Some of the towns people noticed Luffy standing on the platform. "Whoa, someone's on the execution platform!" A man shouted.
"Who the heck is that?" Another person shouted as well.
"That old man said that this is where it all happened twenty-two years ago the king of the pirates was executed right here." Luffy murmured to himself.
"Hey, you, up there!" Luffy looked down and saw that it was a Marine admiral shouting at him through a megaphone. "Get down from there immediately!"
"But why?" Luffy asked, shouting back.
"You are standing on an execution platform that belongs to the world government. Now, get down from there right now!" The soldier warned him.
"Fine, I'll come down, but first you got to say the magic words and smile too!" Luffy shouted back, grinning.
"I'm not playing! I'll arrest you if you don't come down!" The Marine soldier shouted, getting irritated. Before he could take a step, a giant iron spiked club came down and smashed the soldier across his face, knocking him out.
"Now's not the time for such trifles. Long time no see, Luffy. I've been looking for you." The woman looked up at Luffy.
"Huh?" Luffy stared at her, wondering who she was.
"Now that's just rude. You mean to tell me that of all people you have forgotten my face?" The woman asked. The towns people were completely overwhelmed by her beauty.
"Wow, she's absolutely gorgeous!" A man shouted.
"Oh, wow! I've never seen such pure beauty!" Another one shouted.
"Her skin looks so deliciously soft!" A woman commented.
"I'm pretty sure that we haven't even met. Who are you?" Luffy asked the woman.
"I'll never forget you. You were the first man who ever truly struck me." She answered.
"What? I've never hit you!" Luffy exclaimed, now even more confused than ever. The towns people turned their attention back to Luffy, glaring at him, whispering to themselves.
"Where's that loudmouth sister of yours?" The woman asked Luffy. Luffy frowned.
"Listen lady, you're starting to get annoying. Who are you?" He asked again, getting more annoyed and creeped out by this woman.
"When you struck me with your passionate fist. It felt good." The woman rubbed her belly, stroking it, chuckling. Luffy stared at this woman even more weirded out. "Listen up, boys. What would all of you say is the most beautiful sight in the whole East Blue?" Nami... Luffy thought to himself as she appeared in his mind. His eyes widened. Where did that come up? Of course, she's cute and all, but Nami was his friend! Luffy shook his head, shaking the image of Nami out of his head.
"That would be you!" All of the town's people shouted at once.
"That's correct, I am quite breath taking, am I? There isn't man alive who wouldn't crumble before my beauty. But I prefer strong men, like you. I'm going to make you all mine, Luffy. Just you wait." She told Luffy. Luffy cringed in disgust.
"Aw, gross. No way! Just who the hell are you?!" He shouted.
"You still haven't figured it out?" The woman said.
"This is the police! Put your weapon down and come quietly! I am placing you under arrest for assaulting a police captain! As for you up there, get off that platform!" Another Marine soldier shouted, with more soldiers with him.
"Hold on, who did you say you were arresting?" The woman asked him.
"W-We're arresting you!" The soldier sputtered.
"Are you really going to arrest me?" The woman asked again. All of the soldiers gulped nervously.
"We've got a big problem here, sir. She's too beautiful!" One of the soldiers shouted.
"I really don't give a damn!" The Marine argued. "Just arrest her!"
"D-Do we really have to?" Another soldier asked.
"Here comes a surprise!" Something shot out, crashing into the soldiers, knocking them down and destroying the town square fountain. Some pieces from the fountain came flying, heading straight towards the woman.
"Watch out, miss!" A man shouted. But, just as the fountain piece reached her, it surprisingly slipped right past her, crashing into a building, instead. Everyone stared in shock.
"Did that just-!?" A man exclaimed.
"It slipped right past her!" Another man stammered.
"Oh man, that's weird!" Luffy shouted. A cloaked man stepped up as he headed towards the woman, laughing.
