Legend of the Strawhats

by The White Wulf

John was an everyday sailor who had just inherited his father's ship. What should have been a happy occasion with his loving family turned into a day of devastating loss. In a world utterly alien to him, John finds himself associated with a boy made of rubber, one who wants to be King of the Pirates! To make things worse, Luffy decided that John was to become a member of his crew.

7. Chapter 7

HEY HEY HEY! The school year is finally over, and I am free from all responsibility! Been having a blast with Final Fantasy 16! It inspired me a bit for John's appearance in his knight form! The next update was supposed to be the Arcane Craftsman, but I got this done before I finished up the other chapter. I could release it now, but I don't know where the best point to end the chapter is, so I kept writing! Once I got the best point to stop that isn't an evil cliff hanger, it will be released!

So instead, enjoy the Legend of the Straw Hats!

Legend of the Straw Hats Chapter 7:

John's P.O.V

There were a great many things I was expecting in this world. Lunacy and all. But this? This was new.

"…so…what am I supposed to teach you?"

"TEACH ME YOUR WAYS!"

I must have shut down from the absurdity of the request because everyone was eating away at their food and Sanji was gone, hurled into the kitchen by one of the waiting staff. The poor girl growled at me…but then oddly gave me a wink while she was scowling. Talk about mixed signals.

"….did that?"

"Yup," Nami grunted as she chewed away at some kind of…fish? It was a beautiful dish but the smell was unlike anything I've eaten before. My new friend was chatting away with Usopp and Kara.

"…I'm just going to ignore what that lad asked me."

"Good idea," stated Zoro, "never seen a shittier cook in my life."

I couldn't help but disagree slightly. The feeling that I got off the man…it was…a twisted, dark thing. Self-contained and spiteful. It…felt like pain. Something buried deep. There was something more to this Sanji guy. The truth was that I wasn't all that interested in exploring the depths of that man. Wasn't like he was a part of the-

"Well, I like him!"

…..shit.

The remainder of our dinner proved uneventful. Our new friend was quick to find a way home. As it would turn out, she was not as stranded as I first assumed, just violently uncomfortable. Our parting was a quiet affair, though she did smile and thank me for the meal. As I had told her, I wasn't expecting anything. I just wanted to salvage what turned out to be a horrible date.

Though I would admit, she did bring the mood down quite a bit. The moment she left Luffy was back into his usual exuberant behaviour, laughter, and all. As usual, the rubber boy was attached to Nami. I'd think the lad had a crush if I didn't know any better. But truthfully, I think he was just trying to be there for her, in his own way. The food was excellent. The taste was absolutely mind-melting, and I couldn't help but smile at the sweetness between Usopp and Kaya. It was adorable how the two of them were basically in their own little world, lost in their impromptu date.

It was disgustingly sweet, as it should be. Sadly, like all things, it came to an end. As I ate the last bit of my food and watched Luffy devour his fifth plate (somehow), the doors to the establishment were blown wide open. A man, obviously starving and somewhat delirious, walked straight into the restaurant. You could almost taste his desperation.

"Please!" he begged, "food! I need food!"

The server with the strange arms, Patty, was quick to remind him of exactly where he was.

"Do you have money?" asked Patty.

The man on the floor stuttered, but Patty lifted him off the ground before he could speak.

"No money, no food! We run a business here pal, not a charity. Why do you get to have free food and everyone else has to pay, hm?"

A fair point in any other circumstance. But considering the gaunt nature of the man before us…it was obvious he was beyond starving. This wasn't a joke or a trick for free food. This man was dying, his skin nearly attached to his bones, and had a somewhat yellowish complexation to his skin. This wasn't a simple matter of someone bumming you for food.

"Now scram!"

CRACK!

Patty fell to the floor with a resounding smack, a heavy thud as Sanji's leg thundered into his head. Patty fell, gasping for breath. I blinked, not expecting such strength from a man like Sanji. He seemed so lithe and skinny. My new senses flickered for a moment, showing me that Sanji was ablaze with a resolve that I've only felt from a few people. He placed a bowl of soup down in front of the starving man. I blinked, wondering how the man had flat out destroyed Patty without spilling a single drop of that soup.

"What's your name sir?"

The man blinked, hesitantly reaching for the food.

"G-gin."

"Well Gin, eat up."

I smiled, watching Sanji feed the man, ignoring the rage of Patty and the other servers. I could tell…Snaji would fight to protect Gin if necessary.

"HOW DARE YOU!" roared Patty, "I ought to!"

"SHADDUP!"

Patty shuddered and I felt a small pressure weigh down on everyone. It wasn't domineering…but rather it felt like someone of great weight had just entered. With his ridiculous hat, the head chef glared at his entire staff.

"Do you know what it is to starve?" he asked, "I don't mean being hungry. I mean having not touched food for days. To have your vision swimming, your mind playing tricks on you."

He touched his leg, the one with the peg attached to it.

"To be pushed to the point of doing the unthinkable."

He looked around.

"No? Then shut up. Sanji knows what it means to starve. He has my full blessings to feed this man what he needs and to send him on his way."

"T…than my captain!"

Everyone turned to Gin, the man rapidly gaining strength as he stood up, the food gone.

"My captain needs your help! Please!"

"Bring him in."

I glared at the doors, wondering what the presence had been this entire time. As it entered, I couldn't help but blink. The man wore a massive set of armour and he stood taller than almost anyone in the restaurant. What was once a serene quiet quickly turned into a terrified hush. I rose an eyebrow at Nami, who was now sweating.

"You alright lass?"

"That's Don Krieg!" she whispered.

"…who?"

"He's a famous pirate!" she growled.

"…oh?" I smiled.

