Straw Hat By Any Other Name

Shiva of the West

Today was a very important day for two individuals. While a certain someone from the East Blue was preparing to embark on his pirate adventure another equally energetic boy from the West Blue was setting out on his own.

Neel Island, West Blue

"Hoy Shiva!! Shiva!" a young man called from the porch of the medium size cottage. He was a tall and well tone tan skin man with black haired horrible dyed blond and black eyes. Wearing grey slacks, rubber sandals, and a black long sleeve shirt.

'He's not here Hideo" a elderly man formed scowled. "At this rate your going to wake up the whole town."

Hideo tinted his head in confusion. "Where is he? Is he leaving today"

"I had him run a couple errands for me" Ukei answered before getting back inside. "At least one of my grandsons isn't a hopeless case"

Frowning Hideo crossed his arms. "What that suppose to mean old man. Someone has to run the shop when your gone"

In Town.

Strolling through own, a 17 year old boy who wore a straw hat with a plain blue ribbon. He wore brown shorts with several pockets that reached to his kneels, white short sleeve shirt, brown flip flops, black eyes and black hair hidden underneath his straw hat. The street of the town were still empty that morning with the exception of the butcher who was setting his shop.

"Heading out today Shiva" the town's butcher greeted him.

Shiva nodded waving the list in his hand. "Just finishing up some errands for grandpa"

"More meat?"

"Chichichi" Shiva laughed. "Yep, gramps want to have a roast big for tomorrow"

The butcher grinned. He lead Shiva into the store and into the back where his freezer was located. "Alight take your pick"

Shiva entered on his own and went for the biggest pig he could find. It was 20 pound pig but Shiva didn't have much trouble as he grabbed it by the hook and carried it out.

"Alright then I don't want to keep delaying you" the butcher chuckled as he watched Shiva carry the dead pig. "You be careful out there, you hear. There are  those mafia gangs still running around. You stay away from them ok boy. Especially that Capone Bege. I hear he cuts the head of people he encounters."

"I wouldn't worry about that because I'm strong" Shiva boasted with grin ac is his face.

"That I have no doubt boy"the butcher chuckled. "May the luck of the gods be with you"

Shiva quickly thanked him and ran the whole trip back to his house. Shiva lived in a two floored wooden cottage just outside town. Thousands of small pebbles form a path towards his home. Mostly used by the townspeople  whenever they wanted to visit Shiva's grandfather, Ukei a retired marine.

"There you are boy" His grandfather greeted him from the footsteps."Did you picked the most juiciest one"

"Yep, it was freshest one he had" Shiva explained as he entered the cottaged.

"Place it on table, Hideo will prepare it for lunch today" Ukei said.

"Big day today Shiva" Hideo came down the stairs. "You aren't nervous are you?"

"Na I been waiting for this day for ages" Shiva exclaimed with a grin.

"You aren't missing anything" Hideo asked.

"Nope, I got everything packed"

Hideo raised his right brow. "Are you sure?"

Shiva tinted his head in confusion. "Why? Am I missing something?"

"Shiva Shiva Shiva" Hideo sighed. "Your going to get yourself killed in that slow mind of yours"

Hideo held a small wooden box in his hands. "Don't loss it. Your going to need it where your going"

Shiva laughed nervously. "Oh, I forgot" Shiva took the small box from his brother and stuffed it in his bag along in everything he would need. Some spare cloths, money, Log Pose, and food.

His grandfather starred long and hard at him. "Are sure about this boy"

"Yep" Shiva smiled with a wide grin as his grandfather let out a sigh.

"And remember stay away from the East Blue" Ukei warned. "Got some powerful enemies their and I would hate to you caught in the middle of it. "

"You always say that grandpa but you never told me who?" Shiva tinted his head in confusion trying to warp his mind his grandfather's words. Since Shiva could remember his grandpa would tell him scary stories about the East Blue. How dangerous people lived there. How the late pirate King was born there and since then there has nothing but trouble.

Shiva had trouble understanding why his grandpa didn't want him to go there. As far as Shiva knew the East Blue was his grandfather's birth home. A home he had left when he married his grandmother and then Shiva's and Hideo's parents were born.

"Well I am heading out, see you guys" Shiva put his bag over his shoulders and went out the door.

Hideo turned to his grandpa. "You should have told him."

Ukei snarled. "Over my dead body.  There not getting their hands on that boy. Those fools and their stupid wars. There only going to get people killed."

Hideo turned to look at a photo by the wall. There was all three of them. Hideo as 6 years old by his grandfather's side while his grandfather held baby Shiva.