The Grand Line At Last...

Chapter 18 - The Grand Line at Last...

"Because Nami is our navigator!" proclaimed Luffy so loudly that his voice echoed through the room. Nami felt tears in her eyes, unable to think of anything she could possibly say to all that.

"You know it's true," Chopper told her firmly.

"I know," she said in a choked up voice. "I know all that… it's just… I never had anyone really fight for me like that… not since…?"

'Not since Bell-mère,' she added in thought and she rubbed her eyes on her arm—more glad than ever to have Robin there, patting her shoulder consoling.

"Well, you do now," Robin told her, understanding the feeling all too well. "Everything's alright now."

"Yeah," Nami agreed as Arlong chuckled darkly at what Luffy just said. "But those words mean a lot to me," she admitted softly.

"Really?" Arlong asked mockingly, "You want her to navigate your pathetic little ship for you? Ha… I guess you truly have no idea what a monumental waste of talent that would be." He gestured around to the maps in the room. "Look… there is no one else on the face of the planet who can draw sea charts with such accuracy and efficacy. That young lady has a gift."

Luffy kept looking around as Nami's eyes went to the desk… a small pen fell and clattered on the floor.

"What's that?" Chopper asked as Nami stared at it in horror. It was a pen that she had used for those eight miserable years… a pen that Arlong made her use until her hands bled and stained it. She had to bite down on her lower lip to stop her from crying out. She felt so stupid… getting so emotional just by seeing an old pen.

She stopped though when Luffy stretched his hand over to grab it and stare at it himself.

"And there isn't really anything as ultimately regrettable as wasting natural talent. Staying here and drawing up charts for me is her only chance of living up to her full potential!" Arlong declared.

"I think that there's nothing as regrettable as working for him," Sanji snarled and Nami had to nod in agreement. She regretted those eight wasted years and wanted to destroy each and every one of those maps… to see all her hard work go to Arlong just broke her heart. She rather see them all burn than in his hands.

Arlong and his pirates were her enemies; despite Arlong taking her into his crew she was never loyal to them due to what they did to her and her village. The reason she acted the way that she did was because he wanted her to. But because he considered her as just another arrogant human, he seriously misjudged her character and it cost him. Seeing Luffy tear the building apart was one of her happiest memories. It was a long time in coming, but her hardships were finally over…

"What is with these guys bragging so much?" Franky asked with a sigh. He was getting so sick of hearing these guys go on and on about themselves… why not stop acting like they're the greatest things since sliced bread and just get on with fighting?

"Hurry up and kick his ass, Luffy!" Usopp cheered on, not getting why he was still fiddling around with some pen.

But Luffy spoke, he said in a quiet, but dark voice, "This pen… is stained with blood."

"Blood?" repeated Brook softly before he let out a soft intact of breath and looked to Nami.

"Nami is that…?" Sanji whispered to her softly, but anger clear in his voice.

Nami only nodded, unable to speak because she was afraid that she would break down completely if she did.

"That… bastard…" Sanji hissed furious. He gave Arlong a death glare, willing to give anything for just one fight with him. He ached to break that guy's face in and snap off his nose… how dare he…? HOW DARE HE HURT A WOMAN LIKE THIS? He turned furiously to Luffy and started yelling.

"LUFFY!" he suddenly yelled, starting the others at the outrage in his voice, "IF YOU DON'T HURRY UP AND BEAT THAT PIECE OF SHIT UP I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

But Arlong was continuing to boast, "In order for me to obtain world supremacy her sea charts are absolutely vital!" He took his Shark Saw and held it to Luffy's neck so that his neck was between two of the blades. "She will continue drawing her sea charts for my own ambitions. And once her charts give me full knowledge of all the world's oceans, we Fishmen will be totally invincible! And the world shall kneel before us!"

"Pathetic," Zoro stated in disgust, shaking his head, "We were all strong back then, but nowhere near as we are now or as some of the others we've met out here. If even we could take them all out before we even got to the Grand Line, they didn't stand a chance—they're stupid plan was doomed to fail."

"Thank goodness for that," Robin said, still smiling at Nami who nodded firmly by her side, now starting to get a hold of herself.

But Luffy still just sat there, holding the pen before he finally sighed.

"Come on, Luffy," Chopper said looking at him, "What's wrong? Why aren't you fighting?"

"He's upset by the fact that there's blood there," Brook explained and they looked at him. "I may never have been here, but I can sense the sadness in this room." They looked around and suddenly they could get what he was getting at. This was the room that had served as nothing but as Nami's prison and if Arlong had had his way, he would've kept her locked up in here for the rest of her life. They could almost feel the misery that Nami suffered in this room…

"It must've been so hard for you, Nami-san," Brook finished quietly. Nami was now letting the tears fall from her eyes again as she buried her face in Robin's shoulder.

"The first step is… this island! Then we'll move on to the whole East Blue!" Arlong continued to rant. "You can never use her like me. She would be wasted on you!"

"USE?!" Usopp repeated in outrage.

"YOU JERK!" Chopper screamed out furiously as Sanji flew into a rage and tried to kick him—and he kept going even when his foot when right through his head again and again.

Zoro and Robin were looking at Luffy, who had just put the pen carefully on the floor in front of him—almost reverently. Those words had struck a nerve and they could sense that there was something in him that was now filled with a great anger… they could feel it in the air even as Luffy very gently took hold of one of the blades on Arlong's Shark Saw. His head was down and no one could see his eyes.

Arlong kept smiling until it was wiped off his face. His arm was shaking slightly and he seemed to be completely confused to what was happening.

"What is it?" Franky asked, noticing the shaking, "Is he scared?"

"No," Robin said, "I think he's trying to move his weapon…"

"But Luffy's not letting it budge," Zoro added just as Luffy's fingers tighten on the blade—he could see that he was shaking too, but from anger not fear. Then, all of a sudden, Luffy broke the blade as easily as if it was made of glass.

"NO!" Arlong exclaimed in shock; so that he was left holding a blade with only two of the six blades left.

"Finally, Luffy starts getting serious," Sanji said, still breathing hard in anger as Nami looked up in time to see Luffy looking up. His expression was terrifying and the Straw Hats all felt their own spirits freeze at the look. There was no trace of his usual happy-go-lucky captain that they knew and love… not even the blank or usual angry look that he got when he was faced with an opponent. There was cold fury in on his face; a sense of a hidden power radiated from inside him as if there was a wildfire burning inside him.

"Luffy…?" Nami whispered in confusion.

"USE HER!?" Luffy repeated in a voice that was filled with as much rage as his face, "YOU BASTARD! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU TAKE HER FOR?!"

Nami's eyes widen as she watched, her hand to her mouth. But Arlong just laughed as he said, "She is an inferior creature, but she has risen far above her peers. If all other humans are sewer rats, then she's a feisty little kitten. After all, she is adorable."

Nami leaned closer to Robin who tightened her arms around her. "I suddenly feel sick," she muttered as Robin patted her hair.

"Then I have a feeling that you're going to be cheering up very soon," she whispered back.

"He's disgusting," Usopp whispered as Sanji cracked his knuckles together threateningly. Memories be damned. He was giving Luffy thirty seconds to kick Arlong's ass before he did something here.

"She has her place and its here beside me. Can't you understand that? I can give her everything she needs," Arlong said with a wide grin on his face.

"He means everything except her freedom," Zoro stated bitterly.

"And all she has to do is continue to draw those marvelous charts for me!" Arlong finished. But what he said next raged them all to the core. "So, Nami will forever be my tool. No, she'll be my friend." He laughed again.

"DAMN YOU!" Sanji roared and raised his leg to kick again, but something stopped him. Finally, Luffy had gotten back to his feet, but instead of attacking Arlong he kicked the desk right through the wall.

Arlong stopped laughing and his grin was wiped off as if Luffy had kicked him. He blinked before he stared at the giant hole where they could see the desk hover in the air for a moment before it fell. Before he could register what happened, Luffy had kicked a bookshelf and one of the stacks of maps out as well.

"He's destroying the room!" Chopper whispered, eyes wide.

"I get it now…" Sanji said smiling, his frustrating with Luffy going at once. "You know… I remember seeing all that stuff get thrown out but I never understood the point till now."

"He's destroying everything that Arlong forced Nami to do," Robin answered when Chopper continued to look confused and he seemed to understand there.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Arlong screamed but Luffy completely ignored him as if he couldn't hear him as he continued his destruction of the room, making sure to take out as much as he could with every kick so that the sky was filled with paper.

"STOP IT NOW!" Arlong screamed as then waved what was left of his weapon at him, but Luffy easily dodged it so that Arlong ended up destroying an enormous stack of maps and he screamed, horrified at what he had done. "THE CHARTS!"

Once he landed, Luffy then kicked another stack out.

"My charts!" Arlong continued to yell as he watched all his plans and ambitions being destroyed before his eyes. His anger now growing out of his control, he finally pinned Luffy against a wall and held him there with his hand had his throat.

"He caught him!" Brook cried out worriedly.

"Damn you!" Arlong yelled, "That's eight years of work! Eight years of planning and ambition!"

"And that's as far as you're going to go!" Franky yelled out as Usopp and Chopper were now acting like cheerleaders, rooting for Luffy to take him out. Getting especially loud after Luffy stretched his arm out and used the back of his fist to take out more of the room and they could hear the books and papers smashing to the ground or splashing in the water below them.

