This is not completely my story. I have changed and added parts from various other One Piece Fem!Luffy and Luffy x Zoro stories to create a full one.
Starting this chapter I have started heavily editing and have incorporated much of my own writing. There are still parts from the other fanfictions but I haven't copied and pasted or anything like that. A lot of it is straight from me and just follows parts of the fanfictions or incorporates conversations.
Shirani-Chan – You are the best person ever! Your review made me so happy I had to hold myself back from posting the chapter early. I hope you continue to enjoy this as much as I enjoyed working on it.
The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)
Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.
One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda
The Circus Comes to Orange Town
Being a puppet of thoughts of others, my weakness, fate, it does uncover; make the truth to shine some light, the lies prefer, their addictive bright; try to do what others feel, their merciless hearts, similar, steel; being subdued by mental aggravation, your only drive- thirst and desperation; left by yourself with pitiful meal, your closest friends- darkness, starvation….by Nick Korsantia.
The orangette could hardly believe that the small girl had fallen out of the sky without a scratch. When she stared closer she remembered that this girl had been on Alvida's ship when she was stealing that treasure earlier, talk about coincidence. And then she came up with an idea.
"Man, I'm so hungry" Luffyko moaned rubbing her stomach absently.
"Oh Boss, thank goodness you're here to save me," The orangette pulled out her happy, hopeful look to her 'Boss', while Luffy stared at the girl with confusion and blinked.
"Who are you?" Luffy had no idea that this girl had just pulled her into a bit of predicament and she hadn't yet taken notice of the three Pirates that had been chasing the orangette. They tightened their grip on their swords when she called Luffy, Boss; but before Luffy could repeat her question, the orangette had already made a break for it.
"They're all yours, Boss. Have fun," then she disappeared into the alleyway. Luffyko scratched at the part of her hair visible under her hat in bewilderment, not really understanding what was going on.
"Hey, that girl is getting away," said Pirate #1.
"Don't worry, we got her Boss now," said Pirate #2.
"Yeah, you're right!" The last chuckled before stepping closer to Luffy. "You're in trouble, girlie. You shouldn't have let your crony friend escape." Luffy turned around at the man's words to stare at the 3 really ugly looking Pirates, still confused of what's going on. Suddenly she heard another rumble in her tummy, and she sighed before asking them.
"Do you guys know where I can find a good restaurant? I'm starved."
"Food is least of your worries now," Pirate #1 commented as he darted forward, punching Luffy hard in the face and knocking her hat off of her head. She gasped in shock and raised one hand to her head, the other shooting forward and punching the guy back, knocking him unconscious with one blow. She caught her hat and put it calmly back on her head.
"You idiots better keep your hands off my hat."
"You bitch," the remaining two glared and charged at her, hefting their swords. And as for the orange haired girl, she was climbing quietly up onto the rooftop, wanting to see what had happened to that girl she used to escape.
"I wonder if that girl survived?" She mumbled, feeling a little guilty over leaving her there. Once she reached the edge of the roof though, she gasped in shock. All three of the Buggy goons had been completely knocked down and the raven haired girl was still standing, completely unharmed.
"Wow, you're really strong for a young girl," she said, impressed by the girl that had taken down three pirates all by herself. Luffy glanced up when she heard a voice and spotted the same girl from earlier, leaning over the edge of the rooftop. The orangette jumped down when she noticed the coast was clear and walked up to Luffy.
"Even though they have swords, you managed to beat them up with your bare hands." She hadn't actually seen Luffy fight but it didn't appear that the raven haired girl used any weapons.
"Hey, you're that girl who set me up, who are you?" Her tone didn't sound mad but she tilted her head, curious as to why the girl did that.
"I'm a talented thief who steals strictly from Pirates, the name's Nami." She replied. "Hey, you want to team up with me?"
"A thief? No way," Luffy laughed, sticking out her tongue. With that said she stepped past Nami, glancing around for any signs of somewhere to get something to eat.
"Hey, hold on. At least think about it for one minute." Nami ran after the girl to make her change her mind. Before Nami could open her mouth again, a vicious growl came from Luffy's stomach making them both stop.
"Ooohhh! I'm so hungry~" Luffy groaned, trying to rub her belly in a calming manner, as if reassuring it she would find food soon. Nami felt slightly sorry for the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Why don't you come with me and I'll get you something to eat." She stumbled back slightly in shock when Luffy suddenly jumped and gave Nami her signature D grin.
"Really?! Thank you so much!" She shouted happily and Nami just sighed in exasperation at the weird girl.
Back at the tent, one unlucky crew member had just delivered the bad news to Captain Buggy. He prayed to his God to spare his soul from his cruel Captain who could easily kill him instantly.
"So you're telling me that those buffoons haven't caught the thief or gotten my map back" Buggy hissed from inside his tent.
"N-not yet, b-b-but they should be here soon with the girl and the map, s-s-sir" said the fat and bearded man.