"That little stunt was dangerous, you know?" The woman replied.
"I'm flashily sorry, but your smooth skin is unharmed, of course. So, there's no need for trouble, fearless Alvida." He said to her.
"Wait a minute, Alvida?" Luffy questioned, staring at the woman. He looked at her again. Wasn't Alvida huge? This can't be her. "I don't see Alvida!"
"Don't be so dense, you dimwit! I'm Alvida!" Alvida shouted.
"Are you sure? Cause I don't think you're her." Luffy replied, frowning, still confused. Alvida laughed.
"I guess I real do change after eating a fruit called Smooth-Smooth Fruit. No attack hurts my skin because it slides right off. Unfortunately, a lonely fruit can improve my already stunning good looks. One big change for me of course was that I lost my freckles." Alvida explained.
"Sure, that must be it." Luffy replied, still not believing her.
"After becoming a whole new person, I decided to join forces with someone who shared a goal of finding you." Alvida said.
"Now that I've flashily made my entrance, behold the real star of the show!" Buggy pulled his cloak off revealing himself. His crew members pulled off their cloaks, revealing themselves as well. "Monkey D. Luffy, ever since the day we've met, I've been obsessed in exacting my revenge on you. That alone lead me to finally finding my crew. My trap has been sprung. I went through hell, past friendships, I even lost parts of my body. My wildest tale of Tiny Buggy's adventure-Wait, why am I even telling you this story!?"
"Don't know. Now what was your name again? Buggy, Boogy, Baggy? Oh, I know! Buffoon!" Luffy grinned. Buggy's mouth dropped in shock.
"B-Buffoon? You've got a lot of nerve, you bastard! And now Buggy the Clown is going to make you pay for that!" The clown pirate captain growled, angrily. The towns people gasped as they stared at the pirates with wide eyes, trembling.
"H-Hey, that's Buggy the Clown!" A man shouted in fear.
"Pirates!" Another one cried out. The townspeople quickly scrambled as they tried to run away.
"IT'S THE BUGGY PIRATES!"
"You people flashily stay where you are! I want every single one of you to see exactly how scary I can be." Buggy threatened.
"Oh, yeah, Buggy, right?" Luffy said, now realizing who Buggy was.
"You mean you just now remembered that?!" Buggy exclaimed. Suddenly, Luffy fell over as he was pushed down onto the platform. His head and hands were now trapped in a stockade.
"Hey! What gives?!" Luffy cried out.
"Long time no see, rubber freak. How's your pal, Roronoa Zoro?" Luffy looked up to see Kabuji standing over him with a grin.
"Got him! Good job, Kabuji!" Buggy shouted. He grinned evilly and made a crazed laugh. "To all of my followers hundreds and billions of them from around the world we will now begin a public execution! You're trapped, Monkey D. Luffy. You can't move so much as a head! Tell me straw hat, feel honored? You'll die in the same place as the king of the pirates!"
"The barometric pressure is falling fast. I've never seen such a sharp drop before." Nami said. She was looking at her barometer. Aya looked up and saw that the clouds were drifting a little faster than usual and for some reason she felt the humidity in the air as well, picking up. It felt strange, but almost familiar.
"You know, I thought I felt something strange." Sanji said.
"There's a storm heading straight for the island." Nami explained.
"A storm?" Usopp asked.
"Yeah, we better head back to the ship or we'll be in big trouble." Nami replied.
"Is it going to be big?" Usopp asked, nervously.
"Hey." The group stopped and turned their heads to see Zoro as he walked over to them.
"Zoro!" Aya called out to him.
"Where is he? Have you guys seen him around?" The swordsman asked everyone.
"You mean, Luffy?" Usopp asked.
"Yeah, we got separated and I keep getting this feeling. It's not good, it usually means that there's something bad going happen." Zoro replied. Aya felt the air slowly beginning to pick up and glanced up to see some dark clouds above, not too far off. Suddenly, everyone heard a scream.
