CHAPTER 3
I'm sorry for the two hand errors in the last chapter (I swear there isn't any this time), I always forget he has one arm. I'm so embarrassed...
Man you guys give me really long reviews! I'm happy you guys care enough to write so much! Thanks lolz! AND HOLY CRAP OVER 120 FOLLOWS AFTER 2 CHAPTERS?! WHAT EVEN IS LIFE?!
Heh...Larry
DISCLAIMER
Things are going...alright for Luffy.
To get to Tellar Island he's had to hide out on two different merchant ships. The first has taken him to some random island that has a weird obsession with umbrellas, but the second is going to his destination.
The current merchant ship he's on sells fish, which makes it entirely annoying when Luffy gets smacked in the face by a flailing tail.
Luckily that only happened a few times when the ship hit some rough waters and the fish spilled out of the barrels. Luffy leans over and sniffs his shirt.
He hopes it doesn't smell too fishy.
But he's stuck on the ship (whereas he learned is named 'Red Snapper' from the conversations of the crew) until they dock at Tellar Island.
Until then, he has to put up with the smell.
Food wise Luffy is okay, he has eaten the bread pouch he has kept in his pocket. Unfortunately, he accidentally dropped all his money in the ocean when a massive wave hit the boat.
So that's a bummer.
Alice said on the directions that he needs to take a swig from each of the bottles and replace the bandages every night before he goes to sleep. Luffy can't say he's fond of that though, the medicine tastes like tree leaves! Blech!
Currently Luffy is napping under the tarp at the bow of the Red Snapper. It's been relatively calm seas for the last bit.
But Luffy still feels restless, the nap is hardly doing anything for his nerves. As soon as this ship docks he has a chance to talk to Ace. The people in Foosha are depending on him.
A sudden jolt of the boat makes Luffy fall off the bench he's been dozing on. He lands on the wooden deck with an audible thump.
'Ow!' He cringes and rubs his aching nose.
"Sorry boys! Didn't think the dock was that close!"
"Larry! What did we tell you about drinking on the job?"
"I HAVEN'T DRANK A SINGLE DROP OF ALCOHOL!"
While the merchants argue with Larry for the millionth time that day, Luffy adjusts his straw hat securely around his neck from where it was jostled in the fall.
"Shishishi don't want anything to happen to you out there! I'm lucky I got to keep you when we all got captured!" Luffy muses, patting his hat fondly.
Now that the voices are edging further and further away, he lifts up the front of the tarp. Luffy blinks his eyes at the harsh sunlight.
Once his eyes adjust he peaks outside. The first thing that comes into view is a grand sign that says in large letters: "WELCOME TO TELLAR ISLAND!"
Luffy's heart thuds in his chest and his hand starts to sweat in anticipation.
'This is it.' He thinks anxiously. Looking around further there are plenty of creaky old docks and boasting fishermen. But a large flag waving proudly in the air catches his eye.
"The Whitebeard Jolly Roger..." he mumbles, breathless. It is situated in what appears to be the centre of the town. The flag is the tallest thing in town, easily spotted to ward off any enemy pirates.
"Take these boxes to the Fox tavern. But please Larry, don't stop to drink too much." Luffy can see the crew talking at the corner of his vision.
"I DONT EVEN LIKE ALCOHOL!" Everyone sighs in unison. Luffy can see two of the other merchants leading a flustered Larry away.
"Don't lie to yourself Larry. We'll go with you to keep you away from temptation." One of them smacks Larry's back making him fumble to keep ahold of the heavy crates.
Luffy listens to Larry mumble curses and soon they are out of sight. He looks over to the three crew members remaining, happy to see them distracted.
Luffy waits a little longer for clearance then slinks out of the tarp and onto the dock. He immediately jogs into the crowd and blends in with the rivers of people.
This town is much nicer than the last two he visited; it is vibrant with different arrays of colourful flowers, the economy is clearly prosperous with their plentiful population and there isn't a hint of a frown anywhere. It's a great place, one where everyone wants to be.