"Now, explain to me how in the world she managed to get her hands on that chart, huh?" His voice was low with anger and the fat man backed away in fear. He knew how important that chart was, it would get them into the Grand Line without any trouble, but it was stolen and Captain Buggy wasn't so happy about that.
"How are we supposed to go the Grand Line without the Chart in our possession?" The captain's blood was boiling with every minute that passed and he felt like it would burst at any moment if the chart wasn't returned to him soon.
"I don't know, sir. The map was just sitting out, plain as the nose on your face."
"What…did you say?" Buggy cringed, his glare deepening and eyes flashing. The pirate suddenly realized what he just said and quickly tried to come up with reason to save himself.
"I-I-I mean it was easy for her to find and take it." Well, the keyword was 'try'.
"DID YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT MY NOSE?!" Buggy tossed the chair that he had been sitting on and glared heatedly at the man who had mocked him about his nose. He walked out of the tent, finally exposing himself to the bright sunlight. He looked just how people described him, like a clown. He was Buggy the Clown. Even though his name sounded ridiculously stupid he wasn't a clown that played practical jokes, made funny faces or juggled and whatnot. No, Buggy was one of the fiercest pirates with a bounty of fifteen million Berri. Though his clown-like attire and make up could fool you, if he was made fun of in the slightest then he would take his sweet time exacting revenge. He leaned down to glare at the fat man, bringing their faces close and letting their noses touch.
"Are you trying to tell me that you found my nose funny, is my nose amusing?"
"N-n-no sir, you misunderstood."
"Oh no, you were quiet clear." The fat bearded man trembled under the menacing gaze of his Captain. He tried to back away but he only ended up tripping and landing on his butt. He continued to try and escape, wriggling backwards. The rest of the crew were too chicken to help their crew-mate in need because their Captain would kill anyone who tried to interfere.
As the fat man tried to get away he suddenly felt a tight grip wrapping around his throat. His captain was using his Devil power on him and now that he was trapped under Buggy's wrath, he began to choke and gag as the force around his throat continued to tighten. As it became even stronger, he was lifted off the ground and began moving towards Captain Buggy. Buggy smiled menacingly as he approached, he always enjoyed tormenting his own men for fun.
"Tell me who am I" he asked sweetly.
"Cap...tain…Bu...ggy~"
"And what happen if someone defies me?" he asked again.
"Flashy 'ugh' death awaits 'gh' them, please…forgive 'ugh' me" Then Buggy released his power and let him drop to the ground, allowing the pirate to take in deep lungfuls of air and massage his sore throat.
"Quit your groveling. I'll overlook your slip up and forgive you this time." Then he twirled around to walk back to his tent but before that he entered he paused and said.
"But, you better get that chart back. Don't screw up again or else."
"YES, SIR, CAPTAIN BUGGY, SIR!" His crew shouted with a salute to Captain Buggy and quickly spread out to find the girl and the chart.
Back with Luffy and Nami, in Nami's living room, Luffy was eating a large burger. Bite after bite enjoying the juicy and salty taste while Nami sat on the edge of the table watching her.
"So, do you live in this house all by yourself?" the she-pirate asked before taking another bite of her burger.
"This isn't my house, I'm just staying for the time being. Everyone in this town ran off when Captain Buggy showed up." Nami gestured around her with a sigh.
"Oh…so you're just a petty thief."
"How rude! I only steal from people who deserve it, pirates, so don't compare me to some scum-bag, petty thief," Nami hissed, feeling insulted by Luffy's statement, a girl she barely knew. Luffy swallowed the last bit of her burger and said innocently.
"A thief is thief as far as I'm concerned." Then Nami looked out the window and seriousness swirled in her eyes.
"My goal is to earn a hundred million Berri. No matter how hard it is or how long it takes." Luffy scrutinized Nami carefully, it seemed like a lot of berris for one person but there was something in the girl's eyes that said there was more to the story.
"Hm, why do you need so much money?" Luffy asked.
"That a secret, though with the chart of the Grand Line a hundred million is now a definite possibilities." She waved the chart for Luffy to see before quickly tucking it back under her striped shirt.
"Wait, a chart? So you must be a navigator, right?" she asked.
"I'm the most skilled navigator you're ever likely to meet," Nami said with a smug smile. Luffy smiled brightly and did a small internal dance.
"Oh wow, that's perfect! You should join my crew! I've been looking to recruit a navigator cause I don't know how and Zoro always gets lost."
"Really?"
"Yeah, you could be our newest crew member," she held her arms up in exhilaration, happy at the thought of finally getting a navigator but her smile faded slightly when Nami frowned and said.
"No."
Luffy blinked at Nami, asking her in silent question, and the orangette sighed and continued.
"Let me guess you're a pirate, right?" She spit the word out with distaste but Luffy was completely oblivious to her tone and her D grin returned to her face.
