Phew. Running a bit behind on the post today. Sorry guys! I spent a lot of time going over this chapter, wanting to make sure it was perfect and I think I got it as good as its gonna get.
Thank you to all who have followed or favorited this story. Your support means the world to me. A special shout out to Pen-Woman, from who I have borrowed bits of the story. I am honored by the follow and I hope I live up to your expectations.
Shirani-Chan - Your reviews continue to make my day. Hope you like the new chapter.
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.
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
Desperate Situation! Beast Tamer Mohji vs. Luffy
The Treasure of Life, life is a journey. A journey of time where a heart needs another to give it a shine, we're all on a journey with two paths to take, one that is right and the one that can break, with many a setback, we'll find hard to bear, it's love and true friendship that will help us to care for a heart that is lonely, can fill up with strain like a plant that can wither without sun and rain so together when sharing, surely we'll find, it's the treasure of life that can give peace of mind…by Olive Walters.
Captain Buggy sat up slowly, his body aching from the force with which he hit the cement ground. Somehow he had survived the blast from his own cannon, however, he was furious that the no good Pirate Hunter Zoro had the gall to try and humiliate him. HIM! And those two girls were just as guilty, the witch, Nami, and that raven-haired idiot.
"Those three think they can mock me?! Screw that, I consider that act of aggression as a declaration of war!" He was muttering quietly to himself, planning all the ways he could drag out their deaths and make them flashy at the same time. A giant paw appeared in front of him and the clown pirate looked up before smirked gleefully, his first mate had arrived.
"There you are, Mohji." Standing in front of him was a man with strangest looking hairstyle. It almost resembled a white polar bear and wrapped completely around his face. It was made even more lifelike by a pair of white bear ears and he sat atop an enormous Lion. He was known as Mohji the Beast Tamer, second-in-command of the Buggy Pirates.
"I hope you won't mind if I take the Pirate Hunter's head," said Mohji gruffly.
"Hehehe, be my guest."
Zoro continued to lug the cage carrying Luffy until he could no longer see the tent that had housed Buggy and his pirates. The orange haired girl who had helped them followed a few steps behind, nagging him the whole way. He wanted to continue going, to get as far away from that rooftop as he could, but suddenly his arms gave out and the cage dropped to the ground with a clang, startling Luffy who let out a small yelp of surprise. Zoro collapsed next to her on his back, gasping as the pain in his side increased.
"Zoro! Are you ok?" Luffy asked worriedly, crawling across the small space in her cage to place a hand reassuringly on the swordsman's chest.
"Fine, Lu."
"No you're not!" Nami hissed standing over the two of them. "What were you thinking, lugging that heavy cage through town with that injury?! Your guts could have popped out your side."
"So let them!" Zoro hissed, fed up with her bickering. There had been no other option.
"Don't worry Nami," Luffy soothed, grinning as she remembered something. "I've got some medicinal cream. That should stop the bleeding!" She started to rummage through her pockets, looking for the cream. She put her hand on her right back pocket where she normally kept it but felt nothing. 'But... I always put it in that pocket.' She thought, puzzled. She moved to her other back pocket, and not feeling it there quickly started to feel her two front pockets, panicking slightly.
"My cream, where is my cream? Where is it, where is it, where is it?" She glanced around the area quickly, wondering if she might have dropped it and froze in realization. 'The bird! When it latched onto me earlier the cream must have fallen out of my pocket.' She sat back with a sigh of despair.
"No~ I lost the cream, the cream is gone and Zoro is gonna die~" she sniffled, her eyes tearing up slightly. What kind of captain was she? She couldn't even help her first mate.
"I'm not gonna die, you idiot," he snapped in irritation turning to glare at her. "It's just a minor wound. I'll sleep it off and be healed by tomorrow." He said the words to reassure Luffy because, for some reason he didn't understand, he already hated that sad look on her face. At his words though it quickly faded into a cautious but hopeful look.
"Really? But your wound," she said.
"Tsk, this? This is nothing, I have had far worse than this, it's going to take a lot more than that to take me down." He smirked at her cockily and Luffy returned the smile, her confidence restored. She silently agreed with him, Zoro was super strong, she knew that there was nothing in this world that could defeat him. She just needed to be reminded of it every once in a while. Zoro's smirk softened into a half smile, glad to see his Captain was calm and happy, then he felt a tingling feeling, as if they were being watched and looked up to see… a dog.
"What's with this dog?" Zoro asked himself. When Luffy heard Zoro say dog, she turned around and squealed.
"Doggy!" She started to reach her hand through the cage and stopped, glaring at the bars, frusterated. "This cage is starting to get annoying," she muttered, knocking her knuckles against a bar.
Nami sighed from her position against the wall of a building where she had been watching them and approached the duo. "You two are lucky I came along," She said, getting their attention. Zoro just stared at her in annoyance and she glared right back before pulling a large key out of her pocket and swirling it around a finger.
