Chapter 8: Mock Town

Disclaimer: I probably don't own One Piece, but I haven't checked my emails recently.

Previously:

Luffy escaped Alabasta after a near-death experience with a huge bounty and the Marines on their tail. Also, relationships on the ship are getting complicated…

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

"Land ho!" Usopp called excitedly, his voice ringing through the entire ship. "Look everyone! There's land ahead! Land!"

Standing on top of crow's nest with his sniper goggles, Usopp was naturally the first one to see the dark mass of the island arise over the horizon, yet it wasn't long before the rest of the crew could see it too. Before long, the pirates were all on dock, leaning over the figurehead as they watched the island come into shape.

"Land!" Chopper shouted cheerfully. "Finally, land!"

Nami glanced down at her Log Pose anxiously, but they were definitely heading to the right island. After two weeks at sea, the whole crew was stressed and eager to finally land. It had been a long detour to throw off the Marines, but the next island was finally in sight.

The island started to become bigger, until finally the outline of a port was clearly visible. The other ships were nothing more than specks on the horizon, but they quickly getting bigger.

"Wow!" Usopp exclaimed happily, rushing down the mast. "Not bad at all! It looks like a pleasant town!"

Luffy was already hanging off his seat gleefully, eagerly awaiting the town. If he was any further forward, he would fall into the ocean. "Full speed ahead, Merry!" Luffy shouted loudly, practically bouncing up and down.

Nami still couldn't even look at Luffy properly. Deep down, she knew that he was the exact same clueless idiot he had always been. She had tried to make the first move, yet Luffy never even realised a move had been made. It shouldn't have been so embarrassing considering the Luffy hadn't realised there has anything to be embarrassed about. Nami shouldn't have expected anything different.

Even so, she had hoped for… more from him. She had barely even said a word to Luffy after that night. Instead, Nami had devoted herself to training with Zoro simply as a way to avoid thinking about her captain. As it turned out, an extreme training regimen was a great substitute for romance.

Next to her, Robin leant over the handrail, smiling faintly at the city. Robin was fitting into the crew nicely, and she had become particularly close to Nami. Even Vivi, who still treated her with suspicion, was at least civil now. Robin and Luffy were already halfway through their book, though they had taken to reading it together in private.

"Hey, it looks like a holiday resort!" Usopp was chattering, as the wooden buildings became closer. "I can't wait to…"

Usopp's voice trailed off as he focused on the ships docked at the harbour. "Umm…" He muttered uncertainly. "Those ships at the dock look a lot like pirate ships… or am I just worrying too much?"

Nami slapped him over the back of the head absentmindedly. "Don't be silly, Usopp," she said dismissively. "How could pirate ships dock so openly in such a big city?"

He was just about to agree with her, as slowly the sounds of the town started to reach their ship. The sounds of screaming, cursing, gunfire, and battle were unmistakable. It sounded like hell itself. At once, Usopp, Chopper, Carue and Nami started to huddle together in fear.

"Oh dear," Robin noted quietly, without any indication of shock. The sounds of murder didn't appear to faze her even slightly. "It seems like we've arrived in a pirate town. There is no law and order here."

There was a moment of silence while the shapes came into focus. Every single man in the town was carrying a weapon, and most were currently busy trying to kill someone else with that weapon. The town could have been mistaken for a warzone if it wasn't so disorganised.

"Well, we don't have to go inside, right?" Vivi reasoned uncertainly. "We just have to wait until the Log Pose settles, so there's no point in doing anything dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Zoro grinned evilly. His hand was already twitching over the handle of his sword. "Looks to me like a pretty fun town."

Nami glared at Zoro with annoyance. "This isn't going to go well…" She muttered with despair.

"Oh, come on, Nami," Luffy said with a grin that made her heart skip. The captain was just as excited. He had Smoker's old jitte slung over his back, and his dual knives in his belt. Luffy cracked his knuckles eagerly. "We've been at sea for ages. We need to have some fun."

Fifteen minutes later, Nami anchored the Going Merry some distance away from the town to avoid attention. By that time, both Luffy and Zoro were so eager for action that they were practically pacing the ship, before quickly jumping over the boat and setting off into town.

"Is it safe to let them go off like that?" Vivi asked uncertainly. They both had a dangerous glint in their eyes.

Nami shrugged. "It's fine," she sighed with defeat. "Not like there's any reason to keep a low profile in this town. They might as well blow off some steam."

The navigator glanced downwards, just as Robin was exiting the gangway. "Hey Robin!" Nami called loudly, jumping down to meet the other woman. "I need to go and buy a sword. Escort me into town."

