This chapter was a bit longer than I first anticipated, but I'm sure you guys are okay with that. ;) Are you ready to semi-meet the next flip flopped Straw Hat?
Congratulations to the following reviewers!
KipperCat25 – You got the person right. I'm not sure what personality you thought of, but the person is correct. Nice!
luffykotheevee – You got the person right too, but the personality is wrong. Sorry!
Irisgarden799 – Nope, not this time. But you did get something for later characters. I won't reveal anything else than that!
Anonymous – No, it's not who you think it is, either. Gomen.
I had so much fun writing this chapter. No joke. I had to watch the episodes, so credit for those goes to .com. So please enjoy, and I hope you find my choice for the next Straw Hat eligible. Oh, also, only East Blue members, the original five. Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Sanji, and Usopp were switched. If I do the rest of the series, Robin, Franky, Brook and Chopper will be switched. I just wanted to clarify.
R&R, please and thank you!
Chapter 2 – Meet Monkey D. Nami! Enter the Infamous Pirate Hunter!
The orange haired girl smirked down at the two cowards shivering at her feet, staring up at the tough chick with wide eyes. For some reason, she loved the look they gave her, as long as they didn't look too far down.
"What is wrong with you two?" she suddenly asked, glaring down at them. "You're an eyesore. Get lost."
The two pirates needed no further prompting, grabbing their unconscious companion and dragging him back out of the hallway, screaming like hapless little children. Nami smirked, watching them leave. Soon, it was just her and the pathetic pink-haired kid. No matter, the kid wasn't her problem. That is, until he wrongly decided to start up a conversation.
"So," he said from his spot on the floor. "What just happened?"
Nami shrugged. "You got me. But I was talking to you, too. Go away."
The kid seemed to have a sudden realization. His face paled and he got up in her face, spittle flying from his lips. "Quick! You gotta run! If those guys come back here with reinforcements, they'll kill you on the spot!"
Nami rolled her eyes. "Just shut up and leave me alone. Unless you happen to know where the pantry is. I'm hungry. Could use some booze, too."
The kid squealed. "How can you just blow things off like that? There are hundreds of them on deck and they're just waiting for the opportunity to kill anything!"
She gripped her shoulder, leaning down to get right in the poor kid's face. She could see him trying to avoid gazing at her cleavage. "If you don't know, I can kill you right now."
He gulped. "I – I think it's that way." He pointed down a long hallway, his eyes squeezing shut tightly as if to avoid any unnecessary glances.
Nami nodded, turning on her heel and heading in the direction those two idiots had run off to. After a moment, the kid grabbed onto her arm and tried to pull her in the opposite direction, yelling something about going the wrong way. Brat. Despite his efforts, Nami was too strong for the kid, and she just pulled him along without any hassle through a set of swinging doors.
The two emerged in a large two-floored pantry of sorts, stacked high with various meats and boxes of other food. A large container of beer bottles sat in the corner, to which Nami immediately headed. Next to the large case, a small box of apples had its lid partially shaken off. She took several bites of the fruit. To wash down the solids, she popped open a bottle of booze easily and began chugging, some drops of the fiery liquid sliding down her chin.
She was vaguely aware of the pink-haired kid peeking through the door to make sure no one was coming. It was pointless; Nami could protect herself, and this scrawny kid if she had to. But the way he was following her around was kind of annoying.
"Who knows?" She heard him mutter. "Maybe we'll be safe in here, as long as no one else gets hungry." He shut the door as she was reaching for her third bottle. "Uh, hey," he said, addressing the orange-haired female. "My name's Coby. You're Nami, right? That was pretty cool how you jumped out of that barrel back there."
Nami gave the kid, Coby, the evaluating eye as she lowered her bottle, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Thanks, kid." Nami reached for more apples as Coby settled to his knees behind her. "So are we on a pirate ship or what?"
"No, it's a passenger ship being raided by pirates under the command of Lady Alvida."
"Do you know if there are any boats around here? Mine got sucked into a whirlpool or something."
"The one outside?" Coby gasped. "There's no way anyone could have survived that."
Nami turned, the alcohol slowly making its way to her brain and lifting her spirits. She was never one to get drunk easily, so she still remained relatively sane as she grinned widely and said, "Yeah, scared me, too! A big surprise!"
