"Woahhhhh! What a huge town!" the man with a straw hat exclaimed as he surveyed the busy streets.
"Lots of pirates stock up at this town before heading to the Grand Line," a slim girl with orange hair said, smiling, "You can get pretty much anything you want here!"
The Straw Hat pirates had arrived at the entrance of the town. Sakura followed a few feet behind, careful to keep her stance casual. She eyes the turned back of a shopkeeper before snagging away a newspaper from the stand and opening it to read. Her ears however, stayed tuned to the conversation ahead of her. Straw hat straw hat. What made the straw hat so familiar?
"Alright! For my upcoming great adventure, I'm gonna need to get some cool stuff!" a rather long-nose man said, grinning at the multitude of shops.
"I'll bet there's lots of good food to check out here," a well-dressed blond guy said, a dreamy look spreading across his face, "and lots of good women!" At this, Sakura made a face. A pervert?
"There's something I wanna buy, too," a muscular, moss-haired guy said, rubbing his chin. The orange-haired girl grinned.
"Oh? And how would you plan to do that?" the girl asked cheekily, "You're totally broke, aren't you?" Sakura chuckled. The tone of her voice showed the girl to be a devious woman. THAT, she could admire.
"Yosh! I'm gonna check out the execution platform! I wanna see it! The place where the Pirate King died!" the straw hat dude took off running, flying past Sakura. Straw hat...something about the straw hat…
"Hey, we haven't decided on a meeting place yet! Man, he's hopeless," his long-nose friend called out. Sakura chuckled again. What an orderly group of pirates.
She carefully folded up the newspaper and stuffed it into her bag. After a quick survey of her surroundings, she disappeared into an alleyway. She wanted to get a closer look at this captain of theirs...and hopefully figure out what was so familiar about the straw hat.
The man strolled through the alleyways, hands on his hips. Sakura tailed silently behind.
"Man, I'm beat. I was trying to get to the execution platform, but somehow I ended up here…" he mused as he surveyed the dim alley. Sakura raised her eyebrows in disdain. Was the guy stupid or something? She continued to follow him, her frustration silently growing as she realized that he was continuing in the opposite direction. If she didn't intervene, they would be stuck here for quite a bit of time.
"Looking for the execution platform, huh? It's several minutes the opposite way where you're headed," she called out.
"Ah really? Thank you!" the man replied, cheerfully waving his hand, before tilting his head in confusion. "Wait...were you following me or something?"
With a sigh, Sakura stepped towards the man.
"Maybe I was. What's your name?" she asked, challenging him with a stare. To her surprise, the man continued to smile.
"I'm Luffy! I'm gonna be the Pirate King!"
Luffy. Straw Hat Luffy. So that was why the hat had seemed so familiar! Of course, she had seen his poster not long ago at the Marine base. A bounty of 30 million was almost unheard of in East Blue. Sakura frowned. This...scrawny idiot was the dangerous pirate worth 30 million?
"You're a pirate, huh? Think you really got what it takes to be something big like the Pirate King?" she asked, a grin on her face.
Luffy laughed. "Guess we'll just have to see!"
"You do realize there's tons of people like you here right?" Sakura raised her eyebrows. "Melon heads who always believe in the impossible."
"It sounds impossible, but isn't that what makes it fun?" Luffy chuckled, his hands on his hips. "That's why it's an adventure! Don't you have a dream too?"
Sakura scoffed. "Not really much time to dream when I'm stuck trying to find my next meal."
"Hmmm...that's boring!" Luffy declared.
What's wrong with this guy? "Guess I just have my priorities set straight then." Suddenly, her necklace charms seemed to grow a little heavier, and she scuffed at the ground with her shoe. "I mean, I had something I wanted to do before, I guess...but that was a long time ago...so..."
"Ehhh….so I go this way right?"
Sakura looked back in surprise. Dammit, the guy had already walked off! He stood ten feet away, peering at the street ahead of him.
"HEY LISTEN TO ME YOU EGGROLL!" she yelled. Luffy turned back and laughed.
"Eggroll? What kinda' insult is that? You really are funny!" he grinned cheekily at her.
Does this kid just never stop smiling? "You know you're going the wrong way. Again."
"Ah really?" Luffy scratched his head, his face momentarily morphing into a frown before popping back into a smile. "You must know your way around really well then, huh? Let's go to the platform together then!"
"Since when did I want to go to the platform too?!"
"C'mon, it'll be fun! Let's go!"
What the hell? "nO YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY AGAIN! I TOLD YOU, THIS WAY!"
