AN : Turns out that I made my decision. I'll live! I have to at least for your sake, so, please, please, review. It can literally save a life! Also, I'm sorry if I was late, I was sick. Like really really really ill!
Disclaimer : I don't own anything that can be harmful to anyone but me... Apart my fists and insanity, and a bit of rage!
The hunter and the hunted
Whiskey Peak
Luffy never felt that there's anyone who's dumb.. Until he remembered that these guys were trying to kill a whale, because they had food all around them in the form of Sea King. Really? Food all around the island, yet they decide to go hunt a friendly whale?
Speaking of said whale? Laboon turned out to be an amazing asset. At fifty something years old? The whale was terrifyingly smart. So smart, he immediately understood how Haki worked, not that probably Roger and Crocus talked about it. Then again, Luffy told Laboon to wait for them outside the island, and away from the Sea King nest...
Little was he prepared when he rammed a Sea King with enough force to crush its spine in two. Then he (and Zoro!) felt the urge to palm their faces. How did they forgot that Laboon had been ramming its head daily on the Red Line? If there's any feat of strength more than this? He absolutely wanted to.. Yamato! Yamato was stronger than that... Also, he was kinda hoping not to fight any Yonko soon.
For now, it was a game of pretending. He highly doubted people like Gin or Jinbe would fall for suck an obvious trap, much less Nami or Nojiko... However, he decided to play it safe. While he knew that he can eat a lot, this time, he decided to eat to his heart's content. Probably to ease the burden on Sanji... Participating in the drinking contest on the other hand? Not a very bad idea... More to forget his pain whenever he remembered his old crew, and thus he was kinda more accepting of more crew members, and on the other hand, one thing he didn't do since Yamato joined was to get drunk with the Onihime..
"Hmmm... They will celebrate our arrival?" Luffy asked to himself, only loudly enough for his crew to start their.. Oh they accepted it this time.
"That's... Very abnormal!" Gin told Zoro who nodded.
"Abnormal is the norm here." Zoro said seriously, "Trust me, even Usopp's worst lies would come true."
"Oi! My lies are..." Usopp started only for Jinbe to interject.
"Waay too wild even by New World standard. Last time you lied, don't you remember? Think Usopp, think!" Jinbe said as he pointed to his own head with both index fingers, "What would happen if you lie to someone stronger than you? They'd fight you with their full power, then what would happen?"
"Well, if you survive? I'd say you're lucky!" Nami said as she was sweating cold sweat.
"I don't know... We always face someone much stronger than us!" Johnny said and Yusaku sighed dejectedly.
"Yeah? Well remember how many times we lost?" Yusaku said as he lit a cigarette.
"I think that I should stay away from the following fights?" Nojiko asked Yamato who shook her head, "Well, worth a try at least. Usopp?"
"Ah, right. That stick... Maybe someone needs to read the instruc.." Usopp started only for Zoro to give him a serious look.
"You put some party tricks in it, didn't you?" Zoro asked as he was sweatdropping.
"Huh? No I.." Usopp started.
"If I don't like it, I suppose that a 50000% refund is not a big deal, is it?" Nami asked and Usopp turned to Luffy.
"Luffy! You wouldn't allow her to.." Usopp asked Luffy who nodded.
"Yeah, I agree with Usopp... Nami, make it a thousand times more, if he doesn't come straight!" Luffy said and Usopp's tears made everyone laugh at him crying a literal river, "You deserve it! How much is her life worth?" Luffy flinched as he uttered these words and slapped his own mouth, his nightmares coming to surface. Before anyone could say anything though, he was over the railing, puking his guts out...
And that's the very scene the inhabitants of Whiskey Peak witnessed. They sweatdropped as they saw the straw hatted teen puking his guts out, and the long nosed one crying a literal river, with the horned lady... Horned? Now that was weird! And the... Jinbe? What was next? Oh, these two weird swordsmen and the green haired... Swordsman with three swords.. Three? Okay, that wasn't your run of the mill pirate crew.
