Loguetown

Destiny... Fate... Dreams...

These unstoppable ideals are held deep in the heart of man. As long as there are people who seek freedom in this life, these things shall not vanish from the Earth.

It has been three days since the Going Merry left Cocoyashi Village and life aboard the ship was as lively as ever. Nami rested under an umbrella, a fresh (and to her, overpriced) newspaper in her hands. She'd given it a cursory glance as she had with the last few days' papers, but there was no mention of their crew or her home village. The only thing related to their latest exploit was a briefing on the capture of Arlong and the Arlong Pirates by Marine Branch 517, who had "picked up the arrests to relieve the battered Branch 16 after their hard-fought battle."

In her peripherals were Zoro, Gin, and Coby nearer the figurehead. Zoro had recently taught Coby how to maintain and clean a real sword and was now relaxing as he watched his student care for the swords that they had stolen from the fishmen. Gin was opposite them, having borrowed a pair of handbells and was now trying to imitate a workout he had seen Zoro do that morning. The buckets of sweat rolling down his face had forced Usopp to relocate his chemistry set twice.

This moment of calm cracked as Luffy landed on the deck with a whump, having been kicked there by Sanji on the second level.

"You're so mean, Sanji!" the captain complained. "I just want one!"

"It doesn't matter what you want!" the chef replied. "These are Nami-swan's tangerines! Oh, Nami-swan~! Are you seeing how well I'm defending your orchard?"

"Yes, Sanji," Nami answered almost automatically, not even moving her eyes from the paper.

"Say, Captain?" Coby asked, redirecting Luffy's attention before he could throw a punch at the distracted chef. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure thing, Coby." Luffy wasted no time in bouncing to the roset's side. "What's up."

"Have you ever thought about just asking Nami is you can have a tangerine instead of stealing it?"

Luffy blinked twice before his eyes grew almost comically, the teen dropping a fist into an open palm.

"I've never thought of that!" he said. Coby seemed taken aback, his own manners confounded.

"Where you never taught that you could just ask for what you need?"

"Nah, Dadan didn't have many rules. We just had to stay out of her way and catch our own food out in the forest."

"You grew up in a forest?" Coby gawked, Usopp mirroring him. "That… Actually, that explains a lot."

"Yeah. Makino taught me to say thank you, but you don't have to do that if you just take it. Anyway, thanks for the advice, Coby! That's why you and Nami are the smart ones."

"Excuse me?" Usopp demanded.

"Was I just insulted?" Gin panted.

"Hey, Nami!" Luffy called, ignoring his other crewmates. Nami's gaze shifted from the paper as her boyfriend approached. "Can I have a tangerine?"

Sanji scoffed. "As if Nami-swan would-"

"What's the magic word?" the navigator asked, cutting off the chef. Sanji froze, shocked.

"Hold on," Luffy muttered. "I know this one. Uh, open sesame? No, that's not it. Alakazam? No, not that one either..."

Nami smiled, a little giggle sneaking past her lips. While Luffy was charming and very loyal to his friends, he certainly wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Taking pity on his clueless captain, Gin strode over and whispered in his ear. "Oh. That makes sense. Nami, can I please have a tangerine from your orchard?"

"Yes you can," she laughed. "Let me get it for you." She stood, jostling the newspaper as she did so. Out of it fell three tan sheets of paper with familiar faces on them.

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

"Straw Hat" Luffy- 30,000,000

"Pirate Hunter" Zoro- 20,000,000

"Man-Demon" Gin (new allegiance)- 12,000,000

Thought the crew could not tell when Luffy or Zoro's pictures had been taken, it appeared that Gin's was from the celebration party at Cocoyashi. He was laughing alongside Genzo, what had been a tower of chairs and tables fallen over beside them.

"What?!" Sanji yelled from the second level.

"This is not good!" Nami screamed.

"This is great!" Luffy Laughed.

"Oh," Gin commented. "New picture."

"Zzzzzzz," Zoro snored.

"Even Zoro-sensei got one!" Coby shouted.

"That's me!" Usopp cheered, turning attention to him. Luffy quirked an eyebrow. "What? Look in the corner, there." He pointed at Luffy's poster. "That's the back of my head. And that's my nose on Zoro's. At that is me in Gin's after my sage fell over."

"Luffy, you're a wanted criminal!" Nami continued, completely ignoring the sniper.

"I know! And my bounty's 30-million! Isn't that great?! And Zoro's worth-20 million! Hey, Sanji. How about a celebratory meal?" He paused. "...Please?"

"Well, since you said please..." Sanji headed to the kitchen with a shake of his head. Luffy scooped up the posters, holding them up to the light as if looking for the best angle.

"Captain, this is very dangerous," Coby warned. "The rumors say there is a Marine Captain with a perfect record, a man of such power that all pirates who arrive on his island only leave in the brigs of Marine ships. No one seems to know his name, though. He hates being in the spotlight, a true man of justice. If we run into him, it could be the end of our journey, so we have to be careful."

"A p-p-p-powerful m-marine…?" Usopp stuttered, beakers and test tubes rattling from his fearful shaking.

"I'll see if I can learn anything from the paper," Nami offered, settling back into her reading in the hopes of gleaning some new information they may need.

"We'll be fine," Luffy waved off. "We're strong. If that Captain comes for us, we'll just kick his ass."

"Actually, Don," Gin put in, "I don't think this is something to take lightly. "I can't remember where that marine is, but even Krieg was scared of him, so we passed by that island completely to avoid him. I think you could win, Don, but I don't want to take that chance."

"That we'll be really sneaky," Luffy shrugged. "I'm good at being quiet and sneaking up on things. I did it all the time back in the forest."

