One Piece: Wanted for Having Too Much Fun

"Huff… Huff… Damn, I can't move."Zoro collapsed to the ground.

"Lost too much blood..." he muttered, his face pale with exhaustion.

The four of them had just escaped from the Buggy Pirates and were now resting near a pet shop.

"HEY! LUCEN! GET ME OUT OF THIS THING!" Luffy yelled from inside the cage.

Lucen turned to Nami with a playful smile."Eh? Nami, did you hear something?"

Luffy screamed louder.

"Woof! Woof!"A bark drew Lucen's attention. He turned to see a white dog sitting stubbornly in front of the pet shop.

Lucen crouched down and patted its head."This dog is so serious. Hahaha!"

"How can you laugh like that?! One of your friends is dying, and the other is... ugh…" Nami huffed, annoyed.

Lucen blinked. Then his eyes widened as if he just remembered."ZORO! ARE YOU OKAY?! HANG IN THERE! YOU CAN'T DIE LIKE THIS!"He frantically began pressing on Zoro's chest like it was CPR.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL HIM?!" Nami screamed in her full sharp-toothed devil mode.

"Zoro! Don't worry, I'll take care of your portion of the food!" Lucen declared with conviction.

"B…ba…stard… I… will…" Zoro tried to speak before fainting.

"LUCEN! YOU ACTUALLY STILL HAVE FOOD?!"Luffy shouted from inside the Capturing Bottle.

Nami's expression darkened by the second…BONK!

Lucen hit the ground with a huge bump on his head, stars spinning around.

"Idiot with just a pretty face…" Nami grumbled, holding the bottle.

"NAMI! FREE ME!" Luffy shouted, suddenly seeing her as his savior.

"How do I do that…?" Nami tilted her head, then shrugged and pulled the cork.

With a pop, the cage was launched out of the bottle.

"Whoa! It really works!" Nami blinked in amazement.If I had this bottle… how much treasure could I store? How much would it sell for?

"Ahhh finally out!" Luffy sighed in relief, only to realize—"AAHHHH! I'm still in the stupid cage!"

"Well, since you guys saved my life..." Nami took out a small key and tossed it toward Luffy."This makes us even."

"Shishishi~ Does that mean you're gonna be our navigator?" Luffy asked, reaching for the key.

"ARE YOU STUPID!" Nami shouted, clearly disagreeing with Luffy.

Luffy laughted at this.

As his hand reached to grab the key…

CHOMP!

The dog snatched it up—and swallowed it.

"WAAAHHH!"X2"STUPID DOG! GIVE IT BACK!"Luffy shook the dog furiously.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO CHOUCHOU?! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"An elderly man appeared, gray hair curled under a brown leather armor set.

"Ahh… this dog has a name?" Lucen asked, tilting his head.

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A Few Minutes Later…

"He's really brave," Nami said, patting Chouchou's head as he munched on some dog food.

Mayor Boodle had explained the story: Chouchou was protecting his late owner's pet shop, standing guard even after his death.

Luffy glanced up as Boodle came out of a nearby house."Hey old man—how's Zoro?"

"He needs a doctor," Boodle replied, eyes still wide in awe,"But he said he'll sleep it off. Just… sleep it off."

He then looked at Lucen, who was still sleeping."Are you sure your friend's alright?"

"He's fine," Luffy replied, casually adjusting his hat.

Grrrr-OWWW!

Nami shot up."What was that?! A war cry?!"

"It's him—Beast Tamer Mohji!" Boodle screamed and bolted.

Nami saw the giant lion and ran after him in panic.

Meanwhile, Luffy, still stuck in the cage, and Lucen, still peacefully asleep, were left behind.

"Ugh… Dog, just give me the key already. Someone's coming…" Luffy sighed.

Mohji entered, sitting proudly atop his fierce lion, Richie.

He laughed as he pointed at Lucen."HAHAHA! Looks like your friends ran off and left you two behind—perfect for Richie's snack time!"

"Whoa. You wear weird clothes," Luffy blinked.

"WHAT?! You think that cage keeps you safe? RICHIE!"Mohji growled.

Richie lifted a paw—and crushed the cage like paper.

"Whew! Finally out—" Luffy began, but—

WHAM!The lion kicked Luffy, sending him flying across the street and through a building, reducing it to rubble.

"HAHAHAHA! Now for the pretty boy!"Mohji looked at Lucen, but paused.

"...Huh?"Lucen was snoring.

"WHAT?! HE'S SLEEPING?!" Mohji screamed.

His face turned dark with rage."He dares mock me—ME?! The great Beast Tamer Mohji?!

"Richie! Crush him!"

But Richie didn't move.

"I said crush him!"

Richie ignored him—and walked toward the pet shop, drooling.

"We'll eat later!" Mohji pleaded in vain.

"Woof! Woof!"

Chouchou stood in Richie's path.

"Move it, mutt," Mohji warned.

"Woof! Woof!"

Chouchou's legs trembled, but he stood his ground.

Grrrr-OWWW!

Richie had enough. He kicked Chouchou aside.

But Chouchou got up again and returned in front of the shop.

"You want to die?!" Mohji snarled.

"WOOF! WOOF!"

Despite his wounds, Chouchou refused to move.

Lucen's eyes finally fluttered open amid the commotion.

"What the heck…"He rubbed his eyes and saw…

A dog… standing up to a lion.

"That dog… He's trying to protect the shop…"

Lucen looked on silently.

No matter how brave, a dog can't match a lion…

Chouchou struggled to rise—his body trembling.He looked up in despair as Richie raised his foot to crush the shop.

WHAM!

Richie's leg stopped—held in place by a hand.

Lucen.

Wind blew through his hair as he stood between Richie and the shop, his hand gripping the lion's leg.

His eyes… no longer playful.

Not angry.

Just... bone-chillingly calm.

Mohji and Richie both shivered.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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A/N:

Do comment, review and drop powerstone it's work as motivation to write more.

A bonous chapter at 50 Powerstone.