They had seen mink tribesmen, they had seen fishmen, they had seen many weird things, but they had never seen any pirate crew, small as it was, with such diversity, with such a weird scene, and such a weird situation.
The Straw Hats watched with amazement as the town's folks were smilling and welcoming them. That was friendly from them; 'Way too friendly!' Was the similar thought of Luffy, Gin, Zoro, Jinbe, Nami, Nojiko and Yamato.
'Luffy, what's your idea?' Zoro asked his captain mentally. Luffy smirked at him only long enough not to allow anyone else to observe it.
'They won't even survive one of our clashes! A clash! So why are you worried at all?' Luffy replied to Zoro who shrugged. They were not even close to the standard of the New World... 'Only Vivi would survive!'
'I had enough of your damned parlor trick!' Zoro raged mentally, outwardly, he was as stoic as ever. Chibi Luffy danced mentally before he looked at Zoro with half lidded eyes.
'Well, better start focus or our dear Chef will surpass you on that!' Luffy teased the swordsman who snorted.
'Only that! Anything else? He's not even close!' Zoro replied as Luffy chuckled a bit.
"I never heard of any pirate loving town..." Yamato told Jinbe who stroke his beard before he whispered.
"Unless they're a bunch of bounty hunters." Jinbe whispered softer than anyone would hear and saw that both Luffy and Zoro nodded at his soft spoken words.
"You two...?" Yamato whispered and once again they nodded.
"Yamato, protect them!" Luffy said as he and Zoro had decided exactly how to fight them...
A festival. The straw hats pirates were receiving a festival of all things. From Sanji flirting with a lot of girls at the same time, to Usopp telling tale after tale after tale... To Johnny and Yusaku dancing, to Nojiko... Fainting after one drink. Luffy blinked twice as he whispered to Nami, "Is this a prank?" Luffy asked Nami in the most serious tone he ever had. When she gave him a deadpan, he sighed, "I'm trying to think of anything that made me feel.. Confused, and nothing come to my mind!" He said as he pointed to Nojiko. Nami sighed as she knew that her sister, unlike her, have a very low alcohol tolerance.
"A story for another day.." Nami said and Luffy nodded before he started to stuff his mouth, Jinbe and Yamato not far behind. Gin meanwhile took a part in a drinking contest with Zoro, and soon enough, he dozed off. Nami joined the contest, then Luffy, who was satisfied at the first time since forever, not minding Sanji's impossibly delicious food, and decided to take a part only to fall after five drinks. Finally, both Jinbe and Yamato decided to join and play the same game a few of their teammates decided to play...
And after Nami won the contest, the tall nun snuck out of the bar as she was holding herself back from ranting about this inhuman crew of pirates. And soon enough, she was joined by her fellow Baroque Works officers, Mr. 8, Mr. 9 and Vivi.
"I don't know about you, but I don't think that this is an ordinary pirate crew." Miss Wednesday started the conversation with a warning.
"Say, is the, ahem, Maa, maa, maa! Is the big guy with blue skin their captain?" Mr. Eight asked while he was... Shaking.
"No, he was their helmsman, why? The captain is the teen with a straw hat and a scar under his eye." Mr. Nine replied and Mr. Eight almost shat himself.
"Look at this!" He said as he got out an old bounty poster...
"Two hundred and fifty million Berry?" Miss Monday almost shouted.
"To think that a man such as this one follow that kid..." Mr. Nine whispered.
"What would push him to follow that kid?" Vivi asked only for them to hear a voice.
"Maybe because that kid is something else?" The voice said.
"If he's not the captain or the first mate, then how strong are they?" A now deeper voice added.
"That's not the time to... AH!" Vivi was about to scold whoever said these sentances only to freeze as she saw, on a building, under the moonlight, looking down at them, the second voice.
