The morning came once more, with Luffy to wake up from the sun and the birds who sang. Nea who felt her master to woke up from his sleep, rise from the window outside from the house to look at him.
"What's up Nea?" Luffy greeted his pet with a small smile, making the huge snake smile?
(What in the actual world…Can the snakes even smile?)
"Srrrrr" Nea responded like she turned the greeting back, and lowered her head like she's bowing to him.
Luffy exited the house and left with the accompany of Nea, to find the rest of his crew. Walking down a path found a news coo to fly, and signaling to it to buy a newspaper.
Looking at the front page he saw something, that took immediately his attention.
"What is Whitebeard after?"
"Marine units reported that the Whitebeard Pirates sail on the first half of the Grand Line. Is Whitebeard himself is seeking something or someone? Is his presence has to do with the so-called Mihawk's successor?"
"Mihawk's successor? What in the world?" Luffy murmured somewhat irritated.
"Let's see, they say more information on page two." Luffy murmured, as he continues to read the article turning the newspaper's page.
" Marine Lieutenant Fullbody…blah,blah,blah, Sir. Dracule Mihawk showed yesterday to fight with a rookie pirate at the sea restaurant Baratie, who later identified as Neri. D. Luffy. This rookie pirate is the same who took down easily Buggy the Clown as also Sawtooth Arlong who the bounties of those two are 35.000.000 together. The reports also said that this rookie pirate upholds the power of two devil fruits, additionally not only has in his crew the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock who her bounty is 160.000.000 berries but also from what it seems he fought at an equally ground, Sir. Dracule Mihawk and he actually survive. Further information from Marine Captain Nezumi reports that… blah, blah, blah…As of this, the Marine HQ decide to put a bounty of 90.000.000 berries on his head and warn the people to be very careful and call the authorities immediately if they see him."
"Crap, I was careless." Luffy exclaimed angrily, as he didn't want his name to be out so soon.
Luffy starts to walk once more again, after some minutes he reaches the center of the village and found his crew who from what it seems had just woke to look up, and immediately to run towards him to see how he is.
"Good morning Luffy! How are you, feeling any better?" Marguerite with Aphelandra asked him, clearly worried but happy to see him.
"I'm fine girls, I see that you party pretty good, yesterday." Luffy replied, with a smirk making them to blush and to look at the ground.
"By the way, sorry for making you worry about me, but I feel much better now!" Luffy added, making the two girls to smile brightly and to nod their heads.
"Do you want to wake up the others, Luffy?" Aphelandra asked with Luffy to smile at her, and nod his head.
"I'll be on the ship." Luffy informed her, as he felt Hancock's aura from there making Aphelandra and Marguerite nod their heads.
Walking towards the ship, Luffy starts to remember yesterday's conversation with his mother, Mera and the man. "A flame who is both, a shield and a sword e?!" Luffy murmured softly.
Near the ship could be heard swords to clash with each other, making Luffy murmur about a junkie exercise, and to shook his head smirking.
"Luffy." Zoro exclaimed, nodding his head, with Luffy doing the same and board the ship to find Hancock.
Hearing his voice, Hancock immediately bolted outside from the kitchen and hurried towards him, to embrace him.
"Good morning my dearest! How are you, how are you feeling, are you better now?" Hancock started to ask, firing the one question after the other, as she was clearly worried about him.
"Good morning Hancock, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern." Luffy replied with a soft tone and smile, patting her head making poor Hancock to blush, and her knees almost to give up.
"Hancock." Luffy called her, but this time with serious voice and gaze making Hancock take a serious stance, and look him in the eyes, with Luffy to nod her to follow him into the meeting room.
As they entered, Salome with Nea stayed outside to guard the door and make sure, that no one interrupts them.
"What is it that you want to talk Luffy?" Hancock asked him, with a serious voice and gaze, as Luffy pointed at the newspaper who put it on the table.
Hancock took the newspaper and start to reading it, finding soon enough what Luffy meant.
"You're worrying about the island and the villagers." Hancock stated rather than asked, making Luffy to smirk and nod his head.
