Chapter 27

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Chapter 27

Title: A Background…

…

Raynare tells Max her life story, she was born as a princess of a Kingdom in North Blue. How she was a princess and her kingdom fell against war with another Kingdom, the latter had paid for Germa 66 to come and help them. Her little brother, mother, and father were all killed in the city's sacking. Only she was able to escape.

The war was all initiated because her family had refused to pay the Heavenly Tribute. She joined the Marines mostly to train and become a superhuman monster, as many of the Marines have become like that. Raynare also got her Devil Fruit as one of her family's most prized possessions.

"So that's it?" Max looked unimpressed at the story, "I thought you might have been some child trafficker or something."

"What?!" She exclaimed in shock, "Why would you even think that?! I am no criminal! You seem more like the type, robbing pirates, swindling the government… wait you ARE  a criminal."

Max smirked. "Well, that's kinda rude. But, to be fair, I am not a criminal. A criminal is someone who has gone against the law, and I haven't done so… technically."

"Yeah… technically." Raynare narrowed her eyes at him. But she couldn't hold the facade any longer and smiled. Because no matter how scummy Max acted, he was someone that she could trust to do the right thing. She knew he had good in his heart, it just was hidden deep… very, VERY deep. "I will never accept your banditry against pirates as anything less than a crime though."

Max only smiled at her accusations. He wasn't angry at this, finding the whole talk entertaining. "Well, what can I say, that charming roguish look suits me."

"It kinda doesn't though," Raynare refuted with the hint of a frown. "Your brown hair, pretty face, and no scar in your body kinda send the message that you are the bashful, and bookish kind of charming."

"What can I say? Never judge a book by its cover," said Max. "Plus, you think I am charming? Consider me flattered then."

Raynare smirked. "No, I think other women would consider you charming. In the beginning, I might have had a crush on you, I will be the first to admit. Especially with your heroic personality, but then you showed your true colors… and yeah, not my type."

"Oh~ I get it now!" Exclaimed Max, his smile widening. "In your eyes, I am the kind of guy that you would mess around with, you find me exciting. But not the kind you would like to marry."

She blushed at that, and no matter how hard she tried, Raynare couldn't push down the blood that flowed in her face. "Yeah…"

"Well, I am okay with that. Probably won't get married in this life. It would be boring and my goals won't allow things like marriage to even be possible," Max then got up and put his spiked bat over his shoulder. "For only I can be at the top, no one can stand at my side."

He then walked off, leaving behind a shocked Raynare. She looked at him strangely before placing a hand over her heart and clenching her teeth, as if trying to restrain herself from doing something that she would regret.

…

Max on the other hand wasn't so bothered by his own words. Though he was disappointed that Raynare didn't ask for his background, he had made up a pretty good one and spent a lot of time filling in the loopholes.

He looked down at the water in the interior of the walls, smirked, and jumped up.

Poof!

He kicked off the air once and made a long leap. But nowhere near close to reaching the island ship.

This was the limit of his <Geppo> his heartbeat like drums till he couldn't hear anything other than his heartbeat.

Poof!

He kicked off the air once more, this time Max was surprised by how easy it was. He did the same thing dozens of more times and reached the island that was also Gecko Moria's ship. 

As he had expected, a danger to his life had pushed him further than expected. Garp's training with Luffy now made a lot more sense, tying a kid to balloons… he hoped Garp was thinking rationally at that time. But wouldn't bet on it, since the man never seemed to make any rational decisions.

Still though, in this world, irrational people stood at the top. The Yonko, Garp, and Roger, none of them were people that could be called rational. So Max will become irrational himself if he had to fight them, but he will also keep his mind. He was selfish, he didn't like changing for other people. In this world he would be himself, his true self, not caring about what others thought when he did something. Whether they would be cruel decisions or compassionate ones. It didn't matter! 

Though he of course couldn't be so reckless right now, that would only end up with him getting his head cut off. Still, one can dream of greatness at least.

…

-Rob Lucci-

It didn't take long for news of Gecko Moria's death to travel all around the world. Bear D. Max took care of him as the Warlord went back to his ways and had attacked a cruise ship. Thinking that the Marines wouldn't notice.

That was the general story. But Rob Lucci wasn't someone fooled. He might have worked in a shipwright company for some years now, but it didn't mean that his brain had turned to mush. 

Neither the Marines, nor the World Government cared about cruise ships that were robbed by pirates. As long as the criminals made sure there were no witnesses of course.

"Oy, Lucci!" A man wearing blue jeans and a jeans jacket called out. He had a cigar in his mouth and a huge smile on his face. "Can you lend me some money?"

"Hahaha," Kaku's laughs sounded from the docks, and he jumped up, landing in front of them both. "C'mon now Paulie, Lucci should be the last guy you would wanna ask about money."

"Yeah- you - gambling - harlot!" The white dove landed in Lucci's shoulder as it said that.

Paulie got pissed off at the bird. "What the hell did you say?!! I will kill you bastard!"

"C'mon now guys, no need to fight," Kaku tried to stop them. 

Baam!

But Paulie punched him in the face. "Stay out of this long nose!"

"Ugh!" Kaku stumbled back and fell to the ground. 

He looked angry at getting punched, but Lucci knew that as a trained assassin, Kaku was calm. After all, one should expect such an outcome when getting in the middle of a fight.

Still, Paulie was angry, and attacked Lucci, trying to punch him too. Of course, that didn't work as the trained assassin sidestepped so fast that it seemed like a blur and kneed the man in the stomach. Paulie dropped to the ground like a sack of fish and Lucci's face scrunched at the smell of alcohol all over the now unconscious man.

Kaku got up and took Paulie over his shoulder. "Welp, see you later Lucci. Have to make sure this guy didn't get too injured."

Lucci nodded. Neither of them showing anything but professionalism with each other. Also, he was playing as mute, so he couldn't talk directly. His white dove did all the talking. 

As other workers walk by, Lucci can't help but hear some rumors. "Didn't you hear? That famous new Rear Admiral has come to our company to make him a new ship."

Immediately Lucci was able to decipher what was happening and his fists clenched unconsciously. The beast inside of him wanted to fight the man who had taken down a Warlord of the Sea. But those instincts were easily squashed by the professional assassin. 

'There is a place and time for everything. Currently, only the mission matters.' – thought Lucci, before he sighed and picked up some lumber to go and repair some random ship he had been assigned to.

…