Straw Hat Luffy: The Black Fist Chapter 43: Broken Ideals, an one piece fanfic

AN:

I won't lie I had some trouble with this one, hence why it took longer than usual. I still don't know if it's exactly where I want it to be but I feel like it's in a good enough spot to post, so here we are. Some edits might be coming in the next couple days though.

Also, there are some more gruesome scenes and themes in this chapter so just a little heads up for that.

Still loving all the comments, favorites, and follows coming in and I appreciate all of you sticking around with me! Anyways, as always, let me know what you think and hopefully I'll be back soon!

Chapter 43: Broken Ideals

"I said stop, Roronoa!", Tashigi growled, shouldering through packed bodies to try and keep pace with the green-haired swordsman she was following, "We weren't done talking!"

Zoro's steps continued at the same pace almost as if he hadn't heard the words of the woman on his heel, his hand lightly resting on Kitetsu… The blade had begun to lightly vibrate not long after he'd made his exit from the weapons shop and it'd been in his possession long enough for him to know what it meant… His katana was picking up on bloodlust coming from somewhere…

"Are you even listening to me?!", Tashigi questioned in exasperation, continuing to push her way through the crowd… Honestly… She wasn't even really sure what they still had to talk about… A part of her, however, just couldn't let the ex-bounty hunter leave so easily… She just knew he was in Lougetown to make trouble and she would be there to make sure it was stopped before things got out of hand.

The swordsman sighed and went to answer, but the vibrating coming from Kitetsu stopped him… It was getting stronger… Instead of replying to the woman's question, he continued on his way through the crowd, ignoring the angered groan coming from behind him… What exactly was Kitetsu picking up on?…

Zoro eventually made it out of the bustling group of townspeople and glanced over his shoulder with a sigh, watching Tashigi as she adamantly stayed on his trail… "Why the hell are you following me, Copycat?", he asked in annoyance, stopping the girl from running into him with a hand on the shoulder.

Tashigi looked up in embarrassment, red spreading across her cheeks before she quickly shook the feeling off and knocked the taller boy's arm away. "Because I know you're going to cause trouble if I leave you alone!", she hissed angrily. Did he not remember all the destruction he and his friends had caused in the past?… Retired or not, they were still Merry's Terrible Trio… "And my name's not Copycat, damn it!", she added, crossing her arms in consternation, "It's TASHIGI! And I know you know that.".

The verdet stared at the woman for a moment before waving her away and starting back in the direction Kitetsu was leading him, "Whatever, Copycat.". It didn't really matter if she followed him at the end of the day… It was just annoying… He had to hold in his laughter at the angered growl aimed at his back and shook his head, continuing down the street in search of what was making his katana so agitated. It wasn't long before the vibrations of his blade intensified and he paused, eyes searching for the cause.

Zoro's gaze moved through the area for a moment before they landed on a small alleyway on the opposite side of the street. His hand found Kitetsu once again and he could feel it coaxing him in its direction, a small excited grin rising to his lips. He hoped he got to fight…

The thought made the swordsman look over his shoulder and he met his stalker's eyes, another sigh leaving his lips at the glare she was sending him before he turned to make his way to the dark alley on the other side of the road… With her around… Maybe it was best if there wasn't a fight…

"Are you gonna let me eat, handsome?…".

Sanji's steely blue/grey gaze battled against a crazed pair of black eyes while the woman they belonged to stared at him with a demented smile. "… Don't.", he growled through clenched teeth, "… Don't you dare touch him.". The sound of his foot tapping against the wooden floor began to grow louder, the heat consuming his body rising in temperature. He broke the staring match for a moment to let his eyes settle on the small form at the cackling woman's back and his jaw clenched so hard he thought his teeth might break.

The chef wrenched his gaze away and met the woman's insane stare once again, "… If you lay so much as a finger on that kid…". His foot suddenly stopped and wisps of smoke began to rise from his leg, eyes narrowing into a glare so sharp it could cut diamond.

