A Fruitless Start

by Apprentice of Life

Luffy started his journey on the East Blue but a twist of fate makes so he can't eat a devil fruit. How does this change shape the world? Join him on a new journey. 1st story.

14. Showdown at Loguetown

A Fruitless Start

One Piece belongs to Oda.

Chapter 14- Showdown at Loguetown

…..

Leaving Kuro at a marine post was easy, the man didn't fight back, admitted he was a pirate and even gave his true name with no fear. Most of the marine residents were confused by the fact a dead pirate just waltzing in and giving himself up.

Kuro ended up being arrested but there would be no execution since the last time either was wrong or someone was lying. To make matters worse the marine that arrested the previous 'Kuro' turned corrupt and his testimony was no longer valid making an awkward situation where a trial would be held but the chances are that Kuro would end in prison instead of executed if only just to avoid killing the wrong man… again.

That was not Luffy's problem anymore. He did his… civic duty or something and now he is going to be a pirate full time. No more worrying about stuff that was not about his crew, their trip and the places they land in.

The Going Merry was going fast and the sea was calm, Nami said there was going to be an easy trip to Loguetown, the place before the Reverse Mountain and entrance to the Grand Line. Part of Luffy just wanted to go straight for the goal but Zoro made a promise and the captain himself wanted to go there first.

Nami liked to tease Zoro and Tashigi relationship and Luffy really didn't get why but Zoro was always saying that if he was in a relationship with someone like Tashigi he wouldn't be able to just be a pirate.

But he cared for her enough to tell all about his dreams and plans… including the part of becoming a pirate… to a marine… Luffy was proud of Zoro and Nami tried to kill them both when he said that, Sanji just nodded, called Zoro by his name for the first time that day and said that he expected an invite, either to his wedding or execution.

Either way it ended with them needing to pay a visit to Loguetown and Luffy decided he will do it only as a pirate.

It was the other reason why he can be patient on this, for he is going to see it, the platform where Gold Roger died. He can't wait to see the view.

"Guys?" Usopp called for them and Luffy left his special seat to meet with him, Zoro was taking a nap at the corner and both Nami and Sanji exited the interior of the Merry, from her room and kitchen.

"What is wrong Usopp?" Asked Sanji drying his hands with a towel.

"Well… I don't know much about pirates or anything really." He looked to the sides but everyone waited for him to tell them the problem. "But shouldn't we have a Code now that we are a crew?"

He finishes the question looking at the jolly roger he painted in the sail, a happy skull with a straw hat on its head. It was their symbol and they were pirates.

"But Usopp," started Luffy, "we do have a Code! It is the Jones' one!" The easier and simplest one.

"Okay… let's pretend that I don't know about the Jones' Code… how it goes again?"

"Ah! You weren't a pirate Usopp?" Luffy asks because Usopp did have a crew before.

"Yes! Well you see-"

"His crew didn't have a Code because they didn't have a ship!" Nami said with a smile of a cat that ate a canary. "Isn't that right Usopp?"

"I also only learned from them when I heard you guys talking about how you made sure that the Black Cat Pirates wouldn't come back to the village." Usopp said, looking to the ground.

"In other words you don't really know what a Pirate's Code really is!" Sanji commented while lighting a cigarette.

"Well… kinda?" Usopp looked calmer now, "They are rules, right?"

"More like absolute commands." Explained Nami. "No one on the crew, not even the captain, can break the rules he establishes without reason. To do so is to invite disaster and chaos, 'if the captain doesn't obey it, why should I?' some would ask and for that reason alone the commands are absolute."

"Okay! I get it! So the Code are rules that nobody can break… what is ours then?"

"We already told you, we are using the Jones' one!" Luffy explained but Sanji interjected.

"Luffy, Usopp don't know the Code of Davy Jones or why we would be using it." Taking a buff of the chef continued. "The bigger the crew is the more rules are needed including who is commander of what and even how the leaders are called. Since our crew is small we go for the simplest one possible and someone started to call it standard, probably because It's basic rules are in almost all Codes of any pirate ship." He shrugs his shoulders.

"But what does the Code say exactly?" Usopp was a bit frustrated.

"Oh it is simple!" Luffy said happily. "'Don't hurt your friends, share the loot and if you are leaving give a warning first'." Nami then properly hit Luffy's head.

"It is more complicated than that," Nami pulled out glasses out of nowhere and assumed a teacherlike tone. "Essentially what Luffy said is correct but there are a little more nuanced than what he just said, let me tell you the basics. First rule is simple, you don't kill a member of the crew unless for mercy or by request."

"Mercy? Request?" Usopp knew the terms but he was missing what they meant in a pirate crew. Nami continued.

"Mercy as in the person is going to die anyway and if the pain is too much then it is easier to end the suffering." Seeing fear in Usopp's face, Nami lets out a chuckle. "Don't worry, that is just for the extreme cases. Requests are more or less the same, the member of the crew was hit by a disease and asks for someone to relieve him of his pain." She turns to glare at Luffy. "That reminds me that we still need a doctor."

"Yes, we will stop at the Drum Kingdom Nami. I promise." Luffy was all for it. New place to explore and the best doctors live there and for the crew there could be only the best.

Nami looked skeptical at him for a bit, Luffy tends to forget this kind of stuff. "I will remind you when we are close to it."

"Okay then, I think I got It." Usopp gives a small nod. "'Share the loot' means that we split any treasure we find right?"

"Again a little more complicated than that. What is defined as loot depends on the crew itself, any findings are given to the ship first then split later." Nami explained a bit before Usopp interrupted her.

"Wait, the Merry gets some treasure too?" Now Nami hits him.

"Please don't be like our captain!"

"Usopp, part of the treasure will always go to the whole crew." Sanji stated. "To buy supplies of any kind like food or medicine, to fix the ship, pay for a place for it to stay in a port or harbor."

"After a part of the loot is given to the ship, the crew can split the rest." Nami then let out her wicked smile. "By the way, the part of the ship is usually 90% and if you want to take anything out of it you have to talk with the treasurer."

"And let me guess. That is you?" Usopp asked.

"Yep." And she was proud of that.

"Usopp, if you want advice," Zoro said in his place still with his eyes closed. "Never, and I mean never, ask for any money from this witch."

"How dare you to insult Nami-swan!" Sanji was right there ready to throw a kick but Zoro just opens one eye and asks.

"Would you?"

"That is not the point!" Sanji still looked ready for a brawl. "You shouldn't call a lady witch!"

And Zoro raises his sword to block the attack. "I call them how I see it!" The two then start one of their 'spars'.

"This is going to be a normal thing… isn't?" Usopp showed he was really the new guy.

"But of course. They are just having fun!" One of the attacks lets out an impact so strong that his hat almost flew but Luffy managed to grab it.

"And the last part?"

"Simple, you can leave whenever you want, just say when and why." Nami finished simply.

"Yeh, but the reason must be a good one. AH! Also if you leave to have a family or something we are going to have a 'goodbye party'." Luffy declared with confidence. "Add that to our Code, 'when you leave, if the reason is good, we will have a party'.

"So it is not the standard Code anymore?" Asked Usopp.

"Well… not with that adition." Nami stood there thinking for a bit and then gave a nod. "Yep! That makes it our own Code now."

And so was born the 'Straw Hat Code' by Monkey D. Luffy, based on the one whose legends claim came from Dave Jones himself with one important addition.

…..

The first days of travel were peaceful, for the most part, with only the odd spar happening on the ship but that was normal. The waves were calm, some days he would go and fish but Usopp still felt… weird.

He was alone at the moment in one of Merry's rooms , making more ammunition and equipment. He decided to get some kind of utility belt to place his slingshots. If there is ever a way to shoot some kind of 'grappling hook' he is placing that there too.

Deciding to take a break, Usopp goes to the kitchen for a glass of water. He can hear the noise from outside, Luffy trying to steal tangerines while Sanji fights him back.

Everyone was nice and the long nose teen felt great traveling with them. But he was also feeling like a stranger, unlike his village where he knew everyone he was still getting to know his crewmates that knew each other for a while already.

Luffy was the one he could get along the most. For most of the time the captain acted like an overly excited kid but there were times that the guy acted seriously and Usopp could honestly say that Luffy is a better captain than he ever could have been.

Nami was greedy… way too greedy. Usopp knows that if his supplies weren't useful for him in a fight then she would force him to sell his soul for the materials. Besides that she was sympathetic when he said he preferred to shoot instead of fighting face to face and was having her on her corner that stopped Luffy from giving him 'dodge training' or whatever it was.

Zoro was all around a nice guy. Sure he was rough around the edges and he spent most of his time sleeping, fighting with Sanji or just training but every time Usopp had a doubt on anything he was there to help or just to talk with.

The swordsman was also the one that Usopp had gone and asked how the rest of the crew knew each other. Zoro gave, as he himself put it, the shortest answer possible: "Luffy had gone on a trip with his mother, saved Nami's village and met her there. The three of us met a little bit after and joined with some former pirates and soldiers to start a small business. After a lot of work we ended up recruiting the cook, fighting some pirates and then we ended up here because all of us have a goal or another and decided to stick together."

Usopp's thoughts on that moment was that he was missing a lot of details but he decided to not push when Zoro said that some other stuff did happen but it was irrelevant. The sniper shrugged and accepted that.

Sanji was the one he had less contact with because he was completely dedicated to Nami. When Usopp asked if she was his girlfriend or something Luffy said he was like that to all women. That helped Usopp remember that he also was being nice to Kaya but was more reserved with his friend.

The sniper asked what the deal was about and the chef gave an unexpected answer "Miss Kaya didn't need me in her life!" That left Usopp confused but Sanji laughed off saying that one day he would understand… he was going to hate that phrase from then on.

But, at the very least, he found a place where he was accepted. He was a pirate(even if no piracy has been done so far) and had an awesome crew that was easy to talk with and helped him if he asked.

When he confirmed he was doing the belt idea everyone gave suggestions on the design and even what should go in the belt or the bag.

For the belt there certainty was going to be the ammo, weapons and maybe even new types of slingshots and he can get better materials to make them. On the bag is going to go any other thing.

And Usopp was absolutely planning to put everything he can in that bag. If he can figure out a way to place a whole cannon in there he will do it no questions asked.

"Oh! Usopp." Sanji said, holding back Luffy who was trying to get in the pantry. "Could you please move a little to the right! Yes that is it!"

He then jumped for a flying kick that Luffy was able to dodge, "Come one Sanji! It is just lunch!"

"It's my job as chef to make sure everyone eats at the appropriate time!" The chef kept kicking but Luffy was either dodging or blocking with his own legs. "Besides I know what your lunches consist of. YOU ARE GOING INTO A DIET!"

"NEVER!" The two started to go faster and Usopp did what he did best: A steady and safe retreat.

"Nope. Not dealing with that!" The crew was nice but Usopp knew for a fact that every single person on this ship was insane.

Exiting the kitchen he closes the door just as a small explosion happens inside "LUFFY! GET BACK HERE!"

He manages to keep himself on his feet and walk away before being dragged in that mess.

On the deck Zoro is exercising with weights bigger than Usopp's head. He was working out with no problems and the sniper decided to go talk with the swordsman.

"Good morning Zoro!"

"Morning Usopp!" He turns his easily to greet his crewmate without stopping his exercize. "I heard a loud bang earlier. Is Luffy training with the cook?"

"More like trying to steal some food."

"HA! Ever since we started our pirate journey it has been like this!" Zoro kept working during the conversation. "That pervert insists that we eat healthy meals at the best times and restricts Luffy's lunches."

"But isn't Luffy the captain?"

"Yep! But he can't help himself and he loves eating. But he also told Sanji to try and stop him anyway." Zoro chuckles a bit. "To be fair, he would do that anyway but it is good training."

"Is that the way you pick fights with Sanji?" Usopp was confused about their friendship.

"Nah, I can't stand the guy's weakness to women."

"Is it that bad?"

"So far you only have seen him dealing with Nami and even then that witch has the ero cook tied around her fingers. Trust me when I say this: Any other woman can have the same control over him. Maybe not on the same level but he will kill and die for a woman if needed."

"That… sounds awful." Usopp felt a bit bothered by the thought but the master of Santoryu just shakes his head.

"You also have conviction in you and you showed that when you were ready to risk your life for your village."

"I was terrified the whole time!"

"And you still fought." Zoro was still exercising even as he shrugged his shoulders. "It is easy to fight without fear but fighting even afraid is a thing worthy of respect."

Usopp had no idea that Zoro thought about stuff like this. "All I did was shoot sauce on Kuro's face."

"You saved your friend's life." He replied on the same beat. "Besides, that was what you are best at. You keep your distance and fight your own way." Zoro stopped a second and seemed to think something. "I better start to learn how to cut people from a distance."

"There is no problem then? On me running away and just shooting people?" He didn't want to be a deadweight.

"Nah! Don't worry about it. If there is anything I learned in the last few years is that there is a place for everything on the battlefield. When in a life or death situation there are no such things as dirt tricks." Zoro looked at Usopp with the most serious face he did all day. "You do what you have to do to both see the next day and that you can live with yourself the next day."

"Live with yourself huh?" Usopp wonders and after thinking for a bit he nods in agreement.

