Chapter 30

"Zoro~!" Luffy whined. "I am hungry~!"

"What are you?! A kid or a pirate?!" Zoro asked comically falling to his butt at the puppy eyes Luffy used on him.

Luffy huffed and pouted his cheeks out like a chipmunk, making Nami feel too ashamed now for her outburst. "I'm a pirate not a kid!"

"Whatever!" Zoro grumbled under his breath and stood up dusting his pants.

"Umm," Nami said interrupting the conversation. "I can treat you to food." She said as a way of apology. She saw Zoro about to speak, when she added. "Booze too as an apology."

"Thank you!" Luffy said with a biggest smile anyone could possibly have. She could already tell that the boy had not minded her shouting at all, by the way he was acting friendly with her.

"Thanks!" Zoro even grumbled, walking to a complete opposite direction, when Luffy told him they need to go other side.

"The houses are moving on their own!" Zoro shouted, feeling flustered. He got a happy laugh from his captain in return.

"You're alive?!" The Mayor asked in disbelief as he came out from his hiding place.

"I guess I am," Luffy answered making the others sweat drop and started to sweat himself. "Wait! Am I alive?!"

"Idiot!!!" Zoro yelled bonking his head. "Don't just sprout nonsense!"

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed out freely, having enjoyed annoying Zoro and making Nami smile.

"Mayor!" Nami went forward. "Can we have a place to eat? I will pay you." She said. She just wanted to repay the men who had saved her twice till now. She won't fall into the debt of pirates!

"Yeah and you don't need to pay," The mayor said pointing to his house. "Come in. The least I can do is feed you lads for getting rid of the Beast Tamer."

"Thank you!" They chorused and dug in as their food was laid in front of them. But unluckily it wasn't enough for Luffy. But he appreciated free food.

"So, you have returned, Mohji," Buggy said sitting over his throne.

"I'm very sorry, captain Buggy!" Mohji said as he kneeled on his knees.

"What?! That Straw-hat kid beat you up?!" Buggy yelled when his man said that he was defeated by the kid. "Weren't you supposed to be fighting Zoro?!"

"Yes sir," Mohji replied with a trembling voice. "I... underestimated him..." His voice and mind was blacking out but he had to tell his captain that the kid is a rubber man.

"The truth is, he's... he's..." Mohji said feeling his body swaying. "Ruh...man.." The world blacked out for him.

"What was that...?!"

"Mohji was trying to tell us something."

"What was so important that he had to say it before passing out?"

"I only heard him say ruhman.."

The Buggy pirates began to chatter among themselves.

"I take it you had a lovely time together then?!" Buggy growled as he got up.

"No, captain Buggy!" The pirates cowered.

"Blow up this town! Hurry!" Buggy ordered ruthlessly.

"What' do you want from the town?" The mayor asked finally after telling them about the town's history and how it was built. If the teens have fought the beast tamer and came out without a scratch, then they were possibly stronger than he had thought them to be.

"Just wanna pick our navigator!" Luffy said, having already finished his food and looking at Zoro's, who was defending it. Nami was only drinking as she was not hungry, hence safe from the food fight.

"Following my captain," Zoro said stabbing Luffy's wandering hands with his fork, making the boy pout. That was a new information for the mayor and Nami. They had thought that the Pirate Hunter was the captain and not the other way around.

"Need to get the Grand line map," Nami said taking another sip from her black tea.

"Oh," Nami saw Luffy plant his fist on his other palm. Her eyes directly went to the bracelets. "I-"

Before Luffy could say, a large bang sounded and Luffy was out of his seat and shielding them with his own body. Zoro worked efficiently in making the mayor and Nami get out of the house. Luffy inflated his body and bounced the ball to the direction it came and then a splash could be heard, indicating that the cannon went straight to the water.

The explosion knocked out lines of houses, last of them being the mayor's house.

Nami collapsed on her feet, seeing that the boy, which she had met right now, had given his life for them. She was staring wide eyed and saw from her corner of her eyes Zoro gritting his teeth and holding the hilt of his blades tightly, waiting for something. The Mayor was looking angry as the time passed.