"I doubt that," Zoro muttered against the railing, his back to the ocean where a dilapidated ship with Marine colors sailed past in the opposite direction. The whole ship seemed to freeze before it turned around and sailed toward them far faster than any ship that broken had any right to move, creaking and groaning all the way.

"Pirates!" a familiar voice yelled from the deck of the ship, the pirates' eyes landing on a man Coby and Gin recognized as Lieutenant Fullbody. He was not focusing on the members of the crew, but rather on their jolly roger. "You are hereby under arrest for crimes against the World Government! Surrender peacefully!"

"This guy can't be serious," Usopp blinked, studying the ship that had pulled up alongside the Going Merry. As he watched, a piece of the Marine ship's railing crumpled, falling into the water below. His voice attracted Fullbody's attention to the crew, the man paling as he recognized them.

"Food's ready," Sanji announced, stepping out of the kitchen. Fullbody, impossibly, paled further.

"Men!" the lieutenant called, a squeak in his voice. "Attack!"

A group of six marines jumped onto the Merry's deck, the crew of pirates, sans Nami, drawing their weapons. Usopp was the fastest on the draw, his newest projectile in his slingshot, and fired before the marines had settled.

"Tabasco Star!" the sniper yelled. A younger man's eyes widened as he breathed fire with a scream, the propulsion pushing him over the railing.

Gin was the second one to act, his methods much more final. He drew his flintlock and fired, the bullet slamming into the chest of the oldest marine. The man gasped, his hands dropping his sword to clutch at the red stain spreading out from the center of his ribs. The other marines stared in shock as he started to fall forward, only for Gin to appear in their midst, his tonfa punting the shot man into the ocean.

Because of that gruesome scene, three of the four remaining marines were unable to put up any fight against Luffy's Gum-Gum Pistol, Zoro's swords, or Sanji's kicks. The last marine, a large man who clearly did not exercise enough, managed to get some semblance of his wits about him, trying to bring an overhead slash down on Coby as he approached. The roset responded as Zoro had taught him to, deflecting the swing and jumping to kick the man in the face. He stumbled backwards over the railing, joining his crewmates in the water. Fullbody shook, though the crew could not tell if it was from anger, fear, or some combination thereof.

"Would you idiots keep it down!" Nami demanded. "I'm trying to read!"

"Sorry, Nami!" Coby offered.

The Lieutenant swallowed, raising his fists and jumping to the Merry. Gin didn't give him a chance to even land, spinning into a full-force slam that had weighted tonfa meeting his ribs with a crack. Fullbody coughed blood at he was rocketed back to and into the hull of his ship. With a groan, the ship gave up whatever strength had kept it above water and began to sink. The wind picked up, a gust pushing the Going Merry along her path, away from the sinking Marine ship. The fighters stood by the railing as the ship started to disappear, both into the distance and under the waves, the surviving marines trying to pull their commander from the wreckage of their ship.

"Gin," Luffy began, stopping the man in his tracks. "We need to talk about what just happened."

"What do you mean, Don?" Gin asked, visibly confused. "We defended the ship from an attack of marines."

"They were clearly weaker than us and hadn't done anything against us, but you killed one of them."

"And?"

Luffy blinked, surprised by the blasé tone his crewmate had in regards to having just killed what was, for all accounts, an innocent man, even if it had been an attacking marine. He paused as Usopp's shaking became audible, trying to figure out how to get his thoughts across.

"Listen, Gin. I don't want you to kill anyone else if you can help it. We were clearly stronger than they were and they didn't threaten our Nakama. Some fights aren't worth fighting and some people aren't worth killing. From now on, unless your life is on the line or I tell you you can, I don't want you killing anyone else."

"But, Don," Gin protested. "What if they come back stronger than before?"

"Then we'll deal with them then," Luffy answered, his gaze moving over the rest of his crewmates. "Sometimes, leaving your enemy alive is worse than death for them, and maybe we'll meet a few people who deserve that. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Captain!" Coby yelled.

"Yes, Don," Gin nodded, falling to one knee.

"Sure," Sanji shrugged, Zoro grunting and Usopp shaking.

"Good, then we're done here," Luffy nodded, Sanji making his way back into the kitchen. Luffy turned his attention to Nami, who was setting aside the newspaper. She was looking a little pale. "Are you ok, Nami?"

"I'm fine," she waved off, refusing to look at the splashes on blood on the deck from the fighting. Luffy seemed to pick up on her unease, shifting the topic.

"Hey, Nami. Where are we heading now?"

"It's a place known as Loguetown," the woman answered. Coby and Gin both perked up, recognizing it. "It's known as the Town of Beginnings and Endings because that's where Gold Roger was both born and executed."

"That's the place!" Gin interjected. "That's the place with the strong Captain. Krieg skipped it before we entered the Grand Line because he didn't want to take the risk."

"It's the perfect location, too," Coby mused. "So many pirates would come to see the place where the Great Pirate Era began and fall into the Marines' trap there."

"We aren't gonna fall into any traps," Luffy smiled. "Onwards! To the place where Gold Roger died!" His stomach grumbled, leading the young captain to turn toward the navigator. "So… Can I have that tangerine now?"

"So this is Loguetown," Luffy muttered, looking up at the sign that proclaimed the town's name. "I wanna see the execution platform where Gold Roger died. We can meet back here later."

"Luffy!" Nami yelled after him as he vanished into the crowd. "He didn't even give us a real time and I bet he'll get lost."

"I'll go find him," Gin offered. "I was here with my father once before, so I remember my way to the plaza." He received a nod from the woman, prompting him to run after Luffy before the teen's straw hat completely vanished.

"I need some new swords," Zoro announced. "I don't think these stolen ones will hold up to my strength and their quality isn't very good."