"Yes, I am! I took a solemn promise, I promised the guy who gave me this hat that I would form the best crew and become the first ever Queen of the Pirates!" Luffy took off her hat as she spoke and stared at it reverently. Angry, Nami smacked the table and glared at the younger girl.
"There is nothing in this world that I despise more than Pirates!" She hissed voice rising to a shout. "I only like money and tangerines." Luffy blinked in surprise at the last item…did she say tangerines?
"C'mon. Be our navigator! It'll be fun," she whined, trying to persuade Nami with a smile.
"I said no!" Luffy sighed in resignation.
"It's your loss." She then proceeded to eat the remaining bread buns on the table while Nami watched the town in silence. She spotted two of the Buggy Pirates and quickly hid, turning to listen into their conversation. She overheard them mention her and the stolen chart and also that the entire buggy crew was all over the place, making sure that there was no chance of escape. As they rounded another corner, out of her hearing range, she frowned.
'I gotta think of something and fast' then she looked at Luffy still eating and smirked.
"You know, maybe I will consider joining your crew, but only if you agree with some certain conditions," said Nami faking her smile.
"Really? Alright, I'll do anything."
"Well, then I want you to come with me to pay a visit to Captain Buggy. But first," then she brought out a rope and swiftly tied it around Luffy's chest and torso, tying her hands behind her back as well. Luffy looked at the ropes then back up at Nami.
"Why did you tie me up?"
"The rope is for appearances. It's how Buggy's Crew meets new members." Nami explained thinking up a quick lie.
"Oh okay. C'mon then, I've been looking forward to meeting other Pirates." Luffy began to hum excitedly, rocking back and forth as if she was a child getting her Christmas presents.
"Just hold your horses! I don't know what the big deal is anyway," Nami huffed standing up and beginning to walk towards Buggy's lair, Luffy being dragged behind her.
"WHAT!" Buggy yelled with so much fury and anger that it shook the ground under him like an earthquake.
"YOU LET THE THIEF ESCAPE!" the three he yelled at were the same goons that had been chasing Nami before being knocked out by Luffy. Now they cowered in fear as their Captain howled above them like an enraged Sea King.
"Please, forgive us, Captain Buggy!" the three begged in unison.
"I have never seen a more pathetic group than you three, TIME TO DIE!" The group screamed helplessly but before Captain Buggy could kill them with his Devil Fruit power, one of his Crew called, say that he had important news.
"What is it now?!" he asked annoyed, wanting to kill the worthless rats, who sighed in relief at the stay of execution.
"The girl that stole our chart is back, but with a prisoner."
"WHAT?" Buggy screeched in disbelief. He turned to stare as the orange haired girl approached his tent, dragging a younger raven haired girl behind her, tied in ropes. Buggy's Crew were confused at the girl's return and wondered who the other girl was, the group that had been chasing Nami got angry that because of her they had almost died at the hands of Buggy the merciless.
"That's her."
"That the sneaky thief that stole the chart!" They were surprised even more when the girl pushed her prisoner onto the ground hard, surprising Luffy and Buggy both. Nami felt vaguely bad for doing that to Luffy but business was business.
"I captured the thief, Captain Buggy the Clown, and here is your chart back." Nami said, calmly holding out the chart.
"Not that I don't appreciate this, but why the sudden change of heart, little girl?" Buggy asked carefully, conscious that she might try to trick him again like last time. Nami handed the chart to Buggy who gladly took it
"I had another fight with my Boss and I just can't take it anymore so I tricked her. I tied her up and have come to join your crew." Nami smiled cheerfully. Buggy's eyes flickered with rage and the crew flinched in terror at the uncontrollable anger on his face.
"Captain Buggy looks madder than before."
"He's going to use his Devil powers."
"Really?!" Luffy was surprised to hear that this clown guy was a devil user like her, and watched curiously as Buggy's anger melted away and he began to laugh loudly.
"You're fed up, huh? I must admit you're an amusing girl. I like you, of course you can join my crew." Then he laughed again. Nami was stunned, she hadn't seen this coming, he was acting like he had completely forgotten that she stole his chart from him. Nevertheless, he had made her a part of his crew right away so her plan had worked and she put on her best fake smile.
'I successfully infiltrated them. Pirates are so dumb and easy to manipulate,' Nami thought disdainfully. Then Buggy ordered the three of his crew who had failed to capture the thief to put Luffy in a cage. So, still tied up, Luffy was thrown in a very small square cage.
"Uh guys, why I am in the cage?" She asked calmly, but she was ignored by Buggy and his crew who were now chuckling evilly with the girl who had became a new member of Buggy Pirates.
"Is a great day to be a pirate. Girl, what do you call yourself?" Buggy asked her.
"I'm Nami."
"HA HAA! Then let's have a welcome party to our new friend, Nami! Let's celebrate!" Buggy threw his hands up gleefully and his crew couldn't deny such a request.
