"Here to relieve you."
The Navy cadet practically slumped over. "Ugh, about time," he groaned, stretching. "I don't know how much more of that I could take."
The other cadet almost snorted. "Makes you think twice about joining the Navy, huh?"
"You said it. Join up for the honor and praise for stopping criminals like pirates, but get stuck with guard duty all the time. And it's not even for a some pirate or even a street thug. Just an idiotic vandal with terrible artwork." He glared at the girl inside the cell, as if it was all her fault. "Well, I'm beat. Good luck watching over the most boring place in the entire East Blue." The cadet walked off, yawning widely.
The other cadet immediately slumped over upon taking his post, letting out a long sigh.
The girl inside the cell watched the first cadet go carefully, making sure he was out of sight. Then she slowly got to her feet. It had taken her a little while to move with the manacles on. But now, with them wrapped tightly between her hands, she could walk without them making a sound.
Then, she pushed the cell door open without any effort.
The guard on duty looked up, confused for a second. "Wha-" he started right up until the girl ran at him, punching him hard across the face and knocking him out cold.
She had picked the cell's lock hours ago, while the first guard had been napping on duty. Then she'd just bided her time until an opening came along. Too easy.
Now it was time to finish her mission. Or die trying.
"What do you mean you don't know where to go?"
"I'm sorry!" Coby said. "All I know is that Zoro is being held prisoner at some Marine Base. I have no idea where."
"Well, since we have no food or water here, we're going to have to stop at the next island we see. Maybe there we can find out more about Zoro. If your heart is set on him joining the crew," Shang-Chi checked.
"Yep!" Luffy nodded firmly. "If what you say about him is true, then he'll be perfect. I need to find out if he's willing to join or not."
"Alright then." Personally, given what he himself had heard about the man, Shang-Chi wasn't against Zoro joining either. But getting to him would be a bit of a problem. He hoped that he wasn't awaiting execution or anything since that would put a time crunch on them seeing him. Also he would die, which was way worse for him.
"If I remember correctly, there should be an island nearby. I saw it on a map when boarding the Lady Mary. It's called…um…Lothal, I think. There's a small town there and even a Marine outpost."
"Really?" Coby gasped.
"Hey, maybe Zoro's there too," Luffy said eagerly.
"I don't think so. From what I saw on it, it seemed to be more of a research base. Not many guards or higher officers there. I don't think they'd keep someone like Zoro prisoner there."
"Oh, that's too bad."
"But maybe I can join up there," Coby said hopefully.
"Yeah, maybe," Shang-Chi nodded. "Should take us about another hour I think." He took hold of the tiller, using it point them due west. Thankfully, the wind was blowing with them.
"Wow," Luffy said, amazed. "You're great out here. You mean we're actually going to reach the place we originally set out for?"
"Of course," Shang-Chi frowned. "Every sailor should have these skills. I learned it at a young age as part of my dad's training. He made sure I knew everything I could about sailing and survival on the seas. Never knew if I might become stranded and have to fend for myself."
"Wow," Coby muttered. "Your dad sounds pretty smart."
Shang-Chi puffed out some air. "Yeah, he is. I don't regret any of the training he gave me. Just…the reasoning behind it. And…" what it led to, he finished mentally. "Well, that it wasn't my choice," he said after a minute.
"So who is your dad anyway? You said he was a famous pirate," Luffy reminded him. "Maybe I've heard of him."
Shang-Chi grimaced. "I'd rather not say right now. I'll tell you eventually."
"Aw, but I wanna know!" Luffy begged, staring at him with wide eyes.
"…so what kind of crewmates are you looking for anyway?" Shang-Chi quickly asked.
Instantly, Luffy's expression changed. "Oh, well we're going to need a navigator. Probably a cook as well. Ooh, and a musician. We definitely need a musician."
Shang-Chi frowned at that last one, but at least they had changed the subject. He really didn't want to talk about who his father was yet. "A doctor too," he added.
"Oh yeah, we'll probably need one of those since I'm sure we'll be getting into lots of fights. And a bender."
"Bender?" Shang-Chi questioned.
"Well yeah. Probably a waterbender to save me if I fall in the water, you know."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Shang-Chi nodded.
"Huh?" Coby questioned. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Those who have consumed a Devil Fruit are forever cursed by the sea, as the legend goes," Shang-Chi explained. "Basically, anyone who eats a Devil Fruit will lose the ability to swim."
"Whoa, really?"
"Yep!" Luffy nodded. "Once I hit the water, I lose all my energy and sink to the bottom. That's why a waterbender would be pretty handy on the crew."
"Not a bad idea, but I'm sorry to say there aren't many waterbenders in this part of the world," Shang-Chi told him. "They mostly stay close to the poles. There are a few kingdoms in the North and South Blue and there might even be some scattered across the Grand Line but I can't think of any. In terms of the other ones, firebenders mainly keep to their own nation in the West Blue and airbenders, well they're practically extinct after what happened a century ago. You'd be lucky to even find one."
"Aw," Luffy sulked. But then a second later he perked up again. "Wait, that's only three right?" he said, counting them on his fingers. "I thought there were four?"
"Yeah, earthbenders. We might have more luck finding one of them, they have several more cities here and on the Grand Line. But getting one to come on a ship will be tricky since they prefer to stay on the ground where they're strongest."
"Well, I'll just have to convince one then," Luffy nodded firmly. "And for the rest of the crew, just plenty of fighters I guess. I don't know. I'll know them when I see them."
