Chapter XXXVIII: Linked Through Legend

Somewhere on the Grand Line

The Big Top, flagship of the Buggy pirates, sailed aimlessly, the crew having no destination in mind. On deck, said crew were giving the captain a wide berth, lest they risk being blown away flashily. Buggy the Clown was persistent; he had followed Strawhat Luffy into the Grand Line, seemingly having no fear of the legendary sea, and even going as far as to speak of it with an air of nostalgia. And yet, it seemed that for all his seemingly endless flamboyance, even Buggy the Clown had limits; limits that most would refer to as a sense of reason.

When the Buggy pirates had first read the newspaper article describing the alliance between Whitebeards and Strawhats, they weren't sure how their captain would react. But his reaction was certainly not what they had expected. They were expecting a fit of flashy rage, and based on his prior exploits, maybe even heightened determination. What they didn't expect was him to fall into a state of depression. For the next couple days, he had done little other than eat, sleep, and sulk. When an underling had finally summoned the courage to ask why they weren't going after the Strawhats, he had almost been killed by a Muggy Ball. Buggy had then started going on a rant about how one never assaults a Whitebeard pirate or even one of their allies unless they were looking for a swift death. The crew had been baffled; after all, Captain Buggy had never been intimidated by a daunting or even impossible task before, so why now? But Buggy had seen things that they hadn't, images that were still fresh in his mind to this day.

For all their loyalty, his crew was naive. They didn't know what an enraged Edward Newgate was like. No, even Buggy the Clown could be rational at times, and that was his greatest shame.

"He needs to get over it," Alvida said as she leaned back in her chair. "Either risk defying Whitebeard or pick a new target. I don't care which. Anything's better than sitting around doing nothing."

Cabaji said nothing. Although he agreed with her, he had to sympathize with his captain's predicament. He had had his sights dead set on Strawhat Luffy and Roronoa Zoro, and now he was being forced to give it up. Perhaps the rest of the crew was optimistic, but Cabaji had no delusions of invoking Whitebeard's wrath and surviving. He sighed.

"We'll just have to wait for him to pull himself together. If I know him, he'll find some treasure to preoccupy himself with, and then he'll bounce right back. As much as I hate to admit it, going after Strawhat is suicide."

Alvida looked up at the sky. "Too bad. I was pretty interested in him too. I wonder if we'll ever see that annoying brat again." She smiled. "He packs one hell of a punch."

"He really does doesn't he?" came an unfamiliar voice. "But you should have seen him when he was a kid. He could barely move his fist in a straight line."

Alvida, Cabaji, and Mohji turned around in shock to find a complete stranger sitting on deck and eating their food. Alvida reacted with hostility. "Who the hell are you, bastard!? What are you doing on our ship!?"

"Ah, forgive me. I should have introduced myself earlier. My name is Portgas D. Ace. I was investigating a lead when I was lured here by the wonderful smell of your feast. Nice to meet you," he said with a formal bow.

Alvida was taken aback by his politeness. "Uh...pleasure's all mine...I guess..."

Cabaji on the other hand, was turning pale. "Portgas...D...Ace?" he repeated slowly. "Whitebeard's second division commander…?" Alvida's eyes widened.

Ace grinned widely. "Oh, so you know me? I'm flattered."

That was when the surrounding Buggy pirates started screaming in fear and generally creating chaos on board the ship. Ace looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "What's with them? You'd think the circus was in town." He looked back at Cabaji. "Then again, maybe it is. So? Where's the clown?"

Cabaji gulped. "Um...h-he's…unavailable...at the moment."

"Ah, really?" Ace asked. "Too bad. Marco once told me something interesting about the captain of the Buggy pirates, and I wanted to ask if it was true."