Coby laughed nervously. Nami could tell the kid was a bit perplexed by her flexing personality, so she decided for what it was worth to lay off the alcohol and keep inhaling the apples. She hadn't had anything decent to eat for days. "So, are you a pirate or a passenger?"
The kid's face fell. Nami watched him, chewing the latest apple slowly. "It was on a fateful day, long ago." Coby began his tale, most of which Nami didn't comprehend. Something about getting on the wrong ship to go fishing or something. In other words, stuff Nami really didn't care about. "In exchange for letting me live, I'm forced to work as a cabin boy."
But what she did get from the story was an entertaining theory. "You're pretty stupid, you know that?"
Coby's head fell lower. "Thanks for the endorsement," he muttered.
"Just leave if you hate it so much."
"Are you kidding? I can't do that, no way, not a chance! Just the thought of Alvida finding me scares me half to death!"
Nami snorted. "I hate people like you. Go away. You're annoying me now."
Coby started to cry.
XXX
Aboard the deck of the passenger vessel, the Alvida Pirates were slowly loading all the looted possessions into various chests, sending them on a pulley system to the pirate ship, where they were handled sloppily by pirates' hands.
Suddenly, from the galley stairs burst two of her subordinates. Heppoko and Peppoko she thought their names were. They were screaming for her, their faces a mask of fear. They were yelling incoherent things, some of which included "Came from inside the barrel!" "A horrible monster!"
Alvida's eyes narrowed. "What?"
Heppoko and Peppoko seemed to realize their mistake; their faces became paler than they already were, and sweat beaded their faces. She loved that look of terror! Alvida raised her iron club, masking her enjoyment with an expression of pure rage. It was that second when she realized that one of them had mentioned the word monster.
Now she was really pissed. She threw the club with all her might toward her subordinates, who squealed like little children. "Who are you calling a monster!?" She yelled.
Heppoko and Peppoko ducked, just as a third guy emerged from behind them. The club sailed over the first two's heads and slammed into the third's face, knocking him clean off his feet and sending him through the railing and out into open ocean. Still, the club landed satisfyingly on the others' heads, which made her smile.
"We weren't… talking about… you, m'lady…" The first one said mumbled through a mouthful of blood.
"Some guy was hiding in a barrel! He could be a bounty hunter!" The second wailed.
That caught Alvida's attention. She raised her head, her eyes shadowed by the brim of her hat. "What?"
XXX
"Yeah, you're right," Coby whispered, staring at the spot of wetness between his feet. "If I drifted alone in a barrel I could be rid of these pirates, and actually have my own dreams. Someday, I'd like to live out all of them."
Nami had no idea why the stupid kid was still here. She had told him to leave and he just stayed put, staring at a spot where she had accidentally spilt a bit of booze, rambling on about dreams. Sure, she had her own dream, but she was really only worried about her own, and didn't care for the kid's.
He looked up, an interested look on his face. "So, what about you, Nami? What made you first set out to sea?"
Nami said nothing for a moment, only glaring at him through half-lidded eyes. Finally, she said, "I told you already. I'm the one who's going to be the King of the Pirates!"
The realization of her words dawned on the small cabin boy. He finally remembered her statement as soon as she had revealed her presence from the barrel.
"You had better remember my name, because I will make sure it will ring up to the heavens. It's Monkey D. Nami, and I'm the one who's going to be King of the Pirates. This I swear."
Coby's expression was priceless. Surprise and awe were written all over the kid's face. "The King?"
"Yes."
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
"But that would mean that you're a pirate, too!"
Nami sighed, thinking that would have been obvious. "Sure am."
"Your crew?"
"Recruiting."
Coby's jaw dropped lower. Nami cocked an eyebrow, waving a hand in front of his face to bring him back to earth. He shook his head and with a yelp stood up, towering over Nami's hunched form. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she took another swig of alcohol.
"King of the Pirates is a title given to one who obtains everything this world has to offer! You're talking about seeking the great treasure of wealth, fame and power! The treasure you seek is the One Piece!"
Nami sighed. Does this kid really need to yell everything he says? And does he find the need to state the obvious in every situation? "Of course. That's what every pirate is after."
