Chapter 22: Chapter 21: I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.

The sun had already set and Garp’s crew were worried. Their captain  left a few hours ago to take Rookie Rick on a walk but never came back.

 

Some were already speculating what happened to her.

 

“Maybe she lost it for good and kidnapped Rick?” said one

“Had him chained somewhere and is currently abusing him.” said another.

“Oi! It’s Captain Kaza we’re talking about! There is no wa….” said a third and then paused.”

 

Everyone went silent.

 

“We should call Vice-admiral Garp and ask about Rick’s safety.”

 

They all nodded.

 

Maybe it’s because they had spend years together or by some kind of magic but once again all of them thought the same thing:

 

““““I hope Rick is okay.””””

 

~~~~~~

 

Finally Garp was back on the ship with Kaza. 

When his subordinates called and told him of the situation with his captain he told them that Rick went back safely to the infirmary. As for Kaza’s well being?

 

“Don’t care, she’s a big girl.”

 

It was when Tsuru and he walked back from Sengoku’s house that they found her on the floor. She was sprawled like a cat and was apparently having a good dream since she had a big smile full of glee and kept repeating the words ” I do! I do!”.

Garp started walking again, completely ignoring her when Tsuru caught his ear and pulled it.

 

“Garp, she’s your captain! You can’t leave her like that.”

“HA! Watch me!”

 

She pulled harder.

“Alright! Alright! Stop pulling damnit, I’ll look like a buddha.”

“Well you’ll have a thing in common with Sengoku then.”

“Not happening!”

 

He picked his captain up and went back to his ship. He was planning to just drag her but a cold stare from Tsuru dissuaded him.

~~~~~~~

 

It was finally the time for Rick to be discharged. They had planned a party for it and for his birthday as they didn’t get to celebrate it.

 

They partied all night and except Tsuru everyone was dead drunk, Rick included.

 

Kaza had offered him earrings in the shape of a falling star. She knew about Ryusei and wanted to stay on the star theme. The earring wasn’t for the ear lobes though. You wore them over the Helix and Scapha of the ear. They were made of steel and had a dark silver color.

 

When Garp had proposed a toast and saw that his grandson had a cup of water and not a mug of rum he slapped it out of this hands

 

“You proved yourself to be a true marine! No water for you when we celebrate!

“GARP! HE’S UNDERAGE!” Yelled Tsuru

“Wasn't it you and Sengoku that said he’s a marine before he’s a kid? Besides my ship, my rules! And my rule is: when we celebrate no marine shall drink water! Don’t like it? Then you can get the hell out of my ship!”

 

Garp was already inebriated .

Surprisingly Kaza didn’t say anything.

She even was the one who brought Rick a mug of rum with a cheshire cat-like smile.

 

Rick felt a chill down his pine.

‘I should not drink this, I should definitely not drink this. THERE IS NO WAY I’M DRINKING THIS!’

 

Too bad for him, Garp took the mug and made him drink everything to the last drop.

~~~~~~~~

Rick woke up without, surprisingly, a hangover. He didn’t want to open his eyes, he was enjoying too much the heavenly feeling that was against his cheek

‘That must be the nicest pillow I ever had. Not too soft or too firm, just really well balanced. I don’t know to whom it belongs, but  they can say goodbye to them, it’s my pillow now, all mine.’

 

He then moved his head further into those perfect pillows when he heard a small moan.

His eyes shot open full of panic.

‘....’

His mind was completely blank, he recognized that moan and realized what this pillow was and more importantly whom it belonged to.

With a trembling hand he grabbed the sheet and looked under it.

 

Relief gained him.

‘I still have my clothes on. Thanks to the Goddess!’

And let the sheet drop before lifting it back up.

He was sleeping on top of Kaza and from what his body didn’t hide she was completely N.AK.E.D.

‘I need to get out of here before she wakes up and finishes the job!’

 

Thanks to Tsuru’s training his agility was top level and got out of bed without waking his captain up. He still had the sheet in his hand though.

And the view that awaited him was spectacular!

 

‘Holy shit! That’s what she looks like under this ugly marine uniform?’

He was almost drooling.

‘Damn! Maybe I should stop fighting her?’

 

He thought about it for a while then shook his head.

‘No, no. If I do that, I’d end up collared and chained to a bed.’

 

Would it really be that bad?

(Author’s note: Oi narrator! Keep your fetishes to yourself! Besides Rick is still a young and innocent kid. Now readers, you know what this story is NOT about ! Let’s do it together! *Wave of hand* This is not the story you’re looking for.)

 

Rick put back the sheet on her. He was about to leave, when he turned back and kissed her on the forehead.

‘Thanks for the earrings, captain.’

 

Kaza let another moan escape and whispered his name. She stirred a bit.

Rick sped out the door.

 

He arrived on deck. Dead drunk bodies were all over.

‘That really was one hell of a party.’ he smiled.

He remembered little of what happened. But the little he did? Priceless!

 

He yawned. Still tired he decided to go back to sleep. Not to Kaza obliviously.

 

‘I wonder if I can sneak into Tsuru’s room?’

