Going Merry — A few minutes after Fuwako fell asleep
Luffy stared at the bird's sleeping form for minutes, which for such a hyperactive boy, felt like hours. But his ever so blank stare slowly softened into an almost "older brother/fatherly" gaze.
Luffy had been the first thing Fuwako saw after birth. For which even if only for a short while, the bond the two shared was different from that of the rest of the crew. And well, Luffy wasn't as dense as to not notice. After all the straw hat boy had been thrown into the wilderness more times than he could count as a kid. He understood animals better than people because of it.
He knew birds—and well baby animals in general—bonded with whatever they saw first, and regarded that as their mom. Yet he still had a hard time adjusting to that.
Despite partially understanding the chirps of the bird—as to how, do not ask, he didn't know himself—he still found it strange to view the bird as his adoptive child? Well, whatever it was, he understood that he was important for the little one's development. And well, he couldn't lie that the bird hadn't grown on him.
The way their little talons always followed just a step behind him, how their chirps always seemed brighter when directed at him. Just little things that added up.
Luffy had also silently shown his care for the bird.
Sharing his meat willingly.
Letting the bird lay across his stomach every night to sleep, without caring how big the dino-bird started to get.
Telling Fuwako stories about his past—his brothers, his grandfather and the pirate who inspired him—when it was just the two of them.
Listening intently whenever the bird chirped, making it almost possible to hold a conversation.
And most of all…letting the bird lay on the Merry's goat figurehead—his special captain seat as he called it—whenever they felt like it.
All these acts might seem insignificant to most, yet for them it was a silent bond. One built on the small yet important things rather than the big ones.
Slowly, Luffy lifted Fuwako into his arms as he stood. The bird looked almost comically large on his arms, yet for Luffy? Fuwako was feather light.
He made a mental note to tell Sanji to feed Fuwako larger portions.
Without a word Luffy hopped off the Merry and began walking on the same random direction as before.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
As he walked the forest thinned out, slowly houses appeared on the distance and then he found himself on the middle of the Cocoyashi Village road, just as he entered a large group of Marines passed him. Leading them was a man with a pinwheel on his hat.
Luffy's eyes widened and his girp on Fuwako tightened. "A hat pinwheel. Where in the world did he get that? It's so cool!" He muttered to himself.
Luffy then walked up to a tree and sat with his back against the trunk, his mind still on the pinwheel hat. His arms crossed behind his head as Fuwako rested calmly on his lap once more.
"A pinwheel huh….hey! I just thought of a new move!" He smirks chuckling slightly.
"Doctor! Doctor!" Someone yells the sound stirring Fuwako awake.
"Pyu…?"
—who…?
"What happened?!"
"Nojiko's been shot!"
Fuwako chirps tiredly. But then it hits them.
A metallic scent.
Blood.
And mixed with that scent, was the smell of gunpowder and metal.
Their eye snap open like a reptile's at the scent, shivers running down their spine, yet Luffy didn't seem to notice and instead he stood up and walked up to Nami. Staring to talk.
Yet Fuwako heard none of it, their mind focused solely on Nami's bandaged hand, the bandages were soaked red with blood, her blood. Their heart thumped loudly against their chest. Nostrils flaring and feathers ruffling up.
EeeeEEeeeeeEEEEEeeEE—
Their ears rang like an explosion had gone off, the loud constant noise gave them a headache.
Why…
Why is there blood?
But more importantly.
WHY WAS IT NAMI'S BLOOD?
A sudden gust of harsh wind sent barrels tumbling and bent the palm trees unnaturally. Like the wind pressure of a hurricane yet the wind didn't reach the people on the street. Only occurring right where Fuwako stood frozen.
THUD!
The sudden loud noise of something being tossed aside woke Fuwako out of their trance. Wind vanishing like nothing had happened. Their gaze focused on the scene, Luffy was face down eating sand, looking like someone tossed him like a ragdoll. Then as Fuwako begins to wonder how, Nami sprints away, rushing past Luffy towards the large building with the words "Arlong Park" engraved in it.
"Pyu…?"
—what just happened…?
Luffy stands from his position slumping next to Fuwako with a large and obvious pout. "Hmph! Why'd she do that??!"
Fuwako stares then sweat drops.
"Pyu? Pyu?"
—Wait what? You seriously don't know?
The birds concerns however were cut short. As the crowd of angry villagers began to yell out in rebellion. Yelling out cussed and swearing to show the fishmen their eight year long rage.
"Everybody wait!" Nami's voice suddenly cuts through the crowd as she approaches fromp the same road she left through.
