(Location: Loguetown)
(General POV)
Jack spent most of the day walking around Loguetown selling some of the never ending mountain of crap he had inside of his [Inventory]. He certainly made a lot of money off of what he sold, but looking inside of it, he came to the conclusion that unless he sold it all to the [STORE] or just started giving it away, he probably wasn't going to run out of things anytime soon, especially not if he kept getting more stuff every time he fought a new enemy. He usually cleaned them out of anything they had, so it was pretty easy to get more things. To kill time, Luke opted to remain on the ship and train, elsewise he was probably going to go kill some Marines, something which only he wanted.
When the evening came, Jack met up with Luke and the two of them made their way towards the Marine base, deciding they had given Smoker long enough to think on the matter. When they got to the front desk, they asked for Smoker, but were told he hadn't come in today, and that he was probably out patrolling around the island. Upon leaving the building, Jack immediately spread his Haki throughout Loguetown, trying to find Smoker among the thousands of people on the island.
After searching for a few minutes, Jack hadn't managed to find Smoker, but he had managed to find someone he had completely forgotten about. It was Tashigi, Smoker's second in command. 'If anyone knows where Smoker is, it's her.' Jack thought, figuring it was as good of a lead as any. They were quick to arrive in the training yard where Tashigi was currently training with a bunch of the lower-ranked Marine soldiers.
"Hey!" Jack called to get her attention. "How can I help you?" Tashigi asked after pausing her spar to come over and see what they wanted. "We're looking for Smoker. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?" Jack asked politely. "What's your business with the Captain?" She asked, and for some reason she looked at them with narrowed eyes. 'We haven't even done anything yet.' Jack thought, not seeing why she was being like this.
"Either tell us where he is, or don't! It has nothing to do with you, so mind your own business, DOG!" Luke cut in, clearly fed up with being around Marines and not getting to do anything about it. Tashigi just had the misfortune of being the one to get in Luke's way. "What did you just say?!" Tashigi growled angrily. "I said, be a good little DOG and wait for your masters to call you. Stupid bitch!" Luke said, clearly trying to provoke Tashigi. It worked.
In anger, Tashigi drew her sword and charged at Luke, who decided to humor the woman as he charged forward. Jack meanwhile watched the whole thing unfold with frown. 'Smokey's not going to want to work with us if Luke kills Tashigi, but in that same breath, she's kind of a cunt. Do I let him kill her and let the cards fall where they may or…?' Jack wondered, having his own internal debate on the matter.
Deciding to let things unfold, Jack watched as Tashigi swung her sword at Luke, who ducked out of the way instead of parrying the blow, which caused Tashigi to stumble slightly, and before she could right herself, Luke hit her hard with a punch to her stomach that doubled her over. Not stopping there, Luke kicked Tashigi in the head and sent her rolling across the ground, but before he could move to advance on Tashigi the Marines she had been training with quickly blocked his path to her.
Luke was about to charge into the Marines and kill them all when a pillar of smoke appeared between him and the Marines. "Enough!" Smoker shouted, putting an end to this mess before it got too big to clean up. Looking over his shoulder to the Marines standing behind him, Smoker ordered them to take Tashigi to the infirmary and get her head looked at, then he turned to look at Luke, who still looked like he was itching for a fight.
He calmed down fairly quickly when Jack put a hand on his shoulder and began to squeeze down on it, at which point the mood finally settled into something that was halfway amicable. "Come on, I need a drink." Smoker said as he began walking towards the two of them. Unlike before, they didn't go back to the Roger Bar, but rather to Smoker's office where he had a few bottles of rum waiting for them.
After downing almost an entire bottle in one breath, Smoker looked pointedly at Jack before saying, "I won't join something I know nothing about, nor will I follow the words of a man I've never even heard of before. However, in that same breath, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested. So here's what I want to suggest. Let me follow you around for a while and see how you do things. If I like what I see, I'll consider joining this new organization you're starting, but I also have a few other conditions as well." Jack nodded for him to continue. This was already more than he was expecting to get, so it's not like he wouldn't at least hear what the demands were before he made a decision.
"First of all, I won't kill any Marines, and if by some chance I agree to run this organization, I'm allowed to recruit from the Marines. Every man in this base would join this new group if I asked, and they're all good people. There are others just like them in the Marines who would take the chance to get out from under the thumb of the Government, and I see no reason not to recruit honest, hardworking men." Smoker said, getting a thoughtful look from Jack, whereas Luke was glaring at him.
