-----
"Waa..." Luffy whined. "I am hungry..."
"Me too..." Lue showed his tongue.
"When will we reach some land?" Zoro asked.
"Dunno...we're going with the flow..." Luffy answered. "Something will show soon..."
"I hope..." Zoro added. "Gh, You want to be the Pirate King, but you don't know a thing about sailing? Something's wrong here!" He exclaimed.
"Heh? That's his fault!" Luffy pointed at Lue that was at the front, he was taking most of the boat's place.
"What?!" He exclaimed.
"Really?" Zoro raised an eyebrow.
"Well...I wasn't the one at the steer..." Lue was talking about his past life and some of the new life, but they didn't need to know about that.
"Dad's an idiot." Luffy stated.
"Look who's talking!" Zoro said with shark teeth.
"How could I teach you about sailing If no one teached me?" Lue crossed his arms.
"You could find some food, you're taking most of the space..." Luffy narrowed his eyes.
"Haaa?!" Lue grabbed Luffy's cheeks.
"Hahaha!" Zoro laughed at them. Lue stopped and looked at him, it made Zoro sweatdrop. "Eghem...well." Then a wave came and it blew Luffy's hat away. Lue's eyes widened.
"Shanks..." Luffy murmured. The hat flew over the sail and Zoro grabbed it at the last chance.
—
"Hey, you daydreamed again. Is that straw hat really special to you?" Zoro asked.
"Yeah..." Luffy took it by both ends. "Thanks, Zoro."
"Aaa...I'm hungry..." The latter whined.
"Hm." Lue smiled. Luffy was silent for a while then he looked at the sky.
"Oh, a bird." Zoro murmured.
"Let's eat it!" Luffy smiled.
"Pfft!" Lue laughed.
"But how?" Zoro asked.
"Leave it to me!" Luffy then used Gomu Gomu No Rocket to shoot himself in the air.
"What a dumbass..."
"There he goes!" Lue commented. But...
"Egh!" Luffy whined. His head was placed in the bird's beak, because the bird turned out to be really big.
"Hm?" Zoro looked up.
"Waahhhh! Help!" Luffy exclaimed.
"What did you do, dumbass!" Zoro then had to paddle after him. Lue was using his arms.
'Was I always this dumb?!' Lue thought. Then after some pirates tried to steal from them, they had free hands to paddle.
"I think we lost Luffy." Lue commented.
"He's probably partying on the land." Zoro answered.
—
A big bang destroyed some houses. Zoro and Lue were in the port.
"What was that?" Zoro asked. Lue was beside him.
"That was surely Buggy's Bomb." The pirates answered.
"Buggy's Bomb?" Zoro smiled. Lue narrowed his eyes.
—
"Behind you!" Exclaimed tangled Luffy, but Zoro stopped the pirates that were trying to attack the orange-haired.
"You have all picked on her, I never would have thought a woman would have such success with men." Zoro commented. Lue was kicking some of the guys with crossed arms, he didn't really need to interfere.
"Zoro, Dad!" Luffy exclaimed. Nami looked back.
"Did they hurt you?" He asked.
"What?"
"He asked, if you're hurt, lady." Lue repeated, he kicked some guys onto the ground and let go of a collar. Nami's eyes widened, she never really saw such a tall person, besides some fishmen.
"N-No...I'm okay." She answered both of them.
"Yaaa...it's good! It's good you found me!" Luffy said."Now, fast! Untie me!" He said sheepishly.
"Don't try to be greedy, Luffy." Lue said and started to walk to Luffy.
"Man, do you really need to alway get into some kind of trouble?" Zoro asked. "First a bird, now you're in a cell."
"It's not boring at least..." Luffy tried to defend himself.
"Zoro?" One pirate asked.
"That's how he named him...and 'dad' too." Another said.
'That infamous pirate hunter? And a dad?! What are these guys?!' Nami thought.
"You're Zoro?" Buggy asked. Lue turned around, he was just about to reach Luffy. "You came for my head?"
