Request by: Monkey D. Anea and laFia
(Bentham is also known as Bon Kurei, Bon Clay or Mr. 2)
(The Art of Deciding)
He's six years old
And decides that he wasn't meant to be a boy
.
So he grows his hair out
Tries on a few dresses
And puts on makeup for the first time
.
He's ten years old
A little older, a little wiser
He ate a bad tasting fruit
Tried actually being a girl for a bit
And decides it's not for him
Being a boy wasn't a mistake
He just has to choose what to do with it
.
So he cuts his hair
Signs up for both ballet lessons and martial arts
And takes the piercings out of his ears so they'd close up
But doesn't get rid of the dresses
Or stop wearing the makeup
.
He's fourteen years old
And decides he's much happier than he was
When he was nine
The whole world looks at him strangely
But he lives how he wants
.
So he ignores whispers and pointing
Because if they can't deal with his way of finding happiness
He'd rather not waste time worrying about what they think
.
He's fifteen years old
And meets a girl
With a bad burn scar under one eye
And two arms, but only one leg
And he decides he's never met
A more beautiful person
.
So, naturally, they become fast friends
She'll never sail or run or fight
(He thinks she could, but well, he thinks she could do anything)
But they still bond over their own kind of freedom
Not caring how the world looks at them
It's not love, but it was never meant to be
He teaches her how to use makeup
But she never covers her scar
And she teaches him how to shave
But he never picks up a razor
.
He's nineteen years old, and itching to go
Though he doesn't, until the wedding's over
He decides he can leave without worrying
Her husband's the good type,
One that helps her down stairs
But not across streets
(She's not incompetent)
And kisses her cheek, right on that ugly scar
So that she smiles like she can do anything
(He's glad she'd finally realized that)
.
So, he sails off, looking for something
Which he eventually finds out is a crew
Misfits just as crazy
And eccentric
And flamboyant as he is
Friends make him happier than anything else
The world can stare and point
But he won't care
They're just wasting their time
.
He's twenty five years old, and they offer him a job
To be honest, he's a bit flattered
And decides to accept
It doesn't make him happy
But it doesn't make him sad, either,
And he can feel that this job will gain him a friend
.
So, when he comes across the little pirate crew
And performs a bit
Changing faces and dancing and such
Only for their captain to laugh with glee
A scar under one eye
And smiling like he could do anything
They're fast friends
And he gets a bit a bit nostalgic
He does't care if they're technically enemies
He's a friend before he's Mr. 2
And he saves them like he would any true friend!
.
He's twenty six years old when he sees the kid again
His friend that reminds him of a long time ago
He never expected to see him here, of all places,
In the heat and sand
But he is here, so he laughs and dances
Because, he decided, that's what you do
When reuniting with old friends
(Even in the most secure prison in the world)
.
So they travel together,
Down farther into Hell
For the sake of his friend's brother
It's only natural
That's the kind of thing you do for friends
And he can tell
This boy is one of the best
.
He's twenty six years old when he saves his friend
And his idol
Deciding the consequences don't matter
Because nothing is more important than friendship
Not life
Or death
Or the world
(And especially not what it thinks)
.
So they can stare and point and lock him away
He can starve, or freeze, or yell himself hoarse
But he won't waste time worrying about any of that
Because it's not worth the energy
(He'd rather be dancing)
To care about what people think
When he's already decided he's happy