"I'll go tell the others that we're leaving, by the way, nice first bounty my dearest!" Hancock suggested and said with a salty tone, smiling towards him, making him raise an eyebrow and Hancock to giggle exiting the room.
Luffy started heading towards the kitchen to put some coffee to drink, as he hasn't had the opportunity to do that yet.
"You can stop hiding now, both of you!" Luffy exclaimed, with a serious voice and somewhat displeased, shaking his head towards Mai and Robin who just entered the kitchen also.
"Wanting something to drink?" Luffy asked them, with a rising eyebrow and chuckling as both of them shook their heads looking somewhat ashamed of their actions.
"The good thing is that we're pretty good with our supplies with food and drinks, the bad thing is, that I don't know where we can find an island to restock our supplies or how long it'll take us to reach an island." Luffy said, thinking out loud, making both Mai and Robin look at him skeptically.
"Isn't the first island on the Grand Line, the whiskey Pick. Captain?" Robin asked, unsure about what Luffy meant.
Luffy looked at her and smirk.
"First, my name is Luffy and not captain. Second, that is true, but I'm not sure if I want to head now towards Paradise or to explore first some of the other three blues, and then go back to Paradise." Luffy revealed, making them intrigued about his thinking and shocking poor Robin, who haven't met another man who doesn't want to call him with his status.
"Also, it seems pretty stupid to me to visit Logue Town, having three people with a bounty on their heads. I, by no means, fear anyone, but challenge your fate isn't a clever thing to do." Luffy also added, making both Mai and Robin nod their heads, with Mai to have stars in her eyes and look at her brother with awe.
"A smart thing to say…Luffy-san." Robin commented, making Luffy to frown and her to giggle.
Somewhere on the Grand Line
"Oi Takanome, is this the rookie that you told me about?" A man, with red hair and three scars on his left eye, asked Mihawk passing today's newspaper.
"He is." Mihawk replied, simply.
"Is he really so strong as they say here?" The man asked again, eyeing his old friend-rival.
"Both times we sparred, both times I lost. In our last meeting, if he didn't change his sword's trajectory the last second I would be here today. At least not with my head on my shoulders." Mihawk replied with a chuckle making the red-haired man and the others who was around to widen their eyes.
"I know you, for years Takanome. So, what do you want me to do?" The man asked again.
Mihawk remained silent for a minute or so, with the eyes of the red-haired man never leave him even for a second.
"I want to make Luffy your ally. I don't know what exactly Luffy is after but he'll reach the top, for that I'm sure. Also, I'll tell you this and you better pay attention Akagami." Mihawk revealed with all of them and especially the red-haired man to listen to him with their full attention.
"Luffy isn't the guy, who will attack anyone without a reason but when he'll target someone, this person is good as dead. Shanks, when I say that you don't want someone as Luffy as your enemy, you better believe me!" Mihawk continues to say, with a serious voice and gaze, making the man named Shanks to nod his head.
With Luffy and the others
After fifteen with thirty minutes, Hancock with the help of Aphelandra and Marguerite has gathered the crew and waited for Luffy to speak.
"Our job here is done, so it's time for us to leave and continue our journey." Luffy said, making all of them nod their heads.
"Take your things and prepare to leave. Nami may I have a word with you, please." Luffy continues, as the rest of the crew left, with Nami to sat behind to talk with Luffy.
"How I can help you Luffy?" Nami asked him smiling.
"Nami, I want you to decide if you'll join us or not." Luffy told her, as they haven't enough time and they must leave soon this island.
"Well, you free my village and you're good guy despite that you're a pirate. So, I believe that I'll follow you as your navigator." Nami responded with a smile and a small blush.
"Nami, I don't want to join us because you believe that you own me something. I want you to join only because you want it, and because, you have a dream to follow." Luffy said to her, with a soft voice and smile making Nami blush even further.
"So Luffy, how much money do you want to take with us?" Nami asked him, making Luffy shook his head.
"This money, Nami, belongs to you. I have enough money, to maintain the crew's needs for a while." Luffy continues to say leaving behind a dumbfounded Nami.
After an hour or so the crew gathered their things and was ready to depart, Luffy start to walk towards Genzo and Bellemere handing them a box.