"WHY ARE YOU SMILING!"

"Bounty."

My entire crew turned to me at that word. Zoro however was grinning just as madly as me.

"I mean we do not have bounties of our own, correct?"

Luffy pouted.

"As such we're technically privateers. We can turn in whatever bounty Don Krieg has."

Nami began smiling, her grin growing bigger. The smell of money gave her courage. She turned to me.

"You think you can take him?"

My newfound senses were…sporadic. Not something I would normally depend on…yet as I watched this hulk of a man eat and eat, growing bigger and bigger against any common sense, I felt assured. Confident.

This man.

He was weak.

In character and in body.

"Permission to engage him in combat outside of the restaurant captain?"

Luffy pouted even more.
"I want a bounty."

I sighed.

"Luffy are you seriously going to randomly break laws to get a bounty?"

"…..no" he mumbled.

Luffy was a chaotic sort, no doubt. But he also wasn't one to cause trouble and break laws without a reason. Now if those laws infringed on his freedom…well he would burn and shit on them faster than anyone else I've ever known. But until then, he was a good lad. I understood why he wanted a bounty though. In this world, a bounty was a scale of strength. A way to measure the threat of a person. It was a point of pride for a pirate. The Marines may suck, but the laws weren't too bad.

"Still though, I'm excited to see what kind of bounty the man has."

"Uh, John."

"Hmm?"

"Don Krieg is holding the restaurant hostage."

"I'm sorry what?"

I refocused my attention to Don Krieg and sure enough he was boasting to the entire restaurant, holding it hostage as another addition to his armada. On the ground were the two people that directed us to the restaurant.

"….those two were still with us?"

Zoro burst out laughing. Nami just sighed and shook her head.

"What?" I asked, "It's not my fault!"

"It is your fault! Their names are Jo-"

"You there! Shut up or I'll take that redhead for a spin!"

I stared at Don Krieg. He glared at me. I couldn't believe the absurdity of the threat. It was just so…basic.

"I suggest you stay down, BOY."

That drew it. I blinked and turned to Nami.

"Permission to white knight you?"

She gave me a quizzical expression.

"…Basically, defend your honor."

And mine for that matter. I was certainly not a boy damnit. I was bigger than this chump without the armour.

Nami blinked.
"Uh…sure?"

"Perfect. Oi, what's your bounty?"

I stood up, making Don Krieg point his entire gun ensemble at me. The man smirked.

"17,000,000"

I whistled. That was like 130,000 back home. I turned to Zeff, the head chef.

"Excuse me sir, would it be alright if I apprehended this man? I promise to mitigate the damage as best I can."

Zeff rose an eyebrow.

"….sure."

"Excellent."

Don Krieg's rage began to climb.

"How dare you! I'll kill everyone in this ship! You want to be responsible for these people having holes for heads?"

He cocked the guns. I rose an eyebrow.

"First of all how can you have a hole for a head? Would that not imply they are without a head, therefore having no head to compare?"

The idiot blinked at me.

"Secondly, how can you state such with no bullets?"

He stilled. A frosty breath escaped my mouth as I stared at him. It was obvious to anyone that the man lacked bullets. After all, why take the place hostage if he wanted the ship overall? It would be easier and faster to simply kill everyone and take the ship and food.

"Now, stand still. I want to make sure you're in perfect condition when I bring you in."

Gin got in front of his captain. His eyes were sharp and ready.

"….Are you sure about this lad?"

Gin ignored me, instead he turned to his captain, spinning a pair of tonfas…where he even got those I had no idea.

"Captain don't worry about him. I'll handle this!"

…I couldn't understand it. Honestly, I had to know.

"I don't understand. You clearly don't agree with what your captain is doing…yet you'll stand by him?"

Gin tightened his grip on his tonfas.

"He is my captain."

The man said it as if it explained everything. Honestly…it was pathetic. I'm not entirely certain what was going on here, but it was obvious to me that Gin felt less responsibility because it was his captain "ordering him" to act like this. Maybe I was way off base but I couldn't find it in myself to care.

"…if you're certain. But for my own sake…please step aside young man."

Don Krieg laughed while Don stared at me. I guess I was technically younger than him right now. Still though after a few moments I didn't hesitate. Not anymore. Perhaps he was going to monologue. Perhaps he had a plan of some sort. I truly didn't care. I felt the tremor within me, a name sundering forth. I imagined a deluge of ice springing forth, like a tiny avalanche surging to encompass them.

"Skadi's Grace."

The story of the huntress…one who allowed herself to be buried under the ice for the accidental murder of her father. A fitting name for what came. It flowed so easily, so freely! My ice encased them, snowing forth in a frosty thick mist. It was like liquid nitrogen, freezing the two of them on contact. Don Krieg and Gin were frozen solid, their faces stuck in their permanent horror. A white frost escaped my mouth as I felt the tremor inside me settle down. I didn't know if they were alive or not…quite frankly I felt little sympathy or regret. The man was threatening to kill everyone, even the children that were there. He didn't deserve my restraint.

"…You're a logia," grunted Zeff.

"That I am sir. Now…do you happen to know the closest bounty location for these men?"

"I'll do you one better," grinned Zeff, "I'll take both off your hands for 10,000,000 berries."

An interesting proposal. One I found myself becoming interested in. After all, this way I didn't have to somehow travel to a random island to cash them in. That and I'm pretty sure I'd owe this man money anyways. I did damage his floor, the frost having upended a few planks. But at the end of the day, lugging around corpses around for days was not on my to-do list. Especially not on our new ship damnit.

"Make it 15 and we have a deal."

Zeff grumbled but seemed to consider it. I turned to Luffy but grinned at him talking to Sanji, the man yelling at him for something or another.