"Over there!" Miss Monday shouted as she pointed to the building facing it, a straw hat, a scar, a red vest, blue jeans, and a machette drawn out. Luffy was looking at them with disgust.
"You're not even worth a single Berry!" Luffy said in dissapointement as Zoro sighed.
"Baroque works mooks.." Zoro said as his Yubashiri was also drawn out, no one had seen that..
Black lightning surrounded both blades, and said blades turned into an obsidian black. While they couldn't see it, Luffy and Zoro had the same thought.
"A while ago, some of your low mooks wanted me to join your organization. An organization which the boss is anonymous? Too fishy for me!" Zoro replied as it was the signal.. The two clashed their blades in the middle, Haoshoku combined with their Busoshuko at their highest level. They struggled to push each other, not minding the dropping flies..
"STOOOOOOOP!" Vivi shouted as Igaram was now out cold, everyone else in the same state. Luffy smirked at her while Zoro licked his blade after they stopped their clash...
"Huh? Do you want to fight too?" A feminine voice made her face ashen and she felt fear creep into her very soul, as Yamato's large frame gripped her, "Now, now, why don't you tell me everything, Ohime-chan?" Yamato said and Vivi paled even further.. A look as Zoro who was smirking and Luffy who was grinning made her gulp. These guys are not ordinary pirates...
"What.. What made you think that I'm a princess?" Vivi asked Yamato only for Jinbe to join them. Before he could utter a word, he saw Luffy winking at him, and Zoro trying as discretly as possible to tell him NOT to tell her anything. Before Vivi could finish her blinking, Jinbe had already nodded.
"I may have told them that you, for some reason, remind me of something interesting I heard about a missing princess. Now, how old are you?" Jinbe asked her and Yamato wrapped her tighter.
"Oi, Jinbe, don't force her. It's okay, you can tell us if you want to." Yamato said as Vivi was now practically closer to hyperventilation, "Look, I give you my word as an Oni that I will take your secret to my grave. Now tell me, who are you exactly, and what are you doing with a bunch of mooks?"
"What gives?" Vivi asked and Luffy smirked at her.
"Our clash! When I clashed with Zoro, we made sure to use above average... Well, call it a mystery power?" Luffy offered and Zoro sighed. His captain was really made of rubber, even his brain.
"It allows us to knock any weak willed person. By weak willed, I mean everyone who's afraid of death, and have no purpose or a goal that they don't mind dying to reach." Zoro replied as he sighed and her eyes were widening, what are they talking about?
"If you would allow me to introduce myself properly, I am Jinbe, The Straw hats pirates helmsman, and an Ex-Shichibukai. I resigned just to join my captain!" Jinbe said and Vivi was now uncertain that she should keep the cat in the bag any longer.
"Is your captain the strongest one of you?" Vivi asked and the three nodded in unison and Luffy however sighed.
"Only physically, and in fighting ability!" Luffy replied as Yamato snorted. She knew how strong Luffy is, and how strong he would be. If he only accepts that he have to allow himself to fight at his full power.. If he can at least.
"Stop faltering, Luffy!" Zoro barked at his captain who unconciously looked at his right hand which was clenched in a fist with seldomn yet restrained look on his face. It was the same fist that he killed Don Krieg with. "What's done is done! If you hold back, you might lose! If you falter, who can we rely upon?"
"Hmmm, mind tellling me who you really are?" Luffy asked as Igaram, Mr. 9 and Miss monday regained their conscion.
"I'm Nefertari Vivi of Alabasta." She replied and Luffy smiled at her warmly.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Monkey D. Luffy, this is Roronoa Zoro, this is Yamato, and this is Jinbe!" Luffy introduced himself and his other three fellow time travellers. "So, who should we.. Oh? Awake already?"
"You're not some ordinary mooks, are you?" Zoro said as he gripped his sword, his blood lust almost unleashed. Almost as Yamato gripped her Kanabo while she was grinning evilly. Jinbe sweat dropped at the sight. His crewmates, well, the strongest three at least, also known as the royal three, were total monsters...
