Draft 4: An extended scene was created near the end of the chapter, plus some other minor adjustments.
A/n: Thank you for returning back to Making the Grade!
Apologies for the delay in this chapter, but besides being busy (the college life and all) I knew this was a chapter that needed to shine.
This is my adaptation of the original chapter four, The Pig, the Snake and the Monkey, from Making the Grade. While not incredibly long, it sets up one of the most important characters for the series going forward, as well as just being an enjoyable premise.
Hope you continue to enjoy my re-imagining!
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"Do you mind?" Nami nearly crushed her study guide in frustration. "You idiots may not care about your grades, but I do."
Usopp was missing from the lunch table on this particular Friday afternoon, while Koby was back to sitting with them (a bit more confident and energetic since beginning his workouts with Tashigi, but otherwise meek as ever). For everyone at the table except Nami, they gathered around what covered the table; pages upon pages of advertisements, notes, and other miscellaneous documents relating to one thing: their big visit to the New World Mega-Plaza that upcoming weekend.
The original plan was for all of them to go, but Nami soon realized that she would have to put in a lot more work than the others to keep up with her classes. Because of that, and something else that Nami only referred to as 'family business', she wouldn't have the time that weekend to go on a trip. They did feel bad, and Nami was already in the process of working herself silly through to the point where she could have that free time. But until then, the guys just had to be there on opening weekend.
And how could they not? Over a hundred stores, indoor experiences including a small amusement park, a water park, a ski lift, a multi-story arcade, and even a massive movie theater filled the complex. There was even an enormous selection of restaurants, and niche shops for all of them to enjoy on their own. It took their collective brain power just to come up with a plan to see a small portion of what was there.
"My deepest apologies, Nami-swan." Sanji took a deep bow of shame and regret. "This is just getting too difficult to decipher..."
"As difficult as math?" Nami retorted.
"Absolutely!" Luffy slammed his fist on the table. "We're clinically determining what places might have the best food!"
"Do you mean scientifically?" Koby questioned, causing Zoro to nearly spit out a bite of his sandwich.
"Yeah, that."
"You're all doomed, you know that?" Nami muttered, shutting herself off back into her papers.
"Now, back to the topic at hand." Zoro spoke confidently, causing all the other guys at the table to look over. He leaned his arms against the part of the table closest to him, leaning in with an intimidating glare. "Is no one else really going to the ski slope?"
"I'm not taking a trip just to do work." Sanji muttered.
"Takes a certain kind of idiot to mistake fun for work, dumbass." Zoro shot back.
"Guess I could say the same." Sanji came back, with more fire this time.
"I c-could go with you, if you want." Koby raised his hand up, in a short, nervous gesture. "I've never used skis or sledded down a slope before, though."
"Great. Sounds per-" Zoro cut himself off, looking over to a figure approaching the table. Koby was already on Zoro's side, but Sanji and Luffy turned around to see a nervous Kaya making her way over.
"Would you look at that?" Sanji said under his breath, knowing that she could only be coming over for one reason.
"Hi, Luffy." She nervously waved to Luffy, before glancing around at the others. "Is Usopp here?"
For his part, Luffy had never had much of a chance to talk to Kaya before that moment. She was basically a small blip in his headspace, barely a memory at all. All he could remember was...
"Oh yeah! You're that girl Usopp talks about a lot!"
Kaya could only nervously stutter and blush as a reply. Zoro immediately bit his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud, with a shiver of embarrassment going down Nami's spine. Sanji was able to keep a cool face on his own (especially with a wonderful young woman right in front of him) but knew that all his talk about relationships to Luffy had obviously gotten him nowhere by that point.
"My apologies, Kaya." Sanji quickly cuts in, hoping to save Usopp at least some further embarrassment in the future. "Usopp's currently taking a re-test for a quiz he didn't do so well on."
"Oh..." Kaya, using that remark as a springboard, shook off the nerves she'd had before. "I sure hope it wasn't for his science class, he'd been studying all week for that."
"Might've been." Sanji replied. "But, if you don't mind us asking, did you need anything from him?"
"Yeah... it was nothing." The bit of red on her face from before came back, most likely realizing how little sense it would make to explain what she wanted to talk about with someone other than Usopp. "My apologies-"
"Wait!"
Sanji nearly stood up, a surge of thought running through him. He was decently impressed with how Usopp had been handling the situation with Kaya that had started the week before. The two quickly became close, and from what Usopp had been talking about, he'd been ready to ask for her number. Getting to see that Kaya wanted to talk with him, though, Sanji really felt confident Usopp had a chance with her. And while Usopp wasn't here to make the suggestion, Sanji certainly wouldn't let the opportunity pass him by to be a good wingman.
"Do you know if you're free tomorrow?"
One Piece - Making the Grade
New World!
Usopp stood at Shift Station under the bright morning sun, grinning in excitement. Adorned in a white long-sleeved shirt with dark blue jeans, he dressed as casually as he could for the occasion. The mall was expected to be so big that they'd have to do a lot of walking, so being in something plain and simple was his best bet. And after all, he wasn't exactly dressing to impress or anything.
Waiting by the parking lot of the station for a bit, Usopp eventually saw a group coming up from the depths, that being Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Koby. They'd all gotten rides from Zoro to the station, just barely fitting in his car. Since there were at least five of them, there would be no way to take one car all the way there. With that in mind, they just thought it'd be easier to all meet up at the station and take the train from there.
Their clothing wouldn't usually matter much, but they had to wear their uniforms most of the time they saw each other. It was the first time Usopp had ever seen Zoro outside of his uniform, and second for Sanji if he was counting his work attire.
Luffy wore a comfortable button-up shirt with several shades of blue splashing over it, and dark blue jeans cut so they acted more like shorts, all shaded by his straw hat. The others wore other similar variants of menswear; Zoro wore a bulky gray long-sleeved shirt covered in zippers and pockets, Sanji had on a dark red t-shirt with white sleeves poking out, and Koby stood comfortably in a plain white shirt with blue accents.
Considering how little Usopp saw them in clothes like this, it felt as though they were all going on vacation, which wasn't too far off from the truth. They'd be spending the whole day out and about, going from one fantastical place at the massive mall to another. Before meeting Luffy, he'd rarely get to do anything like this, let alone with friends. But now, he had a group of friends to be comfortable with.
"Yes! Glad everyone could make it!" Usopp cheered as they approached him.
"Everyone except Nami..." Luffy pouted, dejected that she couldn't be there with them.
"Well, and one more person." Sanji lightly commented, just loudly enough so Usopp could hear him.
