Arriving at Jaya, the strawhats saw the sight of pirates crowding at them.

"Oh my, it seems they know about us," Robin muttered.

Nami sighed, "We're pretty famous after all."

Kuro scanned the crowd and saw Blackbeard.

Blackbeard had Burgess, Augur, Doc Q, and Stronger.

Kuro grinned at the sight and shouted, "Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, do my eyes deceive me, or is that you Teach, killer of Thatch?"

The strawhats looked at Kuro strangely and Kuro continued, "Last I heard, you were being chased by Fire Fist Ace. Are you here at Jaya by chance to capture Captain Luffy and earn a position among the warlord so you'll have protection from Whitebeard?"

The strawhats, Blackbeard along with his crew, and pirates around had their eyes widened.

Kuro smiled, "It's a yes or no question. I heard a lot about you," Kuro's pointer finger glowed with a red laser dot, "I heard you let anyone take the first shot at you."

Blackbeard seemed to lose his cool as he eyed Kuro's laser dot wearily, "How do you know about me?"

The laser dot disappeared from Kuro's finger, "Looks like you don't want to fight, a shame. But I wonder if my Cap wants to fight."

Everyone turned to Luffy who stared at Teach intently.

"How strong is he Kuro?" questioned Luffy.

"Second commander," Kuro replied.

"Should I let him go?" questioned Luffy.

Luffy could see Kuro become genuinely surprised.

Kuro shrugged, "If you let him go, worst case scenario, he beats Ace, and Ace gets sent to Impel Down."

"You'd think Ace would lose?" questioned Luffy.

Kuro shrugged, "I mean you did beat Crocodile."

Luffy smiled, "Alright," and he jumped down towards Teach who stood his ground.

The pirates around parted away.

Blackbeard gritted his teeth and prepared himself for a showdown.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Augur focusing on Kuro.

Kuro yelled, "Give him your best shot Cap to show your respect."

Luffy nodded without a smile, "Second gear."

Blackbeard focused on Luffy who had steam coming off him.

Luffy stretched his arm back and it blackened, "Red Hawk!"

Boom, the punch landed right on Blackbeard's gut and he coughed up blood as he was pushed back.

Feeling he was about to lose consciousness, Blackbeard mustered his haki and managed to stop himself from falling.

Everyone stood in awe as they watched Blackbeard take heavy breaths.

After what seemed like a while, Blackbeard managed to recover himself.

"No way," Nami muttered shocked.

Kuina and Zoro's eyes narrowed, not even they were confident in still standing after taking an attack like that head-on.

Luffy stared at Blackbeard intently, he could understand that the man was letting himself get hit first to train his haki.

After all, as long as you never fall after taking a hit, you're bound to fell your opponent one day.

Although the man didn't seem right, Luffy could respect him.

Blackbeard looked at Luffy with heavy breaths, "What are you doing?"

Luffy grinned, "It's only fair you hit me back after I hit you."

Blackbeard immediately realized what Luffy meant and started laughing.

"Zehahahahahahaha," Blackbeard opened his palm and it turned to darkness, "Alright then strawhat, let's see who falls first."

Luffy was suddenly pulled into Blackbeard's hand.

Bracing himself with his haki as he felt his devil fruit power disappear, Luffy took a direct punch to the face from Blackbeard.

As Luffy flung back, he anchored his feet to the ground and managed to not fall.

The punch hurt, Luffy could tell that the man's haki was stronger than his.

Blackbeard laughed, "Zehahahahahaha, your turn now."

Luffy grinned with blood running down his nose, he didn't plan on falling in front of his crew today, not now, not ever."

Everyone watched as Luffy delivered a hit that Blackbeard managed to somehow barely withstand.

Blackbeard would then deliver a hit that Luffy would somehow barely withstand.

On and on, the two went at each other as Kuina, Zoro, and Kuro's eyes glowed.

Kuina and Zoro could understand now why brawlers have stronger and faster armament growth rates.

"Are they idiot?" Nami stared.

Robin had no words as she looked.

Sanji stayed quiet as he smoked.

Chopper flinched but held himself as he watched Luffy take hits.

Usopp's heart grew stronger as he watched the two men continue standing up.

"You're tough," Luffy breathed and laughed.

"Same thing with you," Blackbeard breathed and laughed.

Both of them looked battered and beaten.

It seems they should have fallen long ago but they still stood their ground.

Without stopping, the two continued.

Everyone stayed and watched with awe as the two took hit after hit that would have killed them.

"Stop them Kuro!" Chopper cried with tears.

Kuro sighed and brought Chopper up hugging him, "Some things are best watched.

Nami looked at Kuina, "Why?"

Kuina continued staring, "Luffy doesn't want to fall in front of us."

"That's stupid!" Nami cried, tears starting to form.

Sanji wanted to comfort Nami but stayed quiet.

Usopp took in the scene, etching everything into his memory.

As Zoro watched, he could feel his respect for Luffy growing.

Maybe, no, for sure, Kuro was right about Luffy being the right, no, the best, captain.

Robin frowned as her worry for Luffy grew and her heart ached.

She looked at Kuro who also had a worried face.

"Don't you want to stop it?" Robin questioned.

Kuro continued staring at the fight, "My heart says yes, but my brain says no. I will watch even if it hurts... If Luffy falls, can you catch him for us?"

Robin's eyes widened and she looked back at the fight, "Yes," was all she replied.

