unexpected help: Chouchou, who had bandages on his wounds, obviously from the townspeople.
"Chouchou?!" Past Nami questioned. "What are you doing here?!"
Just as the townsfolk were catching up, Chouchou growled and barked at them, stopping them right in their tracks.
"What the- Chouchou?! What are you doing?!"
"Get outta the way, Chouchou! Those are pirates! They're bad people!"
But Chouchou wouldn't budge. He just kept barking at his fellow townspeople before he glanced back at Luffy with a smirk.
"He says 'Now we're even'," Aika translated, causing the Straw Hats to smile.
"That Luffy," Usopp began, "always making allies wherever he goes."
"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled. "A most admirable trait, indeed!"
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Thanks a lot, doggy!"
Before too long, the trio made it to the docks, where they saw the dinghy that Luffy and Past Zoro came in, as well as a larger boat that held Buggy's Jolly Roger.
"Phew!" Past Nami sighed. "Man, that was just too close a call! Thank goodness Chouchou stepped in when he did." She then glared at Luffy. "If only you hadn't opened your big mouth, then we could have left, quietly!"
"Eh, no big deal," Luffy shrugged. "I mean, we got what we needed, right?"
"...I suppose," Past Nami answered.
"So...is this your ship?" Luffy asked as he noticed the larger dinghy. "Looks pretty cool!"
"Honestly, I've seen better boats in a ship's graveyard," Past Nami said. "I stole this from some of Buggy's men. Anyway, let's hurry and get on board- EEK!"
Before they could get aboard, Luffy and Past Nami soon found three more pirates, hiding aboard the boat that the latter stole.
"Uh-oh," Aika murmured, worriedly.
"Relax, Aika," Nami said. "It'll be okay."
"Well, well, well," said the pirate with poofy, orange hair. "Look who it is! The bitch who tricked us!"
"Oh!" Past Nami exclaimed with a nervous chuckled. "Uh...hi, boys! Long time no see!"
"We knew you'd come back here for our boat!" said the orange-haired pirate.
"Imagine our surprise when we found it docked here," said the pirate in the middle, the one wearing black beanie with Buggy's Jolly Roger on it.
"You haven't forgotten about us, have ya?" asked the tanned-skin, rotund man with the anchor necklace.
"Hey, I know those three," Zoro said. "I met them while I was chasing after Luffy when that bird took him."
"So that explains when they freaked out when they saw you," Nami said.
"Huh?" Chopper muttered.
"J-just watch, Chopper, you'll see what I mean," Nami answered.
"These guys friends of yours?" Luffy queried.
"Uh...not exactly," Past Nami said, worriedly.
"Now that's not very nice!" said the beanie-wearing pirate. "Our fates have intertwined because of you!" That's when he noticed Luffy and Past Zoro, who was leaning against him. "And what's this? You brought your boyfriend, too?"
"He's NOT my boyfriend!" Past Nami countered.
"Doesn't matter," said the beanie-wearing pirate as he approached Luffy and smacked Past Zoro on the back of his head. "You'll all get the same treatment! You hear that, pal?! Come on, wake up!"
"Rrgh..." Past Zoro growled as he raised his head, revealing a pissed-off expression. "What the hell do you want...?!"
"HOLY CRAP, IT'S ZORO AGAIN!" the pirates shrieked before they all jumped into the sea and swam away!
"HAHAHAHA!" Franky laughed. "Look at 'em swimming away like a bunch of cowards! They'll be shark bait in no time at all!"
"Uh...ooookay," Luffy said. "That was weird."
"I call it a stroke of luck," Past Nami said as she prepared the dinghies to sail. "Come on, you two, let's hurry and get outta here while we can!"
"Right!" Luffy nodded before he put Zoro on the dinghy, trying to be as gentle as possible. Just as he was about to get on board himself, he glanced down at the bag of treasure in his arm, then back at the town.
"Luffy, let's go!" Past Nami called.
"Right! Coming!" Luffy replied before he put the bag down, then boarded the dinghy. "Let's get going!"
Soon, the trio began to drift away with the tide. However, as they were leaving, they whead a voice call out to them from behind.
"HEY, YOU KIDS! I HAVE SOMETHING I WANNA SAY TO YOU!"
"Oh!" Luffy exclaimed as he turned and saw that it was Boodle, who had taken off his armor and was wearing his yellow plaid shirt and brown trousers. "The mayor!"
"What does he want?" Past Zoro asked.
"...THANK YOU~!" Boodle called out with tears of gratitude in his eyes and a large smile on his face. "I WON'T FORGET THIS!"
The trio smiled, as did the current Straw Hats.
"NO PROBLEM, OLD MAN!" Luffy called back. "YOU TAKE IT EASY, YA HEAR?!"
And on that, they continued to sail on. However, as they left, Past Nami made a horrifying discovery.
"You did WHAT?!" Past Nami questioned. "YOU LEFT HALF THE TREASURE BEHIND?! THAT WAS HALF OF TEN MILLION BERRIES I GAVE YOU, YOU KNOW!"
"Yeah, but their town got messed up," Luffy replied. "They're gonna need a lot money to rebuild it."
"BUT THAT TREASURE WAS MINE, YOU IDIOT!" Past Nami shouted as she grabbed Luffy's head and tried to force it into the water.
"GAH!" Luffy yelped in fright as he struggled. "Take it easy, Nami! If you want it back, we'll go back and get it, okay?!"
"I CAN'T GO BACK FOR IT, YOU NUMSKULL!" Past Nami barked. "IF YOU EVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN, I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE, DO YOU HEAR ME?!"
"Y-y-yes, ma'am!" Luffy cried while Past Zoro only laughed, and despite Past Nami's overreaction to her treasure being given away, the current Straw Hats couldn't help smiling either.
From that day onward, the crew of three continued to sail on as the fire that forged their bond grew brighter.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within
Luffy: Hey, look! A desert island!
Past Nami: Maybe we shouldn't be looking around here.
?: Who goes there?! This is my island! You should not have trespassed here!
Chopper: It's...a bush-man?!
Sanji: And I thought that the Grand Line was weird.
?: Stop right there, pirates! How dare you enter my home turf?!
Usopp: Hey, wait a minute...that's me! FINALLY!
Blizzard: Oh, boy...
Next time: Gaimon and the Third.
Review, please!