A Cat's Instinct
Chapter 15: Tried Bravery
((A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't posted in months, and I'm almost sure that you guys have given up on this fic… but I have found a new inspiration to write this fic, and I am eager to write the third part of my Kuro Neko Trilogy. Also, college has taken over my life, and I had a short hiatus from One Piece… but I'm back now, I promise… and I'll steadily be updating again. ^^ ))
The group looked it over. Whatever it was had fallen over after they chased it.
Keiko looked around at the group,
"Quick; Someone gimme a stick so I can poke it!" She said, as James handed her a small twig he had found nearby.
Getting a mischievous grin across her face, she gripped it tightly, and sharply prodded the bushy, green plant.
"I haven't had this much fun in a while." She said, doing it even sharper the second time.
"Hey, cut it out already! Don't you know respect for a god when you see one?!" the shrub demanded as a man's face appeared through the mess of leaves, twigs and surprisingly green hair.
"Who cares? 'Sides, you're no deity," Keiko challenged, "and Mocha can prove it!"
Her cat, who had been snuggled in her shirt for warmth, appeared at the sound of its name and gave a fearless hiss.
Usopp hid behind James unknowingly. James, feeling Usopp's hands on his back, turned around, pushing him away roughly.
"Get off me!" He growled harshly.
"Hey, help me up! Help me up, I said!" the shrug-man commanded.
"I-it's a person…" Nami stammered as she moved closer to James, "he tripped himself and now he's acting indignant."
James snickered slightly, putting an arm over her delicate shoulders.
"Well, we might as well help him up. He's no threat to us, now." Keiko said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Luffy and Usopp both kneeled down to help the struggling shrubbery up onto his feet.
Once he was right side up, he looked around with a sneer.
"I'll forgive you today…" he muttered as he took off at full speed once again.
James was about to make a move, but Luffy already had a good handle on him. Unfortunately, in the process off pulling him back, it seemed to backfire, launching both of them off a cliff.
"Luffy!!" The four remaining crewmembers shouted in absolute horror.
They ran as quickly as they could, knowing full well that there was only water at the bottom of the cliff.
As they reluctantly peered over the cliff's face, not knowing what they'd see, Luffy, almost unsurprisingly, passed by them, flying into the air, still clutching to the man-shrub.
They made a crash landing directly onto their heads.
Luffy, of course, was fine, being the resilient person that he was.
"Wow, I'm surprised 'Bush-man', over here, is still kicking after that fall." James observed, as he looked up at the sky "It's probably that head of hair that protected him from the impact…"
Keiko shrugged, practically uncaring. Nami, however, had already gone to dampen a cloth and get a bandage to tend to whatever cuts and bruises the poor man had received.
"Right! That'll be fine now." She said gently, as she placed the bandage on the man's forehead and stepped back.
The strange animals had all gathered around their leader once he and Luffy had safely landed, and were licking the man's face, as if to display their concern.
Usopp, Nami, Luffy, James and Keiko all sat down in a small circle, watching the curious scene.
"You're pretty popular, 'god'." Luffy said.
"Until now, you were using them to scare away those who came to the island, right?" Usopp asked, with his usual, nosy curiosity.
"But this is the first time I've seen a man who lives in a box." Luffy added.
The "god" just watched, his large hands curled over the edge of his box, keeping an eye on them.
"I can't get out of this box!" the man yelled, sweat lining his brow, "I have lived, stuck in this box, for twenty years already, all alone."
Everyone's' eyes widened,
"Twenty years?!" Nami gasped.
"I-Is that even possible?" James yelped.
Usopp, meanwhile, went into his "purse" (as James became fond of calling it) and pulled out a thermos. Pouring some of the steaming contents into the cap and taking a sip.
The rest of the crew looked at him, wondering about the poor timing.
"A pink thermos; really, Usopp?" James thought to himself as he rolled his eyes, "Of course it's pink…"
After taking another sip, Usopp turned his attention back to the self-proclaimed deity.
"So, you've been on this island alone for twenty years?" he asked.
"That's what he just said…" James muttered irritably, but no one seemed to hear him.
