Piracy? Unchanging facade in a new world!

"Nyahaha! Delicious, seriously good!" Luffy was stuffing his face with cartoonishly large amounts of food, credit to his strange composition. How exactly does he stretch like that? Was he born with physiology different from normal humans, perhaps it's genetic? Maybe even human experimentation?

Everyone from our ragtag bunch was merrily engorging the meal in front of us. Apparently Gaimon and the sniper had gone to the trouble of catching some fish for the banquet. That along with the fresh fruits unique to the island we often foraged made for a decent meal. It was as if the previous fights hadn't occurred. Well on the surface, I think the only person clueless enough to forget all that is their captain.

"...So, about that transport. Can we still take you up on that?" That was the question of the day.

Directing that question to the captain as the height of authority seems to have been a mistake, he was too absorbed in engulfing the meal to pay any attention to the words coming from my mouth.

"...Before that, there's something I have to do." Unexpectedly Gaimon begun to speak whilst standing from the log.

"..."

"I owe you an apology Taka! They were empty all along, thanks you're a good guy!" Shouting all whilst tears threatened to erupt from the eyes almost hidden by the bushy hair and eyebrows. Attempting to kowtow but instead fell flat on his face, due to the constraints of the chest he was bonded to.

"..."

"I'm sorry for doubting you!"

"...Raise your head Gaimon. I understand why you did, it's no big deal." I truly felt that way. Whether he apologized or not didn't change my feelings on the matter, it was inconsequential.

"Yeah, I guess we also owe an apology. If it weren't for this idiot, we might not have misunderstood." The navigator quietly apologized.

"Hey, what did I d-?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Both the sniper and navigator immediately pounced at the swordsman. At least they're enjoying themselves. After wrestling around with the swordsman for a bit the navigator finally turned back to me.

"That being said, yeah you guys can come along. When will you be ready for it?"

"I'm ready immediately, Gaimon?"

"...I. I don't know what to do..."

"Come with us! C'mon old guy, it'll be fun!" Probably the only thought that rummages through that head of his- fun. Just how exactly most of the proceedings on this island have been fun I'll never know...

"...I don't doubt that straw hat. But what about them? I can't just leave them."

"We'll take them with us!"

"...I appreciate that straw hat I do. But it's not that simple." It's putting the cart before the horse...

"What do you mean?! We can handle it, we have enough food right Nami?!"

"Maybe if you can control yourself, we might just have enough till we reach the next island."

"..."

"Gaimon. There's no need for the journey is there?" It was pointless from the beginning.

"..."

"You've already found it haven't you?"

"..."

"A treasure worth protecting." His place is here.

"...Yeah, I can't let go of it now. They've been my comrades for decades now. I've lived, ate and adventured with them for years. I can't leave them now."

"That's why I'm saying to come with us!"

"Can you take care of them for the rest of that time? Can you feed and protect them for the rest of the journey? Whilst fighting off marines and other strong pirates? I know I can't. I don't have the strength. And I can't ask that of someone else, it's my responsibility." Gaimon highlighted the important space between dream and reality. To ground one's desire in realism and accept the consequences that come with it. I could understand his worry, there were plenty of problems regarding taking them aboard.

Food and shelter being the least of that. What of the ecology and environment of the island? This climate, the vegetation, animals, even the temperature and weather changes. All of it is an utter bastardisation of normal weather patterns. Taking those animals away from here could result in several health defects, not only of these animals but also a destruction of the island ecosystem altogether. Is that something we have the right to choose? To breed destruction on each and every place we visit just because we have the strength to do so? 'Saving' someone may just mean implicating another, surrendering them to the same fate as the one we chose to save. Animals would come and go on this island after we leave, each and every one of them would struggle to survive because of what we did.

"Thank you, straw hat. But this is my place, right here with these guys. These are my treasure."

"Gotcha. In that case, I'll come back after becoming pirate king. You better be ready when I do!"

"Ahaha I'll be waiting. Don't be too long though, I'm still an old man!"