"Wait, you invited someone else?"
"Yes, and they should be here any second..."
"Sanji, Sanji, Sanji..." Usopp chuckled, patting his friend on the shoulder with a cocky sense of superiority. "If you invited a girl out to join us, I hate to break it to you, but I don't think she'll make it."
"Oh, she isn't here for me." Sanji turned around, revealing an even cockier smile.
"What are you- ...you didn't!"
"And look at that, she's right on time!" Sanji ignored Usopp's trembling realization as a large van with a polished exterior drove up. Most of them couldn't even consider a white van to be unique or special, but this van in particular looked about as expensive as the most expensive white van could be, slick and curvy without compromising its size, and not a speck of dirt around it to speak of. Driving was a younger adult with puffy, white hair, and in the passenger seat…
"AHH! Why would you do this to me?!" Usopp started pacing around nervously. "Oh my- I'm totally not dressed to see her, what will she think of this shit I'm wearing?!" He glanced over to Sanji. "Do you think it's too late for me to cancel? I think I'm getting a case of the 'too-afraid-to-talk-to-Kaya' disease-"
"Ah, quit being a baby, will ya?" Zoro called him out. "She came here because she wanted to hang out with us. With you. Just don't get a big head about it, alright?"
As the door to the van opened, Usopp shook himself to be relieved of any nerves.
"Hello, everyone." Kaya lightly spoke, giving them a wave before turning back around to say something to the person driving the van. Before Usopp could figure out a way to get her back in her car, somehow, the van door slammed shut and took off into the distance.
"H-hi." Usopp nervously muttered back, as the rest of the group went up to greet her.
She looked a lot more comfortable in a yellow jacket and skirt than she ever did in the school uniform, along with a small parasol that could also act as a cane, which eased Usopp up a little bit. He wasn't exactly prepared to see her for the first time without a uniform in this context, but it wasn't all that of a strain on him if she looked as happy and comfortable as she did.
"So…" Kaya made her way up to Usopp, an unusually giddy smile covering her calm face. "I hear from your friends that you talk about me a lot…"
Within a few words, the final remains of Usopp's excitement for the day transformed into unbridled fear and rage. Before Kaya could even react, Usopp passed from person to person, holding them up by the collar while spitting out angry, unintelligible murmurs.
Thankfully for Usopp, the mood of the moment passed as a loud whistle shrieked through the air.
"Augh!" Luffy exclaimed, looking at the line to get inside. "We haven't gotten tickets yet! Look at that line!"
"Relax!" Sanji called out, motioning his hand down to calm Luffy down. "I figured this would happen, so I got the train tickets online last night. That'll be twelve bucks from each of you."
As the men of the group grumpily pulled out their wallets, he turned to Kaya. "Except for you, my dear. I could never make you pay."
"Are you sure?" Kaya nervously spoke. "I have the money."
"Well, if she has the money-" Zoro began, eyeing her purse.
"Zip it, mosshead."
"Wow…" Luffy spoke in an exasperated tone, looking up towards the massive structure in front of them.
Past a large walkway and garden sat an overwhelming structure. It could only be described as an entire city connected under one roof. Ceilings fell and rose over the differing structures throughout, and one of the world's largest Ferris wheels protruding from a section they could only assume to be the Entertainment District. Glass walls scattered throughout gave the building a shimmering, glowing quality to it against a refreshing blue sky.
As they all made their way in, the large group was a bit slower than usual due to Kaya walking with was all except for Luffy, who was eagerly leading the pack.
"Come on, guys! The food court is gonna be packed!"
"I can't believe you would come all this way just to eat more food…" Usopp spoke, bewildered.
"I'm actually on Luffy's side for this one." Sanji spoke out. "There's got to be at least a few dozen restaurants here built up from family-owned chains in the area. If there were ever a place to try as much new and interesting food as possible, then this is the place."
"Well…" Usopp looked back to Kaya, who seemed to be holding up alright despite the long walk from the station to the mall. He didn't really know too much about Kaya's health, but he did know that she never really exerted herself, and he was sure she didn't have to take a gym class. Either way, by the time the train ride had finished, Usopp had put himself in the mindset to make sure Kaya was having as much fun as the rest of them.
"Yeah, Usopp?"
"What do you want to do, Kaya?"
"Oh!" Kaya was genuinely caught off-guard by the question, nearly halting in her tracks just to per her entire power into thinking about it. After a few seconds of thought, though, she looked up to him with embarrassed conflict in her eyes. "I didn't really think of one after being asked to come… I didn't really realize you guys all had separate plans to split off into…"
After giving Sanji an angered glare, Usopp thought about all that they'd looked into. He'd gotten to know Kaya a good amount since the semester had started. While they mainly talked in class, and sometimes in the hallways afterward, Usopp was really interested in her. There had to be something they'd talked about that would be interesting for her, even if it meant having to give up a free bit of time he'd been planning to go to a slingshot range…
"There is a bookstore in the mall!" Usopp spoke as he realized. "It's supposed to be a big one, too! You like to read, right?"
"Yes, I do-"
"Then we'll go together!" Usopp proudly proclaimed, before immediately being hit with the realization that his proclamation sounded very similar to asking her if she just wanted to hang out with him.
Alone.
Like a date.
Sanji could only give his friend a cartoonish thumbs up as the group quickly made their way through a large entrance, following the flow of the crowd to one of the many plazas in the mall.
Despite bracing for the worst, Kaya only seemed to be happy with the sentiment.
"Sounds great."
"Then, I guess I know what we're doing until the show."
"The show?"
"Sanji!" Usopp could only hold back his frustration at his friend as the group stopped near a fountain.
"My deepest apologies, Kaya. It seems I've forgotten to send you our schedule." With a few clicks on his phone, a PDF with a rough outline of times and such was sent to Kaya's number. It was the same text chain Usopp now noticed Sanji used to communicate their plans for the day prior to being informed of this last-minute addition.
Looking over it, Kaya realized they didn't have a ton planned. Besides splitting up in the afternoon, the group planned to meet back up later to watch a stage show in the Southern Plaza before getting dinner, taking a lap around the building, and heading back on the Puffing Tom Express right after dark. She was a bit nervous about all the moving around, but-
"Let's get this show on the road, alright?" Zoro looked down at his own phone and saw the time. "The slopes are gonna have long lines, and I want to get in as much as possible before the show later."
"Yeah!" Luffy joined in. "I need to try something from every food stall here!"
"Do you even have the money for that?" Koby questioned.
