Destined for Flames (One Piece Fanfic)

Something Worse

Good Lord. Did I just think the words "hot damn"? Shit, I was always afraid this would happen. After all these years my dad's strange vocabulary is finally catching up with me.

I'll wallow in self pity later though. Right now, I need to focus on the GIGANTIC galleon now mooring at Baratie.

"What the hell?" I mutter, staring with wide eyes, as a large man in glimmering golden armor steps off the ship, along with a gangly darker man in a track suit. They both walk into the restaurant, with the smaller man heavily supporting the larger.

I grab the stack of wanted posters from a fumbling Johnny and flip through them. And there he is. Don Krieg, also known as Foul Play Krieg. Worth 17,000,000. The hell is he doing at Baratie?!

I glare over at Nami, who returns my look with an innocent one of her own. "Is THAT the guy who left the other day?" I ask, gesturing at the gangly man, disappearing into the restaurant. She shrugs unconvincingly. "Maybe...?"

I'm tempted to throttle her for the umpteenth time in the last three days. It's her fault I'm stuck here and yet she can't even inform me when a member of a strong pirate's crew ends up half dead twenty feet from our ship?!

The hell, man?!

Just... Gah! I can't even form a sentence right now. And anyway, there's some sort of commotion coming from inside Baratie. I let out a sharp gasp as I hear what sounds like a large cannon firing, followed by Don Krieg rocketing from the restaurant and slamming into the railing on the patio.

"What is going on in there?" I wonder, already jumping up onto the ship's railing, ready to find someway over to the restaurant. But Nami grabs onto my shoulders and pulls me back onto the deck.

"Look," she says, hands on her hips, ignoring the withering look I give her. "Whatever's going on, Luffy and Zoro can handle it, ok? And probably Sanji too. You didn't see how powerful his kicks are."

And who's fault is that?

"So just don't worry about anything," Nami finishes, smiling reassuringly at me. I pause at her expression, then let out a slow exhale. Trust in Luffy and Zoro, huh? Alright. I can do that. They'll be fine--

"Really?!" I shout, spinning to face Baratie again. "Bullets?!"

And indeed there is the sound of dozens of bullets being fired off in rapid succession, accompanied by shouts of pain and gasps of horror. Even Nami looks a little uncertain now.

The sound of arrogant yelling spills out of Baratie's broken door, a loud booming voice declaring that he shall not be defied, that all those who go against him will die. Bastard, my friends are in there!

"Nami!" I shout in exasperation, but she is silent, eyes locked once again on the poster gripped tightly by her white hands. "Nami...?" I repeat, a little more uncertainly. I ignore what's happening in the restaurant as I watch her shaking shoulders.

"Hey," I say softly, reaching for her arm. "What's wrong? What's got you so upset?"

In the next instant, her smile is back, as normal and easy as ever. I blink at the total rebound of her feelings. This isn't normal. Whatever is up, she's forcing the look she's giving me.

"Nothing's wrong, and I'm not upset," she says, turning around and trotting over to a white sack near the stairs. She waves at me when she catches me staring, then begins to lug the bag someplace. That's not our treasure, cause we're pretty much broke. So it has to be Johnny and Yosaku's.

Speaking of those baka, I join them at the bow railing as they chat about something. I think it has something to do with that Arlong guy Nami was interested in before.