Logia Brothers Chapter 15 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of The Logia Brothers! Loguetown spotted! Time to prepare for the Grand Line! Now if only the Straw Hats could keep a low profile and slip in and out quietly. Yeah…that’s not going to happen with Luffy around!

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Chapter 15 – Loguetown, Captain and Swordswoman

“Land, ho!” Usopp called out from the Crow’s Nest while looking through a telescope. Luffy grinned widely, sitting on Merry’s Figurehead, as he watched the island get larger on the horizon.

“That’s Loguetown alright, excited?” Nami asked her Captain.

“Yep!” Luffy chuckled while looking ahead.

Several minutes later the Going Merry was docking at Loguetown. The Jolly Roger had to be hidden, as the sight of one would alert the local Marine Base and they’d never make it into town. The one on the main sails could easily be explained away as merely a Civilian Ship trying to deter other Pirates from attacking them. It was a fairly common tactic and on the open sea any reduction of danger was taken. The only way to truly know a Pirate Ship from a Civilian one faking it was to spot the Black Flag with the Crew’s Jolly Roger on it. Luffy and Usopp had carefully rolled the Jolly Roger up and tied it to the mast. A simple pull on the twine would set their flag loose to fly again, once they left Loguetown of course.

“What a huge town!” Luffy exclaimed as the crew stood on the large Main Street.

“Huh, so this is where the Age of Pirates began.” Sanji murmured while looking around the street.

“I want to see the execution platform!” Luffy nodded. He really wanted to see the spot where the Pirate King had met his end.

“I’m sure I can stock up on some fine ingredients in the market.” Sanji nodded as his eyes drifted from one woman to another. “Some fine women too.”

“I’ll go look for other equipment to buy.” Usopp informed the crew. “A town this large should have things you can’t get on smaller islands.” The Gunman began making a list in his head of the things he’d like to get. If he could get everything then perhaps he could complete the idea he had for Nami’s staff.

“I do have something I want to buy too, but….” Zoro trailed off and Nami’s eyes practically sparkled.

“I’ll lend you the money Zoro, at three hundred percent interest, that it.” Nami smiled pleasantly; as if she hadn’t just offered her crewmate an outright insane interest rate.

“Nami….” Luffy placed his hand on her shoulder and turned the orangette to face him. “None of that.”

“But Luffy~” Nami pouted and made her eyes tear up a bit. Luffy kissed her forehead and Nami sighed. Her Lover was getting wise to her tricks. She’d have to tempt him with ‘other’ things occasionally it would seem. “Fine~” She pecked his lips and then opened the purse she had slung over her shoulder.

“We aren’t low on funds, and we’re headed for the Grand Line. I don’t want Zoro to be stuck with bad swords. That goes for everyone. We should buy good quality stuff while we can. I don’t want my nakama getting hurt because we decided to be cheap when we didn’t need to be.” Luffy explained and all of his crew smiled slightly. This was another reason they followed Luffy as Captain. Simple-minded he often was, he knew enough to look after his subordinates, and he was willing to do anything for their sake if they required it.

“Alright, Luffy.” Nami smiled at him and the straw-hatted teen chuckled. “Just remember, we’re the most wanted Pirates in all of East Blue. People might recognize us if we do anything to draw attention to ourselves. So be careful.” That got a nod from each member of the crew, Luffy then turned to look at Zoro.

“How much do you think you’ll need Zoro?” Luffy asked his First Mate and Swordsman.

“A decent sword is usually one hundred thousand Beri.” Zoro mused as he placed his hand on Wado Ichimonji.

“What about one as good as that one?” Luffy asked as he pointed to the white sword.

“This one?” Zoro looked uncertain for a moment as he looked over his prized sword. “Probably a million Beri, maybe?”

“Give him two million Beri, just in case, Nami.” Luffy told his Navigator/Treasurer. Nami nodded, but when Zoro went to take the stacks of bills from the orangette he had to struggle. Eventually Nami relinquished the money with crocodile tears running down her face.

“Greedy witch.” Zoro rolled his eyes as he stashed the money in his haramaki. With that done he walked into Loguetown to search for a weapon shop.

“Usopp how much do you think you’ll need?” Luffy questioned and the Gunman held his chin as he thought.