Nami didn't react at all as she watched the entire scene. "I'm glad…" she whispered, "I always wished that I could destroy those maps… each time I finished making one for him it felt like he was ripping my heart out. Thank you… Luffy…" each chart that was thrown out made her feel as if she had gotten a day back from Arlong and she was now getting farther and farther away from him.

Enraged, Arlong snapped even further as he bit down on Luffy's neck. "Now you've gone too far!" Arlong yelled as blood sprayed everywhere.

"NO!" Chopper screamed in horror, "If he bites down to hard he could…?!"

"Don't worry," Zoro said firmly, "Luffy only needed some food and a good night's sleep before he was up on his feet again."

Luffy was growling with pain, but he didn't back down as bent his arms back so that he could grab Arlong by his nose behind his head and started to pull on it. "You keep jabbering on about—how much better—Fishmen are!" he said loudly, stuttering a little from pain, "And how much you—need those sea charts! I don't understand—anything about that stuff…" his hands started to bleed as he cut them on the sharp nose, "But I finally figured out… how to save her!"

With one huge heave, Luffy snapped Arlong's nose like a twig, causing the Fishman to scream in pain and as he opened his mouth to yell, he pulled his teeth out of Luffy's neck.

"You know… when I was fighting him before, he said that his nose was unbreakable," Zoro stated coolly, feeling good that someone finally destroyed that damn Fishman's ego.

"He's really gonna do it now!" Usopp cheered, knowing that they were getting to the moment they had been waiting for.

Luffy was still on his feet, his eyes wide, looking worse than ever before. For the first time, they could see a monster… he was like some kind of monster here… fighting like something… possessed. "This room isn't anything but her jail cell!" he declared with a hiss, "There's only one way for Nami to escape, I gotta tear this place apart!"

"GO FOR IT!" Chopper screamed.

"SSSSSUUUUUPPPPEEEEERRRRRR!" posed Franky eagerly, now practically giddy to see this next scene. Arlong glared up at him, looking ridiculous with his bent nose as Luffy lifted his leg and stretched it high, bursting through the roof and continuing… just like how he destroyed the Baratie's fin, they knew right away what was gonna happen. "Gum Gum…" he began but Arlong wasn't beaten yet.

"YOU FOOL!" Arlong yelled and was getting up.

"Oh, come on!" Sanji yelled as Arlong got back to his feet, "What's with Fishmen? What are they made of? Why doesn't he just stay down?!"

"Arlong Park cannot be brought down by some inferior human!" Arlong yelled as grabbed hold of his nose and straightened it with a sickening cracking sound, "Especially not by some rubbery freak like you!"

"Wanna bet?" Zoro asked with a smug smirk as Luffy looked up at Arlong in irritation.

"Shark Tooth… DRILL!" Arlong screamed out before he jumped and began to spin like a propeller—or even a drill—towards him, his teeth bared. Luffy's eyes widened in terror but he managed to finish the attack as he brought his foot down… "BATTLE AXE!"

Arlong's teeth sank deeply into his side just as Luffy's foot came down and slammed his face to the floor. For a moment, they were there… frozen as they stared at what happened. It was almost as if time had stopped here, but then the floor began to break apart. With Luffy's scream in their ears they watched as the force of the attack was so great that Arlong started to cough up blood just before Luffy's foot slammed him down floor after floor of Arlong Park and hit the ground with an almighty boom.

Everyone was left in awe for a moment before Chopper began to scream in joy. "HE DID IT! HE BEAT HIM!"

"Was there ever a doubt?!" Usopp yelled, but then he stopped smiling when he suddenly remembered something else. As Luffy retracted his leg the rest of the building was starting the collapse. The walls crumbled and the roof was falling in.

"NO, GET OUT OF THERE!" Franky yelled, but it was too late, Luffy just didn't seem to get to the hole he made in the wall in time. The ceiling gave way and the floor broke apart as he fell through it. The noise around them was so loud that it was as if they're eardrums would burst… but as they covered them, but then everything went dark around them as the night sky came back.

"What… that's it?! What happened?! Was Luffy-san okay?" Brook asked them all in worry—realizing they were back on the dark shores and right at the water's edge. But before they could give him a real answer, the ground beneath them began to shake and they caught sight of the water's edge bubbling slightly. Something was boiling beneath the waves…

"What's going on?" Usopp yelled out, going for his slingshot, expecting some kind of sea monster to rise out. However, Zoro and Sanji both were ready for a fight, charged forward towards the water—for now something was slowly rising out of the sea like a black ball of slime.

"I think we finally found it!" Zoro said grinning evilly as he flicked his sword out and put on in his mouth. "It's here!"

"What is it?!" Chopper screamed out nervously, running behind them at top speed.

The blob was about the size of a large cannonball—it was bubbling and shifting around as it hovered in the air for an agonizing second before it hit the beach with enough force that it flattened out to form a pool of gunk.

"That's disgusting!" Nami yelled, stepping back from it at once. She couldn't remember seeing something so gross-looking. But out of the pool of slime, it was being concentrated together… until something began to rise up out of it. First there was a fin, and then its shoulders… and finally its head with a saw-like nose appeared. And they knew what it was… or rather who it was…

The form of Arlong—so black that it was as if he had been dipped in tar—rose out of the slime and was placed on his feet like some kind of puppet.

"Arlong…?" Nami whispered as the dark form set foot on shore, the giant blade over his shoulder as he grinned.

"You inferior humans!" he said and that voice sent a silent wave of terror down her spine as the shadow form of Arlong charged at her. But Zoro and Sanji intercepted him, both of them striking at the same time.

"Finally!" Zoro hissed, his blade holding back the saw blade. "I can hit him."

"Thank God for that," Sanji admitted, "I've been aching to break this guy's face in all this time."

"Fishmen… are… superior!" the shadow Arlong growled, but something happened next. As everyone all turned, ready for a fight… each with their weapons raised, all waiting for a chance to attack… Arlong's body was starting to melt where it stood.

"NOW WHAT?!" Usopp yelled as Chopper screamed in horror.

"He's melting!" Chopper cried out as Arlong slopped over like how a snowman would in the hot sun.

He was right. Like a broken record this Arlong kept repeating the words that he had been saying to Luffy during the fight—how Fishmen were better, how he was going to rule the whole East Blue—but his actions were sluggish and the bubbling form fell to his knees and soon collapsed into a pool of liquid.

"Okay…" Franky said carefully, lowering his hand of his finger guns. "What the hell was that?"

"That was the creature?" Usopp asked before smirking, "It wasn't that tough…"

But then the concentrated jelly suddenly came back to life and pulled back into the black ball and hovered in the air. "I got this!" Usopp said confidently and he launched a Bamboo Shoot Pop Green at it… they rose up at once and skewered it.

"GOT YA!" he yelled striking a pose, but to his horror, the blob—that had been torn apart by the rising bamboo's—came back together.

"It's like that Swamp guy!" Chopper yelled, remembering the weirdo they met when they went down to Fishman Island.

"A Logia, huh?" asked Sanji smugly as he set his lower leg on fire and charge, ready to kick. He smashed through it, but at the same time it reformed itself.

"What is this thing?!" Brook cried out in panic as Zoro now tried to cut it, but it did as much good as the others. Suddenly the blob turned and bolted down the shore.

"After it!" called Zoro as they started to run; Franky was shooting balls of fire and Usopp launched several Lead Stars and even some random Pop Greens, but the blob reformed no matter what was thrown at it.

"Damn it!" Sanji yelled frustrated as the ball of slime suddenly disappeared into thin air.

With nothing to chase, they all skidded to a stop and stared around for it.

"What happened? Did we do it?" Chopper yelled, looking around, but seeing nothing there.

"It's gone," Zoro said angrily. "Damn it! As soon as it appeared I could sense it, but now nothing!"

"It just went away," Sanji agreed, wanting to smash something to take his anger out.

"Well… you think… we killed it?" Brook asked hesitantly.

"Did you see any of those attack do any good?" Robin asked him seriously, closing her eyes and trying to see around the island for any trace of it.

"Well, what was it? What's happening to this island?!" Usopp yelled, more lost than ever before. No one was able to answer as they looked at each other—having once thought that they were alone—but having a bad feeling that they were also being watched.

Nami hugged herself as she stared around, half expecting to see that decrypted form of Arlong appear and grab her. She hung back, making sure that the others were around her trying to get her breathing under control. But as they fruitlessly continued to search the landscape, the dark sky faded abruptly and they were back outside Arlong Park—or what was left of it. It looked as if a giant had come and stepped on it. Like a house of cards, there was just large slabs of the building piled one on top of the other.

"Wait, how'd we get back out here?!" Nami gasped, not understanding what was going on, but they heard voices and looked to see that everyone had come back, staring at what remained of Arlong Park and they were distracted by the distraught expressions on everyone's faces.

The Straw Hats tried to stay focused on everything that happened, but it was difficult as they looked at the destroyed building and the waiting anticipation… though they knew that Luffy was alive and well, it was always hard to tell themselves that when they witnessed for themselves what happened. Sanji and Zoro were both still stalking around, trying to sense something wrong.

But suddenly the top of the rubble was move and Luffy burst through so that he was standing on top of the remains. No one spoke as they all stared at him—though he didn't say a word, their eyes were all drawn to him as if he had shouted.

