Time for a detour

Tom was getting his ship ready to start sailing when Jerry came running with Yuuki trailing behind. Rushing over to Tom, Jerry started tugging his clothes.

"Tom-san, they're having a party! Let's go!"

"Huh, no way I'm going. Screw those guys, they stole my loot."

"Technically, isn't it probably theirs since Arlong took from them?"

Seeing his captain glare at him right after he said that, Yuuki changed his stance immediately and took out his rifle.

"Well, they still shouldn't have taken it! It's ours! Should we raid them?"

Tom nodded in approval at Yuuki, who took out his rifle and was waiting for instructions.

Jerry rolled his eyes at Yuuki and started dragging Tom by his sleeve. Tom grew annoyed soon.

"You damn brat! Let go! I'm not coming!"

Just as soon as Tom ripped his arm away from Jerry's grasp, the latter started making an extremely sad face, with his eyes becoming watery.

Tom smirked at Jerry who started crying and said.

"Hah brat, I taught you how to fake cry! It won't work on me!"

"Waaah!"

Jerry fell over backwards and started waving his limbs while wailing.

"I wanna go! Wanna go! Wanna go! Wanna go!"

Knowing his vice captain would his best to make him go along, Tom took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

Jerry sneaked a glance while crying at Tom and saw the latter standing with his arms crossed. Knowing he had some work cut out for him, Jerry started wailing harder.

**********

Captain Nezumi was having possibly the worst day of his life as some thug had stolen almost a hundred million beri earlier and when he finally regained consciousness and went over to Arlong park, he saw that it was completely destroyed.

Wondering what the hell happened, he went over to Cocoyashi village and found out that Arlong had indeed been defeated. Thinking that something good finally happened, he decided to take the credit.

Unfortunately he said that out loud and ended up being ruthlessly beaten up by the pirate crew who took down Arlong.

Rubbing his bruised face, Nezumi was slowly limping back to his ship.

"Damn it! They think they can get away with this?! I'll show them what happens when someone messes with me! And that thief that stole from me, let me get my hands on him!"

It seemed god had ended up listening to his request, as he soon came across the one he was asking for.

Tom looked seemingly angry as he was gritting his teeth. Flanked by a happy looking kid, a stoic guy and one who was nervously looking at Tom and the kid, they looked to be heading to the village, which would make them cross paths.

Nezumi's bravado stayed only so long as he remembered the thrashing he got earlier in the day and he pulled his cap down and tried to avoid the group.

"Huh? Oi you."

But alas, he was quickly recognized by Tom, who was just looking for an outlet for his anger.

Wiping the sweat running down his face and gulping down nervously, Nezumi turned to Tom and saw the latter cracking his knuckles.

"Perfect, just what I needed."

**********

With night falling, the party went into full swing as everyone on the island joined in to celebrate the end of Arlong's reign.

As Nami sat in the crowd and smiled wistfully watching the smiles on everyone's face, she was approached by Jerry who was holding a piece of meat that was bigger than him.

"Hey stinky thief!"

Hearing the greeting, Nami's eyes twitched as she asked.

"Jerry-chan, having fun?"

"Uh-huh."

As Nami watched Jerry stuff his mouth, she saw a kid coming to Jerry holding something. Recognizing it as Chabo, she saw him ask where Tom was.

Having stuffed his mouth, Jerry was unable to give out an answer, so he just waved the bone that was left in his hand and started walking.

Chabo thought for a moment before he started following him. Nami was about to go elsewhere when she saw Jerry turn around and wave at her.

"Eh, what?"

Before she could clarify what Jerry meant, he already took off along with Chabo. Scratching her head, she decided to follow them.

After a while, they reached where Tom was. Standing with plates that were filled with food, he was looking at the man sleeping in the lounge chair in front of him.

It seemed he had seen enough as he brought his leg up and kicked away Zoro, who was occupying the chair.

Getting kicked away, the green haired swordsman quickly got up and looked to see who kicked him. Watching Tom sit down and getting ready to eat, Zoro scowled.

"What the hell, bastard?"

Looking at Zoro, who was scowling at him, Tom smirked.

"What are you gonna do about it?"

That seemed to push the swordsman over the edge as he started to draw out his sword. As Tom's smirk grew bigger, Jerry approached him and said.

"Look, Tom-san! This kid wants to meet you."

When he turned around, Tom saw the two kids as well as the Nami who was standing behind them. Seeing her seemed to have him in a bad mood as his smirk disappeared and he started frowning.

Wondering why Tom's mood suddenly changed, Jerry looked behind him and gasped.

"W-why are you here?!"

"..Didn't you tell me to follow you?"

"No! I was telling you not to!"

Wondering what got Jerry so flustered, Nami soon found out when she heard Tom scoff.

