Take the World by Storm - geokat (2024)

Chapter 1: Back to the start

Chapter Text

Two Years Before the Beginning

…

Zoro wandered through the city thinking. Waking up on a strange island wasn’t new. Not being able to find his nakama and hearing that he was several days from a port city… that was unusual. Finding his scars gone and eye returned, that was very new. It didn’t take long to figure out what happened. Time had moved.

He should have suspected this kind of thing was possible when he heard about samurai traveling forward in time. He knew that streets sometimes moved around and that sometimes north and south would switch places. It never occurred to him that time could move around like that. It was tricky.

It took him a while to find a newspaper with the date. Zoro swallowed hard. At this time he still had years to go before he’d meet his Captain. That was unacceptable. He would have to go and collect his crew sooner than that. He needed to keep them safe. Something about that was nagging him. Who was unsafe? Luffy would be on his island. The cook safe in his floating restaurant. Chopper was learning to be a doctor. Brook was … shadowless and alone but not in any physical danger. Franky had his own street gang at his back. Jimbe was still a warlord and Robin was probably working for Crocodile. Nami... Alarm bells began ringing. Nami was working for Arlong. Nami was threatened and hurt by Arlong.

Zoro felt his rage build as he fingered the swords at his side. These blades were not his usual weapons, but they would do. He would get to Nami and gut that fishman. Zoro suspected his captain would have the same idea. Assuming his captain was his captain. No one hurts their nakama.

With his goal in mind he began to plan. He had a few stops to make but with any luck he could have Nami safe within a month. He just had to figure out where that damn dock disappeared to.

XXX

Luffy woke inside a strangely familiar hut. It wasn’t the Sunny though he was certain he’d gone to sleep in his hammock bed. He blinked at the ceiling as he let his haki Observe the area for threats, reaching out and checking the intent of the lifeforms nearby. There was a group of people and plenty of wild predators but no one of any real power near. He sat up looking around in curiosity. It didn’t take long to identify his childhood “country”. Luffy peeked out and spotted the bandit hut.

“Ahh. A dream.”

With that he climbed to his feet to go hunting. He always found the best foods hunting in dreams. Looking at his smaller hands he decided to hunt the old way and grabbed the pipe by the doorway. It wasn’t the first time he’d dreamed of his childhood home. Usually in these dreams Ace and Sabo were here though. A quick search revealed no brothers. Disappointed he wandered towards the river. He hadn’t eaten crocodile in a while, and he was hungry.

XXX

Sanji woke at the usual hour and rolled out of his hammock to make breakfast. He almost immediately tripped over a pair of boots. The fall was shorter and more painful than he expected. In the dark he couldn’t see his own hands, but they didn’t feel right. Trying to shake off the odd sensation of not fitting in his own skin, Sanji stood up and almost fell over again. He wasn’t on the Sunny. This looked like- it couldn’t be the Baratie. The chorus of snoring chefs told him otherwise. It was familiar and nostalgic. He hadn’t missed the noise, but he could never mistake it. He tugged at his hair as he tried to wrap his mind around the situation. He shuffled to the bathroom.

His appearance in the mirror was both shocking and unsurprising at once. He was his younger self. He hadn’t realized how much muscle he’d gained in his upper body over the last years- years? – with the Straw-hats. Sanji was well aware of how far he’d come in the strength and speed of his kicks. How much he’d lost in this strange regression. He thought about handstand kicks and platters of meat he now juggled with ease and could see how he must have built himself up without noticing. It was a strange realization to have. Sanji stood there, taking it in, until a banging on the door reminded him the other chefs would be preparing for breakfast as well.

“I’ll be out in a damn minute!”

Uncertain if this was some kind of time travel or just a mind trick, he decided to just pretend it was a normal day. He spent the morning in a haze. He moved through the kitchen absently. He was well used to the movements and motions of the restaurant. Even years at sea couldn’t make him forget a decade of experience. Sanji shuffled around the kitchen trying to muster his usual enthusiasm. He took plates to tables as directed and managed polite smiles. He ducked a kick absently and moved to wash the dishes he’d bussed.

~

Zeff was worried. Sanji wasn’t acting like himself. The brat was unfocused and distracted. He’d been ignoring or just not noticing the insults tossed his way instead of returning the verbal assault. Zeff watched as Sanji casually spiced the butternut soup with a combination he could have sworn the brat hadn’t figured out yet much less perfected. Even more concerning was the way his boy would just stop and tug at his hair. It was a habit Zeff hadn’t seen since Sanji was a boy. Many of the cooks that had been with them from the beginning had already approached to express concern. Zeff didn’t know what to tell them. As far as he knew nothing was different. There had been no incident or trigger. He hadn't even heard of a nightmare from any of the men in the brat's bunk.

It was a slow day in the restaurant. Zeff watched as Sanji approached a table of only female pirates. The brat greeted and took orders and didn’t once flail or flirt or proposition a single one of them. Zeff watched with growing concern as Sanji returned with drinks and moved on to the next table without any lingering or hesitation. He looked over at the half dozen cooks watching from various outlooks. This was very wrong.

~

Sanji made it two days. Two days of evading questions and trying to remember how he could have ended up back in time. Two days of pretending not to notice Zeff’s worried looks or pointed comments. Two days of taking on random tasks and finding things to clean or organize so he was never ‘free to talk’ when the other cooks hovered. It was two days before Zeff put a hand on his shoulder and gave him the look. Sanji crumpled like an overbaked soufflé. He let Zeff guide him out of the kitchen and up to the head chef’s room.

“Sanji… are you okay Eggplant?”

“Zeff” his voice was off, like he was about to cry or something stupid. Sanji cleared his throat and made the mistake of looking up at his father figure. Instead of talking he collapsed forward and let the old man wrap him in a hug. “Damn sh*tty old geezer. What are you even worrying about me for?”

“You’re making the food sour with all your moping around.” Zeff lied running his fingers through blond hair. “You burned the soup too.”

“I never!!” Sanji snarled. If he tightened his grip on the old man it was because he was planning to strangle him slowly, that’s all.

“Ha! You think I have no taste at all? Are you calling me a liar? Impudent brat.” Zeff pulled him a few more steps so the old man could drop into a chair.

Sanji moved with him, sinking to the ground with his head in the geezer’s lap. He let himself flop there taking in the smell of spices and fish and sweat, so familiar. He’d missed the old man. Sanji never had a reason to regret his decision but he missed the restaurant some days. He took a deep breath.

“So, I think I time traveled.”

“What?” Zeff sounded flat in a way that told Sanji he was repressing whatever emotion he was feeling.

Sanji tensed and started to pull away but Zeff laid one big hand on his back. Sanji let himself sigh and settle against the man’s good knee.

“I don’t remember how or why, but a three days ago I was traveling on a pirate ship in the New World and two days ago I woke up to find myself here, five years earlier.”

“The New World?” Zeff sounded neutral but when he looked up the old man had his eyebrows raised and his mouth open. “On a pirate ship.”

Sanji grinned brightly.

“Oh Zeff! I found the most amazing nakama! Captain Luffy is going to be King of the Pirates someday. I- uh” he looked harder at the older chef. “You believe me?”

“Tell me more about your nakama, Eggplant, but start at the beginning.”

“The beginning. Three years ago, or two years from now, this kid accidently bounces a cannonball through the Restaurant and while he’s working off the repairs decides he wants me to be his cook. He would not give up.” Sanji laughed.

Kneeling at Zeff’s feet he tried to explain the whole mess with Luffy, the Don Krieg pirates, Hawk Eyes and Zoro, and deciding to go find the All Blue. He described the beautiful navigator Nami who was mapping the world and could read the weather the way Zeff could read a kitchen. He sighed over the mysterious Robin who was an archeologist with a dark sense of humor and a brilliant mind. He gestured wildly as he spoke of their fantastic doctor Chopper who was also a reindeer and who had unlocked his Zoan devil fruit power to have nine forms instead of the usual three.

“And he’s not even the oddest one in the bunch. Luffy has an eye for finding the best at everything but almost all of us are freaks or monsters. We have an actual living skeleton for our musician. Brook’s devil fruit let him come back to life but” he grinned launching into the tale of lost souls and missing shadows.

He leaned forward in excitement as he shared tales of living with an actual cyborg as a shipwright and waved dismissively about the moss head swordsman who would probably be the world’s best someday but would always be a lazy idiot with no sense of direction. He explained about their sniper Usopp who was a liar and a coward but lied most often to himself because everyone could see how brave he was to face his fears over and over for his nakama. He explained how they recently recruited a helmsman who used to be one of the Warlords and working for an Emperor but Luffy convinced him to join the crew. How Jimbe was an honorable man and powerful but also had a wicked sense of humor that he enjoyed surprising people with.

“It… it wasn’t all good things of course.” He picked at Zeff’s pant leg. “Our enemies got more powerful and we got our asses kicked. Often. But we got up and kept going. Over and over. We came out on top over impossible odds we felt invincible. Until we weren’t. Until we were forced apart and, well so much happened, I couldn’t even begin to explain that whole damn mess. People died. We were really lucky it was none of our crew. Friends though, we lost those. Luffy’s brother. We lost allies.” Pekoms and Pedro both dying to rescue him. “I have scars- had scars- from so many fights and close calls. No regrets. My crew- I would die for them no question. Our captain hates when we say things like that though. He’d insist that we live for them instead. Ch.” He grinned through watery eyes – someone must be massacring onions downstairs- and looked up at the old man. “He would not hesitate to ask us to put our lives on the line, but he would never let anyone give their life cheaply.”

“Tell me about your captain.”

“Luffy? He’s an idiot. And the absolute best. He can see right to the heart of things. He is selfish and spoiled and will ask for everything you have to give. And in return he will give you the world. He makes miracles happen and then acts like it was nothing. He would burn the world down, challenge the World Government or punch a Celestial Dragon for a friend. Luffy once infiltrated Impel Down and walked back out with over 200 escapees at his back. He just does the impossible. He says he will be King of the Pirates because that man will be the freest man alive and I believe him. He’ll truly do it one day. Our crew shouldn’t fit together. We’re a bunch of misfits with different dreams and dark histories. We should have nothing tying us together. But we are nakama. We would drop anything to help each other and we have gone to ridiculous extremes doing so. Somehow we became a family and Luffy was never surprised about any of that.”

There was so much to tell. He wanted to share stories of cloud islands and mermaids, of Enes Lobby and Okama Hell, of walking on the sky and kicks so powerful he was literally on fire. Instead he blinked in the darkness of the room as both their stomachs growled.

“Sorry. I”

“Sanji.” Zeff combed back his hair to look him in the eyes.

“You believe me, right?” his voice cracked embarrassingly.

“Of course I do. There is no way you dreamed that all up. Did you forget I traveled the Grand Line? A bit of time travel- well it was bound to happen to somebody.” The old man clicked his tongue. “We should eat. Then you can tell me more stories. No sense in going hungry.”

“Yes Owner Zeff.” He smiled and stood, shaking the stiffness from his limbs. “Maybe we shouldn’t tell everybody about this though. I am still not sure I should have said anything at all.”

“Pah. You should have come to me first thing brat. Saved everyone a lot of moping and worrying.” He stomped to the door, peg leg tapping heavily. “We can keep this private though, just us.”

“Thanks.”

Sanji could feel a tension drop when Zeff entered the dining room with him and snapped that everything was fine. Cooks offered relieved smiles and questioning looks. He hadn’t noticed how everyone was tiptoeing around him. He gave apologetic glances and let Zeff take the lead as he gathered plates and moved to the staff dining hall.

XXXxxx

Usopp wasn’t sure how he traveled through time to be back at Syrup, but he hated it. It wasn’t the village itself. Honestly, it was wonderful to see some of those familiar places and people. It was just that he’d made it so far following his dream. He was a New World pirate, not quite a Brave Warrior of the Sea, but getting there. He was God Usopp with a terrifyingly high bounty. He was Sogeking the sniper. He was a Straw-hat.

He spent two painstaking years on an island that wanted to eat him and come out confident and competent. He worked hard to get physically fit so he could keep up with his monster crewmates. He’d collected seeds, dials, and inventions. Now he was back to square one.

His own body felt foreign to him. He’d nearly fallen thrice this morning overreaching for things just a bit too high or too far from him. Usopp could not believe how weak he was. His routine of pushups and sit-ups was cut pathetically short and he couldn’t even manage a plank. He was hopeful his running would be better. From the start he’d been a quick runner. He was one of the most agile of his crew, good at climbing trees and jumping rocks.

Usopp sighed. He knew he’d have to leave the house soon. He just didn’t know how to behave. Did he keep pretending to be kid!Usopp? Run through the village screaming about pirates again while waiting for someone on the crew to come for him? Did he dare train publicly or try to hide it? His small crew were expecting their Captain. Kaya was expecting her storyteller. Usopp didn’t know how much to give away. They were his friends - but not his nakama.

At the very least he had to figure out this weird, young body. His coordination was all off. It was unacceptable for a sniper. He couldn’t work like this. He couldn’t protect anyone.

Chapter 2: Making Connections

Chapter Text

Making Connections

.

Patty answered the transponder snail with a cheerful “You’ve reached the damn Restaurant would you like to make a reservation?”

“Ah... not today. I’m looking for Sanji?” a woman replied in a sugary tone. “Can you fetch him for me?”

The transponder snail was not exactly private. Heads swiveled at Sanji’s name and Patty shared baffled looks with Carne and Mince. A girl calling for Sanji?

“Sanji?” he managed to reply.

“He’s a cook.” She snapped impatiently. “Sanji. Blond, likes to smoke, snappy dresser, lovesick idiot, kicks like a bull.”

“Uh. Yeah, he’s here.” Stunned he stuck his head in the kitchen door. “Sanji you sh*t, you have a girl calling!”

Sound in the kitchen stopped. Eyes turned to Sanji who looked just as stunned, nearly losing his cigarette before he darted forward.

“A girl? Who? What? Hello?”

“Sanji?”

Half the kitchen was hanging out the doors and serving window and the customers were ignored.

“Namiii-swannn!” Sanji twirled in a circle, obviously recognizing the voice.

“Get ahold of yourself!” the mysterious Nami snapped.

“Just a minute, my fair flower.” He picked up the snail. “Back to work you lazy bastards!”

Patty protested as Sanji scampered upstairs to the private quarters taking the transponder with him.

“Did Sanji just get a call from a girl? That really happened right?”

“Who’s Nami?” Carne added.

“Was she a customer?”

“She definitely knows who he is.”

“What’s all this?” Zeff stormed over. “Who’s watching the grill? If you burn that asparagus I will burn you!”

A few of the cooks scrambled back to work but most lingered shamelessly.

“Owner Zeff! Sanji got a call from a girl!” Patty explained.

“A girl? Our Sanji?” Zeff gaped as a dozen cooks nodded and tried to speak. “Where is he?”

Fingers pointed.

“Then get back to work you lazy bastards.” He aimed a sweeping kick at the gathering of cooks.

Patty ducked the blow and grinned at those stupid enough to go flying. Then he watched as Zeff stormed upstairs after Sanji, his steps getting softer and sneaky. Owner Zeff would share the gossip. The old man was reliable for that kind of thing. He went back to work.

~

Nami was relieved to find the Baratie was a listed transponder number. The snail change operator was able to make the transponder connection without questions and only a 3 berry charge. It was worth it to hear the instant recognition from Sanji.

“Okay, I have some privacy.”

“Thank goodness Sanji! I was so scared I was the only one!” Nami fought tears clutching the receiver. “When I woke up in that place…”

“Oh Nami! Do you need me to come rescue you?! I would have come in an instant but- “

“No, no, Sanji. You did exactly right. The Restaurant is the easiest place to get in touch with. You should stay there. Have you heard from any of the others?”

“No, not yet. It’s been less than a week. Those idiots wouldn’t think to call. At least not right away.” He leaned against the bedroom wall and pulled out a cigarette. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m doing … okay. I just got away to do some thieving and stopped in a port town to try and call. I couldn’t find Usopp’s number, but I got you. I am so relieved. This means the others are probably back too, right? I don’t remember how we got here. We were at sea last I remember.”

“Yeah. That’s my last recollection. After Wano, all of us together…”

“Yeah.”

“So, what’s the plan? I don’t like leaving you with that bastard.”

“I don’t like it either. Still, I know I can hold on. I’d rather wait for Luffy before making any big moves. I’m really out of shape and without my climatact I feel naked.”

Sanji swooned for a moment at the thought of Nami naked. He’d been so focused on connecting with his nakama that he’d forgotten he was speaking to such a lovely-

“Sanji you pervert!!” she shouted at him, the snail growing teeth. “Stop drooling and focus! I’m going to bill you for this call.”

“Sorry Nami-swannn! Forgive me. I’m focused.” He pulled his attention back to the plan. “So you want to wait it out?”

“Just for, I don’t know, a season? Three months and if we haven’t heard anything, we make our own move?”

Three months sounded like forever. Nami was the one who would hurt the most though, so he bit his tongue.

“I’m doing what I can here. Morning runs and evening swims to get back in form. When can I expect to hear from you?” how long will you be trapped and alone?

“I usually get to do some treasure hunting once a month. I get to visit my sister more often, but I don’t dare make a call from that island. I wouldn’t risk it being intercepted or overheard.”

“I understand. You stay safe there. Keep your head down and wait for backup. We’ll come for you. Three months on the outside, and you know our crew, Luffy’s probably already on his way.”

“Yeah and lost.” She laughed.

“So, lost.” He agreed. “He’s probably in some dinky sailboat going in circles and starting fights. He’ll turn up riding a bird or something and claim he was trying to recreate how he met Zoro.”

Nami groaned. “That was after he met Zoro. The two of them were just as hopeless together as separate.”

“Three months is starting to sound like a reasonable timeline.”

“We may be overestimating them.”

“Never.”

“Never.” She agreed with a happy sigh.

“I’ll start planning the reunion feast part one. Any requests?”

“Roast duck?”

“With the orange sauce?”

“Yes please!”

“Anything for you!” he enthused.

“I should go soon. They’re charging by the minute to use this snail and I…”

“And you should be careful with your money.” Sanji sighed. “Farewell then sweet Nami-san. I will see you soon.”

“Soon Sanji.”

Gacha. The snail drooped into sleepy hibernation. Sanji leaned against the wall and sucked in a lungful for smoke. Soon. We can set sail and collect the others and get back on track. We will take the world by storm. We could never do anything less.

He let himself think about what it meant that Nami was back. Allowed himself to feel the hope for seeing the others. Sanji had managed to avoid the thoughts of what he’d do if he were the only one who remembered. With Nami’s call he let himself hope.

XXXxxx

“Go, go, go!” Usopp called to his small crew. “I’ll cover you! To the fort!”

They darted through the woods jumping over trees and rocks. Usopp pushed himself to keep moving even as he fired at target after target. He’d set up over a hundred on this path last night planning this little “adventure” for his three followers. He needed to be fast and accurate. Two weeks ago, running and firing at still targets would have been a cakewalk. He was hoping to hit 60% today with maybe 50% bullseye accuracy.

“Monster!” Carrot cried, spotting one of his cutouts. Usopp peppered it with paint shots.

“Keep moving we’re almost there!” he called as Onion slowed, breathing hard.

Instead of picking up the pace the boy stopped, hands on his knees. Usopp resisted the urge to curse. He dropped to one knee as he reached Onion.

“Climb on! Let’s go!” He fired another round at a target and took off running after the other two boys. He was nearly caught up to them despite their head start.

Running with a clinging child was surprisingly difficult. Trying to use a slingshot made it even harder. Having that child shouting in his ear the whole time… Okay so it was actually pretty fun. Usopp enjoyed inventing these games. It was like playing with Chopper and Luffy except that he was the captain. He ran and jumped and fired off paint balls. Finally, he climbed into their tree fort.

“Time!” he called.

“Fourteen minutes and eleven seconds!” Carrot called checking the watch.

The boys cheered. They needed to beat fifteen minutes to escape the magic cage – which in no way resembled a certain birdcage deathtrap – and take shelter.

“Sorry Captain Usopp! Thanks for helping me! I’ll do better next time!” Onion promised.

“It’s no problem. It is a captain’s duty to make sure all his crew stay safe! The Great Captain Usopp could do no less!” he struck a pose as the kids cheered. “Now we celebrate our victory with a party! Like true pirates! Rigsby-sama paid me for my last job. Who wants ice cream? Do you think we should bring some for Kaya?”

Usopp let the boys scream and dance for a bit before giving them water and leading them back towards the town. Taking the shortcut, it was a half hour walk. The boys did very well running three miles and the sweet reward would make them more willing to do similar “games” with him in the future. The Usopp Pirates weren’t up for his full workout routine, but he couldn’t bring himself to abandon them completely. Their little crew had only been active for a few months and the boys were so much smaller than he remembered. He wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be in Syrup, but he would make sure these boys had fun memories and good self-defense tricks before he moved on.

XXXxxx

Luffy was starting to think this might not be a dream. Having Dadan force him into a bath was a big clue. He never needed a bath in a dream before. It wasn’t fun. So… if he wasn’t dreaming… and he was back in Gao as a kid… it was a mystery. Luffy shook the water from his hair and sighed. He wasn’t going to figure anything out here. The best thing to do would be to find his crew. If he was somehow a kid again then they probably were too.

Luffy did some hard thinking. He’d made promises. He promised Ace that he would wait until he was 17 to set sail. Really, he had done that already so that promise shouldn’t count. He was older than 17 right now. He nodded to himself. He made promises to his crew. Nami wasn’t supposed to be hurt by that fishman ever again. Brook wasn’t supposed to be alone. Robin was supposed to live without hiding or tricking. He didn’t like all these broken promises. He didn’t like being separated from his crew. It was too much like Sabaody. His chest felt tight and his throat was really dry. Heaving breaths, he ran his knuckles over the sharp rock he was sitting on until the sting of it was enough to focus. Sweaty now, Luffy began pacing while he thought. He would go and get them all.

“It’s decided.” He slapped a fist into the other palm.

“What’s decided?”

Luffy spun quickly, alarmed. “Gramps!”

He took off running into the forest. No way was he getting punched today. Gramps hollered after him and slammed though the forest on his heels.

XXXxxx

Zoro growled a curse as he fought to get his breathing under control. There was no reason to be winded after taking down this pack of weak losers. Sure, he could have used less speed. There was no need to take out twelve men in under three minutes, but how was he going to get stronger if he didn’t challenge himself. Unsatisfied with his performance, he grumbled softly and began checking the unconscious men.

Only the captain of this bunch had a bounty. He’d leave the rest to the villagers to deal with. On second thought maybe this was one of those towns where the mayor would pay the bounty and get reimbursed by the marines. If he could get paid now…

“Oy!” he called to one of the cowards hiding in the doorways nearby. “Who pays the bounties around here?” he considered asking for rope too but one of the pirates was conveniently carrying cord.

He tied them tightly, absently looting the bodies and stripping them of their weapons. It was only when he had a small pile of swords, guns, and daggers beside a bundle of unconscious pirates that he realized no one had answered.

“Eh? Did you not hear me?” he frowned at them.

The villagers jumped. Ugh. This is why Nami deals with the money. He didn’t even kill anyone. There was only a little blood and that guy probably wouldn’t lose the leg if a doctor showed up. These guys should focus.

“Look. I just want to collect my bounty, drink some sake, and move on. I have places to be you know.”

“Okay! No problem, sir. I’ll go get someone!” a man behind a fish cart took off running down the street.

“H-here.” A man approached from a restaurant. “On the house.” He handed over a bottle of sake, the good stuff too.

“Thanks!” good mood returned, Zoro offered a smile to the old man. “I’m Zoro, what’s your name old man?”

“It’s no trouble, you saved my daughter and our business from those pirates! I am Hue. Did you say Zoro?” he eyed the swords. “Are you Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro?”

“I’ve been called that.” He confirmed.

For some reason that invited the villagers to stop being cowards and talk. Zoro nodded and made noises as they all flocked around and began thanking him. He sipped his sake and tried not to growl that he was a pirate not a hero. He wasn’t a pirate right now. He had to collect his bounty and get someone to take him to Nami. He sipped the sake and waited. He would have to train harder. He was still too slow.

XXXxxx

Jinbei took in the sights of Water 7. It really was a beautiful place. The island had come far from its days as a rowdy slum. The Puffing Tom train had revitalized the economy and the people here had taken every advantage to build more for themselves. The architecture was beautiful and he had to resist the urge to swim the canals. This was exactly the kind of place he wanted for his people; the kind of place Queen Otohime dreamed of for them. When the fishmen are granted their petition to live under the sun, Jinbei would like to point to Water 7 as a design template. Their use of waterways was remarkably similar to the familiar water roads on Fishman Island. It made him miss his homeland.

Strolling through town he considered how to approach Franky. He didn’t know a lot about the current situation on Water 7, but he’d heard stories. He knew that the buster call on Enes Lobby had started with an encounter on this island between CP9 and Nico Robin. From the reports he’d seen CP9 was already present undercover when the Strawhats arrived. The reports had of course been censored so the Warlord didn’t know how long they were there undercover or what for. He did know that for some reason the cyborg Franky was involved in CP9’s mission. The last thing he – or any of them – needs right now is the attention of a Cypher Pol unit. He needed to make contact discreetly and catch up.

Five years was a long time to be dragged backwards. As a Warlord he tended to do a lot of political jockeying. He needed to stay on top of the major players in the World Government, to know the movements of the marines, and to know the prominent pirate groups and where they are. None of the rookies from five years ago stood out as anything special. After Firefist dueled him for five days, he remembered having a handful of punk challengers who assumed he was growing weak. That duel should have been about five months back. Some of those challengers might still be on their way to seek him out. He couldn’t remember enough detail and he was scrambling for information while trying to keep his ignorance hidden. He needed a chance to see Whitebeard and to check in with the King before he made any big moves. No doubt Captain Luffy would be reclaiming his crew. He didn’t want to ask his captain to wait again. He might. He didn’t want to do that though.

He heaved a sigh and followed the scent of food. Perhaps a cup of tea would help sooth his anxiety. There was no sense rushing forward like a fool. Patience. Always patience.

Serene, he sipped his rooibos and hummed. The gentle sound of moving water and sea birds offset by the bustle of a busy trade port. Jinbei waited and listened. He watched the flow of people moving in and around the city. He noted the tendency towards masks and wondered if it was an indicator of some holiday festival or a fashion accessory. It didn’t seem to be a status symbol. Old, young, rich, poor, he could see all types beneath the masks however they tried to hide. It was common or expected enough that the locals didn’t look twice at a mask. Jinbei suspected CP9 enjoyed this strange custom, perhaps encouraged it. He could see the advantages for a spy. As someone avoiding those spies it was twice the frustration. Jinbei sipped his tea and focused.

Like ripples in the water he let his haki flow, pinging back to him when it touched a ‘big fish’. He took his time, sipping his tea. He focused on the ebb and flow of the island around him. There were 25 potential threats in terms of pure fighting spirit. Three of them were certainly part of CP9 given the tightly coiled danger he found to be distinctive of Rokushiki techniques. Finishing the pot of tea, he allowed himself to relax. He didn’t know that any of the 25 corresponded to Franky.

For all that the young man was bold and a force to be reckoned with, he wasn’t sure how much of that was natural talent versus robotic enhancement. The flamboyant cyborg had brains, talent, and plenty of fight. Jinbei was embarrassed to realize he knew so little about the shipwright’s core that he didn’t know where the man stood in terms of strength of spirit. He could guess. Captain Luffy pieced together an amazing crew of talented individuals. If he had to guess Franky would probably be radiating power the same as most of his crew. The question then became if it was potential power or active. Jinbei pushed the puzzle aside. He wasn’t getting answers today.

Shouts and curses startled him from his musings as he paid the waiter. Two ladies with square hair framed an awfully familiar blue haired man. They were playing music and dancing, completely ignoring the negative reaction of the crowd. Jinbei watched as they moved down the street towards him. They bumped and grabbed at random passersby, generally harassing people and possibly lifting wallets. Franky didn’t make eye contact, but the firm press of paper to his palm was one of the smoothest handoffs he’d ever experienced.

Jinbei waited carefully before allowing himself to pocket the note. He forced himself to finish his walk and even purchased a book before going back to his ship. The privacy of the captain’s quarters was exactly what he needed.

The note wasn’t as short as he’d expected. Franky had taken the time to name all the CP9 agents and their target – the mayor- who was apparently Franky’s foster brother. Jinbei took a moment to be grateful his ship was being repaired at Dock 2 not 1. He read the instructions for rendezvous and the contact information if he couldn’t make the meeting. Jinbei committed it to memory and then burned the note.

~

Franky grinned as Jinbei entered the hidden space. In another life he held Usopp hostage here with the Merry. He’d bonded with the sniper and his capture afterwards led him to the Strawhats. It seemed an appropriate meeting place.

“Jinbei-bro! Lookin’ gooood!”

“Franky-kun. You look … younger.”

Franky grinned knowingly “Fewer upgrades since our last, for sure.”

Jinbei laughed and in a surprising move, pulled him into a hug. Franky hadn’t expected the fishman to be the hugging type. Franky was definitely not crying as he returned the hug fiercely. When he finally got all the dust from his eyes, he leaned back to look at the helmsman.

“Everything okay bro?”

“Of course. I’m only glad to know…”

“That you’re not the only one to remember? Yeah. So there myself.”

“You’re the only one I could reach.” Jinbei explained. “Even this was a risk. Robin is in Crocodile’s territory. Brook is in Moria’s. Everyone else is too far into Paradise or the East Blue. I usually stay between Fishman Island and Whitebeard’s territory in the New World. I had to force some damage to my ship and make accusations of sabotage. The Galley-La Company is famous enough even in the New World to justify the trip.”

“Oy! You damaged your ship!”

“A cracked rudder is all. I have the workers here giving her a full detailing to apologize. She’s getting some new finishing’s and a new paint job. The old girl will be the prettiest thing on the water when we set out.” Jinbei assured him.

“Well I’m glad to have you here bro. Hopefully we’ll hear from the others soon. Have you seen Zoro-bro in the papers? I wasn’t sure if I was imagining his name getting bigger.”

“I had the same thought myself. Pirate Hunter Zoro was famous before Luffy, but I didn’t recall him going on a spree like this. Ten bounties in two weeks?”

“It must be him. And if you’re back and he’s back, I have to believe that everyone is.”

“Good. Then I have some work to do preparing to quit as a Warlord. I’ll need to make arrangements with my crew and King.”

“A mighty task.” Franky struck a pose in respect. “I’m working on plans for our new ship. Tell me Jinbei, how do you feel about hammock bunks and what is your favorite color?”

He passed the helmsman a cup of tea and grabbed a cola. They could talk about easier things. It looked like the crew might be able to come back together after all.

Chapter 3: Coming Together Slowly

Chapter Text

Chapter 3 Coming together slowly

Luffy leaned into Garp, tucked securely under one arm. They were sitting on the cliffside overlooking the ocean. He was out of breath from running and wrestling all day but took some pride in the fact that his Gramps was just as dirty and sweaty as himself. Luffy knew he must be stronger and faster than he had been, or at least haki made a huge difference.

“I’m setting sail.”

“Like hell.” Garp responded quickly.

“No, I am. When you go, I am setting out. I’ll be King of the Pirates. Just watch me. It’s time to get my crew.”

“No. You’re going to be a marine damn it!” Gramps rubbed haki covered knuckles over his scalp. “What happened to waiting until you are 17? You can’t just take off like that.”

“I’m a pirate. I do what I want!” he argued back, squirming. “I’m never gonna be a marine, sh*tty gramps! No way.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m going to be free!”

“Bah! Where did I go wrong with you boys? You’d make great marines!” he lamented throwing his arms up dramatically.

“You never lied to us.” Luffy answered bluntly as he smoothed his hair back down.

“What?” Gramps looked honestly stunned and Luffy didn’t understand why.

“You never lied to us.” He repeated slowly as he pointed out the obvious. “We said it, over and over. We want to be pirates to be free on the sea. And you never once lied and said marines are free too. You never tried to tell us that we could be freer working for the government than sailing as pirates. You never lied about that.”

Garp stared at him mouth open.

“I couldn’t ever do it. Work for the World Government. Be a marine. Sabo sailed away at ten to escape being a noble. After the fire, after everything that happened Sabo-” Luffy stopped because he couldn’t lie about his brother being dead when he knew different and he couldn’t say how Sabo joined the revolutionaries to save people. “Those Celestial Dragons-” he stopped again because he shouldn’t know anything about slaves much less have a friend who was nearly sold. “My brother-“ he made a noise of frustration, eyes tearing because that hadn’t happened and Ace was alive.

“Oh Luffy.” Jiji pulled him into a hug, obviously getting the wrong message.

“Just- I know you like being a marine. I’m glad there are marines like you with a good sense of Justice not just the kill-them-all sense of justice.” His fists clenched and he pulled away from the hug to look his gramps in the eyes. “It is not my dream. I’m going to be King of the Pirates and be the freest person in the whole world. No one can stop me. Not you and not the government. That’s a promise.”

Luffy remembered Marineford and this man declaring himself an enemy. Remembered him demanding he be strong enough to avoid capture at Water 7. Luffy would be strong. He would get even stronger and he would never let himself be in a position where Jiji had to watch him fall. Not like before, with Ace.

“Can’t you wait at least? Give this old man two more years? You told me you were going to stay here and get stronger when Ace left.”

“No way geezer! I’m leaving. It’s decided.”

“Decided by who? I say no!”

“I’m the captain. I decide.”

“Ha! Captain of what? You don’t have a ship!”

“I’ll get one!” he clenched his fists leaning towards the old man.

“Like hell you will! You’re staying right here.” Gramps growled, all teeth, and leaned in as well pushing his forehead into Luffy’s own.

“Nope!” Luffy pushed back with his own growl.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“I’m setting sail.”

“You are not!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“Shut up Old Man!”

“It’s not Old Man that’s Grandpa to you!” he slammed a fist of love down.

“Stupid Gramps.” Luffy rubbed his head grumbling. “I’m still going.”

Instead of throwing his own punch or taking off for another run he leaned back into his gramps for a side hug. The old man pulled him close and held him tightly.

“Two years isn’t so long. You can use it to get strong.”

Luffy remembered another two-year break where he did get really strong. Two years could make a huge difference. He couldn’t explain the time travel and how his crew were waiting. He couldn’t explain the need to reach Nami and free her or how Ace was in trouble and Sabo couldn’t remember. Instead he leaned into the old man until the tightness in his chest loosened and he could breathe again.

“Let’s eat.” He offered instead of resuming the argument.

“Have any alligator?”

“MMmmm! We can catch some. I bet Dadan can cook it while we eat whatever is already cooked. Let’s go!”

XXXxxx

Zoro finally found the right house backed by tangerine trees. He recognized the porch from their short visit, probably. He gave a quick knock and signaled to the guys to wait. He stretched his observational haki and found that no one was near. With a shrug he let himself in. The house was small but definitely Nami’s. He found pictures of a young redhead alongside a blue haired girl in one of the bedrooms.

“I’ll stay here. Can you two go fetch the rest of this?” He set down his three sake crates by the window.

“Sure thing big bro!” Johnny and Yosaku replied in sync.

Zoro set about brightening up the house and making himself comfortable. He found a linen closet and pulled out a stack of blankets to make into beds for his two companions. It could be a couple days before Nami dropped in. That settled he pulled out a bottle of sake and sat at the table.

He heard the approach long before the door slammed open and he was faced with a branch wielding woman. Nami’s blue haired sister looked angry. It was a good look on her.

“Who are you? What do you think you’re doing in my house?”

“Relax. I’m a friend of Nami.” Zoro didn’t move from his position with his feet up on the table. “I thought we’d crash here until her next visit. Any idea when that will be?”

“I don’t know you! You can’t stay here! Get out of my house!” she raised the branch higher.

“No.” Zoro answered simply. He took a casual sip of his sake watching as she got more riled up.

“What do you mean, no?” the blue haired woman stomped one foot. “Get out of here!”

“Big bro?” Johnny questioned from the doorway.

Nami’s sister -what was her name? – spun around swinging the stick at the other bounty hunters, short blue hair flairing about her face.

“Woah!”

“Bring that in.” Zoro ordered the other two. He stood up and quickly disarmed the woman tossing the branch out into the yard. “That was fast.”

“Yeah, the boat was actually really close by.” Yosaku explained.

“It moved?” Zoro frowned. He was certain he’d tied it securely.

“No, the dock is actually just over that hill.”

“The whole dock moved.” Zoro nodded. It figured that the island would move around after it took an hour to walk here.

“No-” Yosaku started but Johnny interrupted.

“Sure bro. That’s possible too. Uhm… so who’s the lady?”

“This is Nami’s sister.” He tilted his head to avoid a punch. “She lives here. We’re going to stay with her for a bit until Nami comes by.”

“No. You’re not!”

“I don’t think she likes that idea, big bro.” Johnny set down the three crates he carried.

“Eh? She’ll get over it. It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine!”

“I made up some beds if you’re tired.” He pointed.

“Did you just make yourself at home here? What is wrong with you?!” Nami’s sister was starting to sound like angry Nami.

“What?”

“What do you mean what? You break into my house and act like you can just stay here!”

“I told you. We’re friends of Nami’s. Or I am. They don’t know her.”

“That doesn’t explain it!”

“I thought it did.”

“And Nami doesn’t have friends. So, whoever you are just beat it.”

“Eh? Oh right. I’m Zoro. Nice to meet you. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“That’s not…” she had a strange twitch. “I’m sorry. Did you say Zoro?” her voice had the same sugary tone Nami had around people with money.

“Yeah! This is Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, my bro Johnny and I’m Yosaku. The two of us are traveling with him as sort of companions so we can learn from him. Big bro says he doesn’t take students so we just, you know, work with him.”

The blue haired girl was pale. She looked between the three men and at their swords.

“You’re here for my sister?”

“We’re friends.” Zoro repeated.

“You can’t be here. If Arlong or his men come by…”

“They won’t find us here. We just need to hang around until Nami comes by. Are you expecting her soon?”

The girl made a wounded noise.

“Well whatever. We can wait.” He put his feet back up on the table and pointed to the room. “Beds are that way.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s the front door.” Yosaku replied. “We can figure it out though bro.”

“Eh? Did it move?”

“What? Are you stupid? The rooms don’t just move.”

“Don’t worry about it ma’am.” Johnny smiled. “Zoro and directions don’t mix. I didn’t get your name before?”

“Nojiko.”

“Thanks, Nojiko. I promise we won’t be any trouble.”

Nami’s sister was making that noise again. He offered her some sake. She started chugging the bottle. He should have expected she could drink. Nami could certainly drink. She stopped arguing though, so he decided it was okay if she finished the bottle this once. He grabbed another bottle.

“Cups?”

“No.”

He shrugged and took a sip, passing the bottle when she stared at him with big dark eyes.

XXXxxx

Usopp sat in his favorite tree weaving a tale about Great Captain Usopp and his crew. He gestured wildly as he described the brilliant linguist Rowan who spoke 100 languages, including beast languages, and was able to convince animals to help them on their travels. He explained Stormchaser Shami who lived on a cloud island before joining his crew and could make her own lightning. Usopp loved the way she lit up when he included the females.

His current story was about a young princess who was tricked by his butler who wanted to steal his fortune. He was just getting to the part where the princes begged Captain Usopp for help when he spotted a motion in the nearby window. He swallowed. Kuro.

“Ah but look at the time!”

“Oh Usopp! I have to know what happens!”

“Not to worry Kaya! Brave Captain Usopp will be back tomorrow! It wouldn’t do to rush the ending!” he smiled brightly at her. “Be safe! See you soon!”

He hopped out of the tree and darted quickly across the lawn. He cursed his lack of awareness. He should have been practicing his haki. Especially here. He’d gotten carried away with his story and let it get too close to the truth. If that man heard anything… Usopp swallowed hard. He didn’t think the Cat Pirate Captain would hurt Kaya. Not before he could do something to get her fortune. He would have to be extra vigilant. He was getting a handle on his coordination issues and had his training underway, but he wasn’t ready to take on a pirate crew single handedly. Even one as weak as this. Where is everybody? Why haven’t they come?

XXXxxx

Nami held her ribs as she walked the long way around the village to Bellemare’s house. Arlong had been in a nasty mood all week. He’d clashed with the Krieg pirates and come out in a draw. The Arlong Pirates were split between swearing revenge and saying that a bunch of weak humans that needed to fight in fleets weren’t worth it unless they tried entering their territory again. Arlong hadn’t decided either way yet but Nami had certainly felt his temper.

Hatchan had sent her away with instructions to bring back some tangerines for desert tomorrow. Nami wondered if he was trying to protect her with that order and if she had missed things like that in her past. Had she just not noticed? She probably resented bringing her tangerines back to the men who did this. It’s not like he ever stepped in to stop the violence or said a kind word to her or – She forced her mind away from that. She’d made peace with a different Hatchan who had grown from his experiences. She didn’t need to excuse or forgive or justify any of what they did. She just needed to keep surviving. She was good at that.

She was pleased to see the lights on at the house. She wouldn’t have to go searching for Nojiko. She was just pushing in the door when a voice called behind her.

“Nami, wait!”

Nami looked behind her to see the frantic look on her sister’s face. If Nojiko is there, then who? She turned slowly, scared to see who was in her house. A green haired swordsman was standing and grinning.

“Zoro!” she launched herself into the house and into the man’s arms.

“Nami!” he laughed, catching her easily. “Don’t spill the sake you witch!”

“Zoro!”

He was too skinny and his hair was too short and he still had two eyes but it was him! Zoro’s here!

“Oh!” Nojiko was in the doorway looking shocked. “You know each other?”

“I told you we were friends.” Zoro said bluntly.

“What are you doing here if she didn’t believe you?” Nami pulled away, confused.

“I figured I would wait for you here.” “He wouldn’t leave.” They said at the same time.

“Ah.” Nami nodded once. Then she slammed her fist on top of Zoro’s head. “You idiot. You can’t just stay at people’s homes uninvited!”

“Oy! It’s your home too right? And anyway, I brought presents.”

“Presents?” she beamed. There was only one kind of present she accepted from any of the crew.

“There.” He pointed to the stack of sake crates.

“Sake?” her tone was low and unimpressed.

“Psh. Open um.” He was grinning again looking young and mischievous but wickedly Zoro. “Not the top one.

Nami pried open the second crate and gaped. Piles of cash. She opened the next. More cash.

“Should be about 38 million there plus some small treasures. I kept a log.”

“38 million?” Nojiko looked floored. “You had that the whole time?”

“Zoro!”

“This squares our debt.” He said firmly.

“Oh, come here you idiot!” she wrapped him in a hug. “Where did you get all this?”

“Bounties.” He shrugged. “I had to get into shape, and I knew you wanted to save up.”

“Yeah.” She stared at the money. Arlong would never honor their deal but Zoro brought her millions to try anyway. Her eyes filled.

“Hey. Hey don’t…”

“How on earth do you know my sister?” Nojiko demanded. “People don’t just show up with millions of bellies.”

“I met her with my captain. We promised to help her with her dream.” He smirked at the older woman.

“Don’t tease.” Nami reprimanded gently.

“Now.” Zoro knelt next to her, pushing more of the money into her lap. “Tell me who did this.”

He tucked her orange hair behind her ear and gently touched the bruise on her face. Nami looked down, spotted the money, and gave it a cuddle. She took a moment to silently curse her crew for knowing her so well.

“It’s nothing.”

“No. It’s a bruise. On your face. Your ribs too unless I am very wrong. What it is, is unacceptable. Now tell me.”

“Zoro.”

“Nami. It’s been three weeks. You did what you needed. I’ve got your back now. Let me help.”

Zoro didn’t usually give speeches but Nami thought this little pep talk was fairly good. He’d probably listened to Luffy one to many times. She gave a little shiver and played with the money.

“It was Chew and Pisaro. It’s not a big deal though.”

“Eh. They hurt my crew. I’ll cut them to pieces.”

“Zoro you can’t take them alone.”

“I probably can.”

“You can’t.” she insisted.

“Luffy’s coming.”

“I might have to go back before he gets here.” She warned.

“Damn it, no.”

“Yes.”

He growled standing to fetch his sake. Nojiko stared wide eyed.

“Guys. It sounds like…” her sister swallowed. “You can’t mean to take on Arlong?”

“Is this enough?” he pointed the pile of treasure. “Can you buy your time?”

“I-” she thought hard. “38 million plus treasure. I have to count it. Value the treasure. It will be close. I think I need 40.3 million. Let me…”

“When do you need to go back?” Nojiko interrupted.

“Tomorrow evening. I’ll need two baskets of tangerines too.” Nami looked up guilty.

“I can do the picking.”

“I can help”

“Don’t worry big sis!” Johnny interrupted. “We can help big sis Nojiko.”

She honestly hadn’t noticed the two other bounty hunters in the room. Nami blinked at them both and looked at Zoro. The pirate shrugged.

“Okay. Oookay. So, I’ll count the treasure and you guys get the tangerines and then we can figure out what to do next.”

“Dinner first.” Zoro interjected. “You look like you could use a meal. It won’t take long, and it will keep your strength up.”

“R-right.” Nami felt floaty like this was all a big dream. Zoro stared at her hard like he was looking right through her.

The swordsman gave a little nod and pulled off his bandana. For a minute she thought he was gearing up for a fight but then he leaned forward and fumbled as he tied it around her head. She blinked at him, then cracked up laughing. He laughed with her. The others stared silently.

“It’s not the same but-”

“No. But thank you.” Nami touched the bandana with a soft smile. It did make her feel better.

Zoro was useless at anything emotional. He was trying awfully hard to step up without their captain. First with the speech, then with the bandana. He was doing it for her. Curbing his bloodlust because it is what she needs. He was good nakama.

XXXxxx

“What’s on your mind Eggplant?” Zeff probed.

“Just worried about Nami.”

“She’s the one who called last week, right?”

“Two weeks ago now. I know she said it would be a month before I heard more but I hate that she’s there.”

“With Arlong.”

“She’s technically part of his crew, but she’s treated more like a slave.” He clenched his fists. “He’ll hurt her. Even if she comes out with no physical wounds, just being back there when she thought she was free…” he swallowed against the bile in his throat not sure why he was so worked up about this.

He hated anyone who laid a hand on a lady but for some reason he couldn’t find his rage. He just felt sick thinking of Nami being dragged back there. She shouldn’t be forced to face a past she left behind. She shouldn’t have to look her abusers in the face and pretend that nothing is wrong. She shouldn’t have to accept-

Zeff’s hand in his hair broke into his destructive thoughts. Sanji realized he was shaking. It must be cold out. I didn’t notice. He leaned into Zeff for warmth.

“I wish someone else would call. I know Nami is the smartest of this bunch, but really. How hard is it to look up a transponder number? If they would call, I could remind them that she’s there. If they called, I would know they can help. I would know…”

“That they’re back?” Zeff finished knowingly.

“I just miss them. Three weeks. We- I’ve been back like this for three weeks. I keep expecting them to just show up on the horizon. It’s not like we haven’t been separated before. It just feels different not knowing why or how or how long.”

“They will come when they can.”

“I know. It’s not like I’m eager to run off on you. I love it here and I missed you- “

“The sea is calling and your nakama is waiting, hurting even. I would give you a boat today if I thought you would leave.” Zeff stroked his hair.

“It’s better I stay. Nami will call here in two more weeks. One of the others may call soon.”

“And before you know it, you’ll be on your way to the All Blue.”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “I’m sorry about-”

“None of your apologies brat. You already tried that.”

“I’m leaving you short-handed. And if I get a bounty, my family”

“I am your family, idiot.” Zeff rapped him on the head. “Anyone who thinks otherwise can think again. Some North Blue assassins are no match for a good cook much less a restaurant full. We’ll keep a weather eye out for them, but don’t you start fussing. As for leaving us short-handed, ha. We’re probably better off without you ruining the soup.”

“My soup was perfect you old geezer.”

XXXxxx

Zoro watched Nami sleep. She was so young. He was sure when they’d met she was taller and curvier. He knew that she hit a growth spurt over their two-year training. They all came back looking stronger and better than before. Looking at her now… she was maybe 15, 16 years old. Still a kid. She still had the round cheeks and gangly limbs of someone still growing into their body.

His jaw clenched as he examined her bruise in the moonlight. She’d refused to lift her shirt so he could check her ribs. They had all taken turns helping Chopper dress wounds before. Nami’s refusal had nothing to do with modesty despite what Johnny and Yosuku had to say about perverts. She was probably hiding more than one bruise. Zoro wanted to kill the bastards.

He wanted to gather Nami up and take her far away from here. She was too small to be the force of nature he knew she could be.

“Watching her sleep is creepy.”

Zoro looked over at the blue haired sister and shrugged.

“Seriously, what do you want with my sister?” she glared at him. “No one just gives away millions of bellies. What price is she going to pay for this?”

“No price.” He denied. “I told you, we’re friends. I owe Nami a lot more than a few million bellies.”

“How?”

“She saved my life.” More than once. She navigated us through the Grand Line and predicted weather like she could tell the future. She fought at my side and watched my back. She drank with me and laughed with me. She’s my nakama. Our navigator. Not to mention the fact that she charges insane interest on loans.

“And after? You bring her money and talk like you know her and promise to take on the Arlong Pirates. What happens after?”

“That’s up to Nami.”

“What choice does she have?” she sounded bitter and desperate. “What has she promised?”

“She didn’t have to promise anything. Nami can do what she wants. I hope what she wants is to come with us. I want her to sail with us around the world and to draw her maps. That’s her dream isn’t it?”

Nojiko just looked at him wide-eyed. Zoro frowned at her. She was irritating asking the same questions over and over.

“How long have you known her? She just told you that?”

“Years.” He answered absently before he realized.

“Oh.” Her voice was quiet.

“I’m going to sleep.” He said abruptly and pushed himself away from the doorway. It was easier than looking at too-young-Nami and her blue haired sister who thought Nami was keeping secret friends.

Chapter 4: Of Ships and Thoughts

Chapter Text

Of Ships and Thoughts

.

Luffy sat at the bow of the ship looking over the water. He fidgeted impatiently. He needed to go. He was sure this was the fastest way, but it was still so slow. The old fisherman agreed to take him to Conomi Islands in exchange for protection from pirates and help with the nets.

Luffy could usually talk people into what he needed, and this time it was really easy. The old man was captain of a deep-sea fishing vessel that was struggling to make quotas this season. They needed to get into deeper waters, but a Sea King had moved into the region and was a danger to crew and ship. It hadn’t taken much to convince the old man to let him join. The six other fishermen had been skeptical until Luffy had punched the Sea King and asked if the cook could make it for supper. Then they were happy to have the teenager onboard.

For some reason they decided they didn’t need help with the nets after all. Luffy wasn’t sure why. He thought it was much faster the way he did it. Instead he was asked to be lookout and keep an eye out for trouble. It was boring, and he needed to get to his special people. Luffy sighed loudly.

“One more day, boy. We are nearly there. You should be able to see the islands just after sunrise. You can get yourself to land before dinner.”

“Yosh! I can’t wait. I have things to do and people to find.”

XXXxxx

Brook sat on the side of the ship, peering into foggy water. It was truly a nightmare he couldn’t wake himself from. He screamed into the mist just to hear his own voice echo. His friends, companions, crew, had vanished into nothing. Was it all a dream? The past years of living, adventuring, seeking fame and fortune and battling enemies. Standing beside the man who would be King. Was it all delusion? He stood and leaned against a wall.

“45 degrees!” he laughed with no audience to hear the desperation.

He attempted a more acute angle and slid to the ground. Laying on the gritty deck he sobbed. He called his soul from his body, proving with a skill he mastered in the time-that-wasn’t that it wasn’t all imagined. Shadowless and trapped he may be, but Brook was not mad. Not yet.

He pulled back into himself and ran a finger over the wood, scratching at the salty surface. An idea was forming. A beginning of a thought. Brook hummed softly.

“Yohohoho yo ho-ho ho…”

XXXxxx

Franky hummed softly as he worked. This is gonna be SUPPPER! He sketched and scaled. He would need to design something bigger. But not too much bigger. He would only have access to so much Adam wood. Their crew was small but full of specialists. Each would need a space to hone their craft. His heart ached at the memory of the beautiful Thousand Sunny. His beautiful dream ship. He leaned away from the work bench as he sobbed the manly tears she deserved.

No two ships could be built exactly the same. Just as he refused to rebuild the brave Going Merry, he could not, would not, attempt to recreate the Sunny. It would dishonor the memory of the old and impose a heavy burden on the new ship. Instead he started from scratch. He had made thousands of small adjustments to the Sunny and Usopp’s collaborative creations had expanded their arsenal as well. There was no reason not to include those designs from the outset. Not to mention all the Suuuuuper surprises be had in store for the crew.

Franky dreamed up a beauty of a ship. He made lists for each of his nakama and doodled details that would make each of them smile. He sketched and scrapped dozens of figure heads as he tried to imagine how to top the King of Beasts for their future King of Pirates. None of the lions he tried seemed right. It was too much like the Sunny.

He heard the rustle of clothes and quiet whispers as some of his crew peaked in on him. Franky didn’t mind an audience. He made it clear that this was his private thinking space and his bros respected that. As long as they kept their distance, they could totally check in on him. He had a lot of work to do getting the Franky Family settled here on Water 7 without him.

XXXxxx

Nami gathered her baskets of tangerines and looked over at the people gathered on her porch. Zoro was polishing a sword aggressively. It was strange to see the unfamiliar blade and even stranger to see him looking so slender and wiry. Nojiko was looking so hopeful with the treasure displayed in neat piles on the table and kitchen counters, sorted and organized to display for whoever would come and appraise or collect it. The bounty hunter duo were sharpening their blades and watching Zoro with worshipful gazes. Half the town was on her lawn.

When she announced that they were 800 thousand belli short of the total her sister had gone for a walk. Nami hadn’t thought much of it until neighbors began knocking. Neighbors bringing belli. A hundred here, two thousand there, each offering pressed into her hand with a thank you.

Looking over the treasure she had now, it was overwhelming. 100,002,150 belli by her best guess in coins, stacks of cash, gems, and treasure. Six years of thieving, a dozen bounties, and the life savings of her neighbors. She would get to tell Arlong she had the money. She would get to tell him that it was here. She swallowed.

“You should let us come with you. If something goes wrong…” Zoro spoke low, cautious of the positive atmosphere.

Her village was on the verge of celebration.

“You need to hide. Whatever happens, they will want to look at the treasure. Someone will have to come here. Weapons are not allowed in the village.”

“Nami…”

“Just, just let this play out. We know how it’s going to go but…”

“It could go worse. Last time he pulled a dirty trick, this time you actually have all the money. I’d feel better about this if you-”

“Boat!” someone called from the hill. “Coming in fast!”

“Fishmen?”

“Hide!” Nojiko called to the bounty hunters.

Zoro stood quickly but he was grinning.

“How does he do that?” Zoro laughed. “Lucky bastard!”

“Is it…” Nami started to smile looking hopeful.

“Luffy!”

Nami laughed, grabbed his hands, and spun them both in a circle. Zoro grumbled but allowed the manhandling, still grinning.

“What are you two going on about?” Nojiko hollered.

Chapter 5: Freeing Nami

Chapter Text

Chapter 5 Freeing Nami

.

“And how exactly, did you manage to get the full sum? I know we haven’t been paying you that much. Has our little thief been skimming the treasury?” Arlong asked with a snarl.

“What? No!” Nami went pale at the thought. “You know I haven’t!” She brought her hands up palms open. “A mark brought me some cash recently. He was convinced I needed the money to escape a bad marriage. He thought I would run away with him if he could give me enough bellies.” Nami explained quickly, thinking of a certain geisha in Wano.

“You expect me to believe that?!” Arlong lashed out with a punch.

Nami felt the world fuzz around her at the blow. Spots danced before her eyes and the left side of her face burned. She could taste blood and could feel more dripping down her face.

“You specialize in betrayal, human. Did you not think we would be prepared if you tried to betray us?”

“But I didn’t.” she protested.

She never had. Not then and not now. She’d delt with Arlong and his men honestly. She worked hard, often until her fingers bled. She diligently collected every bit of treasure she could and gave Arlong his cut in exchange. Okay, she may have tried to kill Arlong a time or two, but she’d never cheated or stolen from him. The last time they had done this she only turned to Luffy after Arlong turned on her first and betrayed the spirit of their agreement – if not the letter. This time around, even knowing that possibility, she wanted to make the offer and have a chance at a clean break.

“There is no way you could have collected 100 million berries in six years. Do you think I’m stupid? Chew, check our treasury. Raider, take some men and go collect our treasure.”

“And when he tells you nothing is missing?” she challenged.

He hit her again. She found herself on the ground, her head pounding. Nami expected her plan to fail. There was no way Arlong was going to give up his navigator. She hadn’t expected to be accused of stealing from the Arlong Pirates or to be punched in the face. Blinking back to consciousness she listened as Arlong ordered men to find out what she’d stolen from them.

Someone was going to her house in the village. She had a feeling anyone who went to do so would find themselves with a lot more trouble than gold.

XXXxxx

The fishmen coming into the small cottage weren’t unexpected. Having them “confiscate” the treasure because of Nami’s “betrayal” had Nojiko shouting protests. Zoro stopped their retaliation with prejudice, jumping between Nojiko and the aggressive fishman. Luffy watched as he moved swiftly and knocked out the others in the party.

“Less killing Zoro.” Luffy chided absently as his swordsman wiped blood from his blade.

The other two bounty hunters were tying up the three living fishmen.

“Ay Captain. I didn’t like that guy is all, and he pulled a knife on Nojiko.”

“Alright, let’s go!” He got to his feet and pulled his hat low over his eyes. He moved down the path and Zoro fell into step behind him. Jimmy and Yogurt hurried to follow.

“Just like that?” Nojiko called.

“Nami’s in trouble. I’m done waiting.” Luffy didn’t raise his voice or stop walking.

She ran after them, stopping only to grab a branch from the yard. Villagers began following as well with makeshift weapons. Luffy didn’t care. They could do what they wanted. As long as they stayed out of his way.

Luffy smashed his way through the entrance with the casualness of experience. The large metal door gave out with a single punch, the stone around it shattering with a spray of dust and debris. He scanned Arlong Park taking note of the pirates spread around. There were a lot more than he remembered. Several dozen, maybe a hundred fishmen, most of them armed. Arlong himself was seated in the thronelike chair by the water. Nami was sitting at his feet, her nose and lip bleeding. She was blinking in a way that screamed concussion. Luffy strode up boldly stopping just before the saw-nosed fishman.

“Arlong! My name is Monkey D. Luffy. I am the man who will be King of Pirates! I have just one question for you before we start.” Luffy held up a single finger to emphasize his point.

“King of the Pirates?” Arlong laughed loudly. “Human scum like you? Go on then, fool, what’s your question?”

“Why don’t you have a Ferris Wheel?” he asked severely.

Nami facepalmed while Zoro and the villagers drooped in the way that told Luffy none of them understood and they thought he was being stupid. Sometimes his crew was a little slow. Arlong stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes.

“What?” his voice low and threatening, the blue captain sat up in his chair looking down his saw nose at them.

“I’ve been to Sebody Park. That’s what this place is supposed to be like, right? But they had a really cool wheel that was fun to ride! And good food stands with meat and cotton candy.” Luffy licked his lips in remembrance. “It was such a neat place! Why didn’t you build a Ferris Wheel like that if you wanted this place to look like Sebody?” He tipped his head to one side in question.

“Sebody is a pit trap! It may look beautiful to a human like you but underneath it is nothing but rot and greed!” he snarled back, gnashing his teeth in anger.

“I know.” Luffy agreed simply. “It’s full of slavers and cowards and filthy Celestial Dragons. At least it had cool rides. A friend of mine called her visit the best day of her life, and she was kidnapped and hurt bad that day. I can understand you wanting a better Park, but where’s your Ferris wheel? If you wanted to do it right, you could have made it better. You could have built something great.”

Nami listened as her captain’s voice took on a petulant whine. You could have built something great. She wondered if Luffy understood the double meaning in his words. Luffy has always been smarter than he gets credit for and able to see the heart of a matter quicker than anyone she’d ever met. That didn’t mean she understood him. Knowing what they did about Fisher Tiger and the prejudices against fishmen, Luffy could be getting at something very deep. Or he could be simply wondering about a fun ride. Luffy had a streak of simple selfishness that he fully owned up to. He was a pirate to the core, and it was entirely possible that the absence of a Ferris Wheel offended him in an entirely irrational but perfectly Luffy way. Silence hung in the air for a full minute as the surrounding pirates gaped at the Strawhat captain.

“Instead,” Luffy narrowed his eyes and his voice rose with an edge of anger “you chose to hurt Nami. She’s my nakama. I will not forgive you. Prepare yourself Arlong! I’m gonna kick your ass!” Luffy lifted his fists, shifted into second gear, and then charged.

~

A sound like an explosion startled the fishmen of Arlong Park. Captain Arlong himself stared at the dusty cloud where his gate used to be infuriated. A small human child, skinny with dark hair and a stupid hat stormed in as if he were something to fear. I will teach him to fear. A few swordsmen were spread behind him, blades at the ready, and a crowd lingered behind the rubble with typical human cowardice. The snot nosed brat had the audacity to glare at him and give him a lecture about Sebody. As if he had any right to comment on the affairs of his betters. The sniveling trash turned pink and disappeared.

Arlong felt the force of the punch like a blow from a sea king. His chair, rock solid, shattered with the force as he was knocked back.

“Zoro, can you take the others?”

“My pleasure, Captain.”

The green haired swordsman moved in a blur and Arlong watched as his men began dropping with no discernible cause. Clearly this man was the reason his door was in rubble.

The green haired man began barking out commands to the others and Arlong tuned him out. He pushed himself to his feet.

“Do you know the difference between us?” he asked the little one.

“Wait, I remember this…” the boy appeared to be thinking “was it the nose, no, webbing?”

“Species!”

“Ah.” The brat punched a fist into palm, nodding like an idiot.

“Fishmen are a superior race. We are faster, tougher, stronger, and better than you pathetic land dwellers. Witness-”

“Are you just going to talk? This is boring. Let’s go!” The human launched forward landing a series of blows that he was unprepared for.

“How are you doing that? You weak creatures cannot possibly stand up to my...”

“Ugh, are you still talking? At least try to land a punch. You’re just a coward. You had no trouble trying to punch my nakama. I’m going to kick your ass for laying a finger on Nami. Then I’ going to kick it again for being a boring disappointment.”

Reeling from the previous blows Arlong dashed forward trying to drag the boy back towards the water. Instead the brat dodged, which was fine because it put him next to the water. With a smirk he produced water blades and began flinging them. He would not go down so easily.

“Nakama, nakama. I’ll rip you to pieces. Water shot!”

~

Zoro took out the first round of weaklings in a single pass as he did a quick threat assessment and searched for the four he knew would be trouble. Twenty men down and he had a fairly good lay of the land.

“Johnny, Yusaku, I want you to stay there as guardians. No one gets past you. I’ll send fighters your way. You call if it gets to be too many. Nojiko I want you and the other villagers on cleanup. Focus on tying up anyone who gets knocked out. Hit them over the head again if it looks like they’ll wake up. Everyone should stay out of the battlefield. Luffy and I can take these guys, but it may get messy.”

Luffy punched Arlong into a wall knocking chunks of concrete around and perfectly emphasizing his point. Zoro didn’t wait for protests or confirmations. He went to work aiming for the martial artist who Sanji defeated previously. The two men who jumped into his path were knocked casually towards the entranceway. He landed a bloody slice to the fishman’s flank as he dodged and ducked a kick to his head. He could feel the clarity of his observational haki as he moved in a familiar dance of blows. It didn’t take long to manage a knockout. Not when he knew what blows were coming and his opponent was still underestimating him.

“Santoru Dragon Twister!” he called launching the attack to keep two of the stronger fighters off his back.

Hatchan dodged but the blue green fishman Usopp took down was caught in the attack along with a dozen others. They were flung into the air and cut as the spinning attack created a tornado, sweeping them into the air. The spirit dragon accompanying the move flashed its eyes and roared silently. Zoro ignored the screams and watched the swordsman in front of him. His focus remained split amongst the remainder of the fighters and a flying slash cut down three that were attempting to flank the villagers.

“Mind your fight Johnny!”

“Sorry bro!”

“We’re on it!”

“Oni Giri!” he darted forward using the horizontal strike and taking down the octopus fishman to his own surprise. He’d expected the other to hold out a little longer.

Surveying the battlefield, he ignored the brutal battle between Luffy and Arlong, instead tallying up the different fighters remaining. There were three moderately strong opponents that seemed to be gathering for a joint attack. Most of the others were holding back or preparing to flee. There was a small pile of fishmen being guarded by the villagers. He gave Nojiko a smile when he realized she was sitting on top of most of them. The blue haired woman grinned back looking vicious in the setting sunlight.

“Yusaku, watch for those men to the East, don’t let them escape that way or they may try to flank you.”

With that he launched back into the fight, adrenaline surging as he darted and danced between enemies. He manifested tigers and bulls as he rampaged through the Park. None would escape their wrath. No one hurt a Strawhat and walked away from it. His swords hummed through the air slashing and striking. He focused on using the blunt of the blade on these underlings. He could afford to be generous in victory. These men didn’t stand a chance.

XXXxxx

Luffy easily dodged the projectiles. He found this fight surprisingly easy. He remembered Arlong as a challenging opponent, but he was just angry and strong. There was little skill or talent in the fishman captain. With haki and speed on his side Luffy was clearly wining. He gave a sigh and tossed Arlong into another wall. Luffy watched as the man came up with a set of teeth in each hand, launching them. He started to dodge then cursed. One of the jaws clamped to his left calf. He looked behind himself at Nami.

“You should go collect your treasure or move to Mister Pinwheel.” He directed gently as he blocked a punch without looking.

The force of the blow had him sliding backwards, but Luffy maintained his footing. Nami blinked up at him slowly and staggered to her feet. She made it three steps before stopping to vomit. Luffy turned furious eyes to the saw-nosed fishman, glairing upwards past the brim of his hat.

“I’m done playing.” He launched himself at the captain of the Arlong Pirates and pounded him with haki covered gatling punches. The blows were fast and furious. Luffy could feel bones break and see blood fly. Hyperaware, he could feel the moment the other went unconscious as the body in front of him stopped resisting and went limp. He let the blue skinned man flop to the ground. His saw nose was broken again.

Another look at Nami showed she was nearly to the villagers and two men were already moving to help her get the rest of the way. He let his eyes scan the crowd finding one of the fishmen beside the water readying an attack against the villagers. It was barely a thought as he blurred into motion and reappeared by the man, knocking him unconscious with a single punch. He watched as Zoro moved at similar speed knocking out two more with the blunt of his blades. They shared a look.

To an outside observer it would seem like the remaining men just dropped. Moving at high speeds, the two Strawhats slammed through the remaining fishmen. The entire fight was less than fifteen minutes.

“You’re bleeding.” Zoro noted surprised.

“He aimed for Nami at the end there.”

“Bastard.”

“It’s nothing.”

Cheers went up from the villagers. Both men scowled. Not heroes! They turned to face the approaching well-wishers.

“Arlong has fallen!”

“Let’s make sure you get everyone secured before you start with that.” Luffy waved them away. “I need to check on Nami and then we can eat!”

“You can probably find chains inside to tie them up with.” Zoro added helpfully. “I’ll take care of Arlong myself.”

Luffy pushed through the people who were trying to thank him and found his navigator with her sister and the doctor. Nojiko was sitting on a pile of fishmen. Luffy laughed, feeling light-hearted for the first time since he stepped foot on the island. The sun was nearly down, and someone had the foresight to begin lighting torches. Nami was sitting in the orange light, her face clean of blood, drinking something the doctor gave her.

“Nami!”

“Luffy!” she launched herself into his arms and groaned a moment later.

“Nami?!” concerned and alarmed he turned to the doctor. “Is she okay?”

“She has a concussion. I’d like to monitor her tonight, but she should be fine.”

“Nami…” he swallowed gently stroking her hair. “I…”

“Luffy, I’m fine.” She pulled back enough to smile at him.

It didn’t help because this close he could see the way her face was turning purple and the way her eyes were two different sizes. He could remember Chopper lecturing Zoro about head injuries and brain damage. Nami was more breakable than Zoro. She was tough in many ways, but injuries seemed to hurt her worse. She could see it on his face because she hit him lightly.

“I need you to go get my charts. I’m not supposed to go up the stairs.”

Grateful for a task he gave her a loose hug, careful not to squeeze.

“Okay Nami! I’ll bring it all!” he bounced away from her. “Zoro, let’s go!”

Zoro looked up from where he was chaining fishmen to a pillar.

“What are you getting?” Nojiko asked, a step behind him.

“Nami decided to keep her sea charts instead of destroying them.”

~

“Luffy, do me a favor?”

“Anything.”

“If it comes to a fight, don’t destroy my room this time.”

“No?”

“Last time around, I needed that. I needed a fresh start. Everything they forced from me, everything that room held, represented what they took. It was a chain, and you gave me my freedom.” She paused looking uncertain.

“Not anymore?”

“Now… Right now, at least, I can see the use. Coming back here and seeing it again I could see all the blood, sweat and tears that went into those maps. I want to reclaim it. To make it mine, not His. I don’t know. I might change my mind. I could just burn them all tomorrow or sell them maybe.”

Luffy put a hand on her shoulder.

“Tomorrow is tomorrow. I will save your maps, Nami. If we end up having a bonfire that’s fun too. No regrets. Let’s just live today. Today you want to keep it, so we will.” He smiled at her as if it were just that simple.

“Thanks, Luffy.”

“Oi, Nami?”

“Yeah?”

“After, can we still smash the building, or you want to leave that standing too?”

She laughed and didn’t answer, scooping up her tangerine baskets and heading down the path towards Arlong park. He pouted.

~

Zoro accepted another stack of books in a pillowcase to bring downstairs. Several villagers had figured out they were helping Nami and joined in. (He suspected others may be looting other rooms of the stronghold.) Instead he and Luffy were hauling down heavy loads while the volunteers managed the sorting and packing under Nojiko’s stern supervision. He grabbed another armload of tubes as well before heading for the stairs.

“This way Zoro-san.” A man directed from the doorway.

He thought it was kind of silly to have people assigned to give directions but supposed they had enough volunteers with nothing better to do. Nojiko had insisted and he didn’t want to argue with her about it. It was past dark now. He could still hear people shouting in the streets and the laughter of the growing crowd as other villages were informed and people came to see for themselves. He knew the mayor was arranging for the partying to begin on the other side of the island. Cocoyasi village would be celebrating tomorrow out of respect for Nami’s headache and because they had taken responsibility for the prisoners. Even so the smell of barbeque would lure the captain sooner than later.

Someone had made the call to the marines and they were expected to show up whenever. Zoro hoped they listened to Nami and they were able to lock up the dirty marines involved in Arlong’s operation, but he didn’t hold much hope. The navy liked to cover that kind of thing up.

“Oy Pinwheel!”

“My name is Sheriff Genzo.” He corrected again.

“I wanted to get everything we are taking onto a boat before everyone starts celebrating. We might have to leave quick when the marines show up. I have a little skiff and Luffy had a rowboat. They should both be at the dock by Nami’s hill if they haven’t moved. Can we get a cart or something to get this all back there? We’re almost finished getting everything out.”

“I’ll take care of it. You boys have helped enough. We can get your ship set.”

“It might take some arranging.” He explained with a frown. “Our ship is waiting for us on another island. What we have with us is small.”

“We can figure something out.”

“Right.” He turned to go back inside and suddenly a villager was at his elbow showing him a different path to the building. Zoro looked up and realized the building had moved again. With a noise of frustration, he turned and allowed the villager to show him to the staircase. Maybe guides weren’t a bad idea if the area was going to keep shifting around.

XXXxxx

“I still can’t believe you guys are pirates!” one of the villagers shouted over the music as he passed Luffy some melon-ham.

“Yup! I’m going to be Pirate King!” he laughed as the man-made silly gasping noises.

“But you’re just leaving us all the treasure! What pirates leave behind treasure?” he protested.

“Ah, but you guys need that here to rebuild! And anyways the marines are probably going to try to take it, so you’re going to lose some to them. Nami got her maps and we got Nami to be our navigator, that’s more than enough treasure.” He held up his treat. “And free food! Shishishi!”

Luffy spotted a man roasting drumsticks and hurried over to claim a share ditching the weird guy. This party was even better than the last with games and food and juice on every corner. Music was playing loudly and even if it wasn’t as good as Brook’s, Luffy had found plenty of people to dance with. Nami was feeling much better this morning and no more vomiting which was good. She’d talked to a lot of people who didn’t believe she wanted to be a pirate. It made his heart happy every time she explained that the Strawhats were good and she was joining them because they would help her achieve her dreams. He snatched a caramel apple, stretching his arm across the street and whipping it back over heads as people stared.

The sun was shining, and he had gathered two of his crew. Nami would be able to get her new tattoo tonight and then off to gather his men. Usopp first then Sanji. Or maybe the other way. Sanji hadn’t seen Syrup the first time. He might like to see Usopp’s home…

XXXxxx

“Zoro?” Nami sounded surprised. “I thought you guys were still partying.”

“We are.” He gave her a nod as he finished adjusting his boot.

“What are you doing-” she stopped as the sound of a shower started. “Zoro…”

“Yeah?”

“Did you SLEEP with my SISTER?”

“Eh? What are you yelling for? We had a great” he dodged a fist with a curse. “Crazy witch! What is wrong with you?”

“Wrong with me? You- you…”

“Ugh.” He dodged out the door and headed for the music. He would never understand women. Behind him Nami hollered threats and slammed the door.

Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Wrapping up and Moving on

Chapter Text

Chapter 6 Wrapping up and Moving on

Usopp hummed in satisfaction as he set the final trap. This time he would show them what the Great Captain Usopp could do. His boys gave each other high fives and looked proud of their work. The forest was a maze of non-lethal traps and tricks. Usopp needed to practice his stealth maneuvers and the young “pirates” needed to add to their arsenal. At this rate, his crew alone might be able to handle the Cat grunts. He still needed at least one of his monster crewmates to handle the hypnotist and captain.

He took a moment to fantasize about finding the two meeting on the beach and taking both out with fireball stars before they even realized he was there. He could tie them up, leave them stranded in a pit trap and call in a tip to the marines. The Great Captain Usopp single handedly taking out the Cat Pirates.

“Captain! We finished the per’metor defense! The forest territory is secure, sir!”

“Good work crew!” he praised. “You left the secret passages clear, right?”

“Yes, Captain Usopp!”

“And you put the secret signs, so you can remember?”

“Yes, yes! Danger signs and all clear signs both!” Onion held up the little carved markers they’d been using.

