Pirates of the Grand Line

The Curse of the Thousand Sunny

Chapter 5

By Wakback

The first thing U.B. sensed was bodily pain shortly followed by bright light and then that a chicken had laid rest on his chest. He got up to see what damage has been dealt. Everywhere the remaining citizens were gathering things up for repair, but what U.B. noticed the most, even more than the series of smoking and destroyed ships in the bay, were the amount of people with wheelbarrows gathering the corpses from all over the town. He looked away for the horrible sight, there were too many of them to count. Then realization hit him like an out-of-control train that then backed up and hit him again. Orange had been kidnapped. He ran off to the fort to see if there was anything he could do.

At the fort was Kaku studying a map with a very depressed Matt nearby.

"They've taken her. They've taken Orange!"

"Somebody remove this man;" Kaku ordered without even looking up from his map on a table.

"We have to hunt them down. We must save her!"

"And where do you suggest we start?" Matt retorted, "If you have any information on my daughter's whereabouts, then please share."

"Monkey D. Luffy," the meek voice of the guard, Jango, Luffy spoke with earlier, causing him to be the center of attention. "He talked about the Thousand Sunny."

"Mentioned it is more like it," Fullbody muttered.

This was still good enough for U.B. though. "Ask him where it is. Make a deal with him and he can lead us to the Thousand Sunny."

"No." Kaku spoke sharply. "The pirates who invaded the fort left him in his cell therefore they are not his allies. Governor, we'll establish their most likely-"

That was the part where U.B. had thrown an axe into the table and map in anger. "THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"

Kaku looked at the axe before pulling out of the table and speaking. "…Mr. Burner, you are not a military man, you are not a sailor. You are a blacksmith." He then grasped his shoulder and pushed him to the exit before speaking in a stern and then hushed tone. "This is NOT the time for rash actions. Do not make the mistake of thinking you're the only man here who cares for Orange." At this he went back to his map as U.B. started to leave the fort.

Meanwhile in Luffy's cell, Luffy was trying to use the bone to serve as a key as a last ditch effort. Pirate attack or not, they wouldn't dare postpone a pirate hanging. Luffy then heard the door open and laid back on his cell floor like he was sleeping. He was surprised to see U.B. in front of his cell.

"Monkey D. Luffy?"

"The one and only."

"You know of the Thousand Sunny?"

"…I've heard of it."

"Where does it make berth?"

"Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories?" Luffy asked while sitting up. He just stared. Luffy sighed. "Captain Rocko Wakback" Luffy started with slight anger at the word captain, "and his crew of imbecilic miscreants," Luffy spoke with a Spanish form with the last word, "lay main anchorage at the dreaded Isla de Muerta; an island that cannot be found except" Luffy sat back up again with a finger against the side of his hat, "by those who already know where it is."

"I've seen the ship. The island must be real too. Where is it?"

"And why do you think I would know?"

"Because you're a pirate." he said as he banging his hand against the cage door. He then leaned on the adjacent wall and sighed in defeat. "…They've taken Orange."

"Ohh! So it is that you found a girl!" Luffy exclaimed, now fully standing up. "Well my kind sir, if you really are willing to go to such great lengths just to save and win a fair maiden's heart," U.B. flinched at this, "then you're going have to do it without me boy. 'Cause I see no profit in it for me."

"I can get you out."

"How? The keys ran off."

"I helped create these cells. These are half pin barrel hinges." He then grabbed the nearby bench and positioned two of its legs in two cell door holes. "With the right leverage, and enough force, the door will lift free."

Luffy looked at him in interest. "...What's your name boy?"

"U.B. Burner."

At once something clicked in Luffy's head. "Ah. Well. …Well, must be a good name. Good, strong name. No doubt one from your father right?"

"…Yes." He replied with curiosity.

"Ah… Well U.B., you've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell, then I shall swear upon the pain of death itself that I shall take you to the Thousand Sunny, and do everything within my possible power to rescue and make safe your bonnie lass. Do we have a deal?" Luffy finished holding his hand out through a cage hole. He looked at it a bit then firmly grasped it.

"Deal."

"Awesome! Get me out!"

He then pressed down and true to his word the door easily lifted free with a loud thud and Luffy stepped out.

"Hurry. Someone might've heard that;" U.B. spoke.

"Not without my things!" Luffy replied as he ran to a table. There were his things like his sword, pistol, and compass. As he put them on, U.B. decided to mention something.

"You know, had you just pull the trigger yesterday you wouldn't have been caught."