"Is the straw-hat boy dead...?!" The mayor asked, wanting to go check but Zoro's other hand held him place.

"He can't be." Nami heard Zoro say in low voice and he was saying the truth as the next moment came out of Luffy holding his hat in place, his eyes shadowed.

"How can he be still alive...?!" Nami asked with disbelieving eyes looking over the boy, who didn't look like that he has taken the hit at all!

"Don't scare us, idiot!" Zoro yelled at the boy who looked at the direction of the cannonball.

"I'm gonna kick his ass!" Luffy said angrily, which Nami hadn't thought the boy was capable of.

"I am pathetic!" The mayor said making Luffy stop and hear him. "I am the mayor of this town and it should be me who should stand up against those pirates! They won't be getting away anymore now!"

"These ruffians have no right to just show up out of no where and destroy the last 40 years of our lives!" The mayor shouted holding a spear high above his head. "I am the town's mayor and no one messes with my town without my permission!"

"Calm down, Mayor!" Nami said hoping he would listen.

He began running ahead of them, making Nami try to catch him. "Time to settle things!" The mayor shouted.

"Wait Mayor!" Nami desparately said getting a hold on him.

"I refuse to let them away! Even if its reckless!" The mayor shouted with determination. "This is a fight I can't run away from! Isn't it right?"

"That's right, old man!" Luffy told him with a grin, making Nami glare at him. "They will pay for destroying my food!"

"You got riled over food!" Nami couldn't believe it. On one side was the mayor fighting for the town and here another reckless fool wanted to fight for the food which he had already finished it.

"You can't fight Buggy! You will die if you do!" Nami tried to reason with the mayor and Luffy once more.

"I'm coming for you, Buggy The Clown!" The mayor said, running off without hindrance as Nami let him go, seeing the tears in the mayor's face.

"The mayor was crying," Nami whispered softly.

"Really? I didn't see," Luffy said walking ahead.

"Things are starting to get exciting!" Zoro said placing a hand on his hip, his other hand resting on his swords.

"Shishishi, yup!" Luffy exclaimed his hands at the back of his head.

"This is no time to be laughing!" Nami shouted, worry on her face gone as the mayor disappeared completely from their sight.

"It's alright!" Luffy said with a determined grin. "I like that old man. He gave us food. I won't let him die!"

"In that case..." Zoro said, walking towards where the Mayor had run off to and Luffy was walking to.

"You're gonna go too?!" She asked incredulously, running after them.

"I can't let them get away with thinking I'm someone who runs from a fight!" Zoro told her, tying his bandana to his head.

"We're going to the Grand Line and you need something from them!" Luffy said as he stepped up beside Zoro.

"Map and treasure," Nami said looking at him and thinking if Luffy could beat Buggy or not. The boy looked weak and scrawny but him having already defeated Buggy's some of the crew members, made Nami question if he can or cannot.

"Join my crew, Nami!" He told her as he held a hand out to her.

"I refuse to become a pirate!" Nami stated, a scowl on her face, beating the extended hand of Luffy.

"Call it an alliance instead. We're both working towards our individual goals!"

"You can't do anything to the village!! Fight me!!"The mayor's voice came as Luffy, Zoro and Nami walked up to Buggy's base and saw the mayor being strangled by Buggy's detached hands, unable to do anything.

"FIRE!" Buggy shouted, ordering those at the cannon. Before they could do so, Luffy grabbed Buggy's hands and detached them from the mayor's throat and squeezed it tightly with his own hands.

"Straw Hat?!" Buggy shrieked, feeling his detached hands going limp with each passing second.

"I've kept my promise," Luffy said with a feral grin. "I've come to beat you!" He crushed the hand, making the pirate scream in pain.

"Listen, I don't care whether you fight or not, you guys do as you wish. I'm just here for the map and the treasure," Nami stated, making it clear that she won't be fighting.