"Well, I can lend you some money," Nami smiled, "for some interest, of course. 300 percent sounds about right."

"That's way too much!" Zoro protested.

"Take it or leave it," the navigator responded, rubbing her thumb and pointer finger together in the universal sign for money. "You don't have any other options."

"Fine," the swordsman grunted unhappily. "If I'm borrowing money, I might as well try to find Coby a better pair, too, so we'll split the cost."

"If that's the case, then I suppose I can lend you two twice as much at only 250% interest."

"Damn sea witch," Zoro cursed under his breath. "Come on, Shrimp." The duo took their exit, leaving the others to their own devices.

"Listen up, Shrimp," Zoro said as he and Coby turned a corner, putting the Going Merry out of sight. "I've got a bounty on me now, and while I don't really care about that, we don't need people challenging me in the street because they heard you say my name. You got that?"

"Yes, Z- I mean, Sensei."

Zoro nodded as they turned another corner. Unaware of the town's layout, the two had no choice but to wander and hope they found a decent weapon store. Time passed in something of a blur, but Coby was pretty sure they'd passed that man selling hats three times now, and his suspicions weren't helped by the confused look he turned on them. They turned yet another corner, one Coby was certain was not there the first two times, and began walking down another alleyway. Someone screamed down the way, a crowd of people quickly forming where the sound had originated.

Though Coby could not see over the heads of the crowd, Zoro could tell the mass of people had formed around a black-haired woman in glasses carrying a bundle, said woman being harassed by a couple of thugs. The verdet shrugged, deciding it wasn't their business, and moved to continue on their way.

"Sensei, what's happening?" Coby asked.

"Those guys are going to kill that poor girl," a woman in the crowd fretted.

"Nah," the man beside her laughed. "I bet she'll give them a good pounding!"

"Sensei, we have to help her!" Coby insisted, still unsure about the situation but not letting his lack of knowledge compromise his morals. The woman in questioned unwrapped the bundle in her arms, the sword inside catching Zoro's attention. He grabbed Coby by the neck of his shirt, lifting him so he could see what was happening.

"Shut up and watch, Shrimp."

There wasn't much to watch, all in all. The fight was over within a second of the woman unsheathing her blade, both of the men who had been assaulting her crumpling to the cobblestones. Some in the crowd laughed and clapped for the woman who only them seemed to notice she was the center of attention. Her cheeks colored as she sheathed her sword, her rush to get away from the attention causing her to trip over her own feet. Her red glasses clattered over the cobblestones, skidding to a stop at the feet of the two Straw Hats.

"My glasses!" she called, feeling around in her immediate area for them. "I can't see without my glasses!"

"Here," Coby told her, bending down to pick up her glasses. She smiled in their direction, accepting them. Zoro tensed, his fists tightening.

"Thank you," the woman said. "May I ask your name?"

"I'm Coby. And this is my sensei. We're looking for a swordsmith since we came from a different island. Could you help us?"

"Of course! Follow me. I'm Tashigi, by the way. Nice to meet you." Coby accepted the handshake she offered happily, while she had to grab Zoro by the hand and force one on him. She turned down the street quickly, marching back the way the pirates had come from. Zoro was fine letting Tashigi prattle on about sword techniques she had seen in the past.

She didn't stop to turn at any point, leading them to a shop called the Kotetsu Ryuu, its name stenciled onto a hanging sign with a dragon motif. Tashigi pushed the door open, causing the tinkling of a bell to ring. The person Coby assumed was the owner of the shop, a balding man sitting behind the counter, looked up from his newspaper. The store was otherwise empty.

"What do you want?" he began before blinking, recognizing the foremost person in the trio. "Oh, Tashigi. I've finished polishing your sword. Wave you brought me new customers?"

Coby wasn't as interested in the adults' conversations, even if most of those "adults" were only three years his senior or so. Rather, he wanted to test what he had learned from Zoro about sword craftmanship and find a pair he liked.

"Hey," Zoro grunted, walking up to the counter while pulling out the four swords they had stolen from the Arlong Pirates, dropping them on the counter. "My apprentice and I need some swords, two for each of us, preferably a matched pair for him and katana for me. We can trade you these four and 200,000 Beris. What have you got?"

The shop owner stood from his stool and crouched over the counter, picking up one of the blades. He turned it over in his hands, humming.

"They're older and well-used," he noted, squeezing the handle. "The tempering shows they were cooled in saltwater as it was forged, suggesting Fishman origins. And they've been freshly polished, even if they have some wear. I'd price each at 25,000. How's tha-aaaaaa…" He trailed off, his eyes narrowing in on the white sword still at the verdet's hip.

"You know your stuff, old man," Zoro nodded, Tashigi's eyes widening at the information of the swords' origins.

"Where'd you get Fishman swords?" she asked.

"We ran into a small patrol of them," the swordsman lied. "They climbed onto our ship to attack us, but we managed to fight them off."

"You must be a strong fighter to do that," the woman praised with a nod.

"Th-That blade," the shop owner swallowed, a shaking finger pointing at the man's third weapon. "Th-That's a nice blade. Certainly, a higher quality then these. I can give you 200,000 for it. What do you say?"

"No," Zoro answered simply.

"You push a mean bargain. 300,000!"

"It's not for sale."

"600,000, final offer!"

"I'm not selling it."

"750,000, then! I need it!"

"Is that what I think it is?" Tashigi interrupted. "That's the Wado Ichimonji! It's worth at least ten-million Beris!

"Damn you, you loudmouth!" the shop owner raged. "I should sue you for obstructing my business!"

"I wasn't gonna sell it anyway," Zoro muttered.

