Uff, finally managed to finish this :) It took me two weeks but it's at least longer than previous chapters. So, please enjoy last chapter of this stupid story :) *bows*

By the way, I have this feeling that I made Smokey way too OOC -_-"


So, this is how it went. Since we don't know who the submarine belongs to, we agreed on staying in this small room for the whole time until it arrives to its destination. And we have to get on quite well since arguing or fighting would probably attract attention. Which is almost impossible with this brat – he keeps complaining about how hungry he is and that he always gets tired when hungry and he even uses this as an excuse for making my shoulder his pillow!

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„Smokey~~~"

„Hnn?"

„I'm hungry."

„So what?"

„Can I go out and find something to eat?"

„No."

„But -"

„Shut up, brat. First of all, it's your fucking fault we're here now, so quit whining." Smoker put new cigars into his mouth and lit them. Luffy kept staring at him with a pout. Smoker was returning it with a gaze of his own. Then Luffy changed to puppy eyes; Smoker's face twitched and he rolled his eyes.

„Geez. Do whatever you want."

„Yaay! Smokey is the best after all!"

„But don't you dare to drag me with you if something happens, got it, brat?" Luffy made one serious face and saluted with exactness of good behaved soldier.

„Yes, sir!" and with laughing made his way to the door.

When he was gone, Smoker let out a sigh. „Such an idiot. I hope, he at least find a way back." He was quietly sitting there when realization of what he said came to him.

‚What the hell, that sounded like I wanted him here safe and sound. Maybe is that damn idiocy of his infectious. Or maybe it's because of being locked here that my thoughts are like this. It will be probably better not to think at all. Why the hell did he bothered to ask for my permission at all?' With this he put out his cigars, closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.

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He got awaken by poking to his side. He growled and turned but poking was still there. He snaped his eyes open to see Luffy beside himself. For a while Smoker had to think about why is he in the same room as that damned Mugiwara but remembered as the sleepiness retreated. Slowly he manged to sit up.

„So you're back already?"

„Aaa. First I wanted to let you sleep but then food began cooling down so I thought I should wake you up." Luffy pointed at a big tray with food and some water behind him and gave Smoker a smile of a little child waiting for a praise. Smoker was staring at it for a while but then accepted it with a sigh.

„Thanks."

He started eating whatever it was on the tray. For the whole time he was eating, Luffy was eyeing him and for some reason it was making him nervous. He was about to ask if something is wrong but Luffy spoke first:

„I don't want this trip to end." There was a hint of sadness in his voice, Smoker noticed. But the fact that the young pirate wants to stay here ...

„Are you sane? Don't you want to go and set sail with that crazy crew of yours again? Don't tell me you want to be locked here for the rest of your life."

„Of course I don't! It's just ... Smokey always tries to catch us and it's not fun. So it feels good to be like this with you. But once we're out of here, it'll be the same again. But I don't want to be Smokey's enemy." His face turned to a completely sad one and for the first time in his life Smoker didn't know what to say. What's more, to see Mugiwara with that kind of face ... could it be a pity what he felt right now? The feeling of wanting to hug him and comfort him? Or maybe ...

Smoker shook his head in attempt of clearing his mind. Not that it helped anyway. ‚I have to stop thinking like this.' He looked back at Luffy a felt that urge again. He tried to fight it for few moments but then gave in to it; hesitantly he wraped his arms around Luffy's slender frame and slowly began stroking his back.

„It's okay. You won't be my enemy," he whispered to his ear as if afraid of someone else hearing his words.

„B-but Smokey is a marine," Luffy protested in a low voice, clenched Smoker's jacket and buried his head in older man's well built chest.

„So what? I always pursued my own way of justice."

They fell in comfortable silence filled only with a sound of their calm breathing. Luffy put his arms around Smoker's neck and nuzzled his nose against his new found „friend's" hair. He breathed in the „I'm-always-here" cigarette smell and smiled to himself.

„Ne, why do you smoke all the time?"

„Why do you always smile like crazy?"

„I don't now."

„See, neither do I."

No answer but the grip around his neck tightened a little.

„It helps me concentrate. And maybe it's because of my Devil powers too."

„Sou ka. I smile 'cause it's better to look at world positively." As a prove to his words Luffy gave Smoker another of his trademark smile.

„You're such a kid. Why have you become a pirate anyway? It's known that you know nothing about geography. Didn't you have problems before finding your nakamas?" Luffy couldn't help but chuckle.

„Heh. It's nothing in compare to Zoro!"

„Even better. It had to be disaster since there were reports that he's your first mate." Luffy's cheerfulness was fast gone when he remembered how much of „fun" it was before Nami joined them – sailing the sea without knowing when they see land again, starving for days ...