"We're sorry that we didn't figured it out!" Mr. Nine said to Vivi as Miss Monday sighed.
"Well, that means we'll have to help, no?" Miss Monday asked Mr. Eight who was shocked to see this..
"Well, let's go take a walk or something.." Luffy said nonchalantly, and Zoro gave him a raised eyebrow, 'Let Nami handle this...'
'Ouch, I feel sorry for Vivi!' Zoro winced in sympathy, especially as he knew that Nami would definitely be more... Insisting on getting her money this time.
'That's.. Not a bad idea!' Luffy replied as he was practically grinning, 'That would allow us to save Vivi, no?'
'Heh, at least you didn't manipulate her to join, did you?' Zoro asked Luffy who sighed dejectedly. His memory about Vivi's death because of the World Goverment... Somehow? They both felt... Angry.
'Where is Yamato?' Luffy asked Zoro who shrugged.
Nami wanted to throw curse words and swears that are more fitting of a career pirate than an eighteen years old Navigator. The town had NOTHING valuable. Nothing whatsoever. No money, no gold, no jewels... What did she do to deserve this? Before long, she saw Gin awake.
"Gin, did you find anything?" Nami asked the ex-Krieg pirate who sighed.
"Apart from their weapons, and lennen? Nothing!" Gin said in a frustrated manner.
"What's wrong with this town?" Nami cursed as Nojiko finally woke up, dazed, as she had one single shot.
"Nami, not so loud!" Nojiko replied, "I think that they're the poorest town in the Grand Line.. Where are the four monsters?"
"Outside!" Gin said as he sighed in frustration, "The four Schmucks are asleep like stones. Even Captain Luffy is smarter..." He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder where Ussop, Sanji, Johnny and Yusaku were fully asleep, like stones...
"These four..." Nami grumbled as Nojiko sighed.
"I can't take more than one shot, and I decided to not exceed it... I dozed off just to clear my head..." Nojiko said a bit angrily, "But I never thought anyone would fall for this.."
"I expected Luffy more than Sanji!" Nami confessed. "Is that.. Yamato?" She asked as she saw the oni pointing at her through the window with her index finger before curling it twice...
"Go, Nami. I'll try to wake them up..." Nojiko said only for Gin to interject.
"Don't! I feel that there's someone coming... Our way!" Gin whispered as he sat and played possum, Nojiko doing the same, only sitting down on the ground, laying, her back proped to a sofa, and her head lowered. Eyes closed, but ears wide open...
"Raimei Hakke!" Yamato intoned as she slammed her Kanabo the woman and man arriving with hostile intention to Vivi... With much less force than she usually does use. Luffy meanwhile was grumbling about his.. Sorta girlfriend's ability to restrain herself... Zoro however was almost roaring with laugher at his captain... If said captain didn't glare at him.
"Zoro.. Let's fight!" Luffy said seriously as Zoro sweatdropped.
"Oi oi oi! What's wrong with you?" The green haired swordsman asked his captain who grinned at him.
"We can go all out, unlike on Merry, no?" Luffy replied as Vivi was a bit scared by their auras... Yamato and Jinbe were debating between standing as referees, or helping their other friends.
"True... Well then, let's try to do this as quickly as possible. We don't have much time, do we?" Zoro asked Luffy as the two sprung in action. One fueled by his drive to improve, the other by his frustration at himself. The two powerhouses clashed fists and steel and Haki, neither is gaining any advantage. Luffy had the advantage physically, but Zoro's advantage was his sheer skill. Luffy meanwhile was trying his best to use his Machette and knife, and fist someimes, and pipe to land one strike on Zoro, to no avail. Zoro was shocked how much Luffy's senses and Haki were developped compared to himself. It was as if...