“Say about, two hundred thousand Beri?” Usopp nodded at the number. Nami, begrudgingly, handed over the money and the Gunman made his way into town.

“Sanji?” Luffy turned to his Chef and the blonde was already murmuring to himself about ingredients and prices.

“I’d say one hundred thousand should be good.” Sanji nodded as he looked at Luffy. “That much should keep even your bottomless pit of a stomach fed for a while.” Nami handed the bills over to Sanji. The chef quickly headed towards the market, though both Nami and Luffy noticed he was following after a small group of twenty-something women.

“I’m going clothes shopping.” Nami informed Luffy with a smile. “I’ll make sure to get a few things for your eyes only~” She breathily whispered to him before leaving a lingering kiss on his cheek. “Make sure you don’t draw attention to yourself, okay?”

“Sure thing, Nami!” Luffy grinned widely. The Captain quickly headed off towards the center of town. Thankfully there were signs leading to the execution platform. It WAS a major tourist attraction for Loguetown after all.

“He better remember.” Nami sighed fondly after him. The pretty young woman then smiled as she turned and made her way to the merchant area. She could already see some signs for various shops, especially the signs that said ‘Sale’!

-Loguetown Marine Base-

“Captain Smoker, sir!” An Ensign saluted his Superior as he entered the room. The room in question was heavy with smoke. A white haired man sat on a couch and was stacking rocks on the coffee table in front of him. The man had an impressive tower of seven rocks stacked up already.

“What is it?” Smoker inquired as he placed the eighth rock on top of the stack.

“We have word that the Jolly Roger of the ‘Straw Hat’ Pirates was spotted docking earlier. We haven’t confirmed that the ship is there’s for sure, though it seems possible." The Ensign reported.

“Why are you bothering me if you haven’t confirmed anything?” Smoker questioned his subordinate with a sharp gaze.

“They’re the most wanted crew in the East Blue. The Captain alone has a Sixty Million Beri Bounty, sir. I felt it was prudent to inform you as soon as possible.” The Ensign answered and Smoker stood up.

“I do things at my own pace.” The Marine Captain exhaled a cloud of smoke around the two cigars in his mouth. “Don’t throw me off and break my concentration.” The white haired man put on his coat. The coat was white with dark blue fur lining the hem, cuffs, and collar of the garment. Several cigars were also strapped to the left side of the jacket. The smoking man then grabbed an oversized Jitte and strapped it to his back. “Where’s Tashigi?”

“Petty Officer Tashigi went to retrieve her sword from the weapons shop she frequents, sir.” The Ensign replied.

“Still? How many hours does that take?” Smoker questioned as they walked through the base. As soon as the duo emerged from the base and onto the city streets a small girl bumped into Smoker’s leg.

“Captain Smoker?!” The obvious Father cried out in fear. “Please forgive my daughter, sir!” The young girl simply sniffled at losing her triple scoop ice cream cone.

“Sorry about that.” Smoker apologized to the young girl. He placed several Beri coins into her small hands. “Go get yourself a five scoop cone, on me.” With that the large Marine returned to his full height and walked off with the Ensign.

“Th-thank you, Captain!” The father bowed while the little girl smiled and waved happily at the retreating Smoker. The man simply raised his hand in a backward wave and then turned the corner.

-With Sanji-

“What kind of fish is this?” Sanji asked the man at the stall he’d taken notice of. Technically he’d noticed the massive fish with the elephant-like features. But he’d never seen one before, so he felt the need to ask.

“This here is an Elephant True Blue Fin!” The Fisherman grinned with pride. “Though most just call it the Elephant Tuna. It’s a fish most commonly found in the South Blue. But on rare occasions you can catch them in the East Blue too! I pulled this one in with my fishing pole just this morning!”

“Whoa! You caught this thing with just a fishing pole? It’s huge.” Sanji complimented the Fisherman.

“Would you like me to slice up some of it for you, sir?” The Fisherman asked, happy to make a sale from his prized catch.

“No, don’t worry about that, I’ll buy the whole thing!” Sanji grinned and the Fisherman broke out into a smile of his own.

“Thank you for your patronage, sir!” The Fisherman replied happily. The man quickly picked up the large, heavy fish and wrapped it in thick paper. Sanji grinned as he pulled out the required Beri for the fish. A quick exchange and Sanji smiled as he hefted the large fish onto his shoulder.