"If I count free samples, then yes."
"Are you counting places where you think you can get free samples?" Sanji glared over to Luffy, who couldn't meet his eyes in return.
"Well, I'll also be trying stuff too, so I guess we can split a few things." Sanji compromised, knowing that Luffy would milk him for all it's worth if it came to trying new foods.
"Then we're all good?" Koby looked around.
Zoro and Koby were ready to head to the ski slopes. Luffy and Sanji were ready to eat their hearts out. And Usopp and Kaya… were ready to try and deny this was a date for as long as possible.
Luffy put his foot in the middle of them, as they gathered around in a circle. "Let's have the best day ever!" Luffy cheered, loud enough for several people in the massive crowds surrounding them to notice. While Usopp and Koby thought it was a bit embarrassing, Zoro and Sanji put their feet into the middle without hesitation. With a massive grin on her face, Kaya beat Usopp to the punch before playfully sticking her tongue out at him.
"Come on! This is fun!" She called out to him. After a few more moments of hesitation, Koby and Usopp had their feet in the circle as well.
"Go Straw Hats!" They all cheered out, the adrenaline of yelling with such conviction putting smiles on all their faces before departing.
The food court of such an expansive complex was nothing short of breathtaking to the two foodies of the Straw Hats.
Burgers, fried chicken, cajun seafood, barbeque, ramen… not to mention the dozens of unique food items that Luffy and Sanji barely saw within their own neighborhood. A shop entirely dedicated to cooked cheese. Bubble tea. Bakeries with bread in languages Luffy hadn't even heard of, filled with cheeses and proteins and all sorts of other things that either of them had yet to even have in bread.
Luffy immediately became lost in a paralysis of options, spinning around in an attempt to somehow experience all of the options at the same time. It wasn't feasibly possible, but one could dream.
"Perfect." Snapping him out of his daze, Sanji pulled Luffy through the crowds of people attempting to find tables within the plaza's seating area before settling into the line for the Pumpkin Cafe, what Sanji recognized as a popular brand of Cafe that had just never made it to the part of town where they all lived. Something simple, lacking in overwhelming choices, but still solid in reputation, was perfect to start their barrage of gluttony.
The line itself was at least a dozen or so parties of people, but considering the waits at other spots, the duo knew it was about as good as they were going to get. Coming to the mall when it was new was a choice they made despite the risks of massive crowds, but even a few weeks after opening Sanji still expected the better attractions of the Mega Plaza to still be stuffed with customers.
After a minute or so of waiting, Luffy was getting restless.
"This is crazy!" He nearly yelled, catching the ire of several others in line. "We're gonna have to get extra stuff here for the other lines, Sanji. I don't know if I can handle this for every spot."
"That doesn't sound like a bad plan, actually." While Luffy expected Sanji to respond, a girl around their age turned from her spot right in front of the duo and agreed with the Straw Hat first. "This is my second line and I'm regretting not getting more mozzarella sticks from the first place I stopped at."
"That just seems like your mistake." Luffy said, in a half-joking half-serious tone. "Mozzarella sticks are some of the best snacks since you can hold them like a stick."
The girl let out a laugh that seemed genuine, but Sanji could guess that she was amping up her reaction a bit. "I guess you're right."
"I hope I am. But I don't think a cafe will have mozzarella sticks… you think?"
His genuine curiosity at what would seem to be such an obvious question got him another laugh from the girl, before she brushed aside a bit of her moppy blonde hair and extended her hand to Luffy. Adorned in a casual blue shirt and green shorts, she looked to be about as casual and laid-back as Luffy, which to Sanji was quite a surprise.
"I'm Silk. Nice to meet you."
Luffy could only glare back with his trademark toothy grin. "I'm Luffy!"
While the two shook hands, Sanji gave the duo a smirk of his own. He'd been a bit lenient on his lack of action with girls after the situation with Usopp. And from Sanji's perspective, Luffy had just ensnared an interested girl without him even knowing… AFTER having struck a conversation with Nico Robin just a few days prior. Being a wingman wasn't his best card to play, especially since he'd already gotten Kaya to come along, but he also knew that Zoro would freak out if he found out Luffy got himself a date of some sort in the time it took him to slide down some dumb snowy hill.
The challenge was on.
The duo of Koby and Zoro had more in common than each other thought, with conversation not lacking even as they inched by in a long line up an artificial ski slope. The warehouse-like building the hill was kept in was gargantuan, and the line to experience it nearly as much so, but the slope was decently long and those who were traveling down in gear and standard snowboards were enjoying every second of it.
"So then, the corporal had us run a dozen or so laps because of it!"
"That's rough. And for something so stupid?" Zoro spoke with about as much interest as someone as tired as him could muster, which was much more than Koby was expecting, and ran with it.
"I know, right?! I was burned up by the time we were done, and not just because of the extra exercise. The sun was burning on us, but obviously none of us had sunscreen or anything."
"Ah…"
"What?"
"That explains it." Zoro spoke with a smug smile across his face.
"What?!"
"You'd just been… looking more pink than usual. I thought I was just going crazy, but a bad tan sounds about right."
"You can really tell?!" Koby looked himself over a few times, overanalyzing every inch of his skin for color that he could barely tell the difference of. It's not like he paid attention to his skin tone every second of every day.
"Relax! You look fine… better than ever, I'd say."
"Really?"
"Sure. You still look like the poster boy for being bullied, but you have more muscle on you than before. If you keep growing into that, you might not look like… 'this' before high school's out."
Koby hesitated, not sure if Zoro was complimenting him or not. "Thanks…"
"Don't mention it." Zoro quickly spoke, before shuffling away from the right side of the line.
"The… line's going this way, Zoro."
He glanced around, and instead of making a clear distinction of direction, just went in the direction of Koby. "Yeah. I knew that."
"How do you even have your license…?"
"A blind examiner and my amazing ability to park."
"Oh my…"
"God's Wrath… I don't think I've read this one yet." Kaya read the back cover of a book from a large shelf. On the other side, Usopp peered through the crack left open by her picking the book up. "Is Kami's Wrath the same thing? Like when they have different titles from other countries?"
"I don't know… Is that from a series? I can't tell." He murmured from the other side, somehow avoiding eye contact despite the fact that they could barely see each other to begin with.
"No, but I've read most of this author's work. Apparently this is their only anthology…"
"Well, that sucks."
Kaya did a double-take on the comment. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Usopp hesitated in his response, pacing around in fear on the other side of the shelf before taking a deep breath.
"Uh… I've just never read any good anthologies."