"Besides you shouldn't worry about fighting in the front lines, leave that to me and the others. Sometimes we are going to need you to take care of stuff far away so get ready for that moment."

That made Usopp nervous but at the same time the sniper felt himself relax. He doesn't need to change to fit in with the crew, they want him as he was doing what he can do and that helped the sniper's confidence.

"You can count on me! If you need me to, I will shoot the wings of a fly kilometers away! NO a whole other island of distance away!" For a moment there Usopp felt that his boast was completely real and that he will do it if needed.

"Heh," Zoro smiles and gives a nod, "Good to know! You take care of that. Watch our backs and we will cover for you whenever you need!"

"Look at that, the boys are bonding." Nami's voice comes and he sees her leaving her cabin with a chair and a book. Placing both on the ground she sits and gets to reading. "Good morning you two."

"Morning Nami."

"Morning witch." For a second Usopp thought Nami would be upset by Zoro's greeting but she smiled a bit more, amused.

"Say Nami, you were the one who fought the pirates right." Both her and Luffy had come back from the fight in the Syrup Village with some wounds but Luffy said he didn't fought, that only Nami did as she asked.

"Yep. Why are you asking this now?" She still had her eyes in the book but Usopp could tell that he had her attention.

"Well… How do you fight? I mean I never see you training like the rest and you don't have weapons like Zoro or Luffy." Usopp was curious because Nami didn't look like a fighter and she didn't spar with the other that much.

"Oh! I had a weapon once, the staff Luffy is using, used to be mine, but I don't need it anymore." She then got up and stretched a bit. "And I do train but the Merry is kinda too small for me to go all out so I just do some laps for exercise."

"Go all out…?"

"Stop stalling and just tell him." When Zoro noticed Usopp looking at him and Nami just smiling in fake innocence the man sighed and just said. "She ate a devil fruit."

"Ok… what is a devil fruit again?"

"Now that makes sense." Commented Nami. "Most stuff about pirates you can learn at a bar if you ask the right people or stay around long enough, devil fruits on the other hand are practically legends outside of the Grand Line."

"Have you guys been there?" Usopp was shocked for a second but Nami shook her head,

"No. But we met people that did but that is not important right now. About devil fruits…" Nami launched herself in an explanation of the basics of each and all devil fruits, from the possibilities to the consequences of eating one.

When speaking about the powers of a devil fruit user Nami decided to just demonstrate her ability. She took a few steps away from her chair and turned into a giant white bull with golden horns and hooves.

Usopp was stunned and couldn't stop looking at her while she turned back to normal and moved to sit and started to read her book again.

For a while Usopp just stood there looking at Nami while she read her book. A few minutes later Zoro moved to change his weights coming back with a huge one that he started to swing like a single sword.

After a few minutes, close to half an hour, Usopp finally snapped out of his trance. "WHAT?"

"Oh good, you finally woke up. Can you get me some tea or juice while you are at it." Nami asked while turning the page of her book. "With ice if we have any."

"Sure I will- WAIT A MINUTE!" For a second Usopp almost had gone to get the drink but the whiplash of emotions that the existence of devil fruits gave him was still making him run high in adrenaline. "HOW? HOW CAN YOU BECOME A MEGA BULL AND THEN TURN BACK TO A SKINNY GIRL?"

"Okay. First things first: you call me skinny again I am punching you." Nami didn't sound serious. "Girls like me prefer lean or beautiful at least."

"NOT THE POINT!"

"We don't know." Said the still training swordsman. "We have some idea how devil fruits work but not how they do what they do. One day Nami asked for one and Luffy got it. After she ate it she could transform into a bull."

"That… WHAT?" Usopp felt like his brain was turning to mush.

"Do what Luffy does in this situation." Nami shrugs. "Call it a mysterious power and move on. It is easier."

"Then why did you ask for one?" Usopp was curious. "I mean… did you know it would have work."

Nami put the book on her lap and looked into the sniper's eyes. "I almost died." She said simply and before Usopp could say anything she continued. "I don't like to fight, never did but to make my dream a reality I need to fight. I know that when push comes to shove Luffy will help Zoro or Sanji but there are going to be times that I will have to myself and I don't want to be weak."

Usopp didn't say anything because he could sympathize with Nami predicament, then she let out a small chuckle and continued again.

"A friend we met told us about devil fruits, she was a cranky old lady but she was determined to die on her terms and knew her stuff; 'devil fruits are shortcuts' she used to say 'but they still need hard work to make something good'. After a clam bastard almost killed me I knew that I needed an edge." She lets out a huge smile. "Fighting fair was never my thing and I quite enjoy the power I got."

Getting up, Nami approaches Zoro and extends her hand. The swordsman rolls his eyes but does what she wants and gives her the weight.

Usopp almost let out a scream because he can see how that will end up damaging the Merry but Nami managed to hold it.

It was obvious that she couldn't do the same that Zoro did while training and swing it but she could hold it. "I can't… hold it for… too long." Zoro moved to get the weight before any disaster happened. "Thanks Zoro." Turning to Usopp she comments. "Besides turning into a bull there were other benefits. I am stronger than I look, faster too and I can do it as much as I want and not lose my figure. It is great! If I haven't lost the ability to swim I would dare to say that I was blessed by the gods."

"And as a bull you are even stronger right?" The newest member of the crew asked.

"Only Luffy is able to stop me when I go all out with enough space." She bragged.

"If he doesn't just dodge." Zoro said with a chuckle and Nami just let her tongue out about the comment.

"Anyway…" Nami begins again. "If you want, we can try and find another devil fruit for you."

"But aren't they the stuff of legends here in the East?"

"Doesn't mean we can't try." Nami commented. "Soon we are going to the Grand Line and we can get one there more easily… supposedly."

The idea of having a devil fruit was... "No thank you!"

"Are you sure?" Nami was curious about Usopp's rejection.

"Are you kidding me? You got lucky woman!" At Nami's confused stare Usopp completed his reasoning. "You didn't know what power you would get and great! This one is wonderful! But what are the odds of me eating a random fruit and getting something good?"

"It is not about the power that you get, it is how you use it." Nami tried to defend her actions but Usopp could see by her face that this was the first time she stopped and considered the risks of eating a random fruit without thinking.

"HA!" Zoro finally stopped exercising and started to laugh.

"Stop it!" Nami got up and she looked angry.

"Why? Usopp have you pegged. You always bragged from being the smart one of the group but you are just like the rest of us."

That took the wind out of Nami's sails as she stopped to think...

"OH MY GOD YOU ARE RIGHT! I AM JUST AS BAD AS YOU ALL NOW!"

The orange head couldn't help but fall in a little depression and Usopp could swear that there was a small dark cloud on her head.

Meanwhile Zoro was trying to focus to get back to his exercise but from time to time the man would just let out a chuckle while Nami stayed in her little bubble of depression.

Usopp decided to go back to work, saying his goodbyes he goes back to working on a new weapon for himself that would allow a shot from much far away.

The problem that he ran into was the shooting itself. He had complete faith in his aim over anything else but the problem is how to get a shot farther with a slingshot.

He could try and use a gun… but those had no variety

"LUFFY! GET BACK HERE!" Luffy was running with a big piece of meat while Sanji tried to get him with a couple of kicks but the straw hat dodged then and raced to the mast.

Placing the meat on his mouth, but being unable to swallow it all, Luffy begins to climb to the crowsnest with Sanji right on his tail.

After some more fighting in the sails and then Sanji falling in the water, Luffy jumps down, the clear winner of this 'lunch break' by the smile on his face and the meat on his hand. "Morning Usopp!"

"Morning Luffy!" And so another day for the straw hats begins.

…..

The East Blue was the most peaceful of all the seas and the Going Merry was a fine ship to travel in it.

The caravel was perfect for such calm waters with few storms, sure it was able to handle dangerous places and harsher waters but the East is where she can travel best.

"Hey Nami! How long until we reach Loguetown!" The captain asked his navigator and quartermaster..

"We are close, probably going to be able to see it in a couple of minutes. An hour at most."

"Loguetown, the place of birth of the Pirate King and his death." The sniper started. "I never thought I would see it one day."

"It is not much." The first mate commented. "The island is nice and a good place to hang around but many of its stores are closing or already closed and many people are having to change their lifestyle in the last couple of years."

"You know a lot about this place don't you?" Asked the sniper.

"Is because of his girlfriend." Teased the only woman of the group.

"Yes she is a girl and yes she is a friend but we don't have that kind of relationship."

"I will give the marimo credit for this," the chef intervened, "he was direct in expressing his intentions and both sides made their decisions."

"Either way, I promised her that I would come here and tell her personally that I was leaving…"

Everyone was quiet for a bit until the captain asked. "As a pirate?" The smile on his face was big and the swordsman just nods. "Great! Then we better leave the Merry ready to run when you are done."

Considering that the girl in question was a marine, the moment the act of piracy is admitted then it is her duty to arrest the culprit.

"That… is legitimately a good idea." The quartermaster commented. "Should anyone stay on the ship to make sure the Merry is ready?" She looks around for volunteers.

"I am going to see the last view that the King of The Pirates saw!"

"I need to buy more supplies for the kitchen."

"I need a new pair of goggles and some stuff to make the belt."

"...It needs to be me doesn't it?" She realized when everyone gave a just and fair argument to go.

"IF YOU WANT I CAN STAY NAMI-SWAN!" He shouted while doing a little dance.

"No Sanji, we need you to go and see the markets, you staying is a terrible idea." She recognized the fact. "I did buy a lot of stuff last time… I can stay."

"Don't worry Nami-swan! I will get ready for when I disembark. I can do everything really fast so you can enjoy the sights a bit more." And so the blonde one races to make his preparatives.

For a few seconds everyone stayed quiet until the girl herself commented. "I know that I use that side of him… but sometimes even I get worried about how dedicated he is."

The rest of the crew just nods. There is some debate if someone should act as spotter for the island but it was agreed that it was unnecessary for this occasion.

"You alright Zoro?" The question came from the captain.

"I am… nervous. Sure I can escape but I think that won't be easy and that there is a good chance that I will end up having to fight my way out."

With a nod the captain decides to comment. "If you need a hand I can go with you."

"And then you lose your chance to see the platform. Don't worry about me, I can get out just fine… But Tashigi is going to be really mad and I will be giving her reason to be even madder."

"Look, just go to the platform first then!" The sniper gave the idea. "Luffy can see the sights and then both of you can go to the marine base there, no harm no foul. You will keep your promise "

"Honestly with those two there is a bigger chance they will be lost until the next day." Commented the navigator.

"Shut up woman! I don't get lost, last time I got to her just fine."

"Because she was waiting in the port." The sly smile on the face of the woman was enough to tell the swordsman that he was not winning that fight, a little of payback from an early discussion it seemed.

"Maybe you should go with Usopp?" The captain suggested.

"Just a small problem Luffy… I never have been here before and I have no idea where the marine base is."

"Nami can tell you! She made a map of the place."

"Then shouldn't she just give Zoro the map?"

"He will get lost anyway." With the last comment from the girl, the swordsman finally had enough.

"You guys will see! I will find her fast and tell her I am a pirate! If anything you all should focus on doing your own thing fast because knowing her captain there is no chance we are leaving the town easily!"

"Smoker is still a man of great reputation here in the East," the respect was clear in her voice, "the moment we are considered pirates then he will come at us with everything he got. The 'White Hunter' of Loguetown… I will have everything ready, all of you make sure to come back to the Merry fast once the chaos starts."

"Hey! Is that the island?" Everyone turned looking to a dot in the distance.

"Must be, is the only island close enough for us to see and is in the right direction. Nice going Usopp!" The navigator then moves to make sure the ship is going in the right direction.

"Luffy, tell me something: How do you guys even know this marine? And did Zoro date one of them?"

"It is a long story… but it is also not important!" That was all the captain had to say about it because he walked to the mast to sit down and take a nap.

"I swear that one day someone will have to tell me what happened before I joined."

…..

The course was set and the Merry was approaching the island fast, Nami checked the rudder one last time before nodding and moving to the front of the ship.

Now the island was not just a dot on the horizon anymore, growing more and more as they approached. Nami sights as she remembers that she will stay in the ship on this visit.

The odds of Smoker just leaving then alone once Zoro goes and tells Tashigi that they were officially pirates weren't zero… they were on the negatives if that makes any sense.

The only thing that she is sure of is: there is absolutely no way they are leaving without a fight. Smoker won't let them, Tashigi is probably going to try and cut Zoro in half and every marine stationed in the town is going to be gunning for the new pirate crew.

Pity that Tashigi was too much of a marine to become a pirate. Nami kinda wished the other woman would join then but she has her duty and Zoro is not getting in the way of it, worse even, she is going to be even more determined to arrest him than anyone else.

Not out of scorn but because she legitimately believes in the marine institutions, something that Nami could understand but never do it herself.

How could she? When her village needed a savior it didn't come from a marine or even a pirate at the time. Now it isn't even a village anymore, it was a capital, the center of the biggest kingdom in the East.

"Sanji! A Pirate's Lunch to go!" The overly excited savior of her village and king of a nation demanded. He was moving around and getting ready for an adventure, she needed to contain him even if just a bit.

"Ignore that order Sanji!" She shouts, stopping the chef mid step to the kitchen.