„Well ... yeah," Luffy reluctantly admited with a slight blush of embarrassment and scratched the back of his head. „But it's fun to be pirate! You are as free as you alone want! You're not bound by any stupid rules and you can go wherever you want! If you saw all those isles we've been to! And we've met lots of good people too! Coby, Kaya, that crazy Chef, Nami's sister, Vivi, those two giants, that scary Baa-" For a split second his lips were sealed by others but then were free again. Luffy blinked few times in attempt of figuring what happened. He was confusedly staring directly into Smoker's grey eyes as if trying to find something in them.

„S-smokey ...?" Said marine flushed and evaded the gaze.

„You're blabbering damn way too much."

„..." The glare was still there.

„Looks like there are many pluses in being pirate." he just murmured.

Luffy's face cut into smile again. „You bet!" Once again he played a tick as he stuck to Smoker so that he almost choked.

Lucky him, he was saved as the submarine jolted for the second time that day and Luffy fell from him.

„Wh-what?"

„Calm down. They probably stopped just for taking some fresh air in."

Luffy was thinking for a while, at least that was how it looked fot Smoker. „Why would they do that?" Evidently he didn't think anything up. Smoker just sighed at a hopelessness of the younger man and stood up.

„I'm gonna check it. Stay here." Then he sublimed in to a cloud of smoke.

He was back in few minutes. Lufy was obediently sitting on the floor in traditional Japanese seat looking like a wife waiting for her husband to come home. Smoker just lifted a brow and passed it without a comment.

„We're at a land. Let's get out of here before it's too late." Luffy jumped up at this news and streched his limbs.

„Yosh."

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It was great to breathe fresh air again. The island they landed at didn't seem too big but they could see some other towns then the one they were right now in along the coast. In the center of island was situated a mountain, high enough for it to have a ice cap on its top. The foot of the mountain couldn't be seen for a thick forest which grew to the coast and ended at the landlocked side of towns. Obviously one of prehistoric isles, though this one was inhabited.

Smoker removed two cigars from his jacket and put them into his mouth. „Let's find some ship heading back to that island we came from. If possible, still today." This made Luffy notice that sun was already low above horizon and had nice orange-reddish colour.

„'Kay." Luffy secured his beloved hat, smiled widely and skipping followed his favourite Marine.

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They managed to get on one ship which was stopping on the destined isle. Lucky them, this ship was quite fast so they'd get back on the same day. The journey there passed mostly in silence, only interrupted few times by Luffy's complaining about lack of food or his very intelligent shouting like „Smokey, look at that cloud! Looks like big peace of meat!" Dear Smokey tried as much as he could but still couldn't make out of a mass of shapeless steam anything which would at least little resemble meat.

After about two and half hours on ship when the sun already set and stars were slowly appearing, one of crewman came to them.

„Sirs, we'll arrive to the port in about five minutes."

„Aa, thanks," Smoker muttered. „You heard him, Luffy, get up." He looked at the younger man just to see him fast asleep. „ Man, you really get tired when you're hungry," he smiled to himself. He picked him up bridal-style while thinking that those crewmen don't know him anyway and he won't probably see them again so what does it matter if he embarrass himself in front of them.

Once back on the shore, Smoker said his thanks to the captain of ship and went to search for Straw Hats' ship hoping that Tashigi wasn't successful in catching them.

To find their ship wasn't much difficult since the design of Thousand Sunny is ... well, let's say not very good for hiding. Even better, some lights were on so it meant Straw Hats were aboard.

Smoker made his ay up to the deck and went to doors which had lit room behind them. Not bothering with something like knocking he opened door to see Luffy's whole crew ... except Roronoa; for a while, Smoker wondered if he got lost again but then turned his attention to shocked crew.

„S-smoker?!" Sanji yelled, his cigarette falling out of his mouth.

„W-wh-what do you want here, smoke guy?" stammered Usopp out while being in one of his „very brave" pose.

„Why is Luffy with you?" stated Nami probably the most important thing.

„Ah, that's why I'm here," for a moment Smoker almost forgot why he came. He glanced around the room and came to conclusion this has to be dining room. „Is there some place I can lay him down to?"

Nami let out a relieved sigh that it lookd like the Marine officer didn't come to pick a fight and got up. „Come with me." She led Smoker inside the ship to the room which obviously served as a bedroom, from the number of beds not only to their captain but to others crewmates too. Nami pointed at one of beds and Smoker put him down on it. He took off boy's straw hat, situated it on a bedside table and covered him with blankets. For the last time he looked at Luffy's peaceful face and couldn't help but smile. He ruffled pirate's hair and took his leave.

„Take good care of him," he passed Nami, waved his hand and sublimed in to smoke.


So, that's all. Thanks to everyone who read this figment of degenerate mind xD I hope it makes sense. Thanks to my sister's whining that she wants to sleep, I didn't have time to read it so please if there are some big mistakes, please help me correct it.

Oh yeah, I hope that the link between the title and story is at least little seen :)