New Boss End

New Boss Part 4

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With my thumb in my mouth, I trailed after my mother, holding tightly on to her empty sleeve. I honestly didn't want my tiny, four year old midget of a self to get lost in the crowd in the marketplace.

Since momma was the cook for the ship, she was the one who bought the supplies. I liked going along with her, since it wasn't pirate-y stuff. She had a basket in her hand and we both had slowly filling backpacks.

"Beef... Ham… swordfish… GonGon bird…"

Tugging on her long empty sleeve, I pulled my thumb from my mouth, "Fruits and veggies? To prevent scurvy?" And back into the mouth with the thumb.

I wasn't actually sucking on it, thank you older thought processes, but it made me look more adorable. And since we were bartering for stuff in the marketplace, it helped momma get better prices.

Momma smiled, gently ruffling my short brown hair with her hand, "You know they don't like those baby."

A frown crossed my face and I muttered, "Because they're idiots."

My momma rapped her knuckles atop my head, "Now what did I tell you about that language young man?"

"Sorry momma…" I muttered, "Because they're fucking idiots."

"Better, young man."

-oOo-​

*Wham!*

The secretary nearly jumped out of his skin as I kicked the door to his office open. Credit where it's due, he had a gun trained on me in an instant as I shouldered my way in, the body of jello-face under one arm and the tied up form of his biggest lieutenant over my shoulder.

The marine stared at me as I walked up into the room and dropped pink-hair onto the shelf of the clerk's window, and the pair of guards that had been quietly following after me as I'd walked in peeked in through the open door.

After a moment, I grinned just a bit, "Got myself some drinkin' money. How much these fucks worth?"

---

With an almost comically oversized backpack of belly and gold on my back, I walked through the town in a much nicer outfit.

Day was still shit, but jello-face had been worth a decent bounty of about 50 million belly, his lieutenant or first mate or whatever had been worth a comparatively piddly 10 mil. For the North Blue these guys had been kinda… eh.

Fucking North Blue.

I sighed.

Day was definitely still shit, but the influx of cash was welcome. Gonna buy up some equipment and clothing and stuff for myself, especially if I was going to be bumming a ride on Bonney's ship for a while…

---

"Uuuggghhh… nothing in my style…" I grumbled sifting through the swords available. Nothing even resembling a longsword! It was almost all katanas and sabers! Sure, there were plenty of axes and greatswords and daggers and ridiculously sized cleavers, but nothing that I wanted.

… to be fair, katanas and sabers were good against unarmored opponents, which was basically everybody. But I preferred a good longsword so I could stab better and had another edge to work with.

With a sigh, I resigned myself to forging my own sword. Again. Oi.

---

"This is the finest leath–"

"Please stop giving me shit," I cut off the saleswoman as I turned to and fro in front of the mirror, "I'm actually able to judge quality of cloth and leather and would really appreciate it if you stopped with the sales pitch."

"A-Ah…"

"This is the shiniest leather you've got, and the color is nice and rich. But it's thin and not particularly supple. Again, I'm concerned with durability and flexibility." With a small flourish, I removed the vest I'd been considering and handed it off.

"Y-Yes sir."

I was rather happy with most of my new outfit. Basic brown pants, good solid boots, a long-sleeved white shirt with a deep V… it wasn't what I used to roll with, but it'd work. I wanted to get a solid leather vest to have some more pockets than just my belt and bandolier… might want to get suspenders if I'm going to fit in with Bonney's crew... and I was gonna get myself some leather to make a coat.

The Marines and Whitebeard had the right idea with the coat. Not only was it sufficiently badass when draped over your shoulders, the extremely varied and rapidly changing climates made it a good idea to have a coat in easy reach, especially one that was water resistant.

On summer islands you could just drape it over your shoulders, spring islands it could act as a cape or poncho for the often rains, a windbreak on autumn islands, and on winter islands you could just wear the freakin thing.

Though I was going to add a hood and ditch the lapels on the shoulders.

But first, a good vest. One with pockets and wasn't too shiny.

Also…

"Hey. Kid. Don't touch that." The presence at the corner of my awareness and close to my oversized backpack spiked with tension. It started to move and I turned, looking right at the oversized backpack, "Oi! I said don't touch it."

A dirty kid peeked out around the oversized backpack, he couldn't have been more than ten, "Yes, you, now come over here." Awkwardly, the little street rat shuffled over, but the saleswoman rushed over.

"I'm so sorry sir! I'll have him removed right awayyyy…" She finally picked up on my glare. She swallowed, "I'll… go back and get your vest…"

"You'll go back and get my vest." I confirmed.

Hesitantly at first, the saleswoman turned around before scurrying back to the stock room.

I turned back to the kid, taking a knee to bring myself closer to his level, "Now, how many of you are there?"

"How many what m'lord?"

"Oh don't give me that," I said with a snort. "For one, I'm not a lord. For another, you know what I mean. Street rats? Orphans? I don't know what the adults call you here, how many of you guys are there here?"

The kids eyes fell to the ground, "Seventeen."

I stood, putting a hand on the kids shoulder and guiding him along. Kid was terrified, and I understood, "Look, I'm not gonna be here long, so there's not a whole lot I can do." As we passed the backpack I glanced around and **felt**, taking a small chance it'd be seen I snapped my hand out and into the backpack, grabbing a stack of belly as quickly as I could and slipping it into the kid's shirt in a blur of motion, "But I can give you some advice."