"If the Marines choose to willingly join you, I will have no problem with it. However, those who refuse to join and continue to serve the Government, they will be killed." Jack said, and Smoker knew that it didn't matter that he wouldn't fight the Marines. One way or the other, they would all meet the same fate.
"I want your word that we will strive to protect the innocent and the weak, and to make this world a better place." Smoker said seriously. This was something he wanted to make clear. He was in this for the people, and that was non-negotiable. "You have my word. I will admit, I'm no saint, but I'm not entirely heartless." Jack said, agreeing rather quickly to the condition. "And him?" Smoker asked while looking at Luke. "It's cute that a DOG of the Government wants me to protect the innocent. Between the two of us, I'm more concerned about you." Luke said in response to Smoker's question.
"He means yes." Jack said, hoping to get the topic more on track. Realizing that was the best he was probably going to get, Smoker took a deep pull from his cigar before he continued, "Lastly, I want Tashigi to come with me. Not just in the organization, but to see just what you are doing." "And why exactly do you want her to come along?" Jack asked. He wasn't against the idea, but he honestly didn't see the reasoning behind it.
"She doesn't have the mindset to be a Marine. She falls more in line with what you want to create. She's reckless, naïve, and stubborn to all hell, but she will always stand up for what she believes is right, even if it's against a superior officer. If she'd been stationed under anyone but me, I'm pretty sure she'd have been killed already for insubordination or treason. She has a drive to prove herself, she just needs guidance in the right direction." Smoker said, explaining his reasoning for wanting Tashigi to tag along.
"She's the bitch with glasses, right?" Luke asked curiously. "Do not call her that!" Smoker growled angrily. "Why not? A bitch is just another word for a DOG, and we both know that's exactly what the two of you are." Luke said calmly while looking Smoker pointedly in the eyes, almost daring him to deny it. Thankfully, Smoker decided it was in his best interest to simply avoid Luke and turned his full attention back onto Jack.
"She can come, but it will be your responsibility to keep her in line. I will not have her getting in our way, and if she can't accept that, she can stay here or be punished." Jack said, getting a nod of agreement from Smoker. "Good. With that, I believe that concludes our little meeting. Make sure you get your affairs in order, and be packed and ready to depart by morning at the docks. I'll explain more once we set out." Jack said as he got up, and both he and Luke exited Smoker's office, making their way back towards the ship.
*****
The next morning, Jack exited the ship, only to find Smoker sitting on a beach chair surrounded by boxes, while Tashigi stood off out of the way swinging her sword. Jack couldn't help noticing the bandages wrapped around her head. Luke had evidently kicked her harder than he had thought. "Good morning. I trust you're ready to depart?" Jack asked smoothly as he came to stand in front of Smoker. "It's you! What are you doing here?!" Tashigi shouted upon seeing him, then her eyes quickly scanned the area, most likely in search of Luke. Before Jack could say anything on the matter, he noticed Smoker subtly shaking his head. 'Evidently he hasn't told her.' Jack concluded.
"You'll find out soon. For now, we're departing. I want to be in Cocoyasi before noon." Jack said, which earned him a scoff from Tashigi. "Is something funny?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow. "Cocoyasi Village is on the Conomi Islands. They're over a week away from Loguetown, and you think we're going to get there in just a few hours? Now I know you're insane!" Tashigi said with a sneer. "Ye of little faith." Jack said, then walked over to where all of their belongings were, and with a simple touch, made them all disappear. Smoker's eyes widened in surprise, while Tashigi jumped back in shock while drawing her sword. "Where's all of our stuff?!" Tashigi demanded.
"Are you sure she should come with us? If she's going to be like this, I think we should just leave her here. Or better yet, I should just kill her." Luke's voice sounded from the ship behind Jack, and he had to suppress a groan at his words. It was going to be a pain having to travel with two former Marines and Luke, who had it out for all Marines. Jack decided if he didn't want to go insane in the next few weeks, he was going to have to have a talk with Luke. Besides, he definitely needed to calm down and get his shit together.
"Calm the fuck down. Your stuff is safe. And Luke, she's coming with us. If you have a problem with that, then say something. This is going to be the last I want to hear about it." Jack said, silencing them all as he subconsciously released some of his Haki. Thankfully Luke didn't feel like arguing the matter, and after a word of warning from Smoker, Tashigi calmed down and put her sword away.