But this isn't where Luffy wants to be. He wants to be with the Whitebeard Pirates. With Ace.
He looks around the docks for any pirate ships. Luffy remembers Alice saying that only pirates who have the okay from Whitebeard are allowed on the island.
So Luffy walks along the port until he sees a large brown pirate ship. Despite the pirates' alliance with Whitebeard, people are still shying away from the men.
Luffy looks up to the flag waving from their crow's nest. The Jolly Roger has an image of a skull with long claws coming out of the sides.
He smiles in triumph and immediately approaches the massive ship. He silently marvels the vessel and has a strange urge to sit on the tiger figurehead.
The pirate crew is coming on and off of the ship, carrying loads of supplies in wooden barrels onto the deck. The only real pirate ship Luffy's seen before this was Shanks's. Even Bluejam didn't have his own ship.
The whole crew looks similar to Bluejam's, but this one has to be better, they're friends with Ace!
While Luffy is standing still conversing with himself, the pirates have to veer to avoid him while they carry their large loads.
"Damn brat."
"Beat it kid you're in the way!" The pirates mutter curses and insults under their breaths.
Ignoring them, Luffy looks around for someone who seems important. That's when his eyes land on a tall man with the scruffiest black beard he's ever seen.
He walks to the pirate's side but is not noticed because of the particularity heavy crate the man is carrying.
"Oi, oi." Luffy bugs, tugging on the pirate's sleeve.
The man's face is beat red from the weight and Luffy's pestering isn't helping.
"Not now kid! I'm busy!" He yells in Luffy's face. But Luffy is undeterred.
"Where's your captain?" He asks, persistent. The pirate pushes past Luffy and snorts.
"Don't provoke pirates kid!" He shouts. "Go back to your mommy and bother someone else." Then he walks away to his ship.
Luffy grumbles and puffs his cheeks out in annoyance. He's being called a kid a lot lately.
He turns his attention instead to a pirate with large claws and a large hat. The claw-man waves his hands in dramatic gestures, gathering the attention of the crew. They all crowd around him eagerly and eat up every word he says.
"Now my crew, get back to work!" He says in a deep scratchy voice. The crew salutes.
"Aye aye sir!" They all chant, then split up to their respectful tasks.
The man and a few other strong looking crew members remain behind. They start talking loudly and non caring.
"We'll be all stocked up with this haul." The burly one says, arms crossed.
"Good, I'm expecting rough seas. Last thing we need is to run into marines without any cannons." Says the claw-hand one. The sneer never seems to leave his face.
"You're so strong captain, you could beat them without any cannons!" Says a skinny one at the captain's side. Luffy's ears perk up.
"You got that right! I could take them all down with only my pinky finger! Bwahaha- eh what?" The captain's laughter is cut short as Luffy jumps in front of him.
"Who-Whadda you want brat?" The captain asks. He's a little mad he was caught off guard. Luffy stands on his tippy toes to get as close to his face as possible.
"You're the captain right? Do you know the Whitebeard pirates?" He asks eagerly. The captain suddenly looks smug, happy to see someone marvel at him. He flexes his large claws so that they gleam in the sunlight.
"That's right kid," he boasts. "I talked to the yonko Whitebeard himself. The man bows down to my strength every time he sees me!" Luffy's smile widens and his eyes light up.
"That's great! Do you know Ace too?!"
"Fire Fist Ace? Hmm, I've heard that he is one of the commanders, but I don't know him personally." Luffy deflates a little, but it is brief.
"If you know Whitebeard you can call him right? I need to talk to Ace right away!" What Luffy isn't expecting is laughter, but that's what's happening, right in his face.
The captain and his cronies can barely contain themselves. They're clutching their stomachs, fighting for breath. The captain wipes a stray tear from his eye with a large claw.
"It's cute you're a fan and all, but you shouldn't mess around in pirate business. We don't stand for jokes."
"It's not a joke! This is an emergency! Ace is my broth-" But they're all laughing in his face again, not hearing a word he says.
