110Sorry about that, I don't know what happened. it wasn't like that when I posted it last night.
It's been a few days since the gang left Orange town for Gecko island. Nami insisted on stopping at Treasure island on the way. Zoro was asleep the whole time they were there. They met an old man trapped in a chest named Gaimon. After a little chat, Luffy revealed that the treasure chests Gaimon was guarding were empty Luffy and Nami went back to their boats and set sail for Gecko island again. After a little while, they landed on the northern side of the island. Luffy jumped out of the boat, excited to see Usopp again before it even hit the shore. Zoro stood on the shore and stretched a little.
"Nice to be on dry land." Zoro said finishing his stretches.
"Yea, now we can get some meat, our sniper, and maybe a ship." Luffy said with a huge smile. Zoro agreed, adding that they need some booze too. He quickly went for his swords when he heard rustling in the bushes.
"We got company." He said in a dark tone. Luffy and Nami looked up the cliff where Zoro was Looking. Nami ran behind one of the boats while Luffy and Zoro stood their ground as lead stars were fired at their feet. When the rustling stopped, they heard a laugh coming from the top of the cliff. They looked to see a skinny guy with some muscle and a long nose looking down at them with his arms crossed and a confident smile with flags sticking out of the bushes bearing his jolly roger.
'Well, well, it looks like Usopp took my letter seriously. He has some muscle, unlike last time, and he already has his goggles that he got at louge town last time. I wonder what else has changed here.' Luffy thought with a smile looking up at his friend.
"I am Usopp, leader of an invincible nation of pirates who reign over this island, you stand before a living legend the most feared pirate in the world the GREAT CAPTAIN USOPP!" Usopp yelled trying to intimidate them. "You must be fools to try and attack this island. Return to your boats or face my army of eighty million super pirates!"
"Do you really expect us to believe that?" Nami asked in a calm voice.
"She knows!" He yelled wiggling if fear.
"Well, now I do." she said with a smug expression.
"Alright, eighty million may have been an exaggeration, but I have a great many men under my command!" he yelled as the flags behind him start to wave around.
"You mean those three over there?" she said pointing to the bush the three kids were hiding behind.
"AHH, She knows!" they yelled before dropping the flags and running away. Usopp tried to stop them but failed. Nami then walked away from the boat and picked up one of Usopp's stars.
"Never seen a pirate that uses a slingshot before." she said as Luffy busted out Laughing finding the situation as funny as last time.
"Shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you!" Usopp shouted as he aimed his slingshot at them. "I'm a proud man and I won't stand for it! This is your last warning or you'll regret it" Luffy went silent and analyzed Usopp for a moment.
'Something different with Usopp. He's a lot more determined and he's not shaking, not even a little bit. Better end this now before things get out of hand." Luffy thought.
"Calm down Usopp. We're not here to harm the village, we're here for business." Luffy said getting Usopp attention.
"Why should I believe you?" Usopp asked.
"I'm Strawhat Luffy. I believe I sent you a letter three years ago saying I would arrive here right around now." Luffy said. Usopp's eyes bulged in surprise.
"Your strawhat?" Usopp said relaxing his grip.
"Yep, and your Usopp, Yasopp's son right?"
"You know my dad?!" Usopp yelled as he rolled off the cliff and grabbed Luffy's hands eager to hear more about his dad.
"Ya, but before we get to that how about we get some food?"
()()()()
Usopp took them to a restaurant in town. As the gang were eating and drinking Luffy was telling Usopp about his dad and the red hair pirates. It was around that time when Nami reminded everyone that they needed a ship.
"So Usopp mind taking us to see Kaya?" Luffy asked.
"I forgot you sent a letter to her too. She'll want to speak with you about that." Usopp said.
"I figgered as much." was Luffy's only reaction.
"Luffy, who's this Kaya person?" Nami asked.
"She's the person I asked to build me a ship. I sent her ideas for it with the letter." Luffy replied. After that, they headed up to the mansion running into the Usopp pirates along the way. Once they reached the gate Luffy and the gang were meet with an interesting surprise.
"Usopp!" a voice called out as the gate opened.
"Kaya!" Usopp called back as a young lady ran into his arms and tackling him to the ground surprising the strawhats specialty Luffy. 'Kaya is pretty ….. lively this time around.' Luffy thought.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I do believe we have some things to talk about." Luffy said politely getting everyone's attention.
"Usopp who are these people?" she asked looking at Luffy and the gang. Usopp was about to answer when Luffy started talking first.
"My apologies mam. My name is Monkey D. 'Strawhat' Luffy and this is my crew." Luffy said motioning to the crew who promptly introduced themselves. "I sent you and Usopp here letters three years ago."
"So your Strawhat. I've started to think you wouldn't show." Kaya said with a giggle. "I have a few questions for you so please come in an-"
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" came a voice from inside the mansion interrupting Kaya.
"Klahadore!" Kaya shouted as said man walked out and stopped about 1.5 yards away from the group. Luffy and the others just stared at him.
