Chapter 35

With Luffy stubbornly declaring that Sanji would be the only one to join them as the cook, the crew stayed docked near the Baratie. Each day went by Luffy trying to convince the love cook to join them and Nami getting free meals from the blonde.

Zoro would sometimes stay on the Merry training himself, taking a nap or sometimes coming to the restaurant to have some good alcohol. Nami would try different clothes on Luffy daily, making him dress up to her heart's content and Luffy happily allowed her to do so.

Usopp would hang out with Yosaku and Johnny sometimes, telling them his long tales, and sometimes Luffy would be there to hear them. In all, things were going smoothly but everyone was feeling antsy and wanted to set sail already.

Luffy even considered kidnapping the cook and running off to the Grand Line but he could not do that. He would be a hypo-crate if he did it but he absently realized why Whitebeard liked to kidnap some people and make them join him. Still, he is not gonna kidnap Sanji against his will and will wait until he decides to join them. He didn't want anyone else as their chef. He only wants Sanji!

It was after two days when a surprising incident took place in the Baratie. The diners who were sitting near the window enjoying the view of the ocean freaked out, dropping their glasses of wine or the forks they were holding.

"It's Don Krieg's pirate ship!" One of them yelled loud for the whole restaurant to hear.

The other diners instantly left their seats to confirm the sight for themself. The sight of the flag with two hourglasses at each side. Even the cooks were panicking. Some were even blaming Patty as he was the one to beat the Krieg underling and deny him food. The cooks were starting to believe that the pirate ship was coming to avenge that pirate.

"This is really bad! Shouldn't we be running away?!" Usopp shrieked looking at the ship from one of the windows of the restaurant.

"Let's set sail immediately, Luffy!" Nami said in a pleading tone, not wanting to be killed by the man.

"Gin must have come to repay his debt to you, Sanji!" Luffy said to the blonde cook who was standing beside him and looking at the ship docking at the Baratie. The ship was huge and was shadowing the Baratie even! But it wasn't as big as the Moby Dick.

"Somehow I don't think that's the case.." Sanji said smoking from his cigarette. For once Zoro felt that he could agree with the love cook on this.

"That ship... It's complete shambles!" Zoro said looking at the tattered sails and the chipped-off wood.

"To turn a gigantic galleon of that size into that sad state.. that's no work of humans. They must've been caught up in a natural disaster!" Sanji added.

Somehow Luffy didn't feel that, if the person who was nearing by had something to say in the matter.

After a few moments of wait the door to the restaurant was kicked open. Standing before them was Gin supporting his captain, Don Krieg.

"Sorry for intruding... But could I have some water and food?" The captain, who had purple hair and was wearing a black coat begged. "If it's money you want, I've got plenty."

"What the heck?!" Patty said not believing at the sight of the dangerous and evil pirate literally begging. "That weak, worn-out-looking guy is Krieg?!"

"He looks starved," Luffy mumbled.

"Wonder what happened..." Sanji said his thoughts out loud.

"Don Krieg!" Gin shouted as he saw his captain fall down due to weakness. He turned to the cooks in the Baratie and started begging for his captain. "I am begging you please give him food and water! Please save my captain! Or he will die at this rate!"

Patty started laughing loudly, feeling that the man before him was of no threat since he couldn't even practically stand on his own. "Perfect! Just, perfect! So this is what the infamous pirate Don Krieg looks like?!"

"We've money this time. We are paying customers!" Gin said defending his Captain's dignity.

"Hey! Contact the Marines immediately," Patty said to one of the cooks. "This is the perfect chance for the government to arrest him. Don't let the morsel have a single bite."

The crowd of diners started agreeing with Patty and yelled out their thoughts of not letting the man get any food so he could get back to his feet and attack them or worse kill them. Even most of the cooks were in agreement with it.

Don Krieg got down to his knees, gritting his teeth at the humiliation he was feeling. "I won't do anything. If you give me food, I promise to leave quietly. So, please.. please help me!"

Luffy felt that Kreg was lying through his teeth but he was really reaaallly hungry. He looked to his side, seeing Sanji quietly slip out of the room to the kitchen and felt a smile come upon his face as he understood what the man was about to do.