"Nyahaha. For now, more food!" With the mood raised once again the festivities kicked off. I could use a break from the noise, however.

Standing from the log and walking to the shore, I chose to instead watch the waves teeter in and out, gently massaging the sands of the beach I had awoke on just a few weeks prior. I would finally leave this place. Just what exactly awaits out there?

"Ayanokouji? What are you doing sat all the way over here?" The resident navigator had intruded upon the serene moment I shared with the tide. Not that I minded.

"...Not sure. Saying goodbye maybe, this is the first place I could call home. Even if it was only for a small time. I'm glad to be going, but... it's a strange feeling." Saying goodbye to a home, did I really feel that way? I know a person might feel that way were they accustomed to that home, if it held a place of tranquillity in their hearts, but can I honestly say the same for myself in this situation? At times I forget whether I'm saying something purely to maintain a facade or whether I truly believe it myself.

"It must be a hard situation, this is the one place you probably felt safe. Yet, despite that if you want to move forward in any way... you have to leave. There's no other option, shark-infested waters or worse. The only path is forward."

"Unfortunately, that forward path remains just like the sea. Dark and vast. Innumerable obstacles, even the path itself is obscured. Who's to say what's the right direction?" That was what presently troubled me. Just what direction should I go in? There were countless options, theoretically no wrong answers, but that just strengthened the paralysis upon my mind.

"...Dark and vast it may be, but doesn't that just mean that all the possibilities in the world are present for the taking?" An incredibly optimistic mind might venture down that thought track, for some reason that seemed incongruent with Nami's character as I knew it.

"Through piracy, gain freedom? Does that mean my future will always be linked to the demise of another, are they always inextricably linked?"

"...In my experience I can't say I've seen much different. Those that want to, take. That's how they achieve the world that they desire... But if there's anyone who's challenged my belief of that till now; it'd be Luffy."

"He certainly has something to him. Well, besides the strange ability to stretch inhuman amounts."

"Hehe, well that is certainly one of his unique characteristics."

"...Speaking of what exactly is that? Is it natural? I've never seen anything like it."

"Really? You live on an island with all manner of strange creatures, not to mention the man currently living in a treasure chest for several decades, but stretching surprises you?"

"...Now that you say it. I'm becoming more aware of the absurdity... Still remains that he's strange, no?"

"Point taken. I suppose the amnesia is also having an effect. Well to put it simply, it isn't exactly commonplace, but people like Luffy are still seen every now and again. Some people just inherit these strange characteristics from time to time, that's about all I know." 

That didn't tell me whether it was natural or genetic or a product of environment either. Did she just not know? No, Nami doesn't strike me as the type to leave that information from her grasp especially if she hasn't committed to staying with them. Luffy also isn't careful enough to keep that information private. That means she's intentionally hiding them from me. Further examining her statements and the mannerisms during the conversation didn't let me gleam much either. She's either exceptionally gifted at lying through a similar characteristic to Luffy or she's simply embellishing the truth. The greatest way to con a person is through a majority of truth, lies should be small and seem almost inconsequential in a ruse. Is this one of those same scenarios?

I could always consolidate these findings with other members of the crew, they don't seem to be as tight-lipped as Nami is in these regards.

"...What exactly is it that sets him apart in your eyes?" I was genuinely intrigued to see what her beliefs were on the matter.

"Luffy? I'm not sure, if I were to try and put my finger on it, I think it'd be hard to grasp..." I waited as she tried to find the right words to properly elicit the explanation of her captain's novelty.

"He's... an... idiot?" Not what I was expecting.

"..."

"No, even that's not quite right... It's hard to explain, but it's as if... as if he's... untainted in a way? I'm not sure... how aggravating."

"It's his childlike naivete? I didn't think you'd be a fan of gullible people."

"Oh, I'm their biggest fan!"

"I meant other than when trying to scam them."

"Hey! I don't scam them! I just kindly empty their pockets for them. I wouldn't want all that gold to weigh them down, in ten or twenty years they'll thank me for saving their joints!"

