20 - Ended Battle, New Members

Even though he was battered and burnt, Luffy smirked proudly as he has, yet again managed to get past one of Kreig's cheap shot weapons.

"You ready for this??" Luffy taunted. "Because that was all I needed. Now that your little toy is broken, you're nothing to me"

Kreig's eyebrow twitched slightly. "Oh, yeah??"

"Yeah, without the blade, it's just a bomb on the stick. And let's face it, that's pretty lame"

"You think so??" Kreig questioned.

"Sure do" Luffy replied.

Now Kreig had a smug look on his face and you don't like it one bit. "Fine. So what if it's just a bomb on the stick?? You're in sad shape, kiddo. I think it'll be more than enough to blow you to pieces. You know, it sounds to me like this is some sort of pathetic attempt at a bluff"

"Okay, but you're wrong??" Luffy cracked back.

"Just give up. Your defeat is imminent" Kreig lifted what was left of the Battle Spear. "You see when you defied me, you signed your death warrant!!"

"Nuh uh," Luffy stuck out his tongue childishly at the Pirate Commodore causing you to snicker at his childish nature.

Kreig charges in and is about to bring down the broken Battle Spear onto the rubber boy but miraculously, even heavily wounded, Luffy finds the energy to stretch his arms to grab a yard of a broken mast.

"Hey, up here!!" Luffy mocked Kreig while swinging above him.

Kreig doesn't take the mocking too kindly and brings his weapon down upon the base of the mast causing it to fall.

The portion of the yard Luffy is clinging to breaks off but it seems he has a better idea to use it. He hurls the yard piece at Kreig but the cheating pirate pulls out a flamethrower attached to his wrist.

"How many weapons does that guy have?!" You and Sanji exclaimed.

"This is honestly getting way too long!!" You huffed in frustration. "Oi, Luffy!! You better defeat him sooner. This is taking too long!!" you shouted.

"On it!!" Luffy replied, grinning.

"GUM GUM GATLING!!" The multitude of punches struck Kreig's armor blow for blow but none did any damage and left Kreig unharmed.

Kreig laughed at Luffy's attempts and continued to mock him. "Weakling!! What exactly did you expect to happen, boy?? I'm wearing Wootz-steal body armor. This stuff is practically indestructible"

Luffy rushes forward with a Gum Gum Pistol armed and ready but like his last attack, it doesn't cause any damage to Kreig's armor. Kreig sends Luffy flying back what's left of his weapon. As Luffy raised his head and stood back up, Kreig disappeared and then reappeared atop a nearby mast.

"You don't stand a chance, boy!!" He shouted down from above. "Real power comes from deadly weapons. They're the source of true strength. See, only the strong are meant to live . . and that's me!!"

You grunted behind clenched teeth as you accidentally tightened your grip on Ghin.

"Agh, (First Name)!! Your grip!!"

"Sorry, Ghin!!" you apologized as you loosened it to its usual grip.

"Yeah, that's what you think!!" Luffy exclaimed as he dashed up the mast. "GUM GUM . . ."

"It's useless!!" Kreig barked. "Foolish pride will only get you so far!!" He brought down his weapon on Luffy once more but the rubber boy strides up without even flinching.

". . .BAZOOKA!!"

His attack successfully connects with Kreig but the previous explosion stunned Luffy to a standstill. With this sudden halt, Kreig uses this opening to fling more of his explosive marbles.

"That's it?! After all that big talk, that's all you got?!" Kreig guffaws. But his laughter was cut short as his armor began to crack. However, he doesn't seem to be worried as the marbles come into contact with the ocean below causing a massive explosion to surround Luffy.

"It's a trap!! Get out!!" Sanji warned but it came a little too late.

The blast caused the onlookers still in the water to get caught in the shockwave.

The rubber boy burst through the billowing smoke as his arms stretched and ready for another attack.

"GUM GUM . . .BAZOOKA!!"

As his hands slammed into Kreig's armor, this time it crushed the thing entirely. With this, the cooks burst into cheers. You smiled at Luffy's victory.

But the sweet taste of victory turned sour all of a sudden . . .

"SHUT UP, FOOLS!! THIS ISN'T OVER YET, BOY!!" He trapped Luffy in a weighted steel net, trying to drag him down to the ocean.

Kreig laughed at his dirty trick as Luffy struggled to get out of the net before they both hit the water. "You can't escape!! It's a steel net!! Looks like I'll be getting the last laugh, chore boy!!"

But Luffy is not fazed in the slightest bit. He looks somewhat happy that he's caught. He squeezed his arms and legs through the gaps of the net. Using his legs and feet, he stretched them out while twisting them and grabbed ahold of Kreig's head by his feet.

"Time for me to end this now!!" Luffy exclaimed. "GUM GUM . . .GIANT HAMMER!!" As his legs quickly unwound, he hurled the pirate still spinning to crash land on the destroyed Baratie fin. The fight is finally over and the chefs cheered even louder than before.

You removed your tail grip on Ghin as you quickly dived down into the ocean to save the rubber boy. You shift to your mermaid form and spot the sinking rubber boy.

