~.~
The first fight had been the easiest. The second person they sent out to fight him had been a speeder type who was actually watching him with great interest. It only made the nekomimi raise an eyebrow as the man licked his lips. The man had an athlete's body type and wore light armor obviously so it wouldn't weight down on him.
"That foot technic of yours is sublime." The man said making Basil frown. The blond didn't know why the man just annoyed him greatly.
Luffy studied the man slightly. He was wondering if he would need to use Soru, but decided against. While soru granted him great speed it had come like most great moves with great drawbacks. It was because of those reasons Garp hadn't taught Ace and Sabo the six powers. For starters it was dangerous for kids to learn because it could damage their muscle tissue, but he had an advantage over other people. Thanks to his devil fruit powers the properties of his muscle tissue- excitability, contractility, extensibility, elasticity all were heightened to great extends. That was the key factor to his great flexibility too, but even so those dangers did not avoid him completely. If he used Soru for too long it could damage his muscle tissue, not to mention he was still in growing stages. A damage like that in such a sensitive time could become irreversible later. Plus there was the toll it took on his stamina. He had been advised strongly against using it for more than 10 minutes in this form, not that ever actually tried to. There had been one time a few years ago when he'd been training and used it continuously for about 8 minutes before he blacked out. He woke up with an unbelievable pain in his legs the next day. It was always a card he kept well hidden till now and only used it if it was a necessity. Kind of a last resort, and so were the rest of the six powers. Using it now would be just reckless.
The first to attack was Luffy this time. He didn't want to waste any unnecessary time, but this guy was actually quite fast. He kept up with him, so they meet around the middle of the arena and Luffy throw the first punch. The punch he throw got blocked, the stupid man used his hands to block a punch that sent a guy three time his size flying. It was no big surprise to anyone what happened next. The man screamed in pain as his hand was seemingly twisted into a quite unnatural angle, before he jumped away from Luffy as fast as he could, while the nekomimi straightened his posture.
"You actually sacrificed your arm to test my strength." He said with a chuckle meanwhile the man popped back his own shoulder and place the broken bones back into their places. They all heard the disgusting pop and crunching sound that made some of the spectators sick.
"Ah, I did… because even if I saw it, I just couldn't believe it."
"Foolish" Basil muttered from where he was standing, and if the fighters heard his words they didn't visibly acknowledge it.
The battle started again. But now both fighters were wary of their opponent. The guy knew from first hand just what kind of power the small boy had meanwhile Luffy couldn't help but grow wary of an opponent so gutsy that they would sacrifice an arm, stupid but gutsy. It was a battle that tested their dodging abilities, but after spending all these years dodging Garp this was almost like a breeze to Luffy, now if he could only find a way to hit his opponent.
They were dancing around each other neither backing down, and neither stopping.
"You are thinking too much, idiot." Basil said from the sidelines. The guys abilities were a far cry from Luffy's but he boy had yet to realize that he was moving much slower than he could, all because of the stunt his opponent pulled. He was hesitating to attack because he thought his opponent was stronger than he actually was, he was weary of a threat that was never even there to begin with and it was going to come and bite him in the ass later.
Luffy was dodging his opponents kicks but since he was so preoccupied with dodging he didn't see the man follow up with a punch. But it didn't connect. The entire audience was staring dumbly at the punch that was seemingly stopped by air? Not air a blue almost transparent thing made of what looked like glass that was floating in the air. And while the audience and even his opponent was too shocked to move Luffy was not. He simply kicked the man in the head, who's eyes widened in the last second. He realized his demise but it was too late.
"I thought I wouldn't need to use it for at least a few more rounds." The small boy complained, his fluffy ears and tail swished around in a lazy manner as his opponent felt to the ground and Basil felt the world stop moving around him just for a second. What the actual hell? Cat-ears and a tail?
"You, you ate a devil fruit!" A head-priest shouted with accusation.
"Yes. I did. Now then… who is my next opponent? Because he is not going to get up." Luffy said the last part with quite a dark voice. He had broken the man's neck just bellow the brainstem. It meant an almost instant death. Kaze's books were quite useful, even if not in the way they were supposed to be used. Still, not the right time to feel guilty about that.
"You are quite in a hurry, fine then… I will allow you to fight multiple opponents. I suppose you aren't going to oppose the idea?" The head priest said making both Luffy and Basil more than a little suspicious.
"No." Instead of dragging this out, the faster he could finish the fight the better it would be. Multiple opponents made no difference to him.
The first fighter held a similar imposing figure as his first opponent held. The second was although tall quite skinny, almost looked like a scarecrow with long hands and a slouched form. The third was just a normal looking guy dressed in a white gi.
But it was all pointless from the start. Luffy was merciless, seeing all the three attack at once in somehow organized manner he decided that dodging and using his guard was just not gonna be enough. The best defense was offense in the end. He made a platform hover in midair and jumped on it to use it as lunching-pad. It didn't take long to take the first guy out, he go for the smallest of the three. He was the fastest and the only one that could somehow keep up with him, so he dropped an ax-kick on his head before he jumped back avoiding the attack both fighters lunched with little to almost no effort. Then disappeared for both his opponent's and the spectators view for a small second.
The two were getting restless trying to find him. They could feel the tension in the air, it was unnerving like they being toyed with but not too soon Luffy made his appearance. Both rushed to where the boy had appeared but Luffy seemingly vanished by the time they started to move. He easily lured the big guy away and then let himself fall back into the ring from one of the platforms he kept creating, before reaching ground he turned in midair and landed on his feet.
