Okay, this is more a side-chapter then anything. But I think it would be a fun read. Next Chapter, I am definitely (finally) getting into the Grand Line. How?
*whispers* Not telling!
R&E!
"Bye! Try not to get eaten by Sea Kings!" I waved from the docks at Ronan and his crew took off, they had all been fun and the red haired captain had become an excellent friend of mine. I truly hoped we would meet again sometime during my journey through the Grand Line. My smile faltered a little at that thought.
Next we meet, we'll probably be enemies.
I sighed at that thought, and turned away from the ocean and took my time to observe the town. Bustling and happy, Marines everywhere you looked, and it just had a generally safe feel to it. Smoker should still be here, along with… what was her name? Ta-something… Tashi…
Tashigi! Wow, her name is hard to remember sometimes. She and Smoker should still be here, since they left in pursuit of the Strawhats. Okay, right then, I should probably avoid getting into trouble here.
I was not ten feet from the docks when someone bumped into me. I absently apologised and continued on, only to be stopped by a shout.
"Hey you!" I looked behind me to see a thin man with… purple hair? Right… so, a guy with purple hair pointing at me accusingly, I blinked and looked around to make sure he was actually addressing me. Apparently he was, by the angry glare he was sending in my direction.
"Uh… yeah?" I asked in confusion.
"How dare you!?" he snarled, still pointing a finger at me. I continued to give him a mildly confused, and slightly concerned look, was this guy missing a few lights upstairs? I remained silent, which just seemed to piss him off further –seriously, what is with people and being annoyed by silence?- and as his cronies gathered behind him, I realised what he was.
This tool was a pirate, and not a very good one by the looks. I opened my mouth to explain, actually I was going to insult the annoying twat, when… actually, what is that?
That question was self-answering when a white cloud surrounded the group of pirates and lifted them up into the air. Huh, that was unexpected. I followed the trail of white stuff until I saw the reason for this not-entirely-unexpected change of events.
Smoker, in the flesh -err smoke?- was standing a few metres away from me. So… that was what the white cloud was. Smoke. Well, aren't I clever? And Tashigi was standing behind him with some Marines, which was exactly what I was hoping to avoid. I sighed and titled my head up to the clear blue sky.
'You hate me, don't you?' I mentally asked any god that seemed to be listening… or Death since he seemed to be the closest thing to a deity I actually know existed. Maybe the Fates, since they seemed to laugh at everyone and their misfortunes.
"Are you alright miss?" I started a little at the sudden voice, turning I saw the bespectacled Tashigi. I glanced behind her and saw the apprehended pirates being led away by the Marines, with Smoker waiting patiently off to the side. I grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of my head.
"Yeah, just questioning why this stuff keeps happening to me" I laughed a little and the dark haired woman smiled kindly. As though understanding my predicament, which led me to wonder what weird things did she encounter in her job protecting this town.
"That's good, we pay special attention to the docks because of pirates, so you don't have to worry" I nodded my thanks at her reassurance, though it was hardly necessary, I could handle riffraff easily enough. She turned to leave, and as she joined Smoker in following the Marines and their captured criminals I bit my lip in thought. Should I?
"Um, wait!" I called, and the two paused, I jogged up to them and rubbed the back of my neck "You guys wouldn't know where I can get some supplies? I'm a little low" I gestured to my pack, and they seemed to understand.
"What do you need?" smoker asked, surprising me a little. I didn't expect him to answer, and looked at him and shrugged a little.
"First aid mostly, bandages, disinfectant, stuff like that. Some thread for damaged clothing. Oh, and herbs for my teas, and a log pose" that got their attention, I grinned a little "Yeah, I'm heading to the Grand Line. I'm a traveller" I stated, and that seemed to surprise Smoker even more.
"Traveller?" he asked, and I gave him a long, slightly confused, look.
"Yeah… have you talked to Ronan?" I asked suspiciously, he stared at me before shaking his head.
"You were in the papers a few weeks ago" he said finally. I blinked at him in surprise. Well, that was unexpected.
"Oh…" I said slowly, already connecting the dots and figuring out that he was talking about the debacle with the three pirates. That's right, I had never given my name, and I had just kept up my alias of 'Traveller' to anybody who asked. "So… I'm not so anonymous anymore" I drawled, then sighed.
"Is that all you need?" his gruff question surprised me, and I looked to him quickly in confusion, before remembering what he was on about.
"Uh, yeah, basically, there's some other stuff but I'm sure I can pick it up as I go" I shrugged, and the man grumbled to himself before he began walking in a different direction to the Marines, who were now out of sight. Tashigi flashed me a sheepish look before following, and after a moment of staring at their backs, I followed after them.
Well, as it turns out, if you walk around with Smoker and Tashigi, you're bound to get some major discounts. I mean, I got some rare herbs that, normally, would've cost me a fortune but I got them for cheap! At first I was wary I was getting a faulty product, but after reassurance from Tashigi and an inspection from myself proved that the things I was getting at an insanely low price were of good quality.
