𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 ➳ 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐚 (one piece fanfic)

Chapter 18

"Here you are!" Hina exclaimed as she saw her friend come out of the backstages. She was about to bump his head with her fist when she stopped at the last second. "Woah, you really did go all out." Her hand unfurled to softly pat the younger male's messy blue hair.

"I wanted to test something out," Nanko answered with a sheepish smile that made all the audience turn away in disgust, soft Nanko was a cursed sight.

Hina patted the seat beside her and handed him a wooden box of sweets. "Congrats on your victory," she commented, her gaze set on the opposite side of the stadium.

Nanko seemed tamer as he ate the treats in silence, simply looking in the same direction to see a grey-haired man staring back, from where he sat, Nanko could feel the man's pressure pointed at him. Unfortunately for this impromptu adversary, Nanko didn't feel like acting at the moment, he had barely gained a third of his chakra reserves back and didn't feel like doing anything apart from eating.

So he leaned his head against Hina's shoulder and after finishing his sweets, closed his eyes, enjoying the sun's warmth. Hina considered shaking him off but after recalling the rare exhaustion she saw on his face previously, she just let him be.

On the other side, Smoker watched with a hint of stupefaction as the target of his glare simply started dozing off on his long-time friend's shoulder. That required some courage, he had to admit, when even the people around him had all run away to escape what they thought to be anger. He wouldn't sleep much longer though, he thought with a smirk as he saw a figure loom over that blue-haired brat.

"Nanko!" Nanko woke up with a start and jumped a few meters away, Hina doing the same but landing nearer.

"Rear Admiral Garp," Nanko greeted back, his lips twitching in displeasure. Fortunately, he had become used to hiding his chakra nature constantly.

"I have not seen you lately..." The old man almost pouted, his body already morphing to a combat posture, his huge grin giving his desires away.

"I have been doing patrolling missions with Hina," Nanko answered with ease, Hina taking a few steps back as the legendary Rear Admiral examined her. She felt an invisible pressure settle on her shoulders, she started sweating.

"Hm, not bad. Not bad," Garp hummed in contentment as he saw the young female officer stand, though with shaky legs, but she was still better than the casualties around that were pushed against the floor without so much as a struggle.

But the best was still the cyan-haired young man that stood firm in front of him, without so much as a sweat, glaring at him in defiance.

That lit up a flame of competition in his old soul. That stubborn, unyielding behavior reminded him of his family, from himself to his grandson, it seemed to run in their blood.

Nanko almost let out a swear as the pressure suddenly doubled over his shoulders and he felt his legs shake in surprise. He quickly regained control and straightened up, glaring at the old man that observed him while nodding to himself in approval, if only he had a daughter instead of a son, he couldn't help but think as he analyzed the fine and promising young man.

Garp's aura was like a towering mountain, ginormous and imposing, one couldn't imagine breaking it nor surmounting it.

While Konan's aura was a carefully hidden one, one that slyly took lives in that split second one was distracted. Her aura was laced with bloodlust, only remnant of the numerous lives taken. It turmoyed under her skin with hunger, waiting to be unleashed on its next prey. Her aura was a sharp contrast to her calm and kind face, Konan had long mastered the art of concealment. The only witnesses of her aura were all dead.

The clash didn't take long to attract attention, marines with nothing to do gazed at the fight with admiration, envy, and fear. The higher one climbed, the fewer seats there were, seeing such a talented junior appear, naturally planted a seed of fear in their minds. It was only a matter of time before he grew beyond them. And that scared them. It had taken them years to climb up and there he was, in the prime of his youth, sweeping the rug from under their feet.

"May I know exactly what is going on here?" a sharp voice cut through the tense atmosphere. Tsuru stood there with her arms crossed, her eyes darkened as her gaze went from her rebellious underling to her stubborn old friend.

The clash stopped and both men were chuckling nervously, looking at each other with a sense of comradeship and renewed sympathy. Both took a step back, away from the furious officer. Around them, laid the victims of their auras, fainted.

"Both of you, on guard duty till tomorrow," she ruthlessly ordered before turning around and leaving, not even doubting they would obey because she knew they would.

And so, with their heads down in a show of sadness, they were forced to leave the arena to patrol around the island. Nanko refused Hina's offer to accompany him and told her to watch the fights to retell it to him later.

Once out of sight, both glanced at each other before Garp burst out into laughter, followed by Nanko's soft laughter.

"I haven't seen her that furious in a while," Garp laughed boisterously, "Takes me back to the good old times!"

As for Nanko, he found a sadistic pleasure in pissing off the normally calm officer.

Garp soon fell into a retelling phase, recounting his rebellious moments to Nanko. "When I was your age-"

Nanko enjoyed hearing the stories that probably only few knew. Konan was interested in hearing more about Luffy's grandfather, the life of a man admired by thousands and feared by just as much.

Nanko was a devoted listener, reacting perfectly to every action of Garp, sometimes laughing, sometimes, just grinning. He could feel that it had been a while since Garp last was able to talk this much to someone who was listening.

The old man was smiling brightly, a smile that felt like it would touch his ears, a flame of fervor lit in his eyes as he plunged himself deep in his stories of a time long gone. Of when he wasn't restricted by the title of 'hero of the marine'. Just him and his friends fighting for what they believed to be right, for the Justice of their hearts. Saving people, protecting them.

It seemed to be straight out of a fairytale for a cold-blooded killing machine like Konan whose childhood was spent killing more than protecting. She felt a slight longing, his stories seemed so bright and the sun attracted her.

"And you, what's your dream Nanko?" Garp asked as he finished his story.