The archaeologist looked amused, but nodded anyways. "Alright," she agreed. "I was going to try to find some information about this town, anyways."

Sanji seemed to levitate through the air as he jumped down to meet them. "Ah!" The chef called happily. "Two beautiful women walking together! It is my duty as a man to protect you against fiends that would smear your grace!"

Nami never even gave Sanji a second glance. "Vivi?" She called upwards to her friend. "Are you coming too?"

"Yes!" Sanji proclaimed eagerly. "Vivi should come too! All of the beautiful women should be together with me!"

The princess hesitated, and then shook her head. Around her, Chopper, Usopp and Carue were still trembling with nervousness and hiding behind the ship. "No," she said finally. "I want to stay here and practice some more."

She had been training a lot with her powers recently, and was definitely becoming better. Slightly disappointed, Nami just nodded. "Ok, then," Nami called farewell, as she started walk away with Robin and a skipping Sanji. "Be safe!"

Vivi waved goodbye, shouting loudly, "You too!"

Just as she said that, Usopp realised something. "Wait a minute…" The sniper muttered slowly. He, Vivi, Chopper and Carue were the only ones left on the Going Merry. "All of the strong people are gone! What if something happens to us?"

After that, Vivi started giggling while the other three began to run around with panic.

"Whoa, so many tough guys in this city!" Luffy exclaimed happily, watching a large wrestler slam another victim to the ground. The champion was laughing hysterically, already proclaiming himself the greatest.

"Yeah," Zoro agreed, grinning evilly. "Who do you want to beat up first?"

Luffy thought about it for a while. He was surrounded by big men carrying weapons and looking for a fight, after all. Still, Luffy's stomach was growling hungrily. "Nah, let's go get something eat first."

Reluctantly, Zoro agreed. "I think I saw a bar up this way."

Zoro pointed, and then started to walk in the complete wrong direction. Luffy followed witlessly. It would end up taking an hour and two laps of the village before they finally found the pub.

Despite their unassuming entrance, they were still noticed. A skinny, bedraggled man with ragged stubble on his chin, a long nose and a permanent stench of booze, pointed the pair out his companions.

"Oi…" The man muttered, scratching his head with the hand not holding a bottle of beer, while motioning to Zoro and Luffy. "Those two… have you seen them before?"

His companion, equally drunk, shook his head. "Those runts? Nah. Probably won't see them again either. Guys as scrawny as that don't last long in this town, Jobo."

Jobo frowned as he tried to remember. "I'm sure I've seen them before…" The drunk murmured. It must have been in the most recent newspaper. "… Did they have a bounty?"

Finally, realisation hit. "It's those two!" Jobo exclaimed, dropping his bottle of beer with shock. He remembered their bounties now - they had been ridiculously large bounties. He jumped to his feet in panic. "I've… I've got to tell Bellamy about this!"

His friend looked nervous. "Are you sure?" He warned. "You know that Bellamy and his gang have been extra murderous lately ever since he arrived in town…"

The colour drained from Jobo paunchy face, but he shook his head. "I've still got to tell him…" Jobo muttered, before running off in a drunken stagger.

He wasn't the only one that made the realisation. Sitting in the middle of street, an extremely large man with a crooked nose and a scruffy black beard grinned as he looked down at two sheets of paper. The large man was wearing an open buttoned white shirt and a yellow sash around his waist, with his long shaggy hair half hidden under a black bandanna.

"Hmmm…" The man muttered with satisfaction, glancing down at the bounties. " 200 million - 'Straw Hat' Luffy… missing a straw hat, are we? How interesting… 'The Pirate Hunter' Zoro - 80 million…"

"Zehahahaha!" He pulled his head back and laughed loudly, startling everyone walking past him. "Oh, this is a lucky day! Those two will do perfectly!"

The man took a large bite of a cherry pie, munching it thoughtfully, totally unconcerned to the people watching him curiously. "Still…" He mused thoughtfully to himself. "I wonder… How lucky is he?"

Meanwhile, Zoro and Luffy were still walking, and Luffy was slowly starting to suspect that Zoro never knew where he was going. In truth, Zoro had absolutely no clue, but he still led the way confidently. Only Zoro was capable of combining a complete lack of direction with a pig-headed stubbornness that he was always right.

"We're heading towards the ocean," Luffy said finally. "There aren't any more buildings this way."

"No, it's definitely this way." Zoro replied firmly, starting to walk in a slight curve.

They were passing the docks now, and surrounded by drunks and violence. Neither Luffy nor Zoro seemed to care, but then their path was blocked by a pale man slumped across the ground. He was coughing nastily, and droplets of blood covered the walkway.