"Nami!" The blue haired girl Fuwako still didn't know calls out.
"Pyu? Py?"
—Nami? Didn't you just leave through there?
Nami keeps approaching with a large smile on her face. Fuwako tenses at her smile. "Calm down! It's not that much money! I can make it back in no time! I'll take care of it don't worry! It'll be easy this time! I'm used to it! I'll be fine! Just relax! Everything is okay!" As she approaches her smile becomes noticeably more worried, Fuwako frowns. "Hey, it's nothing compared to back then! Come on everyone, I'm perfectly fine!"
Silence.
Once Nami stopped in front of pinwheel man and the crowd, there was nothing but silence.
A second passed.
Then two.
Then three.
Thump. Thump.
Pinwheel man is the first to move, he steps closer to Nami and with one hand hugs her. Bringing her head to his shoulder.
"You've done enough…you have to know that there is no point now… You struggled so hard, carrying our lives over your back all this time… I can only imagine that joining them must've been more painful than being stabbed through the heart… You fought very well" Pinwheel man states, Fuwako stares, the scent of tears hitting their nostrils. They're both crying.
"Gen-san…" Nami murmurs.
The pinwheel man simply steps back from her, his hand resting on her shoulder. "Set yourself free from this village."
"Gen-san?!"
"Nami, do it!"
"W-What?! Nojiko!"
"Nacchan…"
"Go on.."
"You're an exceptional young woman, and you have a dream!"
"Everyone listen! I won't let you go!" Nami suddenly points a knife at them. "Just stay right there! I'm not gonna let anyone else get hurt by these monsters! You'll all die!"
"We know that." Pinwheel man states, grabbing the knife's blade.
"Nami, it's no use we've made up our minds!" A man wearing a hat with a red cross states, riffle slung over his shoulder.
"Get out of the way!" The pinwheel man suddenly yells eyes bloodshot. He turns to the crowd. "Move out! We may not win but we will give em' hell!" He yells out, the crowd cheers before storming past Nami.
"Pyu…" Fuwako chirps softly.
—Well they definitely got spirit…
THUD!
CLINK!
Nami falls to her knees tears streaming down her face.
"Pyu…"
—Nami…
Fuwako chirps softly, taking a step closer to her. Nami suddenly glares at the knife she dropped, and without warning—
SHUNK!!
Fuwako's eyes widen about to rush in her they look up at Luffy who simply stares with a dark look in his eyes, briefly glancing at the bird. Fuwako tenses and obeys the silent command.
SHUNK!!
"Arlong!"
SHUNK!!
"Arlong!"
SHUNK!!
"Arlong!"
SHUNK!!
"Arlong!"
SHUNK!!
"Arlong!"
SHUNK!!
"Arlong!"
SHUNK!!
"Arlong!"
Raise—
Grab!
"Ar—!"
Slowly, Nami's head turns. "Luffy…"
Luffy stands there grabbing her wrist tightly stopping her from continuing to stab her arm. Fuwako stands beside him with his same expression.
Clink!
The knife falls and Luffy releases her wrist.
"What do you want? You don't know anything! You don't know what's been happening in this island the pat 8 years!"
"Nope, I don't."
"This has nothing to do with you! I told you to leave this place!"
"Yep. You sure did."
Swish!
"So leave!"
Swish!
"I told you to leave!"
Swish!
"Get out of here!"
Swish!
"Get out of here now!"
Swish!
"Go!"
Swish!
"Go away!"
Swish!
"Go!"
Swish!
"G-Go!"
Nami's voice cracks as she stops throwing sand hand raising to cover her mouth as she sobs. Fuwako's stares from beside Luffy, their feathers now covered in sand yet the bird makes no effort to shake it all off, their gaze piercing through Nami as she trembles.
Slowly, she turns her face to him.
"Luffy…Help me…"
Luffy grabs his hat and plops it on her head.
Luffy turns, walking away from her, towards Arlong Park, Fuwako follows, noticing the rest of the crew already waiting for them, Zoro sits on a bench. Sanji stands smoking. Usopp sits crossed legged on the road. Luffy stops a few feet away, then crouches, takes a deep breath and springs back up his arms up in the air. Fuwako shakes off the sand.
"OF COURSE I WILL!"
"PYUUU!!" Fuwako chirps loudly, wings spread wide tips pointing at the sky.
—HE'S GONNA PAY!!"
"Luffy…Fuwako…"
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
"Let's go."
"Right!"
TO BE CONTINUED…