Hidden In The Shadows

"Look at this Chopper, An atlas beetle!" Luffy grinned at Chopper while holding an Atlas beetle that's the same size as his hand.

"Look at my beetle, it's called 'Miyama'! They're considered idols to some people of the world!" Chopper showed Luffy the beetle he caught. Meanwhile, Nami was hiding behind a tree while trembling uncontrollably.

"I hate bugs so much. H-how can you two hold them like they're just toys?" She stuttered. Luffy smiled at her.

" I have had bugs as pets since I was a kid." Luffy explained.

" I studied them when I was training as Doctorine's apprentice. " Chopper explained his reasons, making Nami sigh.

"Comparing to the One Piece, which is better?" Chopper asked Luffy who laughed and set the Atlas beetle free.

"One Piece forever!" Luffy shouted, making Chopper laugh and set the 'Miyama' in his hand free too.

Suddenly, something dropped in front of the trio. They looked at it and froze. It was a beehive.

"I got it! Thunderbolt Tempo!!" Nami shouted before zapping the beehive to a crisp with her Clima-Tact. Luffy and Chopper sighed in relief and wiped the sweat off their faces.

"You're a lifesaver, Nami." Luffy commented.

"Yeah, Nami. Thank you! " Chopper thanked her, making Nami smile warmly at the two. Chopper looked up and widened his eyes.

"Luffy, Nami! Look! That's the bird who dropped the beehive on us!" Chopper shouted, making them look at the bird Chopper was pointing at.

The bird had an extremely colorful plumage, chiefly in alternating patterns of purple and green. Their heads—particularly bills—are markedly long and narrow, akin to those of toucans.

Like most birds, they are tetradactyl, with three forward-facing toes and one backward-facing. They're roughly the size of a human toddler.

"That's the South Bird Cricket was talking about." Nami muttered. The bird started making sounds.

"Jyo... Jyo Jyo..... Jyo.... Jyo!!!!"

"What did it say, Chopper?" Luffy asked, seeing Chopper gulp a little.

" It said all who disturbed this forest must be killed!!" Chopper translated the South Bird's words. The bird smirked at them. Luffy grinned and punched his palm.

"Yosh!! Bring it on!! Bird!!!"

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"I shouldn't have said that!!" Luffy shouted as he, Chopper and Nami were running away from a deadly mantis flying after them.

"You just figured that out?!" Nami shouted and dodged an attack for the mantis.

*SHING!!*

The tree behind her is cut in half. Nami turned around and saw a large mantis sitting on the tree. The mantis flew after her, Nami squealed and took out her Clima-Tact.

*Bam!!*

She slammed it towards the mantis, sending the bug blasting away. Chopper looked up and noticed the same South Bird sitting and grinning up in a tree.

"It's him! South Bird is commanding these bugs!" Chopper shouted, surprising them.

"Why the hell would he be doing that?" Luffy wondered.

" Kya!!! Luffy! Bees!!! " Nami pointed at a swarm of bees zooming towards them. Luffy quickly carried her bridal style and started running away with Chopper running by his side.

He grabbed Chopper too and used Soru to disappear from the swarm of bees. He arrived at a clearing and saw a swarm of fireflies heading their way.

"Fuck!!" Luffy cursed before using Soru to disappear again.

"No!! cockroaches!!!"

"Boars!!!!"

"Where's the rest of my crew!?"

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" We can't do it. We saw one but there were so many bugs charging at us we didn't have time to catch the damn bird. " Zoro grumbled.

The Straw Hat Pirates have regrouped and were currently thinking of new ways to catch the South Bird.

"You know, why didn't we just us Soru?" Usopp asked. Luffy palmed his face.

"I'm so drunk I didn't think about that! " Luffy shouted, much to everyone's amusement. Robin was giggling to herself at her captain's words.

"Look!" Nojiko pointed at a tree. They looked up and saw that the South Bird was sitting on it and grinning at them.

"Jyo Jyo Jyo! Jyo Jyo."

"It said, 'Did you catch anything, dumbass?'" Chopper translated the South Bird's words, angering everybody. Zoro swore he saw Nami's fist covered by black coating and had black lightning crackling around it. The South Bird was laughing at them.

"Dos Fleur." Robin whispered. Suddenly, a pair of hands sprouted on the bird. She then controlled them to knock the bird down, cutting short its laughter.

Now, it was the Straw Hat Pirates' turn to laugh at it. Robin smiled proudly at her handiwork.

Luffy was giving her compliments left and right and she was getting happier and happier with each one coming out of his mouth.

After composing themselves, The Straw Hats then head back to the Saruyama Alliance headquarters.

When they got there, they were horrified. They discovered Cricket, Masira, and Shoujou beaten up, and the Going Merry trashed.

Luffy was angered and looked down at the bloody Cricket who was lying on the ground.

"I'm....so sorry..... Please...forgive me..." Cricket whispered weakly.

" There's no need for it, you did your best. Tell me who did this? Your gold was taken. " Luffy asked him seriously.

" That's alright. Some things are meant to be forgotten." Cricket grunted as he sat up.

" That gold! You spent ten years finding the gold and even lost your health to do so!? Isn't it?! " Usopp asked him.

" It doesn't matter, it's my problem. Listen, with the entire Saruyama Alliance, they will be able to fix the ship and send them to the sky, no matter what." Cricket looked at them determinedly.