She had meant to tail this kid long enough to figure out why the straw hat looked so familiar. That was it.
So why the hell was she now apparently leading him to Gold Roger's execution platform?
"Yah, tiny girl, are we almost there yet?"
Without even bothering to look back, Sakura swung her fist backward to smack Luffy in the face. "You ever call me tiny again and it'll be the last thing you do, french fry."
Luffy hummed, sounding unbothered from having just been punched in the face. "But you are kinda' small though."
"Shut up, and don't call me tiny or small."
"But you never told me your name."
"Well it's not tiny, okay?"
"Okay, Not Tiny!"
Sakura felt her right eye twitch. Did the guy defeat his enemies by pissing them off enough to make their heads explode? Just get him to the damn platform, and then you don't have to seem him ever again.
After several minutes of walking, they neared a hanging side and doorway. She continued walking without hesitation but Luffy looked up, curiosity on his face.
"Gold...Roger..?" he muttered, reading the sign. Sakura smiled softly.
"Yeah, the barkeeper's a big fan of the Pirate King," she said. Luffy cheered.
"Yosh! Let's go in!"
"What-I thought you wanted to see-"
"But this bar sounds cool!"
Is he always this weird? Sakura thought as she reluctantly followed Luffy, Can't be helped I guess...
They entered the dinghy bar. It was empty except for a few battered chairs and tables and a hunched over man sitting at the bar table. Sakura grinned. She hadn't caught up with Raoul in a long time.
"Oi! Old man, I brought ya' a customer!" she called out.
"Hey, hey, you know the bartender?!" Luffy asked excitedly.
"We know each other enough," she replied dismissively. The old man turned and glared at the two.
"You again. Minori Sakura ya' brat, we're closed right now. Shoo him out."
"Hey, hey, you haven't had a decent customer for weeks! Hurry up and thank me already!"
"Don't get cheeky with me, you good for nothing lump! You should be thanking me for taking care of your sorry ass!"
"More like me taking care of you, cabbage roll!"
"Don't think yer weird food curses make a dent on my thick skin, stupid baby!"
"Oi, old man, that skull on the table! It's huuuuuuge! What's that from, huh, huh?" Luffy cried, excitedly staring at the skull sitting in front of the bartender. Both Raoul and Sakura turned and faced Luffy, annoyed at him for interrupting their banter. Suddenly, Raoul let out a laugh.
"Well, Sakura, what have you brought me? Maybe we actually have a worthy man here, eh?" he chuckled, peering up at Luffy, "What are ya', a pirate or something?"
"I'm Luffy! I'm gonna become King of the Pirates!" Luffy replied. Raoul narrowed his eyes, but a grin stayed on his face.
"Bold words, very bold. Well my boy, since you want to follow in the old man's footsteps, take a look here…." He then proceeded to recount the origin of the skull, as well as numerous other stories about Roger.
Sakura had heard those tales enough times to recite them all by heart, and easily zoned out. With a grunt, she heaved herself over the bar table and rummaged through a load of boxes, revealing a large cloth sack. Inside was a multitude of papers, each covered in drawings of everyday things, from people to buildings to the ocean horizon. Sakura grinned. She had spent quite a few long years on the drawings. She felt the pair of necklaces that hung around her neck, grasping at the charms. The charms were quite strange: separate pieces that somehow fit perfectly together to make a flower.
"Oi Sakura! I just cleaned up back there! Mess up anything and I'll kick your sorry butt into the ocean!" Raoul yelled, startling Sakura. She leapt up, narrowly avoiding hitting the table with her head, and saw Luffy and Raoul drinking...milk?
"Yeah, yeah, I'll just pretend to believe you actually care about cleanliness," she retorted, chuckling as Raoul glared back at her. Luffy chuckled.
"You two are really funny!" he laughed. As Sakura moved to clear away their glasses, Raoul started.
"You brats better leave. Smoker'll be coming soon," he said, staring at the door. Sakura sighed. Luffy raised his eyebrows.
"Smoker? What's a smoker?" he asked.
"Something that'll kick your ass if you stay here," Sakura said. She abandoned the cups and went to grab her bag. To her surprise, Raoul followed, ignoring Luffy's angry yelps of "I'll kick his ass then!".
"Watch that boy, will ya'? Somehow...I feel a bit of Roger lives on within him," he murmured, quiet enough that Luffy couldn't hear. Sakura raised her eyebrows and grinned. It would have been such an out of the blue statement if it came from anybody but Raoul.
