Chapter 8: Legends never die
<span style="font-weight:400">Chaos spread all over the world, but in LogueTown?
<span style="font-weight:400">No one moved.
<span style="font-weight:400">No one made a sound.
<span style="font-weight:400">Everyone was too stunned to do anything.
<span style="font-weight:400">Some had already realized, to others? It began to dawn on them.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Pirate Kingst words.
<span style="font-weight:400">The marines chose LogueTown as the location for his execution and to televised it for multiple reasons.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was the birthce of Gol D. Roger. Showing a popce so much against him was a way to rile up the poption over the world against piracy.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then LogueTown’s location.
<span style="font-weight:400">LogueTown was in East blue. For the greatest pirate that ever lived to meet his end in the weakest sea was a great humiliation.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was a warning to pirates all over the seas.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Marine thought to use this execution as a means to scare people, to deter them from bing pirates.
<span style="font-weight:400">But.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Pirate Kingst words...
<span style="font-weight:400">Had the opposite effect…
<span style="font-weight:400">Never would the world ever see so many pirates, so much chaos than in this new Age.
<span style="font-weight:400">Finally the marines moved, they had damage control to do and fast.
<span style="font-weight:400">The people started to move too, everyone was going back home.
<span style="font-weight:400">But among the crowd, two people were immobile.
<span style="font-weight:400">To a passerby, it was just an old man and his grandson on his shoulders.
<span style="font-weight:400">But they were no grandpa and his grandson.
<span style="font-weight:400">They were theDark King, Silvers Rayleigh, first mate of the pirate that just passed away, and a young Seaman recruit of the marine, Rick Wald.
<span style="font-weight:400">Both were crying and smiling at the same time.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What an amazing man. In hisst moment when death smiled at him… he smiled back and with a few words cheated her and went on to live forever.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Old man, you’re really lucky to have sailed the seas with such a man.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“ Yes kid. I am.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“He made me want to sit with you, a pirate, and hear your stories, your adventures. Really… amazing.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s captain Roger for you, kid.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick sighed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“We should go now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">He floated off Rayleigh’s shoulders andnded on the ground.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Our own way.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rayleigh tried to remove the cap to give it back, but Rick stopped him, by a wave of the hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Keep the cap old man, you need it. Mix into the crowd, you should be fine and escape.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rayleigh smirked
<span style="font-weight:400">‘This kid is really acting cute’
<span style="font-weight:400">“Not gonna call your marines friends?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nah. It would not be right to go after you while you’re grieving old man.I’m giving you a few days for a head start. After that be prepared because you’re mine to catch.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rayleighughed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Right.“
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’ll catch you old man, make no mistake. Besides, I didn’t give you my cap, I lent it. And I want it back. So don’t go losing it somewhere, or worse get captured and have it taken from you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">And with those final words Rick left the za to go back to the marine quarters.
<span style="font-weight:400">Rayleigh looked at the child’s back.
<span style="font-weight:400">‘Everytime that kid opens his mouth he amazes me. Any other kid saying what he said… I would ignore it but him…’
<span style="font-weight:400">After looking at Rick in silence until he disappeared, Rayleigh was thinking.
<span style="font-weight:400">“ Fine kid. I’ll believe in you catching me. I’ll take care of your cap, don''t worry. Until we meet again.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The dark king took onest look at the scaffolds, and bowed his head.
<span style="font-weight:400">‘See you around Roger”.
<span style="font-weight:400">And left.
<span style="font-weight:400">~~~~
<span style="font-weight:400">Back at the marine quarters, Rick could hear Garpughing.
<span style="font-weight:400">He was talking to someone clearly angry on a den-den mushi.
<span style="font-weight:400">“For the love of god Garp stopughing! You were summoned at Marie-Geoise immediately. Roger’s shit needs to be addressed and you’re needed back at HQ. See you soon.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The call ended and Garp was stillughing; he had tears in his eyes.
<span style="font-weight:400">“HAHAHAHA! Roger you old bastard you got them all. you got them all good. HAHAHA”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sir?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Upon hearing Rick, Garp brought hisughter under control.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Pack up kid, you and I are going to HQ.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, sir! When do we leave?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Now”.
<span style="font-weight:400">~~~~~~
<span style="font-weight:400">For the next two months, while traveling to Mary Geoise, Garp “trained“ Rick.
<span style="font-weight:400">If you could call beating someone up training.
<span style="font-weight:400">Despite the pain, Rick learned a lot and had gotten stronger.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Vice-admiral was more than pleased at the speed his subordinate was growing.
<span style="font-weight:400">The marines had a whole new level of respect for this rookie.
<span style="font-weight:400">Not only was he strong, but he neverined about the beating Garp gave him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Most of all they respected him because Rick could somehow rein the wild beast of the marine back.
<span style="font-weight:400">During their travels they encountered a fairly good number of pirate crew newly formed, thanks to Roger’s deration.
<span style="font-weight:400">More than once Rick stopped Garp, being well… Garp.
<span style="font-weight:400">On those asions, Garp released some steam by “training” him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Perhaps because he was too dense or because Garp was too good at hiding it, or simply unaware, a new kind of rtionship was born between the two. Though it began months earlier.
<span style="font-weight:400">The others saw it though but never said anything, too happy that Garp’s attention was focused on Rick and not on doing Garp things.
<span style="font-weight:400">Garp was looking at Rick as if he was his grandson, and in return Rick saw Garp as an annoying grandfather.
<span style="font-weight:400">Garp was missing his estranged son, now leader of the revolution army, openly opposed to the world government’s rule.
<span style="font-weight:400">And Rick was starving for a family. Not having had one in his lives, or not remembering it.
<span style="font-weight:400">Finally after having sailed for two months, they arrived at Marineford : headquarters of the marine.