My taste buds are awful!
SHIN: You're sick!
Shut up! (turns to the readers) Hello! This is the third and the last installment of 'BITTER ARC' and the fourth chapter of Twin Thieves.
SHIN: Oi, Gene, a review. (hands over the review)
Shira Ismaren-san, thank you for the review! Even I don't know how it will end up too! But about Zoro's relationship about them, I know what kind! Even Sanji…
SHIN: (muffles Gene's rambling) Don't tell!
Fine.
DISCLAIMER:
SHIN: You know that she doesn't that's why it's on the .
CHAPTER FOUR: CHANGING WHEELS
Yesterday…
I feel the world falling
Neglected and lonesome
It seems life has put me down.
For the pats eight years of living in the streets, Luffy and Nami considered themselves very good snatchers. Bags could be found everywhere for them to snatch. Full of money or gadgets. But they never mug those who are younger than them knowing how hard it is for them to live as that age.
The thirteen-year-old Luffy prefers the back pockets and bags that were hanging or over the shoulders. Wallets were always full of papers, either of money or just plain paper, and cards. Nami, fourteen-year-old, uses her pertness and the same time robbed them off their wallets inside jackets and front pockets with a flick of her wrist. The two of them are always hanging outside of their shabby place rented by money they fished from innocent passer-bys.
"Nami, come on, let's eat." Luffy whined.
"Luffy, just wait. We need more money." Nami sighed.
"But we have money." he pointed at the bag.
"This is for our rent, stupid." she reasoned, smacking him with the bag fished out from another victim. The both of them were at the back alley, checking the insides of the bag. "Dammit, just a seven hundred zenny. We need more than this if we want to eat our late lunch and dinner later." she sighed, despairingly.
Luffy pouted. "Moooo…."
Nami gave him a weary smile. "Come on, another one and hope that it could give us food for the day." And led Luffy out. Nami's mind is good with maps and locks while Luffy's forte is fighting and acting. When teamed up, these two spells D-A-N-G-E-R.
"Ok."
Then you came
I felt something new
Seems I found a new life.
The both of them were unsuccessful about the last one and about eating late lunch. But, of course they didn't stop there, sighting a man in comely clothes with a black coat draped over his frame, they decided this would be the last one and, hopefully, they would eat their dinner with his money. It's dark and almost no one is outside. 'Chance!' Nami nodded to Luffy at the other side of the street under the shadows of the building, she walked out and crossed the man in walking on the streets. Nami nearly smirked at her achievement when a hand gripping her arm stops her in her tracks. She tensed. She turned around, as neutral as possible, to see another man, his arms outstretched and hand on her arm. 'I didn't see him there!' Nami calmed herself.
"Wait." her victim said. "I think you have something I own, lass."
Two men and her, a lone girl. Nami felt fear.
Sensing something went wrong; Luffy walked out of the shadows and strode towards Nami. And he saw what was happening: another man gripping Nami's arm. Initiating his acting, walked towards them gave them his most innocent smile. The two men were caught off guard. The other man dropped the arm.
"Sister, where have you been?" he asked Nami. Nami's brow arched. Luffy feigning innocence turned to the men and asked, "And who're they?" He didn't wait for an answer and grabbed Nami's arm. "Come, let's go home." And started to walked away.
"Hey, stop. Give us back the wallet."
They did stop. And bolted away. The other man, sensing this would happen, seizes them by lapels and suspends them from the ground by a good twelve inches. Of course, Luffy fought back but miserably failed. The man was thrice his age and size. And four times his strength.
Luffy decided to just help Nami get out if it became awful for them. When the man deposited them down on the street, Luffy put himself between them and Nami.
"Relax, lad. We won't hurt you or the lass." Nami's victim promised, hands on air.
They didn't relax.
And with you around
I can ask no more
You give me joy and laughter
"You're joking."
The four of them are all in the dining room inside a luxurious house of Nami's victim. When Luffy and Nami were cornered by those two, they were given a choice between prison jail and house invitation. Of course, who would like to go to jail? So, they, albeit reluctantly, accepted the latter. On the way, Luffy and Nami's stomachs decided to introduce themselves and told them that they haven't eaten lunch and chided them about dinner. The two men laughed. And invited them to dinner. So they found themselves in the dinning room, eating foods that their 'salary' for everyday cannot afford. Seafoods, meats ("MEAT!"), fruits ("Orange!") and vegetables. While Luffy and Nami enjoy the buffet, the two men just observe them. And they asked something that gave way to Luffy choking on his food and Nami gawking at them.
"No, lass. I ain't joking. Stay here for the night." The victim smiled. "They're plenty of rooms here."
Luffy and Nami stared. Nami snapped out and asked, "Why?"
"Children shouldn't be outside under the dark sky. Where's your parents?" the other asked.
"Murdered" was the answer. The two men's turn to gawked at them.
"Do you want to live here, then?"
Suspicion arose from the children. They frowned. "Why?"
The victim smiled, "Do you want to be adopted by me?"
The children scrutinize the both of them. 'Why not? He looks like a good person.' And answered, "Fine."
"Your names, then?"
"Nami." the lass answered. "And he's Luffy." Waving at the boy who was stuffing himself with food. "And you two?" she asked in business-tone like manner.
The two men smirked at this. 'Diamond.'
The man who gripped Nami's arm answered, "Ben Beckham." He waved to his left and introduced her victim, "Red-Haired Shanks"
Shanks grinned.
Which I never felt before…
MUSIC: Come go with me -sign- by dream
SHIN: R&R please!!!!!!!!!