"Huh, you're really sick, old man," Luffy said simply.

Faintly, the man turned his head to look at the pair. His skin was pale and covered in rashes, while his skinny body was hidden by shrouds of black robes. Even his face was mostly covered by a black hat and white hair.

"How embarrassing…" The sickly man murmured through bloody coughs. "Excuse me, you two, would you be so kind as to help me up, please…?"

Zoro looked at the man sceptically. "You just don't want to pick yourself up, right?"

Nevertheless, he was blocking the path, so both Zoro and Luffy pulled him out of the way so he could rest up against the wall. Even his clothes felt sticky and disgusting, which made both of the pirates want a shower. Next to the sick man, there was a white horse collapsed on the ground, which was so motionless it might just have been dead.

"I have always been weak physically… !" He explained, almost apologetically, before collapsing into another fit of coughs.

The man reached inside his robes and brought out a basket of multi-coloured sweets. "As a token of my gratitude…" He offered. "Please, take one."

"Ah! Sweets!" Luffy exclaimed brightly, already grabbing a large handful. "Don't mind if I do."

"You're actually going to eat them?!" Zoro exclaimed, outraged, but Luffy was already stuffing his face and dropping the wrappers to the floor. Zoro shook his head in disgust, but the two of them were already walking away.

Behind them, the sickly man, more commonly known as Doc Q, looked curiously at the teenager that was still munching on the sugary sweets. Luffy had taken a very large handful of out of the basket, and eaten them all.

Slowly, Doc Q hunched over his basket and began to count the remaining ones. There had been fifty sweets in total, twenty-five of which were laced in poison and the other twenty-five were safe, all mixed together randomly. Luffy had picked up a handful of a couple dozen sweets.

Every single sweet Luffy had picked up had been poisoned.

"That kid…" Doc Q coughed with a pitying smile. "… is really unlucky… !"

At the other side of town, Nami and Robin waked casually down the filthy street, drawing several lecherous glances as they walked. They were both very beautiful women, after all. Robin was long-legged and elegant, while Nami was slender and curvy. Every single drunk in the town was drooling at them longingly, while Sanji was left running around them in fury and kicking anyone that dared to make an inappropriate gesture.

Neither Robin nor Nami seemed to pay any attention to Sanji picking a fight with half the town on their behalf. Robin had bought a travel guide on the island, and was quietly reading as she walked.

"Anything interesting?" Nami asked eventually.

"A bit," Robin explained, not looking up from the book. "Apparently this is called Mock Town, so named by the explorer Jew Wall as it makes a 'mockery' of law and order. It is on the island of Jaya, a heavily forested spring island that has long been rumoured to contain the ruins of an ancient civilisation. There's actually quite an interesting legend surrounding this place…"

"Huh," Nami replied, not really paying attention. Around them, Sanji was flickering back and forth across the street, his feet flashing against anyone who looked perverted. Silently, Robin put her book away.

"You know, we should really stop him from making such a big scene," Robin said finally. "And you should both maybe wear a hood or something to keep a low profile. You do have bounties, after all."

Nami frowned. "Us? But you have a bounty of 79 million! Yours is much bigger than mine and Sanji's combined!"

Robin smiled. "Yes, but I received my bounty decades ago. Yours was just a couple of weeks ago. More people will be looking out for you two than for me."

The navigator shrugged. "So what? I'm sure you and Sanji could beat anybody that comes after us."

Robin deliberately didn't comment on the 'you and Sanji' bit. "I would still be careful," Robin warned. "In towns like this, your bounty means a lot. Rookies with large bounties attract a lot of attention, and we don't want a big name taking notice. Best just to be careful."

Reluctantly, Nami agreed. She then called over to Sanji and sweetly encouraged him not to make a scene. Later, Nami bought a hood to her distinctive hair, and gave Sanji a wide-brimmed hat to avoid attention. The chef was still left visibly twitching with fury with every wolf whistle that the girls received.

"So you're looking for a sword shop?" Robin stated after a few moments.

Nami nodded. "I can't keep borrowing Zoro's."

"Hmm…" The older woman muttered calmly. "You've been training a lot."

There was an edge to her question. "So?" Nami replied carefully.

Robin shrugged, not even glancing at Nami. "Nothing. I'm just curious why the sudden interest in swordsmanship."

"It's just a hobby." Nami said defensively.

Robin was quiet for a few seconds, wondering how far she should push the conversation. "Or is it a distraction?" The archaeologist asked finally.