"But why Nami?" Her captain wished to know and looked at her with a pout.

"Because If he gives you the food you aren't coming back anytime soon, or am I wrong?" She challenged and the straw hat stayed quiet. Letting out a sigh, she continues. "Luffy, you know you suck in planning so you let me do it. Trust me when I say this then: we can't go easy and relax with Smoker around. Or do you want to fight him?"

"Well…"

"NO! YOU AREN'T GOING TO! We don't need bounties this soon!"

"But Nami-"

"NO BUTS!" She goes to the front of the ship and all turn to look at her. "NOW LISTEN HERE ALL OF YOU! WE CAN'T RISK IN THIS PLACE! ONCE ZORO TALKS WE WILL HAVE AN ARMY OF MARINES AFTER US!"

"Nami-"

"NOT NOW LUFFY! NOT UNTIL YOU HAVE MANAGED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AT STAKE HERE!"

"But Nami-"

"USOPP! I AM GONNA GIVE YOU A BREAK BECAUSE YOU ARE NEW! BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT LUFFY IS INSANE AND THAT THE FIRST CHANCE HE GETS HE WILL DO SOMETHING CRAZY!"

"But Nami-swan-"

"SANJI HE CAN SPEND A FEW HOURS WITHOUT FOOD! THAT WON'T-"

"OI! WITCH! LOOK BEHIND YOU!" Zoro's voice cuts out any further arguments making Nami look at the island.

The harbor of Loguetown was once great and booming with pirates, outlaws and such. It was a mass of chaos, fights and someone always died at the end of the day, usually a pirate or another.

When the King of The Pirates was crowned the town actually didn't change that much, the pirates still came and the fights still happened but the people of the town were resilient. They adapted by building their business around the pirates.

During the execution and after Loguetown became a sanctuary for pirates in a sense, sure they still fought amongst themselves but there were plenty of those that came to pay their respects to Roger or ask for his blessing as they challenged the Grand Line to take his treasure.

Then came Smoker and the town changed once again.

Many things can be said about the marines but when you have a dedicated captain actually doing their job they are a true force to reckon with and Smoker was not an exception in the East, he was the one that proves the rule.

Soon the streets were clean and the sanctuary for pirates stopped existing faster than anyone could make a joke about smoke and cigars. Maybe it was his devil fruit or maybe it was his marine training but any and all pirates were kicked out in record time.

Too fast even, the town was used to the pirates, it could work with them and many of its businesses were tied to them in one way or another.

Taverns closed, weapon stores moved or died with time, many cartographers and merchants also had to move or starve to death.

But once again the marine captain proved himself by using his position to attract new commerce and save the town. Some of the old guard still remained, being unable to move for lack of funds or will but in general the age of piracy of Loguetown had ended and Loguetown recovered.

It wasn't the richest town and the touristic value of it was actually quite low because the only monument there was for a pirate but the positioning on the entrance of the Grand Line was ideal to cut out any upstart that tried to make a name for themselves there.

Loguetown, the city of beginnings and endings and now it was a ruin.

The harbor was damaged beyond belief and looking further inland it was possible to tell that the rest of the town was pretty much the same. Destroyed beyond belief as far as any of them can see.

There were some ships around, damaged and wrecked on many places with no chance of being able to set sail for a while even if some bothered on fixing them if they could.

All in all it was a very different view than Nami expected.

"Sanji, Usopp, I want you two to go to the markets and buy what we need to leave." Luffy took control of the situation, his face was serious and he was focused. "If anyone needs help don't hesitate but be careful, we don't know what happened. Figure it out if you can."

The two nod and the captain turns to Zoro.

"Find Tashigi, see if she is alright but also I want to know what could do this much damage."

"Couldn't it have been a storm?" Zoro had his hands on the Wado but even Nami could tell he was worried, unfortunately she didn't have good news.

"No storms happen around here that could cause this amount of damage." Zoro's face looked intensely at the island, almost as if the place had offended him personally. "I am sorry."

"Not your fault." Zoro glared at the island

"Nami, I want you to go in and find out if the people know what happened. Anything at all, you are the best one at this." Luffy changed the subject.

She gives him a nod but a problem comes to her mind. "Wait! Who is going to stay in the Merry then?"

"I will!" Luffy said firmly. "I can see the platform later if it is still there. You guys go around and figure out what is happening. If you need me I will be in the ship or the port."

The orders were given, Nami didn't need anything to go out. She didn't take any money but gave some extra to everyone else just in case the prices escalated with the catastrophe or if they wanted to give someone any.

With any luck the marines would be around dealing with the situation but too busy to go after them.

…..

He was pissed off today and really wanted to punch someone in the face but his conscience didn't allow it. What happened to Loguetown was a tragedy and that tragedy had a name: Buggy 'The Clown'.

Now the pirate was just half of the problem, the other half was the idiot of a captain of the marines that, supposedly, should be protecting the town: Smoker.

All began when the marine noticed the pirate ship on the docks, that was it. The pirates hadn't done anything at that point, there were no fights, not a single attack and yet Smoker did what he always did and charged against the pirate threat. Feh! Like there weren't other criminals like himself around and only pirates were relevant.

What followed after was a funny sequence of events that had him laughing at the start. Buggy was found close to the execution platform and Smoker moved to do battle and arrest the pirate, the classical bandit vs hero routine.

But the pirate captain was not a lamb going to the slaughter, with his knives and his devil fruit ability(and he knows a thing or two about that) Buggy managed to hurt plenty of marines and even run from them for a while.

That was until the 'big and bad' Smoker arrived himself and here there is a thing about a bullshit power if he ever saw one. He passed through every single shot, every sword strike. Only the long haired pirate with a scarf was capable of keeping the marine at bay… with FIRE.

And he thought that was it for him as he watched the marines chase the pirates to their ship in an attempt to arrest them, fun was over, back to business.

If only it was like that.

Once the sounds were distant and the violence was beyond him it completely left his mind, afterall it was not his problem. It was only a huge explosion that demolished more than five houses that he could see the violence again.

Buggy had some secret weapon and he had his crew using it to repel the marines once he got close enough to his ship. And the pirates didn't hesitate in the effort to save their captain and themselves.

At some point a smarter man would let this one go, prioritize the lives of the innocents around them and maybe report to other marine branches of the new weapon. Smoker charged at the threat and that caused even more deaths.

He wasn't there. All he knows is what his people told him because the moment that the first explosion happened he moved to protect those around him to the point one that no one died where he was.

It didn't change the fact that lots of people died all around the town, the port was wrecked, most of the place practically blew up and he was exhausted. All the tragedy and disgrace happenend a week ago and he just coundn't rest for the most stupid reason in the world: There was nobody else to do the job.

The mayor of Loguetown was a fucking piece that couldn't do anything because he spent too much time just obeying Smoker.

The marine captain was no better himself taking control of all the aspects of the town with the exception of the administrative ones. It is not for nothing that many of the inhabitants that had business attached to the numbers of outlaws had no alternative for the most part, no one gave them any.

And now everything fell on his back because Smoker just picked up and left, LEFT, with no warning, naming a successor or anything like that. Picked his marine ship and went to chase the clown without orders.

And there were no orders given, both for the lack of time of such orders being processed and because he knew for a fact that the marines wouldn't take out the most competent captain of the East, even if he was questioning that title.

"What am I doing?" The man asks himself while tossing papers around. "I AM A CRIMINAL! A GANGSTER! A MAFIA BOSS! WHY AM I IN CHARGE OF THIS TOWN?" He demanded to know but he knew the answer.

"Is because you are the only one here capable of doing anything, 'Hero Barto'!" The voice of his friend almost made him flip the table.

She was a woman with fiery red hair tied in a ponytail, dressed mostly with manly clothes with only tapes to cover her breasts and carrying a pipe. Both of them were childhood friends that grew together and shared the same dream of being the top dogs second to none.

Moving to sit on the chair in front of the desk where the man was working she picks some papers and starts to sort them out. "Besides, better you than an idiot right?"

"Shut up Desire! You are not the one having to deal with paperwork!" And by god if he could he would burn every single scrap of paper in the office.

"Come now Bartolomeo, this cannot be that bad." She remarks.

Bartolomeo, boss of a group of friends that grew to the point of becoming a mafia, was a tall man with green stylish hair, a coat, a piercing on his nose and a tattoo on his torso. When people looked at him only a word came to mind, delinquent especially because of his sharp teeth and bad attitude. "AND HOW MANY TIMES I TOLD YOU ALL TO STOP CALLING ME HERO?!"

"But Bartolomeo," she looked at him seriously, "this may be our chance to get to the top."

"IF THIS," he screams pointing to the paperwork, "IS THE TOP THEN I DON'T WANT IT!" The stress of his new position was starting to affect him.

"Hey! I wasn't the one that ran to protect people with my devil fruit. That was all you 'Hero'." He wanted to punch that smile out of her face.

But he has no choice but to accept her answer, after all someone's granny once said 'a good action never goes unpunished' or something like that.

"Please give me some good news! Are the marines doing anything?"

"Unfortunately they are still running around like headless chickens. They are stronger than your average grunt, Smoker trained then well, but they lack individuality. Until their precious HQ sends someone else this place is fucked!"

Well… that is a bummer. That means more work for him… He officially hates the marines.

"I can't do this Desire! This is not the same as leading a gang, there is too much stuff on taking care of a town that I am not surprised that the marines could do whatever they wanted and the mayor administered the rest! AND THAT WAS IN THE GOOD TIMES! We still have people lost, reconstruction and a fucking lot more!"

And the problems just keep piling up, the moment Smoker left and the mayor stopped being useful the whole town started to go downhill. If it wasn't for Bartolomeo it would already have reached the bottom of the abyss.

"Maybe you should just get some rest, let me take care of this and go to a bar or something." Desire offered and he felt it was a good idea. There is a tavern close to his temporary house and drinking would solve some of his problems.

"You are absolutely right! But I can't go… we still need to find more doctors and food. I need to figure out how to get construction supplies or anything really and I doubt the fuckers in the World Government will help us." Why would they when Bartolomeo was not a member or even an elected official. "How is the mayor?"

"Still bunkered up with the marines." He could see the pity for him on her face. All of this would be simpler if the mayor did his job but he insists that Smoker is coming back and that he wouldn't be cowed by criminals.

"Are we sure that we have no one else that can do this?"

"Unless you want to try and tango with the new 'fruit mess of the East' then I would say no."

The new kingdom gave prosperity to all their members in the East… and most of the rest was left to fight for scraps or to join. Some decided to join and Loguetown was not a part of the kingdom.

There were plenty of islands and commerce around still but the best stuff was part of a kingdom too big to fight against. Bartolomeo would know, he smuggled plenty of goods to avoid the new taxes to any of his clients.

Yes, the new kingdom was helping him get rich but now the small fortune he was accumulating is going to Loguetown because of guilt and opportunity. Guilt for not stopping the fight when he had the chance and opportunity of being a new power on the East.

If a small place like the Conomi Islands can become the capital of a kingdom then Loguetown can be the center of another power.

Bartolomeo didn't care about that but Desire reminded him of their promise and the chance they had and now he is being buried in work he doesn't want or like and all because the new country that sprung up out of nowhere and basically took over the East.

"Look Barto," Desire started with eyes filled with exhaustion, she may not be working as much as he was but everyone had to do their part, "go and take a breather. I can hold the fort for a bit."

"I know, I know. Is just... " Bartolomeo didn't have the words to express his problem and maybe she wouldn't understand it in the first place.

"BARTOLOMEO!" Came shouting Gambia, a blond man with a hair that defied gravity and another friend/member of his mafia.

"WHAT'S WRONG?" Both of them got up for their old friend, he looked exhausted and took some time to catch his breath. Both knew better than to rush him… they respected his grandmother too much to do it.

"Pirates! There is a pirate ship on the harbor! Jolly roger and everything!"

"WHAT?" Both of them screamed.

"Yes! One of the sailors saw it anchor and told Filipe, who told Mako, who told me and I came running."

"DAMN IT!"

"Where do you think you are going?" Desire asks as she sees Bartolomeo going around his desk and moving to the door.

"Where do you think?" He passed his friends and found himself surrounded by members of his mafia all ready and waiting. "And I won't be going alone! If this pirates think that Loguetown is easy pray, we will show them the fucking way out! ISN'T THAT RIGHT BOYS?"

"YEAH!" "LET'S GO GET THEM!"

Tragedy has a funny way to bring people together, it was not strange that survivors of such events looked to do something about it or to find a community to recover from it. The Bartolomeo's mafia was big before but more members never hurt, including part of the youth of Loguetown who saw a mafia boss doing more than their former protectors.

Smoker leaving and the mayor doing pratically nothing showed them that the old system is more worried with pirates than them, to protect themselves and each other, those left behind decided to join the first thing that brought any hope or stability… a mafia boss that had a mean streak but still cared for people ended fitting that bill.

"Let's go find those pirates!" Bartolomeo and his group started to move to the harbor.

"This is going to be fun." Said Desire but her friend didn't answer, letting his smile with sharp teeth do the talking.

…..

The destruction of a town is always a sad thing, sometimes he wondered if the good fight was worth it after seeing the desolation and destruction that the actions of his 'fellow men' caused. Here he was, helping to clear some ruins to find food for the survivors of one such incident.