The next he had targeted was the scarecrow looking guy. He was the closest and probably the most dangerous one out the two. His hands were long and had a long reach, not to mention the man packed quite a punch behind his skeletal figure. His hands were extended as he throw a punch that Luffy dodged quite easily. Then followed up with more, all easily sidestepped.
Those hands were almost like snakes Basil thought, and couldn't stop himself from worrying as he saw Luffy step into the man's guard only for those hands to coil around him. From far it looked like the man was trying to wrap the nekomimi in a hug but the small boy was faster than that. Luffy punch connected with the man's chin first, and that was supposed to be it …but the man put his last effort into making sure his killer didn't get away. He wrapped his arms around the boy in a twisted kind of hug and hold him down as tightly as he could. Basil could feel the blood freeze in his vein as the third fighter quickly approached and Luffy was still unable to free himself.
It was a growl; definitely not a human's as a huge blue fire erupted from seemingly under the boy's skin and enveloped the entire ring for a few seconds, painful screams followed. The entire stage had been in flames and everyone in the audience had to take a step back from the heat wave that it had released. But then the flames seemed to subsided and only charred human remains were left behind and Luffy stood in the middle of the stage. The flames seemed to simply recede inside his body, a few fickle still appeared here and there on his body, almost playfully before they too disappeared.
"You idiot…" Basil said releasing a long sigh. "… make me worry like that." Luffy smirked hearing that.
"Worried?"
Basil hated himself a bit even more for not being able to deny it. "Idiot. Now if you are quite done playing around I'd be happy if you'd pay attention to the fight you're in. Letting yourself caught in such an obvious trap made by such weakling, aren't you stronger than this?" He asked looking in the nekomimi's eyes who grinned widely.
"Uhm… will do so." Luffy's smile was so big and bright that the blond couldn't help but smile back for a split second before he caught himself. Kami, it was contagious.
As the fight keep getting dragged on Basil couldn't help but grow even more skeptical. It was useless, they couldn't win. Not after Luffy stopped fooling around, he was merciless slaughtering them all as soon as he had the chance. So what was the purpose of all this fights? They kept sending out fighters knowing all too well that Luffy wouldn't let them leave the ring alive after daring to challenging him so audaciously. He was after all at that moment the undefeated king of the arena. Not to mention the nekomimi prided himself in his strength and ever since he let his devil fruit powers out his strength had increased almost threefold.
~.~
"Done yet?" Luffy asked, it had been almost 12 hours since he started to fight and there was seemingly just no end to them. His annoyance was starting to increase with every new fighter they sent out to face him. Basil couldn't help but share the boy's feelings. It was obvious they were trying no longer even trying to defeat the nekomimi and just kept sending people into their death to determine Luffy's strength, no more like he's weaknesses.
"Hmm… I suppose this is enough." One of the head priests said as he stood up.
Luffy raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
"Obviously we can't defeat you so yes you both may leave." The man said shocking his fellow cult-members in to silence. "I believe you will find the exit on your own."
"But-" One of the priest shouted.
"Enough." The elder of the three head-priest said annoyed." We had an agreement. Not honoring it would bring shame to our Goodness' name." The crowd grew silent and besides a few resentful glares no one moved a finger as Basil walked up to Luffy.
"I believe is time to leave." The blond said extending both the sword and hoodie to the smaller boy who grinned up to him.
"Yup. We overstayed our welcome."
"How did you even find this place?" Basil asked as the younger boy put on his jacket.
Luffy hesitated slightly as he adjusted his sword on his back "I… asked the old dude." He wasn't sure if Basil knew about what that sad excuse of man did. And if he told him… it was still his dad word against that of a pirate's …
Basil was aware of the cautious way the younger boy was speaking. "And he actually told you?" Call him skeptical but he couldn't just believe that.
"No… not at first." And there was that look. "I didn't kill him!" The boy shouted almost offended before his forehead was hurt slightly making the boy look questioningly at the finger guilty of inflicting said damage.
Basil kept his emotions in check as he replied. "Good. I wanted to do that after all."
"So you knew." Luffy replied with a small hopeful and sad but adorable expression that only he could pull off. His neko-ears were actually trembling slightly, his lips forming an almost pout but his eyes still hopeful as he looked up at the blond. Still he couldn't hide the slightly shame he felt for hoping the boy knew already so it wouldn't get to the point where the nekimomi had to tell him.
The blond had to look away for a small second and pinch his nose. Kami blast it, the boy shouldn't be allowed to make such expressions. He was happy they already left those weirdo's temple, else his dignity wouldn't had survived.
"Are you alright, Basil?" Luffy asked and wanted to kick himself for asking something so stupid. Of course the boy wasn't fine. He had been tortured and just found out his father was an asshole and the reason behind all of this.
The boy's worried expression was not helping at all. "I'm fine." The blond said finally as he managed to compose himself.
~.~
"Poor boy… " The townspeople whispered and they both couldn't help but hurry their steps just a little. It was uncomfortable hearing those words, still the blond couldn't help but wonder his sorry excuse of a father had done again. But then as they rounded around the corner of their house, there were people too many people.
"Wait! You shouldn't go in there-" but too late, the blond dodged the guard with easy as they rushed into the house. Basil felt his body freeze as he saw it, only for a small second everything seemed to stand still.