The navigator didn't respond, and Robin gave up. She was still curious about Nami's feelings, but Robin wasn't so tactless to force the issue. The girls walked the rest of the journey in silence, barely even listening to Sanji's constant serenading.

Towards the east side of the city, Bellamy was in a foul mood. He and his gang had been kicked out of the Tropical Hotel, and ended up being forced to stay in some rundown hovel on the outskirts of the town. The pirates were all young and wearing expensive clothing, having become accustomed to being the princes of the town. No one was happy about recent developments, and there were several dead bodies and terrorized civilians to prove.

"Damn him!" Bellamy growled angrily, slamming a spring-loaded fist through a plaster wall. "Why did the boss kick us out of our own hotel?"

Bellamy the Hyena had been fuming for hours. It hadn't been a good day, and Bellamy wasn't used to having to restrain his anger. "We even robbed those monkey bastards of all their gold for him!" Bellamy ranted, pacing the room. "Yet he still just looked down at us!"

"Be quiet, Bellamy." 'Big Knife' Sarkies muttered with cold anger. The crew wasn't in a good mood at all. "If the boss hears you speaking like that, he'll kill us all."

Bellamy looked like he wanted to explode, but the pirate still kept his temper in check. Bellamy's respect for his boss was only matched by the fear of him.

There were a few minutes of silent anger, consisting mostly of him trying to figure out who to take his rage out on. Suddenly, the door to the motel burst open, and a drunken figure charged through, tripping over the doorway.

"Not a good time, Jobo!" Bellamy snarled dangerously.

At once, Jobo looked like he was about to wet himself. Still, he managed to splutter out the words, "This is important, Bellamy! You won't believe who I just saw in the town!"

It was nearly dusk by the time Zoro and Luffy finally found the tavern. The pub was overflowing with noise and activity, and the sound of drinking filled the air. As they approached, Luffy nearly collapsed as he clutched his stomach in agony.

"My chest hurts," the captain groaned with pain.

"That's what you get for eating sweets from a stranger," Zoro grumbled, forced to drag Luffy through the street by his feet. Zoro stomped through into the pub and pulled the moaning Luffy straight to the counter.

"Hey!" Zoro called to the bartender with irritation. "My friend has been poisoned! Give me your strongest ale to flush the poison from his system."

Luffy looked up weakly. "Will that work?" He asked sceptically.

Zoro nodded confidently, while the barman poured out a glass of rum doubtfully. "Trust me," the swordsman said firmly. "You've got to fight poison with poison. Ale can cure everything."

It was a testament to Luffy's cluelessness and faith in his friends that he actually accepted Zoro's explanation and started downing the glasses of rum. Zoro joined in happily, and before long they were both drinking heavily. Luffy was still in agonising pain from the poison, but his metabolism was strong enough that he started to burn through it.

Half an hour later, Luffy had recovered to the point where he no longer looked fatally ill, while around them the commotion in the pub started to ease as the patrons dwindled away. Zoro was trying to enjoy the ale, but he couldn't focus because of a large man with a black beard sitting in the corner of the pub. The swordsman really didn't like the way that man kept glancing at Luffy.

Shortly afterwards, there was a movement as three figures entered the pub. Zoro felt a flash of irritation as Sanji approached, caused by pure physical proximity. Nami and Robin entered the pub curiously

"Zoro!" Nami called happily, carrying two large shopping backs. "I bought a sword, check it out!"

She held out her new blade to him, and at once Zoro was interested. It was a short sword, smaller than what he was used to but well suited to Nami's size. Behind Nami, Sanji muttered something derisive about swords under his breath, looking seriously unhappy with Nami running to Zoro.

"It's pretty decent," he said critically, inspecting the edge. "It's a not a named sword, but it's good enough for someone at your level."

Curiously, the navigator glanced down at Luffy, who was still half unconscious and hanging over the counter. "Luffy!" Nami shouted in shock. "What happened to him?"

"Oh, he's fine," Zoro muttered dismissively, drinking another glass. "He was just poisoned."

"What?" She demanded with concern.

"It's fine." Zoro shrugged. "He's already burning through the poison. The ale helps."

"Hey, Nami…"Luffy murmured weakly, still clutching his painful stomach.

Nami sighed with exasperation, sitting down on a barstool. "Barman!" She called. "Can we have a meal, please? Our friend needs some food in his stomach."

Quietly, Robin and Sanji sat down too. The bartender served a large portion of cherry pie to each of them. Luffy complained that it was the worst meal he'd ever tasted, but he ate it up anyways and felt better for it. Around them, the pub gradually became quieter as the patrons left one by one, until eventually only the pirates and the bearded man in the corner were left.