Setsuko moaned in ecstasy. "Oh, stop it with that, handsome! That look is too much!", she exclaimed, licking her lips and reaching into her dark cloak to pull out two curved silver daggers from inside, "… It's making me so… Hungry.". The blond's eyes were making her shiver in euphoria and she couldn't help but bask in the feeling while she looked back at the beautiful rage-filled blue/grey gaze.

Sanji's muscles tensed underneath his clothing, his resolve beginning to crack further with every moment the two stood looking at each other… In the span of no more than ten minutes, everything he'd ever stood for had been pulled into question… He couldn't help the rueful laugh sounding in the back of his head… He'd been what felt like an arm's length away from the promised land before he'd walked into this building… And now…

"As much as I'd love to keep staring into those beautiful eyes of yours…", Setsuko mused, rubbing her stomach in anticipation as she began to turn away, "I'm hungry… And it's time to eat.".

"STOP!", the chef roared… A piece of him was shattering, he could feel it… An innocence he'd forced upon himself to protect the values he'd learned from Zeff was being unwillingly ripped away from him… A part of him knew that women could do things like this… But he'd always shielded himself from that truth to protect his love for the opposite sex… And now… While he stood there as witness to this gruesome scene… The unwavering wall that had kept him sheltered from reality was beginning to crumble and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The woman's insane laughs pierced the quiet air once again and she turned back to face her handsome guest, a hint of teasing in her tone, "Or what?… You'll hit me?".

Silence met the question as the blond teen stared at the woman, his piercing gaze once again meeting the small form at her back for a moment before drifting to the body the boy was unblinkingly staring at. He couldn't help it when flashes of his own past rushed through his head and the memories only made him angrier… This child had lost his entire world because of the psychopath standing in front of him… And while he knew the pain of losing a mother… The pain of losing one like this… He couldn't even imagine it…

A loud sound like the breaking of glass rang through Sanji's head and his heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach where it was consumed by the fires of his rage, the smoke pouring from his leg increasing in volume as he brought his sharp gaze back up to meet the woman who'd cursed him with the unwanted clarity plaguing his mind.

"… Yes.".

Luffy stepped out of the bar with a massive grin on his face, turning back to the man who'd provided him with so much entertainment while the doors swung behind him, "Thanks for the stories, old man! They were awesome! And thanks for the directions!". The tales of the late Pirate King the old man had told were amazing! It'd made him even more excited to get to the Grandline!… But before that though, he still had to see the execution platform!

The straw-hatted teen shook his head and sped his way down the steps with his original goal back at the forefront of his mind, beginning to try to follow the elderly bar owner's directions as best he could… It didn't help that he was already starting to forget them…

Raoul watched the young man make his hasty exit and couldn't help it when the corners of his lips rose… Monkey D. Luffy… What an interesting boy… He kept his gaze locked to the pirate captain's straw hat until he disappeared down the road, before turning to take a look around the bar, large smile still firmly rooted in place… Maybe he'd keep his doors open for a little while longer…

Luffy sped through the streets trying to remember where he'd been told to go when the quiet bustling of a crowd suddenly hit his ears somewhere in the distance. His excitement reached critical levels and he felt his anticipation spread through his body, his feet never stopping in carrying him toward the noise. He just couldn't wait! The execution platform was gonna be so cool!

Lightning suddenly cracked through the sky and the teen skid to a stop, bringing his widened gaze to the sky… When the heck had it gotten so dark?… The sun was almost completely blotted out by the black clouds hanging above the island and he thought it slightly strange that he hadn't seen them before… He shrugged his shoulders and brought his eyes back down to the road in front of him, his smile rising back to his lips just as water droplets began to fall to the earth… A storm wouldn't be stopping him from making it to his destination.