Shang-Chi smiled. "That's a solid enough plan." He looked around at their dingy boat. "We'll probably need a real ship eventually. This thing won't last five seconds getting into the Grand Line much less the sea itself."
"Huh, wonder where you'll manage to get a ship big enough," Coby wondered.
"We'll find one, don't worry," Luffy laughed. "First thing's first. We need to get some food. Cause I'm hungry!"
"Just a little longer," Shang-Chi promised. "Judging by those birds over there," he gestured, "the island should be pretty close. We'll grab something to eat, dig up any information we can on Zoro, and hopefully drop Coby off at the Marine base."
"Wow, really, thank you," Coby said happily.
"Sure, not a problem," Luffy told him. "Of course, we'll have to avoid the Marines. But you go there and follow your dream. Now let's go! Full speed ahead, Shangy!"
"Still not my name!"
The girl snuck down the hallway, keeping an ear out. There shouldn't be any guards about at this time of day. It was lunchtime, so they would all be in mess hall right now, but one never really knew. She had already been forced to hide three times. If she was found out, her chance of success would obviously diminish significantly. But it seemed luck was on her side as there was no one in sight. She carefully made her way to the main courtyard.
As she walked, she spotted the large framed poster on the wall with the word JUSTICE emblazoned across it. When she had first come here, she had thought that it stood for something. That it was privilege to be here. But now, just looking at it filled her with rage. These people didn't understand what the word meant. She was tempted to tear it down but contained herself. Instead, she ignored the painting and walked towards one of the doors. She fiddled with the handle but it was locked, like she expected. She pulled out her lock picks and a few seconds later, the door opened up. Inside, lying on a table, was all her gear.
When she had arrived here, she knew they would confiscate all her belongings. And she knew this would be the room they'd put it in. She was just grateful that the commander in charge hadn't had the chance to see it yet since they would probably be able to recognize her armor. Then her chance would be gone.
She looked through it all carefully and breathed out in relief that it was all there. Helmet, breastplate, shoulder pads, kneepads, and boots, all specially decorated in her flamboyant art style of red, yellow, orange, and purple. It took a few minutes, but she got it all on. From head to toe, she was outfitted. The last bit was the helmet which she slipped on over her purple highlights, letting out a small sigh as she did. After everything that had happened, it felt like coming home.
She also took out her self-designed pistols, putting them to her armor's holsters.
"Ok," she said to herself. "Time for phase 2."
"We're here!" Luffy cried out as they docked. "Now we can get some food!"
Lothal was a small island with a small town, most of it farmland stretching out. Couldn't have been more than a thousand people living there. The most attractive part was the Marine base right in the middle of the town though since he was a pirate, Shang-Chi didn't care for it much.
"Do you have any money to pay for the food?" Shang-Chi asked as he tied the dock.
"Uh…" Luffy took a second to look through his pockets. "Nope."
"Didn't think so. Here," he handed some Berries over. "That should be enough. I'll go see what I can find out about Zoro and where he's being kept."
"W-what should I do?"
Both looked at Coby with curious expressions. "What do you mean? I thought you wanted to be a Marine? So go and sign up," Luffy told him.
"Well…I don't know if I'm ready yet," Coby said nervously.
"If you keep waiting to be ready, you'll never be ready," Shang-Chi said. "But whatever. You can come with me until you feel ready if you want."
They split up, Luffy heading for the market as fast as he could while Shang-Chi and Coby walked up the main street, just looking around for the time being. Shang-Chi had already decided that they would need a map and a compass to help navigate. Hopefully someone at that shop would know about Zoro.
He was able to get the items easily but the show owner, while knowing of Zoro, had no clue as to where he was. "Somewhere nearby, I think," he'd said.
"That sort of narrows it down," Shang-Chi muttered, looking at the map. "Hey Coby, since you're such a Marine fanboy, you think you can tell me where all the Marine bases nearby are?"
"Uh, sure. The closest would be in Shells Town, here," he pointed on the map. "But I'm not sure about that one. The things I've heard about Captain Morgan don't make him sound too pleasant."
"Hmm, well, it is close. It's in the Yotsuba Island Region as well. Actually," Shang-Chi looked at the map, calculating the distance, "it's only a few hours from here. Huh, wonder why there are two Marine bases so close to each other."
"Oh, I can answer that. Since the base here is a research base, they just do a lot of testing and developing. The one in Shells Town is a real outpost for protection. If this base is threatened, then the forces there would come to protect it."
"You really are a fanboy, aren't you? Well, good to know." Shang-Chi looked up at the base. It did kind of look like a research base with its dome base and weird metal poles sticking out of the roof. "Wonder what kind of things they're developing there?"
The girl stifled the urge to grunt as she moved, trying to be as quiet as possible. It might have been a better idea to have changed into her armor later since it was difficult to move in here with it on. But, of course, she wouldn't have any time after this.
She was in the air ducts, crawling carefully so as not to make a noise. She did think it was a good idea to bring the bag along, using it as a muffler between her armor and the metal walls, though it did make her slip a little bit. But the other stuff she was bringing made it so much harder.
Almost there, she thought to herself. Just a little more.
She could hear some voices from below, maybe other guards on duty or the scientists getting to work. She had once been one of them, proud to design weapons and armaments for the Navy. A proud research Marine cadet who had managed to come up with weapons and machines to bring an end to the fighting in her home.
Until she'd learned the truth. That she'd created a horrible device that would bring nothing but death and destruction. A weapon that had to be destroyed, no matter what. A weapon that had torn her family apart.
A weapon that was in this facility.