"What about adventure anthologies? I'm sure there has to be one good anthology by an adventure writer, no?"
"None. The only decent one I read was one where each short story was a part of a larger mystery, but the resolution was half-baked."
"That's a shame… I've read several good anthologies back when I was younger, and I'm sure this author has some interesting prose up their sleeves."
Usopp sighed in relief, believing he was one overly-strong opinion away from making Kaya infuriated with him. As she put the book under her arm to carry to the check-out of the store, Usopp tried to crouch down and glance at her further from the hole in the shelf, only to see her hand pressed down on the shelf's base, white-knuckled.
"A-are you okay, Kaya?"
She nearly leapt in surprise. "Of course! Why wouldn't I be?!"
"Oh! No reason! I just… uh…" Usopp tripped over his words trying to find some sort of excuse. "You know, it's such a big mall, and there's so many people, that even I, master of many things, am starting to feel a bit… overwhelmed by everything."
After not hearing anything back from Kaya, Usopp simply assumed that he'd flubbed the conversation, rushing over to the other side of the shelf to hopefully fix what he said face-to-face.
He instead found a red and sweaty Kaya fully leaning on the side of the shelf, slightly crouching down.
"Kaya!"
"Luffy!" Sanji pulled at his friend's ear, trying his best to stop him from overeating the snacks they'd purchased from the cafe. He normally wouldn't care, but in the company of a clearly-infatuated Silk, Sanji could only hope to reign in Luffy's awful eating manners. "That's no way to eat in front of a lady!"
"BUT ITW'S SWO GWOOD!" Luffy yelled out, face stuffed with fresh pastries.
"It's alright, really!" Silk calmed Sanji down, cutely chuckling at Luffy's cartoonish antics. "I have lots of brothers back home. Trust me, this is kingly compared to how some of them eat."
"See, Sanji? I'm eating like a king." Luffy proudly boasted to his friend.
"Well, if we want something truly like a king, then I think we should head down to that place in the corner selling samplings of barbeque. I'd read before coming here that the cured meat is simply out-of-this-world. I can taste the collier now…"
"Why would you want to eat collars? Aren't those made of wool or something?"
"Collier. It's a type of meat, Luffy."
"Ah… that makes more sense."
"Wow…" Silk continued to laugh at their banter. "Are you guys like this all the time?"
"Yeah!" Luffy happily agreed. "Well, Zoro, Usopp and Nami aren't here, but when they're all together, it's like fun times a million!"
"So, are you coming with us to try the meat?" Sanji questioned Silk, a slick smile on his face not hiding from the fact he was asking more for Luffy's sake than hers.
"Oh…" After glancing to the side, her face fell. "I would, but-"
"There she is!" From the crowd, a lanky, crescent-headed man, flanked by two lackeys, wrapped his arm around Silk. The girl grew even more uncomfortable as he extended his hand to Sanji. "Apologies, my friends. I'm Gally, and I've been looking for my dear girl Silk for a while now. We've got other plans."
Sanji tried his best to restrain himself as he shook hands with an obviously suspicious older teenager. If it wasn't massively crowded, Sanji would've already blasted the inconsiderate man's leg with a kick strong enough to send him to the ground, the aura radiating off the man shouting nothing but trouble.
Luffy looked as though he'd recognized as well. When Gally extended his hand to Luffy, without even attempting to extend his hand back, Luffy looked to Silk.
"You don't want to come with us?" Luffy spoke seriously, with a weight that immediately got Gally to retract his hand.
Silk looked nearly paralyzed in fear, the weight of Gally's arm around her feeling more like a chain that couldn't be tighter. There had to be some sort of past with them, for them to make her this uncomfortable. Surrounded on all sides by dark, depressive thoughts, and a desire for a lack of conflict, Silk cleared her throat to say no, before-
"Come on!" Luffy extended his arm to her this time, giving off the biggest, brightest smile he could possibly muster. "I'm sure the collars over there will taste great, you know?"
In an instant, the tension in Silk had lifted. In what was a shock to Gally and his friends, she simply removed herself from Gally's arm and began making her way to Luffy and Sanji's half of the space they were standing in. Gally, replacing confusion with frustration, reached out to try and grab Silk's shirt collar.
"Hey-!"
Before he could get there, Luffy had a hold of his wrist.
"Luffy!" Sanji called out, sounding more nervous for Gally than his friend. "Let's not cause a scene, alright?"
"On it." Luffy responded coldly, locking eyes with the taller bully before grasping the wrist with all his might. In a reaction on par to getting hit in the face, Gally's knees buckled out from under him, causing him to slide down onto the ground. His two goons attempted to approach, but Sanji, now with a fresh lollipop in his mouth, moved between them with hands in his pockets.
"I wouldn't get closer if I were you." Luffy spat at Gally's friends. The threat was so immediate and clear the duo shuffled back without complaint. After a few more seconds, Luffy let go of the bully's wrist and simply looked over to Silk.
"Come on, these guys are nothing!"
"Hey!" Luffy, Sanji and Silk all turned over to the pathetic, shivering Gally. "This isn't over!"
Luffy just stared at him with a blank expression, before turning back around. The trio made their way away from the gang, and levity quickly reentered them as Luffy excitedly looked to their next food stall. By the time they got in line, Sanji removed the lollipop from his mouth.
"I'm surprised you held yourself back there." Sanji muttered, still trying to keep somewhat of a serious demeanor.
"That guy was nothin'." Luffy simply commented back. "I don't even like thinking about guys like that. Now come on, what are you gonna get, guys?"
Silk put her hand on Luffy's shoulder, a mix of exhilaration and joy in her eyes. "You're nuts, dude."
"Uh, thanks?"
"I don't know, I just- I never really feel like I have the courage to deal with guys like that. But you made them look so pathetic in comparison, I wasn't really worried."
"He has that effect on people." Sanji spoke confidently about the topic, patting Luffy on the back. "I've never met a crazier guy than my friend Luffy here, but if he isn't making enemies, he's making friends for life."
"Oh yeah!" Silk pulled out her phone. "You think I can get your- well, both your guys' numbers?"
Sanji's pats on the back turned into a slap of victory.
"Ow!" Luffy recoiled.
"Ow…" Koby inched along the pathway out of the ski slopes with a sore arm and leg trailing him back behind Zoro, the last thing he wanted due to Zoro most likely getting them lost before he could protest. "Wait up!"
The duo wrapped up early after Koby's minor injuries, but they were able to get at least a few rounds down the hill before the incident. Because of that, Zoro was just interested in getting back before anyone else (and maybe getting some rest at a table or something) but held back when Koby called out to him.
