Luffy and his friends were walking around, his friends obviously pissed, before they walked towards a bar.

"I need a drink." Nami said as she walked towards the door.

"What are you doing Luffy?" Zoro asked. Nami and the others looked to see Luffy glaring at the bar, that same look of hatred from before in his eyes.

"He's in there." Luffy said. The others were looking at him in confusion as his hands clenched so hard into fists that blood leaked from his palms. "Blackbeard."

"Blackbeard huh?" Zoro said as they walked in. Luffy kept his head down and his hat covering his eyes, a certain warning playing in his head.

-Flashback-

Luffy was going crazy for tomorrow to come, as it was the day he would go back and meet his friends.

"Come on old man! Hurry up and get rested! I wanna go back!" Luffy whined.

"Calm down." Phil said sternly. "If I try to tear open a hole in time again this early, I'll wear myself out before you can get through and you'll have to wait longer. Just be patient." Luffy just grumbled that he had to wait as Phil sat in a nearby chair. "Actually, before I send you back, I need to make sure you understand something."

"Like what?" Luffy asked.

"Going back to do everything over means more than seeing your friends." Phil said. "You'll be crossing paths with everyone you met before, friend AND foe. I'm worried that if you see certain people, you'll lose your mind in hatred and do something that you'll regret."

"Like what?" Luffy asked. Phil sighed, knowing that what he was going to say next wasn't pleasant, but very necessary.

"If you let your anger get the better of you when you come across certain people, it could have catastrophic consequences." Phil said. "You remember what happened when Akainu badmouthed Whitebeard?" Luffy's eyes widened in horror at his words as images of Ace running back to fight Akainu flashed through his mind. "Exactly. If you lose your head, a lot of your friends may lose theres." Luffy lowered his head in thought as he took a few deep breaths. "First get your crew stronger so that the ending will be happier."

"Right." Luffy said.

-Present-

Luffy was sitting on the barstool farthest from Blackbeard, followed by Vivi, Nami, and Zoro. Gin, Johnny, Yosaku, and Valerie sat at a nearby table close to them so they could all talk.

"I'm starting to hate this town." Nami said. "Anyone I asked laughed at me for wanting to associate with Masira."

"Well, the folks here know him." said the barkeep. "He, his brother, and the old man they hang around with don't get along with the people of this town."

"Why?" Vivi asked.

"I'm not quite sure. You'd have to meet them to find out." said the barkeep. "The Log Pose resets after 4 days, but you might want to leave before then."

"Four days, huh?" Nami said as she looked at the Log Pose on her wrist. "Then we can't stay for more than two days. Hey, can you tell me-"

"Hey, Barkeep!" roared the big man a bartstool away from Zoro. Everyone looked at the man except Luffy, who kept his head down and his fists clenched. "This cherry pie's so good, I'm gonna die!" said Blackbeard before he took a swig from his drink, then turned a little blue. "Blegh! This drink tastes like toilet water!"

'A fat hairy ape with missing teeth.' thought the crew. They turned to Luffy, who was looking at him from under his hat with hate filled eyes.

"I'm not the cook, so don't blame me." said the barkeep.

"Whatever." Blackbeard said before smiling. "I'll take 50 of those cherry pies to go."

"Is that the guy?" Vivi asked Luffy.

"Yeah. That's Blackbeard." Luffy answered.

"So he's the guy that killed one of his own crewmates on the Whitebeard Pirates and bailed?" Gin asked.

"Yeah." Luffy said as Blackbeard was given his 50 cherry pies and left. Luffy slumped forward and laid his head on the bar, relieved that he didn't have to see Blackbeard for the moment.

"So, what's the deal with him?" Nami asked. "Aside from Ace trying to find him."

"Blackbeard...is the guy who turned Ace over to the Marines." Luffy said, shocking his crew. They had seen Ace's strength, and couldn't believe that he'd lose to someone else.

"So he killed one crewmate, then turned in another?" Johnny asked.

"Why would he do that?" Yosaku asked.

