"See ya!" the orange-haired girl called out to the pirates she had just robbed, sailing away in their boat. They were currently trying desperately to stay afloat after a sudden squall had sank the boat they had been on, the one that had formerly been the girl's. "I'll just take whatever treasure you guys got here!"
"Get back here you bitch!"
"We'll get you for this!"
The girl turned away from them, eyes on the horizon. Orange Town shouldn't be too far away and if any of Buggy's scouts spotted her now, they would just assume she was those three idiots returning to base. Of course, once she arrived, she'd have to move fast. Thankfully, that was her specialty.
"When are we going to get there?" Luffy complained for the eighth time.
"When we get there," Shang-Chi replied for the fifth time. "I've told you before, I'm no expert navigator. I can read maps pretty well and gauge wind and sea currents, but that's about it. I can only make a guess as to how far we still have to go. And judging from this map," he held it up, "probably another hour or so."
"Ugh! Well, guess I could eat some more."
"NO!" everyone shouted at once. Sabine grabbed hold of the food bag and pulled it out of Luffy's grasp.
"But I'm hungry," he complained.
"You're always hungry. And with the way you eat, we'll run out of food in no time. Just be patient. Here, I can give you one apple and that's it," Sabine said, reaching into the bag and tossing him one apple. He swallowed it in 3 seconds.
"Yum! Can I have another?"
"No. That was it."
"Aw."
"So how'd you learn to sail anyway?" Zoro asked, trying to steer the conversation away from Luffy's stomach.
"My dad," Shang-Chi replied. "He wanted to make sure I could survive on my own on the seas. One of his many lessons."
Zoro couldn't help but notice the bitterness in the last words, raising an eyebrow but not saying anything. Wasn't his business. Still, he had seen the guy fight. And unlike Luffy, he didn't rely on a Devil Fruit. His fist had smashed through Morgan's axe like it was nothing. That was a lot of training.
He turned his attention to the other crewmate. "So, you're a Mandalorian right?" he asked Sabine.
"Yep," she said. "Though I don't remember much of the place. I grew up on Krownest, one of the nearby islands. Then the Marines shipped me here."
"Is it true what they say about Mandalorian armor?" Zoro asked, curious. "That it's not normal steel? That it won't break under any blow?"
Sabine smirked at him. "What, you looking to test your swords against them?"
Zoro shrugged. "Maybe."
"Well, I haven't put my own armor through the ringer, but I've been taught my whole life that Mandalorian armor is the strongest in the world. It's called beskar and it's comparable to sea prism stone in terms of durability. And it can only be mined in Mandalore."
"Wow!" Luffy gushed, sparkles in his eyes. "That is so cool!"
Sabine smiled. "Yeah. But that's not all. When designing our armor, we usually add other stuff as well. Hidden compartments and weapons. Mine's still in its basic form but I have a few things. Like here." She held out her arm and a golden rope suddenly whipped out, rippling across the air before she pulled on it and brought it back.
"Damn," Shang-Chi muttered.
"So cool!" Luffy gushed again.
Even Zoro looked impressed, though it was hard to tell. "Any other tricks?" he asked.
"Wait and see," she replied mysteriously. "Though I don't have as much as I want. There are some Mandalorians who have even designed their armor so that they can fly with them."
That got people's attention. Zoro himself had heard of this but he hadn't really thought about it much. Still, that was impressive. Not for him though. He found most armor held him back. To him, his swords were the only armor he needed.
"Is it true what they say?" Shang-Chi asked curiously. "About the bond between a Mandalorian and their armor?"
Sabine had to think about that one. "It depends. Mandalorian armor is definitely cherished by the warrior. I know myself that I would rather die than give up my armor. But there are some to take it to a more religious degree, preferring the old way of constantly wearing the armor and never showing one's face to anyone."
"Huh," Luffy commented. "That's weird. So, they never take it off?"
"Not in front of other people anyway." Sabine didn't know anyone like that personally but she'd heard stories. She herself couldn't really fathom it. She couldn't even really sleep in her armor. It was far too clunky for that. And never taking off the helmet? No thanks. It would get far too stuffy for her taste. "But for all Mandalorian warriors, our armor is sacred to us. Without it, we'd feel…empty." When she'd had to leave her armor behind before getting captured, it had felt like she'd be leaving part of her soul behind. She never wanted to go through that again.