They arrived three days ago, four days after the event and immediately started to help akin to a relief force. Saving those that needed and trying to help where they could but they were not doctors or rescuers, their supplies were limited and they needed to call HQ to get some reinforcements.

At least he is not the one taking care of the paperwork, the mayor must be the one dealing with it and he wasn't even supposed to be in the East anymore. Their investigation of the new kingdom was done and there was nothing more for them to do there.

But halfway to the Grand Line for another job a pirate decided 'screw it, I am escaping no matter the cost' and half the island got ruined, his organization was used to help people but those cannon balls were some of the most destructive stuff that he ever saw bar some really strong devil fruit users.

"Boss!" One of his subordinates shouted, he didn't care about being boss but he prefered when people used his name.

"What is it?" He asked the man, Natu who used a birdlike hat.

"Pirates on the harbor sir."

"Pirates? Now?" After all this more trouble?

"What do we do?" Well he was the one in charge so it was a fair question.

"Is Koala around?" His subordinate pointed to the woman in question, she was working to help lift a house for the homeless. "Koala!" He called for her, a pretty woman with a big hat with goggles in it, she had orange hair, was in light clothes that showed her figure and gloves to help in the heavy lifting.

She turns to him and after making some signals to the other workers she moves to him. "Something wrong Sabo?"

He cleans his hands, fixes his hat and pickles a pipe on the side. Sabo was dressed like a gentleman with a practical tuxedo, he was blond, had a scar on his left eye and also had goggles on his hat. His untamed hair covered his scar but not his smile. "Just a couple of pirates have shown up. I think it would be best if we moved to make sure there would be no troubles."

The girl thought for a bit, "You are right, If they try anything it is best with us there to… solve the problem."

They may be revolutionaries but, or maybe because of that, they fought for the innocent and this town had suffered long enough. If anything were to happen then this time Sabo(Chief of staff 602,000,000 Belly dead or alive), the second in command of the Revolutionary Army will be there to make sure that nobody dies.

…..

Zoro's will always deny that he has a bad sense of direction, his reasoning is that places moved or changed. He also tried to get shortcuts that he shouldn't but that's another thing entirely because he can do the normal way when he wants.

He remembers the path to the marine base on the island and unlike any other time he followed it to the letter. Funnily enough the destroyed buildings actually help by dissuading the idea of going for any shortcuts.

Reaching the marine base was easy but they were in a state of alert, every man present was armed, looked tense and/or tired and that never is a good sign. The courtyard was filled with marines sitting around or standing with tents and pots among them.

"I AM LOOKING FOR PETTY OFFICER TASHIGI! IS SHE HERE?" He screamed and all of a sudden every marine turned to look at him as he approached the gates.

"And who are you?" Demanded the first one at the gate pointing a weapon at Zoro.

"I am… a friend… look it is complicated." He really didn't know how to explain

"Look I don't know who you are but I will have to ask you to leave." The marine said and Zoro had no intention of doing it.

"Is Smoker around? You can call him if you want, he will vouch for me!"

"And how do you know captain Smoker?" The other guard asked and a few other marines were close to the gate in position to block his path, every single one of them was armed.

"I already said that I am a friend!"

"That is not enough pal, we are in a state of emergency here. There are criminal elements all around and we don't know you." Explained the first marine.

"Yeh, sorry but even if you are telling the truth we are still going to ask you to leave."

"Okay! Fine!" He could fight the marines and look for her himself but the girl would definitely not like that… and he already knew she was going to be mad at him anyway so better to not risk it. "Just tell me: Is she alright?"

That was what mattered, if she is just busy he can write a letter and fulfill his promise no problem. If she wasn't and someone was responsible for her condition that someone would soon make a quick trip to hell.

"We… don't know." Wait what? "She and the captain left in pursuit of the pirate that made this mess, most of our veterans left with them and at the moment the mayor is in charge."

"Let me get this straight: half the island is in ruins and Smoker is gone?" The two marines nodded and many behind them cringed at the question. "WHAT?" The sudden scream put everyone else on guard.

The santoryu user didn't care about that at the moment, he was trying to think of why Smoker would just pick up and leave in this situation. Was the pirate's weapon that dangerous? Was it personal? Or…

"Where is the mayor?" He trusted the ones he left in charge.

"I knew it! You are one of the gang members!" One of the marines shouted and now they all truly had their weapons pointing at Zoro who didn't look impressed.

"Look, this town is destroyed and I barely see anyone of you helping out there!" If the marines were not being active in a crisis even he could see what would happen after. "You need to move! Show your presence! Help your people!"

"And what do you know?" Came a small but lean man dressed in a suit with a huge beard black beard and hair tied and a wolf tail. "What do you know, stranger? What do you know of our problems? You obviously are not one of the gang members that are in control of our home and are just a tourist at best. I don't know you but you apparently know plenty of our outstanding marines." He looked at Zoro, especially his swords. "You are a fighter but those you seek left to deal with a pirate and until they return we need to hold the fort and fight off this gang."

"Can't you call for help?"

"From who? There are not as many marine outposts around as there once was!" The mayor's face was dark with a scowl. "Our resources are also limited because the World Government doesn't have a strong presence on the East anymore."

Zoro didn't see a problem there, "And what about the Flowers and Fruits Kingdom?" They seriously should have thought of a shorter name.

"What about those warmongers?" The mayor lets out a scoff and starts to pace around in frustration. "A king that picks a fight with a pirate, risks everything to face a man that was leaving his lands. A conqueror that basically took control of a whole sea using a visage of benevolence all the while those that don't follow him fight with tooth and nail to not starve."

That… was the first time Zoro was hearing this. 'Warmonger'? The only reason why they fought Krieg was to stop him from hurting anyone else. "Is the kingdom stopping you from joining?" Maybe they need to go back?

"And give up our independence? Why? We should all be servants of the World Government! Not of some flower lover bastard!"

Zoro wanted to cut the guy but he didn't, the mayor was speaking from a place of pride and, if anything, the green haired man could understand that, even if it was an insult to his captain and friend. "Okay, look, I don't care about that! Why aren't you doing anything about the gang then?" He honestly saw no gangs.

"It is a man called Bartolomeo, they are a mafia with power and influence over many businesses in plenty of islands." That was the first time Zoro was hearing of this. "And now they are using this tragedy as an excuse to muscle here and take over our town! The cretins even came here and demanded my surrender!"

Okay, someone to fight against, Zoro can work with that. "If you need, I can take care of this gang!" Tashigi would like that right? Maybe it would soft the blow when she comes back.

"You?" Again he looks to the swords, once Zoro was a famous bounty hunter but that was long ago and he didn't make any news while being a guard for Luffy. Sure, many in the kingdom knew him but outside of it? Probably only the marines that left with Smoker.

"I can guarantee that I am strong enough to deal with an army!" He was certain that if the war against Krieg was only land, he and Luffy wouldn't need to look for help and could deal with everything by themselves and he grew stronger ever since… still needs to learn how to use Haki on his three swords.

The mayor raised an eyebrow. "Are you a mercenary?"

"I am a friend of the marines here," he decides to avoid saying pirate, the only one hearing that confession is Tashigi and she is not here, "just take me to this 'mafia boss' and I will take care of him."

The mayor raises an eyebrow and looks at Zoro again and the swordsman lets himself be analyzed. He knew he looked intimidating but looks are not everything. "If you do this… it will be on your own, the marines need to stay here to protect those that looked for refuge."

That explained why there were that many marines outside, the inside must be full of people or at least enough that only the gatekeepers had proper posts in this situation. "I already told you, I can deal with an army."

"Sir!" A marine started. "This may be a trap from the criminals, this man may just be trying to lure some of us out."

"Yes you are right…" The mayor started to massage his beard in thought. "Fine! We have no other choice. Is either him or waiting for Smoker but my friend is taking too long to come back."

"But sir-" The mayor cuts him off.

"No buts! If this man can help great, if not, a single man can escape easily! Besides…" The man nods to himself. "We need to try something. We have some provisions but the lack of space is making people anxious. More fights are breaking out each day and things will only get worse."

The mayor approaches Zoro and extends his hand for a shake which Zoro gives.

"My name is Finton Cleb, elected mayor of Loguetown. If you will borrow your swords for our cause I thank you for the assistance." Fair enough for the pirate.

"My name is Roronoa Zoro. Point me in the direction of who you need dealt with and I will deal with them."

"Sir! Let some of us go with you at least!" One of the marines complained but the mayor raised his hand and silenced them.

"Sorry but no! You all are needed here to protect the civilians! If the worse comes to pass, call for any reinforcements you can! We can't let our islands fall in the hands of criminals, NEVER AGAIN!"

"NEVER AGAIN!" "FOR LOGUETOWN!"

This determination is what allowed the marines to keep their posts and not press the fight alone, the will to protect their home. Zoro could respect that.

"Follow me Roronoa Zoro! Let's go find Bartolomeo and I hope you can deal with his ilk once and for all!" The mayor moves to advance back to the town and Zoro follows.

"You can call me Zoro."

"Then call me Cleb. If you have the intention of fighting for us it is only fair that I treat you as I would treat my friend."

And so both of them marched with Zoro following the small mayor to look for the one called Bartolomeo.

…..

Finding supplies in a destroyed town was difficult for plenty of reasons: sometimes people try to hoard food to survive, others distribute their good fortune to help those they can, but generally the main one is an escalation of prices. Buying the utilities is easy and the Merry had enough food in stock but it is better to be safer than sorry in the sea, if the ship can carry then it is fine.

Sanji is running around trying to bargain or just looking for the best price for anything his eyes could find. There was a rush on his step but he was trying to be polite even when the prices of some stores were too high for any sensible man.

Even if part of the island was ruined it was not all of it and there were some tents being used as stores with the normal ones to sell anything. And truly was anything because all the money was going for food at this point with people trying to go around and sell the most precious possessions to secure some food as fast as they can.

Luckily for him on an island like this there is always one thing that had plenty to sell: fish. Of all shapes and kinds thanks to the position of the island close to the Red Line and the closest thing to the All Blue that many want to admit that exists… but it is not the All Blue.

Zeff once told him that in the Grand Line there were plenty of giant fish and sea kings that can't be found anywhere else. He is going to find it one day, he can't wait for-

"COME BACK HERE YOU BITCH!" He hears the scream and manages to move just in time to stop a big burly man to pick a child. "OI! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?"

The little girl saw Sanji in front of the man and ran to hide behind his legs, the chef could see that neither was in ideal conditions with dirty clothes and faces. Even if the man was burly his face had the signs of someone that didn't sleep for days and the small girl was using his legs like one would use a wall to not fall to the ground.

"Now, please calm down. There is no reason to be aggressive to a child." Sanji talked softly and clearly.

"SHE STOLE FROM ME! SHE STOLE MY BREAD! THE FOOD I WORKED FOR! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" The man tried to advance but Sanji placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him from doing anything harsh.

This situation is not good, really not good. If the straw hat is not careful, this could get ugly. "Okay, just take some deep breaths, please. Wasting your energy will only make your hunger worse." That snapped the man out of his rage and he calmed down a bit.

Sanji, seeing that the other male had stopped, turned to the small girl and got on his knees to talk with her.

"Are you alright?" His tone was as gentle as he could make it and the little child nods. "You know that stealing is wrong right?" She nods again. "Are you hungry?" Unfortunately the only things he was able to buy were fish and little else. "Just give me a minute, okay?" She nods again and Sanji gets ready for something that may end unpleasantly.

There are plenty of things he could do to try and work this one out but he was trying to think in a way to reach a peaceful solution, offering to pay for the bread is not going to help. Money is useless when you have nothing to buy and he already used most of his to pay for the food he already brought.

"SANJI!" He hears his name and turns to see Usopp, he is carrying his bag and has new goggles on his head but beside that Sanji couldn't see anything else that was new, maybe he still had his money.

Looking a bit to the sniper's left he sees an older woman following him and notices that she looks like the girl hiding behind his leg. "STELLA!" The woman calls and the little girl goes to her for a hug. "Thank the gods you are safe!"

"Sanji!" Usopp approached him. "This place is a mess. People are selling anything for nothing at this point and even I was getting uncomfortable."

Since Usopp had gone to buy materials he managed to get excellent prices and now that the chef could pay attention his bag looked ready to burst. "Do you have any money left?" With a nod he pulls out some notes but Sanji could tell it was not enough…

"Hey!" The burly man started looking to the reunited mother and daughter. "Your daughter stole my food! GIVE IT BACK!"

Before the man could do anything Sanji was once again holding him back with one hand. "Calm down! Look we can buy more food okay?"

Once again the man calms and Sanji looks around, he knows that there is not enough money on him to buy anything around at the moment and just giving the man fish is a terrible idea on so many levels if the guy doesn't have the means to prepare…

"Usopp I need you to go around this place, buy any pans, pots and knives you can find!"

"What? Why? We have all that stuff in the Merry." The long nose was confused but Sanji didn't blame him.

"Yes, but I need this stuff here and now." Looking around he finds the most intact building and moves to it. Going in he sees it was a clothes store and he moves out to another. The others just watch together with many on the street who sees a blond man going from place to place looking for something.

