Another chapter that ended up shorter than I prefer my chapters. But there is super important stuff for later so hope you guys like it. Enjoy.
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Nami woke to the unfamiliar rocking of a unfamiliar ship. Looking around the room she was in she noticed several things of interest. One, the room was larger than the main deck of the Merry. Two, the room was well furnished and the blankets on the bed were made of rich material. Three, there was a picture on the night stand of two people. One of them looked a lot like Luffy, only no scar under the left eye. The other person, she couldn't make out his face, was wearing what looked like Luffy's hat. The two of them were smiling and looked very happy.
The fourth and final thing she noticed was, she was supposed to be there. She couldn't tell how she knew it but she did. She was on this strange ship for a reason. There was something she was supposed to learn. Deciding to do just that, she climbed off the bed and made her way to the door.
Once outside she noticed it was just getting to dawn. And, she saw someone standing at the front of the ship. Looking at the person, she decided it was a man, he looked to be only a few years older than she was. He had purplish silver hair that waved in the wind that filled the sails and was wearing a cloak that seemed familiar to her. Slowly she approached him, sensing that he could give her the knowledge she wanted.
"The dark refused to help." The man suddenly spoke startling her when she was only feet away. "And with the dawn the light gives their answer." He turned to look at her and she gasped. His face was beautiful and filled with a sense of innocence with just a hint of deeper knowledge. And his eyes! His eyes were a stormy gray with a swirl of ocean blue at the edges. And just like the storm tossed sea, his eyes drew her in with the promise of adventure and destruction.
"The end is coming." He whispered, though she could here him as if he had spoken in her ear.
"What end?" She asked him, feeling as if what she had come for was within her grasp. Suddenly in the distance she noticed something out to sea. There looked to be a bump or something on the horizon. Only the bump was all the way across the vast distance of what she could see. She glanced around as she noticed the wind had died and saw the same bump all around in every direction.
"All I wanted was to thank them." The man sighed drawing her attention back to him. "Nobody understood that."
"Thank who?" She questioned him as he stared at the bump which was growing larger with each second. "What end? And to what?" She felt an urgency like she didn't have much time. All of a sudden a roar began to fill the air and she realized the bump was a giant wave come from all sides. "Hurry you need to tell me!" She screamed as she tried to make herself heard. Any moment now the wave would crash down on them and destroy them. The man leaned forward as if he was going to say something and she felt excitement fill her.
"Look a butterfly!" The man put his thumbs together and twisted his hands so they looked like the wings of a butterfly.
"A butterfl-?!" The wave crashed down destroying everything and Nami woke in her bed drenched in sweat. It was that same dream from before. Ever since they had left her home island three days ago she had been having the same dream every night. And each time it ended the same. With her feeling like she was going to get an answer only for something strange to happen to the man before he answered her and the wave took them both. The first time the man had been attacked by a giant woodpecker. The second, electric eels.
"What could it all mean?" She asked herself. To begin with she thought it was the effects of something she ate. When the dream had recurred she felt it was for a reason. Deciding she needed some fresh air she made her way outside to find it was just getting to dawn, like in her dream. And standing at the front of the ship was a figure, hair waving in the wind. Her heart beat quickened as she thought she might still be dreaming. Then she realized it was D standing there when he placed his hood on his head. She made her way over to him and leaned against the railing.
"What are you doing up so early?" She asked him. He looked up at the brightening sky.
"Could ask you the same thing." He smiled. And for the first time his smile didn't make her nervous. It didn't make her feel like he had ulterior motives. It was a honest and kind smile. "I was just trying to talk to some old friends. Though they refuse to talk back." He sighed. "I know your listening guys!" He suddenly yelled surprising her.
They sat there in silence watching the sunrise as Nami had the urge to ask D her question involving the dream. "Do you sense an end coming?"
"Do you mean the an end like the end of the day?" He gave her a strange look. "Or maybe the end of a game. Could be the end of a book."
"Never mind." She sighed. Having a serious conversation with him was like Luffy having a good idea. Far and in between!