"You're… his son…." The doctor said carefully when he saw him. "I'm sorry… there was nothing we could have done. The cause of death is-"
"Alcohol poisoning…" Basil said with no hesitation making the doctor nod slightly. Was this even real?
"If you'd like our funeral services-" A growl interrupted the man. Luffy's cold eyes were enough to make the man back up.
"I…" Basil said as he swayed slightly "don't feel …so well." Before he could hit the ground Luffy caught him.
"I caught you… Rest now, Basil. I'm here" was the last thing the blond heard before he succumbed to the darkness.
~.~
"Oh, you're up." The voice was old and unfamiliar but not exactly unkind or unpleasant.
"Where am I?" Basil asked as he cracked an eye open.
"On Red Force, is a pirate ship. Luffy brought you here."
"Oh." That's right Luffy was a pirate. Funny he was sure that if he ever got away from his father he would turned to piracy too. "Where is he?"
"I suppose either right outside the door or maybe Shanks or Benn managed to drag him to eat something. God damn stubborn, that kid. Give us quite a scare too." The man said with a shake of his head. "He just appeared in the middle of the deck after missing for almost two days with you on his shoulders. Begging captain to let me take a look at you and then he wouldn't leave until I had to kick him out of here."
"Because he's an idiot." Basil said with a toneless voice. It was so emotionless that it give doc the chills. The boy was what 16-17, so young and so jaded…
"Yes he is. But is undeniably one of his charms. I'm glad you woke up now, the funeral is in a few hours."
Basil wasn't sure how to respond to that. That's why the moment the door had been rudely thrown open he was glad he didn't need to.
"Doc!" One of the pirates shouted as he run into the sickbay.
"Why are you running around and screaming like a headless chicken?"
"It's Luffy he's missing-"
Doc interrupted with a resigned sigh "That isn't such a surprise by now, he's gone missing at every island we docked. Quite a troublesome trend he developed-"
"No… I don't mean missing like that! Some hooded idiots ambushed him and there was blood-"The old doctor stood up and suddenly the room was under a pressure big enough to make the others in the room get dizzy.
"Blood? Luffy was bleeding?"
~an hour earlier~
The nekomimi sighed again as he brought the spoon to his mouths. He should be back at the ship beside Basil, what if he woke up and panicked.
"Luffy I know you are worried for your friend but he is fine." Benn explained again making the black haired boy frown slightly.
"But I promised him-"
"You eat something and then you can go back to annoying doc and the crew." The food disappeared so fast that Benn sweat-dropped. "Should have known this would happen…" The idea was faulty from the beginning, there was after all no way Luffy was going to sit and wait nicely while his friend was unconscious. He thought a change of scenery would help but the boy had a one track mind.
"Can I go now?"
"Let me finish and we can go." The boy was actually waiting patiently. "That's a surprise." The first-mate said with a chuckle.
"Makino thought us all good manners."
"She did?"
Luffy nodded. "It was surprisingly one of Ace's ideas. But even Sabo helped with the lessons sometimes."
"Is that so?" Benn had many questions for start who was Ace and Sabo, were they Luffy's friends? But more importantly... "If she thought you manners… why aren't you using them?"
"Mah… I use them when I feel like it." Benn sweat-dropped. Of course Luffy would say that. Why had been even expecting anything else?
"Alright then, waiter-" Benn said as he stood up and he took a few steps back unsteadily before he looked at the food he had eaten with a dazed expression.
"Benn!" Luffy's voice seemed so distant.
"Poi…son…" The first-mate said before he collapsed. Luffy felt light-headed but still managed to catch the falling man. People in the restaurant stood up seeing Benn collapse either to place on their hooded cloths, or to run away seeing that trouble was brewing. Luffy let out a threatening growl that chilled everyone who heard it as the hooded figures approached them.
"Still such defiance-"
Luffy glared at the man. "You, what did you do to Benn-san?"
"He's poisoned." The high-priest said making some of the cult-members chuckle. "He will be fine don't worry, of course there is an IF but you will accept won't you?"
Luffy couldn't help but let out a louder Growl as the people took a step closer. "What do you want?"
"The poison he had taken is quite dangerous. I have the antidote and I will give it to you, IF you surrender to us." The head-priest said. "You can't fight back, because if you do, well I don't have to tell you what's going to happen to your friend now do I?"
"You will give me your word?"
"You heard me."
"Not good, say it all."
"Yes. I will administrate the antidote to your friend if you give yourself up-"
"And you won't hurt him."
"And I won't hurt him." The priest repeated the words tauntingly back to the small boy who was sporting and incredible grin by the end of it. "I promise happy now?"
"Quite-" Luffy said as he felt a burning sensation appear on his finger. The head-priest yelped and looked at Luffy with quite an anger behind his eyes.
"What did you do?!"
"Didn't think that I'll just take your word for it?" Luffy asked as he stood up wobbling slightly. "Think of it as an insurance…" The nekomimi said with a grin. "If I or you either go back on our words, well we'll die in a quite painful way." Luffy said with a chuckle. The head-priest couldn't help but strike the small boy in his ire but his punch was stopped by the blue almost see through glass like structure.
"You lied-"
"I didn't. I didn't do anything, it's an involuntary response to any danger I sense. " Luffy said with a grin. "Now then don't you have to administrate an antidote?" How dare the boy trick him. Like hell was he going to administrate the antidote. Just as the thought appeared a painful clenching burning feeling took over his entire body. He couldn't help but let a painful scream out.
