Chapter 11

Ra pov

Seated across Roger, I was thinking of how best I should start and steer the conversation in a discreet manner allowing me to get what I came for. I just looked at him straight in the eyes but my planning seemed to be for naught as he started the conversation, "So boy what's your name and why are you here?" He was surprisingly straightforward but that trait suited me just fine.

" My name is Zentar D Ra, who are you? Where did you come from? How and why exactly are you here?" I questioned back. "That's some guts you got there boy asking a grown man such as myself those kind of questions but I guess I'll humor you just this once. I go by the name Gol D Roger, I hail from a small town in the east blue, how I got here I don't know and why I am here is something I am trying hard to find out. But enough of that bullshit, I can tell that you are aware of who I am though I won't question how you do as you should have never heard of me or even seen my appearance. I'll let it slide cause every man has his secrets but if you try spouting that kind of nonesense again your head might just detach from your neck." He answered.

I visibly tensed when he exposed me immediately but then after having a vision of me missing my head I decided to shoot and not waste this chance." You see right now I am conflicted about my life. I love my mother and she wants me to stay here by her side. I understand how she feels but my yearning isn't in this island but out at sea though I am afraid of informing her as I had already accepted when she adked me to stay here." I expected him to give an enlighting reply but he nonchalantly said," Just follow your dream boy, family is important I can't disagree with you on that one but dreams are meant to be made true. Knowing that something great is out there awaiting your presence should be reason enough, take it from a man such as myself who has travelled through most of the seas." It was indeed that simple as implied by Monkey D Luffy in following your dreams but I'll still take his words with a grain of salt considering the man left his wife and child to travel and was promptly followed after by the wife after his own death.

I now knew what I should do but I decided to push my luck while I stood up," Could you tell me about your adventures at sea while you are still here?" I asked. The man just laughed and replied," Sure, why not?" That was enough for me and I excused myself to meet Rayleigh and look for the man who treated me.

..........

Back at the cave Roger wondered if the reason Zunesha guided him to this island which seemed to be even out of reach of the world government was to meet the boy. He laughed it off and decided to let fate take its course as he would know sooner or later.

..........

With Ra,

I was now heading to where Rayleigh was and I couldn't help but notice a boy with blue hair and an enlarged red nose beside him. He was busy telling some sort of story but I didn't understand any of it. I sat across Rayleigh and inquired,"How did you train to become so strongwith the sword?" Little Buggy was the one to reply first,"Why are you interrupting me and even before thinking of vice captain do you think you can defeat me? In the first place, who even are you?" He was obviously not informed fully of what occurred a month prior so I'll just entertain him, "My name is Strong one with a capital S and asking me if I can defeat you, do you think you can even pull me from where I am seated?" His face almost got as red as his nose and he quipped back," What do you mean that your name is strong one, that's obviously bullshit and I can pull you up from the log you are sitting on with one hand behind my back." Hah.. I was getting a kick out him and his reactions so I just mysteriously smiled and offered him my hand so he could demonstrate his strength. He struggled to pull and after a few minutes slumped onto the ground.

Obviously he couldn't pull my body as one thing I realised while growing up was that I was really heavy. This can be attributed to my bones and the now heavily condensed muscles I was carrying in my body. I aprroximated my weight to be around six hundred pounds give or take though I have not really measured it. The unbelieving look on child buggy's face was strangely fulfilling so I decided to bask in the moment and walking away I stopped by a boulder that was almost ten times my size and lifted it up with one arm. He unexpectedly fainted ruining all the fun but I think I had awoken something in me after the fight with Rayleigh. I put the boulder down and headed back to where I was before. Rayleigh awaited my arrival and began, "That was very impressive...?" "Ra" I finished. But I wondered if he had forgotten my name after only a month of not seeing me ."That was indeed impressive Ra but I would suggest you don't ruin Buggy's world view for now."

"I will try, though I make no promises." I replied.

"Now then, you should know that it is good manners to greet and introduce yourself to new people before asking for something."

"I thought we were already aquainted during our fight." I replied.

"That is indeed true but then we were communicating as warriors and right now we are friends in the making, now if you want I could give you some pointers in the way of using a blade though I am no expert in axe wielding." He concluded.

I accepted as it was a good deal and spent some time talking to him.

I hadn't seen the doctor who I can safely assume to be a young Crocus so I decided to head back home, though goat san had already left and gone to graze as per usual. I was walking away when a red haired boy stopped me. Shanks looked me in the eye and said," I know that you are stronger than me at the moment but I swear I will defeat you some day when we meet at sea and prove that I am stronger." I didn't want to discourage him so I just smiled an replied,"Then you better do your damn best." I made my way through the mountains basking in the after glory of knowing that I had inspired a future emperor of the sea.

Two months had gone by and right now mother,father and I were waving at the departing figures of the Roger pirates. I had spent most of my time listening to Roger's tales, training my axe wielding skills with Rayleigh's help, making Buggy displeased or sparring with Shanks though it was with our weapons. My time with the crew was well spent and I even got to know the other members on a deeper level especially Crocus who spent most of his time during the day enhancing mother's medical knowledge. The ship disappeared into the horizon in the retracting fog which protected and hid the island. I don't know if I will meet them again though I have a feeling that I probably will. Now the remaining mission is training harder than ever before and figuring out how to convince mother to let me go to sea.