"Yeah!? That's it!? Pirates all over the world are looking for that treasure, you know!"
Nami resisted the urge to punch the kid. "I just said that."
"No way! It's impossible, impossible, impossible! There's just no way anyone in the wo—ow!"
Nami released all her frustration into smashing her booze bottle on the kid's head. He curled up in a ball, his hands over his head, whining. "Why'd you hit me?"
"Cause I felt like it. So shut up."
"Oh well," Coby moaned, straightening. "I'm used to it. My crewmates push me around like that a lot. All the time, actually."
"It's not about if I can," Nami interrupted, placing a confident hand on her hat. "I'm doing it because I want to. I made a promise to someone a long time ago, and I don't intend to break it. I decided long ago that I would become the King of the Pirates. If I have to die fighting for that, then I die, and I'm okay with that."
Coby stared up at her in awe. It was kind of an offsetting sight, so she turned away, walking toward the door that led back out to the galley. "Right. Now that I'm full, I'm going to go get me another boat."
"I guess I never thought of it like that," Coby mumbled. Nami turned, keeping her hand on the doorknob. "If I put my mind to it, if I'm prepared to die for it, could I do something like that?"
"Like what?"
"Do you think…?" Coby hesitated. "Do you think… I could join the marines?"
"The marines?"
"Catching pirates is the only thing I've ever wanted to do! It's been my dream ever since I was a child. Do you think I could do it?"
"How should I know that?"
"Then I'm going to do it!" Coby continued as if Nami hadn't spoken. "I'm not going to be stuck as a cabin boy for the rest of my life! I'll break out and then I'll turn right around and catch Alvida myself!"
At that moment, said female pirate broke through the ceiling and crashed into pantry, nearly falling on top of her own cabin boy. Coby scrambled to the side, cowering behind a sack of potatoes. Nami stood her ground, eyeing the fat woman who had just appeared.
"Who is it you plan on catching, Coby?" She asked, looming out from the billowing dust cloud. "And you think this twig is going to help you? Well? Answer me!"
Coby's knees were shaking uncontrollably as he stared up into his captain's face. Nami tried to move in to help, but swords were suddenly thrust through the door, barely missing her head and temporarily preventing her from assisting.
Alvida looked up at Nami, her gaze wary. After she got a good look, the fat woman suddenly smirked, chuckling heartily. "My guess is that you're not Usopp the Pirate Hunter."
"Usopp?" Nami asked, interested.
"COBY!" Alvida roared. Coby squealed. "Who is the most beautiful of all on these seas?"
"Well… I, um… wait, I know this one…"
Nami raised an eyebrow, putting a hand on her hip and gesturing toward the larger woman. "I wonder how this boat is still floating with this whale on here."
Jaws dropped as the pirates in the room all tried to comprehend what Nami had just said. "Oh no…" someone muttered. "Not good…"
Tick marks appeared all over Alvida's chubby face. She appeared to hold back her anger very well for about a minute before she finally screamed and raised her club high. "Bastard!" she yelled.
Nami leapt out of the way, just as the club shattered the platform she had been standing on a second earlier. She landed directly in front of the cowering Coby, grabbing his wrist. "Follow my lead," she whispered.
Alvida watched in anger as Nami leaped through the hole she had made on her way in, dragging Coby with her. Nami landed lightly on the upper deck, Coby crashing next to her. Nami grinned confidently, standing tall to try and go for the intimidation technique. It didn't work because a pirate ran forward with a yell, bringing his broadsword down near her head. She dodged easily, leaning back on one foot and slamming her head into his, knocking him to the deck.
She turned just in time to slug another guy who was going after her from behind. His face smoked as his knees buckled from beneath him. She turned, egging on the rest of the group. Four decided they were brave enough to challenge her. She leapt into the air to avoid their simultaneous slashes, landing lightly in a crouch a few feet away.
She stood slowly, flexing a bicep in preparation for her next attack. Coby watched in awe, and when his eyes were averted to the space above her head, Nami side stepped just in time to avoid being sliced in half.
"Attacking from behind," she said, gripping the man by his hair and throwing him into his companions. "That's dishonorable."
The other men went down like bowling pins, rolling across the deck. Growls from behind her told Nami that a large group of them were coming in. She leapt into a handstand, kicking out with her feet. She missed, but she continued in the flip and landed halfway across the deck, a smug grin on her face.