After that, Jack made the ship he and Luke had been sleeping on disappear, then he made the much smaller ship that they flew around appear in front of them all. They boarded, and right away Jack began directing them away from the docks with his power. Once they were far enough out into the ocean where he wouldn't affect anything with his power, he charged up a large blast after telling them to hang on, then they launched into the sky towards the Conomi Islands.
They flew through the air for a few hours in silence, as the noise from the wind made so you had to yell for anyone to hear what you were saying or go inside the little cabin, but no one wanted to do that, and no one wanted to yell, so it was actually a fairly relaxing ride. Eventually all good things must come to an end, as Luke pointed out the island off in the distance. He was on watch duty, opting to use a telescope to lookout for land ahead instead of risking another collision with the Red Line, even though they shouldn't actually be on course to hit the damn continent.
With the ample amount of warning, Jack was able to make the ship descend a little ways off from the island, then he propelled them forward once they had touched back down in the ocean. "What exactly is your power?" Tashigi asked him. "Do you like anal?" Luke interrupted her. "Excuse me?!" She demanded as she got to her feet. "What? I thought we were asking questions that were none of our fucking business." Luke said calmly, completely silencing her.
When they finally reached the docks, a few men were standing there with guns at the ready, but as soon as they saw Jack, they lowered their weapons and all of them got a little excited. "It's Jack!" One of them shouted before he ran off towards town. News of their arrival spread like wildfire through the town, and before long people were coming by the droves to welcome him back.
"What's with the warm welcome?" Tashigi asked curiously. One of the town's people heard her question and decided to answer it. "Jack is a hero here. He liberated all of the Conomi Islands from the fishmen who tortured us and kept us as prisoners." The man said, and it was then she remembered an incident in the papers awhile back that mentioned something about the Marines taking bribes to keep the island's people hostage. "Do you mean to tell me that story was all true?" She asked dumbly. She had assumed it was just a tale the newspaper told to try and make the Marines look bad, but now it was supposedly true.
Ignoring the conversation between Tashigi and the townsman, Smoker looked over at Jack who was smiling and waving at some of the people. "It was you. You were the one who got the story published in the paper." Smoker said. It wasn't a question, for he knew that the timing lined up perfectly to when Jack would have been here if he was really the one who beat the fishmen. He, like pretty much everyone else in the world, had seen the story in the paper, and though it was appalling, there was nothing he could do about it but try to do his job better and make sure he stomped out all pirates in the East Blue. "Yeah, it was me. I figured I'd shine a light on some of the Marines' dark moments, making sure they didn't try to sweep it all under the rug." Jack confirmed.
Before Jack headed off into town after storing the ship, he stopped Smoker before looking pointedly over at Tashigi. "You better tell her now before we go any further. Our next stop after this isn't exactly something a Marine wants to get involved in." Jack told him, getting a nod of understanding. "Tashigi." Smoker said, getting her attention. "Yes, Captain Smoker, Sir?" She asked after coming over to stand in front of him. Letting out a deep sigh, Smoker gestured for her to follow him towards town, hopefully to a bar. "We need to talk." He said as she followed behind him.
*****
As both he and Luke walked into town, most of the townsfolk had gathered to greet them, but what caught Jack's attention was the man in the police uniform who was walking towards him with a certain orange-haired girl at his side. 'Oh fuck.' He thought when he saw the enraged girl marching towards him. He had completely forgotten about the fact that he had stolen her money, and then he was actually dumb enough to write a letter, telling her that he was the one who robbed her. 'Honesty doesn't pay.' He chided himself as he prepared for the shouting that was probably going to ensue. Sure enough, Nami erupted in anger as she shouted, "You have some major explaining to do, mister!"
Knowing he was technically in the wrong, Jack decided he should make amends, especially if he wanted to recruit her into joining him. "I'm sorry I stole your money, but in my defense, I really, really wanted it. But seeing as I mean you no ill will, here." Jack said as he made a suitcase appear in his hands that he held out to her. Nami took it with a frown, but upon opening it, her eyes began to shine. There were a hundred million berries, easy, all in nice neat stacks. It was like $30 million berries more than he'd stolen from her, so there was really not much to argue about. "Now that we've settled that, can we go somewhere a little more private? I have something I want to discuss with you." Jack said calmly. Seeing as how he had given her back her money, plus interest, Nami decided to hear him out. "Come with me." Nami said before she began walking back to her place.