They were outside of a large entranceway, but still indoors. The massive complex had many large hallways connecting the plazas that lay inside, and surrounding the ski slopes were a series of fashion-based stores, adorned with the wealthiest and swankiest clothes either of the two could imagine.
"You think we could just… sit down for a sec?" Koby nervously asked Zoro.
"Fine. But I'm not gonna carry you if you make me later than Sanji on this one."
"Deal."
The two sat on one of a series of couch-like seats stretching from one end of the hallway to the next plaza, which was further down than either of them could physically imagine. The amount of stores, customers, and momentum in the Mega-Plaza on opening weekend was just outstanding, feeling busier than the most crowded street corners in the most hectic parts of the city. Koby had been to the city a couple of times with his family, and even then this plaza just felt like a whole other world.
"This is just crazy…" Koby spoke his mind, not really even realizing he said anything at all until Zoro replied. "I don't think I've ever seen so many people around at once, except maybe-"
"Quiet."
"Wha-?" Before Koby could reply, his mouth was covered by the burly hands of Zoro, who was looking at a group of students making their way close to them.
In the front of the pack was a true knockout of a girl (at least in Koby's mind, not that he thought he had a chance with knockouts), at least six feet tall with sharp, black hair and a fashion sense to make a fashion runway jealous. Her curves stuck out like models, almost cartoonishly long legs and a large chest, but she seemed to still be in high school from the people she hung around with.
Carrying a bag of clothes, she made her way up to a trash can beside the couches they were sitting at… before dumping everything she had in it.
"Why did you do that?!" An average-looking guy let out a shocked expression, the two girls surrounding him only laughing in response.
"Well, you see…" She began, a venom in her voice that quickly shot to cute-sey. "I just didn't think they would fit my wardrobe, after all."
"But I paid for all of that! Couldn't you just return it?" Despite the truly evil way she talked to the teenager, he still spoke back to her as though he were sympathetic, or at the very least not letting a bad moment get between the two of them getting closer.
"Well…" Her tone became even more cute-sey, to a mocking degree, as her lips pouted. "You could always just grab them from the can."
From what Koby and Zoro could tell (as Zoro still covered Koby's mouth, despite him not needing the warning anymore), the clothes looked very expensive. It was two bags in total barely poking out of the can, both of which having brands that were nearby. None of the nearby stores looked to be even in the medium price range for a mall, all top-priced goods. The overall lack of care for his respect made the teen's hesitation to grab the bags even more confusing to Koby.
The guy sighed, clothes in hand, and walked away from the group of girls. Her two friends were laughing at his emotional confusion, but the main girl just looked proud of herself as they watched the guy walk away, before picking the bags from the trash can and walking away.
After they were completely out of sight, Zoro lifted his hand. "You didn't need to do that!"
"That… was interesting." Zoro murmured, still looking in the distance the girls took off.
"Why? They were just some- well, bratty girls."
"Don't worry, Koby, you can call them bitchy. They're the worst, and they go to our school."
"They do?"
"You may not believe it, but I try to pay attention to what's going on around school. And that girl, Hancock Gorgon, is nothing but trouble."
"Really?"
"All I know is the rumor mill, but apparently she was kicked out of an all-girls school after being charged with sexual assault."
"Her?!"
"Yeah, sounds like bullshit. But whatever really happened, she's left as a beauty queen even compared to our rich-ass private school. A lot of guys try to flirt with her constantly, but again, apparently, she's yet to treat another student with an ounce of respect. I think even Nami complained about her once or something, but I wasn't paying attention."
"Wow, that's a lot. You think she's alright?"
"She's trouble, is what it is. Everywhere she goes is a walking time bomb. And the last thing our friend group needs right now is trouble. If not for me, then for Luffy, don't get involved, alright?"
Koby looked at him for a few seconds, then, without hesitation: "If I think she needs help, I'll help her."
Zoro could only look out into the crowd, as though he had a lot more to say.
"Nothin' but trouble."
"Are you sure this isn't any trouble?" Kaya nervously muttered as Usopp returned to a couch-like seat somewhere else amongst the Mega-Plaza. In his hand, a plastic bag with a book inside.
"Hey, you need to rest, alright?" Without much else to say, Usopp silently handed the bag to her and sat down next to her.
"I'll make sure to pay you back."
"It's really no trouble, I had money saved for today anyways. And it's one of your favorite author's, right? Just think of it as a gift."
She didn't really know what else to say for a few seconds, before a 'thanks' left her mouth.
After that, they were silent for a good while. Using a cloth she'd brought with her, Kaya patted down sweat on her forehead as Usopp just crowd-watched from his seat. Her health was a lot better than in the store, for sure, but the lack of acknowledgement from Usopp was beginning to drive her just a bit crazy.
"Are you not going to ask?" Kaya solemnly muttered.
"About your health? …Do you want me to ask?"
"I just don't see why you wouldn't want to know."
Another silence between the two formed, as Usopp thought long and hard about what to say next. It was easy for him to come up with something to say, but coming up with the right thing to say was another issue entirely. Despite the fear and vulnerability, though, Usopp knew he had it in him.
"My mom's sick. She's been sick for… a very long time. Sometimes I wonder what exactly is going on with her, but I know that isn't what she wants to talk about. She wants to know that her son is doing alright in his classes, that he has friends, and that he's going to be alright. She wants to hear about her husband's day at work, and what we're going to cook up for dinner, even if it's just microwavable meatloaf.
"In other words, I don't believe it's right of me to determine when or where someone wants to have a conversation that might make them… uncomfortable. If you don't want to talk about what's going on with you, that's fine by me. I'll make sure you have the very best day out, and I'll take it at your pace, because you seem like someone who deserves it."
Usopp couldn't muster the courage to look at Kaya while he spoke, and what would've been to his relief, she couldn't look towards him either. It was hard enough being vulnerable with someone, especially in such a public place. But if it was what Usopp truly felt, then Kaya couldn't simply say nothing.
"Thank you." She croaked out, Usopp being able to tell she was at least trying to stop herself from crying. "I'm just… weak sometimes, is all. But, when your friend invited me out, I just… I just wanted to try. It's stupid, I should've said something."
"Do you want to sit for a while longer?" Usopp asked without hesitation, looking towards her. She looked at him back, and while he certainly seemed skittish, and nervous, and absolutely cowardly, he was completely willing to stick his neck out for her. No needing to think about it, no conditions.