"Hurt's doesn't it…" The boy's eyes gleamed in almost poison-green color. Save for the excessive sweating; the boy show no other sign of being poisoned, it was almost admirable truly. "Should administer the antidote now or the pain is just going to increase, until your heart won't be able to take it."
The head-priest showed a priest out of his way as the pain keep increasing, then took the syringe hidden on his person and quickly administrated the antidote. Luffy grinned as the head-priest finally regained his steady breathing. "You!" He shouted and Luffy's shield stopped his punch again.
"You know I said I won't hurt your friend but that doesn't include the rest of my friends here. Now then how about you never use those skills, or your friend here will have to suffer the pain in your stand." The boy glared at the man but the shield disappeared and the small boy got punched in the face. Still the smug look didn't let his face. The head-priest growled as he continued to punch the boy who took every punch and gleamed at him with even more pride. Like he was so above and them even through the one getting his ass kicked was Luffy it feel like the head-priest was the one losing. It was god-damn infuriating, and the boy wasn't backing out. No matter how many punches and kicks he suffered.
"Fuck!" The head-priest shouted before he stood back and let the crowd that was thirsty for retribution take his place.
It hurt, and Luffy was getting dizzy with another punch to the stomach he couldn't help but collapse to the ground, they stood in a circle all around him and he could only curl in himself as they continued to kick him everywhere they could, it didn't take long before darkness overtook him.
~back to present~
Shanks was sitting on a table doing the best not to let his fury out. "There are drag marks here and blood… "
Lucky said "Benn was with him…"
"They must have incapacitate him somehow." Rockstar said not understanding how could this even happen. Those two were ones of the best fighters they had.
"What was it?" Shanks asked making the restaurant's employees tremble. " blackmail or poison. Because I know that neither respond that well to threats."
"I'm sorry but we had no other choice!" The owner shouted giving himself away.
"Tell me, everything." The captain ordered and the man could feel the pressure rise so high he felt that there was no oxygen left in the room. He started talking as quickly as he could hoping to satisfy the dangerous man's curiosity and avoid death. So he told them about how he was approached by a hooded man that barged into the kitchen and held a gun to the chef's head. He told him to make two special orders for the man and the small boy sitting in his restaurant and so he put the poison in their food, how they both eat it and got sick. One –Benn had lost conscious and the young boy then bargained for the antidote.
"That's not all is it?" the red haired devil asked and the man looked the ground ashamed before they told him about the brutal beat-down the smaller one had to suffer before the hooded man left. They dragged both away and disappeared just like that. Like they haven't even been there. But of course people saw and in such a small town the gossip quickly reached even the pirates.
"Where did they go?" The danger was quite loud in the silent question Shank posed.
"I swear! I swear I don't know!" The man was weeping and praying at the same time and Shanks couldn't help his temper get the better of him, his sword dancing dangerously in the sun setting rays.
"But I know!" Basil shouted, yes actually shouted making doc's eyes widen as the young man walked calmly inside the restaurant that was probably the most dangerous place on the island at that moment.
"Boy, just what are you doing here?" Ah their captain was quite angry, not that he could blame the man for it.
"I know where they are. Luffy and I had been there-"
Shanks eyed the boy up and down with interest. "Bet your life on it."
"If I'm wrong, you may do with my life as you wish."
~.~
"Oh he is waking up!" One of the voices said making him squint slightly to get a better look at the speaker. "Hey big guy you up?" He had an ugly mutt, Benn decided. The first-mate tried to move just to realize his hands were bound behind him.
"Oi, sleeping beauty done with your nap?" Another man asked with a snicker. Benn let out a sigh before he looked at the man with a resigned look. The sun was almost down by now, there was no evading it now was there? His crewmates were going to rescue them and he just knew it, Shanks wouldn't let him live it down. He looked around before he fixed a dangerous glare on the hooded man in front of him.
"I see my friend is not here." The first-mate said weighting his words carefully. There had been no wounds inflicted on him which was weird, after being kidnapped even so. It only made sense if his health was being used as a bargain chip.
"Oh you mean the kitten." The man snickered and Benn felt his anger rise in waves. "He isn't here, the head priests are taming the little kitten, he's been very naughty you see. Killing our friends like that! I'm sure the boy will wish he had been dead by the time the Goddess is finished -"
The chains snapped just like that. The cult members gulped before they all took a step back, but too late. It was just so fast… all of them, dead on the ground in less than a second. This monster… he was more dangerous than the Cheshire.
"What did you do?" Benn asked with a hiss as he took the one who had been talking by the neck and lifted him.
"Is… is too late… he's been sacrificed- to the moon Goddess!" The man had the audacity to laugh. "He… he didn't even… fought back!" Benn growled and throw the man's useless body to the side as he raced out the building. He couldn't believe it, the kid wouldn't, wouldn't be so stupid to give up his life for him. Goddammit Luffy!
There were stupid hooded people all over place and it was taking him so long to move, he needed to move faster, before Luffy did something colossally stupid!
~.~
"Isn't this your treasure?" The head-priest asked as he let the sword glint in the last rays of the sun, before he looked at the young boy, prostrated in front of him. Oh and wasn't that hard to achieve, the boy was after all quite head-strong even in his current condition. He could have saved himself from so much pain should he just listen but no. He had to be a prideful little shit. But it had always been more fun to break the head-strong.
"You bastard! Touch that and I'll kill you!" Luffy shouted and let out a loud growl as he struggled in vain to undo his shackles .