The man looked down and closed his eyes.
"Look at how my hair and beard have grown. Even my eyebrows have joined together." He said, giving a defeated explanation, "And its been twenty years since I've spoken to people. Do you understand my position?"
"Why, idiot?" Luffy asked.
The man's eyes grew wide with hysterics,
"What do you mean by idiot?!" He growled.
Before he had the chance to answer, footsteps and a loud yawn were heard coming towards them.
"What the? You were all over here?" he asked, scratching the back of his head groggily, his eyes closed.
"Zoro, darling! You're awake!" Keiko squealed, grabbing the cap from Usopp's hand and giving it to him.
((A/N: From this moment on, I will be referring to "Zolo" as "Zoro" as he properly should be called…just wanted to tell you that… sorry for the interruption))
Zoro took it with a tired smirk of thanks and took a seat on a rock next to her.
He took another sip and opened his eyes. The first thing he spotted was the shrub-man, and utterly startled, he gave a yelp and fell backward.
"What's with this guy?" he asked, looking horrified, the pink cap still in his hand.
"You didn't notice sooner?" Nami asked.
James had to stifle his laughter at the situation, but he glanced over at Keiko, who was giving him a glare that clearly said: say anything and you're dead…
"He's a human that lives in a box." Luffy stated, pointing his thumb towards the strange man.
Before the man could say anything, Luffy had leapt up, and grabbed the top part of the man's jaw and started yanking.
"Zoro, lend me a hand!" Luffy called as he continued tugging at the man-shrub's head.
"Ow! Ow! What are you doing?" The man demanded angrily as Zoro also began tugging at the man's head, "Stop it! My neck will break!"
James then burst out laughing; he just couldn't help it, as he watched the ridiculous sight.
Luffy and Zoro finally stopped, both of them wiping their, now sweating, heads.
"It's true. You can't come out." Luffy said.
"Don't be reckless!" The man barked, "After years inside this box, my body has fit into this treasure box perfectly. If you break the box, my body will be done for too!!"
The man took several deep breaths, calming himself down.
"But who are you guys?" he asked, "There's something different compared to the pirates that came previously."
Luffy collapsed down on a stump in front of the man.
"I'm Luffy." He said cheerfully, "The man who will become the pirate kind!"
"Wh-what?!" the man asked, looking utterly startled.
"I'm going to become the pirate kind and get One Piece!" Luffy repeated with his usual enthusiasm.
"One pice, you say? You're not really planning to go to the Grand Line, are you?" the man asked.
James noticed that the man was gripping the sides of his box so tightly that his brown knuckles were beginning to turn white.
"We even have a map to the Grand Line." Luffy said, showing him.
The man leaned forward as much as he could.
"Don't underestimate it! That place is the hell's coffin. I've seen pirates that escaped from the Grand Line." He said, "they were spiritless, like the undead. Whether something horrible happened to them, or whether they met terrible monsters; not one person was able to say anything."
Everyone listened intently; their bravery slowly being tried and dared by the man's foreboding warnings.
"Beyond that, there are so many rumors about One Piece, that no one knows the truth anymore." The man continued, "The great pirate era has already lasted twenty years. One piece is no longer a mere legend, but a dream in a dream."
James shuddered at the very thought.
"No wonder my father no longer wanted to be a pirate… that's ridiculous…" he thought, staring off into space.
Keiko had moved in closer to Zoro as she listened.
"Why don't you show him the map, Luffy?" she suggested, trying to break the dark mood that had settled over everyone like a cloud.
"Yeah… good idea." James agreed.
Luffy unrolled the map, spreading it out. The shrub looked up as much as he could, considering that the box limited him.
"And where is the Grand Line?" he asked, inquisitively.
"Who knows…Don't you?" Luffy asked.
"I don't understand maps at all." The man replied gruffly.
"We're both the same, then." Luffy said, amused, as both of them burst out laughing.
Nami then stood up, shaking her head at their ignorance.
"Is this how pirates talk amongst themselves?" she asked, "Anyway, if we get to the Grand Line, we will get as much as possible then get away as soon as possible."