Luke wasn't really interested in going to discuss business, so he opted to have Genzo show him where the bar was and the two of them left to go get a drink. Jack meanwhile followed Nami to a familiar house on the edge of town, and upon walking through the door, he immediately spotted Nojiko sitting at the table reading a newspaper. When she heard the door open, she looked up, and saw Jack staring at her. The two of them remained in place without uttering a single word, and had Nami not cleared her throat to gain their attention, they might have continued staring at each other.
"Hey." Jack said, giving Nojiko his best smile. "Hey." She said back, though she didn't look as happy to see him as he was to see her. "What's going on with you two?" Nami asked, finding their interactions to be rather weird. ""Nothing."" They both answered in unison. Deciding to ignore whatever was going on between them, Nami got down to business. "So, what was it you wanted to discuss with me?" She asked after moving over to take a seat at the table next to Nojiko.
Forcing himself to finally look away from Nojiko, Jack moved to the table and sat across from Nami before he got right into it. "I want you to be my navigator." He said, getting straight to the point. "Excuse me?" She asked, not having expected that request from him. "I'll be honest with you, I looked around Arlong Park before I put it to the torch. I've seen some of your maps, and only someone extremely gifted in navigation could create those charts. I plan to sail the world, but to do it properly, I need a good navigator, and who better than the best in the world?" Jack said, explaining his reasoning.
"Is this for real? You're not a pirate are you?" Nami asked warily. "Ha, that's funny. No, I'm not a pirate. I'm just a simple adventurer. And yes, this is a real offer. However there is more I think you should know before you agree to anything." Jack said, then got a little serious as he began to outline the basics of what he was going to try to accomplish in the future. Needless to say, he left both Nami and Nojiko completely dumbfounded.
"Wow… This is a lot to take in. I'm going to need a while to think about this." Nami said seriously. "I'll also give you a starting bonus of $500 million berries, plus a share of anything we find in the future." Jack said, hoping to sweeten the pot. "I'm in!" Nami declared, accepting the position as his navigator. "You can't be serious, Nami!" Nojiko said, trying to be a voice of reason for her sister. After all, Jack's ideas would have most of the world after him, and not just the Marines either. He wanted to build an organization that would stop pirates as well, and they weren't about to just sit back and let them do it.
"Believe it or not, it's not just about the money. Sure, it definitely helps, but there's more to it. For one, pirates would come after anyone, that's why they're pirates. As for the World Government, what have they ever done for us? Sure, they made a showing of giving back money to us, money that the Marines took as bribes. That money doesn't bring back the people we lost or fix the homes that were destroyed. The way I see it, I'm going to get a chance to live out my dream." Nami said, hoping to put Nojiko's mind at ease. It wasn't.
Nami was glad when Jack pulled out five more briefcases all filled with a hundred million berries each, on top of which he placed a stack of books on the table as well. Looking at the covers, Nami saw they were all books on Navigation, books she had never seen before. Somehow she looked just as happy at getting the books as she did at getting the five cases filled with money.
"Pack your bags, because we leave first thing in the morning." Jack told Nami, who looked excited as she ran off to her room, leaving just him and Nojiko standing in the kitchen. "So… you look good." Jack said after a minute of silence between them. "Save it. Just leave, after all that's what you're good at." Nojiko told him sharply before she went down the hall, leaving Jack to stand there alone.
*****
After being shut down by Nojiko, Jack made his way back into town before heading to the bar. Upon walking through the doors, he saw Smoker and Genzo sitting at a table together, Tashigi was sitting at a separate table in the corner sulking, and Luke was sitting at the bar with an empty bottle and another one that was almost there. Feeling as though a drink was exactly what he needed, Jack ordered a bottle of rum and immediately began to drink it down, then when that one was gone he immediately began on another.
"I take it, it didn't go so well?" Luke asked after seeing him drink half of the second bottle before taking a breath. "No, we got ourselves a navigator. She was expensive, but money won out in the end." Jack said, surprising not just Luke, but Genzo who had been eavesdropping nearby. "You made Nami part of your crew?!" Genzo asked in shock. "Yeah, why wouldn't I? She's a really good navigator. One of the best, actually." Jack said, not seeing what the big deal was.