Zoro nodded in understanding. He did consider his swords in the same way. When he had them with him, he felt whole in some way he couldn't explain. Without them, he didn't feel like himself. While he did feel he could replace his two katana, the Wado Ichimonji seemed attached to his soul. It was Kuina's blade and he was determined it would be the blade he would hold up to the heavens when he attained his dream and became the greatest swordsman, so she could see it and know who it was that helped him.
Luffy stared blankly at her but he also understood. While for him it wasn't armor itself, though it would be really cool to have some, but his hat. He could never go without it. That hat meant everything to him and without it…
"So you were a Marine?" Zoro checked.
"Yep."
"How'd you end up joining a pirate crew?"
Sabine gave him a look. "How did a 'Pirate Hunter' do the same?"
Zoro snorted. "I don't have any recollection of ever calling myself that." He leaned back and sighed. "I set out onto the open sea in search of one man, but then I couldn't get back to my village. By that point, I had no choice but to go after pirate ships to earn a living. Guess I got so good at it they just gave me the name."
"Huh," Sabine nodded. "Well I served the Marines for a while before I realized how corrupt they were. I didn't want any part of that, so I left. I wasn't trying to join a pirate crew but Luffy here convinced me so I decided to join up with him."
Zoro looked at her thoughtfully before turning to Shang-Chi. "And you? You grew up on the Grand Line. Why come to the East Blue of all places?"
Shang-Chi didn't respond for a while, just stared at the horizon. He knew he would have to tell them all eventually. They were a crew after all. But he just couldn't do it. Not yet. The pain was still raw. "To escape," he said.
Zoro raised another eyebrow but didn't press any further.
"I'm hungry!" Luffy suddenly complained, causing all of them to sigh collectively.
"Well you'll just have to wait," Sabine told him. "Cause I'm not giving you anymore food for a while."
"But I'm hungry now!" Luffy leaned back, staring up at the sky and panting as he tried to take his mind off food. It was hard though because he loved food so much.
As he looked up though, he spotted something in the sky. He blinked and stared harder, focusing in on it until he saw it was a bird.
"Hey look, a bird," Zoro said at the same time.
"We must be getting close then," Shang-Chi commented. "Tell you what Luffy. When we get there, we can go to a restaurant and get some food there."
"Nah, I'm going to eat now!" Luffy said, licking his lips. "I'm going to eat that bird."
"Huh?" Zoro questioned. "How are you going to catch it?"
"Leave that to me."
"Hold on a sec," Sabine said, putting on her helmet. A while back, she had put in a special feature which added another lens to her helmet, allowing her to focus on far away objects like a telescope. She used it now, looking up at the bird. There had been something weird about it and now she could see it clearly. That was no ordinary bird. It was one of the giant ones. "Luffy, wait!"
But he wasn't listening, stretching out his arms to the yardarm to gain momentum. "Gum-Gum…"
"Luffy, no!" Sabine cried, leaping to stop him.
"…ROCKET!" he cried, shooting up into the air. Unfortunately, Sabine grabbed hold of him at the wrong time and was sent flying up with him.
"AAAHHH!" she screamed, holding on for dear life.
"Sabine!" Shang-Chi cried in alarm. "What are you doing?"
"Morons," Zoro muttered.
They watched as Luffy hit the pink bird above right on its beak. And as they watched, they both noticed how Luffy seemed to be much smaller than the bird. And how Luffy now seemed to be stuck in the bird's beak.
"AAAHHHHHH!" Luffy screamed. "HELP ME!"
"I TRIED TO WARN YOU, YOU IDIOT!" Sabine screamed, still hanging on to his leg.
"That moron!" Zoro growled, grabbing one of the oars alongside Shang-Chi, both of them rowing as hard as they could as the bird flew away. "What the hell's going on now?"
"It appears that instead of eating the bird, the bird decided to eat him," Shang-Chi grunted.
"Naturally," Zoro grumbled, looking at them over his shoulder. "Let's just hope they don't get too far ahead from us or-"
"Hey! You there! Stop! Please! Men overboard! Stop! Men overboard!"
Both Zoro and Shang-Chi looked around and spotted three men in the water, flailing their arms desperately.
"I can't believe we found ship wreckers at a time like this!" Zoro growled.
"Here!" Shang-Chi said, grabbing hold of Zoro's oar and rowing his side as well. "I'll row, you grab!"
"Right," Zoro nodded before turning back to the ship wreckers. "Hold on! We can't stop so I'll have to pull you up as we come along."
