pirate apprentice ; one piece

002#TWO

# BATTLE

"Roger!" Came the boisterous roar from an infamous Marine known for continously pursuing a certain pirate's arrest.

"Garp!" The Captain yelled back.

M/n could only look at them with utter confusion, still unfamiliar with their connection. Seeing this and his full exposure to their actions, the first mate placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and directed him away from harm.

"Rayleigh-san?" The brunette looked at the man, eyes glinting, enough for Rayleigh to understand without much context.

"You should avoid places where people are fighting. You'll get caught up in their mess if so." The first mate lectured, leading the brunette towards the lower deck where everyone else was enjoying their meal.

M/n could only take a glance from behind him as Rayleigh led him to the dining room. And due to his fascination, he admired the way how the pressure seems to reach him even from this distance.

They were strong, he could tell with just a look.

Their movement were a little lost though. The numbers between them were uneven, they should take 2 steps back for an equal battle.

Contented with what he observed, he allowed his feet to follow as Rayleigh guided him away.

As they entered the hall, M/n could immediately spot Buggy and Shanks eating by the corner, seated on a table where only they were sitting at. The rest were circling another table, downing limitless bottles of sake.

"Go join the other two, M/n."

The said brunette nodded and thanked him before leaving, quick to take a seat right across the other two apprentices.

"Huh?" Buggy's mouth was muffled as he look up from his food, his cheeks stuffed with different kinds of meat. He swallowed the content before acknowledging the brunette. "I see you're finally here, M/n."

The boy nodded silently.

"What took you so long?" Whined the red hair as he stretched his limbs and took the seat beside M/n, slinging an arm around his neck before pulling him close playfully or rather forcefully.

"Umm. . ." M/n could not reply.

Buggy looked blankly, almost completely uninterested.

"I decided, Buggy." Shanks told bravely. "From now on, M/n is my best friend, not you." The boy stuck his tongue out childishly as Buggy rolled his eyes.

"And since when did I agree that we were even friends to begin with, Shanks?" The red nose retorted.

M/n chuckled awkwardly as he freed himself from Shanks' hold.

"I'd appreciate it, Shanks, if you don't just suddenly barge in my personal space and pull me to your schemes." The brunette said, and so far, he has gone so comfortable with them as to the point where he can talk to them like they were brothers.

"Ah, I see." Shanks sheepishly replied. But M/n was smart enough to tell that the red haired boy will probably just do it again anyway. That boy has no boundaries.

"So. . . What's happening at the top deck? It's kinda shaky from here." Buggy brought up.

M/n perked up, remembering the thrill he felt from his Captain's battle. He didn't know why but he loved the sensation of a fight. It bloomed an emotion in him that he himself was trying to figure out.

"Captain is fighting a Marine Vice-Admiral, I think his name was Garp. . . ? I don't know. But it was intense! The air was like bwshhhh, and the water went kwskkk. I only witnessed the first 5 seconds but it was already that good!" The brunette exclaimed.

He was visibly excited. He seems to love the idea of honorable battles that much. Shanks couldn't blame him though, he loved fights too. It was only Buggy who was against it, even in their weekly sparring.

"Really?" Shanks peered from his seat. "We should watch!"

M/n stopped in the midst of his explanation upon hearing the suggestion from the red haired boy. He then shook his head.

"It's not a good idea." He said. "Rayleigh-san told me that their matters are their matters only. It shouldn't be watched like a show if given the chance ro."

Shanks pouted. "Oh, come on. I wanted to see Captain's saber, it's super strong, and it goes like that, and that, and it even swings with haki like swoosh‐-"

As he was playing with his chopstick in the same way as he saw the weapon that Roger uses, it suddenly flew from his grasp and landed right at the hole of Buggy's left nose, making the boy sneeze and yelp in pain.

"Shanks. . ." The blue haired boy called dangerously as the red hair winced. "I'm gonna castrate you alive!" He leaped from his seat and attacked the boy who did his best to fight him off. "Does it kill you to stay still for even a second?!"

M/n sheepishly scratched the back of his head. They were fighting, again. Oh well, it was practically unavoidable.

"You guys, please calm down." He tried saying but was completely ignored. He sighed before taking a fistful of their hairs and bumped their heads together not so harshly. But enough to silence them and make them clutch their new head bump.

"M/n! What was that for?!"

"Please calm down, this is not the kind of fight I'd like to see."

The other two could only bark back incoherent words angrily.

Rayleigh glanced at them from the other side of the room and smiled to himself. Even if they were bickering at best for now, they were actually getting much closer than he thought.

They really do get along well. Even with M/n's slight aloof personality that could easily make him get lost in his own thoughts. And even if they did not seem like it, but he was sure that the three would play a big part in the next era.

Though what he knows for sure was that M/n will definitely lead the new era. Maybe not as the future pirate king, but as someone who has a very important role.