One Piece: Tatsuo 'Heart Stopper'

Old Friends Reunite

''BOSS!! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!'' shouted the monkey brothers as they burst through the door.

We looked at them and stared at them for a while.

''AGH!!! THEY'VE COME TO KILL US!!''

I shook my head at them and kept my eye on the man in front of me.

''JUST WHAT'RE YOU DOING HERE?!''

''WHAT DID YOU DO TO OUR BOSS?!''

''What? You guys again? We're treating this sick old man, so scram!'' said Luffy.

''LUFFY, YOU IDIOT!! YOU CAN'T REASON WITH THEM, THEY'RE WILD BEASTS!! EVERYONE, EVACUATE THROUGH THE WINDOWS ASAP!!'' shouted Usopp.

''They're such good people..'' said the monkey brothers in tears.

''Frigg-chan, could you send them all outside while Chopper and I keep an eye on him?'' I asked.

''Of course! Come now, let's all wait outside,'' she turned to face me, ''That also means you, Amon dear!''

Chirp! Chirp!

Once everyone left outside, Chopper and I kept an eye on him. I made sure none of his vitals or organs were acting strange. I watched as his eyes opened slowly.

''Ngh... what happened?'' he asked.

''You collapsed on the floor...'' I said, ''Chopper, go tell the others that the man is awake..''

''Okay!''

''You... You look oddly familiar..'' said the man.

''I get that a lot...'' I said softly.

''Diamond-head mister! I got stuff to ask ya!'' said Luffy as he walked in.

The man lit his cigarette and let a puff of smoke out.

''Sorry about the attack earlier,'' he said, ''I mistook you for the usual idiots who come sniffin' for gold..''

''Gold?! So you do have some?!'' asked Nami.

''Don't provoke him..'' said Usopp.

''So, what is it you want to ask me?''

''We wanna go to Sky Island! Teach us how!'' said Luffy.

''Sky Island?'' he burst out laughing, ''HAHAHA!! You folks seriously believe in that?!''

I shook my head as Nami tried to attack the man.

''NO! NAMI HE'S A SICK PATIENT!'' shouted Usopp.

''What? So there's no such thing?!'' asked Luffy.

''Who knows for sure... I do know of one man who said it existed, but the entire world labeled him a liar, and his entire family line's been a laughing stock ever since,'' he said, ''Noland the Liar is how his story goes..''

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''You're his descendent?! And this island is the same island from the story?'' asked Nami.

''He's the grandfather of my grandfather and so on up the line..'' said the man, ''Suffice to say, he's a distant relative of mine, which is troubling, to say the least. I probably share as much blood as a mosquito does in its belly. The Montblanc family's been run out of that kingdom, but the abuse and humiliation by the people's hands continue, but not a single family member resents him..''

''Why's that?'' asked Nami.

''Because Noland was a man of upstanding honesty,'' he continued, ''In the final scene of the picture book, Noland says, ''Ah! That's it! The mountain of gold must've sunk into the sea!'' There, he's drawn with a stupid smile on his face, but the real man supposedly died with a big blob of tears streaming down his face. He was certain that the island they'd landed on was the same Jaya where he had discovered the ruins of a golden city. The thought that maybe he had seen an illusion never even crossed his mind. Noland claimed that an earthquake must have caused the city of gold to sink into the ocean. But the people could only see it as an excuse made to save his skin, and the crowd mocked him to no end as he was executed.''

''So then, have you come in search of the golden city on the ocean sea floor so you can clear your family's dishonor?!'' asked Usopp.

''DON'T BE STUPID!!'' shouted the man as he pointed a gun at Usopp.

''Whether my distant ancestor was an honest man or a great explorer, what does it have to do with me?! What would you know about the feelings of a child who had to grow up being insulted and laughed at by every stranger just because he happened to share the same blood as that idiot?! But in the past 400 years, there have been countless members of my family who have set out to sea to reclaim our family's honor or whatever, but I felt embarrassed by them. And so, I ran away from home and became a pirate...-''

''OKAY!'' I yelled out, ''I am getting a headache just by hearing this sob story of yours. What you went through was awful, I'll admit that. But please, for my sake and yours, will you be able to take them to sky island, yes or no?''

I looked at Noland's descendent as he looked back at me in shock.

''It... It can't be..''

I looked at him clearly confused. I watched as Amon jumped on to the man's lap and chirped.

"You... and this creature..! You're both descendents of Almani Tatsumaki and Azari the dragon!!" Shouted the man.

"...Think I don't know that?" I said throwing Almani's old log book at his feet, "I wanted to have a private converation about this with you, Cricket, but since we're all here, might as well ask you this, what kind of relationship did Almani and Noland had?"

"I... I assume that they were great friends. But she sadly disappeared when Noland arrived on this very island 400 years ago," he said.

I hummed in response.

"At the end of her page it states, "A massive earthquake had shook the ground. Many of the villagers were injured, the air grew thin. It was hard to breath. I fought with Kalgara and his warriors... until I took my final breath in his arms..." From what I understand, the island was sent into the sky. Perhaps, if her soul still resides in that Sky Island, you can ask her yourself and gain answers as to what happened to the lost city of gold," I said.