"D-Don Krieg! Please stop!" Gin yelled, with tears in his eyes. "A great man like you shouldn't be lowering his head. It's shameful!"

Krieg ignored Gin's words and felt anger run through his veins. Still, he needed food and he didn't care if he had to beg for it. Once he is up, he won't excuse these petty excuses of cooks and pests of the crowd openly gawking at him.

"I'm begging you...!" He stated, plopping his head to the ground. "I don't mind if it's leftovers or whatever! Please, just give me anything."

"Anything..!" Don Krieg repeated, making Gin clench his eyes shut at the embarrassing sight.

"Trying to earn some sympathy?" Patty asked raising his eyebrows and not falling for the begging at all.

"Hey, move Patty!" Sanji said holding a plate of cooked rice and a bottle of alcohol. He kicked Patty who was standing on his way to the starved man. "Here, Gin. Give this to him!" He presented the food to the starved man.

"Sanji!" Gin said in shock, making Krieg lift his head from the ground and snatch the food from the blonde and eat it like a feral animal.

"Thank you!" Krieg said through his tears, cherishing the feeling of fresh and warm food in his stomach after a lot of time.

"HEY! SANJI! TAKE THAT BACK THIS INSTANT!" A cook yelled at Sanji pointing his trembling finger at the man who was chugging down the alcohol and wolfing down the food. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT KIND OF MAN HE IS?!"

"The ruler of the East Blue, the King of deceptions! That's Don Krieg for you!" The chef continued with his horrified eyes watching the pirate eat. "He started disguising himself as a marine after escaping from prison. He then killed the marine officer in charge of the ship and took it over. That's how he became a pirate!"

"Since then he attacked ports, towns, and other ships by hanging a marine flag and when attacking his enemies, he hangs a white flag to attack them by surprise..!" The chef continued, sweating over at the sight of the evil pirate. "He's a man who'll stop at nothing to win. And that's how he made his way to the top!"

"His strength ain't no joke either! Do you really think he'll leave after eating?! That's utterly impossible." The chef was paling as the pirate was eating more and more. "Letting a demon like him starve to death is for the good of the world."

As soon as the chef finished his words, Don Krieg stood up to punch the blonde who had served him the delicious meal, only to be stopped by a straw hat-wearing boy, who appeared out of nowhere, stopping his punch in mid-way.

"WHAT THE HECK?!" Usopp and Nami shrieked as they were sure Luffy was just beside them just a second ago.

"So he revealed his fangs at last," Zoro said with a bloodthirsty grin.

"Luffy...!" Sanji said with wide eyes, looking at the boy smirking under his hat.

"You got lucky boy!" Don Krieg said with his gruff voice, his fists still held in the boy's grasp.

"Heh!" Luffy lifted his straw hat with his other hand to show his cold eyes to the man, freezing him momentarily.

"D-Don!" Gin shouted. "This is different from what you promised! I guided you 'cause you promised to not harm anyone here." Gin felt betrayed that his Don had tried to harm the man who had saved them both. Unfortunately, he was ignored by the pirate captain.

"Who do you think you even are?!" Don Krieg said through his gritted teeth as he tried to pull his fists back, but it was in vain. He glared at the teen who held the power to restrain him but was overconfident in himself that he would beat him easily.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! The man who'll be the King of Pirates!" Luffy announced punching the man's arms to the side and glaring at him. "Don't you dare hurt my cook!"

"Hey, stand back kid!" One of the cooks warned Luffy, even if he had easily held Krieg's punch easily. "Or you'll be killed!"

"I'm not standing down, especially on this," Luffy said with a grin, not minding the shock coming from everyone in the restaurant.

"Did you say something, little brat?!" Krieg asked laughing mockingly at the kid, even if he had successfully held his punch back. "I'll be nice enough to let your comment just now slide."

"It's fine, you don't have to let it slide," Luffy said crossing his arms on his chest, with a determined gaze. "I was only stating the truth."

"This ain't a game!" Krieg said gritting his teeth.

"Of course!" Luffy said nodding his head. He knows he needs to struggle and get stronger and stronger and stronger and stronger to get the freedom, that his heart desires.

"You planning to fight Luffy?" Zoro asked holding his white sword out. "Need a hand?"

Even Usopp was looking confident sitting beside Nami, who was silently sipping her drink.