“Excellent! So professional!” he took a wide stance, “I will now inspect the forest and ensure that no dangers have escaped our notice! What will my brave crew of Usopp pirates do?”

“Go to dinner?”

“Yeah, dinner!”

Usopp laughed. “Off you go then! See you tomorrow after lunch. I’m moving boxes at the grocery tomorrow morning.”

“Okay! See you tomorrow!”

Usopp waved them off. He did a quick inspection of the traps he hadn’t personally helped with. He had to adjust a few wires and retie a few knots but overall, they did well. He left the forest and moved down to the beach for his jog around the island. He could almost manage the distance without collapsing afterwards, so progress. And hey, who knows when I’ll get really lucky and stumble onto a conspiracy.

XXXxxx

Marine Lieutenant Kirby was not having a good day. HQ had called him from his region to step in on this island because of a very strange report. The island locals reported not only the capture of a big name pirate but they named the local marine unit as acomplices and colaborators. HQ was very interested in finding out what was going on here. The interviews were not going well.

“Pirates?” the marine asked incredulous. “That’s who came in and left Arlong like this?”

“The Strawhat Pirates, yes.” The sheriff reported. “They came in and spoke to us, offered to help. They took out Arlong and his gang and helped chain them all up like this.”

“You just accepted help from pirates?”

“Well they were very convincing. And it wasn’t so much an offer as them telling us their plans. Those Strawhats were pretty determined.”

“Can you describe these pirates?” he made a note in his pad.

“Well the captain is a dark-haired teenager. Fourteen or fifteen maybe. He’s about shoulder heigh on me. Wears a straw hat. I assume that’s where they got the name. Uh… dark eyes and a small scar on his face. We might have a picture from the celebration. He could eat like a horse, but he was really skinny. He was amazingly fast and a Devil Fruit eater. Gum Gum rubber I think he called it. The other man was Roronoa Zoro. All muscle but lean, slender build. He has green hair and eyes. He fights with three swords. Likes to wander around with no shirt. My height. I’m sure the marines know him…”

“Pirate Hunter Zoro?” the marine rubbed his temples.

“Oh yes. We had trouble believing it too. He was very insistent that he was a Strawhat. The captain said he was First Mate when we asked about it. Zoro was muttering about getting it tattooed but I don’t know if he actually got one.” The sheriff sighed. “The two bounty hunters that came with them left separately.”

“Right. And the rest?”

“The rest?”

“Of the pirates. How many were in the crew?”

“Just the two.”

The marine stopped writing notes, looking up from his pad of paper. “You expect me to believe that four men took out the entire Arlong Pirate crew? This was a precision strike with minimal casualties. You expect me to believe that such a small group managed to take down the entire crew of fishmen with no fatalities on their side and only four dead fishmen? That instead of killing them, these pirates just tied them up and allowed you to call the marines. Then they just left. No raiding or looting?”

“Actually, it was mostly the two pirates. The bounty hunters stayed out of the main fighting and just took out any that aimed for the civilians or that Zoro sent them to handle. Those six there actually, were their work.” Genzo pointed to one group of pirates tied up and looking pitiful.

“Two pirates took out most of the crew? I could see Pirate Hunter Zoro taking out Arlong but how did the other guy handle fifty-two men?” Kirby rubbed his forehead.

“Oh no, it was the captain who took out Arlong. I’m not sure how they did it to be honest. They were moving so fast I thought they were just blurs for most of the fight.” Sheriff Genzo corrected cheerfully.

“Right. The fifteen-year-old just blew up the gate, walked in and beat up Captain Arlong the saw-nose shark fishman with a 20 million bellies bounty. Then they just beat up everyone else so fast no one saw it happen.” The officer was ready to strangle someone.

“Well there were no explosives involved. The young captain just punched the gate.” Sheriff Genzo demonstrated a windup punch.

“He punched that metal gate.”

“You can see the fist mark if you want to look at it.”

“Later,” he agreed exhausted at the prospect. “So, this fifteen-year-old punched his way in and then he and his one-person crew, the former Pirate Hunter, wrecked the Arlong Pirates with a little help from the two bounty hunters who no one can explain.”

“That sounds about right.”

“And this girl,” he moved on, “the one you say reported Nezumi and the 16^th Branch, where is she?” he held up the rough sketch of the mousy captain.

“She left to join the Strawhats.”

“She joined the pirates?”

“Yes. She said that you lot were not likely to believe she was coerced by the Arlong Pirates and if she was going to be called a pirate, she wanted to be on the Strawhat crew.”

The marine looked at him hard. That was the first statement that sounded like a lie. As ridiculous as the rest of it was, he believed it. He didn’t believe this answer though. He contemplated calling the man on his lie. Ultimately this girl’s reason for joining the pirates didn’t change anything though. With a sigh he made a quick note.

“You believed this girl about the marines?” he asked instead.

“I know we’ve seen marine ships but never received any assistance in the six years since our island was taken over. Not once. Someone was accepting bribes. I couldn’t say who. Nami could tell you though. She would have been close enough to see people and name names like she did. I’m sure your own patrol records will confirm if that branch has made a regular tour of this area and what concerns – if any – they bothered to report.”

“I assure you; it is being looked into.”

“I’m sure.” The amount of sarcasm in that statement could level a small building.

“So, two pirates from a crew no one has heard of just took out the Arlong Pirates worth over 42 million total. Then they recruited a sixteen-year-old girl and then sailed away.”

“I mean, they stayed for the party. Like I said, we might have pictures of them.”

“Right.” The marine put a hand over his face and did some deep breathing exercises. “So you’re telling me that this island provided hospitality to a pirate crew?”

“Oh no.” the sheriff backtracked. “They just wouldn’t leave. I’m sure you are familiar with pirates enough to know we couldn’t just kick them out. We are weak and helpless islanders.”

That was a bold faced lie and the sheriff didn’t have the decency to pretend otherwise.

“Pirates are known to party hard. I’m sure you were faced with some drunken rioting?”

“Oh no. The captain doesn’t drink. He seemed to enjoy the tangerine juice. Zoro drinks like a fish but he’s a sleepy drunk and the biggest problem we had with him was him ending up on the wrong end of the island when he wandered off. The two bounty hunters wandered around playing games more than drinking.”

Kirby felt his eye give a twitch and decided to switch topics.

“Can you describe their ship?”

“Oh, they weren’t in their main ship, they said they had to go get that.”

Genzo sounded amused again so he didn’t want to ask. Nothing good could come from asking. This was clearly a setup.

With as much resolution as he could muster, he looked to the sheriff, “Can you describe the ship they left in?”

“It was a small raft. You could maybe call it a small sloop.”

“A sloop.”

“You know, a small sloop. One sail, tiny doghouse? Small.” He held two fingers close together. “I still think it was more raft than sloop. You know what I’m talking about?”

“I’m familiar.” He rubbed his forehead and looked at his notes. “Right.”

“Anything else I can help you with officer?” the Sheriff looked pleased with himself.

“Please God, stop helping.” He spoke before thinking about it.

One of his subordinates choked in a poor attempt to hide laughter.

“I mean to say, I would appreciate you finding any pictures of this Nami girl and the Strawhat Captain.” Kirby didn’t think there was any way to regain his dignity but damn if he wasn’t going to try.

“My pleasure officer.”

He looked at the list of witnesses and wondered if any of these interviews would be easy. These islanders really resented the marines. Silently cursing the 16^th Branch, Kirby swore to see them all docked in rank even if they weren’t outright arrested for collaboration.

XXXxxx

“You stole a den den mushi?” Zoro asked raising an eyebrow.

“Liberated, looted, what do you care?” she tossed her orange hair. “It was Arlong’s. It’s not like he needs it now.”

“Be careful with the sea spray.” Luffy warned.

“Who are you to talk about careful!?” she hollered back even as she clutched the cat-sized snail further from the edge of the tiny boat. “Anyhow, have either of you checked in with Sanji?” she asked.

“Eh?”

“With Sanji?”

“I’ll take that as a no.” she sighed and looked down. “Okay then.”

She dialed the transponder number.

“You’ve reached the damn Restaurant. When are you coming?”

“Mmmm, the Restaurant!”

“Sssh, Luffy! … Sorry, is Sanji in?”

“Oh! Is this Miss Nami?” he asked tone going from bored to hyper.

“Uh, yes. Sanji, please.”

“Sanji won’t tell us anything about you.” The den den appeared to pout. “Tell me, how did the two of you meet? You seem like a nice girl.”

“This nice girl wants to speak to Sanji now.” Nami asked again with an edge to her voice.

Muffled shouting and banging noises were imitated by the snail.

“Nami-swannnn! You called early! One minute- shove off you assholes this is a private conversation! – sorry my dear! You have my undivided attention. Is something wrong? Do I need to come rescue you?”

“Sanji!” Luffy interrupted.

“Luffy!”

“Cook!”

“Marimo! Damn. Oh, you idiots should have rung sooner.” There was no bite in his voice. “Don’t you know how to pick up a snail?”

“Oy they’re not exactly common!” Zoro snapped.

“Sanji,” Nami interrupted. “has anyone else called?”

“I spoke to Robin briefly, and a certain helmsman. Both said they wouldn’t be able to call again and were just touching base. Our helmsman visited Franky and said all was well there. No news from anyone else.”

“Shishishi, you guys are smart calling each other!” Luffy smiled.

Nami punched him.

“Nami-chan, are you okay?”

“I’m fine Sanji. Can you hold on for a little longer?”

“For you, my sweet, anything.”

“I want to fly our colors at the Baratie.”

“You’ll need Usopp for that.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll see you soon?”

“So soon.”

“Yeah Sanji! We won’t keep you waiting.” Luffy laughed leaning over Nami to speak into the receiver.

“sh*tty captain. You look after Nami-san will ya?”

“Yosh! I’ll take care of her. Be safe, Sanji!”

“You too Luffy. It’s good to hear you.”

“Yeah.” Luffy echoed softly. “I’m glad you’re you, Sanji.”

“Oy, none of that, asshole.” Sanji sniffed.

“Gonna cry, sh*t cook?” Zoro teased.

“f*ck you moss head.”

“Boys,” Nami snapped “not now!”

XXXxxx

The Gecko Islands were small but closely clustered. Syrup Village was one of only two towns on this small but cheerful island in the chain. Two slopes one to the north and one to the east of the island provided the only access to the land otherwise surrounded by sheer cliffs. Sandy beach between rock walls gave way to a grassy pastures and farmlands. Large oak trees dotted the landscape before clustering into a small forest on the north end of the island. Zoro leaned against the ship rail as he meditated, letting his haki flow outward to examine the island. There didn’t seem to be any major predators on the island and only a single presence in the center of the island seemed to register above normal.

“We’re here!” Luffy’s exuberant shout broke his concentration and Zoro opened his eyes.

He was sweating slightly which annoyed him. I should be stronger than this. Observational Haki is a mental discipline. I should be able to manage the same level of competence as I did Before. He grabbed the captain before he could rocket off the ship.

“Don’t capsize us Luffy. This little ship can’t take much rocking.”

“Oh! Right. Sorry!” He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“Just another minute.” Nami chided, pulling in smoothly. “Zoro, can you-?”

He was already pulling off his boots and rolling his pants up. Getting carefully to his feet he hopped out and pulled the front of the ship further up on shore. He planted a stake in the sand and tied off the boat.

“Let’s take a look around. Usopp has to be here somewhere.”

Nami fussed with the cabin for a moment, ensuring her precious maps and treasure were secure. She had to race up the slope to catch the two boys.

“Hey! You guys couldn’t wait two minutes? What’s the big idea?” she punched each of them in the shoulder.

“Sorry Nami” they snickered not sorry in the least.

Zoro smiled as he wandered with his crew towards the sleepy town. It was a blast from the past. Last time it was the three of them as well. He laughed as Luffy darted for the restaurant at the edge of the village.

“This is the same place, isn’t it?” he asked Nami.

“Yeah! Wow, this takes me back.” She entered Moshi and found Luffy at a booth already chatting with an overwhelmed old man as he ordered what sounded like half the menu.

“There’s my friends!” Luffy grinned at them. “This old man said Usopp works here sometimes but he should be off with his friends somewhere.”

“Three guesses where that might be.” Zoro settled into the booth. “Onigiri and ramen for me. Three of each.”

“Oh well he likes the forest, could be at the east shore, or visiting the lady Kaya.” The old man replied, assuming it was a genuine question.

“Thank you for your help. Do you have sandwiches?” Nami placed her order quickly.

“Let’s eat and go, I’m ready to find Usopp.”

“Yosh! I’m just so hunnnngry!”

“Us too.” Zoro assured him. “We skipped breakfast to dodge that storm and it’s late for lunch.”

“Usopp understands the food-hierarchy rules. He would expect you to eat.” Nami agreed.

“Food high-archly?”

“The order of importance for food in relation to other tasks.” Nami offered.

Luffy looked at her in confusion as they were served the first round of food.

“Look Luffy, we all know that food is important,” Zoro started.

“Mm hm”

“There are very few things more important than food, and those are clearly very important things. Then there are the we-have-time-to-grab-and-eat-on-the-way, and put-it-in-your-pocket, food times.”

“Right.” Luffy agreed with a nod.

“The crew figured out a loose system for categorizing emergency vs food.” Nami added to clarify.

“You need a system? Shishishi. I thought it was obvious.” He took a large bite of meat looking between them.

“No.” Zoro bluntly ended the explanation and began shoveling down his noodles.

“Our point is that Usopp would understand.” Nami kept talking because she had to have the last word.

Zoro rolled his eyes at the witch but didn’t fight her if she wanted to go around stating the obvious. He ate as quickly as the dishes were served, slowing down on his last bowl of ramen so Luffy could get his last three helpings and finish together. Stuffed and happy they began the trek towards the big house. Nami was extra clingy, pulling him onto different pathways every few minutes. He let his senses expand counting the sheep in the fields and finding that one source of threat again. It was difficult with Luffy beside him as a beacon to keep his haki focused further afield. Zoro could recall his early training with Mihawk and experiencing the same troubles. I shouldn’t be back to that square one. He growled softly because that wasn’t it either. I didn’t have this range when I was first learning or this level of comprehension for what I sensed. It’s like I have the techniques but no control.

He stopped walking for a minute. The nagging familiarity snapped into place. It was like his sword skills. He retained the knowledge and understanding of all his techniques, but his physical endurance and speed were hindering the execution of certain moves. Did haki work like a muscle? Did he need to rebuild his spiritual strength as well?

“Zoro?” Nami had her hand on his shoulder. “Is something wrong?”

He looked at her in disgust. Of course something was wrong. Everything is wrong. He was weak and useless like this. He didn’t have the physical strength, speed or endurance to protect his crew. The mental advantage he assumed he had for using haki was now crippled as well. He’d only needed to use light levels of armament haki and observational haki. He hadn’t even noticed his own weakness. His chest was tight, and he could feel his rage building. It was a similar feeling to Perona’s Negative Ghost attacks. The thought made it even more difficult to focus. Where was Perona? She wasn’t exactly a friend but he owed her something. He would have to see her to safety too. He was feeling a bit dizzy.

“Deep breath Zoro, like this.” The stupid witch was still babbling.

He humored her mimicking the breathing. It helped, surprisingly. He did it a few more times, centering himself as he did when meditating. That caused his chest to loosen and his shoulders to relax. The anger and frustration melted away as he focused on his goal. He would get stronger. He would be the world’s greatest swordsman, however long that took. He would protect his crew.

“What was that about?” she demanded.

“What?” he snapped defensively.

“You just stopped and freaked out over nothing. What do you call that?”

“You seem upset. Is something wrong?” Luffy questioned looking serious. “Zoro stopped walking and wouldn’t answer.”

“Just realized something is all. I’m fine now. Obviously.”

“Huh.” Luffy nodded once, clearly thinking hard.

“Well are you going to share?” she demanded again.

“None of your business.” He snapped back and began walking again.

“Wrong way.” Nami looked pissed.

“Whatever.” He changed direction so he was on the path again.

“Not that way either! We just came from there!”

“Well you’re not even walking at all!” he shouted back turning again. “Let’s go already.”

“Don’t worry about him Nami, Zoro is strong.”

He wanted to puke because he wasn’t, not anymore.

“It’s not about being strong, idiot.” Nami punched at the captain but Luffy dodged with a laugh.

“Zoro shouldn’t worry either.” Luffy said loudly looking towards the sky.

“Whatever.”

He focused on the present and staying at Luffy’s side as they made their way to Usopp. He hoped the sniper didn’t have much to accomplish before they could set sail. He wanted to collect both man and ship and get moving. Sooner was better although he suspected they would have to spend at least one night here. It was frustrating. Four of them would still only be two-fifths of the crew. He hated how long this was taking. Focus on the present. Get stronger. Focus on that presence which has started moving.

“Heads up.” He warned.

“I feel it too.”

“Someone coming? Is it that blade cat captain?”

“Dunno.” Luffy shrugged rolling his shoulders with a smile.

Zoro dropped his hand to his blades, resting casually rather than any intent to draw. Even if it was an enemy, they weren’t approaching with any intent to fight. They came around the hill and had a clear view to the large manor. Headed their way was a boy in brown overalls. He dropped his hand away and grinned.

“It’s Usopp! Gum-gummmm rockettt!” Luffy flew away from them without a thought.

“Usopp!” Nami was running.

Zoro let her get a head start before pushing his speed. He reached Usopp just in time to catch him as Luffy plowed into him.

“Good one Zoro!” Luffy acknowledged.

“You’re so fast still.” Usopp sounded jealous.

“Not still, and not fast enough.” Zoro disagreed.

“Cheaters.” Nami reached them, out of breath, and wrapped all three boys in a group hug.

Zoro protested immediately. He did not need to be… Luffy’s arms joined Nami’s wrapping the group in a knot. Resigned he let himself be snuggled into the sweaty stinking mess of his nakama. They were all awful. He let his cheek rest on top of Usopp’s head noting the full foot of difference in their heights. That would make for great jokes later. For now, he was glad to have them all where he could see them. This was fine. He reached out to check for threats and was unsurprised to find all the potential right in front of him. He should have known from the start. The Strawhat sniper was the biggest predator on the island after all. Usopp was strong enough to take out all kinds of threats.

“You’re finally here! I’ve been waiting.”

Chapter 7: What Usopp’s Been Up To

Chapter Text

Chapter 7 What Usopp’s Been Up To

.

Usopp drank some water and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Moving boxes for the grocery was great strength training and he was paid in groceries which put food on the table, but it was sweaty work. Old Man Rigsby didn’t own a warehouse but instead used an underground root cellar to store his extra inventory. It kept the food fresh but hauling the produce in and out was a young man’s job. Usopp checked the position of the sun and debated what story he would have time to tell Kaya today. He didn’t quite dare to tell another betrayal story but perhaps one like the Boy Who Cried Wolf only at sea. Something about cabin boys and sea kings maybe? Only all his tales were about the Great Captain Usopp and it would be weird to tell a story about some random cabin boy and too close to the truth to play the liar himself.

“You seem troubled, son.”

Usopp jumped guiltily. “Sorry, old man. Just daydreaming. It’s nothing. I’ll get back to work.”

“Rest a moment, it’s fine.” The old man waved him back down. “It’s good work you’re doing for me and without any complaint.”

Usopp blushed remembering years where he’d whined and struggled and caught can’t-move-another-muscle-disease to get out of the hardest bits of work. Old Man Rigsby had cursed at him more than once, but the old man never let him go hungry and always found work for him when he dropped by. He dug a toe into the ground and gave a little shrug.

“Tell me what’s on your mind. You looked really upset there, and you’re usually so cheerful.”

“I just have a hard decision to make is all.” He spoke before thinking and immediately tried to backtrack. “Hypothetically. It’s nothing really. Part of a game actually.”

“Uh huh.” The man rubbed his balding head and leaned against the crate so Usopp couldn’t get back to work. “Go on. I promise not to gossip.”

“Look, hypothetically, what would you do if you knew something really bad, a secret. If you tell the secret someone could get hurt, but if you don’t tell the secret many people could get hurt. What do you do?”

“Usopp…” Rigsby looked alarmed. “Are you in some kind of trouble.”

“What? Me? No, of course not!” he waved his hand breezily. “This is just nothing, a mental exercise. Don’t overthink it. Don’t even worry about it at all. I’ll just get back to…”

“Now, hold on. Let me think here. It’s a game, so I’ll play.” The old man looked very serious and clearly wasn’t playing at all. “Now tell me, to clarify, these people who might be hurt… Are we talking physical injuries?”

“Yeah…”

“And this person keeping the secret. Would they be doing the hurting?”

“What? No!”

“Okay then. I think the secret should be told. You can’t control the actions of others and are not responsible for people this person may or may not hurt. Keeping the secret only gives that person power over you and the situation. If you tell the secret, say to an adult you trust, they can help you and perhaps can help find a way to keep anyone from being hurt.”

Usopp gave a small nod rubbing his elbows as he thought about it. Am I giving Kuro power here?

“Usopp…”

“Thanks for the thought Old Man.”

“If you have any hypotheticals you want to talk about now…”

“Oh no! It was just- I’m not really- and anyways…” Usopp shook his head waving both hands in front of himself. “It was just a game.”

“Usopp, if people could get hurt…”

“Look, everyone knows I play games.”

“I would listen to you. Usopp whatever secret has you so worried, I don’t want you in danger over this. Let’s just speak a moment.”

“Don’t worry about me. The Great Captain Usopp can face any challenge. It’s not like anyone would be worried about me spilling secrets. I’m the town liar. I’m sure even if I knew something bad no one would worry about it because no one else would believe me. So, it doesn’t matter.” He gave a smile. “Hey, I’m going to have to finish these boxes tomorrow. I just remembered I was going to do some laundry today while it’s sunny.”

“Usopp!”

“Got to go! Sorry about this. I’ll be back tomorrow.” He dashed away before the old man could press any further.

“I would believe you!” he called, getting the last word in.

Usopp didn’t look back. He couldn’t. This whole situation was a mess. He’d been back for less than a month. How had things gotten so complicated. He didn’t like making decisions. Every choice held dangers and he had no crew to back him up. How was he going to handle this? He was a good liar but a terrible secret keeper.

XXXxxx

“You’ve been telling some interesting tales lately.”

Klahadore likely intended to startle him as he climbed through the foliage. Unfortunately for him, Usopp had plenty of experience detecting half-hidden enemies and had spotted the fake butler before he even reached the hedge. The gold embroidery on his suit eye-catching behind the patchy green leaves. Usopp had time to gauge his threat level and prepare his own response in the three steps and short climb.

“I’m glad you enjoy them.” He gave a proud smile and thrust his skinny chest out. “The adventures of the Great Captain Usopp are admired the world over! It’s not surprising they caught your interest.” He boasted easily, feigning ignorance.

“Your tales are getting Miss Kaya quite worked up. It’s not good for her health you know.”

Usopp couldn’t help taking that as a threat and his hands fisted, his lip curling in a snarl before he caught the reaction and tried to hide it.

“I wouldn’t do anything to hurt my friend. My stories make her feel better.”

Klahadore had seen something in his reaction. The butler narrowed his eyes and his posture changed to threatening as he reached into his jacket. Usopp reacted immediately, taking a hop away for distance and pulling his slingshot.

“So you’re not just a stupid little boy.” The butler stared at him for a long moment before finishing the movement and drawing a knife. His feet started to move in an odd dance.

Recognizing the beginning of an attack, Usopp launched his pepper star just as the man blurred forward. Usopp was already in motion himself, dodging sideways. A hand grabbed his shoulder and slammed him into the half wall and hedges. Usopp lost his breath but he was reacting from experience as he slammed a heal down hard against the other man’s foot. The hand released him for a moment and Usopp slipped away rushing to gain distance as he whirled, lead star ready. The knife was buried into the stonework where he’d been. Usopp swallowed. The other man gave a tug but was unable to pull the knife out.

“What do you think you know?” the man snarled as he smoothed back his hair, tugged his suit, and adjusted his glasses with the heal of his hand.

“You laugh about me playing pirate, but do you have any idea who I am?” Usopp demanded choosing lie option 12 from his mental list.

“Are you going to tell me about the Great Captain Usopp?” he asked in a mocking tone.

“No, I am going to tell you about the great sniper Yassop. My father. A man who became a pirate and sailed the world. I am going to tell you that my father is a pirate of the Grand Line and that he sails with a Yonko, Red-Haired Shanks. You can check the wanted posters if you don’t believe me. I’ve tracked his progress and I’m really proud of my old man.”

“You think daddy can save you here? He’d be lucky to even hear you had an unfortunate accident.” Klahadore scoffed.

“I think that I know a lot more about pirates than you. You may be a big name here in the East Blue but you’re hardly a big name in the world. I’ve been studying pirates and gathering their stories for a long time. So I’m familiar with pirates and their habits. You do that move on your wanted poster you know.” Usopp mimicked the glasses push without releasing his slingshot. “Captain Kuro.”

“I’m afraid you are mistaken.” Klahadore responded primly as the butler he pretends to be.

“No. I’m not.” Completely self-assured in that Usopp didn’t relax his stance. “Luckily for you I am the town liar and haven’t figured out how to get anyone to believe me. Tell me what to do to keep Kaya safe and I will keep my mouth shut.” Usopp lied.

“Stop visiting this place.” The pirate demanded instantly.

“Not an option.”

“You would risk your friend?”

“The greater risk would be to walk away. That would only give you free reign with no way to insure you keep your promises.” He shook his head. “Be reasonable, this is obviously a long con. You’ve been here for over a year.”

“You think you know my plans?”

“I’m sure you want money. You’re probably waiting for Kaya to be old enough to access her inheritance.” He fibbed.

It was close to the truth but implied that Kaya would live through the scheme and Klahadore would run off with her money. Now the butler just had to take the bait and try to force his silence.

“The problem of course, is that I can’t trust you to be silent about this at all, can I?”

“I value my friend’s life over her fortune. I know if I cause trouble she could be hurt in the crossfire. You seem like the kind to take everyone down with you.”

The butler smirked and shrugged. “What an interesting theory.”

“Just tell me what you want!” Usopp demanded, increasingly worried that the butler wasn’t offering threats or bribes.

“What I want” the man darted forward quickly.

Usopp released his projectile and threw himself into a side roll coming up on one knee and firing a second without missing a beat. It threw off the butler enough to save his life. Klahadore dodged the first but stumbled as the second lead star slammed into his shoulder. The knife in his hand skimmed over Usopp’s bicep instead of plunging into his chest.

“Hey!” Usopp cried out before a hand clamped over his mouth.

Usopp moved to take the knife and was shocked when the disarming maneuver actually sent the knife flying. He bit the hand over his face and pulled a smoke bomb. He was able to untangle himself and lurch away moving in a swift retreat maneuver and relocating to a treetop before the smoke cleared. He prepared a pepper star and waited to see if he would be spotted. His arm was dripping blood, but he didn’t have time to fuss with it.

Klahadore was looking around cautiously as he covered his face with some kind of handkerchief. Usopp regretted not having the supplies in his arsenal to put the man to sleep or wrap him in a viny cage. His current armament was either the lethal fire-star option or some harmless distraction. He cursed as the man began that fancy footwork again. He focused all of his attention on the man and tried to access the Observation Haki he’d only just begun to get a handle on. The butler pirate dashed at blurring speeds as he searched the area. Usopp kept his eyes on the man hoping he could escape unnoticed. His luck was never that good and the man looked upwards, spotting his hiding place. Usopp released his pepper star, catching the other by surprise. Usopp wondered if the man had ever had anyone match his speed before. In the East Blue men like that were rare.

The pepper star caught him in the forehead, stunning him and causing an instant sneezing fit. Usopp watched as the man blinked watery eyes, coughing at the pepper dust. He fired two more lead stars aiming for hand and shoulder to disable. Klahadore swore and launched himself forward. Usopp jumped from the tree moments before a powerful kick took down the oak. He cried out and took off dashing towards the house. This was not supposed to happen this way.

Men were coming around the corner. He dodged another thrust of a knife and fumbled backwards through the hole still open in the hedge. Usopp ran for the manor. If Klahadore wasn’t being subtle or trying to keep Usopp quiet, then it was because the schemer had no reason to. Kaya was in danger. He didn’t have time to climb a tree much less go around to a door. Firing carefully aimed lead stars he shattered the window just before he jumped through it. Usopp darted into the room and slammed through the opposite door. He was surprised to run into Merry who he rarely interacted with. Grabbing the sheep-like man, Usopp pinned him to the wall.

“Merry! I need you to go protect Kaya! Klahadore has gone mad and wants to kill her.”

“Usopp? What are you doing? Don’t be ridiculous, stop this now.”

“There’s no time!” he could hear someone else coming in through the window and the smash of glass as they ran through the shattered pieces. He grabbed the steward pushing him towards the stairs. “Please Merry! Just go in and lock the door! Don’t let Klahadore in!
“Listen to me! If I am lying and you believe me, you will lose a couple hours and any good will you ever felt towards me. If I am telling the truth and you ignore me, Kaya loses her life.” He fisted the front of the butler’s jacket staring him down intensely. “You don’t have to believe me. Just please, humor me this once. You have your pistol. Guard her door. Let no one, but especially Klahadore, go into her room. Klahadore is dangerous and I believe he intends to kidnap or kill Kaya. He could try to hurt you.”

“I don’t really believe he is that kind of man.” Merry waffled.

“Then don’t believe it! If he is such a good guy, he will respect that you are willing to protect Kaya even from those she trusts. It’s not like I’m asking you to kick him out of the house or fire him. Just go now!” He pushed the man up the stair with one hand as he dug for caltrops and tossed them before the door.

“Why would he do this?”

“Because I know his secret of his and he must assume I have proof. He decided to act and is trying to kill me. I don’t believe he will stop or try to run now. I think he is ruthless, vengeful and will try to hurt all the people involved before he gives up. He’s going to come after her next. Please Merry, go now!”

The steward hesitated, looking down at the caltrops and Usopp’s slingshot.

“I’m calling a guard for help.”

“Thank you!” Usopp said gratefully. He pushed the man one more time just as Klahadore slammed out of the room tossing his knife.

Usopp didn’t hesitate but tossed his bag in the path of the knife. Merry yelled and ran. Usopp through himself over the side of the rail towards the pirate. He was only a quarter of the way up. It wasn’t a difficult landing. He barreled into the man and took them both to the floor.

“Worthless little brat!” Klahadore shouted. The pirate grunted in pain as he stood with the bits of metal stuck to his skin.

Usopp made his own noises of pain, not bothering to hide his whimpers and yelps as the prickly weapons dug into his knees, hands, and feet. He pulled his slingshot and fired another lead ball at Klahadore. He wasn’t surprised when it missed.

“I won’t let you hurt her.”

“You’re a child. Do you really think these toys will stop me?”

“Yes.” Usopp fired another shot, determination settling into his bones.

XXXxxx

The house was smokey. Merry stared as thick clouds of it pushed through the frame of the door. He shook himself as Kaya began coughing.

“Come Miss Kaya, we’ll exit out the window. We can get help from there to put out the flames. Let’s move swiftly now.” He lifted her up and stepped to the wide frame. One hand down assisted the young lady of the house. They stood together looking at the tree out the window. It was close, but a small jump, not a step. She shivered.

“I don’t think I can do this Merry! I’m frightened.”

“You must, Miss Kaya.” He laid a hand on one slim shoulder. “Just like those brave ladies in your stories Rowan and Shami. A quick jump. I’ll be right here. You can do it.”

“Those stories are just made up!” she denied tearfully.

“Nonetheless, you can be just as brave. Please Miss Kaya. On three. One…two…. three!”

She screamed as she jumped, wavering on the branch a moment before falling against the tree.

“Good girl!” he congratulated. “Do you have a grip?”

At her nod he jumped as well. He maneuvered around her and used the tree as a ladder climbing down nimbly. He held out his hands and urged her to sit and jump. At fourteen she was no longer a small child, but she was delicate and underweight due to her recent illness. Kaya sat on the branch and slid herself down, clinging to the tree until he was able to reach her feet and assure her he would catch her. She fell the last few feet and Merry pulled her away from the house.

He could see smoke pouring out of the shattered window as he pulled his young charge towards the front gate. He could hear the scrambling and shouting of guards, housekeepers and gardeners who were already running towards the house. He continued moving, bringing her outside of the gate and to the middle of the road. Villagers were already running their direction. Either the commotion or a runner had summoned help. Some were carrying buckets others were just running to assist.

“There’s a pump just there!” he pointed out the pump the gardeners used in the front.

“Where is the fire?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know. I saw the smoke and had to remove Miss Kaya.” He answered. “Please be careful, there is a dangerous man inside.”

He wasn’t sure if he was speaking of Usopp or Klahadore. It was impossible that either man could do something like this. Merry stood aside with the sobbing Kaya as men and women rushed to find the fire and save the house. From inside he could hear louder shouting and men began rushing out.

“Doctor? Is the Doctor here? Someone summon the doc!”

Merry watched a young man turn and run back towards the village. He held Kaya and watched. Men began bringing sloshing buckets but the man at the door refused them saying something. Many of the people around appeared relieved while others looked even more concerned. He wanted to know what was happening, but Kaya didn’t need to be near the danger. The pistol was heavy in his pocket. He’d grabbed it from its place before scrambling to Kaya’s room. He hadn’t been sure what to tell her except that a man had broken in and may be coming to hurt her. Merry had locked her door and done his best to assure her. The blond teenager held him and sobbed.

When two men came out carrying a bleeding form between them, Merry carefully put one hand on the back of her head and angled their bodies away. He would not let her see this. Two of the men nearby saw his action and came to stand between him and the house as human shields. Merry wished he could see for himself as he listened to the commotion. He could just make out as another bloody figure was brought from the house. Then a third. What is this tragedy? What has happened today?

“Doctor!” a cry went up from the path. “Make way, the doctor is here! Let him pass!”

“What’s happening to the house?” another called. “Do we need more water?”

“It’s just smoke bombs. No fire!” someone called back.

Waves of relief and chatter went up, but everyone had seen the injured men. Something serious was happening. The villagers were anxious and concerned.

“What do they mean? What’s happening, Merry?” Kaya looked up at him with frightened eyes. The young lady was pale and shivering.

Without a thought he slipped off his jacket and tucked it around her. The young miss had already been though an ordeal.

“We will have to wait and see Miss Kaya. Today has been so unexpected I cannot hazard a guess.”

XXXxxx

The doctor looked down at his youngest patient. Usopp was trying to sit up again clutching at his bloody shoulder.

“Wait, Klahadore, he’s going to kill Kaya. You have to stop him.”

“It’s fine, son.”

“No, I’m serious. I’m not lying.”

“We believe you. Klahadore was caught. Kaya is safe.”

“Safe? Good. That’s good.” His eyes rolled up and he slumped down.

“Doc? Klahadore is…”

“Dead. Yes. He is therefore unable to harm the young lady Kaya. If this young man rips his stitches again, he will be the one harmed. I don’t want to have to sedate him. Try to assure him if he wakes without giving away any information. Many people want answers today.”

“Of course doc.”

XXXxxx

Brandon had been working at the manor for over thirty years and never needed to do more than turn away beggars or stop the occasional bit of teenage foolery. The Gecko Islands were peaceful and Syrup, the nearby village, was a sleepy farming village.

The wildest thing about the whole island was when Banchina fell for that fisherman from the next isle over and the man chose to run off with a group of pirates. It was scandalous especially that her husband left her with a young child. The son of a pirate in their little village was truly something to marvel over. The little boy grew to be a troublemaker but was sweet hearted for all his amateur vandalism and tendency to cause chaos. His own sister allowed her son to run around and play “pirates” with the teen. She would laugh and call him free childcare for the way he supervised they boys and allowed no harm to come to them.

Looking down at the teen covered in blood he could honestly say he never imagined anything like this in their town.

Smashed glass caught his attention immediately and Brandon looked to Greg who was guarding the gate with him. They took off at a run making their way around the house just in time to see a man climbing through the window. His long hair reminded him of the butler Klahadore but clearly this man moved like a fighter or a thief. The white cloth wrapped around his face only enhanced that opinion.

“Stop! Don’t move!”

The man of course didn’t stop or turn. With a curse Brandon boosted Greg inside and then climbed in himself. This was Not Good. He ran over the broken window and nearly ran into Greg when the man stopped short in the doorway howling in pain.

“Watch your step!”

Sure enough the floor was covered in sharp caltrops. Spiky little things looked vicious. He swept his foot in front of him sliding a section of them sideways so he could exit the room. Just as he was coming out two men slammed to the floor in front of him, landing painfully on the sharp objects.

“Stop there!” he shouted again.

The two ignored him launching at each other. Only… one of them was not a man, but a boy. He was too small and skinny to be anything but a child. When the slingshot came up, he recognized young Usopp. What was that kid doing?

“I won’t let you hurt her.” His voice was high and defiant.

“Hurt who?” Brandon asked, but he was ignored.

“You’re a child. Do you really think these toys will stop me?” the man responded. He really did look like the butler. He also wasn’t denying the accusation he was going to hurt someone.

“Yes.” Usopp fired another shot.

Brandon watched as the man moved so fast it was almost a blur. The man lunged forward at the boy, fingers curled to scratch at the kid’s face. Little Usopp fired his slingshot and missed but the little ball gave a pop and started spraying a white smoke.

“Damn!” Greg cursed and Brandon remembered to move.

He made a lunge for the man and the boy gave a startled noise. The man turned and kicked him in the face so hard Brandon whited out. Greg was limping past him with his heavy club in hand. Little Usopp took advantage of the distraction to fire another round.

“He’s going to attack Kaya!”

“Nonsense. This boy invaded the house and is clearly doing damage. Stop him at once!” that prim butler tone might have worked if the asshole hadn’t just broken his nose.

“How about both of you surrender and we can sort this out?” he offered.

“Sure. No problem. As soon as he surrenders I will too.” The kid agreed easily but without lowering his slingshot.

“Of course, I surrender.” The man held up both hands and looked over at them. “Is this good?”

“No way! Don’t trust him. He’s dangerous.” Usopp shouted his warning. “He’s faking! You have to tie him up or something.”

“I’m not the one with the weapon.” The man chided as if playing.

“T-that’s, that’s not…” the boy looked flustered.

“It’s fine kid.” Brandon assured. “Hey Klahadore, why don’t you put your hands on your head and just have a seat by the wall?”

“Excuse me?” his voice was icy. “Is that really necessary?”

“Yes.” He answered bluntly. “Until I get some answers, I think it is.”

“Look out!” Greg was pushing him sideways just as the butler lunged with a piece of broken glass. Greg shouted as he was cut.

Brandon snarled and tried to tackle the man. He missed. Usopp was cursing and shouting.

“Lead star, pepper star, lead, lead, pepper, smoke!”

More smoke appeared and he could hear the shuffling footsteps as the kid tried to find better footing. He coughed at the fumes and moved to catch the other man. He could hear the sneezing from the butler. The man tossed away the now useless cloth.

“Watch the smoke kid!” Greg shouted.

“Surrender Usopp. You are only getting more people involved in your mess. At this rate I’ll have to kill the whole household. Keep going and there won’t be anyone left alive in the whole village. This is on you.”

Brandon went cold. Klahadore sounded like he was speaking of a tea party rather than a slaughter. If he had any doubts before he was fully committed now. Klahadore had to be stopped.

“Pepper star! Don’t try to blame this on me you psychopath. You are responsible for your own actions! Anyways don’t get ahead of yourself. You’re not going to hurt anyone. Not in this house and not in my village.”

“So arrogant.”

Brandon lunged and was immediately blocked with a flurry of blows. He slammed into a wall and collapsed.

“What’s happening here?” a chef burst into the room, knife in each hand.

“Get out of here!” Greg warned.

Klahadore moved at that lightning speed and the chef was collapsing in a spray of blood.

“Damn you!” Usopp cried out firing another volley of shots.

Brandon could hear pinging metal where the ammo actually bounced off the knives. Then Klahadore was darting forward and slicing through Greg.

“Smoke star!”

The projectile exploded at his feet just as Brandon saw the butler turn in his direction. Without hesitation he threw himself to the floor and rolled away. The room was filled with smoke now and it was difficult to breathe but the hacking and sneezing gave away the position of the butler.

“You think you have the advantage because I can’t see? Ha!”

A meaty thunk followed by a scream. Brandon felt his heart drop. The kid! Did the butler just throw that knife? Who is this guy?

“Little Usopp, stop trying to play pirate. You know nothing of the real dangers in this world.” Klahadore was close enough to touch.

Moving slowly Brandon prepared to jump him.

“Go to hell.” There was another meaty thunk and Klahadore dropped.

Brandon stared at the butler as he choked on his own blood. The knife was lodged deep in his throat and from the spray an artery was hit.

“Don’t think a little cut can stop me you bastard!” Usopp cried defiantly.

Brandon realized that with the smoke, the kid had no idea his shot had hit.

“I’ve got him! You check on Greg!”

“What?” the kid sounded confused.

“The other guard, and the chef too. Can you check them out? We need a doctor.” Brandon instructed. “How bad are you hurt kid?”

“I’m okay.” The kid was shuffling in his direction. “He’s sneaky. Please be careful.”

“He’s unconscious. I’m securing him now. I heard what he said about killing people. I won’t let him go. You did well kid. Now let’s get a doctor here to check everybody out.”

Footsteps pounded and more of the household staff burst into the room.

“Where’s the fire?” a bucket of water was emptied carelessly into the room and Brandon cursed as he was soaked.

“No fire, just smoke. Open the windows and call a doctor. There was an attack and people were injured.” He took command, issuing orders and directing people away from the mess. As the smoke began to clear he looked for the kid. Usopp was helping a young maid apply pressure to Greg’s chest wound. The young man was covered in blood. His right shoulder was bleeding freely from a deep wound and smaller cuts littered his body. “You, go help with that man, replace the kid. You, go get that kid moving to the door, he needs a doctor himself.” The two gawkers jumped into action.

More help was arriving, and Brandon gratefully allowed them to help move the injured out of the smoky space. He made a point of telling many of the staff that Klahadore was the villain and responsible for the injured staff. He didn’t have all the details, but he didn’t want people grieving over that bastard.

Chapter 8: Chapter 8 The Merry and the Baratie

Chapter Text

Chapter 8 The Merry and the Baratie

.

Usopp sat back after explaining his tale.

“And that’s how I accidentally took out the pirate Captain Kuro. I really did mean to wait for you guys. To be honest I’m a little worried the crew might come here for revenge. And really, all of this…it’s not fair. I mean- it’s a little cool that I handled things on my own. It’s just that last time… I was able to leave here knowing the village was safe and that it would continue on just as it was. It’s different now. With everyone knowing about Klahadore. It’s like it broke something. Everyone is angry or suspicious or sad. It’s like my sleepy little village woke up. I just want them to go back to being naive and happy. I feel like it was better last time around. I just made a big mess.” Usopp stared at the clouds instead of his friends. He wrapped his arms around one knee, hugging it to his chest.

“You did good Usopp.” Zoro declared firmly.

“Yeah! I know it didn’t go the way you’d like but changing the future won’t always go our way. You saved lives. You saved your friend. Most importantly, you stayed alive. I am so, so glad that you are here to set sail with me. I’m sorry about your village. I know these people are precious to you.” Luffy gripped his unbandaged shoulder. “I’m sorry I underestimated the danger you were in. I should have gotten here sooner.”

“I remember last time you gave up so much to make sure they stayed safe and could go on thinking you were just a liar rather than face the danger they denied. I know what it’s like to take on the weight of a village.” Nami gave him a half smile. “Things changed in Cocoyashi too. We left Arlong Park standing, although we tore down the sign and had all the crew arrested. It’s hard because there are conversations I had last time that I didn’t have this time around and I’m left wondering if the people I love will change for the better or worse. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry sometimes.”

Usopp nodded hard and reached forward to awkwardly pat Nami’s knee. He wasn’t entirely surprised when Nami launched herself at him. It was strange to realize she was taller than him. Usopp settled back with Nami in his arms and Luffy at his shoulder. He stared at the clouds and pretended that it was the sun making his eyes water.

XXXxxx

Luffy hummed to himself as he walked around the small village. The rest of the crew were helping Usopp pack. He’d been kicked out of the house after he dropped a box, shattering the cups inside and the box itself. He didn’t really mind, packing was boring. He couldn’t imagine clinging to so much stuff. First Nami wanted a whole cabin full of important map papers. Now Usopp wanted a whole house full of things! No wonder Usopp had fallen down the slope last time, trying to carry all that stuff.

It was a little strange to look at the kitchen plates and realize they were the same pattern he’d seen on the Merry… That was before their first big storm taught them what it really meant to secure their belongings. What a crazy day! They were lucky not to tear the Merry apart, there were so many flying projectiles and shattered parts. Nami had not been pleased with the bill replacing just the essentials had cost them.

He was less worried about the work than about not being near his people. He wanted to go back inside and tell them he would behave and help. He just wanted to stay there with them. It wouldn’t help though. It would only make everyone more anxious. He walked on, even if the separation made his chest hurt and his breath sound funny.

He would make space for Usopp, who was looking sad about his village. He would be strong for Zoro who was acting stressed the way he acted after every major injury. The swordsman hated being weak in any way and Luffy knew this situation made them all feel weak. His usual method of having Chopper lecture Zoro into submission would not work with this. Nami was having nightmares and faking more of her smiles than he could ignore. Her still healing bruises were the most obvious of all the ways he’d failed her lately. He was not doing a good job keeping them together. He wanted to punch someone in the face, but there was no enemy to kick around. Punching wouldn’t help his crew this time.

He hummed softly again and turned down another street. The three shadows followed him. For a moment Luffy almost lashed out and pined the stalkers but an overloud whisper stopped him. Luffy felt his breath hitch as he realized he’d nearly attacked a bunch of kids. Usopp’s little pirates if he was remembering. The brave, stupid, little boys who’d challenged Kuro and refused to run away without a direct order from their captain. The little idiots had no concept of danger, and unlike his own brothers who knew when to hit-and-run, these three had nearly been killed for their bravery Before. His palms were sweaty, and he walked for a moment until he could breathe properly again. He made another circle around the block and was impressed that they kept pace. They were terrible at hiding themselves and the littlest one was very loud. He snickered and wondered how long they would follow him in circles. He was on his third circle around the square when one of the shop owners leaned out.

“Are you lost, boy?”

“Oh no, just playing a game.” He assured with a laugh and wide smile.

“By walking in circles?” the man looked skeptical.

“It’s follow-the-leader.” He explained with a thumb over his shoulder.

“Oh no! He spotted us!” The little boy with glasses jumped out of their hiding spot looking panicked.

The shop owner looked at the three boys jumping around and laughed. “I see. Sorry to spoil your game.”

“Ah, no problem. It’s almost dinnertime anyway. I guess I should head back.”

“Are you staying at Mrs. Maazel’s?” the man asked, curious.

“Who’s that? I’m staying with my friend Usopp.”

The man looked startled, his eyebrows going up.

“I didn’t realize Usopp had friends his own age. Are you from the city? How did you and Usopp meet?”

“His dad sails with my friend Shanks.” He proudly remembered one of the not-lies he practiced with Nami. “I came to get Usopp to join my crew. He’s going to set sail with me and be a brave warrior of the sea.”

The three boys stopped their panicked reaction and stared. The shop owner looked shocked, mouth falling open dramatically. Luffy waved his hand in front of the man for a moment. He shrugged and started walking back towards Usopp’s house.

“Wait a moment lad. You can’t really mean to be pirates!” the old man jumped back into motion. “You’re much too young and it’s extremely dangerous. You don’t understand what you’re doing!”

“I understand alright.” He said sternly. “I can handle the danger and protect my crew, whatever my age. I’m taking Usopp and setting out to sea. It’s decided.”

He turned and began walking again. He was not going to let some old man tell him he couldn’t be a pirate. He’d had plenty of that. And he definitely couldn’t tell him to leave Usopp behind. Luffy hummed to tune out the words called after him. He would do what he wanted. He was free. He’d get his crew, and nothing would stop them.

XXXxxx

Zeff watched as his little eggplant finished with the transponder. The blond boy looked both elated and depressed. Having raised the overly emotional brat, Zeff translated his mood easily.

“Your crew caught up to the girl?”

“Yeah! Luffy and Zoro handled things with Arlong. I’m so glad they’re all alright and Nami is safe from that fishman bastard.”

“But they’re not coming here next?” he asked knowingly.

“It makes sense. They have to go get our ship. Nami made it sound like they were traveling in a rowboat.” Sanji answered defensively, shoulders up around his ears.

“They would need space and supplies, that’s true. I’m sure it’s been a challenge so far if they haven’t had a proper ship.” Zeff soothed. “If I recall the little carvel you mentioned was a token from a young lady your crew saved. Do you think they would go for the same ship or are they trying to procure a new one?”

“There’s no replacing the Going Merry!” Sanji declared passionately. “Did I tell you how her Klabautermann saved our lives?”

“A Klabautermann, truly” Zeff was shocked. This was not where he’d intended to take this conversation.

Sanji was looking at him with bright, rounded eyes and the excited look of mastering a new dish or speaking of the All Blue. His boy wore his emotions on his face so easily. Zeff reached out and ruffled his blond hair. Sanji, naturally, pushed at him and fussed with his hair.

“Let’s hear the tale.” He sat on one of the hammocks to ease the weight off his peg leg and stroked his long mustache letting it spring back in a way that always made Sanji smile.

“Well we knew she was dying, and it started all kinds of trouble with the crew, but the real problem was the weather and our missing crewmate…”

~

He spent hours telling tales about Merry and Robin who they’d challenged the World Government for. Zeff had been alarmed and exasperated over that story. Both of them were startled when Patty knocked on the door demanding to know if they were coming down for the dinner rush. Sanji went back to work, throwing himself into the bustle of a busy kitchen.

When the Restaurant emptied and the guests were cleaned up after, Sanji was shocked to notice the Baratie was turning. They usually just floated with the current from one end of the East Blue to the other only steering to avoid large storms, reefs and to stay in deep waters, not hover close to islands. Every two years or so they would get a glimpse of the Red Line and Zeff would have them turnabout and catch the East Stream or the West Current, so they were pulled in the opposite direction. It made their course predictable enough for customers to find them, but their exact coordinates were largely based on the whims of the ocean. A full turn usually indicated trouble.

“Is it a storm?” Sanji asked Carne as the other chef came to restock the produce bins.

“Nah. Owner Zeff said something about a special customer.”

“We don’t change course for a damn customer.” Sanji replied flatly.

“Maybe they’re royalty. f*ck, you don’t think we have to host some Tenryūbito?” Patty looked terrified at the thought.

“Hell no. Zeff discourages that by being so rude.” Sanji was a little panicked now.

He couldn’t recall any circ*mstances like this in the Before time. They couldn’t have done anything in the past three weeks that would affect the Restaurant. Right? He finished mopping the floors in record time. He ran up to the bridge finding Zeff bent over a chart with their navigator.

“Zeff?” he couldn’t keep the edge of uncertainty out of his voice and the geezer caught on immediately.

“Nothing to worry about Sanji.”

“Carne is spreading rumors about kings or World Nobles visiting.” He tugged at his hair and wished for a cigarette but there was no smoking on the Bridge.

The navigator snickered and Sanji whirled to give him a kick but Zeff tisked at him, knocking the foot down before he could even land a hit properly.

“That man is the world’s biggest blabbermouth. I can’t do anything around here without one of you housewives underfoot, gossiping and starting rumors.” Zeff tapped his peg leg against the deck threateningly.

“Then it’s nothing like that?” Sanji relaxed and leaned against the doorway.

“Nah. I just thought we’d head a bit more south, see if we don’t run into our special guests a little sooner.” Zeff smirked.

“Special guests?” Sanji shifted, confused.

The navigator was muffling chuckles and trying to look busy. Sanji looked back and forth between the two men. He clenched his jaw. This isn’t a joke!

“Relax, Sanji. I just wanted a chance to meet your Nami.” Zeff smirked again.

Sanji swallowed because he could hear the silent. I want to meet your Nakama. I want you to get you there as fast as I am able.

“sh*tty old geezer. Are you sure that’s worth turning the ship for? You’re going to throw off reservations for the next month.”

“Not my problem!” the old man lied.

“It’s your business! You will lose a ton of money!”

Zeff stared him down. Exasperated he threw his hands in the air and stormed away. He needed a shower.

“And she’s not my Nami!”

The gathering of chefs blatantly listening in made him blush. He kicked the lot of them down the stairs like bowling pins in retaliation. He could hear the gossips starting as he grabbed his towel. Housewives is right!

XXXxxx

Sanji watched the waters with anticipation. Zeff was the absolute best. He couldn’t believe they were sailing towards the Gecko Islands! Okay so they were sailing for the open waters some 50 nautical miles from the coast of the Gecko Islands, but nonetheless, they were going to meet his nakama part way!

He didn’t even mind getting the waiter shift and serving customers today. They at least had a small handful of actual waiters still working for them. Sanji only beat up half the rude customers when he could reassign actual waiters, not chefs, to those tables. Zeff actually complemented his ability to handle the pirate customers yesterday. Apparently sailing with Luffy had taught him to balance aggression and respect in a way that most of the pirates responded to. Sanji wondered when he had become diplomatic. It was a little terrifying.

A delicious lunch and a fresh breeze as they made way to see his crew. Sanji couldn’t imagine a better day on the Baratie. Nami would call soon. It was already two days since their last call. They would have just arrived at Syrup. It shouldn’t take much to handle whatever trouble was there, and then they would call to meet up and he could surprise them. I’m coming Luffy! Let’s do this!

XXXxxx

“So, uh with Klahadore gone… what does that mean will happen to the Merry? Did Kaya still offer her? Are we buying her? Oooh! Do we need to steal her?” Luffy looked eager to perform the heist.

“Sorry Luffy, I don’t think we need to steal her. Kaya and Merry said they owed me and asked what I wanted. It was so strange, because last time they knew you wanted a ship and gave it freely. This time I told them I wanted to set sail to be a pirate and asked if they knew where I could get a ship. It felt so wrong asking for her. Like I was taking advantage by asking for something so big.” Usopp looked uncomfortable and frowned at them. “They showed me the Merry and Merry, uh Steward Merry, he said it would be ready for me whenever I wanted to go. I could tell he wanted me to wait a few years. If I were actually fifteen, I might really have procrastinated and just practiced sailing around the island maybe. I didn’t have the heart to tell anyone I might leave any day now.”

“It will be fine Usopp. We’ll give you time to say goodbyes. I’m sure that Kaya is fine giving you the Merry. She would want you to chase your dream. I remember she was very generous and wished you well last time.” Nami encouraged.

“I hope so. I just feel a bit scummy about it anyhow. I didn’t save her for the reward. Merry is our ship though, our nakama. We can’t just take a different ship!”

“Definitely not!” Luffy declared slapping fist to palm. “If you didn’t ask, we would have taken her some other way. Kaya might like it a lot less if we sailed off with her ship without asking.”

“That’s true.” Usopp confirmed. “And stop implying you want to steal the ship!”

“But it’s Merry.”

“Kaya already said we can have her!”

“I just meant if we needed to do it, we would.”

“We don’t need to you idiot!”

“Don’t be stupid. I didn’t say we needed to.”

“Knock it off!” Nami shouted at them.

“Sorry Nami” they apologized in sync.

“Do you idiots think we should go and visit Kaya this morning? You’re packed and we can bring the ship around to stock it while you say all your goodbyes.”

“Yeah. Yes, let’s do that.” Usopp looked uncertain so Luffy hopped up.

“Let’s go! To get the Merry!” he cheered with a wide smile.

Usopp could only smile back. It sounded like an adventure. Luffy could make a walk up the hill sound like an epic quest. Although now that he thought about it like that, he was a little worried this might turn out like some of Luffy’s other impossible adventures. He didn’t think he could handle any unexpected trouble right now. He glanced over at Nami and Zoro who had identical looks of enthusiasm. They pumped fists and got to their feet, heading out of town. Usopp absently reached to pull Zoro in the correct direction and cringed a bit as his stitches pulled.

The swordsman was at his side instantly, running practiced fingers over his bandages and silently assessing his injuries even as they walked. Zoro gave a few small tugs to his wraps and it actually felt a lot better.

“Thanks.” He quietly acknowledged, not wanting to draw Luffy and Nami’s attention.

“It was twisted and putting pressure wrong. We’ll rewrap it when we get back to your place, yeah?”

“Sure. Sounds good. Thanks.”

“Eh.” Zoro gave a little shrug and looked away.

~

Luffy let Zoro attend to Usopp. He felt a little shaky at the realization no one had checked on Usopp’s injuries. He was used to Chopper being with them. Their reindeer doctor was so attentive to every small injury that Luffy was comfortable just continuing as normal unless someone told him they couldn’t do tasks. Chopper was very upfront about any injuries that would hinder one of the crew in a fight or just playing on deck. Everyone knew Luffy had trouble judging normal limits. It was like Nami’s fever all over again. He was neglecting his crew and they were hurting for it. He needed to do better.

Luffy tried to regain his positivity. He was going to get the Going Merry. They would have their ship and Usopp would paint their flag and they would be the Strawhats again. He could set sail for Sanji and the Grand Line. I am the man who will be King of the Pirates. I have the best crew in the world, here and waiting for me.

He turned to Nami who was also pretending not to notice their friends. He reached out and pulled her close.

“We’re going to be sailing free! The freest crew in the world.” He promised her.

“Naturally!” Nami leaned into him and reached back.

Usopp grabbed her hand immediately and pulled Zoro along so they were walking four across and tangled in each other.

“We’re going to trip.” Zoro protested. “This is not comfortable.”

“Well if you’re so clumsy…” Nami challenged.

“I’ll show you clumsy. I can manage just fine! I just don’t want to fall on my face when you bring down the whole line.”

“Me?” she shouted back at him.

Luffy laughed, clear and bright. His nakama were so funny. He looked to the bright blue sky as the gentle weather called him to the sea. It would be a good day to be on the water. His heart soared and he just couldn’t wait to see full sails and bright decks.

“Let’s go!” he released Nami and took off at a slow run, bouncing back to his friends and swinging off trees as he tried to be conscious of the injured members of their party. Zoro understood him perfectly and set a casual run pace that stayed steady as Nami raced ahead and fell behind and Usopp stayed close to the swordsman. Luffy grinned and tried not to stray or push. He stopped to pet some goats and considered riding one but Usopp was telling him to leave the animals alone.

They made it to the manor quickly and Usopp was welcomed at the gate. The small sniper blushed and fidgeted under the attention of the two guards. They were letting the group inside before Usopp even finished explaining. The gardener waved sheers at them and someone was there to open the door at their approach. Luffy approved. His sniper deserved the recognition and should be praised for his efforts. They were guided to a small sitting area with pretty furniture that was stiff and not comfortable at all. Nami was looking around with barely contained money eyes. He wasn’t worried, she only liked stealing from bad guys and rude people, like marines and some pirates. Zoro looked tired and uncomfortable in the little chair. Thankfully, a blond girl entered quickly.

“Usopp!”

“Kaya!”

“Is it true? You’re really setting out with these strangers?” she looked teary eyed.

“Where did you hear that?” Usopp looked shocked.

“Greg-san said that his brother heard from his neighbor that Pepper-chan came home talking about how his Captain was leaving the island and already had a crew.”

“Wow. You guys sure know how to spread news.” Nami commented.

“Nosy.” Zoro muttered.

“But where did Pepper hear that? I didn’t see him at all yesterday!” Usopp protested arms waving.

“It’s not true then?” she asked hopeful.

“Uh… well, actually, it’s a fairly accurate description.” Usopp looked thoughtful.

“Pepper is the little one?” he indicated someone ankle tall and made finger glasses.

“No, he’s the one with green hair, kind of pointy at the top.” Usopp corrected absently. “But where did he… wait a minute. Luffy! What did you do?”

“What?” he sat back against the couch, confused. “I did something? I don’t think I did.”

“Luffy,” Nami started in her danger-sweet voice “what did you do on your walk yesterday?”

“I…walked?” he was sweating a bit, suddenly uncertain.

“And did you see or talk to anyone?” she asked.

“Uh…sure. I played follow-the-leader with some kids, but this old guy thought I was lost and tried to send me to some lady’s house. Then I told him I was staying with you and that you were going to sail with me!”

“Luffy!” his crew all despaired.

“You didn’t think that was important to mention?” Nami questioned.

“What for?” Luffy tipped his head in confusion. “You already knew I wanted Usopp to leave with us and you were staying at his house too.”

“I think she means how you went and told people.” Usopp used his explaining voice.

“I don’t get it.” His eyebrows came together as he tried to understand what the problem was.

Kaya giggled at their antics, breaking the Strawhats out of their fight. Luffy smiled widely at her. Just like Usopp, she was littler than he remembered. This girl was responsible for giving them the Merry and for being Usopp’s friend for many years. She was a special person. She blinked at him a moment, then gave a smile of her own, soft like Makino.

“Hi. My name is Monkey D. Luffy and I’m going to be King of the Pirates. Usopp is my sniper. He is going to join my crew and be the Bravest Warrior on the Sea.” He explained easily.

“Oh!” She stared at him with big eyes for a moment. “That’s wonderful!”

“Yeah! But… what part exactly?” he asked a bit thrown. All I did was introduce myself. She’s supposed to say her name. Did I do it wrong?

“Don’t mind him.” Nami cut in. “Our captain doesn’t really notice when he makes sweeping declarations of loyalty and affection. My name is Nami and this is Zoro.”

“Oh, how rude of me! I’m Kaya. Wait, did you say Nami?” she blinked before looking at Usopp who suddenly looked nervous. “You weren’t raised on a cloud island by chance?”

“What? No. I was raised in Cocoyashi.”

“Right of course, sorry, that was silly.” Kaya blushed.

“I traveled on a cloud island for a time though. Why do you ask?” Nami pushed.

“It’s just so like the stories!” Kaya looked at Usopp who had his face buried. “Stormchaser Shami controlled lightning and could conquer any storm. She was in Usopp’s best stories!”

“He’ll have to tell me all about those.” Nami replied with a dangerous smile.

Luffy laughed again. Zoro snorted and smirked at Nami. Kaya looked confused but smiled at them all. Luffy leaned forward with an eager expression.

“Is it true you’re giving us a ship!?”

“Luffy! Show more tact!”

“No, it’s fine.” Kaya assured them. “Yes, Usopp saved my life and I promised him a ship when he is ready to set sail. The Going Merry is small but she’s a good ship. I can send Merry to bring her around to the North shore.” She looked up at the sheep-butler and Luffy watched them nod.

“At once Miss Kaya.”

“Are you guys really going to set sail now?” she questioned suddenly. “We would be happy to host you here or to find you a house in the village. You can stay for as long as you like. A few months, years even. It might be a good idea to … to do some study… or something… before you set out.”

Luffy watched her blink back tears.

“Kaya.” Usopp took one of her hands. “The sea is calling, and we must go. I’m sorry to leave you. I had so many stories to tell. I promise to come back some day. When Luffy is King and we’ve conquered the Grand Line, I’ll come back with stories so wild you’ll think they must be lies.”

“Oh Usopp. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry about Klahadore and how you were hurt. You don’t have to leave!” she gave a little sob.

“It’s okay Kaya! You have nothing to apologize for! You’re my friend. I’m not leaving because of anything that you did or anything that happened. It’s just time. I have to follow my dream.”

“With these people? I’ve never seen them before. I thought you wanted to be the Great Captain Usopp? Are you really going to follow this boy instead?”

“Yes.” Usopp said simply.

Luffy was bouncing with pride. Usopp sounded so resolute.

“He’s going to take this world by storm Kaya and I’m going to be there for it!” he grinned. “You’ll see. Watch the papers. You’ll hear wild tales about the Brave Warrior of the Sea, Usopp. You’ll be proud to know me.”

“I already am.”

“Aw. Kaya!” Usopp looked away with a blush. “Anyways you have to chase your own dream while I’m gone. I know you can be strong.”

“My own dream…” she looked thoughtful. “For so long I couldn’t seem to do much of anything for myself. You were my happiness Usopp. I don’t know how I can brave the days without you here.”

“You’re stronger than you know.” Usopp encouraged. “You can do anything you set your mind to.”

“I’m not sure.”

“Then trust me.” Usopp said simply. “Trust that I know you can do it. Tell me Kaya, if you could do anything, what would you do?”

“I would… I want… If I could dream it, I would be a doctor!” she finally declared.

Luffy whooped throwing his hands up. Nami and Zoro joined his cheer as Usopp shouted that they were ruining a moment. Kaya went pink then laughed. Luffy gave her a bright smile and she smiled back.

“Come. I’ll show you to your ship. It’s a good day for a walk.” Kaya stood, blue dress swaying, and pulled Usopp by the hand.

The Strawhats followed at their heels, thrilled. The Merry. We’re going home.

The walk was too long and too short. They reached the downward slope, and the anticipation was too much. Luffy wanted to charge ahead but was terrified it wouldn’t be the same. He looked and there she was. Merry smiled at them, sheep figurehead proud and unmarred. She was pristine with shining white rails, smooth brown wood, and neatly furled sails. Reverently, Luffy approached and placed his hand on her hull.

“Hello Merry. I promise, we’ll take good care of you. You don’t know it yet, but we’re going to be family.” He whispered softly so only the ship would hear.

With the utmost care, he gently stroked the ship’s side. He looked to his crew watching him and waiting at the gangway planted in the sand. He gave a little nod and they rushed aboard touching and exclaiming. Usopp pulled Kaya along, letting her share this moment as they took in the ship that was so familiar. Each of them offered her their thanks. Nami listened patiently as the sheep-like butler explained the rigging she was so familiar with. Luffy took a seat in his special spot and looked to the sea.

Zoro was the first to wander off the ship. Luffy watched him walk over to their little boat and open the little cabin. His first mate grabbed a stack of Nami’s important map boxes and carried it back to the Merry. He grinned. Zoro was so practical. The sheep-butler was also watching and moved to make the return trip and help Zoro. Luffy grinned and jumped down. He carefully carried a tangerine tree as the two men grabbed boxes. Usopp, Kaya and Nami were soon helping as well. The little boat was quickly emptied.

“Is this all you have?” Kaya sounded alarmed.

“Usopp has a bunch of stuff.” Luffy waved. “And we are going to resupply now that we have a real ship. We need plenty of meat for a long journey, and paint so we can do the jolly roger.”

“Not to mention the other essentials.” Nami added wryly. “We will probably spend the day in the village gathering what we need.”

“You can come if you like.” Zoro gave a shrug, his tone indifferent.

“I’d love that!” Kaya insisted.

“Miss Kaya, please. Let me go fetch a cart. You’ve been exerting yourself all morning!” the butler fussed.

“I suppose.” She looked distraught but also pale.

Luffy worried a bit, remembering she was sick or something. Usopp was also looking pale.

“It would be good for you too Usopp.” Luffy commented bluntly.

The others looked at the sniper obviously also remembering his injuries. Usopp ducked and pulled his hat down.

“We probably shouldn’t have let you two move boxes.” Zoro agreed.

“Thank you for thinking of a cart!” Nami latched on to the man. “That was very clever of you.”

“No problem at all Miss!” he assured looking nervous. “I’ll just go do that and we’ll get you all sorted.”

Luffy stretched a long arm to give the ship a pat. He had Usopp and now Merry. Next, Sanji.

Chapter 9: Let’s get Sanji!

Chapter Text

Chapter 9 Let’s get Sanji!

.

“Aren’t you the Pirate Hunter Zoro?” another shopkeeper asked.

Zoro twitched and growled, “Not anymore. I’m a pirate.”

The shopkeeper looked doubtful and edged away from him. She was a middle-aged woman selling leather goods. Luffy needed new sandals and Usopp wanted to get a few pairs of boots in a larger size than he currently wore. Nami was admiring belts.

“You should be careful with that one Usopp. He’s a bounty hunter. He’s turned in dozens of pirates. Are you sure you want to sail with that man?” the whisper was not as quiet as she clearly imagined.

“Rayna-sama, it’s fine! He’s a Strawhat and a good guy.” Usopp assured quickly.

Zoro dropped the shoes he was looking at and walked out with a huff. It seemed like half the town recognized him from the papers. Unlike in Cocoyashi, these people were determined to believe the worst of his character. He’d been accused several times of trying to lure Usopp in or turn them over to the Marines. Pointing out that none of them had bounties did nothing. He was the oldest of the group and a famous swordsman. That seemed to be reason enough to suspect him of devious motives. He leaned against the side of the building, stroking his swords to find his calm.

“Aren’t you that famous pirate hunter?”

“Let’s go Zoro!” Luffy was holding his arm and walking away from the shop.

He grit his teeth and let his captain take the lead. He was not going to draw his sword here. He was not. Zoro let himself be pulled into the next shop. A shop that appeared to be selling dyes and perfumes.

“Luffy?” he questioned.

“Ne, Zoro, do you think we could dye Usopp’s hair green? That would be so cool!” Luffy bounced a little looking around.

“Our dyes are not intended for use on hair and skin!” the shop owner protested.

“Ugh. How boring.” Luffy stuck his tongue out at the man and pulled Zoro back out onto the street and into the next shop.

“Captain, what are you doing?” Zoro asked bemused.

“Shopping!” the small brunet declared.

“Is this really how you shop?” Zoro asked looking around the women’s clothing shop he’d been dragged into. “Just going into every store?”

“Only when there’s no marketplace.” Luffy nodded. “How do you find all the things you need if you don’t look?”

If Zoro didn’t know his captain was completely serious he would think it was a prank. He suddenly understood why Luffy was so happy to let everyone else do the shopping.

“Usually shops sell one kind of thing. You look for shops that have what you want displayed in windows or on their signs.”

“Really?!” he bounced a little as they wandered out of the shop. “That’s so smart! I usually just shop for food and you can sniff that out easy.”

“Let’s catch back up with Nami and Usopp, yeah? They can show you how it’s done.” He gave his captain a fond smile and wondered again about how and where he was raised.

Having met two of his brothers and a grandfather, Zoro still had no clear picture of Luffy’s past. It didn’t matter though. His captain was the kind of man he’d follow anywhere. Including, apparently, women’s clothing shops.

XXXxxx

Setting out from Syrup was a very different experience. It seemed like the entire village turned out to see Usopp off. His heroics had captured the good will of the villagers, but even more came by with sendoff gifts and stories of Usopp’s childhood. The Merry was well provisioned and Nami spent the evening before talking deals and discounts that Luffy didn’t care about.

The villagers cheered and played music while the Strawhats sailed out. Usopp had already taken the time to paint their flags. He had the paints ready to do the sail later if the weather permitted. Luffy sat in his special spot and listened to the sendoff as Nami called orders and took the helm.

“Let’s go! We’re off to see Sanji!”

His crew scrambled for a few minutes until the sails were set and Nami was slipping the ties on the helm. Luffy hopped down and gathered the crew around their large den den mushi. Someone had decorated over Arlong’s mark with a stylized sheep head and given the snail a little hat. Luffy adored it. So cool!

“Nami, let’s do it. Give Sanji a call!”

“A call?” Usopp questioned. “He has a snail?”

“He’s in the Restaurant!” Nami yelled at him.

“Oh yeah, they take reservations by transponder snail, don’t they?” Usopp looked thoughtful.

“Idiots!” Nami snapped.

“Just call already!” he urged.

“I’m calling!”

Purupuru purupuru

“You’ve reached the damn restaurant you filthy bastards, want a reservation?”

“Oooh! Yes, meat!” Luffy was already drooling.

“Actually, we wanted to talk to Sanji first, please.” Nami cut in quickly.

“Is that Miss Nami! - Oy Boss, it’s Miss Nami. Shut up you bastards, I’m talkin’ here. - It is so good to hear from you Miss Nami!” the chef shouted most of this directly into the receiver.

“Right.” Nami sweat dropped.

“Now tell me- hey!”

“Hello, Nami-kun?” a different voice picked up the phone.

“Who is this?” Nami asked frazzled. “I’m looking for Sanji.”

“This is his boss, Zeff.” The man took over the call. “I presume you are calling because you are finally free to visit our fine establishment?”

“Y-yes, sir. I was hoping to speak to Sanji… “

“Sanji can come to the phone in a minute. I hear you’re a navigator?”

“That’s right.” She looked at Luffy for advice. He grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

“I’m going to put my navigator on the phone to give you our coordinates and heading. I expect to see you very soon.” The man spoke with an edge of threat.

“We’ll be there.” She answered firmly.

The receiver traded hands again and a third man was on the line rattling off a string of nonsense numbers. Luffy glared at the snail. Nami was gaping and making a strange noise. Luffy glared harder. The snail began sweating even as it rattled off more gibberish.

“Are you sure that’s accurate?” she asked in a strangled tone.

“Teach your grandmother to boil eggs.” The man snapped.

“Did you get all that, girly?” Zeff returned to the call.

“I believe we can meet you tomorrow, for dinner. Possibly breakfast the next day if the weather turns in the East Current.”

“You think so?” the chef sounded noncommittal.

“I know so.” Nami snapped back. “If your navigator gave me accurate coordinates I’d bet on dinner. You have any availability?”

“You show up and you’ll get a table.”

“You can expect four of us.” Nami declared.

“Aye. We’ll be waiting.”

“Can we speak to Sanji now?” Luffy interrupted impatiently.

There was a strange laughter, and the receiver was passed again.

“Please hold you sh*tty customer.”

“If I don’t hear Sanji’s voice soon…” Nami threatened.

“Sweet Nami-swannn! You’re so wonderful when you are threatening people!”

“Sanji-kun!” Nami returned with a smile.

“Sanji!” Luffy called. “I’m coming to get you!”

“I’ll be waiting, Luffy.” Sanji promised.

“Sanji!”

“Usopp! It’s great to hear from you! How were things back home?”

“Messy, to be honest. I have so many stories for you! Let me tell you about the time…”

“Not now.” Zoro interrupted. “Watch your back you sh*tty cook. I hope you’re packed and ready. We’ll be getting there sooner than we thought.”

“Mind your own business moss for brains. You can damn well wait if you need to.”

Luffy laughed.

XXXxxx

Zoro was on night watch, keeping an eye on the horizon for unfriendly ships or uncertain weather. Being in the East Blue was strange. He was expecting frequent checks with the log pose and random bursts of hale or candy tornadoes. Instead Nami had all but guaranteed the weather and temperature. He was just circling the deck to check the aft view when Luffy came up from the boys’ dorm with a big blanket. The teen gave him a nod and wandered to the bow of the ship. Zoro made a quick check of the aft view, listening carefully for a splash if the captain fell in. He circled back around absently checking the lines and lifeboats. Everything seemed to be in order. He made his way to the front of the ship and found Luffy tucked against the hull instead of out on his usual seat.

“Evening Captain.”

“Zoro. How’s watch?”

“All clear.”

“That’s good.” Luffy sounded tired.

“You good?”