"Wait!" Zoro said as he jumped back, dodging a pipe strike. "Luffy, are you looking a bit into the future?" The captain's face where his eyes narrowing, jaw slacking, and face scrunching was all he needed, "Why am I NOT surprised one bit?" Zoro scolded both himself and Luffy.
"It was a fight between pirates! Pirates!" Luffy replied and Zoro snorted and smirked at the same time.
"Heh, at least you still have that crazy logic of yours..." Zoro kinda complimented. "So, where's her duck?"
"Karoo?" Vivi asked Luffy who shrugged. A few seconds later, they saw Yamato carrying Karoo, who was knocked out, by his legs.
"Anyone wants this?" Yamato asked only for Vivi to pale.
"Kyaaaah! Karooo!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, her teeth becoming shark-like.
"Quack?" Karoo quacked only to see the evil glint in Yamato's eyes, "Quack! Quack! Quack!" The poor duck flapped his wings as he tried to escape to no avail..
"Oi! It's not nice Yamato!" Luffy said and the Oni giggled before she flipped the duck so his legs were now touching the ground.
"I was just kidding. I remember the news that says that Nefertari Vivi had escaped from Alabasta with a big Duck, but I didn't think it would be this big..." Yamato explained, "Karoo, huh? Nice name for a duck!"
"At least Luffy didn't name anything.." Zoro said in a calm tone.
"Huh? What would you name him?" Luffy asked Zoro who shrugged.
"Donny!" He replied, "You?"
"Spots!" Luffy replied and Yamato palmed her face as Nami approached.
"Oi Nami, where's the old man?" Yamato asked her friend who shrugged.
"Er, he said something about being the decoy..." Nami said only to hear an explosion. "What was that?"
"Heh, the two schmucks didn't learn, did they?" Luffy narrowed his eye before he dissapeared for a few seconds...
"I feel sorry now... For these two!" Zoro said as Yamato laughed while Nami pulled Vivi towards her.
"We'll escort you, and protect you... And stop whoever that boss is... At the measly price of ten Billion Belly!" Nami said and Yamato snorted. Yeah right.
"Er, Navigator-san, I doubt we can afford even a tenth!" Vivi said in a shocked tone.
"Then... How about you become one of us instead?" Yamato asked Vivi who's eyes widened a lot more than it should. "What? Who finds a friend find a treasure, and who find a good princess finds..."
"Heh, that would do? Maybe? I will drop the entire fee thing.. If you do join us. If not... Well, let's just say that bad things can and will happen." Nami said and Zoro flinched as Luffy arrived, his face squished in an expression of... Well, undescribable bad feeling, his eyes white, shaped like crescent slanted upward, his mouth was open, his teeth bared, the shap was also a crescent...
"Ha?" Luffy asked Nami who almost laughed at his expression.
"Luffy, what did you do with.. Where's Jinbe?" Zoro asked only for Luffy to shrug.
"Let's just say I made sure they won't move for a while, and he's helping the smart two to carry the four schmucks that fell for the oldest trick in the book.." Luffy replied as Zoro snorted. Luffy glared before he laughed his ass off.
'You fell for it last time!' Zoro teased Luffy who snorted.
'Heh, I'm ashamed that it is still the dumbest thing I ever did...' Luffy replied as Zoro lifted his arms in surrender.
'Coming from you? Yeah, I don't blame you..' Luffy smiled at his Vice-Captain. 'Why did you buy that knife and machete though?'
'They're especially for two people...' Luffy replied coldly, and Zoro smirked at him.
'I love this side of you, Captain!' Zoro told his best friend (alive!) about it. Luffy nodded sadly. If only he was more ruthless sometimes... Then.. His Nakama would have reached Laugh Tale...
'Zoro, you think that we made the right choice by recruiting more people?' Luffy asked his best friend... Apart from Nami.
'Yeah.. But not in our hearts.. I still feel that they joined after Yamato..' Zoro said sadly, he hated how whenever he or Luffy does go to sleep, their nightmares, which ranges from their friends deaths, to their accusation, wake them up..