"Nah, it's fine! I can handle it." Luffy replied with a grin.

Krieg started laughing at the sight of the crew the little brat possessed. "Those are your crew mates?! A rather small bunch aren't they?"

"What? I have one more as well!" Luffy said pointing towards Sanji who was silently looking at the duo talking.

"Hey, don't count me in!" Sanji retorted half-heartedly.

"Don't joke with me punk! Even my fleet of 50 ships and 5000 pirates, were utterly decimated by that devilish sea in just 7 days only because we lacked information." Krieg said stating his loss loudly. He didn't care about the whispers which arose due to it.

"D' you hear that just now?!" Usopp asked not wanting to go to Grand Line anymore. "50 ships gone in just a single week!" 

"We're no match for the Grand Line," Nami said with a shiver, concluding what Usopp wanted to say. 

"Heh, sounds interesting," Zoro said with a smirk, knowing that Usopp and Nami were just afraid for a moment. 

"Nice ship you've got here," Krieg said dismissing the punk, who had narrowed his eyes at him, clearly watching his every move. He hates people who love to boost and not back their words like the boy. He was weak due to hunger that was the only reason the boy was able to intercept his punch. "I'll take it!"

"I told you so! This is Krieg and now he is going to take over our ship!" The cook who had explained all about Krieg yelled.

"Get out of the ship!" The diners started running out of the restaurant not wanting to be killed by the ruthless pirate. "We have gotta get outta here before we get killed!"

Patty groaned, waking up at the commotion and saw Krieg standing in all his glory.

"Don Krieg, what about the promise?" Gin asked hastily not wanting to cause any harm to the restaurant, which Sanji loves. This time Gin didn't get ignored. He got held by his throat and harshly thrown to the ground.

"Shut up!" Don said with a pissed-off attitude. "I'll do whatever I want!"

"Hey, Gin? Are you alright?" Sanji asked looking at the fallen man.

"My ship's all worn out. So I've been wanting for a new one." Don Krieg said with a smirk, feeling invincible. "Once my business is done with you, I'll finish you off. Right now, I have 100 men on my ship and they're all starving and critically wounded. So prepare enough food and water for them."

"You're asking us to willingly feed 100 pirates? Only for them to attack us in return?!" The same chef who had been doing the talking yelled.

"We refuse!" The cooks in the Baratie told in unison.

"Refuse? Seems like we have a little misunderstanding. I was not asking whether or not.." Krieg said through gritted teeth as he glared at the cooks. "I'm ordering you and nobody disobeys me!"

"Sanji!" Gin said while lying on the ground. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want this all to happen at all!"

"Sanji, you bastard! It's 'cause of you that we're in this situation!" Patty yelled sitting up on the floor and turning to look at the said man. "Where do you think you are even going?!" He yelled seeing Sanji going towards the kitchen.

"To the kitchen," Sanji said taking out his cigarette from his mouth for a bit. "To prepare enough food for 100 people."

That stunned the remaining people who were on the ship, which were the Baratie cooks and the straw hats.

"What?!" They asked at once, while Luffy spotted a wide smile on his face. He understood what Sanji was doing, while others clearly looked conflicted at Sanji's opinions on feeding the pirates.

In an instant, the cooks in Baratie pointed their guns at Sanji, stopping him and making the straw hat crew gasp. Even Zoro was looking at Luffy, wanting to interfere, not because he cared for the love cook. It was only 'cause Luffy wanted him in the crew. Luffy shook his head knowing that the cooks wouldn't shoot Sanji despite their warnings.

"Fine, shoot me if you want to stop me!" Sanji said spreading his arms, and ready to die for his ideals.

"I know they are nothing but scum who aren't worth a dime saving but to me, none of that matters. Thinking about whom to feed and whom not to... is such a hassle." Sanji said with a smile. "Shouldn't a cook be allowed to cook for anyone hungry? Isn't that ideal?"

For his words, Patty awarded him with a punch on his head.

"Hold him down!" Patty said to the cooks who were already on it.

Luffy felt something was about to happen and it would be better for them to not interfere right now. In his thoughts, he missed the rest of the conversation which Patty said and was snapped back to the reality when Patty shot Krieg with his bazooka.

