This is the 6th chapter. I don't own the series of One Piece.
Island of Goats and Pirate Ship in the Mountains!
Somewhere at sea
After a few long days of sailing, the Straw Hat pirates heard a cannon fire that misses the ship. Apparently, the Marines were chasing after the Straw Hats while continuing firing the cannons at them, but misses the pirate ship.
"Fire! Keep it up!"
And with that, the Marines kept firing the cannonballs, which they've only hit the sea and not the pirate ship. Though, the Marines thought they're gaining the upper hand since the Straw Hats can only run away from them while avoiding getting captured.
"Those Straw Hats must be all bark and no bite! Instead of fighting, they turned tail and run like cowards! Sergent, since that's the way they are, we'll capture them in no time! We'll get medals for this!"
The Sergent of the Marines however, isn't amused of the Straw Hats running away instead of fighting.
The Sergent of the Marines named as Minchey is a muscular average sized man with longish red hair. He wears a standard Marine uniform that has epaulets on its shoulders with brown fingerless gloves along with the hat.
Both Ventus and Nami knows that the Marines are still firing the cannons at them, which they kept missing the ship and hits the sea.
"Come on! You guys do something or they're gonna blow us out of the water!" Nami shouts with a serious look on her face.
However, Usopp is still fishing since the supplies are dangerously low because a certain gluttonous Captain, who's lying on the wooden rail next to Chopper ate everything. Robin is reading her book, Sanji is somewhere inside of the kitchen, making something, and Zoro is polishing his katanas. Ventus and Nami were too annoyed of their antics.
"I'm too hungry to do anything." Luffy groans with a whine and sticking his tongue out.
"Me too." Chopper agrees, also sticking his tongue out.
"And I wonder whose fault do you think that is?" Ventus rhetorically questions with a deadpan expression.
"This'll be so much easier without all of the damn cannon fire." Zoro states.
"Usopp, have you caught anything yet?" Luffy asks, turns to him.
"For the thousandth time, no!" Usopp told him in annoyance. "That's like me, asking you if you found any fresh water!"
"If the cannonballs don't kill us, starvation or dehydration will." Chopper groans when Sanji came at the deck with tea and snacks, approaches to Robin.
"Robin, I've made you some tea and a snack that's a sweet as you. A little specialty called 'mille feuille'." Sanji said with a smile on his face, extends the snack to her.
"Thank you, Mr. Cook." Robin thanked him with a smile which it got Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp's attention.
"I wanna snack, too!?" Luffy said with his jaw dropped, drooling, and smile.
"You've been holding out on us, ya lovesick bum!" Usopp shouts with white eyes and shark-like teeth.
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper sprint their way towards Sanji, about to grab a snack when the cook stops them. The three complained about being hungry, but Sanji kept refusing to cook snacks because of Ventus' orders not to waste any supplies, which of course, Luffy just won't listen and constantly getting beaten up by the young Dragoon and the cook.
"Um, guys? They're still right behind us." Nami told them, but neither of them are listening when Robin uses her Devil fruit to tickle both Luffy and Chopper. However, the Marines fired the cannons at the ship, misses the Going Merry and hits the sea. "This is no time to laugh!?"
"Nami! It appears we've got more to worry about than just the Marines!" Zoro told her with a serious glare, looking at the fog.
"He's right, we're heading straight to the fog, and the reefs and whirlpools are everywhere!" Ventus agrees. "And we could use your help right now!"
"Alright, alright!" Nami shouts back as they sail straight towards the fog. "More fog, huh?"
Nami then thought of an idea of shaking off the Marines and getting out of the fog.
'Actually, we might be able to use if to give the Marines a slip, but it's gonna be tricky. This water is moving fast and there are reefs everywhere.' Nami mentally thought, give her crew an order.
While the Marines have also entered the fog, one of their ships hit the reef and it causes the ship to tumble right toward the other ship. The Marines decided to stop since neither of them are pursuing after the Straw Hats any further because they're able to avoid the reefs and whirlpools. Sergent Minchey looks through the binoculars, watches the Straw Hats sailed further away while one of the Marines began to inform them.
"Corporal, this region of the ocean is designated as a Calls 1 Danger Zone! Pursuing them any further is suicide!"
