Part six - Koby, Hats and Marines 4/8

-Oh, Luffy, isn't this Shellstown? - Zoro asked, frowning.

- O-o-o! - Luffy drawled in a mock surprise, then clapped his hands happily. - I can hardly believe it, but you actually managed to remember the name of the whole city! Perhaps another five years and you can even be released somewhere unaccompanied and fearful that we will never see you again.

Zoro's hand, as usual, clenched on the hilt of his white sword, but he still managed to overcome himself, and did not take the katana from its scabbard.

- I just don't understand why you chose this particular Marine base, - Zoro explained. - Here, this "Axe-hand" Morgan is in charge, isn't he?

- "Axe-hand" Morgan ?! - Koby jumped up sharply, instantly forgetting about his desire to bang his head on the concrete under his feet. - I heard about him! He's pretty famous! They say he is an excellent captain! Several years ago he caught the famous East Blue pirate ...

Zoro, turning his head towards the joyful Koby, looked at him with such a look, and with such an expression on his face that the boy involuntarily choked in mid-sentence, and fell silent. For a few seconds, the swordsman silently looked at Koby standing in front of him, then turned his gaze to his innocent smiling captain. I wonder who he even wanted to fool here? The innocent smile on Luffy's face confirmed his guilt better than any sincere confession.

- Luffy, I always knew you were a real bastard, but today you outdid yourself. - Zoro shook his head.

- What? - the guy's face became even more innocent, if this was possible at all. - Zoro, you sound like you suspect I've done something wrong ... or about to do. I just thought that Koby would be pleased to meet the famous East Blue Captain Morgan. And he would be delighted to serve under such a gallant captain, wouldn't he, Koby? Would you like to serve under Captain Morgan?

- Uh-uh ... huh?

If someone else asked him about this, Koby would immediately agree with this statement. Naturally, he would like to serve under such an illustrious captain. After all, this is "Axe-hand" Morgan! Only the question was asked by an innocent smiling Luffy, which never boded well. Two weeks turned out to be quite enough for Koby to understand this not cunning truth, not only with every cell of his body, but also with every fiber of his soul.

- You see Zoro, Koby agrees! - Luffy said happily. - What don't you like?

- Don't even start. - Pointing a finger at Luffy, Zoro shook his head. - And in general, we go to the city, I want to eat, - already turning around, he added.

Koby looked after him in bewilderment, then looked around at all the other pirate hunters. Luffy still continued to pretend to be an innocent lamb - sheep with such teeth, and even in three rows, simply do not exist - but Ryu, Yosaku and Nami froze somewhat forced smiles on their faces.

- What? - Koby asked. - What was Zoro-san talking about?

- Zoro? Never mind, - Johnny patted the boy on the shoulder. - Everything will be fine ... probably.

Once again slapping Koby on the shoulder, Johnny followed Zoro, and Yosaku was already reaching after him, who, passing the boy, also several times encouragingly patted him on the shoulder.

Realizing that he had nothing to catch from this company, Koby looked inquiringly at the "Queen". Unlike the others, she almost always honored him with an answer or provided an explanation.

- Ryu said everything right, never mind, - the girl smiled at him benevolently. - It's just that Luffy again found something to amuse himself with, but everything will be fine ... if not, then I personally will make sure that our captain start feeling not very well, - she said the last words, casting a warning glance at Luffy.

- Nobody believes in me at all, and they are called family! - the guy was deliberately offended.

- Luffy, I'm serious!

- Me too.

Koby almost jumped on the spot. In two weeks the boy had never heard Luffy speak in such a tone.

- Ah ... sorry, - the threatening expression on the face of the "Queen" was instantly replaced by an apologetic. - It's just that you are often so difficult to understand….

- But your doubts are absolutely clear to me, but the fact is that I really feel a little guilty.

- Truth? - the girl was obviously surprised. - Why? It doesn't sound like you at all!

- Nami, do you really think I believed for a second that Koby belonged to Alvida's pirates? - Instead of stretching his lips into his usual silly smile, Luffy only smiled slightly. - From the very beginning, he diligently stayed away from everyone, and in his behavior there was too much of that which is characteristic of downtrodden servants or real slaves. Plus, look at him. - Luffy waved his hand slightly, pointing to the frankly dumbfounded boy, - his chosen color scheme of clothes literally screams about his love for the Marines. Blue glasses, a white shirt with blue stripes, dark pants and boots. Kobe is dressed like a little sailor. What kind of pirate is he? The chance of error was close to zero.