"Oh, whatever," the owner waved, disheartened. "I gave you the offer for the used swords. Between that and the 200,000, that gives you 300,000 to work with. The cheapest stuff I have to offer are the swords in the barrels over there. 50,000 each."

"But if those are the cheapest you have, why are you giving us half that for the swords we brought?" Coby questioned. "That's a ripoff!"

"I need to make money, kid," the man shot back. "Plus, they're old. They've probably only got another couple years' use unless you've got a blacksmith to reforge them, and for these, you'd need to go to Fishman Island in the Grand Line. I sure as Hell aren't. Take it or leave it."

"We'll take it," Zoro responded, cutting off Coby's sharp reply. "Shrimp, get back to looking."

"But-!" Zoro turned, giving his student a look. "Yes, Sensei."

"Um, if I may, why do you need three swords?" Tashigi asked. "The only person I know of who would carry that many would be the bounty hunter Roronoa Zoro." She spat the name as if it burned her tongue. "Is he an idol of yours or something?"

"You could say that," the swordsman shrugged, himself and Coby rifling through the barrels of cheap swords. Tashigi's nose crinkled in distaste. "I frequently break swords because I can't afford ones that can stand up to my strength."

"Now that's ridiculous," the woman replied. "I don't mean to offend you, but you'd have to be inhumanly strong for that. That or you have to always have bad blades you don't care for."

Zoro turned to glare at the black-haired woman, but it was Coby that cut him off this time.

"It sounds like you don't like him. Roronoa, I mean. Have you met him before?"

"I don't need to," Tashigi sniffed. "He's a bounty hunter who kills people for money. Anyone who does that can't be called a true swordman. The only things worse than a bounty hunter are the pirates they hunt."

"Oh, Sensei, look at this." Coby held up a sword in a black-and-red sheath from the barrel he's been digging through. Zoro took the offered weapon, drawing a couple inches from the sheath. The blade had a flame-like temper and was colored purple, the blunt side darker than the sharpened end, which reflected the light. Tashigi gasped, pulling out the book she'd used to identify Wado Ichimonji and began flicking through it.

"That's the Kitetsu III!" she announced. "It's one of the famous 63 Uwazimono!" She turned to the store owner. "You're only selling to for 50,000?"

"You're right," he lamented, his head falling to the counter. "I can't sell you that blade."

"Why not?" Coby blinked.

"This sword is cursed," Zoro observed. Both Tashigi and the owner jolted.

"How can you tell?" the man questioned.

"I just... do." Zoro smirked. "I'll take it."

"No!" the man yelped. "Nope! No way! I can't sell you that sword. Many great swordsmen have met their demise after taking on a Kitetsu sword! Do you want to join them?"

"Let's see which holds out. My good luck or this sword's curse." Zoro threw the blade upward, the metal glinting and flashing as it spun.

"What are you doing?" Tashigi yelled as Zoro closed his eyes.

"You fool!" the owner screamed, Zoro sticking his arm out. "You're gonna chop your arm off!"

"Sensei!" Coby shouted as the sword reached its zenith and started falling. Time seemed to slow down as the metal just missed Zoro's flesh. The blade sunk into the floor.

"I'll take it," the man smirked Tashigi fell to her knees, having thought that she was going to see this man lose an arm.

"You bastard!" Coby growled, punching Zoro in the leg as hard as he could, which was quite hard after all the training he'd been forced through. The older swordsman only laughed at him. The store owner scrambled upstairs and ran back down with something under a tarp. He unveiled it with a flourish, revealing a sword in a full black sheath.

"It's covered in a black lacker finish with an uneven temper pattern. This is the Ryowazimono Yubashiri," he introduced. "It's the greatest sword I have."

"Why are you showing it to me?" Zoro asked, pulling Kitetsu from the floor and resheathing it. "You know I'm basically broke. There's no way I could afford it."

"I want you to have it," the man answered. "Free of charge. It's been a long time since I've met a man like you and I can tell that you'll become a legend. Please, take it. Call it an apology for trying to cheat a true swordsman."

"I... Thank you. I will gratefully accept. With this sword, I will make my name reach the heavens."

"Thank you. Now, with your original amount of 300,000 minus the 50,000 for the Kitetsu, that leaves 250,000 Beris, correct? I have a matching sword set here from an island in the Grand Line for 275,000 Beris. They are similar to Jian swords, both sides sharpened and slimmer than the average swordsword, making it good for single-handed stabbing as well as slashing. The blades each have a gold inlay of a jackal god called Anubis and the crossguards and handles are stylized to look like a set of scales. The handles are long enough for both two-handed and one-handed grips and are wrapped in Alabastain leather. The swords themselves were made in the Desert Kingdom as well, considering Anubis is one of their gods."

"They're nice, but we can't afford that," Zoro grunted, stopping Coby's reaching arms.

"For a student of yours, I'll give you a discount," the man responded. He raised the swords and offered them to the roset.

Coby took the weapons from the man and gave them a few practice swings. They were heavier than he was used to, but that was nothing some practice couldn't fix. A smile stretched over his lips.

"I like them," Coby announced. "They feel... right."

"We'll take them," Zoro nodded. He handed over the fishman swords and all the money Nami had given them. Coby strapped the swords' red sheaths to his back the way he usually did, one handle over each shoulder, as his teacher slid his new weapons into the loop on the right side of his sash. Tashigi glanced at the clock and yelped.

"Shit!" she cursed. "I'm late for training! Captain Smoker is going to kill me! Good luck, you two." She turned, the door slamming in her wake. Another curse drifted in as she tripped, scrambling away.

"Wait," Coby got out. "She's a marine?"

"Yup," the owner answered. "A Sergeant Major and one of the best on the island."

"I'm glad we agreed to not say your name, Zoro-Sensei. She really didn't like your reputation."