Minchey agreed to his fellow Marines warning since he heard the information while watching the Straw Hats sailing away, somehow not hitting the reef or the whirlpool. The Corporal however, wanted to pursue them while the other Marines are having trouble on keeping their ships balanced since they're in the Danger Zone, which the ships won't be able to hold any longer.
"The ships can't take much more!"
"Silence! We've already chased them this far, we can't turn back now! Sergent, don't you agree?"
"No, withdraw." Minchey suggests. "Come about, at once."
"But Sergent, you heard what Captain Moore said! His orders were very clear, we're supposed to eliminate the Straw Hats immediately, upon sight..."
"Would you just put a cork in it!" Minchey interrupts in annoyance, stood up from his chair. "Captain Moore is not in command of this flotilla right now, but I am. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir!"
Soon as the Corporal of the Marines saluted him, Minchey head inside of the cabin and letting the Marines withdraw, heading back to the Marine HQ.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hats were able to get away from the Marines, with Nami's navigation and her crew following orders since they're able to avoid the reefs and the whirlpools.
"Pull to port, you guys! Pull 45 degrees to the left!" Nami shouts with an order as the Straw Hats were able to avoid the reef, continued to sail.
Goat Island
Once the Straw Hats have gotten through the danger zone, they're now out of the fog while continuing to sail.
"We're out of the fog." Nami states.
"And the Marines aren't chasing us, at least for now." Ventus adds, sniffing the air.
"Hey, guys! There's an island dead ahead!" Usopp shouts, coming from the crow's nest and noticing the island.
"Hope there's food there!" Luffy said excitedly, leaning against the wooden rail.
While the Straw Hats sailed towards the island, they disembark next to the shore. Unknown to them, the old man is hidden somewhere in the trees while watching the Straw Hats lands with his telescope, noticing the Jolly Roger from the main mast along with the Straw Hats on land.
He has an appearance of an old man with a long gray beard and hairstyle, and thin arms with brown skin. He wears a dark captain's jacket over a green overalls and brown striped shirt. He also wears a yellow sash around his waist and brown sandals. He carries an abacus.
"6 people and one animal." The old man muttered with a growl, working on his abacus. "Doesn't matter how many of you damn pirates there are, I'll stop you! You'll see!"
While the Straw Hats started climbing up to that cliff and Ventus flew up, they began exploring through the forest to look for some supplies they need. Though, they noticed that no one lives around on this island.
"Maybe it's uninhabited." Robin states.
"I wouldn't count on it if I were you." Ventus warned her, sniffing the air with his nose. "Because I'm smelling a number of animals and some old man living here."
And it would seem that the young Dragoon was right when they heard a bleating sound that was coming from the hill, looked up when they saw a baby goat eating the grass.
"A goat." Chopper and Ventus said.
"NO! IT'S MEAT!?" Usopp, Luffy, and Sanji yelled with white eyes and shark-like teeth as they chased after it, causing the goat to run with fright. "MEAT! MEAT! MEAT! MEAT! MEAT! MEAT! MEAT! MEAT!"
The goat ran towards the tree as it stops, turns to the Straw Hats who are still chasing after it, repeatedly said 'Meat!' when Nami stops in front of them with her arms raised.
"Get a hold of yourselves! I know you're hungry, but leave him alone! He's just a cute little goat!" Nami shouts when the goat bleats.
"Wish I could say the same for his buddies, but they're not cute and definitely not little." Zoro told her with a glare, readied his katana.
Nami was wondering what Zoro means, but the number of adult goats revealed themselves from the bushes with an angry glare on their faces as they surrounded the Straw Hats.
"Oh no! They set a trap and fell right into it!" Chopper exclaims in panic.
"Yeah thanks, we barely noticed!" Ventus told him sarcastically. "Is there anything else we don't know?!"
Then, the goats started charging after the Straw Hats when Zoro drew his katana.
"I'll take care of them." Zoro suggested.
"Don't hurt them!" Chopper warns him. "These goats aren't really evil, I can tell that much!"
Zoro didn't like the idea when the number of goats kept charging after the swordsman, causing him to quickly block their heads with the flat end of the blade. Sanji then tries to kick them, but goats dodged by leaping up in midair. Usopp fires his 'Tabasco Star', but the goat kicked that pellet and it goes straight into Luffy's eyes, making him scream in pain when his eyes were burning and the fire spewed out, running.