A hooded figure watched the teen excitedly continue on his way once again and a smile rose to the lips of the person cloaked underneath the dark fabric. The figure turned away from the streets and looked to the heart of the city, sighing to himself before once again smiling at the red vest quickly disappearing from his vision, "Try not to cause too much trouble, kid…".

"… Yes.", Sanji whispered through clenched teeth, heart beating rapidly in his ears. He almost couldn't believe the response was coming from his mouth… But he meant it… His fury couldn't be contained any longer…

Setsuko licked the blade of the dagger in her right hand before pointing it in the blond's direction, "You've never hit a woman before, have you?". The growl at her words was all the answer she needed and a seductive smile rose to her lips while she licked the edge of her second dagger, "Guess I'll be your first…".

The words sent the chef over the edge and the wood cracked underneath his smoking foot as he launched himself in the psychotic woman's direction, a roar of anger leaving his lips. Before she had the time to react, his smoking leg slid in between her weapons and found the center of her chest, wind and smoke blowing through the small space on impact. The windows rattled violently and the door to the other side of the street blew open as Setsuko's body folded around the teen's foot and shot in the opposite direction.

The loud sound of wood cracking filled the space and Sanji landed back on the ground, eyes widening when they found the smoking hole he'd created in the wall. He froze on the spot… He'd really done it… He'd hit a woman… His glassy eyes drifted from the hole in the wall to the boy sitting next to it, who still hadn't moved an inch, and he was broken out of his haze with the shake of his head… He could worry about what he'd done after he'd gotten the child to safety.

Just as the blond teen went to step in the boy's direction, the sifting of broken wood sounded through the hole, his widened gaze immediately shifting to the disturbance. Before he even took a step, Setsuko burst through the opening and dove in the child's direction, grabbing him from behind while holding her two curved knives at his throat.

"Stop right there, handsome!", the woman laughed, coughing up blood all over the child's back. She dropped one of her blades to the ground and gripped her chest in agony. The front of her shirt had been burned away and small black scorch marks surrounded the deep impression of a foot resting directly over her sternum. More blood came from her lips when she went to speak, her voice still somehow sounding joyful, "That was pretty rough for your first time, handsome!", she coughed again and coated the boy's shoulder in red, "I think you went so hard I might die…".

Sanji's stomach sank at the words but he grit his teeth, shaking the feelings away. Now wasn't the time to deal with them… "Let him go.", he growled, foot once again beginning to smoke as he tapped his toe against the floor.

Setsuko grinned through her pain and pressed her blade into the skin of the child's neck, tsking sounds leaving her lips, "No can do, handsome.". She smiled at the blond's frozen form and made sure he watched while she licked the red rivulets dripping from her meal's skin, "I think I deserve my final meal… I guess it's kinda my victory meal too!".

The blond chef had stopped the tapping of his foot but smoke continued to rise from his leg while he kept his eyes glued to the scene in front of him… He knew the second he moved… The kid was dead… "… What do you mean, victory meal?…", he asked cautiously, through his clenched teeth… Maybe if he could keep her talking he could think of something… The thought made him shiver… Did he really want her to keep talking?…

"I think we both know the answer to that, handsome.", the woman grinned. She let go of her likely fatal wound and used her free hand to gather some of the blood dripping from the small cut in the boy's neck, painting a large red grin on her face, "It's because I won!". She laughed at the pain in her chest beginning to turn to pleasure, her eyes never leaving the beautiful blue/grey of the person who'd more than likely just killed her, "I can see it in those beautiful eyes!… I broke something! Something that can never be fixed!".

Sanji growled at the words but still made no move… She was right… Something had been broken… His heart dropped to his stomach and he had to consciously fight the urge to let his knees buckle… How was he ever going to face Zeff again?…

More laughter began to sound from the insane woman, the look made even more so by the large bloody grin painted onto her face, and she stood to her feet, gripping the boy by the back of the neck to lift him into the air. "Now, since you and I both know what happens if you so much as twitch, you're gonna stand there like a good little boy and watch me eat… I wanna see you break even more before I die…".