The shop owner paled. "Y-You're R-R-Roronoa Zoro?!"

"That a problem?" the green-haired man asked.

"N-Not at all! I'm honored to have you in my shop!"

"Good, but if anyone asks, I was never here. At least, not until tomorrow. Let's go, Shrimp. Knowing Luffy, he's probably ticked off the Marines by now."

"Our captain does have that kind of track record, doesn't he?"

"Don!" Gin yelled, trying to find his captain's distinctive straw hat amongst the dense crowd. "Don! Where are you?!" He turned, catching just a glimpse of yellow and red in the corner of his vision. Praying to whatever deity might listen, the former Krieg pirate pushed through the crowd, making his way to where he had seen it. He was lucky, his teenaged captain walking down the alleyway. "Finally!"

"Oh, Gin," Luffy greeted, turning to see his crewmate. "Do you want to see the place Gold Roger died, too?"

"No, Don Luffy. I was looking for you. You're going the wrong way anyway. We have to stay together in case something happens and we have to run. The main plaza is this way." Gin grabbed his captain's arm, pulling him back into the street. A robed figure stepped out from where they had been hiding in the shadows, a small snail in their palm.

"Captain," the figure grinned. "The one you're waiting for, he's here."

Unaware of such shady activity, the duo tried to push through the crowds the old-fashioned way since the behatted teen Rocketing them though the air would attract far too much attention. Because of that, it took almost half an hour for the pirates to finally step into the plaza.

"Finally," Luffy smiled as the platform came into view, the wider space allowing for more people to mill about. "The place where Gold Roger died. I want to see what he saw."

"Wait, Don Luffy!" Gin tried to reason, but he was too slow, his arm missing Luffy's shirt as the teen stretched forward and grabbed the edge of the platform. Gin could only stare in abject horror as Luffy stood where the former Pirate King met his end, nearly every pair of eyes in the plaza now on the young pirate.

"Did you see that?" a woman asked her friend, the two standing by Gin. The man froze "His arms just-"

"Like Captain Smoker," the friend nodded fearfully. "Wait, wasn't he in the paper?"

"You mean that's him? The child pirate?" The friend pulled out the paper from the day before out of her bag, drawing out the wanted posters of the Straw Hat Pirates. Both women paled, slowly turning their attention on Gin. He blinked.

"Uhhh…"

Their screams echoed across the plaza at the same time the marine who had been threatening to arrest Luffy was thrown away by a massive club. Panic erupted, citizens of Loguetown running for their lives as many folks in robes gathered in the center of the plaza.

The club in question was wielded by a beautiful, black-haired woman dressed in a pink, heart-themed shawl and jean shorts with a pink cowboy hat. Many of the men in the area, who were too captivated by her beauty to run, were staring at the woman with hearts in their eyes.

"Don!" Gin yelled, crossing the plaza. "We have to leave!"

"I've been looking for you, Monkey D. Luffy," the woman called up to the teen, swinging her iron mace to the side. Gin didn't see it coming, slamming into it in a full run, knocking himself silly. "I'm here to make you mine."

"Do I know you?" Luffy asked, unconcerned for Gin. He was tough.

"You really don't remember me?" the woman asked, pouting. "I certainly remember you. You were the first man to ever really hit me."

"Uugghhh," Gin groaned from the cobblestones.

"I never hit you!"

"You did," she insisted with a smile, cupping her face with her free hand, batting her eyelashes. She panted, making her ample chest bounce. "And it felt so good, too. Hit me more, baby."

"Ew, gross," Luffy shivered. "I don't know you, lady!"

"I can't have changed that much," she whined. "Maybe this can jog your memory. Boys! Who's the fairest woman to sail the seas?"

"You are, Beautiful!" all the men roared. The lady basked in the praise. Luffy blinked, but by the look on his face it wasn't something good he remembered.

"That club," Gin gasped, backing away from the woman now that the dizziness had passed. "You're 'Iron Club' Alvida."

"The one and only," the woman confirmed.

"No way," Luffy denied. "You don't look like her at all."

"Well, after eating the Smooth-Smooth Fruit, I did lose my freckles."

"Yeah, that must be it," Luffy replied in his most sarcastic voice. "If you were Alvida, I'd have to give you a beating for hurting my Nakama."

"When last we met, you were alone. What Nakama did I hurt?" She smirked, leaning toward the pirate captain. "Are you gonna punish me?" Luffy's fist zoomed down, hitting her face, but it did no damage. The attack literally slid off her cheek. Luffy was not deterred.

"Coby."

Alvida's face soured at the name. "That brat that I used as my cabin boy and was always spouting nonsense about joining the Marines? You took him onto your crew?"

"Hell yeah I did! And he's gotten stronger."

"Don Luffy!" Gin shouted. "Look out!" His cry came too late. A wooden stockade came down, capturing the teen's head and arms. Keeping the wood steady was a man with long, dark green hair covering one side of his face and a scarf: Cabaji the Acrobat. Gin jumped to his feet before men grabbed him from behind, forcing him to his knees.

"Gin!" Luffy yelled, drooping as if all his energy was sucked away from him.

"Long time no see, rubber freak," Cabaji sneered above him. Luffy struggled to escape, but the wooden stockade and the Sea Prism Stone lining its insides held fast. The men in cloaks surrounded Alvida, throwing away their cloaks to show themselves as Buggy the Clown and his men.

"Everyone stay flashily where you are!" Buggy yelled, his men drawing guns and holding everyone in the square hostage. Buggy himself detached from his feet, using his Chop-Chop powers to fly up, sword in one hand and stolen megaphone in the other, to the stand and relieve Cabaji of his post. He smirked, bringing the megaphone to his lips. "For the crime of being annoying and pissing me off, I, Buggy the Clown, sentence 'Straw Hat' Luffy to death! Stay where you are and watch as I flashily execute this bastard!"