"They seem to get along pretty well," I muttered.

"….seems like they do."

I turned to the head chef.

"I think we have time to hash out the specifics."

I had to ignore the shocked patrons as I walked behind Zeff. Though there was one little boy who stared at me. I smiled back. As it would turn out, that was a mistake. Within a blink the child rushed out of his seat. His poor mother tried to stop him, but he latched onto me with no sense of danger.

"You're an ice man!"

….uh….

"That I am lad. Is that significant?"

"You ate a devil fruit!" The child was lifted off the floor by his poor mother. The woman was blushing madly at the embarrassment.
"I am so sorry! Tonic, what did we tell you about running up to strangers!? Your father will hear about this!"

"But devil fruits are real Mom! Look!"

She blushed harder, giving me an awkward smile.

"We uh…thought they were stories. Sea myths."

"I understand completely. Wasn't even aware they existed myself till I ate one by accident."

"Really? Is it true what they say? That they taste horrible."

"Worse than you can possibly imagine. Can't even spit them out, they just crawl down your throat the second you take a bite."

The mother and son cringed at my telling, but it was true.

"Again I am so sorry about Tonic."

"DO IT AGAIN!"

The mother looked at her screaming child with what had to be the most shocked expression I'd ever seen.I laughed, enjoying the sight of a child and his mother.

"Don't worry miss. It's not cold" I assured, "he cannot hurt himself."

She was confused for a second before watching my arm turn into ice. She hesitantly touched my gauntlet-clad arm and smiled.

"It's not cold at all!"

Without further ado, the son went wild. However, I was distracted by the sight of my arm. To be fair I never really paid attention to my form. Yes, it looked like a medieval knight, but the specifics of it were never something I paid attention to. My hands were clawed for starters and the armour seemed to be scale-like in design. I chuckled as the child managed to pry one of the so called scales off my arm. His poor mother staring at me, distraught.

"Don't worry. It didn't hurt. Can't say how long that scale will last though. Please, enjoy the rest of your day."

I drew my attention away from the kid, moving to follow Zeff. My thoughts were all focused on one thing. What happened to me earlier? My head had exploded and now I could use my devil fruit with ease. My other form was constantly shifting in appearance in small, subtle ways. Something wasn't adding up.

"To be fair, this entire…existence is absurd," I thought, "is there any reason to really overthink something like this?"

The world was obviously cracked. I shrugged mentally and took the sack of berries from Zeff. Couldn't help but be a little concerned about how much wealth this man was carrying but hey, worked out for me. That and I'm pretty sure Zeff would obliterate any normal pirate that tried to get into this place. Why he didn't immediately destroy Don Krieg was beyond me. We must have been at it for almost an hour but we finally agreed on 13 million berries. As we shook hands Sanji's voice echoed through the restaurant, louder than I've ever heard it.

"THE ALL BLUE!"

I jumped at the sound, turning to the noise.

"The fucking what?"

Zeff chuckled as he shook his head. Disappearing into what I assumed was the restaurant's vault.

"That kid. The all-blue is a place where the currents of every sea meet in one location. The rumour is that there you can find all the delicacies of the world."

"All of them?"

Zeff returned, a sack in hand. He handed it to me. It was nice and heavy and decided to trust the man at his word this was the proper amount.

"All of them."

"…must be a chef's paradise, this All Blue."

Zeff smirked.

"You'd better believe it."

"But no one has found this place?"

"Not a soul…which is why Sanji will be the first. If the fool ever gets his head out of his ass. Hopefully your captain will be the inspiration he needs. Strange boy that one…but he's got the charisma a captain needs to be successful."

"As odd as he is, you must be proud of your son."

The poor man nearly choked and began to have a heaving cough. I tried rubbing his back only for a strange force to exert itself and blast me away. I stared at him…was that a flickering black? No, must have been a trick of the eyes.

"He, WHEEZ, he's not my son," grumbled Zeff.

Before I knew a foot had launched itself into my head, destroying it into multiple ice shards. It grew back, obviously.

….I'm still not used to that.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HEAD CHEF ZEFF!"

Sanji landed and I gave Zeff a victorious smirk.

"Shut it," he grumbled, a small blush on his cheeks.

"I'M FINE YOU NITWIT!"

A loud gong-like sound echoed as Zeff bonked his not son on the head.

"What's with all the yelling! WE RUN A RESTURANT DAMNIT!"

"Just something dumb is all," stated Sanji, lighting his cigarette.

"Dumb, is it? Let me guess, you got invited to join a crew?"

Sanji took a breath. With his exhale the cloud of smoke filtered through the kitchen, sucking away into some vent system I couldn't see.

"Like I said. Stupid."

"What's stupid is you!"

"What's that!?"

"You heard me shrimp! How the hell are you going to find the All Blue standing around here!"

I felt that it wasn't my place to be a part of this, so I left. The sack of money made Nami rush to me. I of course froze the bag in my hand. She pouted at me, pushing her chest into me. I was not impressed.

"That won't work on me, lass. You're like a kid sister. Besides, I like older women."

Nami gave me the stink eye.

"Pervert."

"Says the brat trying to seduce me for money."

I unfroze the bag, tossing her the money. She blinked up at me. I couldn't help but smile.

"I trust you lass."

She blushed a bit and turned away from me.

"I'll uh…drop it off at the ship for you."

"Got it lass, we should be with you in a bit."

It had been bugging me since it happened. They needed to go. I turned to the statues and began to lift them out of the restaurant. No one needed a frosted corpse standing around their dinner. Zoro was quick to help, heaving Gin over his shoulder. Usopp and Kaya were still in their little world, completely ignorant of the fact that everyone but Luffy had left the table. The two of them laughing, Kaya's expression lost in the brilliance of her freedom.

