𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻.

five.

005 ⎯⎯⎯ traitor.

Luffy doesn't know when to quit.

"I'm Luffy D. Monkey," he announces,"and I'm going to be king of the pirates!"

Buggy chuckles, "don't make me laugh."

The audience erupts in laughter and he frowns, "I said DON'T make me laugh-"

"Alright enough," Zoro steps forward, "I'm Roronoa Zoro, drop your weapons now and I may let you live."

Hot, but overused.

I may let you live, please.

Buggy chuckles, "ladies and gentlemen, we have a celebrity in our midst! Too bad I hate sharing the spotlight. Now, maybe we should skip right to the finale."

The circus freaks begin to close in, each drawing their weapons.

"My freaks put quite a bit of rehearsal time into this little abduction," Buggy explains, "And if I can't reward them with that map... I suppose I'll have to offer them a pound of flesh instead."

I open my mouth to speak, "you-"

"Wait! Wait!" Nami jumps in front of me, "what if I have something else to offer you, something more valuable than the map? What if I give you a new freak for your crew. A rare act, the most spectacular in all of the east blue. Besides you, of course."

I raise a brow. If she's talking about what I think she's talking about-

She grabs Luffy's hat, launching it into the air and taking off running for the exit to the circus. Luffy, of course, stretches to grab his hat. Exposing him for Buggy to see.

I knew she was bitch.

Even I wouldn't have stooped that low.

A few circus freaks run after her, bringing her back inside a moment later, fighting and squirming. They throw her in front of Buggy and she looks up at him in disgust.

"What did you do? What did you do to their town? You destroyed everything!" She sounds like she's on the brink of tears.

What a weak excuse for a thief.

"Not everything," Buggy smirks, "I let them keep their hands."

The audience erupts in applause and I roll my eyes.

"Okay, here ends the theatrics," the music and applause stop, the lights shutting off as all spotlights find their way to Buggy, "I'm gonna get my map. What was it you said rubber boy? That it's in a safe place? Don't look so surprised, I've got eyes and ears everywhere!"

Buggy claps, "please make our guests uncomfortable in the green room."

Nami and Zoro begin to be dragged away, Buggy glancing over at me, "I trust you already know where that is."

I roll my eyes, following.

* * *

"Give it a rest," Nami sighs, "those ropes are too strong even for you."

"I've got out of worse," Zoro grunts.

I chuckle at the two of them, digging through my stuff to make sure all my belongings are there. I find my photograph and fold it up, sliding it securely back into my pouch.

Nami shoots me a glare, "how come you're not tied up? And how do you know this Buggy guy anyway?"

"None of your business," I whistle, strapping on my belt and harness again.

"Then you might as well just go," Nami hisses, "you can glitch anywhere you want right? Just get out of here, for all we know you turned us over to him."

I stand, strolling over to her cage, "I'm not going anywhere because unlike you I'm not a bitch who abandons people."

Her eyes widen.

"Yeah," I hum, "and that's not how my power works anyways. I can only glitch small distances, like outside this door where I know there are guards waiting with orders to kill me if I do."

I spin on my heel, waltzing back over to my seat.

"I know your type," Zoro glances at me, "there's nothing to gain, you're out. The only reason you're still here is because Luffy has the map."

I glare at him, "did I have something to gain when I freed you from the marines?"

"I didn't ask you to do that-"

"But I just did it," I shut him down, "I did it anyway."

We all go silent at the sound of Luffy screaming.

I roll my eyes, standing again, "you know what I don't need to be stuck here with people who think the worst of me. Luffy needs my help-"

"Someone's coming."

I glance towards the tent door, Cabaji unicycling in. He moves past me to Zoro, swiftly stopping in front of him. "Remember me?"

"No, must be some other homicidal unicycle riding clown."

I grin, that was funny.

Cabaji punches him in the gut, "I've been thinking about you for years. About how you killed my brother."

"I killed a lot of pirates."

"My name is Cabaji, a few years ago you hunted us through the swamplands. Unrelenting, like some kind of demon." he takes a few steps away.

"Not ringing a bell-"

Cabaji turns, launching a throwing knife at him.

I glitch in between the two, catch the knife between my pointer and middle. I grin, twirling it around my finger, "come on, Cabaji. Go easy on the guy, pretty sure he has dementia-"

"Shut up Sora!" he throws another knife.

I catch this one as well.

I smirk, "I could do this all day."

Cabaji scoffs, "I never understood why Buggy always favored you-"

"Probably because I was stronger than any of you."

"Wanna bet?"

"Actually I do," I narrow my eyes at Nami behind him.

She kicks him forward and I pull my knee up to his gut. He falls to the ground on his stomach and I swiftly bring my hand down to chop him in the neck, sending him into unconsciousness.

I start to saw through Zoro's ropes, glancing over at Nami, "I guess you aren't useless."

She rolls her eyes, "you could've left, saved Luffy, and been out of here by now. So I guess you care more than you let on."

I chuckle, "yeah right."

Zoro rips through the last of the rope, Nami tossing him his swords. He latches them to his belt, looking between the two of us, "so what's the plan?"

Me and Nami exchange glances.

"You do have a plan right? That's your thing? Plans?"

"I say," Nami shrugs, "we beat the hell out of every clown we see."