A large storm was brewing. Zoro could feel it, lifting his head from where he and Coby were polishing their new weapons when Usopp, Nami, and Sanji passed by. Usopp had a new pair of goggles and Sanji was carrying a large blue fish with tusks and a trunk. Nami was loaded with multiple bags of various colors and sizes filled with clothes she'd haggled down to near-free prices.

"Hey, everyone!" Coby called out to them, bringing them over. They talked for several minutes during which Nami mentioned that a huge storm was coming in rapidly. Sanji and Zoro had just agreed to go get Luffy and Gin when the voice of Buggy the Clown echoed across town.

"For the crime of being annoying and pissing me off, I, Buggy the Clown, sentence Straw Hat Luffy to death! Stay where you are and watch as I flashily execute this bastard!"

"Shit!" Nami, Zoro, and Coby yelled. "Him again!"

"Again?" Sanji asked.

"What now?" Usopp worried.

"Plaza or ship, everyone pick one," Zoro ordered, shoving his swords into his haremaki and getting to his feet. Himself, Sanji, and Coby (after some hesitation) turned toward the origin of the voice while Usopp and Nami started in the other direction. Sanji shoved the giant fish into Usopp's hands before he could leave.

"Go save that idiot!" Nami yelled. "If something happens to him, it will be on your heads and I will take my pound of flesh after we avenge him! You got that?"

"Yeah, whatever!" Zoro shouted, Coby grabbing his wrist to keep him from going down an alleyway. The trio hurried through the street, going against the stampeding crowd until they reached the center of town. Buggy stood on the scaffold, a sword in his hand and the wind of the coming storm making his cape flap. Gin was off to the side, several men holding him down despite his increasing efforts to shake them off.

"Bwahahaha!" Buggy laughed, reveling in the limelight. "I am Buggy the Clown, the man who will claim every treasure on land! Bwahahaha!"

"Luffy/Captain!" three voices called, Zoro and Coby already unsheathing their weapons

"Zoro!" Luffy yelled. "Sanji! Coby!"

"Zoro?" Buggy growled.

"Coby?" Alvida questioned.

"…" No one said Sanji's name, considering it was new compared to when they fought these opponents last time.

"You rubber-brained idiot!" Sanji called, lighting a cigarette and tapping his foot. "You can't die, yet. That'd make Nami-swan cry. I can't allow that."

"Let's go, Ero-cook, Shrimp," Zoro agreed. With no more communication, the three fighters charged.

"Get them!" Buggy yelled, his crew giving a battle cry and moving to meet the rival pirates.

"Captain Smoker!" Tashigi saluted, finding her commander on the upper floor of a building by the plaza. "If I may, why are we waiting here when pirates are fighting in the plaza? There are still citizens down there!"

"They are not in any danger," Smoker responded. He was a tough man with white hair and a scar running down the left side of his face, two cigars smoking in his lips as he watched the growing battle below through a pair of binoculars. He nodded, offering them to his second. "The pirates are focused on each other right now. We'll let them take each other out and sweep in to arrest them all when they're done."

Tashigi accepted the binoculars, her gaze roving over the battle below until she froze, her eyes first seeing pink, then green.

"They lied to me," she hissed. "How dare they, those damn pirates."

Down below, Zoro and Sanji found themselves swarmed by mooks, cannon fodder who did not stand a chance against them but were dangerous in numbers. Coby, however, was facing a different sort of battle.

"Well well well," the silky voice of a woman chuckled, the raven-haired woman in question stepping through the crowd. "When I heard my darling Luffy say he had taken you into his fold, I didn't know what to think, but here you are, Coby."

"Do I…?" Coby trailed off, the voice clicking in his mind even if the body it came from was so radically different. Even so, there was no mistaking the club she carried. He took a step back, trembling. "A-A-Alvida."

"So you do recognize me," the beauty smirked, her weapon cracking the stones at her feet. "If you bow to me again here and now, I won't kill you. How does that sound? I'm planning on making Luffy mine anyway, so it won't change much. After all, I'm the most beautiful woman, so you can forgive me, right?"

"I… I…" Coby shook, rage boiling over the confines of his fear. He renewed his grip on his swords. "You hag! How dare you! You kidnapped me and held me captive for two whole years until Captain Luffy saved me, and you think I'll forgive you because you aren't fat anymore?! I'll so you how much I've changed since then!"

Coby charged, much to Alvida's surprise. She snarled, bringing her club up as the roset approached. Coby, however, was prepared for that, matching the woman's strength with his own in a block that caught her weapon.

"You brat!" the woman hissed, straining against the teen. "I'll crush you into a paste!"

"Watch as the years of abuse come back to bite you, Alvida," Coby growled. "With these swords, like the fangs of a wolf, I will prove I've gotten stronger!"

"You little shit!" Alvida kicked her shoes off, now sliding freely with the use of her Smooth-Smooth powers. Coby spun, trying to keep track of her. A grunt tried to take a chance, charging in on the young pirate. The student swordsman heard him coming, however, jumping into a circular double slash that cut across the goon's torso. Though he didn't last long, the man's attack distracted Coby long enough for him to lose sight of his former tormentor.

"Time to die, brat!" Coby spun at Alvida's yell, the woman sliding toward him at an incredible speed. "Smooth Talking Club!"

"Streaming Wolf Swords!" Coby twisted, bending backwards under the club that had haunted his nightmares for years. He moved on near-instinct, twisting around with a low sweep that caught the woman's ankles, his new blades singing through the air toward Alvida's neck.