"That ain't something you hear everyday," she replied nonchalantly as she headed towards the door, "C'mon Luffy, I'll take you to the execution platform."
"Yahoo!"
As Luffy raced out the bar, Sakura turned and gave a sideways glance back to Raoul.
"You sure about what you said, old man?" she asked, doubt on her face. Raoul grinned back at her.
"Positive."
Sakura made sure to keep to the back alleyways rather than the main street. While she carefully checked every corner and stayed within the shadows, Luffy tagged along a few feet behind, hands resting behind his head as he walked seemingly without a care in the world.
"Soooooo...your name's Sakura, huh?" he asked, tilting his head sideways.
"Well it isn't 'Not Tiny.' And please stop talking."
"Why you acting so nervous, huh?" Luffy swung his legs around, kicking up a plume of dust. Sakura glared back at him.
"Maybe there's the possibility that I don't want either of us to be seen. Have you ever considered that?" she asked, gritting her teeth.
"Nope."
"Of course."
Sakura perked her ears, listening intently. Oh crap, too late. She could make out the uniform sounds of Marines, marching straight toward them.
"I'm assuming you can fight?" she asked, glancing back at Luffy. He stared back at her in confusion.
"Well, yeah, but why?"
"Here's why," Sakura turned, facing the open street just as a group of marines came into view. They stared at her as she lifted her hand, letting a large bulb of energy flare up.
"Woahhh, what's that in your hand?!" Luffy cried excitedly. Sakura ignored him.
"That devil fruit power and that straw hat...no doubt about it. You're that sneaky brat Sakura and the pirate Straw Hat Luffy. Let me guess, two criminals conspiring over something?" one of marines sneered.
Luffy raised a fist, but Sakura moved to stand in front of him.
"No need, Straw Hat. If it's just five, I'm more than enough," she said, face steeled in concentration. She darted forward, her palm encased in a pink glow.
"Heavenly Sparks!" With a spin, the energy in her palm leapt out, transforming into several sparks of energy that shot straight towards the marines. Sakura watched with satisfaction as they collapsed on the ground, twitching and moaning.
"Woahh! You're strong! Are you a devil fruit user?" Luffy asked, eyes sparkling. Sakura smiled back.
"I ate the Heart Heart fruit a long way back," she said, letting thin wisps of energy flow between her fingers, "I control love, the emotion of the heart."
"Hmmm...that's kinda lame…" Luffy replied, puffing out his cheeks. Sakura smirked. She slowly walked towards Luffy, palm still alight with energy.
"Let me tell you something," she said slowly, "There's no love without hate, loss, and pain. And I've felt it all. Take that suffering, and send it straight into the core of another. That's what I do. It doesn't matter how big or strong you think you are. Everybody will fall to the pain of love."
"Oh, I see! So it's a mystery fruit!" Luffy said, nodding his head energetically. Sakura stared back at him.
This guy is gonna be the death of me, she thought helplessly.
"I don't really understand...but you're still cool and pretty strong! Wanna' join my crew?" he asked excitedly.
"Nope, don't wanna," Sakura replied as she turned around, "Let's hurry up and get to the execution platform so I can get rid of you."
"Honestly, I don't know what you saw in him!" Sakura complained as she stirred her milk. Raoul laughed.
"He's a little carefree, but I think he's pretty likeable. Carries a determination you don't see these days in other wannabe pirates," he said, wiping some glasses.
"Likeable in a sense...I don't know whether to laugh at him or strangle him," Sakura muttered back.
She was back at the Gold Roger bar, after depositing Luffy at the execution platform. Sakura herself didn't see what was so grand about the simple steel tower, but Luffy had just stood there, gawking with an open mouth. Without even a goodbye, she had left, disappearing into the background. She had already stuck around the kid way too long for her liking.
"Let's go with laugh," Raoul replied, smiling, "Funny how you even bothered helping him. Most of the time you're so-"
"Save it, old man. I don't want to hear another one of your lectures on making friends," Sakura leapt off her chair and headed towards the exit, "I'm going out."
Raoul watched as Sakura left the bar. He took in seat in Sakura's vacated chair, chuckling.
"Always insisting on being a stubborn brat, huh?" he mused absentmindedly. "You don't have to keep playing the lone wolf game, ya' know."
"Find Straw Hat Luffy! He must be hidden somewhere on this island!" the marine commander ordered harshly. Saluting, the soldiers filed out the door.
"Didn't I tell you that your yelling interrupts my pace?" Smoker asked lazily, propping his legs up on the table, "He wouldn't bother to hide. It's ok. I'll catch him again." The marine officer sneered.