The normally thriving pub was left uneasily silent. Even the bartender was twitching with nervousness. Robin and Zoro were the first to notice.

"There's something wrong here," Robin said quietly in a hushed whisper, careful not to draw attention. No one made any sudden movements, but they were all alert to the weird silence.

"I know," Zoro muttered darkly. "There's something happening outside."

Outside of the bar, a large crowd was gathering. The rumours had spread around the town like wildfire. It was dark, and the atmosphere was tense as the pirates and cutthroats all gathered outside of the pub. Wanted posters were spread among the group, but no one dared to move.

"Did you hear…?" A man whispered in a hushed tone. "A man with a 200 million bounty!"

"That's ridiculous! I've never seen such a huge bounty before!"

"What could he have done to be worth 200 million?"

"Yet he's just a scrawny kid!"

"The rest of his crew are in there too - they've all got big bounties as well…"

Nobody moved for a while, but there was an unspoken agreement that they were all waiting for a person. After a couple of minutes, Bellamy the Hyena finally arrived.

Bellamy was a tall man, broad shouldered and well-muscled. Normally, his face was twisted in a mocking grin, but this time he was unusually solemn as he stomped his way into the pub. He was flanked by his crew, all wearing furs and expensive clothing. Behind them, the rest of the pirates followed cautiously.

Bellamy kicked the doors open fearlessly, crossing his arms as he stared at Luffy critically.

"Are you the 200 million boy?" He demanded finally, all the while his men took up positions around the pub.

"This isn't good…" The bartender muttered with fear, backing away carefully.

"Someone's looking for you, Luffy," Zoro muttered, taking a sip of ale but his eyes were sharp.

"What is it?" Luffy asked Bellamy slowly. The atmosphere in the room was tense.

Bellamy stomped over to the bar. He was so tall that he towered over Luffy. "Give me a glass of your best wine," Bellamy demanded. "And give the kid whatever he wants."

Hesitantly, the bartender complied. Bellamy took a seat next to Luffy. "Here, let's drink," he offered.

"Ah, thanks," Luffy laughed, taking a sip of the ale. "Shishishi! You're a good guy after all!"

Luffy never even manage to swallow anything, before suddenly Bellamy moved with a flash. The large man grabbed the back of Luffy's head and slammed him face first through the counter savagely. The bar exploded into splinters.

Instantly, Zoro drew his swords. Nami exclaimed in shock. Every single pirate in the pub had a weapon drawn.

"I hate punks like you the most," Bellamy snarled viciously, still sitting down and glaring at Luffy's body on the ground. "Do you think you're the first rookies to try and fake a wanted poster for the fame? I bet you think you're really clever, putting such a ridiculous number as 200 million…"

The fury glinted in Bellamy's eyes. The veins throbbed on his forehead. "Trash like you have no place in the New Age of Piracy. Allow me to teach you what a real pirate is…"

The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. The straw hats were instantly ready for a fight, but the Bellamy pirates were surrounding them ominously. 'Big Knife' Sarkies was at the front of the crowd, swinging his huge dagger threateningly. Without a word, Luffy pulled himself up and brushed his vest down.

It was seconds away from a fight. Nervously, Nami tried to reason with Bellamy. "Hey mister!" Nami protested. "We're not looking for any trouble, we—"

"Well you've found it!" Bellamy's eyes bulged angrily. He swung a furious backhanded strike straight at Nami. "Get out of my way, bitch!"

Nami barely had time to duck. In a flash, Luffy was suddenly standing in between them, grabbing Bellamy's arm with a grip of iron.

"What did you just call her?" Luffy asked in a dangerously quiet voice. The mood became murderous.

"I have a very short temper when it comes to people insulting my friends," Luffy muttered in a low voice.

The killing intent streaming off him was enough to cause everyone in the room to shiver. Luffy had suddenly turned unnaturally cold.

Zoro sheathed his swords; he wouldn't be needing them here.

"I called her a bitch," Bellamy smirked arrogantly. "What are you going to do about it, punk?"

Luffy was quiet for a few seconds. When he raised his head, his eyes shone. In the corner of the room, the man with the black beard grinned understandingly.

"You have ten seconds to apologise to her, and then leave," Luffy said simply, without any emotion. "Otherwise, I'm going to kill you."

There were three seconds of shocked silence, followed by four seconds of laughter. By the eighth second, Bellamy drew a knife and stabbed it towards Luffy.

At the tenth second, Luffy blurred.