She almost regretted speaking up as she had, knowing how it would end. But she couldn't not do it. She had to at least try, to see if her words would have any impact, to see if they could change what was happening. But, like she had suspected, they'd had no effect. They didn't care about morality, just results. Their absolute justice at work. And she was sick to think she'd been part of it.
So she'd ran. Fled from the Marines to make a new life. But she couldn't get that new life just yet. Not until this job was done. It had taken some digging, but she'd found the base where they were holding her project. Now she just had to destroy it.
This would officially end her career and her dream as well as sever all ties with her family. But she was way past caring. Screw them for what they'd made her do and for what they were doing. And screw her family too. They deserved any punishment coming their way as well.
She made the final turn and spotted the grate ahead. With a heave, still quiet, she made it and breathed in relief at the sight. The grate led right into the main laboratory of the base where the best projects were kept. And hers qualified as it was directly below the grate.
She pulled up all the other stuff she had been carrying, holding the small barrel of gunpowder and the match cord above the grate.
"I always did like making things go boom!" she said, smiling to herself, preparing to lower it all down.
"Alright, I think we need to come up with a new plan," Shang-Chi said. They had tried a dozen different people but no one had any clue as to where Zoro was.
"I'm sure someone here knows," Coby said.
"Yeah, well, I'm not going to keep asking every single person on this island until we find them. We just need to find someone who would keep up with that sort of thing. Another swordsman maybe. Or a fanboy. Or a…" he stopped, and nearly smacked himself for being so idiotic. How had he not thought of it before?
"Or a what?" Coby asked.
"Or a Marine," Shang-Chi pointed to the Navy solider walking down the street. "If anyone has information on which Marine base Zoro's being held, it would be a Marine."
"Yeah, that makes sense, but…I mean, you're a pirate! He would arrest you."
"He has no idea I'm a pirate," Shang-Chi shrugged. "So that shouldn't be a problem. Besides, now you get to meet a real-life Marine. Come on, let's go."
"Wait, now?"
"Sure." Not waiting for him, Shang-Chi walked right on up to the Navy soldier. "Excuse me," he said. "Do you mind if I trouble you for a moment."
"Huh?" the soldier asked. He seemed on the young side, probably some sort of cadet if Shang-Chi were to guess. "Uh sure."
"Great. I was wondering if you could tell me where the infamous pirate hunter Zoro might be held. I'd heard he was captured and couldn't help but be curious."
"Zoro, huh?" the Marine scratched his chin for a moment. Then he looked at Shang-Chi suspiciously. "Why do you want to know anyway?"
"Oh, my brother and I have a bet going on," Shang-Chi explained, his excuse at the ready. He pointed over at Coby. "I personally think Zoro's too good to ever be captured but my brother believes that the Navy would be far too strong for him."
"Ha!" the Marine laughed. "Well, you'd be right kid. We've got that sorry excuse for a swordsman locked down at the nearby base in Shells Town. Maybe you should place more faith in the Marines like your brother there."
Shang-Chi laughed with him. "Maybe you're right. Thanks man. Appreciate it."
"No problem. And hat's off to you kid," the Marine said to Coby. "No one's strong enough to beat the Navy. So thanks for believing in us."
"Oh…um…thank you!" Coby blushed deeply and bowed. The Marine blinked before laughing again and walking away.
"Well, apart from your awkward goodbye, that went very well," Shang-Chi nodded. "We got our info and plus, got you in good graces with at least that guy. Good start to your journey."
"Wait, you did that for me?" Coby's eyes started welling up again.
"Don't get all mushy over it. Consider it a parting gift. Now, all we need to do is find Luffy. So, where could he be?"
The girl stared up at the banner again. Justice. How much she hated that word.
She should be leaving right now. She literally had seconds until the explosive went off, destroying her project and probably setting fire to the lab. Then all the guards would be swarming and escape would be nearly impossible.
But the temptation was just too strong.
She reached into her belt pocket and pulled out a can of spray paint, a recent invention that she absolutely loved. She shook the can and got to work, letting the colors fly across the banner.
Her parents had called it a pointless hobby that she should have outgrown. Her brother claimed it was completely unnecessary and that she should be focusing on what was important. But she didn't care what they said. She was an artist at heart. And she'd make sure this one left an impact.
That was how she'd gotten herself here in the first place. She couldn't walk in anymore after running from the Marines and she couldn't sneak in given the amount of guards on duty. But getting captured on purpose for something as lame as graffiti art? Yeah, that would get her in without putting the base on high alert. And, thanks to her lock picking skills, she'd been out in a jiffy with almost no one the wiser.
Another few seconds and she was done. She stepped back to admire it. "I think that's some of my best work yet," she said to herself.
"Hey, who are you?"
She froze and turned, seeing a Marine soldier a few feet away. He looked at the banner and gaped in shock. "Wha-what did you do to the banner?"
"I fixed it," she replied.
"How dare you! That is the symbol of Navy pride you worthless scumbag! To paint over it with such…horrifying imagery is just-"
"Hey!" the girl complained. "That's some of my best work."
"You dare!" he roared, lifting his rifle up. The girl readied her own guns, preparing to fire.
BOOM!
It wasn't a large explosion. But it was big and loud enough to do the job, coming right from the direction of the lab. She reveled in that sound, it lifting her up. It had worked. Her project was gone. The Navy would never be able to use it. For now, her people were safe.
"What?" the soldier turned in surprise. The girl instantly fired, striking him in the shoulder and bringing him down.
