The Morning After

The next morning.

Alex woke up first and saw everyone snoring on the ground. He got up and started making breakfast for the entire group. He yawned as he finished and chuckled when he looked over and saw Dragon sleeping on top of Buggy.

Buggy was struggling to move Dragon from on top of him but everytime he could slightly move Dragon out of the way, he would roll right back over on top of Buggy again.

Alex smiled and ate his food while waiting for the others to wake up. The next one up was Shanks. He clutched his head and looked at Alex with pleading eyes.

Alex chuckled and tossed him a vial of green liquid. "Don't tell anyone. These things aren't free, plus they take time to make."

Shanks nodded and chugged the drink down, instantly feeling his hangover disappear.

"Don't tell anyone what?" A voice asked.

Alex silently cursed and turned around to face someone behind him. "I don't know what you're talking about. Uncle Ray."

Rayleigh chuckled. "Don't get all cutesy with me kid. What are you talking about?"

Alex clicked his tongue. "Fine, but you really can't tell anyone."

Rayleigh nodded and Alex tossed him a vial. "Drink." Alex said.

Rayleigh did and his eyes opened wide. "Rahahahaha! Kid, you're the best!"

Alex sighed. "I really can't have anyone else knowing. These things aren't free."

Rayleigh laughed and threw a bag of money at him. "If you keep giving me these, I'll pay you as much as you want."

Alex smiled and caught the cash. "Thanks."

Rayleigh waved with two fingers as he walked out. "Anytime, kid."

Suddenly a hand grabbed Alex's shoulder. "The voices are telling me you have something I want. Hahahahaha!"

Alex slowly turned his head to look at Roger with a concerned look on his face. "You really are fucking crazy old man. What fucking voices are you talking about?!"

Roger laughed. "The voice of all things!"

"That's just schizophrenia!" Alex yelled.

"Hahahahaha! That's not what the voices told me!" Roger replied.

"And you just listen to them?! That's like the opposite of what you're supposed to do!" Alex replied.

Roger laughed. "Give me your magic drug, kid!"

Alex sighed and gave him a vial.

Roger chugged it and smiled. "Holy shit! This really is magic! Ray! Come check this out!"

Alex clamped Roger's mouth shut. "Don't tell anyone! And Ray already knows!"

Roger laughed as he looked behind Alex at everyone else rising from their slumber.

"What aren't you going to tell us?" Crocus asked.

Alex sighed. "Fuck it! Fine! You can all have one! But you need to pay up!"

Alex successfully extorted…. I mean, made a FAIR deal with the pirates in exchange for his hangover cure.

They all started liking Alex even more! Maybe as much as they liked Shanks!

They were all alcoholics… they would probably trade Shanks and Alex for a hangover cure if they didn't already have one!

The whole crew eventually got ready and ate breakfast that Alex made. Roger put the food to his lips and his eyes shone with stars.

"Who made this?! He's our new chef! This is the best food I've ever had!" He called out.

Everyone looked around and Alex didn't look up from his archive, which he could be found reading almost 24/7, as he learned about the books in the library of Ohara.

Shanks smiled to himself and pointed his fork at Alex. "Who else? The boy wonder, the child prodigy, the evil genius. Alex!"

Alex looked up at Shanks. "You couldn't just shut your mouth, could you?"

Shanks laughed as Roger smiled. "Kid! You're my new chef!"

Alex sighed. "I'm already taken, find another chef."

Roger laughed. "You're not going anywhere! Nobody can take my chef!"

Alex rubbed his temple. "I refuse."

"I refuse your refusal." Roger said with a smile.

Alex banged his forehead on the table. "Popssss, I miss youuu." He groaned.

Shanks laughed as he ate.

Alex glared at him. "I'm never making you food again."

Shanks gasped and froze. "Y-you wouldn't! You can't do this to me! A-alex! I'm sorry! Don't take away my food! Please!"

Alex smiled. "No."

Shanks fell to his knees in despair.

Alex laughed before realizing he still had to deal with Roger never letting him go. "I've won… but at what cost?" He muttered to himself.