" Luffy, look at this. " Zoro called Luffy. Luffy looked to see what Zoro was pointing at. It was Bellamy's symbol on the side of a tree.

"There are only three hours before dawn, Luffy. Do this quickly." Zoro told Luffy who nodded and cracked his knuckles.

" Wait, kid stop—

"If you want to stop him, you would have to be the strongest person in the world. " Zoro interrupted Cricket while unsheathing Wado Ichimonji and blocking Cricket's path with it.

"Don't worry guys, I'll be back before dawn. Look after this, Robin. I don't wanna get it dirty again." Luffy ordered while taking off his red coat and draped it over her back. He ignored her surprised face as he used Soru to disappear from their sights.

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"BELLAMY!!!! GET THE FUCK OUT OF YOUR HIDING HOLE!!!!"

Bellamy exited the bar he was in and looked at Luffy who was standing in the middle of the quiet street.

Bellamy smirked at him. "Ah....We were just talking about you, Straw Hat. Do you have something to say to me? "

" Yes, return Cricket's gold back this instant. This is the consequence of stealing it." Luffy demanded seriously.

" Gold?! That old man Cricket's treasure? I shouldn't have to do that, it's my loot as a pirate. You're a pirate too, you don't have the right to say that to me. " Bellamy grinned at him.

"They are my friends! So I will take the gold back to them!" Luffy asked him. Bellamy laughed.

" Can you even fight, Straw Hat?! Do you know how to throw a punch? Do you know how to kill? You're only standing here because of your father's notoriety! I bet you didn't even kill Crocodile! Maybe it's that swordsman who did it! I'm gonna have so much fun with that orange haired chick when I'm done with your fraud ass!! " Bellamy stuck his tongue out psychotically. Luffy had a dark aura around him.

" The hell did you say about Nami?!" Luffy gritted his teeth as he glared menacingly at him. His eyes were glowing bright red under the moonlight.

Luffy appeared in front of Bellamy. "Gomu Gomu no...."

"GATLING!!!!!!"

Bellamy spat out blood as soon as Luffy started punching him up. The punches felt like getting hit by a bazooka.

Bellamy slammed into a wooden building and Luffy kept going until he stopped his attack and grabbed Bellamy.

"I hear that you have a devil fruit, Bellamy. Let me show you how powerless a man can truly be!! " Luffy shouted and used Soru to appear in midair while grabbing Bellamy with him.

" Gomu Gomu no... " Luffy stretched out his hand that was holding Bellamy.

"CATAPULT!!!!!!"

Luffy threw Bellamy far away to the sea. Bellamy splashed into it. It was anticlimactic, but someone like Bellamy didn't deserve a dramatic defeat.

Luffy looked at Bellamy's crew who were trembling in his presence. "Cricket's treasure, give it to me, now."

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.

Holy Land Mary Geoise....

" What..... Red Hair.... He.... "

"Yes, things don't seem very stable." A High ranking Marine muttered to them. In front of the Marine, there were five people.

These are the Five Elder Stars. They are a council of the five highest-ranking Celestial Dragons who act as the public heads of the World Government.

The Five Elders' political sway over the World Government, its subsidiary organizations, agencies, and military branches is paramount and near-illimitable.

They hold absolute command over Cipher Pol, which is a series of secret agencies who do investigations, espionage, and assassinations for the World Government.

They also hold absolute command over the Marines, and the Seven Warlords of the Sea, thus controlling two of the Three Great Powers.

"Did he initiate it?!" One of the Five Elder Stars asked the Marine.

He is a thick set, elderly man with a full white mustache and beard. He possesses white dreadlocks which he wears a flat black hat over.

He has a scar on the left side of his face, stretching diagonally over his eye. Like two of his fellow Elders, his outfit consists of a black suit over a dark purple tie and a white collared shirt, as well as black pants. He carries a walking cane.

He is Saint Jaygarcia Saturn. He is one of the Five Elders who publicly head the World Government, possessing the title Warrior God of Science and Defense.

"He did, he sent a messenger to contact but.... Whitebeard and Red Hair meeting each other, it's too dangerous! " The Marine replied with a panicked voice.

" Hm, that is correct. However, if something would've happened to Red Hair, things would be tough. Though he is not someone who would want to change the whole world under his will. " Saturn muttered.

" Let's not rush, let's observe the situation first. " Another of the Five Elder Stars advised Saturn. He is a bald elderly man who has a very large white mustache as well as birthmark spots on his forehead.

He is Saint Topman Warcury and he holds the title of the Warrior God of Justice.

"More importantly, we have to decide the successor of Crocodile. Even though it's only a small hole, we still need to be careful. " An old bald headed man called Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro added. Nusjuro holds the title Warrior God of Finance.

"If these three powers were to crumble. The world will plunge into chaos. we must never let that happen. " A man called Saint Shepherd Ju Peter advised. Ju Peter holds the title Warrior God of Agriculture.

"Damn that Monkey D Luffy. It's always someone who carries the Will of D that becomes a thorn in our side." Warcury grumbled.

"We must not let him become a major player in the world. We cannot allow the world to enter a new age again." Nusjuro added. Saturn rested his head on his fists and looked out of the window with a stoic expression.

" Fear not, Saint Ethanbaron. Let us see how the son of Dragon and his merry band fare against the wrath of an Admiral and the skills of CP9... "

The world is revolving because of one man's actions.....

To be continued...