Ch. 27- Luffy's Heart
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
The Straw Hats had instinctively covered their mouths when Don Krieg fired that MH5 bomb, even though they knew that this was just Luffy's memory, and therefore, they couldn't be harmed. However, the same could not be said for anyone who had been effected by the gas. As the memory began to return, they saw Luffy was lying on the deck on his belly, holding the gas mask that had been tossed to him to his face.
'Phew! I'm alive! That mask appeared just in time!'
"Thank goodness," Chopper whispered in relief.
"Yeah, that mask did appear just in time!" Aika agreed. "But...where did it come from?"
"...Wait for it," Sanji replied.
"Rrrrgh...G-Gin...let go...!" a familiar voice urged. "You can let go, now!"
As the gas began to clear...the Straw Hats, save for Zoro, Sanji, and Robin, all gasped in horror as they saw Past Sanji, pinned to the floor...with Gin pressing his gas mask onto his face. As for Gin, himself...his skin was very pale and blood was practically pouring out of his mouth!
"OH, NO!" Chopper shrieked.
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" Aika screamed. "MR. GIN!"
"HOLY SHIT!" Usopp cried.
"Gin!" Luffy cried. "What happened?! Where's your mask?!"
"Uggh...guuuuuhh...!" Gin gagged.
"...Wait," Luffy realized. "The mask that was thrown at me...that was yours?!"
Then, Gin coughed up a large amount of blood before he collapsed.
"GIN, NO!" Past Sanji yelled.
"Hahahaha!" laughed Don Krieg. "What a fool he was! The sin of gratitude brought him to the state he's in, and all because of some food! You know what they say...death is the only cure for idiots."
"Guh...D...Don...Krieg...!" Gin choked as tears fell from his eyes.
"...Gin," Past Sanji growled, "you really chose the wrong man to follow."
"He sure did," Zoro said.
"How people can be so blindly loyal to somebody like him is way beyond me!" Nami exclaimed.
"KRIEG, YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAARD!" Luffy roared, furiously, which caused Don Krieg to laugh.
"Don't tell me you feel sorry for that worthless piece of trash!" he shouted.
"Piece of trash?" Past Sanji repeated, angrily.
"That's right!" Don Krieg affirmed. "A fool who lost sight of what was important and refused to obey my orders is of no use to me! How do I know he won't betray me, again? I'm doing him a favor, killing him like this!"
"The only piece of trash around here is him," Franky snarled.
"Seriously," Blizzard added with a vicious growl.
Robin didn't even have any words for that...but the sight of seeing Don Krieg seeing his most loyal man as someone expendable...it just made her sick. One would think that after going through this for years, now, she'd be used to seeing this kind of cruelty. In all hoensty, though, she still hated the sight of such things.
"He's such a horrible man!" Aika shouted.
"Yeah, he's a big butt-head!" Kumi added.
"Kumi!" Blizzard scolded.
"What?!" Kumi asked. "Everybody's thinking it!"
The Krieg Pirates gaped in disbelief, shocked that their own leader would want to kill his most loyal member. At that moment, Patty, Carne, and Zeff all came outside, once the gas had cleared up.
"Patty! Carne!" Past Sanji called. "We need an antidote or something!"
"What?!" Patty questioned. "That's only for food poisoning, Sanji! And besides, that guy's our enemy and-"
"SCREW THE DETAILS!" Past Sanji barked. "JUST GET IT, ALREADY!"
"That won't work!" Zeff exclaimed. "Quickly, put that gas mask on his face! There should be some antitoxin in there! Then carry him up to the upper deck and make him breathe deep breaths! It's the only way to save him!"
"Old Man...!" Past Sanji whispered.
"Do you think that maybe he experienced something like that?" Brook asked while Patty and Carne hurried to get Gin to the upper deck.
"Gin!" Luffy called as Past Sanji put the gas mask on Gin's face. "Don't die, got that?"
"Hmph!" Don Krieg scoffed. "You've got to be kidding. He won't live another hour!"
"Listen to me, Gin," Luffy said. "Don't let this jerk kill you! You have to live to spite him! I'll kick his ass for you, okay?!"
The Straw Hats only stood silently, once again brimming with pride at their captain's valor.
"N...no...!" Gin choked. "D-don't...fight Krieg...you can't...win...!"
"Hey, hold on a minute!" Past Sanji cried as he grabbed Luffy by his arm. "Don't be so hasty! If you just charge right in, you'll be playing right into his hands! He'll kill you!"
