Straw Hat's Guardian

Chapter Nineteen: For the Baratie! Reborn Draws Closer!

Reborn sat on top of a barrel, his fedora tilted forward, casting a dark shadow over his eyes, hiding them from sight, meticulously cleaning his gun, making sure to get every nook and cranny, cleaning it spotless after the scuffle he just went through.

He needs it in top condition for the near upcoming future. Something told him the stupid cow wouldn't be coming quietly. And if this crew he joined up with is anything like the stupid cow, they got to be a little crazy, stupid even, in order to take on someone like Lambo. Crazy or stupid, even both, Reborn's gut told him that they wouldn't let him go without a fight either.

He cleaned the gun powder and oil on that splattered all across the inside, and then he cleaned off the blood that splattered on the outside.

Surrounding him were multiple bodies of marines.

In actuality, Reborn was on a Marine ship. Well, it's more of a ghost ship now that all the men are dead.

The Marine ship had stopped his much smaller ship, he had chosen it for its speed so he could catch up with the stupid cow, and the Marines thought him easy pickings, tried to arrest him as soon as they found out he was a member of the Vongola.

Reborn, at first, tried to get out of his predicament without the use of violence, Vongola's Decimo doesn't care for unnecessary bloodshed. But several days had past, and Reborn couldn't afford to let the stupid cow gain any more ground than he probably already has from the number one hitman, his deadline is coming up, and soon.

So, when Reborn was met with more resistance from the Marines, he had no choice but to get rid of them.

They were getting in his way.

Reborn sighed, his job all done, holstering his weapon inside his jacket and standing up on his feet, straightening his tie as he did so.

"Time to get back on the trail.", Reborn muttered, raising his head, the shadows of the hat receding enough to reveal hard coal black eyes.

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Lambo will never be quite sure how they got there, but he, Zoro, and Ussop stood up on the stairs looking down to see Luffy and Don Creed in a silent stand-off.

Lambo was on the step below Zoro's, leaning all the way forward, with his elbows on the railing and arms out, wrists crossed, in front of him, Zoro had one arm on the railing and another on his swords, Ussop looked like he was scared to death but tried to appear heroic anyway.

Zoro's thumb flicked his sword an inch from its sheath, ready to draw when needed, the sound seemed ten times louder in the tense and heavy silence that had encased the room.

"What's going on Luffy? Need a hand?", Zoro asked casually, but the threat clear in his voice.

Lambo's fingers twitched as green lightening sparked between his fingertips, with only small few noticing.

"I've got two.", Lambo stated monotonously with narrowed eyes.

"If you don't need help, that's okay too!", Ussop exclaimed, still trying to appear brave as his knees were shaking beneath him.

"Hey guys.", greeted Luffy, "Appreciate the offer, but I think I can handle it."

Zoro put his sword away, while Lambo's body loosened from its tensed position, his fingers stopped twitching and the sparks no longer flickered between them.

"Aw, that's too bad.", Ussop said, Lambo and Zoro gave him matching unimpressed looks, knowing he didn't really mean it, "But if you say you don't need any help, who am I to argue? Us awesome fighters are just going to sit this one out, holler if you need us-ah!"