"..Luffy! Zoro!" Nami stopped their conversation as they both gave her a cocked eyebrow.
"Huh?" They said in unison intelligebly.
"I was asking you why are you sometimes dazed!" Nami asked the two who shook their heads. "Come on! Aren't we friends? Even best friends?" Nami asked Luffy in particular who sighed dejectedly.
"Let's just say that it is my and Zoro's burden, and leave it at that." Luffy replied before he sighed, "There are things that are NOT meant to be talked about, ever!" He then walked away, trying to focus on his own thoughts...
"What's with him?" Nami asked Zoro who gave her a worried glance. But he then shook his head in refusal.
"Nami, there are scars that are better left to time to heal..." Zoro said in a painful tone, "Believe me, I know exactly how he feels, and it is not something that either of us is ready to repeat our sin..."
"Sin? What are you talking about?" Nami asked Zoro who was now seething.
"Weakness!" Zoro replied angrily, if at himself. Two years weren't enough last time... "My own weakness.. No! Our own weakness!" Zoro's reply carried a huge weight. As much as he and the other three wanted to get rid of said weight, they couldn't. The only thing they found was to make sure that none of their members dies...Problem was, too many people to protect, and between the four of them, it was a very daunting job.
"Purupurupurupuru!" Zoro listened to their phone ringing, and before he could react, Luffy had already answered, "Gotcha!" He heard as Luffy picked up the receiver.
"This is Luffy!" He answered.
"Luffy-sempai, this is Bartolomeo." He heard as the snail's face had fangs in its maw.
"Bart? It's been a little while. Anything that's bothering you?" Luffy asked the green haired man.
"Well, I called to ask you where do you want to meet us?" Bartolomeo asked as Luffy grinned.
"Would your route take you to Alabasta?" Luffy asked and he heard the affirmative. "Let's meet there in three to four weeks time." Luffy replied as he heard Bartolomeo's teary reply before they both hanged.
"Making allies already Captain?" Zoro asked as he arrived... Somehow.
"Yeah. We'll need a lot of friends eventually." Luffy replied seriously.
"So, this time is different..." Zoro said grimly while Luffy nodded, "What's a fair game?"
"Anyone who's a threat, to us, to those who can't defend themselves..." Luffy replied with a bit of anger in his face. "There are a lot of monsters to hunt!"
"Monsters, huh?" Zoro replied as Luffy nodded, "Well, at least you're decent enough to do so..."
"Blame it on Grandpa.. Then again, Marine, Pirate, Revolutionary, all are the same. As long as I follow the straight path according to him..." Luffy replied, not noticing a now grinning Yamato.
"Heh, I guess? I mean who cares? Is there such a thing as clean money in this world?" Zoro asked Luffy who shrugged.
"Let's go then. We have a princess to escort and some Shichibukai to beat ten tons of dirt from!" Luffy said as Yamato arrived.
"Well, Nami decided that Vivi should pay a billion Belly.." Yamato told Luffy who gave her an incredulous look, "No really, after she saw Igaram's ship explode, she decided to give her a ninety percent discount."
"Huh?" Luffy said as he saw Jinbe and Gin arriving, Nojiko in front of them. "I guess that we have to wait for.. Karoo?" He said as he saw the giant duck asleep on the ship. "Guess that settles it." Luffy then closed his eyes and focused his Haki. He grinned in approval. As soon as Nami and Vivi, were on board he waited for them to set sails.
"Igaram.." Vivi whispered as Luffy sighed and decided to tell her something important, lest her heart would stay heavy.
"He's alive! But for your and our sake? Please keep it quiet!" Luffy whispered as Vivi decided to hug the Gomu human. "Oi!"
"Thank you Luffy-san." Vivi said as she saw his eyes soften a bit.
"Don't thank me until you pay us... Or join us!" Luffy said seriously and she looked dejected.