“It’s too quiet. Too many people missing. I keep listening but I can’t hear them breathing so I look to check and it’s empty hammocks.” Luffy shivered and tugged at the brim of his hat.

“Yeah.” Zoro knew there was nothing else to say.

He moved forward a few more steps so he could sit on the rail with his legs against his friend. Before he could do more Usopp was peeking out of the dorm. The full moon lit the deck like daylight and the sniper easily spotted them. After a moment he disappeared back inside. Luffy gave a heavy sigh but before he could speak Usopp was coming back out with his own blanket and two pillows. Zoro smiled and waved him over.

“It seemed like a good night for stargazing.” Usopp began, unable to approach quietly. “I see you had the same idea. You know I once sailed the entire length of the East Blue using only the stars to guide me?”

“Really?” Luffy was instantly enthralled.

Zoro scoffed but grabbed both pillows, arranging them at his feet. Luffy shifted to lay down and Usopp took the other, feet going the opposite direction. Usopp wove an increasingly ridiculous tale that involved sea kings, fishmen and a princess. Luffy encouraged the story at every pause and dramatic turn. The two were laughing when Nami stuck her head out of the cabin. She took one look at the boys and turned around.

He wasn’t entirely surprised to find that she was gathering her own bedding. Nami joined them without comment tucking herself on the other side of Luffy with Usopp’s head between them. When Usopp’s tale faltered she began naming constellations and sharing stories about them. As her voice grew tired Zoro took up a tale about a famous swordsman who traveled with a shadow dog whose coat was made of stars. When all three were sleeping lightly, Zoro gave the ship another check. He watched them stir uncomfortable as he returned.

Without a thought he took up reciting a list of sword techniques commenting on application and practicality. The three settled quickly. Zoro returned his gaze to the horizon and talked. His crew were safe and sound while he stood watch.

XXXxxx

It was a good day. Nami woke up snuggled warmly between the boys on deck. The weather was clear and the wind driving from behind them. They would reach Sanji tonight. Possibly for the early dinner seating.

Luffy and Usopp were running around the ship trying to make it into their home again. Settling little touches around the ship like the nails for their coat hangers and a mat in the bathroom. The sail with their mark was full and proud. She had a new climatact baton, which was a serious downgrade from the one with dials or weatheria technology and she missed having her loyal cloud Zeus to supplement her attacks, but it was far more capable than she thought possible without those. Usopp surpassed himself once again. She was thrilled to practice with it after they collected Sanji.

She closed her eyes listening to the waves against the ships and the wind rustling her tangerine trees. The warmth of the sun against her skin was the perfect temperature. A loud snore made her laugh and look around. Sure enough, their swordsman was sleeping against the mast. Luffy had tucked all three blankets around and under Zoro after breakfast.

“Because you couldn’t join the cuddle puddle doesn’t mean you can’t be surrounded by the family!”

Zoro had gone pink and Usopp had protested the term ‘cuddle puddle’ but as with most of the captain’s whims, Luffy got his way. Seeing Zoro sleeping soundly Nami approved. She’d slept better last night than in the last three weeks. She hummed softly and wondered if it was the ship or the company. Either way she wanted another deck pile soon.

Usopp dashed out on deck running up the stairs and shouting about something. Luffy chased after him laughing. Zoro peeked one eye open before slouching further and apparently going back to sleep. Nami checked their heading and gave a smile. This is going to be great!

XXXxxx

There was no sudden appearance of marine ships or cannon fire to interrupt their arrival. Luffy fidgeted impatiently as Nami docked them neatly with the floating restaurant. Zoro hopped down to tie them off and Luffy pulled Usopp and Nami into his arms to disembark with a jump.

“Wait, Luffy!” Nami protested even as she grabbed on and lifted her feet obligingly.

They smiled up at the fish shaped Restaurant. The Baratie was mostly empty with only two other boats docked. Luffy couldn’t contain his excitement anymore. He set his crew down on the deck and made a dash for the front door. The door slammed open.

“Sanji! Meat!”

The restaurant seemed to freeze. All eyes turned to him. One of the waiters fumbled a tray. Luffy didn’t care about any of them. His eyes stayed on the kitchen as he approached in a slow walk. He barely noticed Zoro pulling Usopp and Nami to a table, sprawling casually. His eyes were locked on those doors. A blond burst from them, plates in hand.

“Captain!” joy and wonder on the young-looking chef before he covered it with a stern look. “You’re late.”

“I’m never late for dinner!” he protested immediately.

Luffy moved in to grab Sanji in a spinning hug, careless of the plates in hand. When one of them wobbled he caught it easily, dumping the pasta into his mouth in a single go without releasing his chef.

“Sanji!” he stepped away smiling. “It’s good to see you.”

“Good to see you too, sh*tty captain.”

“Oy cook, let’s go.”

“Food Sanji!” Luffy pulled him to the table to pass out the other plates.

The restaurant burst into motion again as the few occupants began gossiping and a waiter followed Sanji over to take their order. Chefs at the window seemed split between sharpening their knives and cooing over ‘Sanji’s little Friends’.

“Back to work you lazy bastards.” Zeff snapped.

“Yes Boss!” they chimed.

Sanji swept back into the kitchen placing a dozen order tickets before the cooks and sweeping heaping portions of soup and rice into bowls.

“You can’t actually expect them to eat all this!” Carne protested.

“They absolutely will.” Sanji affirmed even as he swept back out the doors with full trays.

~

Zeff watched the group of youngsters interact. If he had any doubts about Sanji’s tale this scene would have dashed them. They moved with familiarity. Sanji dodged long arm grabs as he delivered each meal. He exchanged barbs with the green haired swordsman. There were casual touches and invasions of personal space as they passed the food around the table. The curly haired boy actually tossed the empty breadbasket from the opposite end of the table and Sanji caught it with the ease of practice

The group was loud and irreverent but Sanji fit right in. The red headed girl offered Sanji a bite of fruit just before he left the table for the kitchen. His little eggplant took the bite and hummed softly as he made his way back to gather another round of meals.

The chefs worked quickly, chopping, sauteing and filleting. The order amount was obscene, but he knew his boy wouldn’t dream of overordering. There wouldn’t be leftovers at that table. Zeff hopped on the line moving from one station to the next as he insured a seamless flow of food. Sanji had chosen well with the list of dishes. Most of it could be cooked quickly and in bulk batches and a majority was matched to what was already partially prepared that evening. Fast and fresh was the key and his cooks whipped up a feast in short order.

“Who are these people?”

“That little one is a demon! Did you see him eat that entire salmon? It wasn’t deboned!”

“Sanji called that one captain.”

“Captain? What the hell? He doesn’t call Zeff Captain. Who is this kid?”

“I’ve never seen him before.”

“I would definitely remember feeding him.”

“Did they meet at the market?”

“Even if they did, how quickly did they get to know each other? We go to a different market each month!”

“That curly haired boy just dumped extra hot sauce in his ramen without even tasting it and Sanji didn’t blink about it!”

“What? He’s always flipping out on customers about not appreciating the flavor before applying condiments.”

“Seriously who are these guys?”

“The red head is Sanji’s Nami.”

“Did we ever figure out how he knows her?”

“It’s still a mystery. I know she never came here though. I’d have noticed a red head Sanji’s age.”

“Is it just me or does that guy look like Pirate Hunter Zoro?”

“What?! No way! They came in a pirate ship, didn’t they?”

“He does have three swords.”

“Don’t give me that sh*t. Anyone can carry three swords. There’s no way Sanji is associating with a bounty hunter.”

“Damn right.”

“Are they still eating?”

“Only the kid with the straw hat. He just keeps going.”

“It’s a good thing that we didn’t have a lot of customers tonight.”

“Is Sanji seriously waiting that table? He’s practically fawning over them.”

“This has to be a weird joke, right?”

“How did he meet these guys?”

“Why don’t you ask Sanji!? Clearly nobody here knows sh*t about where he met these guys!”

“Shut your damn mouth it was just a bloody question!”

“Don’t you think there are more important questions? Like, why is there a crew of child pirates pulling Sanji out of our restaurant?”

“What?!” the chefs ran to look out of doors and windows at the scene.

Zeff checked from his vantage point. The green haired boy and the little captain were still at the table eating and drinking. The other two were pulling on Sanji who did not seem to be resisting in any way.

“Back to work idiots, they’re not kidnapping him and if you burn those tartlets, I will flay you Patty. You lot have work to do.” He gave the slower chefs punishing kicks.

“Yes, Boss!”

“These guys are going to be docking with us for the night. They are Sanji’s friends, so I expect you to do them the courtesy of not starting any fights.”

“Do you know these guys?!” Patty asked.

Zeff raised an eyebrow and stroked his mustache until the pastry chef looked away with a blush. The others got the hint and began to look busy cooking or cleaning. Zeff nodded in satisfaction and walked out to the main restaurant. The kitchen doors barely closed before he could hear the voices start up again in a low murmur. Clucking hens the lot of them.

He visited the two tables lingering over desert for polite curtesy before stomping heavily over to the last table, still eating like it was the last food they’d ever see. These were the Strawhats. The captain and first mate of a crew Sanji claimed for his own. They looked like children. Sanji still was a child – for all he claimed to be 23. The captain looked up, and suddenly Zeff could see it. Those eyes were sharp and dangerous. For all his pose was relaxed, Zeff could see that one wrong move could be his last. The kid blinked, smiled, and the threat was gone like it never existed.

He didn’t survive on the Grand Line for being a fool. That kid was making a deliberate show of power. It was a flash of fang and nothing more. He could respect that. The kid wasn’t throwing his weight around. Just stating the facts.

“I’d like to know your intentions with my boy.” Zeff demanded.

The captain set down the piece of meat he was eating and looked up to give him his full attention. The green haired swordsman – yes that is Pirate Hunter Zoro, although more pirate than hunter now – sat up straight and waited.

“I intend to have Sanji be my chef and sail away with me on my crew.” Bold as brass the kid showed no doubt or hesitation.

“You think you can make him go with you?” Zeff doubted there would be any stopping his little eggplant.

The swordsman snorted but the captain frowned.

“I won’t force anyone to join my crew. Sanji will come with me because he wants to. Because we need him. He needs us. Sanji will come with us because I need the best chef to become Pirate King and I won’t accept anyone less. He will come with me to chase the All Blue and find it. I won’t be making anyone do anything. He is free and he always will be.” He made a little sound. “Of course, once you’re on the crew you don’t just leave.”

Zoro snickered at the complete contradiction. Strawhat picked up his meat. Both looked at him for a response.

“Well then. I suppose I should know the crew my boy thinks is so great. I am Zeff, known by some as Red-Leg Zeff, now Head Chef and Owner of this fine restaurant.”

“I’m Monkey D. Luffy. I am going to be King of the Pirates. Your food is delicious. I can see where Sanji learned it. He made the soup tonight, right?”

“He did.” Zeff was a little stunned the boy could tell, or maybe it was a lucky guess.

“It tastes like Sanji.”

“I don’t see how you could taste anything the way you’re shoveling it down.” The swordsman needled. “I am Roronoa Zoro, Strawhat pirate and someday they will call me the World’s Greatest Swordsman.”

“You will stay the night.” Zeff said firmly. “Your ship is welcome to stay docked with us for as long as you wish.”

“We can stay the night.” Luffy agreed absently. “Sanji deserves a proper sendoff. After that though we have other people to see and other places to be. We can’t just stick around here, even if the meat is delicious.”

“That’s fair.” Zeff agreed.

Chapter 10: Farewells and Adventures at Sea

Chapter Text

Chapter 10 Farewells and Adventures at Sea

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Chefs could throw a party. The music was loud and enthusiastic. No one was spectacularly talented but there was little restraint in the way they sang and played the hand drums and guitars. There was plenty of booze and juice being passed around. Zeff had raised the fins to keep the party outdoors, making the sea and stars their backdrop. The best part, Luffy decided was the games.

The Baratie attracted the rough and rowdy type of chef. They were excited to gamble with new faces. There were drinking competitions, contests of strength and skill. They played the knife game, although Zoro refused to let Luffy play that one. Bets were placed as they competed to swim laps, to balance spoons on their faces or knives on their fingertips. Luffy loved the way his crew relaxed and settled into the fun. Little Nami was in the middle of a drinking competition and looking much tipsier than she usually would be. Zoro was standing perfectly still on one foot looking somewhere between bored and determined as a chef stacked cups and plates on his head and outstretched arms. Sanji was playing a game that involved three balls and several mismatched nets, his hair still damp from winning the swimming race. Luffy wandered through the brightly dressed men nibbling absently at the plates of food. There was Usopp, sitting with a group as he spun tails. Every now and then one would toss something in the air and Usopp would fire his slingshot. From the sounds of the watchers, there were bets going around about when he would miss or lose track of his story. Luffy laughed. They clearly didn’t know anything about his sniper.

He bounced around the party, checking on his crew, dancing, eating. Luffy smiled brightly. This was a proper pirate party. It was a good sendoff for Sanji. His chef deserved to see his special people laughing and happy like this. He hummed softly and then went to see if he could carry a cherry on a spoon long enough to get it in the cup on the other end of the deck.

XXXxxx

Sanji looked over the room he shared with three other chefs. It was a good room. He’d really miss this place. His first-time leaving home he’d been all but pushed out the door on his adventure. He hadn’t really intended to say yes until the moment he did. This time around it was like saltwater in a papercut. He knew he was going to miss this place the same way he knew he was moving on to bigger things. It was a small wound, but it hurt so badly to leave. Sanji grabbed his single duffle and headed for the kitchen. He would have to pack his knifes.

He passed the doorway where he’d measured his height each year until he was a teen and ‘too old for that’, he ran his fingers over the bannister noting the changes in wood from each time it had been shattered in a fight and replaced. Sanji looked up at the chandelier, picking out the slight bend from when he’d tried to swing off it. There were walls he’d helped paint and stories in every inch of this place. He’d seen this place grow from the beginning. From an empty little ship with a lame cook and his inexperienced brat to a bustling business that attracted famous marines and pirates alike. No one went hungry in the Baratie.

“Are you packing?” Patty demanded as Sanji moved around the kitchen.

“It’s time for me to go.” He smiled and nodded.

“What the f*ck?” Simmer slammed his cleaver loudly.

“I’m heading out to sea with Luffy. He’s going to help me find the All Blue.” He explained with enthusiasm. “I talked it out with Owner Zeff. I’m going to be a Strawhat Pirate.” He smiled softly. “I’ve really enjoyed all the time I worked with you guys.” Sanji was starting to tear up.

“What?”

“Are you serious?”

“You don’t even know these losers.”

“I know they’re better than you assholes!” suddenly furious Sanji kicked out at the critical chefs.

“Good riddance I say.” Carne chimed in. “I’ve gotten tired of dealing with your sh*tty cooking.”

“What did you say about my cooking?” Sanji spun and pressed into the man’s personal space.

“I said it is crap and I’m done with it and you!” the man pushed back with a snarl.

“You’re not as good an actor as you think you are! My cooking is better than that swill you serve, and you know it!” Sanji huffed. “I can’t believe I have to leave this place to you incompetent bastards! You’ll likely drive this place to ruin and scare off the waiters to boot.”

“No one is forcing you to leave.” Simmer cut in snarkily.

“Unless they are?” someone piped up.

The kitchen went eerily silent. Sanji looked around in confusion before played back the conversation and realized they were waiting on his answer. Anger dissipating, he gave a small shake of his head.

“No one is forcing me anywhere.” He assured them in a gentle tone. “This wasn’t an easy decision but Luffy is an amazing Captain and I am so excited to be a part of his crew!”

“Who the hell is Luffy?”

“That bumbling kid lost almost every competition he was in and ate enough to feed a small army. Did you see that chopstick dance he did? He’s funny as hell but you can’t be serious.”

“Luffy is my captain. He is a man who will travel to the ends of the earth for a friend. He will take this world by storm and he will become Pirate King someday. He is my friend.”

The chefs scoffed and stared at him.

“Are you taking drugs?” Patty demanded. “I know teenagers experiment with these kinds of things but I though we got it through your head that”

“Shut your mouth, bastard!” Sanji slammed a foot into the pastry chef’s gut. “I’m not on any sh*tty drugs. Are you guys even listening to me?”

“It’s just that you’re not making any sense.” Carne defended.

“Yeah! These guys just came out of nowhere! When did you even meet them?”

“They’re all kids even younger than you!”

“I didn’t even know you were considering leaving! Didn’t you always shout about staying until the old man kicked it?”

“I did want to stay but then I realized what I actually needed is to go. To follow my dream.” To follow my captain.

“But like this? No warning, no planning.”

“So what?” he was getting impatient. This wasn’t how his goodbye was supposed to go.

“It’s not like you really know these people!”

“Of course I know them! You can’t think I’d just hop on the first ship to sail by?” he growled. “I already told you!”

“You haven’t though!”

Sanji gathered his knife set and walked out. He gathered his bags and loaded the Merry. Luffy was trying to talk Zeff out of supplying their ship with fresh meat. Sanji smiled. Zeff would grumble and protest but they would definitely be leaving here with a full fridge. His old man was a softy at heart.

~

“Zeff, I will never forget the debt that I owe you! Thank you! Thank you for saving me! Thank you for being there for me all these years! I will never forget you. We will meet again someday.”

“Sanji! A real man does not part like this with tears. Little brat! What are you doing!” Zeff was weeping openly. “Just go! … And Sanji, don’t die!”

Sanji laughed through his tears. “You can’t repay a man for saving your life by dying. I’m going to live!”

“Live well then Sanji! Go and find it! The All Blue!”

“I will! I will find it! Be safe!”

The chefs were all gathered at the rails teary and waving handkerchiefs. Several were shouting but Sanji couldn’t make out the words over the flapping of the sail as they turned the ship. The sea was calling. The Restaurant would survive. He would come back someday, sailing with the King of Pirates most likely, and repay his debt with tales of the All Blue. These men who had raised him, who taught him his most valued lessons, it was good to see them again. As hard as this time disaster was, Sanji was grateful to have spent three and a half weeks with the men who were his family.

Surrounded by his crew, Sanji smiled and waved. His nakama were the best people in the world, certainly. These cooks were the next best.

XXXxxx

“It’s amazing being back like this!” Sanji grinned, cigarette hanging from his lips as he leaned over the rail. “On the Merry, in the East Blue. It’s like a fever dream.”

“I know what you mean. It’s kind of horrific, being like this and without the others. At the same time, it’s just so wonderful.” Usopp sighed from his spot in the rigging. He held the netted rope and leaned out over the water daringly. “I don’t know how this came about but I don’t want to waste a moment of it.”

“Says the guy just lazing about.” Zoro grunted from where he was lifting his makeshift weights.

“I’m exercising my Observational Haki, actually.” Usopp chided.

Zoro gave a nod of acknowledgement and an apologetic noise.

“Not everyone needs to train constantly like you anyways, idiot.” Sanji couldn’t resist.

“Some of us actually intend to get strong enough to face the Grand Line, lazy cook.”

“Shut your mouth. We’ve all been training hard. Just because we weren’t together doesn’t mean any of us could forget what it’s like to face the enemies we have coming. I just want to also enjoy the time we have sailing this beautiful sea and being together on the Merry. I missed this ship. I missed eating Yellow Barracuda. There’s a lot to love about being here and now.”

“Mmm, can we have Barracuda, Sanji?”

“I have steaks prepped for dinner Captain.” Sanji confirmed with a smile.

“You guys don’t find it difficult being back on the Merry like this?” Nami questioned with a small frown.

“What do you mean? It sucks being 17 again but being on the Merry is the best part!” Sanji questioned. “Aren’t you excited to be here sailing her again?”

“It’s just hard having her back when we know she’s going to die.” Nami explained, her tone apologetic.

Everyone sobered at that and Zoro set his weights down with a quiet clink.

“Merry’s not going to die!” Luffy slammed his fist down angrily.

“Luffy…”

“No! We can change things this time. We will. We can be more careful. Do better repairs like Franky showed us. We can protect her more, better. She could take less hits, not let her crash as much. We can do more maintenance and hire people along the way if we need to. Whatever it takes! Merry’s nakama. She’s not strong enough to go all the way with us, but she can get us to Water 7. She can retire there or something. She won’t die this time. Not again. I refuse.” He looked around at his crew, all bright eyed.

Usopp was dripping with tears and snot as he nodded vigorously. Zoro was rubbing a hand over a rail possessively. Nami looked apologetic and resolved. Sanji was hiding his smile poorly by lighting his cigarette as he leaned against the rail.

“Ay Captain.” Zoro responded with calm acceptance.

“Retirement sounds lovely.” Nami agreed.

“How does a ship retire?” Usopp questioned. “I don’t want her dismantled.”

“Of course not.”

“No one wants that.”

“Old ships can be repurposed as homes- on land or in the water.”

“She could be used as a restaurant!”

“Or a casino.”

“Wait go back, a houseboat? Like with a family?” Zoro interrupted looking intense.

“Y-yeah. Sometimes they pull boats on land and brace them like houses, but lots of harbors have places where people can anchor semi-permanently to live on their boat without sailing it.”

“That’s a thing?” he demanded. “A family, like, with kids, could just live on a boat like that?”

“Hey Zoro, do you know a family with kids in Water 7?” Luffy asked with a tilt of his head.

“…maybe I do.” He mumbled eyes shifting away.

The crew stared.

“That would be nice!” Usopp redirected loudly when he didn’t continue. “I think the Merry would like little kids.”

“It would be a good retirement.”

“She would be taken care of.”

“Good! It’s decided.” Luffy beamed at them in relief. “Listen up, this is important.”

Everyone settled, looking serious.

“We’re on a mystery time adventure and it looks like there’s no going back. Things are going to change. We can change some bad things, and that’s good. He smacked his fist into his palm. “But we might also change some good things too.” Everyone looked properly sober at that. “We’re not heroes, we’re pirates! We’re out to chase our dreams and live free. I refuse to have a boring do-over adventure. I don’t want to re-live all the things we’ve already done together. I won’t. Even if that means we mess some things up. I want you to think really hard and choose what you think is important. We’ll decide together what to do. Take some time today. We are headed to Loguetown before the Grand Line and that’s a few weeks away. Our nakama are my first priority. After dinner we can talk. Maybe more times after that. I don’t know. But everyone should have a serious think. I’ll be in my special spot.”

He walked away before anyone could ask questions or throw out ideas. This is not the time for talking. Not now. He closed his eyes and pictured Coby, a pink-haired coward trembling but inspired enough to hit Luffy for his dream. He pictured that boy swearing to be an admiral and promising him to get strong. That boy in a snail recording shaming everyone into a standstill on a battlefield and helping to end a slaughter. Coby wouldn’t even be on Avida’s ship for another year. He’d be on who knows what island in the East Blue being an idiot and a coward. What would he be without Luffy? What kind of friend would he be to abandon Coby just because the pink-haired boy wouldn’t remember him? He sighed and watched the sea.

XXXxxx

“Hey, do you guys recognize that flag?” Usopp asked.

“What flag?”

“That flag there. With the hourglasses.” He pointed to the sail in the distance.

“…Where?” Zoro squinted in the distance, making out a white blur and not much else. It could be a ship, maybe.

“Oh, yeah, that looks familiar.” Luffy came up beside them with a spyglass.

“Pass that here.” Zoro held out a hand.

Luffy hummed another moment before passing the tool. Zoro took a look as Usopp shifted from one foot to another. There was something about that symbol he should know. It was clearly pirates but no one he could recall had hourglasses on their flag.

“It’s Don Krieg.” Zoro grinned. Through the glass he could tell it was actually several ships with more appearing on the horizon as they sailed closer.

“Don Krieg? Don Krieg? Why do I know that name?” Luffy scratched his head.

“Don Krieg,” Usopp covered his face resigned to his captain’s irreverence. “As in ‘Ruler of the East Blue’, “Pirate Fleet Admiral’, ‘Foul Play Krieg’, that guy who had 50,000 men? He tried to take over the Baratie after Mihawk kicked their asses in the Grand Line.”

“Oh, that guy. The one who attacked the restaurant after the cooks fed him. He was really rude.”

“Hey Luffy, let’s take them on.” Zorro suggested.

“Huh?” their captain frowned. “Should we really?”

“Sure we should.”

Usopp hated when Zoro gets that devil grin. It never leads to anything good.

“I want to test myself before we get to the Grand Line. These guys are supposed to have a fleet of fifty ships. Hawkeye wiped them out easily. We should be able to take them. If I remember properly, they were fairly weak, relying on numbers and fancy weapons with no real skill. You and Sanji took on a hundred of them with only a few cooks for backup.”

“Yeah, that’s right. It would be a good test. Plus, these guys are jerks so I wouldn’t feel bad at all kicking their butts. Hey Nami! Point us towards that ships, let’s see how many are in the fleet!”

“Usopp, can you set the deck to protect the Merry? I don’t want her taking heavy fire if they have fancy weapons. Load the canons and set your other weapons.” Nami directed as she adjusted their course.

“On it.”

“Actually…” Luffy turned to them and Usopp stopped. “Do you guys think you can handle them alone?”

“A-alone?” Usopp questioned.

“You two, Sanji and Nami. If I stay onboard, I can divert fire from the Merry. It would give you four more practice.”

“Let’s see what the fleet looks like. I think we can manage.” Zoro affirmed.

“Fifty ships are a lot.” Usopp tried to argue. “Sheer numbers really do put us in a bad spot. We can do damage, but they could overwhelm us.”

“Well, whichever way may be right. Let’s see how it looks. Zoro, you want to pick this fight to compete with Hawk-guy, right? So you’re in charge of this one!” He grinned widely. “I’ll back you up from the ship but don’t expect me to help if you don’t need it.”

“Thanks Captain!” Zoro grinned back taking his bandana and tying it on his head. “Usopp, you’re the sniper so you’re going the be the best at identifying targets from a distance, so we have a few minutes to plan strategy before we engage. Let’s set the deck. I’ll go fetch Sanji.”

“Tell him to hold lunch but bring some pre-battle snacks!” Luffy called

Usopp ran to adjust cannon angles, loading and preparing fuses. He secured the loose fishing poles and stored the sun chairs. Doors were latched and portholes closed. He listened to Nami as she shouted directions for hauling the sails to change their heading. By the time he was repositioned in the crow’s nest, Nami had her clima-tact in one hand and was guiding the helm with the other. Zoro and Sanji were both on deck doing stretches.

“Usopp call it out, what do you see?”

He took a deep breath. I am a brave warrior of the sea. Captain is counting on me for a fair assessment. No exaggerations this time. He thinks we can do this because we are strong. We are New World Pirates, even if no one knows our name yet. These guys couldn’t survive in Paradise. He gazed at the fleet counting and assessing.

“I only see 39 ships, not 50. Heavy artillery on all. The flagship is of course armed to the teeth, but I see some kind of specialized cannons on the outside ships port and starboard. The red and black ones. Actually, these guys look like they color-coded their ships. All the red ships with black trim are carrying heavy long-range weapons. Those should be our first targets. The ones with green trim all have really shiny decks like a protective coating. I’d watch out for some kind of fire or chemical weapons from those, but I don’t see an obvious launcher. Those should be your secondary targets. The others are too hodgepodge to see any patterns. The flag ship is definitely Don Krieg’s. I can see the gold armor from here.” He let his haki focus pulling his vision even closer as he looked for weapons and threats.

“They’re arranged in a wide formation, but it looks like they’re moving in closer to each other now that they’ve spotted us. Ten ships in front, then lines of eight, six, eight, four and three. It looks like those ships are preparing to maneuver but it’s too early to tell if they want to form a line or box us in.”

“Luffy?” Zoro offered.

“Right. Anyone thinking we can’t take them?”

Usopp swallowed but didn’t voice objections. Honestly if it weren’t for the numbers this would be an easy fight. No devil fruit users or any fighters that even matched Sanji or Zoro’s level.

“Okay.” Luffy tugged his hat low as he got serious. “Kick their butts.”

“Sanji how’s your geppo?” Zoro asked

“I can manage some high jumps or extend the distance I travel but I can’t manage a proper sky walk or hover yet.” He apologized.

“Got it. I can get enough speed to handle long jumps and I can manage several flying attacks and my dragon twister. I’m not up to my usual range but as long as we can end this quickly, I should be fine. If this draws out my endurance is not what it was. I would be stuck on a single ship.” Zoro assessed honestly.

“The two of us will go take those outside ships and work our way through the fleet targeting the red ones like Usopp said. It will take us away from the ship so focus on your own fights. We can look out for each other. I want to have a signal if we run into trouble. Ideas?”

“Take a smoke flair.” Nami suggested.

“Right. So Sanji you can get the red ones going out and the green ones coming back. Aim to disable or sink them quick. You can practice your close combat fighting another time. Today’s challenge is fighting against higher numbers and coordinating our attacks. I want to see those ships sinking fast. Break masts, tear holes and move on. Don’t get caught up in a battle if you can help it. I’ll be doing the same on my side. Nami do you have weather to work with here?”

“I could do a lot with this air, but I don’t want to set off a tornado if you boys are ship hopping.”

“Save that then for if everyone gets tired. Stick to lightning or whatever. Usopp? How are our weapons?”

“Armed and ready. Nami if you can pull up with the bow to the enemy that would be best. Then I can manage the forward cannon. The Merry only has one cannon per side so we minimize our target area this way. It makes us a little vulnerable to doubling pincer attacks but if Luffy is staying onboard to catch cannonballs we benefit more from starting small. I need to be below deck to fire some but I will show you and Luffy where I will be traveling between, so we don’t trip each other. I’ll start with the flag ship and the unknowns, so I don’t mess with your patterns.” Usopp gave a nod.

“Good.” Zoro smirked in satisfaction. “Here they come.”

The fleet had moved to make one long intimidating line with columns of ships lined up behind one after another. It was probably intended to be intimidating. Zoro only saw it as convenient steppingstones. A glance at Sanji showed he was thinking the same.

“Those masts are just about the right distance,” the cook used his suave-casual voice taking a drag on his cigarette. “How generous of them.”

“They’re practically inviting us over. Let’s not disappoint.” Zoro smirked readying himself. “Luffy, you want to give us a boost?”

“You are approaching the fleet of the Don Krieg Pirates. Surrender now and if you can pay the fine, we might just let you live!” someone used a speaker system to call out to them.

“Not a chance!” Luffy hollered back his voice cracking across the water. “My name is Monkey D. Luffy and I’m gonna be King of the Pirates. You are a lousy pirate, a cheat, and a bully. We’re gonna kick your ass. Gum, gummm bazooka!”

Zoro was launched neatly to the furthest left ship. He had to reach out and catch the mast to avoid overshooting. The loud crack told him he’d damaged something. Smirking at the startled sailor in the crow’s nest he pulled his three swords.

“Santoryu Hyakuhachi Pound Ho!” he was kicking off to the next ship before the flying slash even cut into the deck. Startled screams as the ship split down the center rang in his ears as he flipped himself over to the next ship and cutting it in half. He passed over the next ship to reach the red ship on its other side. “Karasuma Raven Hunt.”

This ship was the first of one of the lines of ships so Zoro changed directions hopping through the ranks slicing whenever he landed on either red or green. Flying slashes took focus and energy so after a while he switched to his flaming sword attack. He jumped from the burned-out ship and began slicing his way through the pirates trying to stop him. They were shameless in their tactics attempting trips and traps and firing at his back like cowards. Zoro didn’t bother taking them all on. He just plowed a path, dodging the bullets he could and moved to the next ship. The gas masks were not a good sign. Zoro maintained his momentum trying to hold his breath or breathe shallowly as he cut the mast and sliced through the few crew attempting a confrontation. Most seemed to want to let the yellowish fog to do their work. He had no intention of sticking around that long.

Seven ships down and they were starting to anticipate him. Pirates were climbing the rigging or aiming their guns at their own crow’s nest. Blood roaring in his ears Zoro aimed a dragon twister at the last ship in this line and looked to the next line of ships. It was two ship lengths from him, but he didn’t want to run back to the front and down again. He dropped to the deck of the ship he was on, as his twister dropped men and ship parts behind him. He chopped the mast, kicking it in the direction he wanted, ran, sheathed his swords, and jumped. He made it nearly to the next line of ships and easily swam the last length to the nearest. Using his swords to create hand holds he tore his way up the side. The idiots on deck just gaped open mouthed.

“Great Buddha Chop” he brought his sword down. Zoro didn’t wait around for them to pull together and retaliate.

The next ship was easier to reach and he sliced his way through the ships at the back of the fleet. The line of ships was moving forward steadily. He hopped to the next ship, taking in the horrified faces of the Don Krieg Pirates as the last ship exploded dramatically behind him. He smirked, eyes flashing, and brought his sword down in a slice. The ship began splitting in two down the length. He followed the cut as he ran from stern to bow and hopped over to the next ship. Careful jumps put him back at the top of the main mast and he sent a series of flying slashes down towards the ship, throwing himself onto the next one. Two down four to go.

This bunch hadn’t learned from their friends and he managed to take down four of the six in this line before someone started aiming up. Adrenaline and willpower carried him forward as he reached the front line and could see what was happening. The Merry was still floating proudly although one of her sails was badly ripped. Several ships were burned husks and others were slowly sinking even as they moved out of formation to advance on the Merry. He could see in the next line of ships over, Sanji was knocking down a mast and smashing the hull of a ship. Beyond him was another line of ships trying to move towards the Merry in a pincer move although it was partially in shambles. He’d taken out all but two of the ships in that line and Usopp had clearly landed some serious hits and stalled them in the water. One was even on fire. Sanji was aiming to take out the other half of the pincer and even as Zoro watched he moved up the line of ships towards the Merry.

To one side was floating scrap and the other side was the fleet command ship. Don Krieg was staring at him in fury. His golden armor stood out in the soot and sparks surrounding them. Sanji was slamming his way through the ships on the other side of Krieg. There was an explosion ahead and a flash of lightning to the side. Zoro could hear the pounding of his pulse and the laughter of his captain. He hurtled towards Krieg’s ship, swords in motion. He cut through rigging and crew. Most of the crew cleared the deck as they made room for a fight. Two familiar faces stepped forward.

A man in a weird round armor getup, Bubble, Ball, Pearl, something like that, was trying to intimidate by making loud noises banging the two arm plates together. Meanwhile the first mate, Gin was swinging his ball-on-stick weapons.

“Who the hell do you think you are? Do you know how long it took to gather these ships? I suppose I should be grateful you exposed how pathetic and weak these men were before I tried to take them to the Grand Line, but I am still going to have to kill you. No one makes a fool of Don Krieg!” Krieg was shouting. “Pearl, Gin, show them what a real Krieg pirate can do.”

“With pleasure Captain.” Gin ran his tongue over his teeth and charged forward.

“No one has ever injured me in a single battle!” Pearl bragged.

Zoro heaved a sigh and focused.

“Santoryu Oni Giri!” he sliced through the odd ball weapons, but Gin dodged away holding the broken metal handles.

Don Krieg played dirty, firing his pistol from the sideline, but Zoro was already moving before the shots were close. Pearl gaped at the action and began banging his shields together.

“Danger! Danger! Danger!” he shouted and promptly caught on fire.

Zoro just stared as he caught his own ship on fire as his fellow crew members tried to calm him. Gin launched himself back into the fight. Zoro rotated his blades rapidly.

“Santoryu Secret Technique: Three Thousand Worlds.” With all the power of his three swords he cut through Gin and continued on towards the captain.

Guns popped up from all over the armor and fired from shoulders and sides. His technique allowed him to block most of the shots although two of the weird spear bullets grazed his side. Gin dropped behind him, bleeding. He was unconscious or dead. Pearl screamed again. Zoro ignored him and continued facing the captain.

“Bull Demon Courageous Talons.” He lunged forward with the swords pointed towards Krieg, armament haki coating the blades.

Krieg laughed “This armor is the strongest…”

The golden armor shattered and Zoro felt no pity as his blades skewered the pirate. The men around him were screaming and staring. Some jumped overboard. Pearl lunged at him. Zoro smashed him with the flat of his blade, shattering the round plate of his front armor. The man fainted. Zoro blinked in surprise. He looked around. No one was coming forward. A few raised guns but he barely lifted his blade when they dropped the weapons and dove away from him. He looked around but the fleet was sinking around him. There were no ships nearby. He gave a shrug and decided to stay on this ship instead of sinking it.

“Hey, you!” he turned to the cowering pirates. “Got any sake?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“Excellent. Bring me sake, also any treasure and meat you have onboard.”

“Meat?” one of the men questioned.

“My captain likes meat.” Zoro emphasized.

“R-right. Of course. Right away.” They scrambled.

Zoro looked around. Most of the men were cowering or scrambling around. The deck was still on fire, but no one seemed to care about that. With a sigh he used a flying slash to wipe out the flames leaving blackened deck and sails behind. Satisfied he wandered around the deck to see how the battle behind was going. Off to one side a giant tornado whipped through ships heading away from him. On the other side it was pure wreckage. Nothing seemed to be intact enough to sail away. He continued wandering and came across a pile of treasure and food. He couldn’t figure out why they would bring it all here instead of the bow of the ship but then realized the figurehead had moved. With a shrug he accepted the bottle of sake the trembling man passed over.

XXXxxx

Sanji was launched to the ship furthest left. He used the momentum of the toss to take out the main mast of the ship he landed on. As the men screamed and scrambled, he launched a kick to their second mast letting it smash through the aft deck as it fell. He looked around and launched himself to the next ship using it as a launch pad and moving on. The third ship he reached was a red ship and he slammed his haki covered leg down on the giant gun sitting on the open deck. The metal bent and formed a small crater, rendering the gun useless. Sanji flipped on his palms and kicked out at the men rushing him.

With enough breathing room, he ran to the aft deck, blurring out of view and leaping for the next ship. This was not one of his targets, so he continued moving at high speed. None of the men seemed skilled enough to track his movement. He leaped for the next ship. This one was green and Sanji was pleased to slow enough to kick men overboard and cause some destruction. He kicked over both masts and shattered the doghouse before moving onward. The next ship in the line was another red and he enjoyed kicking their giant guns right through the deck. The new twin holes were rapidly flooding from below and Sanji enjoyed the panicked reactions as he moved to the last ship in this line.

He missed Sky Walk. Even more he missed his Diable Jambe techniques. He was not strong enough to maintain the stress of those attacks yet. His armament haki was not his strong suit either. Sanji watched as the line of ships to his right sailed forward in formation, presumably attacking the Merry. These ships were pathetically unprepared, and the pirates slow to react. Clearly, they were used to intimidating or tricking their opponents.

“Like bullies confronted with a real challenge, the lot of you have turned into a blubbering mess.” He criticized in a low tone before flipping over to the last of the moving ships to his right. “It’s pathetic.”

He kicked midair gaining a bit more distance, enough to grab the ship rail and flip himself forward onto the deck. Moving fast, he dropped a match into the barrel of gunpowder sitting out by a cannon and continued onward without giving the pirates time to even see him properly. He ran straight off the bowsprit and lunged for the next ship. Behind him there was a massive explosion.

“Ghost! Spirits!”

“They’re invisible!”

“It’s teleportation!”

Sanji smirked and continued his high-speed destruction. The plan was to take out the ships without fighting individuals. Sanji found it immensely satisfying to use speed and stealth to just wreck everything. He didn’t even have to show himself for more than a few moments at a time. He delt silent blows and flitted around to weak points.

XXXxxx

Usopp launched a volley of cannon fire as soon as Sanji was launched away from the ship. Nami was startled by the speed of it. The Going Merry didn’t have any kind of auto fire or cannon feed so Usopp was handloading the cannon, adding powder and lighting a wick fast enough that three rounds were fired before the first shot landed. She was less surprised to see the ship immediately floundering as a cluster of shots cut a hole just at the waterline. The ship listed port and knocked into the next ship, tangling their masts.

“Yeah Usopp!” Luffy cheered.

“Incoming!” she warned twirling her sword as the ten ships facing them all tried to fire at the Merry. “Gust sword!” she batted at a few of the projectiles and sent others careening off course with a burst of wind. She cursed when it only took out half of what she was aiming at. Those dials made a difference.

“I’ve got it!” Luffy punched at the incoming fire.

Because of course he did. She sighed and twirled her baton. Time to test this beauty. The ships were laid out in a T formation with a long wall of ships facing the Merry and a dense trunk of their fleet in neat rows behind.

“Thunderbolt Tempo!” she launched the attack at the bulk of ships, bypassing the front row of ships where Zoro and Sanji were visibly demolishing the enemy.

The strike hit the second row of ships, perfectly in line with the Merry and just behind Don Krieg’s own ship. Pleased with the control she aimed one row over and one ship back on Sanji’s side. The lightning struck the mast she designated with precision; the sails caught fire.

“This is great Usopp! I love the command!” she smiled devilishly. It didn’t have the destructive power of the previous (later?) models but Nami could do damage with the fine control.

Next to her Luffy inflated like a balloon and sent the cannonballs flying. She watched the line of ships in front of her. Only three minutes into the battle and six of the ten were collapsing or rubble. Zoro seemed to be cutting ships in half while Sanji was snapping masts and making holes in the decks. Usopp sent another volley of shots to the last ship standing on Sanji’s side. She didn’t see the hit, but she saw the way the ship buckled and started taking on water at the same time a sail shredded.

Refocusing Nami flipped the clima-tact. “Thunderbolt Tempo!” She struck down a third ship.

“Gummmm Gummm Jet Gatling” Luffy shouted near her ear.

She looked over to see something more like spears coming from Don Krieg’s ship. Luffy’s wind attack sent them flying in all directions including one that angled upwards and ripped through their own sail.

“Careful!”

“Sorry!”

She sent a gust of wind to intercept a barrage of smoking canisters. Usopp was slowing down his speed but still landing blows against the front ships. He managed to sink a third ship just as two lines of ships began advancing. Don Krieg remained stationary but the ships on either side began sailing towards them. It was clearly a pincer movement designed to pin the Merry and destroy the small ship. They clearly weren’t anticipating Usopp.

Most carvels, including the Going Merry, were designed with a stationary forward cannon. It was able to fire directly ahead with little to no range of motion. Usopp was a master inventor and sniper with years of experience modifying their sea weaponry. He’d done something with their cannon to give it an unbelievable range. Anyone who had paid attention would have seen this when he fired on first the left then right side of the enemy line rather than attack the heavily armored command ship directly ahead. Obviously, their enemy were idiots.

Usopp adjusted his cannon and fired blasts at the incoming ships. One of the ships went up in a fiery explosion as the sniper hit something that caused a reaction onboard. On the opposite side the first ship was sinking rapidly as it tried to limp towards them.

Nami tossed more lightning at the lump of ships further back but it was getting difficult to track her crewmates. She sent blasts of wind instead at the already floundering ships, tearing them further apart and fanning flames.

Luffy was shifting back and forth next to her. She could tell he wanted to join the action. She knew he would never say so. Luffy was resolved to protect Merry. He would not allow her to be damaged when he had promised his personal protection. Instead he seemed to have decided the best way to handle this urge to fight was to catch the cannonballs bare handed and chuck them back at the nearby ships like he was playing catch. Nami resolved to ignore this bit of madness.

The fighting across the water was winding down. The Krieg Pirates were decimated. Sanji appeared to be working his way up the line of advancing ships and Zoro had just appeared on the deck of the command ship facing off with the leaders of the crew. Nami looked around and spotted a grouping of four ships Zoro had missed in his path of destruction. She smirked. Perfect.

“Tornado Tempo!” unlike her first clima-tact, this did exactly what Nami anticipated. The wind changed direction at her command. Warm air pushed through the denser cold air pocket and the updraft began to spin faster. A funnel formed and extended towards the water sucking up the warm air. As it hit the water a spout formed and Nami watched satisfied as it grabbed and pulled at the closest ships. The boats spun like toys and slammed into each other as well as all the debris from the other wrecks.

Luffy cheered her on and bounced around the ship looking for enemy fire. Sanji waved them closer as he balanced on the sinking remains of one of Usopp’s victims. No other shots were coming and from the looks of things they hadn’t left much for these men to even sail away in. Luffy would probably find a lifeboat or two on that command ship for the survivors. Zoro hadn’t completely sunk that one.

“Hey Captain!” She called up to him. “You ready to go pick up our men?”

“Yosh! Let’s do it!”

She took the helm as Usopp emerged dripping sweat. They exchanged high fives. She directed the boys to let out the sails and eased over towards the wreckage. Sanji didn’t wait for them to get close, instead propelling himself towards the Merry as soon as they were in range. She adjusted the rudder and moved over to Zoro on the command ship, slightly more cautious.

“Captain” Sanji called out and gestured subtly off to one side.

Luffy dropped to the deck beside them.

“I saw them, but if they don’t want to fight, I’m ignoring them.” Luffy declared.

“Who?” she asked trying to see.

“Marines.” Usopp explained.

“They’ve been watching.” Sanji confirmed.

“That’s too casual!” she shouted at them all.

They exchanged confused looks and she sighed as she pulled over towards Zoro. That idiot was already relaxing against the main mast. The pile of treasure and food at his feet was impressive.

“OOOhhh! Meat! Good work Zoro!” Luffy congratulated jumping over and slapping the swordsman on the back.

“Thanks for letting me run this one.”

“It was boring, but you guys did great! You guys are sooo cool! And you even got us treasure!”

“Luffy, let’s clear out. They’re gearing up to do something.” Sanji was focused on something in the distance.

“Who’s that?” Zoro questioned looking around.

“The Marines sh*tty swordsman.”

“MARINES?!?” the pirates around him shouted.

“What did I say about quiet?” Zoro demanded.

“sorry sir” they whispered.

“If you can move this over there, we will let you go and fish out your friends.” Zoro gestured.

“Not there! Into our boat. Here!” Nami growled waving and gesturing.

The pirates looked between the two.

“Eh? What are you doing moving the boat around for witch? Whatever. Treasure goes on our ship.” He gestured again.

“It’s here!” she corrected again.

Chapter 11: Travels and Traumas

Chapter Text

Chapter 11 Travels and Traumas

.

Marine Captain Pudding Pudding gaped at the scene before him. This was not how he was expecting his day to begin.

“Cameko!” he shouted “Is someone using the camekos! Get visuals, recordings, images, anything!”

He’d been tracking the Krieg Pirates all week, trying to find an opening. He’d been specifically ordered not to engage unless fired upon, a frustrating fact. Pudding Pudding did not see the value in letting a pirate like this build up steam, especially a former marine bringing disgrace to their name every day he escaped Justice. He did understand that Krieg had some kind of chemical or biological weapon that they were unfamiliar with. The Marines could not lose face by trying and failing to capture Krieg. They would need a decisive victory. He was hoping to get a good read on Krieg’s destination so they could set up a trap or call in reinforcements. He had never imagined witnessing the Krieg Pirates fall to a rival pirate fleet. He certainly never expected…this.

“Do we do something?”

“About pirates fighting each other? Policy says no.” He peered through his binoculars and watched as Krieg’s mighty fleet fall ship by ship. He could just barely make out the twin forms of the men jumping from ship to ship.

“What kind of monsters are they?” one of the men at his elbow whispered.

“I saw a Cipher Pol unit do something like that. Maybe they’re undercover?” a young marine asked hopefully.

“We would have been informed if they were to cross our paths directly like this.” Captain Pudding denied. I protested this mission enough that if there was something like this in the works it would have been noted. “We have snails recording?”

“Aye Captain!” several voices called from along the railing.

A quick glance showed every available man holding snail or scope as they observed. Some were just staring open mouthed at the scene.

“Does anyone know that Jolly Rodger? A straw hat on classic crossbones?”

“It rings a bell. Something in the Arlong report.”

“Cut the chatter. Our job here is to observe and record, you can speculate later!”

“Yes, sir!” his men responded appropriately.

“sh*t is that lightning?” almost immediately breaking the focus.

Storm clouds were gathering directly over the fleet. Directly over. He watched as forks of lightning seemed to target specific ships, hitting the sails rather than any rods designed to catch that kind of thing. Four ships were struck. Four ships were burning and shattering under electrical blasts.

“Where did that storm come from?”

“On the deck, that woman is directing it!”

He turned his binoculars to the little ship where the little redhaired girl twirled a rod and brought it down. A thunder crash followed.

“Did their cannon just take out that ship in the front? How does it have that kind of field of fire? They’re in a caravel!”

Tactically that was improbable. Ships just weren’t built for that kind of weapons maneuverability. It would take a great deal of ingenuity and a lot of care to manage any real range of motion in a forward cannon. More likely you’d destroy your own ship trying. He watched the caravel take out a ship on the opposite side with a cluster of shots that he would have sworn were impossible.

“That has to be a devil fruit! That kid just swelled up like a balloon!”

The little boy with the straw hat was showing impressive physical ability as he singlehandedly defended the ship from a full fleet of weapons fire. Literally, as a giant hand threw punches at the cannon fire, and actually knocked them out of the air.

“Holy smokes that ship just caught on fire!”

“They’re all on fire idiot! Or in pieces!”

“Is that a tornado?”

“Can’t be.”

Men and pieces of ship were tossed into the air in a spiral of air that could, indeed, have been some kind of miniature tornado. The green haired swordsman was moving off that ship and onto the next. Pudding didn’t think that ship would last particularly long either. He tried to focus on the whole battle instead of the individual parts. It was a clear and decisive victory. None of Krieg’s ships were in position to flee, surrounded as they were by the debris of the battle. Any still standing were sinking, burning or both.

“That green haired guy is fighting Don Krieg! He has three swords!”

“Like the Pirate Hunter Zoro?”

“I heard the Pirate Hunter turned Pirate.”

“Chatter!” he reprimanded again.

“That’s a waterspout!” another man pointed out the obvious.

Pudding Pudding twitched. The entire engagement lasted less than thirty minutes. Thirty-nine ships and the infamous Don Krieg destroyed. By four individuals. He watched a sweat stained kid emerge on deck and high five the red-haired girl. Five children. He watched as the devil fruit boy with the hat, likely captain given their symbol, point to the two men. The redhead took the helm and sailed by to collect their crew. The blond showed off more of those acrobatic skills, jumping from the floating debris to his own ship. The four appeared to greet and congratulate each other with more high fives.

“Did they just loot Don Krieg?”

“They just decimated the Krieg Pirates and you’re worried about looting? Isn’t that what pirates do?”

“I mean sure, on land, but this was an ocean battle, and no one surrendered really. That ship is actively sinking! Who says, ‘actually before I leave this ship I’m going to take your treasure’?”

“Pirates do you idiot, how long have you been a marine even? I’m a little more upset about the girl who controls the weather, thanks.”

“Do you think she has a devil fruit too?”

“Gentlemen!” Captain Pudding Pudding snapped. “Get as many images as you can! I am contacting headquarters immediately. Prepare to engage.”

The men around him blanched and focused instantly. He didn’t like the thought of going into battle against such powerhouses, but they were trained marines. They were not unprepared. As strong as those pirates may be, they did just take on an entire fleet. They had to be a little tired from that… Probably.

He stepped into his office for privacy. His sense of Justice would not allow him to ignore the threat these pirates might pose. He would make sure HQ knew about this before he engaged, just in case. He regretted his call immediately, of course. His mission was recon, and he did not have the forces to engage. He was to hold his position unless the Strawhats acted aggressively. He was not going to pout about this.

Marine Captain Pudding Pudding watched as the Strawhat Pirates put three lifeboats in the water, evacuated the ship, tossed off life rings and floats then set the main ship on fire. As the surviving pirates collected their companions, the command ship and its weapons were destroyed. He watched as the five children circled each other on deck sharing back pats and eating snacks. The tall blond came out of the interior with a pitcher and cups. They were drinking water.

“They’re just kids.” One of the men beside him echoed his thoughts perfectly.

“Horrifying isn’t it. What kind of monsters are they going to grow up to be?” another commented in a hushed tone.

“They took the time to lower lifeboats. They could have let those men drown, or even just left them for us to fish out.”

“Speaking of. Let’s go capture some pirates.” Captain Pudding suggested mildly. “We were ordered not to chase the Strawhats but no one said anything about letting these men just row away merrily.”

His crew cheered and moved to ready the ship. At least they could capture someone.

XXXxxx

Nami loved the simplicity of the East Blue. It was so relaxing to be able to set a course and gauge the weather and just know that it would remain as predicted all day. There were no minute checks on the log pose. There wasn’t an hourly timer set to remind her to check the currents or weather. She didn’t even have to stay on deck during her leisure time to watch for random phenomena. She hadn’t realized how much pressure she was under until she was relieved of it.

Nami knew she was the kind of person to thrive under pressure. It was the reason she’d survived Arlong without breaking. She became more determined with each obstacle in her path. It was the reason she’d joined a group of pirates to see the world instead of traveling with merchants or scientists or bounty hunters. She’d accepted the thrill of adventure and was willing to put her life on the line for the friendship of this crew. She loved the constant awareness required to sail the Grand Line, and the way the crew would jump to trim sails or change course at her direction. They had complete faith in her intuition. There was a difference, however, between working under pressure and constantly working under pressure. It seemed like someone had just relieved her of a heavy burden and she was left limp and empty. It was a strange feeling. So she left the helm to the boys and was determined to have a day to herself.

Looking around the elegant room she stared at all the boxes she had to sort through. Sea charts and maps were stacked alongside treasure. There was a single sake box, mostly empty, with the cash her sister insisted they take. Nami had wanted to leave behind all the money but sailing off in a small raft was apparently less convincing than a flagged pirate ship. The fact that Zoro had personally acquired nearly half of it helped convince Nami to keep one of the cash boxes. She ran her fingers over the crate with a smile. She still couldn’t believe he’d shown up like that. She could believe it though. Zoro understood honor and what it meant to fulfill a personal ambition. However foolish, she had always wanted to buy back the freedom of her village.

She turned to the newest pile of treasure to be counted and sorted. Don Krieg seemed to be a tasteless cad. He favored gold and large gem pieces, impractical for most uses and none of it matched well enough to sell in proper sets. She found a handful of proper artifacts, old enough to fetch collector prices. Coins and cash all went into their proper boxes. She found a nice quality jewelry box and used it to sort the loose gems and pearls she found in various coin purses. She found the familiar weight of treasure, the calculations and re-calculation of value, very soothing.

Lulled into a comfortable pattern, it was a punch to the gut when she opened a box and instead of treasure found her own charts. Nami swallowed hard. She looked at the neat piles of treasure arranged around her. She would have to finish this task first. Finding appropriately sized bags and boxes to keep the treasure meticulously organized didn’t take half as long as she hoped it would. Nami was back to staring at her charts sooner than she wished.

“These are mine. They are mine. I drew them myself. It was my time and my blood and my skill that went into every one of these.”

In a different life Nami had slowly redrawn many of these charts from memory. She’d proudly crafted maps of the East Blue and begun to archive them to reference and keep as her collection so that one day she would map the whole world. In this life she’d had to walk into that chart room again. She’d had to sit with his hand on her shoulder like something out of a nightmare as he spouted details about currents and depths that she translated into a chart. She’d created new sea charts and realized that it was impossible to recall this amount of detail years later. She’d forgotten more about the topography of the East Blue than most cartographers would ever know. In the weeks she’d lived in Arlong Park she’d taken the time to look over some of her old maps. Some of them were embarrassingly blank or missing key aspects but most were good quality, good enough to archive. Sitting at her desk with her bloodstained mapping pens she was determined not to redo this work a third time. So she’d asked Luffy. Her captain had of course, delivered.

Years of work. Years of harsh punishments for any mistakes. Years of tears and study and gritting her teeth as they belittled her efforts as ‘good for a human’ when clearly if any of them could do better they would. Nami had demanded every inch of respect she could get. She’d worked her mind, honed her body, and claimed her position as part of the crew she hated. She’d refused to be a slave. It hadn’t stopped the reality.

Sitting at that nightmare desk and smiling at the man who haunted her nightmares, she’d hated the way he laid claim to her hard work. The proprietary way he declared her efforts as part of his empire. She reclaimed what was hers. Now she had six years of her own maps and charts. Books she’d studied over the years. Boxes and bags of random things that were in that room she now had to sort through. With shaky fingers she lifted the first chart. She would just focus on organizing them today. There were so many of different sizes, sections and scales she had no idea what was worth keeping and what regions had too many duplicates. It was like the treasure. Neat piles. Just sort and organize. She could do this.

XXXxxx

Usopp took one look at Nami’s pale face and decided to tell a cheerful story about rescuing kittens at dinner. Nami of course wasn’t listening and somehow his story had been egged on by Luffy and he found himself talking about lion cubs and a harrowing dash to freedom from an evil circus master. Slightly confused by the turns of his own tale Usopp concluded quickly and complemented Sanji on their fish dinner.

“I think we all missed the taste of the East Blue.” Sanji agreed. “There are so many delicious dishes in the Grand Line, but each sea has its own distinct flavor.”

“It’s delicious!” Luffy agreed.

“Mn” Zoro hummed, chewing.

“It should be a clear night out tonight.” Nami commented out of nowhere.

“Oh? That’s good.” Usopp looked around at the others. They seemed to be just as hyper-aware of Nami’s odd behavior.

“The stars should be nice then.” Sanji agreed.

“Yes! The stars!” Nami smiled at Sanji a bit too wide. “I think I’m going to watch the stars tonight.”

“Uh…” Sanji looked startled at her level of enthusiasm.

“That sound’s fun Nami! Let’s bring blankets and make it a party!” Luffy smiled at her reaching past to steal Sanji’s bread while he was distracted.

“Yeah!” Usopp hastily agreed, thinking of their last night under the stars not so long ago. “A quiet party though. More of a sleepover. Stargazing should be nice, like what we did before.”

“That sounds good.” Nami seemed to relax when they didn’t question her motives.

“Before?” Sanji looked confused.

“Cuddle Puddle!”

“We agreed not to call it that!” Usopp protested.

Zoro laughed and Nami smiled.

XXXxxx

Marine Headquarters stared at the panel of faces. Two were clear photos of smiling, cheerful children taken on an island. Monkey D. Luffy, a small boy in his early teens with dark hair and a single scar under one eye, flashed a grin and victory sign while Nami, a slender redhead girl, was smiling shyly from an orange grove. Roronoa Zoro looked properly fierce in a photo taken a few weeks back for a news article about the bounty hunter, the older teen was wearing a bandana and had a blade clenched between his teeth. Two blurry pictures, one of a blond, and one of a curly haired brunet, were half-heartedly titled ‘hitter?’ and ‘sniper?’. Each photo was matched with fuzzy battle images and a few after images of the destruction of Arlong Park. On the opposite side were bounty posters. Fishman Pirate Saw-tooth Arlong 20,000,000 bellies, Foul Play Krieg 15,000,000 bellies. There were smaller tags underneath each of these with additional bounty numbers for each individual crew member with a bounty, although the pictures weren’t included.

“This is a problem; I think you all will agree. It is beyond what can be handled by our branches in the East Blue. This crew has taken out two of the largest and most powerful pirate crews in the East. The Arlong Pirates were destroyed with a precision strike. There was minimum property damage and no civilian casualties. While Krieg has a slightly smaller individual bounty, these pirates took on an entire fleet with their one ship and were the victors. The Krieg Pirate fleet of thirty-nine ships, over forty thousand men last count, were decimated. No ship was left standing and Krieg himself was killed in the altercation. In this weak sea where bounties average 3 million bellies, both men exceed the 15 million mark. These Straw-Hat pirates came away from both confrontations unscathed. This first conflict with Arlong occurred with only a fraction of their already small crew present. It is confirmed that the Captain has eaten a devil fruit. This woman, Nami, has some kind of weather control, although it is unclear if this is technology or another fruit. These two are still a mystery to us.

“Their movement has been unpredictable, and we have not been able to trace their path or predict their next possible target. If these people were bounty hunters, I’d be congratulating them. Unfortunately, they have repeatedly declared their intent to pirate, and fly a Jolly Rodger. The captain has made it known he intends to seek the One Piece. We cannot let such unpredictability go unchecked. The next fleet they take down may very well be one of our own.

“I think it is imperative we place a bounty on this captain immediately and I would consider placing bounties on these two as well. Let us stop this villainy now before it has time to grow. I suggest starting the captain at thirty million bellies. It is completely unprecedented for a starting bounty, but I think you can see that this must be stopped before the crew can grow.”

“Agreed.”

“Can we get photos or names of the other two?”

“We have a branch on that, sir.”

“Let’s start with just the captain then. We can release bounties on the other four if necessary after they make their next move.”

“The captain should be the priority.”

“Shut him down.”

“Agreed.”

XXXxxx

“It’s called the Spires.” She explained over breakfast. “This set of three islands. They’re interconnected by bridges but the land itself is basically freestanding pillars. The locals have some kind of technique for carving out the stone facing and have built their entire community on the sheer rockface. It’s our best bet to trade some of this treasure in for cash before we get to Loguetown. I know you want to go there as fast as possible but it’s risky trading the treasure there because of the Marine base. The traders know it too so we’re not going to get great trade deals. They get plenty of pirates looking to offload loot and restock before the Grand Line.” Nami pulled out the map of the East Blue, showing Luffy the route. “If we want to go here, we have to head a bit more North, otherwise we cut West for Loguetown and the entrance to the Grand Line.”

“How much time will it add to our journey?” Luffy looked at the map curiously as he ate an apple with large bites.

“Only about two days, three tops. It’s not far from our current location and it shouldn’t take long to find traders and do a little shopping. It’s still too far from the Grand Line to do a full provision. We’re about a week out from the Red Line and we want to stock up well in Loguetown. It would be easier to do that with cash. We could make it work with the treasure though. We have enough, even a few bad deals would still get us well provisioned.”

“Nah, let’s go here. It’s a new place. We won’t stay long but it would be good to have a fresh adventure. We’re getting…” Luffy made a wiggly gesture with his hands that she couldn’t interpret “like overdone pasta.”

“I don’t know what that means. I’ll set the course for the Spires.”

“Yosh! Let’s go!” he hopped up from the table and exited.

She watched him head for his special seat before the door swung closed. She exchanged a look with Sanji. He lit a cigarette.

“Captain’s right as ridiculous as he is. We’re all under a lot of pressure and close to falling to pieces. We all want to charge full speed towards our friends but there’s a million problems with going at it like that. Our physical strength is one, practicality, but there’s also the fact that we’re supposed to be on a journey to achieve our goals. I think Luffy is struggling more than any of us with that. As Captain, he has always felt responsible for our dreams too. He hates how we’re passing opportunities by and he hates not having our nakama here and he is constantly fighting between the two. Three days is a small thing when it will take months, maybe a year before we make it to Thriller Bark and get our crew. That’s assuming Jinbei can join us at some point and Brook is the last.”

“Right.” Nami looked down at her place. “It’s easy to forget how much he pays attention to. Sometimes he’s so childish, it’s easy to think he’s empty headed.”

“Oh, our captain is a brainless idiot for sure.” Sanji laughed. “He’s just also the best kind of man to be a King.”

She smiled because that summed it up nicely.

XXXxxx

The spires were three tall rocks sticking straight up from the sea. Each rock was tall and steep, too narrow to be properly called a mountain and too tall to be considered less. Two of the three tapered to a point while the third was flattened with a cherry tree and greenery visible from a distance, the only spot of color in an otherwise formidable looking place.

Luffy ogled the land and admired the spiral stairs that twisted up each spire. He could see doors and windows carved out of the flat rock face at irregular intervals going up the stair. Long bridges connected the three towers at different levels, swaying visibly in the breeze. Complicated pully systems hauled white baskets from ground level into the sky. He marveled at the brightly colored dots, surely people as they moved up and down the twisted roads. As they pulled in closer Nami directed them to haul in sails and he hopped around hauling the lines while Zoro, Sanji and Usopp tucked and folded and tied all the delicate ties to hold the sails in place. He slid up to Nami as she manned the helm watchfully, a chart in one hand.

“Why not go there?” He pointed to the dock off to their port.

“This whole region is full of shallows. Those three spires are technically one island, it’s just mostly submerged. We have to be careful coming in or we can run aground. That’s why there’s buoys all around this area. They are markers.”

“Shishishi! You’re so smart Nami! I’m glad you know this stuff!” he squeezed her shoulder and bounced away. “Usopp! Hey check it out! Did you know this is all one island?”

He pulled his friend over to the edge so they could peer into the water and see the rocks. He couldn’t see much of anything, but it was fun to have the wind in his hair and Usopp at his side. He bounced a bit. He needed to be there. He wanted to climb to the top of that rock and shout to the world just as he did when he was a kid, that he would be the King of the Pirates. The impulse surprised him, but it felt like a thing he should do. He pointed the rock to Usopp.

“I’m going to the top of there. I want to go to the very top.”

“Wha? Okay, Luffy, just don’t fall. You’d go right into the ocean.”

“I won’t fall.”

Usopp looked doubtful but resigned. Luffy grinned at him.

“Are you going to come with?”

Usopp paled. “I think I have some particularly important shopping to do with Nami today! Sorry Luffy. Ask Zoro!” Usopp darted away.

Zoro who was wandering around the deck looked over in confusion. Luffy waved him over and pointed out the rock. Zoro shrugged and agreed it sounded like a good hike. Nami shouted at them to adjust the sail again and they jumped to do so. It was a good day for an adventure.

~

Nami carefully navigated the marked channels. She could see fisherman watching them warily and eying their flags. None of them spoke to them, either to offer help explaining the navigation or to warn them off. This was a test of her skills as a navigator. She could track the path of buoys and see where a few larger ships were docked, so she knew there would be a way through. She followed the trail calling out directions and even having the boys grab oars for a few minutes when they needed to move at an awkward angle to the wind. The docks radiated out from each spire like spokes from a wheel. Each spoke was painted a different color, faded by sun and weather. She took a minute when they got close and one of the fishermen pointed out the blue dock. Finally, they were docked. Sanji appeared at her elbow like magic offering fresh juice and sandwiches. A man was already strolling up the dock to greet them.

“Thank you Sanji-kun!” She took a bite of the cucumber salad sandwich, enjoying the cool refreshment.

“Anything for you Nami-san!” he replied cheerfully, already turning away.

She frowned at his back, but her attention was pulled to the man who was almost to their ship. She stepped over to Luffy, allowing the captain to speak.

“Ahoy Ship!” the man was broad shouldered and tall. He wore simple clothing although the colors were startlingly bright blue and orange. He was square jawed with a dark ponytail beard that matched his long ponytail hair, both showing just a hint of silver at the edges.

“Hey!” Luffy greeted back cheerfully.

“I am the local Harbor Master Dubray. Can I ask your business in the Spires, today?” his gruff voice was polite but firm.

“Sure! We had a bit of trade to do. I am Monkey D. Luffy and this is Nami, my navigator.” Luffy gestured to Nami. “Yes, trade, and some exploring too! We’ve never been to this place before.”

Nami smiled fondly at Luffy’s enthusiasm before she gave a brief nod in agreement to the Harbormaster.

“We don’t tolerate trouble in these parts,” the man warned “but you’re welcome to explore the paths and shops. Docking fee is 300 bellies a day. A day is dawn to dawn, so you get the night so long as you’re sailing early. For an extra 200 we can set a man to restrict the dock so only your people may pass.”

“You get lots of thieves in this area?” Nami asked curiously as she pulled out the coin purse.

“Nah, curious children more-like. They’ll swarm most visitors like little locusts.” He backtracked with a look at their flag. “Although they will likely give you your space, I’m sure. They’re harmless.”

“We don’t mind kids, but best they stay off the ship. It can be dangerous onboard.” She smiled sharply and passed over 500. “We don’t know how long we’re staying. Where can we find you if we stay longer?”

“I have an office there.” He indicated a door at the base of the spire. “My boys Pike and Ike can also take payment. You get a ticket.” He scribbled for a moment and passed over a little blue paper that was dated and had a quick sketch of the Merry’s figurehead. He pulled out a small book and scribbled in that a moment as well. “Any questions about the town you can ask a guide.” He stuck his thumb over a shoulder a gathering of brightly dressed men and women. “This is for you.”

He passed a small bag over to Luffy. Luffy and Nami peered inside finding bright blue painted rocks.

“What?”

“Those will identify your crew and any you want to pass the guard.” He made a hand gesture and t tall man in red and blue began cordoning off their end of the dock and setting up a small chair. “You can also give them to any porters you hire to bring your packages down to your ship.”

Nami smiled and thanked him.

“That was easy!” Luffy exclaimed.

“They probably get a cut of the porter and guide fees. It was way too cheap to dock here.”

“Well you can take the extras. Zoro and I are climbing to the top!”

“Have fun. Usopp and I are shopping. Sanji too I think.”

“Oy Sanji! Are you shopping today, or you want to climb to the top!?” Luffy questioned loudly as he bounced his way to the men’s dorm.

“I’m shopping for you gluttons. My kitchen is woefully inadequate. How did I ever work like this? I need at least three more mixing bowls not to mention…”

“Okay Nami has the gold, bye!” Luffy slammed back out with a laugh at Sanji’s curses.

“Sanji is shopping. You guys have the treasure. Ne, Zoro, did you get a pretty rock?” Luffy held up his own.

“Yup.”

“Then we’re off!”

The two men hopped off the ship, not bothering with a gangway and strolled down the dock. The guard hopped out of his chair and lowered the rope so they could cross easily, pulling it back in place after them. Luffy gave him a little wave as they passed.

“Do you have a challenge of the day?” Zoro asked.

“A what?”

“I’ve been setting little training challenges when I fight or go into a town. Sometimes speed or strength or to use only one kind of move.”

“Ahh. Like when you set up against Krieg and you said to destroy fast and cooperate.”

“Coordinate. Yeah, like that. It helps me train to set clear goals.”

“Today is about reaching the top. That’s what I want.” Luffy touched his chin. “I guess that’s not really a challenge for either of us is it. It’s not like we can just climb straight up, that would be challenging…”

“No, we really can’t.” Zoro looked at the spiraling staircase.

“Speed is probably a bad idea. Someone might fall.” Luffy didn’t mean either of them.

“And we don’t have the supplies to carry weights or anything like that…”

“Haki?”

“Haki? Yeah, we can do that.”

“I can keep my feet coated in Armament the entire way up.” Luffy said after a moment. “Holding it is much more tiring than it used to be.”

“It takes physical and mental energies to manifest. You have to work on strengthening those like you strengthen your muscles.” Zoro explained. “I’m going to do my feet and boots. Holding two boots is not too different than holding two swords.”

“Sounds good!” Luffy focused for a moment and coated his feet in the black armor as Zoro did the same.

They marched up the first set of steps with purpose.

~

Usopp smiled fondly as Nami haggled with a group of guides each offering a tour of the island spires. She had them dropping prices right and left and promising to show them the choicest spots. He had to admire her ruthless technique. He was a fast talker himself and could usually spin a tale to get a discount but Nami went right for the throat and had no problem walking away if she didn’t get exactly what she aimed for. Right now she was aiming for someone to show them around to the best traders. Sanji was tapping his toe nervously on the deck. Usopp knew he preferred an open market to enclosed shops. He didn’t know how the cook would handle the strange geography. He nudged his friend and smiled at Sanji.

“What all do you need for the kitchen? It looked pretty well stocked to me.”

“Sure, if I were cooking for a normal group of four, but not for Luffy-sized portions.” Sanji laughed “What we need are industrial sized pots, pans and bowls for preparing large amounts of food at once. As our crew grows so will our intake so we have to be prepared. I’m already using almost every dish in the kitchen to prepare every meal. Last night’s soup alone had to be cooked in three separate pots! We just don’t have the right equipment.”

“I didn’t even think about that.” Usopp nodded apologetically.

“Not your job, sniper.” Sanji ruffled his hair.

“Hey, knock it off, I’m not a kid!” suddenly reminded of his embarrassingly small stature, Usopp blushed and batted at him.

Sanji laughed and pulled at one of his curls before twisting away. Usopp grabbed after him.

“Oy, boys, we’re going!”

“Yes Nami” they chimed in sync.

Usopp looked over and stuck his tongue out as he followed Nami and a pair of twins with colorful mohawks down the dock back to their boat. One was purple and the other green. Both looked like athletes of some kind with plenty of muscle built for stamina not just looks.

“We’re going to the gem traders first. These two have offered to carry some of our bags.”

From the faces the two made, Usopp doubted ‘offered’ was the right word. Still it saved him from hauling all of it uphill, so he had no problem passing the heaviest bags over two their new guides. With all four men laden with goods, Nami grabbed her small purse and urged them onwards.

Usopp smiled at their guides and began peppering them with questions about the island and its inhabitants.

XXXxxx

“Let’s cross here!” Luffy suggested.

“Eh?”

“I want to climb that one.” He gestured across the bridge to the tallest of the spires.

“I thought we were on that one?” he frowned at the path they were on. “When did we switch?”

“Nami sailed us into the other tower, silly Zoro.”

“Right.” Zoro still looked confused. “You sure this is the bridge you want to cross?”

Luffy looked over the swaying structure with wide gaps as it made a creaking noise. A sign was posted warning about maintenance and declared ‘Cross at Your Own Risk’.

“Yep. This is the place.”

“After you then captain.” Zoro agreed easily.

Luffy adored his first mate. He took off with careful hops. It reminded him of some of the bridges on Dawn Island. Those tended to crack every couple years and Sabo and Ace would replace ropes or planks to keep from falling. Luffy could never remember which he was supposed to skip over and had nearly been crocodile food more than once. He laughed at the memory. This place was the best! Cracking sounded behind him and the bridge swayed suddenly.

“I’m fine!” Zoro called before he could even spin fully.

Luffy peeked back to see his first mate with one arm hooked over the bridge’s hand rope and both heels on the next plank. The plank that should have been under his feet was hanging in pieces. As he watched Zoro pulled himself from his odd position into a safe stance. He gave his friend a close look and then nodded. They carried on easily.

It wasn’t a hard climb. It was about five thousand feet in elevation, but it was cleverly designed with stairs of stone and wood. Perhaps for someone with less physical stamina it may have been intimidating. Even at fifteen and seventeen, Luffy and Zoro were fit. Luffy was used to running through the woods all day and fighting beasts four times his size for dinner while Zoro was making his rounds of the East Blue challenging any swordsman with any skill or fame.

They passed people going down who cheerfully welcomed them. They passed people making their way up more slowly who wished them luck or chuckled about youthful enthusiasm. They made it past colorful shops and fragrant restaurants without stopping. The higher areas seemed to be more residential and more prosperous as they continued upwards. The doors were spaced further apart, and the walls contained more stylized decorations. A few places even had colored glass windowpanes that curved around with the stair they were so long. Holding onto their haki was a chore. After the first hour they could feel the strain. Luffy continued to follow the narrowing stair as it wound towards the peek. About fifty feet from the top, the stair turned into hand and foot holds.

“So cool!” Luffy grinned as he reached for the first set and pulled himself up the rockface.

“Careful now, the winds are strong up here.” Zoro advised even as he grabbed his own holds and followed easily.