Me and Zoro dropped the two bounties near the door.

"So how much did you get for these guys?"

"About 13 million. Which is fair all things considered. At least this way we don't have to worry about finding a place to turn them in."

Zoro nodded…but his expression grew solemn.

"Look."

I turned and noticed what Zoro meant. There was a ship. A massive one.

"…How much you want to bet there's an entire crew there," he smirked.

"A fool's bet. We should warn the ot….is that a man?"

It took him a minute to see what I meant, but soon the two of us stared into the open sea as a…coffin floated towards us.

"…on a raft…at sea?"

Dear god there was more than one Luffy…though this one was better dressed.

"….Mihawk."

"Who?"

Zoro grinned, his arms shaking in excitement.
"Dracul Mihawk…the strongest swordsman in the world."

"….and he's here!? Why?"

"Don't care!" growled Zoro.

I focused on the man. My newfound senses no longer gave me a headache, but they were just as sporadic. It felt like I was threading a needle through my consciousness. For a moment I felt it, that my new senses flickered. For the moment I held it, I saw the truth. This man was an absolute monster.

Then his golden eyes locked onto mine. I didn't know how I knew that but I did. I was rooted to the spot. His presence was overwhelming, a complete and utter eclipse of my own. I could "see" his head tilting as he stared at me. I was an ant, no, a drop in comparison to this behemoth! It wasn't even a joke. Calling him a monster was an insult. He was beyond such comparisons.

Then I watched him cut a fucking ship apart. What the actual hell!? Zoro wanted to fight that thing!? I grabbed his arm.

"Zoro don't!"

"DON'T YOU DARE STOP ME!"

I retracted my hands. I stared at Zoro's back.

"This is my goal, my LIFE! I will face Mihawk and either be victorious…or die a swordsman. I will become the greatest!"

He turned to me, a manic light in his eyes.

"Don't get in my way."

I was stunned. He meant it. He meant every word. Which is precisely why it was so fucking stupid. Could he not feel the difference between them!? What was the point of rushing out!? The difference in their skills was obvious! Fight the strongest when you know you could compete! Not throw your life away when you're but an ant to the sun!? But even with these thoughts churning within…I stayed silent. After all, Zoro was right. This was his life…and I'm pretty sure he'd be right pissed if anyone interfered. We must have been louder than I thought because this was the time that the others decided to show up. Sanji was with us, his face troubled.

"What's goin' on?" asked Luffy.

"Zoro's fighting Mihawk."

Said man jumped down, rushing towards Mihawk, jumping on the broken ship fragments.

"Who?"

"That's what I said. Supposedly, he's the strongest swordsman in the world."

"…I see," said Luffy, "than we wait."

God damnit they were all the same! But held my tongue. Zoro showed me just how little I knew back on Usopp's island. A bit of culture shock, if you would. I felt at this moment it was best to be quiet. Still, this wasn't a TV show. Because whatever they were saying to each other…I couldn't hear shit. Oh, I got a word here or there. But the position we ended up being in for this duel was further away than I would like. Zoro and Mihawk were fighting on pieces of the boat that Mihawk had destroyed. Mihawk dodged a few blows before Zoro started yelling something. My senses heightened at that moment, and I got Mihawk's rebuttal, even so far away.

"Would I bring a rifle to hunt a bug?"

…..ok ow. Not sure what the context was but that had to hurt. To make the burn even worse Mihawk drew a goddamn steak knife. He parried a few blows with it…and I could have sworn the blade turned black for a moment. Obviously, a trick of the light and sparks flying around. Because the next thing I knew he proceeded to stab Zoro right in the chest. The man seemed surprised that Zoro didn't move. I was already running, ignoring Luffy's shouting. Zoro's fight was over, but I could possibly save him if I was quick enough. Thankfully Mihawk didn't drive his knife further in Zoro's chest, but I wasn't taking any chances. I ran along the water-turned ice, almost halfway there. Zoro stood strong, glaring at Mihawk defiantly.

"Scars on the back is a swordman's greatest shame!"

Mihawk began laughing, withdrawing his knife.

"I SEE! Excellent! To think a swordsman of your calibre was here in this sea! Live Roranora Zoro! Your time is not yet over. Live, grow strong, and surpass me if you can!"

I shoved passed Mihawk as Zoro fell, though shoving implied I even touched the man, as he swerved out of the way. Without wasting a second, I put Zoro on his back, covering his puncture wound with ice. Zoro shivered a bit at the cold, but the wound was sealed, for now, the ice turning red. It was a short-term fix.

"You're an utter dumbass, you know that lad?"

"Shut up!" yelled Zoro…as he coughed up blood.

I felt the overwhelming presence of Mihawk tower over me.

"Ah, the one with observation Haki. Tell me, young man, how did you come to awaken? It's unstable but still, for this sea, it's quite the accomplishment."

I stilled. That term.

"Haki?"

"Oh, you were unaware. Even more impressive than."

I stared at Zoro, the man glaring up at me.

"I'm fine," he grunted.

I shook my head. I turned to Mihawk. His gaze tore through me…it made me shudder and feel small…weak. Compared to him, I was. But even so, I needed to know.

"You called it Haki…what is it."

Suddenly an overwhelming pressure hit me. It was suffocating, all consuming! Like a king had come down from on high just to crush me underfoot. I should have blacked out but the feeling it wrought inside me reminded me of what happened before. When the that fucking creature mur-

Whatever I was thinking ceased and I stood defiant and tall against Mihawk. The man smiled.

"…quite the captain you have Zoro."