For a while he jumped from building to building until he finally stopped in one half demolished and smiled. He found what he was looking for.

"USOPP!"

"WHAT?" The long nose teen was already trying to get what the chef asked but people just stared at the blond man running like a maniac.

"FORGET EVERYTHING ELSE EXCEPT THE KNIVES! THERE IS WATER HERE AND I CAN CLEAN THE PLACE SOMEWHAT!"

"Mister?" The small girl tried to come closer and her mother was together with her every step of the way, everyone else just looked confused. "What are you doing?"

"Cooking!" He then shouts to all that could hear. "I AM GOING TO COOK A FEAST TO YOU ALL! THEN, IF YOU BRING ME INGREDIENTS, I WILL COOK ENOUGH FOOD TO LAST FOR A WEEK!"

Silence, skepticism, doubt and many other emotions and expressions were the answer to that declaration. Sanji didn't mind, his cooking will do the talking. He knows how to make food that, in ideal conditions, it will last.

Maybe his crew will have to delay their journey to the Grand Line for a few days but he refused to leave these people as they are.

"COME HERE AND COME CLOSER!" Usopp was using the leftovers of a house as an improvised stage. "COME AND SEE THE GREATEST COOK OF THE EAST BLUE! FORMER SOULS CHEF OF THE LEGENDARY BARATIE! A LEGENDARY CHEF FROM A LEGENDARY RESTAURANT! COME ONE AND ALL!"

Usopp shouts attract more and more people, he treats Sanji's idea as if it was a show and soon the man manages to turn on an oven and starts cooking.

He goes all in on Usopp's presentation, doing flurs and flips with the food before serving the first dish, fried rice with salmon to the small girl. "I trade this for the bread." The little one accepted but instead of just returning the bread to the man he started to cut it in various pieces to put it on a fire and then mix it with some of his groceries of the day.

Soon a different kind of garlic bread, similar but with no garlic, was served. The man took a bite with some trepidation and soon had joined the small girl, both devouring their food with gusto.

"CAN YOU ALL SEE THE SKILL OF THE GREATEST CHEF? COME ON! ALL OF YOU! BRING WHAT YOU WANT MADE! ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE BEST MEAL OF YOUR LIFE!" Usopp kept attracting more and more people, all of them bringing ingredients and making requests for Sanji to cook.

The chef started to mix and match, the vegetables of one and the meat of another for instance to make sure people shared. Back and forward he ran but even with his skill there were too many people and too much randomness for him to keep going alone but he couldn't ask Usopp to stop calling for more people, they needed this to help their spirits.

Out of nowhere he heard someone else cutting the vegetables and turning around he saw an old man with some bandages working with a knife, the man noticed Sanji's look and just said. "A kitchen needs more than just a single chef. Leave any veggies to me!"

From the other side he heard the sound of fire hitting a pan and turned to see a woman with pink hair working with some meat. "I may prefer to work with more refined cooking and ingredients but hard times need hard mesures!" She gives Sanji a smile and his eyes turn to hearts as she moves working with the fire. "I shall help feed them today and show to all that the Baratie is not the only place that produces great chefs!"

Two more people stepped in and started to wash the dishes and to organize the food while three others showed up and worked on placing some orders and taking notes of the requests.

When a random person tried to do so for seconds the first burly man and the little girl stepped in to stop them. "One per customer." He started.

"So we all have enough to last!" The little girl finished. The random person nodded and started to help.

Soon people were placing chairs and tables, bringing out drinks or just starting small conversations.

"Come on people! Hear my words! It is I! The great comedian Usopp!" He starts to pull stuff out of his bag and make small tricks. "I am also a part time magician!"

Many children smiled at the sniper's tricks and the people started to have fun in the small sudden party. There was joy in there and people were starting to be a bit more happy, Sanji and the other chefs started to work on food that would only need to be heated to help deal with the crisis.

He will have to ask Luffy for a favor and even if his captain wouldn't like to do it he would because if Luffy had seen even half of this disgrace he would do it in a heartbeat.

…..

Luffy was helping in the repair of the docks with Nami and most of the sailors. The plan was simple really, fix enough to work on a few ships, get on the ships and go ask for help or get food. At that point Luffy offered the Merry to give people a ride but the trip may be long and more than one ship would help.

Nami suggested looking for a den den mushi but the word around is that was 'the only one is in the marine base' leaving to Zoro to deal with that meanwhile Luffy and Nami were helping with the buildings.

While some distrusted them because of their pirate flag they were in no position to deny any kind of help, especially when Nami transformed and started to clean most of wreckage while Luffy fished out materials from the sunken ships.

The situation is a disaster for the place but Luffy was finally putting those building skills to some good use. He had to be taught how to build to help in the company but because of everything that happened there weren't many chances for him to work with before he became a king.

"Come on guys!" Shouted one of the workers. "Get this one up! We need to find more tools after and fast."

There were at least fifteen people working on the docks and it wasn't really enough. With only a single shipright there and the guy would have to work in at least three other ships to make sure there was enough to reach an island. All that and not even accounting for a proper crew or real supplies, the reality is that this is more out of despair than anything but at least these people were not quitting.

Luffy has no idea of how to fix a ship, let alone how to build one but he can carry weight around. He proves this by holding a whole rooftop by himself when suddenly the structure collapsed and almost crushed five other guys.

"GODDAMNIT!" One of the men screamed while throwing his hat to the ground. "THIS IS WORTHLESS!"

"Calm down Harry-"

"'CALM DOWN?' WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS SHIT FOR DAYS! MOST OF US DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING! THE WOOD IS RUINED AND SCAVENGE SHIPS IS NOT HELPING!"

"Yes but at least noone died today." The one tried to calm Harry and nod his thanks to Luffy but the other man was not hearing him.

"WHAT DOES IT MATTER? WE WILL STARVE ANYWAY! WE HAVE A BETTER CHANCE BY JUST USING THE PIRATE'S SHIP!"

Ignoring the man Luffy just moves to clear more space and get it ready to raise another wall.

"Luffy… we need more help. Most of the stuff here is destroyed." Nami said while returning to her human form, most of the men working there didn't dare to go close to her but she didn't care.

"We need to wait for Zoro to come back." Luffy affirmed while he worked. "If he can find someone to talk to we can call for help."

Nami nods in agreement but one of the workers approaches them. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?" He demanded. "YOU ARE PIRATES AREN'T YOU? WHY ARE YOU HELPING?"

Luffy just looks at the guy and asks, "Why not?" and then goes back to work leaving the man baffled.

"Look, I can understand that none of you have a high opinion of pirates at the moment and with good reason, but please don't do anything harsh." Nami tried to reason with the man, to keep things calm.

She succeeded but his eyes were barely holding back his contempt and he was not the only one. The workers move to take a break and eat something while the pirates are left for themselves.

"This is bad Luffy."

"Yup." He tries to fix a pillar but it just falls down.

"The problem was that these people are too isolated." Nami deduces. "Ever since the pirate attack and the start of this mess most of them had no contact with the rest of the world." The frustration was evident when she almost tried to pull her own hair off. "I can't believe this! What was Buggy thinking? All that is only going to make the World Government mad!"

If Luffy had to guess, "He was probably afraid."

"Afraid?" He gives her a nod.

"Smoker is a strong guy and if he got too close then Buggy just said 'screw it' and did all this."

"You know sometimes you say stuff like that and impress me…" She finds and sits down on a crate. "Still, there is little we can do without a den den mushi. Maybe the government will send help but one way or another it may be better if we just leave." That last part Luffy didn't like.

"Nami. we aren't leaving like that."

"But what can we do Luffy? You can't fix all of this alone, this place barely has supplies to do it and this is just the harbor. God knows how bad the rest of the town is."

"We can't just leave like that!" He said firmly and Nami understood his frustration.

"I agree with you but we have to face the facts! This is not something we can just solve by punching someone! Damn! We don't even know the full situation, the people around here are basically stuck on this corner of the town trying to fix a ship!" She had tried to ask questions about the rest of the place but the people there didn't care.

"Nami calm down! We just need to think of something." Luffy is certain that they can do something, anything to help.

"The best that we can do is get on the Merry and try and go to one of the kingdom's islands." Nami knew that Luffy wouldn't want to do that but…

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay. We can take a break from being pirates for a couple of days." Luffy was sad because of it but he didn't like the idea of letting people in misery. "We find a snail and call Genzo or something."

Now even Nami looked sad, not because of calling the kingdom but because she could tell he didn't want to stop being a pirate. But what else were they supposed to do? This is not an enemy they can defeat with their fists.

"Hey! Don't worry, we won't stop being pirates." She gets up and places a hand on his shoulder.

"We won't?" His voice was full of hope and Nami just nods.

"Yes! I will make the call and we will… threaten the kingdom into delivering food."

"'Threaten'?" Now Luffy was confused.

"Yes! A common thing for pirates to do, get hostages and demand rescue but before the rescue we need to feed the hostages." Nami knows that the town was not really their hostage but it didn't matter. "So we feed them and let them go in that order. Acting like our own kind of pirates!"

"Nice going Nami! It is an excellent idea!" Luffy got excited and punched the air… breaking the pillar he had just managed to put into place. "Ops!" Nami could only facepalm.

"SEE BARTOLOMEO! THAT GUY IS A PIRATE!" Both turn to see a group of people approaching with a green haired man leading the charge together with a red head.

"Yes, I can see that!" The green haired man, Bartolomeo answered. "Oi! Pirates! I don't care what you think you are doing on our island but you aren't leaving here alive!" He declared to the approval of everyone that was following him.

Both straw hats were confused and turned to look at each other. "Are you talking with us?" Nami asked. Did they really look that much like pirates?

"OF COURSE HE IS!" The red hair woman at his side confirms it. "The jolly roger of that ship!" She points at the Merry. "Has a straw hat in it! He is the only one in the whole harbor with a straw hat! He must be a pirate!"

"That is rather rude of you." Nami tries to defuse the situation. "As far as you know we-"

"Yes I am a pirate!" Luffy announces and even the crowd is stunned.

"WAIT! HE JUST ADMITS IT?" Every single one of them shouted much to Nami's frustration.

"Of course!" She punches Luffy on the head. "LUFFY... WHY?"

"Because they asked?" In those moments Nami does well to remind what Dandan said about Luffy and insanity 'just roll with it'.

"FINE! FINE!" She turns to look to the crowd. "YES! WE ARE PIRATES! YES THAT IS OUR SHIP! WHAT ABOUT IT?"

"WE DON'T NEED MORE PIRATES HERE!" Bartolomeo steps forward with a sinister smile that looked even more scary because of his sharp fangs. "I'm gonna kick you out!"

Luffy lets out a huge smile while Nami lets out a tired sigh, both know what that means.

"NAMI!" He turns to look at her. "THERE IS SOMEONE FOR ME TO PUNCH!" Many faces were incredulous by the comment but Nami herself just said one thing.

"Well… roll with it!" She then transformed in her bull form and got ready for the fight.

"Wait! What?" "SHE TRANSFORMED!" "DEVIL FRUIT! IT CAN ONLY BE A DEVIL FRUIT!"

"OI! DON'T BE AFRAID!" The red haired girl shouts.

"But Desire! It is a de-" The guy couldn't finish his sentence before Desire hits him with her pipe.

"SO WHAT?" Desire points to Bartolomeo who was full of confidence. "REMEMBER WE HAVE OUR OWN USER! BARTOLOMEO CAN KICK HER ASS EASILY!"

"YOU CAN BET ON THAT!" Bartolomeo steps up confident, staring Nami and daring her to attack.

She gets ready for it but just before she could Luffy steps in front of her. "LUFFY! WHAT THE HELL?"

"Nami! You had your fun before! Now it is my turn!" Luffy said with a smile bringing out his staff from his jacket and assembling it.

"Before''? You are talking about Syrup?" With his nod came a sigh from her. "Fine!" Turning back to her human form she steps back and crosses her arms with a pout.

"HA! You sure you don't want the user to fight? Or do you have a devil fruit too?" Bartolomeo asks brimming with confidence.

"Nah it is fine." Luffy does a flourish with his staff and gets in position to charge. "I can kick your ass just fine."

"Arrogant pirate." Desire says with scorn. "KICK HIS ASS BARTOLOMEO!"

"YEH!" "SEND HIM PACKING!"

The man just smiled more and raised a hand to give a little taunt to Luffy, calling him to attack with his middle finger.

Luffy wasn't bothered but he was not one to deny an invitation and so he charged full speed to his enemy.

Raising his staff the straw hat launches an overhead attack to try and knock out his opponent as fast-

The staff sharters before it could make contact with the gangster whose smile grows bigger while Luffy's eyes wide in surprise.

The pirate can't help but land on his feet, confused from what just happened. He looks to Bartolomeo who just says. "My turn!" The man raises his hands, crossing them over his torso with crossed fingers. "BARRIER BULLS!"

Luffy didn't know what was going on but he jumped back only to be pursued by his opponent. Still confused from what happened before Luffy tries to jump to the sides only to be hit by an invisible wall that throws him back.

"LUFFY!" "STRAW HAT!" Screamed Nami and some of the workers of the harbor while Luffy flew until he hit some wood left for construction.