"The key!" Luffy cheered, clapping her hands with glee. Zoro's glare lessened slightly and he glanced at Luffy relieved. If they had to move soon he would have picked the cage back up and ran until he collapsed, but he wouldn't be able to protect his captain like that. Getting Luffy out of that stupid cage would make things a lot easier for them. Nami walked over and quickly unlocked the cage before helping Luffy crawl out and straighten back up. The rubber girl stretched her arms above her head with a relieved sigh, muscles cramped after being in that cage for so long. She grinned at Nami thankfully before moving to sit next to Zoro, right in front of where the dog sat. It was a white dog with beady looking eyes and dirty fur. It hadn't moved at all when Luffy approached and remained as still as a statue as she settled down into a comfortable position so she made a silly face, trying to get a reaction from it.
"Hey Zoro, I think this dog is frozen," Luffy stated while grinning, her hands on her crossed ankles, rocking back a little.
"I don't give a damn. He can sit there forever for all I care." The swordsman grumbled, trying to fall asleep.
"Do you think it's dead?" She held out a finger and moved to poke at the statue-like dog, curious, wondering if it would fall over when she touched it.
"Don't touch it, Luffy! It could be a wild dog." But his warning reached deaf ears as Luffy's finger touched the dog's forehead and then she gave him a stroke on his fur. The dog didn't move at all but he wagged his tail slightly, accepting the girl's touch. Luffy giggled like a happy child and then began to pat him with her hand.
"Aw, aren't you a sweet doggy," She cooed, still giggling. Zoro blinked and let out a sigh before letting his eyes fall shut again. That girl was so full of surprises, he wasn't sure he'd ever get used to it. Luffy gave the dog another pat on the head when all of a sudden a shout rang out.
"HEY, STOP THAT! STOP PICKING ON POOR CHOUCHOU AND LEAVE HIM ALONE" Luffy and Nami both turned to see an elderly looking man with gray hair that had been arranged in three lumps: two on the sides, and one on the front. He wore a yellow lined shirt with dark green pants, a brown armor chest-plate with armored gauntlets over top of them and an old style pair of glasses.
"What? Oh, sir, I think you've got it wrong. We're not hurting him," said Nami waving her hands frantically, attempting to calm him down.
"Yeah, I like doggies," said a grinning Luffy, and the old man paused, fully taking in the scene before him and realizing that the three meant no harm.
"Oh I'm sorry, I thought you were one of those nasty Buggy Pirates," He apologized, walking closer to the small group.
"Then who might you be old man?" Zoro asked, cracking one eye open, wary but sensing no real threat from the man.
"Old man?" He huffed, turning to stare at Zoro. "Well, I'm the Mayor of this town and the name is Mr. Boodle to you." Then Boodle took notice of Zoro's still bleeding wound and his eyes widened.
"My, my. That's quite an injury you've got there. I take it you guys had a run-in with Captain Buggy?" The old man knelt down next to Zoro to get a better look at his injury. "We need to get you patched up."
Several minutes later, Boodle finally emerged from an empty house near them, wiping his hands on a cloth as he walked back over to where Luffy still sat next to Chouchou.
"How is Zoro?" She asked, tilting her head.
"I told him he should really see a doctor but he insisted that he didn't need to and he just wanted to sleep it off." said Boodle, shaking his head in exasperation. Inside the house, Zoro was fast asleep on a large bed and snoring very loudly, limbs thrown haphazardly in all directions.
Chouchou yawned and shook his head to get the tiredness away.
"So this dog's name is Chouchou," Nami said, the question more of a statement, as she crouched down so she could caress the dog's head.
"Why is he just sitting here like this? He sure is one lazy dog," Luffy giggled
"He's guarding the store," said Boodle with a solemn look. Nami and Luffy blinked in confusion and followed Boodle's gaze to the sign on the building behind them. The small one story house had a beautifully decorated sign above it that said Pet Food Store and both girls hummed in understanding.
"And the man that used to run this store was a very close friend of mine," he continued, his tone sad. The old man walked past the two girls and up the small stairs that led to the porch. He unlocked the store with a key attached to his belt and entered, Chouchou not stopping him because he was a close friend of his master. Boodle walked back out after a second, carrying a large sack of dog food in his arms. He set it down and scooped a small amount out before placing it in a small bowl and setting that in front of Chouchou.
"When he passed away I took over responsibility of taking care of Chouchou," Boodle said, watching the the small dog chow down on his favorite food.
"When did he die?" Nami asked.
"Three months ago after fighting on his own for a very long time."
"Don't tell me this dog has been staying here all this time waiting for his master to return?" Nami was bewildered.
"That seem to be the consensus," Boodle said, sighing. He turned back to the shop and re-locked the front door before taking a seat on one of the porch steps and bringing out his smoking pipe to have a quick smoke. Talking about his old friend always left him wanting a smoke, something to ease the sadness he felt at seeing Chouchou still there, waiting at the store.