The chef reached out toward the child in desperation, panic making his heart rate rise dramatically, and immediately halted his movement when he saw the edge of Setsuko's knife press further into her captive's skin. His fist clenched at his uselessness, heart feeling like it was going to beat out of his chest… If the kid ended up dying… He didn't know if he'd be able to recover from this ordeal…

"That's right, handsome.", Setsuko purred, the action being followed by more blood falling from her lips, "Like I said… You're gonna stand there and watch me eat.". She brought the smaller form against her chest and almost fainted at the pain the contact caused, manic laughter leaving her lips instead of screams. "Now, where should we start?!…", she exclaimed, rubbing her knife along the boy's stomach.

"Stop!", Sanji hissed, more and more smoke beginning to pour off his leg. He went to say more but stopped himself when his eyes caught something in the corner of his vision, by the open door… It looked like… A shadow?…

The psychotic woman cackled at the words, unaware that her guest was paying attention to anything other than her, "No can do, handsome!". She licked up the blood still leaking from the boy's neck and shivered in anticipation, "I don't know if it's because I'm dying or what but… For some reason, this little guy tastes better than anything I've ever had…". Her hand tightened around her knife and she continued to rub its blade against the boy's stomach, her massive smile making the action look like a scene straight from hell itself.

"Ittōryū:".

The whisper was drowned out by Setsuko's laughter and she continued her taunting for another moment before she was unable to hold herself back any longer… Her tummy was grumbling something fierce… She'd need to be quick if she wanted to finish her meal before she died… With that last thought, she winked at the blond still frozen in front of her and opened her jaws as wide as she possibly could… She was going straight for the best part first… Her head shot forward and just as she went to bite into the small boy's neck, a strange weightlessness hit her along with the sound of a blade being sheathed.

"Lion's Song.".

The woman's jaws snapped shut and were met with empty air, her vision beginning to rotate. It only took a moment for her to realize she was falling but she still didn't understand why she felt so light… She slammed into the ground and her vision went white, pain shooting through her head… And… Her neck?… It wasn't but a split second later when the blurry spots in her eyes cleared just enough for her to watch her own headless body fall to the ground at the feet of a green-haired swordsman who now held her meal securely in one of his arms, his other tightly gripping the hilt of one of his katanas.

Before Setsuko's vision darkened completely and took her to whatever lie beyond the mortal realm, she couldn't help but smile, one last rueful sigh leaving her lips at not being able to eat her final meal… She wasn't all that concerned with dying, however… Wherever she was going… She hoped the handsome blond met her there someday… Now that she thought about it though… She'd done some pretty messed up stuff over the course of her life… She probably didn't deserve it…

With one last demented smile finding its way onto the face of her severed head and pictures of the one who'd taken her life flashing before her eyes, Setsuko the Vile disappeared from the mortal realm, on her way to a place reserved only for the blackest of souls.

Zoro eyed the dead woman's head for a moment as blood spurted from her severed neck before his gaze shot up to the wide-eyed chef standing in front of him, arm still securely wrapped around the boy he'd seemingly rescued. He went to address his crew mate, but his vision was caught by a second headless body in the room. The sight made him grit his teeth and he turned away so the child in his arms wouldn't be able to see.

"… What the hell did I just walk into, Cook?…", the verdet asked through clenched teeth. He'd expected to see some bloodshed when he'd arrived, but nothing like this… His eyes drifted to the small unresponsive form in his arms… And all this happened with a kid there no less… He waited for an answer but silence was all that met him. "Cook?...", he eventually asked again. What the hell was with that stare?… He looked so… Defeated…

"I… I hit her…", Sanji mumbled more to himself than the person who'd addressed him. His knees finally buckled under all the turmoil swirling inside his mind and he dropped to his knees, his blank gaze finding the head of the first woman he'd ever laid a hand on, "… I hit a woman…".

