Loguetown: Part 2

Floating in the midst of dark clouds, I overheard every piece of conversation around me. The range extended miles beyond the radius of the Polestar Islands, where Loguetown was based at. I started to map the best escape route in my head…

**

At the Loguetown Marine Station…

A muscular, white-haired man, with two cigars in his mouth was waiting in his office. He was Smoker the White Hunter; the Marine Captain stationed in this town.

"Why is Tashigi not here yet!?" Smoker yelled.

In front of Smoker was a marine subordinate, saluting to his captain with a pale face. "I-I don't know, sir! She was last seen at Matsu's arm shop.'

"Chhii… That women's a shame to the Marine Force…Since we've located that pirate Cross's ship, just tell her to reach the ship directly. We don't need reinforcements from the damn headquarters anyway!"

Smoker's pupils constricted, and he grabbed his Seastone-tipped jitte from the rack.

Thuk… Thuk… An officer came running into Smoker's office.

"Gasp… Gasp… Sir, pirates are having a brawl at the courtyard. I'm afraid if we don't stop them tha-"

Smoker bared his teeth at the subordinate and said, "Have I ever let pirates escape, even once!?"

"N-No, Sir"

"Then let them fight… and then send Captain Hina, who arrived earlier, after them. We'll round everyone up eventually."

With a slight frown on his face, Smoker left for Cross's ship.

**

Meanwhile at Loguetown's courtyard, near the execution platform.

Captain Buggy was lying flat out cold adjacent to the execution platform, his nose bleeding from Cross's kick earlier. He woke up dizzy, only to see a peculiar incident beside him.

A girl wearing a straw-hat that couldn't have been more than 5 feet tall had jumped up high towards the execution platform. She went up to stage and took stock of the scenery around her.

"Wow… So, this is what the Pirate King saw before he died…!"

Lucy's eyes sparkled, and she had a wide grin on her face.

Buggy couldn't hold back from seeing her up there, and he said, "Hey… I would get down from the execution platform before the Marines capture you. It's the world government's property…"

"Oh, thanks. And by the way… that's a really funny nose prop you have there…

… Unwillingly, Lucy immediately crossed Buggy's red line.

"Everyone… Attack that girl and kill her!!!"

Buggy yelled; his face flushed red from anger.

Buggy's subordinates understood what happened and charged without hesitation.

Out of nowhere… before Lucy even understood that she had provoked a fight… Cabaji pinned her down by trapping her in a guillotine that was meant for Cross.

"Bahahahaha... Everyone… For the crime of angering me, I'm executing her with a flashy execution!"

Buggy laughed like a maniac, attracting everyone's attention at the courtyard to the execution platform.

Yahoo…! The Buggy pirates started performing circus acts to make the execution 'flashy.' They had already forgotten their miserable defeat at the hands of Cross.

"This is my first time seeing an execution." Lucy commented casually, still trapped in the guillotine.

"Stop joking! This is your execution. Any last words…"

Lucy's eyes blinked from shock from realizing it was her execution.

Then, she took a huge breath before yelling,

"I'm going to be the one who'll become the King of the Pirates…"

Everyone got gaping jaws from Lucy's words. There were also a few people like Bartolomeo who now had a trace of reverence for the pirate up there.

Just before Buggy decided to cut her neck, a girl arrived at the courtyard.

She wore a white cowgirl hat with a pearl necklace, bikini top, and a tight Capri-length pants. This was Alvida, after she'd lost her freckles from eating the Smooth-Smooth fruit…

"Just look at that beautiful lady ♥"

"She can take my everything if she wants ♥"

A momentary distraction from the execution took place at Alvida's arrival.

"The most beautiful woman in the sea can't do without you Captain… "

Alvida furrowed her brows and charged at the Buggy Pirates! The pirates' attacks slipped through Alvida's body, and she retaliated by knocking them out by swinging her huge mace.

Unfortunately for Lucy, there wasn't enough time for Alvida to prevent Buggy from swinging his sword. The Buggy pirates were numerous, and she couldn't slip past them so easily even with her smooth-smooth powers.

Nevertheless, Lucy smiled widely at death's door. It was said that the worst of the worst pirates would go pale and tremble in front of their deaths; however, she just smiled with pride at dying in her path to achieve true freedom…

**

In the midst of dark clouds, which were now starting to turn into thunder clouds, I monitored the island with downturned lips.

"Yawn… What a good show… Let me show these small-fry marines not to mess with me soon. But first…"

Buzzz… I was now in the middle of the courtyard, watching the scene of Lucy's execution live with my own eyes. Lightning was gathering at the skies above at my command…

With a mocking smile on my face, I said, "Lucy! It would be your honor to become my slave for saving you from cer-"

Drrrrrrr…. Suddenly, large seismic waves started coming from the ground. It was an earthquake; the likes of which Loguetown had never seen before.

It was so abrupt that everyone in the scene including me panicked and froze our actions. When the earthquake was over in a few seconds, almost all the structures remained standing but for one…

The execution platform broke apart and Buggy and Lucy fell from the top of it. Buggy was knocked unconscious from the fall, but Lucy became free from her guillotine and dropped comfortably with a… Plop.

"Oh, hey… I'm not sure what you were saying, but thanks for trying to save me, meat-guy. I need to run away now!"

Lucy waved at me and then ran away.

I just stared at her with wide eyes… Like that earthquake was bullshit for sure.

**

About 20 miles away from Loguetown…

A total of 10 Marine ships were sailing at their full speed, led by a huge Marine galleon. The galleon was commanded by a Marine Captain who worked directly at the Marine Headquarters.

"Sir, we're going to arrive in one hour! We should be able to arrive right before the storm hits." A marine subordinate said.

"Good, prepare the special units for battle... And make sure everyone's prepared to do their job…"

The Marine Captain left soon after to make a snail-call back to the Marine Headquarters.