Chapter 33

"Oh, so this is where you guys are," Kaya said entering the restaurant where the three were- Luffy, Zoro and Nami- eating and drinking.

"Hello, Miss!" Luffy greeted with a wave while Nami who was sitting opposite of Zoro and Luffy turned to look at the newcomer.

"Are you alright being out of bed?" Nami asked, not wanting Kaya to get more sick.

"Yes... My sickness was due to the loss of my parents which had occurred the last year.. But Usopp-san encouraged me! I can't be weak for forever!" She said with a smile, making the others return it.

"You have done so much for me. Thank you!" Kaya said giving a small bow. "I've prepared a present for you from the bottom of my heart. It would make me happy if you accept it!" She said with excitement, wanting to see how they would react.

Luffy hopped off his seat, instantly wanting to see the present and wondering aloud if it was meat! That made everyone chuckle in the bar. Kaya led them to the shore, which left them with a smile each, at the sight of the actual ship with a ship figurehead waiting for them.

"A caravel!" Nami exclaimed happily as she recognized the type of the ship instantly.

"WOW!!!" Luffy said with awe jumping up and down in his place and examining the ship caravel, which was already waiting for him to set sail on it. He could hear the soft whispers from it, speaking gently and calling for him and his friends to hop on and start a new adventure, a new chapter, a new journey towards freedom.

"That's cool!" Zoro even complimented at the sight of their pirate ship, which was finally before them. Now, there would be lots of space for him to nap and train. He needs to train to become stronger.

"It's a slightly old style but I designed it myself. It's a caravel and it uses a staysail. The controls are in the back!" Merry explained looking at the pirate crew, searching for the one who had defeated Kuro and the Black Cat Pirates.

Finally, his eyes landed on the saviour who had defeated Black Cat Pirates and Kuro. When his mistress described him as a boy, he didn't think that he was literally a boy!

"So it is you who defeated Kuro and his pirate crew with Usopp-kun," Merry said, shock evident in his voice and face. He had really thought the boy to be bigger and have more muscles.. but the boy was all lanky and looked weak. He really wonders if the guy with the three swords didn't beat the pirates and gave the credit to the kid. That was a possibility but he knew his mistress wouldn't lie to him regarding these matters.

"Can we really have this?!" Luffy asked, ignoring the shock coming from the sheepman before him.

"Yes, I insist!" Kaya confirmed, happy to see that the captain liked it.

"I will explain the steering system," Merry told as he turned to the kid captain, who crossed his arms over his chest and tried his best to understand. "First of all, to adjust the yards about the crew garnet..." Merry sweated as he saw the teen looking at him, but without understanding any word.

"Don't explain to him," Nami said rubbing her temples. She was really contemplating if Luffy would be okay in the sea.. when she would leave. "Explain to me, he won't understand anyway."

Luffy taking the golden opportunity to escape from the boring explanation walked away from them to Zoro and the mistress.

"I had everything you would need for a voyage loaded on the ship," Kaya told him when he kept ogling the ship and wanted to explore it right away. But Usopp was coming and he wanted to meet his friend and hear him. He wants Usopp to come with them! And have lots of adventure! And fun! And become brave like he truly is!

"Thanks for causing all the trouble!" Luffy chirped happily, making Zoro shake his head with a sigh.

"That's 'Thanks for going through all the trouble!'" Zoro corrected his Captain. Luffy cocked his head not getting what he said wrong and when he was about to voice it out, he felt and heard Usopp's screams coming from a big green something rolling towards them.

"STOP ME PLEASE!!!" The scream made everyone realize who was coming towards them now.

"Usopp-san!" Kaya gasped, worried for her friend.

"What's he doing?" Luffy asked not understanding. Was it some kind of game? Like the rolling games that he played sometimes with some kids in the Army base when he would want some fun and his brothers, Koala, Hack, Kuma and his Dad and Iva would be too busy to play with him. If Usopp was really playing without him, then Luffy was offended.

"I think we should stop him before he hits the ship," Zoro stated, breaking Luffy's pout and making him notice that Usopp was rolling closer and closer and radiating fear. Standing side by side, Zoro and Luffy both raised a foot and when Usopp reached them, their feet were firmly in front of them, stopping Usopp from moving anymore.

"T-Thanks.." Usopp mumbled, with the feet still on his face.

"No problem!" They both replied in unison.