Zoro's eyes widened at the mumbling chef as he watched him crumble to the ground, "What the hell happened, Cook? I can't hear yo-".

"I HIT A WOMAN!", the chef cried, slamming his fist into the floor while he clenched his eyes shut as tightly as he could, "… And I know there was no other choice…". He looked up from the ground and his eyes landed on the boy in his crew mate's arms before moving back down to the body at the swordsman's feet, "… But still…".

Silence settled between the two for a moment as the swordsman let the words sink in… It was honestly something he never thought he'd hear the blond say… And the magnitude of the statement wasn't lost on him either… He'd only just arrived and had no real idea of what actually happened before then, but he could already tell… Whatever had taken place… It'd changed the person in front of him… This wasn't the same cook he'd parted with only hours ago…

Wriggling in his arms brought Zoro out of his staring and he looked down to see the kid he was holding gazing up at him with a pair of blank eyes, streams of tears still flowing from their corners. He watched the child lift his arm to point in the direction of the cook and almost immediately understood, stepping toward his distraught crew mate. When he was close enough, he bent to the ground and gently set the boy on his feet before taking a step back to watch the interaction.

The blond lifted his head when he felt a tap on his shoulder and he almost shed tears at the sight of the broken boy standing in front of him.

"… Thank you… For saving me…", the child mumbled out, his gratitude almost invisible on his blank face. It took a moment, but, eventually, he tentatively opened his arms and wrapped them around the larger form, his head falling into the crook of the chef's neck.

Sanji's blue/grey gaze widened and he couldn't help the severe prickling in his tear ducts, hands wrapping around the small boy to return the warm gesture. He leaned his head into the top of the child's brown hair and a tear fell from each of his eyes. "… I'm sorry.", he whispered, "… I'm so sorry I wasn't here earlier…".

"Sanji.", Zoro said seriously, immediately grabbing the other boy's attention.

The cook lifted his head in shock at the verdet's use of his name… He didn't know if he'd ever heard him say it before… Their gazes met and he couldn't help but think it may have been the first time he'd seen anything other than animosity the black orbs… It looked more like… Understanding.

"What happened?", softly asked the swordsman. As much as he hated to admit it… A part of him felt for his crew mate… Pervert or not… He knew what it was like to have your world change in the blink of an eye…

Sanji sighed and broke the staring match, looking back down to the boy still latched onto him… As much as Mosshead was the last person he really felt like talking to… He was someone to talk to… And that was all he really needed at the moment… If he didn't do something with the emotions swirling inside of him, it felt like he would implode. "… It all started when I heard some guys talking about the red light district.", he eventually began. He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"I'd almost made it when I heard…", the chef trailed off, his saddened eyes looking down to the boy in his arms. He looked back up and was relieved when he saw that Mosshead understood, taking another deep breath before continuing with a heavy heart, "It… It all just happened so fast…"… Now that everything was over, it felt like it all had happened in the blink of an eye…

Sanji took his time relaying the events before the swordsman's arrival and Zoro stayed silent, listening intently until his crew mate got to the identity of the dead woman at his back.

The swordsman's eyes widened and he glanced back at the body behind him, stopping the cook in the telling of his morbid tale. His black orbs landed on who he now knew was Setsuko the Vile and he looked at the corpse in a new light. "So… He… Was actually a she…", he mused with a frown… It was no wonder he, Luffy, and Usopp never found the damn psychopath… A joyless chuckle came from over his shoulder and he turned back to his crew mate.

"Yeah…", Sanji sighed, his grip on the boy in his arms tightening slightly.

Zoro eyed the chef for a moment, "… So, she revealed her identity… Then what?…".

Another humorless chuckle left the blond's mouth and his body curled in on itself, eyes clenching tightly shut at the woman's words ringing through his head.