Luffy grinned and climbed. The wind was in his ears. His skin was damp from the haki exercise and climbing the spire. He could hear the bustle of a city and the jingle of bells. Looking down the sea was a swirl of blues, brighter over the rocks and reefs, darkening in the deeper ocean. From this vantage he could see how the entire area was spotted with shallows and rock beds. His pride and admiration for his navigator swelled making him feel warm and glowy. Nami was truly the best. He finished the climb finding the space at the top just flat enough for both of them to sit a moment. Someone had bolted down a telescope and he immediately sat next to it to peer down and find the Merry.

His ship sat proudly in the water, unscarred and flying pristine flags. Her sails were neatly tied and she looked clean and neat.

“Look Zoro!” he held the device in place as Zoro arranged himself on the narrow surface to see.

“That’s one fine looking ship.” Zoro smirked.

Luffy laughed and stood, suddenly full of energy.

“I’m going to be KING OF THE PIRATES!” he declared shouting his ambition to the wind and sea. It echoed around the spires for a moment and faded off.

He closed his eyes and held his hat to his head. He could feel the warmth of his first mate. He could practically taste Sanji’s cooking, hear Usopp’s battle cry. His memory brought him Brook’s music, Jimbe’s steady voice, Robin’s helping hands, and Franky’s super inventions. He opened his eyes and could see the patterns in the sea that his navigator guided them though. It was brilliant. They were all brilliant. They were all his.

“Damn right.” Zoro quietly affirmed.

“W-who’s there?”

Luffy blinked at the sudden voice and exchanged a look with Zoro. He peered over the edge, on the opposite side of where they’d come up. A pale face blinked up at him.

“I’m Monkey D. Luffy. Future pirate king. Who are you?” he asked.

“I’m Mike.” The kid answered. He was small, maybe six or seven, with a bright yellow shirt and orange pants.

“What are you doing down there?” Luffy asked eyeing the blood on those pants. It was fresh-ish but not enough of it to be dangerous. The spot didn’t seem to be very comfortable, but he didn’t look stuck. In fact, it looked like he was sitting in a protected pocket carved deliberately to take advantage of the view.

Zoro was peering over too, taking in the situation.

“I’m waiting for my big brother.” The kid explained. “He’s coming back.”

“Oh, okay.” Luffy settled back on the rock, thinking.

“When’s he coming?” Zoro asked softly.

“Soon!” the kid answered sharply. “So, you better not mess with me.”

Zoro hummed softly and sat on the rock as well. They exchanged small frowns. They hadn’t seen any big brother types coming up or going down. They hadn’t seen anyone at all in hours. Zoro reached into his bag and pulled out his pirate lunch. Luffy brightened at the sight of food and dug into the bag for his own.

“Hey kid.” Zoro called without looking down.

“…Yeah?”

“I got an extra sandwich if you can tell me about this place.” He offered.

“…Sandwich first” the kid demanded.

Zoro leaned over the edge and shared a sandwich. Luffy leaned over as well and watched the boy devour the thing in large bites.

“What do you want to know?” the kid asked as he licked his fingers.

“I’ve never been here before. What’s it like?”

“Boring.” The kid answered quickly.

Luffy snickered.

“Come on kid, gimme more than that.” Zoro teased.

“It’s all a big stone tower. There’s nowhere to go and nothing interesting ever happens. Kids aren’t supposed to swim or sail without grownups so there’s either the gym or the theater and both are boring.”

“There’s a gym?”

“Ugh. It’s this big training gym inside the Grump Spire. Lots of runners and Groggy Ring players practice there. There’s a whole thing for gymnastics too.” He waved his hands in little circles. “It’s big if you like that kind of thing. Three stories tall and all in the Inner Tower so you can train all winter and even in the storm season.”

Luffy and Zoro exchanged looks wondering how winter or storms stopped people from training.

“We’re not really into sports. I was hoping for some kind of dojo.” Zoro admitted.

“Nothing really unless you want to join the Guard. They have training dojos, but they’re restricted.”

“We’re pirates.” Luffy reminded him.

“Right.”

“What’s the Grump Spire?”

“It’s that one over there.” He pointed. “If you look at it from the Garden it looks like a grumpy old man. This spire is called the High Spire, which is boring boring, just because it’s the tallest.”

“The Garden, the Grump and the High Spires, hmn. Yup sounds boring.” Luffy agreed. “There’s no where to run or hunt or fight outside?

“Nah. You can run inside the Gym or do some climbing on the Inner Paths but there’s never anything new to see. The traders are boring too. It’s almost always the same people. You guys are new!” the kid smiled at him. “But I bet you won’t stay. No one ever stays. Because it’s boring.”

“Is that why you climbed up here?”

“Yeah! Me and Max were going to watch the fishermen try to take on the Big Ones!” his face fell at the reminder.

“Is Max your big brother?” Zoro prodded.

“Yeah! He looks after me. He’s coming back soon.”

“When did he leave?” Zoro pushed.

“None of your business! I told you about the towers. Go away now.” The kid folded his arms and faced away from them, snuggling deeper into the niche.

“Aww, don’t be like that.” Luffy complained. “I wanted to hear about the Big Ones!”

“Luffy!” Zoro snapped quietly.

“No.” the kid pouted.

“I have juice.” Luffy offered.

“I- I guess I could tell you a bit more.” Mike conceded looking up and chewing on his lip. “For some juice.”

Zoro made the trade and they watched the kid drink the juice in fast gulps.

“The Big Ones are the giant fish that come here. We think they come from the Calm Belt or the Grand Line but every year they come for two months to breed in the reef pools” He pointed out to sea. “See the three circles of black surrounded by light blue. It’s really deep there but protected by the reefs. There’s about a week after breeding when the fish jump the reef to head back to their home and you can see them from here they are so big! You still have to use the ‘scope but you can see them. They’re bigger than a ship. Almost as big as a Sea King but they’re not. The fishers all work together and can usually catch one or two. The scales are really valuable, and the craftsmen make all kinds of trade things with the bones and meat. That part is boring too, but the catch is Awesome, and we were going to watch it this year.” Mike sniffled.

“I have a big brother you know.” Luffy hummed softly, eyes distant. “Two of them. I know that they’d always come for me if they said they would. Always.”

“Yeah.” Mike sniffled. “He said.”

“What did he say?” Zoro prodded.

“He said he’d get lunch. He said to stay right here, and he’d come back. He said I wasn’t allowed to climb out by myself to the scope, even if the Big One’s started jumping because the wind is tricky, and mama would kill us both if I f-fell.” Mike sobbed. “He said he’d be right back and to stay.”

“It’s too early for lunch.” Luffy stated blandly. “How long have you been here?”

“T-t-two days, almos’ three.” Mike hiccupped. “He’s coming back. He wouldn’t leave me. He promised.”

Luffy felt like his chest was being squeezed. He clawed at it trying to find the source of the pressure. He couldn’t breathe properly. He could see the grey rock in front of him, but it seemed to get darker as he scratched and gasped. I promise, Luffy, I will never die. He couldn’t move. He needed to say something or go somewhere. Luffy scratched and then suddenly there was a sharp tug on his scalp, and he was looking into green eyes. Zoro. His swordsman, his first mate, his friend. Zoro was pulling him close and instead of green eyes he had a face full of shirt and a nose full of sweat and the metal tang of sword polish. Luffy coughed once and gripped the warm shirt twisting the white material in his fists. His ears stopped ringing and he could hear the low-voiced reassurances.

“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. I’m here now. You’re okay.” Zoro rocked him gently and Luffy came back to himself.

He snuggled into his friend for a moment wiping tears and snot into Zoro’s shirt. Then he sat up and refocused.

“It’s not okay! He should be here not you!” The small voice below them jolted them both.

Luffy went pink realizing the child thought Zoro was reassuring him. Zoro gave a small shrug and half smile.

“Well with that attitude you could be sitting there for a while.” Zoro called back. “Did you want to go find your brother or what?”

“Find my brother?” Mike sounded shocked.

“Sure, kid. We’ll help you get down and the three of us can go look for your brother.”

“I’m supposed to wait.” Mike protested halfheartedly.

“I thought you weren’t supposed to climb alone.” Luffy chimed in. “You’re not alone if we’re together.”

“Max is coming back.”

“Then we’ll see him on the way down, won’t we?” Zoro pushed.

“Y-yeah. We can see him…” Mike was looking up at them with tears. “I kind of hurt my knee, climbing down here. Max was going to grab some rope when he got lunch…”

“No problem kid. I can get you!” Luffy braced himself, anchoring against the rock. “Gumm-Gummmm!”

The kid screamed when Luffy gripped him with a large rubber hand and pulled him to the top of the rock. Zoro looked exasperated as he untangled the two of them and stopped the kid from bolting over the edge.

“Relax kid. We’re not going to hurt you. Luffy can just stretch.”

“I’m a rubber man!”

“You’re a monster!”

“That too. Shishishi!” Luffy smiled at the kid. “Let’s go! To find your brother!”

Mike looked frightened but gave a small nod.

“Here. Climb on.” Zoro knelt and gestured, offering a piggyback ride.

Mike hesitated long enough for Luffy to start to offer the same. He climbed up on Zoro hooking one leg around his waist. The other hung awkwardly. Zoro gave a quiet huff and twisted an arm around to hold the boy securely.

“Let’s go!” Luffy held the rock and bounced over the edge, no doubt landing safely on the path.

Zoro climbed down slower using one hand with a shivering child clinging to his shoulders. They wandered down the path keeping a sharp eye out for anything amiss. They were making good time down the stairs when Mike pointed. “We cross here.”

“Here?”

“We live near the Garden. Max would have crossed to get lunch.”

“Yosh! Let’s do it.” Luffy turned and started across the bridge.

This bridge was well maintained with sturdy wooden planking and clean chain handrails. The bridge swayed slightly with their steps, but it was a gentle rock. Mike didn’t seem bothered by the height or the misty cloud they walked through.

“We gotta go down.” Max pointed. “No, down!”

“This way Zoro!”

“Eh?” He turned on his heal and followed his captain.

Luffy laughed as they descended at a rapid pace. When they circled around to a wider section of stairs, they started to see more people bustling up and down and entering shops.

“Is that Mike?” someone called.

The whole path full of people seemed to stop and look around.

“Mike!”

“Flower-Ossan?” Mike peeked over Zoro’s shoulder.

“It’s Mike!”

“Someone fetch Matilda!”

“Mike!”

Zoro and Luffy were suddenly surrounded by pedestrians and herded into the nearest shop doorway. Mike wiggled to get down as they were pressed backward.

“Who are you? What are you doing with him?”

“Mike, are you okay?”

“What happened Mike?”

“Where have you been?”

“Your mother has been frantic.”

“Who are these people?”

“Oy! One at a time.” Zoro snapped as he glared at the handsy crowd. “Gimme some space!”

The crowd backed a few steps at the glare so Zoro was no longer being shoved into a table of flowers. He twisted to set the kid down.

“You know these people?” he asked, one hand on Mike’s shoulder.

“Flower-Ossan works with my mom.” He seemed nervous by the attention.

The old man pushed forward kneeling by the boy.

“Mike! I’m so glad you’re okay! Where have you been?”

“I was waiting on Max! He said he’d come back!” the kid burst into tears again and threw himself at the old man.

Luffy was watching the crowd and saw hands go to mouths and eyes shift away. He swallowed. Many of the crowd suddenly looked like they wanted to be anywhere else. They knew something. Something bad. He swallowed hard and focused on the sweet smell of flowers. It was an unfamiliar and distracting smell. He took a deep breath.

“Where’s Max?!?”

“Oh honey.” One of the women approached and knelt beside them. “Your mom should be here soon.”

“I want Max!”

“He’s at the doctor.” The old man held up a hand before Mike could continue screaming. “He slipped on the stair.”

“He slipped?” Mike looked frightened. “Max doesn’t slip!”

“Mike, it’s okay. He’s with the doctor.”

“mike” a distant voice called, “Mike! Is he here? Mike?! MIKE!” a disheveled woman in a bright yellow dress pushed into the shop.

From the way the crowd pressed back to make room Luffy could guess-

“Mamma!” Mike flung himself into her arms as she broke down crying.

“We owe you boys thanks.” The old man looked up at them. “Where did you find him? We searched for days!”

“He was at the top of the big spire, the Talls?”

“The Heights” Zoro corrected.

“Damn! What the blazes was he doing there?”

“Why didn’t Max tell you?” Luffy demanded.

“He hasn’t woken. He hit his head and it was a while before someone spotted him.” The old man shook his head. “Doc says he should recover but it may be some time before he can wake up. When we couldn’t find Mike…” he sighed. “We all searched. It’s been days. We hoped but when he didn’t come home… It wouldn’t be the first time someone has taken the big fall. His mother was beside herself.”

The woman was still sobbing and rocking the boy as neighbors offered comfort or cleared out of the shop. Mother and son clung to each other bruisingly tight. Mike was offering apologies and asking about his brother. Luffy shifted closer to Zoro. The swordsman slouched against the table knocking their shoulders together. Luffy looked away from the scene. Zoro’s blackened boots caught his attention and he realized he’d dropped his haki. He frowned in concentration and focused on coating his feet in a layer of protective armament.

“I’m glad they had a happy ending this time.” Zoro nodded to the pair.

“We all are.” The old man smiled brightly. “We’re not a small community but we’re not so big that this wasn’t devastating. As I said, we owe you a debt for bringing that boy home.”

“We didn’t do much.” Zoro protested half-heartedly.

Luffy’s stomach growled. The old man laughed.

“Let us at least treat you to lunch!”

“Yes!” Luffy accepted with a cheer.

“I warn you, the Captain eats like a dozen men.” Zoro smirked.

“He can eat like three dozen.” The man assured them. “You come now. There is a great little ramen shop just around the bend. Come!”

“Bye Mike! Be safe now!” Luffy called cheerfully. “We’re getting lunch!”

“Oh! Oh, let me!” the woman tried to stand, wiping her tears.

“It’s fine.” Zoro ducked away from her. “Just look after your kid.”

The lady followed them to the ramen shop anyways boy in hand as she tearfully thanked them and insisted on giving them messy hugs while Mike ate ramen. Luffy feasted enjoying a variety of ramen flavors as he gorged himself on free food. Zoro was equally shameless tolerating the cycle of people coming to gawk at them and thank them as they ate. Luffy somehow acquired a colorful scarf and Zoro a set of brightly colored wristbands. Empty bowls were stacked around them by the time they pushed away from the table and thanked the locals. The two took one look at the group of locals offering to escort them down the hill and took off at a lightning sprint.

XXXxxx

Nami pawned their treasure at several different merchants. She was surprised at the excellent rates she was able to negotiate, although she put on a good show of her loss. Usopp hung close enjoying the exchange and carrying their earnings easily. Sanji played bodyguard hovering around and standing menacingly in doorways chain smoking. He was acting very strangely but the shock was affecting them all. She watched him swoon after a woman in a bright purple dress and brushed away her concern. He was still a lovesick idiot. She traded the last of their jeweled pieces with a handshake.

“Okay boys! Let’s do some shopping. Sanji” she passed over a pouch of bills they’d just earned leaning close to speak softly “this is 30 million for kitchen expenses and meals for the next week. You’ll get a food budget in Loguetown.”

“That’s generous!” his curly brows went up.

“Whatever you don’t need to spend can go to the Sunny outfitting. We’re in a good spot right now and you should be properly supplied to keep us going.”

“Thanks Nami-san! You’re so bright and benevolent!” he smiled brightly at her.

“Take one of the guides. Usopp and I will be doing some shopping here and we’ll meet at the ship.”

“I’ll be back in time to cook supper!” He tapped the guy with the blue mohawk. “You’re with me!”

“Now Usopp, what did you need to shop for?”

“I don’t think I’ll find what I need here.” He shrugged. “I usually collect parts and pieces to salvage gears and parts for my inventions but from what I’ve seen these spires use and reuse all their parts. I’m better off shopping in Loguetown.”

“I was afraid you’d say that.” She despaired. “The clothes shopping here is not what I’m looking for and I don’t think I’ll find good shoes either. Do you know where we can find mapping tools or navigating equipment?”

“You want to head to the Sailors Twist on the other spire.” He pointed over and down. “It’ll be faster to go up to the Tavern Bridge and then back down, but we could also go down to the Waterview Bridge and then climb up from there if you want to do some sightseeing.”

“Let’s take the shorter route.” Nami smiled flirtatiously.

“This way!” the guide said quickly and turned to guide them up the stair.

The winding stair seemed to have a pattern. There was a section of shops and restaurants followed by a residential district then a bridge connecting one of the spires or a pully for one of the ground lifts. Nami admired the view from the bridge pointing out the passageways their ship navigated.

“You did that fine sailing this morning?” their guide questioned.

“Nami’s our navigator.” Usopp said proudly. “She’s the best of the best in any sea!”

“I’ve certainly never seen anything like it! Usually new visitors need to wait for a guide ship and follow someone into port. When we first saw you, we figured you’d just bash yourself against the reefs. Most pirates just try to sail straight in. Ike was saying that you must be one of our old trade partners gone pirate but when you got close, we could see you proper and no one had seen you here before!”

“You guys were awfully friendly to a bunch of strange pirates.” Nami pointed out.

“No reason not to be.” He shrugged. “This place is just as hard to leave as it is to enter. Troublemakers can’t get far before we can target them with cannons or fire. It’s not like we’re a wealthy island. We get most of our trade because it’s such a safe port for merchants to rest after a long travel. Safer than a marine base the way it’s formed here.”

“That makes sense.” Usopp nodded.

“No point in picking fights when some folks like you just want to do a bit of trade. It’s good for everyone that way.”

“I see.” Nami agreed.

Sailors Twist was a nautical shopping district. It seemed to be geared towards fishermen but the eight shops on the row had a decent variety. Nami examined a sextant and looked over a variety of protractors.

“Don’t you have all this?” Usopp asked looking at the tools.

“They need replacing.” She answered stiffly shoulders going tense.

Of course she had these. Arlong had bought her a master quality set of mapping tools. She had a dozen mapping pens. She didn’t need.

“Of course!” Usopp slapped his forehead. “I bet just any old tools wouldn’t do. They have to be exactly right for your hands and have the right aesthetic. You’re an artist, Nami, it only makes sense that you choose the perfect tools for you.”

If Usopp weren’t sweating a bit and waving his hands like he did when storytelling she might have bought his little speech. She was grateful the sniper was so tactful but sometimes she wished he weren’t so observant. She didn’t need him worrying that she couldn’t work with a stupid set of tools. She wasn’t weak. Nami almost left the store but the shopkeeper was bustling over and presenting a full tray of technical compasses and offering to let her test each one. With a sharp smile she took him up on the offer, determined to make Usopp forget he was covering for her and regret all his life choices.

XXXxxx

Dinner on the Merry was lively. Nami was proud to show off a whole collection of mismatched tools and inks. Sanji had a collection of pots and pans he was thrilled to present as he prepared a small feast. Zoro and Luffy looked worn out from their little hike but would only talk about the delicious ramen shop they found. Usopp showed off a blue hand drum painted with grinning skulls he thought Brook would enjoy. They slapped at Luffy as he tried to steal food and laughed over Usopp’s retelling of their day. It felt like coming home.

Chapter 12: Known to The World, Luffy’s Bounty

Chapter Text

Chapter 12 Known to The World, Luffy’s Bounty

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Nami woke the boys just before dawn and navigated out of the shallows. Sanji cooked a light breakfast and they all lounged around half-asleep on deck. The sight of a bird had her popping up and digging for coins. The News Coo delivered the paper with a squawk. She flipped through the paper.

“Looks like there was an explosion over in the Yotsuba Islands. Axe-Hand Morgan was promoted to Captain and assigned to the region.”

“Ugh, I hate that guy.” Luffy made a face.

“The Navy is bragging about the capture of two thousand Krieg pirates.” Nami snorted flipping the page. A couple sheets dropped out. “Oh, new bounties are… Luffy!”

The boys all sat up and looked over. She picked up one of the three bounties and held it up.

“You’re out! 30 million bellies!” she waved the page, releasing it when a rubbery hand stretched for it.

“Yes! Same as before!”

“Yeah! Luffy! We’re real wanted pirates now!” Usopp gave a cheer spinning with Sanji.

Zoro grinned and looked over from his nap spot.

“We’ll have real bounty hunters after us now too. It will be a good workout.”

“We’ll have to be careful in Loguetown.” Usopp reminded them looking nervous and Nami nodded franticly. “They’ll be looking for us now.”

“That’s no problem.” Luffy waved that away. “This is so cool!”

“We should hang it somewhere.” Zorro suggested.

“In the dorm?” Luffy tilted the paper at an angle thinking.

“Sure! We can have a whole wall!” Sanji agreed.

“Take it seriously!” Usopp pleaded.

Nami pat him on the shoulder and picked up her paper. It might only be East Blue news, but it was important to stay up to date.

XXXxxx

Syrup Village, East Blue

“Merry! Merry look!” she waved the paper as she ran through the manor. “It’s Captain Luffy!”

“Oh! Already? Those kids are making a name so quickly!” the sheep-like steward looked over the page his eyebrows raising at the bounty.

“Do you think they’re being safe?” Kaya chewed on her lip.

“I’m sure they are.” Merry reassured. “They are very strong.”

“Usopp is working to fulfill his dream. He’s on his journey and getting strong.” She looked out the window and watched the leaves dance. “I miss him.”

“I do too. He is a very brave young man and has chosen a difficult path. He will have to overcome many obstacles.”

“I’m sure he can do it!” she turned to Merry, eyes shining. “He’ll become a brave warrior and return here one day, just as he promised!”

“I’m sure of it.” He agreed.

“Miss Kaya, there you are! You’re late to your lessons.” An older woman walked into the library.

“I’m so sorry! I was distracted by this!” she passed the bounty poster.

“Is this young Usopp’s Captain?” she asked looking surprised. “It was only weeks ago they left here. What have they been up to?”

The three crowded around the paper again looking at the detailed print.

XXXxxx

Cocoyasi Village, East Blue

“Oh, that boy! Looks like he didn’t stop here!”

“What boy Sheriff?”

“That boy who ran off with our Nami. Look. Monkey D. Luffy. He’s gone and gotten a bounty already!”

“Luffy’s wanted? Now they’ll be hunted!”

“Do you think Nami will be alright?”

“Just look at those fools! Taking on Don Krieg!” Sheriff Genzo snorted shaking the paper.

“No!” Nojiko covered her mouth leaning over his shoulder. “Are they all alright?”

“Not to worry, my girl. Reading between the lines they did just fine for themselves and likely took them down as easily as they handled Arlong. Those boys are strong, and it looks like they met up with the rest of their crew.”

“Anyone who can take on those monster fishmen have nothing to fear in this sea!” another man agreed patting Nojiko.

“Oh, they chose my picture!” one of the women cheered. “That’s a good one! See how happy he looks!”

“Oy give that back!” the sheriff protested but the poster was already being passed. Others with the news paper were digging for the bounty poster waving their copy.

“We should celebrate!” someone shouted.

There was a cheer and people headed for the pub.

“Oy! It’s eight in the morning!”

“Don’t be a stick in the mud Genzo! Aren’t you happy for Nami? Her crew is doing well! I’m glad to hear from her!” Nojiko pulled him along.

“It’s not a letter home, it’s a bounty poster!” he argued.

They stepped into the bar and were passed mugs.

“To Luffy!” someone shouted.

“To Luffy!” everyone chorused.

Sighing the Sheriff clinked glasses and drank. It was good to have a reason to celebrate in this town. His people looked happy again. It was thanks to that boy. He’d drink a hundred toasts to his name... but maybe not all today.

“It’s eight in the morning! Why are you all drinking you hooligans!”

They laughed in response and he resigned himself to dealing with hangovers by noon or another block party. Preferably the latter.

XXXxxx

At Sea, The New World

The Red Force sailed along slowly. They weren’t in any rush to get anywhere. At any rate, most of the crew were still asleep when the News Coo swooped in to deliver the paper. Benn was at the helm lazily picking a course to avoid the darkening waters indicating some strange New World weather phenomena. He tossed a coin in the little pouch and took the paper from the bird. The ship remained blissfully silent as it worked itself away from the small knock up stream, the rest of the crew sleeping through the occurrence. It was several minutes before he felt comfortable enough in their heading to actually read through the news. He hummed as he carefully perused articles and debated the validity of the information. Morgans was a decent reporter but the man had shadier morals than some of the pirates he knew. The birdman would spin a story for sensationalism or for his own personal gain. There was always a grain of truth but from his own experience nothing in the news was black and white except the printing.

“Anything interesting?” Lucky Roo asked as he came out on deck.

Benn accepted his breakfast with a smile and passed over a single sheet wordlessly.

“Wha?” Roo choked for a moment on his turkey leg. “It’s Anchor! Oy Captain!”

Benn snorted as the heavyset man stormed over to where their captain was tucked under his own cloak, sleeping on the deck. Their captain cursed and kicked out but Roo dodged with ease of long practice.

“Captain wake up! You have to see this!”

“Shaddup! It’s too early!” Yassop complained from the crow’s nest.

“It’s Anchor!” Lucky Roo used his loudest voice.

Instantly half the crew was awake and coming over. They rubbed at sore heads or bellies, but all were focused on Lucky Roo as he waved the sheet around. Everyone remembered the rambunctious youngster who had shadowed them. It was hard to forget the boy their Captain had given his arm for not to mention the rest of it. Shanks was awake and fully focused the way he could be when a storm struck, or a crew member went overboard. Zero to a thousand, hangover or no. The redhead snatched the paper. One look had him relaxing with a laugh.

“Little Anchor did it! His first bounty!” he laughed, and the crew cheered. “Should’ve known the brat wouldn’t wait until he’s fully grown.”

“We should be grateful he lasted this long!”

“How’d he do Cap’n?”

“30 million! In the East Blue. Would you look at this!” Shanks was beaming, on his feet and waving the paper in people’s faces like a proud papa. “Sake! We need to toast!”

“Let’s Party!” someone agreed with a cheer.

Someone puked over the edge of the ship to much laughter and backslapping from the crew.

“Hair of the dog ‘ll fix ya! Look at little Anchor making a name for himself!”

“We need music! Wake the crew!”

Benn watched as the peaceful morning turned into a riotous affair. He smirked and held out a hand. Lucky Roo traded his breakfast platter for a tankard of dark ale. His favorite.

XXXxxx

At Sea, East Blue

The Baratie was packed with customers. It was a busy lunch rush with three marine ships, two merchant vessels and a handful of tourists come to gawk at the fighting chefs as they ate. The banging of pots and pans rang through the kitchen as did the chatter. The latest bounties had them all in a tizzy. Sanji had only left a week ago, leaving the Restaurant with little notice. They’d all been confused, most of all by Zeff who seemed neither surprised nor worried that the boy he’d raised just jumped ship with a bunch of nobodies. Now that strange kid who’d swept through was in the paper with a record high bounty. At least a record first bounty for the East Blue.

“What’s this about Arlong?”

“That fishman was taken out a couple weeks ago. I’m more worried about that bit on Krieg. This poster makes it sound like he’s slaughtering rival captains, but the paper also makes it sound like the Marines just cleaned out a bunch of Krieg pirates. I bet they just cleaned up the aftermath of a pirate battle.”

“Any news on the Strawhats? Were there casualties? Is Sanji hurt?”

“Have a little faith!” Zeff reprimanded with a swift kick. “Sanji is just fine! His captain must be enormously proud of his bounty. Sanji joined up with a strong crew, don’cha think?”

“Yes, Boss!” they chorused, exchanging concerned looks.

“Back to work!”

“Yes, Boss!”

XXXxxx

At Sea, New World

The Moby Dick often paid for several papers. With hundreds of crew onboard it was still a fight to read the paper first. Ace didn’t particularly care. He got his news from his gossipier 'brothers' like Thatch or Izo. They usually had useful insights to go with the news, so it was actually better for him to wait it out. He spent a relaxing day fishing, standing watch and sleeping in the sunshine. It wasn’t until almost dinner when Thatch cornered him.

“What is with you East Blue guys these days!?”

“Eh?”

“Well first you come tearing out of there wracking up the bounties until you Supernova your way into the New World, then less than a year later some kid starts breaking records over there. I thought the East Blue was supposed to be the weakest of the seas!”

“Someone new? I hadn’t heard of anyone making waves over there. Krieg was going for sheer numbers and scare tactics, but that asshole isn’t anyone I’d call a kid.” Ace looked over interested.

Thatch dug for the poster he’d held onto. “This kid. He’s-”

“LUFFY!?!” Ace’s screech stopped most of the motion on the deck as eyes turned to their spot at the rail.

Ace did not seem to notice the looks he was getting as he waved the poster around. His shoulders caught on fire and Thatch was dancing around him. He was making inarticulate sounds as he gestured wildly. One of his 'brothers' appeared and dumped half a bucket of water on the fire logia, successfully gaining his attention while preventing the flames from spreading to the ship.

“What’s the matter yoi?” Marco asked calmly.

“It’s my little brother, Luffy!” Ace sounded devastated as he waved the paper.

“He in trouble?” Marco snatched the sheet.

“With the Marines,” Thatch cut in “he’s got a new bounty.”

“He’s only fifteen!” Ace moaned.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine yoi. This is a high bounty, but he must be pretty strong.” He smiled in reassurance.

“It’s not that. Luffy can take care of some Marines.” Ace waved it off confusing his brothers. “It’s just that Luffy doesn’t break his promises and he said he would wait until he was seventeen to set sail.”

“Aww, he just got a bit eager with you gone I bet.” Thatch thumped him.

“No, you don’t understand.” He grabbed both brothers giving them an urgent shake as he felt his panic rise. “Luffy doesn’t break promises.”

“He’s still a kid…”

“NO. Listen. LUFFY does NOT break promises.”

“Okay, I hear you,” Thatch soothed. “Your brother doesn’t break promises. He must’ve had a good reason then.”

“Oh my god!” Ace looked even more panicked. “Do you think something happened? What if there was another fire? Maybe Dawn Island was hit by an Earthquake and is sinking. Marco! Are there Celestial Dragons in the East Blue right now!?” Ace shook the First Division Commander.

“You need to calm down yoi!” the blond demanded. “There’s no reports of World Noble movement in the East Blue, and the news would have reported large fires or island sinking events. Get a hold of yourself! Little brothers sometimes do stupid things.” Marco looked at him pointedly.

Ace missed the hint.

“He’s always doing stupid things. That’s normal. The one thing you can depend on from Luffy is that he keeps his word. Once he says he’s going to do something he sticks to it. No matter what!” Ace looked desperate as he wrung his hands together. “I can’t imagine what could make him break his promise… Do you think he’d dying?!”

“What? Ace, no!”

“If he didn’t think he would live until he turned seventeen, he would set out early.” Ace sounded more certain and consequently more distressed. “He’s probably got some deadly disease and he wanted to be a pirate before it kills him!” he burst into tears.

“Ace!” Thatch tossed his hands in the air as he exchanged a look with Marco. “I think it's possible you might be overreacting.”

“My little brother!” Ace sobbed and burst into flames.

Marco picked up the bucket and dumped the remainder over the idiot. He reached out to slap out the remaining flickers as Ace looked up at him apologetically.

“Is everything okay, sons?” a gruff voice interrupted.

“Pops!” Thatch let out a thankful sigh.

“My brother’s dying!” Ace moaned.

“His brother appeared in the last round of bounty posters.” Marco corrected holding up the bounty in question. “It’s respectfully high for a first bounty. Ace is worried because his brother broke a promise to wait until he was seventeen to turn pirate. Apparently this Luffy isn’t the promise breaking type.”

“Gurarara! It’s only natural to worry about family.” Whitebeard reassured. “You can’t focus on the worst-case scenarios, though, or you will never stop. Trust me on that. I worry about all my sons, but you have to have faith. I’m sure the next time you see your brother he will have a good explanation for you.”

Ace sniffled a moment before straightening up with a nod. “Oh, he better have a good explanation for this one.” He punched a fist into his palm.

“There you go!” Thatch slapped his shoulder cheerfully.

“In the meantime, celebrate.” Marco advised. “Your little brother just earned an impressive bounty.”

“He did, didn’t he? That’s so Luffy!” Ace buried his concern deep at the calm presence of his new captain and crew mates. He reached out to look over the bounty poster again. “He looks happy, doesn’t he?”

Pops laughed and his brothers agreed. Ace could worry about broken promises later. Right now, his baby brother was making his debut as a pirate. It was his duty as an older brother to support him.

“Hey, did I ever tell you about the time Luffy challenged an entire thief’s guild to a fight because they wanted his hat?” Ace asked waving the poster at Thatch. “It started in the Grey Terminal…”

He missed the fond looks exchanged between Thatch and Marco but allowed them to shepherd him along the deck to the dining hall. Pops ruffled his hair with one large finger and Ace playfully pulled his hat on to “stop” him. He gestured wildly as he told the tale and happily shared Luffy stories throughout dinner. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t told his crew about his wild little brother.

XXXxxx

Foosha Village, East Blue

She smiled as she served the cheerful crowd. It was so nice to see people supportive of little Luffy. She was ashamed of her earlier breakdown. When she first saw the poster, she’d all but collapsed. She hadn’t realized that Luffy even left the island. Last she knew he was ‘training’ in the forest and being looked after by Dadan. Makino was embarrassed to think how she’d gotten teary and panicked at the thought of little Luffy off being a pirate. She’d flashed back to Sabo and remembered what could happen to a pirate who was too young. The first cheers from the villagers had shaken her from that vision. This was Luffy. The boy who’d declared his dream at age six and never once wavered in conviction. Luffy who’d caught the eye of Red-Haired Shanks, who’d grown beside Fire Fist Ace and who was raised by the mountain bandit Dadan.

“Luffy will be just fine.” She said aloud.

“Pah. The boy’s grown up to be a criminal!” the mayor sat down with a huff. “Stop celebrating!”

“He looks so happy.” She pointed out his picture with a smile.

“There’s nothing to celebrate in having a pirate come from our village!” he disagreed.

“He’s fulfilling his dream. It’s what he always wanted.”

“Humph. That family. Nothing but chaos and trouble.” He sipped the drink she placed in front of him. “This is madness. We are not celebrating Luffy…”

“To Luffy!” someone interrupted with a cheer.

“To Luffy!” drinks were raised in salute.

“No one listens to me!”

Makino giggled softly and wiped down the bar.

XXXxxx

Water 7, Paradise

Franky laughed as he tore through the town with his gang. They had no idea why he was celebrating but it didn’t matter. They were happy to dance through the streets and raid the local shops for cola and hamburgers. They would feast! It was going to be a super night!

“Ow ow! Shake those booties! Get moving people. Life’s a party and you have to Celll-e-brate it!”

“Get out of here pervert!”

“Come on and join the Franky Family celebration!” he posed triumphantly as the music pumped.

“Yeah!” the girls cried backing him up with their favorite moves.

“Kick it off boys!” he shouted.

They took their kings through the canals as they gathered supplies for an epic barbeque. If Franky also stole a picture frame in all the chaos, well, no one noticed.

Chapter 13: Best Laid Plans

Chapter Text

Chapter 13 Best Laid Plans

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Chopper leaned over and vomited into the scrubby bushes by the trees. His small brain point form was the easiest to maintain while doing so and he hoped no one could see him like this. He was exhausted and shaking slightly. He wasn’t expecting to run Doctorine into town today. They were still living in her hidden treehouse and the old woman didn’t make many trips out. They had already visited Gyasta earlier in the week. He wiped his mouth and straightened up. No matter, it happened, and he was not well.

“Are you sick?” Doctorine demanded from behind him.

Chopper jumped and spun. She’d just gone inside a moment ago.

“No Doctor!”

“Don’t lie to me.” She snapped coming forward and thrusting a thermometer in his mouth. “You should have said something before we left.”

“I’m not sick.” He mumbled around the bit of glass.

“Oh? You just vomited because you are perfectly healthy? Perhaps you have decided to lose some weight? Self-purging is not a healthy practice.” She snatched back the thermometer and read the numbers.

“It’s just a normal physiological reaction to overexertion.” Chopper responded bluntly putting his hoofs on his hips. “I need to drink some water and rest a bit.”

Doctrine looked at him sharply. “Is running to town so difficult?”

“Of course not.” He huffed, refusing to meet her eyes.

“I am waiting on a good explanation Chopper. We can go home right now.”

“You have a patient!” he exclaimed, distressed at the thought. “We can’t just leave.”

“Hush you. Your health is especially important to me. Now explain yourself quickly or we can go now. I haven’t started any treatment here.”

“I’vebeenworkingoutandpracticingmyformssoIwastiredthismorningandshouldnotberunning.” Chopper blurted out hiding partially behind a tree.

“Tony Tony Chopper you will answer me properly.”

“I’ve been working out and also exercising my devil fruit abilities. I overdid it a bit yesterday. I pushed myself into exhaustion this morning with the run, but I will be fine with a bit of rest. I’m not sick. Please see to your patient, Doctor.”

“Hmn. You stay here in the cart and drink this.” She thrust a water bottle and blanket at him. “We will talk more later.”

Chopper curled in the back of the sled sipping at the water. His muscles quivered in an unsettling way. He stretched each limb slowly. He was not ready for any kind of discussion. His mentor had always been indulgent about his areas of interest, but she had strong opinions about some things. He didn’t want to talk to Doctrine about any kind of self-experimentation. He didn’t want to see her disappointment or judgement or worry. Most of all he didn’t want to risk saying something only his future self would know. He couldn’t tell her about time travel or being a pirate. He didn’t know what he’d do if she looked at him as if he were a freak, some kind of monster. He didn’t want to know if she would accept him like this.

He didn’t think his newest project was something she would approve of. There was so much to learn in the field of medicine that as long as he could handle basic practice, his mentor had always been happy to teach. In another life Chopper was interested in diagnostics and how to identify and treat both common and uncommon illness. With five more years of study and training he couldn’t explain, Chopper had expressed an interest in surgery and rehabilitation after major injuries. He was able to point to seasonal logging injuries and the not-infrequent mountaineering accidents as his source of curiosity. She jumped into teaching him with her usual bluntness. She hadn’t seemed to mind him switching fields.

Doctrine still expected him to continue his studies in other areas and he enjoyed talking to her about her books. He thought she assumed he’d just been shy about his knowledge when they first met. Or maybe she assumed he was some kind of prodigy to just jump into medical discourse. He tried not to assume too much himself. She accepted him, pushed him to learn, and encouraged his interests. He didn’t want to see her reaction to his latest blunder. Chopper couldn’t lose his mentor. He wanted her to be proud of him, not ashamed.

He lay in the cart feeling miserable. His whole-self ached. He’d really done it this time. He just wanted to get back in shape. He knew that he could unlock his zoan forms without the use of the rumble ball stimulant. He’d already discovered how to trigger the physiological reactions that allowed him to shift beyond the traditional three transformations. The problem was in holding the transformation for any length of time or reliably using the correct form. He’d been practicing holding his transformations yesterday. He kept documented notes on his progress. He was just finding it frustratingly slow. He remembered his progress Before, and he was not progressing at the same rate. His calculations indicated that was because he was currently weaker and had used his alternate forms less frequently. Chopper was exhausted and sick of being so weak.

He’d seen Luffy in the paper. His captain was on the move two years early. That had to mean he remembered too. Chopper sipped at the water and wiggled his nose. Luffy would come for him. He would be ready.

XXXxxx

“We’re getting to Loguetown soon and I want us in and out of there. I’d rather not deal with Smokey this time around. He’s a great guy but I have things to do. I don’t need him following me around.” Luffy trailed off with a slight whine, tugging at his hat. “I want to be sneaky.”

“Sneaky? Can you do sneaky? Sanji, make sure we have provisions before any personal shopping. I know you do that anyways but make trips back and forth or have things delivered back here if you can.” Nami directed as she passed around their funds. “If we’re trying to sneak in and out we should make this trip short.”

“You should see if you can find some medicines or bandages. Chopper always had lots of those, and I don’t want yelling like the first time.” Luffy cut in. “Nami we need poses. We can’t count on the old man to be so nice again. See if you can find an Eternal Pose for Drum or Alabasta while you’re at it.”

“Eternal Poses?” she raised her eyebrows.

“We need to get our nakama. I don’t want to waste a bunch of time with adventures we already had. Let’s go straight to Chopper then Robin if we can. We can talk details when we know what you find.”

“Right!”

“Zoro, Usopp you two stay together. Get Zoro’s sword and the parts you need for your stuff. Then come back to watch the ship. No one even gets a chance to burn Merry.”

“Ay Captain.”

“You’re really planning this out, aren’t you?” Nami looked impressed.

“Un huh!” he chirped proudly.

“And what are you up to Luffy? You aren’t going on an adventure, are you? If we don’t want any attention, then maybe-” Usopp started.

“I’m going the execution platform. I need to pay tribute before we begin. It feels right.” He pulled at the brim of his hat.

“Of course it does.” Nami said with a world-weary tone as the turned her face to the sky. “Well, it was probably too much to expect us to make it through this port unnoticed.”

“What do you mean? I just said we were going to do that.” Luffy frowned and crossed his arms.

“I think she means that you attract trouble and going back to the execution platform is really just asking for something really bad to happen.” Usopp chimed in.

“I’m going.”

“Good.” Zoro gave him a thumbs up.

Usopp and Nami exchanged looks while Sanji smiled.

“Are we going to hide our flags?” Nami questioned as they sailed closer.

“Of course not, why would we do that?” Luffy looked confused.

“If this is a stealth operation…”

“Don’t be silly Nami, we can’t hide our flags just to be sneaky! We have to fly our Jolly Rodger or no one will know who we are!”

“But that’s the opposite of-”

“Just forget it Nami.” Usopp interrupted. “Weren’t you listening? This is more speed than stealth, in and out before we get caught up by the Marines.”

“That makes more sense.” She admitted.

“Oy!” Luffy pouted as Zoro and Sanji added their agreement. “There it is!”

Loguetown was bustling in the early morning light. Nami watched Sanji hopped out and tied them off to the dock as Usopp settled the bumpers into place. This place was known as the Town of the Beginning and the End. It was not their beginning. Not even close. But it still felt like the Beginning of something. She smiled and glanced at the building storm clouds. No one wants a boring adventure anyways.

XXXxxx

Usopp led Zoro through the winding streets towards the familiar thrift shops and novelty stores. He tried to remember where he found his goggles the first time before he realized that model might not even exist. With a sigh he began scouring the stores. He had a list of gears and springs and gadgets he’d need to build some of his old devices and tools he’d need to invent new ones. He wasn’t going to waste time with tourist junk this time, although he had been able to repurpose most of it into useful inventions. The Grand Line needed a special kind of innovation and Usopp was ready to outfit his crew with everything they’d need.

“We’ll hit a couple of these stores then go find your swords, after we can do some more looking if we need. I have a whole stack of maps from Nami I can sell if we can find a vendor.” He tugged on the swordsman’s sleeve to keep him from going down a side street. “The trick is to do this quickly without spending all our cash. I bet we can get in, out and back to the ship before lunch.”

“If you say so.” Zoro nodded looking around the shops.

“Here first.” Usopp pulled him into a hardware store.

XXXxxx

Sanji took a drag on his cigarette and tried to calm down. He tapped his toe rapidly against the cobblestone and looked over the selection again.

“What do you mean you sold it?” he was done with this market. Every other stall was already sold out and those that weren’t had embarrassingly small quantities.

“If you only wanted a few, I could sell but Master Chef is doing the restock for the base today. He was here very early.” The man looked apologetic even as he held up a platter of shrimp.

Sanji twitched. “Master Chef who? You have a damn customer right here offering to buy and you have nothing on the whole dock front?!”

“It’s the Marine Master Chef! The marines are good to us here. He comes through and picks the freshest fish once a month personally. I can assure you we will have more fishing catch tomorrow, if this is not to your liking.” the man tried to pacify him.

Nearby vendors murmured in agreement and Sanji ground his teeth.

“Perhaps I can interest you in some red-fin…” the man in the next booth pointed to a fish Sanji could tell was not even caught that day.

“No.” Sanji interrupted. “That is not what I am interested in and you don’t have enough to feed my crew anyway.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from making fists and stalked down the line of fish merchants. He was really about ready to give up on fish. He could check back here later maybe. One more try and he’d go check out the fruit market instead. There had to be something worth buying here. He looked over the closed stalls and the vendors with half empty platters on heaps of ice. With a heavy sigh he walked on.

XXXxxx

Nami was homing in on what she needed. Finding a shop that sold poses was surprisingly difficult. There were several places claiming to sell them but were knockoffs. She was tired at looking over garbage that was being passed off to ignorant buyers. If she saw one more broken compass being sold as a log pose she might punch somebody. Thankfully, the last seller had seen her look and helpfully given directions to these shops uptown.

She entered the first on the row and admired the beautiful sea chart hanging on the far wall. It was of Loguetown port and was exquisitely detailed. She slid over to it greedily memorizing the detail and mentally planning several possible entries and exit ways.

“It’s a beauty isn’t it?” one of the shop keepers wandered over.

“I’ve seen few with such an eye for detail.” She indicated an area with a series of sholes with clear depth readings throughout instead of a generic marker for the region. “And the city line is mapped with as well, most charts either show the sea or land.”

“Few have such detail. You must have a taste for maps if you’ve seen similar. Only two cartographers I know of produce this level of detail in their measurements. Are you a collector?” he lit up.

“Unfortunately I’m not shopping for maps today.” She dodged hiding her surprise. Only two? That can’t be right, he must be trying to raise the sale value. “I am actually looking for poses. Do you have any log or Eternal poses here?”

“Poses? Surely you aren’t traveling the Grand Line?” the shop owner looked dismayed.

“I’m pursuing a business venture there, yes.” She smiled confidently.

“You? What is a young girl doing business on the Grand Line for?” he looked down at her with an alarmed expression.

“It’s a family matter.” Nami sighed heavily remembering her age as she began to dig for weak points to manipulate the seller. “It’s my Grandfather. He’s sick…”

XXXxxx

Luffy wandered through the streets trying to find the platform. He’d been there twice now but he couldn’t remember how he got there. He sighed depressed. Running around town was fun the first time but he really just wanted to get there this time. He paused looking around the alley way. This seemed familiar. He recognized this. His eyes fell on a certain bar and he grinned. This was exactly what he wanted.

“This is where I needed to be!” he laughed and entered the Gold Rodger.

Like the first time he was here, the bar was empty. He wandered over to the wall examining the wanted posters. He was surprised to find some of the posters were ages old. He ran his fingers over a familiar face.

“Red Leg Zeff was a Grand Line pirate of some renown in his day. That was a different era, before all the so-called pirates turned coward.” The old barkeep came over, looking ancient with his sagging skin and age spots, a knit cap on his head.

“Old Man Zeff is pretty cool!”

“You know him?” the man raised his eyebrows.

“Sure! He trained my chef!”

“You’re that new pirate kid, Monkey D Luffy.”

“That’s me!” Luffy grinned.

“What brings you here?”

“I want to visit the place where the last King of Pirates lived and died.”

“The last King?”

“Well I’m going to be Pirate King.” Luffy explained with a little wave.

“Hahaha! You say it so clearly!”

“It’s true!”

“Hahaha! What ambition. I didn’t know people in the world still live like this. Come have a drink.”

“Eh? I don’t drink alcohol.”

“I’ve got something for you.” The barkeep pulled out milk like Before and Luffy grinned sitting at the bar.

“A toast to the man who was King of the Pirates!”

“To Rodger!” the old man clinked glasses and drank. “You say your chef apprenticed under Red Leg Zeff?”

“Yeah!” he leaned back on his stool. “Sanji is the best chef in the world and he can kick ass too!”

“Is that so?” he laughed.

“It’s true.” He nodded. “I’ve got the best crew in the world behind me. I won’t accept anything less!”

“Yeah? You have a big crew? I heard you took on the Krieg Pirates and Arlong’s crew.”

“There’s only five right now, but I’ll have more before I reach the New World.” He sipped his drink. “Sanji is my cook. Zoro is my First Mate, he’s going to be the World’s Greatest Swordsman. Nami is the best navigator in any sea! Then Usopp, he’s my sniper and a great liar.”

“A liar? Is that important to the future pirate king?” he laughed.

“Yup.” Luffy smiled back. He knew just how important Usopp’s lying could be.

“You’re something else kid!” the old man cackled.

Luffy finished his milk then took a harder look at the posters around the room. He popped back up wandering the room and peering at the knickknacks around the room.

“Do you have any stories about Rodger?”

“What makes you think I do?”

“Just a thought.” Luffy tugged on his hat and smiled secretively.

“Hahaha! As it happens, I have a good one…”

XXXxxx

Usopp leaned on the counter as Zoro looked at the buckets of swords. He smiled at the merchant’s wife as the man tried to talk Zoro out of his sword.

“Zoro won’t sell that one.” He said in a confidential tone. “It’s inherited and he’ll carry it to the end of the world. Would you like a rice ball?” he pulled out a snack to watch the entertainment.

“Are you serious?” she barked at him.

“These were made by the best chef in the world, Black Leg Sanji! I guarantee you’ve never had better.” He grinned.

“Impudent brat, snacking in our store like it’s some kind of rest stop!” She took two.

“This is the one.” Zoro declared lifting a familiar katana.

“Good eye, Zoro!” Usopp approved with a thumbs up.

“No, no, I’m sorry! I can’t sell you that sword!”

“Wha?” Usopp startled.

“Shut up you fool.” His wife hissed.

“I’m sorry, you don’t know the history of that sword.” The man waved his hands.

“It’s cursed.” Zoro stated clearly.

“You know!” the man demanded eyes bugging out. “Men who have taken up that sword quickly die a bloody death. Stories are told from all over of master swordsmen who have met their death after taking up a Kitetsu sword. That sword will turn on its owner. Just leave it alone! I can’t sell it. I won’t be responsible for you losing your life!”

“I’m not interested in that, but I am going to have this sword.” Zoro examined the familiar blade feeling the spirit of the sword examine him in return.

“If something happens to you with that sword the curse could come back to me.”

“Just sell him the sword.” His wife demanded.

“Zoro can handle it.” Usopp assured them.

“Pick a different one I said. I won’t be responsible for selling that blade. It will kill you!”

“My determination is stronger. But if it makes you feel better, let’s test it. If I’m right this blade won’t touch me. If you’re right, this curse will take my arm.” He grinned flipping the sword in the air. After a moment he stuck his arm straight out.

“Zoro, you showoff!” Usopp cursed as the merchant began panicking.

“That’s not a game. That sword is sharp not a plaything. You’ll lose your arm you fool! Don’t!”

“Your friend is crazy!” the woman shook Usopp back and forth as the blade flew into the air.

“Woah-oooh-oh! Zoro’s fine!” Usopp protested wiggling out of her grasp. “Just look!”

Sure enough as Zoro stood there, one arm outstretched and his eyes closed, the sword came down sinking into the floor without so much as scratching the swordsman. Usopp shook his head as Zoro grinned devilishly.

“I’ll take it!”

“Impossible!” the shop owner gasped. “That must be some luck! I’ve never seen anything like it! You must be a true swordsman! Wait here.”

The man ran off, returning with a sword. Zoro looked startled. Usopp was twice as shocked when the man returned with another familiar sword. Don’t tell me this happened before? Is that why he’s been so flashy? He gaped as the store owner presented the sword with a flourish detailing the design and features in an impressive way.

“I want you to have this.”

“How much?” Zoro asked in a low tone.

“I couldn’t possibly sell you either of these swords. I’m sorry for trying to cheat you before. Please take these swords.” He presented the blade to Zoro who smirked and nodded.

“I’ll use them well.”

“What are you doing?” his wife demanded. “You can’t buy me something nice, but you can give away our best sword?”

“Hush! A sword like this belongs in the hands of a master swordsman. I have never seen anything like that before. Your heart is strong, and your luck is incredible. I expect to hear great things about your future.”

“Zoro will be the World’s Greatest Swordsman.” Usopp grinned.

“Well, thanks.” Zoro tucked the two swords in his belt and turned to walk out. Usopp scrambled to his feet hastily following.

“Have a good day!” he waved ducking out as the woman berated her husband. “What on earth was that about?”

“I don’t know. I think that guy just likes to give out free swords.” Zoro looked at the sky. “Last time I told him I was flat broke, so it was only a little strange. Not sure why he did it this time. Weird guy.”

“I guess so.” Usopp shrugged. “I think that’s it for me. I have a solid collection of tools and trinkets and now that I found a good set of goggles, I should be all set.”

“Finally!” Zoro grumped.

“What? It’s not even been three hours. I think we did that pretty quick. Now we can go-” Usopp froze midsentence as he spotted a man in a long coat.

“Hn? Daddy the Parent. You looking for a duel?” Zoro smirked.

“Nah.” Usopp shook himself. “Unlike some people I don’t need to replay my past. Let’s get back to the ship. Luffy wanted us to look after things there. I can do some target practice from there if you want to test my skill.”

Usopp grinned at the swordsman. Zoro laughed in return watching as the famous bounty hunter turned a corner out of sight.

XXXxxx

Luffy hopped off his stool when the story finished and wandered around looking at the different memorabilia. He ran his fingers over the wall of posters his eyes tearing up.

“What’s got your attention, lad? Humming Brook, of the Rumbar Pirates? I haven’t heard that name in quite some time. Those men disappeared before Rodger ever made his name. They were wiped out on the Grand Line like many before them. I didn’t know I even had that one. These older posters just give this place some ambiance. You can take it if you’d like. It’s not like anyone will claim that bounty.”

“That’s for sure.” He agreed, gently taking down the poster. “No one’s going to catch him.”

“Hn? You’re an odd one. Hahaha!” the old man slapped the bar. “Come, come, have another drink.”

“Serving minors now?” a man came into the bar with a slam.

Luffy half expected to see Smokey in a repeat of Before. Instead, it was an older fishman with a yellow skin tone.

“It’s just milk. Nothing to get riled up over.” The bartender rolled his eyes. “What can I do for you?”

“A beer to start.” The man frowned in Luffy’s direction.

He was well used to strange adults thinking he should stay out of bars and responded in his usual way. Luffy stuck out his tongue and pulled down his bottom eyelid making a face. The bartender howled with laughter which was a much better response than Makino’s usual scolding. The fishman startled then scowled. Luffy ignored him exploring the wall of posters for any other gems. He drifted back to the one of Zeff, glancing at the bartender who was fixing a drink.

“Hey kid, why don’t you get out of here.”

“Aw, ease up on the boy.”

“It’s fine. See ya!” with a quick movement he gathered up the Zeff poster and bolted out of the bar.

“Hey! Not that one!”

Roaring with his own laughter and delighted with his bit of mischief, Luffy slipped the posters into his bag and ran through the town. He hummed softly to himself and considered how to get to the execution platform. The last time he was here he asked for directions from a marine and from Buggy. Both times he’d found the platform. It stood to reason he could just ask someone again…

XXXxxx

Sanji had his foot half off the ground before he forced himself to stop.

“Thank you for your time.” He ground out with a painful smile.

“We’ll have more in tomorrow!” the man assured him. “Come by and see a better collection.”

Sanji gave a small nod, knowing they would be at sea tomorrow. It was not the seller’s fault. Not any of the dozen he’d been to today.

“Damn Marines.” He lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply as he tried to calm himself. “sh*tty luck.”

That damn Master Chef had to choose today, of all days, to do their resupply. Twice sh*tty luck that Luffy wanted them in and out of town so quickly. Any other day and the sellers would have time to replenish their stock and at least have a variety of goods to sell.

“Leftover, c-grade, sh*tty garbage.” He ground his teeth together, nearly running his cigarette.

He moved away from the market trying to clear his head. He couldn’t even appreciate the lovely ladies with the pressure to stock the ship and no food in sight. He smiled wistfully after a pair of brunets. He’d managed to successfully restock dried staples and spices, so that was something. Unfortunately, fresh foods were a problem. The meat and seafood were picked over leaving only the off-smelling and the worst cuts available. The fruits and vegetables were nearly as bad. It irked him. Sanji knew that he could prepare delicious, nutritious meals with what was here. Only a sh*tty cook needed prime ingredients to serve good food. Still, he wanted to start their journey right. It was his job as cook to procure the best foods.

“Damn Marine bastards.” He cursed again stubbing out his cigarette.

He stalked back towards the row of butchers, resigned. He resisted the urge to shoulder check the fresh-faced marine recruits struggling with a hand cart. Idiots. Wait… He looked over the clearly struggling pair of young men and the cart filled with fresh meats, fish and produce.

“Luffy would forgive me. He would understand.” Sanji smiled brightly for the first time all morning and pulled another cigarette. He began to carefully stalk his prey. “It’s only causing trouble if I get caught.”

XXXxxx

“Excuse me! Can you help me!” Luffy waved at a familiar brunet woman in a Marine uniform. He was pretty sure she was Zoro’s friend from Punk Hazard.

“Oh! Me?” She pointed at herself before getting a determined look. “Of course, are you in some trouble?”

“Nah.” He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and smiled at her. “Just a bit lost? Can you tell me where they kill people here? I’m trying to find the platform.” He looked around just in case he missed seeing it nearby.

“Where they- kill – people? Don’t you think that’s a bit inappropriate for a kid your age?”

“Huh? I just wanna see the platform.” He pouted at her brows furrowed. “Is someone actually getting killed today or something?”

“What? No. no.” she turned pink waving her hands. “I guess it’s not that strange to want to see the platform. Kids are curious after all.”

“Huh? Whatever. I’m not a kid. You could just say if you don’t know.” He sighed and began walking away.

“Oh! My apologies!” she turned a pink color. “It’s just down this street here, two blocks then turn right. You asked for help, I am so sorry to take so much of your time.” She gave an apologetic bow.

“You’re funny. Thanks for the help, lady.” He smiled widely and scampered off.

She blinked at the straw hat bouncing on his back.

“That hat…” she turned to her fellow marines. “Did that look like Strawhat Luffy?”

“The pirate?” one of them laughed loudly. “Pirates don’t ask marines for help!”

“Of course not.” She blushed.

“It was just some kid.” Another nudged her.

XXXxxx

“Stop tugging at me!” Zoro snapped as Usopp grabbed his arm. “I thought we were done. We’ve been to like a million trinket stores.”

“Sorry, sorry! We need to go in here.” he pulled the swordsman into the small shop. “Don’t touch anything.”

“Eh? You got something to say?” Zoro snarled defensively.

“Can I help you gentlemen?” the shop attendant looked them up and down, his lip curling.

“Maybe.” Usopp eyed him up and down with just as much judgement. “Are you buying?”

“That depends on what you’re selling.” Scorn filled his voice as he faced them, “Not everything that is old is an antique.”

“Not everything collectable is ancient.” he countered, carefully maneuvering to the front of the shop with his large bag. He set it at his feet and dug into the pockets for a moment before pulling out a hard tube. “My crew was lucky to come across these charts. Our navigator has been looking for a collector who knows their proper value…” he trailed off with a shark smile.

This tube contained three neatly rolled sea charts that Nami considered a quality set. He had several others of lesser quality stashed to sell elsewhere if he could. He pulled them out and began to lay them flat on the counter, missing the startled look as the man first glimpsed the charts.

“Stop, stop! Don’t touch that!” he exclaimed throwing his hands out.

Usopp pulled his own hands back, startled. The trader all but lunged forward, distain gone from his face as he gazed at the maps. He pulled on some white gloves before beginning to unroll the maps again. He laid smooth weights at each of the corners, pinning the first to the counter. Usopp watched fascinated as the man began examining the sea chart. He hummed softly, pulling out a magnifying glass and looking over the scale and signature in the bottom corner.

“These markings here, EB-NE-Q1.03, do you know what they mean?” he sounded excited.

“East Blue, North East, the last bit is for lining up different parts of the set, but I don’t…” Usopp trailed off as the man gave an excited shout. He looked over to an equally unnerved Zoro.

“And these would be…” he carefully shifted the other pages, unrolling and pinning them on different glass cases.

The three charts looked splendid side by side. The charting paper was quality grade, and the lines were neatly drawn. Usopp could see why Nami said they were the best. This particular cluster of islands was detailed with depth markers, currents, reefs, and lighthouses. The whirlpool on the second map was lifelike and there were markers for sea kings in near one of the island passes. Usopp crossed his arms to keep from fidgeting as the man scuttled back and forth between the three maps looking them over carefully. He kept his face blank when the man went to a drawer and pulled out a chart of the same area. This one had a grid pattern to it and similar markings, but Usopp could see that Nami’s map was far more detailed with depth indicators going much further from the islands than the other. The man hummed to himself as he compared the two maps.

“Yes, yes, same depth here, and these are certainly comparable.”

Usopp couldn’t hold back a smirk as the man verified the map’s accuracy. He had no doubt Nami’s chart was perfect. Seeing this other chart, he had to appreciate the level of skill. Nami was so talented at reading the weather and guiding the ship that he sometimes forgot her true passion was cartography. She dreamed of mapping the world. She was skilled enough at it to be recognized.

“Ten thousand bellies!” the man exclaimed.

“Fifteen” Usopp countered automatically before his eyes went wide and his brain caught up. Ten thousand!

The man made a noise of distress looking over the maps again hemming and hawing for a moment.

“I don’t recognize this cartographer’s signature. I’m afraid I can’t go more than twelve thousand each on an unknown artist.” The man turned and tried to look firm as he pointed to the two interlocking Ns.

“Deal.” Usopp nodded quickly. Each!!

He rang a bell and a woman appeared at the bottom of the stair. “I need to cash out 36 thousand bellis to these men. Can you run to the bank?” he looked at them “We don’t keep that kind of cash in the shop. Now, can you tell me where you got these?” the man demanded as he began carefully gathering the maps and placing them in a flat drawer.

“It’s an interesting story, really…” Usopp began weaving a lie.

XXXxxx

Luffy smiled from the top of the tower.

“Hey you! Get down from there!” a man shouted.

Luffy looked down at the small group of marines and pointed to himself.

“Yes you! That’s government property and restricted. Remove yourself immediately!”

He laughed clear and bright. It was just like last time! There would be no execution this time though and hopefully no battle with Smokey. He stretched his arms to the sky and considered a moment.

“I said, get down from there! Who do you think you are?”

“I’m Monkey D. Luffy!” he declared loudly unable to resist such a setup. “I’m the man who with be KING OF THE PIRATES! Shishishi!” his words echoed around the square and citizens fell silent looking up at him.

Whispers broke out. Luffy tugged his hat into place waved cheerfully at the marines and then took a leap off the side of the platform reaching and swinging himself up onto one of the buildings to his left. He shifted into second gear for speed as bullets flew at him and the marines shouted for backup. He was halfway down an alley, strolling casually as chaos erupted behind him. A group of marines barreled down the path and he stepped aside, letting them swarm past towards the commotion. As they rounded the corner, he put on another burst of speed to avoid getting caught. I am totally stealthy! I can do sneaky! He laughed to himself as he turned the next corner.

“It’s Strawhat Luffy!” one of the marines pointed to him.

“Aww man! You ruined my fun.” He pouted before throwing a punch and knocking back the five of them.

“Stop, pirate!” one of the men lifted a large gun-like weapon.

“OOOh! I remember those!” He shot an arm out quickly and pulled it to him. “Mine now!”

He knocked out the marines still conscious and jogged away quickly looking at his new thing. He could feel the seastone inside of it just holding it. Frowning he used the strap to sling it onto his back. He would have to be careful carrying this. With a bounce to his steps, Luffy picked up the pace using second gear, racing nearly invisibly along the tops of the buildings. He found the port and raced to the Merry. No one was close to following him, as his haki confirmed, but it wouldn’t take long. He smiled to see all his crew present on deck. He slowed his pace as he approached the ship, catching his breath and walking up the gangway in a stroll.

“Captain!” Nami grinned and bounded over to him in excitement. “I’m sorry to say we’re very broke at the moment, but” she smiled wider “I managed to procure one Eternal Pose to the Drum Kingdom!”

Luffy cheered and lifted her in the air, spinning.

“Careful, careful don’t break it now.” Zoro snatched the fragile item out of her hand before it could fall.

“Shishishi! This is the best news! Good work, Nami! I knew you could do it!” Luffy bounced in excitement. “I promise to find you a nice big treasure soon!”

“If it makes you feel better, we’re not completely broke!” Usopp added as he settled his oversized backpack on the ground and dug for his wallet. “Here’s what we didn’t spend.”

Nami blinked down at the stack of bellies in her hand. She lifted it several times testing the weight. She frowned and started counting.

“Usopp, did you guys rob a bank?” she demanded, counting a second time.

“Uh…no?” he looked confused exchanging a look with Zoro.

“This is more money than I gave you to start with!” she flailed a bit.

“Well, we did sell some of those maps you gave us.” Usopp defended.

“But…” she looked at the massive bag of goods and Zoro’s swords.

“Usopp and Zoro did good shopping too!” Luffy was pounding them both on the back roughly.

“Thanks Luffy!” Usopp returned, ducking away from further blows. “How was your day?”

“Ah… we might need to set sail. Those guards will probably catch up soon.”

The crew looked at their captain, hand on his hat looking sheepish. Then they scrambled.

“Casting off!” Sanji shouted jumping to release the ropes and lifting the gangway on his return.

“Anchor set!” Zoro hauled the last of it up.

“Bumpers up! Releasing the main.” Usopp pulled the bumpers in the ship on his way to the rigging. He quickly released the ties holding the sail.

Nami cried out orders and directions to set for optimal speed as they could see the rush of Marines as they approached the port. He spotted a familiar white smoke rushing down an alley. The Going Merry was already away from the docks and rapidly leaving the island. Luffy gave a friendly wave.

“It’s been fun! Fair winds!” he laughed.

The marines grumbled, shaking fists, and yelling threats. A few fired some pointless pistol shots, but they were rapidly moving out of range.

“Good work guys!” Luffy congratulated looking proud.

“Next time start with the warning!” they shouted back.

“But Nami had good news to share.” Luffy pouted.

Nami sighed, resigned as the boys tried to argue common sense into their rubber headed captain. She laughed once and shrugged. Luffy grinned over at her laughter.

“Let’s sing! Yoho ho ho yohoho-ho!”

Success and adrenaline buzzing pleasantly she just shrugged once and joined into in the first verse of Bink’s Sake. Afterall, pirates sing.

XXXxxx

“Once I had the cart it was easy to get back here. I know you didn’t want us to start any trouble, but I was careful not to lead anyone back to the Merry.” Sanji finished up shifting guiltily.

“Shishishi! What are you talking about! You got us the good meat! It all worked out. Good job Sanji.” Luffy waved his bite of steak. “And Nami has more money back!”

“I can’t believe you all came back with money!” Nami looked dazed as she stared at a distant point. “I thought we were broke but we saved thousands of bellies!”

Luffy took a bite of the delicious fish in lemon sauce Sanji prepared. He hummed in appreciation and devoured the remainder in quick bites. His crew were finished and just picking at their plates to ensure no food was wasted. Luffy let his hands roam, picking off any leftovers. He grinned when Usopp pushed the last of the dinner rolls into his reach. Food finished, he stopped Sanji with a wave. The cook settled back, dishes set aside.

“Ah, so good!”

“Thanks, you bottomless pit.” The blond lit a cigarette and raised a curly eyebrow.

“So listen. When we’re on the Grand Line, I want you to look out for seastone.” He gave a little nod. “I want to collect a bunch of it before we reach Sebody.”

“Seastone?” Nami questioned. “You can’t even touch that stuff. Why would you want it onboard?”

“You can use it to cross the Calm Belt.” He explained sitting forward so he could see all of them and adjusting his hat.

“The Calm Belt?” Sanji looked surprised.

“Yeah.” He confirmed. “We talked about the Important Things and the others will have their own things. One big thing though is making sure we are strong enough to enter the New World. We’re going to rise fast because they won’t be expecting us. We have knowledge and talents that it took us years to build. We can’t waste time with our Nakama waiting. It took us a year last time around to cross Paradise. I want to have Brook with us in less than 6 months. Nami can give us better guesses when she does the maths for the shortcuts the Drum pose will give us. If we can avoid distractions and keep moving forward, we can have all our Nakama gathered quick. That puts us at a big disadvantage though, because that kind of speed will draw attention from pirates and marines both. I want to cross the Calm Belt and spend some time building our strength.”

“You want to circle back to the East Blue?”

“Only if we get bored.” He grinned sharing his Idea. “Let’s go to the South Blue! We’ve never been there before! We could have all kinds of adventures and surprises while we do some training. Plus, it would help Nami.”

“Nami?” Zoro looked to the redhead.

“Me?” she looked equally confused.

“Your dream is to map the whole world, right?” he leaned back smiling with all teeth. “You can’t do that if all we see is the Grand Line! I thought we’d see the other oceans after I became King, but this surprise was perfect! Now you can make more sea charts and we can all get good training!”

“Wow Luffy that’s like a real plan!” Usopp pointed at him looking surprised.

“It’s really well thought out too.” Sanji agreed.

Zoro scoffed. “He’s looking out for Nami’s dream. Of course he thought about it.”

“Shishishi. You guys seem really surprised.”

“How did you know about the seastone? How does that work? I’ve never heard anything like that!”

“You haven’t?” Luffy sounded surprised. “I learned about it when I stayed with Hanco*ck. It’s how navy ships avoid sea kings in the Calm Belt. Some mystery trick.”

“Right.” Nami massaged her forehead.

“You never mentioned any of this.”

“Ah. I forgot.” Luffy paused a moment as his crew made funny faces. “It all worked out though!”

“What made you think about it now?” Zoro raised a brow.

“That net gun had seastone, so I remembered!”

“How did everyone steal something today but me?” Nami cried.

“Hey! I told you we didn’t steal that money!” Usopp protested.

“You didn’t steal anything?” Luffy asked looking confused.

“I might’ve lifted a wallet or two.” She admitted.

“Yeah. That makes sense. Anyways, we’ll gather up a bunch of seastone between here and Sebody. I remember there being a ton of that stuff in Alabasta. Crocodile kept surprising you with it. Or maybe that was…” Usopp trailed off into muttered calculations.

“Thanks Usopp! I knew I could count on you!”

“I guess I need to plot a course. We have one more stop before the Red Line. Assuming we hit Drum at the quickest speed, there is probably at least one island between that and Alabasta. I’ll do some calculations based on the islands I remember and try to figure out how long it would take to reach Water 7. We’d need some time there for building a new ship and then off the Florian Triangle. If we calculate the time of the calibration and …” she trailed off into a mumble and stood.

The men watched as she left the room already planning.

“I better take the night watch. I think the witch forgot she was on tonight.” Zoro volunteered with a sigh.

“Well our captain did just assign her a nearly impossible timetable to work on with no warning.”

“Oops.”

“Come on Usopp, you’ve got dishes with me tonight.” Sanji reminded.

Luffy grinned as his crew moved into action. These guys are the best!

Chapter 14: Reverse Mountain: Take II

Chapter Text

.

The winds picked up just after dinner. Usopp was forced to fetch Nami who woke the remaining crew in time to tie safety lines and prepare the ship. They laughed together as the storm roared.

“Are we really doing this again?” Usopp asked without much hope. “Who crosses the reverse mountain in a storm and then decides to do it again in a WORSE storm?”

“Technically this is a small hurricane.” Nami winked.

“Here!” Sanji braced against the wind, pulling a barrel in place. “Tradition is tradition.”

Luffy pulled himself over one hand firmly on his hat. Rain pounded across the deck in walls of water. Sanji steadied Usopp as the wind pulled him off his feet a moment and both boys steadied the barrel between them. Luffy nodded. He wrapped his free arm several times around Zoro and looked at each of his nakama, braced but ready.

“To be King of the Pirates, the freest man alive!”

“To become the World’s Greatest Swordsman.”

“To find the All Blue!”

“To see the world and map it all!”

“To become a Brave Warrior of the Sea!”

Five heels came down smashing the barrel in one blow. Nami and Usopp cried out and hit the deck as bits of broken barrel were picked up by the storm and tossed around. Luffy picked up a bigger chunk and tossed it overboard casually. He ignored or didn’t notice the way it was caught by the wind and blown off in the opposite direction.

“Lighthouse!” he pointed out racing forward. His safety line wasn’t long enough to reach his special seat, but he stretched forward to place a hand on Merry’s head. “I’ll keep you safe.”

“Zoro, Sanji, on the rudder, gently this time!” Nami barked. “Usopp, port brace line, Luffy starboard.”

The crew fell into positions listening to Nami holler directions and corrections.

“Don’t force the rudder, just ease it a little as you can. We’re going to angle the ship for a moment and the change of pressure should let you get the rudder locked in place. Ready?”

“Let’s do it!” Luffy shouted tugging at his line.

The ship swerved, the rudder slipped into place, and the wind pulled at the ship.

“Quick, Luffy, back the other way or we’ll come about too far!” Nami called out.

They fought the wind and currents, straightening the ship.

“Keep our heading 2-7-0! We should see the Water Gates soon!” they rocked with the ship eyes peeled.

“There it is!”

“The Reverse Mountain’s entrance to the Grand Line!”

“Let’sss GOOOOOOO!” Luffy threw both fists in the air as they angled towards the narrow passage.

“We’re doing perfectly!” Nami called. “Keep her steady!”

“Got it!” Sanji and Zoro grinned at each other as they braced the rudder.

The ship bobbed violently in the storm as thunder bellowed and lightning cracked. They were in the current and being pulled fast towards the rock wall of the Red Line. The ship tilted upwards, gliding neatly under stone gateways as the current sent them climbing up the mountain. Nami peered through the limited visibility calling Usopp to the helm so she could move forward. Luffy couldn’t keep the smile off his face and from the slightly hysterical laughter, neither could his crew. Ready and waiting for the moment anything goes wrong, he was surprised to realize they were at the top, breaking above the clouds to beautiful midday sun. They exchanged smiles.

“Safety check!” Zoro called as they went airborne, checking his own line as lightning snapped below.

They spun mid-air, Luffy stretched out both arms to pull them into position, guiding them neatly into the proper canal.

“Brace for fall!” Nami followed up just before Merry hit the water with a splash.

The plunge was swift. The rain charged the current into a fast rapid and sent them tearing down the mountain. Lightning flickered for a moment around the mast but then they were past the storm. Nothing was blocking the entrance to the Grand Line and the crew had a moment of relief as the channel dumped them out and they could slip smoothly into open water. In typical Grand Line fashion, the weather was warm and calm. Cheers rang out and Luffy untied himself bouncing around deck pulling his crew into hugs. He moved to Merry’s head looking into the water for Laboon’s shadow.

“Let’s anchor!” he pointed at the lighthouse.

His crew ambled easily to the lines, easing out the mainsail as Nami turned the helm and repositioned the ship. Luffy was proud of the experience shown in the deft movements and ease his crew handled their ship. Merry seemed to glide up and settle next to the rockface without bump or scrape. Usopp scrambled to tuck and tie the sails as Sanji disappeared into the kitchen and Zoro handled the heavy anchor. Luffy took one last look at his crew, gave Merry a pat and hopped off the ship.