"You are really going to the sea, Usopp-san?" Kaya asked once Usopp took off the bag from his shoulder. The others left them giving them some time and went off to take their things from their little boats.

"Yeah, I have to go before I change my mind," Usopp declared to Kaya, feeling sad inside. He would be leaving a friend, his crew, and the village. But in front of him was the sea, which was calling to him, the adventure, that it was promising. He needed to go this time otherwise he would regret it.

"Please don't tell me to stop." He didn't want to hear one more time that he shouldn't be going now. That would break him and make him shed his unshed tears. He didn't want to give Kaya that as a last memory of him for now. He will return after he becomes the great warrior of the sea. Till then, there should be only happy memories, no sad farewells for Kaya to think about.

"I won't," Kaya replied, making Usopp smile a bit. "I figured you might do this but it still makes me sad."

"When I will return, I will have lots of stories to tell you which would be more unbelievable!" Usopp replied with a big grin.

"I will look forward to it," Kaya said with a smile. She will miss her friend, the storyteller, her saviour. The one who showed her the path to be strong.

Usopp finally turned to Luffy, who was waiting to hear his decision from the deck of the ship, looking at him curiously. He could tell that the boy wanted him in his crew. Even if he is scared of him, he still thinks of him as his friend. Even if he is dangerous. Even if he can kill him anytime.

"I-" Usopp started, but he didn't know how to tell his decision. He needed to do this. He steeled his heart and took a breath as he looked at Luffy. "I think... I might... y-you know.. j-join.."

That was enough to make Luffy perk up. "Wohoooo!!!! Usopp is coming with us!!! YAYYY!!!"

That left Usopp shocked. He saw the teen run happily around Zoro and Nami and the deck, showing all of his happiness, all because Usopp decided to join him. Usopp grinned at the warm feeling that he felt and hoped for. To the new ship. To the new adventure.

.

"Alright!" Luffy shouted as he lifted the black pirate flag with the symbol of their pirate crew on it. "Our pirate flag is done!" This was the symbol he had thought of when Ace had set off on his own and had made a cool pirate flag for his pirate crew.

"O-Our symbol..?" Usopp asked with wide eyes. Luffy could still sense some fear radiating from him, but that will change soon and he will make sure of it!

"Calling him artistically challenged would be an understatement," Usopp mumbled, thinking that Luffy didn't hear it. But Luffy clearly heard it though he didn't mind it.

"This could be some sort of abstract art!" Nami said looking at the symbol carefully and thinking if she missed some details.

"A pirate's flag should be a symbol of death, but this flag is.." Zoro wondered crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, it's quite terrifying in a sense."

"Whaddya think?" Luffy asked, his grin reaching his ears. He could feel the uncertainty they were feeling about voicing their thoughts, especially Usopp who looked completely shocked at his drawing. Pouting, he looked at his drawing.

"It isn't that bad!" He whined when no one's emotions changed. He looked at his wrist, at the sea shell bracelet Sabo gave him. It carried the symbol of the pirate flag he wanted to have. "I know I didn't draw it well, like this." He said pointing at his bracelet. "But it looks good!"

"Umm.." Usopp finally took a hesitating step forward. "I-I can draw it if you want."

Luffy beamed and showed him the symbol that needed to be painted on the flag and in no time Usopp was done with it. The perfect painting of the Strawhat wearing a skull on the flag.

"That's perfect now!" Nami said cheerfully at Usopp's handiwork.

"There we go!" Usopp said confidently, giving a final brush to the flag.

"It doesn't look even remotely look like the other one!" Zoro pointed comparing the two flags.

Luffy didn't mind at all and said, "That's great! Draw one on our sail too!"

"Yeah well, I have honed my artistic talents by drawing on the walls of people's homes for years," Usopp stated confidently, holding the paintbrush. "I'm quite a master artist you know!"

Luffy had literal stars in his eyes as he inhaled Usopp's stories as he painted the sails.

"With this, our pirate ship 'Going Merry' is ready for action!" Luffy announced once Usopp completed the story and the painting of the sails with it.

.

Usopp lay on the deck with Nami and Zoro basking in the sun and taking a break from their own work, when a loud sound rang through the air, making them straighten up in an instant.

They followed the sound and found a rubber boy, who didn't know the meaning of rest, standing beside a cannon.

"What the heck are you doing?" Zoro voiced out everyone's question with an annoyed tone.