"Now," she said, lifting up a leg to the side. "Gomu Gomu no… Whip!" She thrust her leg forward and as it careened toward the large group, it extended to about three times its normal length, crashing into their sides and scooping them all off the deck and into the ocean below. They were screaming about monsters and the devil, and she just chuckled. They could call her whatever they wanted.
Alvida reached the upper deck just in time to witness Nami's Whip attack. She stared dumbstruck at the younger woman's performance, watching her subordinates defeated one by one. Nami stood from her position on deck, having been forced to duck in order to avoid a body sailing over her head.
Coby took a cautious step forward. "Nami-san, what are you?"
"Me?" Nami took hooked a finger in her cheek, stretching it out several more inches that humanly possible. "I'm a rubberwoman."
"So you're…made of rubber? But that's…"
Alvida loomed above her cabin boy, and he squealed like a girl and cowered behind Nami's legs. She sighed and kicked him away. "So," said the abnormally fat woman. "You've eaten of the Devil Fruits."
Nami nodded, snapping her cheek back into place. "I ate the Gomu Gomu no mi."
"I see. I've heard the rumors, but I never thought they actually existed until now." She grinned, tilting her head to the side. "Are you a bounty hunter?"
"I'm a pirate."
"A pirate?" Alvida scoffed. "All by yourself?"
"For now." Nami smiled. "I'm recruiting."
It was about this time that a certain door opened on the pirate ship, and a blonde head peeked out from inside. He observed the scene, noticing a tall girl engaging the really fat old lady in conversation. All her subordinates were focused on them, so the blonde youth took this opportunity to heft the giant sack full of gold on his shoulder and skirt around the edges of the ship and out of sight.
Alvida laughed loudly. "I see. So, you're a pirate. And since we're not under the same flag, that would make us enemies."
"Nami-san, we have to run!" Coby's nervous voice whispered.
"Why?"
"She's the most pow—" Coby suddenly remembered what Nami had said back in the pantry, holding her straw hat in firm but gentle hands.
"I decided a long time ago that I would be the King of the Pirates. If I have to die fighting for that, then I die, and I'm okay with that."
Alvida smirked. "I'm the most what, Coby? Go on, say it."
Coby trembled. His entire body was coated in sweat, and his eyes darted around nervously as if looking for an escape route. Finally, he appeared to muster up the courage, because he suddenly opened his mouth and screamed, "You're the most ugliest thing on the sea!" His voice cracked.
The Alvida Pirates' jaws hit the deck, staring in horror at their former crew mate. Alvida herself was seething, her eyes unreadable. Nami only smiled proudly.
"What was that?" Alvida asked slowly.
Nami was about to intervene, but Coby was on a roll now. "That's right! You're the ugliest thing on the sea. And I'm leaving your crew to join the marines! I'll train until I can capture real pirates!"
"Do you realize what you're saying?"
"I do! And I'll do what I've always wanted to! I'll join the marines and I'm going to catch your lousy ass first!"
"You brat!" Alvida screamed, holding her giant club high over her head.
Coby screamed, his hands pressed against the side of his face like he was afraid his head would fall off his shoulders. I did it! I said what I wanted to and I have no regrets!
Nami smiled, stepping in front of the ex-cabin boy. "Well said."
Alvida brought her club down hard on the orange-haired rubber woman, her head the first victim of the attack. Coby began to hyperventilate as he watched the world appear to bend and swirl around him. He collapsed, falling hard on his butt.
A chuckle. "That won't work. I'm made of rubber!"
"What!?"
Nami threw the iron club off her head. Alvida was thrown off balance, leaving her torso completely exposed and vulnerable. Nami took this opportunity, throwing her fist back off the ship about ten yards.
"Gomu gomu no," she yelled. "Pistole!"
With force enough to shatter an entire ship, Nami's fist retracted and slammed into Alvida's unprotected stomach. Alvida screamed as she was thrown backward, out to sea and out of sight, becoming only a twinkle in the sky.
The other pirates watched in horror as their captain was mercilessly defeated. Nami directed her attention to these men, assuming an authoritive tone. "Hey, you guys."