"...Don't be stupid," Luffy said as the wind blew and he pulled his hand out of Past Sanji's grip. "I'm not gonna die!" On that, he charged ahead at full speed. "If you wanna shoot me, then go ahead and shoot!"
"No, wait!" Past Sanji called after that. "Come back!"
"There he goes," Zoro said.
"Same old reckless Luffy," Nami muttered.
"Ah, what can you do?" Sanji shrugged.
"Look out, Big Brother!" Aika cried.
"Aika, you know he can't hear you!" Kumi argued.
"I can still warn him, can't I?!" Aika questioned.
"Heh!" Don Krieg smirked. "What a fool he is. An enemy that's blinded by rage is an easy target if you ask me!"
"Don't say I didn't warn you...!" Past Sanji whispered.
"I've heard that even a monkey can learn, kid!" Krieg called out. "But you persist in your mistakes! A monkey seems smarter than you!"
"Maybe so," Luffy began, "but I don't give up so easily!"
"The ocean is your enemy, boy!" Krieg yelled. "If you keep charging at me, you'll only be a target for my stakes! If you go beyond that fin, it'll be your funeral!"
"...My funeral, huh?" Luffy asked as Don Krieg threw more of his bombs in the water, which caused the ocean to spray upwards. Luffy grunted as he was surrounded by the white foam of the ocean...and not long after, he yelped in pain when he felt those sharp stakes pierce into his left shoulder and his stomach.
"Oh, no!" Aika cried.
"Wait! Just keep watching!" Sanji said as the memory continued, and although Luffy faltered for just a second, he quickly wrenched the stake out of his stomach before he continued to charge at Don Krieg, who did not seem fazed in the least. As Luffy stretched his arm way back behind him, the water around him dissipated, revealing Krieg holding up his spiky Porcupine Cape.
"What the hell?!" Usopp questioned.
"He wouldn't!" Franky shouted.
"GUM-GUUUUUUUUM...BULLET!" Luffy roared as his fist slammed into Krieg's face, in spite of his knuckles getting stabbed by the spikes.
"...He would...!" Nami winced.
Sanji shuddered as he held his own hands. Even now, seeing Luffy's fist get punctured like that sent chills down his spine...and not the good kind.
"What happened?" Aika asked, her eyes once again covered.
"You don't want to know," Robin answered with her arms crossed.
"...You know something?" Chopper asked. "I've always wondered about that scarring around Luffy's knuckles...now I know where he got it from."
All spectators were in disbelief at what they had just witnessed as Don Krieg collapsed from Luffy's punch. As Luffy stood, smirking confidently with the wind ruffling his hair, the Krieg Pirates could only wonder what kind of man he was...or if he was even human, for that matter. At that moment, Luffy, his fist practically pouring blood, reached up and yanked the stake out of his shoulder and tossed it to the remains of the Don Krieg's gallion.
"So...is this still MY funeral...or yours?" Luffy asked, panting slightly as the adrenaline rush started to subside. "My funeral...will take more than this! You may have a bunch of tricky weapons and a spiky cape and stuff...but I'm not gonna die, here!"
"...Whoa...!" Aika whispered in awe, even though she couldn't really see, but she could tell her that her older half-brother was just brimming over with confidence.
"That's our Luffy," Zoro smirked.
"Yeah, defiant till the end," Usopp added.
"Uh-oh!" Chopper exclaimed. "I don't think he's down, yet!"
Sure enough, Don Krieg began to pick himself up, wiping blood from his lip as he did.
"If this isn't your place to die," he began as he stood up and held up his shoulder plate gun, "then WHOSE IS IT, BOY?!"
Luffy simply jumped over him before he stretched his leg out and kicked Don Krieg's shoulder, causing him to collapse, again!
"Nope!" he exclaimed. "It's still yours!"
The Krieg Pirates were in utter disbelief at what they were witnessing: their own captain, being defeated, and by some monkey-boy. The only ones who were actually enjoying it were the Straw Hats and the Baratie staff. The Krieg Pirates just kept going on about how Krieg was finished and how his reputation of being the strongest pirate in the East Blue had been tarnished...but that only seemed to add more fuel to the fire.
"SHUT UP, YOU PACK OF HOWLING FOOLS!" Don Krieg yelled as he put the shoulder plates of his armor together. Then, he seemed to pull something out of it before he slammed it into the piece of flotsam, causing Luffy to yelp as he jumped into the air as a huge explosion emerged.