"I feel kind of bad" I admitted as we left our third shop, I was storing the thread and needles I got in my small sewing kit and following the other two almost absentmindedly.
"Why's that?" Tashigi asked, and I glanced up as the latches clicked shut.
"Well, I'm getting all these discounts and I haven't even done anything to earn it" I said, slipping one strap off and putting the sewing kit in its usual place. Shrugging the pack back on and taking a few big steps to catch up to the duo.
"You saved an entire town-"
"And got a free lift by the Navy, besides it didn't look like anyone actually recognised me, so why should I get a discount here, I don't think walking around with you guys should really merit something like that" I finished with a sigh, and therefor missed the appraising, approving look I got by the White Hunter.
The dark haired swordswoman didn't have anything to say to that, and so they continued on walking. I just had to get some food and water purifying tablets, or drops depending on the area, and then I would be all set. I looked away from all the shops and people, and focused on the two Marines in front of me. Why were they helping me? I know they're good guys, but surely they would have something better to do then lead around a random wanderer.
Suddenly I was walking shade, and I turned to see what was obscuring the sun, and promptly lost my breath.
Gol D. Rogers execution platform.
I stopped dead in my tracks and stared up at the structure. It was larger than I expected, and had a lot more… feel to it, I guess. It wasn't intimidating or daunting, like you would expect of something that signifies death to anyone who crosses the line from law abiding citizen to a wanted criminal. It was awe-inspiring, like a great watch tower keeping away the dark and giving warning to any danger on the horizon.
For a moment, a heart stopping moment, I thought I could see something on the top of the platform, a shadowed figure standing proud against the sun. Then I blinked and the image was gone. I released the breath I didn't know I was holding. What was that?
"Miss?" I turned my head to look at Tashigi, and blinked a few more times "Are you alright?" she asked, and I gave a half smile for a second.
"Yeah" I said, looking back up at the platform "Yeah, I'm… I'm fine" I turned to the duo and smiled properly "One more shop to go, right?" I said, walking towards them with easy strides. They both gave me odd looks, but walked forward without a word. I looked over my shoulder at the empty platform for a long moment, before turning back to look ahead and continue on my journey.
Eventually we got everything I needed, but by then it was late afternoon, and I was escorted to a motel for the night. Thanking both of them, and apologising for taking up their day, but they just ignored the latter and said their goodbyes. I stared after them, my brows furrowed in thought.
As far as I knew, what they did today was not normal behaviour for them. Well, Tashigi maybe, but Smoker? Nu-uh, no way would he normal escort someone around like a tour guide. So why had they both done it? Was it because I helped save that town?
Giving a frustrated growl, I near-violently mussed up my hair and turned to the inn. It wasn't shabby, but definitely not high-class. Affordable quality, I guess. I entered and immediately felt grateful, it was cosy and warm, and the receptionist was polite and gave me a window room. Paying upfront, I thanked them as I received my key, and went up to my room.
It was way better than the ones I've stayed at before. I dumped my bag on the floor and collapsed onto the soft queen-sized bed, and I could honestly saw it was heavenly after a day of shopping and the light sparring I did with Ronan earlier before we reach Logue Town. To say I was outclassed would've been a gross understatement, considering that it looked like I was a fumbling child compared to his smooth, efficient, lethal moves. He truly was awesome, he completely kicked my ass. But he was a pretty cool teacher as well; he corrected some of my stances and even showed me some really cool new moves!
"Miss him already" I sighed to myself, and pulled out my personal notebook. Letting it fall open to a random page, I smiled at the pressed flower that slipped from the pages. The heather was flat, but still retained its colour. I plan to get some clear plastic slates or something to help preserve it, but for now I kept it pressed between the pages of my notebook. I mailed my first two notebooks, which were filled with my adventures in the Blues, back to Maria and Boris, but I think this one will be more personal. It was larger than the others, but only enough that I would need to put it in my bag instead of my pockets.
Picking it up, I placed the flower back in the book and closed it. I wasn't in the mood to write tonight, but I wasn't tired either. Standing up, I walked to the window and opened it. The window gave me a view of the docks, and the ocean that laid beyond, and beyond that the Grand Line.
It wasn't overly late, there were still people ambling about, just not many. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the cool salty breeze that blew in, and I began to think. Not of anything important, tonight was too peaceful for such troubling thoughts, but of simple things, like this town.
Form what I remembered; it was the birth and execution place of Gol D. Roger. There were a bunch of other tiny little facts, but I couldn't help remembering the part where Monkey D. Luffy had stumbled across that old bar. I looked about the city, and figured now was a good a time as any, and swung out the window.
Landing on a neighbouring roof, I jumped over the civilians with nary a sound. I kept my eyes down, looking for a familiar sign that would lead me to that bar. I wanted to see it because… well, because I wanted to see if anything like at the execution tower would happen again. That and I was a bit of a fangirl, and wanted to see a place that was frequented by a famous pirate.
