Chapter Two

"Thieving Girls and Cabin Boys"

Eight Years Ago

1514

Roan hated the circus.

Once upon a time she'd loved it. Exotic animals, death defying acts, humor and adventure and magic; they'd all been enough to put stars in her naïve little eyes. These days she watched from the sidelines as the Ringmaster put on a show and seethed with the disgust she felt.

It burned that she was a part of this. But…

She fingered the collar around her neck.

…it wasn't like she had a choice.

Present Day

It didn't take Roan long to start regretting his impulsive decision.

"I swear to god, Luffy, if you don't get down from there – "

"It's my special seat!" Luffy insisted, perched precariously at the bow of the boat and not budging for anything. "You can't have it."

"I don't want it!" Roan snapped.

They'd left Fūsha and Dawn Island behind half an hour ago. After Roan had agreed to join Luffy's crew, there'd been the hassle of getting supplies (the kid had nothing) and convincing Luffy that, no, they were not setting sail in a little dinghy, not when Roan had a perfectly serviceable boat they could use. Luffy had pouted tremendously much to Makino's amusement and Roan's annoyance. He'd finally sent his new captain off to say his goodbyes while he took advantage of the villager's goodwill and fondness for Luffy to wrangle the best supplies at the cheapest prices.

Once Luffy returned, they'd set out to farewells and good luck wishes from the people of Fūsha. And about that time Luffy had told Roan about his devil fruit abilities and claimed his special seat at the bow.

"If you fall off and I have to save you, I'm going to tie you in knots," Roan threatened.

"Eh? That's mean!"

Roan threw his hands up in frustration and spun away from Luffy before he gave into impulse and tried to strangle him. Or shoved him overboard. It hadn't even been a day and Roan already questioned his sanity.

The boat shook suddenly, wildly. Roan staggered as a giant sea serpent rose from the ocean.

This is it – I'm going to die, he thought.

"Gomu Gomu no…PISTOL!"

And then a rubber fist collided with the sea serpent's face.

Roan turned a look of disbelief on Luffy – skinny, lithe Luffy, who was not made of muscle – and the rubber boy grinned fiercely. "How'd that taste? Stupid fish!" He turned his grin on Roan. "I'm strong, right?"

"You're definitely something," Roan grumbled. He eyed the water but it didn't look like the sea serpent would be coming back. Still, he adjusted their course to take them well away from this part of the sea.

For the most part, they traveled in silence. Roan focused on making sure they got somewhere despite the handicap of having no map. Luffy sat at the bow of the boat and hummed to himself, occasionally asking a random question (most of which Roan responded snappishly to) or singing nonsense songs. Roan whipped up a quick and simple lunch, just a couple sandwiches and fruit. Luffy ate then before Roan put his foot down and threatened him with dismemberment if their supplies didn't last them to the next island.

It was sometime after noon and several hours since they'd set out when they reached their first real problem.

A giant whirlpool.

"Shit," Roan said succinctly.

Luffy, of course, laughing. "That's no good," he said. "We're going to die!"

"You could sound a bit more concerned about that!"

Roan shoved the paddles into Luffy's hands and ordered him to row like your goddamn life depends on it! Meanwhile he adjusted the sails and yanked hard on the wheel in an effort to turn them away from the whirlpool before they got sucked into the currents.

It worked.

They managed to go around the whirlpool instead of getting sucked in.

"That's a relief," Luffy said. "I thought we were going to die for sure!"

Roan glared at the back of his head. Was it possible to burn a hole in someone with the force of a stare?

If he wasn't made of rubber, I would hit him.

Second guessing and second thoughts and regretting were old friends to Roan, but he didn't think he'd ever questioned his own decisions as much as he questioned this one. Following this kid, even if it was only until they reached the Grand Line, was already leading Roan into more trouble than being on his own did. And Roan got into a lot of trouble.

"Hey, hey, I see a pirate ship!"

"The Alvida pirates are supposed to have territory somewhere around here."

"The Alvida pirates?"

Roan couldn't make out the Jolly Roger from here and he didn't have a telescope. He explained distractedly to Luffy, "They're one of the more infamous groups in East Blue. Not quite up to Don Krieg or Buggy the Clown's level, but well known enough."

Luffy looked at Roan blankly.

"Luffy. Please tell me you at least know who Krieg and Buggy are."