"What?" they all screamed just as the boat reached them. Without hesitating, Zoro hoisted all three of them up and dropped them all on the boat, Shang-Chi still rowing at full speed.
"Huh, I'm actually impressed we got all three of you. I thought for sure at least one of you would be left behind."
"Are you trying to kill us?" they all yelled at him.
"Stop the boat now," one of them said threateningly, holding out a knife, while the others grinned sinisterly behind him. "The three of us are members of Buggy the Clown's pirate crew. This boat is ours now."
"Huh?" Zoro asked, glaring back at them. Shang-Chi simply sighed but kept rowing, knowing what was about to happen.
BONK!
BAM!
WHACK!
"Heheheh, I'm sorry, we had no idea you were the famous Pirate Hunter Zoro," the leader apologized, all three of them now sporting several bumps, bruises, and black eyes. "Please forgive us!"
Zoro just stared hard at them. "Well, you're fortunate that I haven't lost sight of my friends yet or your punishment would have been much worse." He looked up, seeing the bird still visible in the distance but fading fast. "Hey Shang-Chi, why not take a break and let these morons take over? It's the least they can do after trying to take our boat."
Shang-Chi snorted. "With those flimsy arms? No way. We'd lose Luffy and Sabine's trail. Trust me, I've got this. I've been doing this kind of training for almost a decade now. I can keep going."
"Hmm," Zoro nodded in appreciation. "Well, knowing Luffy, he'll probably pull off something when he spots land. And he has Sabine with him."
"Besides, the bird is actually headed where we were," Shang-Chi informed him. "Orange Town. They're just taking a very unconventional shortcut. All we can do is hope they don't get into too much trouble before we get there."
"Orange Town?" the three ruffians gasped. "But that's where Captain Buggy is!"
Both Shang-Chi and Zoro looked over at them. "Buggy?" they questioned.
"Who's Buggy?" Zoro asked.
"You've never heard of Buggy the Clown?" one of them gasped.
"Nope."
"He's the ruthless captain of our pirate ship. And he's eaten one of the Devil Fruits. Above everything else he is one truly terrifying man. I don't want to find out what he does to us when he learns a girl stole our boat and our treasure."
"I've heard of him," Shang-Chi said, still rowing hard but not yet breathing hard. He made it a point to keep up to date with the top pirates, bounty hunters, and marines in the area. "He is a powerful pirate by East Blue standards with a 15 million bounty on his head. The only ones that top him I think are Dragon Richard, Don Krieg, Arlong, and the captain of the Red Boar pirates, though I can't remember her name."
"He's eaten a Devil Fruit, huh?" Zoro said. "So he's like Luffy then."
"Wonder which one he got? Well, we'll find out soon enough. If both him and Luffy are in Orange Town, it's inevitable they will cross paths. Should be fun."
"Heh, yeah," Zoro grinned, his swords aching for combat. "A lot of fun."
The other pirates just stared at the two of them who showed no hint of fear at their pirate captain, who in fact looked eager to face him. Just who the heck were these guys? And who was this Luffy?
"AAAHHHH!" Luffy screamed. "Stupid bird! I'm supposed to eat you, not the other way around!"
"I don't think it's listening Luffy!" Sabine yelled at him. "God, if this is what it's like to fly, I don't think I want that armor."
Luffy was still doing his best to free himself but the bird's beak was clamped down too hard. All he could do was stretch his neck. He tried attacking it but couldn't build up enough force to do any real damage.
"Sabine, can you shoot it?" he called.
"I'm trying!" she said. But every time she reached for her pistols, she lost her grip on Luffy's leg. And considering they were hundreds of feet in the air, that was not something she wanted to lose her grip on. "Just hold on. I'm sure it will land soon and then we can cook it and eat it, I promise." After what it had done, she was looking forward to that part.
"Easy for you to say, your head's not inside its mouth! Stupid pigeon! I'll kick your ass, you hear me?"
"It's not a pigeon…wait, do you hear that?"
It was a strange whistling sound. Before Sabine could even turn to look for the source, there was a sudden explosion right next to her, knocking her back and causing her to lose her grip. The bird did the same, opening its beak in surprise and freeing Luffy who instantly fell to the ground below.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!" they both screamed as the ground rushed up to them.
Below, the orange-haired girl was running for her life. Her plan…had not gone according to plan. She had successfully managed to infiltrate Orange Town and sneak into Buggy's tent to snatch the actual map he'd stolen. But then things had fallen apart as she had been spotted and now was being chased all over town by three pirates.