He almost caught her, the woman contorting herself so the points of the blades only barely caught her, her powers making them slide over her skin without damage. The same could not be said for her flowing black hair, however, the swords slicing through the follicles without resistance.

The two spun apart, glaring at each other as Alvida's hair fell to the stones between them.

"How dare you!" Alvida roared.

"Do you have any last words, Straw Hat?" Buggy demanded through his megaphone.

"Yeah, I've got a few," Luffy answered. "I… AM THE MAN WHO WILL BE THE KING OF THE PIRATES!"

The fight below stalled at Luffy's proclamation, the entire plaza going silent. An almost-physical force pulsed, leaving everything quiet for a minute.

"Bwahahaha!" Buggy laughed, holding his gut. Yes, he recognized the force as something that should not be in the East Blue, but its owner clearly didn't know how to control it and was, at the moment, completely at his mercy. There was nothing for Buggy to fear! "Bwahahahaha! You say that as you die! What a moron! Well, it's time for this show to end!"

Luffy smiled.

"Luffy!" Zoro and Sanji yelled.

"Don!" Gin cried.

"Captain!" Coby screamed.

"He smiled?" Smoker whispered, surprised, as Buggy's sword came down.

But Luffy's death was not to be. Lightning struck the platform with a boom just as it started to rain, the charge attracted to the metal of the sword in Buggy's hand. The strike caused a sonic boom that raced across the plaza, blowing pirates like the ones holding Gin onto their backs. The famous scaffold caught fire and tilted, quickly falling to the ground in a mess of burning wood. Luffy's hat fluttered to the ground where a slim hand picked it up. Luffy placed it on his head and laughed as Buggy's burned form twitched beside him.

"Oh. I'm alive. That's nice."

Gin, who had thrown off his attackers when the lightning struck, dropped his weapons in shock. Sanji's cigarette fell from his mouth. Zoro barely held on to Wado Ichimonji with his teeth. Smoker, from his position in an adjacent building, dropped his cigars. Tashigi beside him let the binoculars she was using fall from her grasp.

"That's nice?!" Gin roared, picking up his weapons and hitting Luffy over the head. "You had us worried sick, Don Luffy!" The rubber man only laughed in response, unaffected by the blunt force.

"Now!" Smoker ordered, throwing a plume of smoke into the sky. That was the signal, a whole platoon of marines filing into the square. They surrounded the pirates, guns ready to fire at a moment's notice. At the lead of this charge was a woman Zoro and Coby recognized. A cloud of white smoke came down next to Marine Sergeant Major Tashigi and took the form of Marine Captain Smoker.

"Buggy 'the Clown', 'Iron Club' Alvida, 'Man-Demon' Gin, 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro, and 'Straw Hat' Luffy," the man announced. "My name is Marine Captain Smoker. You and all members of your crews are under arrest. Please come quietly."

"Time to go!" Luffy announced. He spun his right arm around Zoro, Sanji, Coby and Gin and shot his left up to latch onto a chimney on the edge of the square. His arm retracted, taking him and his four crewmen with it. Smoker tried to stop them, but the rain slowed his smoke just enough to let the pirates get away, for now.

"Hurry!" Nami insisted. "We have to get back to the ship! The Marines may already be there!"

"Can't we just drop the fish?!" Usopp yelled.

"Of course not!" Nami admonished him as the Merry came into view. In front of the ship was Mohji and his lion, Richie.

"Well, if it isn't the little thief!" Mohji yelled. "You're not getting past us! Sick 'em, Richie!" The lion pounced. Usopp tried to reach his satchel, but the elephant bluefin tuna was in the way. Nami tried to counter as well, but all the shopping bags she was carrying hampered her efforts. Both of them dodged to the side, the fish in Usopp's hands falling to the dock. Richie turned; his eyes locked on the fish. "No, Richie! Get them! Not the fish!"

"Smoke Star! Pepper Star! Tabasco Star!"

Usopp's progectiles flew true through the rain, the first two hitting the lion in the eyes while the last went down its throat. Richie screamed, breathing fire, and backpedaled into Mohji before both fell into the water. Usopp and Nami both blinked, impressed that worked.

With them out of the way, the duo clambered onto the ship. They were just in time as the marines that had been pursuing them exited one of the roads. The marines started shooting at the ship, guns and cannons going off making the choppy waves bigger.

"We have to take off now!" Nami yelled. "If we don't, the ship'll sink! We'll come back for the others later!" The two started to pull out. The marines cried out, falling one by one. There, where they had been, were Sanji and Coby.

"Nami~!" Sanji yelled in Love Mode despite the situation. "I'm coming~!" They chased the ship, beating off marines as they caught up. Usopp provided cover fire from the ship, but the rough seas hampered his aim. Sanji dove into the water to get closer, his legs propelling him through the water, while Coby chose to stay on the dock since he wasn't as strong a swimmer. His movements looked almost like a dance as he accustomed himself to his new swords.

"Where's Luffy?" Nami asked as Sanji climbed over the Merry's railing.

"Fighting Smoker," Sanji replied, shivering. "He'll catch up. He's too stubborn to die."

(Earlier)

"Nami-swan was right about this storm!" Sanji shouted over the rain. "We need to hurry!"

"No duh!" Zoro yelled back. "Luffy! Do you know which way the ship is?"

"Nope!" The teen responded.

"It's this way, past the bakery!" Coby yelled, turning down a wide street. Behind them, the cries of a pack of marines echoed through the wind. A figure loomed in the fog before them, the haze lifting to reveal Tashigi as they got closer.

"Who is that?" Sanji asked with hearts in his eyes.