"...Besides, how did you know that?"

"Lucky guess?"

"Seems a bit far-fetched for a good guess to me... Did Zoro say something?"

"The way you handled negotiations when we first met tipped me off. The others clearly weren't experienced in the same way."

"So that's what it was... Seeing you say it so clearly means you must also have some memory of conning, the art of trickery perhaps? Has something come back to you, any memories?"

"No, that isn't the case. Maybe it's just an artefact of muscle memory."

"In that case were you the scammer or the scammee?" 

"Is that even a real word?" I had my doubts.

"That unchanging face could be either... Perhaps cherry-boy got burnt too-hard by a past lover?"

"If that was the case, it must've been bad enough to wipe the rest of my memory too." Cherry-boy?

"Hehehe. Well either way, I suppose we can only wait and see as far as that goes... We'll be travelling together, in the meantime... so here. To sailing the seas." She hands me a drink, one of the same variety the group had been polishing off the entire meal, well apart from Luffy.

I had never tasted any alcohol before, it was strictly prohibited during my 'detention' so to speak. That and the bylaws for my previous world certainly wouldn't have allowed it. In the age of piracy; is drinking legal for someone my age? What a drab thought... I'm about to sail the high seas with a band of misfits known for stealing and pillaging along their sea routes, this is hardly of any consequence. That being said, I wouldn't normally trust the drink from a stranger.

This meeting is important, and I can't exactly spit in the face of compassion. Like the handshake two CEO's might share, it was a delicate understanding of each party and the etiquette that was required between them. This wasn't about my will or eagerness, or even Nami's magnanimity. It was pure and simple, a gesture of agreement between two people.

My mind racing at several hundred miles per second, I finally decide to ingest the bitter fluid. The frothy contents pour back and hit my throat. Only to be met with almost instantaneous sputtering and coughing. Who the hell chooses to drink this?!

"Hehehe, still a kid. It grows on you."

"I'm not sure if I want this to grow on me. Or to try this enough for that to happen."

"At least you know you weren't a serial drinker in the past, one more possibility crossed off the list."

"Why do I feel like each of these possibilities are going to put me in danger?"

"Next possibility; immune to heights? Suppose we'll just have to test it, we can have Luffy slingshot you if you'd like?"

"I'll die!"

"Oh yeah, where's the proof?"

"I feel it in my bones."

"Oh c'mon! Don't be a cry-baby, it's not fatal... probably."

"I think I'll take my chances and find other ways."

"Scaredy-cat."

"I won't be goaded into killing myself. Are you this ruthless every time you try to scam someone?" Honestly, she might be scarier than Zoro.

"Tell you what, I'll ease up if you give me the sword now. Sounds like a deal, huh?" If I could laugh I would.

"There's no chance of that happening, right now. I don't even have to explain it, do I?"

"Haah... Yeah, figured I might as well try it. Otherwise, he'll just keep on staring the entire night." In the corner of my eye, I make the silhouette of the aforementioned swordsman hunched over the log slowly sipping at the drink in hand. Eyes never leaving from the sword attached at my waist. Truly, there's something more to this sword. Some sort of sentimental value or the like. Treasure, huh? Gaimon was the same. How envious, those that already have their path in mind.

"Just wait until we board the ship, after that you have my word, I'll return the sword."

"I can trust your word?"

"I would like this to be the beginning of a good partnership, in this case you can leave this matter in my hands. For our continued partnership, it's imperative we can trust each other for simple things like this."

"Trust is a lot to ask for this early." It isn't wrong, but we can't always be at each other's throats. Not only is it dangerous, but also a complete and utter headache.

"I don't plan on asking for something impossible. The very lowest modicum of respect and trust between us. Enough to live in the same space without conflict, who knows how long we'll be together. I say this in the best interest of both parties."

"That's fair, but that lowest modicum still needs to be earned."

"The passing of the sword will be the initiation of that deal. If I renege on those agreed terms, then you are all free to accost me or throw me overboard should it arise. Following that, although I don't have any skills particular to sailing life, I'll remain available should anything be needed."