"Hey girl, get back here!" one of them cried out.
"You better give us that map back or else!"
"We just stole that chart of the Grand Line! It belongs to us!"
"Damn it!" their leader growled. "If we don't get that thing back then we're as good as dead."
"We'll be killed by one of the captain's cannonballs."
The girl wasn't even listening, looking around desperately for some place to run and hide. If she could just distract them for a second, she knew she could get away easily. They weren't the smartest pirates around. But what would possibly work…
BOOM!
She gasped at the sudden explosion overhead, turning to see. The pirates did as well, all of them looking up at the smoke cloud above them and the two figures falling down.
"LUFFY, HELP ME!" Sabine screeched.
"Don't worry, I've got you!" Luffy said, stretching out and grabbing hold of Sabine. He pulled her into a bear hug and positioned himself so he would hit the ground, not her. He hit the ground hard, right in front of the orange-haired girl who shrieked in alarm. A massive dust cloud plumed up from the impact, obscuring everyone's view.
"What…was that?" the girl said.
"What the hell?" one of the pirates asked as well.
"A guy and a…statue fell from the sky."
"Damn it, why were there cannonballs flying at us?" Luffy mumbled.
"That's what that was? How did we survive?" Sabine groaned, getting up. Even if Luffy had taken the hit for her, her body still ached from the impact.
"Guess that bird's pretty tough. Well, at least we're safe now."
"Sure," Sabine nodded. "Thanks for the save by the way."
"Of course. I told you, I protect my crewmates."
Sabine smiled. He had said that. "How'd you even survive though?"
"Oh, I've fallen down farther when I was a kid," he replied. "This was nothing really."
Sabine blinked, impressed. That did explain a few things about him, like how he was so tough and also so stupid. Falling down from great heights would do that to you.
"Besides, that was awesome!"
This time, Sabine sighed. Yep, stupid. "You and I have different definitions of the word 'awesome,'" she said. Now that the dust cloud was clear, she looked around and was startled to see them surrounded by four people, one girl and three large men with swords. "Hey, who are you guys?"
The girl stared at them in shock for another second before the idea struck her and she grinned.
"Geez, I'm still so hungry," Luffy muttered as the girl suddenly walked up.
"Oh, hey boss. Thanks for coming to save me," she said to him, clasping her hands together.
"Huh?" he asked, confused. "Who are you?"
"Boss?" Sabine murmured.
"They're all yours now boss, have fun!" she yelled, running away as fast as she could and dashing around the corner. That should distract the pirates long enough for her to get away. Sucks to be those two, but better them than her. She had too much riding on this.
Sabine watched her leave and nodded in understanding. She was a con woman. Not too bad a job. Didn't matter though. These three idiots looked like a Marine rookie could take them down. After seeing what Luffy could do, she wasn't worried at all.
"Hey, that girl's getting away!" one the pirates cried out.
"That's ok, we've got her boss now," another replied, glaring down at Luffy who was still looking at where the girl left, confused.
"You're in trouble kid," the third said menacingly. "You should have let your crony fend for herself."
"You guys know of anywhere good to eat around here?" Luffy suddenly asked, causing Sabine to sigh dramatically.
"Luffy, you do realize they're going to attack us, right?" she said.
"Huh? Just for asking for directions? That's a little rude."
"That's the least of your worries pal!" the leader said, striking Luffy across the face and sending his hat flying off. Sabine hissed and grabbed her pistols, ready to join the fight, when she took a look at Luffy's face. It had morphed from one of surprise to one of pure rage. Before she could even blink, he punched the other guy hard in the face, knocking him into the ground out cold. He then reached out and grabbed hold of his hat which had begun floating down, placing it back on his head.
"You better keep your hands off my hat!" he warned. Sabine blinked, not expecting that. She'd only seen Luffy lose his cool maybe once before, but this really took her by surprise. That hat really meant a lot to him.
"I wonder if they've killed those poor guys yet," the orange-haired girl muttered to herself as she crawled on top of the roof. She decided to take a quick peek, just to see. She did feel guilty after all.
You bastard!" the other pirates yelled, charging forward.
"Gum-Gum Pistol!" Luffy yelled, throwing his arms forward and striking both guys right in the face, knocking them both out cold too.
The girl stared in surprise, not expecting a skinny kid her age to take down two armed pirates like that. "Wow," she gasped before turning to the kid. "You're really strong!" she complemented.