Bellamy was left slashing at nothing but air. Luffy was suddenly standing next to Bellamy, and he wrapped his hands around Bellamy's throat before tightening quickly. Everyone heard Bellamy's neck snap with a sickening crack.

The silence dropped over the pub like a concrete block. Sarkies was left so speechless his knife clattered to the ground. Bellamy's limp body littered the floor. Even Luffy's crew were staring at him with amazement.

"Leave," Luffy ordered quietly. "Now."

Wordlessly and very quickly, everyone else in the pub seemed to evaporate out of the door. They barely even made a noise as they fled. Only 'Big Knife' Sarkies was left standing alone, staring at Luffy with a stuttering mouth.

"What… How…?" The first mate stammered helplessly. "Do you have any idea what you've done? Do you know who we work for? Do you know who is on this island right now?"

"Leave," Luffy repeated, in a tone that made it clear he wouldn't ask again.

Without any conscious thought, Sarkies' legs seemed to just carry him away. He nearly tripped over a table and was practically crawling out of the door. There was utter silence in the pub. Nobody dared to breathe.

"Luffy…" Nami muttered finally, her voice thick with concern. Her captain was showing no visible reaction to just killing a man. The rest of his crew was staring at him with various degrees of shock.

"It's fine," Luffy replied simply, shrugging his shoulders. "I told you that I wouldn't let anybody hurt you."

There was another awkward silence, but then it was broken by raucous laughter from the corner of the room.

"Zehahahaha!" The man with the black beard laughed boisterously. "Zehahahaha! Brilliant!"

Suddenly, everybody turned to stare at him. Luffy felt his knuckles clench.

"You…" Zoro growled, drawing his swords. "You've been stalking us all evening. What's your problem?"

He was practically bent over in furious laughter. "Oh, I'm just curious," he replied through fits of laughter, holding up Luffy's wanted poster. "It makes much more sense now. Oh, and the name's Marshall D. Teach, by the way."

A flicker of realisation crossed Robin's face. "D.…" She muttered under her breath.

"Don't get me wrong; I'm not judging," Teach held up his hands innocently. "It is the duty of every captain to protect his crew. And that loser had it coming."

Teach spat over Bellamy's dead body derisively. "The 'New Age' that those guys keep babbling is all bullshit," Teach smirked. "The only reason I never killed him myself because he was never worth it."

Luffy just stared silently. It was a long time before he spoke. "Come on, guys," Luffy said finally. "Let's get back to the ship."

Just as he started to walk away, Teach shouted out, "You know, I recognise your eyes!"

Luffy stopped instantly, not even turning around. Teach continued, "You think I don't know the look of a man who's stared into death itself?" He smirked. Luffy didn't react. "How does feel? You're walking around with a hole in your heart, aren't you? Everything feels exactly the same, but it's all different now, isn't it?"

Unwillingly, Luffy's hand moved to his chest, feeling the rough scar where Crocodile's hook had pierced his skin.

Marshall D. Teach leant back on his chair arrogantly. "Men with a 'destiny' don't die like others do," Teach sneered. "You either die smiling or not at all."

Everybody else was looking confused. Robin was completely quiet. Nami touched Luffy's shoulder hesitantly. "Luffy, what's he talking about?" She asked uncertainly.

"It's not important," Luffy replied dismissively, but his voice was hesitant. His normally happy attitude had vanished.

They were just about to leave, when instantly the exit became blocked by three huge figures, each as large as Teach was. There was a man who seemed to be made completely out of chest muscles, wearing a wrestler mask and black shirt - the wrestler from before, Luffy remembered. Right behind him was the sickly old man, still covered in black robes and walking with a slouch, but now he didn't seem so weak. They flanked by a man with a long face and a black cloak, carrying the largest rifle Luffy had ever seen.

Zoro's swords were out with a flash. The wrestler cracked his knuckles with a large grin. All three of them had a dangerous aura.

"Are you going to try something?" Luffy asked after a few seconds, his hands dropping to the knives at his belt.

Teach seemed to think about it for a long time. "Nah," he said finally, drawing a cherry pie from his pockets and swallowing a large mouthful. "I wish you the best of luck on your journey!"

With that, the other three men simply stepped to one side to let the pirates pass. Zoro never sheathed his swords as they walked. Sanji eyed them all cautiously, looking for any sign of betrayal. Still, nobody made a move.

As they left the pub, a thunderous "Zehahahaha " was heard echoing across the buildings.

"I don't get it, boss," Jesus Burgess, the wrestler, complained a few minutes after Luffy and his crew left the building. "We've been waiting here for weeks looking for a target with a high enough bounty. That was the whole plan, right? That guy was worth 200 million, he was perfect!"

