The Informat of the Sea

Chapter 9

If a pin was dropped, it could be heard around the whole ship. The weight of their gazes made your throat close and your nerves lite, covering your body in an anxious buzz. You kept a cool and indifferent face, not ,Etta g your nerves show.

Sanji placed a newly opened bottle of sake and wine in the middle of the table. The clinking of the glasses he placed were the only noise in the room. That was, until Luffy got hungry and started scavenging for more food. 

"Hey, Luffy! You just ate!" Sanji ran over to him and knocked him in the head, causing his head to rubber back and snap forward. Luffy blinked at Sanji, stopping his rummaging in the fridge.

"So? I'm still hungry. Let me have a snack." The banter broke the tension and everyone chuckled as they watched their cook and captain bicker. Now was the best time to start.

You poured a shots worth of sake in your cup and downed it, praying the liquid would give you some courage. Everyone followed and started pouring their own drinks, even Luffy who was pacified with a stolen snack in his mouth. Sanji leaned against the fridge and lit a new cigarette, puffing out the smoke.

"I use the alias Red to coast under the eyes of the Navy and World Government. With hiding my actual name and face behind my cloak, I can freely walk around towns and cities. While most pirates run with their real name looking for trouble, it would be bad for me and my crew if my real identity got out." 

"So, what are you hiding for? You're a pirate, aren't you? What good does hiding do for a pirate." Zoro looks you right in the eyes. 

"To you and other pirates, I'm a pirate just like you. To the Navy? I'm a run away weapon that was wiped away without a trace that they've been looking for years almost 10 years." You leaned back in your seat, looking up at the wood roof. Your heart was pounding, but you kept your face calm. 

"A long time ago I was taken by the Government to draw Shanks out, my brother." Gasps and the sound of chocking on drinks filled the room. "With me in their hands, they were hoping to take him out. He was becoming too powerful for them to let run around. But suddenly, they has an idea, and found a better use for me. A test dummy to eat their manufactured Devil Fruit. If my brother was strong, they figured I'd be able to handle it." 

"I thought only Ceaser was the only one that was creating Devil Fruits." Nami put her hand on her chin, turning to look at you. You turned your head back down and looked at her.

"Sadly, no. The Government has been trying to do it for ages. They don't want pirates to do it, but I'm sure we've all seen first hand the darker side the Government tries to hide from prying eyes. The one they had me try would essentially turn me into a battery and a weapon for them to use. They've been trying to get their hands on the most powerful Devil Fruits and finding a way to awaken them early and powerfully. That's where the bonding comes in that I tried with Luffy." You poured your glass half full of sake and swirled it around before taking a sip. 

"Roger scared them when he told everyone the One Piece was real. They needed a way to defend their names and powers from the pirates that started to seek out Devil Fruits to get their powers. As you can see," You created fire and water on your finger tips. "It worked. Shanks did get me out eventually, and I've been on the run since."

"Why didn't you stay with Shanks?" You looked over at Luffy. He had his arms crossed behind his head, surprisingly listening. 

"Staying with him puts his crew in danger. Plus, I was angry and unstable. To be honest, I was also a danger to his crew at the time. He got the help from Pops and his crew, so I stayed with him for awhile and made connections. I used the connections and laid in wait, learning how to handle my new found powers and emotions. I grew stronger and I found more and more people who had my same ideals. That's who my crew is now." You smiled as memories came up about meeting your crew.