"HEY!" yelled Luffy, "I'M THE CAPTAIN!"

Mihawk turned to Luffy. He studied him for a moment and his grin grew even wider.

"Ha! As it should be for the newer generation. A strong crew for a strong swordsman! You've done well Zoro!"

The man's grin disappeared; his expression serious.

"You asked me a question boy. I will answer, considering your ability to withstand my Haki."

And just like that, the overwhelming presence was gone. It felt like I could breathe again. That insanity was Haki? What the actual fuck?

"Bullshit that was your full whatever Haki you used."

That just seemed to make Mihawk even happier…whatever was happening.

"Haki is the manifestation of your very will. With it, it is possible to see and act beyond the realm of man. You have unlocked Observation Haki, the sight beyond sight. When mastered it becomes possible to know the core of others and hear their movements. There's more to it obviously, but that will be for you to discover."

Mihawk turned to walk away…but then he stilled, turning back to me.

"There are two others forms of Haki…consider this a gift. Look closely. I wouldn't bother showing this to Zoro as he cannot see it…but you can."

Mihawk drew his impossibly large sword and I could feel it. A thrum of power echoed across the blade. It drove from Mihawk. There was no core or power that echoed from Mihawk…but rather it seemed like the sword was covered by Mihawk.

"You see it, do you?"

I shuddered and nodded. The sword was blacker than before and more resilient. It was as if his will surround the blade, making it ever stronger.

"Good. Haki is not something that can just be taught after all. Teaching only brings it so far. I am curious to see if you can awaken the others of your crew."

"…why me?" I asked.

Mihawk turned to me, a forlorn expression.

"…I had a crew once myself. Not many would intrude on a duel like this to save a crew member…especially not when they are aware of the difference in strength. As I said…consider it a gift. Both for your bravery…and the memories it inspired."

With that…the man walked away. Luffy's expression was stone, but he let Mihawk pass him. I lifted Zoro up, ignoring the man's cry of stubborn pride. I rushed to Luffy as fast as I reasonably could. At that moment Kaya and Usopp opened the door. The poor girl gasped at Zoro's state while Usopp's eyes went wide in a mix of anger and fear. But we didn't have time for things like that.

"Luffy, we need a doctor."

"I AM FINE," growled Zoro.

"You have a hole that I am currently plugging. Shut up."

Zoro tried to move but my ice entrapped him. He must have been surprised that he couldn't escape it. Contrary to how some might think, escaping a frozen state was not easy. Though I doubt it would be a problem for Zoro with the way he trained.

"We need the ship…wait where is it!?"

The ship was docked to the right!? Where the hell was it?

"Who…where's the Merry!?"

I dropped Zoro in my shock.

"Nami took em."

I stared at Luffy's audacity. He said it so simply and nonchalant. That was our ride, you imbecile!

"You let her go!? No worse than that you let her take our ship!?"

Luffy looked at me. His face was serious.

"She needed to."

"…I admit…I havn't been the most agreeable sort lately…but I'm trusting you on this Luffy. You know we have to go chase her right?"

Luffy nodded.

"John, think you're strong enough?"

I blinked.

"For what?"

"To freeze our way over to her."

"…I don't know. But I'll try."

Luffy stretched up, using his vantage point to find Nami. I doubt Luffy could find her though. A ship like the Merry, with the currents the way that they were, the favourable wind…she was long gone. There was simply no possible way to go after her.

"Found her! She's coming back!"

….oh fuck off. Sure enough, the Merry was slowly coming back. Sanji took this time to come out of the restaurant. His cigarette was lit, and a contemplative expression filtered in his face.

"…Your offer still open?"

Luffy turned to him and grinned, nodding.

"…My dream…it's to find the all blue…you're going to the Grand Line?"

"You bet."

"…fine than. I'll join you…captain."

"AWESOME!"

Sanji turned to the restaurant and with a final drag put out his cigarette.

"You sure about this lad."

Sanji turned to me. I could feel his inner turmoil, even without this…Haki of mine. Was it just me he didn't like? He struggled to answer.

"I don't know. But the old bastard is right. I can't find anything staying here. Besides."

His eyes were alight with a strange passion.

"THERE ARE SO MANY BEAUTIFUL LADIES ON THIS SHIP!"

I sighed. I was going to have to fix that, wasn't I. The Merry stopped in front of the restaurant. Nami steered the ship to port….somehow…by herself. We climbed in, her expression distraught.

"You came back," smiled Luffy.

Nami nodded.

"Why…why did you let me go?"

Luffy snickered.

"You're our navigator Nami. Part of MY crew. I don't know whatever this was…but it seemed like something you needed to do."

Nami bit her lip and turned away from us.

"Why couldn't you be normal! Why did you make me…why make me feel…YOU DON'T MAKE SENSE!"

I rose my hand steadily, a little concerned for the girl's overflow of emotions.

"I wanted to hunt you down if that makes you feel better lass."

"Thank you! Someone with a bra-OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED TO ZORO!"

"He got his ass kicked!" laughed Luffy.

"Marimo bit off more than he could chew," sassed Sanji.

"Fuck off dart brow."

"THE HELL DID YOU CALL ME!?"

A block of ice protected Zoro from whatever Sanji was going to do. The man stared at it in disbelief.

"The hell!?"

The entire crew stared at Sanji.

"What? This guy just made ice how are you all not shocked!?"

Kaya's face was the funniest. It was the most disappointed expression I've ever seen. Even I was a little weirded out by this.

"I literally froze two men in front of the entire restaurant."

Sanji blinked.

"Don krieg?"

He blinked again.

"You fed one of them!? Gin!"

"…who?"

I stared at this man.