"Pirates are here! Buggy the Clown!" Everyone looked and saw several people running from where the town square was.
"What did they say?" Nami asked.
"I think they said Buggy." Zoro replied.
"What?" Aya answered, surprised.
Smoker was walking up some stairs with Tashigi, to get to the square when a soldier came running up to them. "Well, sir, it isn't just Straw Hat Luffy, it's also Buggy the Clown and Iron Club Alvida. They're all there, wanted pirates from the East Blue. They've taken over our town's square!" The soldier reported to Smoker.
"They do all of this right in front of me. Why those arrogant scum bags." Smoker growled.
"Captain Smoker, what are your orders?" The soldier asked him.
"Send unit number one out to the sea then have unit number two surround the pirates in the streets The rest will standby within shooting range in the square. See that it's done." Smoker told him.
"Sir!" The soldier nodded, saluting. Smoker continued. "And give this order to unit one, they are to crush any pirate should they see them. I don't want a single one of those wretched pirates to get off of this island, not a single one."
"It's time for the execution!" A man exclaimed, gleefully. More dark clouds thundered as they came floating in, ominously.
"Buggy the Clown is going to kill Straw Hat Luffy!" A another man shouted.
"T-There going to execute him?!" Usopp stammered.
"That freaking idiot!" Nami shouted.
"Let's go!" Zoro shouted.
"Hold this!" Sanji quickly released the fish, letting Usopp carry by himself. He stumbled as he tried to carry it.
"I'm coming too!" Aya shouted.
"Sanji!" Usopp shouted. "Aya! Wait!"
"Treat it like a lady, you got that!" Sanji shouted. The three ran off, heading towards the square.
"Come on, we've got to hurry!" Nami shouted, dragging the sniper away by the strap of his overalls.
"Where are we going, Nami?!" Usopp exclaimed.
"The harbor, you numb skull!" Nami shouted.
"Harbor? Oh, yeah, I knew that." The sniper replied.
"Captain Smoker, look!" A soldier handed Smoker a pair of binoculars. He looked inside of it and saw Luffy on top of the platform, pinned down.
"It's that kid. What's he doing up there?" Smoker questioned.
"Well, if I didn't know any better, I would say that Monkey D. Luffy is about to be executed." Tashigi replied.
"That kid looks pathetic. For some reason the kid caught my intuition. I thought that he was different from the others. Looks like he's nothing but pirate scum after all." Smoker thought to himself.
"Captain, we are ready to attack." A soldier informed. But the Marine captain stopped him.
"Don't be hasty."
"But we've got them surrounded, sir!" The soldier insisted.
"I am in command, you got it?" Smoker growled, glaring at him with a cold look in his eyes.
"Y-Yes, sir." The soldier stammered, nervously.
"One pirate is about to kill another. Let them fight it out first. That'll save us the trouble. Listen, once that straw hat loses his head, we surround Buggy, Alvida and their gang and do it fast!" Smoker explained. A sharp crack of thunder rang out across the sky. Buggy laughed, manically.
"Pirate Monkey D. Luffy, of the Straw Hats, will be flashily executed for the crime of making me angry!" Buggy shouted.
"Oh boy, I've never seen an execution!" Luffy answered.
"You're about to, kid." Buggy retorted, with a dark grin on his face. Luffy's eyes widened, nearly popping out of their sockets, realizing that it was him that was going to be executed.
"WHAT?! STOP JOKING!" The straw hat captain exclaimed.
"It's no joke! Alright, I hereby flashily declare your public execution!" Buggy laughed.
"I saw a massive drop in the eastern sky. That's means an unimaginably big storm is coming our way and it's coming in fast! If Buggy and Luffy have caused a scene, then the Marines will sure to come out! And if our ship is lost out to sea when we need to escape, we're done for!" Nami explained as she and Usopp, still carrying the fish, continued to run, trying to get to the docks.