"What was that?!" Usopp questioned.
"I don't know!" Blizzard answered, but as the smoke cleared, it was revealed that Don Krieg was holding some kind of spear in his hands.
"It's the Mighty Battle Spear!" exclaimed one of the Krieg Pirates. "It's Don Krieg's strongest weapon!"
"An exploding spear?!" Aika asked.
"Whoa, that's not good!" Kumi cried.
"Hehehehe...!" Don Krieg snickered as he threw his coat off. "Let's see how long you can survive now...anchor boy! You'll find this will give you more serious injuries than those stakes did!"
"What kind of spear is that?" Luffy asked.
"It'll blow you to Kingdom Come!" Don Krieg exclaimed as he threw the spear over his head, causing Aika to yelp as she covered her eyes, and not long after, Krieg slammed the spear into the piece of driftwood Luffy was holding onto, sending him flying through the air, once again, forcing him to grab onto another piece before he could fall into the water. As he attempted to get back up, however, he suddenly fell to his knees, much to his confusion.
"What happened?!" Kumi asked. "He's staggering!"
"Not good!" Chopper cried. "Luffy's lost way too much blood! If he keeps this up, he'll be a goner!"
"And I think Luffy knows it, too!" Nami added.
Despite knowing he was at his limit, Luffy continued to push himself, jumping at Krieg, even as he kept swinging his Mighty Battle Spear at him. Luffy did manage to dodge by latching onto the spear's handle, but that only made Krieg angrier. As Krieg prepared to skewer Luffy, the Straw Hats noticed that their captain had managed to strike the spear's blade, every time it struck, but even then, Luffy still winded up getting caught in a huge explosion. There was even a time the memory blurred, showing that Luffy was almost unconscious, but even then, he still managed to pull through, despite the state he was in. When Luffy stood up again for the fifth time...the Mighty Battle Spear's blade suddenly shattered into pieces.
"Huh?!" Don Krieg questioned in shock. "My Mighty Battle Spear! What the hell did you do?!"
"Heh!" Luffy smirked. "I just punched it in the head, five times...it looks tired. Maybe it needs a rest!"
"What?!" Don Krieg questioned.
"Without that blade," Luffy began, "it's nothing but a bomb on a stick...and that's pretty lame."
"Rrrrrgh...you...son of a bitch!" Krieg cursed.
"Your stupid 'military might' you keep babbling on about is just got cut in half," Luffy said.
"Yeah!" Aika cheered. "Way to go, Big Brother!"
"But he's not out of the woods, just yet!" Franky pointed out.
"Is that really what you think, boy?" Don Krieg asked. "You've been badly injured before you took even two blasts from my Mighty Battle Spear! All you're doing is bluffing, now!"
"I'm not bluffin'," Luffy rebuked.
"But Krieg's right," Past Sanji whispered. "He's gotta be pretty busted up, by now! If he gets hit by another explosion, he's sunk! It's no use...Krieg's just got too much firepower on him!"
"Maybe so," Zeff said, "but even a man that has weapons of mass destruction...can't match that kid's heart!"
"His heart?" Aika asked.
"He's talking about guts," Sanji said. "Sometimes, Aika, even in the face of adversity, your brother still had the grit to face death, head-on with little to no hesitation because he knows what he has to fight for. That's always something to think about in the pirate world. You understand?"
"...Mm!" Aika nodded in determination. "Yeah, I understand! If I ever fight...I won't hesitate, even if it kills me, just like Big Brother does!"
"Yeah, and neither will I!" Kumi added.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves!" Blizzard exclaimed. "You're still kids!"
"See what you went and started, now?" asked Zoro as he glared at Sanji.
"I'm just trying to teach the kid a life lesson, all right?" Sanji asked.
"Just give up, boy!" Don Krieg yelled. "You were dead the moment you chose to challenge me!"
"We'll see about that!" Luffy retorted as he blew a raspberry at him, which proceeded to further irritate Krieg. The boy leaped around him like the animal he got his surname from, swinging from the yard arms and even making monkey screeches (which made Aika and Chopper laugh). Don Krieg tried to make Luffy fall down by breaking the mast he was hanging from in half, and even tried to burn him with a flamethrower, but even then, Luffy still managed to avoid the attack in time, then delivered a powerful Gum-Gum Gatling move. However, it didn't look like it made any effect on Krieg, due to the armor being made of Wootz Steel.