“Now to get this back to the Merry.” Sanji hummed as he started walking. He spotted Usopp not a minute later and saw the large pack the Gunman was carrying. “Yo, Usopp, help me out a bit.”

“Sanji?” Usopp questioned as he turned to face his crewmate. “What’s that giant fish?!” Usopp’s eyes goggled at the sight of the large Elephant Tuna.

“Just bought it, nice and fresh!” Sanji grinned as he hefted it up slightly. “Help me carry it.”

“Oh, sure thing.” Usopp agreed.

“Thanks.” Sanji grinned, right before putting the front end onto Usopp’s shoulder.

“Hey! Wait a minute! Why am I carrying the heavy end?!” Usopp demanded as he readjusted his own purchases to his left hand.

“It’ll be good for your training, right?” Sanji chuckled as the two started heading toward the Merry. Their path would take them near the central plaza where the execution platform was too. So they figured they’d check it out too, before heading back to the ship.

-With Nami-

“How’s this?” Nami asked as she pulled aside the curtain of the dressing room. The orangette was showing off the outfit she had just put on. A corset top and miniskirt, with a coat that had fur trim and cuffs.

“It suits you wonderfully, Miss!” The shop keeper praised. Nami nodded before closing the curtain and trying on a different outfit. A few moments later she pulled the curtain open again.

“And this?” Nami questioned. Now wearing a long red dress with a fur stole around her neck. The dress even had a long slit up the side, all the way to her upper thigh, to show off her legs.

“How elegant you look, Miss!” The shop keeper complimented her with a smile.

“Hmm.” Nami hummed before closing the curtain and changing again. The orangette went through more outfits. Getting more compliments from the shop keeper. Strangely all of the compliments became a single word, each word starting with the letter ‘E’ at that.

“So, will you be buying all of these, Miss?” The shop keeper asked. The man, with his hair styled to look like a coat hanger of all things, was visible shaking in excitement.

“Nope, just this one!” Nami smiled as she placed her choice on the counter next to the enormous pile of clothes she’d tried on.

“Please come again.” The shop keeper forced a smile as crocodile tears poured from his eyes.

“I’ll check somewhere else for more casual clothes.” Nami waved over her shoulder as she exited the boutique. She was happy with this outfit though. It was a beautiful light blue outfit. Corset top that showed off her slender waist and pushed up her large breasts; along with a matching miniskirt that showed off her long legs and stopped at mid-thigh. Plus the long jacket with lovely white fur along the collar and cuffs. She was sure that Luffy would love seeing her in this! ‘Though he’ll probably prefer getting me out of it even more!’ She giggled to herself as she entered a more casual clothing shop. She’d need to stop by a lingerie shop afterwards. She couldn’t tempt Luffy without sexy underwear to match her sexy new outfit after all!

“Welcome!” The female shop keeper greeted Nami as she walked into the store.

“Huh?” Nami stopped just as she passed the threshold of the store. “The temperature and pressure just shifted. Is it going to rain? It certainly feels like it. I’ll have to remember to get my purchases but in a plastic bag.”

-With Zoro-

“Seems like that Monster ain’t with you today!” A loud male voice exclaimed. The volume got Zoro’s attention and he looked across the street. There were two large men with swords drawn, facing down a young woman.

“It’s because of you guys that our Boss got locked up!” Another loud male voice joined in with the first.

“If you two still haven’t learned your lesson, then I’ll gladly be your opponent.” The woman replied back.

“Did I hear that right? A little Miss like you is going to fight both of us?!” The large man with pigtails questioned.

“Well, why not?!” The lanky man with the large mouth beside him crowed.

“Tell that Monster that he’s the reason our dream of going to the Grand Line was destroyed!” The duo of men yelled as they sung their swords at the woman.

‘She’s got this.’ Zoro realized as soon as he saw the woman begin to move. In an instant both large men hit the ground with slashes across their torsos. The young woman then proceeded to lose her footing and trip on the final step of her movement. ‘Well…I wasn’t expecting that.’ Noticing the woman’s glasses near his feet; Zoro picked them up and handed them to the swordswoman.