"It's true," Doc Q agreed in a wheezy voice. "I've never met anyone with such back luck before. Why didn't we capture them?"

Marshall D. Teach, more commonly known as Blackbeard, simply shrugged. "Ah… we'll find someone else," the captain said firmly. "But I don't want to touch him."

"And why not?" The sniper, Van Augur, asked in a quiet voice.

Blackbeard grinned brightly, revealing several missing teeth. "Because of his eyes," he explained vaguely. "The longer you stare into death, the longer death stares at you. That poor sod is completely out of luck."

He took another large bite of cherry pie, laughing as the crumbs sprinkled across the floor. "That kid has been left with a cursed fate."

Meanwhile, on the Going Merry…

Vivi sighed as she looked out over moonless sky. It was dark and hard to see properly, but in the distance there were dark clouds, almost pitch black, creeping over the horizon. A storm was coming, she thought as shivers crept down her spine.

It had been a boring day for her. Usopp and Chopper had been busy fixing the ships, while Vivi kept on trying to control her sandstorms. Crocodile had made it seem so easy, she thought bitterly.

The most exciting thing for her had been when they'd glimpsed a monkey-like man on a ship, singing about salvage. Even so, Vivi couldn't escape the feeling that bad things were approaching. She really wished she knew how Luffy was doing.

"Are you sure this is place?" A quiet voice asked, coming from the undergrowth. Vivi froze suddenly, staying completely quietly. She could hear footsteps approaching the ship.

"Are you doubting my goddamn nose?" Another voice replied outrageously. This voice was louder, more obnoxious. There was the sound of someone sniffing heavily. "Aye, I'm sure. It's in this goddamn place!"

The footsteps were getting louder. Vivi could hear at least two sets. Thieves? Murderers? She thought with panic. She wanted to call out to Usopp and Chopper, but she didn't want to give away her position. In the dark, it was so hard to see.

Instead, she crept closer, tiptoeing down the gangway and hiding behind the corner, trying to get a glimpse of the intruders. Gradually, she managed to make out the outline of two figures in the gloom, staring at the ship.

One of them was nearly a giant. He stood at least seven-foot tall, and nearly just as broad across the shoulders. His arms were like tree trunks, and he wore heavy boots and a tank top, while looking at the Going Merry with a dark scowl.

"What a goddamn piece of junk of a ship," the large man muttered. Vivi peeked around the corner of the gangway, and she could see he had a broad chin, thick eyebrows and a very large nose. He kept on sniffing the air like a hound.

The other figure was practically his opposite. The second person was so skinny he looked like a twig, and he wore a pinstriped suit and delicate glasses. His shoes were polished to perfection, and his hair had been smoothed down neatly. He reminded Vivi of some sort of banker.

"Let's just find it and leave," the slender man said in exasperated voice. "I don't want to spent any longer on this rock than we have to."

The large man sniffed again. "It's definitely close," he confirmed after a few seconds. "Really goddamn close."

What are they looking for? Vivi wondered silently. Chopper and Usopp were in danger, and she had to warn them. I'm not as weak as I was, Vivi told herself firmly, I ate the Sand Sand fruit - I'm stronger now.

Quietly, Vivi took a step backwards. Then her heart nearly stopped as she bumped into something.

There's someone standing behind me!

With a loud squeal, Vivi flipped around to face the man who had crept up on her. She heard the footsteps as the other two quickly ran over to her, and she heard the slamming of a door as Chopper and Usopp came charging out of the Going Merry.

The man right in front of Vivi was tall and muscled. He wore a dark vest that was practically falling to pieces, and his hair was pitch black and shaggy. He had rough stubble covering his face, and his eyes were so heavily shadowed it looked like he was wearing eyeliner. Overall, he might have even been handsome, it wasn't for his eyes. His pupils were as small as pinpricks, and the white of his eyes seemed to bulge with insanity.

This was a dangerous man, every instinct in Vivi's body screamed.

"Hello, beautiful," he smirked.

At once, Vivi pulled out her Peacock Slashers, the sharp edges of the disks glinting in the moonlight. There were hurried footsteps as Usopp and Chopper charged outside, followed by a squealing and frenzied Carue. Usopp had his slingshot at the ready and loaded, and Chopper was carrying a bright torch which illuminated the scene in flickering flames.

Chopper's body seemed to shimmer like water as he transformed smoothly. He grew heavier and as tall as a man while he turned into his Human form, bulging with muscles. All cuteness was gone. "What are you doing to Vivi?" The doctor demanded, in a deeper voice.