"I'm testing if the cannon works or not!" Luffy replied cheerfully. The last time he was on a ship, he wasn't allowed to be near cannons because, in one of their missions, Luffy had blown off the ship they were on by mistake, leaving the crew stranded and waiting for another ship to come and pick them up. But now he is a big man, he knows that cannons should be pointed at the target not towards themselves.

"Testing?" Usopp asked, looking at the cannon and then at the rock which was in the middle of the ocean.

"Yeah! Hey Usopp! Try shooting with this!" He said excitedly wanting to see his sniper in action.

"Ok!" Usopp agreed easily, making Luffy beam. After all, sniping was what he was best in! He did some mental calculations and then fired at the supposed target, making the upper half of the rock go off with a loud boom.

"I really hit it!" Usopp muttered to himself, feeling surprised that on his first try, he did it.

"Oh no!" Luffy gasped as his eyes widened. "Nami!!! We need to head towards the rock!!! Quick!"

"Why?" Nami questioned, getting up, only to be drowned by Zoro's question.

"Why are you shouting Luffy?" Zoro asked in a grumpy voice. It was the second time his nap had been cut off short. But the panic in Luffy's voice and face made him gulp down the complaints.

"We shot someone!"

"WHAT?!!" Everyone asked with wide eyes.

"Two guys! One is injured!!!" Luffy replied feeling the presence of the other guy waver.

"I-I-I ki-killed so-someone!" Usopp gasped, falling to his knees, looking with horror at the rocks.

Nami and Zoro were already moving the ship, ignoring the mental breakdown Usopp was going through. Even though they sympathized with the teen, they couldn't do anything more in the situation.

"He is not dead!" Luffy said closing his eyes and feeling them coming towards their ship.

"H-How do you know?" Usopp asked, getting on his feet shakily. He was really relieved that he didn't kill someone.

"Mystery power," Luffy replied nonchalantly, focusing on the average-sized boat with a small cabin and mast coming towards them.

"What's that?" Zoro asked, leaning on the railing and looking at the ocean after doing his part of the job. Luffy didn't get to reply as a loud yell took their attention.

"YOU DAMN PIRATES! I'M GONNA SLAUGHTER ALL OF YOU!"

Zoro's eyes widened, recognizing the voice immediately.

"I-I-I'm-" Usopp was stuttering. After all, it was his fault that the man was angry. Luffy plopped a hand on Usopp's shoulder making him stop stuttering and try to compose himself. He mentally thanked his captain, before standing straight and ready to apologize when the man would come near.

"Johnny?!" Zoro spoke with wide eyes, as he took in the man with short black hair, sunglasses and a black tattoo on his left cheek.

"Zoro-aniki!?" The man's eyes widened and his grip on his sword loosened instantly.

"Where is Yosaku? Isn't he always with you?" Zoro asked, looking at the boat in search of the other guy.

"He's..." Jonny gritted his teeth as he said the terrible words. "Yosaku is sick."

"Sick?!"

"Yeah, he was just fine a couple of days ago, but all of a sudden he turned pale and kept passing out. I don't know what he's down with. His teeth have begun to fall out." Johnny said through gritted teeth and went into the cabin to bring out a bandaged Yosaku, who was looking way too pale.

In this commotion, nobody saw Luffy getting inside the kitchen to get something.

"I was trying to at least let him get some rest on top of that rock but all of a sudden, this ship fired a cannonball at us!" Johnny finished, his palm on his eyes, rubbing the stray tears that leaked.

"I-I'm truly, truly sorry," Usopp instantly apologized bowing down.

"It's fine. What's done is done.." Johnny said in a retarded voice. "'Yosaku and Johnny'.. we were infamous enough to have pirates shaking in their boots at the mere mention of our name. We have lived and worked together for years... Is it all gonna end now?"

Zoro stood there shocked, not wanting to realize that one of his friends was lying on the deathbed.

"Here," Luffy arrived at the scene holding a glass of lemon juice and offering it to the laying man.

"Luffy, it's not time to joke around," Zoro said through gritted teeth. He knows that his captain is a dumbass, but he didn't take him as the type to tease a man who is in an awful condition.

"Kid, I won't let you go free if you dare to make a mockery out of my partner's suffering!" Johnny said standing up in an intimidating way, but it didn't do anything to Luffy, who was pouting at the anger they were feeling and wondering if he didn't remember the right thing.