The word 'Roger' flashed by and I silently skidded to stop on the tiled roof I had just landed on. Padding back, I looked down into the alley, and saw the sign hanging from the wall above the entrance. Gold Roger Bar, so it did exist. It wasn't in the manga, and I was worried it wouldn't be here now.
Dropping down silently onto the stone-paved ground, I stared at the door for a moment, taking in the little grooves in the old wood, before entering the bar. It was dark, but my eyes adjusted quickly, and as I walked down the stairs I suddenly noticed how quiet it was in here. Like a sudden silence after a cheerful and boisterous noise had once been heard. I passed through the swinging doors, and looked about the bar.
It seemed frozen. Frozen in time and lifeless, but held the ghosts of brighter days and happier times. I don't know how long I stood there, just looking at the room in front of me, but I swear I could hear the distant echoes of people laughing, yelling, cheering and talking. I could smell the lingering scent of alcohol, tobacco, gun powder and cooked meat. I looked to the bar, where Luffy and Roger himself had sat, before turning to inspect the rest of the place.
Movement brought my eyes back to the stool, but now someone was sitting there. Black shaggy hair, a matching moustache, a large red captain's coat and a large frame of a man sat at the bar. He was facing towards the room, with his elbows resting on the bar table behind him. He was grinning, seeing something that I could not, something that happened long before I came about.
Gol D. Roger.
I continued to stare at the man, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. Slowly, a sound not unlike the rushing of a waterfall filled my ears, but it cleared and the sound of chatter and laughter replaced it. The dark room lit up in a golden light, and the smells became stronger.
Silhouettes of strangers swarmed around me, but I barely noticed as I continued to stare at the man who is and has been long dead. Then, slowly, Roger turned his head and looked straight at me with his confident and oddly friendly grin. His powerful, intense eyes bore into me and I found that I couldn't breathe.
"Hey!"
I jumped at the sudden noise and turned around, seeing an old man I recognised from the anime. Raoul, he had been a friend of Roger. I looked back to the room, but it was dark again and any life that had been was gone, except for me and the old man.
"S-sorry" I said quietly, stepping back and letting him through. He gave me an odd, considering look, before walking through and towards the bar.
"So what can I get you?" he asked as he slid behind the table and began inspecting his bottles. I quickly walked to the bar and sat at the stool next to Rogers' seat.
"I don't really know much about alcohol" I admitted, and Raoul chuckled at my clear inexperience.
"A first-timer, huh?" he asked, grabbing a bottle and two cups.
"Second-timer, actually, a friend got me a while ago, but I didn't drink too much" I admitted, watching as he poured two cups of a red drink and handed one to me. "Thank you" I said quietly, and took a sip. It was sweet and smooth, but had a bitter aftertaste that blended nicely with the flavours.
"This is good stuff" I said, and the man laughed a little and showed me the bottle. I didn't recognise the drink, and didn't even bother trying to read the writing. Probably wouldn't be able to pronounce it anyway.
"Right, got it from the New World" I perked up a little when he said that "Years ago. A gift from Roger" he finished, staring at the bottle like one might a photo of a friend. I looked down at the drink in surprise.
"I'm honoured you would share this drink with me, but…?" I trailed off, oddly subdued by what had occurred barely minutes before at the entrance.
"Why share it at all?" he smiled at me "A drink isn't meant to sit on a shelf forever, and you seem like good company, bring a little life into this place" he said, taking a gulp of his own drink. I stared at him for a moment, trying to decipher the words hidden in his sentence, but figured that right now was not a time to be suspicious.
Taking another drink, I looked around again, half expecting to see the place come alive again or to see Roger sitting next to me. "What happened to this place?" I asked, not noticing the look of knowing the old man gave me.
"He died"
"The execution"
"Right, you should have seen this place back before then. Pirates everywhere, and causing a mess that cost me a fortune every night" he shook his head with a smile. He continued to regale me with stories of Roger and his crew, and of other pirates involved. I laughed and joked with him, and told him of my own adventures and my plans to see the Grand Line in my own way, which he found admirable but warned me of the dangers. I don't know how long I sat there, like a child eager to hear stories from her grandfather, but by the time we both decided it was time to pack up. By then the bottle was half gone.
"Thank you" I said as I stood "for the stories, and for the drink" I smiled and pushed the chair back in.
"No, thank you for the company, not many young folk interested in the ramblings of an old man" we both chuckled, and I waved him goodbye over my shoulder as I made my way to the exit.
"No problem. See you later old man" I said merrily.
"Good bye miss" Raoul said with a chuckle.
"Come back soon!"
I whirled around at the voice, but found only Raoul wiping the table. He paused and gave me a look I couldn't decipher, but it made me think he knew what had just happened. I looked to Rogers' seat, and lowered my head so Raoul couldn't see me eyes.
"If I can" I whispered as I turned away, and headed back upstairs and into the cool night air.
I honestly don't know what I was doing with this chapter. But again, it's mostly a filler. Grand Line is next up, so lets hope we actually manage to get there.
I'm outta here!