"Yeah, I know," Luffy replied, releasing Buggy's detached hand.

The mayor finally stood up and his coughs stopped. "All of you, what did you come back for? You three just stay out of this. This is my war!!"

He stood up and held his weapon high, a fierce look on his face. "I'm the one who must protect this village! Don't interfere!"

Before the man could run off, he was slammed to the ground, this, knocked out in an instant. Nami yelled in shock, sweating against the rough treatment while Zoro didn't even blink an eye.

"What the hell?! Why did you attack the mayor?!!" Nami shouted behind Luffy in anger. She was starting to feel that the kid was like all the pirates all again.

"'Cause he would get in the way," He replied simply, dusting his hands.

"That was smart. If he would have run around recklessly, he would be dead." Zoro said backing his captain, but it didn't help Nami at all.

"Don't be crazy!" Nami shouted, not wanting to listen to the excuse. "There were other ways you could have done it!"

Luffy knew she was right. He could have knocked out the Mayor, but that would mean breaking his promise, so he didn't do. He ignored the rest of Nami's speech and walked forward.

He took a deep breath, before shouting. "HEY YOU! HUGE, RED, UGLY, BIG NOSE!!" He loudly shouted. The Buggy pirates started crying at the back while Nami was freaking at the words. Even Zoro turned to look at him.

"FIRE THE BUGGY SPECIAL CANNON BALL!!! FIRE!!" Buggy growled out and barked the orders to his crewmen.

"Die flashily!" He yelled at Luffy as a pirate ran to the cannon and aimed it to the three standing below them.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Nami shrieked and began running away from the cannon.

"Hey! Luffy! Run!" Zoro warned his captain. He could be lucky once, but not twice! The cannonball was coming to Luffy and his captain was not at all moving but grinning.

"Do you think just because of a canon ball I'll move a single inch?" Luffy asked with a huge grin on his face. Just as he said the buggy cannon ball reached him. He caught it easily with his right arm, whose fingers stretched to encompass the whole cannonball.

"I wanted to try this," Luffy said grinning. He had heard from his Dad about Jiji throwing cannonballs with his hands and it was the perfect time for him to try it.

"Gomo gomo no..."

"EH?!!!" The pirates watched with their jaws wide open.

"Don't tell me the Buggy ball..." Buggy started speaking, perfectly knowing the throw from his memory. If this brat could do anything like that, then they were doomed!

"...throw!" Luffy shouted as he flashed his signature grin before throwing the ball back to them at a faster pace.

"Could have said something sooner," Zoro said with his hand on his face, annoyed that he had been worried for nothing.

The cannonball landed right where the Buggy pirates were standing. The roof of the bar exploded and created a large dust cloud.

"Yay! Their number has decreased!" Luffy grinned, the wind from the blast knocking his hat back. "Shall we start?!"

"What the hell are you?!" Nami screeched in frustration from the ground, her teeth sharpening at once.

The dusty cloud around the building dissipated and the fallen pirates over the broken building appeared.

"I knew something was wrong since the time you fought that lion!" Nami shouted, taking her stand. She had seen the whole fight and was not able to ask about it, until she saw it right now with a clear mind.

"No human can do that! Explain yourself!" She demanded, making Luffy look at her with his innocent doe eyes. But Nami wasn't going to fall for it! "How the hell did you do that?!"

"Gomu gomu no throw!" Luffy said proudly, puffing out his chest and smiling to her.

"I'm not asking for the name!!" Nami yelled, her teeth sharp again in irritation.

"Hahahaha!" Their attention was snapped to the pirate who stood up, which was none other than Buggy, who had used his own men as human shields using his detached hands.

"You're chatting around making a lotta noise like you're not scared," Buggy said lowly, looking at the ground as his hat shadowed his eyes, making him look scary.

"Using his own crew as shield!" Nami said in disgust, as beads of sweat rolled from her forehead.

"Dammit.. I was unconscious," A pirate said getting on his feet and looking at the mess. He had been unconscious before the whole ordeal.