The man smirked. What had the boy been expecting? His hands were bound to an iron statue on either side with iron chains, did he think that they were just going to break? "Really, and how are you going to do that when you can't retaliate?"
The boy only glared at him and made the man smirk. "10 whips for that glare"
Luffy bared his teeth, he refused to cry out in pain, he wouldn't give them the pleasure. He had more pride than to submit to such weak creatures. Still he couldn't help a grunt or two escape his lips as the whip ripped into his skin.
"You certainly know how to take a beating brat." The head-priest said with a grin as he toyed with the sword Shanks gave Luffy. "Tell me who was it? Where those brutes the ones who did it, those pirates-"
"Shut you filthy mouth worm, Shanks and my nakama would never do something like that." Luffy said with a dark voice. "Don't you ever presume you know them you cowardly son of bitch."
He was rewarded with a punch "this is why I don't like pirates, uncivilized bunch the lots of you-" the man said as he gripped the boy's hair quite painfully and made Luffy look at him. The boy was grinning at him before he spit in to his face. "Gyah! The hell you little punk you dare, stop laughing!"
"Shishsishishi! What is it princess? You know I can't hear you all that well must be lightheaded because of all the blood I lost"
"Think you're so clever-" the head-priests shouted before he looked at the sword that was still in his hands and grinned. "Let's see how well you hear this- The sound of your sword snapping in two"
"Stop it! I told you to take off your dirty hands-" The sound of the sword braking into a thousand little pieces was that Luffy heard, the jeering crowd and the taunting voice of the head-priest all became just unimportant background noise.
"What are you gonna cry now little boy?!"
"I'll kill you…" Luffy said and uncaring of the pain his body was experiencing snapped the chain on his right hand and punched the man that had stood there with a shock written all over his expression right in the guts. He put every little of power he could muster into one punch and it was quite rewarding to see the man fell to the ground, with no chance of surviving what so ever. His insides got smashed into nothings after all, then there come pain, unbelievably hot searing pain all over his body… unsurprisingly, he had after all broken his own promise.
"Enough!" One of the head-priest the elder shouted. "this had been going on long enough. It's time to end him before his body gives in." The boy's health was decaying rapidly and it was not the poison's fault, it was almost like the boy's own powers were turning against him. If they waited too long the boy could die and their chance to sacrifice their Goddess a perfect subject too, just because he allowed these fools to play around until the moon was in perfect position, they had no such luxury now. He hopped the Goddess would still accept their humble offering. Catching such a powerful prey had not been easy after all.
"Everything is ready, sir"
"Let's begin the prayes-" The cult member all begin to chant loudly as two grunts undid the young boy's hands who's breathing was quite irregular. The nekomimi was barely hanging to consciousness as he got dragged him to a Cave's opening. It was a Cenote, the sea-water was flowing in through some underground cave system and now the moon was reflected in that water almost crystal clearly.
"Luffy!" Oh so the pirate woke up, too late.
"Toss him into the Moon Cave." The elder shouted and the sound of fighting took the place of chanting, but it was all too late.
"No!" Basil shouted as he run right past the elder priest and jumped into the cave right after Luffy had been thrown in. His lungs felt like they were on fire, he had never been a good swimmer, but even so, he just couldn't stop his body. It was moving in autopilot, just to reach that cheerful, stupid boy's hand that had still such warm eyes and could still be so honest after all the pain he had suffered through. Such an idiot, wasn't he... Why didn't he just leave him alone like everyone else had? He wouldn't be suffering like this if he only would have walked away that dumbass, trying to play the hero and now getting himself killed in the process. Like hell he'd allow that.
He grabbed the younger boy's hands and swim up. He had to just make it, both of them, one more push and they broke through the water surface. The air was really welcomed and the blackspots started to finally disappear from his eyes.
"Quickly a rope!" Benn commanded and not soon he was shouting instructions again.
"Grab the rope." He heard the shout and nodded as he swim to the rope the pirates had let down. The dark-haired man dragged them both up all alone. Luffy was taken from him and he was shocked once again as he laid eyes on the massacre the pirates had conducted. The entire cult, with thousands of followers and all dead…
"Come on breath kid!" Benn shouted with fervor as he tried chest compression his voice snapping Basil back to reality.
"Luffy you idiot!" Basil shouted as he kneeled beside Luffy "How can I follow you if you go and kill yourself!? Breath damn you captain!" Like a stroke of fortune the drowned little boy started coughing up water right in that moment. The blond wasn't sure if he wanted to cry or just punch the idiot in the face but he could see he was not alone with that feeling.
"Let's get him back to the ship, he's still not well, he's running a fewer and the injuries on his back could get infected-" Doc said quickly making the pirates stop celebrating. Benn quickly placed the boy in his arms. Not like Shanks or anyone would have even dared to try and take Luffy from the man.
Benn needed reassurance that Anchor was well and still breathing and Shanks couldn't take it from the man, not when his first-mate was trying so desperately.
~.~
"Did I die?" Luffy asked Death who smiled in a both utterly terrifying and amused way. If Luffy had to say the amused part was more terrifying than the terrifying part.
"No, but you came very, very close to it. Your body is still healing so for the time being your spirit is trapped in my realm." The being explained as he tapped his scythe on the air causing ripples to appear on the ground, shortly a forest appeared behind them. It was a place that placated the nekomimi boy's spirit somehow so he allowed the change of scenery.
"Is that so..." Luffy said unsure what to do next. "Haven't seen you in a while, how had you been?"