"But…I find it very hard to believe. Chouchou is a smart dog, he's probably known for a while that his master is never coming back." Boodle took a drag from the pipe as he watched Chouchou lick his bowl clean.
"Then why does he stay with the store?" Nami asked, confused. If the dog knew his master was gone why did he continue to stay at the shop after all this time. Luffy stared at Chouchou mournfully, as if she understood why the dog stayed.
"I guess he has a connection to it, it's his treasure, he's guarding it." Boodle took another large drag of his pipe. "His master left him with this shop so that's why he protects it. I tried to bring him back to my place to keep him warm and give him a new home but he won't takes so much as step away from here." After Boodle finished his short explanation, neither of the girls said a word, both lost in their thoughts. In their eyes Chouchou was a brave, loyal and faithful dog, and they couldn't help but feel sympathy for him; both understanding, in their own way, a little of what he was feeling.
Then the ground started to shake around them, almost as if they were experiencing an earthquake, and a thunderous roar could be heard from miles away. Neither Luffy or Chouchou moved a muscle or flinched at the loud sound, their heads turning in sync to stare in the direction of the noise.
"What the hell was that?" Nami cried, springing to her feet as she heard a series of loud thumps in the distance, the sounds coming closer with every passing second.
"IT'S HIM! IT'S BEAST TAMER MOHJI! RUN!" Boodle panicked, quickly darting around a corner at the end of the street.
"What the~ come back!" Then Nami turned, chasing after him and leaving behind Luffy and Chouchou. Luffy sat in her traditional cross-legged position with the soles of her feet touching, hands gripping her ankles, and sighed.
"You're gonna fight, huh doggy?" She asked turning to look at Chouchou. The dog barked once in affirmation and Luffy smiled down at him. Compared to every dog she had ever seen, Chouchou was the bravest by far. Then a shadow blocked out the sun over both Luffy and Chouchou and she bent her head back to see a very large lion and a weird looking guy towering over them.
"I see that your friends have deserted you. And right after you managed to escape too." Mohji, tsk'ed in disappointment.
"Who the heck are you?" Luffy asked, watching the man curiously, no fear on her face.
"I'm known as the Beast Tamer Mohji, a member of the Buggy Pirates." He replied proudly. Luffy continued to stare at him, blinking comically before stating.
"Whoa, that's a weird animal suit you got on."
After she said it, Mohji's clenched his fists, his blood boiling in anger.
"That was rude! This is not a costume, this is manly hair." He replied pointing up at his hairstyle, feeling insulted from the girl's blunt comment.
"Kay, that even weirder." She raised an eyebrow in disbelief, doing another sweep of the strange man's outfit.
"You shouldn't assume that you're safe just because you escaped. You must not know of my terrifying skills. There is no animal in this world that Beast Tamer Mohji can't bend to his bidding." He jumped down from his lion and strolled towards Chouchou who was growling at the approaching threat. Mohji didn't appear intimidated by it and bent down to his knees and held out one hand.
"Shake," he commanded. Luffy watched, curious to see if this Mohji guy really did have some skill at controlling animals. But then Chouchou jumped forward, biting Mohji's hand and digging his teeth in, causing the man to scream. He shook his hand, desperately trying to get the dog to let go, but Chouchou just bit down harder, forcing another unmanly scream from the strange man. Luffy began to laugh at the funny man, hands wrapping around her stomach as she giggled. It appeared as if his so called skill wasn't as great as he said. After a minute or so Mohji was finally able to get Chouchou to release his hand and he quickly jumped back on top of his lion, trying to act like nothing had happened.
"I don't have time for this nonsense, tell me where Roronoa Zoro is before I kill you!" Mohji threatened. Luffy sobered immediately and jumped to her feet, glaring up at the man.
"Fat chance, weirdo!" She stuck out her tongue in a child-like display of defiance and Mohji ground his teeth together in anger.
"RICHIE ATTACK!" The lion jumped forward towards the raven-haired girl, batting his paw at her and using his claws to strike. Luffy crossed her arms over her chest to deflect the attack but Richie's massive paw was stronger than she had anticipated and broke through her guard, forcing her to jump to the side, barely missing the sharp claws. Mohji saw an opening and ordered his friend to attack again, however, this time Luffy wasn't able to react fast enough, still trying to regain her footing from the last attack, and Richie's paw struck her, sending her flying back and crashing through a row of houses. Mohji smiled in victory, thinking that he had killed the girl. After all, no regular person could survive a hit like that.
"Nice work! Good boy, Richie! Now let's go find Zoro and defeat him to increase my reputation. Then we'll bring his head back for Captain Buggy," Richie turned to follow his master's command and continue the search but froze when he spotted a Pet Food Shop out of the corner of his eye.