"Mohji, so you are still alive," The other survivor who had held the lion for his shield said turning to his comrade.

"Cabaji, you!" Mohji growled, seeing the abuse of his lion, Richie. "What the heck did you do to Richie?!"

"Ah, this kitten?" Cabaji dropped the lion on the rubbles. "I used him to not let my clothes get dirty." Mohji got up to the coughing lion and checked him before glaring at Cabaji. "You bastard!" He growled.

A look past the man's shoulder made him spot the Straw-hat kid. "EHHH!!! THE STRAWHAT KID!" Luffy waved him in a small greeting. "CAPTAIN BUGGY BE CAREFULL OF THAT KID! THAT KID HAS A DEVIL FRUIT POWER! HE IS A RUBBER MAN!!!" He said fearfully glancing at the kid, who so dearly wanted to pound him to the ground.

"Rubber man?!" Nami asked Luffy, to which Luffy responded by pulling both of his cheeks in opposite direction.

"Devil's fruit...!!!" Buggy said to himself rather than anyone. "That explains the stretching of his fingers but does not about the flashy strength."

"But Mohji if you knew that already," Buggy said, one of his hands already detaching from his body and grabbing Mohji's throat. "Why the heck didn't you tell me that earlier!!" He threw Mohji in the air towards the trio.

"But I did!" Mohji screamed as he flew, not wanting to run into Luffy. "AHHHHHHHH!!!" He screamed as the Straw-hat kid reared his leg back ready to kick him away.

His leg hit him square on his face, making him tumble to the orange haired thief, who dodged him.

"The fight has begun!" Luffy said with a grin.

"I, Cabaji The Acrobat, Chief of Staff of the Buggy Pirate Fleet, will avenge the pain you have caused to our fleet!" The pirate shouted, aiming his sword for Luffy, only to be intercepted by Zoro who blocked the sword with his own. Luffy grinned and had a look of awe as he watched Zoro push the acrobat away.

"I'll be your opponent," Zoro said, smiling at the chance of finally getting a fight of his own.

"It's an honor Roronoa Zoro," Cabaji said twirling his sword and riding on his unicycle, confidently. "As a swordsman I get to slay you!"

"To anyone that calls himself a swordman, I won't allow myself to lose even once to him," Zoro said with a glare and the fight between two swordsmen started, Cabaji started off by breathing fire in Zoro's face and kicking him once the man was stunned.

"Go Zoro!!" Luffy cheered jumping in his place and watching the two fight.

"Hey!" Nami said placing her hand on her hips and getting Luffy's attention, breaking him out of cheering for Zoro. "Behind the destroyed pub there's a warehouse. Their treasure is there and the grand line map is probably still with Buggy. You win or lose, it doesn't matter to me."

She pointed her finger at him. "But if you manage to get the map, then let's work together!" She said taking off to an alley before wishing him luck.

"Okay! Thanks!" Luffy called back and focused on the fight again where the opposing swordman was spinning tops on his palms, which turned out to one hundred tops!!! The man was cycling up into the air, making him gape in awe.

But his attention snapped at the cheap trick Buggy used to stab Zoro in his back.

"Cabaji! I'll hold him, so finish Zoro!" The disembodied hand came flying towards Zoro.

"Yes, Captain!" The acrobat said holding his sword in downward motion to stab Zoro directly. But before Buggy's detached hand could even make to Zoro, Luffy stepped on it, making the clown scream in pain.

"Luffy," Zoro said realizing what his captain had done for him.

"Don't interfere with Zoro's fight!" Luffy said with a murderous smile which he had learnt from Ace.

"Y-You asshole!" Buggy shouted as Luffy continued to grind the detached hand into the ground with his leg. The two continued to stare at each other while Zoro and Cabaji started their fight again.

Zoro was getting pissed off with the no name swordman and decided to finish off the fight soon.

"You are pissing me off," Zoro glared at the swordman, crossing his swords in the practised motion as he readied for the final attack.