"PFHAHAHA! SEE THAT PIRATES!" Desire bragged.

"AS YOU CAN EXPECT OF BARTOLOMEO!" Shouts Gambia.

"YES!" "GO BARTOLOMEO!"

Luffy jumps out of the pile of wood, silencing the gang members while the captain was cleaning his jacket and then proceeds to crack his neck. "What was that?" Luffy asks.

"HA! You are thought." Said Bartolomeo while crossing his finger again in front of him. "But you can't touch me while I have my fingers like this."

"Luffy! You alright?" Nami asks.

"Yep. I am fine." Luffy then starts to stretch his arms and then his legs.

"Are you… stretching mid fight?" Bartolomeo was confused by the scene.

"Well… I don't want to pull up a muscle or something, it also gives me some time to think about what your ability is." Luffy said and prepared what was left of his staff on his right hand.

"HA! Maybe I will tell you if you ask nicely." Bartolomeo was confident in his power anyway and was sure that even if Luffy knew it would make no difference.

"Really? Then tell me please." He asks curiously.

"AS IF!" Bartolomeo laughs together with his gang. "You want to know my ability? Then come here and figure it out." Bartolomeo felt that the pirate's attempts would be funny.

"Sure!" First Luffy focused and used Haki on what was left of his staff, then he threw it. Flying fast it hits something and breaks apart completely but Bartolomeo just stands there, unbothered.

"That is it?" He asks and the laughs begin again.

Luffy didn't care and run for another attack, paying attention to the man's reactions, his grin didn't diminish and he was unafraid of Luffy's attack. That would be enough to make most people stop but the captain of the straw hat pirates was not most people.

"ROCK SMASH!" First he tried the basics and but the impact did nothing except stop before reaching his opponent. There was some pain in his hand but nothing much to someone that grew breaking rocks for training.

Deciding to put more strength on his next attack he pulls his fist back and this time uses Haki.

"GORILLA SMASH!"

"WHAT?" This time the impact was stronger, much stronger than Bartolomeo had anticipated and the man was pushed back by something. He was not pushed too far but enough to be noticed and his gang, who before was showing support, now sported disbelief.

"Shishishi! You can make walls? Cool!"

"How did you-" Bartolomeo looks to the ground and sees the ground that had been dragged by the wall when he was pushed. Then his eyes focused on Luffy, realizing that his opponent was dangerous.

The straw hat just lets out a smile and races to attack again, this time Bartolomeo braced himself not willing to let another big punch surprise him.

Luffy ran to the barrier and then raced up the wall. The maneuver surprised everyone, most of all Bartolomeo who just watched as Luffy climbed his barrier before letting out a really loud "WHAT!"

When Luffy reached the top he could only look around. "Nice view." He whispered. "Is this one better or worse than the last one of the King of The Pirates." He can't find the platform from there because of the buildings still standing but that only makes him more excited.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" Bartolomeo was still in shock over the events but his anger because of Luffy's maneuver was stronger than his shock. "GET DOWN FROM THERE RIGHT NOW!"

Looking at him for a few seconds Luffy just said. "Don't wanna!" He quite liked the view.

"WHAT? COME DOWN HERE NOW YOU PUNK!..." Bartolomeo goes to scream all manners of profanities all the while Luffy just didn't care much.

For a while the situation stod like this with Bartolomeo trying to get Luffy down from his barrier while everyone else just watched. After some time the gang members also throw insults at Luffy with the hopes of getting him down from the invisible wall.

Nami could only watch in a small depression while all of that happened until one of the workers asked her. "Is he really your captain?"

"Just roll with it." She whispers to herself. "Besides, Luffy is more competent than most people give him credit for at first glance." She would have said smarter but…

"HEY!" Luffy gives a shout that silences the gang members. "Why are you attacking me again?"

"BECAUSE YOU ARE A PIRATE!" Luffy nods at that.

"Okay! ARE YOU A MARINE?" He asks and Bartolomeo gets even madder.

"WHY WOULD I BE ONE OF THOSE COWARD BITCHIES?" Luffy nods again.

"Then why are you attacking me? I've never met you before!"

"WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE PIRATE!" Desire shouted. "THE LAST ONE WHO PASSED HERE ALMOST BLEW UP THE WHOLE TOWN!"

"But I don't want to blow up the town! We just wanted to know what happened… I also want to see Roger's platform!"

"WELL! I DON'T CARE!" Bartolomeo said. "YOU CAN EITHER LEAVE OR DIE!"

Luffy didn't like those choices but fortunately for him he was a pirate. "I don't want any of those!"

"FEH! TOUGH LUCK! IF YOU WANT ANYTHING ELSE THEN YOU HAVE TO BEAT ME!" Bartolomeo declared to the cheer of his men.

"SO IF I BEAT YOU YOU WILL LEAVE US ALONE?" Luffy asked with a huge smile.

"THAT WON'T HAPPEN BUT SURE I PROMISE!"

"Bartolomeo are you sure?" Asked Gambia.

"Of course I am! Besides," he lets out a savage grin while looking at Luffy, "he is on MY barrier!" Then he uncrossed his arms and finger letting gravity do the job for him while Luffy plumbed to the ground.

Before he could hit the ground he manages to turn and ends on a roll neutralizing most of the damage. "That was fun!" He then looks to Bartolomeo. "Now we can really fight." He takes his stance and gets ready.

Bartolomeo was not kidding around anymore. "All of you step back." He commands his gang.

"Bartolomeo?" Some question him.

"STEP BACK! This guy…" He looks at Luffy, remembering how the straw hat managed to run his barrier. "This guy is dangerous! Stay away until we are done!" They did as their leader asked, weapons on hand and ready to fight but none wanted to get in the way of Bartolomeo.

"Ready?" Luffy was waiting for his group to step aside and noticing it, Bartolomeo raises an eyebrow and then crosses his arms. Usually the mafia boss wouldn't bother with fairness but since this pirate decided to let his people out of their fight the green haired leader decided to be fair just this once.

"Whenever you are ready!" He had his barrier up again, this time making it higher so the straw hat couldn't run or just jump over it.

Luffy tried to run over the wall again but this time it was bigger and when he reached too high Bartolomeo undid it and Luffy fell again with no troubles.

Noticing that the wall was different the captain changed tactics. He started to run around in a circle and Bartolomeo followed him with his eyes while Luffy tried to see if there was any movement on the ground to tell him where the wall was.

After going for another round Luffy moved to go for Bartolomeo's back but the man still turned around fast enough to put his arms up again.

"HORSE STOMP!"

The impact was felt by all present, once again Luffy had hit an invisible wall but this time Bartolomeo didn't even flinch much less move.

"That is it?" The boss asked. "MY TURN!" Hearing his opponent declaration Luffy jumped back as far as he could using the wall itself as a springboard. "NOT FAST ENOUGH! BARRIER CRASH!"

Luffy was hit and once again launched back, this time with more strength and with no conditions to stop himself he flew to the ocean and hit the water.

"NICE GOING BARTOLOMEO!" "AND THE PIRATE IS OUT!" "BARTOLOMEO STRONGEST IN THE EAST!"

The man chuckles a bit and turns to Nami, "If you want to try and save him you can go. One way or another, leave my island!"

This time it was Nami's turn to chuckle. "If you think Luffy lost with just that then you have another thing coming!"

As if called Luffy jumps out of the water with a scream and races to attack Bartolomeo again who reacts fast making another barrier.

Luffy then jumps as high as he can again but Bartolomeo was not going to fall for it and focus on making his wall as tall as possible which entered in contact with the straw hat face first.

Some spectators cringed or flinch while others had a laugh at the actions but that was what the pirate captain wanted and using his arms he managed to measure the wall to the sides. Placing a hand there he positions himself above Bartolomeo and then lets go.

Never before had the mafia boss saw someone using such a trick and instead of undoing his barrier he started to transform it in another. "BARRIERBILITY!"

"FALLING ELEPHANT!"

Luffy hits the invisible barrier again, this time it was not a wall for Bartolomeo had used his power to use the lower part of the barrier he already had.

There was plenty of pain to be had also, even with Haki Luffy could feel his leg and while he didn't break anything he knew that was only because his will stop the damage of being worse.

Standing above his opponent Luffy did a flip to the side and aimed his other leg to Bartolomeo's face, managing his first hit of the fight and forcing his opponent to the ground.

"BARTOLOMEO!" The gang shouted.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I SAW BARTOLOMEO BEING HIT!" One of them announced.

"NICE ONE STRAW HAT!" "YEAH! GET THAT PUNK!" Some of the workers joined in cheer for Luffy but Nami was more attentive of his state.

Her captain was favoring one leg and not attacking anymore, he also had not used his arms for a while on attacks and that was bad. Even after all the training with Shinzo and Zeff, Luffy still focused more on his arms in general using his legs more only when with his staff.

There was no denying for her now, Luffy was hurt but that was fine because he was not defeated, not even close. She knew it for sure.

Bartolomeo gets up and checks his teeth and jaw, there was no problem there but he was impressed by the captain's maneuver. The mafia boss was sure of one thing now, the guy figured out his ability, maybe not all the details but he knows that Bartolomeo can make walls and that they have limits.

Fortunately for him, he still had options. "BARRIER BULLS!" He crosses his arms and charges while Luffy gets ready to jump to the sides. When Bartolomeo saw the side his opponent was going for, he stroke. "YOU FELL FOR IT! BARRIER CRASH!"

Luffy can't see the barriers and had to trust that Bartolomeo was using the same tricks again when he announced his attack but that was the plan, Luffy trusted that Bartolomeo gone for the first charge and while he focused on dodging Bartolomeo made a barrier not to crash against his enemy but to use in range to get his opponent in the middle of the dodge.

Invisibility was a new thing that the straw hat had never fought before but he still had his instincts and every single one of them were telling him: "DUCK!".

Luffy manages to dodge and once he gets to a crouch he launches himself directly to Bartolomeo. "WHAT?" The shock of the man at Luffy's evasion was too much and the man didn't have enough time to put up a proper defense.

"CATCHING LEAVES!" Luffy rains his fists into Bartolomeo's face, torax and arms. The punches got faster and faster until Luffy stopped to pull one of his fists back using his unharmed hand. "GORILLA SMASH!"

Bartolomeo skipped a few times on the ground before he hit a wall making a huge noise that attracted the attention of some people.

There were those that were afraid that the pirates had come back, those that were curious and those that were watching from the inside their homes or some distance in hiding and got out when they saw a man sent flying and demolishing another house.

Nami had to facepalm after that one, to be fair with Luffy she knew this was a fight and that being careful was hard… on the other hand he should have holded back a bit.

Bartolomeo got up and tried to do the same thing that Luffy did before to show that he had shrugged off the damage. He failed.

Unlike Luffy he lost his balance when tired to crack his neck and almost fell to the ground, he managed to avoid hitting his face by using his hand and properly started to do some push ups to buy himself time to manage the pain.

And he was in pain, he was hit a lot there, Luffy had given the strongest hits that Bartolomeo had ever felt in his whole life. "DAMN!" He gets up and shakes his head. "Can't take another one of those. If I do I think I am out." He whispered to himself.

Luffy didn't look surprised that Bartolomeo got up, the straw hat could tell that the man was strong, those barriers wouldn't be half as strong as they were if the green haired guy was weak.

Crossing his arms in front of him again Bartolomeo made another barrier and then started to plan on how to take Luffy out.

Luffy, learning from previous mistakes, picks a pebble from ground and starts to examine them. Aiming and throwing it at his opponent all could just watch as the small stone turned to dust with the impact.

"NAMI-SWAN!" "LUFFY! NAMI!"

Coming with a crowd were Sanji and Usopp, both were carrying some bags filled with stuff but no food.

"Didn't you two go get some supplies? Food supplies?" Nami asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Miss!" A little girl approached her. "They were feeding the town, please don't be mad."

Nami could see that and decided to let go, she put a hand on the little girl's head. "It is fine. I can forgive them this time. What is your name?"

"Stella!" The girl gives Nami a huge smile.

"Stella… such a cute name." Nami then looks at the two males. "Well we are only missing-"

"YOU SENSE OF DIRECTION IS THE WORSE I EVER SEE!" Came a loud voice screaming in rage.

"YOU ARE THE MAYOR! HOW DIDN'T YOU KNEW THE PATH?" The other had similar anger but was more familiar and when the navigator turned she saw on the other side of the crowd Zoro with a small man.

"And there he is." She comments on seeing Zoro. "And apparently he brought the mayor too. Lucky!" With the mayor here all Luffy had to do was beat the gangster and all will be done.

"WELL LOOK AT THAT! THE COWARD IS HERE!" Bartolomeo shouts to all while looking at the mayor. "FINALLY DECIDED TO LEAVE YOU 'CASTLE'?"

"SHUT UP YOUR THIEF! IF YOU WEREN'T AROUND I WOULD HAVE ALREADY CONTROLLED THE SITUATION!" The mayor screamed back with veins popping out on his forehead.

"'THIEF'? I WILL LET YOU KNOW I STOLE NOTHING HERE! On this island." Bartolomeo whispered the last part. "BESIDES! WHAT YOUR SOLUTION? CALLING MORE MARINES!"