"...That's agreeable. You'll hand the sword over as soon as we depart from the island and settle your things aboard?"

"Yes, not a moment earlier."

"I'll believe you for now. Do not betray that trust Ayanokouji, or I will make you regret it." Women are scary.

"Haah... all this talk of business has me hungry again!" A short but sweet yawn escape from her mouth as she stretches before rising from the sand. Scary but nice. 

"Get back to the fire after you're done saying your goodbyes. You're one of us now... So, make sure to join in."

"...Aye aye."

"Pfft. Hehehe, that doesn't suit you at all." Gentle steps retreat back to the camp and party leaving me to the last embers of my thoughts.

I joined a criminal group... I wonder if my father would be proud, a bit different from the political station he had envisioned. I created a positive relationship, or more aptly an agreement with Nami the team's navigator. Interestingly she never corrected me, despite making it rather obvious...

My agreement could be taken as for the group or just between the two of us. She isn't novice enough to have missed that aspect, I suppose that means I had a positive reception. If the moment calls for it I can enact on that presumption. Her skills are the most important from the group for now, I effectively am at the mercy of any person in this world if I lack those fundamental skills and knowledge. That and having her agreement kills two birds with one stone. From the few interactions we've had she fills the space of the voice of reason for the crew. Having her consolidation will make the journey much smoother as a whole.

The only hitch is... Nami is craftier than I had given her credit, she won't allow me to gather her skillset so easily. Definitely impossible without some sort of equivalent trade-off. That's a problem for later. Immediately my main issue is...

How do I rejoin the party? Just sit down on the same log as before whilst silently eating? It feels strange to have to participate as a member of the 'group'. Even if it is in name only. Before I was present out of convenience, I wasn't particularly talking or contributing, now a different type of pressure was weighing down on me. I'm definitely not sitting next to the swordsman, I guess Gaimon or Nami would be the safe bet. The sniper still seems wary of me and the captain is too busy shovelling his face full to be much company.

Thinking as such I finally rise from the beach and travel towards the person, I was most accustomed to- Gaimon.

"Taka! Feel like rejoining the world of the living?"

"Indeed."

"Knock a few back with me! To farewells!" The hairy little man forced a mug filled to the brim in my hands. Not again... I stare silently at the unappetizing grog.

He raised his cup towards me making a dull knocking sound. "To your travels my friend." I feel like this is some sort of revenge... I'll be getting used to the taste faster than I anticipated.

"...Well, down the hatch." The frothy contents once more entered my mouth, to be met with a less violent reaction than the first. Hardly enjoyable though...

"That's the spirit! Nami grab another! I'm gonna see his face change by the end of tonight!"

"...Have some mercy, will you?"

"You're a pirate now, afraid we're just getting started!" Another hastily filled tankard was passed my way.

"Nyahaha, that's right! Captain's orders! Drink, drink, drink!" Luffy had only managed to take a break from eating to subject more torture upon me... This is going to be a long night...

"Hah, I'll take some of that action! I'll drink you under the table!" Unexpectedly, that came from the swordsman.

"...I don't remember ever making a competition."

"Too bad! Nami, c'mon time to teach the newbie his place in the crew!" Zoro had approached the log and sat directly opposite me. Was he planning to take the sword off my drunk body? I wouldn't put it past him.

"Big mistake, I'll be taking both you and Zoro down!" My eyes travelled towards Gaimon, pleading for salvation. To which he quickly looked away and grabbed the nearby casks. If I wasn't leaving tomorrow, I'd get you back for this traitor!

A very unlikely competition brewed between us three. One polishing off each drink as if it were fun, another fiercely watching me as I forced the swill into my mouth. Meanwhile, I was just concerned with surviving the night...

---

Before I knew it, the sun was ascending above the horizon line, and my body was bathed in the brilliant light of the morning. I had survived. Though, the headache which accompanied that revelation almost made me wish I hadn't.