Sabine and Luffy looked up, spotting her. She jumped down from the roof to a balcony below. "Even though both of them had sabers, you beat them bare-handed. And without your friend's help."
"Hey, you're the girl who set me up," Luffy realized. "Who are you?"
"I'm a talented thief who steals strictly from pirates."
"That's not good for us," Sabine muttered.
"The name's Nami," she continued. "Hey, wanna team-up with me?"
Luffy just stared at her. "Um, thanks anyway lady, but I think I'll pass." He then turned and walked away, Sabine following.
"Ch-hold on!" Nami said, jumping down from the balcony to land catlike on the ground below. "At least think about it first," she said, running after them.
"No offense, but you did just sell us out to save your own skin," Sabine said to her. "Not really the best way to start a partnership, don't you think?"
Nami stopped, a sheepish look coming across her face. "Ok, that's a fair point."
GRRROOOWWWLLLL
They all stopped as Luffy clutched his stomach. "I just remembered," he mumbled, falling to his knees, "I'm still so hungry!"
"Oh Luffy," Sabine sighed, shaking her head. "I swear, your stomach is a bottomless pit."
"Well, come with me and I'll find you something to eat," Nami offered.
"Yeah? Are you serious?" Luffy instantly jumped to his feet, startling her with his eagerness.
"HAHM!" Luffy moaned, eating the sandwich whole. "Yum!" he said with a mouthful of food, causing Sabine to roll her eyes as she nibbled on her bread. "So," he said, looking over at Nami, "do you live in this big house all by yourself?"
Nami had led them to one of the houses in the outskirts of the town, away from where Buggy had settled. She had landed nearby and chosen this place as a good rest stop. She hated taking the food away from the people living here but they didn't currently need it. As soon as she had gotten it out, Luffy had dug right on in.
"This isn't my house, I'm just staying here for the time being," she replied. "Everyone's left this town because of Captain Buggy."
"Buggy huh?" Sabine said, leaning back in her chair. She'd heard of him. One of the big-time pirates in the East Blue, which didn't mean much all things considered. Still, he was a problem and from what she'd heard, he had a pretty big crew and was quite powerful. Just their luck they'd crash right into his base. She wondered if they might get out of this without a fight.
"So you're just a petty thief," Luffy said to Nami.
"How rude! I only steal from people who deserve it like pirates. So don't compare me to some scumbag petty thief."
"A thief's a thief as far as I'm concerned," Luffy replied after swallowing another whole sandwich.
Nami looked off to the side, her vision clouding a little. "My goal is to earn a hundred-million berries, no matter how hard it is or how long it takes," she said with conviction.
"Damn," Sabine muttered. "Why that amount specifically?"
"Yeah, what do you need so many berries for anyway?" Luffy asked.
"It's a secret," Nami replied, turning away from them. "But with this chart of the Grand Line, the hundred-million is now a definite possibility."
However, as soon as she said that, she got Sabine's full attention. "Wait, chart of the Grand Line?" she asked, checking.
"So you must be a navigator?" Luffy asked, on the same page as her which took her by surprise.
Nami turned back with a grin. "I'm the most skilled navigator you're ever likely to meet."
"Oh wow! That's perfect!" Luffy exclaimed as he shot to his feet. "Then how about you join my crew, I've been looking to recruit a navigator. Shangy won't stop saying we need one if we're going to the Grand Line. And hey, that chart will be really helpful too!"
"Really?"
"Sure! You can be our newest crewmember!"
Sabine, however, had noticed how vehemently Nami had talked about only stealing from pirates earlier and wasn't surprised when the girl's face suddenly darkened and she angrily replied, "no!"
Luffy blinked in surprise though, clearly not expecting such a harsh response.
"I suppose this means you're pirates," she said.
"Yeah," Luffy nodded. "I made a solemn promise." As he talked, he took off his hat and held it reverently in his hands. "I promised the guy who gave me this hat that I'd form a crew and become the greatest pirate ever."
"Oh, that's why that hat's so important to you," Sabine said, recalling the incident from earlier.
"Yeah. I never go anywhere without it. One day, when I become a famous pirate, I'll return it to him."
"Huh." Sabine looked at the hat and an image formed in her mind. It wouldn't work right now, given that their boat was a pitiful excuse for a pirate ship. But when they finally had a ship…
SLAM!
They both suddenly looked up as Nami slapped her hands down on the table. "There's nothing in this world that I despise more than pirates! I only like money and tangerines!"
