Chapter 17: Luffy's Bounty and Arrival at Louge Town

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I am ecstatic because this story now has over 100 Follows! What a happy occasion! As usual, the next chapter will be out on Monday.

Chapter 17:

Luffy's Bounty and Arrival in Louge Town

Destiny... Fate... Dreams...

These unstoppable ideals are held deep in the heart of man. As long as there are people who seek freedom in this life, these thinks shall not vanish from the Earth.

The Merry had been stocked with everything the group would need until they reached the Grand Line. Arlong Park had been pillaged by the people and everything of value taken to help rebuild the towns of the island. Zoro had gone back and stolen four swords: two as temporary replacements for himself and two for Coby in case they were unable to get anything better.

To remember her adopted mother, Nami had asked Luffy if she could take some tangerine trees with them. He had readily given her what she wanted, him, Sanji, and a slightly-forced Gin doing most of the heavy lifting. Zoro had taken Coby into the forest to do some light training to make sure both of them were good as new, even if Zoro now had a scar from Hawk-Eye's last attack and Coby a scar from Nazumi shooting him in the shoulder.

Now, every resident of Cocoyashi Village but one was on the docks to wave goodbye to the Straw Hat Pirates. The villagers were getting annoyed. Where was Nami?

"Set sail!" they heard the woman of their thoughts yell. She was standing 200 feet away, proudly displaying her new tattoo that had replaced Arlong's mark; a tangerine and a pinwheel.

"You heard her!" Luffy called. "Let's go!"

"She's gonna leave without letting us thank her!" one villager realized. They tried to stop her, but it was too late. She rushed through the crowd, passing by each person once. When she reached the end of the dock, the thief leapt off as hard as she could. Luffy's arms stretched out, wrapping around her waist and pulling her in. She pecked him on the lips before pulling back. The girl then lifted the hem of her shirt, allowing all of the wallets and purses that she's just stolen to tumble to the deck.

"What?"

"My wallet's gone!"

"She took my purse!"

"You damn thief! We'll miss you!"

Nami didn't turn around, or cry, or say goodbye. They sailed away, the voices of the townspeople echoing in the wind.

"Thank you."

Three days had passed since Nami had joined the crew and things were as lively as ever. The girl was reading the daily paper under an umbrella while Sanji beat Luffy away from her mini orchard. Usopp was working on a new projectile, Zoro was napping with Coby next to him, the boy cleaning and sharpening the stolen swords, and Gin had borrowed some of their weights and was exercising shirtless across from them.

"Come on, Sanji," Luffy whined. "I just want one."

"No way! These are Nami's tangerines. Nami-swan! Do you see how well I'm protecting your orchard?"

"Yes, Sanji-kun." Nami hadn't even looked up.

"Hey, Captain," Coby called. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure." Luffy walked over to the pink-haired boy and his first mate. "What is it?"

"Just a tip. If you really want a tangerine, don't try to steal it. Just ask Nami nicely. I mean, you are dating."

"Huh. Never thought about it that way. Thanks, Coby." Luffy wandered over to his girlfriend. "Hey, Nami. Can I have a tangerine from your orchard?"

"I don't know, Luffy," she rebuffed. "What's the magic word?"

"Hold on," Luffy muttered. "I know this one. Uh, open sesame? No, that's not it. Alakazam? No, not that one either..." Nami giggled. While Luffy was charming and very loyal to his friends, he certainly wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Taking pity on his clueless captain, Gin strode over and whispered in his ear. "Oh. That makes sense. Nami, can I please have a tangerine from your orchard?"

"Yes you can," she laughed. "Let me get it for you." She stood, jostling the newspaper as she did so. Out of it fell two tan sheets of paper with familiar faces on them.

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

"Straw Hat" Luffy- 30,000,000 Beris

"Pirate Hunter" Zoro- 20,000,000 Beris

"What?!" Sanji yelled.

"This is not good!" Nami screamed.

"This is great!" Luffy Laughed.

"That's way higher than mine," Gin commented.

"Zzzzzzz," Zoro snored.

"Even Zoro-sensei got one!" Coby shouted.

"That's me!" Usopp cheered. Everyone looked at him in confusion. "What? Look in the corner, there." He pointed at Luffy's poster. "That's the back of my head. And that's my nose on Zoro's"

"Luffy, you're a wanted criminal!" Nami shouted.

"I know! And my bounty is 30 million! Isn't that great?! And Zoro is worth 20 million! Hey, Sanji. How about a celebratory meal? ...Please?" he added.

"Well, since you said please..." Sanji headed to the kitchen while Luffy and Coby talked about the captain's new bounty and how I compared to others. Zoro awoke at some point and was told about the new development, but he showed no signs of either surprise or worry.

Eventually, they passed by a Marine ship that looked like it could give Krieg's ship a run for its money for "most destroyed ship on the water". Despite this, it quickly turned around and chased them.

