Straw Hat Luffy: The Black Fist

Chapter 23: Time Flies

The door slammed behind Usopp and he gulped when the entire bar seemed to quiet down and turn in his direction. The long-nosed teen was beginning to sweat profusely. Some scary-looking guys were sending him some even scarier looks and it was taking everything he had not to bolt from the room in tears.

The bounty hunter smiled awkwardly and decided to break the silence, "Anybody know a Bloody Slasher?". His eyes glanced around at the men staring at him, "I think his name's Sylas?...".

All the chairs in the room screeched against the floor, almost everyone standing up at the same time. "Whaddya want with the boss?", a bulky shirtless bald man at the front questioned.

Boss?... The sweat was coming off in droves now and the bushy-haired boy slowly began to back his way toward the entrance, turning to yell through it when he felt his skin touch wood, "Hey, Luffy!... He... He, uh... He has friends!".

"Luffy? As in Straw Hat Luffy? Of Merry's Terrible Trio?", an angry voice called.

"You guys killed one a my buddies!", another voice raged, shouts of anger beginning to rise up from all around the room

Maybe he shouldn't have said anything... Usopp reached for the handle of the door and in the moment he went to pull it open, it exploded inward, a figure, quickly followed by another, flying through the opening. The two landed back to back and ready to fight, one barring his fists and the other, two swords.

"Slicey slayer or whatever, you in here?", Luffy asked out loud, all the men in the room looking at him and Zoro with wide eyes.

A squeaky voice piped up from the back, "It's Bloody Sla-". The voice cut itself off with a hand over the mouth before it sounded again, louder this time, "Get em' boys!".

Zoro and Luffy smiled at each other before the swordsman reached over and grabbed Usopp before he could sneak out of the broken entrance, "We decided on this job together... You gotta fight, too.". He smirked when the boy began to sulk but he stopped resisting and let the swordsman push him into place with his back against his and Luffy's.

Usopp wiped away his scared look as loud yells approached him, pulling out his slingshot. His hand shook slightly but he steadied it. After all, he was one of Merry's Terrible Trio, this wasn't his first rodeo.

"Mind if we join?", Johnny and Yosaku asked, already walking through the broken entrance with their weapons out.

Zoro smirked at the two, the yelling in the room somehow growing even louder, "The more the merrier."

Luffy looked at the men approaching with a smile, baring his fist. He still couldn't use haki but that didn't mean he hadn't grown. Before the men could get too close, the straw-hatted boy's grin widened, his fist cracking through the air.

"PISTOL!".

---

"Order up!", Sanji yelled, hitting the bell on the counter. He danced through the other chefs, back to his station, and pulled off his apron, hanging it up on the wall, "Patty, I'm takin' a smoke break. You and Carne cover for me for the next twenty or so.".

The blond opened the door without even waiting for a response and stepped out into the nice and cool winter air. His hand reached into his coat and he leaned over the railing, pulling out a box of cigarettes. Opening it, he plucked one out and placed the white stick in his mouth. He lit the cigarette and took a deep pull, letting the nicotine-infused smoke settle in his lungs for a moment before smoothly blowing it out

It had been two months since his adventure with Luffy, Zoro, and... He almost lost track of his thoughts as his goddess, Nami, flashed in his mind. The chef let himself be immersed in his imagination of the girl for a moment before he shook his head and reminisced on the time he'd been back. He'd talked with Zeff. It was the first thing he'd done after he'd arrived, setting his stuff down and marching straight to the man's quarters. He'd given his choice and the geezer hadn't said much, other than 'bout damn time you got your head outta your ass.'.