Cat on Water

Chapter 5

Yoruichi walked besides Garp as they started walking up what looked to be the Main Street of a small village.

‘Foosha, he called it. His hometown’ Yoruichi thought, a little curious at how a man like that came from a place like this. She looked around, observing the people as they went around on their day to day. Or, well, she tried. All the townspeople had stopped happily pointing, cheering, and waving at Garp and his men as they walked by. Garp even returned the gesture, smiling and laughing happily.

‘He seems quite popular’ she thought, looking at the large man’s back he looked to be leading them to the end of the street, where what looked to be a bar called ‘Party’s bar.’ As they got close enough, she could sense a few people sat at the tables inside. Bunch of people, around 8, sat on the right side of the door, taking two tables of four. A woman who seemed to be the bartender from where she was, sat behind the bar. And last but not least, a teenager of about 15-16 sat in the left side of the bar itself, eating something. He felt suspiciously.... squishy. It was weird. Normally humans feel a bit squishy, but he felt only squishy.

‘Wonder what that’s about’ Yoruichi thought. She watched Garp get closer to the door, and basically just knock it down, without even opening it, shouting “WHERES MY GRANDSON, MAKINO?” He shouted, his usual loud voice even louder than usual. As he said that, he started walking to the woman, who’s name was probably Makino, based in the way she smiled brightly at him.

“Garp! We haven’t seen you in almost a year! How have you been? Have a seat, I’ll get you all something to eat.” Makino said, moving the get mugs out for Garp, and the rest of his crew. Before she could finish, Garp asked again, “have you seen my grandson, Makino? I got some things to ask him. About Ace.” He spoke.

“Oh Luffy? He’s right over there.” She replied, pointing to her right, to the teenager she had sensed earlier. Said kid looked like someone just said he got the death sentence. Pale, sweating bullets, trying to sink into his seat as much as possible. For some reason though, he didn't stop eating that large chicken leg he held in his hand, which was comically stuffed in his mouth once he realized he wasn't getting away.

‘What is he afraid of… oh. That’s what’ she thought wryly. Looking from the kid, Luffy, over to Garp, she could see the aura coming off of him. Garp looked like a demon from hell, ready to pulverize whatever was in front of him. He had his hands together, his right fist in his left open palm, cracking his knuckles. Yoruichi chuckled. ‘This will be very entertaining. ‘ she thought, sitting down on a barstool.

As she watched Garp walk over to Luffy, who was sputtering out a greeting in between his munching on that piece of meat he still had in his mouth, Makino came over with a mug, and placed it in front of her.

“Hi there.” She said with a smile, “I don’t think I’ve seen you with Garp before. Are you new to the marines?”

Yoruichi snorted, before replying, “Nah, I’m just a castaway Garp picked up on an island. I’m Yoruichi.”

“Well, nice to meet you, Yoruichi. Where are you from, if you don’t mind me asking?” Makino replied, before grabbing a mug another patron had put on the bar and started to clean it.

Yoruichi frowned and thought about what to say. It’s not like she could tell this woman, who seemed nice but was ultimately inconsequential, that she was probably from another dimension.

‘Eh, might as well keep it simple.' She thought wryly.

“I’m from a place very far away. You’ve probably never heard of it.” She said. Hopefully that will be enough.

“Ah, you must be from one of the other blues, then. We don’t get many people from other oceans here. Only some merchants who brave the calm belts, and even then, only with a marine escort.”

Makino turned to look at Garp, who was in the process of punching Luffy in the head, while the kid was yowling like a cat dunked in water.  She could relate. Kisuke had actually done that to her at one point. Picked up her bed and threw her into a bath. She was livid at the time.

'Hmm, maybe I should do that to Kisuke when I get back. Maybe Tessai too. He had a hand in her situation after all’ she thought, hand going under her chin, while she stared blankly at Garp and Luffy.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Luffy, who had finished getting pummeled by his grandfather, decided to make his presence known by sticking himself into her face.

“Who are you?” Yoruichi heard from someone far too close for comfort. “I haven’t seen you before. Did you come with gramps?” The offender of personal space, also known as Luffy, asked.

Yoruichi just stared at him. She must have been really distracted with revenge plots to notice him move.

“What do you want, kid.” Yoruichi asked, staring imperiously down at the grandson of the man that brought her here.

“Join my crew. You look strong.” He smiled, almost an exact copy of the one Garp has. She’s starting to see the resemblance. Regardless…..

“No.” she said “I’m not gonna join your crew, or whatever it was. I refuse.”

Luffy frowned for a second, then smiled cheekily.  “I refuse your refusal!” He yelled triumphantly.