"Straw Hat Luffy!" its officer called, holding up a copy of his wanted poster. The man looked familiar, but Luffy couldn't place him. Coby and Gin, on the other hand, could; it was Lieutenant Fullbody. "You are hereby under arrest for crimes against the government! Men, fire!"

The cannonball shot at Luffy, but Gin got in its way. He batted it back with a tonfa, the projectile smashing into the side of the Marine ship. With a groan, the run-down ship started to sink. Fullbody stared at Gin, recognizing him.

"Would you keep it down?" Nami demanded from the other side of the deck. "I'm trying to read!"

At the same time, Sanji walked out of the kitchen to see what all the commotion was. Upon seeing him, Fullbody paled more.

"Take their ship!" The former lieutenant ordered to cover up his fear. His six men jumped the railing to land on the Merry's deck. Usopp knocked one off with a Lead Star. Gin shot one over the side with his flintlock, killing him. Zoro backhanded one into the water. Luffy punched another. Sanji kicked one away. Coby blocked a sword with his own and jump kicked his opponent in the face, causing him to stumble overboard.

With his crew defeated and his ship sinking, Fullbody attacked with reckless abandon. Sanji dealt with him the same way he had two weeks before. The Straw Hats sailed away, leaving six marines, one corpse, and one half-sunk ship in the middle of nowhere.

"Nami?" Luffy asked as Sanji headed back to the kitchen. "Where are we going?"

"Louge Town," she answered. Coby and Gin recognized the name, the latter having been there once before. "It's known as the Town of Beginnings and Endings because that's where Gold Roger was both born and executed."

"Awesome," Luffy smiled before turning to Gin. "We're going to have to talk about that killing thing after the meal. Anyway... hey, Nami. Can I have that tangerine now, please?"

"So this is Louge Town," Luffy said in awe, looking up at the sign that proclaimed the town's name. "I want to see the execution platform where Gold Roger died. We can meet back here later." He ran off.

"Luffy!" Nami yelled after him, but he was out of earshot. "He didn't even give us a real time and I bet he'll get lost."

"I'll go with him," Gin told her. "I've been here before and remember my way around." He took off after the excitable teen.

"I need some new swords," Zoro said. "I don't think these stolen ones will hold up to my strength."

"I can lend you some money," Nami smiled. "For some interest, of course."

"Fine," the swordsman grunted unhappily. "If I'm borrowing money, I might as well try to find Coby a better pair, too. Come on, Shrimp." They took their exit. Nami, Sanji, and Usopp went alone to look for clothes, food, and nick-nacks, respectfully.

Zoro and Coby were simply wandering. They had no guide and neither had been to Louge Town before. Upon leaving, Zoro had told his apprentice not to use his name in case someone recognized it now that he was a wanted man. The two were walking along when they'd heard someone scream and followed the sound. A ring of people had formed around a black-haired woman in glasses carrying a bundle who was being attacked by two large men. Neither knew why she was being attacked, but they did not care either.

"Sensei, we have to help her!" Coby whisper-shouted as the woman unwrapped the bundle and unsheathed a blade. The two men were down in an embarrassingly short amount of time. The woman's badass display was ruined, however, when she tripped afterward, her red glasses falling off her face and skidding over to the two Straw Hats.

"My glasses! I can't see without my glasses."

"Here," Coby told her, bending down and picking up the ocular assistance device. Zoro tensed when she looked up, her appearance bringing up memories of his past. Had he been the one with the glasses, they would have been crushed. Coby placed the glasses on her nose.

"Why, thank you," she said. "May I ask for your name?"

"I'm Coby. And this is my sensei. We're looking for a swordsmith. Could you help us?"

"Yeah, sure. Follow me. I'm Tashigi, by the way. Nice to meet you." The trio began walking, but only Coby and Tashigi talked to each other when the woman was not stumbling around clumsily. Zoro was still getting over the fact that this swordswoman looked exactly like his dead rival, Kuina.

Eventually, they came to a shop named The Kotestu Ryuu (Iron Dragon). A bell tinkled as the three entered the store. The owner, a small man who was going bald, looked up from the magazine he was reading on the counter.

"Hello," he greeted. "Can I help you? Oh, Tashigi. Here, I finished polishing your blade." As the adults walked up to the counter, Coby wandered the store to see if any swords called out to him.

"Excuse me," Zoro began. "My apprentice and I have four blades and 200,000 Beris to trade for four better swords. It would be best to have a matching pair for the Shrimp."

"May I see the swords you're willing to trade?" As Zoro removed the two standard blades from his haremaki, the owner's eyes landed on Zoro's white sword. His eyes bugged out comically, but he tried (and failed) to play it off. "Say, that's a pretty nice sword you've got there. May I see it?"

"No," Zoro answered. "This weapon is special to me. I will not be selling it."

"Are you sure? I can give you another 200,000 Beris for it."

"No."

"You push a mean bargain. Fine, 300,000."

"No, I'm not selling."

"Final offer: 600,000... 750,000!"