Several minutes of pounding on the lighthouse and the rest of the crew caught up to him. Most of them had changed into dry clothes although they still looked windswept. His nakama were so smart!

“Looks like the flower guy isn’t here.” He explained with a frown. “He must be in Laboon.”

“Our course is set. We can leave at any time.” Nami looked over the empty building.

“We can’t leave without seeing Laboon!” Luffy denied.

“Looks like we’re staying the night then.” Zoro gave a nod.

“Campout! Woo hooo!” Luffy through his arms in the air. “Let’s build a bonfire!”

“We do have a crossing to celebrate.” Nami agreed exchanging a wicked grin with Zoro.

“I could handle a barbeque.” Sanji nodded as he lit a cigarette.

“Strawhat Party!” Usopp cheered.

“Let’s do it!”

XXXxxx

Crocus had seen many things in his years as a pirate and many more in his years at the twin capes. Surfacing with Laboon just after dawn he was greeted with a most unusual sight. A small group of teenagers were dancing around a gigantic bonfire. A small but cheerful caravel bobbed by the shore, nearly dancing itself. Any other place and he would assume teenage shenanigans were afoot, but this was the Entrance to the Grand Line. He watched open mouthed as the kids broke off their singing with a laugh as one of the boys started running from the only girl in their group. It was playful and free-spirited and painfully young. What were these brats doing? Did they think this was a game? How did they even make it over the line? He looked over their ship which seemed unharmed. He’d seen pirates with years of experience shred their ships on the trip over.

“Oy look!” one of the boys pointed at him. “Hey old man! Over here!”

Then they started singing. They started singing Binks’ Sake. These baby-faced youngsters chose that song of all shanties and were bellowing it at the top of their lungs. Laboon let out a cry and swam closer bobbing to the tune and nearly toppling him. Crocus leapt down onto the rock and stared. These young idiots were staring past him at the whale with bright smiles and clapping out the tune. The two black haired boys were shirtless and half covered in paint. The green haired boy was swaying drunkenly and holding a bottle while the blond was hovering as if to catch the equally swaying young woman. All five had rushed to the water’s edge and were singing to Laboon who was dancing happily.

“Ack! What happened to my lighthouse?!” he nearly toppled over as he got a look at his home which was now liberally graffitied instead of a pristine white.

The five teens jumped at his sudden shout and then as a group toppled over laughing loudly. The giant fire snapped and popped drawing his attention.

“What is that fire? Did you cut down my only tree?” He gapped.

“It was pretty small, we’re almost out of wood. It’s a good thing you showed up. Can you tell me if your chair has the bad paint on it? Nami said we can’t burn it because it might make us sick.” The straw-hatted boy asked not moving from the tangle of bodies.

“Don’t say it like that!” the girl yelled shoving at him.

“You want to burn my chair?!” he gaped at the kids blindsided at the brazenness of it.

“Well, we can’t let the fire die.” The same kid explained as he picked his nose. “It’s a campout.”

Crocus was aware he was making a noise, but he wasn’t sure how to stop the slow whine. The kids stared at him obviously waiting on an answer. His lighthouse was a riot of colors. His tree was chopped down. There was a half dozen small children who apparently just crossed the Red Line and were drunk on his lawn. He contemplated climbing back into the whale and hiding but was terrified what other furniture they might decide to burn instead. There was also a not insignificant chance that Laboon might refuse to dive and decide to ‘sing’ with these hooligans leaving them access to his hatch. He shuddered.

“You okay old man?” The blond had worked his way out of the tangle. “I have some warm bread here if you’d like a bite. Are you feeling alright?”

“You wrecked my lighthouse, cut down my tree and are threatening to burn my chair.” It sounded even worse out loud.

“I thought we agreed against the chair?” the green haired boy questioned.

Crocus stared, blinked then aimed his harpoons at the group.

“You hooligans can get off my damn lawn. Move.”

“Party pooper.” The dark-haired boy pouted without moving.

None of the teens seemed remotely concerned by the very sharp weapons he was aiming. Crocus snarled and fired a warning shot. None of them so much as flinched or looked startled. They were still sprawled on the grass. The blond who was standing off to the side smoking gave the harpoon a sidelong look.

“I suppose we are intruding on your space. All the same, I don’t recommend attacking my crew.”

It shouldn’t have been intimidating watching a teen literally blow smoke but Crocus spent years dealing with some of the most dangerous people on the seas. This blond registered as a threat.

“Are you the captain then?” he raised an eyebrow staring hard with just a touch of haki.

The group fell into giggles pushing at each other as they started to sit up. The blond merely smirked.

“Sorry. Just the cook.” He sucked on the cigarette.

“I’m the captain!” the small brunet from before declared. “Monkey D. Luffy. I’m going to be King of the Pirates!”

“You can’t be more than twelve.” Crocus deadpanned.

“I’m twenty years old.”

“Fifteen.” The redhead corrected.

“I’m fifteen years old!” he declared without missing a beat.

Crocus stared at the group for a long minute waiting for them to catch his point. They stared back. Laboon gave a warbling cry. The small child crew immediately turned to coo and laugh at the whale, dismissing him. The retired pirate was tempted to shoot at them again, but he had an uneasy feeling about doing so. Instead, he glared hard.

“I’m going home. If you come into my lighthouse, I will shoot you. If you hurt that whale, I will kill you.”

“We’re not going to hurt him!” “Why would we do that?” “How dare you!” “We would never!” “What kind of people do you think we are?” they all spoke at once in a general outrage.

It was with complete disbelief and a sense of surrealism that he walked up to his newly painted lighthouse. Maybe a few hours of sleep would make this make sense.

(It wouldn’t.)

XXXxxx

Nami woke with a raging hangover.

“It’s not fair! Where’s my tolerance gone? It’s not even like we were drinking hard.” She nibbled at the plate Sanji offered.

The blond cook had an excellent hangover cure and was pleased to offer it in complete silence. Luffy was awake and sitting with Merry seeming to have a conversation with Laboon. Nami wondered if they were actually talking with that Voice ability or if this was another case of incredible animal intelligence. Given the stories about Laboon it could be either or both and her stomach was churning too much to really care. If that thing blew snot water on her food, she was going to lose it. Seeming to read her mind, Sanji appeared and set up an umbrella. He wandered off, still silent, before she could even thank him. Nami got that uneasy sense something was wrong with Sanji. She looked around to see if anyone else noticed. Usopp was snoring sprawled by their smoldering fire. Zoro was unfairly unfazed by their consumption and doing one handed handstand pushups. The smirk he gave her made her acutely aware it was completely intentional showing off. She was sorely tempted to start throwing things, but this small cape was nearly devoid of throwable rocks and she didn’t have the energy to look for one.

“You must not have been drinking for long.” Zoro replied. “Still a lightweight, huh?”

“Shut up! You weren’t holding your liquor much better! Who was it that decided we needed to climb the lighthouse?”

“I wasn’t even drinking then.”

“That doesn’t make it better!” she snarled.

“Eh, whatever. You’re feeling better already so stop whining, witch.” He pushed off the ground, flipping to his feet.

Nami would have yelled more but realized she actually was feeling better. Sanji could work miracles. Not that she planned to tell him that. Settling back with a sigh she mentally charted their route. It would be a challenging couple of months but with a little luck she might be able to shave more time… One step at a time. They had to talk to the old man and get going.

“Worrying again?” Zoro walked over wiping his face on his shirt.

“About Brook mostly. It’s not fair he is at the end of the line.” She chewed on her lip. “I’ll get us there as fast as we can go.”

“Know you will.” Zoro looked at her with all seriousness. “We have to trust our nakama to know their own parts in this too. You focus on navigation. Your best will be enough.”

“Shut up.” Flustered by the unexpected assurance she looked away. “You don’t know anything.”

“It’s the same as it’s always been.” He waived one hand dismissively. “We do our part, we come back together, we stand united against our foes and they fall.” He shrugged. “Simple. We’re doing our own parts now, but we’ll come together. Our Captain won’t accept anything less.”

Nami blinked at him. Zoro made it sound so straightforward. Like a battle plan or one of their adventures. It wasn’t that simple. Was it?

“You parasites are still here?” a voice boomed out.

“Eh?” Zoro turned to look at the old man. “What’s his problem?”

“Who’s zat whu?” Usopp startled from his sleep, slingshot in hand and aimed perfectly at the geezer before his eyes were even open.

“Easy.” Zoro advised, slouching over towards the sniper.

Usopp relaxed his arms but didn’t tuck the slingshot away completely or take his eyes off the old man.

“You’re trespassing. Get out of here. I want you kids off my lawn and out of my cape.”

“Yeesh. Relax old man. The captain is just finishing his chat and we’ll be on our way.” Nami interjected.

“Your Captain seems very interested in Laboon.” The old man accused gruffly.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Sanji emerged with a tray of drinks and presenting the first to Nami.

“Who are you kids and what are you doing here?”

“Rude of you to ask our names without giving your own.” Zoro smirked and Nami could practically see him forming a plan.

“True. I’m Cro-”

“We’re the Strawhat Pirates.” Zoro interrupted breezily. “I’m Roronoa Zoro, this is our sniper Usopp, chef Sanji and navigator Nami.”

“I’ll kill you!” the old man growled, literally steaming at the interruption.

“Nice one.” Sanji chucked in surprising solidarity offering Zoro the next drink.

Nami had a flicker of memory that their first introduction with this old man might have gone similarly. She remembered Sanji and Zoro both riled up by some bad jokes and the old man toying with them. Before she could think on it too long the old man was talking again.

“He’s a very special whale with a strong heart. An Island Whale found only in the West Blue. Listen closely and I will reveal to you Laboon’s tragic story.”

“Uh, that’s okay, we-”

“I said listen closely!” he snapped a crackle of force in the demand.

They shut up and listened as the old man recounted the familiar tale of the Rumbar Pirates and their promise long overdue. Nami was instantly enraptured as he spoke with familiarity about Brook’s old crew. They sounded fun. It made her heart hurt to realize so many friends had passed leaving their musician behind. Brook didn’t often speak of his old crew or their adventures. Then he got to the part of the tale where he claimed his friends had turned coward and left the Grand Line. Nami bristled. How could he say that? The Rumbar Pirates were wiped out. Even dying they recorded a song for their friend so that Brook who ate the Revive Revive Fruit might fulfill their promise someday. How could this old man be so certain they just left? Why would he tell that tale?

“Oy shut up!” Usopp snapped, eyes full of tears. “You don’t know that! Why would his friends just abandon him? There are plenty of deadly things on the Grand Line and sure some people would go mad from the insanity of it and cower away but you can’t just decide that’s what they did! You don’t know their story.”

Nami looked over at her friend as he jumped to his feet, fists clenched. She bit her own lip and shook her head. Zoro and Sanji looked ready to fight and were barely hanging on to their tempers.

“I’m sorry to say that it’s true.” He said again.

“Don’t say it like that!” Usopp argued. “A bond like that isn’t so easily broken. I don’t believe that even if they left the Grand Line, they wouldn’t make their way back here for Laboon. Not that I think they left the Grand Line at all. You can’t possibly claim to know they did.”

Zoro reached out and squeezed Usopp’s shoulder. Sanji chewed on his cigarette and Nami bit her lip until it bled.

“Hey Laboon.” Luffy spoke up from his spot on the ship.

Nami flinched. She thought he was too far away to listen in this time, but she recognized that serious tone.

“Join my crew.” He offered with the utmost sincerity.

“What?! No way!” Crocus protested.

Nami blinked in shock then stood up with a laugh. Her heart was racing. Can you imagine Brook’s face if we showed up with Laboon? Usopp was punching the air in excitement and the boys were exchanging stupid grins.

“I didn’t ask you old man.” Luffy stuck his tongue out. “What do you say Laboon? You’re bigger now. The Grand Line is still a very dangerous place. There’s Marines and other pirates and even Sea Kings. But if you travel with us, we will help you stay safe and fight with you. You can join us and travel around the world. We can look for your old crew and make some new adventures together. Join us. Be our nakama.”

Laboon blinked a giant eye as it filled with tears. A long mournful cry filled the air.

“Are you sure?” Luffy asked seeming to have no trouble understanding.

The Island Whale gave a shorter chirruping cry. It splashed as it dipped below the surface then reemerged nearer the lighthouse.

“I see. A promise is a promise. You’re a loyal friend.” Luffy gripped the edge of his hat in a salute. “I’ll make my own promise then. I promise to come back here when I make it around the Grand Line. I’ll come back to see you and share with you all my adventures. When I do, I’ll ask again. If you ever change your mind you know you have a place with the Strawhat Pirates.”

This time the cry was clearly joyful even as the whale wept. Crocus gaped at them as Nami reached over to high five the boys.

“We’ll be happy to see you again Laboon!”

“Just wait, next time you’ll want to join us for sure.”

“We’ll bring you back a surprise.”

Luffy laughed at their antics standing tall on Merry’s head with the sun at his back. Nami couldn’t be prouder to sail with her Captain. She’d expected another fight but should have realized Luffy wouldn’t just go through the motions. Seeing him there, despite his youthful appearance she could all but see him standing as a King. He looked wild, powerful, and completely in charge. A look over her shoulder told her Crocus could see it too. He had that open mouthed wonder folks got when Luffy declared himself King and they believed he could do it.

“I’ll give you the mark of our friendship and our promise.” Luffy hopped down onto the whale, a bucket of paint in one hand.

“Uh, Luffy, I could…” Usopp started to offer.

“I got this!” Luffy cut him off.

The crew exchanged resigned looks and smiles.

“Let’s pack it up.” Zoro indicated their sprawled belongings.

Nami left them to it wandering over to talk navigation with Crocus. The old medic was a moody jerk, but he’d given them good advice in the past. Maybe he had a map. She’d drawn one from memory but it was rough. She acutely missed the one she’d hunted off Buggy Before. It had been an excellent map even if it wasn’t fully accurate.

“All aboard guys! Let’s set sail!”

Nami called out commands as they weighed anchor and pulled away from the coast. She was completely unsurprised when they broke into song again. She lifted her voice in another off-key version of Binks’ Sake and Laboon hummed along with them in an echoing song. They really needed to get their musician. Nami froze at the helm as the thought rang through her mind an echo of their Captain’s frequent lament. Shaking it off she faced the horizon and listened to the winds. A storm was brewing. She grinned.

Chapter 15: Sailing the Grand Line

Chapter Text

.

“It’s strange. I remember Crocus being so scary. Didn’t Rayleigh say he was on Rodger’s crew? He just seemed like he was a crotchety old man.” Nami questioned over lunch.

“That’s ‘cause you’re a New World pirate now.” Zoro shrugged.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded.

“He was throwing haki around right and left. It probably terrifies the newbies and keeps the random pirates passing through here in line.” Sanji explained.

“I was wondering about that. It wasn’t Conqueror’s haki but he was using it like a command.” Usopp frowned as he absently swatted Luffy’s wandering hand.

“It was Observation. He’s probably a master of the art. Observation haki allows you to sense the strength and presence of others. He was somehow using his Observation to project his strength and power. I’ve heard of being able to hide your presence using Observation so it makes sense that you can do the opposite. It’s a parlor trick though. As you noticed he wasn’t actually that scary. Unlike Conquerors’ haki he wasn’t actually able to impose his will only make us feel that he had a strong presence.”

“So cool!” Usopp chimed.

“I don’t even have haki though. And none of us used it Before when we first met him.” Nami frowned.

“When Rayleigh was training me, he said everyone has some haki in them, but most people don’t learn to use it.” Luffy chimed in.

“His technique is more intimidating if you don’t actively use haki, actually. If you’ve never experienced haki and are suddenly aware that the person in front of you has a strong presence it would activate a primal fear in most people.” Zoro nodded. “Because we’ve been around so much of it and we’ve all experienced Conqueror’s haki, a little Observation trick didn’t faze us. You’ve been around some really powerful people. It’s not surprising that a guy like Crocus, who wasn’t even aiming to hurt us, didn’t register as scary.”

“Huh.” Nami looked contemplative.

“Did you want to learn?” Luffy asked.

“Learn?”

“Haki.” He reached across the table snatching a roll. “I didn’t think about it, but you didn’t have anyone teaching you haki Before. You went and learned all those important weather mysteries instead.”

“Science. I learned the science behind… No. Never mind.” Nami sighed. “Haki. Do you really think I could learn?”

“Armament probably.” Luffy nodded.

“Armament?” Zoro questioned. “The way she senses the weather I thought she’d go for Observation first.”

“Huh. Maybe. But her punches hurt.” Luffy stuffed a piece of meat in his mouth without further explanation.

They blinked at each other around the table.

“That… is a good point.” Usopp nodded.

“There’s no reason not to learn both, if your capable and interested.” Sanji pulled his plate away from Luffy.

“It would be a good skill set to have.” Usopp nodded. “I’ve been practicing with my Observation and want to perfect that, but you might experiment with both.”

“I think I’m interested.” She paused. “But right now we need to clear the deck and prepare ourselves. We’ve got waterspouts forming ahead.”

The crew sprang into action. Sanji neatly swept their picnic away to the galley. Usopp jumped to the helm while Zoro and Luffy moved to the rigging. Nami took a moment to observe the sky and water before calling commands. It was going to be a busy day.

XXXxxx

The first part of the Grand Line was one of the most dangerous in Paradise. The magnetic pulls from the seven different routes in close proximity and the reverse mountain itself created some of the most wildly fluctuating weather and currents in this half of the Grand Line. In the span of hours, the Merry ran a gamut that tested the skill and alertness of the crew. Waterspouts formed to be dodged. Gale force winds threatened to pull the sails from their lines as they hurriedly reefed them. Snow fell in abundance threatening to sink them under the weight even as they enjoyed a chance to make snow forts and pelt snowballs at each other. Nami was grateful for the experience keeping an eye on the log as she navigated currents that threatened to spin them off course. Lightning ruined their snow fun, and the crew was back to the sails, lowering them quickly to avoid a sucking whirlpool. They moved easily around each other, following Nami’s directions and skating close to disaster after potential disaster. It was nature’s test. The infamous madness of the Grand Line.

The Strawhats were physically younger but mentally they were still the same seasoned sailors who navigated the even crazier New World. They flopped to the deck for naps when the weather cleared for it, then snapped into action at the first alarm.

Sanji expertly timed his meal preparation amid the rolling of the ship and the calls for all-hands. He brought out hearty finger foods in regular batches rather than attempting full meals, carefully monitoring each of the crew to ensure they had enough energy to sustain them. He brewed peppermint tea and kept filled thermoses for each of them for warmth and hydration in the cold and wet. He passed around chilled melon slices when they passed over a steamy, bubbly, miserably hot stretch. The galley was secured to his specifications and even as they rolled back, forward and sideways nothing came spilling out of his cabinets and he maintained control of the foods at his station. As a bonus even the swordsman looked impressed as Sanji managed to perfectly cube carrots without missing a beat while the ship tipped a full thirty degrees to port and then nearly the same to starboard in a whiplash move that took most of the crew off their feet. He tucked those in the fridge quickly as Nami called them out once more.

Usopp was used to the up and down patterns of rest and frantic movement. Typically, the Grand Line wasn’t half this dramatic all at once, but the urgency didn’t change. He was quick to assess the dangers with a coward’s eye for trouble and just as quick to indulge in leisure when the situation was calm. He set up snow games, napped on the bow and slipped into the men’s bunk to work on some fishing poles when he had the chance. Usopp took it on himself to keep his friends cheerful in the chaos. He took the helm from Nami so she could relax, even just a smidge. He maintained a chattering story to keep their Captain enthralled and away from his usual seat. He helped Sanji pass around snacks or stash food safely before running to set the sails. It was fast paced and deadly, but it was a life he loved and Usopp was comfortable with its everchanging nature. He spent most of the time in the rigging, his sense of direction and hand eye coordination making him the most reliable at tying and releasing the sails while the ship bucked in dizzying movements. He slipped over slick wood pulling at tiedowns as he released the sail once more. He heard the snap of it catching wind as he scrambled with his grip and inched his way back to the crow’s nest. His knocking knees were definitely because of the chill winds and not at all because of the terrifying, ship jolting, mind breaking weather patterns.

Together they spent the day in an obstacle course created by the unique Grand Line. It was physically challenging and certainly dangerous. The madness of the Grand Line made physical. They handled it as a crew. They faced each obstacle and took advantage of every lull. They were exhausted and elated by the time Nami declared the weather was stable enough.

“That seemed worse than I remembered. Was it worse than I remembered?” Usopp asked from where he lay flat on his back.

“It was worse than I remember.” Zoro confirmed.

“We stayed closer to the true course this time.” Nami declared. “By my estimate we shaved three whole days off the journey. We didn’t get spun around once and we caught some great winds in that last group of whirlpools. Last time we navigated around the weather. This time we cut through it.”

“Way to go Nami!” Luffy cheered.

“You mean we could have avoided some of that?” Usopp groaned.

“We handled it just fine, don’t argue with the lady, idiot.”

“Oy! I wasn’t saying we couldn’t!” he bickered half-heartedly.

“Hey it’s past nighttime. Let’s eat and sleep.”

“It’s still a little iffy on the weather, I’ll stay and keep watch if you’ll bring me a plate?”

“No way!” Luffy interrupted Sanji’s agreement. “Let’s all picnic. We can cuddle puddle too!”

“Ugh. Not on a wet deck Captain!” Usopp disagreed. “We can eat out here, but I don’t want to sleep here.”

“You are literally laying on the deck right now.” Sanji tapped his ribs with his toes.

“So I know what I’m saying.”

“Idiots.” Zoro chimed in.

“Sanji! Meat!”

Earlier in the East Blue…

Captain Smoker and Lieutenant Kirby both twitched as the order came out over the den den mushi. Smoker slammed the receiver down without responding and turned to glare at the other Marine.

“If you hadn’t come into port I could have gone after those damned pirates. I’ve had a perfect record here so far and now they are beyond my jurisdiction!” he huffed narrowing his eyes.

“No one regrets the timing of my arrival more than me sir.” He answered before he could stop the words.

Smoker narrowed his eyes, but his shoulders relaxed a touch. He could respect a man willing to sass his superiors a bit. So long as he could do his damn job.

“They knew exactly what they were doing slipping in and out in a matter of hours.”

“That’s likely.” Kirby agreed. “The Strawhats are a surprisingly strong and capable group. The captain managed to recruit a famous bounty hunter to his crew, convinced a woman previously abused by pirates to join him, and gathered these others from places still unknown. Their first appearance at Arlong Park showed them to be in a class above the East Blue’s usual pirate crews. If it weren’t for their ages and style of ship, I’d say they came over from the Grand Line, and I haven’t entirely discounted the thought.”

“Well, you have your orders. You get to lead the investigation as our current expert.” Smoker chewed on his cigar in aggravation.

“Expert. Right.” Kirby looked aggravated at the thought.

Smoker smirked at the younger man. “Better get to it.”

XXXxxx

Kirby didn’t understand anything about the Strawhats. The more he learned, the less sense they made. On one hand they were impulsive children who seemed to want to sail and eat- not necessarily in that order. On the other hand, they were powerful fighters aiming for the top and making no apologies about their desire to be World’s Best and Pirate King. They seemed to just breeze in and out of impossible situations.

He’d been immensely grateful that another officer had witnessed the Krieg debacle. He was less thrilled to have pulled into port just hours after the Strawhats had apparently caused a ruckus in Loguetown. The storm had resulted in a small galley fire and he’d directed them into port until they could assess the repairs needed. He wished now he had taken his chances at sea. He hadn’t even had a chance to rest before he was called in to discuss the situation with Captain Smoker and their superiors. He sighed heavily and pulled out his notepad preparing to face his first set of interviews. If he was lucky, he’d get to bed before midnight.

“All right, let’s start at the beginning. Can you tell me what happened?” he asked the younger Lieutenant acting as Smoker’s second in command.

“This day has been a sh*t show from start to finish. It started with the Strawhats coming into port unrecognized and ended with a thunderstorm that kept us from chasing after them. In between there was a major theft perpetrated against the marine base provisions. A young pirate climbed the execution tower announced he was going to be King of the Pirates and got away. Not to mention the stolen weapons, property destruction and absolute humiliation.”

“Right. I read the initial reports, but it just didn’t seem like the crew was ‘looting and pillaging’ the city as you reported here. If you could just walk me through events...”

“The port is monitored by Rookies. Someone failed to recognize the Strawhat Jolly Rodger. It was reported that an unknown pirate gang had made port. We sent the usual peacekeeping band down to make sure they weren’t stirring up trouble. New crews will sometimes make their debut by trying to pull a smash and grab just before they venture to the Grand Line. It’s a foolish notion all around. Even if we didn’t capture every one of them, an inexperienced crew is destined to shatter against the Reverse Mountain.” The young man huffed, temper showing.

“The Strawhats weren’t recognized…” Kirby redirected the tangent.

“The peacekeepers set up a perimeter around the docks according to regulations and kept a lookout for anyone causing a disturbance.”

“Not by the ship itself?”

“While uncommon, snails and other communication devices are not unheard of in the East Blue. A cornered rat fights dirty. We don’t risk a lookout alerting the others and creating a public massacre. As soon as we identify the crew and have eyes on the major players then we send a team to cripple the ship, usually burning it. Anyway, they set up a wide perimeter, but those damned Strawhats…their unassuming appearances let the crew slip past us. They appeared to be normal citizens and it wasn’t until the Captain made his showing in the square and word was passed around, that we had any idea what was happening. We still haven’t discovered what their swordsman and gunner were up to in all this mess.”

“Right. What about the guy who stole the cart of food? That wasn’t suspicious?” wondering how someone could have stolen that much in broad daylight.

“It was a supply cart at the docks!” the man slammed a hand down. “It didn’t look like anything special and he wasn’t trying to hide it or anything. He offloaded the crates on deck and then took the cart back out as if he was still shopping. We thought he was just resupplying the ship! We were going to detain him, but he slipped past us somehow. Like he knew we were there.”

Kirby rubbed his forehead and gave a nod.

“Honestly, it was just so professional! They came, slipped in, then slipped right out. If you ask me, they had a timetable they planned out. Everyone arrived back at the ship at nearly the same time, the Captain coming last and they set sail almost immediately. The cunning little brats had this whole thing planned out. The weather was in their favor too. I hear the girl has a devil fruit that lets her control wind or lightning.”

“We’ve been predicting that hurricane for weeks. You think she did all that?”

“I’m just saying it’s convenient. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear they harnessed the storm in their favor, even if she didn’t create it herself. No one is that lucky.”

“I’ll note it.” He nodded and listened as the young Lieutenant went off on another tangent rant. He seemed high strung; Kirby wondered how long he would last working with Smoker. There was probably a betting pool somewhere.

The next set of Marines were involved in the Platform Incident and its aftermath.

“I didn’t see him climbing or I would have put a stop to it before he made a scene. I naturally ordered him to leave government property. When he made his … declaration… I ordered his surrender and used the appropriate force. He then attempted to flee the situation.” The officer reported in a no-nonsense tone.

“You shoot at him.” Kirby confirmed without judgement.

“Lethal force is authorized against any pirates claiming that title in this town.”

“Mm hmm. He then evaded you.” He prompted.

“He has a devil fruit. Rubber as reported. He was unexpectedly fast as well. We couldn’t track him.” He slammed a fist on the table in frustration. “It’s an embarrassment to the Navy! We should have been better prepared.”

Kirby didn’t comment and dismissed the man when it became clear he was already planning a new training regimen. The next several interviews were likely to be just as uninformative, but he had to be thorough in his investigation.

“He just walked past you?” Kirby questioned the young seaman.

“I’m sorry sir! He looked like a school kid! We had reports of pirates in port, but no one said he was so little!”

“He didn’t try to attack you?”

“No. He moved right out of our way like any citizen. It didn’t even occur to me he could be a pirate!” the high-strung young man had little to share and Kirby dismissed him quickly.

How could a pirate, currently being chased by one group of marines, keep his cool when confronted by reinforcements? That Strawhat Luffy not only maintained his calm but could act as if nothing were wrong while a group of armed marines ran by him spoke of his high intelligence and cunning under pressure.

He had low expectations for his interviewees on the Food Theft but this was ridiculous.

“Wait… you’re telling me the food never made it back to base? This wasn’t a raid on the Loguetown Base itself? I was under the impression that there was a direct attack here.” He flipped through his notes. This was Cocoyasi all over again.

“No. Of course not. He jumped us in an alley like a sneak thief.”

“You guys were caught and fought with him. Tell me how that happened.”

“I can’t tell you much. We were taking a cart of provisions back to the base. We turned down a side street and lights out for me. I woke up later to see Landy knocked out and the cart just gone. I woke him up and then we came back to report.”

“He broke your arm after you were unconscious?” Kirby gestured to the sling and bandages making a note about possible sad*stic tendencies.

“Oh no. Master Chef was upset with us. I didn’t even have a headache when I first woke up. What a stupid pirate. He must’ve been really weak.” The marine scoffed not realizing how his words made his own take down look worse.

“Can you believe he actually tucked me under a blanket? Didn’t even steal my wallet but took the time to write a letter to the Master Chef.” The other marine piled on.

Kirby could feel his eye twitch as he looked between the idiots. He carefully crossed out the previous note. With a deep breath he focused on the first new bit of information these interviews had produced.

“A letter?”

“Yeah, I heard he left one in the cart when he ditched it. It was addressed the Master Chef.”

“Let me clarify for a moment. You were ambushed in broad daylight, on a side street, not a back alleyway?”

“No, we stayed on our route. It was a small street and no one else was there but…”

“Right. Your attacker managed to incapacitate you quickly but gently with no side effects. Then he tucked you in and left your personal valuables untouched. Meanwhile he managed to disguise and transport a full third of this month’s provisions straight to his ship.”

“Uh, well, that sounds about right. Not sure about the disguise bit. It’s not like the carts are marked. Who’s going to steal from the marines?”

Lieutenant Kirby controlled his expression. He was a marine. He waited. He waited almost a full minute before giving up hope. He dismissed them both and sent a runner to wake the cook. When it turned out the cook was awake, the marine took the chance to leave the interview room and made a visit to the kitchens.

“A letter? Yeah the insolent brat left one for me. Can you believe it? Had the nerve to lecture me on the appropriate quantities to order from port vendors. The utter gall!” Master Chef raged, punching bread as he talked.

“I’m sure he had no idea…”

“That’s the absolute worst part. He had a damn point, and his suggested purchasing schedule would save time, money and improve the food quality on base by a 5% margin.”

“Uh…” Kirby officially hated the Strawhats. “I’m going to need to see that letter for my records.”

“Sure. Just let me make a few quick notes and you can keep it.”

“There weren’t any threats or taunts?”

“Some foul language but nothing serious.”

“He didn’t explain his agenda?”

“Agenda? He stole food to feed his crew. Apparently he was offended that I cleaned out the vendors on the same day they sailed in and he couldn’t get anything of value. Hot headed if you ask me. It was irrational and impulsive at best. At least he had good manners to return my cart and leave me a note.”

Kirby spent the next morning wandering through town with his descriptions of the pirates trying to collect more information. For a group that had only been in town for a matter of hours they actually left a distinct impression. The bounty hunter ‘Pirate Hunter’ Zoro was easiest to trace and gave him a good lead on the next member of their crew, the elusive gunner. It was only the second sword shop he visited that recognized the young man.

“Oh yes, the Pirate Hunter was here! His mouthy little friend too.” A red-haired woman, the shopkeeper’s wife, answered briskly.

“Friend?” Kirby latched on desperately.

“A tiny little teenage brat. He didn’t stop talking the whole time he was here and that included when he decided to just pull out a snack and eat right here in the shop like he was watching a show! Little hooligan.” Despite the harsh words the woman sounded fond.

“Was he looking at swords too?”

“Nah. He made it clear it was his friend doing the shopping.”

“Can you give me a description of the boy?”

“He was tiny like I said. A full head shorter than his friend. Dark curly hair but it’s the nose you want to look for. Poor dear has a rather unfortunately long snoot. A nice olive skin tone. I couldn’t say if it’s natural or if he’s spent a lot of time outdoors to develop a dark tan. He’s stronger than he looks. He’s a slip of a thing, too skinny and all elbows and knees. He was carrying a pack almost as big as himself though! He was wearing a red bandana and overalls with a loose shirt. Shiny new set of goggles and a belt of gadgets, I’d think he was an inventor or engineer but he introduced himself as ‘the Legendary Sniper Usopp of the Strawhat Pirates’.” She snorted.

“He called himself a pirate?” Kirby looked up in surprise.

“Yup. His friend nearly strangled him.” She shook her head. “He did some fast-talking nonsense after that about how he was kidding around, but we’re not idiots. Anyhow the kids just wanted to look around and the swordsman was looking for a new pair of swords to go with his Great sword.”

“Great Sword? As in the style or the grade?” he paused looking up. “I thought the Pirate Hunter uses katanas?”

“Grade. The Wado Ichimonji. My husband tried to buy it off him but both boys said it wasn’t for sale.”

“Mm hum. Do you do a lot of business with pirates here?” he narrowed his eyes.

“We run a good clean business! A paying customer is a paying customer. We aren’t looking to fight pirates here. That’s what the Marines are for.” She glared at him.

Kirby resisted the urge to argue with the woman. “So your husband couldn’t buy his sword. Did Roronoa find what he was looking for?”

“Oh he found a sword, alright. Walked right over and picked it out in no time. It was a cursed blade. My husband didn’t want to sell it at first, the fool has no head for sales. That boy, the pirate Pirate Hunter, knows how to put on a show though. Nearly gave us a heart attack.” She shook her head.

“A show? You mentioned the sniper, Usopp, snacking like it was a show in here. What happened to bring that word to mind?”

“Mmm. That mouthy brat. He was snacking before the real show began, when my husband was trying to talk the swordsman out of his sword. Best damn treats I’ve ever had curse him and his chef.”

Kirby twitched but before he could clarify, she was speaking again.

“The boy, the green haired one, found a cursed sword in our sale bin. Plucked it right out and chose it. My husband, like I said, objected. He didn’t want to be responsible if the kid met a bloody fate after leaving this shop. Roronoa wasn’t having that though. He said he’d test his determination against the sword’s curse. He then- and I kid you not – he tossed it right into the air!” she made a throwing gesture. “He closed his eyes and held his damn arm out! I thought for sure he was going to lose it right here. The whole arm just lopped off and what would that do for business I ask. My husband was just as concerned and shouting him down but the littlest brat just sat on the counter and sighed. He called his friend a showoff even before the blade landed. I swear that sword circled the swordsman’s arm before it hit the ground. It’s not like he tossed it away from himself. It was more than close enough to cut him. It should have cut him. I can show you the mark where it sunk right into the floorboards. It was unreal. Then calm as you please that brat says, ‘I’ll take it’. Can you believe that?” She gestured wildly.

“I really can’t.” Kirby ignored the scowl she gave him. “Now the Pirate Hunter has a new sword. Okay. You also mentioned their cook. Did he come in here as well?”

“I told you it was the two boys.” She glared at him.

“Why did you bring up the cook?” Kirby looked back at his notes.

“That rice balls the little one brought in. He was bragging about how his ship cook was the best in the East Blue. I don’t know about all that, but he made absolutely the best oni giris I’ve ever eaten. I swear. It’s not even my favorite food, but these were magical they were so good. Savory and filling with just the right flavors. The mouthy one would not shut up about his friend’s talents.”

“Did he give you a name?” Kirby tried not to look too hopeful.

“Black Leg Sanji.”

“…What?”

“I remember it because he said the boy apprenticed with Red Leg Zeff. I remember when that old pirate came back from the Grand Line and terrorized this Blue. He just dropped off the map ages ago. No one knew if he went back to the Grand Line or died or was just laying low. We kept expecting him to raid Loguetown. That was before this place got serious about keeping out the pirates.” She knocked against a countertop.

“Black Leg Sanji.” Kirby scribbled notes. This at least made sense. An apprentice to an infamous pirate. “Did he give you any other information about his crew?”

“Not really. The swordsman is First Mate. He was very insistent on being recognized as a Strawhat Pirate and no longer a bounty hunter. The little one thought it was funny. Teased him about it. Roronoa about took his head off.” She smiled.

“They got violent?” Kirby asked hopeful.

“Not literally! Just teens snapping at each other. Ugh. If they weren’t so open about the pirate thing, I wouldn’t have believed you when you said they were wanted. Some of the local teens have worse manners when they browse through here. Those boys were just running errands like anyone. Bratty but what do you expect from a couple of kids?”

Kirby bit back his response and asked for directions to where they might have gone next. It was easy finding shops with the sniper’s description. It seemed like he visited every hardware store in the city and most of the second-hand stores as well. The pair never lingered and the list of what they bought ranged from paint and wire to nails and sailcloth. He’d been given story after story from shopkeepers that remembered them. Little Usopp seemed to tell a different tale everywhere he went. Kirby was no longer certain he knew fact from fiction. His head was pounding and his socks had soaked through after miscalculating the depth of a puddle in the rain. He’d lucked out in one of the shops selling baubles that had a visual transponder snail. Unfortunately the shopkeeper hadn’t been willing to do more than send an image to the base for him. It wasn’t until he returned to base himself that he realized the image the man sent was one of the boy smiling and flashing a victory sign at the snail. With a slingshot in one pocket and a backpack almost as large as himself the pirate looked like a schoolboy.

“I want just one of them to look like a damn pirate.” He slumped into a chair in front of Smoker. “I spent the whole day hearing about ‘that sweet boy’ and ‘those kids’. Don’t they realize what pirates do?”

“You’re getting my chair wet.” Smoker said unsympathetically.

“Damn you too. Dial headquarters then let’s be done with this mess.”

Kirby reported in explaining the situation and that it could definitely be downplayed.

“The base itself was not infiltrated and despite the Tower Incident’s rather public disturbance, most of the actions taken by these pirates were covert. In fact the general public seems to be taking the threat of them lightly. These Strawhats were able to do as much damage as they did because of their appearance as harmless teens. They were able to move around the city without scrutiny and even in cases where they let slip that they were pirates, most of the people involved did not take them to be a threat. The marines here were able to confirm the same five crew members that were spotted in the Krieg Takedown and my investigation has led me to believe there are not any new additions to their number.”

“Do we have full descriptions now?”

“We have images for all but one. And a rough sketch of that one.”

“Understood. I expect those reports and images from you in the next six hours. I can have bounties issued with tomorrow’s news.”

“B-bounties?” Kirby startled looking over to Smoker who bit down on a cigar looking irritated.

“That’s what your report indicates, no? This crew is strongest when unknown. They were able to sneak their way around our base, but we cannot allow such a bold claim to go unchallenged. The honor of the navy demands some response.”

“R-right. Of course. You’ll have the information you need as soon as possible.” He looked down at the pictures of smiling children as he hung up the receiver.

“You don’t look satisfied.” Smoker broke into his thoughts.

“It’s just… not what I expected. It doesn’t sit well.” He shrugged unable to explain. “I guess I let these kids get to me.”

“Pirates.”

“Hu?”

“You let these pirates get to you.” Smoker chewed on his cigar.

“Yeah. Pirates.” He shrugged. Hadn’t he just been complaining about that same thing?

“Don’t overthink it. Those brats will be taken down soon enough.”

XXXxxx

Paradise

Their third day on the Grand Line was somewhat calmer. They had a whirlpool wakeup call and a rather violent hailstorm but most of the morning was clear skies and choppy waves. They were cleaning the deck after lunch when Sanji stumbled to a halt and turned to face the port side.

“What the hell?” the blond shivered.

“Sanji?”

“My Observation haki. I’ve been stretching it out and something big just pinged.”

“Sea King?” Usopp pulled his goggles down, eyes on the horizon.

“No. Different kind of predator. I don’t know…”

“Nami how’s our course?” Luffy snapped.

“We’re on track, the weather is clear.”

“Sanji, Zoro, prepare the deck for trouble. Usopp keep an eye out.” He pointed to the crow’s nest.

Usopp scrambled to obey the order and moved to the better vantage point. It wasn’t hard clearing the deck with everything already tied down for the weather. Nami kept her attention on the weather and the log pose, refusing to let them fall off track even with this distraction. Whatever it was. Sanji couldn’t seem to focus on anything else, twitchy and anxious.

“It’s strong. No. He’s strong. That kind of intent. It’s human for sure. Hunting.” Sanji leaned against the railing looking outwards.

“Hunting us?” Luffy asked tilting his head.

“I can’t tell. He’s focused on the hunt, but I can’t tell the prey. I don’t think he’s close enough to identify us. Until he knows we’re here, there’s no way I can determine his intentions.”

“Right.”

“That’s some range you have!” Usopp called down with a nervous laugh. “I’ve got visibility for at least nine miles and no sight of anyone.”

“I’ve been practicing with it on the Baratie. I would try to track the customers as far out as I could. My furthest range was about 12 miles.”

“With distractions or without?” Luffy tipped his head the other way.

“Huh?”

“Well, haki is best controlled when you can really focus. That’s why it’s best to break the concentration when someone is using haki against you. If you could do 12 miles while still cooking and dealing with customers, standing on deck like this should be easy.”

“Ah, there! Oh sh*t!” Usopp panicked.

“What is it?” everyone jumped to attention.

“It’s Hawk Eyes! I’d recognize that green flame anywhere!”

“What’s he doing here?!”

“And who’s he hunting?” Sanji asked searching the horizon.

Zoro grinned and loosened his swords.

“Stop looking so happy!” Nami shouted.

“We’re dead.” Usopp cried. “No one even knows how great I am!”

“Look sharp, Brave Warrior.” Sanji smirked up at him.

“Yeah! He’s not so tough.” Luffy dismissed.

“In this state, I can’t beat him alone though.” Zoro admitted. “I’ve lost a lot of strength and stamina.”

“You still want to challenge him?” the Captain checked.

“Of course.” He bounced on his toes and began to stretch his muscles.

“If he was sent here by the government, there’s no way he’d let us leave alive. Even if moss head managed to impress him.” Sanji cut in.

“We’ll ask him then!” Luffy declared. “If he’s here for fun he can fight Zoro. If not… sorry Zoro,” Luffy turned to him with a serious expression. “I won’t let you throw away your life in a solo battle if he’s trying to kill all our nakama. We take him together.”

Zoro clenched his jaw, some of the excitement fading, and nodded. The crew watched the water for several minutes before the flickering green light was visible to the rest of them. Nami interrupted with directions to adjust the sails and they busied themselves a moment. When they looked up, the Warlord was much closer. Zoro watched as he stood and slowly drew the large black blade. He was ready when Mihawk unleashed a cutting wind slash, countering with his own strike even before Usopp cried out his warning. Zoro could feel the impact of invisible blades made of compressed air as their slashes met in the open air between the ships. It cracked like thunder. His own slash won out, deflecting the attack and the water split just behind the Merry. The deep gash lasted a few breaths as the crew ogled the space and water rushed to fill the gaping crack.

Mihawk was too far for Zoro to properly see his expressions, but from the set of his shoulders as he put away the black blade Yuri, Zoro thought he may have his attention. He flashed a smile that was all teeth and slid his own blade away.

“He doesn’t look happy!” Usopp reported.

“He’s definitely after us.” Sanji murmured.

“Good.” Zoro grinned.

~

Mihawk was surprised the small crew allowed his approach after his opening attack. He’d expected the crew to object in the usual manner with cannon balls and threats. Instead they seemed to gather on the deck watching him from the rails.

“Hello ship!” the young captain greeted cheerfully as soon as he was within shouting range.

“Hello Strawhats.” He didn’t shout so much as project his voice across the space.

“What brings you out here?” the young man leaned over the rail grinning.

“I’m here for your heads.” Mihawk explained in case there was any doubt as he sailed closer.

The boy captain nodded once and straightened up.

“It won’t be that easy, you know?” the grin dropped. Shoulders back and chin up he stood like a proper captain in command. “Are you here for yourself or were you sent by the government?”

“Does it make a difference?”

“Shishishi! Oh yes. It makes all the difference in the world.”

The unexpected laughter made him pause and he drifted closer as he studied the group. They were all young but held themselves like experienced warriors. They were relaxed, curious, and prepared to fight if he made a move. If nothing else, this Monkey D. Luffy had a good eye for crew members. Every one of them were slightly angled towards their Captain, subconsciously waiting for his order. Looking past the deceptive frailty of youth, these pirates were clearly experienced.

“Why would it matter at all? Your death is determined either way.”

“Silly Hawk. We’re not going to die today.” Monkey waved the threat away, unconcerned. “I just need to know if you are here for your own interests or on assignment. I know as a Warlord, you don’t always get a choice about what you do. My swordsman, Zoro, he’s going the be the World’s Greatest Swordsman one day. He’d like to challenge you today.” He gave the green haired teen a few shoulder slaps. “First though, tell me: are you here for yourself or for someone else?”

“My answer will change if he can duel me?” he frowned.

“Zoro is strong.” The Captain radiated pride and assurance. “He’ll surpass you one day. Definitely. Today isn’t that day though. He has learning to do. If you are here for the government we won’t be fighting a fair duel. Zoro will be disappointed but he won’t be facing off alone against you if you have orders to follow, we’ll take you down as a crew instead.”

“You think your crew is enough to beat me?”

“Yes.” It was a simple answer, no qualifiers or boasting. There was no posturing or bravado. It felt like a statement of fact.

“I was curious about your new bounty, swordsman. I didn’t expect the infamous ‘Pirate Hunter’ to become a pirate himself.”

“I never called myself that.” Zoro protested before the rest registered. “Wait, you’ve heard of me?”

“Mmm. The Rockville takedown was quite memorable.” Mihawk stated neutrally.

(“Wait what was-”

“Sssh, Usopp!”)

Zoro went pink. “That was a disaster.”

“You captured both of the rival pirate gangs trying to claim the island in the same afternoon.” He raised an eyebrow. “I read that you sliced off the top of their clock tower during the fight. The image in the paper was… striking.”

“That was sloppy.” Zoro ducked his head, ears bright. “A good swordsman only cuts what he intends. I allowed myself to rush shamefully.”

Mihawk nodded once a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“Oy.” Luffy interrupted. “So, is that your answer? Are you here for your curiosity?”

“Are you so sure I’d tell you honestly?” the Warlord questioned.

“Of course.” Luffy didn’t elaborate and Mihawk blinked at the forthright response.

“Then yes. I am here for myself. I hope you don’t think that gives you leverage to avoid this confrontation?”

“Huh? Why would we avoid the fight? I just said Zoro wants to duel you. Now you two can have a proper faceoff. After, we can have a feast. Sanji, meat!”

“Aye, Captain!” the chef ducked away to the kitchen.

“Hey can I just ask-”

“Not now Usopp” Nami put a hand over his mouth.

“I’m not sure where your confidence comes from. By your own words you expect your swordsman to lose this battle. Yet you are confident I won’t just cut him down and wipe out your crew.”

“Shishishi. Zoro isn’t ready to beat you but he’s more than enough to win you over. You’ll see it when you fight.” Luffy punched his own palm. “He’s going to surpass you one day and take your title to be the World’s Greatest.”

“It is more likely that your story ends here.”

“Nope.” Luffy denied.

Mihawk couldn’t think of a response to that brass declaration and was thankful to see some of the other Strawhats covering their faces. His eyes flicked over the familiar straw hat and wondered if maybe insanity were contagious.

“It’s an intriguing proposal. I’ll admit you’re not the first to try to duel your way out of a reckoning. You may be the first to openly admit you expect not only to lose but to … win me over by doing so. What an odd notion. Are you trying to entertain me?”

Zoro scoffed but it was Luffy who answered.

“Don’t you listen Hawkman? Zoro’s going to duel you for the title of World’s Greatest Swordsman.” Luffy stuck a finger in his ear.

Warlord Dracule Mihawk narrowed his eyes at the impudent little brat, suddenly less amused. An aura of power and authority surrounded him like a tangible thing. A disdainful sniff and he fingered his blade considering. A sudden rush of power greeted his own.

“Are we doing this? I thought you wanted to fight Zoro. I don’t use a sword you know.” The captain was leaning lazily against a rail, the conquerors haki pounding around him was like the heartbeat of a sleeping tiger.

“Okay then boy. Let’s see if you are half the swordsman your crewmates believe you to be, Roronoa Zoro. Do not disappoint me.”

“Shishishi!” the young Captain grinned brightly and clapped a hand on Zoro’s shoulder. “Now where to do this…” Luffy looked around as if a platform or island would magically appear. “Hey Usopp?”

“Sure, just ignore me until you need something. Give me five minutes.” The long nosed child stomped away and suddenly loud hammering and banging echoed across the water.

Mihawk kept his face expressionless as he tried to imagine what these kids were up to. His ship was bobbing easily next to the larger caravel. The green haired swordsman was eyeing him up as a challenger. That dark gaze sweeping over him, looking for signs of weakness. He would find none. He returned the assessment flicking his eyes over the lean build and experienced stance. He was not expecting to find two famed swords, although the Wado Ichimonji had been pictured in one of the many articles about the ‘Pirate Hunter’ collecting bounties in the East Blue. A Kitetsu sword was interesting. He hoped the third sword was just as strong, but it was difficult to tell. The other had been surprisingly quiet about this whole duel.

“Why do you fight?”

“To fulfill a promise I made.” Zoro fingered his white blade. “I will surpass you.”

“To enter a fight to the death against a superior opponent requires either extreme arrogance or extreme ignorance. Which is it, do you believe?”

“Extreme ambition.” The swordsman smiled curiously. “I refuse to miss the chance to test myself against my goal. I would see how far that gap is between our abilities.”

“We shall see.”

“Help me with these.” The young boy with the long nose appeared again, interrupting.

From the ship four roughly rectangular objects were tossed overboard by the captain and swordsman, each roughly as large as the caravel’s lower deck. The long-nosed boy followed them over, tying and hammering away to connect the four before they were pulled away by the waves. His eyebrows went up as he looked over the floating platform. It was roughly done with large gaps and odd planking. One section was clearly composed of the ship’s gangway and a few support beams. Another section was sailcloth draped over a frame and buoys which would make for an uncomfortably springy step if he wasn’t paying attention. It was a mess, but it was a buoyant mess and with no islands in sight would actually give them a decent sparring ground without inviting him onboard their ship. The little builder wiped away saltwater and sweat as he checked over his work.

“It should hold. Try not to destroy it completely, you monsters. Most of this is emergency repair materials for Merry and I’d not like to replace it all just yet.” He made a face as he looked between the platform and ship which had drifted a bit. “Little help captain?”

The straw hatted boy laughed and stretched an arm out, snatching up his crewmate. Roronoa Zoro made his own jump in the opposite direction, landing on the platform. He watched a moment as the swordsman bounced a little, observing the way the float bounced and dipped.

“You can tie off here if you’d like to avoid losing your ship.” The redhaired girl leaned over the rail.

After a moment of thought he tossed her a line.

“You’re set.”

With a nod and jump, Mihawk joined him drawing his knife. He was surprised to see the nod of acceptance from the other man. So many fools showed their pride, arrogance or indignation at the gesture.

“You seem unsurprised by my choice of weapon. Do you think it gives you an advantage?”

“Your disadvantage is not necessarily my advantage. No. I imagine you face many small fry challengers looking for your head and your title. You’re not the kind of man to use his full force when swatting at flies. If I am worthy, I will earn the right to face a real blade.” The swordsman pulled his own three blades. “Are you ready?”

“Get him Zoro!” “You can scratch him! Make him bleed!” “Make him earn that victory!” “Force him to sweat for it!”

“Your crew doesn’t cheer for your victory.” Mihawk added a touch of question to his neutral tone.

“They asked if I could beat you and I told them no. They trust my judgment.”

“Yet you insist on a duel.”

“My goal is to be the World’s Greatest Swordsman. I will defeat you one day. Today I find out how far I have yet to go.” Zoro settled into his stance.

“I could kill you today. You might never achieve your goal.”

“If I were not willing to put my life on the line, it would be a weak ambition.”

“Well said.”

Mihawk settled into a secure footing on the planks and nodded. The speed and fury of the first wave of attacks was not unexpected. Their blades sang as they clashed. He defended himself from the first rush, getting a feel for the unknown Santoryu style. It was a surprising challenge. He expected to find obvious openings and weaknesses, but whoever the boy trained against had tested his defenses well. The boy obviously favored a strength-based style but there were hints of delicacy, grace and precision that showed refinement.

“An interesting start.” He stated neutrally wondering if he would provoke a response.

“Hn.” Hyper focused, the green haired teen simply moved in swiftly for a second round.

~

On the Merry, the crew cheered for Zoro watching the blurring battle between the swordsmen. Zoro hadn’t landed a blow and Hawkeyes Mihawk hadn’t moved to attack yet but their friend had forced the World’s Greatest Swordsman to give up his ground and move around the floating platform, physically dodging instead of the easy parrying moves.

“That’s our Zoro!”

“He’s gonna kick your butt! Oh. But probably only a little before you kick his! Or something. Wait. I think I said it wrong.”

“Stop trying to trash talk Captain.” Usopp sunk to the deck. “The other pirates are going to laugh at us."

"I don’t think that guy knows how to laugh though.” Luffy argued.

“That’s not the point!”

“You’re so silly Usopp. Shishishi!”

"Sanji, you should come out and watch!” Nami hollered.

“I’d love to join you, Nami-san! I’m a little busy in the kitchen right now. I’m sure that idiot moss head is getting his ass kicked.” Sanji called back easily. “I’ll join you in a bit.”

Usopp focused on the fight, watching two legends clash. He could see parallels between their battle Before and now, but it was a vastly different fight. Before, Hawkeyes had held back, letting Zoro see the disparity in their abilities by only defending while Zoro went all out. Watching from afar, the clash of blades had seemed impressive but later Zoro had described the entire fight as humiliatingly one sided. This time Hawkeyes was also holding back and staying on the defensive, but there was nothing one sided about the way Zoro was forcing the man to duck and dodge, moving around the unbalanced platform to avoid the three bladed attacks. Zoro had yet to land an attack, but Usopp’s Observation told him it was only because both men were using haki to sense each other’s moves. The Warlord was being driven and seemed to realize it because his tactics changed and suddenly he was gaining better footholds.

The fight seemed to go on in short bursts. The swords men stared each other down as water sloshed between bords and the raft bobbed and jostled moving in a muddled pattern amongst the choppy waves. Bright red eyes and the smallest muscle twitches betrayed a far more complex competition. The Warlord said something and Zoro answered back before launching into battle. Usopp focused on the fight as the pair exchanged another round of ringing blows.

As he watched Zoro drove forward in time with a swell and managed to catch Hawkeyes off balance. Unable to stay defensive without taking a hit, Hawkeyes darted forward with his own flurry of attacks, small blade moving in an intricate pattern. Zoro countered, catching or dodging the blade but his own attacks were halted and he was forced to jump backwards in a small retreat.

They circled for a moment, each maneuvering for better footing. Zoro crouched and used one of his flying slashes. Hawkeyes countered with a similar move and again there was a crack like thunder as compressed air slammed together like swords. Several feet behind Hawkeyes, the edge of the platform shattered. The water split in a violent spray. Usopp almost shouted at them but he could already see Zoro turning pink at something Hawkeyes was saying. The two men stood frozen for a long minute at the platform buckled and swayed.

Zoro ran forward, feet confidently finding the planks and lunched another round of attacks. This time he really used his speed. Nami cursed as she lost sight of them but Usopp followed the exchange of strikes and slashes. The World’s Greatest Swordsman kicked backwards with a spin maneuver that Usopp could barely follow and as he landed the small knife was tucked away and that monster sword was in his hands. Zoro was right on his heals and as their blades met Usopp could see the bright flash of his smile.

He shouted himself hoarse alongside Luffy and Nami. Sanji’s shout from the kitchen told them the cook was watching as well and the blond rushed out to watch from the deck. Usopp knew Zoro was amazing. He knew he was part of the monster trio and becoming more skilled at every turn. To have Dracule Mihawk draw his sword, not to ‘honor him’ but because the Warlord needed to. That was something else entirely.

“Yeah Zoro!” Usopp pumped his fists.

“Go Zoro! You can do it!” Nami cried.

“’Bout time you meathead. Show him what a Strawhat can do!”

Luffy’s delighted laugh rang across the sea along with his “Woooooohoooo!”

“So awesome!”

Zoro was the one to dart away, landing on one of the more solid sections.

~

Zoro tried to focus and keep the silly grin off his face. He managed one of those things. Mihawk looked him over appraisingly.

“It has been a long time since I have faced anything close to a challenge worthy of such efforts.” The Warlord allowed a flicker of his own smile. “I would continue the fight, but your friend is right.”

“We’ve got waterspouts forming, six minutes!” Nami was shouting from the ship barely audible over the increasing winds and disappointment hit him hard.

“I’m afraid we have to end this.” Mihawk darted forward in a sword breaking move and Zoro didn’t hesitate.

Coating his arms and blades in haki he braced and held. For a long moment the two swordsmen met eyes as they pressed against each other. Zoro heaved, tossing the other man backwards.

“You know Armament Haki as well. You’ve been holding back.”

“Not at all.” Zoro panted as he allowed the color to fade from his arms and swords. “I am not yet strong enough to maintain it for the entirety of a duel. However, I would be ashamed to let my blade be nicked.”

Mihawk nodded slowly circling on the bobbing platform, unhindered by the gaps. “That last strike should have shattered at least one of those blades, had you not done so. That you recognized the difference from my previous attacks and were able to counter with your ability shows aptitude and good judgment.”

Zoro resisted the urge to preen at the rare praise. Instead, he launched himself into a flurry of attacks as soon as the Warlord reached a particularly shaky section of the structure. He utilized speed and maneuverability to strike from three directions with each blade moving independently. His attack formations were pushed off beat as his Observation warned him of incoming attacks. Somehow Mihawk was even faster as the World’s Strongest proved he could fend off the flurry singlehandedly and still try to take advantage of the weaknesses in his guard. Zoro jumped backwards breathing heavily. His left leg trembled slightly as the fatigued muscles warned him they would not last. He saw the flicker of eyes that meant his opponent hadn’t missed the sign of weakness.

“You have fought well, but you are tiring. Your strength will fail you soon. Will you not forfeit?”

“Never. I may lose the match, but I will never willingly surrender and admit defeat. I will give everything that is in me to fulfill my ambition. To step back is not an option.” It was a sentiment his mentor would have understood without asking and Zoro suddenly mourned the loss of the man who’d once stabbed him in the chest and asked a similar question.

“Fantastic.”

Unaware of the parallels, Dracule Mihawk drove forward so fast water sprayed through the gaps in his wake. Without Observation haki and practice with Soru users, Zoro would never have blocked the first attack. As the Warlord went on the offensive, the younger swordsman applied his Armament and deflected the first three blows, dodged the fourth and fifth then caught the sixth. He grunted as he was pushed backwards, losing his footing just enough… The black blade Yuri sliced across his chest, overpowering his own haki enough to send a spray of blood arcing between them before he hit the ground. He hit the platform hard, hips and one shoulder on different planks, and he nearly rolled into the ocean as he hit a gap soaking his right side and dunking his face before he righted himself. His left knuckles hit the wood poorly and his katana was flung into the water.

“Sanji!” he called frantically, unable to look away from his opponent as he pulled himself to his feet. A reassuring splash came from the Going Merry but he didn’t stop to look. Breathing heavily he kept his eyes on the other swordsman, spitting Wado into his palm Nitoryu style. “Once more would do it.”

They met in the middle. Zoro’s two black blades catching the world’s strongest black blade Yuri, a delicate deflection. Zoro misjudged his current strength and knew it would not be enough to move Mihawk. Instead there was a ripping sensation in his shoulder and he hit the platform, bounced, and went into the water.

The disorientation from the sudden plunge and blood loss nearly lost him another blade, but he could never drop Wado Ichimonji. He managed to sheath both katanas and swim to the surface one handed. He broke free near enough to the platform and when he reached it Mihawk was there, blade away and hand outstretched.

“Well fought, Roronoa Zoro.”

Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Feasts and Friends

Chapter Text

.

It was a chaotic blur getting everyone onboard after the fight but before the weather hit. Zoro wasn’t sure how much of that was blood loss and adrenaline crash. The worst part about the whole waterspout bit was the whining. Nami kept them organized and sailing smoothly between the spouts without a problem. Luffy and Sanji handled defending the ship from the mess of debris the platform turned into. Zoro could manage hauling and releasing lines one handed. Usopp moaned the entire thirty minutes about how careful he’d been in stocking those supplies and now they’d be short on, from the sounds of things, everything. The Merry was doomed to be undersupplied and there was no recovering from the devastating loss.

“Damnit Usopp, I said I’d get you more wood if I have to cut it myself.”

“You can’t cut me new nails and rope Zoro!”

“Watch me!”

“Enough!” Nami hollered over the wind. “Zoro let that sail out more, we’re nearly in the clear. Usopp cut it out and secure your line. We’ll reach port soon and you can resupply. We’ve got the funds to cover the difference. I don’t want to hear it anymore!”

“Shishishi! You guys are so tense. We need to be celebrating! Ne! That was an awesome fight Zoro! So cool! Nami, any more weather?”

“No, we’re clear.”

“Sanji, meat!”

“Gimme a minute! I’m soaked.” Still dripping Sanji stalked over and thrust a katana at Zoro. “He’s a moody bastard like you. Tried to cut me.”

“He can sense weakness.” Zoro flashed a smile. He lowered his eyes as he accepted the Kitetsu back and tucked the blade away with a quieter, “Thank you.”

“Whatever.” Sanji spun away and disappeared into the men’s bunk.

“Oy Zoro, you can’t just stand there bleeding out! Come on, I’ll patch you up.” Usopp’s hands fluttered around his arm and torso as if he couldn’t decide where to focus.

“Are you the doctor too?” former-future Mihawk questioned from his spot lounging on a rail.

“Oh no, we don’t have our doctor yet.” Usopp answered absently as he settled on checking the arm wound, peeling the bloodied bandana away.

“You don’t…” the Warlord rubbed the space between his eyes in a familiar gesture. “Who comes to the Grand Line without a doctor?”

“He’s next!” Luffy assured the man in a cheerful tone. “We have to get the best doctor there is!”

Former-future Mihawk blinked slowly and took a drawn-out breath. “What…is wrong with you?”

“Huh?” Luffy answered articulately.

“It’s fine. We really are doing well enough.” Zoro answered as Usopp finished sanitizing the cut and pulled out the supplies for stitches.

“Sit a minute.” Usopp guided him down.

Zoro straddled the rail to let Usopp work.

“You have a severe bleed.” His former-future mentor observed.

“Yeah.” He agreed.

“Zoro is strong.” Luffy punched the air.

The Warlord blinked slowly and tilted his head to watch the boys. Usopp disinfected his supplies properly and began stitching his arm up. Zoro held steady and tolerated the fumbling.

“He’s not a sock. Give me that!” Mihawk snapped as he gave up on watching and crossed the deck. He pushed at Usopp, taking over the stitching.

“Hey!”

“It’s fine.” Zoro assured his crew who looked offended. Former-future Mihawk had stitched him up enough that he was comfortable letting this happen.

“It would be a shame for you to lose the arm to infection. Your style would suffer for it.”

“True.”

Sanji ducked back into the kitchen area but propped the door open. Zoro watched absently as he rapidly set out a tablecloth. The damn cook had strange ideas about what counted as essentials. Plates and mugs soon joined the table as well as a water and some juice jugs. Mihawk was just finishing the bandages around his chest when the blond approached.

“I didn’t get to ask before you started your duel, but do you have any allergies?”

Mihawk stared for a moment before answering slowly. “…No food allergies, no.”

“Excellent. Food will be served shortly. Would you care for wine, juice or sake with your meal?”

“Wine.”

“Sake.”

“No one asked you moss head” Sanji clicked his tongue with none of his usual fight, eyes roaming over the white wrappings.

“Food!” Luffy called out as he bounced to the table. “Let’s go!”

“Coming captain!” Nami laughed as she secured the helm.

Former-future Mihawk was watching the crew assemble in the dining area as Sanji came out with the first round of stacked platters. Zoro slapped him on a shoulder and nudged him forward.

“Quick, before Luffy eats it all. The captain is a bottomless pit.”

The two swordsmen joined the table and Zoro managed to snag a serving of fish and vegetables, slapping away greedy hands. It was a riot of movement and competitiveness. He grinned as Mihawk joined the action, dishing a serving with swift strikes and calculated dodges. Sanji appeared with a smaller stack of platters and a trio of wine glasses. He easily rearranged the table to make room for the food and poured wine for Nami, Mihawk and himself. Zoro blinked as sake was poured into his own mug and the bottle slammed forcefully in front of him. The cook sat himself at the opposite end of the table. No one bothered talking as they enjoyed the small feast. Zoro was personally exhausted from the fight, and he was sure the others were tired from handling the ship. Everyone focused on enjoying the meal.

“Top me off, Sanji?” Nami requested as she stood and moved to the wheel, returning a moment later looking satisfied.

“This roasted salmon is exquisite.” Mihawk complemented, moving his plate a fraction to avoid roaming fingers.

“Thank you! It’s a favorite recipe for celebrations and one of the few ways I can get this rubber brain to eat vegetables.”

“Yosh! We’re celebrating!” Luffy lifted his mug. “To an awesome fight!”

“Kampai!”

Zoro thrust his mug up with everyone. “Don’t worry Captain,” he met Luffy’s eyes “I’ll work hard and become the Greatest Swordsman soon enough.”

“I expect nothing less.” Luffy nodded solemnly. A bright smile broke the tension a moment later. “To the Warlord Hawky who fought good and beat Zoro!”

Laughter filled the air as they raised their glasses again. Zoro managed to catch the baffled look and mumbled ‘Hawky’ from Mihawk before the man could school his face and raise his glass. Grinning fiercely Zoro shrugged at him.

“We’re still missing a musician.” Luffy said apologetically between bites. “It’s hard to party without music, but I have a good crew, so we have plenty of fun. Hey hey. Do you play?”

“Play?” Mihawk stopped with his fork partially lifted.

“An instrument! Hey, you’re the only one on your crew but you’re a pirate, yeah? And pirates sing.” Luffy punctuated this with a hard nod.

“I don’t sing.” Mihawk stated firmly.

“Wha?”

“Not everyone sings, Luffy.” Nami tried to explain.

“But how do you party? It must be so lonely.” Luffy was becoming visibly distressed.

“It’s not like he never visits with friends.” Zoro cut in. He remembered more than one conversation with his captain about loneliness.

“Yes.” Mihawk sipped his wine, gaging the reaction of the table. “My friends certainly like to sing when they party.”

“That’s good then.” A bright grin and a bite of meat and Luffy was sidetracked by a comment from the cook.

“I just have to ask,” Usopp looked fit to burst as he leaned towards the Warlord, “what was that about bounties?!”

“Hmm?”

Zoro looked up sharply and Nami dropped her glass.

“You said that’s why you showed up, because of Zoro’s bounty.” Usopp barreled on. “Did new bounties come out?”

“Two days ago.” Mihawk sipped at his wine and raised an eyebrow. “I suppose you haven’t been able to receive a news coo in this section of the Grand Line. I didn’t think to bring the paper with me.”

“Yes! Zoro got a bounty!” Luffy held his mug up encouragingly. “To Zoro!”

“Here here!”

“The rest of you have bounties as well.”

“Wha?” “Really?” “All of us?” “Already?”

XXXxxx

Mihawk pondered the crew as he ate the most unusual meal. The food was superb it was the casual competitiveness that was strange. Most pirates, most people even, had a method to their meals. Shared or plated, a hierarchy in distribution, maybe, where some ate more or first, or they all receive equal shares, sometimes the meal had specific rituals that go with it. He’d eaten in places with free-for-all attitudes where you fought for your meal and defended it brutally if you intend to eat at all. This was not any of those things. The food was shared but nonetheless there were dishes that appeared to be made specifically for individuals. The food was fought over but with laughter not blood and there was no hesitation or reprimand for smacking the hands of the Captain himself who was honestly the worst offender. Perhaps it was an odd training ritual. The entire crew had impressive reflexes and if he weren’t watching for it, he’d swear they were using Haki.

These children. He was impressed with their strength, but he worried. They couldn’t be ready for the Grand Line. Not without a proper crew or a sturdier ship. He doubted this one would make it to Sabaody. A caravel was not made for these waters. And who on earth entered the deadliest sea without a doctor onboard?

And yet. The first thing he’d been asked was about his obligation to the government. Not in the mocking way some pirates attempted to taunt, but rather, as an acknowledgement that not all his choices were his to make without cutting ties he was unwilling to cut. He’d never felt the weight of those obligations as he did under that small captain’s gaze. They’d spoken as if the fight were inevitable and that they could control the outcome. He’d fought overconfident crews before and wiped out plenty of upstart challengers. He’d never had a crew so confident that they could win by losing. He’d threatened to take their heads. They’d taken one look at him and decided, despite knowing their swordsman was not a match, Roronoa Zoro would face him to test their strength against each other. They’d been absolutely confident in both his own honor and that their swordsman would impress him. Was that overconfidence? Was it the Haki they’d demonstrated so casually? Would it get them all killed before year end?

He wasn’t certain and his offers for training and safe haven were shot down quickly each time he suggested something. These children. They had potential. Fire and fate burning within them. But the Grand Line was unforgiving and showed no mercy to the young or unprepared.

He swatted the roaming fingers and flicked his eyes to the unapologetic grin of the too-young captain. Shanks had chosen well. The boy with the straw hat was already King of this little ship. He didn’t need to assert his authority or throw around his power because he was absolutely confident in his own place and in the responsiveness of his crew. He remembered that snap of Conquerors Haki but looking at the boy now there was no trace of it. Like Shanks himself, that power was tucked away hidden. He wondered if Red Hair taught the boy the trick of it.

His attention was captured as the cook swept away empty dishes and rearranged the table with the remaining portions. Red Leg’s apprentice he was called. It was a bold claim. It would attract attention and perhaps even old enemies. Red Leg Zeff wasn’t known for being gentle to those he crossed. He sipped his wine as his eyes watched the competent movements of a ship’s cook. This teen was certainly capable. Did he understand how to ration food in these waters? With unknown distances between islands and weather that could send the unwary in circles? He nibbled the last bites of his salmon as he watched the crew feast.

It was the littlest brat who caught his attention the most. The nose had distracted him looking at the bounties. He hadn’t recognized the name or the face just flipping through the newest lot. In person the resemblance was uncanny. It was in the gestures and motions. The way the boy watched every movement absentmindedly rather than the hypervigilance that was more common in rough crowds. The boy made himself the center of attention but wasn’t blinded by the spotlight. It was the way his hand twitched for his weapon each time he was startled. Mihawk didn’t understand why the Strawhat’s weapons master was carrying a slingshot. Did they expect such a childish thing to stand up to guns and devil fruits? He hoped the boy learned better quickly. Perhaps he only carried firearms when ashore? The warlord sipped his wine.

“Do I have something on my face?” Usopp asked rubbing the back of his arm across his mouth.

“No.” Mihawk watched the boy. How old was he? Ten? Thirteen? He was so small, but a perfect miniature. “Your Yasopp’s boy, aren’t you?”

“You know my dad!?”

Luffy grinned. “Yasopp is Shanks’ sniper.”

“Hmn.” He took a sip of his wine, considering. “We’ve met many times. I haven’t been able to get that stupid poem out of my head since I laid eyes on you.”

“Poem?”

“Your father is a talkative drunk and recites poetry, BAD poetry, when he is completely wasted.”

Usopp goggled. “You’ve been drinking with my dad? Wait, you mentioned a poem, what poem?”

“Oh, don’t ask me to repeat it.” He sat up alarmed as he realized his slip.

“Now you must!” Nami grinned. “It’s got to be good. Or awful.”

“Yeah! Don’t be stingy!” Luffy shook a finger his direction.

“Go on then.” The young swordsman practically dared, a challenge in his eyes. “Unless you forgot the words?”

“As I said, it’s annoyingly bad poetry. It goes something like:

Oh, the prettiest thing in any blue-sea,

Is the prettiest lass that I’ve e’er seen!

I’ve got me a gal with raven black hair,

And a smile so bright that it isn’t fair!

But by-far the prettiest sight in the land,

Is my son on her hip… and a gun in her hand!

He only has the one verse, but he’ll repeat it on loop for hours. Doesn’t even have the decency to put it to music for a proper shanty. He’s a menace.” He sipped his wine and pretended not to notice the boy go glassy eyed.

“Usopp likes to sing when he’s drunk!” Luffy barreled in gracelessly. “He invents his own songs. Sanji’s the one always talking about pretty girls though.”

“Don’t bring me into it!”

Mihawk took a sip and watched the crew break the tension, teasing and taunting the blond while Usopp pulled himself together. He rubbed his forehead and wondered why this small boy was getting drunk. He really didn’t need these babies getting themselves wasted on the Grand Line. They’d be killed in a week! His eyes flicked to the navigator who was checking the pose again. At least one of them had sense. The redhead leaned across the table smirking and asked about his treasure. He raised an eyebrow and reminded himself about jinxes.

XXXxxx

Mihawk was just leaving when the young pirates did something very strange. A dark shadow passed over the Merry and the Strawhats looked up, half of them reaching for weapons. The sight of a small rain cloud had them relaxing again.

“Expecting trouble from above?” Mihawk inquired raising a brow.

“Weather Islands.” “Sky Islands.” “Floating islands.” “Floating ships.” “Dragons.” The Strawhats answered at once.

“Dragons?” they looked at Usopp.

“It’s a legitimate fear!” he argued throwing his hands up defensively.

“Familiar with stories of the Grand Line then.” The warlord deadpanned.

“Sure, let’s go with that.” Usopp nodded.

His attention sharpened at the brushoff. “Unless you’re aware of a specific threat?”

The Strawhats were careful not to look at each other as they shrugged. His jaw clenched. Weather islands and sky islands, typically harmless. The only stories he knew about floating ships though… he hadn’t heard so much as a whisper of a rumor. He’d need to listen closer. Looking at the crew he nodded once.

“Are you sure you won’t reconsider my offer? It is open to your whole crew. You can leave at any time but if you come to my island, I can offer training.”

“No!” Luffy scowled, glaring. “I’m going to be King of the Pirates and this is my crew. Not yours.”

“I’m not looking to replace you as Captain, but a little more-”

“No.” Power rose and fell like a crashing wave. “I know we aren’t as strong as we could be. We need to work hard to get where we need to be. We have important things to do, and I need to gather the rest of my crew. We can’t stop here and we’re NOT going with you. That’s final.”

“I see.” His eyes flicked to the swordsman who didn’t even look tempted as those green eyes watched the Strawhat boy for instruction. Devoted. “Then I am off. Train well Roronoa Zoro. I will be waiting for your challenge.”