"I would, but we're supposed to catch that show later-"
"Already figured out!" Usopp stood up, and with a child-like bravado, turned to face her. "I'll recreate the show right here!"
"...What?"
"I'll just tell you about the whole show while you get some rest, alright? No need to worry, I've got it all right here." He confidently poked at his head.
"Have you seen the show?"
"Of course! Well, we have…" Usopp stopped to ponder what the show was about.
"A mother and a daughter, I think." Kaya teased him with unfactual information.
"Oh yeah! A mother and a child, that's what it was about, all right. And they weren't having the best go of life, let me tell you! They were out living in some dingy apartment because of a business deal gone bust, and the son had to transfer schools! Yes, yes… it's all coming back to me now. A tale of tragedy, of woe, but also redemption! And hope!"
"Sounds great." Kaya finally cracked a smile. "So, what happens next?"
The rest of the day went by decently uneventfully for the Straw Hats. While Usopp and Kaya didn't make the show in time, the other four watched a wonderful production that was vastly different from whatever Usopp was coming up with.
Despite missing out on the show, they were all able to meet up for dinner at a chain burger place on the outskirts of the plaza.
"Read it and weep, moss-head!" Sanji held out his and Luffy's phone's to Zoro, showing off the brand-new contact they'd received while trying out the food the New World Mega-Plaza had to offer.
"Idiot. I'm not surprised Luffy here got a girl's number."
"What? Then what are you-?" The table bursted into laughter at the implication, Sanji immediately trying to strangle his friend from across the seats.
"Why is it so impressive we made a friend?" Luffy leaned over to Kaya, eyebrows furrowed.
"Well, it's… sometimes difficult for people to make friends wherever they go. It's somewhat impressive how fast and how interesting your meetings with new people compare to most others."
"That sucks." Luffy sulked. "It's really easy for me… so why isn't it easy for everyone else?"
"Cause' you're magic or something. It's as though you're one of the protagonists in those books Kaya reads." Usopp casually replied, taking a sip of a can of soda with a large straw sticking out of it.
"Come on!" She laughed, shoving him lightly in the shoulder. "They're not that over-the-top."
"Yeah, they are- oh!" Usopp remembered something. "Do you still have that photo you took while I was telling you about the play?"
"Yes?"
"Think you can send it to me?"
Kaya looked down, embarrassed. "Oh… I don't think-"
It took Usopp a moment to realize… he'd never actually asked her for her number while in the mall. They'd had a lot of fun, almost too much fun, and completely forgot that he'd been trying to ask for her number the whole week.
Before he could even try to correct himself, Kaya handed her phone over to him.
"That should be my number."
"Oh! Okay!" Nearly dropping both her and his phones, he scrambled to put the number in. Once the contact was saved, a rush of relief washed over him.
… Was it that simple? This whole time?!
They exchanged stories, laughed, fought, and overall just had a good time. Usopp continued to make sure Kaya was having a good time, Sanji was celebrating the number situation like it was a bachelor party for the lucky Luffy and himself, and Zoro made sure to avoid the topic of a more-than-rude girl they'd come across. Koby almost forgot about it, but a quick punch to the gut reminded him quite quickly.
Eventually, they all sat in the last passenger carriage of the Puffing Tom Express. The crew of teens let the setting sun lull them into naps from a fun and hectic day, at least for the most part. Usopp certainly couldn't rest with an exhausted Kaya leaning on his shoulder, and Koby was just out for the count. Besides that, Sanji and Luffy were up having a conversation, and Zoro pretended to sleep while listening in.
Zoro wanted to actually get some rest, seeing as the cabin was mostly empty, but there were three girls at the other end. Three girls, helmed by the one and only Hancock Gorgon. He knew that the rest of the team hadn't noticed her before, otherwise Sanji's be going over to her before Zoro could warn him against it. But if anything happened between her and his friends... he would make sure he was there to stop it.
"Remember: Always walk with a woman, hold the door open for her, and if you take her out to dinner, always pull her chair out for her and tuck it in once she is seated." Sanji rambled on to Luffy, who was half interested in his friend, and half interested in finding something to eat. "This is all important if you're ever going to have a girlfriend."
"Yeah, yeah." Luffy rolled his eyes, before leaping out of his seat. "Need food. You know where the food car is?"
"Third carriage from the engine, although I have no idea how you still have space left in your stomach." Sanji spoke, slouching back into the seat now without someone to talk to. After realizing Luffy was still just standing around, he lifted his fist and pointed in front of himself. "That way."
"Thanks!" Luffy dashed off and disappeared into the door to the next carriage.
A few minutes later, Kaya was awake (and incredibly awkward about falling asleep on Usopp's also-tired shoulder) as another passenger made their way into the car. It was a young man, looking to be at least eighteen years old. Considering his obese stature and snot running from his nose, you'd expect his physique to be more in line with a worn forty-year-old, but the ugliness was shone through with an arrogant, youthful demeanor that anyone in the car could pick up on.
Just as he passed through the area of the Straw Hats, Usopp (not paying attention to his surroundings) was getting up from his seat. Not even in the walkway, the obese man shuddered at having to be so close to someone.
"I think I'll go to the food car too. Want anything, Kaya-"
"Get out of my way, you lowly piece of trash!" Before Sanji or Zoro could even react, the man shoved Usopp back into his seat, his head slamming hard on the side of the car's window and blasting a nasty bruise into his forehead. Kaya gasped in shock, shuffling out of the way as the man continued his way down the aisle.
Zoro was awake and up in an instant, with a dangerous glint in his eyes. His fist immediately sped towards his bulging, obese face in a retaliation strike, but his fist never made it there.
The man glanced backwards to see Kaya had pulled Zoro down back into his seat, herself recoiling in pain from the overexertion of her body. Considering the two to just be unsightly, he turned back around and continued his march down the aisle.
"What the hell was that?!" Zoro whispered as best as he could, before Sanji came up behind them and lifted Kaya back up off of Zoro. She winced in pain, causing Sanji to be extra careful with her body as she was placed back down in her own seat.
"Do you not know who that is?!" Kaya nearly shouted in her whisper, everyone glancing at the disgusting man who was almost out of the car.
"No." They all replied.
"That's Charlos, the son of one of the biggest politicians in the world! Do you know what would happen to any of us if he was, I don't know, punched in the face?!"
"Wow, you know a lot about politics, huh?" Sanji teased her.
"Well, not a lot. But my family has a lot of money, so it'd only make sense for me to know these kinds of things. I wouldn't be surprised if I'd been to a luxury fundraiser with him in attendance when I was younger."
