Closest Thing to a Brother Ch 8
a little less than a year, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
Ch. 8. Uninvited Guests and Unexpected Pests
"WE'RE HOME!"
Dadan cringed at the energetic voice that alerted her to the return of the three boys. She stormed out and opened her mouth to yell at them, but stopped short when they tossed a large ox at her.
"That's for dinner." Sabo said as he walked by.
"Hurry up and cook it, will ya?" Ace said as he did the same.
"Yippee! Meal time!" Luffy exclaimed, following his brothers.
Dadan hoisted the ox onto her shoulder and was about to turn away, when…
"You better save some for us, Luffy!"
Dropping the ox, Dadan and everyone else stopped in their tracks upon hearing the new voice and spun around to see a fourth boy with the other three.
"Hold it, you three!" the four of them turned towards Dadan. "Who's that!?"
The fourth boy smiled and walked over to Dadan. "Call me Nati; I'm a friend of Luffy's." Nati shook her hand. "I need a place to stay for a few nights and Sabo said you would be kind enough to offer me a room."
Dadan gawked at what the 8-year-old said, then snapped a glare at Sabo.
"You said WHAT?! Does this place look like a hotel to you?!"
Nati looked over at the blond. "Is she always like this?"
"Sometimes." Sabo replied before turning to Dadan. "The four of us ran into some trouble in Gray Terminal the other day and Nati needs to lay low until this blows over."
"It's only for a little over a week." Nati added with a smile. "Besides, you already take care of Luffy, what's one more wild child?"
Dadan glared at the smiling maroon haired boy for a long moment before giving an exasperated sigh.
"Ace, Luffy, Sabo, Nati!" she yelled. "Since you're all going to be living here, I suggest you all start cleaning up, NOW!"
All four boys smiled, knowing that that meant Nati was allowed to stay.
The next day saw the four boys at the river with Nati staring into the water.
"Hey Nati, what're you looking at?" Ace finally asked.
"You'll see soon enough." Nati replied.
After several moments, Nati pulled his arm back and then he plunged it quickly into the water and pulled up a huge fish by its tail, much to the surprise of everyone, save Luffy, who was just sitting there with a huge grin on his face.
"My father called this hillbilly hand-fishing." Nati grinned, holding up the fish. "He said it's the fastest and most surefire way to catch a fist. And the best part, Luffy, is that I can teach it to you if you want, since you won't actually be swimming or spending much time in the water."
"Really?!" the 7-year-old exclaimed.
"Next time I visit, I…promise…" Nati trailed off and his smile faded as he looked beyond the three brothers at something behind them. They turned around and saw a huge white crane with black lining its wings and tail at the side of the river, spearing fish with its beak. Nati slowly walked over to the three boys, eyes still on the bird.
"What is it?" Sabo asked.
"I'll explain later." Nati mused before handing the fish to Luffy. "Can you hold onto this?"
"Yes."
"You won't eat it, right?"
"No."
"You're gonna regret that later." Ace said as Luffy took the fish from his friend.
"I'll beat myself up then." Nati replied before reaching into his seabag and pulling out a piece of rope. He circled around the crane and snuck up on it from behind. Then he jumped onto its back, looping the rope around its beak. The bird thrashed violently, flapping its wings, throwing its head around and running and jumping in all directions, trying to get the 8-year-old off its back. But Nati kept his hold on the crane until it jerked its head forward and down, causing him to fly over its head and land in front of it, still with the rope looped around his hands.
Not missing a beat, though, Nati twisted himself around to face the bird and kept pulling on the rope to keep it where it was while the crane pulled back on the rope trying to escape. The bird then lifted one of its long legs up to its beak and rested its talons on the rope. Just as Nati realized what it was about to do, the crane gave him what could only be described as a smirk and cut the rope, causing the maroon haired boy to stumble back into the river behind him. As he resurfaced coughing and stuttering, the bird pulled off the piece of rope still looped around its beak and warbled at Nati in an almost taunting manner before flying off.
"You can't escape me forever!" he snarled. "I'll get you eventually, you overstuffed pigeon!"