“I will work hard, and someday I will become the World’s Greatest Swordsman. I will defeat you.” Heavily bandaged but standing tall, Hawkeye could see it.

“Good.”

As he pulled his small ship away from the Going Merry, Mihawk looked over his shoulder once more. Big eyes watched him solemnly from beneath the brim of a familiar straw hat. The red vest billowed back in the wind, but the young captain stood firmly on the deck. He looked confident. Something eased in the warlord’s chest. This wasn’t just a powerful brat or playful idiot, maybe these kids would be alright. He really hoped so. As if reading his mind, the boy raised both fists.

“I’m going to be King of the Pirates!” an assertion of authority and demand to be recognized. There was no doubt in his voice or hesitation in his stance.

Mihawk nodded once and drifted into the mists. Maybe next time they meet, the young crew would take him up on his offer. Strong as they are he worried. He worried less now, but still. At least he could confidently say these children would not be easy prey.

XXXxxx

The next day brought them to their first stop in the Grand Line. The island loomed like a giant cactus. The stone mountains were shaped in round, tapering stacks, and thousands of headstones stuck out like spines. The landscape seemed to crack down the middle, a wide channel inviting them to sail inside. From this distance Nami couldn’t tell the difference between plant and rock, and even Usopp wouldn’t be able to identify it as a graveyard, but they knew. Vivi had spent one night sobbing as she recounted the horrors of Whisky Peak and the bloodthirsty history behind the cheerful façade. It was a deathtrap long before Baroque Works took over, but the mercenaries had added their share of corpses to the landscape.

The Strawhats didn’t hesitate as they guided the ship closer. A friend was waiting. She just didn’t know it yet.

~

“I know it’s selfish, but I want to stop and pick up Vivi.” Nami toyed with her drink as she addressed the crew. “I know we could skip ahead and kick Crocodile’s ass for her and save her country without her ever knowing why. But I want her to be with us, for just a little while. If that’s okay.”

“’Course Nami. Vivi was always nakama.” Luffy smiled brightly.

“Yeah, sure.” Zoro waved it off.

“J-just like that?” Nami looked up at them. “It could add days-weeks even- to our journey. If we’re trying to get everybody back together then-”

“I said it already.” Luffy cut in. “We can’t repeat everything, but there are special people out there worth going back to. That’s why we did our thinking time: so that we could decide.” Luffy shrugged. “So we decided. Let’s go get Vivi!”

“Yeah!” Usopp and Sanji cheered together.

Nami bit her lip, eyes watering. She loved her crew. She wanted to be back with all her nakama. She was selfish enough to ask for this though and not take it back. She wanted to see Vivi. She smiled a little sharply and gave a nod as the others each began to lay out what they were going to be selfish about. It was a good list. She’d make sure their captain had plenty of adventures in between. She was the navigator after all. She’d find a way to plot an impossible course.

~

“Thinking about Vivi?” Usopp leaned against the rail next to the helm.

“She was really important to me, the first time.” Nami nodded. “We had a lot that we helped each other through. Not just being the only girls on the ship, but… we had, have, a lot in common. She knew what it was like to do things, bad things, to protect her people. She knew how to smile and pretend that you enjoy working for someone you hate. We talked about so many things, and she helped me through some bad times. I couldn’t just leave her here.”

“No one wanted you to.” Usopp reached out and ran his fingers through her too-short hair. “We’re all happy to be here.”

“It’s selfish.”

“You’re a pirate. Be selfish.” Usopp grinned and tugged an orange strand. He wished he were still tall enough to tuck her under his arm. She would punch him for doing that while he was all sweaty, but they would both laugh. Instead, he got a swat and small smile, which was close enough.

“Go check the air vents and portholes are all closed for port. We don’t want any thieves sneaking aboard.”

“Aye, aye!” he gave her a mock salute and scrambled away to check the ship.

“What’s up with Luffy?” Sanji held out a tray of drinks.

Luffy was draped over the figurehead, pouting dramatically. His lip was out, and cheeks puffed as he limply stared into the ocean.

“We had to make plans again, remember? This is two places in a row. He wants an adventure.” Nami sipped at the colorful beverage finding a mixed citrus blend.

“Ah.” Sanji whirled away to coax their Captain into a better mood as they approached the island.

Nami couldn’t help but feel something was missing from the interaction. She sipped thoughtfully at her drink as she watched her boys interact. She watched Zoro join in to grab his own drink and tuned out the raised voices. She couldn’t handle another round of emotional whiplash today. She wanted to grab Vivi, loot some bounty hunter treasure, and get out of here. The day was beautiful, and the weather was calm. She guided Merry into a loop. She’d circle the island once before they head into the channel. It would be good for both her maps and her captain.

XXXxxx

Usopp had forgotten how over-the-top their welcome to Whiskey Peak was. People lined both sides of the channel, holding signs and throwing confetti. They shouted cheers and greetings, welcoming them to the “party island”. It was almost embarrassing how shameless the flattery was. The people were packed close to each other, despite there being plenty of space on the street and in windows, so clearly they were looking to create an overwhelming feeling or give the appearance of a greater crowd than actually exists.

Having been to celebrations in Arabasta, Fishman Island, Dressrosa, he remembered what it looks like for people to truly celebrate you. He knew that pirates in general weren’t warmly welcomed even in places that lived under a flag. Especially places that lived under a flag. This welcome was so transparently fake he was embarrassed to have ever fallen for the ruse. Had they really been so naive? Usopp fixed a grin on his face, leaned over the edge, and gasped exaggeratedly at some of the welcomers. He loudly pointed out signs and waved pretentiously. Luffy was pouting a bit but at Zoro’s whisper he lit up and began hopping around searching the crowd. After a moment he found what he was looking for.

“Feast, feast, feast!” their Captain cheered.

Usopp laughed and hopped excitedly in a circle with Luffy and Sanji.

“They have no idea!” Sanji laughed quietly. “Better eat your fill here, Luffy. We’ll be rationing after this for the next leg.

“Wooo! Party!” Usopp chanted louder breaking from their little circle to inspect the crowd on the other side. He had to get an accurate weapons-count. These fools might be wearing disguises but if you knew to look, they weren’t hiding much.

Nami guided them neatly into port and pulled up to the dock in front of the ‘Mayor’. It was showtime!

XXXxxx

It didn’t take long to get an invitation and find themselves in a familiar bar party. The location amongst tall buildings and low lighting gave the impression it was later in the day. Nami was almost impressed by the level of manipulation going on here. Almost.

Music was playing loudly, and it hadn’t taken long for the mercenary group to uncover their “vices”. Usopp was being plied for stories of their adventures, Sanji had a gaggle of women each demanding dances and attention, Luffy was going through rounds of food at his usual pace. Nami herself was allowing them to see how money-hungry she could be flitting from person to person to admire rings or necklaces, commenting on expensive leather shoes and asking about local shopping. Her role would require her to stay more mobile than the boys, so she deliberately played up a short attention span and didn’t let them pin her down.

The first time around she’d fallen right in to gambling and stayed at the tables until that final drinking contest. This time she mingled and asked questions while flirting her way around the room. She made plans to go shopping with a few ladies, although she doubted, they intended to follow through. Instead, she weaseled out the names of specific places. Afterall it was easier to tell the truth than to make up a fiction and it would be easier to rob them blind when she knew what few shops were actually running as opposed to the completely fake storefronts. Not many bounty hunters wanted to run a side business in sales.

“Do you like it? Come share a drink with me and it’s yours! I haven’t had the company of a pretty lady like you in ages!” a hulk of a man promised, showing off the ruby and gold ring on his pinky. “Come sit! You must be tired with all this talking you’ve been doing.”

“Why sir!” Nami slid onto a barstool fluttering her lashes. “Have you been watching me? I hope you don’t expect me to share more than a drink.”

She accepted the mug and patted his hand. The ring fit a little loosely on her index finger, but the stones were set well enough to take a punch and the gold was soft enough to be pure. She let the rubies catch the light, showing off her slight of hand trick. The man faltered for a minute but pasted that fake smile back on his face.

“Oh, I wouldn’t presume pretty lady!” he held his glass out to toast. “I just wanted some company, and your crew are the stars of the party!”

“The Grand Line is amazing!” Nami smiled and did her best airhead impression as she took a sip of her drink. “Where did you get something like this?”

“Oh, from the last pirate crew through here.” He smirked but covered it with a little laugh. “In a card game, of course! Pirates like you must come across a lot of treasure.”

The fishing attempt was almost embarrassingly obvious, but Nami was shameless herself.

“My crew aren’t treasure-hunters perse, but we’ve gotten our share of treasure. Tell me more about these other pirates you’ve met. Did they come through with lots of treasure? Have you won a lot of card games?”

“Oh, I love playing cards with pirates! We love pirates here! So many exotic places to hear about. This is a major trade hub, you know.” He lied through his teeth. “Most pirates come here with treasure to spend. Some just spent it all getting here!” he laughed and eyed her, clearly wondering what kind of crew they were.

Nami laughed it off. “Not surprising. I didn’t realize this place was a trade hub! It makes sense, being the first island, you probably see goods from all four blues!”

“We do! And we love the different games from each of them. I could teach you some card games I’ve learned.” He grinned eagerly. “We don’t even have to place stakes until you’re up for it!”

Nami finished her drink and shook her head flipping her hair in a practiced move men liked. “I need to socialize a bit. A girl gets cooped up on a ship of bone-headed boys for weeks.” She hopped off her barstool and pretended to wobble. “That’s good booze!” it wasn’t. “Fitting for a place called Whiskey Peak!” beer was nothing like whiskey.

The idiot was like a shark spotting blood in the water. He moved off his own stool and dropped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

“Let me introduce you to some friends then!” he grinned down at her.

Nami was going to rob this handsy moron blind. She smiled at him and allowed the gesture. He was guiding her to a group of men at a table when Sanji slid up unexpectedly.

“Hands off the lady, asshole.” He looked furious and his voice was the quiet kind of dangerous as he lit a cigarette. Nami fought to keep her smile in place as she shook her head at him.

“It’s fine Sanji.”

“Oy. We’re just having a bit of fun.” The man scowled back at the cook like an idiot.

Sanji kicked him in the face. Music faltered as the man staggered back. Nami moved clear even as she held her hands out.

“Sanji?” Luffy’s voice was serious. “I thought we were here to party?”

“Just teaching this idiot some manners. No problems here Captain. Sorry to interrupt your meal.” Sanji gushed dramatically.

“Okay then. No more fighting though.” Luffy pointed his fork at them.

Sanji bowed and the music quickly returned at that declaration. Nami wondered how Luffy did that. Sometimes he’d be the first to set off a disaster, then others he’d just defuse a situation like it was nothing. He was certainly eating like he had no worries in the world. Like Sanji hadn’t almost started a brawl with a room full of bounty hunters for no reason.

“I’m fine Sanji.” She couldn’t quite keep the irritation out of her voice.

“You always are Nami-swan!” he smiled at her, but it didn’t meet his eyes. “Come meet the ladies. Jazzy and Blossom are sweet as can be!” he swirled in the direction of his entourage. “Keep each other company for me? I’m going to take a walk. I promise to be back soon.”

The girls looked put out by his swift exit. Nami almost forgave him. Sanji had his own tasks to complete, and he obviously needed help ditching the women he couldn’t say no to. Still, he didn’t have to interrupt her or nearly start a fight to do that. That could have ended badly. Nami looked down at the guy still rubbing his head and then shrugged and smiled at the girls.

“Sanji’s a bit overprotective but he’s a sweetheart. I’m sure he’ll be back in no time!” she lied. “Do you girls have a table or are we dancing?”

They of course jumped right on the possibility they could pin her down. The blond didn’t even notice Nami lifting her wallet. Amateurs.

“Oh, Nami, you have to tell me, is it true you’ve eaten a devil fruit?” one of the girls she hadn’t been introduced to asked eagerly.

Nami grinned and shrugged leaning towards the brunet. “Oh wow! How did you hear about that?” she was absolutely going to get her hands on these new bounty posters. They sounded really interesting.

XXXxxx

Zoro was bored and irritated by the lack of booze. He understood why he had to stay on the ship, but it felt like a waste. He leaned against the mast and tried to sleep. He’d wandered around Sabaody in much worse condition than the scratches he’d received from future-former Mihawk. The lie gave them an excuse to keep him in place, but it was still insulting. He shifted uncomfortably. His arm was throbbing, and he flexed his fingers- still working- and his elbow -doing fine- he couldn’t quite roll his shoulder which was irritating.

A couple of “drunks” began swaying down the dockside. They didn’t even have the courtesy to fake it well, overplaying the act by a wide margin. It was irritating. He waited for the inevitable greeting. Hopefully, they brought real booze. It would be nice to have a drink after he knocked them out. Settling more against the mast, he knew this fight would be short. That would be boring. And irritating.

“I’m doing this for you, you know.” He murmured to Merry. “I would have just gone to the party, but no. Someone had to stay back and keep you safe. And I’m the strongest.” He rubbed his knuckles against the deck.

He hated this. Playing games and make-pretend instead of just taking Vivi and going. He’d play his role. He wouldn’t leave Merry defenseless for a few barrels of sake. Zoro just wished these idiots could at least do them the courtesy of acting like they were dangerous. How weak did those bounty posters claim they were?

“Oy there!” slurred one of the “drunken” men.

“Oy?” Zoro climbed to his feet and adjusted the sling on his arm pointedly.

“Mus’ be boooring on watchh in a place like t’is.”

Zoro offered a smile and a shrug. “Not really on watch. Just resting up.” He lied.

“Eh? Get in a fight already?”

“It’s nothing.” He shrugged.

“Aww. Come on! Share the tale and we’ll share the sake!”

Zoro grinned wolfishly. “Deal.”

XXXxxx

Luffy laughed as the cooks panicked. They were so silly with their jaws hanging and eyes bugging out like Enel. Sanji had told him to eat as much as he could at the free feast they were offered and Luffy was pleased to do that. His body was starting to get that really good stretch that meant he was nearly full-full. The crowd were placing bets and cheering loudly with each plate of rice or fruit he finished. It was a little disappointing that they didn’t have much meat here. There were some delicious seafood dishes early on but then it was a lot of rice and noodles before he could persuade them to bring more meat. Stupid heads.

“Ooohh!” his eyes lit up at the plate of cake they were bringing out. “Yummy!”

He was almost full, but he could eat a little more.

XXXxxx

They’d been on the island a little less than an hour when Sanji was able to slip away from the party. He kept his pace casual as he searched for his target. Igaram would be close. They had a lot to talk about.

Chapter 17: Trashing Whiskey Peak

Chapter Text

Chapter 17 Trashing Whiskey Peak

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The music was light and playful. It was the kind of generic designed to blend in and not offend. Sanji kind of hated it. Spoiled with a musician who had a song for every occasion, he hadn’t had to listen to this kind of background noise in ages. Even before Brook, most bars were inclined to play pirate shanties when the crew were around partying. If it weren’t for the lovely company… well he wouldn’t actually start a fight. Not here.

“Sugar sweet Sage! You move like a feather on the wind. I could dance with you for hours!” he twirled her admiring the swirl of skirts. His heart beat a little faster as his hand slid around her waist again.

The captain had Opinions about hospitality, or at least people who feed you. (He wasn’t sure if the captain knew the word hospitality.) Sanji had noticed, as a cook and crewmate, that one of Luffy’s biggest hot buttons was when someone turned on another who offered them food or care. It didn’t matter if they were pirates, soldiers, or commoners. Luffy had torn down entire governments for the sake of a single person wronged. So it didn’t surprise him that Luffy was opinionated enough to shoot down any plan that involved a preemptive strike during the party. (He’d been okay with mosshead’s suggestion of just attacking first thing and kidnapping the princess, which everyone else vetoed.)

Sanji was nearly bowled over as he was thanking Sage for the dance. He instantly forgave the raven-haired beauty asking for a turn on the floor. She seemed particularly clumsy, an endearing trait really, and stepped on his toes several times.

“So sorry, Sanji!”

“Don’t worry about me darling Rose! I fight with my feet. These shoes were specially reinforced.” He smiled down at her. “I didn’t feel a thing.”

Her pout was truly the cutest thing. He made up for her stumbling steps by sweeping her off her feet, literally, utilizing moves that were more swing than pop. She was flushed and clinging tight enough to bruise, but he’d accept any marks a lovely lady gave him.

Luffy didn’t go so far as to issue Captain’s Orders, but he made his point after the sixth plan he shot down. If they were invited to a banquet party like Before, no one was to start a fight or steal from their hosts unless the people of the island double crossed them first. Nami wrangled a pickpocketing exception under the promise that if their hosts ‘played nice this time’, she would return what she stole at the end of the visit.

“Beautiful Jasmine, you dance like a ballerina.”

“Please, call me Jazzy.”

“Jazzy-swan!” he enthused as he twirled with her to the upbeat music. “A goddess like you can be called by any name she wishes!”

“Sanji-san! Me next!”

“No, me!”

Sanji always had a weakness for women. It was a flaw he was well aware of and not inclined to change. The ladies at Whiskey Peak were beautiful, friendly, and strong. He made sure to offer complements to each in turn. His heart raced and he swooned a bit with every bit of attention he received in return. They danced. Oh, he’d really missed out the first time by piling in a booth. Dancing with beautiful girl after beautiful girl was just heaven.

“Sanji, it’s my turn!” the red head was gripping his sleeve before he’d even finished the dance, almost as if they were trying to wear him out.

This, he decided, was one of the best missions he’d been on as a Strawhat. Half a dozen willing and beautiful women fawning over him. It didn’t matter that their motives might be a bit questionable. It wasn’t like he had the best motives himself. Fair’s only fair. He pulled the next lovely lady in for a dance. And the one after that. Melting into goo each time they giggled and complemented him.

“Sanji, tell me a story.” Sweet Marigold whispered in his ear as they finished a dance. “I want to hear all about your adventures!”

The other girls circled around, equally encouraging. He sighed in contentment. Such charm. So many radiant marvels.

“Of course, I will. How could I deny such gorgeous flowers such as yourselves! Just a quick one for you honeys, though. I promised fair Violet the next dance.”

“Oh, I don’t mind.” The girl in question piped up.

“No, no, darling girl. What a kind heart you have! I could not break my promise to you. I could never disgrace you like that. Don’t worry. I have a short little tale about a brawl I got into before I met my captain. Then we can have our dance!” He smiled at the group. “It was in a port called Greensville...”

A few more tales of his pre-Strawhat exploits to brag about his fighting prowess. A dozen more dances with the ladies. He was going to have to get moving soon. He was supposed to pull the mayor aside for a chat. As the most discreet of the group – excepting Nami-swan of course- he’d been chosen to extend the invitation to their royal guests. They’d assumed the mayor would be at the party. He seemed to recall the man there Before. It was terribly unfair he’d have to leave the ladies.

A quick glance around the room showed no signs of the Mayor or Vivi. His crew were all having a great time. Luffy was eating. Usopp was lying. Nami was… Nami was trying to get away from a handsy asshole. He watched her move out of his reach only for those sweaty hands to come around her again.

Curb-stomping the punk who was messing with Nami was a pleasure. He hoped from Luffy’s reaction, or lack, that he hadn’t just screwed up. This sh*tty place was such a yo-yo, he was getting dizzy. He’d never empathized harder with Luffy’s hatred for plans.

Slipping out the door he ignored the group smoking by the entrance and stomped down the street. Casting out his Observation he grimaced. Too many people not at the party. He could discount those in obvious ambush positions, but that still left too many unknowns. He turned a corner just for the sake of it, and another so that he was headed back to the bar from a different street. The mayor would want to stick close to the current operation. He remembered the sh*tty encouragement and ego stroking. He was also looking for someone who is conflicted about this operation.

That narrowed it down. It disgusted him feeling that eager pleasure and greed coming from most of the Baroque Works agents. The intent to harm. To them the Strawhat crew was an easy mark. Especially if they each had a bounty instead of just the captain. This would be a major windfall for them. Not that they’d get a chance to collect a single Belli. He could pick out six individuals on this block who matched his criteria and weren’t his crew. Time to get to work.

Sanji slipped in and out of shadows using speed and stealth to catch glimpses of those he was sensing. A woman with a rifle laid out on a rooftop, a man polishing knuckle dusters sitting on a dumpster, and there, the mayor. Dressed in some odd formalwear, the officer agent was sitting at a desk, flipping through papers. Sanji wished he could remember him as anything but singing-hair-guy. Blowing smoke, he let himself in. To his credit, the man turned quickly, weapon in hand.

“Mr. Pirate! W- hem, ma-ma-maa, what an odd choice of entrance! Were you not enjoying the party?” the gun held steady in contrast to the cheery tone. “We pride ourselves in our welcome, you know.”

“I feel very welcomed right now.” He deadpanned looking at the gun. “This isn’t about Whiskey Peak. This is about you and a certain royal princess who need to leave this island today.”

“What?” he nearly dropped the gun before bringing it up again faster than before. “I mean, what do you mean? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“We have information to share if you’re interested. Either way, it’s best if you don’t stay here. Our ship is ready and able to escort you both safely home.”

“I said I don’t know what you’re talking about. This island does not have any princesses.”

“And I said we have information!” he snapped back biting down on his cigarette and tapping his toe on the floorboards. “I could be enjoying a lovely party with beautiful bountiful bounty hunter women, or even better tracking down Vivi-swan myself, but the crew insisted on negotiating with you so stop wasting my time and let’s get packed and come to my ship.”

“If it’s a ransom you’re looking for…”

“Your country is broke.” He laid out bluntly. “There are easier ways to get money.”

“Are you some kind of revolutionaries in disguise?”

“Hell no, we’re pirates to the core.”

“Why would pirates be playing heroes?”

“…this is a favor owed. It’s nothing to do with you.” Which was true because it was a favor to Vivi, not hair-singing-guy. “I’d appreciate if you hurried this up. Pack a bag and let’s go.”

“I’m sorry. Whatever favor you owe, I’m afraid our mission isn’t done here.”

“I told you we have the information already. Everything you need to save your country, but we have to go. Today. Now. So. Pack.” His eye twitched at the stubborn look that took over the mayor’s face.

XXXxxx

Usopp enjoyed spinning tales of their adventures. He easily relaxed in his seat, surrounded by hangers-on. They passed him free food and booze. He was starting to feel the warm buzz of alcohol on his second drink and abruptly remembered his body was only fifteen and he’d never been a heavy drinker. Settling into a story about a giant of Elbaf who made it into the East Blue and taught him the warrior’s code, Usopp blended history with fantasy. The best stories were rooted in truth.

“Tell us about your battle with Don Krieg!” someone encouraged at a break in the tale.

“Oh, that’s a good one!” Usopp smiled “One of our first big crew fights. It was a clear and sunny day when on the horizon, what did I spy? Forty ships!”

His responsive audience cooed appropriately. Usopp hummed, nodded once, and continued with his story. This one didn’t need embellishments. He would add them anyways.

XXXxxx

Sanji was nearly pulling his hair out by the time they reached the ship. Curls was still protesting the entire situation. Vivi was an absolute sweetheart, but really should stop blurting out random information in the middle of the streets. For some reason they were also bringing the idiot with the crown, but at this point he didn’t even care as long as they got on the damn ship.

The strong and striking Miss Monday was following them while Sanji carried the bags. Mayor -Ingram his name is Ingram- was trying to convince her to join them and as much as Sanji wanted to protest the extra passengers, Curls made a good point. The delightful lady would be in danger of retaliation if she stayed. Baroque Works was not a forgiving company, and he didn’t like the idea of leaving an Olympic goddess behind to face trouble for their actions.

“Look, I see where you’re coming from, but you have to understand this. Little Garden is a suicide trip. You can’t just leave Whiskey Peak. The island that comes next is deadly. It’s why we use the eternal poses from Mr. 0 when we get missions off-island. You should all just lay low here for a few weeks until someone gets sent on a mission and you can snatch their pose then. Whoever these pirates are don’t matter. They aren’t going to have the information they promise, and they’ll all be dead before they reach an island that they can pass off your identities.” Miss Monday coxed her partners.

Sanji chomped on his cigarette to keep from blurting out assurances and plans. His mind spun rapidly as he tried to think of ways to convince her that wouldn’t compromise the crew.

“Please Miss Monday, I consider you a dear friend,” Vivi was making a tearful plea.

Sanji was distracted from her words as he hustled them up to the dock and spotted a pile of poorly hidden dock workers unconscious near their ship. Someone must’ve harassed Zoro then. The idiot could at least clean up his messes. Rolling his eyes he focused on the group before him, and why was she dropping to her knees? They were only a few feet from the ship damn it!

XXXxxx

Nami settled in with Sanji’s lady friends for some gossip. They were all simmering with frustration, and she suspected they’d been unable to wrangle answers from the cook. Sanji had a one-track mind with women after all.

“Your crewmate is so shy.” A blond giggled. “Is he always so…”

“Chauvinistic?” she deadpanned.

The girls burst into genuine laughter.

“He means well, but he was raised by a bunch of guys, and they were all pirates and thugs.” She shook her head. “He idolizes women so much he objectifies them. It makes him a bit easy to manipulate but it can be exhausting.”

And that was a bit more honest than she intended to be with these outsiders. Irritated with herself, Nami redirected the conversation.

“He’s a great pack mule for my shopping expeditions!” forcing a smile and a breezy wave. “Is there any good shopping around here? Someone was telling me about how this town gets goods from all four Blues?”

“Yeah, I guess. We’re the party city though! You should really just relax and enjoy the party!” green hair smiled at her passing a drink. “Here try this one!”

“I want to hear more about Sanji!” a brunet pouted. “Was he really an apprentice of Red Leg Zeff? Where did the old man go to?”

“I couldn’t really tell you about Redleg.” Nami waved the questions away. “He’s sailing free somewhere. Seriously though, this is a different tasting beer. Is this from the North Blue?”

“Just a South Blue Amber Ale.” One of the girls waved away. “You must know more about Sanji than that. Where’s he from, how did he train?”

Nami frowned at her drink. She’d had a number of South Blue Ambers and they weren’t supposed to be this tangy.

“Sanji’s from” she slammed her tankard down before the words slipped out.

The words wanted to slip out. She could feel them building, like water behind a dam. She'd never wanted to talk so much in her life. Her breathing was coming fast and uneven. Her mouth filled with blood as she bit her cheek to stay silent. She couldn’t get enough air through her nose but didn’t trust her mouth. She was getting dizzy. She looked up for her crew and found the women had closed in. They were exchanging looks with each other and whispering about something, but more significantly, they’d cut off her sightlines. With Sanji out and Zoro on Merry it was only Usopp and Luffy. She tried to stand but someone was pressing her down. Pushing her into the table. The music was louder. She couldn’t breathe.

XXXxxx

Usopp knew his Haki manifested differently than most of his crew. He wasn’t entirely confident it was Haki. He didn’t feel the way they did. He’d never sensed emotion and intent quite the same way. Instead, he had a visual component. He could see further, clearer, and see more than it was feasibly possible to see. The first time in Dressrosa, he was certain he was seeing the souls of his targets from clear across the city. He didn’t feel Nami so much as his senses were suddenly filled with her sparking orange flare. His eyes snapped to her table where he couldn’t see her.

He was out of his seat, standing on the table and launching Scatter Shot before he’d even processed the scene consciously. Eight women dropped unconscious and there was Nami, pinned still by one and looking unwell. Then she coughed blood. The stunned silence from his movement and shout was broken as Luffy raged.

Usopp ignored the table that was thrown across the room and the cries of distress as he aimed and fired taking out the gunmen aiming at himself or Nami’s corner. He jumped to avoid getting hamstrung by someone at his own table and tossed himself across the room towards Nami. Ducking under flying stools and glass bottles he found her panicking and frozen.

“Come on Nami. You’re okay. What happened?” he shoved the unconscious body off his friend, hands flying over her as he checked for injuries.

“Drugs. Drugs. I was talking-too-much and the-ale-was-too-tangy and I couldn’t-stop Usopp.” She babbled quickly as she sat up.

A quick glance confirmed blown pupils, but her breathing was evening out as she clung to him. The room was much quieter and another fast look showed Luffy with clenched fists and a room full of downed opponents.

“You don’t get to hurt my friends.” Luffy snarled at the unconscious bodies. None twitched. “Let’s go.”

“Aye captain.”

“Wait, wait! I didn’t get to do my shopping raid.” Nami protested with a whine even as she grabbed up her things and moved to join him.

“Are you okay to do that while I beat up the rest of these jerks?” Luffy looked at her closely.

“Sure-I’m-not Luffy! I’m definitely drugged and it’s-making-my head wonky.” She answered in a too cheerful tone before she frowned. “What am I saying? I want to get belli today.”

“Usopp stay with her.” He looked over Nami. “You should go back to the ship.”

“But Captainnnn!” Nami looked teary eyed. “That’s not fair!”

“You can do a little shopping, but you have to be back to the ship before me. Got it?” Luffy conceded.

“Yes.” She nodded rapidly, frustrated tears subsiding. “Yes.”

“I’m going to go punch those guys in the face.” And with that he tore out of the bar cracking one door off its hinges.

“Let’s go Usopp!” she cheerfully hid behind him as the sounds of shouting and fighting began outside.

“Not behind me!” Resigned to his tragic fate, he peered carefully out the doorway. Haki active, it was like each person was backlit with blacks and purples, standing out against the sunny blue sky. Slingshot loaded and ready, he allowed Nami to direct him like a human shield.

XXXxxx

Zoro watched the cook arrive without moving from his spot. It was a much bigger group than anticipated. Still, there wasn’t any point in fussing. A sudden series of cracks and crashes sounded just as they climbed onboard.

“What was that?!” Vivi jumped and whirled to face the city.

As they watched a building toppled over in the distance.

“Wah??” the Baroque Works agents panicked.

“Finally!” Zoro climbed to his feet and pulled a single sword with his good arm. Moving to the bow he released a few strong slashes.

With a loud crack the dozen small boats in port seemed to fall apart in synchronized splitting. Merry bobbed as the water surged with the sinking ships.

“Oy bastard!” curly brows shouted irritatingly. “You didn’t even save me one!”

“Eh? The boats were for me. Weren’t you supposed to be finding your own fight? Got lost?” he taunted.

“Who are you calling lost? Luffy started early. They were supposed to wait until I got back from collecting our guests! Now how am I supposed to resupply, huh?”

“You- you just- you just” Mr. 9 sputtered pointing a finger at him.

“Eh? I just what?”

“You just took out half a dozen ships without even moving!” Vivi exclaimed.

“I moved my sword.” He lifted the blade in explanation. Maybe she didn’t see him? “They were just little boats anyways.” Not like they were marine ships or even the same caliber as Krieg’s fleet.

“And you scratched the dock.” Sanji pointed out pettily.

“No I… sh*t.” Frowning moodily at the cut in the seawall he huffed. He’d have to keep working on his control. Damn it.

“That doesn’t explain it!” Vivi shouted.

“What?” confused by her confusion Zoro turned to stare at the blue haired girl.

“You just destroyed all those ships!”

“It was strategic? So that they can’t follow us…” he tried.

“That’s not what I mean either!” she sunk to the deck practically radiating anguish.

Zoro blinked at her and to the other guests who were staring at the mess with mouths open. Turning to shrug at the cook, he gave up trying to make sense of it.

“If you’re just going to play porter you can show these guys to the cabins.”

“Who are you calling a porter! Unlike you I’m not confined to the ship!” Sanji snapped his cigarette and jumped from the ship, sprinting towards the city center.

“Tch.” He turned back to the group, sliding his sword home, and adjusting the bandage on his other arm. “This is the Merry.” He gave the closest rail a fond pat. “Treat her well or I’ll gut you. We have separate men’s and women’s bunks, so you can make yourselves comfortable onboard.”

“I- ahem- ma ma maaa- I would like to speak to your captain about this information you have before we make a commitment to this journey. As I told the blond one-”

“The captain’s busy right now.” He shrugged settling down against a railing. He didn’t go to sleep but instead fixed his eyes on the city where crashing and shouting could still be heard.

“With all that noise they’re making, they probably attracted all the Millions in the city.” The strong woman sounded concerned.

“It’ll be a good exercise then.” Zoro nodded once. “The idiot cook better hurry or he’ll miss it.”

“You should be more concerned about your crew!” the princess reprimanded.

“Nah. They can take care of themselves against these people.” His stomach clenched even as he waved her away.

His crew could handle a bunch of weaklings here. They wouldn’t be able to handle everybody though. He was weak and useless right now. Not strong enough. Not strong enough to protect his nakama. Too weak to maintain the Haki he needed. Too weak to take into the city with just one arm. He needed to be stronger. He had to build his strength fast. Five years of steady muscle growth and constant physical improvement, lost. He clenched his jaw and watched the city.

“Maybe I should go and…”

“No.” he interrupted the woman. “My crew won’t thank you for interfering in a good fight. They are fine. You can help by clearing these bags off the deck so we can ship out when they get back.”

As he spoke there was a shattering noise and another building crumbled. The group seemed to pause at that watching the distant destruction. Suddenly a giant fist loomed over the city and came down quickly with an earth-shaking punch.

“See.” He nodded pointedly.

The bird squawked and scampered around the ship for a minute.

“They seem really strong.” Vivi murmured.

“Clear the deck.” He reminded them pointedly.

Finally, they moved. There was a certain hesitance as they shuffled towards the cabins looking back at him several times. He didn’t know why they expected him to know which cabin was which. It was best to just try a door and figure it out. He let them awkwardly explore as he trained his senses on the island, trying to track the fight.

Chapter 18: Bounties Abound

Chapter Text

Chapter 18 Bounties Abound

.

Nami was miserable as she marched her two volunteers to the ship. The bounty hunters were happy to carry her pile of backpacks and bags back to the Merry. She’d only had to threaten them once.

“Itisjustnotfairthat I havetomissouton alltheshopsand bountyhuntertreasure just because of a littledrugging. Thatisnotokay. Iwas lookingforwardtoseeing what Icouldfindhere. Stealingtreasurefrompireates is myoldgo-toyouknow? Sostealingfromcriminalssounded even better.” She waved her climatact at the men who flinched away.

“Careful Nami.” Usopp ducked her swing and then fired off a shot at a rooftop.

“Thanks, Usopp.” She sniffled. “You always have my back. Atleastwhenyou’renotrunningawayfasterthanme.”

“I can’t understand you. But thanks, I think.”

Then the Merry was in sight and she could see Zoro but no one else and so she ran for it.

“You can drop those on the gangway and get lost.” Usopp snapped behind her at the men.

“Ohmybags! Don’tdropthem!” She turned back just as the men turned tail and ran. “Thatwassorude.”

She turned to haul the bags onto the ship when Zoro caught her arm.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“IwasdruggedbythebountyhuntersandnowIcan’tstoptalkingandit’smakingmeemotional.”

“Slow down.”

“She was drugged.” Usopp cut in as he carried some of her new things up. “Luffy let her do all this anyways. Help get it onboard. I stopped hearing smashes a while ago. Luffy’s probably almost here.”

She looked at the mess of a harbor with exasperation.

“ZorohowamIsupposed tonavigate thismess. We’re goingtoscratchupMerryifwe’renot careful. Couldn’tyoucuttheshipsintosmallerpieces?”

“You want me to cut it up more?” Zoro asked looking out to the water.

“You understood that?” Usopp asked.

“Noleaveit. Wecanmanage. HaveyouseenSanji?”

“Cook was here, brought a lot more guests than planned. He left.”

“Who else is here?” Usopp asked curiously.

“Oy, oy move that!” Sanji was coming towards the gangway with several bags thrown over each shoulder and a barrel rolling in front of him.

Usopp and Nami dove to clear the remainder of their packages off the gangway in time for Sanji to kick the barrel onboard. Zoro stopped the rolling with a well-placed boot before it could slam into something. Sanji didn’t bother with a greeting just moved to unload his cargo on the aft deck.

“Where’s Luffy?”

“Yougotherefirst.”

Sanji blinked at her and raised an eyebrow.

“She’s been drugged.” Usopp explained again.

Nami wanted to cry. It was like they were picking on her. It wasn’t her fault she was babbling. This drug didn’t even make any sense!

“We’re not picking on you.” Zoro responded.

“AndnowI don’tevenknowwhenI’m talking!” she wailed.

“Nami!” the shout came from the docks just before Luffy rocketed himself onboard. “Are you okay?”

“No!” she sobbed into his hug.

“I punched all of them for you.” He stroked her hair for a minute. “Will you be okay? Do you need a doctor?”

“I’ll b-be fine Luffy. Yourhugsarenice. Ijust wanttogonow.”

“Let’s set sail!” he cried in agreement.

Nami wiggled out of his hold and took the helm as Zoro hauled in the anchor with awkward one-handed motions and Usopp pulled in the gangway. Nami gave garbled orders for a slow departure. They weren’t worried about anyone being conscious enough to follow. Instead, they carefully navigated the debris field Zoro created and exited the channel. It took patience more than anything, sailing at a slow pace through the splintered ships and navigating the rocks at the end of the channel until they were once more in open water.

“What? Wait! I wasn’t going to…”

Nami turned with most of the crew to blink at Miss Monday the bodybuilder who was looking around frantically.

“Who are you?” Luffy asked bluntly.

“This is Miss Monday formerly of Baroque works.” Sanji explained with a flourish. “The lovely lady is joining us to prevent retaliation after the betrayal of her partner Mr. 8. Mr. 9 is also here.”

“No, no. I was going to stay behind!” she looked around.

“We’ve been sailing for a while.” Zoro pointed out. “You should have come out sooner.”

Luffy laughed. “You’re just like Koby!”

“This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening.”

“Relax. Youcangetoff in Drum ifyoudon’twantto goconfront Zero in Arabasta. Weneedtostopthere first.” Nami waved at her.

“What?”

“Headed to Drum.” Zoro simplified, the caveman. “Not a cave man, witch.”

Nami burst into tears again. Usopp rushed over.

“Why don’t I take the helm for a bit, and you get some water and a nap, sleep off this drug, yeah?”

“T-thanks. Here’sthepose.”

“Wait, that’s an eternal pose!” Miss Monday pointed out.

“Yeah. How’d you think we were getting to Drum?” Usopp asked.

“I thought you kids were just idiots who didn’t know how to navigate the Grand Line!” she shouted waving her hands. “No one mentioned you had something like that!”

Nami sniffed at the insult to her navigation skills. The bitch deserved to be confused if she was just going to insult them like that.

“Nap it off, Nami.” Usopp reminded her.

She probably said some of that out loud then. Luffy was laughing again. Nami stormed to her room, ignored the princess, and flopped onto her bed. She’d sleep it off. Sniffling and feeling the urge to keep talking she instead buried her face in the pillow until she drifted off.

“I didn’t even get to see our bounties.” she whined.

XXXxxx

Baltigo, an island of the Grand Line

It was a chilly morning in Baltigo, and Dragon took his coffee to his favorite rooftop patio. Birds greeted each other with their morning chatter in the stillness before the bustle. His breath was visible. With a quick look around for nosy subordinates, he puffed a series of concentric fog rings. Smirking, he sat at a small table and combed through the paper. There were a few items of note and a concerning column near the end about an uprising in Villa but nothing that couldn’t wait for the morning meeting. He leaned back to look at the bright blue sky.

His fingers found the sheets folded in his upper pocket. It was foolishness to carry these around. Too many rebels liked to ‘test their skills’ by attempting to pickpocket each other. Not many were bold enough to try against their leader, but there were always a few. Some were even capable of pulling it off. It was pure vanity that he held onto these, and he ought to burn them before someone realized they may be important.

He spread the sheets out, flattening them. A finger ran over the rounded cheeks of the straw hatted boy. Luffy. The kid looked happy, flashing a carefree smile and victory sign. His companions looked equally young and equally happy. A brightly smiling redhead, a small boy with goggles and a large nose, a green haired teen with a sword between his teeth. The last poster was a sketch of a blond that looked older than the rest and more dangerous. Dragon suspected the young ‘Blackleg Sanji’ was being used to make up for his companion’s apparent innocence. The Strawhat Pirates. They were raising eyebrows already. He’d heard his own people placing bets on if they intended to enter the Grand Line after their stunt in Loguetown or if they were still taking time in the East Blue. They’d come out of nowhere and, seemingly without direction or purpose, caused a ruckus by taking out many of the major players in the East. The upset in the balance of power was giving him plenty of openings to send in his own people East. It was just so unpredictable. He didn’t like unpredictable. Who were these people surrounding his boy? Were they trustworthy companions, opportunists, crooks? Did they have what it would take to travel with a D? Did Monkey D Luffy have a goal or was this wild pattern of exploits just random wanderings?

The faintest of clicks alerted him. Dragon easily swept up the sheets with some sleight of hand. He was calmly scanning the newspaper when a young blond popped out carrying a breakfast tray. The teen grinned at him brightly and invited himself to the table.

“Morning Dragon-san!”

“Good morning Sabo.”

“Is it good? I haven’t checked yet.” The blond gestured to the paper.

“Were you planning to check?” he deadpanned raising an eyebrow.

“Ah, you caught me!” Sabo laughed. “I was going to ask Koala. Since you’re here though…”

“Cheeky.” Dragon knew the young revolutionary had an aversion to reading the paper. It likely had something to do with his mysterious past. It worked in his favor though. If there was one person he didn’t want looking into the Strawhat Pirates it was Sabo. Perhaps I should send him to look into those rumors in the North Blue. “I might actually answer you if you’re interested in sharing those meat buns.”

“Extortionist.” Sabo pushed a single bun over.

Dragon ate it in one bite and raised an eyebrow challengingly. The blond groaned, laughed, and piled a napkin worth of pastries and buns in trade.

“Koala will be so proud you prepared for the meeting on your own.” He enjoyed the morning snack as he laid out his observations and gestured to different articles worth reading.

Luffy would do fine. 40 million was a respectable number, but it shouldn’t cause too much trouble. He’d keep an ear out to make sure of it.

XXXxxx

Tekisutairu Island, New World

Jinbei grinned at the bounties. The Grand Line’s monthly bounty update was early with no explanation. Unless you realized the four new bounties were all from a particular crew. The Strawhats were causing a stir already. With a little pep in his step, Jinbei crossed the deck as they docked at his favorite shopping port. Tekisutairu, a spring island filled with art, culture, and color. More significantly, it was home to the best tailors and textile artists in the world. Mambi was waiting at the dock.

“Warlord Jinbei, I’m surprised to see you so soon. Surprised. Surely there was no problem with your last order? No problems?” the older woman questioned, bowing twice in greeting.

“No problem at all. In fact, I wanted to place a new order. Something different.” He smiled down at her and gestured towards her shop.

“Yes, yes. Always happy to do business. Always happy.” She buzzed along, leading up the mosaic pathway to her studio. “Something new, new. Something new for you?”

“I need to order some new outfits, but with a different design.” He settled with her before the tea set and prepared to talk business. He fished a drawing out of his sleeve pocket. “Something with this.”

Mambi went perfectly still looking at the drawing then back at him. She paused tapping her lips slightly. He waited calmly. This was not an easy ask. There was risk involved on both sides. There was also over a decade of friendship and trust (longer on his end). Hands folded peaceably in his lap; he was not surprised when she moved to pour the tea. The pot was nearly as large as her, but she managed easily.

“Tell me more. Tell me. Is it a gift? A gift? Or for you? This for you?”

“This is for me. A surprise for my captain.” Simple words but not spoken lightly.

“Captain? A captain for you? Warlord Jinbei is Captain. Captain Jinbei of the Sun Pirates.” She looked at him sharply as she sipped her tea.

“For now, yes. Soon…” he tapped the picture, “soon I will not be Warlord or Captain, just Jinbei.”

“Never Just. Never just anything, Jinbei. Jinbei Knight of the Sea. Of the Sea. First Sun of the Sea Jinbei. Jinbei.” She shook a finger at him sternly.

“I suppose so.” He smiled at her.

“We talk fabric. Fabric! And colors. Many colors. For you and your captain. Captain.” She grinned sharply and settled in the cushions.

He was glad for her acceptance. It was a little self-indulgent, but he couldn’t help getting excited. His crew were coming.

XXXxxx

Moby Dick, New World

Marco watched as his youngest brother paced with the paper. Ace ran his fingers through black hair, knocking his hat. The orange cowboy hat fell and dangled by its string, bouncing lightly as the boy continued to pace.

“He still at it?” Haruta asked peeking out of the cabin.

“This is better than the last time.” Marco assured them. “I gotta say, even I didn’t expect the kid to bump his bounty so quickly, and Loguetown usually means someone’s preparing to cross into the Grand Line. It’s a big brother’s right to worry when their little brother pulls crazy stunts, yoi.”

“Bold as brass. What can you expect from a kid who fought off giant tigers?” teased Vista.

“You don’t think the tigers were real?” Thatch asked. “I was sure that part was true. I could totally see Ace fighting tigers!”

“The size of houses?” Vista scoffed. “He was pulling your leg. And anyways didn’t he live in some border-town trash heap?”

“Nah, he grew up with mountain bandits, right? So, they had to live in the mountains, with the tigers.”

“You’re both idiots.”

“Trying to pick apart Ace’s stories takes all the fun out of it!” one of the nurses cut in with a smile. “Let’s just focus on getting Ace grounded again before he tries to jump ship and go chasing after this little brother of his. We just convinced him to join us. It would be really embarrassing if we had to chase him halfway across Paradise.”

Ace tugged on his hat, pulling it back into place. The teen looked like he was talking to himself, but it was windy today. Ace rolled the pages into a baton and was pointing it with emphasis. Haruta chuckled. Marco sighed.

“Someone should talk to him before he builds himself up to some crazy scheme, yoi.” He pointed out.

His siblings all stared at him. The cowards. With another sigh, Marco passed the helm and lazily strolled across the deck. The perils of being first mate.

“Ace.”

“Marco.”

“You seem upset.”

Ace laughed. “No kidding? Great observation skills there Phoenix.”

Marco slouched and waited.

“I mean, have you seen these?” Ace waved the stack of pages. “This is a crew of manipulative bastards. I’m just not sure which of them is responsible for getting my brother into so much trouble.”

“Your brother needs help getting into trouble?”

“Well…no…” he frowned thoughtfully “he just wouldn’t go breaking promises for no reason.”

And they were back to that. This Luffy must be really reliable.

Shaking the pages for emphasis Ace continued, “I just have to figure out what went wrong.”

“And you think these, kids, are the problem?” because they really were all kids. There was a betting pool on the age of that Blackleg character, and no one had bothered to guess anything over nineteen.

“Don’t go underestimating my brother’s nakama.” Ace shook a finger in his face. “If Luffy chose these people, they’re strong. He doesn’t have patience for weakness.”

Marco snatched the pages. “Tell me, what’s so devious about this girl?”

“Other than the whole possibility of being a devil fruit user, she’s obviously a con artist. Look at that list of crimes! Thievery and burglary, former member of Arlong’s gang? She might look young, but this girl is Trouble with a capital T.”

“Mmmm… and this kid?” he gestured to the frankly adorable looking kid with a backpack.

“Don’t tell me you don’t recognize the legacy there. It’s in the name. Usopp is clearly Yasopp’s brat. I don’t know how close his ties are to Red Hair are, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the one who talked Luffy into leaving. My brother and Shanks… they have a history. If Yasopp’s boy showed up looking for crew… that might be enough to convince him.” Ace shifted anxiously, already shaking his head at his own words. “It shouldn’t be enough on its own though. The pipsqueak probably spun some tale or challenged him. Luffy would absolutely be tricked into some stupid challenge and wind up captaining some mouthy brat.” His eyes narrowed. “That manipulative-”

“And this one?” Marco interrupted, hiding his amusem*nt as he reached to flip the page.

“Former bounty hunter turned pirate? What’s not suspicious about that? He’s older too. What’s this guy doing with a bunch of kids, huh? He was in the paper a while back as a rising peacekeeper in the East Blue and suddenly goes pirate? He could be on someone’s payroll. Pirate Hunter turned Pirate. I don’t trust it. This guy is too sketchy to be hanging around my brother.”

Eyeing the smoking shoulders and narrowed eyes, Marco stayed silent as he pulled that bounty away and flipped to the next.

“This. What even is this?” Ace tossed up his arms the last bounty. “Blackleg? Pft. This punk…he doesn’t even have a proper bounty poster. The marines don’t do that! It’s completely useless for identification. Why do you think that is, huh?”

“So, you think these nakama of his are why he took to the sea?”

Ace sighed heavily slumping against the rail. “I’ll admit, the most likely scenario here is that Luffy is dying.”

Marco wheezed. That was not his point. Wrong way, Ace! Nope! Why are you like this?

“I’m trying not to think about that too much.” The kid continued, oblivious. “It’s easier to blame these other people. Luffy’s always had a sense for finding good people. I just wish I could ask him why.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

“You thinking of going after him, yoi?” because if Ace were thinking about jumping ship, that would be serious.

“Of course, I’m thinking about it. He’s my reckless little brother.” Ace sighed then shook his head. “If I knew for sure he needed help I’d be there in a second. But he’d be furious if I showed up to ‘save’ him and he didn’t need it. He’d love to see me just for fun but if I interfered with his adventure? … nah. He’d be really upset with me.” He looked down at the bounty poster. “He’s a reckless idiot, and I don’t trust these people he’s surrounded by, but Luffy? This is the kid who’ll be King of the Pirates.”

“Not Pops?” Marco teased.

“Does he want to be?” Ace asked surprised. “I’ve been here for months, and he hasn’t said so once. I figured he had different dreams. I’d support him of course. If Pops is after the One Piece, then he’ll definitely be the one to get it!”

“Does Luffy say it a lot?” Marco asked ignoring the question for now.

“Twice a day at least.” Ace answered promptly. “Since he was 6.”

Marco laughed and Ace joined in. He took the handful of bounty posters from Marco and shoved them into his pocket. He’d figure this out. His new brothers might think he’s overreacting, but they’d never met Luffy. His rubber brained brother would literally die before breaking a promise. So why did he break this one? Breathing through the tightness of his chest, Ace focused on the smell of the sea and the laughter of his crew. He’d figure it out. Plus, he’d made promises of his own… As if reading his mind Marco slapped his back, palm resting for a moment over the wide tattoo.

“Come on little brother. Spend some time with the crew. They’ve been worried since you got your hands on those posters, yoi.”

“What’s to worry about?” he asked looking confused.

Marco shook his head and shoved the kid towards the other crew. They’d get this straightened out.

XXXxxx

Going Merry, Paradise

Dinner was a lively affair with five guests and the crew all crammed into the tiny dining room. Sanji was a touch stressed but delivered a delicious smelling meal to the grabby hoard. He smiled softly at the immediate praise and thanks he received in return. His crew might be a bunch of needy bastards but at least they knew how to appreciate a good meal. Settling into his own seat, Sanji watched his guests eat and tried to gage their flavor palettes. Mr. 9 seemed sensitive to spicy foods from the way he was going for his water after each bite of the mash. He’d give the man credit for not only eating it anyways but for the lack of commentary when Usopp poured extra hot sauce on his own plate.

“Please chew with your mouth closed. You can’t just grab off other people’s plates. Do stop stacking your food like that it is not for playing with.” Curls on the other hand seemed overly stressed about manners instead of appreciating the menu.

How had the man survived playing bounty hunter? Was Baroque Works made of idiots? Wait. Yes. If he remembered correctly, it really was. Nami was only picking at her meal which was distressing. He’d deliberately picked some of her favorites to make up for the rough day.

“Nami?”

“It’s delicious Sanji.” She answered before he could ask. “I’m just a little nauseous.”

“Babble can do that.” The magnificent Miss Monday spoke up. “It runs through the system quickly but can make you nauseous for a day or two. You’re lucky not to get the migraines. Sometimes people get those as they start to come down.”

“Ugh.”

“Would you like some broth and bread instead?” he was already rising and moving to the fridge.

“Thank you Sanji. Maybe just the bread for now.” She slid her plate to Luffy and reached for the rolls.

Humming softly, he put the kettle on instead and searched the cabinet for the ginger tea.

“Did anyone manage to get our posters?” she didn’t sound hopeful.

“Sorry Nami.” Usopp shook his head.

Luffy and Sanji exchanged looks and headshakes.

“Your bounty posters?” Vivi asked.

“I’ve got them here somewhere.” Mr. 8 dug into his long jacket before withdrawing a thick stack of papers.

“Let me see!” Nami snatched them away quickly. “No. Not us. No. Ah Zoro look!”

They crowded around eagerly.

“Fifteen million? Tch. I guess we haven’t done much.” He pouted.

“Fifteen is a high bounty for anyone!” Nine argued.

“No one cares about that idiot. What did I get?” Sanji asked, pulling out teacups.

“Shut your mouth, cook.” Zoro snarled.

“Hey, hey, where’s mine?” Luffy pouted.

“Next is ‘Weapons Master Usopp’ ha! Look at this picture. Were you shopping?” she pointed at the smiling kid with an oversized backpack.

“I look like a baby.” Usopp sobbed.

“You are a baby.” Monday muttered.

“Ten million for you Usopp! Don’t worry. It will be 200 million in no time!” Luffy patted him on the back.

“This is fine.” Usopp mumbled into the table even as the bounty hunters scoffed.

“Oy, oy, someone go turn us 30 degrees port.” Nami waved at them. Zoro shuffled for the door, but Usopp jumped up and stopped him. Nami took a minute to peer out the open door and feel the wind. “It will start raining in the next 20 minutes, so eat quickly.”

Obediently the Strawhats picked up the pace, devouring the food quickly. Sanji presented the cup of ginger tea to the navigator and focused on eating his own meal quickly. Their visitors looked skeptical but joined the rush as Usopp returned.

“Weather in the Grand Line isn’t so predictable.” Vivi cautioned.

“Nami’s the best navigator in the world.” Luffy smiled. “She knows the weather for sure.”

“Hmm.”

“Next is… Ah!” She blinked at the pages before Zoro leaned over and cackled.

“Weather Witch Nami! Worth ten million.” He snorted.

“Such a sweet picture, Nami-chan.” Usopp smiled at it. “You look adorable.”

“I look twelve!” she blushed and quickly brought out the next poster.

“Me!” Luffy shouted.

“You went up another ten million, that’s forty for you.” Zoro commented with a nod.

“Aww.”

“You’re disappointed!?” Nine scoffed. “I don’t think you guys realize how high these bounties are. “Forty million is unheard of for someone so new. That’s higher than some pirates ever get!”

“I’m going to be King of the Pirates. My bounty is worth over a billion!” he declared.

Their guests scoffed and rolled their eyes. It was only Nami’s gentle touch and headshake that stopped the young captain from retaliating.

“Last one is Sanji.” She flipped to see and covered her mouth.

“At twelve million, Blackleg Sanji.”

Thunder rolled ominously as he looked at the poster. The poster with no picture. Only a sketch.

“Everyone on sails, now.” Nami announced, standing quickly.

Sanji scooped the empty dishes easily depositing them into the sink. He tucked the breadbasket away where it wouldn’t be dumped out and stored away the odds and ends. He was out the door minutes after everyone else. He pulled on his raincoat with a heavy heart. Like the cursed day it was, the clouds chose to unleash hell.

The sky turned black, and the rain fell heavily, obscuring visibility. Temperature dropped and winds rose. It was a sharp rain, as if every other drop was a spear of ice. Nami cracked out commands and they leapt into action. It was a bit irritating tripping over the guests but at least they attempted to make themselves useful.

Reminding himself not to waste a cigarette, Sanji sighed and tried to focus on the positives. However awful the sketch, at least they weren’t calling him ‘Vinsmoke’. Blackleg Sanji was all he needed to be. Lightning cracked and Luffy laughed brightly. Merry seemed to jump through the waves. Even Nami was looking perkier with the storm surging around them. He sighed softly and admired the way the rain made Monday’s clothes cling. Yeah. It wasn’t a completely awful day.

Chapter 19: Sea Journeys

Chapter Text

Chapter 19 Sea Journeys

At Sea, Day 1

Morning dawned crisp and blue. Nami smiled as she watched the horizon light up. She loved the open waters of the Grand Line. Tranquil mornings like this were priceless. She watched peacefully as small knock up streams fired off in sequence far off the port side. A morning water show. A gentle adjustment to their course avoided intercepting the dark shadow swimming along off their starboard side. The squawk of seabirds caught her attention for a moment, but it was too early for news coos. She smiled as the day brightened and a gentle breeze added to their tail wind. Quiet steps caught her attention as Sanji emerged from the kitchen bearing a breakfast tray and mugs.

“Good morning!” he greeted in a cheerful whisper. “How are you feeling today? I made miso soup for breakfast. I can fetch the fish and veggies if you’re up for it.” He sounded hopeful.

“This smells delicious Sanji-kun! Thank you!” She admired the steamed rice and soup. “I’m actually really hungry so I’d love whatever you have prepared!”

“Right away!” he bounced off without another word leaving her a little unnerved.

That feeling was back. Something was wrong with Sanji. Something missing in their interactions. She nibbled on her lip in between sips of the hot chocolate. Hot chocolate! Sanji returned quickly with a second plate and the picnic blanket. With a quick look at her he spread the blanket on the deck and set out the breakfast, sweeping the tray from her grasp and arranging the meal professionally. She checked the pose and settled down easily.

“It’s such a lovely day! I bet I can get some sunbathing in before the day gets too hot, or too wild.” She teased gently.

“It’s a gorgeous morning.” Sanji agreed with a slightly strained expression. “I can set up the lawn chairs if you’d like? The pastries will be cooking for a few minutes more.”

“That!” Nami declared using a whisper-shout to keep from waking the crew and pointing. “That is what’s wrong. You’re not flirting or swooning. I even mentioned sunbathing and nothing from you. You won’t even look at me.” She frowned at him. “I know it’s not all women. You were flirting all day on the island. So, what is it? What is wrong? What is wrong with me?”

“Nami-chan.” Sanji sounded physically pained. “It’s nothing.”

He looked at her and away again. Nami tucked her arms around herself, shivering.

“Did I say something? Do something?” she swallowed hard. Can he see how broken I am after going back to those bastards. How filthy I am after working for another crew like a dog? For not having the courage and conviction to walk away? I should have …

“What? No! Nami, this isn’t on you!” Sanji looked so startled that she believed him.

“Then what? Sanji, I won’t keep pretending there isn’t a problem!” she could feel the pressure behind her eyes and silently begged her body not to betray her with tears.

“You’re fifteen!” he blurted at full volume, ears red. “Look, I know mentally you’re twenty-one to my twenty-two. I get that. But every time I look at you… You’re fifteen. That wouldn’t be a big deal if I were actually seventeen but I’m twenty-two, and you’re a baby.” He gestured vaguely and spoke frantically fast. “I’m really sorry Nami, but I just can’t flirt with a kid! I feel skeevy even thinking about how you’re going to blossom into a beautiful woman. I just can’t think of you that way and I don’t know how to handle it when you are the one batting your eyes at me.”

“Oh my god!” from shame to mortification Nami felt the whole world shift. “Sanji!”

“I’m sorry!” he looked just as distraught.

“Don’t apologize for having morals you idiot!” she couldn’t meet his eyes.

Suddenly all she could think about was every interaction they had. Had she’d been throwing herself at him for weeks? Sanji was always easy to manipulate, and she’d never been shy about using her feminine wiles to get her way. But she was a flat chested teenager. She hadn’t felt comfortable looking in a mirror in weeks for just that reason. She was underage. Had she really not considered…

“Wait that guy at the bar…”

“Why do you think I kicked him so hard?” Sanji shrugged lighting a cigarette and not meeting her eyes. “I know mentally you’re an adult and can make your own choices about how you share your body. That asshole was pushing the line as it was, and you look like a kid.”

“That perv!” she shook her head and looked around for a way to change the topic and snatched up her drink. “Thanks for the chocolate.”

“You’re welcome Nami-chan! Anything for you.” It was still missing the enthusiastic swoon but at least now she understood. “I have more in the kitchen for Vivi-chan and Monday-chan when they wake.”

“I’ll let them know.” She assured him, grateful for the subject change.

Sanji made his escape and she flung herself down on the picnic blanket. She wished she could melt into a puddle and escape the humiliation of the last five minutes. At least she hadn’t called him out in front of the whole crew! Her face burned just thinking about it. Like Sanji, she had no idea what to do about this change in their relationship. She’d been toying with him since the day they met, and he’d always been happy to be toyed with. She didn’t think she could look him in the eye any time soon. She looked at the peaceful sea and privately hoped for a sudden burst of impossible weather. She could really use some attention-demanding phenomena to occupy her mind and body. Unfortunately, every sense she had promised a beautiful calm sea day. What a disaster.

XXXxxx

After a full night’s rest and a surprisingly delicious breakfast, Mr. Nine found himself at a loss for what to do. He was strangely uncomfortable without his usual face paint and costume. The pirates seemed to be taking advantage of the pleasant weather to lounge about. They hadn’t made any demands of their guests. He’d expected a list of chores or maybe demands for information. Instead, they seemed perfectly content to answer his probing questions about the crew.

“You really crossed to the Grand Line with just a Sniper, Navigator, Cook and First Mate?” Mr. Nine asked as they relaxed on deck.

“Zoro’s my Swordsman.” Luffy answered, toying with a tangled fishing pole.

“Yes, but as far as crew positions to fill, First Mate would be more important.”

“Why?” Luffy frowned, unimpressed.

“Well, a crew needs a First Mate.” Mr. Nine looked to his companions for support.

“I need a Swordsman more.” The captain argued.

“First Mate is one of the most important positions-”

“Yeah, but Swordsman is more important. And besides that’s what Zoro wants more.”

“What do you mean? A Swordsman isn’t an essential part-”

“Zoro is my Swordsman and he’s essential.” Luffy growled.

The crew watched the growing argument with smug smiles and little grins. He twitched.

“Yes, but he’s also the First Mate which is a necessary role in order to…”

“It’s not. If I had to choose one Zoro could be my Swordsman and I would have no First Mate. I’m going to be King of the Pirates and Zoro will be the World’s Greatest Swordsman and I don’t see why we need a First Mate more than we need that.”

“Ugh, right to the heart.” Usopp whispered to the others, clutching his chest, and faking a swoon over his toolkit.

“No need to choose, Captain.” Zoro interrupted before the argument could continue, smiling softly as he worked through his katas. “I can do both.”

“Shishishi. Of course you can! Zoro is the best!” smiling brightly Luffy jumped to his feet and adjusted his hat. “I’m going to go chat with Merry.”

“You guys know what I mean!” he directed at the rest of the crew.

“No.” “Nope.” “Not a clue.”

“It’s okay Mr. Nine.” Miss Monday consoled. “I’m not sure they really understand what a crew is supposed to look like.”

“Oy!” Usopp bristled.

“It’s okay Usopp, I don’t think they know what tact looks like.” Sanji cut in.

“Look, this conversation is going the wrong way. I don’t want to fight about it. I was just trying to figure out how you decided you had enough crew for something like the Grand Line.” He tried again. “Do you guys have some kind of insider information? A secret weapon to help you through the Pirate’s Graveyard? Do you have a map or a logbook to make up for the lack of crew?”

“We have everyone we need to handle the ship, and plan to pick up the others along the way.” Nami answered from where she was tending her orange trees.

“I’ll admit you’ve done a surprisingly admirable job handling the weather and navigation so far. Most newcomers have much more difficulty handling themselves on this sea. That doesn’t change the fact that your crew is missing key personnel to run effectively. Most crews are triple this size for no other reason than dividing up watches and handling the maintenance of a ship. You’ll run yourselves ragged before you reach your fourth island!”

“We manage just fine.” Usopp answered stiffly.

Mr. Nine couldn’t quite stop himself from making a face at that. He didn’t need to fight with these children. He could be the better man and drop it.

“Go on then, tell us. What ‘essential personnel’ don’t we have.” Zoro goaded. Somehow the sword between his teeth didn’t stop him from talking.

“Well, a doctor for one.” His mouth betrayed him. So much for not fighting children.

“That’s why we’re headed to Drum. Next?” Nami smiled with a too-sweet look that made him instantly wary.

“…You don’t really think you can pick up one of Drum’s legendary doctors, do you?” Monday asked softly.

Sanji grinned. “Legendary is right.”

Usopp snorted and relaxed, sipping his juice. All of them were nodding. Nine rubbed a hand over his face. How irrational. These children really had no concept of reality. Drum Kingdom had been at the forefront of medical practice for centuries, and from the rumors, the current king was even more possessive of that knowledge than his predecessors. There was absolutely no way these pirates were going to whisk away one of the kingdom’s doctors. Rubbing his temples, he decided not to argue.

“Okay… well even if you do that you still need a quartermaster...”

“Eh.”

“You can’t just ‘eh’!” Nine protested throwing his hands in the air. “You’ll need a bosun, carpenter, rigger, purser…”

“We’re getting a shipwright.” Zoro didn’t want to get into that sore spot, so he quickly added “I don’t understand why we need separate crew for the rigging. It’s a small ship.”

“It’s really not that simple.” Mr. Nine sighed.

“It’s not that complicated either.”

“Most crews…”

“We’re not most crews. We’re the Strawhats. The crew of the future Pirate King. We can handle navigating with just us until we can gather the rest of our crew.” The swordsman actually paused his exercise, shifting so he held two swords in one hand.

“You tell him Zoro!” the mouthy sniper cheered.

“We’ll have a full crew before you know it.” Sanji cut in wistfully.

“You should at least pick up some temporary personnel to fill your ranks”

“Boo!” he was cut off by Usopp.

Looking around at the headshakes, thumbs down, and crossed arms, Mr. Nine gave up. Tossing his hands in the air again he growled.

“Fine, don’t then! Just don’t expect sympathy from me when you’re overrun by better equipped crews.”

The scoffing and eye rolling was unnecessary. These kids had no idea what they were in for. Overconfidence kills on the Grand Line.

XXXxxx

Miss Monday tanned on one of the lounge chairs listening to her co-worker, former co-worker, argue with the Strawhats. Mr. Nine didn’t seem to grasp that this crew was basically insane and didn’t have any intention of filling out their ranks no matter how necessary some positions were. The fact that they were still alive and on course despite not having any kind of set watch or rotation was a miracle.

Something was not quite right with the Strawhats. Beyond the impossible skill and hyper-competence, (she’d been born on the Grand Line and knew that some people were just like that) beyond all that there was an underlying something. Something that spoke of trouble or trauma they shared. The Strawhats were so casually possessive of each other it was intimidating. It didn’t make sense for a crew only recently come together. Maybe they lost people at the Reverse Mountain? It would make sense if that were the case. It would explain why they were so touchy about having all the crew they could need. The little ship didn’t appear damaged, but perhaps a member or a few fell overboard? Trauma bonding was a thing.

Monday nudged Mr. Nine and moved the conversation on to milder topics, but she watched. The crew were tactile. Even just eating breakfast earlier, there were touches and bumps. Spread out around the deck, they drifted towards each other in a strange dance. It was like thy each needed reassurance that the others were still there. It was unnerving the way they’d look up and meet eyes. Especially the swordsman who would jolt from a nap just long enough to look at whichever crew mate was checking on him. Even at times like this when Roronoa Zoro arched swords through the air in his intricate exercises, the crew fearlessly moved into his space, brushing past closely enough to touch. No fear of getting cut. She looked over at the little captain watching the water. He had one hand on his hat and the other stroked the figurehead as he babbled loudly about the early morning calm and speculated on the possibility of snow later. Snatches of the conversation were lost to the wind, but the kid’s voice carried.

She wanted to know who or what was powerful enough to give the Pirate Hunter those injuries to his arm and chest. She wanted to know the story behind the still pink scars on the little sniper’s shoulder. She wanted to know why sometimes the navigator would rub at her tattoo until one of the boys spoke sweetly to her or took her hand.

She’d keep an eye out. Because these pirates may be strong, and they may know some pretty big secrets, but her friend was depending on them. So, if they were fragile enough to break…if this partnership was going to fall apart…Monday would tear them to pieces before they could hurt Wednesday Vivi.

XXXxxx

Nami watched sadly as Vivi disappeared with the group of former bounty hunters. She understood that it was different this time. Vivi wasn’t fleeing for her life, and she had familiar friends to keep her company. Why would the blue haired girl want to hang out with the pirates? Sighing she settled into her lounge chair. It would be fine. They’d make friends again. Somehow.

A small explosion sounded from the aft deck. She cast a half-hearted look in that direction, but nothing was on fire.

“It’s fine!” Usopp called belatedly from where he was brewing up new ammo.

Igaram began a long-winded lecture on safety protocols and experimental explosives. Zoro met her gaze and they wordlessly agreed to leave Usopp to escape on his own. She checked the pose and settled back to bask in the sun.

XXXxxx

Sanji flipped the vegetables as Usopp shuffled in and slumped at the table.

“You just had lunch. I’m not feeding you.”

“Don’t need food.” Usopp face planted into the tabletop. “Just needed to get away from that Igaram guy.” He sighed dramatically.

“Something on your mind?” Sanji asked sarcastically.

“Was I the only one who expected Robin to show up?” Usopp asked.

Well sh*t.

“…No.” he sighed. “I understand why she wouldn’t though.”

“Do you? Because I don’t get it. I know we’re early, but Robin knows that too. So why…”

“Last time… Before… Robin was here as part of the team sent to eliminate the traitors. This time she didn’t have that excuse to leave Arabasta.” Sanji looked around to make sure they didn’t have anyone listening in. “Even if she could make something up there was no guarantee we’d come by the same route. She wouldn’t risk missing us when she just had to stay where she was at. Robin’s clever and calculating. She’d play it safe.”

Usopp pouted but gave a nod.

“I miss her.”

“Me too.”

He shuffled pots and pans as he worked to feed ten mouths and twice as many stomachs when he counted Luffy’s metabolism. Dinner was still hours away but the soups and sauces he was preparing would take hours to simmer. Reaching a break point in his preparations, he pulled out a tray and began setting up drinks and snacks to take out on deck. Bunnies, he decided, would be an appropriate garnish for the young ladies. An adorable accessory for the kids and his extra special hearts for the lovely Miss Monday. He dished up individual portions and carefully specialized each to the crew’s dietary needs. His calculations were tiresome but it would be worthwhile. Usopp was still trying to become one with the table. With a fond look at the sniper, he dug through his secret stash until he found a few pieces of taffy in the spicy ginger flavor Usopp was fond of. He dropped them carelessly on the back of the kid’s head ignoring the surprised squeak. He checked on the stove once more as the sniper nibbled at the treat.

“You snacking in here or coming out to enjoy the sunshine?” he gathered up the tray in one hand and looked over.

Usopp darted to the door, holding it for him. Sanji rewarded the curtesy by gifting him his snack even before the ladies were fed.

“Thanks, Sanji!” Usopp bounced away looking better.

Smirking to himself, Sanji nodded. Good food could always turn a day around.

XXXxxx

Zoro had forgotten how exhausting it was as a teenager. He lounged in a sunny spot, soaking up the warmth and letting his worries slip away. The heat of the deck warmed his tired muscles and relaxed his injured arm. As much as he wanted to return to his regular routine he didn’t quite dare without Chopper. Mihawk’s comment about losing the arm worried him. His future-former mentor wasn’t prone to overestimation but he was overdramatic. It was a tossup if the comment was intended as a true warning or was simply part of his demand that they get a proper doctor. Shifting uneasily, he tried to slip into sleep or at least meditation. His mind was too focused on what he couldn’t change. There was no point in dwelling on what he couldn’t cut. He cleared his mind, centered himself and drifted.

“Zoro asleep again?” Usopp whispered loudly.

“Shishishi. He’s just resting. Zoro is getting stronger.”

“Yeah.”

He could hear the smile in the sniper’s voice. Sap.

“Hey, do you think target practice will wake him?”

“Zoro’s fine.”

“Cool. Can you toss these cards in the air for me? I’m going to go sit on the yard arm. Just keep moving around the deck and toss a couple at a time.”

“Sure Usopp!”

Zoro drifted to sleep to the sound of laughter and the hallow thunk of ammo on paper.

XXXxxx

Igaram watched as the mouthy sniper slipped out of his hammock and wandered out onto deck. As far as he was aware no one had come to wake the small boy. There didn’t seem to be a watch schedule. The crew just randomly woke and wandered the ship. He blinked at the ceiling wondering if he should go check on their course. The idea of heaving himself off of the warm pallet to deal with the insanity of these pirates was the least appealing thought he’d had in a long time. Determined he closed his eyes. It wasn’t his problem. His eyes popped open. Unless these idiots got them all killed. No, no. They’ve done well maintaining course so far. Better than some Agents he knew. He wouldn’t ruin a good night’s sleep fussing over the children. It was important for a healthy mind and body to get an adequate rest each night. Adjusting his face mask, he let himself sleep. If they were off course in the morning, he could step in.

At Sea, Day 2

Princess Nefertari Vivi, formerly the bounty hunter Miss Wednesday, watched frustrated as the men onboard fought again. She was initially hopeful that these two, older teens, would be more mature and act as guidance for the younger crew. Clearly that was a mistake. They tossed each other roughly around the ship and called each other vulgar names at the slightest provocation. It did not inspire confidence. The captain’s juvenile behavior was increasingly alarming. She’d only been on this ship for two days and already she was regretting giving up her position and cover to follow them. She couldn’t believe that this group, regardless of their bounties or the knowledge they possessed of her identity, could possibly know anything about the plight of her country. If they did they were hardly taking it seriously. She shouldn’t be surprised they turned out to be a bunch of rock headed roughnecks. They were pirates.

The fighting froze abruptly. Both men poised on their toes as if they’d only barely stopped their momentum. For a minute they hung there, seeming to hold their breath, before the blond cook reached backwards and gently rested a hand on the balcony rail. The swordsman spun away, sheathing his swords, and also resting a hand on the balcony rail.

“Sorry Merry.” They chorused together before turning and walking in opposite directions.

“What on Earth?” she blinked.

“Thank goodness. They nearly took out that balcony. Of all the clumsy, irresponsible, bullheaded things to do.” Nami ranted, coming up beside her.

“The balcony?” she parroted. Surely, they weren’t concerned about a thing like that. She’d seen them beat each other bloody on numerous occasions, but they were worried about a non-essential part of the ship like the balcony?

“Merry is nakama.” Nami waved a hand absently.

Vivi blinked at her, uncertain. The ship was…nakama. Vivi wasn’t sure how that was really possible much less how that related to the very odd scene she just witnessed.

“Merry wasn’t part of their fight.” Nami carried on, as if that explained things. “They weren’t going to beat her up.”

Vivi didn’t know how to react to this new information. Was it a sign of limits and morals? Was it pure delusion or insanity? Did caring about a ship like a person show a softer side of these pirates or was it proof they cared more about a wooden vessel than the lives of the bounty hunters back in Whiskey Peak? She didn’t know.