"No, I'm not interested. I ended it." Zoro answered.
"But I'm interested in you..." Buggy had his arms crossed.
"That...that sounded funny..." Lue held his stomach and placed a hand over his mouth for his laugh not to get out.
"Huh?" Buggy took his knives out and looked at Lue.
"Huh?" Lue looked back.
"HAAAA?!" Buggy pointed at the man.
"What, what, what?!" Luffy looked at them.
"You're! You're Monkey D. Luerion!" Buggy stepped back.
"Heh?" Nami was confused. Zoro looked at Lue.
"I am." He answered.
"What are you doing here?!" Buggy almost tripped.
"Just sailing along..." Lue crossed his arms and smirked.
"It's not possible! You! You were on the Grand Line and..." He lost his knives.
"But I'm here, you know. Wanted to try something new." Lue shrugged. "And that was almost 23 years ago!" Lue exclaimed.
"What?!" The clown sweatdropped.
"What is going on..." Nami backed out from the pirates. Zoro with her. They came near Luffy.
"23 years ago?" Luffy murmured.
"That's impossible!" Buggy held his head.
"Buggy-sama? What is wrong?" Some of his pirates asked.
"T-this guy...he..." Buggy looked up. They all flinched even the straw hat's, besides Lue. "He humiliated me!" He pointed at the man.
"HEH?!" Their jaws dropped.
"I see you still remember that! Hahahaha!" Lue laughed.
"Dad, what is he saying?" Luffy asked. Zoro tried to unlock the padlock.
"Nothing important, Luffy. Just some old bickering. But yeah as I remember..." Lue placed a hand over his chin.
23 years ago. A young 20-year-old Luerion encountered a young Buggy on his journey. He was just travelling alone, because Roger's crew got disbanded.
"Hey, friend!" Lue waved to him as they placed their boats in the port.
"What do you want?" Buggy asked. He was sulky and sad. Lue's smile dropped but it soon reappeared.
"Come with me!" Lue took the younger boy's hand.
"W-what?! I don't want to!" He exclaimed but was dragged along with Lue.
"Hahaha!"
"What are we doing here?..." Buggy was standing in front of some shop, sweet dropping.
"Buying food!" Lue exclaimed and entered the food bar.
"Maybe food is a good idea..." Buggy smiled lightly sitting with Lue at some table. But...it was not a good idea.
"Whew! That was good!" Lue patted his belly.
"Aahh...Why did you order so much?!" Buggy exclaimed, dropping some meat from his fork.
"It was good, thanks!" Lue bowed lightly.
"Why are you thanking me..." Buggy tilted his head. Lue blinked.
"Because you're buying it?..." One, two, three dots appeared before them in the silence.
"HAH?!" Buggy exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table.
"Hahahaha! Thank you for the food!" He stood up.
"A...A..." Buggy's eyes followed the guy as he walked out of the shop. A waiter came to their table.
"It will be..." She started.
"I will kill you, Monkey D. Luerion!!!" Lue was walking back to his boat patting his belly and laughing as the screams filled the air.
"Isn't that your own dumbness?" Nami sweatdropped.
"Pfft..." Luffy and Zoro held their laughs.
"Yeah, this guy's a weirdo, hahaha!" Lue laughed.
"How can you be so similar...pfft!" Zoro asked the straw hat boy.
"Doesn't matter now..." Buggy whispered. "Because I am stronger!" He exclaimed and ran up to attack Lue.
"I don't think so." Lue whispered with a smirk and as Buggy charged with his knives in slow motion, Lue stepped back and it got back to the normal time.
"Huh?" The crowd asked.
"What just happened?" Nami asked Zoro.
"That was my dad's haki!" Luffy exclaimed, he clearly saw what Lue did.
"Haki? What is that..." Zoro murmured.
"Ugh!" A thick line appeared on Buggy's forehead. He split up and charged from different directions. But...
"Quit yapping..." Lue coated his hand in black armour from haki and grabbed Buggy's neck.
"AGH!" His split part came back to him.