"I'm Death…" the being said in an old-man's voice and if he had an eyebrow than it surely was raised in incredulity. Who asked Death how he has been?
"Yeah but I'm asking how you are. Good-bad happy-sad, etc. Just because you're Death surely doesn't mean you can't be happy or something?"
A women's voice replayed now "I'm starting to miss the time when you were scared of me."
"Hey I was trapped here for what seemed like years, and beside you're the only one I can talk to. The dead can't answer me…" Luffy said with a pained voice.
Death hummed in understanding.
~.~
"He's body is healing but…" Doc said in a subdued voice. "There seems to be almost no brain activity."
"That's a lie!" Basil protested. "Luffy wouldn't die."
"Shut up kid, we all know that." Shanks said as he rose from his seat,leveling the entire crew with a glare. "We are not giving up on him. Anchor is not done fighting, so you all get your shit together! That's an order from your captain."
"Aye, aye Captain!" The crew shouted back as one.
"Everyone back to work!" The deck burst to life, all of the crewmembers found themselves something to do. Shanks nodded to himself before he turned to the old doctor who was still waiting to finish his report.
"He has numerous wounds… I'm not even sure where to start. Whip marks on his back, broken bones from blunt trauma in both his hands, legs and ribs, cuts and more bruises that I'd like to count. There is a weird burn mark even on his pinky finger."
Shank's eyes widened. "It's like a small cross?"
"Yes."
"Does it look like a tattoo or like it'd been burned."
"Like a burn mark"
"I think I know how we could help Luffy heal faster then."
"What?"
"Do you remember my cross, it was the same on my finger. Luffy told me it was part of his powers." Shanks tried to remember Anchor's exact words "That whenever he made a promise a small cross appeared around his pinky finger and the one's he made the promise with… He told me that if he or the one he made the promise with didn't keep their words they would feel extreme pain that grow and kill them in the end."
"What do you mean kill? Isn't it part of Luffy's powers-" Basil asked while Doctor wondered about the same thing.
"Is his devil fruit power."
"Yes but Luffy had eaten it, so it's his powers."
"Luffy's Devil Fruit is unlike any I had ever seen…" Shanks started with a frown. "I tried to research it after we left Foosha… couldn't find anything useful. Everything I know is from Luffy, from what I understand his Devil Fruit the Bakeneko no mi tries to turns even the users sprit and mentality into that of a monstercat's. Luffy told me that the devil fruit was taunting him with his hidden fears in form of dreams until he either succumb to it or face them. That it acted on his hidden desires that even he hadn't aware of. That's the reason his shield seems almost sentient, because it protects him against everything Luffy subconsciously deems dangerous and that's why it never appeared when we were just fooling around on the ship. Plus he's desires, they are not dangerous so most of the time Luffy doesn't restrain them, but there are time when his mind just goes feral and Luffy has to try hard and suppress those instincts. Now does this sound to you like a typical devil fruit?"
"Alright, so apparently is a freak power, how do we break the promise?" Basil asked cutting through the chase.
"Yeah I mean isn't a promise null already because we kind of killed everyone in the cult." Doc asked making Shank turn to him with a raised eyebrow.
"Did we doc? Are you quite sure not even one of those worm had a chance to escape?"
"We'll search for them." Yasopp said and the crew that had been ears-dropping nodded each getting ready to kick some serious ass. Nobody got away with hurting their brat. Not one.
"Go." The captain ordered and then turned back to Doc. "Now then let's go and talk some sense into my first-mate."
"Still guarding Luffy." The old doctor said with a small sigh.
Shanks was already moving as he replied. "Thought as much." His way to the sick-bay was short and it still took a lot of courage to open that door.
The kid was too small, too pale too silent… he almost looked… don't go there. Shanks gathered his courage as he sit down besides Benn, the man looked dead warmed over. And Shanks opened his mouth but Benn managed to beat him to it.
"You don't have to say it. I know… I understand that is not my fault… my brain at least does." Benn said clenching his fist tighter. "But it feels like a lie… I'm his senior I should have protected him and I failed. I was stupid enough to put both our lives in danger and while he was getting a beaten to death, I was…sleeping."
"You had been poisoned."
"I should have been there."
"You're an idiot Luffy is and always was a true pirate. He would have never allowed you to fight his battle to start with-"
"He's a kid, he shouldn't be fighting in any battle."
"Yes, then is it my fault? I was the one who took him out to the sea in the first place after all."
Benn looked at his captain at the first time since he walked in that door and couldn't help but frown. The kid was practically family to him like many on the ship; he took to the kid quite easily, Luffy was after all Luffy nobody could resist the kid's charm. The brat looked up to him with such a wide and big smile even when the world seemed such a dark place that he couldn't help it but smile back and it made him want to protect the boy even more. Luffy being the youngest on the ship made the rest on the crew become quite protective of the little rascal. Again it was hard not to, but to Shanks Luffy was more than just an apprentice, he was almost like a son, that bond the two shared it was something no one had dared even question. All this time he had been here feeling sorry for himself and he hadn't even thought about what his captain must be going through.
"Who is being an idiot right now? I bet Luffy would have found trouble even if he had stayed in Foosha. You heard him talk about Goa and the mischief he got into daily… this way at least you can protect him."
"Yeah, I guess I can try to do that." For the one renamed the red-haired emperor, Shanks mused to himself, he sounded quite pitiful when saying that statement.