The party started with the biggest feast they had ever seen with hundreds of bottles of Sake to go with it. They ate and drank in very unusual ways; some drank straight from the large barrel, some drank eight mugs of Sake in one go. The same went for food, and then there also performances like those you would see in the circus. Chair dancing, juggling, hand walking, pogo sticking and many more.
"What's wrong?" Buggy asked Nami, handing her a mug. "We're throwing this party in your honor, so eat up!" He commanded
"Thanks for the party, Captain Buggy!" Nami smiled but then her smile turned into a smirk.
'I'll just keep my eyes peeled for a chance to take back my chart and maybe swipe all of Buggy's treasure while I'm at it.' As she formulated her plan in her head, the party continued for who knows how long. Buggy laughed and watched the spectacular party taking place and the look in his eyes was wide and crazy as he thought of a perfect way to make his party more wild.
"This is such a flashy party! Now listen up, men, it's time to prepare the Buggy Ball!" the crew's cheers doubled in volume as they brought out their cannon. They secured the cannon to the ground to keep it at bay and then a small-sized clown pirate who wore a yellow sleeveless shirt and a yellow and purple striped cone hat carried forward Buggy's Buggy Ball. The cannonball was painted in red with Buggy's Jolly Roger engraved on it and the pirate put the cannonball inside the cannon ready and loaded. Nami had no idea what these pirates were up to.
"W-what are you going to do with that thing?" She timidly asked but regretted her question when she saw the sinister look on Buggy's face.
"Just observe and be amazed at the might of the Buggy Ball. Light it," he ordered. The man lit the cannon and aimed it at the…empty houses of Orange Town. Luffy and Nami watched in horror while Captain Buggy and his Crew smiled darkly as the cannon shot the Buggy Ball, destroying twenty houses in a row in a massive explosion.
At the port, Zoro and the three cronies he had 'rescued' arrived just in time to witness the explosion that destroyed multiple houses in one shot.
"Now that was one heck of an explosion," Zoro whistled, mildly impressed.
"It looks like one of the Captain's beloved Buggy Balls," one of the pirates said.
"Buggy Balls?" he smirked, that was a terrible name.
Back at Buggy's tent, Captain Buggy and his crew laughed cruelly at the dramatic bang that echoed across the town, signaling that another part of Orange Town had been destroyed. Nami couldn't take her eyes away from the dreadful sight, she had never seen such a powerful blast like that before. With that kind of eruption they could destroy an entire island with only two shots.
"That was flashy! With these Buggy Balls and my devil fruit powers I should have no problem conquering the Grand Line, right Nami?" he asked his new crew mate.
"Uh... oh yes, of course!" Nami knew she did not want to make Captain Buggy mad or he'd probably use her as a target practice for his Buggy Ball.
"Huh, but it's my destiny to conquer the Grand Line!" Luffy yelled from her seat in the cage. Buggy turned around and shot an angry glare at the annoying pest who had disturbed his enjoyment but Luffy wasn't finished yet.
"And then I'm going to be the first Queen of the Pirates!"
"Shut up already, idiot" Nami shouted, slight worry in her tone, and Buggy chuckled.
"I can see why you sick of her, Nami."
"Yeah, I know! She never takes anything seriously, thinks her life is like big game. She's such a kid." The navigator sighed.
"I see…then how about I give you a Buggy Ball to blow away your old boss? It'll be a great opportunity for you to prove your loyalties to your new Captain. Men!" Nami cringed in fright at the disturbing look on Buggy's face. It was that of a mad man and now she was nervous that she would be forced to kill Luffy with that Buggy Ball until the younger girl was nothing but ashes.
The Buggy Pirates moved the cannon and aimed it at Luffy but the raven haired girl didn't look the least bit scared that there was a loaded cannon ready to blast her to oblivion. Nami's mind was racing, she needed to think of something fast before it was too late.
"That alright, Captain! We don't need to finish her off quite yet, let's get back to the welcoming party and have fun instead!" She tried to persuade Buggy, trying to save Luffy, but the look on Buggy's face told her that there was nothing she could do.
"This is my idea of fun!" Buggy said with a crazed look. He gave Nami a match to light up the cannon, and stood back. Nami glanced at the matches in her hand and then back up to where Luffy sat calmly. She didn't know what to do and Buggy's crew was cheering her on which made the matter worse.
'If I don't shoot, I'll be killed…but if I do shoot then I'm no better than these Pirates,' Her mind was racing to find a way to get out of this situation but none of her plans would work now. It was pointless. Luffy stared at Nami blankly, who was sweating and shaking in distress.
"What's the matter? Your hands are shaking," The pirate girl said cockily. Nami glanced down at her hands and then back up to the smirking girl.
"That's what happens when you take on pirates with a half ass resolve." Luffy continued.
"Resolve?! To do what? To kill someone like it's nothing?! Is that the Pirate's resolve?" Nami screamed, clenching her fists.