"What's wrong?" Mohji asked, noticing that Richie had stopped. He followed his lion's line of sight and let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, it's a pet food store. Okay, make it quick and let's go." Richie roared happily as he strode toward the building, already drooling at the thought of all of the food in the store, but Chouchou stood his ground, paws planted firmly in front of the store, barking and growling in an attempt to get Richie to back off.
"Don't tell me this pathetic looking mutt really thinks he can guard the shop," Mohji scoffed, still upset that this mutt had bitten his hand.
Luffy continued to slam back through the buildings, the wooden structures eventually slowing her movement enough to allow her to slide to a stop in a small alleyway. She quickly sat up, debris falling around her, and rubbed the top of her head quizzically. "Yah, that was annoying. That stupid lion thing hits hard." She adjusted her hat before standing up and patting herself down, letting a grin slide over her features. "Yosh, now it's time to teach those Buggy pirates a lesson, and then I need to convince Nami to be my navigator. Shihehe." She turned her head quizzically as she heard two sets of footsteps coming her way and watched as Nami and Boodle rounded the corner.
"How did you survive that attack?!" Nami was stunned to see the she-captain in one piece, looking for all the world like she hadn't just slammed through a wooden building.
"You're…alive, are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" the Mayor asked, stepping forward to check the girl over, not quite believing she could be completely uninjured. Luffy just glanced between the two, blinking in confusion.
"I just got lucky, I guess."
"Surviving that attack is not normal! I thought you'd be scattered all over." Nami countered as Luffy turned to glance back through the hole she had made, wiping the last of the grime off her vest.
"Why did you come to this town in the first place and how did you get involved with those pirates?" The Mayor had been wondering that ever since he met them, their arrival couldn't be just simple coincidence.
"All I'm doing is searching for the chart of the Grand Line and a good Navigator to join my crew," Luffy replied. Nami stared at the stubborn girl who still wanted her to be part of her crew even though she continuously said 'no'. Not to mention she was a pirate thief. Pirate thieves and pirate captains could not mix together, they just couldn't. Why couldn't Luffy understand that?! Luffy ran past Nami and Boodle, yelling back at them.
"I think the guy in the animal suit said he was looking for Zoro, so I gotta stop him." She said and her eyes narrowed in determination, her fists clenching as she ran. She wouldn't let this guy hurt Zoro, not on her watch.
Back in the town square, Chouchou stood his ground, not intimidated by the giant lion that was slowly approaching him. He growled and snarled at Richie, trying to force the lion to leave but it only seemed to anger Richie and the lion used a paw to sweep Chouchou out of his way. As soon as the way to the shop was cleared, Richie licked his lips and proceeded to destroy the shop's sign and then entire front of the store in his attempt to get at the food. Chouchou, injured but not out, forced himself back onto his feet before charging the large lion again.
*Flashback*
In a small shop in Orange town an elderly man carefully carried a large bag of dog food he had just grabbed from the storage room. He had wrinkles that showed his age, short purple hair and a matching beard. He wore a light red shirt, white pants, a red wool cap, and a worn pair of shoes. His name is Honker and he ran the local pet store. In the middle of the main room a small white puppy sat and watched Honker work, his eyes never leaving the old man.
"Chouchou, this shop belong to us now." Honker smiled down at Chouchou over the top of the bag, laughing when the little dog barked in agreement. Chouchou ran towards the storage room, deciding to help his friend and grabbed a second sack with his teeth. He tried to drag it but didn't appear to be making much progress when Honker approached and stopped the small dog.
"That bag is way too heavy for you, Chouchou," he laughed, happy his friend wanted to help him.
On the outskirts of Orange Town, Honker had gotten his cart stuck in a hole and was attempting to pull it out. Chouchou, now older, wanted to help and began to push at the wheel with his front paws. The cart finally came loose but Chouchou's paws got stuck in the wheel as it turned. Luckily, Honker was by his side quickly and was able to pull Chouchou out.
"Be careful Chouchou, don't hurt yourself. Leave this to me, okay?"
Honker found Chouchou in the storage room with three sacks of doggy biscuits around him, torn and eaten.
"Bad Chouchou, I told you not to eat the merchandise." Honker scolded Chouchou but couldn't help the smile on his face that showed he wasn't truly mad at the small dog. Instead he held out a plate full of meat and lobster to Chouchou.
"So let's chow down with real food." Soon they were having a tug of war with a large piece of meat, fighting for who would get to eat it.
"Chouchou, I'm going to see the doctor for a check-up but I'll be back so guard the shop until I return," Honker said patting the little dog on the head as he stepped out of the shop. Chouchou barked immediately and with no hesitation. He would guard the shop with his life.
"Hold down the fort."
