Ch.49 Destination

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　"Gomu Gomu no Pistol...!!!"

　'Wham!'

　The sound of a fist heavy strike with an arm reverberated on top of the lonely boat in the middle of the sea.

　"Good, it has surprise element but it still lacking in power Luffy..." Said Rei after he blocked Luffy attack by his arms.

　Luffy pulled back his stretched arms as he contemplating for a while.

　"Try something else..." Rei smiled as he put horse stance readying for next.

　Currently the Straw hats crews were sparring one by one against Rei on top of the boat. Zoro were resting after he still couldn't push Rei away from the circle no matter how he attacked the later.

　After Zoro, It was Luffy's turn who wants to train his technique. Rei actualy didn't have any idea how to train the Devil fruit user, however everything could be solved by an actual combat, he thought.

　"Hang on Rei, let me try my new technique..." Luffy grinned while he twirling his shoulder around.

　Rei lower his stance even more seeing Luffy stretched his hand far back, then the later clenched his fist. in instant, Luffy dashed towards Rei while he snapped his stretched fist forward!

　Rei raised his hands together attempting to block Luffy's technique.

　"Gomu Gomu no Bullet!!!"

　'BAMM!!!'

　Rei feet dragged back slightly as the impact momentun transfered from his hand!

　"Haiyaaa! I still can't push you out from the circle!" Luffy sounds disappointed and yet a moment later he laughed.

　Rei shook his arms to remove the numbing feeling of the impact, then he said.

　"Its power is great, but you also putting yourself open Luffy. You need to stay close to the opponent after all."

　Luffy nodded and he heard Rei voice once again,

　"But its a good finishing move when your opponent is off guard, lets try adding more power into it Luffy..."

　"How?"

　Rei smiled and told, "Try to twist your arms like a rope while you use the technique."

　Luffy crossed his arms in a moment trying to imagine what Rei had told.

　"I got it! Okay lets try once again!" Luffy laughed as he put a distance between them.

　Luffy once again stretched his arm far back, however this time he twisted his rubber arm until it looks like a braided hair.

　"Get ready Rei! Here i come!"

　'Wooosh....!'

　"Heaaaaaa!"

　'BOOOOOM!'

　The power of Luffy's technique was much more powerfull than before! Rei who blocked it couldn't help but flung away towards the sea!

　'SPLAASH!'

　"REEEEI!" Luffy attempted to dive into the sea seeing his Firstmate got hurled out of the boat!

　Thankfully Zoro who was nearby get a hold of Luffy before he does something stupid!

　"Don't be stupid Luffy!" Said Zoro.

　"Zoro! Go help him!" Exclaimed Luffy.

　However soon,

　"I'm fine don't worry!"

　Rei voice could be heard from afar. When Luffy and Zoro saw him, they couldn't help but dumbfounded!

　Zoro, "What the....."

　Luffy, "HOW CAN YOU DO THAAAT? ITS AWESOME!"

　'SPLASH!'

　Seeing Rei walking on the sea, Luffy unconsciously jump into the water catching Zoro off guard!

　Thankfully Rei with his Shunshin moved quickly and fished him out of the water!

　"Gabalagabagableh..."

　"What the hell are you thinking? Idiot!" Rei couldn't help but scolded Luffy.

　"Bleh! Bleh! I thought the sea turn solid seeing you walk on it..." Answered Luffy with innocent face.

　Zoro sighed in relief seeing Rei could help Luffy out of the water, then soon he focused back towards the later who still stood on the sea seemingly without any foothold in sight.

　'Pow!'

　Rei threw Luffy onboard as he followed, then he heard Zoro spoke,

　"What kind of Devil fruit did you eat to walk on water like that?"

　Rei laughed, "Hahahaha, i said i didn't eat any."

　Rei stepped back into the circle and asked Zoro, "Ready for another round?"

　Zoro raised one of his eyebrow and smirked, "Hehehe, prepared to get trashed White Ghost!"

　The sounds of metal against metal could be heard ferociously as Rei's Chōkuto and Zoro's Wadō Ichimonji clashed. Seeing Zoro still couldn't beat Rei, Luffy proposes to join the fight in attempt to pushed Rei out of the circle.

　Zoro refused at first because Luffy had actualy done it before, he flung Rei away overboard! And yet, Rei digressed by saying it was because he received Luffy's attack head on.

　And so, the skirmish of 2 vs 1 began with Rei activated his Sharingan in order to dealt with the 2 Straw hats pirates strongest combatant.

　Afternoon, the trio could be seen sprawled on the deck after they had finished. Their clothes were drenched by sweats while they breath heavily.

　"*Huff, *huff... I realy can't believed you can dodge Luffy's attack earlier..." Zoro said.

　"*Huff, *huff. Rei's too fast!" Luffy smiled in satisfaction. Battle against the strong opponent always made him excited.

　"*wheeze, You actualy improved by incorporating close combat Zoro. And you claimed that you're a swordsman?" Rei chuckled while he too feeling satsified. He could felt how tremendous both of his mates improvements in battle.

　Zoro scoffed hearing what Rei had said. For him, no matter what kind of thing he used in battle he would use it to his advantage.

　"Wait until i get another swords Rei, I'll show it to you later." Zoro said once again while Rei laughed out loud.