"That's oddly specific. Though I do agree, tangerines are quite tasty," Sabine said. "Me personally, I like paint and explosives. Especially when I combine them."
Nami didn't quite know how to respond to that. She couldn't believe she had led pirates to her place, or the place where she was staying anyway. Sure, they seemed nice now, but she'd hung around plenty of pirates before to know they were all heartless bastards who destroyed everything they touched.
"And I like meat and more meat!" Luffy said with a grin. "So come on! Be our navigator."
"I said no," Nami repeated, walking off to the window angrily.
"Your loss," Luffy said, shrugging as he sat back down and continued to eat. As much as they needed a navigator, he could tell he wasn't going to be able to convince her. She clearly wanted nothing to do with pirates so he just had to find one that did. Shouldn't be too hard. He'd already found one navigator without even looking so if he actually looked, he would find one in no time.
"Don't worry, Luffy. We'll find someone," Sabine said. Though that chart might come in handy, she thought to herself, eyeing it. She was a pirate after all and the girl claimed to be a thief. So, it wouldn't be that bad to steal it. Besides, Luffy was dead set on heading to the Grand Line soon and even if Shang-Chi used to live there, she was sure that chart would be a lifesaver.
Nami stared out the window, wondering what her next move should be, when she heard something.
"Did you find her or what?"
"No, I can't find her anywhere."
Nami felt her blood go cold as she looked down at the street below and saw two of Buggy's pirates there, obviously looking for her.
"Where could she be hiding?" the first one asked.
"I don't know, but we're gonna be in big trouble if we don't get that chart back."
They both dashed off down the street and Nami grimaced. They may have missed her now but she was sure they'd be back. I gotta do something about them.
She glanced back to the table where Luffy and Sabine were still eating and an idea came to her, one that would get all the pirates off her back.
"I guess I might consider joining you, but only if you'll agree to certain conditions," she told them, walking up.
Luffy instantly perked up. "Really? I'll do anything!"
"Luffy!" Sabine scolded him. "Don't say that. Wait to see what the conditions are first." She looked suspiciously at Nami. She didn't trust for one second this change of heart. The girl had been too set against pirates to suddenly decide to join right now. This act might fool Luffy, but not her.
"Well then, I want you to come with me to pay a little visit to Buggy the pirate. But first…"
"Hold up," Sabine said. "Explain. Why are we going back to Buggy? Considering you stole his chart, I would figure you'd want to get as far away from him as possible."
"True. But with the way his men are combing the streets, it won't be long until they find me. And, by extension, you. This way, we have the advantage."
"I don't really see how walking right up to one of the most dangerous pirate captains in these waters gives us the advantage."
"Come on, Sabine," Luffy told her. "It'll be fine. What could go wrong?"
"We could die," Sabine replied. "That's what could go wrong."
"Look, we need a navigator and if this is what it'll take to get one, then so be it. I want to meet this guy anyway now."
"Of course you do," Sabine sighed. Well, there was nothing she could do now. She had chosen this moron as her captain and he'd made the decision. So for now, she'd just have to follow his lead. "Alright, what is the plan then?"
"This," Nami said, holding up a long strand of rope. Within a minute, she had wrapped the rope tightly around his arms and hands, immobilizing him.
"That can't be good," Sabine muttered.
"Why did you have to tie me up?" Luffy asked.
"The rope's just for appearances," Nami replied.
"Ok, well what about Sabine then?"
"I'm not tying myself up. I'll just say I'm a rogue Mandalorian looking for work and heard about him. Most pirate crews would die for one of us on their crews, so here's hoping Buggy's no exception."
"Well okay then. I've been looking forward to meeting some other pirates, so let's get going," he said, already moving.
"Just hold your horses, what's the big rush?" Nami complained as he pulled her along despite her holding the rope.
"Only you would look forward to meeting a pirate like Buggy the Clown," Sabine said, shaking her head as she followed them. Granted, he didn't seem as bad as some of the others out there, but that didn't make him a saint.
"WWWWHHHHHAAAAATTTTTTT!?"
All the Buggy Pirates flinched as their captain let his anger be known. They were currently situated in the town's pub and had been drinking to their heart's delight and enjoying the spoils of another conquest. That was until a girl had appeared and stolen the chart of the Grand Line that they had barely managed to steal from the Marines, the chart they had been going to use when they left for the Grand Line.