XXXxxx

Usopp was sketching in the crow’s nest when he heard the splash. He moved to look but Zoro was already leaping in with his own splash and hauling Luffy to the surface. He was just starting to get concerned when Zoro surfaced with Luffy in tow. Sanji had already kicked the ladder over the rail so they could climb back up. Vivi was panicking and looking around like there was an emergency. He gave a quick look around but didn’t see any waterspouts or whirlpools that could make the situation really dangerous. A look towards where Nami was sunbathing confirmed there wasn’t any weather concerns. He couldn’t see any fins or shadows beneath the water to indicate a predator.

He looked back down to see Luffy flopped out on the deck and Zoro looking grim. Maybe something was wrong. Stashing his notebook in his bag he scrambled down the rigging to figure out the problem.

“Oy cook. Next time, you go after him.” Zoro emphasized.

Usopp froze mid-step. Yes, occasionally, any one of them would go after Luffy or Chopper, or Robin, or Brook but that was because they were near or because it was in the middle of a fight. Zoro was almost always on Luffy duty. His eyes went to the arm Zoro was clutching at the same time as Sanji.

“Aye. Shout loud if I’m cooking.” Was the quick agreement.

Blood was seeping from the injury. Watered down from the seawater it was hard to tell how badly it was bleeding. Seawater. That has to sting! Zoro had probably pulled his stitches. He stared for a moment longer before he realized why Chopper wasn’t here with the bandages and a lecture yet. Swallowing hard he stepped up.

“Sit down a moment Zoro. Sanji, can you grab the kit and some fresh water. We should clean that, so it doesn’t get infected.”

Both men bristled a moment before accepting it. Zoro sat on the rail and Sanji walked off at a fast clip. Usopp bravely examined the wound. Only one stitch would need replacing but the entire area looked awful, puffy and red. Not to mention the bleeding. Because it was. Bleeding. And so was his chest. Again. Little trickles of blood, not the gushing mess post-fight, but still.

“You’ve probably been overdoing it with the working out even without this. You were cut pretty deep you know!” he fussed over the injury, cleaning it, and stitching it when Sanji brought out the supplies.

“I’m fine.” Zoro denied. “I have to keep working to get stronger.”

Luffy was already bounding around the ship again. Usopp could tell he was being more careful although Vivi clearly couldn’t from the way she shouted. Luffy laughed her off, but his eyes drifted to Zoro more than once. The swordsman smirked back and after a few minutes, challenged the captain to a game of hide and go seek. Usopp pouted at the head start Luffy got as he quickly finished the bandaging and stowed the gear before searching out his own hiding space within the ship.

“You didn’t find me first! I wasn’t even hiding!” Vivi objected loudly.

“Not my fault you couldn’t find a good spot.” Zoro dismissed her easily.

Usopp could hear the light scramble as Igaram, Nine, and Monday realized they would be roped into the game regardless and dove for hiding spots. Snickering quietly, he focused on his Haki and trying to track Zoro. He wasn’t very good at finding people he couldn’t actually see but there had to be a way to do it. Zoro managed to sneak up on him, but he’d already found Luffy, so Usopp didn’t mind. Several rounds later and he called quits on the game, a budding headache sending him to the kitchen for some quiet and a cool cloth.

“Haki?” Sanji asked softly.

“Trying.” He sighed leaning against the wall.

“That’s cheating.”

“Only if you get caught.” Which was always the rule.

Sanji laughed and went back to cooking. Usopp sighed and wished he could go back to the crow’s nest. It was a little too sunny for that. He just wanted to sit here in a dark corner.

“All hands!” Nami shouted.

Grunting in pain and cursing himself for the jinx, Usopp hurried out to do her bidding against whatever the Grand Line had thrown at them now. Ah. A giant squid.

“Calamari!” Sanji exclaimed excitedly behind him. “Squid ink pasta!”

“Yummy!” Luffy agreed quickly, drooling.

Sighing heavily, he exchanged harried looks with Nami. It seemed they weren’t evading but capturing. At least dinner would be delicious.

XXXxxx

“Soup again? I wanted the octopus.” Zoro frowned at his meal.

“It’s squid you moss-brained moron!” Sanji snapped. “And you have a serving of calamari staying warm, but soup first.”

Zoro made faces but ate the soup obediently.

“Why is he eating so much soup?” Vivi whispered loudly to Nami.

He ignored her but the stupid cook piped up before the witch could answer.

“It’s a special stamina soup that aids healing and muscle growth. Zoro is still injured from his fight and needs the extra nutrition. Particularly if he’s going to do bull headed things like resume training.” Sanji glared.

He shrugged unconcerned. The soup wasn’t bad tasting and the new recipes Sanji used did help him recover faster than he should be. He was just sick of starting meals with soup. Training wasn’t optional either. This is why the cook would always be second best.

XXXxxx

Nami woke in a cold sweat. Shaking, she clutched her blanket and blinked into the darkness. The Merry. She was on the Merry. Too small and weak but with her crew. Most of them. She was safe. She wasn’t with him. Shivering harder, he pushed away the blankets.

A sundress didn’t suit her mood, but it was fast and easy to pull on. She was out on the deck in a breath. The winds were weak and the sky clear of clouds. Usopp was at the helm, but she avoided his concerned look to hide in her trees. The smell of sea and tangerines was familiar and soothing. She pressed her face into the bark and ran fingers through the loose soil. Leaves rustled in the wind.

This was the Merry. She was safe. She could call out and her nakama would come running. She was fine. Nami pressed harder against the tree. Bell-mere’s tree. The village – the whole island – was safe. Arlong couldn’t touch them. His crew would never enslave hurt people again.

Her fingers were bleeding, raw from the pen and compass. She wiped them carefully with the rag she’d cut from her own shirt. It would keep the blood off her chart. If she got blood on the chart, she would have to start over. Again. She shifted in the chair, aching. Chew tisked. She flinched. The fishman was coming closer. Picking up her pen she ignored the ache in her fingers and the pain in her back. All that mattered was finishing the chart. Just one more and she could sleep. She checked the measurements again ask she plotted out the new reef and resulting whirlpool. She wondered if they’d already sunk a ship there. If it had been Marines or some passenger ship. A cold hand landed on her shoulder.

“Nami? You with me?” Usopp was kneeling close, hands hovering like he wanted to touch but wasn’t sure.

“Mm-hmm” she hummed in acknowledgement.

“Can I touch you?”

A cold hand-

“No!” she pushed away from the tree and her friend. “Not… not now Usopp. Sorry.”

“Hey, don’t be sorry.” He dropped his hands and scooted back. “What do you need?”

“Just... just sleep.” She rubbed at her face then scrubbed at the tears she found there.

“Wanna look at the stars?” he offered. “Slumber party?”

“Not tonight.”

She was exhausted. It was like being so little wore her out faster. Sighing heavily, she gave Usopp a wobbly smile and wandered back down to her cabin. She ran smack into Vivi. Both of them stumbled back at the crash. The bluenette began apologizing but one look at her tearstained face and Nami laughed.

“You too, huh?” she pulled Vivi out of the doorway and shut it so Monday wouldn’t wake. “Nightmares are a bitch.”

“I’m fine.”

“Want to be fine in the kitchen? I know where the chocolate cookies are kept.”

Without waiting for an answer, Nami tugged her friend behind her. Vivi might have protested, but that was easy to ignore. The other girl didn’t run off when she was digging out treats so that was good enough. They settled with cookies and milk, looking at each other, suddenly uncertain.

“Want to talk?”

“Do you?” Vivi challenged.

“Fair.” Nami nibbled and ignored the twisting thoughts that pointed out how this wasn’t her Vivi. “I was dreaming about Ar- Have you heard of the Arlong Pirates?”

“…I don’t think so… The name is familiar but…” she was frowning.

“The Arlong Pirates were fishmen. Grand Line Pirates who came to the East to build their own Empire.” She spat the word. “They started with my island. My village. They demanded money in exchange for the right to live. They didn’t hesitate to kill. They were cruel and often abused people for entertainment. Rules and regulations were created in a mockery of government and order.” Nami shuddered.

Vivi reached out and she clung to the offered hand like a lifeline.

“They discovered I had a talent for maps.” I was nine. “They took me from my village and demanded I join up.” They murdered my mother right in front of me less than an hour before. Jaw clenched and shoulders squared she looked into blue eyes. “So I made a deal.”

Vivi gasped but squeezed her hand in comfort.

“They gave me their mark. Paid me in cash. Arlong said for 100 million I could buy my village.” Her eyes lost focus. “They called me part of the crew. I worked for them. They did horrible things and I stood at their side and helped.” She bit her lip.

It didn’t seem fair that she could cry about this when she wasn’t the victim. Not like the others on the island. She tasted blood just before warm arms circled her. Vivi rocked back and forth. Nami tried not to shake apart at the seams. She curled into her friend, but the tears didn’t come. Time slid away as they held each other.

“I joined Baroque Works four months ago to find out who had infiltrated my kingdom. We discovered the number system and made a plan. Then Igaram and I killed a handful of Frontier Officers gathered for a meeting. They weren’t discussing anything useful, and we needed an opening, so we killed them. We traveled to a nearby island and built a reputation as bounty hunters. We were recruited quickly and for our efficiency we were offered numbers and partnered with a couple Millions who were promoted at the same time. I learned more tricks for catching and killing pirates. We were assigned to Whiskey Peak. That place” she shuddered “I did awful things there. Awful things.”

Nami adjusted her grip so Vivi could do her share of clinging. Cookies and milk forgotten they held each other tight enough for bruises.

She woke to the smell of pancakes. A thin blanket covered Vivi and herself. The princess startled awake as she pulled away. Water and headache tablets were sitting on the table. Sanji didn’t look at them, although he had to know they were awake. Instead, the chef focused on the breakfast preparations. Nami smiled fondly. She had the best crew.

“Thank you, Cook-san.” Vivi’s voice sounded fragile in the quiet kitchen.

Sanji turned with a soft smile. “Think nothing of it. Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes.”

Nami stood, gathering the blanket. “I have time to wash up then.”

Vivi followed her in retreat. They exchanged smiles as they separated. Nami tucked the blanket into a cubby. The air was heavy, threatening a storm, but she couldn’t help feeling that it was a really good day.

XXXxxx

It was three days into their voyage when Nami stumbled across her bags of loot and remembered her pillaging. The shriek she gave might have brought the crew armed and ready to fight, but she felt they deserved a scare for not telling her the sacks.

“Why didn’t you mention our shopping trip when I asked what happened?!” Nami raged, shaking Usopp. “I can’t believe you let me forget something as important as treasure!”

“I thought you remembered! We started to explain, and you interrupted! I’m sorry Nami! Please stop shaking me!”

“Right.” She dropped him to the floor. “I have important business to conduct in the treasure room. Do not bother me. Someone carry these.”

“Nami! You said you expected poor weather today!” Usopp protested immediately. “You can’t hole up for the day!”

“This is important.” She wheeled on him eyes fiery.

“If the ship sinks so will your gold.” Zoro pointed out lazily.

“Damn.” Mentally calculating the best way to handle the situation she sighed. “I’ll have to work from the dining table. Carry this to the kitchen.”

“Shishishi! Can I help count the treasure?” Luffy peered into the nearest bag.

“Absolutely not!” she snapped, slapping him away.

“Stingy!” he stuck his tongue out at her which she ignored.

It took some more corralling, but the bags were hauled and almost filled the dining space. Sanji was looking a little panicked. He would have to get over it. This was the only space with good enough cross breeze to monitor the weather without actually being outside. It was also secure enough to not lose any bits or bobbles.

“You have to be careful Nami.” Usopp was saying.

“I’m always careful counting treasure.” Nami dismissed.

“I’m serious. At least one of those bags is filled with broken glass!” he grabbed her.

Nami narrowed her eyes and rounded on him.

“Why would there be broken anything in my bags?”

“Because you decided to throw a book on top of a vase?” Usopp sounded exasperated. “You were kinda out of it for a while there.”

“Ugh!” she pouted trying to remember if that really happened.

It did sound vaguely familiar. She’d have to be cautious then.

“Lend me your gloves.” She snapped at the inventor.

“What? Do I have to?”

“Idiot! Do you want her to cut her hands up?!” Sanji slapped him upside the head.

Usopp flinched away from the cook and dug through his bag for the work gloves he carried.

“So, you just pillaged the entire shopping district?” Vivi asked, settling in at the table.

“I wouldn’t say pillaged. I left payment.” Nami pouted.

“You paid them from their own registers.” Usopp interjected sardonically.

“I paid for the items I took!” Nami argued.

“You kept most of the cash.” He continued pointedly.

“If they wanted to keep their cash, they should have done a better job keeping track of it.” She dismissed his argument. “I was being generous. I could have taken a larger discount.”

“Tch. Don’t try to talk money sense with the witch.” Zoro piped up from where he was lifting weights just outside the door.

Nami wondered when he had time to go fetch those and decided she didn’t care. Nami began shoving the men towards the door. They took the hint and scrammed. Sanji slipped by her but he stayed in the kitchen area so that was okay.

“Right.” Vivi was sweating as she watched the crew interact.

Nami decided the girls could stay where they’d seated themselves at the table. They could help with the dangerous bits and neither were stealthy enough to steal from her.

She picked up a backpack of miscellaneous items and began carefully extracting bits. A bright purple boa and a slightly battered murder mystery novel were followed by brightly patterned clothing in a wide variety of sizes.

“I don’t think any of the crew would actually fit most of these.” Vivi commented looking confused.

“They can go into the treasury until we have a use for them.” Nami evaded easily.

“You were really drugged, weren’t you?” Vivi questioned eying the items dubiously. “None of this seems particularly valuable or trade-worthy. This isn’t your style either… I just can’t picture you in these lime-colored skinny jeans.”

Nami ignored the skepticism and overt criticism. Vivi didn’t mean to be a brat, she just thought it was a funny drug addled spree. Nami couldn’t really argue without saying more than she wanted to. Frankly she was done with over-sharing. She dug through her loot.

“You must’ve hit the specialty shops. That’s all from West Blue Wares.” Monday commented looking over the piles. “Very vibrant and generally obnoxious patterns.”

Brook loved the loud colors and patterns. Frankie too when he bothered to wear clothes.

“Oh! These are cute.” Vivi pulled out a rack of glass jars decorated with bears, seals, and other animals.

“North Blue Novelties. How did you have time to grab all of this?” Monday looked impressed as she pulled more items from the bag.

Nami looked over and smiled. “Those are for Sanji.”

“For me?” he looked over from where he was chopping vegetables.

“Spices.” Nami explained. “Not sure how old they are but…”

Sanji had already rushed over to examine the little jars. He was sniffing and exclaiming in delight looking radiant. She grinned and sat back to enjoy for a moment. Sanji rarely got this excited about anything that wasn’t a woman. It was always nice to see him appreciate good treasure. A movement out of the corner of her eye reminded her that she had ‘help’ sorting the treasure today.

“Okay, okay, now get away from my treasure table before I charge you a loitering fee.” She sniffed and he scrammed, taking his new prize with him.

“Thank you, Nami-swan!”

“If you finished with that backpack, pass it over.” She demanded wiggling her fingers for the orange bag Vivi emptied. “I’ll get some of this off the table, so we have more room.”

She carefully packed away the items for Brook ignoring the questioning looks at her specific selections. Reordering the table so they had more space she resumed emptying her own sack that seemed to have mostly books but also enough random trinkets to make her go slowly.

“Is this a dog?” Vivi asked turning a bronze sculpture.

“A Cerberus.” She corrected at the same time as “Mew” sounded behind the ex-bounty hunters.

Both girls jumped and whirled to stare at the snail emerging from its shell and waving eyestalks at them.

“Sorry, Dog, not you.” She smiled at it.

The transponder snail blinked at her before it drooped back into sleep.

“You named your transponder snail ‘dog’?” Monday rubbed her temples.

“Luffy chose the name.” she shrugged.

A breeze caught her attention. A quick glance at the eternal pose and she was waving them out the door.

“You can stay Sanji, just a course correction. Everyone else, let’s go!”

She was hollering instructions before she was completely on deck. The guys snapped to action with satisfying speed. She had their course adjusted quickly.

“Don’t go anywhere.” She warned them. “We’ll need to fix our heading just as soon as it’s done.”

“As what’s done?” Usopp looked nervous.

“Just a bit of hail.” She assured him before the cloud she’d been maneuvering around began to drop fist sized spikes of ice into the water.

From this distance it was actually very pretty. The sun caught the ice and threw rainbows of light around and the splashes of water created a bubbling foam on the surface. She made a mental note to add the imagery to her weather journal as she noted the time of the storm for the ship logbook. Vivi was staring with her eyes bugged out and jaw dropped. Actually, all the bounty hunters looked freaked out. It only took a few minutes for the storm to dissipate before the sky was clear again. Nodding in satisfaction, she consulted the eternal pose and spun the wheel. The sails flagged and flapped in protest. She called out adjustments to get them back into place. A quick word to Usopp who happily provided distraction, and she was back to sorting treasure but without the entourage.

The Cerberus statue went into a pile of maybe-Luffy. Her captain was annoyingly hard to shop for. He got excited about everything but rarely wanted to keep stuff. He’d probably play with it for a week, and she could sell it in Arabasta. Or he’d love it and treasure it for the next decade. One of the two. She pulled a couple of the floral button down tops she picked out for Frankie. They were broad enough for Monday to wear. The larger woman hadn’t brought any luggage after all, and three days in the same outfit was uncomfortable for anyone. Then she opened a velvet pouch and found coins. Humming in contentment Nami settled in with her treasure. Her bags and bags of treasure.

XXXxxx

Luffy watched carefully as a sweaty Zoro moved through another slow kata. The swordsman had given up the weight training quickly but couldn’t be convinced to stop all together. He sighed. If he were stronger, he could do something. It was frustrating that the mystery time adventure put them in these stupid kid bodies. It would be more fun if they could be strong like Before. Then he wouldn’t have to watch his swordsman be hurt. Zoro was always like this when he was injured but Luffy could usually remind him that Luffy, Sanji and the crew were strong too and had his back. Luffy couldn’t say that now. He frowned and tugged at the brim of his hat. Zoro moved his swords in slow steady patterns. He thought that the katas were probably a good exercise. Moving that slow couldn’t hurt anybody. Nodding to himself Luffy bounced off.

He peeked in on Nami through the open porthole and brightened at her content smile. Sanji was already started making something yummy. Luffy drooled.

“Oy get out of here rubber brain!” Sanji tossed a wooden spoon at his face.

He squawked and ducked.

“Hey! Mind the treasure!” Nami snapped. “You idiots better not…”

Luffy didn’t stick around for her yelling. He raced off, stretching an arm towards the crow’s nest. He rocketed upwards with a laugh and took a look around. The view was beautiful with rolling waves and super tall clouds shaped like drumsticks and whole hams. He hummed softly. Merry was sailing straight ahead and they were almost there, he was certain. Everything seemed small from up high. Zoro was small practicing on the front deck. Usopp was small doing his chemical mysteries on the back deck. Even Vivi was small sitting under the orange trees with her friends. He smiled widely, one hand holding his hat in place as the wind tugged at his shirt. Luffy twisted around the mast like an eel and looked over at his Jolly Rodger.

He wondered if his heart decided to Balloon without permission. He loved this. His ship was happy. The sun was sunny. The sea was wavy. His people were where they should be… His mood sunk like an anchor. He wanted his crew. They should be here. His hat fluttered in the wind and the straw under his fingertips was familiar and comforting. He took a deep breath and another. He looked at his flag and his ship and the waves trying to regain that happy feeling. He didn’t like feeling sad. It was a stupid emotion. There was no point getting worked up about things he couldn’t change. He was heading for his Chopper, and he’d get all his crew as fast as possible. He couldn’t ruin all the other adventures being sad every day. He had to live life with no regrets. So, the best thing to do…

“Sanji! Meat!!” he jumped down, heading for the kitchen.

“Later Luffy.” Nami demanded coming out of the kitchen. “Reef the mainsail! Oy, move it!”

He scrambled to the sail with a laugh. They’d take care of the ship and each other. Then he was going to have some meat and an adventure. He’d have to have a good story for his nakama when he sees them again.

XXXxxx

Nine twitched as he watched the swordsman sleep. It had to be a ruse. There was no way that teen could sleep through the pitching of the ship as they fought their way through rolling waves. The caravel rocked and rolled violently as the sea towered around them in mountains of water. The navigator was calm as she snapped orders and worked the helm. He could see how they’d survived the first part of the Grand Line with her weather sense. It had to be a devil fruit. (The crew refused to confirm or deny but he was certain.) The green haired kid slept on. Or pretended to. Nine didn’t know what the point of pretending was, but there was no way someone was sleeping through all this.

XXXxxx

At Sea, Day 4

Zoro was doing sit ups in the pre-dawn light. It was a nice breezy morning as the sky lightened to a dull grey blue. Cook slipped out of the room and to the kitchen preparing breakfast and Nami was up as well, checking the weather or whatever. Usopp stumbled out, yawning, and looking unrested. Like he’d just been waiting for Sanji to move before coming out himself. Zoro snorted. One more thing to keep an eye on. He was surprised at the steps coming nearer. The sniper didn’t say anything but lay on the deck nearby and began his own sit ups. That was nice. Usopp had been working out more, but the sniper didn’t often join in his routines. They continued for a bit in silence. He reached the end of his set and rolled over to plank one-handed while Usopp finished his own count. Nami strolled down the deck, sat on the rail nearby, and waited. As Usopp collapsed a minute later, Zoro twisted his head to look at her.

“So, what was that about Haki training?” Nami asked in a gratingly casual tone.

Zoro glared a bit. There was no need for that kind of manipulation. Usopp of course, jumped to his feet with a large smile.

“Haki training, yes!” he whisper-shouted in the morning quiet. “Did you decide if you wanted to start with Observation or Armament?”

“I suppose it doesn’t matter, if I should be training both.” She tossed her hair dramatically. “How do you start?”

Usopp slumped, looking suddenly disheartened. “I dunno. I didn’t really have a teacher. It just happened.”

Zoro snorted and shook his head. He shifted out of his plank to sit cross-legged on the deck.

“There’s a couple of methods. Some work better than others. First thing though.” He held up a finger. “No booze for you until you master one of the techniques.”

“What?!”

“None.” He emphasized. “We’ll start with some of the meditation techniques to find your center and activate your senses.” He smirked. “Then we’ll try some of the more … aggressive techniques.”

“How aggressive?” Nami snapped.

“Meditation?” Usopp looked interested.

“Sit like this.” He urged them to settle. “Observation Haki is what happens when all five senses are in harmony with your spirit allowing you to gain complete mastery and expand those senses to feel the spirit of the universe. To obtain this you must be able to center yourself and understand your place in the universe.”

He guided them through a basic meditation for attuning the senses. Usopp did an excellent job maintaining stillness but struggled keeping his eyes closed and continuously peeked around the deck. Nami fidgeted and frowned and looked ready to jump at him by the time he finished. Zoro flared his presence just to test and Usopp instantly turned to him. Nami didn’t even twitch. Disappointing but unsurprising. Luffy was on deck a moment later, looking around.

“Sorry Luffy.” He shrugged. “Just training.”

“Shishishi. Whacha doin?”

“Some meditation for Haki training with Nami.”

“Oooh!” he turned to her. “If you’re starting Haki training, no meat!”

“No meat?!” she shrieked. “What? No meat, no booze. How fast do you think I’m going to learn this?”

“It took me a week to get the first part.”

“What?!”

“Didja find a stick to hit her with yet?”

“WhAt!?!”

XXXxxx

Lunch was a typically wild affair. Vivi was actually coming to enjoy mealtimes. There was something wholesome about the way the Strawhats shared meals. It was wild and mannerless and crazy but somehow, they made it a fun event three (or more) times a day. Luffy was constant trouble, trying to snatch food from anyone. Sanji balanced him out, insuring everyone had enough to eat and parceling out extra portions throughout the meal. Usopp kept up a running commentary either telling stories or sharing his latest inventions. Zoro tried to sneak an extra portion of sake at each meal, sometimes more successful than others. It was a mess. She should be horrified like Igaram always seemed to be, but part of Vivi welcomed it.

Her shoulders tensed as her thoughts turned darker. The other part of her always felt bitter and sick. She hated to think poorly of others, but she didn’t see how the pirates could take her situation so lightly! It wasn’t right. Her stomach churned. She’d been on this ship for days and was no closer to understanding what these pirates wanted. They convinced her to give up on her plans and abandon her position. They made it clear that they intended to stop at least once before heading to her country. Her people were fighting and dying. Arabasta was on the brink of civil war. Couldn’t they take that seriously?

“Is there something wrong with the noodles, Vivi-chan?” Sanji asked softly.

Vivi startled, realizing she’d been staring at her plate for several minutes. Her mouth felt dry, and her heart was pounding. This wasn’t right. It wasn’t. Her throat felt tight, and she didn’t think she could eat a bite. Setting her chopsticks down she looked over at the cook. She tried to smile but the corners of her mouth kept twitching down. Oh no. She couldn’t cry here. She opened her mouth to reassure the older boy. And promptly burst into tears.

The happy wholesome meal came to a screeching halt as everyone turned to her in alarm. Even the Captain set his meat down. Everyone was speaking at once, waving hands and reaching out to her. Vivi sniffled and tried to stop the waterworks. This was really unbecoming. She swiped at her face and tried to calm but she kept heaving tears. She wasn’t sad. Everyone was asking what upset her but she wasn’t sad. She was angry. Couldn’t they see how angry she was? Angry and frustrated and unable to do anything.

“Stop it, just stop it!” someone shouted.

The room quieted. She heaved another breath.

“I just can’t keep doing this!” oh that was her “I can’t keep sitting around pretending that nothing is happening! My kingdom is in trouble, and I just gave up on the only plan that had a hope of working! How can all of you be so indifferent to that?”

“We’re not indifferent.” Nami answered immediately. “We’re heading to Arabasta as quickly as we can. We have something important to do in Drum, but please, we will get you to your people soon. We are doing what we can to help you here. Everything we’ve put together so far will help you end this before it turns into a battle you can’t stop.”

“How? How can you do that? You make these claims, and you dangle information, but you’ve told me nothing! What exactly do you know? What are you doing? What have you “put together” that is so great!? All you’ve done since I stepped onboard is play and sail! You pick fights with each other and play children’s games like you haven’t a care in the world! Are you even going to tell me what is happening?”

There’s silence.

A beat. Two.

Luffy laughed.

“It’s not funny!” she screamed at him.

“You’re an idiot! Shishishi! Why didn’t you just ask?”

“A-ask?!” she dropped down into her seat looking around the table.

Each of the Strawhats was looking surprised and shooting looks at each other. The captain was laughing hysterically of course. But everyone else seemed … confused?

“No one told you anything?” Usopp finally asked.

“No!”

“Wait, Nami, I thought you were going to…”

“Me? I thought Sanji already did. How else did he convince them?”

“What? There wasn’t time for a full explanation I thought Luffy was going to sit them down later.”

“Shishishi! Usopp is our storyteller, he can do it.”

“Of course I can do it. I just didn’t know I needed to.” Usopp protested.

“Ahem. Ma-ma-maaa! If someone could explain now, then?”

“Right.” After looking around at his crewmates the little sniper cleared his throat and began speaking. “So, your country Arabasta, it’s been infiltrated by the organization Baroque Works. The object of this organization is to destabilize the government and eventually take over the country in Project Utopia. To do this Baroque Works has infiltrated both the Royal Guard and the Rebel Army. It has also been using Dance Powder, an illegal substance, several ways. First it was used to frame the king making him look selfish, greedy, and unreliable. Then it was used to keep rain from your country by burning it in a ship just offshore. This made rainfall land in the sea and not on your country.”

Vivi and Ingram gasped. She’d never realized the drought itself was unnatural.

“I thought they were taking advantage of the bad weather! How could this happen.”

“Honestly, I’m not sure how they got so much Dance Powder, but Robin might know.” Usopp admitted.

“Robin?” Monday latched on.

“Our friend in Baroque Works.” Sanji answered quickly and blew smoke.

“Right.” Usopp agreed with a nod. “So anyways, Crocodile…”

“Crocodile!” she interrupted. “How is he involved?”

“Wait, you didn’t even know about Crocodile?” Usopp looked impressed as he turned to Sanji. “How did you get them on the ship?!”

Sanji smirked and looked ready to say something but she wanted answers.

“Tell me about Crocodile! What does one of the Seven Warlords have to do with this?”

“Well, he’s Mr. Zero, so a lot.” Usopp answered plainly.

“EEEEeeehhhh!” she shouted incoherently.

Her friends weren’t doing much better babbling and shouting over each other. Luffy laughed and the Strawhats looked far too calm for that announcement. Didn’t they know what it means to go up against a Warlord? It took several minutes of panic and shouting before Nami intervened and calmed them down with a careful application of fists.

They listened as the pirates laid out a frankly impossible plan and gave them more details about the trouble in her country. Manufactured sandstorms? Blocking irrigation channels? People would die. Her people were already dying from drought and starvation. For what? For whom? Vivi leaned against her trusted advisor. This was not what she’d had in mind when she set out to infiltrate a criminal organization. She thought she’d find proof, reveal a conspiracy, and return to save her kingdom. Pirates and Warlords, traitors and spies, it was too much. Silent tears stained her face as she listened.

“Vivi.” The captain had stopped laughing, probably a while ago, and was looking at her with serious eyes shaded by his hat. “We’re going to get you home. You will protect your people. I will kick Crocodile’s ass. It’s going to be okay.”

Somehow. Impossibly. She believed him.

Chapter 20: Landfall

Chapter Text

Chapter 20 Landfall

.

“Land!” Usopp called down from his perch in the rigging.

“What?!” Nami looked up startled. “Where?”

“Forward, slightly port.” He pointed to clarify.

“I don’t see it.” Vivi complained from the bow peering over the water.

“Wait for it.” Luffy laughed. “Usopp has the best eyes. You’ll see it soon.”

“It’s too early.” Nami protested. “We’re definitely near a spring or summer island not a winter island.”

“New island!” Luffy cheered throwing his hands up. “I see it! Let’s go!”

“Are you sure Luffy? I thought we were headed to Drum?” Nami hesitated, looking at her pose.

“We can stop at one island.” Luffy’s tone soured. “It’s an adventure! Look Nami! Purple trees!”

There were indeed purple trunked trees. They had to be huge to see so clearly. The island looked small with black sand beach circling the forest. Usopp pulled out his telescope and scanned for any signs of people or predators.

“If you say so.” Nami sounded tired.

“Oy oy, Nami. Adventure! Come on.” When that failed to get a response, Luffy hopped off his special seat and moved towards the redhead. “Don’t you want to see? Don’t you want to map it?”

Nami’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “We didn’t get here by pose. I bet no one has really mapped this island before.”

“Yes!” Luffy fist pumped and spun towards the kitchen. “Sanji! I need a pirate lunchbox!”

“You just had lunch, idiot!” the cook shouted back.

“A pirate snack box then!” Luffy slammed open the door. “I’m exploring that island!”

Usopp tuned out the conversation as he took in the island coming up quickly. Teal waters and black sand were a gorgeous contrast. Sand gave way to wispy tall grass, patches of moss, and trees. Tall, fat, and purple, the trees were built like maples but definitely were something different. Even without the odd coloring, he could see fruit of some kind in the trees. The island really was small. They could probably stroll along the beach and circle it in a day. Something wandered through the trees. He sighed debating the value of telling Luffy about the giant boars. He doubted the captain would take it as a warning to be careful. Luffy would probably consider it incentive to go hunting. The rest of the crew deserved the warning though…

“We’ve got wild boars here. Massive ones if I can see them this far out.” Usopp called down.

“Boar?”

Yup. Luffy was drooling shamelessly and eying the island.

“Giant ones.” He said again, more for Nine’s sake since the man was also looking interested. “Like the kind that impale three of you at once!”

“An island! An island!” Luffy chanted cheerfully.

Nami had them circle once to check for a port before dropping anchor and sending everyone ashore in a small boat. She wandered off to explore and map the coastline while Usopp was roped into a hunting contest. Their four guests looked relieved for some time away from the crew. Shrugging slightly and letting himself be tugged along by his crew, Usopp searched the tree line for signs of those giant boars or anything else.

XXXxxx

Luffy laughed at Zoro and Sanji’s faces.

“What?!” Sanji cried out. “Usopp got first kill?”

“I didn’t really expect it to go down so easy.” Usopp sounded stunned.

“What did you hit it with?” Zoro demanded.

“Just a lead shot. I thought it would get mad and pop out not keel over!”

“Shishishi! Usopp got it good!”

“Looks healthy. Should be good barbeque.” Sanji examined the boar, kicking it lightly.

It was 1,500-2000 lbs. Not the biggest he’d ever seen, but twice the size of most forest boars and four times the size of the little ones they were always selling in the markets.

“We should probably only get one more of these or it would be a waste of meat. It seemed really weak though so maybe we can find trickier prey?”

“Oy, oy I can’t carry this back to the shore myself!” Usopp cried as they started walking away.

“Leave it.” Luffy waved him off. “It was really easy to catch so if something tries to steal our meat then we can catch that!” He bounced in excitement at the thought of catching a tiger lord or maybe something really cool like a dinosaur bird.

They continued along searching for prey. The trees were super tall like in Sabaody, but they were built for climbing and had some fun looking purple fruits all over. There were big purple birds too sitting in giant nests and eating some of the fruit.

“Oy Luffy! You’re not going to find a boar up there.” Usopp chided coming closer. “I don’t think the birds are going to attack.”

“They look yummy!”

“Everything looks yummy to you.” Sanji answered.

Luffy grinned at the cook. That was true. But it usually was yummy so that’s all that matters. Humming along he enjoyed the walk with his crew. It was such a nice day, in a tall forest, with easy hunting, squishy moss and plenty of fruit to eat. He grinned widely as Sanji and Zoro both charged the same boar, easily killing it.

XXXxxx

The meat was easy to haul back, and Sanji was able to get some fires going for barbeque. His cook was the best! After the third kick to the face for trying to grab the meat before it finished, he settled back to watch the ocean. It was a good day.

“Zoro! Let’s race!”

Zoro tipped his head “You sure about that? I hurt my arm not my leg, Captain,” he taunted. “You’re on!”

“Shishishi! Let’s go!” he took off.

“Oy, you have to let someone else say go!” Zoro argued as he followed a second behind.

They raced, kicking up black sand as they ran and pushing hard. He laughed as he jumped over Vivi and Monday sunbathing, hearing their startled screams as Zoro did the same. Rocketing around a corner he dodged around Nami. He heard sputtering a few minutes later as Zoro ran over Nine instead of going around. Circling quickly, he could see Usopp had prepared an elaborate finish line. Zoro was close so he poured on the speed, pushing faster. Zoro matched him, as always. Smiling brightly, he laughed as he crossed the finish line and skidded to a stop, nearly tackling Sanji.

“Winner is Zoro!” Usopp announced throwing hands in the air.

“Wha?” he scowled. “I was first!”

“Standard two second penalty for food endangerment.” Usopp used his special referee voice and pointed at the dish he was next to. “Sand in food foul.”

“Ack! Oh no! Sanji! Fix it.”

“I got it, I got it.” Sanji pulled the meat away to do his food magic. “Rubber headed menace.”

“Let’s go again! I’ll win this time for sure.” He demanded.

“No.” Zoro shook his head loftily. “I win.”

“Nooooo!” Luffy pouted before turning to Usopp. “Usopp, you race me!”

“No way! I don’t have your speed! I’ll die!”

“But I want to play!” Luffy sighed heavily looking around.

“Go climb some trees and pick some fruit you monkey.”

“Great idea Sanji! Usopp, let’s go!”

“Yeah okay! I’m an excellent climber you know. Did I ever tell you about the time…”

Luffy smiled brightly as he pulled his friend to a nice big tree and started climbing. It was a really good day.

XXXxxx

Sanji was in the first boat back to the ship. He hauled the pile of meat up and set about securing it against the blackhole of a captain. He paused when he noticed the cracked door. He always secured the galley before he left the ship. His eyes darted around.

Merp.

He looked downward.

“Dog?”

The snail was creeping slowly across the grass, looking sad. Sanji immediately scooped him up.

“Everything okay?”

Instead of answering, the den den mushi nuzzled close and looked around the empty deck.

“Aww did you miss us? It must have been very quiet with everyone ashore.”

“Merp.”

He settled the snail on his shoulder and collected an armful of meat. “We thought you wanted to sleep. Sorry Dog. Let me put this pork away and I will tell you all about the adventures we had today. First, let me be very clear, I had nothing at all to do with the fire. Nothing.”

“Merp.” Dog cuddled close and listened attentively. Sanji fed him bits of the sweet fruit as the rest of the crew arrived in small groups.

Usopp quickly took over the storytelling with exaggerated scenes and gesturing to Nami as he described hidden island coves, they discovered. They set sail as the sky turned orange, but it was a good, clear night and it was easy to stay out on deck sharing stories and touches under the light of the moon. Vivi joined them for a bit, but even she wandered to bed before they left each other. If he was missing the other half of the crew, the weight of Dog on his shoulder reminded him of the present. Sanji was just a little tired from a long day. It was not his fault he fell asleep in the tangle of familiar bodies on deck.

XXXxxx

Vivi was not sure what had the Strawhats on edge as soon as they spotted the ice fields. Usopp stuck to the crow’s nest, even while he complained about the cold. Zoro was more awake than usual. His hands would periodically rest on his katanas. The swordsman was tense. Luffy looked ready to fight, scanning the horizon and clenching his fists. She wondered if they were expecting a confrontation. Even Sanji seemed high strung, coming out on deck more frequently than normal, chain smoking, and keeping an eye on the horizon.

“What has everyone so worried today?” she blurted.

Nami and Sanji who were closest, turned to look at her.

“Could be pirates.” “The ice can be tricky to navigate.” They answered over each other.

“Pirates? And ice?” she’d seen them manage much worse than that before.

“We just don’t want to run into trouble around here.” Sanji blew his smoke away from her. “It wouldn’t be good for Merry.”

Nami nodded firmly and they both turned to look at the horizon. Vivi rubbed her hands together. She supposed that could be enough to have this crew on edge. They were awfully protective of their little ship. She shuffled over to Monday where she was lifting weights under Zoro’s jealous gaze. She hoped the ice meant they were getting close.

XXXxxx

The canal cut through towards the heart of the island. Nami directed them past snowy fields and winter woodlands. It was mostly empty and uninhabited. The sides of the shore grew higher as the river cut deeper.

“Halt!” a man in uniform called out, revealing the many people lining the shore on both sides. “What is your purpose here?”

“Get our doctor!” “Recruitment.” “Taking our doctor.” “General Resupply.” “Resetting our ‘pose.”

“Did you say you want to take a doctor?!” the man’s voice went impressively high. “You can’t do that?”

“Oy! We’re pirates! We do what we want.” Luffy snapped back. He had no reason not to. His crew were here, healthy, and ready. There was no one sick or dying to protect. No reason to kneel when he could just demand his right to sail freely.

“You can’t just come in here and take a doctor! All doctors are employed by the King. You can’t just come in here and take one!” the man denied.

“Yes!” he crossed his arms firmly.

“No!” the man rejected.

“We need a doctor and the best one in the world is right here. So that’s exactly what we’re going to do!” he asserted giving his hat a tug.

“I’m not letting a bunch of pirates in who want to kidnap one of our doctors.”

“Oh.” Luffy paused a moment. “Then we won’t do that.” He turned away from the man whistling.

“SUCH A BAD LIAR!” the men on the shore chorused.

Nami facepalmed.

“We’re not letting pirates in here.” The man rejected them crossing his arms in an X shape.

“You have to!” Luffy burst out.

“Turn your ship and leave. If you try to sail past this point, we will take action and sink your entire ship.”

Luffy’s eyes darkened. The crew braced themselves, losing their cheerful attitude. The soldiers shivered and lifted their weapons.

“You don’t want to do that.” Luffy’s voice was flat and calm. “If you attempt to hurt any of my nakama, it will not go well for you.”

“We are an army, and you are a small ship. Your threats are useless, pirate. We will not allow you to enter our country. Turn back.”

“Nami.” The breeze stirring his bangs only emphasized his stillness.

“Aye Captain?” her neutral tone matched his attitude.

“Forward.”

“Aye Captain.”

The Merry eased into motion and the men opened fire. There was no need for talking. As one they moved. Luffy’s hands ballooned out, catching the hail of gunfire. Zoro and Sanji leapt inhumanly high, vaulting the giant hands, and landing on opposite banks. Sanji kicked, Zoro cut, Luffy swept his giant hands outwards in a large clap, dropping the stunned and bruised men to one side, out of the path of the Merry. He jumped for the shore, punching a pair as they lifted rifles. Sanji had already downed the others. Pouting a moment, he scooped up the chef and slingshot back to the ship which had not gone far.

Zoro sighed, pleased as he wrapped a new green coat around himself. These were the best coats. He jumped back onto the ship before it could sail past and wandered to the kitchen area where the Agents were hiding out.

“Oy Woman. I got you a coat.” He thrust the item at Monday.

“What the hell, Zoro?” Nami scowled.

“What?”

“Coats?”

“These are the best coats. I miss my old coat.” He tried to remember. “I set it down for a minute and the tree must’ve moved, or the coat was stolen. One of the two.”

“It moved or you walked away from it and forgot how to find it?” she sassed.

“Oy, how could I just forget where I put it? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Snickers followed this question, and he narrowed his eyes at the crew.

“Tch. It was one of you playing a prank then.” He scowled.

“No, no. I’m quite sure I was right with my first guess.” Nami denied airily.

He focused his wrath at the witch. It was a damn good jacket. He wouldn’t let her take this one too. Thief. He raised an eyebrow at the cook who was eying the coat.

“Need me to grab you one next?” His smile was all teeth.

“I don’t need your handouts, sh*tty swordsman. If I want a coat, I’ll get one myself.” Sanji turned away, clearly jealous.

XXXxxx

It wasn’t often someone dared to interrupt the court. King Wapol had a short temper and self-indulgent habits were legendary. So the soldier who slammed the door open shouting for King Wapol set off a dozen warning bells for the Captain of the Royal Guard.

“Your Majesty! News from the boarder! We’ve been overtaken by pirates! They took out the entire guard and bypassed our defenses!”

“Whaa?!” King Wapol looked mildly alarmed where he was lounging on his throne. He stopped munching on a ham bone to turn to the guard prostrating himself.

“It’s true! They sailed up and demanded we hand over a doctor. When the guard turned them away, the pirates tried to lie and trick their way in. We weren’t fooled though and gave them a warning. When they pressed forward, we opened fire to sink them.”

“Good!”

“The captain had a Devil Fruit though!”

“A Devil Fruit!”

“Yes, sir. And the crew, they were monsters! They wiped out the whole guard in a minute!” the guard was quaking.

“Impossible!”

“I only survived because I was in the lookout tower! I came as quickly as I could, but the pirates are sailing up Big River towards Big Horn now!”

“Pirates? Here?!” King Wapol flailed. “Well do something! Send a troop to intercept them before they reach my palace!”

“Right away Your Majesty!” Dalton interrupted before the King could give a more specific order. He waved over one of his lieutenants and began issuing orders.

“What do they want? My treasure?”

“A doctor they said.” The soldier reminded him.

“One of my Isshi-20?! Absolutely not! Kill them all! I want those pirates dead!”

“Yes, Majesty.” An advisor agreed.

XXXxxx

Nami navigated them straight up the river until they reached a short waterfall and could go no further.

“Are you coming?” Luffy bounced over to the dining area, throwing open the door and peering in.

“NO! Of course not!” Vivi sounded appalled.

“What’s wrong?” Nami asked as she passed Sanji spending money.

“Sailing is one thing but we’re not helping you invade a country!” she protested.

“We’re not invading!” Nami denied.

“Yes you are!”

“No we’re not!”

“You are!”

“We are not!”

“You just ignored and attacked their army!”

“Nah. I’m pretty sure those guys weren’t the army.” Luffy picked his nose.

“Who do you think stands around defending the border?” Curls asked.

“Dunno. Volunteers I think?” Luffy scrunched his face in thought.

“… what?”

“Whoever they were, it’s not like we’re just attacking at random. They threatened us first.” Nami declared.

“You said you were here to kidnap someone!” Vivi cried.

“What?” “No we didn’t!” “We’re not kidnapping anyone.” The three Strawhats answered simultaneously.

Vivi threw her hands up with a shout.

“This is an invasion!”

“Shishishi! Vivi is so silly. You can stay with Merry if you want.” Luffy grinned. “Let’s go!”

Sanji and Nami exchanged a look.

“I know it looks bad, but we’re really not invading.” Nami waved at them as she walked away.

“You really are.” Ms. Monday sighed.

“We’ll be back soon, ladies.” Sanji pulled the door shut to keep out the cold and hurried to catch up with the crew.

He wasn’t sure if it was memory, haki, or luck, but Luffy managed to lead them straight through the woods to the small town.

“Look, there!” Luffy pointed upwards at the flat-topped mountain pillars (skinny plateaus?), where the castle would be. “Al~most there!” he sang as he raced forwards.

“Luffy! You’re wearing sandals!” Nami shouted after him.

They’d been to enough winter islands to know this wouldn’t stop the captain, but the reminder would hopefully keep him on the road and paths rather than wading through deeper snow.

XXXxxx

The town was filled with tall brick buildings, pink in color. The conical rooftops were strangely patterned resembling beehives. The villagers seemed startled to see them and likely hadn’t gotten word about the fight. Good. That would give them some peace.

“The castle is that way!” Luffy pointed with a cheer. “Let’s go!”

“Oy Luffy! I’m going to stay here and restock the ship while I can.” Sanji pointed. “I’ll stay close and keep an eye on Merry too.”

“Sounds good! I’ll leave it to you!” Luffy waved, already rushing ahead.

“Hey, hey Luffy wait up!” Usopp whined rushing after him.

Nami and Zoro just laughed and walked at their own pace.

“Who are you?” a villager asked bravely.

XXXxxx

Luffy’s enthusiasm was contagious and Nami found herself picking up the pace with Zoro until the three of them were running up the snowy road. Laughing and pushing each other on. She danced away from a stretchy arm. She might be the slowest of the group, but she wouldn’t willingly slingshot over the woods. Crisp winter air flowed through her short hair and made her feel so alive. Her breath came out in crystal clouds. Chopper. She missed her friend. He was here. She laughed and chased the flashing red coat as Luffy bounded ahead and exchanged a smile with Zoro. The swordsman flashed teeth in a teasing challenge, and she shouted after him as he picked up his pace racing ahead. The familiar laughter of her captain bounced off the snowy hills and she squeaked as the two boys flashed briefly to that impossible speed for just a moment. This time she could not dodge the stretchy grip and she cursed loudly as she was hauled off her feet an pulled forward. She slammed into something and had just a moment to register Zoro’s curses joining hers before ringing laughter and a cold, wet, softish landing put all three of them in a snowbank.

“I win! Shishishi. Let’s go!”

“Luffy!” she barked shaking snow out of her jacket before it could melt.

“Damnit captain!” Zoro shoved Luffy face first into the bank.

“Let’s go!” Luffy didn’t even lose his smile as he swallowed a mouthful of the powdered snow.

Unwillingly she found herself grinning back.

“I’m adding this to your debt, idiot.” She declared to discourage him even as she set off on the path at a fast walk.

“Come on Nami!” he whined.

They were running again, and she didn’t even mind it. Her cheeks felt raw, and slush was melting into her hair, but it was impossible to stay mad when there was blue sky and Chopper was just ahead of them. She ran alongside her crewmates and let them guide her up the path towards a tall rocky formation. She had no memory of the first trip up to the castle, but Luffy moved with excited confidence.

They pushed and laughed and then they were coming up on a group of fighters. She wondered as she ran why they were sitting in the snow before she realized they were hiding. As she ran forward, she wondered if they were just incompetent or if she was just getting better at spotting camouflage. Three years as a Strawhat had to give her some skills, right? The only thing surprising about the warriors popping up to surprise them was the matching uniforms. Something about that nagged her but Luffy was already shouting at them to move out of the way.

“I need to get to the castle now, so just buzz off.” He tugged at his straw hat with one hand and made a shooing motion with the other.

“Surrender! You will not pass!” one of the idiots demanded lifting a gun.

Zoro and Luffy didn’t hesitate. Nami paused to brush her hair out of her face as the men around them seemed to collapse or fly backwards in a single movement. Swordsman and captain had switched sides in the space of a blink. Zoro held a single blade and Luffy was rolling his shoulders. She smiled brightly as she snatched an obvious coin pouch from one man but didn’t bother searching the others as she turned to march up the path again.

“Thanks boys! Let’s get Chopper!”

“Oy witch!” Zoro snarled catching up quickly and overtaking her.

“Shishishi!” Luffy laughed again and took off running. “Chopperrrr! I’m commingggg!”

XXXxxx

At the edge of a cliff, a man in a jester outfit peered through binoculars alongside two royal guards.

“Your Majesty!” he hollered “The pirates just wiped out the soldiers at the mountain pass! The three of them took out twenty men in an instant!”

“Wha? My guard? So fast?” the large-jawed king snapped his teeth down on a knife tip, swallowing the weapon. “What are they doing now?”

“Sir, they’re running up the path towards the castle.” One of the guards responded. “I believe that the report from the river post was right. They’re headed here for one of our doctors.”

“Well they can’t have one!” King Wapol declared. “Those doctors are mine!”

“They just took out twenty of our strongest men and didn’t even slow!” Chess, the jester advisor, whined.

“I’ll send a stronger force. We can cut them off at-”

“No! I need the guard to protect me! They’re coming up the path? Then we go down the ropeway!” he whirled to the audience of followers. “Let’s go now!”

There was a scramble of obedience as everyone rushed to prepare for evacuation.

“Sir, I can keep a select group here and stop these pirates when they reach the castle.” Dalton tried again.

“What?! No! I must be protected. These pirates have taken out two battalions of my soldiers already! We can’t let them kill me or steal my precious doctors.” He pulled soldiers and doctors into the lift with him.

“But what will these pirates do when they realize you’re not here? The people-”

“The peasants are not my concern right now!” the king snapped. “Enough! To the ship! Someone cut those other lines! Move out!”

Dalton ignored the shouts and accusations of treachery as he stayed behind, lifting his binoculars to watch the approach of the pirates. They’d be in lapahn territory soon. Perhaps, if they were lucky… He never imagined strength like this. Just three. They hadn’t even been stalled by the soldiers he’d sent to stop them. The ambush had completely failed. He’d sent those men to their deaths. His king had fled. The castle was locked tight and the doctors these ruthless barbarians were seeking gone. How would the pirates react? Would they give chase? Would they raid the villages? Would they take out their temper on his people? The citizens of Drum Kingdom were sitting unaware in their homes. Did he sound an alarm and send them to evacuate to the forests? Did he stay and hope his lone devil fruit could stand against these pirates? The report indicated these pirates had at least one devil fruit among them. Perhaps all three were enhanced. He swallowed. Just a handful of men to send messages to the people could save hundreds, thousands of lives. How could one man handle these intruders?

He watched the group progress. The bright red coat and orange hair stood out against the snow like flairs. The flash of familiar green coat made his blood boil. Did they have no respect? He swallowed back his temper. He would ensure his men were respectfully taken care of after these people were gone. The lapahns were nearly invisible against the snow at this distance but he could see the way the three pirates stalled and split whirling around.

XXXxxx

Zoro grinned brightly as the large puffballs popped up around them. He’d heard about the beasts from the sh*tty cook. He was excited to try his strength against these creatures. Laughing with Luffy he placed a sword between his teeth and held a blade in his good hand. It wasn’t his usual two sword style. It would honestly be easier to do this with one sword. He smirked. He’d never chosen the easy fight when a challenge was to be had. He launched himself into the fray dancing between oversized bunnies as they hopped at lightning speed.

Nami was holding her own, spinning up illusions in the bright sun, but he kept himself close. It was difficult to keep his guard up with this particular blade combination and a lucky swipe to his ribs sent him tumbling into the snow. He was back up and moving in a flash as he redoubled his efforts. It was clear they were trying to disengage now. A look at his captain’s battle grin and Zoro whirled in the snow to keep them here. His dragon twister swept through the fringes dropping dizzy and disoriented furballs into the snow. He casually shoved at a persistent bunny pushing on Nami’s climatact and she shouted a thanks as she brained another approaching. The thing rubbed at the lump looking more angry than deterred. He mentally added strength training to Nami’s future schedule. She wasn’t a fighter, but she should have been strong enough for a knockout blow against these weaklings. She would have been in Wano. He pushed away that irritating thought and sliced the snow out from under three preparing to jump, sending them tumbling comically. He met Luffy’s eyes as he slipped his swords away. One of the bunnies groaned a half growl.

“Good fight!” Luffy cheered patting the big guy on a shoulder. “That was fun.”

The bunny swiped at the rubber idiot and Luffy casually dropped him in the snow with a punch.

“That was great!”

“Great!” Nami shrieked. “You guys left me to fight those brutes alone!”

“Eh? You had it handled?” Luffy tipped his head to the side. “Nami is tough.”

“They could have killed me!” she argued.

Zoro lifted an eyebrow and scoffed. He doubted that. And anyways he was right there. He wasn’t going to let one of the crew get killed.

“You hurt, witch?” he looked her over in case he missed something.

“That’s not the point.” She huffed turning away and stomping off.

With a smirk a shrug he followed. Luffy’s gaze flicked to his ribs. Of course his captain had seen the slip. He gave them a pat. Bruised not broken. All was well. Message received, Luffy flashed a bright grin and hopped forwards, imitating the bounding jumps of the bunnies. Nami cursed as he splashed her with snow. Zoro hummed softly and walked past her at a quick clip. She flicked snow down his collar and passed him while he cringed from the sudden chill. Witch.

He wandered up the trail to the castle following red and orange. Today had been a much better workout than he thought he’d be getting. He remembered this place as more friendly. Whatever. They’d get Chopper soon and be on their way.

XXXxxx

Sanji was a bit confused by the town. He wasn’t expecting them to be so shy. Perhaps it was the lack of introduction. He vaguely remembered the Zoan former-guard guy introducing them to people last time. Maybe that had opened doors. It seemed like the whole town had emptied out in minutes. Curtains flickered unsubtly as watchers ‘hid’ from his wandering gaze. He waited patiently for the shop owner to decide if they would unbar their door and answer his polite knock. It squeaked open a crack.

“Yes?” the old man asked tentatively.

“I’m a chef looking to resupply my ship.” He smiled encouragingly. “Are you open, sir?”

“Ah.” Looking confused the elder opened the door wider. “You’re looking to buy?”

“Yes sir.” Sanji sucked on his cigarette to avoid pushing forward. He could take this slow, sooth the fears and get his shopping done easier.

“Ah. Sorry son.” He looked sheepish. “We hadn’t heard there were ships coming down the river. It’s the guard’s duty to send word if any ships clear the check point. Small town gossip you know, we thought you might be some troublemakers coming through.”

“Perfectly understandable.” Plenty of ports were leery of pirates. “I’m not looking for trouble, just some place to spend my bellies.”

He rolled a coin between his fingers and smiled at the look of interest as the merchant decided to welcome him. Picking his way through the small offerings of a local corner store, Sanji probed for other stores which might have the food options or building supplies he needed. Soon enough he was gathering packages of spices, nails, ropes and moving towards the local butcher to start the shy dance again. The way they were staring it was like they expected him to start plundering the town any moment. He chewed the end of his cigarette and sighed. It was unreasonable to expect better. They were unknown to these people. No matter. They’d be gone soon enough. He was thrilled to find the butcher had just received the catch of a recent hunt. It took a few more gold than Nami would appreciate but he convinced the man to sell him all three turkeys and two beavers. Between this and the pork they should make it to Arabasta. He bribed a couple guys to help him haul the goods when the shop keep had refused to let him rent or buy a cart.

“So you are pirates?” the man walking with him stopped abruptly staring at the ship.

“Yup!” Sanji declared proudly. “We’re the Strawhat Pirates.”

He looked back at the two men now standing there staring.

“We’re just picking up a few things.” He held up his packages. “Nothing to worry about.”

“R-right.”

Sanji hopped up on deck and unloaded his collection of goods. The men hadn’t moved. With a sigh he sauntered back and plucked the packaged meats and cheese wheels from unresisting hands. He lit another cigarette watching them stare at his flag. Jumping from the ship once more he gave them a nudge as he moved back towards the town.

“Come on then, I have some more shopping to do.”

“W-weren’t y-your group… they were headed for the castle?” his voice went high at the end.

“Yeah.” Sanji blew smoke looking over at the nervous wreck of a man in curiosity.

“Wh-what did they n-need to pick up there?” the other stuttered.

“Oh!” Sanji smiled. “We need to pick up our doctor.”

The two men stopped walking. Sanji let them. They were on the main street now so anyone watching would see that the men returned alive and unharmed. Now if only he could find some vegetables. Maybe some winter squash or broccoli. Root vegetables would store well. He hummed softly and contemplated his choices. Where were all the winter ladies? He wanted to see a lovely snow beauty not just these old shop keepers. Sighing he wandered up to the house with the yellow flowers painted on the door as he’d been advised and knocked softly. This might be a long day. He hoped the moss brain was at least looking after Nami-chan properly.

XXXxxx

There was a stairway trail that led up the side of the steep rock formation. They barreled upwards and onwards. Nami was baffled how Zoro managed to turn the wrong way at every switchback. It seemed statistically impossible. Also how did the dummy manage to confuse up and down. Panting for breath she settled for punching him every time he turned the wrong direction. The swordsman was cursing loudly but not lost. She was generous like that.

XXXxxx

Dalton was waiting for them as the pirates reached the castle. He clenched his jaw as they approached casually. As if they hadn’t just slaughtered two troops of men. The three looked excited, eager, feral, and far too young.

“Oy! What are you doing here?” the smallest pirate, a boy with a straw hat, pointed and looked surprised.

“Me? What are you doing here!?” he demanded.

“I’m here for my doctor! Have you seen Chopper?” the boy bounced cheerfully looking around with exaggerated motions.

“What’s a chopper?” confusion stilled the hand reaching for his weapon and he mentally inventoried the weapons vault. Another name for an ax? Or guillotine? Were they mocking the king?

“Where’s the witch?” the teenage swordsman cut in.

“What?” shaking off his uncertainty Dalton glared at the group. “I am Dalton, Captain of the Royal Guard! Stand down immediately and surrender. In the name of King Wapol I hereby arrest you for the crimes of piracy, trespassing and murder.”

“You have a king?” the kid looked confused as he peered around the area, one hand shading his eyes. “Where’s Chopper?”

“Of course we have a king!” he co*cked his gun. “Now surrender pirates.”

“Oh,” the kid furrowed his brow “no. Don’t wanna. Chopper! Chopper come out!”

Dalton’s jaw dropped at the dismissive tone. They could at least pretend to take him seriously!

The redhead facepalmed. “Oh, we’re idiots. He’s not here! Luffy, you rubber brained moron, why did we run up a mountain?”

She smashed a fist into the boy’s head. None of them seemed to be paying attention to him or his gun.

“Ow! Naaammiiiii!”

“You didn’t think of it either, witch.” The swordsman sounded bored.

Was the girl the witch then? Why were they looking for her? What was a chopper? The swordsman was wandering towards the castle now. Dalton dismissed his distracted thoughts and prepared to fight.

“Shishishi! This way Zoro!”

An extra-long arm snatched the teen, pulling him off his feet and… away. The pirates were … retreating? Heading back downwards at least. Dumfounded he stared after them.

“What just happened?” he questioned the snow.

At least they were gone now. They didn’t loot the castle. He survived a close encounter with the overpowered children. The villagers were saf- The villagers! Looking back down the trail he could see the three pirates speeding back towards the towns. Transforming into full bison form, he raced after them. He wouldn’t let them harm his people!

XXXxxx

Zoro rolled his eyes as the navigator continued to whine. Sure, they got a little off track but it’s not like that didn’t happen all the time.

“I can’t believe we forgot the whole timeline thing! Of course Wapol is still in his castle. Drum has never been attacked by pirates.” Nami ranted as they headed back down. “What a waste of time! The old doctor must be living back near the villages. Didn’t Chopper mention a treehouse?”

“Yeah! I remember because I used to live in a tree too! Chopper’s sounded really cool.”

“You lived in a tree?” Nami stopped running.

“Come on Nami! Hurry!”

Zoro dodged the grab, but Nami shrieked as he yanked her off her feet again. And suddenly there were more bunnies. He settled into a ready stance as they formed a line a short distance above them.

“Alright! Round two!”

“We won’t be so gentle this time.” Zoro threatened as he pulled his swords.

Instead of leaping forward the fluffy giants began hopping in some kind of synchronous pattern. To her credit, Nami raised her weapon hesitantly. Then there was a rumble like thunder.

“I’m not scared of your stupid avalanche!” Luffy taunted even as the snow began coming towards them.

“It’s going to crush us!” Nami protested.

“Zoro” Luffy said calmly looking around “can you cut it?”

Thousands of pounds of snow bearing down on them with increasing intensity as momentum and gravity worked in tandem. The scale of it was massive. Their margin for error miniscule. His captain never asked for small tasks. Raising his swords, Zoro smirked.

“Aye captain.” And he did.

More challenging than cutting steel, he sent a powerful slice directly in front of the crew. Snow split as if parting the ocean, spraying white in arcs away and upwards. The avalanche parted into two walls of white, splitting off to either side as the force of his slash pressed it outwards. Like the roar of a sea train, the avalanche thundered past them on either side. He watched ahead, conscious of the way the snow boxed them in on either side in walls five, ten, fifteen feet high. Sweat chilling on his forehead he used a second slash, then a third as the snow attempted to converge and fill the gap once more. Still the snow rolled by. It could have been hours or minutes before the snow settled to a slow stop. His ears were ringing but he could hear his captain’s laugh over the witch’s shrieking about recklessness. Swords sliding home, he turned to check on the crew. Safe, as expected, between the walls of white in the v of protection he provided them. Good. He wanted a nap. This weak body was pitiful and unused to channeling this much energy. He offered a smile even as his eyes drooped a bit.

Blinking into focus again he let Luffy drag him down the mountain. Find Chopper, get the crew to the ship, then he could nap. He couldn’t afford to be weak right now. His shoulders ached and his right arm burned where it had been cut. He sighed. Chopper would be noisy about this. He probably wouldn’t be able to nap until after the little reindeer said his piece. They were walking on a proper road now. When had that happened? Hopefully the witch didn’t get them lost.

XXXxxx

Dalton popped out of the snow, shaking at his narrow escape. The avalanche had dragged him past the pirates and to the foot of the Drum Rockies. He’d managed to stay ahead of it long enough to witness the swordsman. He’d never seen anyone cut an avalanche before. That teen was a force of nature. No wonder his men had fallen. These children were terrifying. Shaking snow out of his fur, he completed his transformation and ran on hooves towards the village. He had to protect his people.

XXXxxx

“Where is he?” Luffy fidgeted anxiously looking down each of the crossroads for answers.

His chest was tight, and his throat was itchy. He clawed at the zipper of his jacket. He couldn’t find Chopper. Zoro was sleepy and needed a doctor. He didn’t know which way…

“This way!” Nami called with certainty, marching down the road.

Relieved, he scrambled after her, hand latching onto Zoro and pulling him along. His chest loosened as he passed Nami with a laugh and splash of snow. She shouted threats and gave chase quickly.

XXXxxx

“Pirates! Pirates are coming! Pirates! Everyone take shelter now! Pirates are coming!”

“Dalton-san? What’s going on?” People stopped in the street to stare.

“I’ll explain later! Please, everyone! Go! Pirates are coming! Don’t fight back! Pirates!”

“Dalton-san?”

“No time to question! Please, everyone! Be safe!”

“Let’s go Chopper.” Doctorine tugged his harness and Chopper took off at a run towards their home.

His thoughts were flying faster than his hooves. Could it be?

Chapter 21: Drum Island

Chapter Text

.

Vivi watched the pirates rush off, uncertain how to feel. She hadn’t really expected them to invade another country. She pictured maybe some dramatics. Maybe Sanji-san would go slip into a doctor’s office and convince one of them the same way he persuaded her. Maybe they wouldn’t convince any, and would be chased off, pouting. She somehow didn’t picture the crew refusing to take no for an answer and barreling through a blockade. She didn’t imagine this particular scenario at all.

Her blood was ringing, and she honestly wanted to jump out of this ship and join them. Whatever adventure they were starting, she just knew it would be worth seeing. It would be a distraction, an adventure, something wonderful… but she was a princess of Arabasta. She couldn’t just invade another kingdom. She wasn’t here as a Baroques Work Agent. She had to be cautious if she didn’t want to start an international incident. She chewed on her nails as she watched the Strawhats charge off and wondered how she was ever going to go back to what she was before. She left her kingdom to save her people but what was she now? A bounty hunter indebted to pirates? One more noble with blood on her hands and nothing to show for it?

“Come on, Vivi-sama! We’re starting a card game.” Mr. Nine tugged her away from the porthole.

“Sanji-san left us some snacks.” Ms. Monday encouraged.

Vivi mustered a weak smile as she joined them.

XXXxxx

Usopp blinked around at the crossroad. He’d stopped for a moment to check the sign but before he could ask about the town names everyone was gone. From the laughter echoing through the trees, he was fairly certain they were headed for the castle like Luffy had done Before. He didn’t know why they didn’t just look for one of those carts that would take them to the top fast. It would be much cooler and way less climbing. Sighing heavily, he began following the road towards the next town. He was fairly certain this was the place he remembered. He remembered a song he’d composed about the wild journey Vivi had taken the two of them on which included this town: Gyasta. He smiled wistfully.

He couldn’t believe the princess had stayed onboard. The same princess who’d been fearless exploring a prehistoric island in a different timeline. The one who charged full tilt at problems, and only after would remember some critical detail about dangers. He sighed and gave a small skip. It would be fine. Vivi had been warming up to them since her outburst and Mr. Nine was actually interested in talking weapons while Usopp worked. The former agent preferred tricks to violence and allowed Usopp to upgrade his bats to something a little more creative. It was nice to have someone new around, even if the guy asked weird questions. Usopp spun stories while he invented new gadgets to replace familiar tools. He missed having Vivi around to blurt out random details or overshare some important fact. He missed his friend. He never knew you could miss someone who was living in the same space.

But he was headed to Gyasta! Snowy Gyasta! With a ropeway that would take him straight up to the castle! Luffy would be so surprised to see him there first. Chopper would be even more excited to see them all here! Whistling softly to himself, Usopp hurried along the road.

There was an old lady driving a sled. Weird. Wait. Wasn’t Chopper raised by a weird old lady? She was waving a wine bottle around too. He definitely remembered her being a heavy drinker.

“Excuse me!” he waved. “Are you Doctorine?”

“It’s pronounced Darlene, dear.”

“Really?” Usopp frowned. “I was so sure…”

“No harm done, lad. Have I met you before?” she squinted at him from the sled.

“Oh, ah, no…I guess not.” Time travel sure was awkward.

“Well how can I help you?” she sipped from her bottle.

“I was actually hoping to speak to Chopper.” He explained.

“Who? Chomper?” she cupped her ear.

Was she hard of hearing?

“Chopper.” He said a little louder. “Your reindeer.”

“I have a racoon dog. If that’s who you mean?”

Usopp fell face first in the snow. Her too? Poor Chopper! “…can you take me to him?”

“Of course! I just need to finish buying some supplies at the market.”

“I… but… okay then. Let’s do this quickly.”

XXXxxx

Maxum woke up in the snow, which was never a good sign. Blinking groggily, he sat up. Adrenaline pumped through him as he took a look around. He was surrounded by his garrison of river guards. Everyone sported large bumps or facial bruising. No one seemed to be stirring and for a terrifying moment he thought he was the only survivor. A puff of fogged breath reassured him, and he scrambled to check pulses and injuries.

There were far too many injured to carry himself. The entire patrol! How did this happen? His memory was a little fuzzy and he rubbed his aching head. He checked the other side of the river, but no one had stirred yet. It would take far too long to get over there. He had to hope those guys were in the same shape as the ones on his side. Two of the guard were missing jackets and were far too cold. He needed to get them help immediately! And alert the king of … intruders? Was that what happened? Some kind of attack?

He couldn’t recall exactly. Lifting his hypothermic coworker, he stumbled through the snow towards the town. Someone needed to know about this mess.

XXXxxx

“Look I really need to get going.” Usopp tried to hand her parcels back a third time.

“Just one more stop, dear,” she said. Again.

“Please, ma’am.”

“I could never carry this much on my own! You’re such a darling helping me with my errands.”

Usopp slumped. The packages in his arms wobbled unsteadily. He straightened his back again.

“Such a good boy!”

“You have a sled!” he pointed out for the fourth time.

“Oh!” she looked at the sled. “So I do! Well put them in here lad. There’s a good boy. Ah, that’s where my wine went!” she pulled the bottle back out.

“That’s everything on your list!” he bluffed with a cheer. “Now let’s get you home.”

“Ah?” she squinted at her list, swaying gently.

“Here, you hold the wine.”

(She was already holding the bottle.)

“Thank you dear.”

“And I’ll just…” he lifted her into the sled. “Now which way?”

“Jus’ past the lamppost and make a left.” She settled down.

The home she directed him to was in the middle of town. It was a cheerful place and not at all familiar. Usopp was coming to the horrifying realization that this wasn’t Chopper’s mentor after all. She was far too sweet for starters.

“Help me take these in.”

Usopp helplessly followed with a stack of parcels. She then introduced him to Ben. Ben being her actual racoon dog and not a teasing way to talk about Chopper. Usopp was never telling anyone about this. This was one adventure that didn’t need to be shared.

“And there’s my chopper.” She pointed to a hatchet by the fireplace.

“Clearly.” He slumped in defeat. “I don’t suppose you can direct me to the doctor?”

“Oh yes! If you go right around the corner, you should be able to see Drum Castle and the ropeways. There’s a ropeway that comes right to this city, just one block away! You can get a ride up to the castle from there.”

“Thank you.”

“Here, here, you were such a good boy. Let me get you something for the road.”

XXXxxx

Usopp eyed the flat mountain where the castle stood. Now that he could see it properly, he was comforted to know he was going in the right direction. There was only one rope thing coming off the side, and one of the trolly things was almost to the base. How convenient! He was a little surprised it seemed so packed full of people. Maybe there was some kind of event going on? A big accident that injured so many people? Oh, no! They probably had a deadly flu. It was a winter island after all. Well, he didn’t want to catch any viruses! The sniper tied a bandana around his nose and mouth then looped his scarf over that. Picking up the pace he aimed for the area where the trolly landed. He’d be up the mountain in no time at all!

He wandered down the street and into Gyasta. The townsfolk were scrambling from house to house like a kicked anthill. Someone was shouting about a king and soldiers marching. It was a little chaotic and he didn’t know what to make of it. Some kind of festival or parade? Everyone was rushing towards the main street. He looked between the ropeway and the people. It didn’t seem like anyone was in charge. He didn’t want to catch the flu either. So, he helped himself, hopping on the forward bike and peddling quickly. Shouts rang out behind him. Naturally, he ignored it. The whole old lady mix-up had cost him time. At this rate he’d arrive after Luffy. He pouted. At least he didn’t have to climb a mountain? Sweating, he peddled as the tram climbed steadily higher. This was a lot easier with Zoro peddling.

XXXxxx

“I heard you were looking to take a doctor with you.” The shopkeeper spoke from behind the door, refusing entry.

“That’s true.” Sanji smiled softly in the direction of the fluttering curtains. “We need the best doctor to sail with the future Pirate King.”

“W-we can’t let you just kidnap a doctor and sail out of here!” someone else inside protests.

“Oy!” Sanji bristled offended at the thought Chopper might not want to come. “We’re not kidnapping anyone. If he wants to stay, then he can stay, and we’ll find another way. Being a Strawhat is an honor and a privilege. You don’t just pass that up.” (He blatantly ignored the fact that Luffy tended to forcefully recruit people and that he’d once tried to send Luffy away from Whole Cake Island unsuccessfully. That wasn’t the point.) “And whether we get our doctor or not has nothing to do with anything. I’m just looking to buy some produce. That’s all. Then I’m on my way.”

There was some grumbling and quiet conversation. Sanji lit a cigarette and waited patiently. What was with these people? So rude.

Eventually he acquired a basket full of squash and some fresh mushrooms. Exhausted and freezing, he wandered back to Merry. It was enough to get them by. Plenty of fresh food and some building materials for Usopp. Considering the cold welcome, it was a fairly good haul. He jumped aboard and began sorting through goods. He’d get the pantry organized before Chopper got home. Cook up something sweet for the doctor.

“How was your day Merry?” he ran his hand along the kitchen counters.

The ship seemed to shiver at his touch. He frowned, focusing on the ship, suddenly uncertain.

“Something wrong?” he looked around.

The lovely Ms. Monday was playing cards with Vivi-chan and the others. Dog was sleeping peacefully. The other idiots were here too. He wandered through the ship and found no intruders or signs of damage. He peeked through the garden and checked the lines. Chewing uncertainly on his cigarette, he pondered as the slipped around the ship. A head popped out.

“Something wrong?” Mr. Nine asked.

“Something’s off with the ship.” He gnawed harder on his cigarette. “Have you noticed anything?”

“Monday and I gave her a lookover after your fight. She’s got a bullet hole in a banister but overall, nothing serious that we could find.”

“A bullet hole?” appalled he searched around.

“Upper deck, port side. Just a bit of the railing, but we didn’t know-”

Sanji wasn’t listening. He found the spot, eyeing the splintering wood in frustration.

“Sorry Merry. We weren’t careful enough.” He ran gentle fingers over the area.

Usopp would have to look at it. He was the best at repairs.

“Sorry” he whispered again.

“She’s fine.” Nine rolled his eyes. “It’s just a banister. Seriously, you kids took down like two dozen guys and you’re upset because the ship took a stray bullet. It’s not that big a deal.”

Sanji did not kick the bastard in the face, but only because there was a group approaching from the shore. The fact they were all armed did not promise a peaceful conversation.

XXXxxx

Dalton ran as fast as his hooves could fly. He needed to warn everyone! He had to spread the news before the pirates reached any of the towns.

Please let it not be a massacre. Not today.

XXXxxx

“Here I am!” Usopp leapt out of the tram station with a flourish.

No reaction. He looked around, drooping. No one. Maybe they were inside. He tugged on the giant doors. He looked around. Empty.

“Nami! Zoro! Luffy! Chopper!” he hollered up empty stairs and into echoing chambers.

The abandoned kitchen was full of food and weaponry. It seemed unlike Luffy to leave it all. Maybe they grabbed Chopper and ran? He filled his thermos with warm coffee as he thought about it. Clearly no one was here. Nodding to himself, he pocketed a handful or three of ammo from a serving bowl and hustled back to the ropeway.