The man wearing eyeliner just laughed and folded his arms. The large man looked surprised.

"Now there's a goddamn rare one!" The large man mused, sniffing the air curiously. "Definitely Zoan… Is it the Ape Ape fruit? No…" He took another deep sniff. "Oh! It's the Human Human fruit! Goddamn, there's a novelty…"

He can smell Devil fruits? Vivi wondered with shock, backing away slowly to join Usopp and Chopper. Usopp was trembling from fear, but strangely he was holding his slingshot perfectly steady.

"Hey! Hey!" The slender man exclaimed in a soothing tone of voice, motioning for everyone to stand down. "We're not looking for any… unpleasantness ." He turned to his companions. "Please, just let me handle this," he reasoned, straightening down his suit.

The large man just folded his arms. The man with the crazy eyes never stopped smirking. With an apologetic smile, the slender man extended a hand to Vivi.

"You must be Nefertari Vivi?" He guessed. Vivi hesitantly shook the hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Isaac, my large companion over here is Berrit." He motioned to the giant who stood sniffing the air curiously. "And this is… Marcus." Isaac introduced with a touch of hesitation, motioning to the man wearing eyeliner. "Don't let their gruff appearances fool you, we're all really nice people when you get to know us." Isaac smiled reassuringly.

Slowly, Usopp relaxed a bit, unleashing a large sigh of relief. Chopper seemed to calm down too. Vivi looked at Isaac carefully. "What are you doing here?" She demanded.

"We're business associates of your father's," Isaac explained warmly. "You see, me and my companions are… merchants. As a matter of fact, we specialise in the acquisition and selling of Devil fruits."

Vivi frowned. "But what are you doing here?"

Isaac scratched his head with a nervous chuckle. "Well, it's a funny story actually," Isaac explained. "You see, a few weeks ago we were in Aluburna, on business, to pick up the Sand Sand fruit from the recently… deceased Sir Crocodile. While we were there, your father approached us to purchase a Devil fruit."

"Now then, due to an unfortunate labelling error…" Isaac shot a dirty glance towards Marcus, who looked sheepish. "… we accidently supplied your father with the wrong Devil fruit, and gave him Sand Sand fruit instead."

His voice was calm and soothing, like a banker explaining the details of opening an account. "Do you see the trouble?" He said apologetically. "The king only paid for a standard, random ability Devil fruit, but he ended up receiving an exceedingly expensive and rare Logia Devil fruit. We're simply here to… resolve the transaction."

She didn't respond. Around her, Chopper and Usopp were silent too. Isaac continued. "Now, we really don't want any unpleasantness. You father is a respected customer, and this was our mistake," Isaac said reasonably. "That is why we are quite happy to refund all the money the king paid, plus compensation, or even supply a replacement Devil fruit!" He offered kindly, before adding, in a firmer tone of voice, "…"But I'm afraid that we do need the Sand Sand fruit back."

Vivi was quiet for a long time. Slowly, Usopp started to load up his slingshot again. "You can't," Vivi said finally. "I've already eaten it."

Isaac smiled woodenly, but his eyes were anything but happy. "Oh dear," he said finally. "That is a shame."

There were a few awkward seconds of silence. Then, quick as flash, the Berrit moved. Despite his huge size, he was remarkably graceful as he jumped the distance between them. Suddenly, Berrit wrapped hands as large as dinner plates around Chopper's and Usopp's heads, before slamming their skulls face first into the ground.

Vivi reacted quickly. She threw up her Peacock Slashers and swiped through the air, but then there was somebody standing right next to her. She never even saw him move, but Marcus was instantly next to her, still smirking even as he grabbed her arms.

She tried to phase into sand. Her outline shimmered and grains of sand dripped from her body, but Vivi couldn't even pull her hand away before Marcus suddenly wrapped a pair of handcuffs around her wrists.

She felt her hands become instantly numb, and the sand vanished. Seastone handcuffs, Vivi thought with panic.

"Sorry about this, beautiful," Marcus smiled a psychotic grin, drawing a large knife out of his belt. "But we need that fruit back. Looks like we're going to have to get unpleasant…"

Yes - Isaac, Berrit and Marcus are OCs that I made up. I don't use OCs very often, but these ones are needed for the plot. There aren't any existing characters that I could have used, yet I needed some antagonists.

Still, I hope that I've developed their characters enough to be forgiven.

The three of them are Devil fruit hunters. If it's not obvious; Berrit is the Devil fruit tracker, Isaac is the salesman, while Marcus is the psychopath that kills the current Devil fruit eaters…

Next chapter: Things get violent - "The Devil Hunters"…