"You don't know what she's been through. She had it worse than any of us here." Genzo said, but before he could continue, Jack cut in, "I know exactly what she went through. You forget, I was in Arlong Park. She lost her mother and was forced to serve the very man who took her from them. For five years she toiled away, drawing sea charts and maps of everywhere she went, all so Arlong could use her creations to better keep control of the East Blue. Remember this, she has a dream, and I can help her fulfill that dream."
The bar was eerily quiet after that, but Jack paid no attention to everyone staring at him and grabbed his bottle of rum before he walked out of the bar. He was tired of dealing with people, and part of him wondered why he even cared. As far as he was concerned, he owed this world nothing, nor the God who sent him here. 'But the Marines and pirates can still shove it.' He told himself, and it was then he realized why he was doing this.
His main goal was to have fun and explore the world, but to do this, he knew he was going to have to deal with the worst people in the world no matter what direction he went in, so why not clean the world up first, and then go on his adventure. It had seemed like such an easy thing to do when he first got here, but now he wasn't so sure.
He wandered around for a bit until night fell, but by that point he had drank over five bottles of rum and was now so drunk he was swaying as he walked. Deciding to take a moment to clear his head, he moved to sit next to a tree on top of a hill. He felt as though he could fall asleep when he felt someone standing in front of him, which was weird because he hadn't sensed their approach.
Opening his eyes, he saw an older woman with a reddish, maroon sort of hair that was bordering on pink, it was cut into a rather unique hairstyle that was similar to a mohawk. 'She looks familiar.' Jack told himself, though he couldn't place it. "Can I help you?" He asked while sitting up a bit straighter. "I think you're the one who needs the help." The woman said with a laugh. "Oh, yeah? With what?" Jack asked, not seeing what he needed help with. Sure he was sitting out in the woods at night, but he was happier out in the woods. In all the time he had been in this world, most of it had been alone, and he couldn't remember ever feeling as tired during his training as he felt right now with just having to deal with people.
"With how to treat a lady, of course. You can't just sleep with a girl, leave for weeks on end, then come back as if it were nothing." The woman said, making Jack's eyes widen in surprise. "Nojiko told you about us?" Jack asked, wondering more and more each second who this woman was. "She tells me everything. She complained all about how some guy gave her the best night of her life, then he up and disappeared when she woke up, without so much as good-bye. She's talked about you a few times since, always wondering if you were going to come back. And then you did… but it wasn't for her." The woman said, sounding a little sad.
"Hold on a second. I never went into that night with the intention that it was going to become more than a one or two time thing, and she certainly didn't tell me she wanted anything from it." Jack said, finding it ridiculous that Nojiko expected more than that from him. "So you're saying you've never thought about her since that night?" The woman asked. "Of course I've thought about her from time to time, but that doesn't mean anything!" Jack argued, wondering what the hell was wrong with this woman. "Do you often think about other girls you've encountered in the past?" The woman asked, only this time Jack's words were caught in his throat.
Thinking about it like that, he couldn't recall ever thinking about other girls he'd been with. It was always a one and done kind of thing with them before he moved on. 'But not with her…' He realized. 'I even wrote her a fucking letter, telling her we should do it again sometime!' He complained to himself, only now realizing that something was wrong. "So, what exactly are you telling me?" Jack asked, feeling as though he should probably listen to whatever the weird woman had to say.
"I'm telling you if you don't open your eyes and realize what's in front of you, you're going to miss out on her, and you're never going to find another girl like her again!" The woman said, then just as she had appeared, she suddenly vanished into thin air, only now someone else was standing nearby, only Jack knew who this was. "Who were you talking to?" Nojiko asked after looking around and seeing him all alone. "To be perfectly honest, I have no idea. She just appeared out of nowhere and told me how you complained to her a lot about me." Jack said, then realizing who he was talking to, he got to his feet, forgetting that he was still quite drunk and stumbled a bit, but thankfully Nojiko caught him.