When Luffy tried to hit him in the stomach with a Gum-Gum Bullet, it still didn't seem to effect him. However, it made Luffy grunt in pain, and the memory blurred again as blood splurted from his bleeding shoulder.
"IMPUDENT BOY!" Don Krieg roared as he hit Luffy again with his Might Battle Spear, the explosion sending him flying once more, then stood on top of the broken mast. "How pathetic are you?! You really think your puny monkey fist could shatter the strongest armor in the world?!"
"My Big Brother can do anything, you big jerk!" Aika shouted.
"Monkey D. Aika!" Robin scolded, causing the younger D. Carrier to cover her mouth.
"Well...at least I didn't say that 'B' word that Big Brother always calls somebody," Aika muttered.
"Ugh..." Luffy groaned as he tried to stand up. "Just...a few more...ought to do it...!"
"He better finish this, quick," said Chopper. "He won't last much longer!"
"I think he knows that," said Zoro.
"I am the World's Strongest Man, armed with the best weapons and equipment!" shouted Don Krieg. "That, my boy, is military might!"
"Technically, Whitebeard was the World's Strongest Man," Nami whispered, causing the other Straw Hats to chuckle a bit.
"Whoever opposes me dies," Don Krieg grinned before he threw more bombs at Luffy. The Baratie cooks cried out for him to run away, while the Krieg Pirates cheered, thinking that this was the end for the boy who challenged their captain, who laughed in triumph. "The strong always prevail!"
"And that would be me!" Luffy declared as he charged, despite Past Sanji warning him that it was a trap.
"You fell for it, just like I knew you would!" Don Krieg shouted as he tried to hit Luffy again with his Battle Spear, and that seemed to end it. "Your stubborn pride can't...HUH?!"
Before he realized it, Luffy burst through the smoke, his forehead and nose bloodied from the blow, but he still had plenty of fire left inside him.
"GUUUUUM-GUUUUUUUUUUM...BAZOOKA~!"
WHABAM! Luffy's two hands struck Don Krieg in the stomach, knocking him off the mast, but even then, the cruel pirate armada captain laughed, believing he had won, and even mockingly praised him for managing to crack his armor...but then, Luffy jumped up after him again and struck him with another Gum-Gum Bazooka attack, this time, shattering his armor, completely!
"YES!" Aika cheered. "He did it! Big Brother did it!"
"It's not over yet," Sanji said.
"What do you mean?" Brook asked, and as soon as he did, Krieg immediately sprung back to life before he captured Luffy in a giant iron net!
"Ah, crap!" Luffy cursed.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Don Krieg laughed. "YOU'RE FINISHED, KID! THAT'S THE SEA, BENEATH YOU! ALL I HAVE TO DO IS THROW YOU IN AND YOU DROWN!"
"NO!" Aika cried.
"I GET THE LAST LAUGH, JUST LIKE I ALWAYS DO!" Don Krieg yelled...but just when it seemed that victory was his, Luffy grunted as he managed to get his arms and legs free, then twisted his legs around before he grabbed Don Krieg by the face with his feet!
"Got you!" Luffy shouted. "This'll finish it!"
"Come on, Big Brother!" Aika cheered. "You can do it!"
"GUUUUUUM-GUUUUUUUUUUUM...GIANT HAMMER!" Luffy roared before he threw Don Krieg into the destroyed fin of the Baratie, thus defeating him once and for all! However...Luffy ended up falling right into the ocean, despite his victory, and since he was so exhausted from the battle, he finally passed out, and the memory faded to black, once more.
"Oh, no!" Kumi cried.
"He's gonna be okay, right?!" Nami asked.
"Don't worry! I jumped in and saved him at the last second!" Sanji reassured.
"Oh, thank goodness," Nami whispered in relief.
"Still, that was unsettling," Chopper said. "I mean...that had to be the hardest fight Luffy ever had!"
"Don Krieg sure gave him a run for his money, that's for sure," said Zoro.
"But he won in the end," Robin said.
"And fought with great valor, as well!" Brook added. "Yohohoho!"
"He did," Nami agreed. "But...he was going to have another really tough battle on his hands, soon enough."
"What do you mean, Big Sis Nami?" Aika asked.
"...You'll see," Nami answered as a new image appeared. It showed Luffy, sitting up in a cot with bandages and Band-Aids, one of which was dangling from his nose.