"That is a big deal." Usopp said.
"As a matter of fact, I bet the Marines have already started taken action and they'll destroy the Going Merry if they find it!" Nami shouted.
"Hold on, so you're telling me the Going Merry's in danger!?" Usopp exclaimed. Without a second thought, he quickly darted straight past her. "Come on, Nami! Hurry up!"
"WAIT FOR ME!" Nami exclaimed.
"Okay men, double time! We have to get to the harbor immediately and destroy every last pirate vessel!" A Marine soldier shouted, along with more soldiers.
"Yes, sir!" They all shouted at once.
"So, this is the rubber guy's ship, huh?" Mohji said, standing in front of the Going Merry with his lion. "Would you look at that, he's got a bigger ship. He won't need it where he's going. Cause it's almost time for Buggy to flashily finish him off! However, just in case the rubber guy, who has absolutely no chance of escaping happens to escape, we need to burn this ship down!"
"I'm so sorry, really I am. Please spare my life." Luffy deadpanned, with a bored expression in his eyes.
"Why would I spare your life!?" Buggy shouted.
"This is what happens when you go against us." Kabuji smirked.
"I guess this is it for the man I have my eye on." Alvida replied.
"You've got quite a big audience today, straw hat. You want to say a few words before you die?" Buggy asked Luffy. Luffy gritted his teeth, glaring up at Buggy. "Oh, cat got your tongue? That's alright, stay quiet or say a few words, it doesn't matter you're still going to die."
"LISTEN, I AM THE MAN WHO WILL BECOME KING OF THE PIRATES!" Luffy screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing hauntingly throughout the entire square. No one said anything, completely stunned in shock and disbelief. King of the pirates? In this very town of all places?
"We're finally here to the best part of the show, bye bye now." Buggy replied. Luffy growled in frustration, struggling to break free of the stockade, to no avail.
"Stop the execution! NOW!" Sanji shouted. Everyone saw Sanji, Zoro, and Aya not too far away as they looked up at the platform, seeing Luffy.
"Sanji, Zoro, Aya!" Luffy cried out, happy to see them.
Tashigi's eyes widened in shock, seeing him. The man that she had been with the entire time was the renowned pirate hunter, Zoro? "Z-Zoro?! Aya?!" She sputtered in surprise, shocked to see Aya as well. Smoker narrowed his eyes at Aya and smirked as the two watched the group, still hiding.
"Luffy, you idiot, guess all of that fooling around finally caught up with you, huh?" Zoro asked.
"You starting a side show or is that just how you look? Pretty sad. Now what we got to do is drive these goons away." Sanji replied.
"Why do you always get into these messes?" Aya sighed.
"N-No, it's pirate hunter Zoro! Run!" The townspeople that were being held captive ran, not wanting to get caught in the fight.
"Hey, guys!" Luffy shouted.
"You made it, Zoro, Aya, but you're just a little bit too late!" Buggy shouted at the two.
"Bring down the platform!" Zoro shouted.
"Roronoa Zoro and the traitor Aya is here as well. I can't believe it." Tashigi murmured.
"Okay, boys, get 'em!" Alvida shouted.
"Let's do it!" Several of the Buggy pirates shouted as they charged at Sanji, Zoro, and Aya. The three, slashed, kicked, and punched their away through, trying to get to the platform, to free Luffy.
"Not even the great Zoro can stop me now! This is the end for you!" Buggy laughed.
"Bastard!" Sanji growled under his breath, as he kicked a Buggy pirate down. Zoro striked a few down with his swords. "If I can just cut down the platform." Aya punched and kicked, grabbing a pirate swinging him around like a barricade, knocking a few Buggy pirates down.
"Listen, the moment that Monkey D. Luffy's head falls, we all attack together." Smoker ordered the soldiers and Tashigi. Sanji, Zoro, and Aya were trying to charge towards the platform while fighting past the other pirates. Buggy brought his sword down on Luffy's head. Sanji's, Aya's, and Zoro's eyes widened as they saw Luffy look at them with a large grin on his face.