"Whoa, I didn't expect that." Usopp muttered.
The number of goats began to surround Chopper and Ventus, bleating with an angry glare.
"Wait! We're not gonna eat you or anything, I promise!" Chopper protests, waving his hooves in defense. "We mean you no harm! Why'd you try to trap us? What's the deal?!"
Then, the goat began bleating, communicating to the reindeer.
"What the heck?! They just said someone ordered them to do it!" Chopper exclaims shockingly.
"And I have a pretty good idea of who." Ventus said with a growl, then transform into a humanoid dragon. "He's hiding somewhere in one of those trees. And I know how to get him out."
And with that, Ventus raises his head up as he roars from the sky to stop the fight. The goats were now terrified of Ventus' appearance, but they heard sound coming from the tree as the old man revealed himself when he fell out of the tree, landed on the ground with a thud.
"AH! A MONSTER!?" The old yelled in fright, point his finger at the young Dragoon with budging eyes.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MONSTER, YOU DAMN OLD FART?!" Ventus yelled in annoyance with white eyes, shark-like teeth, and a tick mark.
It got the Straw Hats attention when they looked at the old man in confusion.
"You're really one to talk, weird old guy." Luffy muttered.
"Chopper, is that old man the one who gave the goats their orders?" Nami inquires.
"So, about it." Chopper said to goat when they bleat. "That's a yes."
The old man is starting to get nervous, gritting his teeth.
"Maybe the old codger thought we came here to rob him or something." Zoro states.
"Hey, it's okay." Sanji assures the old man with a smile. "All we're looking for is food and water."
"Nice try, but I can't trust anything a pirate says! I'm telling all of you right now, there's no treasure on this island!" The old man shouts accusingly. "I don't have any money!"
"What was that?!" Ventus growled impatiently, making the old man flinched.
"Calm down, Ventus. Remember, we're not here to kill him." Nami assures him, tried to get the young Dragoon to calm down.
"We kinda figured that out already by the way you're dressed, old man." Usopp points out.
"Damn pirates, you'll get nothing out of me!" The old man said, crossed his arms and legs. "So, do your worst! Simmer me, bake me, whatever! I won't talk!"
"THAT'S IT!?" Ventus shouts in anger, had enough of him as he tries to go after the old man, but was restrained by Nami and Chopper.
"If I were you, I'd choose those words carefully." Sanji warned the old man. "Otherwise, we won't be able to hold him back much longer since you pretty much pissed him off. See, he can burn you with his fire, extra crispy."
"Wait! Wait! I was only joking, stay away!" The old man protests, waved his hand in defense as he then throws the number of rocks. "You fiend! You killer! You scoundrel!"
Just as the old man ran , he tumbled right into the bushes and got stuck. Zoro walk towards the old man, who's now frightened, as he then sliced the branches into pieces. The old man rolled his eyes back, fainted down to the ground.
"Whoa, is he okay?" Luffy asks, looking at the fainted old man.
"The old coot seem pretty though, never took him for a fainter." Usopp states with his hands on his waist.
"No, he really faints." Ventus told him when Chopper ran towards the old man. "For a senile old badger, he's been on my nerves."
Chopper then checks the old man's pulse and his heart rate, but it got him panicked.
"Oh no, guys! His heart stop beating!" Chopper informed them, leaving the Straw Hats widen their eyes with a gasp.
"Zoro!" Luffy berates him.
"You..." Usopp adds.
"How cruel!" Nami exclaims.
"I'll say." Sanji agrees as the goat bleated, leaving Zoro stammered.
Ventus couldn't help but sighed as he turns himself back into a human form, seeing that this isn't getting anywhere. Chopper then started the procedure, using a CPR to try to get the heart beating.
"I'm a doctor, is there a place nearby where we could stabilize him?" Chopper asks to the goats when they replied with a bleat.
After the goats led the Straw Hats to the old mans home, Ventus carefully placed him next to the bed while Chopper began to stabilize him and placing a rag on his forehead. Both the Straw Hats and the goats are now waiting while Chopper began making the medicine.
"Oh, damn...I very well almost lost my live out there. Should've known better than to drop my guard down around you pirates." The old man muttered.