"No…you gotta be willing to risk your own life," Luffy stated calmly. Nami gasped when she saw the look in her eyes, those eyes that reminded her of… Then someone grabbed the box of matches from her limp hand and she jumped in surprise, seeing one of Buggy's crew members.
"Here, you chick. Don't be such a tease and let me show you how to light the cannon." Before the pirate could light strike the match, Nami had her three part wooden staff that she kept on her right thigh put together turning it into a six foot Bō Staff. She smacked the pirate hard across the face causing him to drop to the ground unconscious. Captain Buggy and his Crew gaped at Nami's actions while Luffy was awed at her fast reflexes.
"Nami~ what is the meaning of this?!" Buggy asked, looking very pissed. Nami quickly realized what she had done and quickly bowed towards Captain Buggy.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," she apologized.
"Now you're sorry?! Just shoot her already," Buggy barked.
"So…now you want to save me?" Luffy was confused at Nami's actions, first Nami betrayed her and now she tried to save her and now she was on his side again, talk about weird.
"Don't be stupid, I'm not doing this for you, you idiot! I just don't want to lower myself to the level of inhumane Pirates! Pirates took the life of a very dear person from me and I'll never be one of them!" her voice wavered as if she was about to cry.
"Oh, I see." Then Luffy heard something hissing, and she looked up to see that the cannon had been lit up by the pirate before Nami had knocked him out.
"AAHHH! Nami, the fuse!" Nami turned to see that the fuse had indeed been lit.
"So you think Pirates are inhuman filth, is that right? GET HER MEN!" Four of Buggy's crew rushed in with their blades ready. Nami saw it and quickly swung her Bō Staff to hit them but the four jumped and tried to strike with their swords again. But Nami was too quick and blocked their attacks, then she threw her Staff at the Pirates and turned to sprint to the cannon.
Nami panicked slightly, she didn't have water to douse the fuse so she had to come up with a different method. She grabbed the fuse with both hands, hissing in pain as it burned her palm but she refused to let go until the flame had gone out.
Luffy couldn't believe that Nami had endangered her hands to save her and still hadn't let go. She was very daring. Nami hung onto the fuse until the flame had finally died down before sighing in relief and letting her hands drop. 'I did it.'
"NAMI, LOOK OUT! BEHIND YOU!" She heard Luffy's alarmed yell and turned to see a group of pirates charging her with swords. She closed her eyes waiting for death, her arms rising futilely to protect her. When no pain came she cracked open her eyes hesitantly to see a man with shocking green hair had stopped them by using the sheaths of two of his swords.
"Hey now, it's not nice of you guys to gang up on a defenseless girl." Even without the hair, Luffy would recognize that voice anywhere.
"Zoro!" she exclaimed happily. Nami stared at Zoro, seeing the swordsman almost perk up at the sound of his name but he didn't smile. He just turned a glaring face towards Nami.
"Are you hurt?" Zoro asked.
"Eh?"
"I said, are you hurt?"
"N-no I'm fine, I think." Nami answered. Zoro nodded before pushing the pirates away and turning to look at Luffy. Nami saw Zoro's expression soften when he saw Luffy grinning at him, a mix of relief, anger, and mild irritation crossing his features.
"That's just great." He sighed, hiding the relief he felt at seeing her alive. "First a giant bird snatched you and now you're in a cage. How did you get yourself in this situation?" He felt that he had a right to get irritated with her, she was always charging headfirst into things like this.
"Shihehehehe yeah, this is an interesting story actually." The girl chuckled happily, excitement at the possibility of seeing Zoro fight rising in her. As the duo spoke to each other, the pirates began to quiver at the mention of his name and the iconic bandana wrapped around his arm.
"Wait, that's…"
"Yeah, that's him. The great bounty hunter of the East Blue, Roronoa Zoro."
'The Crew that she mentioned earlier was…the Pirate Hunter, Zoro? What's going on here?' Nami never would have imagined that Zoro was Luffy's crew member, that didn't make any sense at all. Why would a pirate hunter work under the command of a female pirate captain?
Zoro didn't have time to deal with this, and frankly, he didn't want to, so he ignored the pirates around him and began to make his way over to Luffy's cage, intending to set her free. He had taken 3 steps when suddenly Captain Buggy spoke.
"So…you're the Roronoa Zoro that I've heard so much about. If you're here for my head, you've got quite a struggle before you."
"No, not interested. I gave up pirate hunting, I'm just here for the girl," Zoro replied in a bored tone.
"But I'm interested though. Killing you would boost up my reputation." Buggy's tone suggested he was confident that he could take down Zoro. Luffy frowned at that, she knew Zoro couldn't be beaten that easily, she had seen her first mate fight and knew that she still hadn't seen his best yet. If he could defeat Captain Morgan with little effort she didn't think that this clown guy stood much of a chance.