"Onigiri!" Zoro's blade carved the other sword-man chest, spilling his blood over the ground. The swordsman fell to the ground from his unicycle with Zoro coming out without a single scratch.

"Cabaji!" Buggy shouted in surprise, not having expected his swordsman to lose.

"Nice Zoro!" Luffy said, leaving Buggy's hand to look at Zoro with a grin.

"Thanks, captain!" Zoro replied back, sheathing his swords as he turned to look at Luffy and Buggy.

"Damn it! The world's best pirate at the likes of a thief!" Buggy said through his gritted teeth with irritation.

"Not a thief, but a pirate," Zoro said keeping his hand on his sword to fight if his captain orders.

"I'll now finish this off," Luffy told him, holding his bicep in his hand, grinning widely at Buggy who was just realizing that he was the only one standing conscious.

"You mean you guys are pirates?!" Buggy asked, his glare on his face back.

"Yeah!" Luffy confirmed. "Hand over the Grand Line map otherwise Nami won't join me!!"

"That place isn't exactly somewhere nameless pirates like yourself can go as they please!" Buggy stated, making Luffy frown. He had grown up in the New World. Buggy had no right to say that! "What are you planning to do there?! Go have a sight seeing tour?!"

"I'm gonna become the King of Pirates!" Luffy shouted with his hands in the air making the pirate comically tilt his head to the other side at his confidence, before getting riled up again.

"Don't kid around, you idiotic fool!! You becoming the pirate king?! Then I'm a God!!" Buggy yelled in retortion. "The person who'll get his hands on all the treasure in the world will be me! Don't even dream about it!!"

"You are annoying," Luffy said cleaning his ear. "Let's start with it already!"

"Don't dare you say that!" He screamed, his teeth growing sharp edges. "You've annoyed me so far too much! I doubt rubber can bounce back from blades!" He said, kicking his shoe and revealing a knife that stuck out of the front.

"Nope, I can't," Luffy confirmed without a thought.

"Idiot, don't tell him that!!" Zoro shouted from where he was leaned against the wall, watching the fight.

Luffy blinked, absently not realizing why he shouldn't.

"Bara Bara Windmill!" Buggy shouted before jumping in the air, legs detaching and spinning like a wheel as they came right towards Luffy, with knives sticking out from the shoes. As the leg neared him, Luffy jumped over them unharmed.

"Moving here and there in the air is most likely impossible." Buggy asked from where he stood floating without his legs, holding his knives and throwing them to Luffy who was still in air.

"Why not?" Luffy said with a grin as he stretched his limb to catch the pole and moving away from the path of the knives. He was having fun with this fight, specially when there was no emergency to leave.

"Oho!" Buggy praised. "How interesting!"

"You're an interesting person too!" Luffy said back with smile, readying for another attack.

"Gomu gomu pistol!" He shouted, attempting to hit Buggy in his face, but the man moved out of the way.

"It's an interesting ability, but it's also a weakness!" Buggy said, raising his knife as he watched Luffy's arm continue to extend past his face. "I'll tear you into shreds!" He shouted, about to slice the arm before seeing the boy coming towards him in full speed.

"Gomu gomu..."

"Huh?!" Buggy finally paid his attention to the human projectile coming towards him.

"Bara Bara emergency escape!"

"...Scythe!" Luffy said as he attempted to hit Buggy but Buggy's head detached from his neck, making his body shoot past the pirate and land behind him and crash in a house.

"Kuhahahahahaha!" Buggy laughed maniacally. "You are not much of a threat, gomu gomu!" Buggy taunted as Luffy came out from the rubble, plopping his hat back on his head.

"Damn," Luffy said standing up. "It's getting interesting!" Luffy smiled with his infamous D grin. He had rarely fought to fruit users, because Ace and Sabo hadn't let him to do much 'cause of how protective they are for him. But this is his fight right now and he will be fighting it and will win.

"Bara Bara cannon!" Buggy called, shooting his left hand off his arm to him with knives on it. Right before it could scratch his face, Luffy caught it with his hand.