"Dream on kid." And they walk away to set sail.
Luffy is left standing alone. He's shocked and worried. How can Ace have nakama like these?!
Not knowing what to do, Luffy walks numbly into town.
He finds himself walking into a quaint restaurant. The atmosphere is quite nice even though Luffy is gloomy. But he can't help it, the whole time there's been one question ringing in his head.
How is he supposed to find Ace now?
Luffy plops down in a booth and a waiter immediately comes to serve him.
"Welcome to our tavern! What would you like to order?" This man is cheerful with a definite spring in his step.
"Um..." Luffy scans the menu halfheartedly. "Just get me some meat." He pushes the menu back at the waiter.
"Are you okay? You're looking a little glum." Luffy just shrugs. The waiter's smile falters for a moment but he brings it back with twice as much force.
"Don't be down, I don't like that frown!
It's a good day, whadda ya say?
The flowers all bloom, and there's still some room,
For a smile too, just for you!" He finishes reciting the poem and Luffy stares wide eyed. The waiter clears his throat awkwardly.
"How do you like it? I've been working on it for awhile." Luffy's open expression melts into a soft smile.
"I love it! Thank you!" His signature grin stretches across his face. The waiter lights up and bows.
"Well that's a good sight to see, a frown just doesn't seem right for your face." He scribbles down Luffy's order in his notepad.
"I'll be right back with your...meat I guess." The man walks away and Luffy rests his chin on the table.
He was going to dine and dash, but changes his mind. Luffy doesn't want to steal from these people, they seem nice. But he doesn't have enough money...
A few minutes later when Luffy sees his waiter pass by he waves him over.
"What's up kid?" He asks when he arrives. Luffy clenches his hand and has a determined expression.
"I don't have enough money to pay for my meal," he admits." but if you'd let me, I'd like to sing in exchange for my meat." The owner looks taken aback, not expecting this.
But he ponders hard about it, rubbing his chin in thought.
"I completely understand if you want to kick me out of your restaurant." Luffy says, looking down. But the man is shaking his head.
"No, I'm not going to do that. You're in luck kid, I'm the owner of this restaurant! I'll give you a shot, as long as you give us a good show." Luffy grins.
"Thank you! I'm Luffy! What's your name?" He asks, extending his hand. The owner grabs it firmly and shakes it vigorously.
"The name's Tim Jon Bin! But you can call me Tim!" The energy radiating off of this guy is almost on par with a hyper Luffy.
"Now," Tim continues. "We don't have a stage here because we don't book performers, but you can stand on the bar over there." He points to a stained wood bar at the front of the restaurant.
"Thanks!" Luffy grins and jumps up on the bar, immediately grabbing the attention of everyone in the restaurant.
Luffy places his straw hat delicately in front of him for tips and thinks of a song to sing.
'Hmm this place is pretty upbeat so I think I'll do binks sake!' He starts singing out loud and lets his voice do the job while he wonders about his situation.
Based on the jerks he met by the docks, Luffy doesn't think he'll get anymore help from pirates. They all think he's some little kid playing around.
Finding Whitebeard in person is like finding a fish in the middle of a forest; almost impossible. What he needs is to get their direct attention.
But how can he do that?
Luffy finishes his song and the restaurant is silent. Someone drops a coin which is painfully loud in the quiet room.
He stands there embarrassed, thinking he did a horrible job. But suddenly someone stands up and claps.
Luffy looks on in surprise as the clapping is slow at first, but gradually speeds up as more people join in. Eventually the whole restaurant is on their feet giving him a standing ovation.
Luffy smiles in awe and bows to the audience. One by one the people come forward to place belis in his hat.
Once again he bows to them and jumps off of the bar. He immediately pockets the money and hangs his hat across his neck.
"C'mere kid." Tim beckons him over to the other side of the bar, holding a large steaming steak in his left hand.