~.~
"So this is Luffy's nakama…"
"Oh yeah, I heard him call Anchor captain…"
"I don't like him…" finally the three pirates said in choir.
"Guys…" Benn said with frown. "at least try and act nicely."
"No way, do you know what this means?" Lucky asked like Benn was the one not understanding all that was happening.
"He is going to travel with Luffy-san for like a really long time." Rockstar explained and Benn was contemplating hitting them all on the head just for the tone they were using. It was starting to piss him off.
"That's what it means to be part of a crew. They will travel together, fight together go on adventures together and all the other stuff we do as a crew and yes that includes party together."
"No! I don't wanna!" The crew was again throwing a childish tantrum and Benn was slightly impressed by the kid's determination. Others would have run away by seeing the crazies this pirate crew called their own.
"He's so Jimmy what's so good about him anyway?" Rockstar asked annoyed making the Basil who had been present and witnessed it all now raise an eyebrow. He had been described in many ways but Jimmy was never been one of them.
"Don't mind them, they are just jealous." Shanks said making the blond looked at him with an expressionless face. "I actually quite like you." Basil raised an eyebrow before he spoke again in a voice lacking any emotions.
"I would say I'm sorry but I just… truly don't care about you opinions. The only man who's opinion matters is my captain's." The blond said before he walked away leaving a shock faced crew behind.
"Dhahahaha! The kid has guts! How long has it been since someone told me they could care less of my opinion."
"Is that so?" Benn asked with a raised eyebrow. "I could've been sure I told you almost every day-"
"Benn that hurt! You should learn some devotion from the kid toward your captain"
"Myeah how about no…"
~.~
Basil sit down at the chair beside Luffy's bed and frowned.
"…you should really wake up idiot… " the Doc said that they should talk to the small boy but it felt kind of stupid. Still it was something he was willing to try. The logical part of himself was calling him an idiot for even expecting something. For hoping that the boy would wake up… they had after all caught the head-priest who had the same burn in his finger that very day, almost a week ago. And they all had been hoping that maybe he'd wake up but every day it just felt more and more hopeless. And yet he knew Luffy wasn't going to die, he tried to see the future through the cards but the possibility of Luffy dying here never reached 0. "I… really need you to wake up… captain." His voice was cracking with all the emotion he had been trying to suppress.
"Not…a captain… yet"
"Luffy!"
"Someone… shut off the… sun… is too damn …bright."
"Cap-"
"What's with all the shouting?! This is a sick bay" Doc asked annoyed and Basil turned to him with a smile. A fucking smile. Doc made sure he was seeing things right so he took off his glasses and put them back on. Yup the blond was still smiling.
"Luffy woke up- just now and…" the blond's voice dropped as he looked back at the nekomimi.
"Are you sure?" Doc asked as he checked the patient who still show no sign of waking up.
"Of course I'm sure." Basil replied trying to fight off the indignity. Like he'd be mistaken about something like that.
"His vitals are all good and… he's sleeping. The damn brat woke up…"
"I told you so." Basil said as he looked at the small captain who was sleeping with a content smile completely unaware of the chaos he's been causing.
The next time he woke up he was greeted by both Shanks and Benn had been camping out in the sickbay ever since they heard that Luffy was starting to wake up. He had stayed up just a few minutes but it was enough to demand some food and reassure both captain and first-mate that he was not going to bite the dust anytime soon, then fall back asleep before he could eat. The next time he awoke Lucky's food had gone missing. His fault for visiting the sick with meat on his person, after demanding more food and eating enough for Red Force to be forced to buy new supplies Luffy took another nap and woke up feeling fine. Doc had been in awe by his recovery and demanded he'd stay a few more days just to make sure he was fine but the nekomimi was for one stubborn if nothing else. Basil came to visit a few times and the crewmembers seemed to dislike the blond for some reason he hadn't been allowed to know. It was also something given his character Basil wasn't even trying to change.
"So you still didn't go to your d… that dude's grave…" Luffy repeated with a frown before he stood up. His entire upper body was covered in white bandages, and he had been wearing a loose sleeveless hoodie with gray sweatpants, that looked almost too big on him but at the same time just too damn comfortable for the boy to actually give a fuck. "Fine, let's go then."
"What you mean now?" Basil asked unsure of what was just happening.
"Yes." The nekomimi said as he jumped off the ship railing.
"Wait Luffy where are you going?" Yasopp, Shanks and Rockstar asked all at once making the teen sweat-drop slightly. Like they hadn't been ears-dropping the entire time.
"I'm going to desecrate a grave." Luffy replied with an easy going smile as he took a pipe he found lying on the beach and swing it around a few times with a small frown.
"Oh alright then have a nice trip!" The three shouted before Benn sweat-dropped at the scene.
"Was I the only one who found it worrying that Luffy said 'desecrate a grave'?"
"The guy probably deserved it, anyway we are going to follow them." Shanks said like he had just explained everything before he turned his expecting smile to the first-mate, Benn just shook his head as he walked away, he did not want to get caught up in one of Shanks schemes. "Benn~"
~.~
He could feel them following him. He could totally sense them… were they even trying to hide? The nekomimi sighed as he pretended not to notice the tagalongs. Instead he looked up at Basil reassuringly as they both stopped at the grave.