"If you try, you'll die." Nami shivered at Zoro's look and at the dangerous edge to his voice when he addressed Buggy. They called him the Demon of East Blue and the ice in his gaze made her think that the rumors were, for once, right. She was immensely thankful that the swordsman didn't know that she had been the one to let his captain get captured. She didn't want that anger directed at herself. Buggy, however, ignored the threat in his eyes and voice and drew ten daggers out, eight daggers in both hands between each finger and two attached to the ends of his shoes.
"Oh, is that so?" Buggy taunted. Zoro sighed, this guy was getting to be annoying.
"I tried to warn you but oh well." the Buggy crew cheered on their captain, believing that he could win, and Buggy licked one of his blades as Zoro put his Wado Ichimonji between his teeth and readied his other two swords. Nami and Luffy watched from the sidelines, both staring intently at the two fighters but Luffy knew Zoro. Her swordsman was the best and he could beat that stupid clown easily. She was actually a little disappointed that she wouldn't get to watch him fight for real.
Zoro and Buggy faced each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, Buggy charged forward, tired of waiting, and Zoro grinned. He had been waiting for the right moment to strike.
"DIIIEEE!" Before Buggy could lay a scratch on him, Zoro had leapt from the ground and sliced straight through Buggy, cutting him in half. Nami turned away from the gruesome sight of what was left of Buggy as Zoro put his swords back in their sheathes.
"That wasn't much of fight now, was it?" He grumbled.
"Oh wow, he's weak. Way to go, Zoro!" Luffy cheered, awkwardly clapping her hands together despite the ropes wrapped around her wrists and arms.
"Incredible" Nami breathed, and then all of a sudden Buggy's crew started to laugh.
"Hey, why are they laughing?" asked Luffy, seemingly confused at the crew's actions.
"Their Captain is lying dead on the ground and yet they're still laughing, what's going on?" said Nami, slight disgust in her tone. "Hey, what's so funny anyway?"
Unknown to Zoro, one of the dead Buggy's hands had risen, independent of its body and had surged forward, one knife grasped in it. It stabbed Zoro through the back, on his right side, missing anything vital but causing a lot of pain. He let out a cry of pain as blood soaked through his shirt and down his haramaki and he dropped to one knee in pain.
"ZORO!" Luffy cried, struggling against the ropes holding her. Nami turned around and was shocked to see Buggy's hand and the rest of his body parts that had been cut off by Zoro were moving on their own.
"Buggy's still alive?!" Then the hand that held the dagger pulled back out making Zoro wince as the knife was removed from his side.
"W-what the h-hell?!" He snarled, turning his head to watch as Buggy stood up, slowly reattaching his limbs to his body.
"The Chop-Chop Fruit, it's the name of the Devil Fruit that I ate. I'm Chop-Chop person and I can't be defeated by swords! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed with glee and did a small victory dance as he rose.
"His limbs reattached themselves? I always thought that devil fruits were just a story that pirates told." Nami was stunned to see a real-life devil fruit power, and Luffy clenched her teeth together, feeling her anger rise.
"I didn't hit any vital origins but that's a serious wound you got there so I'm guessing that I'm the winner." Buggy laughed again along with his crew and Zoro winced at another surge of pain shot through his right side. He shut his eyes and tried to breathe through the pain, one hand putting pressure against the wound.
'Oh crap, if we don't do something quick they'll go and kill all three of us,' Nami thought, eyes darting around the rooftop.
"I let my guard down, that was a stupid mistake." Luffy's glare deepened at Zoro's confession. He did nothing wrong. She was mad at the pirates for laughing at Zoro, at Buggy for tricking him, and most of all for hurting him. She clenched her hands tightly as her anger finally boiled over and she screamed.
"STABBING HIM IN THE BACK WAS A COWERDLY MOVE, YOU BIG NOSE!" Everything went silent, Nami froze, angry at the stupid girl who had just called him the worst insult possible, and the crew around her just gasped in shock.
"What the…you said... WHO'S GOT A BIG NOSE?!" Buggy turned towards Luffy and threw the knife he still held in his hand.
"LUFFY!" Zoro yelled, forgetting the pain as he tried to stand but it was too late, the knife was already thrown and he was too far away to do anything but watch. It went between the bars and seemed to slam right into her head, forcing her back. Zoro watched the cage, the hand against his wound tightening with worry. It couldn't have hit her, right? She had to have dodged that.
Suddenly Luffy sat back up the blade of the knife held between her teeth. She didn't look to be injured at all and everyone was awestruck at the reflexes she had to have to catch something moving that fast without taking any damage. She glanced up from under her hat, and smirked at Buggy.
"Hey, Buggy. I'm going to kick your ass right now!"
"HAHAHAHAHA! You? Kick my ass?! Strong words for a little girl, but no, I'm afraid all three of you are going to die here today by my own hands. So if you're going to do any ass kicking, you better do it soon HAHAHAHA!" Buggy continued to laugh at Luffy's strong words.