Krieg was blown off from the restaurant door and straight to outside. But Luffy knew the man was not down for the count. He would gladly put him down, but this fight was not his, even if the man was pissing him off. It was a test for the cooks, to check their morals and their courage against a pirate. If they asked him to fight he would gladly fight.

But that won't be required any time soon, since someone had decided to move fast and approach them.

"This is the worst restaurant I have ever been to!" Krieg said coming out of the smoke, which had encompassed the door, with golden armor on show.

"Bellies!" Nami's eyes changed to the sign of bellies as soon as she saw the golden armor.

"He is scary!" Usopp stated looking with his wide terrified eyes at the man.

"That bastard! Get him!" Patty shouted, leading the cooks who had their weapons out to charge at the pirate captain.

But Don Krieg was not having any of it anymore. He started shooting with his gun at the cooks, leading them to duck under tables and some even got injured.

"You damn worms! You think you can defy me?!" Krieg yelled, firing ruthlessly at the cooks.

"STOP IT!" A voice rang through the restaurant, followed by a thud.

"Owner Zeff!" The cooks uttered seeing the man plop down a big sack of food before Krieg.

"There's enough food for your people. So, hurry up and bring it to your men!" Zeff said to the pirate captain.

"Did they just say, Zeff?!" Don Krieg asked with shock.

"Sir! How could you give him food?! What's the meaning of this?!" The cooks started asking questions at the head chef. "Once they recover they will take over this ship."

"That's only if they still have any fight left in them," Zeff stated turning to his cooks. "Isn't that right, defeated warriors of the Grand Line?!" Zeff inquired looking over his shoulder to the large man.

"W-what?!" Usopp asked with wide eyes. "He was defeated?!"

"The strongest man in the East Blue...! The Pirate fleet admiral of 50 ships..! Even he was utterly defeated by Grand Line?!" The cooks asked in shock.

"You're Red Leg Zeff!" Krieg started coming to the realization. He didn't waste a single time mocking the man seeing his peg leg and determining how his pirate career ended and why he chose to be a cook in a lousy restaurant. He started speaking about Zeff's adventures and his reputation in the Grand Line.

"Seeing your condition, I can say you can't fight anymore!" Krieg said, not fearing about the ex-pirate anymore.

"So what? I can cook with my hands," Zeff stated nonchalantly. "What are you even getting at?"

"Red Leg Zeff! You are the person who had scoured the waters of the Grand Line and has returned without an injury!" Krieg started, with his hands on his chin. "You must have clearly kept a log book of your adventures! Hand that to me!"

"I ain't handing you a shit!" Zeff said through his gritted teeth. "That log is a pride to me and my men who bravely ventured the Grand line together. I ain't giving to you."

"Then I'll have to steal it from you!" Krieg stated and went on to say how it was the lack of information that had defeated him in the Grand Line and how if he had the log book he would conquer the seas.

"I'll steal it and the ship and no one can stop me!" Krieg roared.

"Like hell, we'll let you! If we lose this ship we have nowhere to go!"

"The cooks here were chased from other restaurants before finally finding a place!"

"Owner Zeff accepted us! He is our savior!"

"We ain't letting you pirates steal our home away!"

The cooks roared together, but Krieg didn't listen to the shit they were sprouting. He picked up the bag of food and stated, "I'm giving you all only a few minutes of extension. I'm going to give this food to my subordinates and then return back here. So, flee if you want."

He turned his back to the crowd and said the last words, "If you still want to be here, then so be it. I'll bury your bodies in the bottom of the sea for eternity."

With that said the man walked away from the cooks, whose shouts were still heard from outside. They will all shut up, once he crushed them under his feet, Krieg thought.

"Sanji..." Gin said as his head touched the restaurant's floor. "Please forgive me. I had no idea at all that this would happen. I-" 

"There's no need to apologize." Unexpectedly it was Zeff who said that. "The cooks of this restaurant acted out of their own free will, and this is the result of that." 

"Sir! How could you of all people side with Sanji?" Patty asked with disbelief. Of all the people he could have thought to take Sanji's side wasn't owner Zeff at all! "Just what's the meaning of this?!"

"That's right!" Other cooks started saying. "Sanji's the one to blame for all this." 