"Are you saying that was a mistake?" Luffy asked as he pointed his cocked gun straight at U.B.'s face. He then smiled. "Whenever you only have one shot left, it's always best to save it for the most opportune moment. It wasn't there. Nor is it here." With that, Luffy disabled the gun and they both left for the bay.

Water splashed from our steps as we waited under a bridge near the Dragoon. U.B. then saw that Luffy was looking at the El Dorado at the other side of the bay.

"We're going to steal that ship?"

"Commandeer. We're going to commandeer, that ship;" Luffy replied pointing to the nearby Dragoon. Luffy then turned to him. "Now listen, a question, or we'll all be doing this pointlessly. How far are you willing to go to save this girl?"

"I'd die for her."

"Oh good. No worries then. Now stand back." Luffy stated as her readied himself. "Gomu Gomu No, HOLD ON TO MY BACK NOW!" Luffy yell as his arms latched onto the Dragoon. U.B. quickly clung to Luffy back. "ROCKET!" Like a Slingshot, the two were launched into the air and landed on the crows-nest of the dragoon.

Luffy seem unfazed by the event, but U.B. was another matter. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT?" U.B. yelled.

"Oh, Guess I forgot to tell you, I ate the Gomu Gomu Fruit, so I'm a Rubber-man." He stated. U.B. was stunted for a moment. He never met a Devil Fruit User before, or if he did, he never knew.

Shrugging it off, his only reply to Luffy's last action was this, "You know," he spoke, "that was either brilliant or insane."

"It's amazing how often those two get confused with one another;" Luffy replied.

After that, Luffy and U.B. Jumped down from the crow's-nest, U.B. had his sword drawn and Luffy with his pistol in hand. "Calm everyone!" Luffy shouted gaining the attention of the only seven people there, "Stay calm! We're taking over the ship!"

"Aye! Avast!" U.B. added pointing his sword. But it didn't have the intended effect. All the shipmates laughed and Luffy stared at him with a 'What-The-Fuck-Was-That?' look at him. The leader amongst them stepped forward.

"This ship cannot be crewed by two men alone. You'll never make it out the bay alive." he said with a smirk tone.

"You forget one very important thing mate;" Luffy replied as he raised his pistol having it touch leader's nose and cocked it. "I'm Captain Monkey D. Luffy. Savvy?"

At the El Dorado's dock Marine soldiers were busy loading it up for the rescue mission when the second in command noticed something. "Commodore." Kaku nearby saw what he was looking at and pulled out his spyglass.

He saw the crew that was to be on the Dragoon on a rowboat with the captain wildly pointing to the leaving El Dorado. He pointed the spyglass to the Dragoon and sighed angrily. He saw U.B. trying to do something with the sails' ropes and Luffy shouting at him since he was doing something wrong. "Rash Mr. Burner, too rash. That is without a doubt the worst pirate I've ever seen;" he said speaking of Luffy.

A few minutes later U.B. came up to me at the steering wheel. "Here they come." he announced. Luffy turned to see the El Dorado catching up. He Grinned. All was going according to plan.

With the rowboat following the El Dorado, the soldiers were swinging aboard the still sailing Dragoon but to find no one. Kaku wasn't happy. "Search every cabin, every hull, down to the bilges!" Everyone rushed to search. It provided the perfect cover for both Luffy and U.B. to swing aboard the El Dorado, after which U.B. started to cut the ropes of the grappling hooks some of the soldiers used. They then set off. Shortly after Kaku noticed this. "Back to the El Dorado!" he shouted, but it was too late. They were already too far away for them to jump aboard. Luffy was at the Helm and waved his Straw-Hat at them.

"Thank you ever so much for helping us Commodore! We were sure to have a hell of a time getting away otherwise!" Luffy yelled then ducked as they started to shoot at him.

But Kaku wasn't finished yet. "Set topsails, and clean this mess."

"With the wind a quarter to stern we won't catch them."

"We don't need to catch them just get them in the range of the long nines."

"Hands! Run about! Pull out the guns!" The sailors then made way to fulfill their orders but all were hesitant. "We're to fire on our own ship?"

"I'd rather see her in the bottom of the ocean than in the hands of a pirate," Kaku replied grimly.

"Sir!" a random sailor shouted, "They've disabled the rudder chain!"

This became confirmed by the crushing of the rowboat after the sailors abandoned ship. Kaku sighed once more, but now in defeat. Now he was finished. His second in command however was impressed.

"That has to be the best pirate I've ever seen."

Kaku then looked back up at the retreating El Dorado being driven by a pirate. His look was the very epitome of hated. "So it would seem."