"Ugggh..." Luffy groaned as he yanked the Band-Aid, then reached up to scratch his head, only to gasp when he did not feel his hat. "AAH! MY HAT! WHERE'S MY HAAAAAAAAAAT?!"
"It's right over there!" answered Past Sanji as he pointed to the nightstand, where Luffy's hat was sitting. "Calm down."
"Oh, there it is," Luffy said in relief as he put it on his head.
"Whose room is this?" asked Nami.
"Mine," Sanji answered.
"That's for sure," Zoro said. "Look at the pictures of naked women."
"...OH, CRAP!" Sanji cursed before he covered Aika's and Kumi's eyes.
"Hey!" they both cried.
"...Hey, wait a minute..." Sanji muttered as he looked around. "I don't keep pictures of naked women in my room!"
"Gotcha," Zoro smirked, causing the cook to lunge at him, and soon, the two began to brawl, once again.
"Hey, hey, hey! Cut it out!" Franky yelled.
"Guys, I can't hear!" Usopp shouted before they all quited down.
"So, did you have a nice nap?" Past Sanji asked Luffy, who stretched his arms and yawned.
"Yeah," Luffy answered. "I feel better...so, what happened to Krieg and the other guys?"
"Gone, now," Past Sanji answered, "thanks to you."
"Ah," Luffy replied as Past Sanji told him what happened after he had passed out. Apparently, Krieg tried to continue fighting, despite the fact that he was clearly out of his mind, so Gin, though still suffering from the effects of the MH5, punched Krieg in the stomach, thus knocking him out cold. He then piled his remaining crewmates on a dinghy and decided that they should start over from scratch. As Gin was about to leave, he told Past Sanji how he admired Luffy for his courage in facing Krieg, despite being at a disadvantage, and also commended the Baratie staff for their valor in fighting for their restaurant.
"He told me...'See you on the Grand Line'," said Past Sanji.
"Oh!" Luffy exclaimed. "He said he'll see you there?"
"NO!" Past Sanji barked. "He meant you, idiot!"
"Oh," Luffy realized before he beamed. "Oh, yeah! I just remembered, I'm not a chore boy anymore, since I beat those pirates, right?! The old man and I made a deal!"
"Yeah, that's right," Past Sanji said. "You're off the hook."
"Soooooo...my offer still stands," Luffy replied. "You gonna join me or what?"
Past Sanji sighed and shook his head.
"How many times do I gotta say it, man?" he asked. "I'm not joining your crew, no matter what you say. I'm staying here until that crap-geezer acknowledges my cooking skills and that's that."
A pause...before Luffy heaved a sigh.
"Fine," he muttered. "I give up..."
'NOT.'
"That means you let go!" Past Sanji cried as Luffy had stretched his arm and grabbed him by the back of his jacket collar, strangling him as he did.
"How persistent of him," Robin humored.
"Yeah, you know Luffy," Sanji said. "Never took 'no' for an answer."
"Don't I know it?" Blizzard asked with a chuckle.
"...Look," said Past Sanji. "I can't just up and leave, okay? These dumb-asses don't know the first thing about running a restaurant."
"Hmm..." Luffy hummed as he sat on the railing.
"But someday," Past Sanji began, "I will go to the Grand Line."
"Then just come with us, now!" Luffy exclaimed.
"I can't," Past Sanji argued. "It's just not the right time, don't you get it?"
"...I guess so," Luffy answered.
"You sure were set on staying there, weren't you?" asked Franky.
"Yeah, I was," Sanji replied. "I guess I was really stubborn, too."
"...Hey!" Past Sanji grinned. "Ever heard of this place called the All Blue?"
"Nope," Luffy answered.
"You're kidding me!" Past Sanji exclaimed. "That place is a cook's paradise! It's got fish from the North Blue, the South Blue, the East Blue, and the West Blue, and they say it's somewhere in the Grand Line!"
"Really?!" Luffy asked. "Wow!"
"The All Blue, huh?" Aika asked. "Sounds pretty."
"I'm still searching for it," Sanji started, "but I know it's out there, somewhere...and when I do, I'll make so many dishes with all the fish I find there, it'll blow your minds!"
"Sounds yummy!" Aika exclaimed. "I can't wait!"
Grrrruuuuuuuuuurrrmmmbgh! The Straw Hats looked up to see Luffy put his hand on his stomach, which grumbled quite loudly.