*End Flashback*
As Chouchou bit Richie's leg he remembered the great times he spent with his master, the joyous memories he still held close. How he and his master worked together as a team, enjoying laughter and family moments together, and he remembered his last words, his last promise to guard the shop. Even though his master was dead Chouchou would keep his promise till his last breath. Richie roared in pain as Chouchou dug his teeth deeper to the Lion's flesh, Chouchou let go of the lion's paw after another minute and growled again, telling the lion to leave and showing that he would back up his threat, but Richie refused. The lion struck Chouchou again with his claws, resulting in a deep gash in his shoulder, but Chouchou refused to give up. His master was counting on him to protect his shop, he got up again and stood in front of Richie which aggravated the lion tenfold. Mohji watched the dog's struggle to keep Richie away from his shop in amusement.
"So you're not going to give up now, huh?" He smirked and Chouchou growled, barely keeping his footing after losing so much blood but he would not let his precious treasure be taken by pirates. Chouchou snarled as he hurdled toward Richie in a last, desperate attack but Richie was too strong and too fast to be defeated easily, he lifted his paw and, with a heavy blow, struck Chouchou in the chest.
The Pet Food Store was on fire, after Richie had barged in and ate every last sack of dog food he could find, Mohji had burned the shop using a pack of matches and left the scene. Chouchou woke up a minute later, having been knocked out by Richie's last attack, and saw his shop, his home, his treasure burning.
It was at that moment that Luffy rounded the corner, just in time to see that the shop that the white doggy held so dear to his heart was on fire. She looked around the square, seeing splashes of blood everywhere and the evidence of a fight before looking back at Chouchou, seeing his fur smeared with blood.
'He has a connection to it, it's his treasure. He's guarding it, his master left him with this shop so that's why he's protects it' She remembered the old man's words as she watched the doggy howl in anguish, in agony at the thought that he had lost his precious treasure forever. Luffy's eyes filled with rage and her teeth clenched together. She had come to find Beast Tamer Mohji to protect Zoro, but now, now he would pay for this as well. What he had done was unforgivable.
Richie strolled away from the store, carrying an extra box of food between his teeth for a later snack, as Mohji examined the wound on his hand, cursing the dumb mutt under his breath for attacking him when he had first approached.
"Damn it, I can't believe it that wretched little dog bit me," he cursed again. He was glad he had destroyed the shop that the dog seemed to hold dear, the mutt deserved it. After a minute he sighed, turning back to the task at hand; he still needed to find Roronoa Zoro. Richie continued to walk through the empty streets but stopped suddenly when Luffy emerged from a side alley, blocking their path. Mohji stared at her frowning, he thought he had killed her but apparently the annoying little girl had survived.
"Hey, I thought I killed you! What are you still doing alive?" Mohji asked impatiently.
"I'm afraid you can't get rid of me that easily," Luffy grinned, crossing her arms over her chest. Even though she was smiling there was no humor in her tone or face but Mohji took no notice of that.
"This time, crush her head into the ground, Richie!" He commanded as he jumped off of Richie's back so the lion could move freely. Richie roared and charged at Luffy, teeth bared in a snarl.
"I'm not going to be beaten by a stupid lion" She hissed, stretching her arms forward. Her arms twisted together like a snake and each hand grabbed a fistful of Richie's mane before lifting the giant lion into the air. He spun around as her arms unwound themselves and she used the momentum of her spin to flip him over and slam him into the ground, knocking the lion out instantly. Her hat was knocked off her head from the breeze that had been caused by her attack and it came to rest on the ground next to her feet as she turned her glare to Mohji. The pirate was gaping at her in shock, barely able to believe that the tiny girl before him had just taken out a huge lion in 5 seconds flat.
"W-what are you?"
"Well I ate a devil fruit…" She began, shadowing her eyes underneath her hair, the move making her look even more menacing. Mohji trembled in fear at her words. The girl had been a Devil Fruit User all along. That had to be the reason she survived Richie's earlier attack.
"So you have a devil fruit like Captain Buggy?" His shaking worsened when Luffy didn't say a word back to him. He knew how fearsome Buggy and his power was, if this girl was even half as powerful as his captain than...
"I'm sorry! I apologize for attacking you, I don't want any trouble!" Mohji bowed his head, waving his hands in front of him in cowardly attempt to try and placate her. Luffy turned around until she was completely facing Mohji and growled.
"There is no reason to apologize to me! Because of you that dog will never get his treasure back and now, because of that, I'm gonna kick your sorry ass!" Her tone was cold as ice and her onyx eyes were like daggers. Before Mohji could even think of running away Luffy had shot her arm out and grabbed onto the front of his shirt, pulling him towards her and using the momentum to punch him hard, knocking him unconscious.
Back in town square, Chouchou was now sitting silently, gazing sadly at the burned remains of the shop he and his master had built together. A shop that he would never see again. Nami and Boodle stood on the sidelines, watching the poor dog sadly.