"I'll ask again. Who are you and what are you doing here?" Klahadore asked/demanded again.
"Why should we tell you? Your business is with the young Lady of the house, not her butler." Luffy shot back earning him a glare from the butler. Klahadore then looked at Usopp.
"Usopp, how many times have I told you to leave Miss Kaya alone."
"Klahadore, -"
"Not now Miss Kaya" Klahadore interrupted. "Trying to worm your way into the Lady good grace to steal her fortune. Of course you are, after all, you're the son of a filthy pirate." Usopp glared at him.
"What did you said about my father!" Usopp yelled with enough rage that would have made any marine lower that a captain rack wary of him but Kuro didn't think anything of it.
"Calm down Usopp." Kuro said with a smug grin as he adjusted his glasses. "Why not do what you do best and lie. Said that your father's a traveling salesman or that you're really adopted. Honestly, your mother must have been an idiot to have had a kid with such a person."
"BASTARD!" Usopp yelled as he ran forward about to slug Kuro when a voice he didn't recognize spoke.
"Hello, *yawn* who is this and how did you get this number?" everyone turned the source of the voice and saw Luffy sitting on the ground cross-legged with a straw hat painted transponder snail with a signal booster and white snail attached to it.
"Hey, Ben it's Luffy how is everyone doing?" Luffy said. The snail went from a tired look to a gleaming, smiling look.
"Luffy! Hey everyone wake up Luffy's on the line!" Ben yelled. Luffy was laughing at all the rusling that could but heard in the background.
"Luffy how you been and what is going on about you joining the marines?" said a familiar voice the made Luffy's smile get even bigger.
"Hey, Uncle Shanks! It's good to hear from you. I'm fine and I didn't join the marines despite what the papers said I just got gramps to train me that's all."
"Uncle Shanks?" Shanks questioned. Luffy laughed for a moment.
"What you don't like being called uncle? You are family you know."
"Really now? And what will your grandfather say when he finds out you tricked him?" Luffy shuddered at those words.
"I'm hoping to avoid him for a while." Luffy said. Luffy was about to continue the conversation when Nami asked Luffy the question on the present companies mines.
"Luffy, who is this Uncle Shanks?" Luffy looked to Nami.
"He's the Yonko Red-hair Shanks Captain of the Red-hair pirates." Luffy said bluntly and with a big smile. Everyone else went bug-eyed.
"EEEEEHHHHH! RED-HAIR SHANKS IS YOUR UNCLE!" everyone yelled in surprise.
"Oi Luffy, was that a girl? Did our little Luffy get himself a girlfriend?" Shanks asked teasingly making Nami blush.
"Uncle Shanks." Luffy whined making everyone one the other side of the call laugh. That was when Luffy remembered the reason he called them.
"Oi, is Yassop there I need to talk to him." Usopp and Kaya were surprised, to say the least. The snail took on a slightly confused expression.
"Sure, give me a moment."
"Hey, Luffy what did you need to talk about?" Yassop asked.
"Hey Yassop, well I was about to go inside and have a talk with your son and his girlfriend-" Usopp and Kaya immediately blushed and the snail got a very proud grin. "- when one of her butlers with golden poo's on his shirt-" this made everyone snicker, even Yassop had to hold in a laugh. Kuro got a tick mark on his head. "- came out and just started insulting Usopp, you and your late wife. Usopp was just about to hit him when I called you." the snail expression changed to shock, than sadness, then finally pissed off.
"Thank you, Luffy for bringing this to my attention. Usopp, sorry for not being there for you and your mother. I'm very proud of you for becoming such a great man." Usopp couldn't help form a warm smile at those words. "Miss thank you for looking after my son for me and please continue to do so."
"I will." Kaya answered back. As the snail somehow turned to face Kuro, Yassop's anger somehow radiated from the snail.
"As for you, Mr. Golden poo butler. If I ever find out you insulting my family, especially my wife, again I will have this ship over there in a heartbeat so I can personally rip you to sheds and blast you full of so many holes that you wouldn't be recognized as human anymore got it!" Yassop's 'threat' scared everyone even Luffy.
"Luffy thanks again for the call. It's great to hear from you and I hope to see you soon on the grand line." Yassop said looking back at Luffy.
"Ya, me too. I'll keep in touch and I'm sure Usopp will be calling you all the time once I get him to join my crew."
"Look forward to it. Talk to you later Luffy."
"By guys, By Uncle Shanks."
*click
"Well then now that this mess is taken care of I believe Miss Kaya, Usopp, and I have some things to talk about so why don't we go somewhere more relaxing. Nami, Zoro, and Usopp's group can you go and wait for use somewhere else?" Luffy said putting away the snail and standing up. Nami and Zoro sighed knowing that Luffy's 'question' really wasn't a question.
"Ok, just remember what we're here for." Nami said. Luffy gestured to her that he remembers.
Kuro was about to interject when Kaya surprisingly scolded him his place and leave the mansion grounds with Usopp and Luffy in tow. A short walk later they arrived at the cliff where Usopp was moping at last time. Kaya sat down and leaned against the tree, Usopp sat next to Kaya, and Luffy sat down in front of them making him the closest to the cliff.