"AT LEAST IS BETTER THAN YOUR GANG PATROLLING THE STREETS!"

"WE WOULDN'T NEED IT IF YOU AND THE MARINES DID THEIR DAMN JOB!"

The two went screaming like that for a few more minutes until both got tired and the crowd didn't know what to do.

"Luffy!" Usopp called out. "For what we could get from everyone, these two both tried to keep control of the island and stop things from getting worse but neither tried to work with the other!"

By the way most of the people around started to nod, the sentiment was shared in general.

"AH! So they are idiots!" Luffy concludes while nodding to himself for the conclusion.

"WHO YOU ARE CALLING AN IDIOT?" Both of the offended shouted back at the straw hat who just tilts his head.

"But… you guys want the same thing… why aren't you working together?"

"WHY I WOULD WORK TOGETHER WITH A CRIMINAL?"

"BECAUSE THIS CHICKEN HID HIMSELF AND DIDN'T SHOW UP UNTIL NOW!... WHY ARE YOU HERE NOW?"

"BECAUSE THIS GENTLEMAN PROMISED TO GET RID OF YOU!" He gestures to Zoro with a hand and the swordsman just shrugs.

"Well… I did say that I would take care of him and his gang but my captain already got this." Zoro then nods at Luffy.

"I DON'T CARE WHO DOES THE DEED! I WANT THIS CRIMINALS OUT OF MY ISLAND!"

"SHUT UP YOUR BASTARD! WE WOULDN'T HAD TO BE HERE ANYMORE IF YOU DID YOUR JOB!" Called out Gambia with the support of his companions. "WITH A COWARD LIKE YOU THIS PLACE WOULD BE DUST WITHOUT BARTOLOMEO!"

"THAT IS RIGHT!" Desire followed up. "WITH BARTOLOMEO WE MANAGED TO GET FOOD AND WATER! CATCH REAL THIEVES WHO TRIED TO USE THIS TIME TO GET RICH! MOST OF THE TOWN LIKES US MORE THAN YOU!"

"LIAR!" Cleb shouted back entering in another shouting contest.

Finally Luffy lost his patience. "SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUP!" His voice silenced everybody and they stood quiet as the man with the straw hat looked really mad. "YOU ARE ALL IDIOTS! FIGHTING LIKE THAT WHEN THE TOWN NEEDS YOU? I THINK I NEVER MEET ANYONE THAT STUPID!"

"If Luffy is calling people 'stupid' then you know the stuff is ugly." Commented Usopp and no one dared to disagree.

"YOU!" He points at the mayor. "STAY QUIET! AND YOU!" Points at Bartolomeo. "WHEN I WIN, YOU AND THE OTHER ONE ARE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER AND FIX THIS PLACE!"

"WHY WOULD I WORK WITH HIM?" They screamed, pointing at each other.

"BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T I AM GONNA KICK YOUR ASSES UNTIL YOU DO!"

"WHY I NEVER-" The mayor tried to talk.

"QUIET!" And Luffy just cuts him off, a year of experience as a king made him frustrated because of such uncooperative people.

"HA! FINE!" Bartolomeo said. "But remember, I will only do what you want if you defeat me! But WHEN you lose, you and your crew are going to leave and I will have a nice chat with the mayor."

"Fine by me!" Luffy smiles, he likes this condition.

"WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" This time the mayor's rage was directed at Luffy.

"A pirate."

When he heard this the mayor turned to Zoro who nodded making Cleb sweat cold and try to run only for Zoro to pick him up by the collar of his suit.

"Sorry but the captain wants you two to play nice." The short man could only accept his fate.

"'Play nice'? You think he can win?" Bartolomeo asks Zoro. "None of you pirates get it do you? I ate a devil fruit, the Bari- Bari no mi, the barrier devil fruit! Your captain can't hit me! HE CAN'T WIN!"

Once again the gang members cheer for their leader, certain of his victory even with some problems.

"But… your power doesn't block everything." Luffy was confused but Bartolomeo just smiled.

"LET ME SHOW YOU THEN! THE TRUE POWER OF THE BARI-BARI NO MI!" Like magic a transparent wall appeared in front of Bartolomeo.

"Incredible!" "A wall showed up out of nowhere!"

Many were impressed with the power however...

"But… it doesn't cover everything…" At the comment everyone noticed that the wall was not that big and those watching the fight from the beginning could understand how Luffy had managed to attack him.

"I… I AM NOT DONE YET! BARRIERBILITY!" Using his skills Bartolomeo closes the wall around himself. "NOW YOU CAN'T GET IN!"

Luffy just looks up, seeing an opening. It didn't take long to everyone else to repeat the gesture and look up.

Bartolomeo blushed a bit before closing the top. "NOW YOU CAN'T GET IN!"

Luffy looked to the barrier and only a single question came to his mind. "How are you breathing?"

"What?" Bartolomeo was confused.

"This barrier thing stops stuff from getting in right?" After a nod Luffy proceeded. "Then… how are you breathing right now?"

"I… air can enter my barrier…" That sounded more like a question than an answer but Bartolomeo decided to go with it. "YES! Air can enter my barrier!"

"AH! I SEE! So if you fart it can also leave right?"

"WHAT IS THE POINT OF THOSE QUESTIONS?" It was a woman in the crowd who asked.

"THAT IS NOT RELEVANT! WHY AREN'T YOU AFRAID?" Bartolomeo was getting frustrated with everything at that point.

"Why would I be?"

"YOU CAN'T HIT ME! I'M WINNING THIS FIGHT!"

"Why are you winning?"

"BECAUSE I DECIDE HOW THIS FIGHT GOES! NOT YOU! I CHOOSE WHEN TO ATTACK AND HOW TO ATTACK AND YOU CAN'T GET ME!"

"Ah… true." Luffy nods accepting the fact that he can't get to Bartolomeo. "But I can still win."

Many were confused by the statement, some had seen Bartolomeo's barriers in action while others understood that the thing was though even if they didn't know by how much and Luffy's declaration of victory made no sense to them.

"OH YEAH? HOW?"

Luffy starts to walk to Bartolomeo, not running or jumping, just walking almost as if on a stroll to the town. He had a huge smile on his face and anyone could tell that he was confident that he would win.

Bartolomeo was not sure what to do in his situation. He was still resting from the damage he took but Luffy's attitude worried him to the point that he felt the need to attack or to take some distance.

If he wished he could move with his barrier, it would take some concentration and if he screwed up at any point Luffy would punish his mistake and it would be painful.

Bartolomeo is sure that his barrier can stop any trick and that with enough time he can find a way to win. The straw hat is not invencible, Bartolomeo knows that. He could see that Luffy was slower, more careful in his approach.

The only reason he would do this is if the barrier was relevant, if Bartolomeo did some damage and that was what mattered.

Yes, Bartolomeo knew Luffy was not invencible, he knew he was stronger, faster but not invincible. All he needs is a chance and an opening.

But this calm demeanor was worrying him, Luffy was just walking. No rush, no hurry, just walking and Bartolomeo was getting nervous, he was confident in his barrier but the pirate captain's confidence was unnerving.

Finally they were face to face. "Hi!" Luffy said.

"Hi?" Bartolomeo was confused and everyone waited with baited breath on what Luffy would do.

He started to go around the barrier, still on the same calm pace. Bartolomeo was following him with his eyes and turning when he needed to keep Luffy on sigh.

Luffy looked up and down, kicked a little bit of dirt and then kept walking around the barrier. He never tried to hit it, didn't try to jump over it again or anything like that. He was just looking around it.

Then he stopped. "Say you ate a devil fruit right?" Luffy asked.

"Yes?" He had already admitted it and his power proved it, even the crowd was confused on why was asking that.

"Great! Nami says that this was awful so sorry about this!" Luffy placed his hands on the barrier. Those proficient could see that he was getting his Haki ready. "MONKEY SEE! MONKEY DO!"

Suddenly his muscles bulged and he started to push with all his might against the wall, arms covered in Haki and even dislodging the earth in his attempt.

Bartolomeo was confused for just a second before he felt himself being pushed with his wall.

"WHAT?" He was shocked and he wasn't the only one, most of his gang that knew his power had once or twice tried something similar, to push his barriers with brute force.

He could stop cannonballs with his barriers, ten of his strongest couldn't move him when he let them try it and this guy was pushing him, alone, with his bare hands. He can't help but ask: "HOW?"

Luffy didn't answer, to be fair he couldn't. All his focus was on pushing his opponent and moving the barrier was harder than it looked.

To Bartolomeo it was actually easy, it was his power after all. He needed to just exert some effort and the barrier will move while keeping his focus to make sure it won't disappear, doesn't even need to control the barrier itself, just to push it and physics will do the rest.

Those were just the basics that he managed to figure it out with his devil fruit before he was able to properly control the form of the barrier and none of it helped against Luffy at that moment.

"BARTOLOMEO! YOU HAVE TO STOP HIM FAST!" He heard Desire shouts.

"I AM TRYING WOMAN!"

"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH! Luffy roars as he gains speed and momentum to push Bartolomeo faster and faster.

"BARTOLOMEO! BEHIND YOU!" Gambia joined with the rest of his gang, trying to warn him of some danger from behind but he couldn't look.

All his focus was in keeping the barrier up and trying to stop Luffy's attack to no avail. More than once Bartolomeo thought about undoing the barrier but he in the way that stuff was going the straw hat is going to have him exactly where he wanted.

Ideas run around in his mind: shrink the barrier, change its shape, try to make an opening to escape, undo it and throw a punch. Lots of ideas ran around and all of them had one thing in common.

They won't work. The pirate was too close and he was too fast to allow Bartolomeo to do anything without the pirate having enough time to react and just win.

The only thing keeping Bartolomeo in the fight was his power, his barrier. He can't win but neither can the pirate.

"BARTOLOMEO! LOOK OUT!" He heard it once again but he didn't understand where the danger was. The straw hat was just pushing him, not even throwing a punch or kick, just pushing-

*SPLASH*

He was in the water, the fall was sudden and he still didn't understand how he ended there.

Was that what they were trying to tell him? That the straw hat was pushing him to the water?

Bartolomeo can't move, the curse of the devil fruits taking its toll, the price of power. He tried to swim once after getting his power, stubborn as he was, the water barely got on his waist before falling in its face first before his friends dragged him out.

Now he had fallen from a pier, the pirate had pushed him from the middle of the harbor until the water. Loguetown had a decent sized pier and there was plenty of space for ships to stop by and not hit each other or any rocks on the water.

As a hammer Bartolomeo couldn't do a single thing to save himself. Swimming was impossible, he had no strength on water and, if anything, any reserve he may have had was sapped out of him the moment he landed there.

He didn't want to die but there was little he could do. It was impossible for any devil fruit user to escape the curse of the sea, once in the water they were powerless and could only wait for death.

But for Bartolomeo, death wouldn't come this day. Someone had jumped on the water and started to swim to him.

He could feel that person grabbing him by his coat and start to drag him back to the surface.

From the time he had fallen on water to being brought to the surface again it was just a minute or so but when he was able to breathe once again he felt like he was missing air for an eternity.

Being dragged back to land may be humiliating to some people but Bartolomeo would say for certain that they never had almost drowned in their life.

"BARTO!" "BARTOLOMEO!"

His comrades approached together with some others, including the mayor. The boss could see the pirate girl and the other green haired man with them and could only deduce that the others were pirates too.

Turning to look to his savior he saw the figure of the person that threw him on the water in the first place. The straw hat pirate was drying his jacket while sitting on the ground, he looked to Bartolomeo, got up and asked a question.

"So… want to keep going?" The worst part to Bartolomeo was that there was no arrogance on his voice, just a simple question.

Everyone waited for an answer and to him there was just one that he could give. "No... you win... I will work with the coward." He spoke in between deep breaths, trying to get as much air as possible.

Some people celebrated the victory, mostly workers and normal inhabitants from the island that showed up during the fight, none of his group did most not believe that Bartolomeo lost.

"Bartolomeo… are you sure?" Desire asked and he could note that many were looking at him and pulling out weapons, ready for a fight but he wouldn't let that happen.

"Yes. I lost fair and square." He got up and started to walk to his group with many of them trying to console him but there was a minority that wanted the fight.

"We can take them. I counted and they are just five." Someone said, he was still recovering and couldn't focus on who it was but he was tired.

"The water drained me." He told his group, letting them see how exhausted he was. "When I was 100% I couldn't win against that guy one versus one and the orange one also has a devil fruit." Everyone had seen her turn into a bull for a moment before she let her captain fight. "Sad thing is… we would lose."

Everyone that knew him could tell that he didn't like to say stuff like that, not to his family but he didn't have a choice but to face the facts and there was no way they could win.

"Only I, Desire and Gambia can fight well enough to give them some work and I am beaten while he," Bartolomeo points at Luffy who was talking with the mayor, "can still keep going. I am pretty sure that he is hurt but I am also sure that if we fought again now, even if by some miracle I could go with everything I have, all that would happen is me in the water… again."

That finally snapped any wannabe fighter out their bloodlust. He lost and the guy was still standing and ready to go, the guy that beat him, their strongest, can still go.

"Oi!" Speaking of the devil Luffy approached then with a huge smile, his crew and the mayor were with him but the authority figure didn't look happy at all. "My name is Luffy! Nice to meet you!" He finished by extending his hand.