The fight continued to where there was blood all around Luffy and Blackbeard.

Nami, Chopper, and Usopp were shedding tears.

They fight had already gone so far, was there a need to go further.

Kuina, Zoro, Sanji, and Robin had a cold look on their face.

Kuro had a depressed face with a depressed smile.

Being a pirate was suppose to be fun and games, not give him feels.

They along with everyone else watched as Luffy gave Blackbeard a punch that barely qualified as a punch.

Blackbeard gave back a punch that barely qualified as a punch.

Everyone agreed, that the two should have fallen long ago.

Punch after punch, weaker and weaker, Luffy and Blackbeard gave each other a punch.

Luffy threw one punch and waited but no punch came towards him.

Had he won? Luffy questioned.

Although he barely felt it, Luffy felt a fist on him which barely felt like a tap.

Mustering his will, Luffy tried to punch back but his body wouldn't obey him.

He looked at Blackbeard and saw the man had gone stiff and unconscious.

"Looks like you won Cap!" Luffy heard Kuro yelled.

Immediately, Luffy felt his body relaxed and he fell as Robin caught him.

The arms brought him back towards Merry.

Kuro looked at the Blackbeard pirates, "Take your captain, we'll meet each other again, Khakakakakaka."

With that, Merry sailed away.

"I'm glad we're leaving even though we didn't get anything from the town," Nami muttered.

"What are you saying?" Kuro smiled.

Nami watched with amazement as a bunch of stuff came out of Kuro's shadow.

"How?" Nami's mouth hanged.

"While Luffy was fighting, I bought all the things from our shopping list," Kuro smiled.

The crew went to the fallen Luffy as they watched Chopper patch him up.

Looking at the smiling unconscious Luffy, the crew sighed.


Waking up, Luffy stretched himself.

Looking all around him, he saw tons of meat stick.

With his mouth salivating, Luffy started gorging.

Chopper came in and tears formed on his eyes, "Luffy's awake!" Chopper yelled.

The crew came in and were relieved so see their captain fine.

"What level am I now?" Luffy grinned.

Kuro sighed as the third thing Luffy thought of was power scaling, "Still third commander."

Luffy pouted, "I went through all that hard work for nothing?"

Everyone sweat dropped.

Nami wanted to knock Luffy on the head but held herself, "I can't believe the first thing you thought of was power scaling after that fight!"

"Actually," Kuro put on glasses, "Cap thought of meat first, us second, and power scaling third."

Kuro would have to do, Nami decided and knocked Kuro on the head.

Robin giggled and everyone looked at her wide eyes.

Immediately, Robin became stone faced, "Is there something on my face."

"No," Kuina shook her head smiling, "It's just that that laugh felt very genuine."

Robin smiled, "I guess I'll have to work on my laugh better then."

"Shishishishishishishi," Luffy laughed, "How come the meat taste better."

"Sanji seasoned it," Kuro adjusted his glasses.

"I feel like you adjusting glasses is going to be a thing now," Usopp smiled.

"I hope so," Kuro smiled, "Adjusting glasses makes me feel smart."

"That's not how that work!" Chopper shark teethed.

Sanji smiled as he watched Luffy enjoy the meat.

Zoro grinned as he could see Luffy was alright.

"Say Cap, ready to go on our next adventure?" Kuro grinned with his glasses shining.

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered.

"Great!" Kuro continued grinning, "Our next adventure is going to be on a sky island."

"What!" Everyone yelled.

"Yay," Luffy cheered.


Riding up a knock up stream, they breached through the clouds and reached a sea of foam.

Everyone looked around with awe.

They felt Kuro and Cricket were capping but guess not.

"Take a deep breath everyone," Kuro looked at his golden watch, "You'll need it to adjust up here."

Everyone took a deep breath and felt the air was less.

Robin and Nami understood why.

Kuro took out a fishing rod and started fishing.

Usopp didn't know why but he did the same and Chopper followed after.

"Why are we fishing?" Usopp questioned.

"Are we fishing for a friend?" Chopper's eyes shined.

Kuro held up his pointer finger and shook it, "No no no no no, we are actually," Kuro adjusted his glasses, "Trying to catch rare sky fish for Sanji to cook."

"Oh!" Usopp and Chopper eyes shined.


Kuro took out his Log Book and started writing.

'Passing heavens gate illegally, we arrived at Angel Beach.

Taking our time, we played and ate with Conis and her father,

Usopp and Me obtained dials excitedly.

Unfortunately, fun times was up as the guards came.

After some heavy disrespect from Luffy, Coni's and her father got injured by Enel.

And to a sacrificial alter we were sent by a giant crab.'

"What are you writing Kuro?" questioned Luffy.

Kuro smiled, "About how this ordeal might be a trap that drop us ten thousand meters from the sky."

Luffy laughed and Usopp shook with fear.

"No way," Usopp stammered.

"Yeah, no way," Luffy waved.

Kuro smiled, it was definitely a yes way.

At the end of the tunnel, their small boat fell and Kuro laughed as he could see Usopp, Luffy, and Merry both screaming with fear.

Arriving at the bottom safely, Usopp shook Kuro with tears.

"I could have died from a heart attack!" Usopp cried.

Luffy laughed as he held his thumping heart.

Merry hmphed at Kuro.

Kuro grinned, "The dangers not over yet Usopp."

Immediately, Usopp shivered with fear.

They were gonna be fine right? There's no way anything can take on Luffy and Kuro right?