"You're welcome, jackass." Ventus muttered in annoyance.
"What was that?!" The old man shouts with a tick mark.
"You heard me?!" Ventus retorted with a tick mark.
"Ventus, calm down." Usopp said with assurance, then turns to the old man. "And you, it wasn't our fault. You fainted on your own."
"Your heart stopped because you were shocked to us, old goat guy." Luffy told him.
"On the Grand Line, you'll encounter a surprise as stranger as us everyday." Sanji adds. "With that weak ticker of yours, I'm surprised you've lasted as long as you have, old timer."
"Yeah, I'll say." Luffy agrees with a grin.
"We're just happy that Chopper was able to resuscitate you." Nami told the old man with a small smile.
"What's that to be happy about, missy?!" The old man shouts, sat himself up while using the abacus. "You've scared the hell out of me, not to mention almost got me killed. Now I'm late up and catch off wood and do my chores. You scallywags owe me...Now let's see here...about 50 million berries to be exact!"
Though, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Ventus want no part of it by paying the old man since he's still ungrateful for being saved by Chopper and his medical skills. The Straw Hats didn't have much money, mostly because they only buy some supplies when Luffy kept eating most of the food. Ventus won't be paying the old man, either because he's still angry at him.
"Hey, you're overcharging, aren't you?" Nami asks when she leans next to the old man, working on the abacus. "At the most, it should be this much."
"You're being stingy!" The old man argued, now working on the abacus. "Even with the discount, it's closer to this."
"But, minus Chopper's conciliation medical fee, it's this." Nami points out, leaving the old man pouts.
"Where did you young folks get off ganging up, picking on an old man like me?" The old man asks, cried when he turns to them. "It ain't right, I tell you!?"
"We're not picking on you." Nami protests with a sweat drop, but the old man isn't convinced.
"I can't go on anymore..." The old man cried, whimpering in bed.
"Please, don't cry!" Nami said, tried to assure him while Chopper looks at him with a deadpan expression on his face.
"Don't get upset, old goat guy." Luffy adds, placing his hand on the back of his head. "Tell you what, we'll chop your wood and do your chores.] for you, okay?"
"You're the reasonable sort, aren't you my straw hatted lad? It's a deal then." The old man replied with a grin and his hands together, making a sinister laugh.
And with that, the Straw Hats, except Ventus and Zoro, are doing the old man's chores when Sanji is chopping wood, Usopp is tying up the tree branches in ropes, Chopper and Robin were feeding the goats, Nami is washing the clothes, and Luffy, is carrying the buckets of water.
"Well, that old guy sure seems to have a dislike for pirates, doesn't he?" Sanji inquires. "I wonder why he's got such a grudge against us?"
"The goats said that he's the only person on the island." Chopper explains, letting one of the goats licking his hoof. "And he has been for the last 20 years. That's when he first washed ashore here from somewhere else."
"20 years?!" Luffy exclaims shockingly, but pondered. "We've met someone like that before, right?"
Nami couldn't help but agree when she and Luffy remembered of Gaimon being stuck on the island from the East Blue in the last 20 years. Both Zoro and Ventus are about to head through the forest to find something that's edible which it got Luffy's attention.
"Where you guys going?" Luffy asks, turning to the two. "Zoro! Ventus!"
"What?! We're gonna find something to eat!" Zoro answered in annoyance, turned over his shoulder to the rubber captain. "Even if that old man does have food, I doubt that he'll share it with us."
"Oh, cool! In that case, bring back some meat, 'kay?" Luffy suggested, pumped his fists in the air.
"Eat your sandals for all I care, just do your work." Ventus remarked in annoyance as he and Zoro stormed through the forest when the old man approaches to Sanji with a grumble.
"You call that wood-chopping?! Put your back into it more! What's with you youngsters today?! Can't you even chop wood right?! My word!" The old man shouts with a grumble, using his finger to collect the dust from the wooden floor. "You call this clean? What a joke! Clean it right this time!?"
Chopper then started cleaning the wooden floor while the old man starts pointing at Usopp and Luffy.
"You, fetch me some grass and feed the goats! And you, go patch up my roof!" The old man suggested when Usopp ran with wood, nails, and a hammer on his hands while Luffy ran with grass around his arms. "I'm so tired! Well don't just stand there, get over here and rub my shoulders!"