"… I kicked her…", Sanji whispered out through his teeth, a pang running through him in remembrance of the shattering he'd felt earlier. He lifted his head and his eyes found the foot-shaped imprint on Setsuko's headless body… She really had won… "… She may be dead… But… I think… I'm the one who lost…", he sighed, looking down at the small form in his arms once again.

"Where the hell did you go, Roronoa?!".

Both pirates jumped at the voice and began searching for its source in alarm, one of them recognizing its high pitch almost immediately while the other tightened his grip on the child in his arms.

Zoro turned toward the door and scowled at the footsteps he could hear getting closer to the building they were in… How the hell had she found him?… He turned back and looked around the blood-splattered room with a groan… Just great… This was surely going to be a blast to try and explain…

"Hurry up, Usopp!", Nami yelled, leading the way back to the docks, "Everything's gonna get wet if we don't get back to the ship soon.".

The long-nosed teen groaned under the weight of all the bags he was carrying, "I'm going as fast as I can, Nami! All these bags are really heavy!".

The orangette scoffed and waved the complaint away as she continued to lead them through the streets, her head looking up to the sky… Something about the dark clouds felt… Unnatural… The storm had rolled in quicker than any she'd ever seen…

When the rain began to fall to the ground at the girl's rushing feet, the strangeness only continued… She couldn't feel the raindrops… And for some reason… She felt like it wasn't because of her this time…

Nami shook the thought away and let her feet carry her onto the docks, skidding to a stop beside the Merry before turning to the huffing figure on her heel, "Alright, Usopp. Go put all that stuff in the store room for now. We can sort through it later.". She looked past his approaching form and toward where they'd come from, "Make it quick so we can go grab the others at the execution platform. I don't want this storm to keep us from leaving."… She didn't voice it, but the weather was putting her on edge… The sooner they left, the better…

Usopp knew better than to argue with Navigator Nami and went about the task given to him with little more than an annoyed grumble… Hopefully, the others had more fun than him during their outings… One thing was for sure… He was never shopping with Nami again…

Luffy groaned in relief when his eyes finally met a bustling crowd at the end of the alley he was running through… He thought he'd gotten lost again… He shook the thought away with a big smile and rushed into the light of the street, reveling in being surrounded by people once again. He excitedly pushed his way through the crowd and continued to follow the old guy's directions… It was a miracle he'd remembered them for this long but he was almost there!… He was about to see where The King of the Pirates died!

The thought got the straw-hatted teen's feet moving even faster and he shoved past two forms, knocking one of them to the ground in his haste. Without stopping, he waved an apology over his shoulder. "Sorry about that!", he laughed sheepishly before turning back toward his original goal.

The cloaked figure stood to his feet and his eyes widened to the size of saucers when they heard the voice of the person who'd knocked him over. His back almost instantly straightened and he just barely caught a glimpse of a familiar straw hat… So… He was in Lougetown…

"The only man to ever lay a hand on me…", the second cloaked figure mused, recognizing the young man immediately… What were the chances they'd meet again?… "What did you say his name was again?", she asked curiously as they stood frozen, watching the boy move further into the crowd.

The question made the man beside her growl, "… I never got it… He was too busy punching me into the ocean…". However, this was the perfect opportunity to exact his revenge… A plan was already coming together in his mind. "It doesn't matter what his name is now, though.", he grinned to the woman at his side, "Because we're going to make sure he never leaves this island.".

Luffy happily continued on his way through the packed bodies, unaware of the plotting figures at his back, when something caught his eye, causing him to come to a grinding halt.

The straw-hatted teen turned in the direction he'd seen the sign and his eyes widened at what met his vision… He'd never seen a fish like that before… His stomach grumbled and he squinted to get a better look at what was written underneath the life-size picture of the fish… Blue-Skinned Elephant Tuna?… His stomach grumbled once again and he licked his lips, eyes shifting through the tents the sign hung next to.