Luffy then took a deep breath and yelled out, "NAMI!"

Present-day Nami knew what he was going to say but the words echoed in her head as he finished screaming out, "NAMI YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY FRIEND!"

His declaration echoed up and through the sky and the present-day Nami finally lost all control of herself as she began sobbing without any shame. Her past self was standing nearby, and she was crying as well. "Yeah…" was all she could say. What else was it that she could here?

When she first met him, she had been so sure that he was just like any other pirate… but she soon came to respect him as a leader. Though she gets angry at his irrational thinking and short attention span, she had come to care and trust him very much as her captain. He had been something of an emotional anchor for her during crisis… that idiot…

It slowly dawned on all the memory versions what just happened as they were all screaming in joy. All of them cheering and crying as well… finally, their nightmare was over. And the last thing they heard before the memory faded was Johnny and Yosaku screaming out, "BIG BRO WON!"

The memory was then gone and Nami was now wiping up her tears, but she was still smiling.

"That was amazing…" Brook whispered in awe. "I've never seen anything like that. I don't ever remember seeing Luffy-san so angry! It shocked me to the soul…"

"Can't say that it wasn't a good sight," Sanji said, looking over at Nami who had composed herself and seemed to be back to normal.

"I'm tired of crying," she whispered, sounding more upbeat. "I guess after seeing everything from the beginning just brought back all those memories and feelings…"

"Are you going to be alright?" Robin asked soothingly and she nodded back.

"I'm fine," she said, sounding more sure of herself. "I just… I didn't think I'd ever be free from Arlong. But Luffy just understood everything without having to hear anything else… he destroyed everything that I wanted to see destroyed since day one." She looked to Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp and added with a bright smile, "And you guys too, of course!"

"It was my greatest pleasure, Nami-swan!" Sanji gasped out, twirled around so that he knelt before her. "My darling… if I had to, I'd do it all again for you! There can be no greater honor for a man to help out a beautiful lady!"

"Gag me," Zoro said, walking away.

"What was that?!" Sanji yelled, but Zoro completely ignored them as he continued to look around and Sanji remembered what it was that they were supposed to be doing and he growled in frustration. "Just when we finally find the thing, it runs away and disappears! And I keep getting distracted by all this!"

"It makes sense for it to," Robin said frowning before she asked Nami what time it was.

Blinking in surprise, she pulled out the pocket watch and checked the time, convinced that it had to have been at least half an hour, but her jaw fell open when she saw that it had only about ten minutes.

"That can't be," Usopp said but Robin shook her head in disagreement.

"I had a feeling that this was the case," she explained.

"Please tell me that you're going to start making sense here," Franky begged.

"Well, first," she said, "About the creature we just saw. It had no form… it was trying to take on Arlong's shape… but it just couldn't seem keep it."

"Yeah, it was like it was made of clay or something and it was melting," Usopp admitted thinking it over. "It was just messed up… but what really freaked me out was that it repeated whatever Arlong was saying."

"And then it disappeared as we went after him," she summed up. When they nodded, she explained, "That's because it wasn't able to hold onto Arlong's shape. So when it failed on it, it fled and probably hid itself in another memory. I think that it was only a rough idea of Arlong. Remember all the memories we saw up to this point? I guess that the creature has only started to try and take a form when we finally came across it."

"So it was hiding somewhere in the Arlong Park memories?" Chopper asked.

"Yes," she admitted softly, "And I think it's safe to assume that it might've listened to Arlong enough times to try and become him. But I guess that it didn't stay around long enough before we caught up to it and it tried to fight back."

"And when it tried to attack us, it wasn't able to stay like that and is probably hiding in another memory!" Chopper said, thrilled with himself for getting it.

Robin nodded, "That seems to be it."

"So… what now?" Brook asked her, "We just keep going through memories until we find it?"

"Right now it's hiding," Sanji said in frustration, "And until it comes back out, we won't have the slightest clue where it is."

"But if it does come back, what are we supposed to do?!" cried out Nami, "Nothing we did worked on that!"

"Not even Haki," Zoro added darkly.

"But that doesn't explain the whole time thing," Franky added, "I mean, how could it only be a few minutes? It's been hours!"

Robin looked over at him. "Time's not moving as fast as we think it is," she answered simply.

"Say what?" Usopp repeated, completely lost.

"What I mean is that creature has something to do with our sense of time," she shrugged, "I know it's crazy, but it's the best I can come up with. We think that time is moving normally inside the memories, but in reality, it's hardly moving at all."

"Huh? I don't get it," Chopper said, completely lost now.

"Well," she said, trying to think of the best way to describe it. "When we're watching it all, it's like time is slowed down a little. So we think that time is moving normally for us when it's actually hardly any time at all. At least, that's what I think."

"So when we watch for a few hours, it's only been a couple minutes?" Franky summed it up, "So everything we saw up till now took less time for us to watch than for someone to say 'get a haircut'?"

"Pretty much," Robin offered. "It's all very confusing… but that's the best that I can come up with."

"This whole place is a nightmare," Usopp moaned out, falling to his knees. "Let's just get this thing dealt with so that we can get Luffy back and get the hell out of here!"

"No one is disagreeing with you Usopp," Zoro said, flicking his sword out irritably. This whole place was driving him crazy—and giving him an urge to slash something. He was growing angrier with every second and was now close to wanting to kill something. He was quickly losing his mind…

But then, the memory reappeared and they were back in Cocoyashi village with an enormous party going on. The villagers were all dancing and feasting, music and laughter was in the air, and every single person here was smiling.

"Now you know how much they hated them if they're celebrating like this," Robin offered with a smile as she looked around.

"Yohohoho, what a great thing to see! It brings joy to my heart! Not that I have a heart," Brook laughed.

"No one had been able to celebrate like this in years," Nami smiled as she looked around at her village. "I think they partied for about three days here."

"Really? Three days?" Franky laughed, "It sounds like my kind of party!"

"They danced until they all passed out where they stood," Sanji sighed, remembering all the beautiful girls that he danced with… oh, good times…

"I notice that we usually do party for about three days after we have a big fight," Chopper pointed out cheerfully.

"Hey, if you're going to have a party why not go all out?!" Usopp cried out brightly.

But through all the laughing and cheering, they could also hear screaming going on inside a house behind them.

"What's going on?" Robin asked in interest.

"That's the doctor's house," Nami said thoughtfully as Zoro sighed, recognizing the screaming.

"Ignore it," Zoro said at once.

But at those words, Sanji knew at once that he was talking about and went right for the house. "HEY GET BACK HERE!" Zoro yelled, but too late, soon everyone was going through and they saw who the screaming was coming from and why.

"Oh, ow…" Franky winced. Zoro was getting stitches.

"Well, at least someone is finally taking charge and treating your wound!" Chopper said firmly.

"You dumbass!" the doctor snapped as Zoro was gritting his teeth and moving painfully around on the bed as Johnny and Yosaku slept in the background, "Did you think this would heal on its own? Seriously, pirates are supposed to be smarter than this!"

"That's exactly what I'm thinking! How stupid could you get?" Chopper agreed firmly and Zoro shoved the reindeer's head down to the ground with his foot. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" he yelled.

"Did you just say that I'm stupid?" Zoro asked coldly.

"Wow, for someone who's stupid, you sure understood it quickly enough," Sanji smirked.

Zoro swung a sword at him as the doctor shoved his hand in memory Zoro's face to keep him still as he continued stitching. "Don't you have a doctor for this?"

"Nope, but that's who joined us next," Nami said and Chopper brightened up, excited at the idea of finally seeing Drum again. He tried not to smile, but his grin shone through anyway as he did a little dance. "What I don't get is why you're complaining like this," Nami went on and turned to Zoro. "I mean… after Mihawk attacked you, you barely flinched… but here you're almost crying."

"I am not!" Zoro snapped back.

"You and Luffy can pull off gaping holes in your guts but stitches and needles make your cringe?" Usopp asked thinking that over. "How does that make sense?"

Just then a familiar face appeared in the window above Zoro's head, with a leg of meat in his hand, and he repeated, "Doctor? Never thought of that. Good idea!"

"Luffy?" past Zoro said in surprise.

"But we need to get a musician first right?" Luffy asked, as if making sure that he got it.

"Why's that?" he asked him.

"Cause pirates really like to sing," he said as if it was obvious.

"To true! Yohohoho!" Brook laughed joyfully, feeling a little warm thrill inside at the idea of how much they wanted a musician.

Zoro actually laughed at that and sounded sarcastic as he said, "That's true, but why is that first?"

Luffy didn't answer, but he grinned at him before he looked up to the doctor and asked where Nami was—claiming that she wasn't in the village.

"Where were you?" Chopper asked in surprise, "I thought you'd be there partying with everyone else."

"I had to go somewhere to think some things through," she confessed. In truth, she wanted her mother's advice. She wanted to go and tell her about what she wanted to do… she remembered how she met with Nojiko and Genzo… how they gave her the advice that she needed to hear. Though, in truth, she had already made up her mind by that point.

"Well then," the doctor said, looking away as he thought it all over, "If she's not in the village, there's only one place she'd go…"

The memory faded at that and they were all looking at each other in surprise. "That's it?" Chopper said, feeling a little bit let down at the small scene.