"Oh God!" Nami spoke for the first time rubbing her temples. "Luffy go ahead." She said as she saw the momentary confusion in the teen's eyes. She really appreciates that the boy who doesn't look like he would know these kinds of stuff at least knows this.

She placed her hands on her hips and glared at the bounty hunter and the swordsman. "How thick can you both be?"

"What did you say?!" Zoro asked with irritation evident in his voice.

"He is afflicted with scurvy!" Nami replied. "If we are not too late then he should recover in a few days."

"Are you telling the truth, sis?!" Johnny asked feeling hope for the first time in a while.

"In the past, it was practically a death sentence for sailors. It's caused by lack of nutrients found in fruits and vegetables. It was quite common back then because ships simply didn't have the technology to effectively store fresh fruits and vegetables for long time." Nami explained.

"Are you a doctor too, Nami?" Luffy asked with awe reflecting from her eyes.

"I knew that girl was special. Usopp's eyes never lie!" Usopp said proudly standing beside Luffy.

"If you are sailing, you should know this much at least!" Nami yelled at the duo who were kidding around. She then turned towards Luffy who had a goofy smile on his face and said, "God, who the hell knows how you knew about this even!"

Luffy puckered his lips and looked away sweating, making Nami blink.

"I-I don't... know, w-what you are saying!" Luffy said, making others feel that Luffy is hiding something. But what was there to hide in these basic facts? That confused them all.

But their attention snapped to the now energetic man, who was on the doorsteps of death earlier and had jumped up completely disregarding his body. "I'm charged up and ready for action!" The man shouted happily.

"Haha!!! My partner is up now!" Johnny shouted jumping up with his fists in the air.

Luffy got a tick mark, feeling the man had not recovered enough to still move.

"STOP MOVING!!"

The people in the revolutionary army had drilled some basic facts about the life in sea in him and he knows that normal people don't recover this soon after getting malnourished.

Everyone watched Luffy shout like a little gremlin and scold the bigger man, who stood in a pose with the other man and was ready to introduce themselves.

"Sorry for the late introductions. The name's Johnny!"

"And I'm Yosaku!" The now-up man, with a cigarette in his mouth, supplied them. "Zoro used to bounty hunt with us in the past!"

"Nice to meet you all!" They said in unison.

"I don't know how to thank you!" Yosaku said bowing to Luffy, who wanted the man to lie down before he scares Zoro about his health. "I thought I bit the dust for sure."

"Well color me surprised! I never could've imagined the infamous pirate hunter to have become a pirate himself!" Johnny said looking at Zoro who had his arms crossed over his chest.

"BUHEE!" Yosaku screamed in pain and fell, throwing up blood.

"JUST REST UP ALREADY!" Nami and Luffy screamed at the man, who was now unconscious.

That made things easier. Usopp showed them the guest room where they could rest up and meet with the others on the deck.

"Let this be a lesson to the rest of you," Nami said as she sat on the stairs. She mentally felt bad for telling 'you'. She was getting attached to the idiots, wasn't she? But she needed to leave. And then she won't be able to see the liar lie and tell stories to Luffy who would believe every word of his. She wouldn't be able to see Zoro's small smiles and his protective streak towards Luffy. She wouldn't be able to make Luffy dress in different colours of clothes and different fashions. She would miss the widest smiles that she gets from the youngest the most.

"These are the kinds of dangers we'll have to face on long voyages," Zoro added a cent of his to the conversation, making Nami come out of her sadness.

"He would have died for sure if he hadn't come across us," Usopp said looking at the sky from where he leaned on the mast.

"We definitely need one more crew member before we get to the Grand Line." Zoro said looking at Luffy who was rocking in his place where he sat cross-legged

"Alright! I've decided then!" Luffy said with a grin, making the others look expectedly at him. "We need a musician!"

"WHAT?!" They yelled together, amazed by the sheer stupidity of their captain.

"We need a musician. It's the most imp-"

Bonk

Luffy's speech got interrupted by Nami who decided that Luffy should get one, right now.

"We need a cook, dumbass!" Nami said with her tooth getting sharpened edges.

"Aww!" Luffy pouted rubbing the bump on his head. He wondered how Nami could punch him when he is made of rubber.

"Bro!" Johnny emerged on the deck, having heard half of the conversation.

"What is it, Johnny?" Zoro asked looking at the man, who had his hands raised high in the air.