When the pirate captain's gaze landed on the monstrous tuna sitting on display in the middle of the area, he immediately knew he wouldn't be able to resist its allure, stomach growling loudly in the face of such a succulent-looking sea creature. With the execution platform put on hold once again, he licked his lips, feet carrying him in the direction of the tents. The closer he got to his destination, the more hypnotized he became… It smelled so good… He hadn't realized it before, but he could now see a multitude of chefs cooking various dishes at separate workstations housed underneath the canopies… He must have been so entranced by the tuna that he hadn't noticed…

Luffy shook his head and his eyes landed on the large fish once again. With all the hustle and bustle going on around him, no one really noticed him walking into the area… Not that he was really paying any attention… Even with all the wonderful smells wafting around him, he could only focus on one thing… The tuna… He wanted it… Bad… Without even looking around at the spectators finally beginning to notice him, he walked up to the object of his desire and almost couldn't believe he'd been blessed with such a beautiful sight.

All movement in the tent stopped as the crowd's eyes settled on the straw-hatted pirate captain now moving to lift the large tuna from its pedestal, however, he took no notice of his surroundings, his only focus was on the beautiful fish in his hands… While on East Lodestone he'd garnered a taste for raw meat after spending so much time with White and her pack and he found it extended to fish as well. Sometimes when he was on the Merry, he would catch one and eat it right there on the deck!… The thought made him giggle… Nami always hated it when he did that.

"What the hell is that kid doing?".

"Is he a part of the competition?".

"Why is he looking at the prize like that?".

The many whispers went unheard by the boy looking at the fish in his hands like it was the most valuable thing in the world. Unable to contain himself any longer, Luffy opened his jaws as wide as he could, gasps leaving several mouths as the spectators realized what was about to happen.

"Stop!".

"Someone stop that kid! He's gonna eat the prize!".

"Don't do it, kid!".

The many cries fell on deaf ears and Luffy's teeth sank into the tuna's tender meat, a groan of ecstasy accompanying the ripping of flesh as he gulped down his first bite.

The surrounding people and competitors looked on, frozen in shock while he practically devoured the tuna, not a single shred of meat being left on the bones he was sucking dry. Not a soul could move, too enraptured with the spectacle before them… It was like watching a train crash, standing there with no power to change the outcome of the events unfolding before them… Within no more than a minute, a loud burp sounded into the air and the sound caused everyone in the surrounding area to jolt back to their senses.

"He… He ate it…".

"He really ate it…".

"Did that really just happen?…".

More whispers began to rise into the air before they gave way to angered shouts.

"What the hell, kid?! That was the prize for the competition!".

"You damn, brat! Do you know how lucky we were to find that fish?!".

Luffy rubbed his belly in bliss, still unaware of the increasingly dangerous situation developing around him… That was one tasty tuna…

"GET HIM!".

The shout brought the pirate captain out of his trance and his eyes widened at the crowd beginning to converge on his position… They looked… Mad… What the hell were they all so upset about?… He shrugged his shoulders and bolted through a small gap in the converging bodies, laughs leaving his lips as he skid to a stop on the street. "Thanks for the food guys! It was delicious!", he shouted genuinely, waving at the angry mob he'd unknowingly created, "But I gotta go to the execution platform now! See ya!".

Unaware of the large crowd beginning to follow him, Luffy started back on the path that would lead him to where the late Pirate King had met his end, adamant that he would make it without getting distracted this time… It was strange but the closer he got to his destination, the larger the pit in his stomach became… It was like he was so excited it was making him sick…

Loud laughter left the teen's lips while he continued on his way, still unaware of the angry mob at his back slowly growing larger the closer he got to the execution platform.

"Hurry up, Usopp!", Nami yelled over the pouring rain, her quick footsteps scattering the small puddles on the ground, "We gotta get to the execution platform and grab the others! I really don't like the look of this storm!".