"Later!" she called out and started running. But she didn't make it very far before she spotted a platoon of troops heading her way. "Ok, not this way." She backpedaled and ran down another corridor only to find troops coming from there as well. "Or this way."
"Nowhere to run!" one of them called out. "And nowhere to h-"
The girl reached into her belt pockets and tossed several small round objects around. They clattered on the ground before rolling to a stop right in front of the Marines.
"Bombs!"
They all exploded outward in large colorful explosions, completely obscuring the hallways with red, green, and blue smoke. The Marines coughed and shouted, not able to see a thing. But the girl, with her helmet on, moved easily through it, making her way out to a side courtyard.
Just a hop over that wall and she'd be out of here. Only problem was, the courtyard was filled with Marines as well.
"Stop where you are!" the commander ordered.
"I suppose you want me to put my hands up too?"
"I recognize that armor," the commander growled. "From the memo. You're the deserter, Wren Sabine. How dare you! As if your scandalous words and desertion weren't enough, now you become a true criminal, attacking the Marines, the organization you once served? How dare you shame the Navy with such cowardice!"
"Me shame the Navy?" Sabine questioned, glaring back. "It's the Navy who should be ashamed. You used me, used my work, to oppress my people. Made me believe in a cause that was dishonorable from the start. You claim to be the enforcers of justice, but you don't even know what that word means! Well, you'll never use me again. All my work is gone. It won't be used against my people again."
"I've heard enough," the commander said. "There might have been hope that you would see the error in your ways after your broadcast and desertion, like your family did, but I was mistaken. You will be arrested and sent to Marine Headquarters where you will be tried. Resist, and I will have no choice but to-"
But the Sabine had had enough of him too.
"Do you know why I chose this courtyard?" she asked. "Because I know this is where the gunpowder is stored." She gestured with her gun to the shed where she knew all the barrels of gunpowder were.
The commander's eyes widened. "No!" he roared but it was too late. Sabine fired and her bullet went straight through the shed wall and struck a barrel inside.
BOOM!
The entire shed erupted in a massive explosion, sending dust and debris flying everywhere. Sabine had managed to brace for it while all the Marines collapsed around her, groaning. She moved through them easily, striking any who tried to get up. This distraction wouldn't last too long.
She made it to the wall and eyed the height. "Damn," she muttered. It was way too tall for her. She could make it if she had a crate or something but she had no time. So, what could she do?
"Stop right there!"
Sabine cursed under her breath and turned to see the commander a few feet away. His hat was missing and his cape was all dirty. He had soot marks over his face and was breathing roughly, but he still had his gun trained on her.
"You won't leave here alive," he promised.
"I though you said you wanted to take me to Marine Headquarters alive."
"Yes. No, I meant…gah! Shut up!" He glared at her. "I'll bring you down, alive or dead, and make you pay for your crimes here."
Sabine, however, wasn't listening. Instead, she looked at his height and made a rough estimation in her mind. Hmmm…
"Now, prepare to…" Whatever he was going to say, he never got the chance as Sabine ran right at him. He gasped and got off one shot that she ducked under before she ripped his gun from his grasp and punched him across the jaw.
"Here," she told him, pushing him against the wall. "Now hold still for me, would you?"
"Hey, someone stop her!" someone called out.
"Well, here goes nothing," she muttered and ran forward, clambering up the commander's body, using his shoulders and head as hand and footrests.
So, naturally, he stood up straighter and yelled, "HEY!"
Sabine leapt up and grabbed the upper wall, just managing to heave herself up. She stood and looked back down at the mass of Marines below, most still recovering from the explosion and the others looking at her wit dumbfounded expressions.
"Until next time, dogbrains!" she called to them before dropping over the side into the town and running for it.
"Yo, Luffy!" Shang-Chi called out, finally spotting his captain in the market. "There you are."
Luffy looked up at his name and grinned around all the meat in his mouth. "Hey Shangy! How you been? You have to try this meat, it's incredible."
"Is it? Is that why you bought ten pieces?" Shang-Chi asked, looking at the skewers in Luffy's hands. "I'll take one," he told the vendor, handing him some Berries. "So, good news. I found where Zoro's being held. It's not too far from here."
"You did? Great! Let's go now!"
"Hold up," Shang-Chi stopped him before he could run off. "Before we go running off, we should pick up supplies. Unless you want to go hungry out on the seas?"
"Oh, right," Luffy nodded. "Food. Yes, get lots of food. Then, we go find Zoro."
"Great. No-"
He was interrupted when he heard a small BOOM. He turned and saw the Marine base ahead. "What was that?"
"Sounded like an explosion," Coby said a little nervously.
"Maybe they're doing some bomb training or whatever," Shang-Chi shrugged. "Guess you'll find out soon enough, Coby. Now, we're going to need some-"
He was interrupted again, this time by smaller explosions that went POP! POP! POP! as well as what sounded like gunfire.
"Ok, maybe not a training session then."
"Maybe they're having a party," Luffy suggested, finishing off his fifth skewer. "Sure sounds like it."
"I don't think that's it. But we should probably go anyway. I don't think we want to be caught up in whatever mess that is."
"You think I should go help?" Coby asked, trembling a little. "I mean, I do want to be in the Navy so if I go help them then maybe…"
"That's up to you. But I don't know if they're going to be looking for new recruits right now with all that going on," Shang-Chi told him.
"Still, if you want to join, join," Luffy added, now on his seventh skewer. "That's the only way to find out."
"True," Shang-Chi nodded.
BOOM!
They all jumped at the explosion, so much bigger than the last one. All the other people also jumped and started muttering amongst themselves, looking at the Marine base in panic. A large dust cloud billowed above the building and there were shouts and cries of alarm coming from inside.