"Inside this box, you'll find our pirate emblem, as also a den den mushi and our number. If you decide to hang them around this island or not is your choice. If you do, then this island is under our protection and whoever cause you any kind of trouble, then this person, will have to answer to me." Luffy revealed, as Bellemere took the box and open it.
"You're different, kid. Aye, we accept your offer!" Bellemere declared, without leaving much room for argument.
"Alright guys, it's time to leave. Set the sails, full speed ahead!" Luffy exclaimed, as he and Mai activated Akiko while everyone else took their positions.
Time skip: Some hours later
Luffy was at the railing watching the sea, with Nea, Mai, Hancock and Salome at his side.
"So, where are we going now Luffy?" Nami asked as she starts, to approach him.
"I think that's our best interest to head towards the Reverse Mountain and to avoid Loguetown." Luffy suggested, giving to her the newspaper.
Nami started to reading the newspaper and gasped, intriguing the rest of the crew who gathered there to see what is happening.
"90.000.000 berries, 160.000.000 berries, when did all this happen?" Nami exclaimed shocked, while Zoro and the others whistle about Luffy's bounty.
"Well, Hancock was a pirate before I started and she is also the Empress of her country. Robin also has a bounty on her head as also myself now. So, it's pretty dumb to stop to another island here, and push our luck." Luffy explained, making Sanji enter pervert mode.
"Luffy, can I ask you something?" Zoro asked, with Luffy smirk.
"Yes it's true, and there is no need. I have it covered." Luffy replied, making everyone to tilt their heads to the side and Zoro to widen his eyes.
"You wanted to ask, if it's true that I'm dying, as also that you need new swords." Luffy spoke once again making Zoro nod his head and shocking everyone that he admitted that he really is dying.
"Look, guys, I'll not lie. I don't know how soon or not this will happen, but at some point, my heart will stop beating and I'll die. You could say that this is the result of a gamble that I took, and I lost." Luffy simply said, making everyone there to widen their eyes.
"But Niisan you're never ill before." Mai exclaimed, somewhat confused and suspicious making Chopper gasp from realization.
"Luffy…Did…did you join bodies with anyone in the past?" Chopper asked him somewhat unsure making Luffy smirk.
"Mom, so she was really dead all these years after all…" Mai murmured sadly making Luffy nod his head.
"Aye. All her powers, techniques and knowledge was transferred to me." Luffy simply said.
"Wait, Chopper, is it even possible for someone to join bodies?" Sanji who all this time remained silent, asked.
"It is possible for two people with the same power levels and aura to join bodies, what I can't understand is how the illness of Luffy's mother transferred it to him." Chopper explained.
"When two people merge, then an entirely new being is made. This person then is neither of them, but a whole new person with his/her own persona and soul." Chopper continues to explain making Luffy chuckle.
"Did you know this technique, Chopper?" Luffy asked with Chopper to shake his head negatively.
"I only have heard about this from Doctorine." Chopper replied as Luffy nod his head.
"What you said is true. I'll not go into details now, but you can say that our merge wasn't fully completed as we haven't much time. As such, my mother soul still exists inside me, or more precisely inside my devil fruit." Luffy explained making Mai look at him with widening eyes.
"Can you speak with her?" Mai asked her brother, who nod his head.
"What I did yesterday, almost kill me. The reason that I recovered so soon was because my devil fruits were able to interfere. All devil fruits have one ability who is called awakening, what happened yesterday was a type of awakening. From what I understand, it is possible to communicate with your devil fruit with lots of meditation or if you enter a situation that you're one step away from dead, though I don't recommend the last way." Luffy continues to explain leaving them all gasping.
"Anyway, what I want from the four of you is to start meditation every day, at least for an hour. Also, Robin, I want to see if you know about haki and if you know any other techniques." Luffy suggested looking at Hancock, Mai, Chopper and Robin with the last to nod her head.
A/N: That's it, guys, this chapter is officially over.
I hope to like it!
Yes, I know what I said in the previous chapter, and I'm sorry that took me so long to update.
I have a new poll running on my profile page, so take a look and vote if you want.
Well, that's all for now.
As always,
Have Fun and Take Care.!