Unlike most pirate captains out there, Buggy was actually a pretty considerate captain. He always made sure his crew had enough to eat and always wanted to have a good time and they loved him for it. They were an oddball crew, looking more like they belonged in a circus than a pirate crew, but they still had managed to become known as one of the fiercest crews in the East Blue under his rule. There were only a few things that really pissed him off: utter failure and people talking about his nose.
And right now, he was really pissed off.
"Are you telling me the thief got away?" he bellowed, causing the three pirates in front of him to quake and shiver in fear.
"Please forgive us Captain Buggy!"
"I've never seen a more pathetic group than you three!" he yelled. "Time to die!"
"AHHHH!" the pirates screamed, clutching each other in terror.
"Captain Buggy, I have news!" another pirate said, unintentionally saving his crewmates.
"Ugh, what is it?" Buggy asked.
"Girl who stole our chart is back and with a prisoner and someone else in armor," the man said, pointing.
"What?" Buggy screeched. Just when he had thought that girl, and his chart, were lost for good, she suddenly waltzed back into his camp and with a prisoner no less. And someone in armor, apparently.
Nami walked through the crowd of pirates, Luffy tied up in front of her while Sabine was at her rear in full armor. As they passed by, all the pirates whispered and murmured to each other, trying to make sense of her sudden reappearance here.
"It's her!" one of the pirates who had been chasing her yelled.
"That's the sneaky thief who stole the chart!"
As she reached the tent, Nami suddenly shoved Luffy hard, causing him to trip and fall down hard on the ground as he cried out in surprise. She stuck out her tongue at him before looking up at the man seated in the throne. Sabine followed her gaze as well and had stifle a laugh at what she saw. When she'd first heard of Buggy, she'd imagined this grizzled, probably scarred man with sharp teeth. What she saw on the poster was a clown with a giant red nose. Now, in person, he looked even more ridiculous. Especially the nose which was much brighter in real life. But she also knew how dangerous he could be, despite his looks. She couldn't let her guard down for a second.
"I've captured the thief, Captain Buggy the Clown," Nami said, walking up with the chart in hand. Inwardly, she prayed with all she could that this would work. Or else, she'd just gotten herself killed. Oh, and those other two as well. "And here's your chart back."
"Not that I don't appreciate it, but why the sudden change of heart little girl?" Buggy asked with a menacing smile.
Nami handed the chart over, feeling a clench in her gut as she did so, before replying. "I had another fight with my boss and I just can't take it anymore." She shrugged, giving her most charming smile. "So I thought I'd see if I could join your crew."
Buggy seemed to consider her words for a second before turning to Sabine who resisted the urge to reach for her guns. "A Mandalorian, huh?" he said, a twinkle in his eye. "Didn't know there were any of your kind in these waters. So, what are you doing then?"
"Nami's an old friend of mine," she replied easily. "When we met up earlier today, she said she was tired of working for a no-good coward like him," she gestured to Luffy, "and wanted a much better, stronger captain. And since you're the best around, she figured she should join up with you. As for me, I'm just looking for work so I figured I might as well join up with you as well."
Buggy's eyes narrowed as heard all this, a slight sound building up in the back of his throat. Sabine's eyes widened beneath her helmet and she again had to resist the urge to draw her guns. Had they said something wrong? Were they now going to have to fight their way out?
"Captain Buggy sure does look angry, doesn't he?" one of the pirates said.
"He's going to use the Devil Fruit power."
"Really?" Luffy said curiously. He wondered what power Buggy had and how strong it made him.
Buggy trembled for a second before letting out a huge laugh. "Gyahahahahahahahahaha!" He then looked over at Nami. "You're fed up, huh? I must admit, you're an amusing girl. I like you. As for you," he turned to Sabine. "A real Mandalorian, huh? Of course you both can join my crew. Gyahahahahaha!" He laughed some more, snorting a little.
Nami let out a relieved sigh and grinned. I've successfully infiltrated them, she thought to herself. Pirates are so dumb and easy to manipulate.
Sabine eased off her guns, but still felt a churning in her stomach. They may have infiltrated the crew, but that only lasted so long. All it took was one slip-up so she had to be ready for anything. She just wished Zoro and Shang-Chi would be here as well. Both of them would help even the odds.
Her churning only increased when the cage was brought out and Luffy shoved into it. "Hey guys, why am I in a cage?" he asked casually, as if he was asking about lunch instead of why he was being imprisoned.
The crew all chuckled to themselves while Buggy leaned forward. "It's a great day to be a pirate," he said before turning to Nami and Sabine. "Girl," he said to Nami, "what do you call yourself?"