"Ok, whatever's happening can't be good. We should get out of here now," Shang-Chi urged.
Luffy finished his last skewer and nodded. "Right, let's go."
"But, wait," Coby said, looking back and forth between the base and them. "What should I do?"
"How should I know that?" Luffy laughed. "Just do what you want. But us? We're out of here. We're not going to get caught up in the Marine's problems. But you totally should. I bet if you help them out, they'll let you right in."
"Y-you really think so?"
"Sure!"
Coby looked back at the base nervously, torn between going and staying. But he couldn't stay with Luffy and Shang-Chi forever. He knew that. As much as he liked them, they were pirates. Sworn enemies of the Marines, the people he believed in and wanted to join. If he stayed with them, it would only hurt his chances of achieving his dream.
But, joining now? He wasn't sure. He did want to be a Marine. But, now that he could do it, all his courage left him. Especially since the base was currently under attack.
"Guess this is goodbye then," Luffy said cheerfully. "Good luck out there."
"Yeah, see you man," Shang-Chi nodded.
"Wait, hold on," Coby protested. "Can't we-"
"Hey look," Luffy pointed. "Someone's climbing over the wall."
Shang-Chi turned and blinked when he saw it. Someone dressed in clash of orange and purple armor and a helmet had climbed up the wall and was now leaping down their side.
"No way," he muttered.
"What?" Coby asked.
"That armor," he said. "It's Mandalorian."
"Mandawhatian?" Luffy asked, confused.
"Mandalorian. It's the armor used by the warriors of Mandalore. They're some of the most powerful warriors in the world. People think that the only reason they haven't taken more territory is because the Clans are too busy fighting each other."
"Wait, so you're saying this guy is a great warrior?"
"Well, I don't know about this guy in particular but the Mandalorians are considered to be top fighters. Some are pirates, some Marines, some bounty hunters, each one making a name for themself in the world. But why do you…?" Shang-Chi turned and saw empty air where Luffy had been standing.
"HEY!"
"Oh no," Shang-Chi muttered, spotting his captain running at full speed after the Mandalorian. "I really should have seen that coming."
"Shouldn't we stop him?" Coby asked. "I mean, whoever that guy is, he did just blow up the Marine base."
"You want to stop Luffy, you be my guest," Shang-Chi sighed. "I'm just going to try to make sure he doesn't cause too much trouble."
Sabine ran as fast as she could, dodging past random citizens and several food stalls. She wished she hadn't chosen the market as her route but no time to change it now. She had to put as much distance between her and the base as she could before they pulled themselves together and chased after her. She just needed to make it to the docks. After that…well, she'd think of something.
"HEY!"
She winced. Had the Marines caught up already? But when she turned to look, all she saw was a kid her age with a straw hat and a goofy grin chasing after her.
"Wait!" he called out to her. "I want to talk to you!"
"Go away!" she called back. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."
"I want you to join my crew!"
Sabine nearly stopped in surprise. He…what? He wanted her to join his crew?
"Are you crazy?" she yelled. "No way!"
"Aw, why not? I promise it'll be fun!"
"Yeah, you're crazy," she decided. She quickly grabbed a rail of a stall and yanked it down, sending the whole stall of apples topping into the street, ignoring the shrieks of anger from the owner.
"Hey!" the guy chasing her complained. "What did food ever do to you?"
"Go away!"
She turned sharply to the left, and then to the right, trying to lose him in the back alleys. But a quick look back showed he was still right on her tail.
"Fine, you asked for it!" she yelled and fired her gun. However, to her shock, the bullet didn't strike his shoulder. Or, it didn't penetrate. Instead, it flew into him and went out the back with the guy's skin moving with it. Then, it flew back out, nearly hitting her.
"Wha-how?" Sabine asked weakly.
"Ha, that won't work on me!" the guy grinned. He then threw his arm forward and it stretched out, reaching for her.
"Ah!" Sabine shrieked, leaping aside. Who the hell was this guy? Better question, what the hell was he? How had he done that?
No time to think about it though as he was coming right for her. Thinking fast, she looked up and spotted an awning above her. She grabbed hold and pulled herself up before the guy could grab her. She then hoisted herself further up the wall, using windows and ledges to pull herself until she managed to reach the top.
"Chase me now, you weirdo," she muttered with a grin.
"Gum-Gum…ROCKET!"
Sabine's eyes flew wide as she saw the guy fly right past her into the sky above her, hanging there for a second before dropping back down.
"Are you kidding me?" she yelled before running fast, leaping down onto the next building's roof.
"Why do you keep running away? I just want to talk."
"Yeah, sure buddy! That's what they all say!" Sabine ran past a clothing line and made another sharp turn, hoping that might buy her some time. What was with this guy anyway? Was he seriously chasing her around like this just so she would join his crew? Did that make him a pirate or something? Like that mattered anyway. Pirate or Marine or whatever, she wouldn't join anyone's crew, especially not some lunatic's like him.
She jumped onto the next roof and pulled out some smoke bombs from her belt. Just as the guy jumped as well, she threw them at his feet. They exploded almost instantly, completely enveloping the guy.
"Hey! *cough, cough* That's no fair! *cough, cough*"
"When is anything fair?" Sabine spotted the harbor right ahead. If she could just outrun this guy a little bit longer, she could grab a boat and get the hell out of here. Hopefully the Marines were still too busy back at the base.
"Gum-Gum…PISTOL!"