"Pirates…they're all the same. They're all a bunch of heartless bastards that destroy everything that people hold dear without giving it a second thought." Nami hissed with a mix of bitter anger and sorrow. The sight of Chouchou brought back memories she didn't want to think about and she grasped her left shoulder, fist tightening in anger. All pirates were scum in her book, there were no exceptions. It was at that moment that Luffy appeared, no smile on her face, a small box of dog food clutched in one hand.
"Oh you're alive, pirate," Nami spit out, pure disgust in her tone. "You know, I thought for sure that lion was going to tear your head off and end it all and I wish he had, cause then there would be one less pirate in the world!" Nami couldn't stop herself, she was too angry. "Or maybe I should kill you right now before you can gather a crew and destroy everything else?!" She rushed towards Luffy seeing nothing but red, thinking she could finish the smaller girl off, but before she could get close Boodle yanked her back. Luffy watched Nami struggle to get away from the Mayor, no expression in her dark eyes. She knew that the orangette wanted to attack and kill her but she seemed to be unfazed by her harsh words.
"Calm down, there is no need for violence," said Boodle, shocked at the girl's sudden burst of anger.
"As if you could ever kill me," Luffy scoffed, walking away, not giving Nami another glance.
"Maybe I'll try and see!"
"I said stop! What is wrong with you people?"
Luffy approached Chouchou and carefully set the box of dog food in front of him before taking a seat next to him, her legs crossed. Nami stopped struggling in Boodle's hold, both of them surprised to see Luffy, a Pirate, showing kindness to a dog. The raven-haired girl lifted one hand from her lap and patted Chouchou lightly on the head, not wanting to aggravate his injuries.
"Sorry, that's all I could save for ya. That bastard lion ate all the rest of it."
'She fought the lion…in order to save the dog's food?' Nami thought, confused. She was in shock that a pirate, of all people, would do something good for someone else's sake, with no thought of reward. She gazed at Luffy, her expression softening and thought that maybe she had been wrong. Luffy was nothing like any pirate she had ever met before, she was… different.
"You fought well; course I didn't actually see you defending the store but I can tell you gave it your all!" Luffy said, smiling sweetly at Chouchou. The dog didn't reply and instead grasped the box of food in his mouth and began to walk away from the destroyed store. Just as he was about to turn a corner, Chouchou turned his head to Luffy and barked.
"Thanks! Good luck to you too, doggy." She smiled brightly at the dog, waving her arm over her head in farewell. Chouchou barked twice more and then left, disappearing into the alley. Nami couldn't help but smile at that. 'I guess there is more to Luffy than what meets the eyes.'
"WHAT?! You were defeated?! How!?" Buggy stared down at his injured first mate in shock. Mohji had come back covered in blood and bruises, and even Richie was badly hurt.
"I'm very sorry, Captain. Sorry that I failed," Mohji said, kneeling before his captain and fighting the urge to stay awake. The punch that the girl had hit him with had most likely given him a concussion and he was still feeling the effects.
"Mohji, I can't believe you were defeated by Roronoa Zoro!" Buggy exclaimed, automatically assuming that his opponent had been the green-haired swordsman.
"No, it wasn't Zoro! It was that Straw Hat girl!" Mohji yelled, forcing himself to his feet, ignoring his sudden bout of dizziness. He did not want his captain to underestimate that devil of a girl.
"What?! There's no way that skinny little girl could've gotten the better of you." Buggy didn't believe that one little girl had actually beat his strongest man, it was preposterous to even consider.
"But sir, she is no ordinary girl, she ate a…" Before Mohji could finish his sentence his dizziness got the better of him and caused him to fall back down, passing out as soon as he hit the floor.
"Now I'm really pissed off! Alright, prepare all the remaining Special Buggy Balls. I'm going to blast this miserable town into smithereens!"
"Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just…" Nami was embarrassed that she had yelled so harshly at the younger girl but Luffy just halted her apology with one of her bright grins.
"That's okay, you've been under a lot of stress lately." Then she got up from her sitting position, dusting her shorts off as Nami watched on with a smile.
"No need to apologize," Luffy said, still smiling. Then Boodle clenched his hands irritably.
"I'm pathetic, Chouchou and you young ones have fought so hard for this town and yet I'm the Mayor and I've done nothing but sit back and watch our town be obliterated by Buggy and his despicable crew." As he got himself more and more worked up, his voice got louder and louder. Luffy and Nami glanced at each other before both ran over to try and calm him down, knowing that charging into a battle recklessly was dangerous.
"Calm down, it's not that bad," said Nami.
"Forty years ago, this whole area was nothing but barren rugged land. We all worked together to create fields for our crops, we opened stores and built everything from the ground up. This town is a treasure to me and all the citizens from here. I refuse to let Buggy and his crew terrorize us anymore!" He yelled all this, ready to take action and Luffy stepped away. She couldn't stop him from this fight, she wouldn't deny anyone the right to fight for what they held dear, but she would back him up. Before she could open her mouth to say so a sudden blast sounded, followed by fire and debris, destroying another part of Orange Town right next to Luffy, Nami, and Boodle.