Nati climbed out of the river dripping wet, grabbing his Robin Hood cap that had fallen off just before he crashed into the river, and rejoined the three boys, who all just stared at him in confusion while he peeled off his vest to wring it out.
"Crazy bird. How does it keep slipping away from me?" Nati shook out his vest and slung it over his shoulder before grabbing Luffy's pipe. "Sorry about that. Where were we?"
"I think you were about to tell us why the hell you were trying to wrangle a six foot tall crane!" Ace demanded.
"Cute." The 8-year-old wedged the pipe into the ground and hung his vest on it before sitting back down.
"C'mon, you said you would tell us." Sabo pointed out.
"And I will. But first…" Nati looked at Luffy and smiled. "Pass the fish, please."
To the complete bewilderment of the two 10-year-olds, Luffy handed his friend a complete and uneaten fish, which he proceeded to cook.
It was after they had finished their meal, while Nati's vest was drying out over the fire, that the maroon haired boy started to tell them.
"I ran into that crane about seven or eight months ago." Nati began. "I was just coming out of High Town after finishing up some business I had there when I saw it being harassed by some of the low lives in Gray Terminal, probably to be made into a meal or something. Anyway, while I was watching it, I saw that that bird was actually winning the upper hand against the five of them and eventually it was able to tie them up and string them upside down from a tall piece of rubble before flying off." Nati smiled after a minute. "I took interest in that crane very quickly in that moment, and it wasn't until a couple days later while I was hunting that I saw it again, this time fighting a giant snake. I watched it tangle the snake among the branches to the point where it could stand just inches away without being afraid of getting bitten, and I knew right then and there I wanted that bird and I decided I was going to catch it and keep it. And I've been trying ever since."
"You wanted to have that thing for a pet?" Ace deadpanned.
"I prefer partner."
"And you've been trying to capture it for eight months?" Sabo added.
"Give or take." Nati took his now dry vest and put it back on. "And every time I try, it always finds some new way to humiliate me." As he redid the last button, the 8-year-old tilted his head in a thoughtful manner. "To be honest, compared to what it usually does, today wasn't that bad."
"Really?"
"One time it bucked me right into a hornets' nest."
"Is that why you were covered in bug bites that one time?" Luffy asked.
"I was pulling broken off stingers out of me for days and still finding hornets in my clothes while I was sailing home."
The three boys winced at that.
"You've been through all that trying to catch that crane and you still want to keep it?" Sabo said.
"Are you kidding?!" Nati exclaimed. "Going through all that because of that crane makes me want it more!"
"Why?!" all three asked.
"Simple, because it's just like me. It doesn't beat its opponents by being better than them; it beats them by being smarter. And it does so in the most fun ways."
"But aren't you tired of being bullied by a bird?" Ace asked.
"About as tired of it as Luffy was when he was being bullied by you when he kept trying to follow you." The freckled, raven haired boy was quiet at that and only responded by crossing his arms and scowling. "Besides, just like with you and Luffy, if I keep pushing, it can't say 'no' forever."
"Can I help you catch it?" Luffy asked, much to the chagrin of his brothers.
"Umm…" Sabo began. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"But, Sabo…"
"He's right, Luffy." Nati cut in. "That crane's a really mean bird; the hornet thing isn't even the worst thing it's done to me."
"What is?" Ace asked.
Nati's head sank low between his shoulders and he started playing with his fingers.
"I'd…rather not say." He murmured.
"But I wanna help!" Luffy yelled.
"Were you even listening?!" Ace snapped.
"I think we both know the answer to that, Ace." Nati chuckled.
"C'mon, Nati, PLEEEEAAASE!"
The maroon haired boy pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Dammit, I spoil you." He smiled. "Alright, on the condition you do what I say when I say it, you can help me the next time I see it and you're with me."
"YAHOO!" Luffy cheered.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Sabo yelled.
"If it makes you feel better, you guys can come with us." Nati replied. "Besides, even if all four of us do see it again, with me around, what could happen?"
To be continued
I can hear all of you saying it; famous last words, Nati. anyway, I hope you liked the chapter, and I hope just as much as you do the next one will come together a little quicker.