"Ugh..." Luffy groaned. "I'm starving. Fighting Don Krieg sure worked up an appetite."
"Man...that was loud," Past Sanji muttered in surprise. "Well, I'm just about to get started on making lunch soon. Come on, let's go eat."
"Yeah, food!" Luffy cheered. Soon, the memory shifted, and Luffy and Past Sanji were in the employeed dining room with the rest of the staff. Unfortunately, the tables were all taken, so they had to sit on the floor to eat. Luffy noted how the cooks were acting a bit strange, but Past Sanji assured him that it was nothing to worry about.
"Hey!" Patty shouted. "Who the hell made the soup, today?!"
"Oh, that was me!" Past Sanji answered. "Pretty good, huh? I think I really outdid myself, this time!"
"You kidding me?!" Patty questioned. "It tastes like crap!" He then threw the bowl of soup onto the floor. "I wouldn't even feed this to a dog!"
"Hey! I resemble that remark!" Blizzard exclaimed.
"Me, too!" Kumi added.
Luffy just quietly sat down, eating his meal while Past Sanji growled in anger.
"Excuse me?" Past Sanji asked. "Maybe you don't really know what human food tastes like, you swine!"
"Yeah, right!" Patty countered. "It takes real talent to taste something so foul! Makes me sick just smellin' it! What'd you do, put your dirty socks in here?!"
"Finally, some people with sense..." Zoro humored.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Aika exclaimed. "Sanji worked really hard on that!"
"Now hold on, there," said Sanji. "Just keep watching. Not everything is what it seems, you know."
"Blech!" Carne gagged. "This stuff's nasty!"
"Yeah!" agreed another cook as he and several others spilled the soup on the floor and continued to say how disgusting it tasted, to Past Sanji's growing agitation. The finally straw, however, came when Zeff decided to say his piece, and when Past Sanji talked back, instead of kicking him with his peg leg...he punched him across the face.
"Ooh!" Usopp winced. "That had to hurt!"
"Sanji, why did he hit you?" Chopper asked.
"Like I said before," Sanji answered, "he was trying to beat some sense. He didn't want me wasting my dream, staying there at the Baratie. I mean...what if someone found the All Blue before I did? I would've wasted my life for nothing."
"...Zeff really was looking out for you," Nami smiled.
"I know," Sanji replied as he took a drag of his cigarette and blew out a puff of smoke.
"Rrrrgh...SCREW YOU PEOPLE!" Past Sanji cursed as he stormed out. However, once he did, the Straw Hats could hear the sound of Luffy, slurping up his soup.
"Mmm...yummy!" he exclaimed. "I don't know what all the fuss is about! This soup tastes awesome!"
"Of course it's good," one of the cooks replied.
"Man, that was really scary," said another one of the cooks. "Talk about a bad temper!"
"We all know that Sanji's a great chef," said Zeff, "but if we didn't do something like this, he just won't take a hint!" He then looked over at Luffy. "Hey, boy...listen...can you take Sanji to the Grand Line with you? That's where his dream is supposed to be."
"...Idiots don't know that I heard them," Sanji chuckled.
"Take Sanji with me?" Luffy answered. "...No way."
"HUUUUUUUUUUUUUH?!" the Baratie staff asked in disbelief.
"But I thought you said you need a cook on your crew," said Zeff. "Is he not good enough for you, or something?"
"It's not that," Luffy answered as he kept eating. "I'd love to take Sanji and all, but I can't make him come with me if he doesn't want to go, and you guys can't really decide that for him. It's his decision to make."
"...Hey," Nami whispered. "I just realized...didn't Star say something like that about Luffy? Letting him decide his future?"
"...Holy crap, you're right!" Sanji realized.
"Basically, Luffy feels like it's best if Sanji made the decision, himself," said Robin, "not have others decide it for him.
"So you're saying you won't take Sanji with you unless he actually agrees to go?" Zeff inquired.
"Yep!" Luffy answered as he held up his plate. "Hey, can I have some more?"
"...I suppose that's fair," said Zeff. "But who knows if he'll ever agree to it?"
"As you can see," Sanji began, "I did."
Just then, they heard a loud scream come from outside, and not long after, something burst through the wall, revealing it to be a large pan-shark...with Yosaku sticking out of its mouth.
"Mr. Yosaku!" cried Aika.
"What happened to him?!" Chopper asked.
"He was trying to chase after me," Nami answered.