Zoro, for his part, noticed something odd happening down at the end of the car. He'd stopped in front of Hancock's group, talking them up for a few seconds. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could see the look of fear and disgust in Hancock's eyes, before a general sense of dejection as she got up and followed the man out of the car.
"I don't really give a shit either way, I guess." Zoro shrugged, readjusting himself after the crash between the two. "Just... I wouldn't tell Luffy, if I were you."
"Tell me what?" The crew looked back to see Luffy, with a salty pretzel in his hand. And when Luffy looked towards them, complete with an injured Usopp amongst them, any sense of joviality left his eyes. "What happened?!"
Hancock Gorgon had expected this day to come for a long time, but she certainly wasn't happy about it.
The scenery rolled by her and Charlos as they looked out beyond the railing of the train's observation deck. It was big enough to fit two sets of tables for two, but since no one else was out there, it just made more sense to lean against the end railing instead of trying to squeeze into already slim chairs. For the two of them, fitting into the chairs would be especially difficult.
Charlos' reason was obvious, and it wasn't as though he hid it, either. No one would dare mention it to his face, but the pig-like man was smart enough to recognize he wasn't some muscular god or something like that. Hancock, on the other hand, was just... grand. She was taller than many of the girls at her school, the only exceptions she could think of at the top of her head being one of her sisters. She was also decently muscular, enough to at least accent the curves of her body.
But she and every other guy at school knew exactly what was 'massive' about her, and she resented it. That, combined with her tall figure and sharp face, made it impossible to not charm men. The only thing she could do at this rate was use her gifts to her advantage; she could get discounts at stores, if not just getting men looking for another notch in their bedpost to buy things for her outright. And whenever they would think they were close... cut them off, and ruin their day, if not their week or month. She'd heard every pick-up line under the sun and knew every type of scum just by the spot on her body they'd stare at first.
And she would never let another man pull the wool over her eyes again... not after him.
But next to her, as a gross young man ogled at her without consent, she knew he would be harder to get rid of than most. He was a powerful person, with connections to the top of the world's hierarchies. She remembered when she was younger, and her parents would drag her out to parties where only the lowest of the low would be... and the snot-filled nobody that wouldn't stop bothering her.
"It's great to see you again, Hancock."
She just stared at him stonily. He, in turn, feigned a hurt expression.
"Don't ignore me, Hancock. You'll hurt my feelings."
"Can we just get this over with? My friends are waiting for me."
"Those sluts aren't your friends, and you know it. I've never known you as the friend-making type, especially since we were kids."
"Don't mention my childhood. You'll soil it even more than my parents already have."
"That's not how I remember it... I remember the first time you came to a party of my father's, you had such a bright smile about you. Said you would just love to spend your days with me."
"That was when I was just a small child... and before I realized what a sickening pig you are."
Charlos' eye twitched a bit. "You had better watch what you say. Your parents aren't here to protect you now, and I always get what I want. You know my father isn't one to be trifled with, so if I say I want you, you will be mine."
"I'm not one of your family's fucking slaves!" Hancock bursts out, before trying to make her way away from the man. Without hesitation, he grabbed her wrist and thrust her on the handrail. It wasn't like she didn't have the strength to break free from his grip. But, if she overexerted herself... she could only imagine the danger she'd be in if she injured Charlos.
"You will be mine, Hancock." He said menacingly, staring into her distraught eyes with disgusting conviction. "And nothing will change that."
Suddenly, the carriage door from behind burst open, and a voice called from behind the two of them.
"Hey, asshole!"
Charlos released Hancock from his grip and the two turned around, both seeing Luffy standing in the doorway. His eyes, usually filled with warmth and whole-hearted conviction, were cold. Hancock could immediately see a menacing conviction on par with the wealthy and powerful Charlos, just coming from a teenager in a blue button-up and sandals. To both, the fashion sense of a straw hat was a bit odd, especially for an indoor train, but Charlos had other things on his mind.
"We don't need anyone interrupting us, kid." Charlos snorted. "Get lost."
"You hit my friend."
"Well, I've hit quite a lot of people today, so you're going to have to be more specific." He said sharply, as though Luffy interrupting them was more annoying than the thought of all the harm he caused others just within a day.
Luffy cracked his knuckles dangerously, taking a step closer to the duo. Charlos just simply glared down at them without fear.
"It seems you don't know who I am, so let me make myself clear. You won't hit me, or I'll make sure you and everyone you know will suffer beyond your wildest imaginations. Now, you're going to let me and my woman, Hancock, pass, and you're not going to do anything about it, or else-"
Hancock, using the light monologue as a moment to escape, just barely lunged forward before being thrust back to the railing once more. As though Luffy wasn't even there, Charlos shoved her back further into the railing and caressed her arm, almost as though petting an animal.
"I said you will be mine. You will walk with me to my carriage. You will hold my hand and smile, like a woman beside me should. You'll stay with me for however long I want now, because you're going to be my girlfriend, and nothing will change that!"
"No!" Just before Hancock could pull out her full strength, and break free of Charlos' grip, Luffy stepped close and clasped his wrist. With Luffy's heavy grasp, the chubby man lurched in pain and let go of Hancock. Without hesitation, she dashed towards the carriage door. Only with the safety of distance between her and the monstrous pig, she looked back to see the altercation play out.
"You little shit!" Charlos snarled, before pacing himself back a step or two. It wasn't enough for Luffy to let go of the attachment between them, but with his other hand, Charlos pulled out a thin pistol. "I'll fucking kill you. I'll kill you so slowly that your begging will only serve as a prelude to true suffering!
The hand Luffy used to hold Charlos was a blur as it snapped the gun out of his hand, flinging it out of the deck and far into the distance. The train flew onwards, leaving Charlos' only available weapon further away with each passing second.
"Wha-?!" Before Charlos could bring his focus back to Luffy, he was slammed in the chin with a fist. Clasping his split, bleeding lip, he wobbled around before another lightning-quick punch dug right through his nose.
Hancock could only stare in a bewildered daze. In all her time knowing elitist pricks such as Charlos, she'd never once seen one of them get their comeuppance. This was for good reason; many of them were powerful, and would bring dangerous consequences to those who thought they could mess with them. By that logic, it was nothing short of fucking cathartic to see a man as disgusting as Charlos be blasted through by someone outside of their bubble, consequences be damned.
And for Luffy, consequences were truly to be damned. He didn't do anything earlier because Gally just wasn't worth it. He was just a creep who didn't know boundaries, and both him and Sanji were sure enough to know Silk having someone in her corner would make them back off.