"He just wants to destroy this restaurant that's so important to you, sir!" Other cooks started accusing Sanji who was just standing beside Luffy. 

"Sanji! Were you planning on using this mess we're in to become the next head chef?!" The cooks were getting out of control and speaking nonsense but Sanji stayed quiet. 

"SILENCE, YOU NUMB SKULLS!" Zeff roared stopping the accusations towards his foster son. "Have any one of you ever been hungry enough to die? Do any of you know just how terrifying and painful it is, to be stuck in the ocean, deprived of food and water?!"

Sanji didn't speak a word, letting Zeff speak for him. He lit his cigarette and puffed out a ring of smoke, remembering the hungry days he spent with Zeff on the rock, starving. 

"What do you mean, sir?!" Patty asked in shock. 

"If you've got time to be crying over spilled milk, then just leave this place using the back door," Zeff said pointing to the door for the cooks. 

"I'm gonna stay here!" Patty said holding his weapon. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just left without a fight."

"Same here. This is the place I live and work at." 

"Not like I've got anywhere else to go to..!" 

The cooks voiced their opinions of not wanting to leave the restaurant. It was their home to protect. 

"W-What're you all doing?!" Gin yelled sitting up on the floor. "Haven't you realized how powerful the Don is by now?! You need to run away before he annihilates each one of you." 

"Hey, Gin!" Sanji said speaking for the first time, looking down at the man. "Let me tell you something. It's my duty as a cook to feed anyone who's starving. But the ones who're coming to attack this ship are those who've already been fed. So you better not complain when I kill them."

"If someone is planning on stealing this ship, then I'll kill that person without a second thought, even if it's you," Sanji said, his face shadowed by his bangs. "Got that?" 

"Hmph, you save a person only to kill him afterwards, some guy you are," Patty said with his large fork on his shoulders. 

"Shut up, shitty cook!" Sanji retorted looking away from the man. 

"Luffy, we need to get out of here!" Nami said banging her hands on the table. 

"Why?" Luffy asked innocently. 

"If we don't get out of here soon-" Usopp said with fear leaking from his voice. 

"Calm down," Zoro said to Usopp and Nami who were on the verge of panic. "Our enemies are wounded pirates." 

"That's right and besides I have to fight with that guy," Luffy said remembering the pirate's words and actions. "If he says he is strong, then he and I are going to fight eventually."

Luffy left it unsaid that the guy was pretty weak compared to him. The only reason he wanted to fight the man was 'cause he treated his crew mate, Gin, like nothing. Moreover, he had tried to punch Sanji, he wasn't going to let that slide. He likes this restaurant so he won't let it be wrecked by a fake pirate. 

"Gin, didn't you say you have never been to the Grand Line?" Sanji asked the man, making Luffy and the other straw hats turn towards the man. 

"What I don't know is the truth... I can't just believe it... I just don't know if those seven days we spent there were real or just a nightmare." Gin said with his hands tugging on his hair. "He just appeared out of nowhere. To think all 50 ships of the Krieg pirate fleet were destroyed by a single man..!" 

"WHAT?!" Usopp and Nami said with wide eyes. Zoro even dropped his jaw at the said words. 

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" The cooks in Baratie yelled. 

Luffy only nodded. The Krieg Pirates were not ready for the Grand Line and that's what happened when they encountered that man. 

"While we still had no idea of what was going on, our ships sank one by one. And if it weren't for that storm that whisked us away, even our main ship would've sunk." Gin said, looking utterly terrified of what he was reliving. "I don't even know how many of our ships managed to survive. It's just too terrifying to believe as real..! I don't even want to think about.."

"That Hawk-eyed man whose glare is sharp enough to kill a man. I don't! I don't want to think about him." Gin said, getting Zoro's complete attention. 

"What?!" Zoro said in disbelief. The man he has been searching for all the while is out there in the Grand Line! 

"How could our entire fleet be sunk by a single man?!" Gin questioned not getting it at all. 

"That has to work off the Hawk-eyed man without a doubt," Zeff said without missing a beat. 

"H-Hawk eyed?!" Some of the cooks repeated the word. 

"You saying that you witnessed a man, whose glare was as sharp as that of a Hawk doesn't necessarily prove it was him but the fact that he sunk your entire fleet is more than enough proof that it really was him," Zeff asked crossing his arms on his chest. 