'Damn it, if I wasn't in this condition I would give this guy a piece of my mind. He's too full of himself.' Zoro silently cursed the clown captain for underestimating Luffy. The small captain let the knife drop from her mouth before bending her head back and laughing. Buggy and his crew stopped their laughing, watching the raven-haired girl, some wondering if she had cracked.
"I refuse to die! Zoro, run," Luffy ordered.
"What?" Zoro stared at the girl like she was insane. He wouldn't leave her here.
"You better have a really good plan or else we're all dead, so what are you guys going to do?" Nami exclaimed. Luffy turned to stare at Zoro and smiled at him, communicating a silent message to which he replied with an arched brow. He smirked as she nodded, even without words he knew almost instinctively what her plan was.
"I gotcha," He said while Nami just stared between the two of them with dismay.
'Nothing makes sense anymore. This is why I hate Pirates.'
"You fools, time to die!" Buggy charged Zoro again, but the swordsman quickly unsheathed his swords and deflected the hits. He continued to repel every one of Buggy's strikes, but Buggy just smirked, thinking he had the upper hand. Suddenly, Zoro dove forward to slice him, missing when Buggy split his body in half to evade Zoro's strike.
"Your Three Sword Style has no effect on me, I…" Buggy didn't finish as Zoro continued to run past him and towards the cannon, completely ignoring the pirate clown.
"Hey! Listen when I'm talking to you!" Before Buggy could chase after him, Zoro ducked under the cannon and began to push it, attempting to flip it over. The injury on his side spurted blood as he struggled and with a grunt of exertion he managed to move the cannon so that it was now pointing towards Buggy and his crew, who let out unmanly shrieks of dismay.
"Hurry, light it," he ordered Nami, panting slightly.
"What?"
"Do it now!" Nami nodded, understanding Luffy's plan now, and quickly found a match lying on the ground.
"WAIT! THIS CANNON IS LOADED WITH THE BUGGY BALL! I CAN'T DIE BY MY OWN BALL!" But his yell reached deaf ears as Nami lit the cannon once more, this time at Buggy, and Luffy snickered at the scared expression on the infamous Buggy the Clown's face.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST DID THAT, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE GIRL! WAIT, NONONO! STOP! STOP IT NOW!" As he shouted in terror, his arms waving wildly in front of his face, the fuse reached its peak and the cannon fired, blasting Buggy and his Crew off of the roof and out into the city.
It wasn't until after the echoing explosion of the Buggy ball aimed at Buggy himself had receded did Nami shake herself out of her stupor and uncover her ears. She turned to scan the area for Zoro and was shocked to find that instead of taking cover like she had when the Buggy cannon had gone off, he had rushed straight for the cage Luffy had been encased in, and was now on his knees against the bars, talking softly with the girl within.
Staring at them, Nami cautiously pushed herself to her feet and after swiftly looking at the unconscious wreck of Buggy's crew and reassuring herself that they would not be getting up anytime soon, made her way over to Luffy's cage.
"-Are you sure?" She heard Zoro urgently mutter at the raven haired girl as he used the knife Buggy had thrown at her to cut the ropes. Luffy just answered with a cheerful nod and a 'Yosh!' as the binds holding her hands came undone and she shook her numb hands with a grin.
Finally reaching them, Nami made it just in time to watch as Zoro shoved his hands through the bars and grabbed Luffy's wrists, pulling the younger girl's body forward so he could examine her thoroughly. As Zoro lifted Luffy's arms robotically and trailed his fingers down them, Luffy giggled.
"Zoorrrrooo," she whined, pulling one of her hands away. "That tickles!"
Zoro, finally sure that Luffy hadn't been wrongly hurt in his absence, shook his head and sighed in relief, a small grin making its way to his face as he dropped Luffy's arms and reached out further to gently rest his hand against her head. "Just making sure," he answered ruefully.
"But, Zoro!" Luffy shot back. "You're much more hurt than me! You gonna be okay?" Her eyes darted over him in her own form of examination, pausing to stare at his injury with a frown.
Zoro grinned at Luffy, ruffling the girl's untidy hair, causing her to let out an automatic protest and lean away. "It's just a flesh wound," he passed it off easily. "Bit of sleep later and I'll be fine." He gave Luffy a charming smile, one she had no trouble believing in.
"Shishishishishi," Luffy giggled again, before leaning forward and pecking the swordsman on his nose causing the older man to blush slightly. He pulled Luffy's hat over her face and turned away with a huff, embarrassed.
Nami suddenly had the feeling she was intruding on something private, and that if she was caught intruding on it, Zoro would personally kill her. Clamping her mouth shut to prevent the hysterical yelling she had been about to unleash, she turned her head away and sighed.