Before Cabaji could inquire what he meant, the door to the cabin burst open. "What's with all the commotion, you flashy bastards!? Can't I sulk in peace!?" Upon catching sight of Ace, more specifically, the mark of the Whitebeard pirates on his back, Buggy's expression went from outrage, to shock, and then back to outrage as he came to the wrong conclusion. "Oh you've gotta be kidding me!" he yelled as he lunged at Ace. "I haven't even touched that Strawhat bastard!" He put his full weight into the swing and punched Ace in the back of the head. The commander's head only budged an inch.

Mohji and Cabaji's jaws dropped as the rest of the crew went deathly silent and Alvida looked on with interest. Ace's face was expressionless, his eyes shadowed over. Before anyone could so much as let out a breath, the crew heard snoring, and were shocked to see that the Whitebeard pirate had fallen asleep.

What the hell?

In a bar in Mock town

"Looks like you've got nothing left," Roshio commented with a smug grin as he reached out his hand to grab the remaining pile of beli on the table. "So unless you want to bet your ass now, this game is over."

Before he could take the money however, the man sitting across from him grabbed his arm firmly. He looked at the man in contempt. "Hey, give it up. It was a fair game. You lost, get over it." But the man just kept staring down at the cards with a sickening smirk on his face. Roshio started to feel unnerved. He just happened to be playing with the one guy in town with a bounty higher than his own of 42 million. He'd rather not pick a fight with Bellamy the Hyena.

"I think you cheated, friend," Bellamy said quietly. Roshio's eyes narrowed.

"Don't try to cause trouble. When did I do something like that?"

"You definitely did," Bellamy insisted. "Am I right, Sarkies?"

The one he was addressing turned around in his chair. "Huh?" he asked in confusion, before he saw the cards on the table. "Oh, yea. That guy cheated for sure," he said nonchalantly. Upon hearing this, Roshio stood up in indignation, not ready to let something like this go. Bellamy also rose to his feet, and everyone in the bar could feel the tension in the air.

Just then, someone ran into the bar in a panicked frenzy. "Captain Bellamy! We've got trouble!" he shouted. Bellamy looked at him in annoyance.

"What is it, fool? I'm in the middle of something."

"There's a giant turtle at the coast!" the man shouted. Bellamy was not amused.

"What."

As his underling fumbled over an explanation, Bellamy noticed that Roshio was taking the chance to reach for his gun. He'd soon learn what a mistake that was.

"Sorry, Shelly! It looks like you can't follow us any further," Luffy said as the Going Merry dropped anchor. The town sized turtle stared down at him sadly and let out a roar of farewell that shook the entire island and had the Strawhats covering their ears. "Shelly" then turned around, creating waves the height of large buildings in the process, and started swimming away from the island, back into deeper waters. Usopp turned towards Luffy.

"Luffy, you know Shelly is a girl's name right?" he asked. Luffy looked at him blankly.

"Well, yea? Shelly is a girl after all," he said. Usopp sweatdropped, having had no way to determine the gender of that thing.

"Right. I'll take your word for it," was all he said.

"Um, Luffy?" Nami spoke up. "I think we just drew some attention to ourselves." Luffy turned towards the town and saw that she was right. People were flocking out of the bars and casinos in droves to see what the commotion was. Some were still able to catch sight of the colossal creature before it disappeared into the sea. Many were now pointing and whispering in awe at the pirates who had just waved the monster off. Needless to say, rumors were already circulating. It probably wouldn't be long before they were identified.

"Ah, so we have," Luffy said, not seeming to care as he kept staring out towards the center of town.

"So what else is new?" Zoro asked with a yawn. "Isn't this how things usually go?" As he walked towards the deck though, Luffy nudged him with his shoulder, and the two locked eyes. Zoro's expression soon became focused, and he closed his eyes. Robin was the only one who noticed this exchange, and as she debated whether or not to ask about it, Luffy addressed the crew. He told Chopper to guard the ship while Nami, Usopp, and Sanji went out for supplies. The doctor consented and began making a list of medical supplies they needed to restock on. Sanji could handle the cooking ingredients himself, while Usopp could find materials for some ship repairs and Nami could handle the expenses. After that, Luffy turned back to Zoro, who shook his head. The captain sighed.