“Here, these’re yours, right?” Zoro offered the woman her glasses. The rest of the crowd had started chuckling at the klutz moment.

“S-sorry for troubling you.” The woman apologized as she took her glasses from him. “T-thank you very much.” When she looked up Zoro felt his body jolt. He was looking into the face of Kuina. This woman looked like a near perfect copy of his departed friend! Shaking his head a bit Zoro decided to get out of the area.

“You should work on your footing some more.” Zoro advised. “Tripping like that could lead to an accident or even death.” The woman nodded in agreement, a flush coming to her cheeks. Zoro walked away and continued his search for a weapons shop. He tried to put the Kuina look alike out of his mind.

-With Luffy-

“The execution platform.” Luffy muttered as he gazed upon the object. “This is where the Pirate King died.” The young man looked contemplative for a moment. “This is where the Age of Pirates began too. I want to see what the Pirate King saw in his last moments!” With that the Goro Goro no Mi user ran over and started to climb his way up the platform.

-With Zoro-

“That was a shock.” Zoro exhaled as he thought about the swordswoman again. “She looked way too much like Kuina. Well, it’s a big world. I just need to get over it.” A few moments later Zoro spotted the sign for a weapon shop and entered the store.

“Welcome!” The shop keeper smiled at him. He was a balding man with black hair that stuck out on both sides. He was rubbing his hands together and smiling a salesman smile. “Please feel free to look around as much as you want.”

“I want to buy some swords.” Zoro informed the man.

“Yes, of course, sir! We’ve got older swords, newer swords, and even esoteric swords! All for reasonable prices and backed by two hundred years of sterling reputation!” The shop owner spoke with a wide grin.

“Great…” Zoro rolled his eyes. He’d heard enough shop keeper spiels for a lifetime. He’d often broken his other swords in the past after all. He didn’t need to hear similar things every time he went to buy new swords.

‘Wait a minute!’ The shop owner felt himself start to sweat when he saw the sword on Zoro’s hip. ‘Is that? Could it be?’

“Young man, could I p-possibly s-see that s-sword you’ve g-got t-there?” He asked and Zoro cocked an eyebrow at the man.

“I guess.” Zoro shrugged and placed Wado on top of the counter.

‘This is it!’ The shop keeper gaped as he unsheathed the blade and looked it over for a moment. ‘Calm down, this could be a huge break! He might not even realize what he has!’

“Hmm, a good blade, the craftsmanship is notable to say the least. If you’re interested in parting with this sword I’d be willing to make a deal with you on any sword in my shop.” Ippon Matsu, the shop keeper, smiled at the green haired swordsman.

“Not for sale.” Zoro stated with cold finality and Ippon shivered instinctively. “Wado Ichimonji belonged to my late friend and I inherited it along with our shared dream. I will never part with this sword.”

“Y-yes, o-of c-course, s-sir!” Ippon nodded along. This man was a true swordsman! How long had it been since the old shop keeper had met one like him?

“I knew it!” A very familiar female voice spoke up. The Kuina look alike practically slammed into the counter in her rush to get close to the famous sword. “That’s Wado Ichimonji! The ‘Straight Road of Harmony’! It’s magnificent!”

‘What is she doing here?!’ Zoro yelled in his own head at seeing the woman again so soon.

“Wado Ichimonji is one of the twenty one Great Grade Swords!” The swordswoman beamed at the sword.

“Doesn’t matter.” Zoro stated as he took Wado back and sheathed it on his hip. “This sword is more important to me than its Grade or its value.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” The swordswoman bowed slightly in apology. “Wait, I recognize you, we just met in the street a little while ago! Thank you for finding my glasses, I’m Tashigi.”

“Its fine, I’m just trying to buy some swords.” Zoro replied. Making sure he didn’t give his name out. “I’d like two if possible.”

“Of course, feel free to look at our collection of blades. The blunt old swords are in the barrels along the wall. The new swords are on the racks against the other wall. The highest quality swords are on their own racks on the wall next to me.” Ippon pointed out each area. “And you, woman, you’re here to pick up your ‘Shigure’ correct? Here, it’s been polished.” The shop keeper handed the sword over to the young woman. “What a wallflower like you is doing carrying a Grade Sword I’ll never know.”