"What are you talking about?! I'm right behind you, Nami!", Usopp yelled back in consternation… If anyone needed to hurry up it was the one in the lead… He was beginning to think she just liked yelling…

The orangette ignored the words and pushed herself to move faster. Something about this storm worried her and it wasn't just the fact that she couldn't feel the rain drops… It was just… Too sudden… A storm of this magnitude didn't just appear out of nowhere… She was suddenly brought out of her thoughts when her eyes landed on the back end of what looked like… An angry mob?… The thought almost froze her in place but she managed to keep her steps steady… Why did this scene seem familiar?…

"What the hell is going on up there?!", Usopp questioned as they continued sprinting down the street… For some reason, as he looked at the angry mob moving in the same direction they needed to go, he couldn't help but be brought back to some of the similar situations he'd run into while bounty hunting… Wait… His eyes widened and, almost as if they were thinking the same exact thing, Nami looked over her shoulder, her brown orbs the size of saucers.

"Luffy.".

"Look that's what happened, Copycat.", Zoro sighed in exasperation, "What makes you think he could even make something like that up?".

Tashigi went to argue but stopped herself and looked over to the other occupant of the room before scanning the scene once again… She'd almost puked when she'd walked in… She shook her head and sighed, looking back to the swordsman. As much as she hated to admit it… He was right… She didn't believe the blond could make something like that up… Especially with the way he held the child… She sighed once again and sheathed her sword. Now came the hard part…

"I thank you for what you've done tonight, sir.", the swordswoman said, addressing the chef, "But, I'm afraid I'll be taking the child from here.". With the boy's mother dead, they would need to ascertain whether he had a family to take care of him… If not… She shook her head and was surprised to see a small smile on the chef's lips.

"I know.", Sanji said, looking down to the child in his arms once again. He took a deep breath and released the small form from his arms, leaning to whisper in his ear, "This nice lady is going to help you find your family, alright, Timmy?".

The small boy nodded his head in basic understanding and began to make his way over to the marine, streams of tears still flowing heavily from his hazy eyes. Before he made it all the way, he turned and faced Sanji once more. "Not Timmy.", he mumbled, already turning back, "… Ren.".

The words made the corners of Sanji's eyes prickle once again… That damn monster hadn't even known his real name… Before his anger could burn further, the ringing of a Den Den Mushi sounded through the air.

"Puru-puru-puru-puru.".

Tashigi whipped out the handheld communication device from the coat and answered the call as quickly as she could. Hopefully, it was Captain Smoker… She could really use some help in dealing with this…

"Gat-Cha."

Loud shouts immediately sounded through the speaker and the swordswoman jumped in surprise, "Hello?! Who is this?! What the hell is going on over there?!".

"Damn it, Tashigi! We got a mob headed straight for the execution platform! Get your ass over here. NOW!".

Zoro and Sanji looked at each other when the line cut before nodding, having both been listening in on the short conversation. It sounded like they needed to get to the execution platform… Because if a mob was headed there... It more than likely had something to do with Luffy...

The chef sighed, standing to his feet and bowing to the woman whom the child was now clinging to, "Thank you, Officer Tashigi, for taking care of him.".

Tashigi scrambled to reply, her mind jumbled with everything that was going on. "Wai- wait… You can't leave yet… I've got to…", she sputtered glancing around at the gruesome scene she stood in the middle of, "… You have to stay until this is all taken care of… You can't just lea-".

"Thanks for taking care of all this, Copycat!", Zoro shouted over his shoulder as he stepped past her and in the direction of the door.

Sanji took one last look at the body of the first woman he'd ever laid a hand on and drew in a deep breath, pushing the previous events to the back of his head… He could think more on things later… Right now, it sounded like his captain could use some help. He followed his crew mate and sent an apologetic look to the woman who stood blubbering as she watched them leave, stepping through the door with one last glance at the boy attached to her leg.

A thin smile rose to the chef's lips and he looked up to send it to Tashigi, his words just barely making it to her ears before the door shut behind him, "Take care of him.".