"He'll destroy it all!" Boodle murmured sadly, and Nami hummed in agreement, turning to Luffy, watching as the girl's eyes widened. Luffy shrieked in alarm when she remembered what the house next to them was, startling both Boodle and Nami.
"NO! Zoro was sleeping in there!" She yelled, quickly rushing towards the destroyed mess of houses and the place where Zoro had been resting before dropping to her knees to start digging.
"Zoro?… Zoro?! Can you hear me? Say something! ANYTHING!" She shouted, her heart beating faster as her worry mounted. Zoro was strong, she knew he was strong, but he was still injured and that Buggy Ball cannon was strong enough to even kill someone like her.
"I'm sure he's dead now," Boodle said sadly, shaking his head.
"SHUT UP!" Luffy snarled, glaring back at Boodle before continuing to dig. "Zoro is not dead! He's not, he's not!" As Luffy muttered that mantra under her breath she felt the beginnings of tears coming on. This day had been awful so far. Zoro had saved her when she fell in the ocean, then got injured saving her from the cage, and was now buried under who knows how much debris. She hadn't been able to do anything! She was a useless captain if she couldn't protect her crew and she had promised Zoro she would help him achieve his dream. Nami watched Luffy, shocked that the girl seemed close to crying.
"ZORO!" She screamed, hands clenching into fists against the wood beneath her, when suddenly...
"Ow. That's one hell of a way to wake a guy up." Luffy gasped in shock as she recognized that voice, her hands loosening their grip and her heart swelling with hope. She glanced up from the rubble towards the voice to see Zoro sitting up groggily, debris falling around him.
"I could use a few more Z's and who the hell was shouting?!" He carefully climbed out of the crumbled house, scratching at his hair lazily, completely ignoring his surroundings. Luffy smiled, a few stray tears falling before she stumbled to her feet and sprinted toward Zoro, tackling him to the ground in a huge hug. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her face in his chest, nuzzling against his collarbone happily.
"Zoro! You're alive! I'm so glad you're okay," She said, giggling with relief. Zoro was taken aback, a little disoriented at being tackled back to the ground by a red blur, but when she hugged him and he was able to recognize Luffy's unique scent he relaxed, unconsciously returning the hug and wrapping his own arms around her back. As she nuzzled at his neck, he could feel a blush spreading to his ears, just now starting to grasp that he was hugging his female captain tightly against his chest.
"WOULD YOU GET OFF ME?!" He yelled, letting his arms drop but not pushing her off. "WHY ARE YOU HUGGING ME?!" Nami smiled and had to stifle a small laugh at the look on the so-called famous bounty hunter's face. He was a brighter red than she had ever seen on anyone and it was at that point that she decided that he and Luffy would make an adorable couple.
"I refuse to let him get away with this. I won't stand for it! I can't let this scumbag destroy the town that our people worked so hard for! I'm the Mayor of this town, I WILL PROTECT IT AND ITS INHABITENTS! I SWEAR ON MY DYING BREATH!" As he was about to run off to find Buggy, Nami grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, halting his suicidal rush.
"You can't defeat Buggy on your own," Nami said, exasperated, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on.
"Perhaps, but there are some fights that a man can't run from, isn't that right?!" Boodle asked, turning to look at Luffy and Zoro. Zoro had finally managed to convince Luffy to stop hugging him and get off his stomach and she was now helping him to his feet.
"That's right, old man!" Luffy laughed, letting go of Zoro's hand and turning to face the other two. She still kept herself near Zoro, standing just in front of the green haired swordsman. That worried feeling she had felt when he was buried still hadn't left her yet and she wanted to stay near him for now.
"Shut up, don't egg him on, Luffy! It's too dangerous for him to fight Buggy on his own!" Nami cried.
"I know it's dangerous!" Boodle shouted, surprising Nami. She was so shocked, her grip on Boodle's armor slipped and he used the opportunity to break free of her hold and run towards the remains of Buggy's lair. The three watched the old man disappear around the corner, knowing how his fight with Buggy would end. The old man knew it too, but he was willing to go and fight anyway.
"Was the Mayor…crying?" Nami asked hesitantly. She could have sworn, before she let go of the mayor, that she saw tears coming out from his eyes.
"Was he? Huh, I didn't notice." Luffy shrugged, still watching the spot where he had disappeared..
"Looks like the party just got more exciting," Zoro said, feeling both relieved and disappointed that Luffy had released her hold on him, but as they stood, his own hands had made their way to her hips and still rested loosely on her waist.
"Yeah, it sure does. Shihehehehe!" Luffy was excited now. She had decided she would help the old man and now that Zoro was back up they could fight together again.