"I'm sure we'll find the One Piece. I have good luck." Luffy said, optimistically.
Nami crossed her hands skeptically over her chest.
"Where do you get so much confidence from?" she wondered.
"I'll find it and show it to you." Luffy replied cheerfully.
Nami put her face in her hands.
"I give up." She said, exasperated.
Luffy just chuckled proudly.
"You do resemble…" they heard the man say.
All the crewmembers turned their attentions back to him.
"Your face resembles mine…like a twin." He said.
The pirates looked from Luffy to the shrub.
"Where's the resemblance?" James asked, now feeling utterly lost.
"I knew it!" the man said, his palms towards the sky, "that one day our dreams would come true. We were always that way since the beginning."
"We?" Luffy asked, going closer to the man.
James stood, pulling Nami away from him.
"He must be nuts…" he whispered to her.
The man just continued rambling on, as if they weren't there.
"In order to find treasure, losing your life doesn't matter. It was that passion that changed my life."
"Wa-wait, what are you talking about?" Nami asked, as James put a protective arm around her.
"It was twenty years ago." The man said, "I landed along with my companions on this island, as a pirate. We came to find the treasure that lay here. Two-hundred of us had searched for a month, but was all in vain. The only thing on the island was one empty box. 'Gaimon, we're leaving!' they called, but I stared up to the top of a high cliff, wondering if anyone had searched on the top of it. I went to check it out one last time, and once I had reached the top, I couldn't believe it. I had found the treasure!! I called to them as loud as I could, but a rock slipped from my grip and I fell off the cliff, lodging myself in this box. By the time I had managed to get to the shore, I saw the boat drifting towards the sea. My comrades had already left. They had left me behind… however, that meant the treasure was all mine. I tried all I could, but I couldn't climb the cliff's face while in the box. For all the years I've been here, that one glance at the treasure hasn't left my mind. So when pirates come to this island in search of treasure, I use these guys and scare them away. In this manner for twenty years, I have guarded the treasure. They are mine!!"
Luffy nodded, his hands on his thighs as he sat.
"There's no doubt about it. They're yours." He said.
"I understand, Gaimon." Nami said, "I'll help you get those treasures."
She stood up, her eyes burning with determination.
"Really?" Gaimon asked.
She and Luffy nodded.
Usopp looked at her, unconvinced.
"Really?" he asked.
"You're a thief of pirates, aren't you?" Luffy asked.
"Hey, there's no need to be rude!!" James growled protectively, "She's got a good heart!"
Gaimon stared at her in absolute awe, and after a while, he whistled, and a huge creature came trudging out of the foliage.
"Alright, get on." He said.
After they all climbed onto the creature's back, they headed towards the cliff. It was large, with an extremely steep edge. They all stared up at the top.
"Here, huh?" Luffy asked, adjusting his hat.
"I haven't been here in a long time…" Gaimon said seriously, "Finally the time's come. Today's a good day! I'm counting on you, Straw-Hat!"
Luffy pushed his sleeves up and extended his arm to reach the top of the cliff.
Gaimon's eyes sparkled with excitement as Luffy launched himself onto the top of the cliff within seconds.
"Alright!" Usopp said as Luffy disappeared over the rocky edge.
Luffy didn't appear for a few seconds, leaving everyone else below full of tension.
"How is it? Do you see it?" Gaimon asked, full of obvious anxiety.
When Luffy didn't respond, everyone began to worry, their thoughts wandering.
"What is he doing?" Zoro asked, as everyone strained to get a better look…hoping for any glance of their Captain.
"Luffy?" Nami called, cupping her hands around her mouth, "What's happening?"
Luffy them emerged, carrying a large, worn treasure box.
"I've got it! Five treasure boxes." He called.
"Go-got it!" Gaimon said, his face wide with a grin, "Finally, I've got the treasure! Treasure! Can you bring them down? My treasure? Hurry, hurry!"
Luffy then gave him the answer that no one expected.
"No!!"
"What?!" Gaimon fumed.
"I said no. I don't want to give them to you." Luffy answered cheekily.
"What are you saying? Stop kidding around!" Nami barked.