"I'm Nami," she replied, smiling.
"And you?"
"Sabine."
"HA! Then let's have a welcome party for our new friends Nami and Sabine! Let's celebrate!"
The whole crew cheered, throwing their arms and weapons in the air wildly. Within minutes, food and drink was doled out and the pirates partied to their delight, guzzling down barrels of beer and whole plates of food, dancing to the music playing, and just playing tricks with each other. Sabine had to admit, they did seem like a friendly bunch at the moment and certainly seemed to get along well with each other. But these pirates were definitely the bad ones considering the state of the town. The exact kind of pirates she loathed on the seas, the opposite of Luffy.
She was currently at the main table, seated in front of Buggy and next to Nami. While Buggy was chowing down on a chicken leg, Nami was picking at her food. Sabine grimaced at that, she herself munching into a loaf of bread. Even if she wasn't hungry and still had a churning stomach, she knew she had to put on an act.
"What's wrong?" Buggy asked Nami, also sensing something. "We're throwing this party in your honor. So eat up, like your friend there."
Nami shot Sabine a look who just shrugged back. "Thanks for the party, Captain Buggy," Nami said, a smile still plastered on her face.
I'll just keep my eyes peeled for a chance to take back that chart, she thought. Maybe I'll swipe all of Buggy's treasure too while I'm at it.
Sabine didn't like the look in Nami's eye. She cursed herself for going along with such a stupid plan. It was obvious that Nami had no plans to join their crew. She just needed a distraction. Sabine had tried warning Luffy but now, here they were. She just had to find some way out of this.
She looked over to her captain and was surprised to see one of his arms had stretched out around a barrel for the nearest table, reaching for a plate of meat, his whole body straining against the bars as he did so.
"That's it," he mumbled. "Almost there."
Just as he was about to grab the meat, he lost his grip and his arm shot back, sending him rolling across his cage. "Argh!" he exclaimed. "Damn it."
How is he still hungry? Sabine thought.
"This is such a flashy party," Buggy suddenly said, surprising her. "Now listen up!" he cried out, grabbing everyone's attention. He shot up and raised his arms high. "Men, it's time to prepare the Buggy Ball!"
That got a resounding cheer from the pirates and a deep sinking feeling in Sabine's chest. Whatever this Buggy Ball was, she was sure it couldn't be good.
She was proven right a few minutes later as a large cannon was wheeled out. One of the pirates came forward with a large red ball in his hands with the Buggy Pirate crest drawn on it. He rolled it into the cannon where it clanged before coming to a stop. "All set captain," he announced.
"Wha-what are you doing with that thing?" Nami asked worriedly.
Nothing good, Sabine thought.
"Just observe the awesome might of the Buggy Ball," Buggy told her. "Light it."
The pirate at the cannon lit a match and held it against the fuse. As soon as he did so, he covered his hands over his ears, everyone watching the fuse get lower. Sabine followed their example, covering her ears as much as she could.
She and Nami looked out over where the cannon was pointing, all the buildings of the village. The shops and homes of the people there. Nami gasped sharly, realization hitting her, while Buggy just grinned in anticipation. Luffy stared open-mouthed from his cage, not sure what to expect.
A few seconds later, the fuse went up and the cannon fired. Sabine and Nami gasped as a bright light enveloped them, the Buggy Ball rocketing out and striking all the buildings, destroying them in a blinding flash, leaving only a trail of smoke and debris.
At the docks, Shang-Chi and Zoro stared at the destruction with expressionless faces.
"That was one heck of an explosion," Zoro muttered.
"I don't think I want to know the cause," Shang-Chi said. "Which probably means we're going to find out."
"It looked like it was one of the Captain's beloved Buggy Balls," one of the pirates said.
"Buggy Balls?" Zoro asked, smirking at the name.
"Not much brainpower used in that one," Shang-Chi commented dryly. "Well, if that was a Buggy Ball, then Buggy must have fired it. Which means wherever he is, Luffy must be close by."
And we're back for the official start of Orange Town. Sorry for the wait but I can promise it won't take that long for the next chapter. This arc will last five chapters and each one will be released every two weeks. After that, no promises. Some things here will be sticking to canon, but some stuff won't. The biggest change will of course be the additions to Buggy's crew, but that'll come later.
Also, to all my other readers, my Into the Marvelverse series will be getting its next chapter in the next month for sure.
Until next time, leave a review if you can, thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed it.