But this asshole certainly deserved a punch or two. The forcefulness and pure lack of free will he'd been presenting to the girl beside him made Luffy sick, to the point where one strong punch might not be enough. And this wasn't even considering the lack of respect he'd treated Usopp with, just for standing in his way.
"I don't give a shit what this is about… but you don't mess with my friends!"
With the shock of two sucker-punches blasting through the man, he stumbled backwards until he hit the railing, and tumbled over the side. Hancock lurched forward, looking out to see if he was alright, but the fear was quickly replaced with relief as he comically tumbled next to the railing before plummeting into a muddy ditch. Charlos slipped and slid in gross, muddy dirt before looking up, watching as the train shrink further and further away from him.
Glancing over to Luffy, Hancock could only see distaste on his face. He was satisfied, but he certainly wasn't happy.
"D-do you realize what you just did?" Hancock whispered softly.
"I punched that guy?" Luffy asked, not realizing she asked the question metaphorically. "I might have also… flung him off the train. Which wasn't my goal, but I couldn't exactly help it."
"His father is a powerful man. He could have you imprisoned… or worse."
"I don't regret it; he was a jerk. He hurt my friend, and he was just telling you what to do. Who does that?"
"Oh?"
Hancock's impression of Luffy wavered in his comment about her. Maybe he was just another man looking to get her attention, trying to be the hero in an obvious case of needing to be rescued. She wouldn't put it past a man to make up a motive just to join in the fray, and his moves in combat were flashy enough to make anyone impressed, if that was what he was going for.
"You alright? He had his hammy hands all over you." Luffy spoke matter-of-factly, glaring over her uncovered arms. She pulled them back towards her torso, bracing for him to be just as over her as Charlos was.
"Yes, I'm alright."
"Oh. Cool." Almost as though he was distracted within the half a second it took Hancock to respond, Luffy shuffled over to the railing where Charlos fell off, only to get lost in the evening colors filling the sky. "Wow. This is nice… but it's a terrible seat. You got a lousy ticket?"
"What?"
"Are you out here 'cause' you got a bad ticket? It looks uncomfortable."
"No, they didn't make me sit out here. They wouldn't dare…"
"Oh. So where are you sitting?"
"The last carriage."
"I thought this was the last carriage?"
'Is he serious?' Hancock questioned, taken back by his idiodic innocence.
"The last passenger carriage."
"Oh! Me too!" Luffy leapt up, looking into her eyes with child-like glee while letting out a small chuckle.
'He has a cute laugh.' Hancock thought, before she realized her cheeks were warm. Was she ill?
"Well, I got to get back to my friends. Are you coming?"
"Uh… no. I think I'll just… take in the fresh air."
"Alright. See you around!" Before Hancock even realized it, Luffy was at the door, giving her a friendly wave.
"Wait!" Just before Luffy disappeared into the door, Hancock called him back outside. Turning around, Luffy gave her a blank stare that solidified to her that he really wasn't going to attempt to talk to her further. "What's your name again?"
"I'm Luffy!" He said with a gleeful smile.
"Thank you, Luffy."
Luffy waved his hand with childish exaggeration, incredibly bashful and unexpecting of the thanks. "You're welcome-! Ah… what's your name?"
Hancock's eyes went wide, the silence between them stretching out in equal measure.
"Do you… not know who I am?"
"Uh…" Luffy spent a few seconds struggling in his mind, trying to remember if the gross pig man he punched said her name. "Hand… sock?"
Any fears about Luffy's actions being immoral were thrown to the side with this comment. For once, Hancock realized she could just leave a conversation with a man as it was, without worrying if he was out to get something from her.
"Hancock. Hancock Gorgon. I'm a senior at Grand Line High."
"Yeah! I go there too! Maybe I'll see you around?" Luffy asked a question, but from his shuffling to get back inside, Hancock could tell once again that he just wanted to get back to his friend.
She didn't even want to respond fully, just giving him a satisfactory nod for him to leave the conversation. Hancock just watched him until the door swung behind him. Her heart was beating faster than it should have, meeting a man who wasn't like anyone else. But, she would have to make sure. He's going to Grand Line High, huh? She'd have to keep an eye out for him.
'Maybe I will see you again, Luffy.'
BTS (Behind the Scenes) CH.4 -
This was one heck of a chapter to write, and not just because of the chapter itself. I spent some time polishing the original three chapters and making sure that I had long-term plans for each of the Straw Hats. This story isn't going to be massive, but I'm not letting a single aspect of what was originally planned be slack in comparison to what came before. The confrontations with Kuro and Arlong will feel like season finales of your favorite TV shows, I swear it!
Oddly enough, in the original story, the characters never actually go to the New World Mega-Plaza! They make the trip out there, but the next time we see them is on their way back. We do get context as to what happened on that trip later in the story, but in order to make this chapter feel more like an event, the characters got the time to explore the massive complex. I based the mall on the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and while I'd never been there, everything about it sounded so large and over-the-top that I knew it'd be the perfect model for the New World Mega-Plaza.
Since I already knew ahead of time that Usopp and Kaya were going to have to have space away from the chaos of the rest of the friend group, and Zoro had spoken about noticing Hancock later on in the original story, I knew I wanted a Sanji/Luffy buddy story for a third plotline in the mall. I didn't know what to do at first, but then I remembered that One Piece had a test chapter with a girl named Silk and a pirate named Gally, of the crescent-moon pirates. I thought it would be a good idea to parallel Luffy's mindset with two similar scenarios, but one being much more dramatic and important. Gally was a one-off, a Bellamy, if you will. He really wasn't even worth it. But Luffy could just tell that Charlos was worth it.
The scene on the train was actually pretty similar to what was in the original story, besides some grammar and context changes. The author had Bonney show up (for reasons I still can't put my head around) just to recreate the bit of her stopping Zoro from clobbering Charlos, then just immediately leaves. In my version, since we had Kaya here, might as well give her some more context. Of course someone like her from a rich family would know about Charlos.
Similarly to how I worked on editing the last three chapters while fully writing this one, I'm going to try and write the next few episodes in a batch. That way, I can confirm in the grand scale of things we're not forgetting about anybody (more Nami incoming, yay!), as well as better foreshadow immediate plot beats, like how the ending of one chapter can lead into the next and so on. Thank you to all the great reviews so far, and if you're curious about anything, please engage with a comment or even a PM. I love talking about the story and ways to improve it. I don't have a proofreader, so this is all for me.