"Huh? What are we doing here?" Sanji asked only for Nami to smile forcefully...
A few hits on the heads of four men later
"That's what you get for being a bunch of total idiotic moronic schmucks!" Nami yelled as Yamato was laughing her ass off, Jinbe was handling the steering as always...
"Nice job so far." A feminine voice said.
"Thanks!" Nami replied and Luffy held his laugher.
"Be careful of the rocks on the river!" The same voice warned.
"Leave it to us!" The orange haired woman replied with conviction as she turned to Luffy, "That was you, right?"
"Nope, her!" He pointed at one Miss AllSunday.
"Huh?" Vivi said before she yelled, "Miss All-Sunday?" She exclaimed.
"My alias." The dark haired, blue eyed woman replied as Zoro and Yamato shrugged. The others however drew their weapons at her. "Good job on avoiding the unluckies!" She told them.
"You are not going to snitch on us, are you?" Yamato asked her as her hand was about to grab her Kanabo.
"Not if you keep pointing such a dangerous thing on my direction!" She replied as suddently, the weapons were slapped off their holders. "I just want to talk."
"So? What are you waiting for?" Jinbe asked calmly.
"Well, Jinbe-san, why did you join such a small name pirates? No, no name pirate captain?" Robin asked as Jinbe cackled madly.
"Let's just say that he's someone who'll reach the end of the world." Jinbe replied, "I know who you are, Miss All-Sunday. And... I sympathise with you."
"What do you know about me?" The usually calm woman snapped as Luffy gave Jinbe and Yamato a meaningful look.
"He's a Shichibukai.. Was a Shichibukai! Like your current boss. Unless you're keeping forgetting that he's also a fishman? I don't think that he means you any harm. Matter of fact, those who know your real name.. Won't say a single word, am I right?" Luffy asked as she saw Jinbe and Yamato nodding, making her a bit shocked. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, happy to meet you."
"Fufu, well, Monkey D. Luffy, is there something you're keeping a secret?" Robin asked as she threw his hat towards her, only for the exact same second her hat was in his hand as he didn't even move. "How?"
"... You didn't see me move?" Luffy asked as he inspected her hat, "Why a cowgirl hat though?"
"Why a straw hat though?" Robin asked Luffy in return.
"My friend's hat until I give it back when I reach what I said I would, you?" Luffy asked her as she shrugged.
"Let's just say it reminds me of my only friend.." Robin replied a bit sadly.
"I see.." Luffy said as he was now wearing his own hat, and Robin blinked as her hat was back on her head. "Anyways, you're not a bad person, are you? Allowing Vivi to know the truth and all..."
"What do you know about me?" Robin asked Luffy who grinned at her.
"I know enough to say that you were framed... I know enough to say that you're a survivor.. I know enough to say that you don't even have a reason to trust anyone, and that you're tired." Luffy replied calmly, even if his eye were lit with anger, not directed at the woman in front of him who was more and more shocked. "Am I wrong?"
"Not really.. But how do you plan to stop a Shichibukai?" She asked him with amusement in her voice.
"One of my Nakama is a Shichibukai until recently. Do you think that he would be here if I was weaker than him?" Luffy asked as Zoro smirked at his captain being a silver tongued bastard. "Well, all you have to do is just... Wait, and undermine him. In return, whoever your enemies are, they better think a trillion times."
"Fufufu, sounds like fun. But your next island is Little Garden, where the Log Pose needs an entire year to settle down." Robin replied while smilling, Vivi was now almost desperate.
"Nah, worry not, it ain't a problem..." Luffy said as Zoro smirked.
"Let's just say that we'll be visiting some old friends and then definitely get out of there." Zoro replied with a grin. Oh the two schmucks have to just wait for them.. Then again, with Yamato and Jinbe at their side...
"Good luck in that. I'll be rooting for you then." Robin replied as she looked at Vivi, "And princess, even if you know, what do you plan to do?"