"I… guess?" Usopp pressed, Nami hesitated for a moment before the scene came up again—but it was still a dark night around them so they didn't realize that it had change until they saw Genzo there. They were on a cliff that overlooked the ocean—a bright moon was reflected in the sparkling sea below them, and there was a very simple grave raised there with a wooden cross. Genzo had poured an entire bottle of sake over it, as if the one who was buried there could enjoy it as well.

Nami bit her lip, never thinking that she would see it again.

"What is this?" Zoro asked in confusion.

"That's… my mother's grave," Nami explained softly. She has come to terms with the idea that Bell-mère was her mother. In life she never saw eye to eye with her adoptive mother at times, but she never realized just how important she was too her until the moment that she knew that she was going to be killed. She loved her mother deeply and missed her every single day.

"Your mother?" Robin repeated softly and Nami nodded as everyone looked at her in surprised.

"This was where I was earlier," she confessed quietly, "I wanted to talk with her."

"Nami…" Chopper said quietly as they all looked at the grave with new respect—and a little sadness. It was very peaceful for a few quiet moments, but that soon ended when someone yelled out, "WHERE'S THE FOOD!?"

Jumping, they looked back to see Luffy there, looking around—his cheeks full of meat—as well as having several legs of it in his hands. Genzo had also jumped and spun around to see who it was.

"He always did know how to break the mood," Sanji sighed.

Luffy was barely aware that he wasn't alone as he looked for food."Oh, no food out here," he said to himself, sounding disappointed before he turned around and muttered something about leaving.

But as they watched, Robin couldn't help but wonder if Luffy had come up here just for food. Did he come up here looking for Nami as well? She shrugged to herself, maybe she was trying to read too much into Luffy's behavior and maybe he was simply for food and he got lost. But she couldn't help but get the sneaking suspicion that maybe he was hoping to talk to Nami here.

"Wait, boy!" Genzo suddenly shouted, stopping Luffy so that he would look back and they looked over at him.

"Huh, a grave?" Luffy asked before he asked tactlessly, "Did somebody died?"

"You think he would be a little more sensitive here," Usopp said with a sigh.

"I'm afraid that's not one of Luffy's strong points," Zoro reminded him as Genzo turned back to look at the wooden cross and admitted to Luffy that someone did die a long time ago.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Luffy said, bowing his head—though it probably would've been easier to take him seriously if he took the food out of his mouth first. "I give you to my conveniences…"

"What?" Franky asked in confusion before Luffy realized that he said it wrong and tried again.

"Wait… my sincere compliments… no my deepest…?" he said several times before Genzo corrected him.

"My deepest condolences," he said.

"Oh, so that's what he was saying," Chopper said, who hadn't been getting it before.

"Yeah, thanks," Luffy said.

"Listen boy," Genzo said, still not looking away but his voice was very serious, "I know Nami is going away with you. She has her mind set on becoming a pirate and that… dangerous business. And I'm fine with that, it can't be helped."

"Genzo…" Nami said softly, having had no idea that Luffy and Genzo had talked about this. But what he said next surprised them all.

"But if any of you do anything to hurt her… I will kill you," Genzo said, his voice deadly serious.

"Boy, that's harsh," Franky said, suddenly nervous as he glanced at Nami. "He only means Luffy right?"

"He did say any of us," Sanji said, thinking it over. Not that he had to worry—he rather throw himself overboard than do anything to make Nami said.

"Nami?" Chopper said quickly, "If I ever did anything that made you sad, I'm sorry!"

Nami only laughed. "He wouldn't go that far," she said before she added, "At least I hope not."

"We're not gonna hurt her…" Luffy said to him firmly.

But Genzo spun around and yelled out at the top of his lungs, "YOU SURE?!"

Luffy looked startled at that before he nodded, "I'm sure."

"So I guess we're stuck with her," Zoro said as Genzo moved his cap back down so that they couldn't see his eyes, but a satisfied smile was tugging at the scarred man's lips—as if he just had a hard question answered for him. The images faded around them and that was the end of that memory.

"I guess he just wanted to make sure that you were in good hands," Robin told her as Nami smiled widely at that.

"I know… he's always been like that," she said, missing Genzo more than ever. So even before she left, he was looking out for her. The fact that he would have had this little talk with Luffy meant the world to her. She really hoped that she could go home someday and show them her map of the world…

Suddenly the sun was out and they were back at the docks. The four past Straw Hats were already on the deck of the Going Merry as they began piling on crates and boxes of food and supplies. It looked like the whole island had come to say goodbye.

"Oh, so this must be when you were finally setting off!" Brook said cheerfully just as past Sanji had run to the side of the ship. "THERE SHE IS!" he screamed out, barely able to contain himself. Looking up, they saw past Nami standing far along the road and everyone was looking directly at her. Her eyes were hidden by bangs before she screamed out, "SET THE SAILS!"

And suddenly she started sprinting towards them as if she was being chased by something.

"What's wrong?" Franky asked in confusion, not getting why she was running all of a sudden.

"I don't get it," past Usopp said, unknowingly speaking what Franky was asking, watching her sprint towards them, "Why's she running?"

"She said set sail," Luffy reminded him and he jumped a little at the seriousness in his tone.

"But what's going on?" Chopper asked as present-day Zoro and Usopp both looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"I just wanted to say goodbye in my own way," Nami said, a little sheepishly. After all the years of her coming and going to the village, with them looking at her with distain, it felt strange for her to leave without seeing that again.

"NO!" Genzo suddenly cried out as he Nojiko and the doctor all looked surprised at Nami. "She's planning on leaving without letting any of us thank her or say goodbye!"

"You didn't want to say goodbye to any of them?" Brook asked her in surprise. "I would've thought…?"

"I did in the end," she said with an innocent smile that didn't fool anyone.

"Set sail!" Luffy yelled and they did as Zoro pulled up the anchor—soon they were moving away from the dock.

"Wait! Don't go!" someone screamed.

"They're leaving!"

"Stop! At least let us say goodbye!"

Past Nami didn't respond to any of their words as she continued to sprint with the citizens trying to stop her. Genzo fought his way through to the front, "NAMI!" he yelled, "COME BACK HERE! YOU CAN'T LEAVE THIS WAY!"

"We all say goodbye in our own way," Robin chuckled lightly.

"So," past Sanji said to Luffy, "You sure you wanna let her leave like this?"

"Not my decision," Luffy told him, "She does what she wants."

"That is true," Usopp nodded as they sailed farther and farther away, with Nami now in danger of being left behind. But they didn't need to worry. Past Nami started to run between them all zig-zag, diagonal, up and down… she ran past all of them all, slipping away without any trouble—thanks to her years of stealing. Once she passed the doctor and her sister she jumped, almost flying through the air, just barely made it to the ship.

"WHY?!" Genzo cried out as she landed on the Merry's deck. Breathing hard, she didn't move for a moment before she pulled back her shirt to show dozens of wallets and coin purses falling out. At that they all checked their pockets and realized that she stole from each of them.

"You didn't…?" Robin asked, now unable to hold back her laughter.

"Well, I left the eight years worth of money I stole with them, so it was the least they could do," she offered, laughing with her, her heart feeling so light all of a sudden.

Some of the men all looked at each other with raised eyebrows—she was definitely someone to keep your eye on… she would bleed you dry if she had a chance.

Her past self was pulling out some of the money, she kissed it before looking back with a smug smirk, "Thanks a bunch!"

The looks on each of their faces was priceless.

"DAMN! YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Genzo shouted as their jaws all dropped.

"Well, that explains why you wanted to leave the way you did, Yohohoho," Brook laughed. "If you had waited, they might've noticed that their pockets had all been picked."

"And I thought I left with a lasting impression at my hometown," Franky said.

"You did," Usopp reminded him as his past self whispered to Zoro darkly, "Great. She hasn't changed a bit."

"I'd watch my back if I were you," past Zoro agreed, giving Nami a shady look. But Luffy was laughing as Sanji gave her a thumbs up.

"Of course you'd two find it funny," Zoro said in annoyance.

"I think you said it best, Zoro," Robin spoke up, smiling at him, "It's a fitting way for pirates to leave. Unable to turn back seeing how everyone here hates us…?"

He thought it over before he let out a bark of laughter, "Yeah, I suppose."

"YOU LOUSY PICKPOCKT!" Genzo cried out, "WE'LL MISS YOU!"

"And I miss them too," Nami sighed.

But then Genzo suddenly yelled at Luffy and got their attention. "BOY?" Luffy looked back up, as he finished by yelling, "REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU!"

Luffy just smirked and gave him the thumbs up. "You got it!"

Nami felt her heart warm at that as her past self began to scream out, waving goodbye, "GOODBYE EVERYBODY I'LL MISS YOU! TAKE CARE!"

Nami stood there the whole time, smiling at the disappearing land, and she looked up to the cliff where she could just make out her mother's grave. Her past self then turned to the rest of the crew and said, "Now that that's over with, I say it's about time we head off to the Grand Line!"

Everyone cheered and started to laugh together—glad that was finally over. The images faded but Nami was also laughing with them. To laugh about such little things—to do that every day was something she always wished for.

"I'm so happy for you, Nami-san!" Brook proclaimed happily as he spun around.

"It touches my heart," Franky sniffled as he held his nose down for three seconds and ended up creating a long hair and he tied it back in a cool ponytail.