Sabine turned around in time to see the fist coming right at her. She didn't even have time to dodge before it struck her breastplate, knocking her back. She just barely managed to keep her feet but she stumbled a little ways and her chest felt like it had been hit by a boulder, not a fist.
"OW!" the guy cried, appearing from the smoke. "That hurt! What the heck is that armor made of?"
"Beskar," she replied, pulling out her guns. "One of the strongest metals on the planet. I'm surprised you didn't break any bones there."
"Ha, I bet I could break it if I punched it enough times," the guy grinned, cracking his knuckles.
"As entertaining as that would be, I've got a better idea." She aimed her guns at him. "I don't know how you did that before, but I bet if I shoot you enough times, I'll take you down."
But the guy just laughed again. "Nah," he said. "Bullets just bounce right off me. I told you, I'm a rubberman." For emphasis, he pulled on his cheek, pulling it way more than was humanly possible.
"Ok, that's gross," Sabine said, grimacing. "What the heck are you?"
"I'm just a guy who ate the Gum-Gum fruit."
"The Gum-Gum…oh." He was a Devil Fruit user. Great. Just great. She hadn't met any Devil Fruit users before, but she'd heard the stories. Most of the top brass had one with some exceptions here and there, and their power was said to be almost godlike. If this guy had a Devil Fruit then she really couldn't take him lightly, especially if he was as crazy as she thought.
"What do you really want from me?" she asked.
"I told you, I want you to join my crew."
"You chased an armored girl you'd never met before who just blew up a Marine base through the streets and across the rooftops because you wanted her to join your crew."
"Yep!"
"You really are crazy," she said. "Why would I want to join you anyway?"
"Because it'll be fun!"
"That's not a reason!"
"That's the best reason of all."
"Well, I'm not joining and you can't make me," Sabine said firmly.
"Aw, why not?" the guy pouted. "I'm looking for strong warriors and Shangy said that you Mandalorians are some of the best out there."
Ah, now Sabine understood. He wanted her because she was a Mandalorian. "Yeah, well, I am pretty good but I'm still not interested."
"I promise you all the meat I can get."
"I don't care."
"Ok, good. I wanted the meat all to myself anyways."
"Then what exactly are you offering me?"
The guy raised his fists to the sky. "The adventure of a lifetime! You'll get to sail with the next king of the pirates!"
Sabine stared at him. Then she stared some more. For a full minute, she just stared at him. Then she busted out laughing. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She held her stomach, bending over as she laughed. "You…king of the pirates? HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh that's a good one."
She laughed a little longer before she realized the guy was laughing as well. "Wait, why are you laughing?" she asked.
"I don't know, but it sure is fun."
That sobered Sabine up. She stood back up, letting the laughter die away. "You do realize your dream is impossible, right? You're just a kid. And there are thousands of other pirates way stronger than you out there chasing that same dream. Not to mention all the Marines and Bounty Hunters as well or anyone else. The chances of you being King of the Pirates is like 5000 to 1."
"Whoa, that's a big number," the guy nodded. "That must mean it's good."
Sabine gaped. "No, that's bad! You're almost certainly going to die, you know that right?"
"So?" the guy shrugged. "I made up my mind a long time ago. I'm going to be King of the Pirates. And if die to achieve that dream, then I die."
He said it so casually that Sabine didn't know what to think. He seemed like such an irresponsible goofball with actual gum as a brain, but he truly believed in his dream to say that.
She could remember when she once thought that. When joining the Marines meant everything to her. She had wanted to help make the world a better place, make her home a better place. Her dream had been to make Mandalore great again.
Instead, she made it so much worse and her dream had crumbled into ash.
"Is your dream really so important to you that you'd die for it?" she asked.
"Of course," the guy replied instantly. "Why wouldn't I? If I'm not willing to die for it, then it's not that much of a dream." He chuckled a little.
Sabine didn't know how to respond to that.
"Luffy?"
Sabine whirled, guns at the ready, as a black-haired boy leapt onto the roof spryly. On his back was heavily-breathing pink-haired boy.
"That was too scary," the pink-haired boy muttered.
"Good, we found you," the black-haired boy said. "Oh, and you caught up to the Mandalorian as well. Great. Did you convince him or not?"
"Nah, he doesn't want to join."
Narrowing her eyes, Sabine reached up and took off her helmet, shaking her hair a little. "Him?" she questioned, glaring at them.
"Oh!" the black-haired boy blinked. "You're a girl."
"What, you thought all warriors were men?" Sabine asked pointedly.
"Um…there's no correct answer to that, is there? So, I'm just going to…" he trailed off, backing away a few steps.
"Huh," the guy who the black-haired boy had called Luffy said, looking at her. "So, you want to join or not?"
Sabine opened her mouth to say no when she stopped. For some reason, she couldn't. Luffy's words…they had struck a chord within her. He was willing to die on this crazy dream of his and she didn't even have a dream or a goal right now. Her only thought was getting off this island and then…well, she had no idea.
A life of adventure on the seas though, that did sound like fun.
Still…he was a pirate.
"Sorry. You honestly do seem like a nice guy, in a weird way. But the pirate lifestyle isn't for me. I'm not into marauding and pillaging and all that crap so…"
"That's not what being a pirate is about."
Sabine stopped as Luffy interrupted her. And before she could respond, he kept going. "Being a pirate is about living a life of adventure with your friends at your side and plenty of meat, chasing your dreams. It's about having fun."
In all her time with the Marines, Sabine had never heard a pirate described that way. "Huh? So, you're not interested in attacking citizens and villages for their gold?"