"Separate!" His Haki warned him the instant Buggy separated his detached hand further. But he couldn't move enough, before the knives cut his face. Luffy instantly used his bangs to cover the blood trail which followed the cut, remembering his promise to his Dad.

"Lu, I want you to listen to this carefully," Dragon said in a clear voice, which meant no nonsense. Luffy straightened up and paid all his attention to his Dad, at least as much as he could.

"You can't show your wounds to anyone, except Iva and your mom," His Dad said confusing him further. Why wasn't he allowed to show his wounds to others? Specially when until the age of ten he was allowed to have a check up from Mr. Tea, the Revolutionary doctor.

"Why, papa?" He questioned the query he was facing.

"Your blood is not red like everyone's," Dragon said with a sigh. He knows he should not talk to his son like this. But this was the only way to have him safe from the World Government. "It has a goldish trail to it and the World Government may recognize it."

Luffy oohed, "So, its like not using my real name until I'm stronger, right?"

"Right," Dragon ruffled his son's hair, making him giggle.

It didn't hurt much as the damage to his Straw-hat did. The string to it was cut off as well as the red ribbon of the Straw-hat. The vivre cards of Ace's, Sabo's and Dad's falling in the rubble with the red ribbon.

"You bastard!" Luffy shouted, the words chilling whoever heard it, with his murderous glare set at Buggy. In the background, a loud thunder struck somewhere. Buggy flinched and faltered feeling the Haki rolling out from the kid, and ignoring the agonizing sound of thunder. He knew what it was but he couldn't believe that a no name wanna be pirate has it.

"W-What? So, you are so pissed that your face is scarred?!" Buggy taunted, acting confident. Luffy picked up the three white sheets and stuffed those in his pocket. His eyes shadowed by his hair as he got up and glared at the big nose!

"How dare you! How dare you mess up this hat!" Luffy shouted as he looked at the Strawhat without the ribbon in his hands.

"What?" Buggy asked not getting the trouble he was in now.

"This is my treasure!" Luffy screamed, making the man step back from the ferocity of it. "I will not forgive anyone who messes up this hat!"

"Is that hat that precious to you?" Buggy said in attempt to distract Luffy as his disembodied hand rose from where it had landed.

"Yeah, you asshole!" Luffy replied not backing off with the glare. His Haki warned him the moment the knife rose in order to stab his hat.

Luffy growled in rage as Buggy said, "If it's that precious to you then why don't you protect it properly!"

Luffy placed the hat to his chest, not allowing the knives to carve it, as he ran from the knives. But he miscalculated it, the three knives aimed straight for his chest, making Luffy dodge it but in that attempt it carved his chest. But his hat was safe and that's all what mattered for him that moment.

"W-What?!" Buggy asked in shock, as blood oozed from the boy's chest painting his red vest, but what shocked Buggy was that idiot was smiling that his hat was safe from further damage. The pirates who were feigning unconsciousness and were watching him looked at him with shock.

Zoro's eyes widened from where he was sitting, clearly seeing the light golden streaks in the red blood which was flowing like water. Zoro was stunned.

'It's the sunlight making it look like that!' Zoro thought to himself, but the flowing blood was concerning.

He saw Luffy quickly looking at his chest and wiping the blood with his hands and adjusting his vest to hide the wound. Zoro didn't understand why but was not given any time as Luffy glared at Buggy with a ferocity which should be unknown to people like Luffy.

"How is that old tattered hat a treasure?" Buggy asked in confusion, trying to find something which he would have not seen in the first glance. He knows that it is Shanks's hat and like that reckless bastard used to keep important things in the rim of the hat, there must be something like that in that hat too. His mind supplied that he had noticed some papers falling from it the moment the rim was tore apart.

"So, you are hiding treasure maps in that?" Buggy enquired not even looking at Luffy who was coming at full speed to him.

"That's the hat I swore myself to Shanks!" That was when Buggy was out of his musings to look at the boy, who was just inches away from him.