"Should I?"

Roan's palm smacked against his forehead. He groaned. "If you really want to be a pirate, you should at least know who your rivals are!" he snapped. "They won't matter once you reach the Grand Line but until then you should at least know their names!"

"It's fine, since you know them," Luffy said. "I don't have to worry about fussy stuff like that."

That confidence is going to get him killed, Roan thought angrily. Hell, it's going to get me killed. What the hell was I thinking?

"We should go check it out!"

The pirate ship did belong to the Alvida Pirates. And they were raiding a cruise ship, a luxurious one at that. Roan craned her neck back, looking up at the ships and trying to gauge how much wealth might be on either one. East Blue was considered the weakest of the seas which made most pirates in it small time. As a result the value of the treasure they hoarded was normally less than two million belli.

And that's part of the reason why Arlong's cartographer wants that Grand Line chart Captain Morgan is rumored to have.

"So, Captain, which will it – "

"Gomu Gomu no…Rocket!"

" – never mind," Roan said, glaring up after Luffy.

"You go look at the other ship!" Luffy hollered down at him. "I'm going to go find some meat."

Roan waved him off and turned to survey the pirate ship. Odds were that most of the pirates would be participating in the raid, leaving the bare minimum behind to guard the ship. Roan could see ropes linking the ships together, with chests of goods being swung over periodically. The clash of blades and explosions of gunfire came from the cruise ship, so he felt safer checking out the pirate ship.

Roan pulled a crate out from under his bed. He cracked it open and started digging through the contents. In his time under the Ringmaster Roan had learned many a useful trick; one of them being how to throw a rope with a grappling hook on the end. He gripped a metal prong and yanked, pulling out the hook, rope, and several things tangled up in it all in one go.

This brings back memories of the good ol' days, Roan thought, untangling the rope and grappling hook. Disco used to beat us if we couldn't throw a grappling hook right.

He swung the hook to test the weight. It'd been a while since he last used one. The past couple of years Roan had been – not quite lawful because he consorted with pirates and mobsters – but not neck deep in criminal activity. Hell, he had friendly sort-of friends in the marines. That was about as close to legal as Roan got these days.

And now he'd joined a pirate crew.

Roan shook off the thought of how Smoker was going to kill him dead and let the grappling hook fly. It arced through the air and landed with a dull thud on the deck. He pulled the rope until the hook was caught on the railing, yanked hard to test the grip, and once he was satisfied started climbing.

There were some skills Roan kept in tip-top shape. His flexibility, climbing skills, and acrobatic abilities were just a few examples of the ones practiced relentlessly when he had the chance. The Ringmaster had been a tyrant and a monster, but Roan could almost be grateful for the skills he'd given him.

Roan had climbed up near the back of the ship. He unhooked the grappling hook and tossed it back down to the boat. He hoped Luffy wouldn't jump on it when he came back; bloodstains were a bitch to clean up.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?"

No time to hesitate. Roan threw himself forward, bending low and twisting so his shoulder slammed into the pirate's midsection. They slammed into the wall, the force of Roan's blow knocking the breath out of him. Roan pulled back enough to grip his shirt in one hand and his hair in the other, slammed his face into the railing and tossed him overboard.

"HEY!"

"Shit," Roan cursed, throwing himself back as a sword cut through the space he'd been in.

'What did you do to Jackal?!" the new pirate shrieked. "I'll kick your ass for that!"

Roan drew his own sword just in time to block a swing that would've cleaved his head from his shoulders. Their blades locked together in a clash of steel.

Amongst swordsmen there was an unspoken honor. If you drew a sword, you fought with a sword and a sword alone. Fists and feet had no place in a duel of blades.

Roan never did put much stock in honor.

He swung his leg up as hard as he could and the Alvida pirate dropped like a stone, a shrieking keen escaping him as his sword clattered to the ground and his hands clamped over his crotch. Roan took advantage of his position to kick him in the face. There was a sickening crack and the pirate slumped over unconscious and with a bloody nose.

Roan stepped around them and sheathed his sword, shooting an annoyed glance at the cruise ship where the shouts of excited pirates, swords clashing, and guns firing filled the air with a cacophony of noise. The cannon fire had died down before he and Luffy reached the ships, thankfully, but there was still an excess of noise in the air preventing Roan from hearing anyone coming up behind him until they made themselves known.