When you came upon his drowning figure, you blew an air bubble so that he could breathe again. Luffy is quick to regain consciousness and is surprised when he sees your mermaid form. You broke off the steel net freeing Luffy from his trap. You smiled as you got ahold of him and swam back to the surface. He relaxed in your hold as you finally reached the water's surface. You were welcomed by the outstretched hand of a familiar blonde chef, Sanji who hoisted you up onto the front porch of the Baratie.

The air bubble popped when you were above the water's surface. You gently plopped Luffy down beside you, patting his head. "You were crazy out there, Luffy"

"You're even crazier than me, (First Name)" Luffy threw back. You scoffed. "Fair point"

"Now go rest, you little monkey. You had enough fun for today"

"Okay . . ." The rubber boy is quick to nod it off.

"Is chore boy gonna be alright??" Sanji asked in concern.

"Pfft, he'll be fine. Some rest and a big meal afterward and he'll be as good as new" You assured him.

"Don Kreig has been defeated"

You shift to your human form and turn to Ghin who is muttering things in disbelief.

"Compared to the other parts of the Blue Sea, the East Blue is the tamest of them all so there isn't much to put up a good fight around these parts. And things are only impossible if you truly believe them to be. That's the kind of mindset Kreig had made you think with. He allowed you to think that the impossible could never be possible. It's why you could never make it on the Grand Line" You reasoned.

"He was the only man I ever really admired. How foolish. Now he's lost"

"Loss is a way of life, Ghin. The sooner you learn the better. It's what you do with the loss that matters"

Ghin sighs heavily and walks off.

"NO!! I'M THE STRONGEST!!"

"The hell . . .??" you murmured and sighed at the barely conscious Don Kreig who doesn't seem to be in his right mind.

He started screaming while his men tried to hold him down but were beaten by him. You got up and strides past the Kreig pirates. You forcefully drive a precise blow to his abdomen, knocking him unconscious. The now knocked-out pirate lies over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

You turned to the Kreig Pirates and glared at them. "Leave now while you still have a sliver of dignity left in you" You stalk closer to them.

"Compremende??"

"Yes, ma'am!!"

Zeff and Sanji gave them an old dinghy they used for grocery shopping despite the protests of Patty and Carne. You chuck Kreig into the pile before popping squat at the edge of the Baratie's front porch. Now that everything's been finally taken care of, you could finally relax. All that tension and wariness wears you out.

While relaxing, you heard footsteps from behind and turned to see Ghin approaching you.

"(First Name)??"

"Yea??"

"What you said before . . .Did you mean it??" he asked almost cautiously.

"Hm?? Care to elaborate??"

"When you defended me, you said you would ask me to sail with the Straw hats"

"Ah, yeah. I meant every word I said. You're too great of a man, Ghin. I would rather have you join them than waste your life with these lot"

There was silence as you watched the Kreig pirates load into the tiny boat.

"Was your offer sincere??"

You paused and processed what Ghin had said. "W-what are you trying to say??"

"I would like to take you up on your offer"

Your eyes widened as you choked on your saliva then narrowed to look into his eyes if there was any deceit or whether he was lying but there was none.

"Y-you're serious about this"

"I've never been more certain of anything in my entire life. So will you have me on board??"

"Are you kidding?? I would love to!! But the decision is up to the captain of the crew which is this chore boy here so we'll see about that. Though I would like to ask, what brought this on??"

"Don Kreig's obsession with the Grand Line has become my own but with his stubborn mindset, I can't ever survive there. But you, you accept the impossible and that's probably why you've survived there for so long. I wish to learn how to do that, to see and accept the unbelievable on the Grand Line, and to not be afraid to question. I've never felt freer than my entire time with them than the few short hours I spent with you, Sanji, and the chore boy here at the Baratie, compared to my years as the Kreig Pirates' Cheif Commander. To hell with loyalty to Don Kreig!! My devotion to him was just an escape from forging my destiny. Once your heart is set and you pursue all your dreams with every last fiber of what you are, you will never again feel lost or hopeless, or afraid. Who would've guessed I learned all that from this brave chore boy"

You chuckled. "I'm sure you'll get there. Wait till you see the weirdest and craziest things in the Grand Line. I can guarantee you that. At least you found a dream to chase, knowing some of the Strawhats who have something in common. I'm sure Luffy will be thrilled to have you as a fellow crew member and friend"

"Friend . . ." He breathed out the word as if it was foreign to him. "That's not a word often heard among the Kreig Pirates"

"Well, that's all going to change. Even if it's only a few hours, this crew is most likely on a whole different kind of pirate, defying a lot of expectations than the norm" You patted his shoulder.

"Why did I hesitate?? What was I so worried about?? When I think about it, I can't help but feel stupid" Ghin said to himself.

Luffy's snores drew both your attention and brought a smile to your faces. "Is this kid going to be my captain??"

"He not may seem like the ideal captain but you might not regret it later on. You just need to question your sanity while you're at it" you snorted.

The former chief commander of the Kreig Pirates chuckled at your statement.

With the Kreig Pirates gone and out of sight, the chefs decide on a much-needed feast in order. And with your growling stomach, who are you to deny free food? With a closed-eyed smile and a sleeping rubber boy in your arms, bridal style, you follow Sanji and Ghin into the restaurant through the broken doorway.

Wait for me, Nami. I'll break the shackles he placed on you myself and fulfill the promise I made with you . . .