"Zoro, Sanji, Aya, Usopp, Nami! Sorry, but I'm dead."
"Damn it!" Zoro hissed.
"Don't say that!" Sanji thought to himself.
"You idiot!" Aya shouted in her mind. "You're not dying before me!"
"His smile!" Smoker stared in shock. Suddenly, there was a loud boom as thunder struck across the skies. A large bolt of lightning flashed and struck down right on the platform, destroying it. Everyone watched in shock as they saw it came tumbling down, wondering what happened. Rain began to pour down from the skies. Beneath the rubble and metal beams, Luffy crawled out of it. Luffy's straw hat flew down and landed in front of him and he picked it up, putting it back on. To everyone's surprise, he was unharmed.
"I'm still alive!" Luffy cried out. Sanji's cigarette fell out of his mouth, still stunned at what he had just witnessed.
"Was that a sign from the divines?" The cook asked.
"Stop talking nonsense. We've gotta get out of this town. Our troubles are not over." Zoro said.
"Attack! Surround all of the pirates, now!" Smoker shouted and the Marines quickly moved trying to surround everyone in the square. The soldiers charged at the Buggy pirates who were still stunned, clashing with them.
"Here they come!" Sanji shouted.
"Oh, wow!" Luffy shouted. He dodged out of the way when a Buggy pirate almost fell back on him. "So cool!"
"Luffy!" Aya shouted, pulling him by his ear. "Come on, we don't have time for this. We got to get out of here!"
"We better hurry back to the Going Merry or we'll never leave this island. And we sure as hell won't get to the Grand Line." Sanji replied.
"Really? Well, that's no good, run!" Luffy picked up the pace, now dragging Aya as he ran.
"The Straw hats are getting away!" The soldiers shouted. Luffy, Aya, Sanji, and Zoro, pushed through the soldiers, knocking them out.
"Why did he smile? Did he know that he'll be saved? No, at the moment he was certain that his life was about to end." Smoker thought to himself.
"Captain, we have to pursue the pirates!" A Marine soldier shouted, running up to Smoker.
"Lieutenant, think back. Have you ever seen any pirate who smiled at the execution platform?" Smoker asked him.
"No, sir. It doesn't matter how tough the guy is at the moment of death, they all turn pale and die of despair." The soldier answered.
"That straw hat guy smiled. I saw it. He smiled just like Gol D. Roger, twenty-two years ago. Just like the old king of the pirates did at that exact execution platform." Smoker said.
"Captain?" The soldier questioned.
"Where's the straw hat man, now?" Smoker asked as a soldier approached him and Tashigi.
"Sir, he slipped past us and Aya, as well. The both of them are heading towards the harbor." He replied.
"Unit one should destroy their ship by now." Smoker murmured.
"Well, sir, they had to return to port for refitting. You see they couldn't unlock their powder due to sudden rain." The soldier informed him.
"What?" Smoker said in surprise.
"But a reserve unit is currently making preparations to attack the ship, instead." The soldier explained.
"Captain Smoker, if we let them sail now, they'll be able to get to the Grand Line before we could capture them!" Tashigi shouted.
"The wind is blowing towards the west. It's a carry wind for that ship. Is it mere coincidence? It's as if heaven itself has plans for those young pirates." Smoker pondered.
The four straw hats continued running, completely drenched from the rain. The winds were picking up, blowing a little harder as the storm was coming closer.
"We better pick up the pace or we're toast!" Sanji shouted.
As the rain continued to fall, a mysterious green cloaked man walked through the empty streets, almost as if teleporting with each step that he took. A flash of lightening shot in the sky. The man looked up, revealing a strange tattoo completely covering the left side of his face. He smirked as he continued walking.
"Blow winds, the storm of fate has arrived."