Luffy's laughter haunted me as I stared at the woman-obsessed chef.

"We're going to die," I muttered.

I felt Usopp pat me on the shoulder while Kaya looked at me with pity.

"Well crew, time to set sail!" declared Luffy, "we have an Island to go to!"

Nami blinked. I turned to her.

"Wherever you were heading lass…that's our next destination. Thought Luffy made that clear."

She teared up a bit. She looked at Luffy who nodded. Sanji growled about something flower something. I wasn't really paying attention.

"All right. Now…you comfortable with telling us what this is about?" asked Zoro.

It took her a while. She was silent most of the ride. In fact, she didn't talk to anyone except Luffy for a while, completely ignoring Sanji's attempts at flirting for the next three days.

It was three days of the most awkward and tense feelings I think I ever had. It wasn't until the island was visible in my spyglass that she finally called all of us together. We sat on the deck as she regaled us her tale. I thought I knew what rage was. I thought I knew what it meant to suffer. But what she told me made me swallow every notion of suffering that I had ever conceived of.

She watched her own mother die, to save her. Her dream was shit on by the very people that murdered her mother, her island choked by a tyrant, and the Marines too chicken shit or greedy to help. To see someone so confident be…destroyed, was something that I would forever remember. Luffy stood, his demeanour serious. For a moment…I felt something akin to Mihawk, a pressure. It was nowhere near as potent…but it was there all the same.

"Nami. This…Arlong. What do you want."

She turned to Luffy.

"What?"

"What do you want? Do you want him to suffer?"

He stared right into her.

"I'll make him suffer. I'll feed him his nose. I'll break every bone in his body before I kill him if that's what you need."

For once…I was in full agreement. Perhaps it was this world that was changing me, but I felt I had become a bit too comfortable with violence as of late. But as Zoro stated…we cannot feel for our enemy. This Arlong was more than an enemy. He had irreparably harmed our navigator. Destroyed her life.

"He is going to die."

The calmness of my statement struck me. I was serious. For the first time in my life I genuinely WANTED to kill someone. Oh there were those I wanted to kill in the heat of the moment but this was different. This was a cold, calculated thing. Not simply to save another or defeat a foe. No…this fishman would die. Sanji took a drag of his cigarette. He turned to Nami.

"I'm with you."

Usopp stood. He was shaking, but it slowed.

"I'm terrified to fight him…but you guys are right. Arlong needs to go. This…this can't continue!"

For a bunch of pirates we were more akin to outlaws who took the law into their own hands. Though I feel as if I told Luffy that he'd punch me.

"So what's the plan."

"Attack."

I stared at Luffy. Luffy rose an eyebrow.

"If I may captain."

Luffy grinned and gestured for the others to close in. I struggled with what to say…but Luffy understood right away. His eyes widened.

"You're serious."

I laughed.

"I didn't even say anything."

"It's just you've never gone full out before."

I nodded and clenched my fist.

"Control has always been an issue. But ever since that…uh…"

"Since your head exploded?" supplied Kaya.

"Yes, that. Control has been as easy as breathing. I say let's use that to our advantage. Get in close, get as many as we can in a small area, then I'll try and take out as many as I can with the biggest attack I can make. I don't think this will be enough to take out Arlong…but it should be enough to take out whatever mooks he has."

Luffy grinned.

"Finally! We just need to rush in."

I turned to Nami.

"I suggest you hang back with Kaya Nami…just in case."

Her eyes widened.

"What do you mean just in case."

The rest of them stared at me.

"In case we die lass. If you stay behind with Kaya that gives you both a chance to escape. Kaya is too sick to fight, and your entire village is at risk. We can make it about Arlong's bounty…at least I hope he'll fall-"

"No."
I stared at Nami. Her eyes teared up…only for a wellspring of pure will to echo through her. I could see it, churning within her, similar to Luffy's actually. Like a tiny sun. It had no color, no form. But it was undeniably HER.

"I'm done running. I'm done….I'm just DONE. You told me that I had to be stronger. You were right…but if I want to get stronger than I am now then I need to see Arlong die! I need to know I could stand up to him!"

I sighed.

"I understand. That leaves Kaya."

"I'll go as well."

I stared at her.

"….fine."

I wasn't in the mood to fight anyone. Besides, Kaya had said it herself. She craved freedom…not safety. I tried to take that choice once before…I won't do it again. Didn't mean I liked it though. As we neared Nami's home island, a strange cow creature rose from the sea. Before anyone could speak Luffy's fist shot out and decked the creature in the cheek, knocking it out.

"No time to wait," said Luffy, "we end this now!"

Nami stared at the impossible action and I could see the hope beginning to grow in her eyes. I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"We got you lass. You're not alone in this…not anymore."

Finding a place to dock proved easier than I thought. This Arlong must have been arrogant beyond measure. There was no security, no patrols, nothing. No sign of an occupying army of any sort. Then again the island wasn't exactly that big to begin with and as far as I could tell Arlong didn't have near enough men for an army of any sort. Still, to occupy an area with nothing but fear was a dangerous gambit for any standard occupier.

Then Nami explained that the weird cow creature WAS Arlong's defence. Go figure. The fact the Marines did nothing about this whole situation Just went to show how corrupt they could be. We landed and docked far enough from the village. There was no going back from this. We touched the ground and a sense of calm washed over me. I adjusted my hat and jacket, ready to fight. The rest of circled around Nami.

"Follow me" she said, her eyes hard with determination.

