Once we were home, we took turns in the shower and changed our clothes to give ourselves a chance to reset and calm down. Wolf was conscious by then, and the five of us gathered at the table and went over what happened while Wolf was out.
The mood was dark. There were a number of pressing issues to discuss, but after the shock we’d just experienced, no one wanted to speak.
“I’m sorry for what I’ve put you through.” Wolf spoke first. His expression was hard; he knew that there was a lot to unpack about the situation, but he didn’t know where to start.
“Who are those guys, Junker?” I asked him. “And what’s going on between you and that Bacca guy?”
“Yes…yes, I’ll start there,” he replied.
The others didn’t crack any jokes, they just waited for him to explain. We all knew that it was not going to be a pleasant conversation.
“Bacca is my son,” Wolf said, lifting his head to look at us. “He’s always been a tempestuous lad. He was always fighting and stealing in town, always getting arrested. It was about twenty-five years ago that he finally told me he was going to be a pirate. I was against it at first, but then I actually felt a little hopeful, thinking that the bracing freedom of the seas might change him for the better. Sometimes experiencing all that the world has to offer forces you to grow up… But it didn’t take long for me to realize my mistake. I went out to sea with him as part of his crew. Bacca needed someone to keep an eye on him, and I had my own dreams of seeing rare and interesting inventions across the sea.”
He stopped there to sip his tea. I knew how painful it could be to tell others about one’s deepest, darkest past, so I didn’t rush him. We waited until Wolf was ready to tell us more.
“But Bacca didn’t calm down. If anything, the violent pirate lifestyle only made him worse. He became the kind of man who wants to hurt others and take what belongs to them, simply because he can. And after eating the Melt-Melt Fruit, his natural tendency toward cruelty became unstoppable.”
“The Melt-Melt Fruit…so he does have Devil Fruit powers,” I exclaimed.
“That’s right,” Wolf went on. “After obtaining that fruit, Bacca and his crew gained great power, and the government’s bounty on their heads jumped. They had enough power to attempt the Grand Line, and Bacca’s twisted personality only grew more evil because of it. He stopped by Swallow Island, raided the town, and stole from the townspeople. When he did that, I left the crew. Since then, I’ve kept myself busy with my inventions.”
Finally the details of the old man’s life clicked into place inside my head.
“So living on the outskirts of the island is your way of doing penance,” I surmised.
Wolf didn’t reply, but I took his silence as an admission that I was correct.
“The first time we went to Pleasure Town, you told us the town had nearly been destroyed seventeen years ago. That was when Bacca invaded, wasn’t it?”
“That’s right. But I was helpless to stop him. I certainly tried, but I lost the fight. More than a few people died. I did my damnedest to help the town rebuild, but the dead won’t ever come back. I don’t have the right to live with them or accept their gratitude.” He let out a long sigh. It was the weakest he had looked since I’d first met him.
I was furious—at Bacca, for attacking the town and laughing about it. For making the Junker feel so defeated. But mostly at myself for not having the words to console a friend who was on the verge of tears. Although perhaps that wasn’t so important at that moment. It wasn’t like condolences were going to make the situation any better.
“Junker,” I said with resolve.
“What?”
“I’m going to fight,” I said, giving him a glare.
He didn’t need cheering up. I was going to get Wolf going in my own way. Maybe things would be scary, maybe I would be uncertain, but I knew now was the time for action, not some unknown point in the future. Now was the time to make my stand.
I was going to throw myself into battle against an enemy I didn’t know I could defeat, for the sake of those who had been good to me. If I couldn’t do that now, then anything I ought to do would always be pushed off to “someday” and never happen “now.” In other words, it would never happen.
Only the determination to do what needed to be done in this very moment would move us forward. I felt certain that this would be the first step in fulfilling Cora’s wish.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking or what you plan to do,” I said to Wolf. “But I’m locked in on what I have to do: take Shachi and Penguin and Bepo and go back to town to crush Bacca and his goons.”
“Law—” the old man tried to interject, but I kept speaking.
“What about you? If you choose to stay here at home, I won’t blame you. But this is the time, Junker. It’s the only chance you’ll have to protect the people of the town this time and free yourself from the guilt that weighs on you. Am I wrong?”
Ten seconds passed, maybe twenty. Wolf hung his head in silence. Then he snapped upright and walked toward me. He took a big swing and smacked me on the head.
“Hmph! Don’t patronize me! You think I need you to tell me not to run? That was never my plan! What you saw was just a brief moment of weakness. And yes, you’re right. Only I can make good on my guilt. So this time I’m going to show I can protect the town!”
“Didn’t Bacca just knock you out cold?” Penguin pointed out with withering timing.
“Huh…” Wolf grunted.
“He’s been a pirate this whole time. He’s probably stronger than you now,” Bepo said quite earnestly.
“Hrrm…” Wolf hummed.
“Do you have a plan for how you’re actually going to beat him?” asked Shachi, delivering the finisher.
“Urgh…” Wolf gulped.
They were all so straightforward and correct in their logic that Wolf could only sputter in reply, red-faced.
“For all the lectures you’ve given us, this time you don’t seem to be thinking about the most important part, Junker,” I reminded him.