"It could have to do with how close we are to Lougetown." He said, drawing her out of her thoughts. "People tend to start thinking like that since it got the name of the town of beginnings and endings." Maybe he had a point.
"Gaaaah?!" They turned in surprise as Luffy's voice rang out from below. Without warning the hatch leading below burst open and Luffy jumped out screaming. Once his breath ran out and he had to breath he look around in confusion until he spot Nami and D.
"D!" Luffy ran over and grabbed D by his collar. "Don't you dare mess with my adventure!"
"Ok?" D nodded very confused. Once Luffy had his promise he calmed down and went to the kitchen to get some breakfast. Ussop and Zoro crawled out from below shortly after, still looking tired.
"Do you guys know what that was about?" Nami questioned the two.
"No idea." Zoro shook his head.
"Yah." Ussop agreed. "We were sleeping soundly when suddenly her started freaking out saying something about it ending to quickly. Then he screamed adventure and ran on deck." Nami looked at D.
"Don't look to me for answers." He shook his head. "Luffy had done stranger things. Once he woke from a dream and accused me of eating his foot. He even took his foot and shook it in my face asking if it looked like his foot had been eaten. When I said no he rolled it up so you couldn't see it and asked me again." D chuckled as he remembered. "Once he calmed down as punishment I tied his feet to his head behind his back and made him go from one end of a jungle to another like that." Everyone looked at him like he had a their head or something. "Of course I followed out of sight to make sure he didn't die." He added.
"Land ho!" Luffy cried out while he ate a plate of waffles. Everyone turned to see where he was pointing to.
"There it is you guys." Nami smiled. "Lougetown. The last stop before the Grande Line!"
Meanwhile on Lougetown in a government office filled with steam sat a man relaxing as he stacked rocks, biggest to smallest, on his desk. Two cigars sat between his lips as he concentrated, the steam seemed to come off his body slightly.
"Captain Smoker, sir!" A marine soldier burst into the room causing the steam to dissipate. "We have an emergency sir!"
"Relax." Smoker took a deep breath and let it out, the air around his head clouding up. "If you work yourself into a stress you'll get ulcers."
"But sir!" Smoker gave him a look. "Right sir! Sorry, sir." The marine took a deep breath and let it out, his shoulders relaxing.
"Better." Smoker went to the window and opened the shutters, letting the rest of the smoke and steam out. "What do you have to report?" He glanced back at the marine who pulled out several papers.
"We received notification that a high bounty pirate is heading our way." The marine pulled an envelope out from the stack. "Also this came in for you."
Smoker took the papers and the envelope from the marine and looked over the report. "Do we have a poster for this Monkey D. Luffy?" He asked the marine.
"No sir. The posters are a little late today." The marine had the audacity to look embarrassed as if it was his fault. "But the report says he should be arriving today. We just need to keep our eyes sharp."
"Yes." Smoker sighed as he inspected the envelope. It was not marked in anyway and only had his name on it. "Sharp eyes." He mumbled as he opened it. There was no sign of poison. Inside was a slip of paper with a message written on it.
The Devil walks amongst us. Beware the D. Ps. Hina's debt is paid. Signed, Hina.
Smoker's eyes widened as he reread the message. Clearly the message was timed to come her with the reports so the D talked about had to be this Monkey that was mention. He had spent enough time training at headquarters before receiving his post to know about the Devil. Though the fact that he could never find out who still troubled him. He still had a feeling his orders sent him here so he couldn't dig any deeper. Luckily there happened to be someone on the island that had stories involving the Devil.
"Sir!" Another marine rushed into the office. "Trouble at the docks. A pirate has arrived and refuses to give his name. He is terrorizing the citizens and claiming to be heading to the Grande Line for the One Piece.
"I'll take care of it." Smoker grabbed his Jutt from beside the desk. "Have the others patrol the streets to make sure none of the crew members of this pirate have wondered anywhere." Smoker quickly made his way out from the office. Something told him that this Monkey D. Luffy had indeed landed on Lougetown today. Maybe this pirate was him. Maybe not. Only one way to tell.