Ameliorate ✦ One Piece

31

As they walked forward towards the house in which Scar guy, as Luffy had called him, disappeared, Akira was pleased to see him come back out in response to their call. "Who was that lady? You know, the one with the cool hair?" Luffy asked curiously as they stepped up in front of the tall man.

"Who wants to know?" He asked coolly.

"I am Monkey D. Luffy." Their captain introduced himself without hesitation. "I'm a pirate-"

"Hunter." Zoro spoke up not a second after Luffy's last word, this time preventing the shock which usually followed the open revelation of their... line of work. "Pirate hunters. We're here to collect Arlong's bounty." He lied.

"You?" The man asked, his voice full of doubt as his eyes glanced over the group which in appearance didn't seem to bode much confidence. "I've seen men twice your size and with twice your number go into Arlong Park. None of them ever came back." He warned dangerously.

"But what if we are the ones to succeed?" Akira asked, tugging at that same little strain of hope she knew was left even in those who'd long ago given up on it. She knew because it worked on her too. "We just want to talk to her, I promise." She added on, understanding why he'd be protective about giving away information on his villagers.

"Trust me, you don't." He said in a pointed tone, making Akira raise an eyebrow as she wondered about the woman and who she was. "But if it'll get you out of my town, try the house down that road. On the edge of the tangerine grove."

"Thank you." Akira said in a kind voice, Luffy offering up a grateful smile of his own before turning away and walking down the path which was pointed out to them. Only once they were far enough not to be overheard by any of the townspeople did Akira turn to her captain as she spoke. "Luffy, darling, for future reference, don't tell a town terrorised by pirates that you're a pirate."

"I don't want to lie." His reply made Akira shake her head as she let out a small laugh, leaving the topic be for now as they continued to walk down the long path.

"I think I got more of a boat body than along journey on foot kind of body." Usopp spoke up from the back of the group as they moved through the tangerine grove, his voice panted and breathy as he struggled to keep up. "Anybody else missing the ocean? I could go bring the boat around if we don't want to walk all the way back."

His suggestions went on ignored as they walked out onto an unpaved road, seeing the house that was their destination on the other side of it. As they walked up to its front porch, the door suddenly swung open from the inside, the blue-haired girl coming out with a large shotgun in her hands which she readily pointed at Luffy who stood in front of the rest of the group.

"Turn around and leave. Now." She instructed ferociously, Usopp ducking behind Zoro as soon as he spotted the weapon, the rest of them taking a hesitant step back of their own while Luffy was the only one who remained rooted in his spot.

"That's what I've been saying." Their sharpshooter pointed out again.

And still, Luffy in classic Luffy fashion, did not back down. "Hey, I saw you earlier." He greeted with a wide and friendly smile on his face. "I think maybe you and I have something in common."

"I've got the gun, and you're standing in front of it." The woman deadpanned, cocking the gun to further prove her point. "What could we possibly have in common?"

"Let's start with Nami." Luffy announced the reason for their presence at her door, Akira's eyes watching the woman carefully for any kind of a reaction which might force them to react instantly. "Seems you know her very well."

"She's a thief with no conscience." The blue-haired woman said fiercely, and Akira didn't have a hard time wrapping her mind around that description considering what they did know about Nami. "And when there's no more left to take, she leaves and doesn't turn back." She added on before returning to the same tune as before. "Now get off my property."