"Yeah, those treasures are Gaimon's!" James yelled, "Hand them all over!"
"You, stop this nonsense!" Nami yelled, clenching her hands into fists.
"It's okay." Zoro said, a corner of his mouth turned slightly upward.
Gaimon looked at the ground, filled with disappointment and realization.
"It's okay…" he said, his voice and excitement broken.
Nami looked over at him, unable to believe what the man had said.
"It's not okay!" she argued.
"That's right!" James and Usopp both said in unison.
James, after hearing this gave Usopp a cat-like growl, making him cringe slightly.
"You've guarded that treasure for twenty years!" he said, going quickly back to Gaimon's problem.
Gaimon seemed not to hear their words.
"Straw-hat…you're…you're a really nice guy!" he said, his voice still breaking and his eyes filling with tears.
"What do you mean?" Keiko asked.
"I thought of it before… that maybe… even though it's unbearable to think it… there's nothing inside, is there?"
The crew, with the exception of Zoro and Luffy were shocked. They watched as Luffy sat down at the cliff's edge, looking disappointed.
"Yeah. They're all empty." He said.
"No way… the treasures you've guarded for twenty years… are only empty boxes…" Nami said, sounding heartbroken for the man.
"It's something that often happens with treasures." Gaimon cried as he sobbed into his hands, "You sometimes reach them after the treasures have been taken. So… searching for treasure is a trial for pirates; wasting a lifetime, sacrificing your own life, only to get nothing at the end. There are many pirates like that."
James looked down, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.
"Yeah…like my father…" he mumbled inaudibly.
Luffy, out of nowhere, started laughing.
"Don't be so sad! Good thing we got here in the twentieth year. If no one came in another thirty years, you could have wound up dead!" He said.
Gaimon looked up at Luffy with glassy eyes.
"Straw hat…"
"You just got sidetracked by this. Now all that's left is One Piece." Luffy continued, "Become a pirate with us once more!"
"You…you're inviting me?" Gaimon asked, his eyes streaming with more tears, "Till now there was no one who would talk to me after seeing my condition. I don't know how long its been since I've trusted someone. Thank you!"
After Luffy came down from the cliff, they headed back to the shore and the sun was just starting to set, making the sky dance with ribbons of purple, pink, yellow and red.
"We better get going." Zoro said, "If we're gonna get anywhere."
"Yeah, listen to Zoro." Keiko agreed, clinging to his arm, as usual.
They were about to board the ship, when they noticed Gaimon was hesitating.
"Aren't you coming?" Luffy asked.
"Nah… I think I'm gonna stay on the island." He said.
"Are you sure?" Luffy asked, once again.
"Yeah, Straw-hat." Gaimon replied, "Even if there are no treasures, there are other things for me to protect."
"Things to protect?" Usopp asked, confused.
The animals then appeared from the forest, crowding around Gaimon like forest guardians.
"I have lived with these guys for twenty years, though hard and happy times. I can't just leave them." He said, beaming.
The animals then made their own respective noises, praising and rejoicing the stay of their king.
"Knowing there's no treasure, I feel free for the first time." He said, "From now, I'd like to live my life the way I want. In reality, I've begun to enjoy living in a box."
"Too bad you're not coming with us… you're so interesting!" Luffy said.
"The strange creatures are your true companions, huh?" Zoro asked, amused.
"Though Gaimon is probably the strangest." Keiko said, "He's also a real chatterbox."
"What did you say?!" Gaimon yelled.
Everyone just laughed, boarding the ship one by one.
"See you! Take care!" the crew called as they began drifting away from the island and their new friend.
Gaimon just waved, mouthing words that none of them could hear… but soon he was out of sight, and along with him went the island. It became only a large cluster of green.
"So, now where are we off to?" Keiko asked, stroking Mocha in her arms.
Luffy looked at her.
"I dunno… wherever the wind takes us, I guess!" he said, laughing.
((A/N: I hoped you liked it… I'll be writing regularly until the my Winter break is over, which will be in about 10 days… but that'll be enough for at least one more chapter, then I'll write when I can… but I promise you, I'm going to finish this story! XD ))