"Yosaku!" Luffy shouted as he ran up and pulled Yosaku out of the shark's mouth. "Hey, are you okay?! Talk to me, man!"
"Ugh...B-Big Bro Luffy...!" grunted Yosaku.
"What happened?!" Luffy asked. "Why are you by yourself?! Where are Zoro and the others?! And Nami?!"
After a while, they managed to get Yosaku wrapped up in a blanket and gave him a hot meal.
"We couldn't catch Big Sis Nami," said Yosaku, "but we could tell by the wake up the ship that we knew where she was headed."
"You did?" Luffy asked. "Well, then let's go get her!"
"You don't understand," Yosaku answered. "If we're right...she's gone to one unbelievable place!"
Nami felt her body tense up and she shivered slightly, which Aika took notice of before she went up and worriedly held her hand, causing the navigator to smile in assurance.
"Anyway, I'll tell you the details later!" said Yosaku. "We need your help, Big Bro Luffy! You gotta come with me!"
"Sure!" Luffy nodded. "But...I don't get it...actually, no, I think I get it! Let's get a move on!"
"Hold up!"
"Huh?" Luffy muttered as he turned to see Past Sanji, who was leaning against a wall.
"I'm going with you," he said, to everyone's surprise.
"You...you are?" Luffy asked.
"Might as well, right?" asked Past Sanji. "I mean...King of the Pirates...All Blue...they both sound like pretty foolish dreams...so I might as well chase mine with you. I'll come along as your crew's chef...so, we got a deal or what?"
"Hell yeah!" Luffy exclaimed. "YAHOO!"
"This is great, Big Bro Luffy!" cheered Yosaku as he and Luffy began to celebrate. Soon after, the memory shifted again, showing Luffy and Yosaku getting on board a shopping boat. Now, they were just waiting for Past Sanji...and sure enough, he soon came walking outside with a rucksack over his shoulder.
"...You know, this almost seems like a rite of passage ceremony," Brook said.
"You think so?" Sanji asked as he watched his past self walked toward Luffy and Yosaku, even as the Baratie staff stared at him, bitterly. Patty and Carne tried to get a "last-minute-revenge-shot" at him by beating him with giant spoons, but they were easily taken care of.
"Well," Past Sanji said as he tossed his bag into the boat, "let's get going."
"You mean you don't wanna say goodbye before we leave?" Luffy asked.
"Nah," Past Sanji answered as he prepared to board the boat.
"And 3...2...1," Sanji counted down.
"Sanji!" Zeff called from the upper deck, causing Past Sanji to stop in his track. "You take care of yourself, hear me?"
A pause...but then Past Sanji's visible eye began to well up with tears and his lip quivered while Luffy smiled.
"...CHEF ZEEEEEEEEEEEFF!" Past Sanji sobbed as he turned around and bowed down on his hands and knees. "THANKS A LOT, YOU OLD GEEZER! I'LL NEVER FORGET THE THINGS YOU DID FOR ME! THANK YOOOOOOOOOU!"
It appeared that the Baratie staff also shared his sentiment, for they had burst into tears, as well. Even Zeff was quietly weeping.
"YOU SHITHEAD!" Patty sobbed. "WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU, DAMMIT!"
"YEAH, WHAT HE SAID!" Carne cried. "TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, SANJI!"
"WE'LL MISS YOU SANJI!" the cooks bawled. "GOODBYE!"
Past Sanji sniffled before he smiled at the people he had worked with for so long.
"SO LONG, YOU CRAPPY IDIOTS!" he called out. "I'LL MISS YOU SCUMBAGS!"
And with that, he, Luffy, and Yosaku sailed off, leaving the Baratie behind them, and not long after, the memory faded, once again.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Nami: That was so moving.
Aika: Those guys sure did love you, huh, Sanji?
Sanji: ...Yeah...they sure did.
Yosaku: If I'm right, Big Sis Nami is actually headed for Arlong Park...where Saw Tooth Arlong has made his home base.
Johnny: BIG BRO LUFFY! IT'S BIG BRO USOPP! HE'S DEAD! BIG SIS NAMI KILLED HIM!
Luffy: ...Say what...?!
Past Nami: So...you guys came here after me, huh? Why don't you idiots take a hint? I'm not one of you, anymore!
Nami: *looks down in shame*
Robin: Oh, Nami...
Next time: Nami's Lies
Okay, now that I've updated this, I'm going back to updating Whole Cake Island, again. I put that off for too long.
Review, please!