- But I remember that you yourself were very surprised that Koby wasn't a pirate at all, - Nami frowned.

- Koby is not a pirate ?! - Luffy stared at her in surprise, and most importantly, it was completely believable.

- ... I hate you, - after a short silence, the girl shared her feelings.

- Lies! - the guy smiled at himself quite normally. - You love me, and you know it.

- Then ... then why all this arranged circus with throwing daggers?

- That's why I say I feel a little guilty. - Luffy lightly scratched the back of his head. - I just thought it would be funny if we scared him half to death.

- ... It was at such moments that I always want to pretend that we are strangers, - Nami wearily covered her eyes with her hand. - And why did you bring him to this island, if you really feel guilty?

- Do you think I'm going to apologize in normal ways?

- You? Apologize? Have you ever apologized for anything in your life?

- Of course I apologized! Just not in words, but in deeds.

- And how can Koby's service under Morgan be considered an apology? In my opinion, it looks more like a not-so-disguised assassination attempt.

- Who said that Koby would be under Morgan's command?

- … You're up to something, - Nami said in such a tone, as if she was accusing the guy of something immoral… or maybe she really was.

- Morgan ... why would it be so bad to be subordinate to Morgan? - asked Kobey finally coming to his senses.

It was hard to believe, but Luffy could really be serious. Koby just witnessed it himself. Shock is a great word to describe his condition perfectly. Now, the "Mad Hatter" he knew, looked not only completely serious, but also absolutely normal. The constant waves of cheerful madness literally emitted by him disappeared without a trace. Seeing the captain in such a Luffy was not the slightest bit of a problem. And around him was the familiar sense of danger that Koby knew. Exactly the same as he always felt around Zoro. Although no, not at all - it was stronger! Monstrously monstrously stronger! The "queen" was not exaggerating at all when she said that Luffy was much stronger than Zoro.

- Why is it bad to be subordinate to Morgan? - Luffy echoed Koby's question. - Soon you will find out the answer yourself, because that is why I chose Shellstown ... Listen, - after a moment, the guy narrowed his eyes suspiciously, - it seems to me, or have you somehow turned pale? Are you all right?

- No, no, everything is o-ok, - the boy shook his head. - It's just that I just felt your power for the first time, Luffy-san. - After taking a few deep breaths, Koby spoke without hesitation. - I've already gotten used to the feeling of Zoro-san's power, but his power cannot be compared with yours. It takes me a while to get used to it.

Luffy stared at Koby completely unblinking, causing the boy to feel cold sweat streaming down his back.

- You can feel my power? - Luffy asked, with some very strange intonation in his voice.

- Y-yeah.

After the boy's response, Luffy's expression became no less strange than the intonation in his voice.

- And Zoro's strength?

- Yes.

- And Ryu, Yosaku, Nami?

- Nami-san is the weakest, - Koby replied, throwing an apologetic glance towards the girl. -Ryu-san and Yosaku-san are about the same level, but they are much, much weaker than Zoro-san, and Zoro-san is about that much weaker than you, Luffy-san.

There was another silence, but now it was not only Luffy who was looking at Koby. Hearing the boy's explanation, Nami herself stared at him as if Koby had just grown a second head ... and a pair of arms ... and more wings behind her back. Luffy, tilting his head to one side, looked as if he had just heard some new word for himself, and was now trying to understand its meaning.

- Tell me, Koby, - Luffy finally spoke up again after a long silence, - since you feel my power, what will happen if I do this ...

Koby blinked in bewilderment. All of Luffy's monstrous power just felt vanished without a trace. Before the boy again stood, if not a completely harmless guy, then surely much weaker than Nami ... no, not weaker, but simply his strength ceased ... ceased to exist? Perhaps yes. It is impossible to appreciate the nonexistent power ... however, as soon as Koby himself realized with surprise, he felt the power in all the people that passed near them ... and felt the people who were in the city. This has definitely never happened to him before! Until that moment, he thought it was all about the hunter-pirate team, but in fact, it seems that it was all about him.

- What… what happened to me? - The guy asked aloud in bewilderment, without addressing anyone in particular.

- First, answer my question. - Luffy reminded his question, uncharacteristically, patiently. - Do you feel my power now?

- Uh… no, I don't feel it. As if your strength ceased to exist ... no, as if you removed the scale of measurement by which it could be measured.