“Three swords, huh? You must like them. You remind me of a certain Bounty Hunter.” Tashigi claimed as she watched Zoro pull a sword from one of the three barrels.

“A certain Bounty Hunter?” Zoro questioned as he looked the sword over. He wasn’t even looking in her direction.

“Yes, Roronoa Zoro, do you know of him?” Tashigi questioned.

“I’ve heard that name quite a bit.” Zoro nodded as he placed the sword back in the barrel.

“He’s quite the famous swordsman here in the East Blue. Or maybe I should san infamous.” Tashigi shook her head. “It seems all the most famous blades are in the hands of Pirates and Bounty Hunters these days. It’s such a shame. Those swords must be crying while being used for evil.”

“One’s occupation usually reflects the times they live in.” Zoro stated as he looked at Tashigi. “Everyone has their own circumstances. You can’t call everyone evil just because they do something differently than you.”

“I like bad guys!” Ippon spoke up from the counter. “Plenty of pirates used to come through here looking to head for the Grand Line. Then that monster Captain of yours was put in charge of this town. Then right after that, boom, no more customers!”

“Captain Smoker is not a monster!” Tashigi retorted quickly.

“He’s a Devil Fruit User! That more than qualifies him to be called a monster!” Ippon shouted back at the young woman.

‘Devil Fruit?’ Zoro filed that bit of information away in his mind.

“Regardless, as a swordsman myself, I vowed to train hard with my ‘Shigure’. Then I’ll travel the world and liberate the Famous Blades from evil hands! No matter if they’re one of the twelve Supreme Grade, one of the twenty one Great Grade, one of the fifty Skillful Grade, or one of the one hundred Grade blades!” Tashigi stated strongly.

“Does that mean you plan to take Wado Ichimonji from me?” Zoro questioned as he placed his hand on the white sword.

“No, no, I don’t want the swords for myself! I just don’t want them to be used for evil.” Tashigi raised her hands in front of her to ward off the accusation.

“Hm?” Zoro’s eyes snapped to the sword his hand had just touched. Something felt ‘off’ about this sword. Pulling it from within the barrel Zoro looked over the sword. He unsheathed it and looked over the flame-like hamon pattern. This sword was different, it was special.

“Oh! That sword! I’ve seen it in my book!” Tashigi exclaimed as she pulled out a thick book from her back pocket. Flipping through the pages Tashigi stopped and glanced between the page and the sword for a second. “I was right! That’s ‘Sandai Kitetsu’! It’s a Grade sword, just like my ‘Shigure’! Mister, are you really selling this for only fifty thousand Beri? It’s worth at least one million!”

“I can’t sell that sword!” Ippon denied her as he shook his head.

“What? But why not?” Tashigi questioned clearly confused.

“It’s cursed.” Zoro stated as he held the blade up.

“So you know about it?” Ippon asked while staring at the blade nervously.

“No…I can just tell.” Zoro replied, though he seemed like he was barely paying attention to the other man.

“Well you’re right!” Ippon nodded with sweat beading on his forehead. “The Kitetsu are all fine swords, but from the start with the ‘Shodai Kitetsu’ they’ve carried a curse! Many a famous swordsman met their end after using one of the three Kitetsu! Now days, there’s no swordsman that will touch one of them!”

“I like it, so how much was it again? Fifty thousand, right?” Zoro smirked as he held the sword aloft.

“You fool! I said I can’t sell that sword! If you died it’d be like I killed you myself!” Ippon shouted at the green haired swordsman.

“Let’s test it then.” Zoro grinned at the sword. “My luck or this sword’s curse. Which is stronger?” With that he tossed the blade into the air and held his arm straight out to his side. The ‘Sandai Kitetsu’ spun on its descent, heading for Zoro’s arm.

“You fool! You’ll lose your arm! That sword’s edge is unparalleled!” Ippon warned while Tashigi held her hands over her mouth in worry. Zoro simply closed his eyes and waited.

‘Hehahahaha~’Zoro ‘heard’ with his fledgling Observation. It almost sounded like the laughter of a mad man. He noticed it came with the same bloodlust he’d felt from the ‘Sandai Kitetsu’ as well. So the sword truly was cursed. How interesting.