Chopper then stops working on cleaning, starts massaging the old mans shoulders.
"Can't you kids figure out anything for yourselves?" The old man questions. "Do I have to point out all of the other things that needed to be done around here?"
"Oh no! There's more?!" Usopp exclaims in panic.
"Yep." The old man replied bluntly.
While at the forest and the sun is setting at the horizon, both Zoro and Ventus continued searching for the food. Though, they're having no luck on finding the food, but Ventus was able to catch a scent and found some fruit and some plants that were edible.
"So, what do you make of the old man?" Zoro inquires.
"He's just an ungrateful, grumpy old moneygrubber who only cares about money more than us...tch, damn old fart!?" Ventus growled with annoyance. "I should've burn him when I've had the chance, considering how ungrateful he's been!"
'Geez, that's a little overkill...Then again, the old codger did pissed him off the wrong way, not that I blame the kid...' Zoro mentally thought with a sweat drop, continuing going through the forest, but noticing a ship at the top of the hill. "Is that..."
Both Ventus and Zoro were shocked when they saw a pirate ship and a Jolly Roger.
"...A ship?" Zoro and Ventus muttered.
Later that night at the old mans house, Usopp continued patching up the roof which he was having a hard time getting the nails down. Nami and Robin were able to gather a number of wood, Sanji is cooking, and Luffy was able to lit the fire when both Ventus and Zoro arrived back at the old mans house.
"Finally made it back." Zoro muttered, wiping the sweat out of his forehead while the young Dragoon carries the bag. "You guys are still doing chores?"
"Yeah." Luffy replied.
"That old guy has been working us to death all day, he's never letting up!?" Usopp complains.
"Yeah, we're all worn out." Nami adds.
"And hungry, too." Luffy groans in exhaustion, sticking his tongue out while lying on the ground when Ventus places the bag down to the ground and showing the fruit as he and his crew takes a break. "A pirate ship?!"
"I know it sounds crazy, but there's one up there. I know what we saw." Zoro told them.
"But who could've made it?" Luffy asks with his mouthful.
"Well, the old guy is the only one here." Sanji said.
"Sounds about right, considering how much work he's been doing for the past 20 years." Ventus nods with an agreement. "I was able to get a scent from the ship, it's faint, but there's no doubt that he did it on his own."
"But why would that miserable old coot build a pirate ship?" Usopp questions skeptically.
"How should I know?" Sanji remarked.
"I think I might know why, and we're in luck if I'm right." Nami states with a smirk, placed her hand next to her chin which it got their attention. "Anyway, let's check it out. Just up there, right guys?"
And with that, the Straw Hats, except Zoro and Ventus, went ahead towards the forest which Usopp complains about being exhausted from the chores.
"Hey! Wait! It's further than it looks!" Zoro protests.
"Mainly it's because we've been searching all over the island for some food." Ventus points out with a sigh. "Come on, we better get moving."
However, the Straw Hats were able to get up at the top of the hill when they saw a pirate ship.
"It isn't that fair." Luffy states.
'Damn! I was this close all this time and I didn't know it!' Zoro mentally thought, cursed himself.
"It seems kinda creepy if you ask me." Sanji states.
"Yes, like sighting a ghost ship on a dark night." Robin agrees.
"Robin, don't say that." Usopp whimpered with his face pale in horror.
Until, they noticed something is lighting while flying around on the ship which happens to be the fireflies, but Usopp is starting to panic.
"Whoa, what are those?" Luffy asks curiously, causing Usopp to scream and jumps behind him.
"Dimensional Spirits from the Dead! What do you think?!" Usopp screams with his face pale, budging eyes, and shark-like teeth.
"They're fireflies." Nami and Ventus told him in annoyance as the Straw Hats entered inside of the ship, looking at it that's halfway finished.
"He use lumber made from the local trees." Robin guessed, inspecting the wood.
"It looks like he stops building halfway through." Usopp points out.
"The old guy did all of this by himself?" Sanji asks surprisingly.
"Sure looks like it." Ventus answered when Nami came out of the room.
"Well, it doesn't look like it's here." Nami told them, earned their attention.
"What's not here, Nami?" Luffy inquires.
