章 74: Who's mark is this.

Thirteen walked through the forest for what seemed like forever as he accumulated more and more birds.

By the time he walked out, the rest did too.

They turned to look at Thirteen, dragging a horde of birds with him. Robin gawked at him, holding a South Bird in her hands. Thirteen ignored her and walked back to Cricket's house with the birds as Luffy laughed and followed him.

Zoro rolled his eyes and went back as well, the rest followed him and Robin stood there looking at the bird in her hands, muttering "Jeez." The bird was also shocked and squawked in disbelief.

She sighed and followed along with a pout.

Thirteen arrived at Cricket and held out all the birds. Cricket was all beat up but his jaw dropped looking at the birds. He pointed and said "I didn't even know that there were that many birds IN that forest!"

He took out a cage and put a South Bird in it before saying "The rest you don't need."

The birds looked at Thirteen pitifully as Sanji walked over saying "We could use more food…" the birds started sweating and looked at Thirteen, pleading not to be roasted. Thirteen blinked at them and walked to the fire, Robin slapped his hand and said "Poor birds!"

He looked at her and she held the South Bird by the neck, looking at Thirteen in the eyes. He looked at the birds in his hands and they started squawking.

Unfortunately for the South Bird in Robin's hands, he was currently choking to death.

Chopper squatted and said "They're saying 'Please don't kill us, we taste bad.'" He looked unsure and muttered "Do they really taste bad?" White flipped out of Thirteen's bag with a bib, a fork, and a knife, looking hungry.

Thirteen looked at Luffy to see he disappeared, he looked around and Zoro said "He went to get Cricket's gold back." Thirteen tilted his head in confusion and Cricket explained "Some jerkoff beat me up for my gold, don't worry though, the ship is fine!" Thirteen looked at the spray paint on the wall and his hand let go of the birds as he trembled.

His body started releasing an extremely bloodthirsty aura as he turned around and walked away to the town.

Robin shivered and said "What was that?" as she looked at the birds laying on the ground, shaking in fear instead of flying away. Zoro shoko his head and replied "I don't know…" before looking over at the house.

He looked at the marking and muttered "It was that guy? But why would Thirteen freak out over a mark?"

Meanwhile~

Thirteen arrived in Mocktown to see Luffy punch a man with springs for legs into the ground with one punch. He walked over and looked at the rest of them, spotting a man with the symbol on his clothes.

Luffy was confused and Thirteen flashed in front of that guy, grabbing him by his neck and slamming him on the ground, saying chillingly "Who's the owner of that mark." as he pointed to the mark on the man's clothes.

The surrounding pirates shouted "Sarquiss!"

Sarquiss coughed and choked out "D-D-" Thirteen slammed him on the ground as his eyes glowed red, Luffy walked over as Sarquiss said "Doflamingo! The war-Warlord!" Thirteen trembled in anger and rage as he lifted Sarquiss in the air and crushed Sarquiss, blowing his head to bits and dropping his corpse to the ground.

Luffy clapped Thirteen's shoulder, saying "What's wrong." Thirteen closed his eyes and replied "That mark… That's the mark I saw on the men who sold me." When he opened his eyes again they were blue and extremely calm.

Luffy tightened his grip on Thirteen's shoulder, replying back "Doflamingo… I'll remember it." Thirteen nodded and stopped speaking as Luffy smiled, carrying a bag, adding "Let's go back." Thirteen nodded again and stepped on Sarquiss' corpse, crushing his torso to bits as he walked away with Luffy.

The duo returned to Cricket and the crew.

Luffy handed Cricket his bag full of gold with a smile while Robin walked up to Thirteen and pulled something out of his hair, smiling "You have a piece of skull in your hair." Thirteen nodded and turned to look at the rest, who shook their heads.

His face was covered in blood and brains as well as his hands.

Robin clicked her tongue and pulled a tooth out of his ear, saying "How did that get in there?" Usopp almost laughed and closed his mouth, looking around cautiously.

Cricket's mouth twitched and he said "So I guess you got him…" Luffy nodded and pointed his thumb at Thirteen, saying with a smile "He killed a slave trader, I just beat up the guy that beat you up." Cricket smiled in relief, replying "That's good."

He stood up and clapped his hands, grinning "Let's eat." the crew smiled and sat down around a campfire as Sanji cooked and Cricket told them stories about his ancestor, Nolan.

He talked about how Jaya was the place his ancestor found and where the city of gold was located which was why they were here in the first place.

Thirteen tilted his head and tapped Robin's shoulder, writing on her hand with his finger. She gasped and looked at him, her eyes swiveling in doubt. He nodded as Nami watched, biting on a bird leg angrily.

Sanji served her a plate and grinned "Don't be jealous. I'm still here for you, Nami-swan~!" Nami smacked him with the leg and said "I'm not jealous!" Sanji spun around with hearts in his eyes.

Robin looked at Cricket and cleared her throat, saying "Ahem* Chestnut-san." Cricket looked over and smiled "Yeah?" Robin smiled and said "Do you think, perhaps, it could be that this 'City of Gold' was knocked up into the sky by the knock-up stream?"

Cricket's jaw dropped and he dropped the chicken leg in his hand, standing up abruptly with wide eyes. Robin and Thirteen blinked as Cricket started crying.

Robin looked at Thirteen and chided "Look what you did!" Thirteen blinked at her as she shook her head in disapproval.

Cricket started laughing and shouting "No wonder! NO WONDER! AHAHAHAHAHA!" as he cried profusely, falling to his knees, adding "All these years… All this torment and mockery… I knew he wasn't a liar!"

Usopp whispered "Is he happy or sad…" before getting smacked by multiple people.

Cricket wiped his eyes and grabbed Robin's hands, smiling "Thank you, Missy. Truly." Robin was startled and took her hand back, saying "It wasn-" Cricket ignored her and turned around, grinning madly as he said "Alright! I'm pumped now! Masira! Shoujou! Let's get to work on that ship! We have 8 hours till the perfect time for the Knock-up stream!"

He stopped and looked at Luffy, saying sincerely "Kid." Luffy looked up with stuffed cheeks and Cricket looked at the sky, asking "Can you do me a favor? Find out if the City of Gold is up there for real."

Luffy grinned and said "I will. I promise." Cricket smiled and walked over to the Merry, whistling as he shouted "LET'S GO BOYS!" Masira and Shoujou ran over and shouted "YES BOSS!"

Luffy smiled as he watched and Usopp ran over, shouting "Let me help!" Zoro kicked Sanji and said "You too, noodle arms." Sanij jumped back and hissed "You have noodle arms!" Zoro flexed and sneered while Sanji sneered back, adding "Plus your brain is smoother than a baby's ass."

Zoro's eyes twitched and he lunged at Sanji, starting another dust brawl. Luffy laughed and jumped in, dragging Chopper as he went. Thirteen tilted his head out of the way of the hand that shot out at him, continuing to devour his chicken leg, bones and all.

Robin watched with a smile on her face as her chin was supported by her palm.

Nami sat in between Robin and Thirteen, biting on her chicken leg and glaring at Robin as she did so. All the while, White was sitting on Thirteen's head, munching on a chicken wing watching the crew fight.

Everyone was having fun unaware that their bounties were currently putting bounty hunters in motion, sailing to Paradise from the New World.