"Stop this rebellion, without a single life lost." Vivi replied defiantly and Robin sighed in dismay.
"Princess, that's the most idiotic thing I ever heard. People always die!" Robin replied angrily as she remembered her past.
"Why should even good people.." Vivi was about to yell only for Luffy to stop her.
"Vivi, I agree with her. People do die, whether we intervene or not. There's no avoiding this. Life happens, and death is inevitable..." Luffy replied as he clenched his fists, hard enough to draw blood, and lot of it, "We can't prevent everyone's death. Natural or not..."
"What are you talking about Luffy-san?" Vivi asked as Robin sighed.
"And the people's lives that were claimed by the drought?" Robin asked, "And those killed by pirate raids? And those who's lifespan ended? And those killed by the Marines?" Robin sighed dejectedly as she took a deep breath to calm herself, "Wherever there is life, there is death. Let's go, Bunshi!"
"That's one huge turtle!" Yamato exclaimed as the others exchanged looks. Robin, or rather, Miss All-Sunday was riding a humongous turtle that was smoking a cigarette and wore a cowboy hat. While it was unusual, Jinbe, Yamato, Zoro and Luffy didn't care one bit. After all, Paradise was so uninteresting to them, they shouldn't even care about it, should they?
"Okay, so... Now what?" Nami finally asked Luffy who shrugged.
"We go to our next destination.. Then, we'll try to find a doctor. I mean, a musician would be nice, but a doctor is important... If we do get injured, then probably no one would want to look at our injuries at best." Luffy replied and Nami blinked multiple times. Nojiko looked at him as if he grown a second head, "What?"
"You... Don't look too smart, do you?" Nami asked as he ground his teeth in irritation.
"Yamato, help!" Luffy screamed in frustration, "I don't think that we now have much time, do we?"
"Not a lot..." Yamato replied grimly, "I mean, we have to stop a Shichibukai right now, no?"
"Heh, can I be the one who stops said Shichibukai?" Jinbe asked only for Luffy to shake his head. Sanji meanwhile went to the kitchen as Gin was training with Johnny and Yusaku.
"Luffy-Aniki, are you sure that you can stop that Shichibukai?" Johnny asked, as he dodged another strike from Gin.
"Yes, why?" Luffy replied as he thought, "I will try not to kill him though..."
"Luffy, you said it yourself, didn' you? People die." Zoro replied as Luffy sighed before he took a pensive stance.
"Well, that and..." Luffy then stopped. Vivi's troubles had just started. Now with Little Garden...
"Buooh!" Laboon bellowed as Luffy smirked at him.
"Well, it'll be a very long swim until we reach that place, so.. Bear with us!" Luffy said as the whale bellowed again, "I know. Well, if you want to wait for a few years, or swim with us, swim out of the Grand Line, then go back to Hana-ossan, you're welcome!"
"Er, Luffy-aniki, you think that we'll be a good help?" Yusaku asked Luffy who shrugged, "Look, if we're going to be a trouble, I think that we better leave the ship..."
"Oi! Who said anything about that?" Zoro asked as he raged, his eyes were whitish and his teeth were squaline-like.
"Well, it's entirely up to you... But leaving this crew is not a trivial matter." Luffy replied as Zoro smirked at this. "With that out of the way, you have to decide for yourself. Now then, onward to Little Garden!"
'There's nothing little in it!' Zoro thought as the others were now completely confused by that entire situation before Nami cried tears of despair.
"Goodbye my sanity..." Nami said as Nojiko was rubbing her shoulder in comfort.
"Welcome to our lives..." Yamato replied as Jinbe chuckled.
"Well, let's hope that it won't end up in a really bad situation." The whale shark fishman said.
AN : I'm sorry for the low quality, but I had the flu for ages. I seriously debated with myself, but I'm taking a little very temporary hiatus to refresh my memory, and hopefully, come back better than ever, or die trying. Anyways, please take care and see you in a week or two? Depends on my scheduel...