"The treasure." Nami replied bluntly.
"What treasure?" The Straw Hats asks curiously, turns to her.
"The one that old man has." Nami told them, crossed her arms in a serious expression on her face. "He's not just a hermit, I'm sure of it. If I'm right, he's a former pirate!"
"A pirate?! Him?!" The Straw Hats exclaims shockingly while Chopper is given the old man a bath.
"His ship was probably smashed into pieces by those reefs we saw, and he was the only survivor. He's been building this ship to get off the island, but since he's alone, it's taking years to complete it." Nami explains.
"Hey wait, if he really is a pirate, then why does he dislike them so much?" Usopp asks, motioned his hand while making a valid point. "That just doesn't make any sense."
"It does if he's only acting like that to keep us from finding the treasure he's hidden somewhere." Nami points out with a smirk, pondered. "I knew there was something shady about that old guy right from the start."
Nami then starts remembering the items that was in the old mans house.
"What confirmed it for me was the furniture I saw back in his hut." Nami explains. "He had some pretty valuable things for a poor hermit."
"You're beautiful and astute~!" Sanji said with a goofy grin.
"Get real, guys!" Usopp protests with a shrug. "There's no way that old dude could be a pirate. Come on, he fainted."
"Usopp, she didn't say that he's a pirate right now, she said she's betting that he's been a pirate a long time ago." Ventus corrects him while pointing it out, then turns to her. "But I don't know about a pirate part, I bet there's more about him than being a pirate and a grumpy moneygrubber."
"Well, why else would he built this ship?" Nami questions.
"There's a dense forest ahead with no peds." Robin informed which it got their attention. "Plus, there's a steep cliff to the rear. If he's going to build a boat to escape, why do it all the way up here in the mountains?"
"Yeah, how come, Nami?" The Straw Hats asks when they turned to her, which it got her flinched.
"I don't know." Nami said slowly when the young Dragoon sighed.
"Well, we won't be able to get answers here." Ventus states, crossed his arms. "And I highly doubt that the old fart would give us some answers about the ship and why build it here."
Marine HQ
At the Marine Base, Minchey and the Corporal of the Marines have informed Captain Moore about the Straw Hats managed to get away because of the Danger Zone. Captain Moore isn't too pleased to hear about the information, but didn't want to admit that Minchey made the right call.
Moore is a round person with a long face, a puffy red nose, whiskers, and a goatee. His straightly combed hair and sideburns are dark gray. Like all Higi-Ranking Officers, he wears a double-breasted suit with a Marine jacket draped over his shoulders like a cape. His suit is a tan color, and underneath he wears a white tie.
"A Danger Zone?! That's the reason you turned back?" Moore questions furiously when he's looking at the horizon, then turns to his fellow men. "Marines are supposed to be made of sterner stuff, not to mention bringing fugitives to justice!"
"I apologize, Captain." Minchey apologizes calmly. "But that zone will delay the Straw Hats and probably damage their ship, making them easier to catch."
"For your sake, I hope you're right, Minchey!" Moore said, sits on his desk. "The Straw Hat pirates have managed to elude the likes of Captain Smoker and Captain Hina, Leader of the Black Cage unit, but they won't escape us, is that clear?!"
"Crystal, sir, and don't worry, those pirates will be within our grasp in no time." Minchey assures him when Moore slams his fist at the desk.
"They'd better be!" Moore replied. "Now go find them! When they come out of that zone, I want you waiting for them!"
"Sir!" Minchey replied with a salute when the Corporal of the Marines is about to protest.
"Captain, I..."
"Now, Corporal!" Minchey interrupted as he left the office, but the Corporal saluted him and followed the Sergent of the Marines.
Once Minchey and the Corporal left the office and out of earshot, he spoke.
"Sergent Minchey, why didn't you tell the Captain about the island out there?"
"You saw it too, huh?" Minchey questions back, turns to him.
"Yes! The funny thing is there's record of one being there. It must be uncharted."
"Exactly, let's keep it that way for the time being, okay?" Minchey suggested.
"But why?! As Marines, don't we have a duty to uphold the truth?"
Minchey can only respond with a chuckle, knows that the Marines didn't entirely uphold the truth.