"He wanted to-"

"I'm looking for a pirate with a Straw Hat!" Everyone turned towards the entrance to see a tall man in a pink shirt with a blue Captain's coat over his shoulders, tan skin, blonde unkept hair, and a grin on his face walk in.

"He's looking for you Luffy." Valerie said. "You know him?"

"Yeah. He's Bellamy." Luffy said.

"Bellamy? You mean he's the captain of those assholes at the hotel?" Gin asked as Bellamy and his crew walked in.

"What a shabby place this is." Sarquiss said before he slashed a few people, then took their seats. "Not even generous enough to offer up their seats." A lot of the people in the bar ran out in fear as Bellamy's crew all piled in while Bellamy approached where Luffy was.

"So, you're the little runt that has 48,000,000 berries on his head?" Bellamy asked as Luffy looked up at him, the rage from earlier nowhere there. Some of the patrons began looking at Luffy in shock at hearing he had a bounty like that.

"Isn't that his old bounty?" Johnny whispered as Bellamy ordered something for himself and Luffy.

"The new wanted posters must not have arrived here." Yosaku answered as the barkeep gave Bellamy and Luffy their drinks. Bellamy lifted his glass before walking towards Luffy, who lifted his glass as well.

"Thanks." Luffy said as he took a sip while his friends freaked out. Luffy didn't care what was gonna happen as Bellamy slammed Luffy's head down, breaking part of the bar in the process. Bellamy's crew began to laugh at the sight while Bellamy looked at Luffy's crew.

"And what do you punks think you're doing?" he asked as Zoro had his sword to Bellamy's throat, with Johnny, Yosaku, and Gin holding out their weapons as well.

"That's my line." Zoro growled.

"Zoro!" shouted Nami. "You promised not to fight-"

"Shut up! He's looking for a fight, so I'll give him one if wants it!" Zoro said as Luffy got up and looked at Bellamy.

"What was that for anyway, jackass?" Gin said.

"It's nothing personal. I just want to test this kid is all." Bellamy said with a grin.

"A test?" Johnny and Yosaku asked while giving him confusing glares while Bellamy's men shouted at the scene.

"Go on Bellamy!"

"Kick that shrimp's ass!"

"What kind of test involves fighting?" Vivi asked while Nami turned to the barkeep.

"Hold on!" Nami shouted. "We didn't come here for trouble! We just wanted to find someone to help us get to Sky Island!" Everyone stopped cheering and shouting as they stared at Nami.

"Did she just say Sky Island?" someone asked.

"That's right." Valerie said. "Sky Island."

"PFFFFT! HAHAHAHAHA!" The entire tavern erupted in laughter as they all pointed and laughed at Luffy and his friends.

"THEY WANNA GO TO SKY ISLAND!"

"WHAT A BUNCH OF MORONS!"

"SKY ISLAND'S A FAIRY TALE!"

"But the Log Pose is pointing straight up! See?" Nami yelled as she held up her wrist. Everyone stopped for a moment, then started laughing again.

"THE LOG'S POINTING AT THE SKY~!"

"NEWSFLASH: YOUR LOG'S BUSTED!" The laughing continued as Nami went red in embarrassment.

"You got me there kid!" Bellamy laughed as he sat down at the bar. "I can't believe you guys actually believe in that story! Considering how little you all know! Like how there are thousands of currents in the Grand Line! One of which is called the Knock-Up Stream!" He then turned to them all. "By the looks on your faces, I'm guessing you haven't." Bellamy then went on about how the powerful current of water that shoots into the sky, how the myth of the Sky Island started when sailors saw ships falling out of the sky and deduced that an island in the sky was the only reason. He then went on to say that stuff like that was nothing but fake, and that all dreams like that could be rationally explained, earning more glares from the crew while the whole tavern laughed. "Pity. I was gonna let you join my crew if you passed the test for the New Era, but you're a lost cause." he said before looking them all in the eye with a deranged grin. "The time for pirates dreams is over!" Bellamy shouted before he began to say that many great places of legend were nothing but dreams, and that those who sought them just died like fools. He then raised his fist as he said, "When I see fools that chase dreams like that, it makes me SICK!" He then punched Luffy, who just stood there and took the hit, knocking him to the floor. All but Zoro stared in shock as they looked down at Luffy, who looked back up with a blank face. "You're nothing but a weak pirate, just like they were! With you around, all us real pirates will look like nothing but trash!" he shouted as he threw his glass next to Luffy's face. Soon the whole tavern joined in and began throwing bottles and food at Luffy.