That was a problem Roan didn't like to have. He put his back to the wall in an effort to avoid it, glancing from right to left as he crept closer to the bow of the ship.

It was just as he was going around the corner that he saw her.

Arlong's cartographer and the eighteen year old girl Roan had systematically sabotaged for years.

And coming up behind her was an Alvida pirate with a sword raised high to cleave her in two.

Roan threw himself at the pirate's back with a warning show to Nami, getting his arms around the bastard's throat and putting him in a headlock. The sword clattered to the ground. Grubby hands clawed at his hair and his arms, desperate to keep from suffocating, but Roan was relentless. He grunted with the pirate slammed him back against the wall.

But he didn't let go.

After what felt like hours but was only minutes the pirate slumped. Roan held his position for a little longer just in case it was a bluff and then released him. The pirate slumped to the ground unconscious but still breathing.

"YOU!"

Roan leaned back just enough to avoid the bō staff that attempted to take his head off. Enraged brown eyes tried to burn holes in his skull. Roan kept his expression placid and gripped the staff tightly, pressing his weight down on it enough to keep Nami from pulling it back up and taking another swing at him.

"What are you doing here?" she snarled through grit teeth. "You damn bastard! I won't let you have the treasure this time! It's MINE!"

Roan ignored the part of him that flinched from her justified rage. He had experience with killing his better instincts. The moral high ground was not a place where the desperate walked.

"I'm not after your treasure," Roan said. "Contrary to your belief, the world doesn't revolve around you dollface."

He released the staff and stepped back. Nami didn't take another swing at his head, but she looked like she wanted to. The anger in his expression might have stirred guilt in another person. Roan forced himself not to care. He did what he had to do to survive. That was what he always did.

"And yet," she hissed. "And yet you always, always ruin my heists! If you hadn't existed – if you'd never been around I would have had it by now!"

Roan shrugged, dismissive. "Not my problem," he said.

Nami let out a wordless scream of frustration.

"I'm not saving your hide again if you attack more of Alvida's men."

"I ddin't ask you to save me the first time!" she snapped. "I could have handled it."

"Oh, yes, you were handling it so well," Roan said sardonically. "That's why you hadn't noticed him."

She flushed. Roan turned away from her dismissively. If she was here, there wouldn't be anything worthwhile left on the ship. He might as well go back to the boat and wait for Luffy.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to my boat," Roan said over his shoulder. "I don't have any reason to be here if you're already looting the place."

It was funny, though. Roan had been going to Shells Town to sabotage her and yet, here she was, on the ships Luffy wanted to explore. He stopped, a thought occurring to him. Nami wasn't just a cartographer; she was also a navigator – the best in the business if Arlong could be believed. And she wanted to go to the Grand Line for better looting opportunities…how convenient.

Roan turned back around, smirking. "Oi thief, I've got a proposition for you."

Nami narrowed her eyes. "What."

"You're looking for a way to the Grand Line, right? Join up with me and my captain as navigator."

"So you can steal my treasure when my back's turned? Yeah right! Like I'd trust a gold digging bounty hunter's words."

Roan propped a hand on his hip, his smirk widening. "I've got better things to do than steal candy from babies, sweetheart," he drawled just to be irritating. "Besides, the captain's an idiot; you won't have any problems keeping all your gold to yourself."

She scoffed. "This is just another ploy to ruin my heist." She flapped her hands in a dismissive manner, saying in a condescending tone, "Now run along, Bounty Hunter, and go be a good dog to your new master. I'll send Arlong your resignation, shall I?"

Roan remained unruffled by the sharp barbs. He'd heard worse, been called worse, and done worse. Still, he was surprised she knew he worked for Arlong. He'd been under the impression that she didn't know. Although considering Hachi's tendency to blurt things out without thinking maybe that was just his inner optimist speaking.

Instead of taking offense he smiled with too many teeth and an air of threat that he'd learned under the Ringmaster. "Please do," he said pleasantly.

He was about to say more when the shouts from the cruise ship changed. These were screams of rage and shock and fear. Roan jerked his gaze around as cannon fire sounded from some distance away. A marine ship had come.

"ROOOAAANNN!"

And above it all was Luffy's voice.

Roan considered his options for split second. Then swooped in and snatched Nami up over his shoulder, ignoring her screech of indignant rage and the hands pounding and clawing at his back. Some part of him was alarmed by how light she was, but most of him was focused on keeping a hold of her and dragging the bag of treasure behind him.