"Truth, huh? In that case, did you hear about the big fracas in Alabasta? Do you know who it was that took down Crocodile?" Minchey asks when the Marine saluted him.
"Yes, of course I, Sergent Minchey! It was Captain Smoker, who else?!"
"You're such a sheep, Smoker got the official credit from HQ, but he's not the one who did it." Minchey points out in annoyance when the Corporal of the Marines catches up to him.
"If not him, sir, who did?"
"Apparently, it was the Straw Hat pirates." Minchey answered simply, leaving the Corporal of the Marines shocked. "I'm not messing with anyone who can take down Crocodile, I don't care how many men we have."
"But Sergent..."
"Hey, Crocodile was one of the Seven Warlords." Minchey interrupts. "We're just Marines. If we have to fight those Straw Hats."
And with that, Minchey made a 'we're dead' gesture which it got the Marine shocked, knew that the Sergent of the Marines is right.
"Don't fret, I've got more pressing concerns that I need your help with, Corporal." Minchey said with a smirk, chuckled while placing his hand on his shoulder.
"My help?"
Goat Island
Meanwhile, the old man is right now asleep while Chopper quietly walk towards him, using a stethoscope to check his heart beating, but it got his eyes widen. While outside of the house, the rest of the Straw Hats are right now having a discussion about what are they planning to do.
"Hmm, I think we should get off of this island right now." Usopp suggests seriously. "Working us to death was bad enough, but that weird ship is the last straw."
"I'm staying here." Luffy told him.
"Why?" Usopp asks when he and Sanji turns to him.
"Because I'm hungry!" Luffy whines, then lying on the ground. "That stuff Zoro and Ventus brought back barely filled me up, duh?!"
"WHAT?! NO!" Nami, Ventus, and Zoro exclaims, noticing the bag is completely empty.
"You!" Zoro growled with white eyes and shark-like teeth, grabbed Luffy. "Do you know how much trouble we have to find that stuff?! You pig!"
"Until we know what's going on, lets sleep on the Merry." Sanji suggested while Ventus beats Luffy silly when Chopper approaches to his crew.
"Oh, Chopper, we're heading back to the ship." Nami told the reindeer.
"I'm staying here by the old mans side." Chopper informed his crew. "I'm a doctor, I can't just abandoned one of my patients."
"But, he's gotten better, right?" Usopp questioned. "If you keep helping, they'll be no end to it."
"That's not the case, Usopp." Ventus said, then pound Luffy's head with his fist, real hard. "He's about to be at the death's door, despite his old age and a weak heart. Isn't that right, Chopper?"
"Yes, the end will be soon." Chopper replied.
"What do you mean?" Zoro inquires, which Luffy of course confused while crossing his arms.
"It's his heart, we thought it stopped because Zoro scared him, but that's not the case at all. It's stopped because he's sick." Chopper explains.
"So, when you say 'end', you mean..."
"No doubt about it, my prognosis is that he only has three days left." Chopper answered, leaving them shocked.
"Just three days?!" Zoro exclaims.
The next morning, the old man got out of the bed as he lets out a yawn, stretching while walked out of the house when he notices the Straw Hats.
"Morning." The old man groans with a greet, but smelling something good and noticed the big gourmet of food lying on the blanket along with Nami, Usopp, and Sanji setting them up. "What's that smell?"
"Sanji made breakfast." Nami said with a smile, but the old man just sweat dropped.
"Just a small one, bon appetit." Sanji said, gesturing his hand to the food.
"Small?! You've made a feast?!" The old man exclaims in shock with his jaw dropped, looking at the food.
"Yeah, and Sanji's a really good cook. Dig in." Luffy suggested with a big grin on his face when the goats were gathered.
"The goats showed us where to find the freshest fruit on the island and the best fishing spots to, didn't you guys?." Chopper explains while questioning the goats, which they replied with a bleat.
"Well, come on! Eat!" Nami suggested, wrapping around the old mans arm.
"No, I can't afford it. Like I said, I don't have any money." The old man declines.
"Don't worry about it." Nami assures him, then gently pulls the old man. "It's on us, come on!"
Then, the old man crossed his legs while sitting down, looking at the plate of food with suspicious look on his face.
'Something smells fishy to me about this, and it ain't because of what's on the plate in front of me, either. Reminds me of an old proverb, 'Beware of pirates who suddenly become nice.'' The old man mentally thought, inspecting the food. "There isn't any poison in this, is there?"