The kid's eyes widened as I took a knee beside him at the door, "One." I pointedly held a finger up in front of my lips, holding his gaze, "Don't go telling people about this money, okay? I don't want people to bother me about this backpack."

His eyes glanced down at his ratty shirt before he looked up at me, nodding with the tiniest smile on his face. I grinned back and held up another finger, "Two, always share. All of you have to stick together out here."

The street rat nodded quickly, "Yes sir."

"Three, try to wash your hands. It'll help keep y'all from getting sick."

A more confused look crossed his face, "Yes sir…?"

"It's honest advice. Also, try to eat more fruits and veggies for the same reason." I placed a hand on his head, "I can't be here too long, but it's the best I can do." Meeting his gaze, I said softly, "You've been doing this for a while now, I can tell, so I trust you to not be stupid with this money. But really, try and avoid stealing from people like me and do the washing bit. It'll help."

"I… sure thing mister. I'll try."

I smiled just a bit, "That's all I can ask." I patted him on the head, "Now get along, otherwise the owner of the place is gonna burst a blood vessel over you being in here."

A devlish grin spread across the kids face and I knew that twinkle in someone's eye, "No. You can't."

He pouted.

"Yes, they probably would deserve it," I admitted, "But that's what they expect of you isn't it?" He gave me a confused look, "They expect you to be nothing but trouble, to be a problem, to be useless and a disgrace, to never amount to anything meaningful…" The boy's face started to fall, but I leaned in to whisper a challenge, "Prove them wrong. In every way."

Realization dawned on the kid's face and he glanced down at his shirt before looking back up at me, beaming with a smile that was missing a tooth, "Yeah! Thanks mister!"

And he was off.

My chest warmed as I stood, dusting off my knee. Was I down a couple thousand belly? Yes.

Had that seriously improved my day? Also yes.

Now, I didn't totally believe the kid was gonna do even half of what I'd said, but I could hope. And regardless, I'd definitely made his day. So that was definitely a plus.

I turned to find the saleswoman standing in the center of the room with a vest over her forearm and a painfully sour look on her face as she watched the kid go. Ugh.

… at least the vest looked good.

---

"How…"

"Yes, hi, yes, I'm with them, don't worry, I'll seat myself."

"What… what in the world… how?!"

"Scoochin' by, 'scuse me, big backpacks here."

"Where is it even going…?"

"Pardon me."

"Mmnph! Nng! Moar! More beef!" Bonney shouted, a significant portion of her crew behind her as she pigged out. The table in front of her had stacks of empty dishes on it as well as a few platters set in front of her. In her hand was a 'drumstick' of beef that was about as thick as her waist and nearly the length of her arm, her other hand was pounding on the table as she demanded more food.

Tom, mid placating attempt towards his captain, was actually the first at the table to notice me, "Ah! Florida!"

Bonney herself grunted and turned from her place half atop the table reaching for more food, "Irrnhhde?"

Despite the mouthful of meat muffling her words, I understood, "Yeah." I dropped the oversized backpack of belly and the other of supplies I'd collected beside the table, "Looks like I'll be making those new guns for you." With a sigh, I slumped into one of the un-used chairs at the table.

The Captain beamed for just a moment, bits of beef sticking out between her teeth before her eyebrows shot up and her face fell. She swallowed the bite in her mouth and opened her mouth as if to say something before closing it again an instant later. Making up her mind, she finally asked, "Your crew?"

I cringed, just the slightest bit, slumping into the chair and looking up at the ceiling, "Gone. Probably dead."

A small frown crossed Bonney's face and looks of varying degrees of sympathy crossed the faces of the rest of her crew.

Exhaling, I closed my eyes and forced myself to relax. Shopping was done and I'd finally found Bonney and confirmed that yes, I was allowed to tag along, and they couldn't accidentally leave me now. I… didn't really have a direction to go now, so one was as good as another… at least for now, I… didn't really have an overarching goal–… why do I suddenly smell beef?

Cracking open my eyes, I found a large 'drumstick' of beef filling a significant portion of my vision. Blinking in confusion, I leaned out just a bit and my eyes followed the bone back to a hand, up an arm, and then to Bonney's face. I tilted my head at her and she gave the drumstick a little jerk, "Eat… it helps."

I looked back at the partially eaten drumstick for a moment before a small smile spread across my face, "Thanks…" Reaching out, I accepted it. I held it, looking at in with a strange mix of emotions bubbling inside of me.

Glancing up I found Bonney watching me carefully. I raised an eyebrow at her and she snapped, "What?! Aren't you gonna eat?"

A teasing smile found its place on my lips, "Just surprised you're sharing."

Bonney snorted, looking away even as she grabbed another plate from the stacks before her, "Don't make a big deal out of it." A somber look tried to find purchase on her face, "… you just lost family… eating helps that hurt."

My own smile turned sad at that, "… yeah…"

Raising the drumstick up, I bit into it considerably more demurely than Bonney's own manners. And, satisfied, the captain… my captain I guess… went back to stuffing her face.

Eh… maybe it won't be too bad.

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New Boss End