Tales from Elseworld Vol.1

Mad Hatter

A/N: As always enjoy the reading

The captain of the straw hats was not exactly sure how long ago his crew left the bar beside him. Maybe it was when his chef got handsy with one of the younger waitresses receiving a vicious slap after a drunken grope. Perhaps it could've been when the marksman and doctor got too inebriated passing out in a nearby booth. Maybe it was when his first mate got too intoxicated to the point of wanting to pick a fight with anyone passing by. He ignored or couldn't remember if someone said anything to him before leaving the dimly lit bar returning to the Thousand Sunny docked in the harbor at the edge of the city.

Luffy rose a finger signaling the bartender to refill his shot glass trying to piece together the wild night they shared. That's right he remembered now, the crew left after his navigator swindled some unlucky saps out of money over a high stakes pool game claiming to be an amateur. She told him specifically they were leaving with or without him causing him to shrug it off—he needed his space sometimes, even from family.

'Maybe just one more... then I'll call it a night...' The captain pulled the straw hat on his head nodding toward the bartender who slid the full shot glass his way. The captain couldn't help overhear a quietly whispered conversation in the darkened corners of the emptied out bar.

"He's here isn't he..?"

"He has to be... its been every night this week, we'll get that bastard."

"Man this is screwed up, I heard this bastard ain't even human..."

"Whatever he is let's just get this over with."

Luffy's ears perked up at the conversation having heard those exact words before many confrontations on his adventures in the Grand Line. 'Are they after me?' The captain clenched the glass in his grip tensely preparing for a fight if need be despite the intoxication flooding through his system. As much as he wanted to hear the rest of their conversation they spoke too low now for him to listen to the rest.

"Hey old guy." Luffy called bringing the bartender to stand in front of him.

"What can I do for you?" He asked cleaning a mug with a dampened rag examining the pristine glass.

Luffy nodded his head toward the pair in the back, "are they regulars of yours?" He questioned earning a raised brow from the man.

"No, they've been here the past three nights never ordering a damn thing but water, if I was the owner they'd be out of this place." He said smugly leaning on the bar. "Strange thing is though, I've seen that same uniform on different people coming in the past weeks. They're always new, never the same people." The old bartender glanced over at the darkened corner seeing the pair exit the booth hurriedly making their way to them.

Luffy tensed once again preparing for a fight. If what the old man said was true then they were here for him; he didn't have a clue how they'd been able to pinpoint the Sunny's location waiting for him. Now they were going to strike after his crew separated from him and he consumed more than enough alcohol to put down a militia.

'If it's a fight you want I'll take you on bastards." The captain took his shot of whiskey calmly staying seated on the bar stool. He could sense the pair standing right out of his peripheral not moving an inch.

"Thanks for the service old man, have a good night." One of them spoke after a tense moment turning to walk out the door.

"Good night gentlemen." The bartender said waving toward the pair.

Luffy's eyes widened slightly recognizing their attire, 'Cipher Pol huh? What the hell are they doing here if they're not after me?!' The captain's mind raced wondering what the hell just happened. It was too good to be true, the government's secret bureau passed on a chance to imprison him. Letting out a sigh he shrugged it off ordering a mug of beer to celebrate having to not deal with the situation that could've potentially spoiled his quiet night.