"Nah, that's not fun at all."
Every word this guy spoke just seemed to confuse Sabine even more. Even though she didn't have much experience with pirates, she had always thought them to be ruffians and murderers who terrorized the seas. Luffy…was the opposite of the picture she had in mind.
Then again, everything she had been taught by the Marines had been a lie anyway, so why not this as well?
"Spread out! Find her!"
Crap! Sabine glance down the roof and winced, seeing the Marines spreading out. Her window of opportunity was now closed.
"Great, just great," she muttered before turning to glare at Luffy again. "Thanks a lot buddy. Now it'll be next to impossible for me to get out of here."
"You can always come with us on our boat," he said helpfully.
"And how exactly will that work? The second they see me with you, they'll just sink you."
"We'll worry about that when it happens."
"I'd rather worry about it right now, thanks."
"We'll just run faster than them and escape," Luffy said, shrugging. "Easy."
"Unless your boat is one of the fastest around, the Marines will be on our tail in moments. And after what I did, what I know, they won't let me go without a real fight. So do yourself a favor and just forget about me. Even if you did make me lose my chance, they don't know you're pirates so you can still leave."
"No!"
Sabine stared in shock at Luffy. "What?"
"I said no," he said firmly. "I've decided. You'll join my crew. And I don't leave crewmates behind."
"Hey!" Sabine argued, angrier now. "I'm not part of your crew. So just get out of here."
"She's right, Luffy," the pink-haired boy told him. "If you don't leave now, they'll just arrest you too."
"I don't care," Luffy replied. "I won't abandon my crew."
"For the hundredth time, I'm not part of your crew," Sabine said through gritted teeth. What would it take to get the message through his gummy brain?
But, a part of her did feel a little something. After everything she'd been through the last few weeks, he, a total stranger, was accepting her without question. Her family had tossed her aside, the Marines had used her like a tool. Even Ketsu had left her behind. But he…he said he wouldn't abandon her.
And as much as Sabine wanted to ignore that feeling of hope, she couldn't.
"Come on, Shang-Chi," the pink-haired boy told the black-haired one. "Talk some sense into him."
That guy however simply crossed his arms. "Sorry, Coby," he said. "If the Captain says we're staying, then we're staying."
"Huh?"
Sabine stared at him, not believing. Was this guy as crazy as his captain? "You're willing to get caught the Marines, your enemies, for someone you literally just met?"
He shrugged. "Hey, I chose Luffy as my captain only a few hours ago cause I believe in him and his dream. And he believes in mine. So, if he says we're staying until you agree to come with us, then that's what we're doing. And if we have to fight every single Marine here to do that, so be it."
She could hear the Marines below them, spreading from street to street. Pretty soon they'd have the whole town covered and it would be impossible for them to escape. If they were going to move, it would have to be now. But the second the Marines spotted her, they'd be all over her and it would still be impossible to escape.
There were no good options left, unless these guys had something. So…she guessed she didn't have a choice.
"You really won't leave me behind?"
Even she could tell, as she asked it, that part of her wasn't talking about now. Luffy seemed to sense it as well as he looked at her seriously and said, "I'd die before I let that happen."
Sabine took a deep breath and then nodded. "Well alright then. I guess I'm joining your crew after all."
"YAY!" Luffy cried out, throwing his arms wide.
"Hey, shut up!" Sabine hissed. "Do you want the Marines to find us?"
"Wow, 2 members already," Luffy grinned, ignoring her. "And if Zoro joins, that'll make 3. What a day."
Despite the serious situation they were in, despite everything she'd been through recently, and despite the fact that Luffy had practically forced her to join, Sabine couldn't help but smile. It did seem like fun, if she was being honest.
Plus, she got to stick it to the Marines and her family by becoming a pirate. That brought an even bigger smile to her face.
"Great. Now that we've got that out of the way, what exactly is our plan for getting her out of here?" the guy called Shang-Chi asked.
"Run for the boat and beat up any Marines that get in our way," Luffy said simply.
"That's not a plan. That's barely even a concept of a plan."
"Ah, it'll work out fine," Luffy waved it off.
"No, it won't," Sabine told them. "They'll just get in their boats and follow us. And, like I said before, you would need a pretty fast ship to escape them."
"Alright, then we smash their ships and then we escape. Problem solved," Luffy said.
"Luffy, that won't work," Coby told him.
Sabine, however, stroked her chin, thinking. "Actually," she said, "I think that might work after all."
"Huh?"
"Awesome!" Luffy cheered.
"Ok," she told them. "I've got a plan. Listen close."
The Naval yard was under more guard than usual since Sabine's attack, with half a dozen guards on patrol and another half on duty at the entrances. Most of the boats in the yard were small ones, used mainly to patrol the waters and were built for speed more than anything. Then there were a few larger ones and one galleon. However, the majority of them were all in various stages of either construction or repair. Only a handful were seaworthy. Which was why they were under guard for now until the threat had been captured or the Navy were required to continue the pursuit in the water.
However, despite all the guards, Sabine easily slipped over the wall and ducked out of sight behind some crates. She had been right. Her making a run for the docks would have either got them caught or pursued over the sea. And she couldn't do that to her new crew.
But backtracking back to the base? None of the Marines would see that coming. Moving past them had been a breeze.
This part, however, was the hard part. She would have to move fast and think smart. Or else she would just get captured. And after what had just happened, they wouldn't make the same mistake twice. They'd make sure she couldn't escape, locked up tight in their most secure cell, stripped of all her stuff completely.
So, she'd better not mess up.