Luffy practically skips over to the seat with drool coming from his mouth. He doesn't waste another second attacking the steak, but remembers the hurting in his stomach from before so Luffy paces himself a little.
"Your voice is amazing bud! You deserve that meal for sure!" Tim exclaims. Luffy just mumbles his thanks, not really caring, with food stuffed in his mouth.
He moves his fork to stab another piece but the plate tilts a little at the impact. Luffy scowls a little as some of the food rolls off the plate and onto the bar.
"Why don't you hold the plate with your other hand? You'll have an easier time eating." Tim suggests, grabbing a rag and cleaning off the surface.
Luffy silently puts his fork down and pulls his cloak away to expose his stump. As Tim's eyes widen, Luffy hides it again with a wink and then he's back to eating his heart out.
Tim blinks, baffled, but he soon starts laughing in amazement.
"You're so full of surprises kid. You can come in my restaurant anytime Luffy." He says warmly. Luffy gulps down the last of his steak and pushes the spotless plate towards Tim.
"Thanks for the meal!" He says with a grin. Then he's leaving the restaurant, waving goodbye all the while.
Luffy walks out to a beautiful sunset reflecting dramatically against the water, taking all his breath away.
Or it should have. All it does is remind him of the flames back in Foosha Village. He doesn't linger and turns away into the shadowy forest.
Luffy walks about the damp vegetation, leaves and branches crunching underfoot. He turns his head side to side, gazing at the massive trees around him.
"This one looks good!" Luffy says to himself. He is standing under a large oak tree. The branches are jutting out the sides at all angles. The soft leaves are fluttering in the evening breeze.
He moves to climb the tree, and hops up on the first few branches. Grabbing one with his hand, he swings upward to grab the next with his...other hand.
"Crap!" Luffy swings his arm and catches the branch just in time to prevent a very long fall.
'Ive got to get used to having one arm.' He tells himself sternly. Adapting, Luffy climbs the rest of the way with practiced ease.
'This looks like a good spot!' Luffy hops up on a thick branch. He sinks to a seating position and relaxes his back against the truck.
'Aw man,' he groans. 'Ive got to drink that gross stuff.' Luffy unlatches the bag he keeps attached to his shorts.
He sighs as he pulls out the five bottles. Luffy flips open the first cap and braces himself for the bitter taste. When only a single drop lands on his tongue he closes his mouth and grunts in confusion.
"What the..." Luffy flips the small bottle upside down and shakes it, but nothing comes out. He checks each of the others and notices that two more are also empty.
'Well I was travelling for awhile wasn't I? Alice didn't give me much to start with either...' Luffy says mentally. She was probably trying to avoid suspicion from her boss.
Luffy pulls out the list she gave him and scrutinizes the names printed on it.
"Sc-sland-yerzitz?" He struggles to read. Eventually Luffy gives up and stuffs them all back in his bag. He sighs and leans back. Maybe he can cut back on some of them, he couldn't possibly need 'all' of these things. Luffy nods decisively, he doesn't need all that icky medicine anymore!
The sun is down now, and he can see the first hint of stars appearing in the sky. The breeze is soothing, but Luffy can't fall asleep. He can't stop thinking about the issue at hand.
Ace. He needs to figure out how to talk to him or his crew. Giving up is the last thing Luffy wants to do right now.
But like it or not Luffy needs to think hard on this. Why would a big shot like Whitebeard come to a small island like this in the 'West Blue?'
"If I was a pirate, why would I want to come back..." Luffy mumbles to himself.
Then an idea shoots through his head. If Whitebeard is protecting this island, that means if it is threatened then he will come and take care of it.
Luffy feels bad because this is Ace's crew, but the situation is too dire to go easy. So how can he cause havoc? Hurting or killing people is out of the question.
Not coming up with anything, Luffy tilts his head back to hit the trunk. He closes his eyes and slows his breathing.
'Damn, what do I do?' He thinks exasperatedly. Luffy sighs loudly and lolls his head to the side. In the distance he can still see the Jolly Roger waving proudly in the air.