"Y-yes!?"
"Go find a boat for me. And Coby. He's leaving your ship to join the marines. And you're not going to stop him." She gave them an evil smile. "Got it?"
"Yes, right away!"
Nami glanced toward the kid, and he returned it with a thankful grin. The ship was suddenly rocked violently from side to side, waves crashing against the hull. Nami steadied herself against the railing, looking up to see three marine ships heading their way, cannons trained on them.
"Well, what d'ya know," Nami nodded. "The marines are here." The pirates she had ordered to fetch a boat returned, towing the small vessel through the air between the two anchored ships. "Head over there and tell them you want to join. But I'm a pirate, so I'm out of here." Nami leapt over the rail and into the boat, loosening the ropes.
"Wait! I can't approach them like this!" Coby yelled, jumping after her. "They'll arrest me like any other pirate!"
With the added weight, the boat crashed into the water, soaking both its passengers. Through the rising water, Nami could see another boat with a tall lanky figure inside. He raised his hands to shield his eyes, but not before the young blonde boy and Nami made eye contact. The blonde smiled widely.
Coby took control of the paddles, hightailing it out of there and leaving the pirate ship far behind. The marines didn't stop their cannon fire, and Coby didn't let up on the oars until they were a good mile and a half away. He released his hands, wiping them across his sweaty brow.
"I can't believe it; we actually managed to escape."
Nami cracked her neck, settling into a comfortable position in the boat. She folded her hands behind her head and crossed her legs at the ankle. She yawned, ready for some shut-eye.
"Hey, Nami-san?" Nami cracked open an eye, giving nonverbal signals that she wanted to be left alone. Coby either didn't see them or ignored them, because he said, "If you're searching for the One Piece, then you must be headed to the Grand Line, right?"
Nami only nodded.
"You know, the people I've heard call that place the Pirate Graveyard."
Nami nodded again. "That's why I need a strong crew." She was quiet for a moment before she remembered what that ugly lady pirate had said. "You mentioned some pirate hunter. What's he like?"
"Oh, you mean Usopp?" Coby asked. "Last I heard was that he's being held prisoner at some marine base."
"Oh. Weakling, huh?"
Coby planted his hands firmly on their water barrel, his eyes practically bugging out of his head. "No, you're so wrong! He's violent as a demon and three times as horrifying! He'll take any job for money, but at a hefty price and doesn't take excuses! He's a demon!" A moment of silence. "Why are you asking about him, anyway?"
Nami grinned mischievously. "I figured if he's good enough, I'll let him join my crew!"
Coby's jaw hit the floor. "Chasing him down is suicide!"
"You never know; he may jump at the chance to join a pirate crew."
"He's a bad enough guy that the marines had to detain him! Nu-uh, no way, not a cha—"
Nami groaned, bonking the kid on the head with one of her mugs of booze.
"Ow… why did you hit me?"
"Because I felt like it. So shut up and let me take a nap."
Coby mumbled something incoherent. Nami slumped down in the boat, pulling her hat over her eyes to block out the sun. This Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Usopp. She smiled inwardly. He would be a great asset to her endeavor. Content with her reasoning, she fell asleep and snored the rest of the day away.
XXX
Two days Nami and Coby stayed in that small boat. The sun was bearing down on the two passengers, with seagulls cawing into the wind. Nami yawned loudly, throwing her hands into the air. "What a day," she said, her voice considerably deeper than normal as another yawn escaped her throat.
"As long as we stay on this heading, we should reach the marine base in no time," said Coby from his spot near the mast.
"How come you know your way around so well?"
"Of course," Coby said, not bothering to hide the confusion in his tone. "I'm just using the basic skills any sailor should have."
Nami rolled her eyes, reaching for another bottle of booze, only to find she had drank the last one yesterday. She grunted in disgust, berating herself for not bringing more.
"You know, there's nothing to be so calm about," Coby mumbled, adjusting his glasses. Nami looked up, a bit intrigued. "Because at the marine base, they're holding the infamous Pirate Hunter. Roronoa Usopp. This is man who's diced up his bounties like an animal bent on carnage! A blood-thirsty beast; he's been called nothing less than a demon in human form!"