"Forget what I told you guys earlier!" Nami shouted. "Pummel these assholes!"

"Guys." Luffy said as he looked them all in the eye. "Do not fight back." Most of them were shocked, but the men quietly obeyed while the woman watched. Valerie was stone faced, Vivi looked worried, and Nami just kept yelling at them to fight back while Bellamy and his crew began to use Luffy and the men as punching bags. Each of them, whether it was because they weren't worth, or because it was an order from their captain, just took the blows while everyone laughed at them. They threw food, spat drinks in their faces, and just laughed.

"I know I said that we should usually talk, but now I wish they'd just deck these guys." Vivi said, now starting to become irritated by Bellamy and his crew as Bellamy ordered his crew to get rid of them, stating that they wear eyesores. His men smirked before one of them kicked Zoro in the face across the room, another smashed a table by throwing Gin onto it, two of them grabbed Johnny and Yosaku by their heads before smashing them into each other, and one more smashed Luffy's head through a window. Nami, Vivi, and Valerie ran towards the five of them and looked down at them as they lay on the floor bleeding.

"Come on guys! You can fight these losers!" Nami told them as she clung to Luffy's hat.

"Forget it!" Sarquiss laughed. "These wimps know that fighting against us is useless! How about you three leave these jokers and join us! We'll buy you off of them!" All three of them felt their blood boil at that.

"Did you just say that you wanted to 'buy' us?!" Nami asked as she glared at him.

"Yeah. You'll get nowhere following these lame dreamers. Come on over here." Sarquiss said. They all glared at him before Nami smirked.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid we don't associate with weaklings like you." she said. Two of the three women in the room looked at each other while the third one laughed.

"I see! Too expensive!" Sarquiss laughed.

"Take your friends and get lost!" Bellamy said. Nami and Valerie dragged Luffy, Zoro, Johnny, and Yosaku out, while Valerie helped Gin up before they both walked out as Bellamy's crew threw more food and bottles out the door. They girls were walking towards their ship with the men in their hands, each of them were angered expression on their faces.

"Sky Island exists!" All of them stopped and turned to see Blackbeard sitting on the ground eating a cherry pie. "Good cherry pie."

"You got something to say?" Nami growled as she dropped Luffy and Zoro.

"Why you upset?" he asked. "You're friends there won that fight without throwing a punch!" Luffy didn't look at him, his very voice doing nothing but angering him deep down as Blackbeard spoke. "I also liked the way you ladies handled yourselves against those brats." The men slowly started getting up and dusted themselves off as all but Luffy looked at Blackbeard. "These New Era they speak of is total shit! Pirate dreams coming to an end?! Ridiculous!" he yelled before slamming his bottle of booze onto the wooden planks of the town, catching the attention of others. "THE DREAMS OF PIRATES...NEVER DIE!" People around him were laughing with good natured smiles, asking if he was right in the head as he and Luffy finally met eye-to-eye. "Let them laugh! Guys like us who aim high are bound to come across fights that aren't worth it! Right?!"

"Let's go." Zoro said as they all began to walk away, with only Luffy staying behind to glare at Blackbeard from under his hat.

"Luffy." Nami said softly as Blackbeard stood up.

"Sorry. Looks like I stopped you." he said as he started walking away. "One more thing...I hope you find your way to Sky Island." And with that, all of them walked away from the area in different directions.

A/N: There you have it. Sorry if it doesn't make a lot of you happy, but it's what I wrote.