"If you are looking for a cook, I know a place," The man said. "But getting one join is another matter. It's a restaurant on the seas, The Baratie!"

"Baratie?" Luffy repeated the word with excitement. He had heard the place from one of his mother's stories and the winds which bring news to him every now and then. It's a place with fighting cooks! He really was about to forget to visit the place, if Zoro's friend hadn't informed him about it.

"That's right! You should be able to reach it in 2-3 days." Johnny supplied. "That place is also too close to Grand Line, so you gotta be careful. Lotta dangerous guys around those parts."

"Even that Hawk-eyed man, you've been looking for has been sighted once there," Johnny said the last words, instantly alerting Zoro, who was looking at Luffy doing a happy dance and carefreely shouting about food.

.

Luffy sat on the figurehead of the Going Merry, looking at the endless ocean, and enjoying the little spray of saline water which sprinkled on his face. He enjoyed his mother's soft lullaby, trying to make him go to sleep. But he was sleepless. He was full of energy, hearing everything that the winds were bringing to him, hearing Ace's and Sabo's new exploits. It was one thing he loved doing. Knowing about his brothers well-being, who were reckless just like him, even if they were less, was something he loved.

Time was closing on him, and he knew but didn't know why. It was just a feeling before that he needed to do everything before he couldn't do anything. But now the feeling is getting stronger and stronger slowly, telling him that he needs to enjoy as much as he can before he loses it all. But what would he lose? As long as it is not his freedom, his friends, his family, he is ready to give anything so that the feeling goes away. The uneasiness-

"Can't sleep?" A voice asked, who he knew was Zoro.

"No," Luffy said in a gentle voice, which was so unlike the teen.

"How did you know that my friends were there?" Zoro asked, leaning on the railing and looking at the reflection of the moon which shone with all its glory on the transparent water.

"The winds told me," Luffy said, his eyes never leaving the vast body of the ocean. Zoro turned his head towards the boy, who said the answer as if it was a fact.

"What do you mean?" Zoro asked again. He didn't want to be nosy in his captain's business, but the fact that Luffy was back to be mysterious was something that Zoro couldn't handle. He wanted to piece the puzzles. There were too many questions that lingered in his mind, but the fact that Luffy saved his friends was something he was grateful for.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed, the solemn atmosphere and mood all gone from the face of the teen. He laughed carefree and untroubled as if there was nothing that could ever think to stop him. "Zoro thinks too much!"

Zoro turned to look at his captain, making his breath hitch in his throat. Red eyes- not golden red which he swears he had seen- were back and staring at his soul, making him freeze. No ill feelings were coming from the boy, but he knew that beyond those eyes was a power that he couldn't even imagine.

"When the time comes, you'll know Zoro!" There was something else in his captain's smile, it was too big and dare he say a little strained. What was Luffy thinking, what is he, that makes him mysterious and gives such a powerful aura, that can make any enemy shudder in fear?

Zoro could only nod at the answer which he was given. There was just this feeling that if he tried to ask something more and by chance, Luffy gave some absurd answer, he wouldn't be spared, especially when his captain is so naïve and truthful. A cold chill ran down his spine making him realize that all he felt was the truth.

.

The next day passed normally, Luffy trying to befriend Usopp, who had small scary feelings within him and trying to play with him. Zoro doing his usual trainings or napping anywhere he got a place. Nami making her sea charts and cooking in between. If someone asked why she was cooking, her only answer would be that growing kids need food, unlike grown-ups. So, yeah Luffy was getting free meals from Nami, even if they were less and the others needed to pay for it.

Yosaku was resting in the guest room while Johnny made him useful by staying in the crow's nest and looking for the restaurant they were out to search for.

"We're finally here!" Johnny shouted from the lookout the other day when the pink fish-type ship started appearing on the horizon. "What do you think everyone?"

"So cool!" Luffy was the first one to give any reaction to the ship, having stopped in his mid-way run from Usopp who was 'it' and chasing after him.

"Woah!" Usopp said the next, colliding on Luffy and looking at the ship-restaurant before him.

"It's lovely!" Nami said, her hands clasped together.

"Not bad!" Zoro said with a smirk, putting his swords back in their place.

"Just like we told you right?!" Yosaku said standing beside Johnny with a grin. Before anyone could reply, a sudden noise caught their attention to their other side.

"The Marines?!" Usopp squeaked as he was the first one to see the ship.