"Smoker, you're getting ahead of your years now aren't you, letting that Straw Hat brat get away? Why don't you let a marine commander have a try? I may be below your rank but that doesn't mean I'm not stronger than you," he said, jutting out his chin.
Smoker puffed his cigars. "Do me a favor, Valier, and shut the hell up."
Valier narrowed his eyes. "You may be a captain but that doesn't mean you can boss me around, old man," he hissed.
Smoker stood, glaring at the commander. "That's precisely what being a captain means, brat."
Valier grinned. "Why don't we have a fight right now, and see who really should be in charge?" he baited. The spiked whips at his side glinted dangerously.
Before Smoker could respond, the door burst open, and a young women ran in.
"Captain Smoker, has anything happened?" she asked, panting. Smoker narrowed his eyes.
"Tachigi, where the hell have you been?" he asked angrily. Valier chuckled.
"Kukukuku...My, Smoker, don't you know how to handle your subordinates?" he asked, grinning. Before Smoker could give a rebuttal, the door burst open again, and another two marine soldiers stumbled in, looking incredibly beat up. Tachigi turned around, her eyes lighting up.
"You two are awake," she cried happily, "I'm so glad! Are you alright?"
"It was Roronoa Zoro. We were attacked by Pirate Hunter Zoro!" one of the marines exclaimed.
Outside the room window, Sakura perched precariously on a roof shingle. She raised her eyebrows. That name sounded pretty familiar.
Pirate Hunter Zoro...isn't he some great Santouryou swordsman in East Blue? What's he doing here? She wondered, leaning down to listen in more on the conversation.
"Leave the Pirate Hunter to me," She heard Valier say, light contempt in his voice, "I'm sure an old man like Smoker couldn't possibly handle two criminals at a time."
Sakura clenched her fists. She would give up an arm and leg to send that carrot Valier flying into the ocean.
Patience, Sakura. Now's not the time, she reprimanded herself. But if the marine soldiers were correct, Pirate Hunter Zoro had to be on the island, too. Sakura had heard many tales of the swordsman and how he ruthlessly hunted pirates across East Blue. She smiled to herself. What kind of spy would she be if she didn't gather information on this new visitor? Silently, she crept up the roof, and carefully leapt onto an adjacent building.
All kinds of East Blue legends popping up today, huh? Wonder if this Pirate Hunter will be as weird as Straw Hat.
Sakura jumped from building to building, making sure to keep her feet light to prevent them from making any sound every time she landed. It was a lot faster to travel using the building tops, but it came with the possible risk of getting caught. Sakura had to constantly scan her surroundings to make sure there were no marines on sight.
It was the gunshots that caught her attention. Judging by the noise, probably a street away. Without hesitation, Sakura leapt off the building she was on and hit the ground running. She passed by several small shops, and happened to see the strange long-nosed guy that had been with Luffy entering one of the shops, before arriving at a small square. There stood a figure surrounded by a circle of fallen men. One of them, maybe around the same age as Sakura herself, staggered to his feet and took off screaming. Sakura squinted, trying to make out the figure in the center.
Better stay out of this, Sakura thought, slowly backing away. Staying away from big events was the best way to keep her head calm and her thoughts clear. Suddenly, she heard a yell in the distance.
"WOOW! COOL, THAT OLD MAN!" Sakura turned to see a jumping Luffy next to a scowling, green-haired man. Probably one of his nakama. She frowned. Wasn't Luffy supposed to be at the execution platform? Her instincts told her to run, but her annoyance baited her to do otherwise. She skirted around the buildings, making sure to avoid any crowds, and snuck up on the two.
"Oi, Straw Hat!" she hissed, quickly taking a step back when the green haired man turned first, hands on his katana...katana? Sakura narrowed her eyes. At the man's side lay three katana swords. Santouryou...
"Oh, it's you! Umm...Sakana? Or wait...Sa-baka?" Luffy said, scratching his head. Sakura resisted the urge to smack him.
"Sakura! Sa-ku-ra! Ok? Aren't you supposed to be at the execution platform?" she whispered. Luffy laughed.
"Oh yeah! I was, but then I met this really strong guy and then I took a nap and then I got lost!" he announced.
...What?
"...I see. Well, umm, who's your friend?" she asked, gesturing towards katana man, who was looking annoyingly bored with the situation.
"Oh, him? He's my nakama, Zoro! He's gonna be the strongest swordsman in the world!" Luffy replied amicably. Sakura stared at katana man. Zoro...Santouryou...
"Wait...you're the Pirate Hunter?!"