The more Coby tried to deter Nami from recruiting Usopp, the more she wanted him. The pink-haired boy eventually gave up, especially when the island home to Shells Town and the marine base finally appeared on the horizon.
The whole island was one big city. Houses covered every street, with venders in the open shouting out their wares. Delicious smells and aromas drifted through the air, making Nami's stomach rumble. She and Coby tied off their boat at port and stood on the docks, Nami with a confident grin on her face.
Nami strode into the small town like she owned the place, taking long strides and leaving Coby in the dust. The ex-cabin boy tried desperately to keep up with her, practically running.
"Nami-san," Coby panted, deciding to restart his earlier arguments. "You're seriously crazy if you think you can get this guy to join up."
"Well, I haven't made up my mind yet. I want to see if he's a good guy, first."
"He's in prison because he's obviously not!"
Nami ignored him, taking a pear from a shop vender. She chewed thoughtfully before tossing the farmer a beli coin. "Hey," she said, addressing the farmer. "Is that guy Usopp around here?"
At the sound of the Pirate Hunter's name, all the citizens within twenty feet suddenly leapt back, their arms frozen over their horrified faces like Nami might attack them or something. She stared at them, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Maybe we shouldn't mention his name around here," Coby whispered.
Nami shrugged and continued walking. "Let's head to the marine base," she decided. "You want to be a marine, right?"
"Of course I do, Nami-san, but I really don't think I'm ready just yet. From what I've heard, the captain of this base is called Axe Hand Morgan."
As with when Usopp's name was mentioned, the citizens all leapt backward, their faces a mask of horror. This time, both Nami and Coby stared at them in confusion before moving on. Coby muttered something about understand why they would jump at the mention of Usopp, but why Morgan?
Nami shrugged. "Maybe they just like to jump around." She suddenly stopped walking, causing Coby to run into her. "Hey, Coby?"
"Hm?"
"How did we end up back at the docks?"
XXX
After much redirectioning and berates from an irritated child, Coby and Nami finally stood in front of the thick steel gates that lead into the courtyard of the marine base. The huge blue building toward above the two teens, the insignia of the marines emblazoned into the brick. Coby immediately began to tear up.
"I made it," he whispered. "This is where you and I part ways, Nami-san. We didn't have long together, but…" Coby looked up in time to see Nami stretch her arms to the top of the giant wall surrounding the complex and settle on the edge. "Nami-san! Get down from there!"
"Now where's this supposed demon?" She muttered, shading her eyes with a hand.
"They wouldn't keep him out in the open," Coby reasoned, sweat dropping at Nami's attitude toward the situation. "He's probably locked up in dungeon or something."
"There he is!" Nami's semi-excited cry reached the kid below, and Coby couldn't help but find footholds in the wall to personally tell off his companion.
"I'm telling you, he's not –" Coby was cut off as he actually saw for himself the bound figure in the center of the courtyard.
The man wore black trousers tucked inside black boots. His white shirt was covered in dust and scrapes, disappearing into a thick green waistband. Over his head he bore a black bandanna. Ropes bound him at the waist to the vertical pole, while both his arms were looped and tied around the horizontal log. His head was bowed and unable to be distinctly recognizable, but a long nose could be seen from around the shadows.
That bandana. And that haramaki. Coby gulped, sweat beading his face. That nose. It's him. Roronoa Usopp.
Zoro's color is green. Usopp's is yellow. I had no idea which to make him. So I stuck with green. Just cause. And I know his name sounds weird. But you gotta suffer through that kind of stuff for humorous purposes. Don't like it? Tough bananas.
I hinted at which personality he has, but that's still up for you to decide. ;) Good luck!
Nami's insult to Alvida to make her angry was so hard. The original line is something like "Hey, Coby, who's the fat lady?" But we all know Zoro's personality doesn't let him say that. So I kind of came up with something he might use against canon-Sanji, not this Sanji.
Next Time:
Nami and Coby meet the infamous Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Usopp, who declines Nami's first offer to join up with her. Meanwhile, the son of the marine captain Morgan, Helmeppo, appears, and torments his captive. Nami tells Usopp that if she retrieves his katana, he'll join her crew. Will Usopp agree, and will Coby finally become a marine? Chapter 3 – The Pirate Hunter's Pride! Who's the Weird Blond Kid?