-One Piece OST: Overtaken (Epic Version by Samuel Kim Music)-

We stopped for no one. The people around us called out to Nami but she walked straight ahead, leading us into the park in the distance. It must have been quite the sight. Her leading this merry band of men…and one sick girl. Zoro to my incredible shock was standing and moving without a problem. What the hell was he made of? Our walk turned out to be quite short and we found ourselves at the gate. My hat covered my eyes in shadow as the beanie flopped behind my head. I could feel my power gathering in my chest, but I kept whatever frost usually escaped in my mouth.

"Arlong!" yelled Nami, "I'm here with the berries! As promised!"

Nami hefted a massive bag of berries. No where near the amount she technically needed for her deal with Arlong, but enough to make it seems so. Whatever sentinel this Arlong had let us in, grinning at the sight of Nami's bag. The entire park was…idiotic. Perhaps I was biased, but the architecture was basic, and the entire place was designed horribly. It was just a bunch of buildings put together with a big sign, how the hell was it a park? There was nothing grand about this place.

Arlong proved to be every bit the tyrant I thought of him. He had a throne and while he was wearing some pretty normal clothes, he carried himself as if he was a king. He was large, I'd give him that much. He was also much stronger than anyone we'd faced in combat. Instinctively I knew that my ice was a game changer, but that strength did matter in this world. If the enemy was stronger than me by a significant margin… then my effectiveness was reduced significantly. The fishman ignored us, and focused entirely on Nami. He rested his cheek against his fist lazily, smiling all the while.

"Nami! You've brought me your latest catch have you? And what of these people hmm? Bounties for me to turn in?"

In any other circumstances, I would have gaped at the sight of these fishmen. An entirely different race, looking completely different? It would have been amazing at any other time. Instead, I felt an instinct I never could name. It was as if I stared at these fishmen and I saw nothing but prey. Bodies to kill and be done with. It was disturbing…but today I embraced it. Was this the killer's instinct that Zoro said I needed? If this is what was required to free Nami from this shit, then fine. I'll pay it gladly.

"No Arlong. This ends today! I have your berries! All of it! As promised, leave!"

Eight mermen in the balconies of this area.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Why on earth would I do that Nami? After all, you only have a fraction of what you owe. Especially now."

Nami grit her teeth. Another four were close to Arlong's side. One just exited the water on the left pool. He was a strange octopus looking creature. I walked forward a bit just nudging past Nami.

"Who the fuck are you?" grunted Arlong, "another pathetic human?"

Luffy glared at Arlong.

"You're Arlong right?"

The fishman blicked.

"yea, what's it to you shrimp?"

Luffy raised his fist and pointed at him.

"I'm going to break you."

"….HA! Right, I see now! You need another reminder Nami! Don't worry…I'll only kill a few of your neighbours after we slaughter these friends of yours."

Luffy rolled his neck.

"John."

I stepped forward and I felt it. Like a raging beast the ice within spurned forward in a way I've never felt. The ice was always this unfeeling thing. Something I could twist, and mould as needed. But today it was like a rabid animal. Snarling and twisting in place, ready to destroy…to devour. I would not stand in its way. No…I had to be honest to myself. This wasn't some random creature…this was me. All my hate and anger, everything that I've bottled up for years was focused. It's fangs ready to be bared. I stared dead on at Arlong…and let go.

Frost exploded out of me, rushing forward, overtaking almost everything. The area behind me was left untouched. I felt the ice jut out of me, my once knightly armour twisting into something else. Like a beast escaping it's prisoned the ice came out scaled, sharp, my shape undefined and away from my view. I didn't care anymore. All that mattered now was ensuring as many of these despicable people didn't hurt Nami or her home ever again.

My two arms went up and once again a name came unbidden to me. Like an imprint on my brain.

Hie Hie no Mi, Model: NJFNDFHEYG

"Ice Age."

I roared that name. My arms reared back with all my strength. The sound that escaped my rageful soul was inhuman as the ice became colder. The fishman that thought they dodged soon learned otherwise. The ice that shot forth was violent but directed. Nothing was safe as the ice rushed through the ground and covered the buildings. In terms of pure ice, I covered and killed most along the balcony. Anything that dodge was speared through by the spears of ice. I kept going though, roaring out everything I could. I would destroy everything I could, obliterate any obstacle.

I would become the Bulwark that these enemies would break upon. The time to shy away from this reality was over. Let there be frost. As the last inhuman noise left my wrecked throat, I fell to my knees. For the first time in a while I was beyond exhausted. I could barely move.

"THEY BROUGHT A FUCKING LOGIA!" yelled one of the survivors.

"Holy shit," muttered Zoro, his eyes wide at what I wrought.

I took a shaky breath. Was it wrong to kind of be proud of what I had done? Still though, nothing worth doing was ever easy, as Arlong proved. He was covered for a moment, before the ice shattered off him, his body seemingly ok from the attack.

"You missed" growled Arlong, his head narrowly dodged a spire that tried to kill him earlier.

"Missed?" I chuckled weakly, "No. I didn't miss. My captain said it best. He's going to break you. Have fun you racist shit."

"…dear god," whispered Kaya.

I spat a frozen spit on the ground. Usopp grabbed me from behind and with Kaya's help assisted me into a sitting position on one of the ridges of ice around them. Kaya rubbed her shoulders from the cold.

"Protect Kaya for me!" yelled Usopp, rushing to join the others.

"I will, just give me a minute."

Kaya placed her hand on my shoulder, her other hand running a soothing circle on my back. It was quite nice honestly. Frost covered almost every inch of me, but I wasn't in my knight form. Actually this felt more…natural…but less powerful. Interesting.

"Are you going to be ok?"

My ice limbs began to slowly turn back to human limbs…but I was spent. There'd be nothing I could do to help Luffy or the others.

"I will be aye. Just…tired. I've never done that before."

Kaya looked up, purposely ignoring the carnage below.