So he's not here. And to make things more complicated, those guys have shown up again.

"Hey Robin, could you come with us?" he asked the archaeologist. Robin blinked and then nodded before following the captain and first mate off of the ship. As they walked, Luffy spoke up.

"Do you think you could search for information on a man named Blackbeard? We need to know if he's been through here," he said. Robin was baffled but nodded.

"It shouldn't be too difficult," she replied. "May I inquire why you're looking for this man? I don't believe I've heard of him before."

"He used to be a Whitebeard pirate," Luffy said. "But he betrayed them and killed a crewmate."

His voice was calm, but Robin could see the underlying anger in his eyes. Her eyes lit up in understanding. "So he's the one you were talking about on the transponder snail," she clarified. Luffy nodded.

"My brother Ace was looking for him, but something came up and he had to abandon his search. Since Blackbeard was spotted in Drum, and Ace was looking in Alabasta, I thought maybe he would come here next." Robin nodded slowly. Assuming that their log hadn't spontaneously locked onto Skypeia as well, this would be their destination.

"Are you planning on going after him?" Robin asked, remembering what Whitebeard had said about the matter. Luffy thought about it.

"Maybe. I haven't decided yet," he said.

"Very well then. What should I do if I happen to find him?"

"I don't think you will, but if that happens, don't go near him," Luffy said. "Just go back to the ship and we'll meet you there."

"Roger, Captain-san," she said with a smile. "By the way, you're being followed," she informed them as she gestured towards the rooftops.

"Yea, I know," Luffy said. "Don't worry about it." Robin raised an amused eyebrow but ignored her curiosity as she walked off towards the center of town. Once she was gone, Luffy turned toward the source of the poorly concealed auras and addressed them.

"That was my archaeologist. And in case you were wondering, she can't use observation haki. Now why don't you guys stop embarrassing yourselves?"

Several figures in black cloaks descended from the rooftops and began walking towards them. "I'd say that's not exactly your standard measuring stick," the one in front commented. "Especially considering that we've been searching for that woman unsuccessfully for 20 years." As he removed his hood, they got a good look at his face. He had shoulder length black hair and green eyes. Red markings originated from beneath his eyes and ran down his cheekbones.

Zoro smirked. "And you still thought we wouldn't notice you?" he asked.

The man, who they assumed was the leader of the group, smiled good naturedly. "More like I wanted to see if you would. My name is Mavric, chief of the Revolutionary Army's Cipher Division."

"Let's skip the small talk," Luffy said. "You've been tailing us ever since Alabasta. Why?"

The man's eyes widened, but the amused smile didn't slip from his face. "You knew? No, don't answer that. Of course you knew. You know a lot of things, isn't that right, Monkey-san?"

Luffy's eyes narrowed.

"But to answer your question, I think you nevertheless underestimate your own ability to draw the attention of an organization like ours. He especially has taken an interest in you."

Luffy looked annoyed. "So in other words, he sent you after me. His curiosity must have gotten the better of him back then."

"If you're referring to your meeting in Logue town, I'd say it's more than that," Mavric said, before pausing. "You know, not many of us know his full name, but for those who do, it's difficult not to draw certain...connections.

"Point taken," Luffy said in a bored tone. "So? How much do you know?"

"Well, not much, if you consider how much we still don't know. But we have picked up on a few things. Such as the fact that you've mastered all three forms of haki, you knew far more about Crocodile's plans in Alabasta than we did, and you know about the poneglyphs, as well as Nico Robin's ability to read them." He paused. "This next one is a stretch, and more my personal hunch than anything, but I'm also inclined to believe that you're most likely aware of one of the ancient weapons' location, something that we ourselves are in the dark about."