"That's for messing with my hat!" Luffy said as Buggy detached his upper body, but the boy's leg hit his balls, making him scream in pain.

The male pirates looking over the fight winced at it, but didn't dare come in between the two fighting pirates.

Luffy didn't give the clown pirate time to catch his breath. "And that's from the old man. Gomu Gomu no Bazooka!" He sent the pirate, who pissed him off, flying. He took a breath to relax himself and to realize that Buggy has been sent flying. A smile spread in his face, unconcerned of the still flowing blood which was sticking to his vest.

"Victory!" Luffy cheered, his mood changing in the split second, as he ran to Zoro with his hands in the air. The swordsman got up from his place and carried the torn hat and its ribbon with him to Luffy.

It was Luffy's first enemy fight without his brothers or anyone in the revolutionary army! He was way too happy to not even mind the blood which was still flowing. He better get it fixed though but that could be done later, he thought.

His eyes caught the torn side of his hat in Zoro's hand, making his smile dim. His swordsman handed it to him, making him bite his lips. It was the first time that his hat got even a scratch on it. He wonders what Shanks will say.

With a heavy heart, he plopped the hat on his head, covering his eyes to not show the sadness in it.

"I can fix that for you," Nami said softly as she approached the pirate. She felt bad after seeing his sad face. A part of her told that the kid didn't deserve to be sad. But she ignored it.

"Can you really?" Luffy gave her a hopeful look.

She looked away in embarrassment and crossed her arms. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm still not joining your crew. It's thanks for giving me time to steal the treasures."

Luffy grinned wide and sunny, making Nami and Zoro literally squint their eyes at the bright sunshine.

"Aren't you hurt?" Zoro asked eyeing at his chest and torn shirt. The wound was hidden clumsily from the vest and the gold streaks on Luffy's blood were gone, making Zoro take a breath which he was unknowingly holding and confirming that it was sunlight which made him see the blood like that.

"Nope, I'm fine!" Luffy said looking at the mayor and wondering if he should wake the man up. But a lots of people were coming to their way. They didn't look strong but determination was flowing within them, making Luffy curious.

"You're weird!" Nami said looking at Luffy. The amount of blood which was flowing like water was incredulous and could kill the boy, if he stayed that way. And yet, the boy was running around with that wound and had won the fight with it.

"You guys," The new comers said, making everyone turn towards them, except Luffy who was already looking at them. "We are the villagers. Did the pirates stir up a fight among themselves? If you know anything please tell us."

"Oh," Nami took a breath of relief. "I thought some of the pirate crew are still here." The Buggy pirates discreetly had left the moment Buggy was send flying.

"Ah! Chief!" One of the villager noticed the laying man.

"Goodness gracious! Please get up!"

"Dammit! What the hell happened here?!"

"It's definitely the work of those pirates!"

The villagers said, trying to get the chief up. Nami and Zoro both looked away, Zoro whistling innocently while Nami smiled as she sweated.

However, a rubber brain boy, Luffy, didn't get the gist of the situation and looked straight at the men.

"Sorry! I knocked him out!" Luffy said, making both Nami and Zoro stiffen and look at him with eyes filled with horror.

"What?!" All citizens asked as they turned towards him, anger rising within them.

Nami hurriedly picked up the treasure bags and looked at Luffy. "Hey! Why did you tell them?!"

"You didn't need to tell that, idiot!" Zoro shouted next.

"But I did that," Luffy replied innocently.

"But you had an actual reason-" Nami started, only to be cut off by the angry villagers.

"Why did you guys do this to our mayor?!" The man from before asked angrily.

"Don't give us your excuses!" Another shouted.

"Who the hell are you?! Are you with the pirates?!" Another shouted.

"We are pirates!" Luffy said without missing a beat.

Nami fell on the ground comically while Zoro face palmed at the sheer stupidness of his captain. But they felt that they couldn't blame him since he was small. But still! He was a pirate and should have at least one brain cell!!!!