"Are you okay?" She asked him while holding him upright. "I am now." Jack said, looking directly at Nojiko. "Alright, what's up with you?" Nojiko asked, finding it odd how he was looking at her. "I just realized what's in front of me." Jack said, then before Nojiko could ask what he meant, he leaned forward and kissed her. He thought the kiss was sweet, but it was cut short when Nojiko pulled away from him and slapped him hard across the face.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" She cursed at him as she raised her hand to hit him again, but he caught it when it was mere inches away from his face. "Come with me." He said, his words surprising her. "What?" She asked dumbly, not understanding his question. "You think I came all the way here just for a navigator? I want you to join me. We'll see the world. Find treasure. And turn this world upside down! What do you say?!" Jack asked excitedly. "I say, you're nuts." She said, only the smile on her face was giving her away. "Was that a yes?" He asked, unsure of what her answer was. "Ask me in the morning." She told him, which was just like a woman. Always keeping a man waiting.
As they walked back towards town, Jack couldn't help but wonder something. "What were you doing out here?" He asked her. "When my mother died, we buried her on top of that hill. I like to come out here and talk to her sometimes." Nojiko said, making Jack pause as he realized just why that woman had seemed so familiar. "What were you doing out here?" Nojiko asked him in return. "Talking to ghosts, apparently." Jack said simply, which was just one more thing that confused Nojiko.
She couldn't make heads or tails of some of the things he did or said, but sometimes there was just no logic when it came to drunk people. She helped him to a room at the hotel in town, and after climbing the flight of stairs with his arm slung over her shoulder, she dropped him onto his bed. "What, no good-night kiss?" He asked her with a grin. "Only if I get to slap you again." Nojiko said, thinking that would deter him, but he only grinned at her. "It would be worth it." He said, causing her to roll her eyes at him as she headed for the door, though her smile gave away how she really felt.
*****
The following morning, Jack woke up with a pounding headache. 'Ugh! I feel like shit.' Jack groaned as he forced himself to sit up, then made a bottle of water appear in his hand before he drank it all in one go. After that he went and sat under the cold water of the shower for a while to let his head clear, then he went downstairs and ate some greasy food with toast. "When are we leaving?" Luke asked curiously from across the table. "In about an hour. I just need to go and do something first." Jack said before he got up and headed towards the house on the outskirts of town.
Once he arrived at the house, he knocked on the door and waited. A few seconds later, Nami opened the door with a smile on her face. "Are we leaving?!" She asked, showing a bit of excitement. "Soon. First, I need to speak with Nojiko." Jack said, surprising, Nami. She wondered what Jack had to say to her sister, but wisely decided asking about it wasn't going to get her anywhere, so she called Nojiko to the door.
"My, my, you're up earlier than I expected. After how drunk you were, I'm surprised you got up today at all." Nojiko told him upon entering the room. "Yeah, well, I had something important to do, and thought it best not to put it off." He told her with a smile. "Oh, and what exactly was so important that you just couldn't put it off?" She asked, returning his smile with a grin. "You." Jack said as he stepped into the room and got right up close to her. "I'm still waiting to hear your question." She said coolly as she stared into his eyes. Leaning forward, Jack whispered into her ear, "And I'm still waiting for that kiss."
Both of them remained in the middle of the room without uttering a word for almost a full minute before Nojiko suddenly turned to Nami before ordering, "Get out!" "Wait, what?" Nami asked dumbly. "I said get out!" Nojiko repeated as she moved to quickly push Nami outside before slamming the door and locking it behind her. "Hey! This is my house too!" Nami shouted indignantly at the door, however her complaints fell on deaf ears as the two people inside began to get preoccupied with each other. All it took was one look through the window before Nami turned beat red and promptly ran to town, deciding her sister needed some space from her at the moment.
*****
It wasn't until sometime later before Jack and Nojiko finished what they were doing, and now they were both lying in Nojiko's bed. "Come with me." Jack suddenly asked her. "I already did. A few times, actually." She said with a smirk. "You know what I meant." He told her as he forcibly kept himself from laughing. In response to this, Nojiko climbed out of bed and walked over to her closet and grabbed three bags that were already packed. "Let's be off then." She said happily, having packed beforehand. "You little minx." Jack said, returning her smile before he enveloped himself in a swirl of darkness before he emerged fully clothed. "Neat trick, but I think I'm going to need a shower first." She told him. "Want some company?" He asked as his clothes suddenly vanished. "Not if we want to actually leave here today." She told him before shooing him towards the door, though only after he put his clothes back on again.