Yoruichi’s jaw dropped. ‘The hell does this kid mean; I refuse your refusal. That’s not how this works.’ She thought,

“Again, no.” She said, this time fully turning her body from the bar to face him. “You can’t just decide to not accept a refusal if you don’t like it.”

Luffy pouted and crossed his arms. “I don’t care.” he said, at that moment, Garp came over and sat next to Luffy. Of course, Garp also decided to smash Luffy’s head through the bar.

“She’s not joining ya, brat. Besides, you’re too young, you are NOT GOING TO BE A PIRATE! I have a nice spot for you in my ship, and you’re going to be a great marine, and you’re going to LIKE IT!” Garp said, still holding Luffy’s head down. “Besides, since I missed Ace because I picked up Yoruichi here, it seems Ill have to work twice as hard with you.” Garp smiled maliciously. Luffy, who was still on the ground, froze when he heard that. He then sat up, horror written on his face. He started scrambling to the door, his arms outstretched as if it was his only salvation.

Yoruichi had a smile on her face, reminiscing over the familiar feeling of tortu- *ahem* training she did with the second division. But that is when things got weird. Instead of Luffy running to the door, and then outside, his arms started stretching and his hands grabbed the doorframe. He then shot out the door like a slingshot, laughing as he flew by the rest of Garp’s crew, and the other patrons sitting at the tables.

Yoruichi was in shock. “Huhhh?!! What the actual fuck was that? What just happened?” she almost yelled. Makino hearing her words, smiled deprecatingly. She replied “Luffy ate a devil fruit when he was younger by accident. Now he is a rubber man. He can stretch and do lots of things. He’s made entirely out of rubber now. You should see him when he eats a lot, he blows up like a balloon, Hehe” Makino giggled a bit at the memory of ballon-Luffy.

Yoruichi was floored. How the hell does someone turn a human being into rubber? She had heard of Fullbrings in the material world being a bit weird, but this was too much.

“What’s a devil fruit, Makino?” Yoruichi asked, looking inquisitively over at the barista. Instead of Makino responding, Garp decided to put his two cents in.

“Devil fruits are fruits of various shapes and designs that ‘bestow the power of the sea devil upon them’, or so the myths go, if you believe that kind of stuff.” Garp huffed and grabbed a piece of meat that looked very similar to the one Luffy had inhaled earlier. She Saw the resemblance now. He continued, “Shouldn’t you know that, though? You ate a devil fruit yourself, right? How else would you turn into a cat.”

Yoruichi froze, in the middle of drinking from her mug. How was she going to explain that cat thing. It was a complicated Kido application she created with Tessai when they were kids.  (A/n I have no idea if this is canon or not, I just made it up.) She had no idea what a ‘devil fruit’ was, but it had nothing to do with her. However, light shined upon her. Before she was able to think of a response, Garp kept talking,

“Eh, not like it matters. You’re from one of the blues, yeah? Heard your little talk with Makino. Most people in the blues think devil fruits don’t exist, so you probably don’t remember eating one. Most likely thought it was a weird fruit.” Garp drained his mug, slapped the table, and got up. “I gotta go find the kid, have to make sure he trains well to become a great marine.” He started walking to the door, telling his men to take a break for a bit. Before he got to the door, he paused, then turned around. “Yoru-whats your name, you wanna come watch? You were pretty good back on that island. If you want, we will be up on Mount Columbo. That’s probably where Luffy was headed.” Garp then exited the building, probably going to go look for Luffy.

Yoruichi turned to Makino, and asked “You think I should? I doubt I'd get any fun out of watching a brat train all day. Though, its always fun being the trainer.” She said, saying the last bit more to herself.

Makino smiled a bit, and said “Well, Garp’s training is a bit, uh, unconventional, if you catch my meaning. Not a lot of normal in that family if I am going to be honest.”

Yoruichi finally got to drink her cup and was surprised to find out it was sake. ‘Guess some things are the same.’ She thought. She looked back at Makino, then got up herself. “Well, I’m apparently supposed to be on a vacation, and a girls got to get her fun somehow, right?” Yoruichi said, grinning at Makino. She smiled back, before going back to serving the other patrons.

Yoruichi exited the bar, turning to look at the only mountain nearby. “That's gotta be the ‘Mount Columbo’ Garp mentioned. I can sense Garp from here, so he probably hasn’t gotten far. Luffy, however, I can’t sense at all. He is a fast one, isn’t he.” she muttered under her breath. She ran towards the mountain, using her Hoho to move fast enough to catch up to Garp, hoping to catch the whole of his unconventional training.