"You know… I'm not even sure if I hate him more or myself for being unable to leave." Basil started talking and Luffy listened attentively. "A long time ago we had everything, we were from a noble family. Living happily in our home, with servants and everything… but then everything changed after I made my first prediction." The boy was bitter about it. "I predicted my mother's death. And now the bastard I once called father is now dead. Laughable isn't it? All those things I wanted to tell him to shout them in his face… and he just got himself killed before I could…"
"Well he is dead… but you can always do this-" Luffy said before he swung his pipe and hit the grave taking a chunk out of it, making Basil's eyes widen. "What loving father?!" The boy shouted in annoyance. "That worm was the worst kind of human that existed!" Luffy said hitting it a few more times- "Fucking scumbag!" he kicked it so hard the headstone cracked in two, as he passed the pipe to the blond boy.
"You drunkard!" Basil shouted as he brought down the pipe on the headstone. "-bastard! Rest in peace?" He asked reading the text with so much sarcasm that it almost hurt. "I hope you burn in hell for all you've done!" He broke the damn and now he couldn't stop himself, he just kept hitting the stone again and again. "You asshole, you ruined my childhood! Who the fuck give you the right?!" He hoped to destroy the entire thing. "You sold me for fucking money you son of a bitch! Your own son?! You want a prediction, then here's a prediction for you fucktard- This is the last time you will be ever remembered!" He shouted as he finally broke the headstone the little pieces.
"Oi! What are you doing?" One of the guards shouted as he approached the two, the nekomimi grinned as he grabbed the blond's hand and dragged him away.
"Shishishi, that was fun!" Luffy said with a grin as he let himself fall on a bench.
"Yes…it was." Basil said as he sat down beside the nekomimi feeling quite content. It was fulfilling, it was something he had to do before he could finally move on. "Luffy what is your real name?" the blond haired teenager finally asked the small boy who smiled almost melancholically.
"I have discarded it when I became a pirate. You see my gramps works for the NAVY and I didn't want to cause him trouble. But now that I think about it I am in need for a new name… Cheshire… wasn't that what they called me?"
"You mean those degenerates-" Basil asked as he felt his blood run cold remembering.
"Bakeneko seems to long and is too precise… liking giving my powers away so no way…" The small boy reasoned. "but Cheshire… Cheshire D Luffy sound's better. Uhm, I like it."
"Fine…" Basil wanted to comment on the way too easy way the boy was changing his name but he could already hear the answer to it. The "I'm a pirate, I do what I want." answer, so he just moved on. "Cheshire D. Luffy it might come as a shock but I have sworn my life to you." It was all said tonelessly but Luffy could see the smirk the blond was trying to hide.
"Okay, wwwait what… when did you-?"
"Right after we fished you out from the Moon Cave."
"Eh?!" Luffy stood shocked before he frowned. "Wait, I told you I didn't help you so you'd-"
"I did it out of my own selfishness so… don't mind, don't mind" Basil said with a grin making Luffy scoot back in caution.
"Why does that sound so scary when you say it?"
"Believe me it can't be scarier then you saying it with your megawatt smile." Reason number one: people were helpless against it, reason number two: it was always followed by crazy actions, reason number three: it was a weapon, it made people act like stupid fools, and just a hundred or so more reasons people should run whenever Luffy said that.
"How is that even scary?" Luffy asked as he looked up at Basil with a clueless look making the man pinch his nose to stop a nosebleed. Now that expression was scary too, oh kami how had the mighty fallen.
"Just take my word for it." In the end the nekomimi just nodded still clueless as of why.
~.~
"Why is he here?" Rockstar asked in distaste as he looked up and down their new "guest".
"Not your business."
"Shanks let him travel with us for a while." Luffy voice was heard before the small boy dropped from the crow-nest with a happy smile made both pirates melt and Basil had to pinch his nose slightly. He hadn't been sensitive to anything cute before, so he just couldn't understand it. Why was he reacting in such an undignifying manner to Luffy's expressions?
"It's just Luffy." Basil blinked at the man, Rockstar was it? "I know that symptom we all had suffered from it… but is only Luffy. We don't like cute things but this is Luffy…." the words were left hanging in the air, like they explained everything. "Anyway don't worry, you won't develop any burning desire to help small helpless animals or such. It's only Luffy."
"That is still quite worrying."
"Even more since he doesn't use his hoodies on the ship." Rockstar said just as Luffy smiled at something Shanks had said making Basil sweat-drop slightly before he turned to Rockstar with a fervor uncharacteristic to the blonde.
"How does one develop resistance?" The boy demanded.
Rockstr chuckled amused. "Resistance? You're kidding. There is no resistance to that"
"I'm doomed…"
A.N.: I know alright Basil is different from what we saw but I wanted a Basil that is only nice to Luffy and to everyone else practically a jerk. Yup I made him Luffy –sensitive … or more like extra sensitive to Luffy's cuteness, and hate me all you want, they will be traveling together through the Blues. And no Basil won't be entering Grand Line, since he isn't strong enough to handle that level yet, plus he has no devil fruit, well you get the picture. He will spend time training while Luffy adventures into the Grand Line with Shanks. Also yes he recovered almost completely in practically two weeks, but he's Luffy what do you expect? All the D seem to have a monster gene that lets them heal superfast apparently, also keep in mind that Luffy had brain activity, so he hasn't been brain dead. Doc said there was almost, I repeat almost no brain activity. I tortured Luffy slightly, but there will be no lasting damage (besides a few scars) and then I just broke his sword (because I'm evil) and then put Benn and Shanks through a bit of angst and also explained a bit about Luffy's mysterious devil fruit.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed and Luffy's first mate is Zoro, the reasons why will become quite obvious in time.
See you next time