"Their flag..." Luffy whispers. He can wreck their flag, the one thing showing their claim over the island.
'But will that be enough?' If he did it once, it wouldn't be a number one priority to them. Plus, time is running out, he needs them to come straight to him.
Luffy's head turns red and steamy from thinking so hard. He presses his index finger to his head and forces himself to continue.
'Destroying one flag isn't a big deal, but if I ruin a bunch of them they'll need to come find me.' He resolves. 'I need to go down to their protected islands one by one so that they notice me.' A cricket chirps somewhere and Luffy frowns.
A Jolly Roger is a pirate's pride, and that would be enough to make him come into the Blues.
Not wasting another minute, Luffy pulls his hood over his face and hops down the tree branch for branch. As soon as his feet touch the ground he shoots off towards the city.
Luffy slinks down an alleyway and peers around the empty street. Taking advantage of the darkness, Luffy steps out and walks to the square to put his plan into action. He only hopes Ace will forgive him.
The pole seems taller from up close. Luffy has to crane his head backwards to get a good look at the Jolly Roger.
He turns his head to the port not too far away. There are still some ships coming to and fro on late night trips.
"Hurry up and load it up boys. We've taken too long to do this shipment." One of the men says with his hands placed sternly on his hips. He nods over to a crew member dragging a wagon onto the ship.
"Especially you Larry. You're new on this ship and I heard you had a certain drinking problem."
"I'VE HAD NOTHING OF THE SORT!" But another man just ushers him away, patting his back. Luffy redirects his sight to the flag waving on their ship.
'Another Whitebeard mark. They must be protected too.' He smirks. 'Found my escape route. Gotta make this fast though, they're leaving.'
Luffy scans the ground for something to throw at the flag. The dark makes it hard to see, but he manages to gather lots of sharp rocks.
He shuffles them around in his hand then pinches one in between his finger and thumb.
'Its now or never.' Luffy brings his arm back and launches it towards the flag. To his dismay, it misses by a wide berth. He blinks in surprise, then scowls.
Luffy flings another rock and this one grazes the tip of the fabric. He continues to fling them with better and better aim.
The flag looks completely disheveled when the amo runs out. Only bits and pieces of fabric remain attached to the pole. But the mark is definitely indistinguishable.
"Oi!"
The sudden shout startles Luffy and he jumps.
"What are you doing?" Luffy can see the man now as he steps out of his home. Several more curious faces peek from behind curtains and out their doors to see what the commotion is about.
"You destroyed the flag!" Someone else shouts. Most people turn to look at the remainder of the Jolly Roger and gape.
"You bastard!"
"Who the hell do you think you are?!"
"Let's get him!" They all start to advance and Luffy doubles back towards the inner city.
He runs around the streets in a large circle, escaping the pursuing villagers. The only sound is sandals clacking against the pavement as Luffy sprints down to the docks.
Taking a huge running leap, he springs onto the merchant boat and hides behind a stack of crates.
"What...?" Luffy holds his breath as the crew walks around the deck.
"The waves are pretty rough today." He comments after a couple seconds. The crew mumbles their agreements as they drift further and further away.
Luffy peeks through the boxes back at the shore. The villagers are swarming the port, yelling and searching for him.
He chuckles mischievously and hides again. Getting as comfortable as he can be, Luffy curls up and falls fast asleep.
Line here
It's been a quiet night for Marco.
The whole Whitebeard crew had decided to hit the hay early after their drinking party. On the other hand, Marco has been filling out paperwork for the last several hours.
He rubs his eyes and forehead tiredly. Paperwork is the worst. At least no one has barged into his office yet, it must be a new record.
A sudden ring of his Den Den Mushi makes Marco's brain jolt awake. With a heavy sigh he pushes the papers out of the way and answers with a ka-chinc.
At that moment the door creaks open and Ace wanders in with his hands in his pockets.
"Hey Marco, Thatch-" Marco cuts him off with a finger to his lips and Ace shuts his mouth.