"That's just rude!" Nami remarked with glare, placing her hands on her hips.
"It's just us young whippersnappers trying to do something nice for our elders." Usopp told him with a smile.
"Yep, but I mean if you don't want it, I'll eat it." Luffy said when he stretches his arm to grab the food, but the old man was able to grab it.
"Now hang on! Wait! I'm gonna eat it!" The old man protests when he turns to Luffy, then screams in panic with budging eyes. "What was that?!"
Then, the old man felt his heart stops beating and heavily panted in shock when Chopper approaches him.
"Are you okay, old man?!" Chopper shouts in panic.
"Don't scare him!" Nami scolds the rubber captain, bonked his head with white eyes and shark-like teeth.
"Sorry." Luffy quickly apologizes.
Soon as the old man recovers from shock, he and the Straw Hats laughed while Luffy explains that he ate a Devil Fruit.
"So, you ate a Devil Fruit, huh?" The old man asks with an understanding, and then starts eating. "Speaking of eating...Hmm-mmm, this food, I haven't had anything that was this delicious in ages."
"Old timer, if there's anything else we can do for you, just ask." Nami offers with a smile. "We'll be happy to do it."
"Do you have any particular last request?" Usopp asks in teary eyes, but only in respond of the old man looking at him in deadpan look.
"NOBODY ASKED YOU!?" Nami and Ventus shouts, punching Usopp in the face.
"If you like this kind of food, I can make it again for you." Sanji offers with a smile.
"You will? Thank you so much! Yum, it's just so good!" The old man states with joy as he then starts eating. "Too much delicious food! It's like I died and went to heaven!"
And just as they started laughing, they noticed that the old man starts dropping the chopsticks which it got them, except Ventus, widen their eyes in horror when they saw him choking his own food.
"What's wrong, old goat guy?" Luffy questions.
"Oh no!" Chopper shouts in panic.
"Already?!" Usopp exclaims.
"Poor thing!" Nami adds.
"Hey, stay with us!" Sanji said when the old man began to let out a big gulp.
"It was so good, I've ate too fast, they got stuck in my throat!" The old man told them, causing the Straw Hats, except Ventus and Robin, to face fault down to the ground with a groan.
"You almost made our hearts stop there, old fella." Usopp states with a grin.
"Don't scare us like that!" Nami adds with a nervous smile.
"What a relief." Chopper said with relief. "I knew it was too soon for it to happen."
"What happened, furball?" The old man asks curiously when he turns to the reindeer, but Nami throws her sandal right in his face.
"Um, nothing!" Usopp answered quickly, extends the plate of food to him. "He just meant it was too soon to stop eating Sanji's delicious food! Here, have some of mine, old timer."
"And mine, too." Nami adds, extends the food to him.
"And fine as well." Robin adds while did the same.
"All of this! For me?! Thank you!" The old man thanked them with a smile, but he was able to stop Luffy by slamming the abacus in the arm, then rubbing it which it got the rubber captain groans in pain. "It's fantastic!"
The Straw Hats, except Zoro and Ventus, the goats began to laugh while watching the old man eats the food. Both Zoro and Ventus looks at the old man with a suspicious look on their faces, which they noticed that something is wrong.
'Geez, this old guys appetite can give Luffy's run for the money. Does he really have only three days to live? Could that be right?' Zoro mentally questions while Ventus was thinking the same thing.
Marine HQ
Meanwhile, both Minchey and the Corporal of the Marines were inside of the room to look for the records about the Goat Island.
"Sergent, I found it! That zone last recorded report, sir! A man fought against some pirates there 20 years ago, but he disappeared and hasn't been seen since!"
"I remember now, his name was Zenny or something." Minchey states with a ponder which it got his attention.
"Sir?"
"He wasn't the only thing that went missing, a huge treasure disappeared with him too." Minchey said, leaving the Marine surprised. "Let's oppose for a minute that he made it to that island. More than likely, he died of old age some time ago. But treasure doesn't have a life expecting, does it?"
Minchey then lets out a sinister chuckle, really wanted to look for the treasure which it got the Corporal of the Marines flinched in dread.
That's it for the 6th chapter.