"I'm just glad that we're done with it all," Nami sighed, her hand over her own heart, feeling it beating hard against her chest. She made a mental note to thank Luffy again once they headed back to the sea.

The next memory was another beautiful day and the whole crew was relaxing on the Merry's deck. Nami was stretching out on a lawn chair as Usopp sat there, mixing together some of his infamous Tabasco Stars. Zoro was on the upper deck and taking a nap, and after looking around for a minute, they spotted Luffy cautiously reaching for some tangerines that had been put on the top of the cabin.

"Wouldn't do that if I were…" Usopp tried to warn, but it came too late.

Sanji came out of nowhere and kicked him so hard that he was flung backwards right into Usopp—who had some of it get splashed into his eyes.

"That's gonna sting," Franky winced as past Usopp was screaming and running around in pain.

"Oh, the pain I had to endure here!" Usopp cried out, remembering the pain, it was as if his eyes had been on fire.

Luffy however was glaring up at Sanji and yelled, "Ah, come on! I just want one of them!"

"NO!" Sanji yelled, standing there in front of the trees like a bodyguard, his arms folded. "This is Nami's tangerine orchard! I won't let anyone lay a finger on it!" He then turned to Nami with his eyes as hearts and cried out, his arms now wide, "Nami can you see how well I'm protecting your trees?!"

"Yes," she said, without turning to look at him, "You're doing very well."

"He's like some kind of pet to her," Usopp whispered to them and they nodded. Sanji, who hadn't been listening as he drooled over the past Nami, looked up and said, "What'd you say?"

"Nothing," Usopp said quickly.

"Can't you tell when someone's using you, Nosebleed?" Zoro asked him darkly.

"What? How dare you claim that Nami-swan would use me!" Sanji yelled heatedly. "Everything I do…" he added dramatically, "I do for love!"

"Yes, and you do an amazing job taking care of my tangerines," Nami told him and he almost fell over in happiness. Robin shook her head fondly, a part of her feeling a little bad for Sanji—but that chivalry of his was something that she always admired about him even if it did get him into so much trouble.

Soon, past Nami was still going over the paper as Luffy sat up on the railing, looking hungrily up at the fruit as Usopp lay on his back with a cool cloth to his red eyes.

"I only want one tangerine!" Luffy whined. "Just give it here! You're so mean!" he stuck his tongue at him.

"NO!" Sanji yelled again.

"He can have one… for a price," Nami said firmly. Those were from her mother's tangerine orchard and she wasn't going to part with them easily.

"Oh well," Luffy said, beaming widely, "I'm pretty happy anyway."

"Nothing fazes him for long," Brook said fondly.

"The world sure is a turbulent place," past Nami suddenly stated, telling them what she was reading. She flipped the page and a stray piece of paper fell out.

"What's that?" Luffy asked just as it fluttered to the deck and they saw what it was.

"Oh, I know this!" Usopp said as their past versions all gasped at what they saw and soon they were all screaming—some of them were joyous—or horrified.

"What's wrong?" Franky asked startled as Luffy jumped up and picked it up to stare at it. His eyes were as big as dinner plates as he stared at it and held it up for them all to see—laughing out proudly. "Alright guys! We're wanted criminals!"

"His first bounty," Zoro said with a smirk. "Before we even entered the Grand Line, he had the highest bounty in the whole East Blue."

Past Usopp leaned over to look at it, "Wanted: dead or alive… thirty million?!"

"Such an amazing first bounty!" whispered Brook in amazement. "Thirty million right off the bat for a Rookie Pirate?"

"Earning a large bounty in a quick time also gives the pirate notorious attention and a global reputation," Robin commented. "After all, I believe that Boa Hancock earned a bounty of Eight million in a single pirate attack after she became the captain of the Kuja Pirates and the World Government offered her to become a Warlord."

"Eight million in one journey?!" repeated Nami in awe.

"What'd she do?!" Usopp asked with a gulp as horrible images came back to his mind and he added quickly, "On… on second thought, I don't think I want to know!"

"Occasionally, a designated amount on a bounty may increase if the criminal in question has committed crimes of considerable magnitude that goes beyond the crime committed beforehand that earned them their initial bounty, as with the case of Luffy," Robin confessed, thinking it all over. "Usually, bounties are treated as a way to determine a person's average threat level."

"Yeah, but it's been two years since our own bounties increased," Zoro smirked, "It's only gonna be a matter of time before they go up again big time."

Sanji felt a muscle going in his head at the thought of his bounty picture. God, he prayed that he get a new picture soon… just thinking about that poster makes him sick to his stomach.

"The average bounty in the East Blue is three million, so a noteworthy one there would be ten million or more," Nami said, thinking it all over.

"And Luffy-san's first bounty was 3 times that!" Brook proclaimed proudly.

"Yes, and in terms of piracy, any rookie who have earned a bounty of over a hundred million is considered impressive, and is classified as a 'Supernova'," Robin finished lightly. "The eleven pirates who arrived at Sabaody two years ago are called the Eleven Supernovas. Plus with Blackbeard, the 12 are now known as The Worst Generation."

"Really?" Zoro said, grinning, knowing that he was one of those and smirked smugly at Sanji who was looking more annoyed than ever before.

"For Luffy, his first bounty broke the record for active East Blue bounties, as well as the highest new bounty for a pirate from the East Blue," Robin chuckled, thinking back to reading up on Luffy when she was still working with Crocodile. "As well as holding the highest value of known bounty increases from thirty million to four hundred million… and even the highest amount of times of getting a new bounty, after all, he received three bounties increase before we even reached Sabaody and a fourth after the war."

"That is SUPER!" Franky burst out laughing. "I guess all our crazy stunts pay off big time huh?"

Nami sighed, wondering just what they thought why it was something to celebrate? Just how was it considered good to have such high bounties calling in bounty hunters and Marines after them day in and day out?

"That's a whole lot of beri's!" Luffy cried out still laughing.

"Check it out!" past Usopp cried out, pointing at it as a dreamy look came over his face, "I'll be seen all around the world!"

"WHAT?!" memory Sanji screamed out, staring at it, "THEY PUT LONG-NOSE IN BUT LEFT ME OUT?!"

"Yeah, the best view of his face," present-day Sanji hissed.

"Don't be jealous just because your poster is so bad," Usopp pointed out and Sanji let out a roar of anger—looking like he wanted to break something at the horrid reminder.

His memory self was looking all over the poster, now demanding to know where he was because he couldn't see him. Past Usopp pointed in the lower corner where the back of his head was and began to laugh as Sanji sat on the deck to pout. "It's the back of your head! That's not so great."

"And I still hold true to that," Sanji said angrily, now fighting the urge to sit and pout as well.

Past Usopp giggled and said, "Aww, don't be so glum! You don't have to be a captain to get your picture on one of these things."

Memory Sanji cheered up almost at once. "Is that true?" he asked excitedly.

"Yeah, in the end, I'm the one who causes the most trouble," Sanji said determinedly and Zoro rolled his eye.

"Yeah," memory Usopp said, "Just work really hard."

"And that's a lot coming from you," Zoro said to him.

"Hey! I can be pretty damn helpful if I put my mind to it!" Usopp snapped back.

But then, the three memory versions of themselves were all celebrating and dancing as Nami looked like she wanted to crack their heads together.

"LET'S GO TO THE GRAND LINE MEN!" Luffy shouted out and the other two cheered along.

"Yet again, you guys don't understand how grim our situation really is!" past Nami yelled at them before she slapped her hand to her head, "This means all of our lives will be in constant danger!"

"And that's different from how you guys always are how…?" Franky asked her as she sighed tiredly, wondering just what she got herself into here. But as the trio partied, they saw a worn-out ship go sailing by and they were startled to see Fullbody there. Just as they registered what they saw, the battered ship did a complete 180 and turned back towards them—pulling up next to them with Fullbody shouting out that they were doomed.

"The first of many people coming after us for those bounties," Nami sighed as the memory faded there.

"What happened?" Chopper asked, looking up at them all.

"What do you think?" Zoro asked him with a yawn. "He tried to come after us but he was as pathetic as ever."

"Yeah, he almost wet himself when he saw Sanji," Usopp said thinking back and laughing. Sanji smirked at that, remembering hearing the noise outside and went to see what was going on. He didn't even have to kick his ass to get him to leave.

Soon they were back on the Merry's deck, and the five of them were all on the upper deck with Nami pouring over the map and find a way to the Grand Line.

"We're getting closer," she informed them. "We've almost made it to the Grand Line and it looks like the only way through is here… Reverse Mountain."

"What a pain," Zoro said in an irritable voice as he watched Nami point to the large mountain. "There's got to be some way around that thing."

"There's no need, you go up and over it!" Brook cried out happily, thinking of the stormy night that he and his crew went over Reverse Mountain.

"Over it?" asked Chopper in surprise, "I heard you guys mention that before, but how does a ship go over a mountain?"

"Well, I'm sure you'll see for yourself very soon," Nami said with a smile.

"There's not," past Sanji suddenly said, "From what the geezer told me that's the only place to enter."

Past Usopp looked over at him. "Well, how come?"

"Cause it's really dangerous?" he answered as if it was obvious.

"Couldn't you have been a little more specific about it?" Robin asked in amusement.

"That was all I knew! The old geezer never talked about his past," Sanji told her as his past self and Usopp began arguing about it.