"How did he do that?!" Buggy's crew members asked.
"I-I c-can't split..." Buggy tried to say.
"Woah..." Nami was delighted.
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed.
"Ugh I can't unlock this, let's just get this whole cell!" Zoro exclaimed.
"Huh?" Luffy was then lifted.
"Wait!" Buggy exclaimed, reaching out with his hand.
"You're not hurting them!" Lue tightened the grip on his neck more and glared. "Go, Zoro! Take Luffy and try to unlock the pad!" Lue exclaimed and Zoro did what he was told, but just because he wanted to save Luffy, not like he felt a familiar aura from his father. Nami came with him.
"Is he going to be alright with all of them?" Nami asked.
"Yeah! My dad's strong!" Luffy looked out of the cell with hands on the bars. He would like to watch the fight but his dad told them to go so he will.
"Now..." Lue said as they disappeared.
"Hiic!" The crew flinched as he glared at them.
"Ugh..." He let go of Buggy who stumbled on the ground. Lue then looked around.
"W-We will avenge you, Buggy-sama!" They took out their swords. A weird man with a lion came to them.
"Moh-ji..." The clown murmured.
"Hm?" Lue looked at them and saw the beast and the white...furry man.
"W-what the hell..." He made a disgusted face.
"Don't worry, boss. Zoro's head will be mine!" The man said and they ran in the other direction.
"A! It's this moment..." Lue whispered and prepared his fists.
"Charge!" The pirates exclaimed and of course they were beaten by Lue in a blink of an eye. They all fell unconscious.
"Yosha! Let's watch it!" Lue said walking with hands in pockets.
—
Luffy was fighting with a man and a lion.
"Such a kitty won't scare me." He then rolled his arms and jumped up. "Gomu Gomu No...Screw!" He exclaimed and the lion was defeated.
"I should probably go to them now..." Lue murmured. The people on the ground talked for a while. A bomb came and destroyed the house Zoro was sleeping in.
"Crap, Zoro was sleeping there!" Luffy exclaimed while holding his head. "Zoro, you're alive?!"
"What are you shouting about?" Zoro was...sitting in the shatters of the house. "You broke my nap."
"It's unbelievable, you're alive." Nami sweatdropped.
"Fortunately!" Luffy smiled. Then the mayor said something about warring and 40 years of work and he ran in the Buggy's direction.
"Time for a show." Zoro said.
"Right, right!" Luffy laughed.
"You guys are still laughing?" Nami frowned.
"Don't worry, I like him too much. I won't let him die." Luffy turned to her with a smile.
"If you say so." Zoro went over to Luffy.
"We aim for the Grand Line. We're going back for the map. Join us, Nami!" Luffy asked her.
"I'm never going to become a pirate." She glared. But then slammed her hand on Luffy's. She smiled. "But we can work together for benefits."
"Hihihihi!" Luffy laughed.
"You guys are done?" Lue said. They all flinched.
"When did you come here?" Zoro looked at him. He was leaning against some wall. Lue then smiled and walked over to them.
"I want to see...the show!" Lue smiled. Nami sweatdropped.
"Shishishi! Let's go!" Luffy exclaimed.
—
Buggy was holding the man by the collar, lifting him up. But then Luffy came and took Buggy's hand.
"Ugh?!"
"My dad said you were not beaten enough." Luffy looked at Buggy.
"Dad?!" He exclaimed. Really...he is dead.
"Yo!" Lue waved to him.
"Monkey D. Luerion and you, kid! Stop interfering with my plans!" He exclaimed.
"Luffy, aim for the stomach, okay?" Lue said to him.
"Yeah." Luffy nodded.
"WHY ARE YOU TALKING BETWEEN YOURSELVES!" Buggy shouted, he was really angry. Two of those from the same family were mocking and humiliating him.
"Kids what are you doing, stay away from it." Mayor held his throat.
"Old man..." Lue said and the man looked at him. "Let the kids have some fun too!" He smiled and the man's eyes widened.