Heading back into town, Jack was marginally happier than he had been over the last few days, and he couldn't help the skip in his step. Said skip vanished upon entering the bar where he found Genzo waiting for him with a glare. Seeing Nami sitting not too far away, he concluded that she had probably told him what was going on. "I'm going to warn you right now kid... If you ever hurt her, I will hunt you down and kill you myself!" Genzo said with all the seriousness he could muster. "I can assure you, I would never do anything to intentionally harm Nojiko." Jack said, which got a wild reaction from the man, not at all what he was expecting.
"Nojiko?! You're taking Nojiko too?!" Genzo shouted, sounding almost hysteric. "Well, yeah. She's sort of my girlfriend. Kind of. I haven't technically asked her that yet, but I think she knows." Jack said, sounding so nonchalant about the whole thing. "Then it goes double now! If you hurt either of them, I'll rip you to pieces!" Genzo shouted in warning. "Understood. You have my word that I'll keep both Nojiko and Nami safe." Jack said, promising not only Genzo, but himself that he would keep that promise. "I'll hold you to that." Genzo said, much calmer now.
"So you and Nojiko are a thing now, huh? That was fast." Nami said, looking at him suspiciously. "Technically, we're not, but pretty much, yeah. Why? Do you have a problem with that?" Jack asked her. "Only this. If you break her heart, I'll break you. I know that might seem impossible, but it doesn't matter how long it takes, I'll find a way." Nami said seriously. "I understand." Jack said, feeling it was best not to try and argue.
After that, Jack went over to where Luke was sitting at a table eating some food. "Where's Smoker and Tashigi?" Jack asked curiously. "The DOGS are outside waiting by the docks." Luke answered simply. "You've got to stop calling them that." Jack said, feeling as though this would become a thing if he didn't try to put an end to it now. "Well they are DOGS. Just look at them. They went from one master to the next, and now they're obediently waiting for their next orders right where you told them to meet. They're so well trained." Luke said coolly, then got up and headed for the door. "Oh yeah, can you pay my bill? Thanks." Luke said before he exited the building. 'This is going to be my whole day.' Jack thought with a sigh as he plotted ways to punish Luke, before he paid the hotel bill, despite the owner telling him not to worry about it.
After that, Jack went and talked with a few of the townsfolk, even going so far as to give Genzo a mountain of weapons to pass around to the other villages to fortify themselves from pirates if need be, which the man was more than a little thankful for, though he was more thankful for the Transponder Snail with the three numbers attached to it. "I'll give Nami and Nojiko each their own, and the third number is mine, in case you ever need to reach me for anything." Jack told him. "I appreciate this, thanks." Genzo said as he put the Transponder Snail into his pocket.
Nojiko and Nami arrived not long after that carrying all of their bags, which Jack was quick to store away inside of his [Inventory], then they all went down to the docks where Jack made his little ship appear. "I don't mean to be a complainer, but we need to get a bigger ship." Nami said, finding the ship to be sorely lacking. After all, there was only one bed in the little cabin, which would not work for all of them.
"I already have a bigger ship. This is just the one I use for travel. Once we get to where we're going, I'll make it appear, but for now, this is the one we're going to be using." Jack said, informing her of how this was going to work. "Where are we going next anyway?" Nojiko asked curiously. She knew all about his plans to change the world, but Jack hadn't exactly told them where they would be going from here.
"Our next stop is a World Government project called Tequila Wolf. For the last 700 years they have been forcing people to build a massive bridge that crosses the ocean, but what it's for, I'm not actually sure. What I do know is there are thousands of people in need of help, and that's where we come in. We'll take them with us to Windmill Village, where hopefully there might be a few people among them who wish to join The Order, it doesn't matter which division, be it the Adventurers or the Sentinels. After that, we're going to be doing some training to get you all ready for entering the Grand Line." Jack explained, getting nods from them all.
He didn't hide anything from them, knowing that secrecy wouldn't help him in this, because they were either with him, or they weren't. It was as simple as that. He still wasn't sure how Tashigi and Smoker would react to him killing all of the Government personnel on Tequila Wolf, but he knew they would have to get with the program soon enough, because he knew this wouldn't be the last time they did something like this, especially not if Luke had his way. Just looking at the man, Jack could tell he was itching to get going.
"Anyway, you all better hang on to something." Jack said as he went to the back of the ship. None of them, not even Jack knew the chaos they were about to bring into the world, but in truth, none of them really cared. They were on a mission, and they would not be deterred. With that, they launched off into the sky towards Tequila Wolf.