It was slow going. Between Nami's weight and the treasure they moved at what felt like a snail's pace. And the sound of cannon fire got closer. The ship shuddered as one hit. Nami stopped fighting.

"Hurry up!" she shrieked. "If you drop a single piece of my treasure, I'll drown you!"

"I'd be better off dropping you," Roan snarled, pushing himself as hard as he could. There was another cannon shot, another loud bang, another shudder through the whole boat. They reached the spot where Roan had climbed up and a quick glance over the side revealed Luffy already in the boat staring up at them with a tense expression. It relaxed as soon as he saw Roan.

"ROAN!"

Roan grinned. "Got a present for you, Captian!" he hollered back. "CATCH!"

And without hesitation he tossed Nami over the side.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Nami landed safely in Luffy's arms. Roan hauled her back of treasure onto his back and climbed onto the railing, taking only a moment to judge the distance before he jumped.

It was a painful landing. He couldn't roll with it, not with the treasure on his back and the small space available. That meant that even though he braced himself the landing jolted him down to his bones.

There wasn't time to falter. Roan dumped the treasure to the side, ignored Nami's indignant screech, and rushed to get them moving. He noted the unfamiliar face, pink hair and glasses, still lingering baby fat on a too thin face. The kid was good at following orders though and experienced. Between the two of them they managed to catch a good wind and Nami begrudgingly directed them to a current that would take them away from the confrontation behind them.

"Roronoa Zoro?"

"That's a gusty goal, Captain," Roan said, biting into an apple. "What're you going to do if he says no? Pester him into it like you did me?"

"It depends on if he's a good guy or not," Luffy said. "If he's a bad guy I don't want him on my crew."

Nami scoffed. "Then what're you doing with him on your crew?" she asked, pointing at Roan. "He's the worst of the wrost!"

Roan sneered at her.

Luffy frowned at them both. "Roan's a good person," he said firmly, crossing his arms.

"I told you he was an idiot," Roan muttered, taking another vicious bite of his apple.

Coby, the cabin boy Luffy rescued, looked confused. "Roan-san, do you not consider yourself a good person? Even though you saved Nami-san?"

"Saved me? He kidnapped me!"

"And next time I'll leave you to go down with the ship, so be grateful dollface, because I could've just dumped you and your treasure in the ocean – Arlong does pay so well for sabotage, after all."

Nami went white with rage.

"You son of a bitch – "

"My mother was a female but she wasn't a dog," Roan interrupted. He took another bite of his apple, ignoring Nami's rage. He flicked a glance at his captain. Luffy was still frowning at them. "So we're going to Shells Town?"

"Yep. I want to meet Zoro."

Roan finished off her apple and tossed the core over the side. "Good. We can grab the Grand Line chart Morgan's rumored to have while we're there."

"Not if I get there first," Nami said. She tossed her hair and smiled winningly. "You don't' stand a chance of beating me to that chart."

Roan rolled his eyes. "Or you could just join up with us," he suggested in what he thought was a reasonable tone. "We need a navigator and you're the best in East Blue."

Nami scoffed at him disdainfully. "I'm not working with pirates. Let alone you."

Roan decided not to comment on the hypocrisy in that statement. So long as she carried Arlong's mark Nami was a pirate. She could hate it all she wanted but willing or not that was the simple truth.

'What's wrong with pirates?" Luffy asked.

"Pirates killed someone close to me." Nami clenched her fists, staring at Luffy with defiance. "I'll never be a pirate!"

"Oh. I see."

"Well either way you're stuck with us until we reach Shells Town," Roan said. "That's, what, two days travel?"

"A day and a half at the slowest speed, Roan-san," Coby corrected. "If we continue at this speed we should reach Shells Town in half that time."

"And then we have to find Roronoa Zoro so Luffy can decide whether or not he's a good guy."

"He was arrested by the navy. That makes him a bad guy!"

That's dumb, Roan thought but didn't say. The marines weren't the epitome of good they portrayed themselves to be. Roan had heard things about Impel Down, the revolutionaries had told horror stories about the Buster Call. They turned blind eyes to the human shops on Sabaody and still preached about justice.

Sometimes Roan wondered why a man like Smoker worked for an organization like that.