~~~~~~

Rick, Garp and Tsuru were in Sengoku’s office that had long been rebuilt since Shiki destroyed part of it.

 

It was for marine business. Rick was wearing his marine uniform. Ryusei was on his side and on his head he was wearing Sengoku’s cap where he put Aokiji’s sleeping mask, his ears were adorned with the earrings Kaza’s gifted him.

 

Sengoku spoke up:

“I have good news and bad news. The good news is, Rick you’ve been promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer. The outstanding job you did since the past year should have earned you the rank of Seaman Apprentice. However in front of a several times more powerful enemy, you demonstrated qualities way superior to what a Seaman Apprentice should be capable of. If it were up to me I would have promoted you to ensign already, but because of my relationship with you I’m not allowed to do that.

 

Any high rank officer starting from the rank of Ensign can recommend a marine for one.

Kaza, Garp, Tsuru and I all recommended you.

You are reading story Out for Karma: One Piece at novel35.com

 

Your actions against Shiki spread in all the marines corps. Many officers recommended you too.

 

Now to get a promotion only someone at the rank of Vice- admiral or above can give one. 

 

Tsuru, Garp and I can't authorize it for obvious reasons.

The only ones left having the authority to do so are Kuzan, Borsalino and Sakazuki.”

 

Rick frowned.

“Let me guess Sakazuki opposed it?”

 

“You’re correct, I won’t even bother to tell you what he said, but it was not nice. Kuzan refused citing “conflict of interest”.

 

“Wait! You mean Borsalino authorized it?”

 

“Yes. He said, and I’m quoting here: “ The kid is strong, got guts and he’s smart. Plus I like the way he messed  with Shiki that was both sneaky and vicious. I like that.””

 

Rick was speechless.

 

“However he only authorized the promotion up to Master Chief Petty officer, claiming it was not good to skip too many ranks at once and that you’re still a bit too young to fully understand and be burdened with the responsibilities of being Ensign.”

 

“Well he’s not wrong, until now I just followed orders. I don’t think I’m ready to lead or be responsible for the lives of others. “

 

“It is nice to see that you are aware of your limitations. Anyway Congratulations!” he said with a big smile.

 

Garp “patted” him on the back and Tsuru ruffled his hair. Bth congratulated him.

 

Sengoku spoke up again.

 

“Now for the bad news: We got a lead on Shiki.”

 

Garp was surprised, for months he sailed after the Golden Lion but didn’t find anything.

 

“Well it’s good, right? Why is it bad news?” asked Rick.

 

“Shiki have been seen in the New World. Garp I want you to give him chase.”

 

Tsuru frowned.

 

“Sengoku, Rick is not strong enough to go to the New World.”

 

“I know, the bad news is that Rick won’t go with you Garp.”

 

“WHAT?”

 

“Rick will join Tsuru’s crew for a while. I was planning on doing it anyway, Shiki or not. I want him to experience different leadership.”

 

“If it’s Tsuru, it’s fine then.”

 

“I was thinking of Aokiji, to have a radical change but he’s currently on a secret mission with Sakazuki.”

 

The meeting ended and before leaving rick asked “innocently”:

 

“Wait! Does that mean I finally can share a room with big sis?”

 

At that point Rick felt closer to Garp like never before.

Because for the first time,

 He was used as a mop by Tsuru.

 

~~~~~

 

Rick had to promise another walk with Kaza to stop her from rampaging. He could see behind her a dozen marines armed with chains ready to neutralize her if she did. 

Once the Kaza-Bomb was defused they quickly hid the chains and went back to their chores as if nothing ever happened and their captain none the wiser.

 

Everything went well in the end. Garp owed favors to Rick increased by one though.

They have been sailing for about a year, doing what marines do, catching pirates and bringing order and peace. 

 

One day  a commotion on the deck caught  Rick’s attention.

They just receive the new wanted posters. One in particular was heavily discussed.

 

Nico Robin the demon child, wanted dead or alive for having sunk six marines ships.

 

Reward 79 millions Belly.

 

‘So the tragedy of Ohara finally happened’.

“How can an 8 years old child sink 6 marines ships ?”

 

Tsuru raised an eyebrow.

 

“Does it really surprise you?”

“Well, yeah.”

“And yet can’t you do it too?”

“Yes but I have been trained to.”

 

“The world is vast Rick, you’ll many impossible things actually happening or being true.”

 

“I see...”

 

Tsuru sighed.

“If I knew what that girl could do I would have arrested her.”

 

Rick remembered what she said about a girl with the same power as him when he got the Me Me no mi, but still asked.

 

“You know her?”

“Remember when you.... Scare both Garp, Kaza and I when you captured that 50 million belly Pirates more than a year ago?”

 

She caught herself before revealing the  existence of his second devil fruit.

 

“Yes, wait! It’s that girl?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“From that picture she doesn’t seem like a criminal to me. She’s more like… a very frightened child?”

 

“Evil can take many forms Rick, never forget that.”

 

Rick nodded.

‘Ohhhhh! How right you are Tsuru. How right you are’.