"So Luffy I would like to thank you for what you did back there and thank you for sending those letters. If you hadn't sent them I might not have meet Usopp and my life would be much different." Kaya said starting the conversation.
"I would also like to thank you." Usopp added.
"Don't mention it. I was happy to help." Luffy said with a smile. "No about the ship I requested in the letter to Kaya."
"Oh yes, I had Merry build it. He said he was able to include most of your suggestions."
"That's good to hear. And about the other thing I wrote about."
"I don't know Luffy. It doesn't feel right to leave Kaya in the hands of that rotten butler. I mean how do I know he'll actually take care of her."
"Well, why don't you ask him yourself? He's right down their." Luffy said pointing down the cliff. Kaya and Usopp made there way to the edge keeping themselves hidden. They saw Kuro at the bottom with an odd man wearing heart shaped glasses.
"What is he doing out here?" Usopp asked.
"Don't know, he should be at the house or it the village." Kaya answered. The group listened to them talking about how Klahadore was really Captian Kuro of the black cat pirates and how he planned to kill Kaya and steal her fortune.
"No way." Usopp said horrified. Kaya looked ready to kill Kuro. she reminded Luffy of Nami when she was in one of her moods that she tends to get once a month.
"We have to warn the village." Usopp said about to run off when Luffy grabbed him and pulled him and Kaya away from the cliff so they won't be seen or heard.
"What the hell Luffy! We have to warn the village!" Usopp yelled.
"And do what? Get chased around the village because your 'lies'." Luffy said calmly. "You yell that pirates are coming every day don't you? The village will just think you're telling another lie." Usopp then realized Luffy was right but it didn't solve the problem.
"Then what do we do then?" Usopp asked sounding a little desperate.
"Are you willing to fight and put your life on the line to protect this place, to protect Kaya?" Luffy asked in a rare serious tone. Usopp looked at Kaya for a moment then back at Luffy and with a surprising amount of determination he said.
"Yes, alone if I have to, I'll protect Kaya and my village."
"Alright then let's go get my crew and work on a strategy." Luffy said surprising Usopp.
"You mean you'll help me?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"
"I'll fight too." Kaya said shocking both men.
"Kaya you can't." Usopp said worryingly.
"Are you sure about this." Luffy said.
"Luffy don't encourage her."
"Why not she has every right if not more than you to fight?"
"He's right Usopp. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you, and I want to give that ungrateful butler a piece of my mind." Kaya said with Usopp and Luffy sweat dropping at the last part.
"Fine but for now we need you to go back home and pretend that nothing is wrong. Ok." Luffy said. Usopp tried to say that it was too dangerous only for Luffy to say that it would alert Kuro and ruin the element of surprise if she didn't go. They argued about it for about ten to fifteen minutes before Luffy won and Kaya agreed to go back and if she still felt like fighting to meet them back at the cliff a few hours after dark with her weapon(s)."
()()()()
After a short walk, Luffy and Usopp meet back up with Luffy's and Usopp's crews and explained the situation to them. Luffy tasked the Usopp pirates with taking Kaya and running if things go south. Luffy doesn't think it will but it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan. After a wait and a nap in Zoro and Luffy's case, the sun set and Kaya arrived three hours later at about 10:30-11:00pm. She had a rapier on her left hip and two flintlock pistols on her right.
"So I have to ask. Why are you helping us? If it's out of pity we don't need or want it." Usopp stated.
'Usopp and Kaya really have changed. Usopp isn't shaking even a little and Kaya looks ready to fight CP9. this will be interesting.' Luffy thought with a smirk before saying. "It's not out of pity. Do you really think we're the type of people who'd risk their lives out of pity?"
"We're doing this because your honorable people." Zoro said.
"You guys …." after that Nami called dibs on the treasure and they went on to plan their strategy. Usopp suggested they lay traps on the slope to thin their numbers then hit them hard. Luffy agreed on the traps but said they'll use a formation that would let everyone use their strengths to their fullest to strike them, to which everyone agreed. Usopp then asked what everyone was good at.
"Slicing."
"Stealing."
"Business."
"Sniping."
*snore
"HE FELL ASLEEP!" everyone shouted. Luffy has indeed fallen asleep standing up complete with a snot bubble. "WAKE UP YOU IDIOT!" everyone shouted punching him in the head and slamming him into the ground.
"Hum, morning already?"
"IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!" Usopp was about to pour oil down the slope when Luffy stopped him and ask if he was sure the enemy would come to this shore. Usopp questioned him for a moment before remembering the north shore and started to panic.
"Give me a moment." Luffy said before closing his eyes and using observation Haki to sense the enemy. Everyone started to think he fell back asleep before he shot his eyes open. "Found them there by the north shore."
"How do you know that?" Usopp asked as Luffy pick up the barrel of oil.
"Simple, I used Haki." Luffy answered bluntly as he walked off.
"Haki?" everyone questioned following him.