"It's beautiful."

I looked up and smiled. All that ice converged into the center of the park, becoming a massive ice-like structure high enough to pierce the sky. I didn't want my ice to go out into the ocean or destabilize the island somehow. Seems like it worked. It shimmered with the colours of the sun, standing defiant and obscuring Arlong's park. Along the trunk were some of Arlong's unlucky men. Their blood and corpses were frozen over, turning into ice particles…not unlike a bunch of leaves. Still though. Where I was seated was perfect.

After all, this gave me the perfect view of Luffy fighting Arlong. What a sight it was. The boy was relentless, hammering into Arlong. When Luffy first fought me he had been a brawler, fighting on pure instinct. The way he fought now was a combination of both Garp and me drilling into the kid to fight with his brain and gut. It took a year, a goddamn year, for Luffy to finally listen to Garp and not flat out ignore him. The man was a lazy pain in the ass, but when it came to Luffy he was serious about training him…but only when the boy was ready to listen to the explanations that he was giving.

The results showed for themselves. Luffy dodged and weaved, using his rubber body to its maximum, twisting and adjusting his body without obstructing his stance. Every blow he landed barely hurt the fishman, something he was keen to gloat about.

"Is that all your pathetic punches have!"

Luffy remained calm and simply kept hammering at Arlong. I could see that Luffy wasn't putting all his weight into those punches…the boy had a plan. He jumped up, gripping Arlong with his rubber arms. Before the tyrant could react, Luffy reeled himself into Arlong for a mighty shoulder check.

"GUM GUM CHARGE!"

Arlong barely went anywhere after Luffy's shoulder hit him, but that wasn't the end. The small distance was enough. Luffy reared his arm back, using the transfer of kinetic energy to rocket his fist back several meters.

"Gum Gum Pistol!"

The combination blow buried itself deep into Arlong's guts, completely surprising him and damn near folding the supposed "superior" fish man. Luffy gave four quick punches to Arlong's right ribs. The time spent hammering on Arlong showed its result…as four resounding cracks echoed through the park. Nami stared at Luffy. Her eyes were wide as she watched him slowly dismantle the Fishman. Four ribs turned into eight, then it was Arlong's arm, his leg, and eventually each and every part of Arlong was being battered by Luffy. To an outsider, such as myself, the fight must have seemed entirely one-sided in Luffy's favour. But with my Haki I could see that Luffy was barely dodging Arlong's blows. These two were near equals…it was just that he was making the most out of every advantage he had against Arlong. He was fighting smarter, not harder, and the visible ease of his battle was the result. I was proud of the boy, especially as Arlong fell to his knees, his eyes red with blood.

"Fucking humans! You're all the same pieces of shit!"

"Are you seriously trying to pin this as a racist human thing?" sighed Luffy, "Come on even I know taking over an island is wrong! SO SHUT UP!"

"GUM GUM BAZOOKA!"

Luffy's fists jutted out, the resounding force snapping Arlong's nose with a resounding crack. The fish man screamed but Luffy didn't care. Instead, he gripped the screaming Arlong's broken nose and slammed him down back into the ground. The earth shook and cracked a bit from the force of his blow.

"You hurt my navigator! Destroyed her family! You deserve a hell of a lot more than this! But Nami is the one who will decide."

Nami glared at Arlong. Behind her lied a fishman, defeated. She was bruised and had a few cuts courtesy of her battle…but she stood tall all the same.

"Finish it…he's not worth fussing over anymore…ever."

With that, Luffy raised his leg as high as it could go.

"GUM GUM….GUILLOTINE!"

It slammed with the force of an angry god right on Arlong's neck. His bones were shattered into little pieces. My senses told me that his breath was snuffed out…he was no more. It was surreal how fast something like this could go. In the distance Zoro was finishing his own fight, while Sanji and even Usopp returned from the crevices of the broken remains of Arlong's park. There was not even one left standing…but of course as of late, I was wrong. Zoro's opponent stood, his wound not as a deep due to Zoro's injuries.

"I knew he wasn't fully recovered," I muttered, "perfectly fine my ass."

Kaya giggled as she helped me up. I struggled to walk but eventually, I began to recover my strength.

"It's over," whispered Nami, she turned to Luffy, crushing the boy in a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Luffy simply smiled back down at her…though I caught a hint of red on his cheeks. I merely let it play out. The boy would learn, as all young people do. Romance was never easy, but damnit it if it wasn't worth every bit of pain it could bring. Within reason, anyways.

"Shall we tell your family the good news?" I asked.

Nami grinned, her eyes bright and hopeful.

"Yea. I got the perfect pyre to use for tonight's party!"

Luffy started laughing.

"SHISHISHISHISHI! That sounds awesome! Let's party!"

I shook my head at their antics and sighed. This wasn't over, not yet anyways. From what Nami implied the Marines were involved, somehow…but that was for another time. Now? Now was the time to relax and enjoy this victory….but god damn it I wanted to sleep.

"Hey Jo-"

I let the world fade as I rested, because lord knows I needed it.

-The End-

Next time on Legend of the Strawhats!

"Damnit John! Stop flirting with her!"

"By Marine law this contraband is ours!"

"OFF WE GO! TO LOUGE TOWN!"

I hope this chapter was to your liking! I'm still finishing up the next segment of the Arcane Craftsman. Believe it or not, I have four chapters in differing levels of completion. I keep going back and forth and adjusting some plot lines. It's a lot of fun doing it that way but it's also frustratingly time-consuming. So I hope that this chapter brings some joy!

Rather than put the next update cycle I'll leave it blank, all things considered. Arcane Craftsman should be up next, since the chapter is basically done, but I want it to be perfect before I send it out.