"Holy crap," Tashigi interrupted, getting a good look at the sword. "That's the Wado Ichimonji! It's worth no less than ten million Beris! How did you get it?"

"Damn you, girl!" the store owner raged. "I ought to sue you for obstruction of business!"

"I wasn't going to sell it anyway," Zoro muttered.

"Bah, fine. These other swords you brought in, they're of fishman origin, but they are rather worn from use. I don't care how you got them, but I can give you 25,000 for each if I want to sell them for profit. Unfortunately, the cheapest swords I have are those barrel swords over there for 50,000 Beris apiece."

"Fine. That'll work. Oi! Shrimp! Over here!"

"Yes, sensei!" Coby hurried over to the three wooden barrels of swords. He and Zoro started rifling through them. While they did that, Tashigi spoke.

"Why do you feel the need to carry three swords? Do you break swords that often or are you like that infamous bounty hunter that carries three swords? Have you heard of him? His name is Roranoa." She seemed to spit out the words "bounty hunter" and "Roranoa".

"I think he sounds pretty cool," Zoro said, catching Coby's eye so he got the message to play along. "You don't seem to like him, though. Why not?"

"He's a bounty hunter. Anyone who goes around killing people for money can't be called a true swordsman. Pirates are the only things worse."

Zoro found a sword with a black and red sheath and pulled it out of the barrel. When Zoro pulled the blade from its sheath, it had a flame-like temper, the blunt side a dark purple and the blade nearly white. Tashigi gasped when she saw it and started turning pages in her book.

"Just as I thought," she announced. "That's the Kitetsu III! It's one of the famous 63 Uwazimono!" She turned to the store owner. "You're only selling to for 50,000 Beris?"

"You're right," he lamented. "I can't sell you that blade."

"Why not?" Coby asked.

"This sword is cursed," Zoro observed, surprising the woman and shocking the owner.

"How can you tell?" the man questioned, confirming Zoro's words.

"I just... do." Zoro smirked. "I'll take it."

"No!" the man yelped. "Nope! No way! I can't sell you that sword. Many great swordsmen have met their demise after taking on a Kitetsu sword!"

"Let's see which holds out. My good luck or this sword's curse." Zoro threw the blade upward and stuck his arm out.

"What are you doing?" Tashigi yelled.

"You fool!" the owner screamed. "You're gonna chop your arm off!"

"Zoro-sensei!" Coby shouted. Luckily, the woman wasn't focused on the name he'd just yelled.

The spinning blade came down on his arm. Time seemed to slow down as the metal just missed Zoro's flesh. The blade sunk into the floor.

"I'll take it."

Tashigi fell to her knees, having thought that she was going to see this man lose an arm. Coby punched Zoro in the leg as hard as he could, which was quite hard after all the training he'd been forced through. The older swordsman only laughed at him. The store owner scrambled upstairs and ran back down with something under a tarp. He unveiled it to reveal a sword in a full black sheath.

"It's covered in a black lacker finish with an uneven temper pattern. This is the Ryowazimono Yubashiri," he introduced. "It's the greatest sword I have."

"Why are you showing it to me? You know I'm basically broke. There's no way I could afford it."

"I want you to have it," the man answered. "Free of charge. It's been a long time since I've met a man like you. I can tell that you'll become a legend. Please, take it. Call it an apology for trying to cheat a true swordsman."

"I... Thank you. I will gratefully accept. With this sword, I will make my name reach the heavens."

"Thank you. Now, with your original amount of 400,000 minus the 50,000 for the Kitetsu, that leaves 350,000 Beris, correct? I have a matching sword set here from an island in the Grand Line for 275,000 Beris. Both sides of the blades are sharpened and slimmer than average, making it good for stabbing as well as slashing. The handles are long enough for both two-handed and one-handed grips and are made of Alabastain leather. The swords themselves were made there as well." Coby took the weapons from the man and gave them a few practice swings. They were heavier than he was used to, but that was nothing some practice couldn't fix.

"I like them," Coby announced. "They feel... right."

"We'll take them," Zoro nodded. He handed over the fishman swords and counted 125,000 Beris. Coby strapped the swords' red sheaths to his back the way he usually did as his teacher slid his new weapons into the loop on the right side of his sash. Tashigi glanced at the clock and yelped a very unladylike word.

"Shit! I'm late for training! Captain Smoker is going to kill me! Good luck, you two." She left in a hurry.

"Wait," Coby got out. "She's a marine?"

"Yup," the owner answered. "A Sergeant Major and one of the best on the island."

"I'm glad she missed me saying your name, Zoro-sensei. She really didn't like your reputation."

The shop owner paled. "Yo-You're R-R-Roranoa Zoro?!"

"That a problem?" the green-haired man asked.

"N-Not at all! I'm honored to have you in my shop!"

"Good, but if anyone asks, I was never here. At least, not until tomorrow. Let's go, Shrimp. Knowing Luffy, he's probably ticked off the Marines by now."

"Our captain does have that kind of track record, doesn't he?"

End of Chapter 17

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-SwordOfTheGods