"See, the reason is…" memory Nami began, but Luffy interrupted, "I got an idea! Why don't we sail right into it?!"

"And risk the Calm Belt?" Robin asked lightly.

Memory Nami looked deeply annoyed and snapped at him, "ARE YOU REALLY THAT CLUELESS?!"

"My way sounds a lot more fun!" he said brightly, smiling, "Plus it'd be a whole lot better to dive right into it right?"

Her past self looked angry and Nami knew that she wanted to tell him what she really thought of his plan, but she put her hand to her head as if she had a headache and said, "Talking to you drives me completely insane!"

"Get used to it," present-day Nami sighed, wishing that she could get through to that rubber-brained idiot more often. "He does it on a daily basis after all."

"First off," Luffy said, sounding more serious, "We have to stop by an island! We need to pick up some meat! Need meat!"

Giving him an annoyed look, she pointed to a small island on the map and explained, "There's a famous city on this island. Known as Lougetown."

Robin blinked in surprise. That town is famous for…

"Lougetown?" Luffy repeated mildly, "Why's it famous? They got delicious meat?"

"I'm pretty sure I've heard of it before," past Zoro said as he looked up at the sky. "It's the city of the beginning… and the end."

"Beginning and… end?" repeated Brook in surprise. What did Zoro-san mean? Just what was so special there?

Luffy looked confused and Nami explained, "It's the town where the old King of the Pirates, Gold Roger, was both born and killed."

"Really?!" Chopper said in awe. "The Pirate King was raised and executed?"

"Yes," Robin explained, "Thinking they would make an example of him to prevent others from becoming pirates, the World Government had his execution in Loguetown. But as he was about to die, Roger yelled out his famous last words about the One Piece. What was thought would be a warning to all and extinguish the hopes of all pirates, had failed. The last words of Roger ignited and began 'The Great Age of Pirates'."

"He must've been something else to see," Usopp said in reverence. "To have been able to do all that… and it was seconds before he died too!"

"Amazing!" agreed Chopper, thinking about it all.

The past versions were all looking at the make with new interest as Luffy asked in a hushed tone, "That's where the King of the Pirates died?"

She looked at him with a small smile. "Well?"

"Yeah, let's do it," Luffy said seriously, "This was the man who had the One Piece. Everything the world has to offer… I need to see where he was born and executed."

"And he drove us all nuts, asking if we were there yet all the way till we got there," Zoro said with a smile.

"It was relief to get there and him off our backs," Sanji agreed, remembering all the times he wanted to throw him over the side just to get some peace and quiet. But suddenly he shared a glance with Zoro and they both remembered just what happened that day… what were they going to say when they saw that they almost let Luffy get executed that day? On their watch?

He sighed, not looking forward to this… and the next thing he knew was that they were standing in a large town in what looked like the main square—though it was wide-open it was filled with people.

"This is…?" Usopp said, looking around at the tall, stone buildings and the perfectly paved streets.

"Lougetown," Nami said, with a nod. "It was one of our final stops before we went to the Grand Line."

"So this is where it all began?" Franky said eagerly just as someone in the crowd around them yelled that someone was up on the executions platform. When they looked up, they could see a tall metal structure—several stories high—and starting to rust from the years of being exposed to the elements. Standing at the top, with his eyes shielded so that he could see everything, was Luffy.

"What's he doing up there?" Nami sighed.

"I'm guessing that's where Roger died," Robin said, greatly interested. This was a historical monument… there has been a reason why Roger was the last pirate to meet his end here.

"And of course Luffy wanted to see it all up close," Franky said reasonably. "Makes sense."

"Yeah, too bad that it got us all into a lot of trouble," Zoro said, a sense of shame in the pit of his stomach at what almost happened here.

Just behind them someone screamed, "Hey, you up there!"

Jumping a little, they turned back in time to see that a police officer—dressed in attire very similar to Genzo had been, was there with a loudspeaker. "Get down from there, immediately!

"But why!?" Luffy shouted back, like a child who had been told that he had to go to bed and didn't understand why he couldn't stay up later.

"You are standing on an execution platform that belongs to the World Government!" the officer yelled. "Now, get down from there right now!"

"What's the problem?" Franky asked irritably, his good mood disappearing almost at once. "As far as they're concerned, the World Government owns everything. They can force people to do whatever they want just for saying something belongs to them."

"Fine! I'll come down!" Luffy yelled down agreeably. "But first you have to say the magic word and smile too!"

The Straw Hats laughed at that. It was just so childish, but seeing the furious look on the man's face only made it seem funny.

"I'm not playing, I will arrest you if you don't come down!" the officer yelled, and he truly sounded annoyed. But before he could make good on his threat, someone came out from the crowd with a colossal iron mace over her shoulder before she hit the man so hard that he was out as soon as he hit the ground.

"Nice shot," Franky said as he looked to see who it was.

"Yeah, but she just made things worse here," Nami said nervously, "If Luffy had just got down when he was told, we could've avoided any trouble."

"Oh, he wasn't the one who started it," Zoro sighed, thinking back… "But he was the cause of it all."

"Huh?" Brook asked, and you could almost see the question marks over his head.

"HOLY…?!" Sanji yelled as he turned his attention to the woman. She was a truly beautiful woman that was slim, well-endowed, with dark-green eyes before is brown, and full ruby-red lips… but the most noticeable thing about her was her silky-looking skin that looked so soft…

"SHE'S GORGEOUS!" Sanji screamed out, already in love. "I remember seeing her… oh, I think I'm gonna…"

But what he was going to say, he never finished because the woman spoke. "Now's not the time for such trifles," she said in a sweet voice that seemed strangely familiar. Robin and Zoro especially felt as if they heard that voice somewhere before but were having a hard time trying to remember where.

The woman was looking up to Luffy and cooed out, "Long time no see, Luffy. I've been looking for you."

"WHAT?!" gasped Sanji in horror, "You mean Luffy knew such a goddess and he never introduced her to me?!"

"Yohohoho, she's must have some beautiful panties," Brook said dreamily as Usopp began drooling over seeing her.

"But I don't remember seeing her before," Chopper said, folding his arms and trying to think back to all the memories they had seen up till now. No, he honestly couldn't remember seeing her before… but at the same time she seemed so familiar…

Apparently Luffy didn't recognize her as well as he looked down with a confused look on his face. When she noticed this, the woman sighed. "Now that's just rude," she said, "You mean to tell me that you, of all people, this face?"

"Again, who is she?" Zoro said, sure that he heard that voice somewhere before. However, around them, the people were all staring at her much like how Sanji was drooling over her. Men and women alike were all claiming how beautiful she was.

"Forgot? I'm pretty sure we haven't even met," Luffy said in confusion. "Who are you?"

"I'll never forget you. You were the first man who ever truly strike me," the woman said fondly.

"WHAT?!" Sanji screamed, furious that his captain would have ever hurt such a beautiful person. "YOU BASTARD! AFTER WE GET YOU BACK I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"What's she talking about?" Chopper said, tilting his head, completely lost just as the other people around them scowled up at Luffy, outraged that he had done something to this girl.

"What?! I never hit you!" Luffy yelled incredulity, looking a little lost as to why everyone was glaring at him.

"When you struck me with your powerful fist…" she answered, her hand over her stomach, "it felt good."

The whole crew sweatdropped at those words.

"Say what?" Zoro asked, now sure that he heard wrong. Luffy looked like how he felt and his eyes were darting around, as if hoping for a way to escape.

"She's nuts…" Usopp said, "Not saying that I wouldn't want to meet her, but still…?"

"Listen up boys, who is the most beautiful person on these seas?" the woman suddenly asked the crowd.

"That would be you!" everyone in the crowd yelled as they got down on their knees and held their arms out to her.

But the Straw Hats recognized that line at once. "No way…" Franky said shaking his head, "Impossible!"

"That's… Alvida?" Nami gasped.

"What?!" Usopp yelled in disbelief, "You mean that ugly, fat pirate that was keeping Coby hostage and Luffy took care with one punch? That Alvida?!"

"Who else could she be?!" Nami yelled at him.

"Well, that answers some questions, but leaves many more," Robin said, looking in surprise at Alvida's beautiful form.

"Are we sure…?" Zoro asked hesitantly, "Cause, I really don't think that's her."

"That's correct," Alvida said with a smirk, holding out her arm. "I am quite breathtaking aren't I? There isn't a man alive that won't crumble before my beauty. But I prefer strong men… like you."

"I'm strong!" Sanji gasped, as if hoping she could hear him.

"Compared to what?" Zoro asked him curiously and Sanji threw a kick at his face.

"But seriously, what happened to her?" Usopp asked as Luffy was now looking seriously close to running away. "I mean… WOW!"

"Either she lost a lot of weight in a short time, or she could've eaten a Devil's Fruit," Robin offered, "After all, there are some fruits that can change the user's appearance… though how she came across one, I can't say. Had to be some time after Luffy defeated her."

"Ok, that explains that, but what does she want?" Usopp asked, folding his arms as he thought it all over. "You think that she's here for revenge for Luffy beating her? And what kind of fruit would make her like this?"

But his question was answered as Alvida cooed out, "I'm gonna make you all mine, Luffy. Just wait."

"WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTT?!" Sanji screamed out so loudly that it felt as if he would burst their eardrums. "HOW THE HELL DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? LUFFY HITS HER AND SHE'S IN LOVE WITH HIM?! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THIS LUFFY!"

"Would you shut up?" Zoro snapped at him as Luffy shouted out, now sounding completely sicken at the thought, "Gross! No way! Just who the heck are you!?"

"Luffy, you shut up!" Sanji yelled, aching to kick Luffy from her to next week. How could he not be overjoyed here? A goddess of a woman was eyeing him but he couldn't care less? Just what the hell was wrong with him?

"You still haven't figured it out!?" Alvida exclaimed in annoyance, losing her patience.

"I have to agree with Sanji here," Usopp said, in a deadpanned voice. "I mean… how is it that she wants Luffy after what he did to her?"

"Oh, I doubt that it's actual love," Robin chuckled, "Or even a school-girl crush short of thing. I think that since Luffy was the first man to defeat her, she became infatuated with him… but I believe that it's more of an admiring love than anything else."

"So…?" Sanji said, perking up. "If she sees someone stronger she'll love them?"

"Maybe?" Robin offered and Sanji's hearts were back in his eyes, "So maybe there's hope!"

"I don't think that it would work out with you and her, Sanji," Nami said as several officers came running to the square with their weapons and telling Alvida to put her mace down and come with them.

"I placing you under arrest for assaulting a police captain!" another officer yelled before he turned up to Luffy and shouted out, "As for you up there! Get off that platform!"

"Hold on… who did you say you were arresting?" Alvida asked, as if she just wanted to make sure she heard right.

"We… we're arresting you!" the officer stuttered, taken in by Alvida's beauty as she batted her eyelashes at him.

"Are you really going to arrest me?" Alvida asked sweetly, smiling as hearts now appeared in the officer's eyes and Sanji had turned to stone as he stared at her.

"SANJI!" Chopper yelled as he ran to him and tried to see what he could do.

"Pathetic," Zoro said unconcerned as the officers were all saying that they couldn't arrest her because she's too beautiful.

"I don't give a damn!" another yelled, though he was now looking close to proclaiming undying love as well, "Arrest her!"

But before they could act, a large cannonball came flying from behind them and it hit the fountain so that it ended up blowing it apart in large chucks. "LOOK OUT!" Brook couldn't stop himself from shouting as a large part of the fountain flew at Alvida, but it was too late. However, as it hit, it slide right off her as if it had been a giant bar of soap and went flying off near Luffy's direction but moved in time.

"Ah man, that's weird!" Luffy exclaimed loudly as everyone stared at her.

"How'd she do that?!" Chopper cried in amazement.

"It just slid off her skin!" Nami whispered, "Just what kind of fruit did she eat?"

"That little stunt was dangerous you know?" Alvida asked, sounding just a little irritated as she turned her attention to a group of people who had come from the direction of the cannonball—each of them wearing a dark cloak to cover themselves.

"I'm flashily sorry," the one out front said softly. "But that smooth skin of yours is unharmed of course? So there's no need to worry fairest Alvida."

"Smooth?" Nami repeated softly, "Wait…" she suddenly recognized the voice from under the hood. "Don't tell me that…?"

"He's back alright," Zoro said angrily, wishing that he could have another go at that clown bastard.

"Alvida?" Luffy repeated to himself, as he finally made the connection… or maybe not. "I don't see Alvida."

"Don't be so dense you nimwit!" Alvida yelled angrily, "I'M ALVIDA!"

"You sure?" Luffy asked, "'Cause I don't think you're her."

"To be fair," Usopp pointed out, "No one can blame him for not guessing it. I mean…" he remembered back to seeing Alvida on that cruise ship and shuddered, "I still don't see it."

Alvida smiled. "I guessed I really did change after eating the fruit called…" She removed her heart cloak to fully reveal her new body to them all, and get the whole picture to how much she had changed. "Smooth Smooth Fruit. No attack can hurt my skin because it slides right off."

"So that's it," Robin said, "And that is a very strong ability. Any attack would be useless on her…"

"Something to watch out for," Nami said softly.

"I don't think we need to worry," Franky said, "She doesn't seem like much of a fighter to me."

"Unfortunately, a lowly fruit could not improve on my already stunning good looks," Alvida sighed in disappointment as she touched her cheek. "One big change you may have noticed was that I lost my freckles."

"You mean… she hasn't noticed anything else disappearing?" Usopp asked as they all sweatdropped again. "Nothing at all?"

"I guess…?" Zoro answered doubtfully. He always knew that this lady wasn't right in the head and he just had proof. Maybe she and the cook would get along after all.

"Uh, sure, that must be it," Luffy whispered, though it was clear that he didn't believe a word he said as he continued to look around for a way to get away from her.

"After becoming a whole new person," Alvida went on. "I decided to join forces with someone who shared my goal of finding you." She then finally gestured to the cloaked men, and they all knew who they could possibly be.

"I had hoped that we'd seen the last of Buggy," Robin said tiredly.

"Nah, we're not that lucky," Zoro told her regrettably.

Here, Buggy laughed insanely as he and his crew threw off the cloaks and they could fully see the whole circus was back. "Now that I flashily made my entrance, time for the real star of the show!" he screamed out and pointed up at Luffy, "Monkey D. Luffy, ever since the day you sent me flying, I've been obsessed with exacting my revenge on you! That alone led to me finally finding my crew! My travels are an epic saga. I went to hell, found friendship, I even lost parts of my body! I call this tale 'Tiny Buggy's Great Adventure!' The first thing that happened was… WHY THE HELL AM I TELLING YOU A STORY?!"

Some of the Straw Hats fell over at those words.

"You've got to be kidding me," Franky said, his jaw falling open. "I didn't think this guy could get any dumber! But hey, maybe when Luffy-bro sent him flying, he lost whatever brain cells he had?"

"Wouldn't surprise me," Zoro said with a sigh. Now, if only Luffy had been paying attention and not let himself get caught here, he would've been able to deal with all this on his own.

"I think he should give up the pirate life and just open a traveling circus," Nami stated as Brook began to laugh. "But then again, he would scare little kids…"

Luffy stared blankly at Buggy. "Don't know. Now…" he folded his arms as he said, "What was your name again? Boggy? Buggie? Buhii? Baggy? AH! I know!" he said proudly, "It's buffoon!"

All the Straw Hats laughed at that.

"Well, I think it suits him better than Buggy," Usopp laughed. "Though Buggy sure does seem to bug Luffy here."

"Buffoon!?" Buggy screamed, enraged. "You got a lot of nerve you rubber bastard! And now Buggy the Clown is gonna make you pay for that!"

"Hey! That's Buggy the Clown!" one of the people yelled in fear. And at the mention of pirates, all the people there turned and began to try and run—wanting nothing more than to get away from the square as fast as they could. But the Buggy Pirates seemed to be prepared for this as they each pulled out guns and swords, making sure that they wouldn't move.

"You people flashily stay where you are!" Buggy proclaimed to them all. "I want every single one of you to see exactly how scary I can be!"

"Compared to what?" Chopper asked curiously as he tried to see over a tall guy who looked like a wild rocker with green hair and several piercings to get a look at the platform.

"Oh yeah!" Luffy yelled proudly, having just remembered Buggy's real name, "Buggy right?"

"You mean you just now remembered it!?" Buggy screamed.

"Well, that doesn't say much about you if your enemy doesn't remember you," Robin said in enjoyment as Brook suddenly yelled out, "Luffy-san! Watch out!"

Too late, with Luffy distracted, the man who fought Zoro on the unicycle, Cabaji, appeared behind him and slammed a large wooden board down on top of him to trap him so that he was trapped in the stocks that held his head and hands there.

"He didn't just get himself…?" Nami asked, slapping a hand over her face as Chopper remembered that he could walk through people and went running up to the foot of the tower to watch.

"Hey…?" Luffy questioned in surprise looking around up at Cabaji, "What gives?!"

"Long time no see, rubber freak," Cabaji greeted with a scolding tone as he sat on the stock and asked how Zoro was doing.

"Luffy's stuck here!" Chopper yelled back to them as they approached the platform as well.

"That idiot was cocky here," Sanji said darkly. "He's lucky that we all made it out of this mess alive."

He felt guilty at the thought of what happened. If that lightning bolt didn't come when it did then Luffy would've lost his head here.

"I think we were all a little cocky by this point," Zoro said, looking around for his and Sanji's past versions to come up.

"But of all the people that he could… Buggy?" Nami asked as she shook her head.

"Don't worry," Usopp said unconcerned, believing that Luffy would get out of this one easy. "He's been in worse spots."

"Good shot, Cabaji," Buggy praised as he began to laugh and call out to everyone, "To all of my followers! Hundreds of billions of them around the world…! We will now begin the most flashily public execution! You're trapped Monkey D. Luffy! You can't move so much as an inch!"

"Who is he talking to?" Chopper asked as the others all shook their heads.

"The followers in his dreams," Sanji stated dully.

"I see that getting beat hasn't shrunk Buggy's ego any," Robin stated calmly. Luffy attempted to pull his head out of the board, but he couldn't pull his head out of the hole—and it wasn't easy for him to do so while he was being held like this, he honestly couldn't move at all.

"Tell me Straw Hat!" Buggy yelled up at him as he laughed. "Fell honored?! You'll die in the same place as the King of the Pirates!"