　"By the way! I thought about the name of my new technique Rei!" Luffy suddenly sits cross legged.

　"Huh?"

　"I'll call it Gomu Gomu no Riffle!" Luffy claimed full of spirit!

　Rei smiled faintly as an unknown pride grew within his heart, then he chuckled, "Hahaha, thats good name Luffy."

　'clack.'

　The cabin door opened as a pretty girl doning an apron went out and called towards the trio.

　"Hey guys! Lets eat!" Nami hollered.

　'dash!'

　Luffy was the first to heed Nami's voice as he dashed into the cabin leaving Rei who helped Zoro to stand up. Nami had begun to adapts towards the crews after 2 days of journey together even though she was still slightly tip-toeing around Rei.

　And Zoro actualy grew less tense around Rei. All in all, their chemistry has quite bonded after day to day interaction with each other.

　On the dining table moment later, four crews of Straw hats currently eating Nami's home made food relieving Rei's previous duty of cooking.

　', *Nom, *nom. craush....'

　Luffy eat with relish as the other three has more modest easting posture, in the middle of the meal. Nami actualy opened the conversations first,

　"We're going to make port tomorow around midday with our current speed."

　"*nom, *nom. Already?" Luffy asked with mouthful of food.

　Nami nodded, "Uh-huh...."

　Seeing Nami seemingly had something to ask, Rei called her, "Is there anything you want to ask Nami?"

　 Nami looked back and forth between Luffy and Rei for a while, the she took a deep breath and asked, "If i may know, what do you guys wants to do in Orange town?"

　Despite she doesn't mentioned it, Orange town was actualy also Nami's destination. On the way there, she just coincidentally met with these ragtags group of pirates.

　"Ask Rei, he said there will be 'surprise' for us there. Ah! More please..." Luffy answered while he gave Nami his empty plate.

　"Surprise? What kind?" Asked Nami after she refilled Luffy's plate with food.

　'The surprise was actualy you!' Said Rei within his thought without saying it out loud.

　Rei cleared his throat awkwardly, then he answered Nami after recollecting his thought, "*Uhum. Luffy wants to enter Grand Line, i heard in Orange town there is a Clown Pirates possessing the Grand Line map with its route."

　Nami paused slightly as the thing Rei mentioned was also within her 'Hit-List'. And she also knew about the infamous Clown Pirates in Orange town with their possessions of Grand Line map!

　"Is that true? Then after we get that map, we can go to Grand Line immediately right?" Asked Luffy in excitement!

　And Nami spoke, "I see, so thats why you want to go there..."

　She doesn't have any concerns regarding the Straw hats wants to go toward the notorious Buggy the clown there. After all, they were with the 'White Ghost', the difference between the two bounties were no joke!

　Rei responded Luffy by shaking his head, "It's not simple Luffy, other than the maps. We also need a bigger ship."

　Luffy pouted while chomping his meal.

　After a few moments, Zoro finished his meal first as he went outside to swing the kunai more. Luffy leaped outside leaving the dish on the table.

　Nami was fuming seeing no one wants to help her wash the dishes. except,

　"Go get some rest..." Rei spoke while he took all dirty dishes and went to wash it.

　Rei always use seawater to wash the dishes as the sea within the series was still clean enough without any polution.

　Nami squinted her eyes as she began to change her opinions on Rei once again. in these past 2 days interacting with the notorious White Ghost, she felt Rei was different from rumours. He actualy doesn't act like someone with bounty on his head!

　In fact, Nami's opinion towards the crews were varies. She felt that Luffy was quite childish yet fun guy, Zoro was an indifferent man but has passion for his goal. And Rei? She felt Rei was such complex character.

　He took care of the crews day to day life, Nami also knew that before she went onboard, Rei was a Helmsman, Navigator and Cook even if he denied it by saying "I can't help it, they are too unreliable."

　The most intriguing thing for her was that Rei had willingly followed Luffy by becoming his crew member as the Firstmate! Or you might says he was Deputy Captain of the later. Even when he had that much bounty on his head!

　Nami went to the small book cabinet, after she inspected it one by one, she finaly took some books to relieve her boredom.

　",'Chriss P. Bakon Journey to Heaven'? Some book you read there..." Rei spoke as he passed Nami by after he had done washing the dishes.

　Nami paused as she noticed one of the book's page there was a bookmark there, "You read this too?"

　Rei nodded as he went towards the book's cabinet and took a book from there. Then after, he went outside leaving Nami on her thought.

　Noticing Luffy was currently laying down on the boat's bow, Rei went to the stem and sat there leaning his back on the front's deck railing and opened his book.

　Zoro was sitting cross-legged besides the cabin's door while he use the weighted kunai as a dumbell. His sharp eyes looked towards his mates whose chattering with each other ahead.

　He suddenly heard Nami's voice who currently stood at the door, "Don't you guys know who he is?"

　Zoro glanced at Nami for a bit before he turned his head forwards once again, "Rei?"

　Nami, "Uh-huh..."

　"45 Million Bellies, yes i know..." Zoro answered.

　"Then..." Before Nami finished her sentence, Zoro cut her short.

　"He is our crewmate, nothing more nothing less."

　Nami kept her silent as she returned inside the cabin seemingly has something on her mind.

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