"Hawk-eyed?" Usopp repeated. "Who's that?"

"Dracule Mihawk," Luffy supplied, sitting on the table swinging his leg. "He is one of the Warlords of the seas and one of the best swordsmen in the World." 

"And the man I'm searching for," Zoro said seriously, forgetting that Luffy said something more too. 

"But I thought he is the best swordsman in the World?" Nami questioned making Zoro look at Luffy. His captain was from Grand Line, he sure ought to know more than he does. 

"Nah-uh!" Luffy said shaking his head and becoming the centre of attention from the cooks in Baratie and his crew as well as Gin, who was looking at Luffy with horrified eyes. 

"Hawkey sure does have that title, but the truth is that Shanks and Hawkey have the same level. They both are the best." Luffy said, remembering the statement that Ace and Sabo had told him. "Dad and Sabo told me that it's only due to government pop-anda that Hawkey carries that title." 

"Propaganda," Zeff supplied, erasing the confused face of everyone and Luffy nodded. 

"That's what I said," Luffy said before continuing. "Every pirate in the New World, sorry, Grand Line, knows that."

Zeff's eyes widened as he realized that the kid could be from none other than the New World if he knew that.

"You are from the Grand Line," Zeff said, making Luffy not say anything. He just kept looking at the distance from where the man was coming.

"Did he bear some ill grudge against you guys?" Sanji asked clearly saving Luffy only because Luffy had saved him. "For him to destroy your entire fleet like that..?"

"I don't remember anything like that." Gin retorted. "He just attacked us all of a sudden."

"Perhaps you disturbed his afternoon nap?" Zeff asked, having faced Mihawk a few times in his journey.

"Or he just wanted to kill some time," Luffy mumbled getting off from the table.

"That's bullshit!" Gin shrieked. "You mean to tell me he destroyed our entire fleet for that?!"

"No need to get so irritated. That's just the kind of place the Grand Line is," Zeff said fondling his braid.

"A place where even the abnormal is normal, huh?" Zoro questioned.

"Yep!" Luffy said vibrating with energy. "That place is such a thrill! We need to go there soon!"

"Shut up, Luffy!" Nami said irritatedly. She couldn't comprehend anything. She knew Luffy was hiding something, but the fact that he possibly could be from the Grand Line..?!

"Could you at least try to think of the danger?!" Usopp asked seriously.

"But we need to go to the Grand Line since those men are there," Zoro declared with a smirk. He was out for defeating one person earlier, so what if one more person is waiting for him to defeat?

"Bunch of idiots you lot are, to rush to their deaths," Sanji said looking at the table, where the idiots with high ambitions sat.

"True, ever since I've decided to become the World's greatest swordsman, I threw away my attachment to life," Zoro replied. "The only one who has to call me an idiot is me alone."

That for sure stoke a cord in some people.

"Oh me too!" Luffy said raising his hands. It was either he becomes the freest man or rather die without freedom.

"As a real man, the same goes for me too," Usopp said clearly lying which got pointed out by Zoro too.

Nami silently stood up from her chair. She had realized one thing and that was the cruel reality. She didn't belong to the group of dreamers who have not given up on their dreams like she had long ago.

"Zoro bro! Usopp bro! Luffy bro! Nami bro!"

In came a familiar voice yelling out the names of the said pirates.

"Why am I bro?!" Nami grumbled with her shark teeth at Johnny who stumbled over Yosaku, leading to a stack of papers falling down.

"What the heck is happening here?" Yosaku asked from where he fell. "There is Krieg's ship docked here!" 

"We already know Yosaku," Zoro answered nonchalantly.

"What's wrong Nami?" Luffy asked as he noticed Nami crunching a bounty poster in her hands with her bangs shadowing her eyes.

"Nothing," Nami replied getting up from the ground and stuffing the paper in her skirt pocket. She just hadn't realized how fast the time had passed as she spent her each day with the.. pirates. It was time.. Time to get back to her village and finally free it. She has enough money for it.

"You're hiding something," Luffy stated making Nami go still. It always amazes her how Luffy easily sees through her lies. It scares her as she doesn't want her mask to be shattered in front of everyone. 