"It's my town...I need to protect it!" He protested. "Don't interfere!" He grabbed his pipe. Luffy then grabbed his head from the back and slammed him to the wall.
"Tsk...that's why I told you that..." Lue shook his head.
"Why did you do it?!" Nami exclaimed. "How could you treat him that way?!"
"Miss." Lue towered over her. He and Luffy smiled.
"He disturbed." Luffy answered.
"Good idea. If he didn't hit that gramps he would be dead. It's for his good." Zoro agreed.
"Don't make me laugh! There was another way for sure!" Nami exclaimed to them. Luffy turned and walked closer to the building.
"Okay. It's showtime. You dumb red-nose!" He exclaimed to the clown. Their jaws dropped.
"You spoiled brat..." Buggy was humiliated the second time this day, from the same person, from the same family. "Take a piece of Buggy's Bomb!" They aimed at Luffy and the other three.
"Why didn't you keep it to yourself!" Nami ran away.
"Luffy, let's run away from that!" Zoro said.
"This little bomb..." Luffy started.
"Blow them up!" Buggy exclaimed.
"Can go to kindergarten..." Lue cracked his fingers. They fired the bomb.
"Gomu Gomu No...Fusen!" Luffy pumped air into him and became a balloon that bounced the bomb from them. The bomb crashed onto the roof, destroying the building.
"Oh..." Lue was disappointed.
"I knew you're not normal!" Nami stomped her feet. "I need explanations! How did you become a balloon?!" She asked.
"I am from rubber." He answered.
"That's what I'm talking about!" She exclaimed. Then Buggy came out of the debris. He held two people before him that were unconscious. One guy woke up from the debris too and told Buggy about Luffy.
"What? He's got the devil fruit?" Buggy murmured.
"Rubber-man?" Nami repeated.
"Yeah." Luffy then stretched his cheeks.
After some fighting between the members of the Buggy pirates, one, the furry one, was thrown into Luffy's direction.
"Out of the way!" He exclaimed.
"No, you out of the way!" Luffy kicked him to the wall.
"Captain, I will take care of them." The Cabaji guy said.
"No, I don't think so." Lue appeared behind him and smiled.
"Huh?" He trembled. Some of the stronger crew members started to go to the Straw Hat's way and Nami ran away and Zoro had to fight with them.
"Ugh, stop getting in my way, Monkey D. Luerion!" Buggy tried to stop Lue and Zoro with his two hands from fighting with Cobaji and some of the crewmembers.
"It's a fight one on one! Don't interfere with anyone." Luffy helped Zoro and Lue by squeezing the hands.
"Good..." Lue smirked. Cobaji trembled in fear. "Now..." He said and grabbed his collar, lifting him from the ground. "I was waiting for some fight again!" Zoro was running away and he entered a valley so he lost his way.
"Oh come on, where am I?" He looked around and walked to the other direction.
"Gh, you call yourselves pirates?!" Buggy asked.
"Yeah. We're going to the Grand Line." Luffy answered.
"Hah! It's not a place for punk like you. Your daddy knows well, right?" Buggy looked at Luerion. His eyes narrowed as he knocked out the man he was fighting.
"Huh?" Luffy looked at his father.
"I know some stories from there that are pretty horrifying!" Buggy smirked. Lue clenched his fists.
"What stories..." Luffy was confused, his dad was angry?
"You haven't heard?" Buggy turned to Luffy again. "That this man is a monster?"
"Wh-Why?" Luffy's eyes were wide. Lue was glaring at Buggy.
"You see, boy...this man right here and his brother are even worse criminals than pirates! Affiliations with Gol D. Roger, threats to the world government and kills." Buggy listed.
"I haven't heard of such." Luffy narrowed his eyes.
"It's not something they would be proud of, right?" The clown mocked. Lue grabbed him by his collar.
"Dad..." Luffy didn't know what to do. Lue closed his eyes.
"There are many rumours around that freak of a family." Buggy commented as he trembled in his grasp.
"The world needs to be changed." Lue faced Buggy.
