ONE PIECE: Dawn of a New Era

Noir had watched the entire thing in pure silence, a shadow falling over his face as he processed what he saw.

He couldn't believe it.

This man had bravely faced his death, and only being given slight mercy from Hannibal Wolfheart himself... he still stood strong and believed he could take down the strongest swordsman? Noir couldn't believe he had found people with dreams as ridiculous as his own.

Slowly coming over, he also crouched down beside Kále and Leroy, the concern for the man's well-being hidden by the utter confusion on his face. Soon, he muttered out from behind his cigarette, smoke billowing out of his mouth as he did. "How... can you still hold onto your dreams so tightly..?"

Suddenly, a wave of emotions washed over him. The pure respect for the man's will and courage beneath them was insane. Noir had never met a man who he thought could ever be on the same level as Kale. No man could be that loyal, right?

So many negative and positive emotions were nearly boiling over inside of him, but Noir hid them calmly behind just a simple, almost frustrated look. His brow furrowed and he looked up back at the sight of Hannibal leaving for a moment before his gaze fell down to the swordsman on the floor.

A chuckle escaped him and a small smile perked up on his lips.

"Well... hell... 'King of the Pirates'.. 'The strongest Swordsman'... you guys are insane."

He took his cigarette between his two forefingers and stood up, hand still shoved into his pocket. Looking down at both Leroy and Kale now, he actually seemed... very happy. No matter how dark the situation had been, Noir was inspired.

Oh so inspired. He took back all of the things he thought about the crew before. Kale had guts of steel with that will of his. Leroy was actually reasonable and collected underneath that toddler-like joy and zaniness. Noir was sure the other two were just as determined and crazy.

"But... heh, I guess even if you are insane, you're good people. People with ludicrous dreams." He tilted his head a bit, his eyes closing as he gave them a big smile.

"People like me."

"Never thought I'd ever find others like me. Which ship is yours? I wanna join your crew." It was a simple, yet confident confirmation. His eyes reopening as he puffed the acrid smoke from his lips.

"See? What'd I tell you!" He said putting a hand on the shoulder on of kale. Before retracting it. Realizing that he probably just put the man in pain. "Oops."

Noir lightly chuckled down at Leroy as he accidentally patted Kále on the shoulder.

"Careful!" Jeanne said with a smile as she teased the Captain with a playful reprimand

Ducasse then looked up and had Noir wait for a moment "Noir. Son wait. Before you go c'mere for a moment."

Noirs attention quickly snapped up to Ducasse as he heard his voice. Worry and almost guilt set into him immediately. While watching the aftermath of the fight, he had been fighting a raging war inside of himself about whether or not he should leave the man who had taken him in like that and saved him.

Now, immediately, Noir was ready to turn right back on his word to the crew the second his father even started to mention the fact he wanted him to stay at the restaurant.

He let the older man lead him to the side, now looking up at him with slightly worried eyes. He prepared to apologize to Leroy for saying he would join and how he would absolutely help Ducasse fix the restaurant and-

..and, that speech didn't come.

Once Noir and Ducasse were alone he put a hand on the mans shoulder. He hesitated for a moment as he really thought about what he was going to say "I know that you are sure about joining them. But i need to tell you." He paused for a moment again and thought to himself before looking back to the chef.

"I am so proud of you."

"I am so, so proud of you." His eyes glistened as he spoke. Head hanging while a smile crept across his goatee face.

Noir's eyes widened a bit as his words echoed around in his head. For that one moment, Noir was truly proud of himself as well. Just for a moment. A rare, fleeting moment that he got from being able to make Ducasse so happy.

"That debt." He began again "That you think you're always working so hard to pay off...It never existed" Ducasses brow pinched in a look of relief as he continued to speak, a small frown to his mouth.

"It was only something I told you when you were young so that you'd stick around, and wouldn't run off. I just- didn't want anything to happen to you. Not after the way I found you." He shook his head his other hand coming onto his shoulder.

Noir listened with slowly growing wetter eyes as Ducasse went on, his emotions nearly getting the better of him. He held himself together though. Even if the debt wasn't real, Noir took it seriously. It was real to him, even if it was a trick.

"And today of all days, you truly proved just what kind of man you are." The tears fully began streaming down his face as he sniffled.

"A man that I am truly proud of in calling my son..."

Noir sucked up a small sniffle before grinning in a wobbly way up at the man he was proud to call his father.

"I learned from the best, didn't I? I just wanted to follow in your footsteps.."

He then brought the man in for an embrace and hugged him tightly. Keeping him there

Noir quickly accepted the hug, hugging him nearly twice as fiercely. Even if he didn't really express his gratitude straightforwardly much to the chef, he truly did love the man.

"I'm... sure gonna miss ya... Pa." It wasn't all of the time that Noir called someone such an affectionate and personal title. Sometimes, maybe, he would call Ducasse it by accident and then spread the rest of the day in his room, purely embarrassed, but this time he meant it wholeheartedly. To think he'd caught himself saying it for the third time that day!

"I'll miss you all!" Noir then called to the other Chefs on the Now empty deck. All the other ships having left.

The other chefs couldn't help themselves, though. They all made their way over to the father and son, and began giving their own goodbyes to the Brown haired Chef.

"You're gonna do great out there you know that kid?"

"Yeah, that name of yours is gonna go far and wide. Bigger than this small ship!"

"I just know, you're gonna become the greatest chef this worlds ever seen!"

All the words flooded over Noir, all at once. He could help but laugh as he continued to cry. Hugging each one of them, so tightly. They were his family. Sure some had tempers. Some had egos. Some couldn't be relied on to clean dishes like hoping that an anchor would float.

But they were his.

Now. He had a new one to go and become a part of...

"Thank You!!!" He let out, one last time, loudly for them all to hear!