"I told you it's nothing!" Nami said through her gritted teeth and started walking out. She needed to leave, right now! She can't fall in between the tussle they have gotten themselves in... I-It was none of her business... whether Luffy.. d-dies or not, it doesn't matter to.. h-her. She lied to herself.

"You are thinking of leaving us," Luffy stated making Nami freeze while the others turned towards her instantly.

"Even if I leave, it's none of your business!" She said in a low voice to Luffy, wincing at the plain hurt that flashed in the boy's eyes momentarily before he hid it. 

"Just leave me alone!" She said and started running off, wiping the stray tears with her palm which leaked as soon as she turned.

She wasn't able to run much far when a hand on her wrist stopped her. She momentarily turned back to see Luffy holding her wrist and Zoro standing beside him. Usopp just standing behind him with Sanji looking unsure of what to do. Even Johnny and Yosaku were there, looking at her expectedly.

"You are our navigator, you can't leave us!" Luffy stated. "I can't be the Pirate King without you, Nami!"

"I never officially joined you!" Nami tried to defend herself, even if she felt her heart crack at Luffy's words. "I-It was only a temporary alliance!" She said not daring to see the raw hurt that Luffy's face was showing. Luffy wasn't meant to be hurt. He was meant to be.. coddled! Protected! To smile!

"L-Luffy let me go!" She gulped down the sob that threatened to wreck from her throat as she said the line, wanting nothing but to stay but at the same time.. she didn't belong here. She didn't belong to the cherry group which had made a place in her heart.

"I can help," Luffy said in a soft voice. "I can free your village, Nami!"

Nami wiped her tears from her other hand and turned slightly to look over her shoulder and saw Zoro nod at what Luffy said. She should have been feeling happy at those words but... she felt guilty. If she asks for help then she would be endangering Luffy's life, Zoro's life, Usopp's life.. everyone's life. Moreover, Luffy is just a kid! He doesn't need to fall in mid of her matters. No matter how strong he is.. he can't fight and defeat Arlong! He is a damn fishman!

"NO!" She yelled, not wanting to involve Luffy at all, jerking Luffy's hand from her wrist. She knew that Luffy had let her do that, but she couldn't help but move forward, leaving the merry friends- wasn't that a such good word?- behind.

"I will come for you no matter what!" Luffy's words made her falter again. "I won't enter the Grand Line without you! You are my friend Nami and if you truly see me as a younger brother..."

Nami's face turned red, realizing that her well-hidden feelings were well-known by Luffy all along.

"Then as a brother, it's my responsibility to protect my sister!" Luffy declared, but unknowingly he had steeled Nami's determination to leave once more.

Yes, Luffy is like a little brother to her... So, as a big sister, she can't let her brother's life be in danger. Not even her friends.

"Don't come for me," She said as she started walking again.

"Wait a little longer and we'll kick that bastard's ass for you!" Luffy shouted pleading for one last time, but Nami gently shook her head and moved on. She cannot stay anymore. Not when Arlong can come searching for her when she is gone for so long time... Time, sure does fly fast.

She stopped out of fear at the docks as the huge galleon of Krieg broke into three parts, freezing her in her path.

"WHAT?!!" Everyone yelled in panic at the sight of the ship. 

"WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED?!" Krieg yelled sweating bullets. 

"OUR SHIPS'BEEN CUT!" One of the pirates yelled. 

"Crap!" Usopp yelled. "Our ship was outside too!" 

"Nah, it's safe," Luffy said, knowing that the ship was out of the harm's reach. He had already made a gust of wind which had led the Merry to the other side of the Baratie for it's safety, but it had tired him badly. Tapping at those powers, sure was hell a hard. 

"RAISE THE ANCHOR OR THIS SHIP'S GONNA GET DRAGGED UNDER!" Zeff's voice rang out next making the cooks scramble to follow his orders. 

There was so much panic in the atmosphere, that it was making Luffy lose his balance. Above all this, the fact that he had used the powers that he shouldn't have used until he used that form, is tiring. 

"He is here," Luffy said next feeling light-headed. Everyone including Nami turned towards him.

"Who is here?" Zoro asked, looking at the direction Luffy was seeing only to find a man seated in a one-man boat.