The shocked and terrified Ippon and Tashigi watched as the cursed blade spun downwards. At the last moment, just as it looked like Zoro would lose his arm, the blade spun perfectly around the limb. The two watched the Grade Sword stab straight through the wooden floor all the way to the hilt.

“I’ll take it!” Zoro grinned viciously while both Tashigi and Ippon collapsed at what they’d just witnessed. “Now I just need one more.” He smiled as he pulled Kitetsu from the floor and sheathed it.

“Hang on! Just wait right there!” Ippon shouted as he rushed into the back of his shop. He returned a moment later with a sword on its own stand. “This is Yubashiri, one of the fifty Skillful Grade swords. I can personally attest to its sharpness. My shop might not be much, but this is the best sword you’ll find in Loguetown. I guarantee it!”

Zoro picked up the sword. Noting its lightness he unsheathed it to reveal a beautiful blade. The hamon was a perfect wave and the edge was insanely sharp. With a grin Zoro sheathed the sword.

“How much?” Zoro asked Ippon.

“Don’t worry about the money.” Ippon waved him off. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen a real swordsman. I’ll pray for your good fortune.”

“Hey, you, how much did you say swords like this were worth?” Zoro asked Tashigi. For some reason the woman was still on the ground.

“O-oh! Um, usually one million Beri to start.” Tashigi replied as she shook herself from the crazy experience of meeting this swordsman.

“How lucky.” Zoro chuckled as he pulled out the two million Beri he’d tucked away in his haramaki earlier. He placed the stacks onto the counter.

“Hey, I said you didn’t have to pay.” Ippon tried to deny the money.

“You better take that money!” Ippon’s wife, a slightly plump woman with long, curly auburn hair demanded. She then slapped the back of his head. “This is the biggest sale we’ve made in years!”

“You’ve done your job as shop keeper well. I’ve found two good swords thanks to you. It would dishonor me to not pay you. Take the money.” Zoro informed the man as he headed out of the shop with a backwards wave. Ippon and his wife picked up the money and started to take it into the back. When Ippon returned he noticed Tashigi just getting to her feet.

“You can leave now, you know? We’re closed for the rest of the day!” Ippon shooed the swordswoman out of his shop and flipped the sign to ‘Closed’. Tashigi blinked as she heard the doors lock behind her.

-With Luffy-

“Wow! So this is what the Pirate King saw when he died!” Luffy exclaimed as he stood on top of the execution platform. He looked out over the crowded plaza seeing all the people. Many of said people were looking and pointing at him curiously.

“Hey you! Get down from there!” A police officer yelled into a megaphone.

“Why?” Luffy questioned and chuckles could be heard through the nearby crowd.

“Because that execution platform belongs to the World Government, so get off of it!” The officer yelled at him again. He was then smashed across the head with a large, spiked iron mace and was left sprawled out on the ground.

“Now, now, no need to be so uptight officer.” A woman in a cloak said. The cloak was covered in stylized hearts and the woman’s head was topped with a white cowboy hat. The hat even had a large, decorative plume feather on the left side. Civilians panicked at seeing a police officer brutalized so casually. “I’ve been looking for you Luffy! It’s been a long time!”

Luffy tilted his head, wondering where he could have seen such a lady. He wasn’t the best at remembering names sometimes. He thought he remembered faces pretty well though. This ravenette woman wasn’t ringing any bells though. When in doubt Luffy fell back on his training, in this case, his Observation Haki. He rarely forgot a person’s ‘Voice’ if he’d met them for any real length of time. What he ‘heard’ made him grimace as it was indeed familiar.

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten my face?” The lady asked him.

“You’ve changed on the outside, but you’re just as rotten as ever on the inside, Alvida.” Luffy replied as he looked down at the female pirate.

“You do remember!” Alvida grinned at him. “I’ve tracked you down to make you mine, Luffy! I do love strong men after all.”

“No.” Luffy replied instantly and every man in the plaza face faulted all at once. How could any man just instantly reject such a beauty?!

“Ooh~ so callous and rough!” Alvida smirked while she whipped off her cloak revealing her new slim appearance. With a pair of striped capris, a white bikini top and a purple jacket, the female pirate was definitely showing off her new trim figure. “After I ate the Sube Sube no Mi, my body changed! You probably noticed my freckles are gone.”

