I glared menacingly at the man as his eyes seemed to laugh at me, the fatty looked on between us, unaware of what was going on. He looked very much like a dog, that was tied to a rail while two people juggled unknown treats on either side.

The man ( who I had by now decided would remain unnamed for an undetermined period of time) had by now gotten to his feet and was making his way determinedly towards me, all the while waving the tattered paper that I had just recently seen. Yes. Exactly the one that had caused me to employ my current att.i.tude.

My hands shook slightly as I received the paper, on it were written only a few simple words, but those words had shaken me to the bone, and would probably illicit the same reputation from my father.

It merely read:

'I Am Alive

- Barthelomio'

To realize the impact that these words had on me, you must first consider that, one- if, this letter was forged, then that would mean that they knew who I was! ( Why is that such a big thing you ask, well, it is because to the world my father, and by extension me, are dead! So to make such a letter, the writer not only had to know that my father was alive he also had to know that I was!)

two- if, and that is a big if, this letter was indeed written by who it claimed to have been written by, then the man who my father thought dead for more than five years was alive! And not only so, he was also able enough to send a letter (However small) to me, his former captain's son!

"Bwahahaahahaa, when the old man said that I would be surprised, he wasn't kidding around!" The guy said as he began to size me up. He looked at me as one would look at a solid block of gold, "I don't swing that way, shoo!!!!!" I snapped annoyed as I turned around to explain all that transpired to my blissfully unaware companion.

"The names Fawkes" the now named guy began as he stretched his hand. "You must be Gol.D.Love , Leluche, lonny..?" he continued. His words almost caused me to faint in abject anger as I corrected him, before moving on to what was going to be a long interrogation, that would probably span into the night.

"So, Fawkes. How're you related to old man Barthelomio?" I began as I adopted a serious expression. This was after all a serious discussion and thus be approached with the same level of clear-headedness.

"I'm ol' man Barthelomio's son, that's who, lived together with him on a small unnamed island in East Blue almost all my life, a drunken wreck he was. Always complaining about the government or the new generations of pirates. On nights when he got really drunk though he'd call me and b.i.t.c.h about how bad of a second in command he'd been to his late captain. Only a few months back did he realize that his captain was in fact alive! You shoulda seen his face!"

Fawkes said with a thin smile on his face. The smile seemed to contain a world of sadness, much like how I looked whenever I recalled the smiling face of my mother. "He came to me that night, tears on his face as he looked at me, before howling into the sky. He told me… everything!

How he was tracked down by Cypher operative, how his infinite log pose was stolen, and how it led straight to the island that his captain lived on with his family." he continued, his smile morphing into what could only be a sad grimace that seemed to twist his face into an unruly storm of bottled up emotions and pent up frustrations.

"You see he had been training me since I was little over two, in haki and in weaponry. He always used to say, that his captain's food was the most delicious and how the captain also dubbed as the cook for the whole s.h.i.+p!

On what could only be two months ago, when he was experimenting on his de den mus.h.i.+ trying to reach his 'captain' the marines somehow got wind of where we lived, they didn't send Cypher, but they did send a Buster Call our way - the island was destroyed, along with my old man. He gave me this paper to give to his precious 'captain' before he pa.s.sed away in a b.l.o.o.d.y mess in my arms!" he said, his eyes turning now an inferno of red, veins popping from his temple, spittle flying all over the otherwise silent street.

"What do I see here, the son of the famous captain dancing and parading around with his man-slave gigolo!?!!?" he roared as he clutched the sides of my yukata and flung me to the wall.

I convince, all my sympathy had been temporarily eradicated in the spur of the moment, as I too got to my feet glaring at the other party.

"You think you're the only one hurt? You think you're the only one who suffered?" I growled as I walked closer to him, my eyes turning icier with each pa.s.sing second. "You don't know the half of it snow flake! After that infinite log pose of yours was relieved from your father's conniving hands, those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds in Cypher decided it was time to launch an attack on our sweat little island-"

"You survived didn't you! And don't you insult my fathe-"

"Listen till the end you jabby wee git! Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds at Cypher thought it was a nice idea to bring with them an ancient weapon! Do you even know what an ancient weapon is?? Of course you do! those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds decided to bring that bombastic cannon by name Tartoros, and fired the steamy white pile of c.r.a.p right at our s.h.i.+ps, can you survive that? You think anyone can survive that? Of course not! At least you had an additional few years to spend with one of your parent, I lost my mother and almost lost all of my father! So shut your trap, deal with it, move on and stop pointing fingers!" I roared, before turning my back on the man and storming out of the alley.

Fawkes stood there dazed till I was almost out of sight, only then finally registering all that had been told before running after me with an apologetic face.

I sighed softly as I calmed down, and slowed down waiting for Fawkes and the little fatty to catch up. A whole lot of s.h.i.+t had happened and I was already dreading the headache that I would shortly have to deal with.........…