Luffy stared at him with a slightly bored expression, before unleashing a focused blast of Conqueror's haki on him. The man collapsed to one knee, and then to all fours, as his followers stiffened around him. None of them could feel the mental assault, which meant the full brunt of it was focused on their leader.

"Man you guys are annoying," Luffy said. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

Despite his current predicament, Mavric was still smiling, even if it was a frightened smile. "You...asked…!" he managed to gasp out from his position on the ground. The pressure on his psyche seized, and he rose shakily to his feet.

"Fine, I asked," Luffy said. "So then, what do you want? I'm not telling you where Pluton is. Do you have any idea how much crap Robin went through to make sure that thing didn't wind up in anyone's hands?"

"It's nothing like that," Mavric assured him. "We, too, desire to keep the ancient weapons hidden. Contrary to popular belief, we don't enjoy war."

"Is that why you were looking for Robin?" Zoro asked suspiciously.

"There were a couple reasons for that," the revolutionary acknowledged. "But we never planned on using her like that. We wanted to keep her out of the World Government's hands, and perhaps give her a place to belong again. After Ohara rebelled against the World Government, the boss thought that she could relate to our cause, and that in turn we could help her achieve her ambitions." He rubbed his head sheepishly. "But she turned out to be quite elusive, and we could never actually find her. Some of us thought we should commit more resources for it, but the boss didn't want to send the wrong message."

Luffy took that in for a moment. "So why are you still following us then?"

"Well, we were hoping to learn more about you, as was our mission, but something tells me that won't work out from now on-"

"If I see you again I'll kick your ass," Luffy interrupted.

"Right," Mavric said. "For now, just consider us allies. We learned about the coup in Alubarna while we were tailing you, and we were prepared to prevent it ourselves, but evidently you didn't require assistance. You kept Alabasta out of Crocodile's hands, and for that we're grateful." He handed Luffy a piece of paper with a number written on it. "We won't be able to commit a force to aid you, but something tells me you wouldn't want us to anyway. Still, if you ever need anything, just call."

Luffy thought for a moment. "Actually, I do have a question. Has my brother found you guys yet?"

Mavric raised an eyebrow. "Brother? I wasn't aware-"

"Not by blood. You know Portgas D. Ace right?"

"Firefist? I don't know him, but I know of him. Indeed, he was turning over stones trying to find us. The boss wanted to know what a Whitebeard commander wanted with us, so he's having our second in command meet with him."

Luffy's eyes widened. "Second in command? So he's meeting with-" He stopped suddenly, realizing what he'd just implied. To his right, Zoro palmed his face in frustration, while Mavric just stared at him wide-eyed before breaking out into a triumphant grin.

"And then there's the fact that you know who our second in command is! On one hand, that's a massive blow to our pride. On the other hand...jackpot!"

Luffy glared at him, and he fell to his knees again.

In a local restaurant

Most of the customers in the establishment were losing their appetites as they watched a girl with pink hair and purple eyes stuff her face, emptying out the restaurant's stock of food in the process. Next to her lay the bodies of multiple unconscious men.

"Damn, is she still eating?" one of the waiters asked quietly as he watched the scene in front of him.

"Yea, and that's the third bounty head she's knocked out," another whispered. "Just don't piss her off, whatever you do. Rumor has it that girl has a bounty of 70 million."

"Hey, are you serious? That's even higher than Bellamy's! Who is she anyway?"

"They call her the Glutton…" he began, before getting hit in the head by a thrown plate.

"Hey, stop whispering about me over there! Go get me some more pizza before I eat you instead, you useless dipshits!" The waiters scrambled to do as they were told so as to not incur the wanted pirate's wrath.

"Captain!" a man shouted as he ran into the bar, panting. "It's the guy you've been looking for, he's here in town! Their ship is docked at the coast!"

"Dammit! I haven't finished my meal yet!" the girl shouted. "But whatever. I found you, Strawhat Luffy!"