"It's the thieving bitch. Honestly, I think I should cut your hands off."

As Nami gulped down her nervousness, Zoro got ready to fight if the blue haired pirate really ended up attacking his crewmate.

But it seemed he didn't have to worry as Jerry was able to distract Tom by pulling on his arm.

"Look, this kid wanted to meet you."

"Huh? What is it?"

Chabo started to get nervous when he saw Tom look at him. Holding out his hands in front of him with shaky hands, he said.

"H-here! Thanks for saving me!"

Looking at the piggy bank in the boy's outstreched arms, Tom raised his eyebrows before smirking and snatching it.

"At least someone knows manners."

After saying that while looking at Nami, Tom cracked open the piggy bank. Watching the few coins that fell in his lap, Tom picked them up and clicked his tongue.

"Tsk, that's it? Better than nothing, I guess."

As Chabo watched Tom pocket the money, he noticed the pirate take something out and shove it into hands. Looking at the note, Chabo brought it in front of his eyes in disbelief.

Watching the ten thousand beri note in his hands, Chabo became wide eyed with his jaw hanging down.

"Keep it. For a new piggy bank."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Chabo looked at Tom, who said that and asked.

"R-really?"

Glancing at the kid who was recently orphaned, Tom just waved him away and picked up a plate in front of him.

"Thank you big bro!"

Nami looked at Chabo, who was walking away while clutching onto the money and let out a sigh of relief as Tom had gotten back to eating his food, seemingly forgetting about her.

'Hopefully he forgets about me stealing as well.'

Just as she thought that something flew in and stabbed into the ground near her feet. Jumping backwards in shock, Nami looked at the fork that was rattling.

Looking up, she saw Tom looking at her with a disgusted expression all the while slapping away Jerry's hands from his food.

"Get lost, you're making me lose my appetite."

Deciding to take his advice, Nami turned around and ran away. Zoro took a look at what Tom and Jerry were doing and decided to leave.

Making sure to tie up Jerry properly, Tom started eating. Salivating at the sight, Jerry tried to wiggle out only to fail and fall on his face.

Turning towards his captain, who was smirking at him, Jerry pleaded to be let go, only to be met with an evil laugh. Pouting at Tom, Jerry started crawling away.

He soon chanced upon Luffy, who was busy dancing around and called out to him. Looking at Jerry, who was crawling around like an earthworm, Luffy came closer and asked.

"Why are you like this?"

"Tom-san tied me up. Can you cut them?"

"Oh."

As soon as Luffy tore the rope that was binding him, Jerry jumped up and stretched his muscles. Turning around to Luffy, he said.

"Thanks!"

Seeing the boy thank him and run away somewhere, Luffy shrugged his shoulders and started walking around. It wasn't long before he came across Jerry, who was tied up again, this time hanging from a pole.

"You're tied up again?"

"Oh Luffy-san, set me free?"

Ripping the ropes again, Luffy saw Jerry take out a marker and smile sinisterly towards Tom, who was sleeping right next to them. As soon as Jerry put the marker near his Tom's face, Tom snapped his eyes open and looked at him.

"Again?"

"...."

Making his vice captain kneel with his arms raised as punishment, Tom glanced at Luffy, who was looking at the two in amusement and asked.

"Did you set this brat free?"

"Uh-huh."

"Why?"

"..Cause he asked?"

Seeing Luffy tilt his head and answer him like he was talking to an idiot, Tom got annoyed.

Looking at the two captains who got into a scuffle, Jerry slowly slipped away.

**********

The party went on for two days and when it was finally coming to an end, the Whisker pirates were busy on their ship, readying everything to set sail.

The captain of the ship had a problem though as he looked at the deck of his ship and saw Jerry running around with Luffy and Usopp. Unable to bear anymore, Tom shouted towards them.

"Hey! Go back to your own ship!"

"Ehhh, but we don't have this cool stuff."

Looking at Luffy, who was sitting in a toy car that was too small for him, Tom turned towards Tyke.

"Throw them out."

With the two straw hats out of the way, they unfurled their sails and started to set off. Jerry stood at the edge of the deck and waved towards Luffy and Usopp.

"Let's meet again!"

Looking at his vice captain and the two pirates on the shore waving towards each other, Tom said to Jerry.

"Forget about it, those morons will have their ship sunk someday."

"Oh."

Flying mammy slowly sailed away from Conami islands with Tom taunting the two straw hats.

As Tom went up to Tyke, who was at the helm, he was asked.

"Where to now? Grand line?"

"Nah, there's someplace I wanna check out first."

Seeing his navigator looking at him, Tom pulled out a map and smirked.

"I found this in Arlong palace, let's find out what 'X' holds."