"Doesn't he know that was where his old captain died?" Chopper asked quickly.

"I'm sure he does," Robin said softly, "But I guess that he thinks that it's worth it to kill Luffy. Even if it means that he's going to kill someone the same way that Roger was."

"Asshole," Sanji voiced what they all knew that Buggy was.

"But what's Luffy-san going to do here?!" Brook asked worriedly, "He's going to be killed here no matter what Buggy is."

"Zoro and Sanji both went to look for him," Nami answered, "As soon as we heard that Buggy was in the square, they went off to deal with him."

"Oh, well in that case…" Chopper said, sighing in relief as he looked around for the two to make their grand entrance.

However, no one but Brook and Robin seemed to noticed the uneasy expressions on Zoro and Sanji's faces. There was a little bit of humiliation in their faces as they kept their eyes on the platform—and they couldn't help but wonder just what happened here.

Again, Luffy was trying to move as a wind began to pick up and dark clouds were being blown over them so that the entire square was cast in shadows. And perhaps it was just the trace of electrical energy in the air that caused it, but there was also a strong sense that something big was going to happen here was building with each minute.

"A storm?" Franky asked, looking up at the sky, "It came out of nowhere!"

"I remember," Nami said, also have been surprised to see the dark clouds too. "But it was actually a good thing that it came when it did."

"What do you…?" Chopper began but Buggy was already speaking again like an announcer.

"Pirate Monkey D. Luffy of the Straw Hats, will be flashily executed for the crime of being stuck up and making me angry!" Buggy yelled as he lifted his arms, suddenly standing beside the trapped Luffy. At his words, all the pirates around them were screaming in celebration, shooting off guns and jumping as if a great show was about to take place. "Now live it up, flashily!" Buggy shouted as his men all cheered at that.

Luffy was looking down at them excitedly, "Oh boy! I've never seen an execution!"

"Doesn't he realize that it's his that they're talking about?" Usopp asked, he knew that Luffy was slow, but he thought that Luffy would've picked it up by now.

"We'll you're about to kid," Buggy informed him with a dark chuckle in his voice.

Luffy blinked at that and looked up as he slowly processed what he said. "WHAT?!" he screamed out in horror, "STOP JOKING!"

"It's no joke!" Buggy screamed as Luffy was now trying to desperately pull himself free and call for help.

"You need to start paying attention to what people say, Luffy," Nami hissed, once again, getting a Luffy-sized headache.

"ALRIGHT!" Buggy yelled to the crowd as Luffy continued to try pull his head free. "I HEREBY FLASHILY BEGIN THE FESTIVITIES OF THIS PUBLIC EXECUTION!"

"How can an execution count as festivities?" Nami asked hotly.

"There are some who deeply enjoy the thought of killing pirates," Robin offered.

"Well, those people have sick minds," Zoro said darkly, growing more impatient with every second. Luffy finally stopped struggling and was now lying there with a pout on his face.

"I'm so sorry. Really I am, please spare my life," he said in a droning voice, and it sounded as if Nami forced him to apologize for breaking something instead of pleading for his life. It couldn't have been any clearer to them that he didn't mean a word to what he said.

"WHY WOULD I SPARE YOUR LIFE?!" Buggy bellowed in frustration.

"This is what happens when you go against us," Cabaji commented, moving back down to the ground so that he could watch with the others.

Alvida sighed a little regretfully, "I guess this is it for the man I had my eye on."

"Well, it's not the end!" Chopper said firmly, but even he was starting to grow impatient for Zoro and Sanji to arrive and save Luffy.

Buggy held up a long sword and looked down at Luffy as he stated, "You've got quite a big audience here today, Straw Hat. You want to say a few words before you die?"

"Oh, I can think of a few words to say," Franky grinned evilly.

Luffy continued to sit there with a grumpy look on his face, even as Buggy stepped on his head. "Awww, cat got your tongue?" Buggy asked, still taunting him. "That's alright. Stay quiet or say a few words. It doesn't matter, you're still gonna die!"

Luffy lay there for a moment before he took a deep breath. Just as a great wind swept over them all he bellowed out at the top of his lungs, so that the words seemed to echo all around them, "LISTEN! I'M THE MAN WHO'LL BE KING OF THE PIRATES!"

There was stunned silence all around them as the crowd stared at him in disbelief—yet at the same time it was as if they could feel a strange energy coming from him—as if confirming his words.

Buggy however wasn't impressed as he grinned evilly. "We're finally getting to the best part of the show?" he asked him, looking truly pleased at what he was going to do, "Bye Bye now…"

Luffy had tried to pull his head out one last time, but it was clear that he was trapped here.

"What's taking you two so long to get here?!" Nami snapped at Zoro and Sanji.

"As soon as we heard those words, we got there," Zoro said to her annoyed, still hating the fact that they were sure to see how Luffy was truly saved here.

"Ah… Zoro-san? Sanji-san?" Brook asked quietly, not liking the angry looks in both men's eyes. "Is there something wrong?"

But then Zoro's voice echoed out behind them, "STOP THE EXECUTION!"

Jumping a little at his sudden voice, they turned to see them. There they were, Zoro and Sanji had finally shown up and were now standing at the edge of the crowd as they watched on.

"NOW!" they both screamed out at Buggy, clearly warning him that they weren't playing around here.

"Zoro, Sanji!" Luffy yelled in relief.

"Luffy you idiot," memory Zoro teased, his hand resting on the two new swords hanging at his hip. "Guess all that fooling around finally caught up with ya, huh?"

"You starting a sideshow?" past Sanji added, looking around at the Buggy Pirates. "Or is that how you look?"

"I'm sorry to learn that's how they always look," Sanji said, shaking his head in pity. Why else would anyone go around dressed like that anyway?

"Pretty sad," his past self finished off as he smoked, "Now… all we gotta do is drive these goons away."

'Get on with it,' Zoro thought angrily. It was true… Luffy wasn't the only one who had grown cocky here. Their friend was up on the chopping block and there they were making wisecracks.

"Alright Zoro! Sanji!" cheered out Chopper excitedly as the citizens all screamed Zoro's name in terror and fled—thankfully the Buggy Pirates turned their full attention away from them and onto the two men.

"HEY GUYS!" Luffy screamed again happily.

"You made it here, Zoro!" Buggy yelled cockily. "But you're just a little bit too late!" He raised his sword over his head, ready to cut Luffy's head off and that got their attention as they rushed in to try and take down the platform before that sword fell.

Of course, that was difficult to do since the pirates were now standing in their way—with Alvida now taking control and telling them what to do. Though the two members of the Monster Trio were easily able to plow through these weaklings, they were outnumbered and it was taking too long already.

"What's with you guys?!" Usopp yelled at them as he pointed to the platform. "Couldn't you move any faster than that!?"

"Hey, I don't see you anywhere!" Sanji snapped back.

"I was protecting Nami and the Merry from being blow apart!" Usopp yelled

Buggy laughed victoriously as he held his sword high as the sky continued to darken overhead—the storm was almost here. "Not even the great Zoro can stop me now! There's nothing you two can do! This is the end of your captain!"

Luffy's expression became terrified as he stared up at the blade as Buggy continued to laugh insanely.

"Man, how'd you two pull this off?" Franky asked them.

Sanji sighed as he blew out some smoke and confessed, "We didn't."

They looked at the two of them, seeing the shame in both men's eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Usopp cried, waving his arms around. "Of course you saved him! Luffy clearly still has his head!"

"Yes… but we weren't what saved him," Zoro said as he looked up in anger at Buggy.

"But then… who did?" Brook asked as the past versions of Zoro and Sanji were now fighting tooth and nail to reach the platform in time. They were quickly becoming more frantic and scared as they tried to force their way through.

"BASTARD!" memory Sanji screamed at Buggy as the thunder roared around them. As the Straw Hats all watched the two fight to get closer, Luffy's voice from above them sounded out: "Zoro! Sanji! Usopp! Nami!"

They looked up to see Luffy looking up—everyone in the square was now staring up as the fear completely left Luffy's face.

Instead… he was smiling…

Each of the Straw Hats felt as if they had frozen in place as they stared at him. It wasn't a forced or painful smile… but serene… as if he was truly happy. This lingering smile… Luffy truly believed he was going to die here… but he wasn't upset about it…

He looked like…?

Robin's eyes widened the instant she saw it. "He smiled…?" she gasped as Saul own smiling face, just seconds before he died, came to her mind.

"Sorry," Luffy went on, and he truly did sound like he meant it this time—but this time he was apologizing to his crew, not Buggy. "But… I'm dead," he informed them all. And he kept smiling even as Buggy brought his sword down on his neck.

"Idiot!" screamed memory Zoro as he stared up in horror.

"Don't say that!" Sanji yelled, now desperately kicking five or six pirates out of his way to get to them. But as the blade fell, it sparkled with electricity from the air and with a great explosion from above them a single bolt of lightning came crashing from the dark clouds and struck the tower.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" screamed Usopp, jumping back as the entire tower burst into blue flames and the skies opened up to the rain.

In a matter of seconds, it was pouring—but the platform continued to burn… slowly bending and twisting around as it broke and landed with a crash sideways. The sound of when it hit the ground echoed throughout the square.

No one said a word… on one even moved as they watched. Past and present versions were all staring with their mouths open in shock at the twisted heap of metal and burnt wood...