"This is no time for laughter! We've gotta do something before he gets himself killed!" Nami yelled, starting to panic. Didn't these two take anything seriously?!
"Don't worry, I like that old man. There is no way I'll let him die," Luffy stated seriously, her expression sobering as she made eye contact with Nami. Zoro gazed down at her, sensing her change in attitude, before realizing that he was still holding her waist in a semi-possessive manner. His hands shot back as if he had been burned and he turned away, trying to mask the blush that had come to his face.
'I have a feeling that this is going to become a regular occurance with her.' He thought, sighing as he carefully made his way out of the rubble and onto the solid brick street. Luffy turned when Zoro moved and blinked as she noticed Zoro's blush, tilting her head in confusion.
"Zoro, are you okay? Why are your cheeks red?"
"It's nothing, let's just go and save that old man." Zoro muttered, attempting to deflect her.
"Wait, you're still wounded. You can't fight like this!" Nami protested, watching as Zoro tied his bandana on his head and turned to her with a shark-like grin.
"Yeah, so what? The injury to my reputation is a lot worse than the injury to my gut."
"And we have to go anyway," Luffy agreed. "If we plan to get to the Grand Line, we're going to need to steal that chart back." Then Luffy held out her right hand to Nami, a large grin on her face.
"Are you gonna join our crew, or what? C'mon!" Nami frowned down at the younger girl's hand and slapped it away after a second.
"I'll never sink so low as to become a Pirate…" Luffy's face began to fall and she quickly continued. "But I suppose we can team up in order to achieve our common goals." Nami smirked. Luffy cheered, pumping her fist in the air. She had finally gotten her navigator.
~Back at Buggy's lair~
"Ready to fire at my command," said Buggy, ready to destroy another part of the worthless town in retaliation for his first mate's injuries. He opened his mouth to order the shot when someone shouted.
"Come on out, Buggy the Clown!" Curious, Buggy walked toward the edge of the building and looked down to see a panting old man, leaning against a wooden spear.
"I'm Mayor Boodle! This town is my treasure and I won't let you terrorize my people any longer so come on out and fight me!" Boodle yelled louder than he had ever yelled before.
"You idiot. This town is no treasure. Treasure is gold, silver, and jewels so cut the crap old man and get lost before I kill you!" Buggy hissed, at his wits end. All these complications and headaches were leaving him in a rather foul mood.
"You can never understand how I feel," The mayor sighed, almost feeling pity for the pirate, but before he could say anything else something grabbed his throat and he was suddenly lifted up into the air. Buggy laughed at the surprise on the old man's face as used his Chop-Chop power to strangle him until there was no more air in his lungs.
"Hahaha! Soon, I'm going to conquer the Grand Line and flashily obtain all the world's richest treasures and there is nothing you can do to stop me! All the world will belong to me! Now, if this town means so much to you then perhaps I can do you a favor and kill you first. That way you won't have to see me destroy your precious little town," said Buggy grinning madly. He could take out his frustrations on the old man and then he would track down Zoro and the two bitches following him.
"Shut...up and 'ugh' fight me 'ugh' already!" Boodle gasped, feeling the edges of his vision darkening but refusing to give in. He would not die here!
"Don't get cocky."
"I'll never let you destroy this town, even if it costs me my very life 'ugh'" Boodle was having trouble breathing and Buggy chuckled.
"So be it." He moved to finish him off but before Buggy could make a single move he felt something grab at the hand wrapped around the mayor's throat. He glanced back down and gasped in shock.
"That straw hat girl. Not again!" Luffy stood in front of the panting mayor, Buggy's hand clenched tightly in one of hers. Behind her, Nami was helping the old man to his feet and providing a shoulder to lean on as he caught his breath while Zoro watched the rooftop warily, one eye on his captain.
"I'm here to kick your ass, just like I promised Buggy!" Luffy said, grinning that manic D grin, her eyes sparkling with determination. She was ready to kick some clown ass.
Another chapter down. The fight between Buggy and Luffy will be up tomorrow so stay tuned.
One little note: as far as Luffy's mood swings from near tears to semi normal. Part of it is that Luffy is a girl and girl's are more emotional than boys. Ace always did say that Luffy was a crybaby so I can imagine her crying if something seriously upsets her. And part of the reason she is so emotional with Zoro is that she is frustrated. Since they teamed up, he has been protecting her, saving her, and she feels like she has done nothing to help him. As captain, she feels her job is to take care of her crew. She is still our happy-go-lucky captain but when her crew is in danger her more emotional side starts to come out. That's kind of my reasoning for her emotional moments this chapter. What do you guys think? Does that kind of make sense and fit or should I try and back off on the emotional parts? Luffy will have some captain moments in upcoming chapters where she takes a firm stance. She is not always going to be a crybaby and will even get mad and snap at Zoro when she feels he has done something stupid.
Let me know and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Til tomorrow!