"Still it doesn't make you a hero..." The latter glared. Lue's grasp clenched more.
"What?" Luffy stood in place.
"Luffy, you can believe him if you want to. It's not like he isn't telling the truth. I wasn't officially placed in the criminals' data though." Lue's eyes showed anger but he had a calm look too. Luffy nodded. Nami was behind a wall, holding a hand over her mouth.
"It's not like I care if you killed some people..." Buggy was still being lifted by Lue. "But don't try to think you're a hero..." He clenched his teeth. "Your jokes were not funny."
"Never said they were supposed to be funny." Lue let go of him and flew to the other side.
"Hahahaha!" Buggy laughed. "You're all losers!" Luffy was all mad. Lue was still in his daze. So Luffy ran up to Buggy and punched him, they fought and Luffy at the end used Bazooka technique to send him flying.
"Dad!" He ran up to Lue who was looking up before him. "What was he talking about?" Nami came with her own treasure. Zoro just came back from his fight.
"Nothing..." Lue murmured as he looked up in some other direction.
"Dad...was he..." Luffy looked down. Lue's eyes were shadowed.
"What? You think I'm a wimp that gets tormented by rumours? Hahahaha!" Lue turned his back to them.
"Mister..." Nami murmured.
"That...forget it." Lue placed a hand on his eyes.
"I don't..." Luffy whispered.
"I will get going." Lue said and started to walk away.
"Wait! Dad! Why?" Luffy reached with his hand. The older man stopped.
"Need...some old settling..." Lue narrowed his eyes and they flinched.
"Then...we'll see each other for sure!" Luffy exclaimed. He was sad. Lue turned to him and ruffled his hair.
"You still have the pedant?" Lue asked while crouching in front of him. Luffy nodded, talking off his hat. A red feather and three strings falling down.
"Oh..." Zoro saw them.
"This hat really has strong meaning..." Nami whispered.
"Then we won't get lost." Lue smiled as he showed his own.
"Bye." Luffy looked at him again. Lue stood up and walked away. Luffy looked at his hat again, taking the pedant into his hand making a fist.
—
"Lue." Dragon said as they met on a wild island.
"Nii-san. Have you heard?" Lue sat on a log.
"Hm..." Dragon sat beside him.
"He told me I am a criminal." Lue smiled.
"You know you're not." Dragon narrowed his eyes.
"You're not too!" Lue exclaimed.
"We did what we had to, they found evidence to me not to you." Dragon murmured.
"You should have written my name on there!" Lue stood up.
"No."
"Why?! They only think you're a killer! I know what happened." Lue placed a hand over his chest.
"It's not something you should be going through." Dragon looked up at Lue.
"You too, nii-san." Lue's eyes trembled. He then kneeled beside Dragon's legs. "We did that for the world...those nobles deserved to die." Lue closed his eyes.
"Yes, I'm not denying that." He answered.
"Why then you denied my access to it..." Lue was sitting on the ground like a beaten puppy, just like they were kids.
"Because you have someone to protect...right?" Dragon placed a hand on his head.
"Gh..." Lue clenched his teeth.
"You didn't have to leave them." Dragon looked in the other island's direction..
"I wanted to meet you." Lue answered.
"Why? I'm not really worth meeting..."
"You are! You saved my life many, many, many times! No one knows how kind you are besides me!" Lue's eyes widened as he exclaimed. Dragon was shocked for a while but then he smiled.
"I guess." He caressed his neck. They looked at the ocean and saw a ship. "They're here for me." Dragon stood up, he walked to the shore. "Oh and..." He stopped in the middle.
"What?"
"Sabo's saying his hellos." Dragon smiled lightly. It was a kind brotherly smile Lue has always received from him.
"Haha!" Lue stood up and laughed. "Then, bye...nii-san." He waved. Dragon disappeared in the wind. He clenched his fists one more time and looked up. Right...it will happen really close in time. He needs to be ready to...save him and prevent him from going after that monster. He needs to meet Ace.
-----