"So are you!" The villagers said, pointing their weapons at them.

"Idiot!!" Nami yelled with sharpened teeth.

"But that's the truth!" Luffy replied innocently, not even blinking his eyes.

"How dare you, pirates!!!" The villagers yelled as they started to run towards them.

"What now?" Zoro asked, holding one bag from Nami. Luffy turned to him, his grin wild and free.

"Let's run!" Luffy said laughing wildly as he began running. Zoro smiled liking the idea and ran after him. Not wanting the innocent and naïve kid to get lost, at least.

"We won't let you get away!"

"We will pay you back for what you did to the chief!!"

The villagers yelled chasing them.

"Why the hell did you make the situation worse?!" Nami yelled at the other boy, who was laughing carefree.

"This is a good village!" Luffy said with his signature grin, making Nami turn to him abruptly.

"What?" Nami asked not getting Luffy's words. The kid sometimes said words way beyond her comprehension.

"They got mad just for the chief, just for one reason," Luffy said with a wide grin. "No matter what excuse we give, they will still be mad at us!" Zoro nodded in agreement as Nami finally started understanding, even if it was a bit.

They took a sharp turn to the alley, only to meet Shushu who woofed at them happily once.

"Take care, Shushu!" Luffy said looking back and waving to the dog.

"Woof!" Shushu barked stopping the villagers in their tracks next.

"H-Hey! Move, Shushu!"

"Those guys are bad pirates!"

"Woof! Woof! Grrr!!" Shushu growled not letting a single villager to go after the pirates.

Without having to worry anymore about the crowd, the three slowed their pace, and eventually reached the docks. Luffy noticed the rising waters and bit his lips looking back at the blood which had stopped flowing but the wound wasn't yet closed. He could hear his mother calling for him continuously.

"That was scary. We managed to escape thanks to Shushu." Nami said, wiping her sweat from her forehead. "Why did we have to deal that that way?" She asked, tired of running.

"Who cares," Luffy shrugged looking at the dock and spotting another boat.

"Is that your boat?" Luffy asked pointing to the well looking and comparatively bigger boat docked on the port. "It's cool!"

"I don't think so," Nami said sweat dropping and wondering if she should offer her help. "I stole it from some pirates!" She mumbled, hands on her hips as she looked at the boat.

"That's a big mouth ya got!" A voice said from the boat, three Buggy's pirates poking their heads up.

"Been waiting for ya thief girl!" Another man said.

"Never thought you'd run into us here, didja?!" The other pirate asked.

Nami laughed at them nervously.

"You know them?" Luffy asked Nami cocking his head.

"Yeah, sort of!" She said, honestly.

"Not sort of! We're bound-" The pirate stopped speaking once he caught sight of Zoro staring at them. They jumped back in shock and screamed in fear. With that, the three pirates ran off without another word.

"What was that about?" Luffy asked with a snort.

"Just idiots being idiots," Zoro replied with a shrug.

With that, Luffy and Zoro climbed on to their little boat while Nami climbed on hers.

"Hey, that flag has Buggy's mark on it," Zoro pointed out to Nami's boat from his and Luffy's boat.

"It was those pirates boat. So, of course it does. I'll remove it later," Nami replied back.

"STOP RIGHT THERE YOU MORONS!" The village chief yelled making each of them turn towards the said man. The mayor was panting as he had ran all the way to the docks once he heard that the little crew had ran off.

"Mister Chief!" Luffy said waving and grinning to the said man.

"I'm sorry!!!" The Mayor shouted to them, happy tears falling from his eyes. "I owe you one!"

"Don't sweat it!!" Luffy yelled back with a laugh. "Just shout out to the sea if you ever need any help!"

"EH?!" Zoro, Nami, and the Mayor turned to Luffy seeing him as if he had grown another head.

But Zoro noted it in his mind. His captain was weird but someone who doesn't look capable of lying. But until he doesn't say anything directly to him or something serious happens, he won't ask about it but will keep noting the details.