“Yeah…I noticed a lot more than that was gone.” Luffy deadpanned.

A blast went off in the plaza, destroying the nearby fountain. A large chunk of the debris went sailing towards Alvida. The large chunk of stonework seemingly struck the woman. The next instant however the large fountain piece seemed to simply slip off her and slam into a nearby building.

“Well that was a little dangerous, don’t you think?” Alvida asked a group of cloaked men.

“With your Devil Fruit no attack can harm your skin, so you needn’t worry.” The lead man replied.

“Luffy!” Alvida called out to the straw-hatted young man. “If you’re really fit to be my man, then you certainly won’t lose to him. We teamed up just to find you!”

“Ever since the day I was blasted away, I’ve dreamed only of killing you!” The lead man exclaimed as he and his group tossed off their cloaks. The Buggy Pirates revealed themselves to the large plaza. Dozens of the civilians screamed in terror while the Buggy Pirates pulled out weapons and aimed them at the people.

“Oh, it’s just Buggy.” Luffy monotone reply wasn’t taken well by the Clown Pirate.

“I see you’re still the same cheeky punk as before!” Buggy roared at Luffy with sharp teeth.

“That won’t work.” Luffy intoned as he stepped backwards. Cabaji slammed into the execution platform with a set of bladed stocks.

“How did you?” Cabaji tried to question only for a bright light to pass through his shoulder. “Aaargh!” The Buggy swordsman cried out in pain as a smoking hole was put through him.

“Cabaji!” Buggy yelled out in anger at his subordinate’s injury.

“Get down.” Luffy ordered the other pirate as he punted him off the platform. Cabaji crashed onto the ground with a thump as he grabbed at his wounded shoulder.

“Oh my~” Alvida hummed in delight.

“You Straw Hat bastard! I’ll kill you for this!” Buggy threatened only for Luffy to stare him dead in the eye. The older pirate quickly found himself unable to speak. A pressure was building up in his head and he broke out into a flop sweat.

“You got away with your life last time we met.” Luffy’s eyes practically drilled holes into Buggy’s as he continued their stare down. “Yet you come to threaten me again? Why?”

“B-be-because y-you…” Buggy began but another bright blue-white beam suddenly pierced his shoulder. “OW!” The Clown Pirate cried out in pain as he collapsed to his knees and gingerly held his wounded shoulder.

“I’m about to set out for the Grand Line.” Luffy informed the older pirate. “Don’t get in my way, okay?”

-With Smoker and Tashigi-

“So that’s ‘Straw Hat’ Luffy, the man with the largest Bounty in all of the East Blue?” Smoker commented as he compared Luffy’s face to the wanted poster.

“Yes sir!” The Ensign next to him replied. “As ordered we have the plaza surrounded. We can move in at any time.”

“We were going to let the pirates fight among themselves. Then we’d move in and capture all of them.” Tashigi commented on their original plan. “But at this rate it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be a viable option. The power difference is too great.”

“Wait for my signal and then move in.” Smoker informed the Ensign. “I’ll deal with Straw Hat myself.”

“Yes sir!” The Ensign saluted and then rushed off to relay the orders.

-With the rest of the Crew-

“Oh.” Nami blinked at spotting her nakama. On her back was a large bag with all her clothing purchases inside.

“Hey.” Usopp greeted while holding up the front end of a huge fish. There was also a very large pack being carried in his left hand too.

“Nami-swan!” Sanji smiled brightly at seeing the orangette Navigator again.

“What’s up?” Zoro asked. All of his crewmates noticed his haramaki once again had three swords tucked into it.

“We need to get to the ship.” Nami informed the group as she pulled out her pocket barometer and showed it to them. “The air pressure has dropped substantially, almost too fast to be honest. These dark clouds are only the beginning of a major storm!”

“Well, that’s not good!” Usopp exclaimed only for a rumble of thunder to be heard. “Really not good!

“We need to get back to the ship then.” Sanji agreed.

“Where’s Luffy? Has anybody seen him?” Zoro questioned.

“He said he was going to see the execution platform.” Nami remembered. “That’s in the main plaza.”