"Is this first division commander?" The voice on the end asks.
"Marco, and yes I am. Who is this?"
"I'm the mayor from Tellar Island in the West Blue." Marco recognizes it as one of their protected islands. "Someone shot down your flag with rocks." Marco's mouth dips in a frown. Ace's eyes widen and he steps closer.
"Do you have any idea who did it-yoi?"
"Don't know, he or she was wearing a cloak with a hood."
"Are there any pirates there? Can you go tell them to find this guy?" Marco asks, sitting up.
"Im sorry I can't," the mayor says. "The pirates just left along with most of the merchant ships." Marco sighs and rubs his aching head again.
"Just put up the spare. It's probably just some kid pulling a dumb prank."
"Well he was quite short, so I guess so." The mayor relents.
"Call me up if he decides to show his face again."
"Alright. Good bye." The line goes off and Ace whistles.
"Kids are so troublesome these days." He says, shaking his head. Marco stares at Ace for a few moments then snorts.
"Right, only kids are troublesome."
"Why do I feel like you're somehow talking about me?"
This chapter is shorter than the others, but this one is the smallest there's gonna be.
Well, when I went to school bracing myself for the onslaught of homework guess how much I got?
Nothing. I missed nothing. Literally, the only thing I had to do different was complete my science lab in one night instead of a week. BUT IT DIDN'T EVEN COUNT.
REPLY'S TO REVIEWERS:
Lunaxel: Florida was fun, thank you very much. I like angry Ace, it's fun mwahaha. Thank you for reading my story and I'm glad you enjoy it.
mutteringsandramblings: Thanks man! (woman?)
lostdog200: Yes, yes he will in time.
Guest (one that urges Ace to help Luffy): No problem, glad you like it!
Guest (One that really enjoys the story): *hides in shame* ugh two handssss, awesome you love the story tho, thanks!
Everlight18: Holy cow it's a novel (Just kidding)! As I was writing the though went through my mind of that any normal person would be passed out from blood loss, but, ya know, for the sake of the plot I made him toughen up lolz. I probably should get a beta, but meh, I get excited to post and don't wanna wait. As for the weapon, it's a bit complicated but he won't have something go-to like a sword or anything. And finally, he will not meet his crew in this story, sorry if you were looking forward to that. Thanks for reading and writing a long review.
kagome11: That's right! Ace and Marco made an appearance! Woot! Thanks for reading!
PsychopathOnaDiet: I'm honestly not sure what arm he lost, so let's just say it's his left (laughs sheepishly). That happy dance made me laugh, I'm glad the updates give you so much joy!
xx-AnimeGirlz-xx: Thanks a lot!
Cotton Candy Lover – Chopper: Aw shucks you're making me blush tee hee. Thanks for the review! I hope you liked this chapter!
tenebreyami: I WILL NEVAR ABANDON!
Alexzandria747: The mystery guy may or may not be a whitebeard pirate…tee hee. I will always continue writing foevaaaaaaaaaa. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!
Greendrkness: Hehehe… *slowly backs away*
Guest (one that notices my blunder about two hands): I knowwwwwww…sigh
EnixFairy: Lolz I think everyone is excited for Ace's reaction (I am also one of those people) and hey, I'm surprised how early I updated so I hope you like it!
q. feuille7: I'm sorry but Sabo isn't going to be making an appearance, at least I don't think so. But I might add him in somewhere.
xXxWolvesInTheNightXx: Me too m'friend.
MikuTowaka: Well I'm glad you stopped to read this and here is yo update!
Aqua468: THANK YOU.
Trickster Madness: Saaaaaaaaame.
Guest (One that liked it very much): MWAHAHA early update! Singer guy is a mystery for now…
Lightningblade49: And you are right, it isn't going to be easy (I made sure of that). He is indeed handicapped seems a little different from other stories, no?
MissSexyRain: It's going to take a bit to reach Ace sadly, but thanks for the nice review!
Next time: Buggy the clowns and Marco frowns.
~After soccer playoffs