"Uh, you two psychos…" she prodded, still staring intently at Buggy's pathetic and out for the count crew, her hands on her hips. "Hello? Buggy's crew? Buggy? Will awaken at any minute, yeah?"
At this, the two finally noticed her presence, and while Luffy turned to her with a grin as wide and cheerful as ever, Zoro regarded her with a suspicious and closed look of dislike. Nami immediately felt herself bristling at that look. She often used a similar look to clearly tell men where they stood with her and where they should stick it. To have such a look thrown so casually at her first -oh, she wasn't going to like this guy. At all. Didn't he have any respect for women?
"Who's this?" Zoro asked rudely, staring at her as if assessing an enemy.
"That's Nami!" Luffy answered eagerly, reaching through the bars to latch onto Zoro's arm and shake the older man excitedly. "She's going to be our navigator!"
At this, Nami stiffened angrily. "Who says?" She sniffed haughtily. "I already told you kid- I hate pirates!"
Luffy looked put out and slightly annoyed. "But I'm saying," she answered, as if that was all that mattered. Zoro started chuckling, glancing at Nami's infuriated glare with amusement. "Yeah, didn't you hear her?" he let out, grinning. "Luffy says."
Nami actually stamped her foot, only slightly, before huffing. "You two are impossible!" She accused. "First you're all so happy and casual about Buggy- an extremely dangerous pirate captain- then you're all crazy and ready to fight- even after you've sustained serious injuries- and now this! Acting like children!"
"Yeah, whatever," Zoro answered uninterested, turning away from her to start examining the cage for a way out. Luffy was completely preoccupied, humming her own little tune as she watched Zoro feel the cage bars. "I've already tried that!" She offered Zoro helpfully, answering the half-formed and unspoken idea in his head. "But maybe with your swords…"
Zoro shook his head with a grunt of frustration. "With this injury, I don't have as much strength behind my swing," he ground out, sounding ashamed. "I won't be able to cut the bars like this."
Nami shook her head at the two of them and glanced over at the unconscious Buggy. She should really grab what she could and get out of here now. It was how she did things; how she survived. But, Luffy had really helped her… twice… She couldn't just leave the girl and her green-headed buffoon here to die.
Setting off with determined strides, the arguing of Luffy and Zoro faded behind her as she made her way toward Buggy. It only took her a few minutes to pilfer his collection of brass keys and figure out which one matched the cage's iron signature.
By the time she trotted away from Buggy smugly, key in hand, Zoro had picked up the cage with Luffy in it and was now making his way down the hill. Nami's steps faltered, and her mouth fell open, key completely forgotten. "Holy crap…" She muttered to herself, before taking off after the two insane pirates.
"What are you doing?" she hissed, finally catching up to them, shocked at the amount of distance Zoro had covered in the short amount of time she had been away, especially with injuries like his.
"I'm milking the cows," Zoro grunted sarcastically at her, shifting the cage awkwardly as he took another hard step. Luffy, who had drifted into a somewhat out-of-it daze, snapped to attention at the sound of Zoro's voice. "Huh? Cows?" She questioned, glancing around. "Where? I just had a really good burger earlier. We need to get you some food too, Zoro!"
Zoro stumbled another few steps, pausing to catch his breath. "Sure, captain," he said with a short grin that he aimed up at Luffy. "We'll have a big feast after all this."
"Sweet!"
"Are you crazy?" Nami tried again, shock driving her for an answer to his ridiculous and damaging behavior. "You'll kill yourself trying to lug that thing all the way through town!"
Zoro gave her a bland, annoyed look that clearly said bullshit. "There was no way I was gonna leave Luffy up there with those creeps," he spat out, struggling onwards. Nami slowed to a stop at that, finding it almost too hard to believe. Just how long had these two known each other? To go that far for the other, no questions asked…
She found herself remembering that one moment in the fight, when Luffy had called out to the staggering, bleeding Zoro, and with one connected, knowing look, Zoro had gained reassurance, strength, confidence, and had known exactly what to do. Nami found herself marveling at their connection. It was… truly something beautiful. Something neither of them seemed to consciously notice yet still held close, as if protecting it.
What… what kind of fricken pirates were these strange two?
Another chapter down. Phew, this is going by fast but I am loving every minute of it!
I actually saw a picture of Viking Zoro on the cover of ch 466 and I got a new idea for a fanfiction in my head. I have already written an entire chapter for it while I should have been editing my other stuff. It's an AU takes place in viking-ish times in which Zoro is the leader of his ship crew and they are raiding a village and he encounters Fem!Luffy, who is the village seer and kidnaps her and takes her back to his country/town of which Mihawk is the leader. Kohza, Vivi, Saga, Makino, Ace, Sabo, have already made some sort of appearance in what I've started so I think it will be interesting.
It will be a short story, probably no more than 10 chapters and I hope to have the first up by Christmas, now that finals are over.
Tell me if it sounds like an interesting idea.
Til tomorrow!