"Roronoa Zoro!" Tashigi demanded. "You and your student are liars and pirates! I cannot allow you to leave this island with your swords. Give me the Wado Ichimonji, the Kitetsu III, the Yubashiri, and the Alabastian jians! Now!" She unsheathed her own, unnamed sword. Zoro did the same, drawing Kitetsu III. He lunged forward with one sword, catching her forward slash.

"Moron!" Sanji yelled angrily. "You can't just attack a woman!"

"Back off!" the swordswoman demanded. "This is our fight! I don't need any help! Especially from a filthy pirate like you!"

"Get out of here!" Zoro ordered as the two clashed.

"But Zoro-Sensei!" Coby tried to protest.

"Go, Shrimp! Trust me, I'll be fine!"

"Gin," Luffy said. "Stay here to help him find his way back. I trust you can fight off the marines. And you know my rule about killing?"

"Yes, Don Luffy," the Man-Demon answered. "No killing unless they specifically threaten our Nakama." The captain, student, and chef skirted around the fight as Gin turned and charged the hoard following them, tonfa spinning.

"Marimo!" Sanji shouted as he passed. "If you hurt her, I'm gonna kick your ass!" They left.

"You will not get away," Tashigi growled. The two were locked at a stalemate. That was, until Zoro pulled out a second sword, the Yubashiri. He was taunting her, not using the Wado Ichimonji that she wanted so much, but she had no time to think about that. The Pirate Hunter's attack speed doubled, forcing the marine into a constant state of defense. Behind them, Gin had knocked all of his own opponents unconscious.

Zoro backed her into a wall, disarming her and stabbing the brick next to her head. They stared into each other's eyes, one with hate and fear, the other, subdued confusion and arrogance with a hint of pain. Tashigi's sword clattered to the ground a few feet away.

"I hate to disappoint," Zoro began, "but you'll never get this sword from me." He sheathed his blades and made to leave.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Tashigi growled. "Is it because I'm a woman? That just because I'm physically weaker than you, I'm not worth the effort?"

"Shut up!" Zoro snapped, silencing her. "You look like my rival who died many years ago, ok? You look like her and now you're talking like her, too! It's bringing up memories I'd rather not see, so just back off!" The marine was speechless. "Besides, Luffy has a rule about killing. Let's go, Gin."

"Aye," the other man responded. They ran off, leaving the Sergeant Major to fall to her knees in defeat.

(Meanwhile)

"I see the harbor!" Luffy cheered.

"Not so fast," Smoker ordered, materializing in front of them. "You can't leave until you beat me."

"Really?" Luffy questioned. "Sanji, Coby, go on ahead. I'll catch up later."

"No you won't. This will be the end of you, 'Straw Hat' Luffy." Luffy faced his enemy as Sanji and Coby darted around. The rubber-man jumped forward, punching at the Marine Captain. Smoker responded by turning his body into smoke and grabbing the teen.

"What is this?!" Luffy yelled.

"I ate the Plume-Plume Fruit. I'm made of smoke." Smoker provided, slamming the black-haired pirate into the ground before throwing Luffy over his shoulder.

"Gah!" Luffy gasped, his back hitting a brick building hard. The impact left him rattled, his legs like jelly as the touched the rain-soaked stone. He crumpled.

"What's wrong? Done already?"

Luffy pulled himself up with a grimace, thrusting his arms forward multiple times with a cry of "Gum-Gum Gatling!" His fists rained down on the marine, but his attacks did nothing.

"Smokescreen!" Smoker shouted, pinning Luffy to the building behind him. "You're not worth 30 million," the marine taunted. Smoker went for his jutte (alternately spelled jitte) to finish the rubber-man off, but the hand of a man hidden by green cloak grabbed the marine's wrist, said hand covered in a black sheen. All movement froze as lightning struck in the distance, illuminating the red tattoo design on the right side of the man's face. "Oh shit," Smoker paled, trying to pull his hand free but unable to. "Why are you here?"

"The world is still waiting for our answer," the man said mysteriously. "And I have high hopes for this pirate. He's going to go far."

A heavy wind with a green tint filled the streets, blowing Smoker away and Luffy, as well as Zoro and Gin, to the docks. Coby ducked as they arrived, many marines he had been locked in a stalemate with being flung into the sea by the wind.

"Luffy!" Nami shouted from the ship, the caravel a fair distance from the shore. Luffy could barely hear her, but it was enough the roughly know her location.

"Stay there," Luffy told the other men on the shore. "I've got this." He ran back, stretching his arms out to grab the corners of the street. The pirate lined himself up with his three crewmembers and the Going Merry before jumping and snapping forward. "Gum-Gum Rocket!"

"Oh damn," Zoro cursed just before impact.

They blasted forward, much to Zoro, Coby, and Gin's chagrin. Usopp threw a lasso at them, pulling them down to the deck. Luffy ended up falling on Nami, but he just pecked her on the lips before getting up, much like she had when leaving Cocoyashi. They didn't have much time to dwell on that, the storm growing worse around them. Nami pointed them in the direction they needed to go, the crew sailing until the light of a lighthouse showned through the darkness.

"That's it," Nami told them with a somewhat-hysterical laugh. "The entrance to the Grand Line is somewhere up ahead!"

"This is it!" Luffy exclaimed, placing his foot on an extra barrel. "I'm gonna be the King of the Pirates!"

Sanji followed, his foot joining Luffy's. "I'm going to find the All Blue!"

"To be the world's greatest swordsman!"

"To draw a map of the whole world!"

"To overcome my fear of that sea and reach its end!" Gin nodded.

"The be a brave warrior of the sea!"

"To see Luffy achieve his dream!" Coby added. "And to become a Hero my parents would be proud of!"

"YEAH!" they all cheered, smashing the barrel.