Through a Canine's Eyes

Chapter 7

I was slowly padding my along a dirt path, my head still held high after the encounter with the stupid cat butler. I was following the scent of my friends, in no hurry to get back. I knew there would be a big fight soon, tomorrow if memory served me correctly, and this time I wasn't going to sit around in a boat. If I was going to hang around Luffy and the crew I needed to pull my own weight. I was going to help with the fighting and nothing would stop me. Although that didn't mean I wasn't scared. In fact I was terrified. I could die, painfully. I could get hurt, which wouldn't be a pleasant experience. But my friends would be getting hurt anyway. They were doing it for what they believed in, and the fact they wanted to help the villagers and Usopp. So why shouldn't I help as well. A little fear is healthy, at least I will be careful whilst I am fighting. I refuse to let fear cripple me.

'Oh my, this train is thought is getting to corny for my own good,' I thought as I pulled myself out of my ramblings.

I cast my eyes back to the road that I was following until something caught my attention from the corner of my eye. I turned my head and stumbled, missing a step due to the surprise at what I saw. There was a person in a dark blue cloak; everything about the person was covered so I couldn't see any features of the person under the cloak. I froze and continued to look at the figure that was leaning lazily against a tree. The head under the cloak moved and I felt chills run down my spine as whoever it was turned their eyes to me. The air was tense with surprise and uncertainty. I didn't remember a guy in a cloak being on the butler's pirate crew. But then again, I couldn't see under the cloak; it could be anyone. But something didn't feel right about this person. They felt different. Not like the people we were getting used of dealing with. This person had power for sure.

The awkwardness between us continued until a sharp cry of a bird overhead broke my concentration. The sudden sharp sound shocked me, causing my eyes to flick up momentarily, and in the time it took me to look up and then down again the figure was gone. Not a single trace left; no sounds, no smells, nothing!

That was way too creepy for my liking so I took off at a faster trot from the place I had paused, using a lot of self-will not to bolt away.

'Who the hell was that?' I thought. 'I hope to God I don't have to fight him tomorrow.'

I finally caught sight of some of my friends, my jaws still pressed tight together in nervousness from the earlier encounter. Zoro was leaning against a fence, his three katana by his side. Nami was next to him, sitting on the top of the fence, and the three veggies were talking with a strange man. Stranger danger alert. The stranger pulled something resembling a round blade on a string out of his pocket and then it finally clicked who that character was. He was the hypnotist Jango – in other words the creepy guy that walks backwards. The Michael Jackson impersonator.

I lengthened my stride so I was loping at an even pace towards my friends, my head tilted to the side curiously as Jango began to swing the round blade back and forth with the three veggies watching it intently. When I had just about reached them, the hypnotist called out "Jango!" and then he and the three veggies fell the ground asleep. Although something must have backfired because Jango fell to the ground with them.

"Hey! What the hell is he doing?" snapped Zoro as I bolted the rest of the way, making a beeline to the veggies, worried about their safety. A quick glance over confirmed that they were all asleep and I began to gently nudge the pepper looking veggie kid's cheek to see if I could wake him up again.

"Hey… Where has the dog been?" I heard Nami asked Zoro in the background.

I didn't hear Zoro's reply because the three kids started to wake up slowly and I heard Jango groan and put his hand on his head. I sent a low growl in his direction as he got up muttering, "Damn, I didn't mean to knock myself out too. Ah well, it's time I go anyway," and without further ado he walked off down the road.