“Isn’t the main plaza right over there?” Sanji questioned as he pointed towards the large crowd of people. The crew ran over to the edge of the crowd and saw Luffy standing on the execution platform. The Buggy Pirates were all staring up at him while pointing their flintlocks at the young man.

“Why is he ON the platform?!” Usopp demanded with his eyes bugging out.

A loud rumble of thunder shook the sky and the winds began to pick up even more. Everyone in the plaza shielded their eyes from the sudden harsh wind. Except for Luffy, he still stared into Buggy’s eyes. The older pirate felt like the straw-hatted young man was staring into his very soul.

“LUFFY! We need to go!” Nami yelled loudly. Hearing his Lover call out to him Luffy finally broke the stare down and looked her way.

“What?!” Luffy called back and this drew the eyes of everyone in the plaza to the Straw Hats.

“WE NEED TO GO! THERE’S A HUGE STORM COMING!” Nami yelled to him even as Marines started gathering their rifles and heading for the crew.

-With Smoker and Tashigi-

“Sir! It’s the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates!” A Marine exclaimed as he pointed at the group.

“I have eyes, Sailor!” Smoker snapped out as he flipped through the wanted posters and took note of each person’s Bounty.

“It’s him!” Tashigi suddenly yelled as she looked through a pair of binoculars. “Roronoa Zoro!”

-With Luffy-

“Alright!” Luffy called back to Nami. The Straw Hat Captain then took a deep breath before yelling. “I’M THE MAN THAT’LL BE KING OF THE PIRATES!”

Every person in the plaza felt their jaws drop. How could someone, anyone, make such a claim on the very execution platform where the last Pirate King had died? Smoker looked on with wide eyes.

“That smile…” The Marine Captain trailed off as his mind took him back to ‘that’ day. The day he’d witnessed the Pirate King’s execution. The day a man laughed and smiled in the face of his own death. The same smile that Luffy currently had on his face!

A bright bolt of lightning descended from the sky and struck Luffy dead on. People screamed at the loud thunder that followed and the intense bright light. When it cleared everyone saw ‘Straw Hat’, Monkey D. Luffy, sparking and still smiling widely. It was as if even Heaven itself couldn’t stop this young man! One man, with green hair and noticeably sharp teeth, stood transfixed and shaking at the sight of Luffy. He didn’t even hear the person next to him asking a question.

“Time to go!” Luffy grinned before his face went stone cold serious. A wave of pressure emanated from the pirate and slammed into the consciousness of everyone present. A moment later and people started to collapse. The civilians dropped to their knees, most of them unconscious or barely holding on. The Buggy Pirates, including Alvida, dropped like sacks of rocks and many were foaming at the mouth. Even the Marines surrounding the plaza collapsed and lay sprawled out on the ground.

‘Captain…Roger…” Was Buggy’s last thought as he hit the ground and slipped into the darkness of unconsciousness.

Luffy quickly zapped over to his nakama with a grin. Zoro snorted and shook his head at what they’d just witnessed. Sanji pulled out a cigarette and lit up, even as the rain began to fall. He needed this to deal with the crazy shit his Captain kept pulling. Usopp stared at Luffy bug eyed. The Gunman had no idea that Luffy could do that!

“Come on, you show off.” Nami grinned at Luffy before pecking his cheek.

“To the Merry!” Luffy ordered with a laugh. “Let’s set sail!” The Straw Hat Pirates quickly took off towards their ship.

-With Smoker and Tashigi-

“What the hell was that?!” Smoker growled as he held his head.

“I-I’m not s-sure.” Tashigi stuttered out. Her head was pounding and her legs wouldn’t stop shaking.

“Sir, m-most of o-our f-forces are unconscious!” One of the few conscious Marines stated.

“I can see that.” Smoker bit out. “Wake them up! I’m going after Straw Hat!” With that Smoker suddenly turned his legs into thick white smoke and blasted off. He flew over the streets in the direction the pirates had run. “I swear it on my name as the ‘White Hunter’. They will not leave this island!”

-End Chapter-

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Smoker is confused and angry! Tashigi is shook! Luffy got struck by lightning and smiled about it! People are freaking out! Now it’s a race to the Merry! Will Smoker stop the Straw Hats from leaving? Will a certain ‘father’ make his appearance? Maybe! Maybe not! Keep reading to find out!

Until I get your reviews, later!