As the patrol passed, she ran out and placed one of her small bombs right in front of the main work shed. Making sure everything was in place, she moved on to one of the boats still in good condition. Then to another boat. Then to some barrels. Then to the cannons. She moved around fast, hitting all the spots she could. She didn't have too many of her bombs left so she'd decided to use them all. To her, it was kind of like her explosive goodbye to the Marine life.
She wrapped up the last one, securing it just like the others, and looked around. So far so good. She had about thirty seconds before the patrol showed up. Plenty of time to escape.
Although…something felt off. It was all missing something.
If she was really saying goodbye to the Marines and embracing the pirate lifestyle, then there was one last thing to do.
She pulled out her paints and got to work.
As the patrol came by, at first they didn't see it, just walking right past it. Then, one of the Marines yawned and glanced to the side and froze. "What the hell?" he barked.
The others quickly looked over and mirrored his expression of shock and outrage. "Who dares…?" the patrol officer said, not even able to finish the sentence as they all stared at the purple and orange skull and crossbones painted against the wall.
"I think it adds a nice touch to the place, don't you think?"
They all turned weapons raised at the voice. Sabine leaned casually against a crate, admiring her handiwork.
"I just couldn't resist. This place is just so drab and boring. It needed a little color splashed in, you know?"
"You'll pay for this, criminal scum! Surrender now or prepare to be fired upon!" the officer bellowed.
"Ok, ok, I surrender," Sabine replied calmly. "See, look, I'm putting my guns up too. Nice and easy." She slowly raised her guns up above her waist. "I'll come as quietly as I ca-"
She didn't even finish that sentence before she fired, her deadeye skills shooting the bullet right into the first bomb she placed.
BOOM!
The Marines were sent flying from the explosion. Sabine fell to her knees but managed to recover quicker thanks to both being prepared for it as well as her armor taking the brunt of the blast. She smiled, seeing all the match cords going off from the explosion, burning their way to their own bombs.
"Hope you enjoy the fireworks, boys," she waved. "It's been a blast."
She then started running. As she did, more explosions followed, bigger ones as the bombs next to the gunpowder went off. She could hear the alarms sounding and shouts from other Marines over the explosions but it was too late. The shipyard was burning. She had to say, this was some of her best work.
Of course, the main concern was still standing. That being, the galleon. But that wouldn't last long as she just passed the two cannons, the match cord stretched right along their fuse wires. She had just made it to the far wall when they went off, the whistling sound of the cannonballs drawing her attention in time to see them strike the galleon's side, blowing wood and dust in the air. The ship listed, water pouring in through the new holes, and it started to sink.
And through it all, she managed to notice that her skull and crossbones piece had managed to remain intact, standing tall amidst all the chaos. Her true finest work. Something the Navy could never use against her. She smiled at it, taking it to heart, before climbing over the side of the wall and leaping over.
"Ok," she said, falling fast to the water below. "Maybe I should have thought about this."
She had planned to land on solid ground and run down to where she could meet up with Luffy and the others. But apparently she had overshot and was now plummeting straight to the water below.
"Aw damn it, I hate getting wet!" she cried out, flailing a little as the sea rushed up to meet her.
"SABINE!"
She looked up just as a long arm grabbed hold of her hand and gripped it tight. "Uh oh," she muttered. "Why do I feel this is worse?"
A second later, she had her answer as she was yanked aside, missing the water and pulled right through the air towards a small boat with three passengers inside. Unfortunately, she wasn't being pulled to the inside of the boat.
BONK!
Sabine crumpled in the deck, her head swimming from hitting the side of the boat.
"Oh, sorry Sabine," Luffy apologized, still grinning as he rubbed his head.
"I…am already…regretting…joining…your crew," she gasped.
"Welcome to the club," she heard Shang-Chi say. "But I see you took care of the Navy. Nice work."
"Thanks," Sabine muttered, sitting up and removing her helmet. Thankfully, the helmet had taken most of it but it still hurt like hell. "So, where to now?"
"Shells Town," Shang-Chi told her.
She frowned. "Wait, hold on. You're telling me I just escaped a Navy base to run right towards another?"
"Yeah, basically."
"We're going to check out one of their prisoners. Zoro," Luffy told her. "I'm hoping he'll join my crew too."
Now Sabine remembered he had mentioned that guy. And come to think of it, she'd heard of him too. "The pirate hunter? That guy? I don't think someone like him would join a pirate crew."
"Captain's set on it so, we'll see," Shang-Chi shrugged.
Sabine raised an eyebrow before settling back. So this was it. She was officially a pirate now. She had to admit, it did feel nice. After what she had just done, she knew there was no going back. Her family would completely cut her off now and the Marines would declare her a fugitive. She had thought she'd be on her own from here on out with nowhere to go.
Instead…she had these weirdos. A strange kid with a straw hat who believed he would be king of the pirates who was somehow her captain now along with his other crewmate.
Well, if she was going to be a criminal now, being one with these guys didn't seem too bad.
"Alright then," she nodded. "Onwards to Zoro."
"That's the spirit!" Luffy laughed. "Let's go!"
Alright, so who guessed it was Sabine?
As you can see, Luffy's crew will be expanding with all sorts of new characters. It took a while to settle on Sabine from the Star Wars universe. I was honestly considering Poe Dameron for a while there but Sabine's a better choice as it opens the door for Mandalorians and awesome stuff like that.
Don't worry, next up is Zoro and then Orange Town. After that? Well, that's a surprise.
Thanks for reading, and hope you're enjoying it so far. Leave a review if you can.