"Ah…" Bartolomeo was surprised by the actions, usually people treated him with fear or disgust and he and this guy just fought. "I am Bartolomeo... nice to meet you."

"This is my crew: Nami," he points to the girl of the group who gives a wave, "Zoro," a fellow green haired, how rare, "Sanji," the blonde was looking at Desire a bit too much for his tastes, "and Usopp!" He didn't question the size of his nose, he had seen weirder stuff.

"I.. do I introduce my gang now? Sorry I am not used to such… nice attitudes. Weren't we just trying to kill each other just now?"

"I wasn't trying to kill you," Luffy said with a tilt of his head, "just to fight you so we didn't have to leave just yet. Now you and the mayor can work together and fix the town!"

"So you are a wannabe hero or something?" The straw hat made a scowl at the worlds.

"NO! Don't call me that! I am a pirate! I do pirate stuff! Like make a town hostage to give it food!" The guy was desperate to separate himself from the word hero but that was a heroic attitude and everyone could tell but before it had any proper mention Nami just said.

"Please just roll with it, Luffy doesn't like being a hero."

"You know what?" Bartolomeo came to a decision. "Sure, no problem. As promised I will work with the mayor if he wants. If he doesn't then you go there and beat the marine base for me will ya?"

And so the 'Committee to Save Loguetown' was born.

…..

Genzo was in the middle of fighting his greatest enemy, paperwork when his secretary entered with his special den den mushi. "Sir, call for you."

"Is Toto again? Poker night is only on Fridays if he is still insisting on changing, anyone else you can tell I am in the middle of work." If he has the chance to get Luffy back on the throne he is taking it, being Prime Minister is a nightmare.

"It is Nami sir." Suddenly Genzo threw away every single paper on his desk, something his secretary will hate him as much as he will hate himself later when he notices, in the effort to grab the little snail.

"NAMI! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN? ARE YOU EATING WELL? ARE YOU SAFE? DO YOU MISS US?"... "Sorry, sorry, I will calm down."..."Yes Nojiko is fine too, we are all fine. I miss you."... "Oh yeah, first chance I get I am bringing Luffy back and tying him on that throne. He may not do paperwork but I swear I had way less work with him around."... "Loguetown?" … "That is awful! Don't worry, I will have some ships go there as soon as possible!"... "Any chance you come back?"... "I see…. Can we talk a bit more?"...

…..

After everything was settled and done the Kingdom of Flowers and Fruits was called, they needed the food that the new country could provide and the people didn't care who was the leader or owner of the town, they just wanted stuff to go back to some form of normal.

To make sure that there would be no trouble the Straw Hat Crew agreed to stay until 'the ships of the kingdom could be seen from the coast'.

For the next few days things started to quiet down, the place was being fixed and there was no more fighting. The biggest proof of the peace was in a saloon closer to the center of the town.

"A TOAST! TO THE COMMITTEE AND TO THE STRAW HATS!" Cleb shouts and all in the streets could hear. "THAT THEIR TRAVELS NEVER BE BORING!"

The party was in full swing, most of the food was fish but no one complained because the chefs were masters and all of it tasted good.

Nami, Zoro and Desire were competing to see who could drink more, Usopp was making a magic routine with Gambia and Luffy going around in the party with Bartolomeo, after the fight the two became fast friends that came to respect each other.

"Say, say, Luffy are you guys really leaving tomorrow?" Asked Bartolomeo, after the fight he had some resentment but he let it go when he saw that Luffy was a cool guy.

"Yeah, we can't stay here with the kingdom's ships coming. They will try to drag us back."

"Ah come on Luffy!" Shouted one of the other patrons. "Stay a bit more! If they try to take you guys we can send them packing!"

"YEAH!"

"Nah! The guys there are good people." Luffy drank a bit. "And I don't want to make a mess."

"It is a pity you are leaving. Nobody can party like you guys do!" Bartolomeo can honestly say he was having lots of fun. "Thanks again for bringing Cleb to work. The paperwork was going to kill me."

"No problem."

The party goes for a bit and soon dawn draws closer, Luffy gets up from his seat and starts to go out, Bartolomeo notices this and decides to follow.

"Something wrong?" The mafia boss asked.

"I am gonna see the platform."

"Okay…. do you know where the platform is?" Luffy looked to one side and just replied.

"No clue. But it can't be that hard to find." He sure was optimist and probably not wrong, with some time he would reach the center of the town but Bartolomeo decided to give some help.

"Come on! I will show it to you, the place where Gold Roger died." His smile was savage but that was because of his teeth, in truth he just wants to do a favor for a friend.

Off they had gone, the end of the night was chilly but it bothered neither of them as they moved, Luffy with a spring on his step and Bartolomeo confident.

They didn't talk much over the walk, Luffy was too excited to start any kind of conversation. The idea of seeing the last view of the King of The Pirates pushing him forward before he left Loguetown once and for all.

Bartolomeo could say that Luffy was a 'good guy', as the straw hat himself liked to say, but there was plenty that he didn't understand.

Luffy was a pirate, a good one that saw a town in trouble and decided to help out without asking for a reward… except for a party.

Showing the way to the platform he couldn't help but wonder: What is Luffy going to do there? Would he take his hat and show respect? Would he spit on the platform to challenge the government or the King of The Pirates?

He can't deny that he was curious about what Luffy was going to do. He was not the typical pirate and he was nice so Bartolomeo expected a show of respect if anything… or maybe he would go there, take a look and leave.

Reaching the town center they could see it, a huge man made hill of steel and wood, the platform where the Pirate Age began.

Luffy looked up and didn't hesitate as he started to climb the platform, he was used to climbing mountains and the thing was not made to be climbed but he still started it and he had every intention of finishing it.

"LUFFY! ARE YOU SURE THAT IS A GOOD IDEA?" He can't remember anyone ever climbing the platform, not he was there the whole time but if it happened when the marines were around that would make the news for a few days.

Luffy was climbing easily, he almost fell a few times but managed to hold himself. The worst part was when he lost grip on a hand for a bit and was about to lose his hat when he grabbed with his other hand while not falling by using his legs to keep himself steady on the platform.

In a few minutes he was on the top and after cleaning his hands for a bit he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes he could see the sun rising on the horizon, part of the town was destroyed but it was recovering with some small houses already built.

He knew that was not beat by beat the same view that the Pirate King had seen on his day but it had its own beauty.

Sure there was destruction but Luffy could tell that Loguetown would recover, the people would move on with their lives again and everything would be fine.

Luffy tried to see how it was that day, full of people coming to watch the last moments of the King of the Pirates, the executors must have been there with giant axes or something and the man himself was smiling all the way.

What were his last thoughts? Was he planning his speech all the way? A last 'fuck you' to the World Government? Or he just wanted someone to find his treasure?

Personally Luffy didn't care, he wants a journey, a goal, to have fun and to travel with his friends. Complicated stuff was never his thing.

Looking to the horizon Luffy can't help but say, "What a beautiful view."

The sun raising saying goodbye to the night was not the view Gold Roger had but he can't have that view anymore. He can be at the same high as the man who died there but the town was another now both because of time and the destruction that came after.

But it was still beautiful on its own way and he was the first to it. After stuff gets fixed no one else will be able to see the same view… that was sad in a way.

"LUFFY! HOW LONG ARE YOU STAY BE THERE!" He heard Bartolomeo calling and looked down, he could see him, his other friends and a lot of people down there. Party must be over.

Well then it is time to go. He stayed on the platform long enough and… There was just one small thing he wanted to do and for that he took a deep breath.

"I AM GOING TO BE KING OF THE PIRATES!"

Luffy declares to the heavens and all below, his crew already knew him well enough to just accept what happened, the people of Loguetown in general didn't knew him so they were just surprised or shocked, to someone like Bartolomeo it was an event that made him admire that man and to a certain revolutionary it was enough to make him pass out.

…..

Passing out is a weird experience, there are plenty of ways for one person to lose their conscience out of nowhere and depending on the sequencing of events even waking up can be different and outside the norm.

Sometimes the process of waking up is calm like awakening from normal sleep. Others, like this one, are with a jolt of energy and panic.

He remembers now, he remembers them, his siblings, his family, his true family born from bonds of friendship and cups of sake.

"SABO!" Koala came closer to the bed. "Are you alright? SOMEONE BRING SOME WATER!" The others in the house started to move in a freeze to try and get water, medice, anything really.

"It is fine." He says not being loud but enough that one by one the people calmed down. "Koala..."

"Yes?" She could tell that Sabo was serious right now.

"Did…" He stops for a bit to wet his lips. "Did Luffy already left?"

"Hu? The pirate?" Many were confused by their commander's question but Koala did her best to answer. " We… well, yes he left. Our scouts reported their departure the instant that one of them saw ships on the horizon. A couple of hours later a relief force from the Flowers and Fruits Kingdom with food, water and other materials. They came, asked a couple of questions and offered to stay if needed, the mayor denied and when the kingdom was about to leave some townsfolk asked them to stay… I personally asked why they were so calm about just coming and going like that and you won't guess what they said. I certainly don't believe it."

"I am sure it is going to be something else." Sabo affirmed while leaving the bed and stretching. "How long was I out?" He felt really good, even if he needed a shower.

"Three days, we were worried, you know?" Koala looked annoyed. "After that pirate shouted you just fell to the ground, some of our guys wanted to go and get the pirate to undo whatever he did but we didn't have enough men."

Good thing then, Sabo would hate if his friends harmed his family. What would he tell Ace when they meet? "So they're already hum? Anyone knows where?"

Some looked at each other confused and one just said, "I heard they were going to the Grand Line."

The Grand Line? Well shit, finding someone in the Grand Line is the same as trying to find a needle in a haystack… in a barn full of them. "How is the situation in the town?" He asked while he was getting his hat.

"Well things have stabilized completely, the place is being fixed and you didn't ask what I have to tell you." Koala's smile was surely teasing, he was in a good mood so… why not?

"Okay, tell me: what I am not going to believe in?" He placed his hat.

"The pirate captain? His name is Monkey D. Luffy," yes he heard that, "he was the king of the country that 'tamed the East'!"... wait what? "Bartolomeo even fell on his knees and started to cry when he heard that!"... "Also by the name some of our guys called the leader Dragon and he confirmed that Luffy is his SON! Can you believe that? The boss has a son!"

...WHAT? Sabo needs a few seconds to recover after all this…

"Sabo? You alright? I know it is a shock but…" She tries to pass her hand on her face, then snap her fingers.

"SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR!" Another person shouted.

There was something getting out of Sabo's throat, something that was claiming to be let out, something that, even with the amnesia it was still there every time he poured reports about the East Blue or read a newspaper about the situation that something grew more and more.

"I am here!" The doctor just arrived but it was too late, Sabo's condition had reached its peak.

"LUFFY! YOU MORON!"

…..

Hey guys, who is everyone doing? As usual thanks again for all who commented and read this story. Now some stuff that needs to be said.

I know this chapter was not what some of you expected, there were plenty of comments wanting to know how I would do the 'I am dead' moment… nope. Sorry to Ani-Me Fanboy 123, you wanted it but no. There was no way.

Look I love One Piece but when I started to write this was not to copy it in every single detail, we can read the manga or watch the anime for that. Besides it wouldn't be nearly as cool as Oda did it… I mean how do you do that moment when there is no one in the East that could face Luffy in a fair fight? There is no way to do it without ruining what I already did and for what? The moment is awesome I agree but it is unbelievable here so it doesn't happen.

That is also why some stuff gets cut off from this story, it is either impossible by the structure or it just can be told in a few lines in the next chapter. If it is not here you can consider that it happened like the manga or similar enough that I don't feel the need to write in here, go check the manga and you can easily tell why.

I am surprised no one pieced together that Buggy and Smoker could have had an… altercation, not even a pip that something could have happened. Should I explain the details? Nah, you guys can figure it out.

Now about the devil fruit… I am happy that some of you agree with me in a sense, so far no complaints but remember that there are 3 fruits in the race to be the devil fruit that Luffy will get.

First I will get this out of the way because PraetorXyn raised: A Sun Wukong devil fruit would be sooo busted that is not even a joke. Technically speaking, if you check how Oda draws the gear fourth, the gomu-gomu no mi is already a good representation of Sun Wukong. The monkey king can transform into lots of stuff and after the gear third Luffy technically has the same powers as the staff on his own limbs.

But if a devil fruit had the powers of Sun Wukong there would be no challenge… ever… no really… read Journey to the West if you want, just the first chapter and you will see how broken the guy is. But there is a way to reproduce it more naturally with the tools Oda gave us.

There are 3 devil fruits that, in story, have the same potential that the gomu-gomu no mi has to use similar powers in creative ways. If anyone guesses the other two I will admit it and tell everyone. If you guys want me to tell you which ones they are… nah, not so easily.

But I will tell you all the criteria for selection now: versatility, capability and fun factor. Interpret this as you will.

About the chapter, beside the changes I also ended up using Desire, a filler character because Barto's gang does not have many known members, there was another filler in there somewhere but that is another Loguetown persay.

Comments? Thoughts?

Next chapter: The Town Of Bounty Hunters: Whisky Peak