"Hmm, I have never seen that pirate flag before," A pink-haired Marine said from his ship. He was wearing iron knuckles in his hands. "I'm the Lieutenant of the Marine Headquarters known as 'Ironfist Fullbody'. Who's your captain? Name yourself!"

"I'm Luffy!" Luffy stepped forward with a large grin on his face. "We just painted our flag two days ago!"

The Marine Lieutenant blinked his eyes at Luffy in shock and then looked at the pirate flag and promptly burst into peals of laughter.

"What the fuck?! Are you lot insane to declare a kid as a captain?!" The Marine laughed insulting the kid's crew.

"I'm not a kid!" Luffy yelled at the marine with sharp teeth.

"Yeah! Yeah! The next you will say you're a God!" The marine said wiping the stray tear that came out due to his pathetic joke.

"Shut up!" Zoro growled beside Luffy, making the teen come out of his trance of staring with his wide owlish eyes at the marine. "It doesn't concern you!"

"Whatever!" The marine said, reconsidering if there was a joke going on. "Pirates are pirates regardless their ages." He mumbled to himself, before scanning the deck of the said pirate ship.

"Wait a minute, I think I have seen you two somewhere!" The marine said looking at the bounty hunter duo, ignoring the glares he was getting from another pirate hunter.

"If I remember correctly, you're small-time bounty hunters!" The marine said with his hands in his pockets. "Yosaku and Johnny! So, you two have been finally caught by pirates?" He asked raising an eyebrow at the duo. How pathetic can they be, if they were defeated by the small-time pirate crew, whose name and flag he even doesn't know?

"Hey, Yosaku I think someone needs some kicking," Johnny said looking at Yosaku.

"Well, we can't let him go away with this, even if it doesn't fetch a single belli. We need to teach him to keep his mouth shut." Yosaku replied, and with that, the two duo promptly jumped on Fullbody who was quick to beat them up and throw to the Merry back.

"You sure you aren't super weak?" Luffy asked crouching down to them. This marine just had a big mouth and not any real strength within him.

"N-No, it's just that guy's not too shabby himself," Yosaku said through his bloodied self.

"I-It was a close one.." Johnny tried to add his point.

"The hell are you two doing?" Zoro asked looking at his friends, who were sprawled on the deck.

"Darling, let's go now!" An extra sweet voice came from the marine deck, making the onlookers see a pretty woman holding Fullbody's arm.

"Ah, yes!" Fullbody said, and then looked at the kid pirates once more. "Consider yourselves lucky that I'm on break." He turned to the other marines and ordered them to sink the boat.

"Yes sir!"

That caught everyone's attention and they went to the railing to see the cannon being pointed towards them.

Usopp shrieked in terror while Nami's eyes widened and ran off to take cover with Johnny and Yosaku. She hesitated a bit, wanting to take Luffy too, but she remembered the freakish strength of the teen, who had defeated some good names of the East Blue with very little moves and took off to hide. Zoro placed a hand on his sword, ready to fight with Luffy, but that wasn't required.

"HE FIRED!" Usopp shrieked, crouching down and holding his head with his hands.

"Leave it to me!" Luffy said with a grin and ran in front and stood on the railing.

"Gomo gomo no..." He flashed a grin to the Marines who were looking at him with surety that he would die a painful death.

"Catch!" The cannonball rested in his palm.

"THE HELL!?!!!!" Usopp, Yosaku and Johnny's jaws hit the deck, with the marines following soon after realization struck them of what happened.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed tossing the cannonball and catching it with his another hand. "This sure is fun!"

Fullbody stopped in his path to look at the teen who was freaking playing with the cannonball as if it was a regular ball! He had judged the kid wrong by his appearance but still the kid had no chance against him. So, he brushed it off and moved on with his date to the restaurant and left his juniors to handle the mess. They are capable of that at least.

Luffy suddenly looked at the marines with a devilish grin. "I'm hungry, so you can have your cannonball back!" He said and threw the cannonball with high speed to the marines, who couldn't comprehend anything and went off like a bomb easily.

"Man, I sure am hungry!" Luffy said with a pout rubbing his stomach with his fingers, uncaring about the looks which he was getting from some of the crew.

"Let's go to the Batiye!" Luffy said breaking everyone out of their shock and shaking their head fondly, except Yosaku and Johnny who were still speechless.

"It's Baratie, Luffy!"