He was missing something. What had changed since the last time…? He smacked himself in the face. Time. It was possible that he was a complete numbskull.

The ride down was faster. Much faster. Too fast! Usopp managed to slow enough to avoid crashing. He sighed as he climbed out.

“That was so reckless kid!” “What were you thinking?” “Where are your parents?” “What if we’d cut the line?” “That’s not for joyrides!” “Kids these days!”

“Hey, has anyone seen an old witch doctor and reindeer?” he asked, ignoring the shouts.

“You mean Doctorine?”

“Yes!” Usopp pointed at the man. “Where can I find them?”

“She comes to you, son.”

“It’s urgent! There’s no time for waiting around! Please, someone must know?”

The townsfolk muttered and shifted a bit, looking to each other.

“He almost died taking the ropeway without a guard.” someone spoke up from the back, “I’m going to tell him.”

Several people tried giving directions after that. Usopp nodded as he was directed to a treehouse just outside of town. It sounded vaguely familiar. He waved and ran off.

“Who was that kid?”

“Recklessness like that? He’s gotta be from Big Horn. Determined little punk.”

“Well, he’s back on the ground now. Let’s cut it down before real trouble comes through here.”

Usopp wondered what they were cutting down but decided it didn’t matter. He was going to see Chopper! Another old lady passed him in a purple jacket, but he wasn’t going to be fooled twice. Looking around for the treehouse, he ignored her.

XXXxxx

“That fool! Running off like that. Shouting about pirates and getting everyone worked up.” Doctorine paced around their workshop pulling down herbs and tonics. “Start preparing bruise balm and antibiotics. We’ll need plenty of both.”

“Yes Doctorine!” he hopped up on a stool to mix the requested medicines.

She watched him for a minute as she mixed her own concoctions. Chopper gave her a questioning look. She simply got to work. They prepared in silence until a knock at the door pulled his sensei away. He took over her stirring without complaint. After a moment, she returned, pulling on her jacket.

“Are we going out again?” he started.

“No, you stay here Chopper. I’ll be back in a bit. Keep an eye on the red.”

He was bottling the last batch of antibiotics when a louder rapid knock broke his focus. He rushed to answer. It was only as he cracked the door that he thought about his appearance.

“Chopper!”

“Usopp!”

“Chopper!”

“Luffy!” Usopp and Chopper exclaimed together just before they were tackled.

“Ow. Luffy.” Usopp groaned from the bottom of the pile.

“Usopp! Did you go somewhere?”

“Luffy!” Nami dragged the captain away. “I want to see Chopper too!”

“Nami! Zor- Ehhhh?! What did you do to yourselves?!” he scrambled between the crew. Hooves fluttered over Luffy’s icy feet, Usopp’s slumped form, and Nami’s hands before he homed in on Zoro. Even through layers of winter wear he could tell the swordsman was holding himself all wrong. “Eeek! Zoro your arm!”

The swordsman didn’t protest as he was dragged inside the treehouse. Chopper set to work immediately, pulling off layers and examining the wound. Zoro seemed to be suffering from general exhaustion. The lethargy and slow response time didn’t seem to be caused by a specific injury. He grabbed his notepad as he ran through a quick checkup. He noted the bruising and examined the ribs for damage. A quick check showed his crewmate wasn’t hiding any other new injuries. The arm looked awful. It was cut deeply and inflamed from irritation or infection. He would prefer to open the wound and restitch it himself. Zoro allowed this. Grimly determined, Chopper inspected, cleaned and rebandaged the area. His nakama was pale but stoic, calmly explaining the origin of the injury. He was surprised at the hugely different battle scene.

“You really battled on the open sea?!” stars in his eyes, Chopper admired his crewmate. “He really used his big sword? And you fought him like that?”

Zoro smiled softly and answered his questions, describing each injury and how it was treated. Treatment seemed to mostly consist of not using the arm for anything, which for Zoro was an amazing show of restraint. At least he’d taken the time to care for this injury.

“I… I’m not going to lose the arm …am I Chopper?” the quiet, hesitant voice was unlike Zoro.

“No!” he shook his head hard. “You’ve taken good care of it so far and I’ll take it from here. You’ll heal fine.” He mixed a remedy to cover the wound and bandaged it carefully. “Let me use some of this bruise cream on your ribs. I want you to take it easy for the rest of the day. No more fighting, you’re exhausted. That’s doctor’s orders!”

“Thanks Doc. It’s good to have you back.”

“Shut up!” he squirmed. “Your praise doesn’t make me happy!”

He pushed the swordsman out, reminding him to sit and rest before he pulled Usopp in for a full physical. Zoro was snoring before they even left the room. The sniper was slightly underweight for his age and size and he noted it to discuss with Sanji. There was a mess of new scarring around one shoulder. Usopp was quick to explain about the changes in his battle with Kuro.

“Scary!”

“The Great Usopp is never scared!” Usopp declared before drooping. “I killed him.”

Chopper laid a hand on his shoulder.

“I… I don’t regret defending my friends, and he made his own choices, but… I didn’t even know I killed him. It was an accident. I feel like it should have been on purpose or not at all. It’s just not right the way it happened, and the village was so messed up… Shouldn’t we be making things better not worse?”

Chopper didn’t have words, so he simply hugged his friend. Usopp clung for several minutes before pulling away with a smile.

“Thanks for listening.”

“Anytime.”

“Is that it or…”

“Ah! Your physical! I just wanted to ask about your range of motion in this shoulder. Have you found the scar tissue impairs you at all?” Chopper had him do a few movements and stretches but it didn’t seem to be bothering him. “Let me know if you start to notice anything. I can give you a cream to reduce scarring.”

Usopp went to relax with Zoro and sent in Nami. She greeted him with hugs and was excited to gossip about her own experiences, showing off a scar-free shoulder and talking about how Zoro showed up with so much money just for her. He tended the small scratches on her knuckles from the day’s fights.

“How long have your nails been this color?” he held her hand carefully.

“What color?”

“This black.” He pointed out the crescent along her cuticles that was vividly black.

“I didn’t notice it.” She took one hand back to rub at the nail as if the color would come off.

“I want to show this to Doctorine if you don’t mind. Have you been feeling ill? Fever? Headaches?”

“Nothing like that! I’ve been fine!”

“Hmm…” he turned to flip through the books finding three possibilities. “You haven’t been poisoned recently, have you?”

“POISONED?!” Nami screeched.

Luffy, Usopp and Zoro slammed into the room. Chopper shoved them back out with a screech of his own, chiding them about privacy as he gave them each a whack.

“But Nami-”

“No!” Chopper cut off Luffy’s whine. He slammed the door shut in their faces.

He reassured Nami as best he could, and she agreed to wait for Doctorine to assess the situation while Chopper took blood for some tests. He treated a few more bruises as he completed his examination.

Luffy insisted on not separating from the crew, so everyone came back into the workroom for his examination. The captain needed to be treated for frostbite and Chopper launched into a familiar lecture about sandals on winter islands when the door opened again.

“My, my. Doesn’t this look cozy?” Doctorine cackled.

XXXxxx

Dalton warned Cocaweed and Gyasta before heading to Big Horn. He urged the citizens to lock their doors and stay out of sight. Hopefully, it would be enough. As long as the people didn’t try to fight… He shuddered remembering the way the three had laughed and come out looking unharmed after facing his strongest troop and a lapin attack. Those monsters would annihilate an average citizen. He’d never seen anyone part an avalanche before. It had to be a devil fruit, unless that green haired teen was on the level of the Warlord Dracule Mihawk. He’d heard rumors about that man…

That didn’t matter though. How they did it wasn’t relevant, only that they could do it. It wasn’t a force Drum Kingdom was prepared to face. The king ran off with every soldier and messenger. Dalton would do his best to warn everyone. They just had to keep their heads down. Don’t confront these pirates. He had to pray that would be enough.

Transforming back into human he nearly fell on his face. Exhaustion was blurring his vision. The streets looked empty and white.

“Pirates! Everyone go home! Stay inside,” his hoarse voice broke off.

“Dalton-san?” someone called to him.

Looking around he found a young man in a doorway.

“Go inside,” he urged in a rough voice. “P-pirates…”

“We know! Come, come! You look awful, sir.”

“I- I have to warn…” his mumbling faded as the world tipped a bit.

The young man teleported over and grabbed him. That was strange.

“Come on, sir!”

Dalton stumbled shakily as the man pulled him along. Then he was somewhere bright and warm. He closed his eyes for just a minute…

XXXxxx

Doctorine raised an eyebrow as Chopper stammered and an entire gaggle of children shuffled and waved at her.

“Well now? Is anyone going to explain?”

“Explain what?” the kid with the straw hat asked as he picked his nose.

“That carefree attitude won’t spare you brat!” she lifted a machete from the stand next to the door.

The kids went bug-eyed for a delightful moment before scattering. She cackled and tossed the weapon. It planted in the stone above the fireplace.

“What are you doing in my house?!”

“Aggghhh! She’s crazy!”

“Stoooop!”

“Come back here!”

“Chopper, call her off!”

“Zoro stop running! You’re injured!” Chopper chided.

“If I stop running, she’ll kill me! Crazy old bat!”

“Who are you calling old? I’m a youthful 137!”

“He’s sorry!”

“Don’t speak for me- ack!”

“Doctorinnneee~! They’re patients!”

“Oh, well why didn’t you say so?” she hummed, relaxing against a doorframe as she let a scalpel dangle nonchalantly from her fingertips.

The kids collapsed, whining. She let them lay around on the floor as she looked over at Chopper. He hadn’t taken her attack as an opportunity to disappear into the house. The boy wasn’t acting shy around these strangers at all. In fact, she would almost think they weren’t strangers given how they tossed around each other’s names. Sipping wine from the bottle, she waited for someone else to speak first. First rule of interrogation: don’t give away anything.

XXXxxx

“What do you want?!” one of the villagers shouted from the tree line.

Sanji examined the group. They weren’t fighters, and clearly didn’t want to engage given how far back they were cowering. All of them were between fifteen and twenty-five, all men. They were armed but holding their makeshift weapons defensively. This wasn’t a mob.

“I already did my shopping, thanks!” he called back easily.

There was some restless stirring. He listened as they whispered about calling a troop and what to do now. Clearly these idiots hadn’t thought through a plan.

“We heard you were going to kidnap people!” someone blurted.

“…Nah.” Sanji denied as he lit a cigarette. “We’re here to recruit a doctor. We’re not interested in kidnapping honest citizens if you’re worried about your families.”

That led to more whispering as the young men looked at each other sheepishly.

“Is your crew stealing treasure from the castle?” someone else called.

“We’re after something better than that!” he called back with a grin.

The group went back to their whispering and shuffling.

“What are you going to do?” Mr. Nine asked quietly from his spot by the stair.

“It’s harmless curiosity for now,” he murmured back. “Some fights aren’t worth it. I won’t tolerate an attack on the ship if they press though.”

Kids or not they chose to take up weapons and approach a pirate ship. Sanji was being lenient letting them come this close. He’d definitely kick their heads in if they thought they could challenge the Strawhats. It seemed unlikely though. He blew a smoke ring absently as he watched the group shuffle and whisper.

XXXxxx

Kureha was one hundred- and thirty-seven-years young. She was certainly still youthful, but she wouldn’t deny her years of experience. She’d seen things and heard even more. She traveled the Grand Line once, back in the days before Pirate Kings, when the world was wilder and less predictable than it was now. She remembered what it was like sailing into the unknown with no map and only a log pose. Those days the marines were fewer, the slavers plentiful, and the pirates were rarer but so much more powerful. The battles were larger and more deadly. In those days there was no lure of the One Piece or grand titles like Emperor or King. The seas were dangerous, deadly, beautiful, and full of mystery.

She’d seen plenty in her days abroad and from those passing through Drum. Watching Chopper was like watching one of those mysteries unfold. He’d changed. Practically overnight, he became something new. It was a transformation rather than a replacement; she was fairly certain. Seeing these Strawhat kids was like finding a missing puzzle piece. They tumbled and tussled with her boy. There was familiarity in the way they moved. When they ran from her it was organized, the way experienced fighters moved, or a heard of wild things, grouping, and separating automatically. They watched out for one another, including Chopper as naturally as flowing water.

The orange haired girl fidgeted as Kureha looked through the microscope. The littlest boy, the one in overalls, rested a hand on her shoulder and launched into a story about a woman who was poisoned three times a day but somehow kept finding cures at the last moment. It was a ridiculous tale. The kid with the straw hat was reacting to the story with increasing awe and excitement.

“You’ve been drugged, sometime in the last month.”

“That was ages ago! I’ve been fine since then.” the girl protested loudly. “So there’s nothing to worry about now, right?”

“Yes, you’ve recovered from the most dramatic symptoms, but the human body isn’t designed to process Kubik root. The liver absorbs and holds its juices. It’s mostly harmless in this inert state. It will stay dormant in your body as long as you don’t ingest certain toxins with it.”

“I was worried about that.” Chopper muttered quietly.

“Dormant?! Which toxins? What happens if I do eat something with these toxins?”

“Likely a painful and violent death.” She dismissed.

“What?!” the crew shouted.

“When mixed with certain toxins, the Kubik can cause an explosive reaction.”

“Explosive?!”

“Doctorine~”

“Oh, Chopper, you know how to fix this don’t you?”

“Kubik binds to ximic right? Nami just needs to go on a special diet for a few days!”

“Good boy!” she praised.

“Why would you scare me like that?!”

“Heeheeheehee! Don’t you feel good now?”

The girl made a sound of inarticulate rage. The boy in the straw hat laughed and slapped the other boys on the back. The swordman snored.

“Now for payment-”

“About that,” the girl smiled coyly, rage disappearing. “It’s clear to me that Chopper did all the doctoring here today, so we’ll be paying his fee.”

“Eh? And who do you think just diagnosed you, girlie?”

“Me?” her expression was falsely guileless. “As I recall, you consulted with Dr. Chopper, and he was the one to prescribe a treatment plan. In fact, he began the bloodwork before you ever arrived.”

Kureha narrowed her eyes at the clever girl. Her companions were watching them like a sports match. Chopper was blushing and squirming at the praise.

“Eh. Well, it’s good that you recognize his skill at least. Still my fee is a non-negotiable-”

“Uh-un.” The brat tisked, shaking her finger. “I’m not paying two doctors when I asked for one. If you wanted payment, you should have negotiated before the consultation. Too late now.”

Kureha laughed, delighted by the spunk.

“I’ll let you get away with that if you answer one question for me: how do you kids know my Chopper?”

Listening to them stutter and try to talk around an explanation was amusing enough. She let them shuffle and shift guiltily as the tension built. Chopper seemed so torn, eventually she decided to cut to the chase.

“What was it, foresight? Did you touch something or drink something that gave you visions or the ability to speak over long distances? Dream-walking or perhaps a bit of Mirror Magic?”

“It was time travel!” he blurted.

“Ah.” She nodded accepting.

“Just like that!?”

“This is the Grand Line you silly thing. A bit of time travel is much better than the alternatives I was considering with your recent behavior. The experiments, the abrupt change in field of study. You went from barely knowing a lick of anything to discussing authors I don’t have in my library. You started packing bags and preparing medicines. Not to mention the sass.” She chuckled. “I’m glad it was just you growing up.”

“Doctorineee I’m so sorry!”

“None of that you little fool. None of that. These brats seem good for you. You’re growing a backbone at least!” she cackled. “You like sailing with them?”

“They’re the best nakama in the world!”

“That’s something at least. How far forward were you?”

“Five years.”

“All grown up then. Heh… You’re a full-fledged doctor now, aren’t you?”

“Yes! I am.” He fluffed up proudly.

“Well take your gaggle of thieves and go to sea then. Get lost now! Get going and take those pirates with you! Invading my home like this. Get.”

Chopper rushed to grab his bags and she ignored the way the orange haired girl pilfered the medicines laid out. She was a bit more curious about the boy in the overalls leaving something behind her chair. She started tossing scalpels and axes to hurry them out. She didn’t appreciate lingering goodbyes.

XXXxxx

“Sanji! We got him! Let’s go!” Luffy cried with a familiar laugh.

“Aye captain!” he laughed back grinning brightly as the familiar reindeer ran out of the trees, Strawhats hanging off his back.

The startled group of youngsters didn’t have time to do more than jump out of the way and shout a bit.

Sanji leapt around the deck releasing lines and readying the ship. He didn’t hesitate for a moment as the group crash landed in the middle of the deck. He grinned brighter at the startled squawking from the bounty hunters. He wasn’t surprised when he turned to see the crew sorted and jumping into motion. Nami had the ship spun around and going back down to the sea in no time. They were laughing and taking turns exchanging touches.

He launched himself at Chopper, shamelessly snatching him from Zoro and pulling their doctor into a cuddle. The sun was bright, and Chopper was giggling his protests as he hugged back just as fiercely. He spun in a circle wordlessly expressing his joy.

“Let’s party!”

“Sanji! A feast!”

“Aye!” he answered eagerly setting the doctor on his feet.

Sanji snatched a mug of beer as he headed towards the kitchen, toasting Chopper before he disappeared inside.

“We’re clear of Drum, you ladies should go enjoy the party.” He smiled at Vivi-chan and Monday-swan, ignoring the men completely as he whipped out ingredients for a sweet concoction that the doctor would love.

He opened the window to singing and lifted his voice to join the noise. Brook wasn’t there to keep them in tune, but they couldn’t offer less to such a bright reunion. Vivi laughed which only brightened the day more. He ignored the half-hearted lecture from Mr. Nine as he put the first cake in the oven and quickly dished some hot chocolate to serve with the first round of snacks.

“Next to Arabasta!” someone cheered.

“To our crew!” Nami called.

“We’re coming! Let’s go!” Luffy hollered.

Chapter 22: Warlords and Emperors and Kings Oh My

Chapter Text

Warlords and Emperors and Kings Oh My

Mihawk and the Red Hair Pirates

Somewhere in Paradise, not long after Hawkeye dueled Zoro

The Red Force was easy to track. Shanks and his crew were actually on this side of the Red Line partying it up on a summer island. Childish. It was convenient though. He used the not inconsiderable speed at his disposal to arrive quickly. It was always amusing when Shanks picked up new crew. The panicked response when they realized a Warlord had just dropped in on them was always hilarious. Shanks didn’t pick cowards, but none of these newbies were on his level, and they knew it. Watching them trip over their own fight or flight response… priceless. There was a reason he didn’t keep a crew. If he’d really been looking for a fight this kind of indecision would get them all killed. His mind drifted to the very young but pleasantly decisive crew that spurred his visit today. Those kids had potential.

Red Hair’s greeting was cranky and dismissive. Undoubtedly the dunce was hungover.

“Have you seen the news coos this week?” Mihawk interrupted the whining.

“This week?” Shanks rubbed his face and turned to raise a brow at his second in command.

“They don’t come to this island.” Benn was leaning forward, looking troubled. “Something amiss, Hawkeye?”

“You haven’t seen these then?” he pressed, pulling out a pair of bounty posters and holding them in front of the captain.

“Luffy got that ages a- it went up?!” Shanks snatched the papers.

“It’s been less than a month!” Benn looked more appropriately alarmed, nearly dropping his cigarette.

“Ay, ay, this deserves a celebration! Where’s the rum? Bring out the beer!”

“I thought you were hungover captain?” someone had the nerve to question.

“Who cares about that!? This deserves a celebration! Party with us Hawkeye!” Shanks was already filling him a tankard grinning broadly.

Keeping his face neutral he accepted the drink and watched the new recruits relax. Predictable.

“Don’t stop at the one. If you’re going to toast the news, do it properly.” He chided.

“Eh?” seeming to realize he’d been handed more than one page, Shanks flipped to the next and promptly spit his booze.

“Captain?! What is it!?” several men shouted at once.

Benn leaned over to get a look and he had the joy of seeing the usually composed man jaw-drop. Hiding his grin behind the mug he sipped at the ale. This of course only caused more alarm and confusion. Sitting back to enjoy the show he watched the crew scramble as their leaders tried to pull themselves together.

“Yassop!” Shanks finally called out.

“What?” looking alarmed the sniper sat up. “My bounty ain’t got a reason to go up! I didn’t do it.”

“Not you.” Benn grabbed and held up the poster. “Your boy. Usopp’s got a bounty!”

“What?” Yassop fell out of his perch and scrambled over.

This was even better than anticipated. The crew screeched and hollered clearly confused as to whether they were still celebrating or panicking. He sipped his booze and leaned back into the shade. When Yassop threw his fists in the air triumphantly the whole crew responded with enthusiasm.

“My boy’s a pirate!”

Benn was the one to catch onto his amusem*nt. The man raised an eyebrow in his direction. He lifted a shoulder in a half shrug.

“It looks like he’s sailing with Anchor!” Yassop continued earning another rowdy response.

The party started immediately, and the crew gathered around to congratulate the father of the young sniper. Drinks were passed around and soon Lucky Rue had a barbeque going. Someone brought out instruments and music started. Hawkeye settled back to wait until Shanks mellowed a bit before they talked more. He wasn’t the least surprised when Benn moved to sit nearer to him or when Shanks finally draped himself over his shoulders uninvited. He pushed the redhead away with a sharp elbow.

“They’re awfully young to be in the Pirate’s Graveyard.”

“Yeah. Surprised me when I saw his first bounty, but Luffy was never one for waiting around. He must think he’s ready though or he wouldn’t be dragging a crew with him.” Shanks smiled softly. “He’ll be fine.”

“Were you planning to check in on them?” he asked casually.

“Nah! I can’t interrupt their journey like that!” Shanks protested, shaking his head. “Luffy will come find me when he’s become one of the Greats. He’s going to be amazing; you know?”

He hummed in agreement. “Then you won’t mind me visiting them myself.”

Tension slammed into the group as Shanks activated his haki and rounded on him. Mihawk didn’t twitch in his posture or expression as he eyed his longtime friend and rival. Hands drifted to weapons around the circle and the music stopped playing as all eyes turned towards them.

“What reason” Shanks spoke low and slow all amusem*nt gone “would you have to visit their crew?”

Tension spiked further as they realized the reason for their captain’s ire.

“Peace, Shanks. I’m not looking for their heads. I’d hardly come announce it to you if that were the case.” He’d already done that once and was satisfied with the results.

“That doesn’t answer me.” The haki dropped away but none of the radiant anger.

“I am interested in their swordsman. He has potential.” Casually sipping his drink as if he weren’t ready to dodge an attack Mihawk focused his yellow gaze on the Emperor. “It would be a shame to see that potential go to waste.”

Shanks raised an eyebrow and relaxed signaling to his men to back off. “Someone worth testing?” he teased.

“I already have.” He admitted easily.

“And the man survived?” Benn whistled lowly sliding into their circle.

“If he doesn’t lose the arm to infection, he’ll be fine.” Scoffing he glared at the redhead. “Your little idiot came to the Grand Line without a doctor.”

Both men winced.

“Wait, wait. You challenged him here? You’ve seen Luffy’s crew.” Shanks looked alarmed and suspicious.

“We had dinner. Their chef makes a delicious baked salmon.” He waved a hand airily as if it were normal behavior for him to casually visit with rookies.

Benn and Shanks both narrowed their eyes and Yassop was coming over as well. Damn it. He’d meant to imply a meeting in the East Blue so they didn’t ask about the kids. Oh well. At least he could establish his claim now that Shanks admitted he didn’t want contact.

“You met my boy? How’s he doing?” Yassop leaned in eagerly. “He’s not as small as he looks in this picture is he?”

“He’s tiny. And loud.” Mihawk watched impassively as Shanks cracked up laughing while Yassop sputtered.

“Oy, oy, tell us more about Anchor’s crew!” someone shouted from the crowd of shameless eavesdroppers.

“They are young.” He nodded once as if that concluded his assessment and watched as the crew waited for more.

After a long pause they fell over themselves talking at once and demanding more information. He caught Benn’s eye roll and exasperated look. This crew was just too easy. Shanks laughed loudly. Mihawk let the crew make fools of themselves in a desperate bid for more information as he sipped his drink and offered small tidbits at a time. One of the cleverer crew brought out a rather good bottle of wine which was a quality bribe, enough to get him in a sharing mood.

It wasn’t until he was leaving that Benn got his revenge.

“You know, if you’re looking to lay claim on the crew, you might want to make sure Anchor’s brother hasn’t called dibs.”

“Brother?”

“Firefist Ace dropped by to visit us once on his little brother’s behalf.” Benn smirked as his eye twitched.

“Whitebeard’s new son?”

“Yeah, that one.”

“…I hate you.”

“Thanks for visiting.” The dry dismissal was a taunt.

Papa Hawkeye meets Big Brother Ace

At Sea, New World, not long after Drum Island made the paper

“So, you think your brother is dying?” he aimed for neutral but some of his concern leaked over.

“Mm hm.” Ace nodded and swallowed his mouthful. “Luffy doesn’t break promises, so something drastic had to happen to get him to leave home early. The most likely scenario is that Luffy felt he would be unable to keep another promise if he stayed. I think he must be dying, and he doesn’t expect to live through his seventeenth birthday. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me.”

“That’s rather troubling.” He sipped at his wine. “It would explain some of his more erratic behaviors. I was concerned when his crew did not have a doctor. They assured me it was a top priority, but it was still a shock to hear they made it to Drum Island so quickly. It should have been impossible on the route they chose. They must have had an Eternal Pose, but Drum would be an odd choice for that…”

“Except Drum’s famous for its doctors.” Ace sounded grim.

“Mihawk, please. Don’t feed into this paranoia.” Marco begged as he approached them.

“It’s not paranoia! I’ll admit there’s possibly other reasons Luffy may have for doing this, but that doesn’t exclude the possibility my baby brother is…” he choked up.

“I’ll check in on them again.” he reassured the other man, reaching out to squeeze Firefist’s shoulder. “Perhaps they were able to find something in Drum.”

Marco made choking noises and he glared in that direction. Mihawk ignored him. If the flaming chicken didn’t want to take this seriously, he could leave. These children had too much potential to see them blaze out. Most warriors were hardened by loss, like a blade forged, but some shattered. It was only logical to ensure his young rival Roronoa wouldn’t break with the death of his captain. The cheerful lad with the straw hat was also worthy of some extra attention. If it was true that time itself was an issue, perhaps they would agree to some training in transit. He mused for a moment over the logistics of weapons training at sea.

“No one is dying!” Marco exclaimed.

Both dark haired men glowered. The blond threw his arms in the air.

“Fine! Fine. You just want to be sure. I get it.” The Phoenix sighed heavily.

“Ah, Phoenix, one thing before you go, I heard a rumor you might wish to share with your father…”

“A rumor?”

“About floating islands near the East Blue.”

“Floating islands?” Ace questioned. “Like sky islands?”

Marco’s face looked grave as he took the message seriously.

“Floating ships as well.”

“Near the East Blue? I’ll let him know.”

“Thank you. I’ve told Red Hair as well, but… Well, hopefully it’s nothing.”

“Hopefully.”

“Are either of you going to stop being cryptic and tell me what’s happening?”

Neither man did. Marco nodded again and walked away quickly. Mihawk leaned back and nibbled delicately at a skewer.

“Tell me more about Luffy’s crew. You said he picked up an impressive swordsman, what about the rest of them?” Ace pulled out a stack of bounty posters.

Jinbei and the King

Fishman Island, Ryugu Kingdom, Sea Floor

“King Neptune-sama, thank you for seeing me.” Jinbei greeted kneeling.

“It is a pleasure as always Jinbei jamon.” King Neptune smiled brightly. “Now come, you made things sound dire indeed with these closed-door meetings. What is on your mind old friend?”

“I need to speak with you about something that will affect the whole kingdom.” He took a breath and met the eyes of his king. “It is a selfish request I have for you. One that you may deny or postpone without hard feelings from me. You would have good reason for doing so.”

“Jinbei, in all our years, you have never come to me with a personal request. What has you so disturbed?”

“I am considering leaving the Warlords,” he weighed each word heavily. “My King, this is so selfish of me. My reasons for joining the Warlords remain unchanged: protection for our people, a shelter for former slaves to remain free, the opportunity to make closer relations between human and fishman... The government promised these in our contract. It hasn’t been perfect, but our people have been able to grow a bit stronger. Our alliance with the Whitebeards remains solid. What I want may jeopardize a large part of that, and yet, I wish to break ties with the Government and leave their sponsorship. I value this country and my people too much to take such actions without consulting you, My King.”

“Jinbei, you were a soldier here for many years. You left my service with full honors to join Fisher Tiger with those freed slaves as a pirate in order to keep those people safe from the hunters of Mariejois. Your work as a Warlord has done much to advance the social status of our people on Fishman Island. Your impeccable honor has earned you accolades and titles. ‘Knight of the Sea’ jamon.

“I’ll admit I am surprised you have decided to leave your post now, jamon. Something serious must have changed for you, my friend, but you don’t have to explain your reasons.” The large merman held up a hand to keep him from speaking. “You have always made choices for the sake of others. Let me do the worrying for our people now. You have more than earned the right to consider your own needs, jamon.”

“The Reverie is this year. I don’t want to reflect poorly on our people. The petition…”

“Do not worry yourself about the Reverie. We have already declined to attend this year. You know as well as I do that the petition hasn’t gained the proper support among our people. Perhaps in another four years we can try again. That is more than enough time to recover any loss to our reputation. The human world has short memories.”

“You know it is not that simple…”

“Ah, but it is!” the king laughed. “You have my blessing Jinbei. Go and be free, jamon! Let your king worry about the kingdom.”

“Thank you.”

Soul King

Florian Triangle, Paradise

Brook caressed the ivory keys as he contemplated his next song. He closed his eyes- ah but I have no eyes! – and listened to the sharp pitch as he tested a note. Humming softly he plucked out a new melody. Everything was soft here. The fog was oppressively muffling. Stifling. Not like the freedom of the open sea. Not like the wind in his afro and the sound of waves he imagined from his past – future – Brook hummed louder to drown out those thoughts. He had work to do. No time to think. He had a song to compose and a battle to prepare for.

He didn’t look around the deck. He couldn’t look at fallen friends or the filthy deck. He didn’t look at the space he’d cleared or the preparations he was making in anticipation of a boy king – not a dream, he can’t be a dream.

Brook didn’t look. He played. Deep in the Florian Triangle, on a ship where the sun could not reach, he played against the stiffing fog. Each note more defiant as he pressed his very soul into the music. He wasn’t alone. He could never be alone again. He wasn’t just Humming Brook, he was Soul King, musician of the Straw Hat Pirates! Even if he was on his own, he would never be alone, because his crew would always come for him!

Brook wept and raged and played his heart out. (Although he had no heart!) The piano was suppressed by the dense fog, but the wordless voice carried an echoing song across the sea.

Chapter 23: Adventure and Robin

Chapter Text

.

“Strawhat Pirates Invade Kingdom, Attack King, and Steal Treasure”

“We did what?” Luffy frowned as Nami read off the headline.

“I don’t remember invading.” Zoro frowned.

“I mean… you kind of did.” Vivi interjected softly. She flushed pink as they looked at her. “You forced your way through their border guard, then attacked their troops.”

“Right as always Vivi-chan!” Sanji beamed at her.

“Were they really troops though?” Usopp mused aloud.

Zoro shrugged.

“I don’t remember stealing treasure either.” Nami protested. “It doesn’t even say what we stole. I can’t believe we left behind the gold.”

“We stole Chopper.” Luffy declared. “That’s the best treasure they had.”

“Aww. Stop it. I’m not flattered or anything by your praise. Shut up.” Chopper danced a bit.

“That’s true.” Nami sighed looking teary eyed as she added, “we should have thought to raid the treasury. I didn’t even get to see what they had! What was I thinking?!”

“It’s okay Nami.” Luffy reassured. “Crocodile had lots of gold you can steal from in Arabasta.”

“What?!” Vivi looked alarmed.

“It’s okay. Crocodile is a pirate. We can steal from him, and it won’t be raiding your kingdom.” Luffy reached over to pat her head. “We don’t steal from friends.”

“What?!” she repeated.

“He has a giant gold crocodile on his casino, right?” Nami’s eyes flashed with bellies.

“That won’t fit on the Merry!” Usopp argued. “Be reasonable!”

“We can make it fit!”

“It’s too big and too heavy.”

“You haven’t even seen it!”

The bickering was cut off as Sanji interjected with smoothies (and a kick to the sniper’s face, hastily ducked).

XXXxxx

The sun was shining and it was unusually calm for the afternoon. Almost everyone was out on deck enjoying the good weather. Usopp settled in a quiet corner with his toolbox, tinkering happily as he enjoyed the sounds of the sea.

“Shut up old man!” Luffy snapped, the sharp tone clear across the deck.

Usopp snapped to attention, fingers freezing where he was fiddling with a new invention. He could sense the others focused on the scene in an instant. Vivi on the rails and her captain of the guard standing nearby, Luffy looking angry.

“You don’t tell her to stop” Luffy reprimanded in a serious tone.

“It’s dangerous for a princess to-”

“She’s not a princess on my ship. She’s free here. Vivi can do anything she wants. If she wants to stand on the rails or climb the ropes or fish for sea kings that is her freedom. She can do that here. You don’t get to tell her no.”

“Luffy-san, it’s okay,” Vivi attempted to intervene.

“It’s not and I won’t have it. I’m the man who will be Pirate King. The freest man alive and I won’t have you here making rules and stopping Vivi from having her fun and freedom. She can be your princess when you’re back home on land. She doesn’t have to be that here. So stop making her sad, and go away.” Luffy pointed sternly.

“That’s not what I-”

“I said go.”

The wind billowed fluttering his vest like a cape, tugging the brim of his hat down to shade his eyes. Not for the first time Usopp wondered if the forces of nature bent to his captain’s will just to add extra drama to moments like this. Igaram certainly bent, giving a low nod and walking away at a brisk clip.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Vivi spoke softly.

“Vivi wanted to watch the sea.”

“Yes, but he was right. Standing on the rails is risky. I could have sat down.”

“Nah. Sometimes you just have to look.” Luffy hopped up on the railing, the rigging between them, held on with one hand and gazed into the sea.

After a moment Vivi turned, practically hugging the rope ladder, and stared out into the water. The wind caught her hair and she smiled. It was small, but it was the bright, wild smile Usopp remembered. Their feral pirate princess. The one from Before who ran carefree around the ship, played games and sang songs and hauled ropes at their side. His breath caught. Luffy had no way of seeing it, the way he was turned, but he must have known. Merry crested a wave and dropped down with a splash of glittering sea spray. Luffy laughed and Vivi joined in. Usopp grinned big enough to hurt his cheeks and returned his attention to the tiny screws he was tightening. The crew went back to their tasks and the steady noises of the ship resumed, but the laughter didn’t stop.

XXXxxx

Chopper had missed his friends so much! He had not missed chasing them around the ship with bandages.

“Stop that Zoro! Just because I cleaned up your arm doesn’t mean you can go back to your exercises! It needs to rest for at least one more week. Zoroooo!”

.

“Hold still Usopp! You don’t need stitches but you do need this bandaged! That explosion was serious!”

“Aw Chopper, it’s part of the process. The Great Inventor Usopp has created thousands of marvels and-”

“Hold still I said!”

.

“Luffy that’s poisonous! Spit that out! Someone call a doctor! … Oh, wait. I’m the doctor. … Drink this.”

.

“You seem to be a very accomplished medic,” the curly haired Captain of the Royal Guard commented.

“Shut up. Your praise doesn’t make me happy at all!” Chopper danced in place subtly.

“Are you training to be a doctor?”

“Wha? I am a doctor!” he bristled. “I specialize in diagnostic medicine and disease, but I’ve got basic training in all fields of medicine and recently worked with Doctorine to improve my surgery skills.”

“Ah… I didn’t mean to offend Dr. Chopper! I didn’t realize you’d completed your studies. You seem very young!”

“I suppose I am only thirteen.” He forgave the human with a wave. “I suppose you couldn’t have known that, but I’ve been studying medicine for years now.”

“If I may ask? Who is this Doctorine you studied under?”

“Oh! Doctor Kureha. She was my mentor on Drum!”

“Doctor K-kureha? The Doctor Kureha?”

“I only know the one.”

“O-oh. Right. Naturally.”

Chopper edged away from the strange human before a thought struck him. “Are you ill? You seem a bit flushed. Let’s get you out of the sun and sitting down.”

.

“How are you doing, Chopper?” Nami cuddled him. “These morons seem to be keeping you busy.”

“It can’t be helped. Logically we are all older and more mature but biologically speaking our brains are underdeveloped and full of chemicals and hormones that affect our judgement and reasoning skills.”

“Wait, really?” she released him.

“Mmhmmm. I noticed it in myself a few weeks ago. My impulse control and decision-making capabilities are impaired in a way that correlates to my physiological age. It makes sense based on the way that my body has responded to our … displacement. I seem to have retained memories and experiences, but my actual physical age is that of a juvenile. Studies of the human brain indicate that age and chemical responses more than intelligence dictate brain development. It is why certified geniuses are still considered children. Knowledge and understanding don’t necessarily lead to sound judgement.”

“That’s… Oh my goodness Chopper! No wonder… ack… we should tell the others!”

“Oh, you think?” he gave her a nod. “I’ll do that then!”

XXXxxx

“Wait, the little racoon dog is an actual doctor?” Mr. Nine discarded a card.

“Yes, it appears he is. If his qualifications are honest, he must be incredibly skilled.”

“I think he’s a reindeer.” Vivi hummed as she took her turn.

“Is he?”

“What did you mean about his qualifications?”

“He claims to have trained under the world-famous Dr. Kureha. She is known to reside on Drum Island but to my knowledge she hasn’t published in years. It was thought that she might have left the country when King Warpol, ahem, ma-ma maaa, the King issued new regulations limiting the practice of medicine in the country.”

“You mean when he exiled most of the doctors in the country.” Mr. Nine sneered.

“I still don’t understand those laws. It doesn’t seem to be helping his people to limit access to medical professionals. What happens in an emergency?” Vivi frowned.

“I don’t think he issued the orders with his people’s interests in mind, princess.” Ms. Monday spoke gently.

“What?” Vivi looked up from her cards shocked. “But why else…”

Her companions looked uncomfortable.

“Remember your lessons, my dear. Controlling access to a resource makes that resource both more valuable and creates a dependence on the source. Ahem. Ma-ma maaa! The ethical ramifications for doing this with medical resources are… not pleasant… but King Warpol rules his country very differently than Arabasta. There are many reasons our country does not do trade with Drum, despite our relatively close proximity.”

Vivi hummed thoughtfully and chewed her lip. Mr. Nine and Ms. Monday were silent. She opened her mouth to ask another question, but cards went flying as Usopp and Luffy rolled off the upper deck and fell into their game. She laughed at the tangle of limbs which Nine found himself in. There shouts of surprise and general chaos for several minutes. The game was unrecoverable and Igaram was huffing quietly. She watched the pirates sort themselves out.

“Tag!”

“Luffy! We weren’t even playing tag!”

“We are now! Chopper play with us! Usopp’s it!”

Chopper squeaked and ran for the stair.

“Hey!”

“Vivi! Knife! Hair guy! Better run!”

“We’re not…”

Vivi lunged to her feet and ran for it. There was no point in cards anymore anyways. She laughed at Usopp’s face as she darted by.

“Oh, I’m going to get you all!”

XXXxxx

~Interlude~ the life of a Den Den Mushi

Dog was a good snail. He could understand the numbers and catch the signals of his brother snails from very far away and even under the sea. His trainer had been very proud of his performance, and he could feel the joy from that human every time he made the connection correctly and did the faces just right. Dog liked to do the faces.

Dog was a good snail but his fishman was very rough. Dog did not like it when his fishman was rough and spent a lot of time in his shell. Dog did not want his shiny buttons or talk piece crushed. His fishman did that once and Dog had to wait and wait for a new talk piece. There was no good food for Dog when he was waiting. The fishmen who were almost-his-but-not thought bad thoughts about him when he was ‘broken.’ Dog was not Dog then.

Dog became Dog when the almost-his human took Dog to meet more humans. Dog was a good snail. These humans had happy thoughts about Dog. They thought pleased thoughts when Dog made the connection and did the faces. Dog was a good snail for his new humans.

Dog liked the human with yellow fuzz who made the good food. Dog liked the Luffy who made a hat on Dog’s shell. Dog liked his hat. It made everyone feel happy-proud-positive when they could see it. Dog liked that the stick-faced boy talked to Dog when Dog was out of his shell. Stick-faced boy would talk even if he didn’t need a connection! He talked to Dog! His new people talked to Dog a lot. They each had names, but it was tricky. Humans changed their shells often and only Luffy told Dog his name directly.

Today Dog was going to an Island. He was going to Explore. Dog would be a good snail. Maybe his new humans would make a connection! Dog could do the faces! If not, maybe, maybe Dog could just be with his humans. Dog wanted to try.

XXXxxx

“Can I go with you?” Vivi asked tentatively as the captain scooped up his ‘pirate lunchbox’ and bounced towards the bow of the ship.

“Shishishi! Sure! Got a lunch?”

“Oh yes. Sanji-san packed mine already.” She gave a little pat to her bag as she followed him to get a better look at the approaching island.

“Let’s go!”

“W-wait!” she was already airborne, shrieking and clinging to the rubber boy as he launched them towards the tree line. Laughter rang in her ears and her heart pounded rapid fire. Vaguely she could hear an alarmed cry from her friends fading as they quickly approached land.

Luffy did something to twist as they crashed to the ground, and they bounced into a gentler sprawl than she expected.

“You can’t just throw people like that!”

“Shishishi sorry Vivi!” he didn’t sound apologetic at all and just grinned brightly at her. “Let’s go! I smell meat!”

She was forced to chase after him as he sped off in the direction of loud music. She caught glimpses of flower garlands and banners as they raced through the cobbled streets. It seemed like some kind of celebration. Smiling in anticipation Vivi skipped after the captain. It wasn’t a bad start to a nice distracting adventure. Just what she needed.

XXXxxx

Vivi wasn’t quite sure how they ended up like this. She was covered in yellow powder and more flowers than she could count. Luffy looked like a beach ball where he sat by the fountain being brought platters of food by indulgent locals.

“Fair maiden, the splendor of the day pales in comparison to your radiant beauty!” Sanji flirted shamelessly as he dished up yet another colorful treat for a passing lady.

There was some kind of cooking competition going on. Vivi honestly couldn’t tell if it was part of the usual festivities or if the ship cook had sparked some kind of rivalry in the few hours they’d been ashore. The competition was fierce either way. She had no idea so many flowers were edible!

“…and the Great Usopp stood firm before the hoard and lifted his weapon, firing fast and furiously, taking out a hundred men in a flash!”

She wiggled past the growing crowd of listeners looking around for the others.

“I’ll take a sixty percent discount!”

“Sixty?”

“Okay, sixty-five!”

Nami already had the man sweating and Mr. Nine looked terrified. Her partner (former partner?) was already staggering under the weight of boxes and bags from her previous purchases. Vivi guiltily ducked out of view so she wouldn’t get roped into that work too. He should have known better than to shop with Nami if he didn’t want to carry things.

“Oh Chopper!” she was relieved to find the little doctor in the mix.

“Vivi! Come try the lavender ice cream! It’s amazing!” he wiggled a cone at her.

Several locals blinked in shock or cooed at him as he moved. Vivi found herself laughing as she was introduced to a new sweet. There was music playing on every corner and she let the reindeer tug her to one of the performances, watching stary-eyed as they played and danced in the street.

Somewhere her other friends were probably wondering what happened to her. For now though Vivi was fourteen and on an adventure. She’d somehow managed to save a sacred temple cat, prevent bandits from sabotaging a feast, learn the backstory of the two lovers who sparked the festival tradition and the family that carried on the legacy, and there was the bit with the fire she still didn’t understand. She was a complete mess and covered in flowers. Vivi had never felt so free. She finished her ice cream and pulled Chopper into the spinning dance, laughing as he blushed and wiggled along with her.

XXXxxx

The sea was brisk and cheerful, as if it knew they were heading towards good things. Luffy hugged his special seat as Merry bobbed in the waves. Hat flapped against his back happily.

“Luffy you idiot! You better not fall in!” Sanji snapped at him without any bite.

Luffy ignored his cook cheerfully as he watched the horizon.

“Stop flirting with Wednesday, sh*t cook, she’s lifting!” the familiar sounds of fighting started up.

The wind roared in his ears, and he hummed a shanty.

XXXxxx

Arabasta, a couple months ago…

Robin always had a good memory. She had a mind for history, easily memorizing dates and times, names and places. So when she woke up to the scent of spices and perfume, she knew exactly where she was. When she slipped out of the oversized bed and picked an outfit out of a gilded wardrobe, she had a fairly good idea when she was too. Afterall, she’d only owned this skirt for three years and her current haircut had only overlapped that by one year. Humming softly in thought she wandered down to one of the casino restaurants where they jumped to bring her food and newspaper. She was unsurprised to read the date was five years past.

“How curious.” Sipping her tea, she skimmed the articles. “Perhaps we died.”

She considered the possibility as she sipped her coffee. She turned over the idea of an illusion or mind control device. She briefly contemplated eldritch monsters with mental immersion abilities that might be feasting on her brain as she explored a fantasy realm of some kind.

Nico Robin probed her own memories and thoughts and dismissed most of her theories. There was very little reason to choose here and now for any deliberate mind games. She finished her breakfast and slid to her feet gracefully. She was clearly time traveling and therefore had her usual Monday morning meeting with Sir Crocodile coming up. Being flung five years into the past was no excuse for poor punctuality.

The question remaining of course, was if she was the only one.

“Positively chilling really.”

The thought brought her none of the delight she typically found in dark humor. Time travel was a curious thing. She heard many theories over the years many of which revolved around theories that a single change could cause death, destruction, world ending calamities. The idea of changing something that could lead to a change in her crew, when she finally had a family… She paused as she passed a mirror adjusting a cowboy hat on her head. She didn’t much care for the idea of time loops or predestination either.

There was a captain she sailed with, long long ago, who had a saying: take what you want, give nothing back. A pirate motto if she ever heard one. Ms. All Sunday smiled at her reflection. She wanted to be a Strawhat and to fulfil her dream to know the lost history. Everything else was incidental. She had two years before Luffy was due in Arabasta, less if things went her way.

Take what you want.

She most certainly would.

In a different set of circ*mstances Crocodile would be one hell of a captain. She could admire the way he pulled together different personalities and talents to make effective and efficient teams.

Ultimately though, his ambitions were ill timed and overreaching. If the man really wanted the Utopia he advertised to his followers, he could have picked a different island and easily ruled. There were dozens of islands on the Grand Line with terrible rulers or even no rulers, that would be happy to have a Warlord take control. Crocodile was good to his people. As good as any pirate could be. Unfortunately, the lure of a secret weapon was too much. Crocodile was selfish enough to throw a good country into turmoil and waste a thousand lives or more doing so.

Not that she could blame him for being selfish. He was a pirate. And in hindsight he never invited them to join his crew. Baroque Works was always an organization. She couldn’t find fault in a pirate using resources he had. It was a pity, really, that he ended up in Arabasta. So much work for no reward. She could almost regret what she was about to do. Almost.

XXXxxx

The Going Merry docked smoothly and while they received a few nervous glances at their flag, there was no confrontation. Sanji watched from his perch on a rail as various sailors and spies scrambled to spread the word. Some were obviously marked with Baroque Works insignias, others less obvious but clearly with the same organization. There were some expected runners like the one who was clearly an Arabasta guard, and a marine in uniform, others were unknown. He made eye contact with Usopp who nodded.

The lovely Ms. Monday was hiding in the bunks along with Vivi, and the guys were doing the same. He’d be quick about getting them disguises.

His head shot up suddenly as a familiar figure appeared on the docks.

XXXxxx

Nami really shouldn’t have been surprised when Robin showed up at the pier. They’d passed a handful of Baroque Works ships, but no one was particularly interested in them more than any other bounty hunters typically were. Docking at their first port in Arabasta and spotting the familiar raven hair made her laugh out loud.

“What is it?” Chopper asked from nearby looking over at her.

“Look but don’t say anything.” She pointed.

“Oh!” Chopper bounced and looked like he wanted to call out. “Why not say anything?!”

“She might still be undercover. We have to be discrete until we know how safe the area is.” Nami reminded the little reindeer.

She looked to her captain to give him the same reminder but Luffy was practically vibrating in place and grinning at everything but the direction Robin was in. She hummed in satisfaction and began preparing for shore leave. Zoro was making himself comfortable against the mast to keep “watch” while they ran their errands.

She watched with the others as Robin sauntered over to a warehouse and disappeared inside. The door was left open, just a crack. Probably. It was impossible to be certain from this angle. It seemed like a pretty big invitation though. From the way Luffy was bouncing the captain thought so too.

Sanji was sliding off the upper rail, the tap of his toe betrayed his anxiety and anticipation. Usopp was near the bow checking with Luffy for any final orders before they separated. Nami wished suddenly that she hadn’t promised Vivi a girl’s day. There was no way Robin would approach her when she had the princess with her. Disappointed in the realization Nami grumbled a bit as she began passing out allowances.

It was going to be a long day. If she was lucky, Robin would sneak onboard and she could still see her tonight. Nami had never felt less excited about shopping in her life.

XXXxxx

Robin wasn’t surprised when Luffy raced into the warehouse with all the subtlety of a hippopotamus. She’d already sent the workers elsewhere. She smiled as Luffy literally wrapped her in a hug, rubbery arms looping around them several times.

“Captain!”

“Robin!”

She leaned into the embrace for a long while until Luffy released her. Holding him at arm’s length, she took in his youthful appearance. He was fresh faced and mostly unscarred but even more, he still had the soft edges of childhood. His cheeks were slightly rounded and his limbs not quite proportional as he finished a growth spurt. His eyes still held a familiar maturity, the weight of responsibility balanced with the endless optimism and determination that others may mistake for a carefree attitude.

“You are looking youthful Captain-san.”

“Shishishi. You look young too.” He grinned. “Not like Usopp though, he looks like a baby. He’s shorter than me!”

“He must hit a late growth spurt.” She gave a small laugh.

“Nami looks real young too. She hasn’t grown her girl parts yet.”

“Captain!” she scolded mouth dropping open. “You can’t just say things like that!”

“What?” he tipped his head to the side looking honestly confused. “She still has growing like Usopp does is all.”

“You shouldn’t talk about a woman’s ‘girl parts’ in such a way.”

“Sanji talks about girl parts all the time.” He argued.

“Sanji gets hit all the time too.” She reminded him.

“Oh, that’s true.” He looked thoughtful. “Anyways I didn’t come to talk about that.” He waved a hand through the air and looked at her with a mischievous expression. “Robin, join my crew!”

She tossed her head back with a full laugh. She’d seen him recruit before. She never thought she’d be on the receiving end of such a blunt invitation. Not when she’d recruited herself at the start. Tears sprung to her eyes, surprising her.

“Yes! Take me to the sea with you!” she echoed words from their past. “Captain Luffy, I’d be honored.”

“Robin!” he lunged, wrapping her in another hug as they laughed together.

She curled around him sinking to the floor. Her miniature captain held her just as tightly. She was grateful that their alterations to the timeline hadn’t ruptured the space-time continuum or unraveled the fabric of the universe. She really missed her crew. She was so glad he was here!

“As much as I’d like to set sail today, I have unfinished business here.” She grabbed her backpack and pulled out a folder. “I’ve been collecting evidence against Crocodile. I have enough here to clean up the rebellion and exonerate the King. It would be enough for the World Government to strip him of his title as Warlord.”

“I still want to kick his ass. I won’t let him wiggle out of this. The marines have a history of covering up things they don’t like. I won’t let him walk away after what he planned with Vivi’s country.”

“I would expect nothing less.” She offered a small smile. “He should be at his casino if you fancy a trip. Did you want to see the Princess home first, or send her off with this information? Once the King sees this, he will move to arrest Crocodile. This country is not yet on the brink of war.”

“I guess it isn’t.” He frowned, brows scrunching together. “I think we show this to Vivi. It would probably be smart to split and meet up later, but I hate splitting the crew right now. Zoro says I’m clingy. He’s right about that for sure. Maybe I could send Sanji, and Nami with Vivi. That would be good. Then Usopp and Chopper can stay with Merry. Zoro, you and me can go kick Crocodile’s ass!” He furrowed his brow. “Unless you want to go with Vivi or stay with the Merry. I guess I’m not sure which bit of business you want to see finished.”

“I’d like to see this information into the Princess’ hands, and then I would like to go with you to finish with Crocodile. I would like to give him a proper resignation and goodbye before you do your ass kicking.”

“Good. That sounds great!”

“Will you take this to the Merry and wait for the Princess? I can’t go so close to the docks. There are watchmen who would take note.”

“Of course I will Robin!”

XXXxxx

Sanji was off the ship seconds behind Luffy and it took every inch of willpower not to follow the bouncing bastard to see the beautiful Robin-chan. He had a mission. He slipped quickly through the stalls searching for clothing. He needed to fetch disguises so the ladies could go shopping. The radiant Ms. Monday was counting on him!

Arabasta’s marketplace was hot and busy as he expected. The smells of perfume and spices drowned out the sweat but not the camels. He flirted with a buxom young sales lady and paid more than Nami suggested for the outfits he selected, but the beauty insisted on the quality! He couldn’t cheat her when she’d worked so hard!

He hummed, lovestruck, as he wandered back up the dock. So many beautiful ladies! They were so mysterious in their wraps and scarves, smelling sweetly of perfumes… He sighed heavily.

“Hey Mister, is this the Going Merry?” someone called as he passed the end of the pier.

Sanji looked over, inhaling smoke as he eyed the man. He gave a slow nod and watched the worker change from anxious to relieved.

“Thank goodness! I thought you weren’t due in until next week, but your warehouse is almost full! Can you sign for your goods?”

Sanji couldn’t think of anything they would have in a warehouse, but then again Robin had been here for months. Or maybe it was a government trap? No. He couldn’t think of any reason why the government might try something like that. Did they even know the name of their ship? It had to be Robin, right?

“…bring it to the pier. I want to inspect everything before it comes onboard, and we might need to rearrange some of our stores before we load.”

The man was already nodding and gesturing at some other men down the boardwalk. Sanji huffed and hopped back on the ship. His curiosity turned to excitement as he remembered his mission.

“Laaaay-deeeesssss! I brought you some new outfits!” he danced in front of their door until Nami retrieved the shopping bag and slammed it back in his face. He drooped a bit at the lack of greeting. “Alas. I will await you here my darlings! There are some pastries in the bag for you!”

“Oy Cook-san!” Mr. Nine hissed from the boy dorm doorway. “Did you get ours as well?”

“Yeah here.” Sanji tossed the bag in his face, uninterested.

With the girls settled and changing he went back to the rail hoping for another glimpse of the elusive Robin-swan. He sighed and smoked. What a day.

Chapter 24: Arabasta Part 1

Chapter Text

.

There was something about the air. It wasn’t dry exactly, not this close to the sea. The warm breeze had a weight to it. The sun was more intense, as if she could feel the weight of it on her head and shoulders. Vivi sighed and tipped her head back to feel it on her face. She was home.

The port was smelly and crowded. Nami demanded they go to a perfume shop first thing. Miss Monday examined the hair oils as Vivi selected a familiar fragrance. Vivi allowed the other girls to drag her around. It was a perfect day to just enjoy her country.

Except... Except she could see the signs of her people struggling. Even here in the trade port with all its rich merchants, belts were tight around loose clothes. She couldn’t help noticing the way everyone was a little too thin, a little too worn out. They passed a well with a full service of armed guards. Vivi remembered the days when a single elder was enough to collect the water toll. Prices were high, especially for crops. Everywhere she could see the signs of persistent drought. It was stifling her country. She was going to fix this. Her people wouldn’t be hungry much longer. Soon, she promised herself. Soon we will stop all of this.

XXXxxx

A glittering oasis away, a golden pyramid topped with a shining banana gator sat in the center of a lake. Far below in the cool shadows the Warlord Crocodile watched as live banana gators swam past a glass wall. He tapped his gold hook on the table as he thought. His plans were coming along smoothly. In another year, maybe two, he’d be sitting on the Arabasta throne with access to phoneglyph and with it the ancient weapon Pluton.

The kingdom was in turmoil. Doubts were growing each day that passed with no rain. The dance powder proved to be an effective tactic. First it worked to frame the king, then it was useful for drawing the rain away, offshore to his circling steam ships. There were plenty of holdouts, naturally. The older generation in particular defended the honor and generosity of their royal family. The unrest was growing though. Impulsive youngsters were already forming a ‘Rebel Army’. His whisper campaign had them dancing like puppets ready to throw down their lives and rally against ‘injustice’ and all that.

Fewer, but no less important, were the greedy opportunists ushered into the ranks of his Billions. Baroque Works was growing rapidly and spreading. Those cut-throats collected the untraceable funds to do as he pleased. They also acted as watch dogs, eliminating the pirates in the area, relaying information from a dozen major islands. All under his control, without ever knowing his name. Crocodile smirked. Soon. Soon it will all be mine.

XXXxxx

A few months ago…

Take what you want…but what did she want? She wanted to be a Strawhat. What did her crew want? They’d want to come sweeping in to save Arabasta for the princess. If they Remembered, they would want to collect the crew and get stronger. If they didn’t… well, she’d invited herself along the first time with no troubles. She could make herself their family once more.

Music played in the casino. It was something lively but longing that reminded her of Brook. She faltered in her steps, looking over at the bright red piano and the man playing.

“Something wrong my dear?” Crocodile rumbled.

“That piano. I think I hate it.” She lied.

“Piano?” he looked over as if just noticing it. “Get rid of it if it’s a distraction. The casino could use new entertainment.” He waved vaguely with his hook.

“Thank you.” She assessed him openly and nodded her acceptance. “You were saying something about Nanohana?”

The Warlord nodded continuing his story about the recent pirate invasion, speaking deliberately loudly to be overheard by local gossips. She played along asking pointedly about the king’s forces. Around them, guests looked at Crocodile like he was a celebrity.

XXXxxx

Now…

Sanji stared in bemusem*nt at the stacks rapidly collecting next to Merry. He had no idea what to imagine from the provisions on the pier. He expected Robin to have anticipated practical things. Robin-swann is so smart! Perhaps she wanted to have all their food ready to go so they didn’t have to go shopping? Maybe books or clothes? He sucked on a cigarette as a man approached him with a clipboard and an assistant started prying open the first box.

“One baby grand piano, red.”

Sanji barely stopped himself from choking as he stepped up to examine the heavily lacquered instrument.

“Look good to you?” clipboard demanded.

“Yes, good condition,” he managed not to stutter.

“Next!”

“Thirty pounds of rice.”

Sanji was a little more confident looking this over and signaling his approval. He eyed the line of boxes and crates wondering what other surprises Robin would have in store for them.

XXXxxx

Luffy inhaled a plate of curry and rice. Then two more for good measure. The food here was so good! He licked the plate and sat back with a sigh, smacking his lips. He was getting antsy. His whole self was uncomfortable and tense. He didn’t like having his crew out of sight like this. It made his heart unhappy. He polished off the plate of deserts and decided to go back to the ship. He had to drop off the mystery folder anyway. He could just peek in on everyone for a minute.

“Hey! You have to pay!”

“Ah. Thank you!” he bowed to the angry man before dashing off.

“Come back here you little brat!”

XXXxxx

Usopp followed Chopper around the market. He was happy to help collect medical supplies and do the talking for his companion. Poor Chopper was drooping in the heat and sneezing at the strong odors. The pair shuffled through the streets and busy stalls. Usopp was a little disappointed in the selection of gears and building materials. It was fine though. He didn’t really need anything more than the hot sauce he’d already grabbed. He shrugged off his anxiety and tried to muster up some enthusiasm for Chopper’s sake.

“Usopp?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we go back to Merry now? I’ve got everything and it smells here.” The reindeer wrinkled his nose.

“Sure!” he agreed immediately.

“Hey kid, pst!”

The pair looked over at the man in the alley He was tall, muscular, and Usopp’s trained eye picked out at least three knives on him easily.

“Hey kid, you want some candy?”

“Candy?!” Chopper perked up.

“Yeah, kid. Free!” He showed off a handful of sweets.

“Oh wow!” Usopp followed his friend into the alleyway.

Chopper squeaked when the man lunged suddenly, trying to grab them. The reindeer danced out of reach as Usopp launched a counterattack.

“The hell? f*ck. Ow.”

It only took a few minutes for the man to fall. Dazed and nearly unconscious the thug didn’t even resist as the sniper tied him up and rooted through his pockets.

“Here Chopper, candy.”

“And it was free!” Chopper giggled.

XXXxxx

Zoro was unsurprised as the crew trickled back sooner than planned. He barely managed a nap at all with the way the sh*t cook was carrying on, stomping all over the deck with boxes and bags. Grumbling, he peeked an eye open, identified the crewmate coming onboard and closed it again. He shifted into a deeper slump against the mast.

XXXxxx

The trip upriver was easy. They were all pouting about Robin, but she promised to join them by the time they reached the section of river between Rainbase and Alubarna. The former Agents were confused about who Robin was but were distracted by the folder Luffy handed over.

“What’s all this?” Vivi asked as Luffy shoved the papers at her.

“Dunno,” he shrugged. “It should help Vivi protect her special people.”

“Wha?” she flipped though the pages, fingers shaking.

“There’re photos! Ma ma maaaa!”

“This is incredible!”

“Why’s there so many pictures of green dirt?” Nine hovered over her shoulder.

“That’s the dance powder!”

“Those numbers are suspicious.” Monday reached for a document.

“Look at those uniforms. They’re trying to infiltrate the royal guard? Why? How?”

Luffy snatched forgotten cakes from Ingram and Nine in quick succession. He tried to grab at Monday’s but Sanji wacked him. Sucking on sore fingers, he whined in protest.

The group shuffled off to a quiet corner of the deck muttering furiously about their plans and the ongoing conspiracy. The Strawhats were having their own issues as they prepared for their upcoming separation.

XXXxxx

They somehow ended up fighting Kungfu Dugongs despite docking in a completely different space. Luffy looked thrilled as he trounced them and proceeded to give a short fighting lesson. Nami didn’t have the heart to call him an idiot. Even if he was clearly an idiot. Sanji clearly sensed her rising irritation because he popped up with cold drinks and complements. Mildly appeased, she set about securing the ship safely. It was going to be a busy couple of days.

“I have the shopping lists!” Nami waved the papers gleefully. “Last call if you need anything.”

“Oy oy Nami!” Luffy waved his hands.

“Not meat.”

“Sanji promised to get me some already.” Luffy waved away the comment. “I need a new coat!”

“We just got jackets in Drum!” she frowned.

“Shishishi. Silly Nami, not a jacket a captain’s coat!” he wiggled a bit. “For when we get serious.”

Nami made an understanding noise. Zoro gave a solemn nod and Chopper went starry-eyed. She smiled softly. It had taken ages for Luffy to see the point of dressing to impress. To see that putting on formalwear or a captain’s coat was anything more than playing dress up. She remembered the heart-thumping pride in Wano when Luffy rejected the samurai costume for a more familiar pirate dress code. Because he was sailing as their captain and going to war amongst allies, and he was proud to stand as the future Pirate King, no matter how cool the other accessories may be.

She honestly hadn’t thought of a coat. Luffy never wore one really before they entered the New World. Those times he did were marked as special events. Dress up occasions. They looked so young now. It was hard to picture him in anything but the familiar vest and shorts. Maybe that, more than anything, was why they needed it.

“I’ll find you the best coat! Count on me, Captain.”

“Of course I do Nami.” Luffy beamed back at her.

“I shouldn’t be surprised you’re planning a shopping trip now.”

“Robin!!” Nami launched herself at the other girl.

“I’ve missed you Nami! I’m very glad to see you weren’t eaten alive by the Sandora Catfish.”

Arms wrapped around her in a tight hug.

“Robin -swannn!” Sanji lurched forward with his own arms open wide and found himself clutching a fleshy bundle of arms. “Every part of Robin-san is beautiful!” Sanji crooned without hesitation as he hugged the devil fruit creation.

“Sanji-kun!” Robin offered a slight twitch of her lips in a barely-there smile.

“Robin!” Chopper and Usopp rushed across the deck leaping into her arms.

“Eh?” Zoro cracked an eye open as if he hadn’t been aware of her presence the whole time. “You’re back then?”

“I am!” She smiled brighter this time.

“’bout time,” the swordsman grunted.

“Miss A-all S-sund-day?” Nine stuttered from the rail, drawing the crew’s attention.

“Robin!” Luffy obliviously crashed into Robin’s side a moment later.

The former Baroques Works Agents stared in shock and horror at the woman on the deck.

“Captain Luffy… do you know who that is?” Vivi demanded, knuckles white as she gripped the wood before her.

“Of course I do!” Luffy smiled brightly.

There was a collective facepalm at his careless response, and Robin chuckled.

“Vivi, Robin is a friend of ours. She’s the one who put together all that information for you.” Nami explained.

“She’s Mr. Zero’s right-hand woman. She practically runs Baroque Works! She’s the only one who’s seen… his… face” her protests trailed off as she thought about it.

“You’ve been spying on the organization too?” Nine demanded.

“Was anyone actually working for Baroque Works?” Monday muttered.

“You’ve been undercover this who- ahem, ma ma maa, this whole time?”

“Not exactly, but I am on your side now, princess, and I intend to use my position to bring down Crocodile before he can commit atrocities.”

Nami watched the group try to come to terms with the new information. Vivi looked at Luffy for a minute before nodding. Ingram looked wary but wasn’t protesting. Monday took her cue from the other two and relaxed her battle stance. After a moment Nine slumped against the rail with a heavy sigh.

“Well at least we have another tough one on our side. That’s good news, right?”

“Unfortunately, I bring bad news.”

“Bad news?!” Chopper quaked.

“Oh no!” Usopp moaned.

“Crocodile-san received news about Whiskey Peak, as I warned you before. When you made your appearance in Nanohana, he summoned all Billions and Millions in the area for this, including a few ships that I thought would be occupied with other tasks. Baroque Works have been alerted to your presence on the river. They’ve been ordered to intercept you with extreme prejudice. I’m afraid there are a number of men willing to commit murder and bring your severed heads to Mr. Zero.” Her lips curved in a dark smile. “There are ships set to intercept you on the river and Billions moving to intercept you from both sides of the river. I’m sorry to say the reason I couldn’t travel with you earlier was because of a meeting at a certain café. There are several pairs of number agents in the country right now, which I was hoping to avoid.”

“We’re not scared of those weaklings!” Luffy scoffed. “We’re going to win. It doesn't matter who comes for us. We'll stop them!”

There was a rumble of agreement.

“Maybe it would be best to part ways here.” Vivi suggested in a shaky voice. “I couldn’t possibly ask you to…”

“Shut up!” Luffy interrupted. “Vivi is stupid.”

“I’m serious Luffy-san! Don’t take this lightly! Mr. Zero, the Warlord Crocodile, the Numbered Agents. Millions, Billions… these people are dangerous!”

“So?”

“So?! So?! Luffy-san, be serious! I don’t understand what you’re getting out of this but… you’ve already done more than I can repay. That folder you gave me. It’s enough to save my father. To save my people. To prevent a civil war.” Tears filled her eyes. “I cannot possibly ask more from you! Thank you! Thank you for all you have given me. My companions and I can find a way to-”

“Eh?” Luffy flicked away a booger. “What are you talking about?”

“I think she wants to go to Alubarna alone?” Usopp pulled his curls into a tight ponytail and adjusted his goggles.

“What for?” The captain looked confused.

“Luffy-san!” Vivi was red-faced at the interruption.

“Ma ma maaa! What I think Vivi-sama was attempting to do was assure you that we can take it from here. Your crew has done more than enough already.”

“But why?” Luffy frowned “I haven’t even kicked Crocodile’s ass! Stingy Vivi!”

“If this is your friend, Miss All Sunday, then all of you can go! What she’s given me,” Vivi waved the pages, “what you’ve all given me, is more than enough. I can’t ask more. Please, take your friend and be safe.”

“Vivi” Luffy co*cked his head sideways, “don’t you know? You’re my friend too! I’m not going to leave yet. Not until Vivi’s people are safe.”

“Aren’t you listening?!” her eyes were full of tears. “You could be killed!”

“Yup. But that’s what you do for friends.”

“You put your life on the line.” Nami nodded in agreement.

Vivi looked around at the other pirates all smiling and nodding. Her tears fell and she covered her mouth with one hand. The Strawhats stood together, already armed and ready for the coming fight. She looked around at Monday and Nine who seemed to be just as shocked. Vivi hugged the papers to her chest and nodded back at the assembled group.

"Everyone! Thank you!"

“Okay, let’s go!” Luffy pumped one fist in the air and his crew moved out.

XXXxxx

Luffy clung to Robin and Nami laughing as a giant turtle swam them across the river. Zoro scrambled for footing on the slick shell as he held onto the single chair from behind. It was a short ride, but the turtle was super cool! It even had a hat!

“Sorry Captain, but West can’t join our crew. He doesn’t like adventures very much.” Robin chuckled.

“Aww. Boring. Ne Robin! Have you been having fun? I missed you!”

“I missed you too.” She leaned into his grip. “I’ve mostly been plotting Crocodile’s downfall and planning for your return.”

Luffy made a face. “Sounds like work.”

“It was a nice diversion.”

“We’re here! Let’s go!” Luffy took off at a run.

“Hey! Luffy!!” Nami shouted after him.

XXXxxx

“A giant turtle beast?” Usopp stared after his crewmates for a moment before shaking his head. “Never mind that, you guys be safe now! Chopper and I will protect Merry and keep a lookout here.”

“Well leave it to you then.” Sanji grinned. “I’ll protect the Ladies!”

“We already agreed you’re coming with us to Alubarna. Don’t make it sound like you’re the only one going to fight,” Nine snipped, adjusting his baseball bat.

“Ka-quaaak!” came from the shoreline.

“Karoo!” Vivi brightened as she looked over. “The Supersonic Duck Squad!”

“Qua quack quack.”

“They say they were sent to get you to the palace, fast!” Chopper translated.

The line of unusually large ducks in strange hats bowed to the princess. Vivi was teary eyed as she ran down to greet them. Monday, Nine, Ingram, Sanji each mounted and soon they were off.

“Looks like it’s just us now Chopper! Let’s get away from the shore and anchored where we have more space.”

“Yeah!”

It didn’t take much effort to move the ship. Merry was small and easy to handle. Pulling away from the shore would make it harder to board and would give Usopp free cannon range. He examined the sightlines as the anchor line settled. Chopper finished tying down the last sail and wiped the sweat from his forehead. At Usopp’s thumbs up, the reindeer drooped.

“It’s so hot here.”

“Oy oy, Chopper! Why don’t you go rest a bit in the shade? All that fur is going to give you heatstroke.” Usopp caught him as he swayed.

“We have to keep watch!”

“I’ll take the first watch.” Usopp pointed to his chest with his thumb. “The Great Warrior Usopp will definitely see any enemies before they reach us! You can count on me!”

“Usopppp!” Chopper flailed stary eyed. “Right! I’ll rest up so I’m ready to fight! You can depend on me too!”

Usopp climbed to the crow’s nest and adjusted his goggles. He tried to ignore the wary stares and distrustful grumbling from the citizens around the river. Coming this far inland was not ideal, but the alternative was several days walking through the desert, and they had people waiting for them. He looked across the water to where Robin was being tugged off her turtle and smiled.

It wasn’t a long wait. As Robin predicted, Baroque Works ships were coming. Two from downriver and one from upriver. Three ships would be nothing to any of their monster crewmates, but like this? Usopp trembled even as he called out to Chopper. He laid a hand on the main mast as he prepared to scramble down to the cannon deck.

“Don’t worry Merry, we’ll protect you as best we can. This is going to be a big one.”

Chopper shifted to arm point to haul in the anchor. Usopp double triple checked the cannons which were loaded and ready. Ship cannons weren’t exactly maneuverable but he’d managed to make some minor adjustments. A few degrees would make all the difference without Nami and the others here to adjust the ship’s position. He watched the three Baroques Works ships, shifting from one end of the Merry to the other anxiously. He checked once more and then gave Chopper a confident grin.

“It’s up to us once more, Commander Chopper!”

“Let’s do this Gunner Usopp!”

Usopp judged the two ships would reach them first and settled into position. The crack of cannon fire startled the citizens into screaming along the shoreside, but Usopp held steady. The ship was still too distant. Sure enough, the cannonball missed the Merry by several feet, splashing into the water. Several shots followed the first. Usopp waited, tensing when he saw the first shot in range.

“Guard Point!”

Usopp shifted anxiously, but no crash followed only the clatter of hooves and the splash of a deflected cannonball. Finally the first of the ships was in his range.

“Fire!”

He didn’t wait to see it hit, confident in his aim. He immediately reset the cannon, loading the next charge. He was firing the next round in seconds, the barrel still hot. His third shot was trickier because he had to aim at the second ship, adjusting the cannon position was not easy to begin with and at his size it was worse, but he managed to land a good hit just above the water line that had them scrambling to avoid sinking. Usopp didn’t stay to watch, rushing for the forward cannon to check on the third ship. Chopper was shouting his defensive moves in an increasingly frantic pitch.

The third ship was smarter, coming in fast with full sails. He could see twenty or so men on deck, obviously eager to board their caravel. Usopp took a breath and fired, loaded, and fired again, taking out a cannon deck and smashing through their mast. He wanted to fire a third but instead rushed back to aim the other cannon.

“Yess!” Chopper cheered as the first ship floundered and went down.

Usopp panted and sweat ran down his forehead. He cursed as his fingers burned against the barrel as he adjusted the aim again. Cannon ball in and fired. Move back to the other cannon… He tumbled nose over toes as the ship shuddered. Merry had taken a hit. He couldn’t think of it now as he aimed once more with the forward cannon. His hip ached and he was limping as he ran to take his spot in the crow’s nest.

He took a moment to survey the scene. Wreckage was strewn across the river. Of the two ships coming from downriver, one was blown to bits, but the criminals were swimming their way towards the Merry looking murderous. The second was limping along without any range weapons. Ahead of them, the ship upriver was looking ragged with no mast and several holes. They were a little faster and had managed a quick fix to stop taking on water. The current was moving that ship closer.

Usopp pulled his slingshot bracing and firing at the ship upstream. His shoulders strained. This was so much easier with dial power.

“Firestar! Firestar!”

“Prepare to be boarded!” Chopper warned.

“Lead star! Lead star! Pepper star!” Usopp turned his attention to those attempting to climb on their ship.

“Agggg!” A sudden terrified scream among the swimmers caught Usopp’s attention.

Several river beasts appeared, chasing the Baroques Works agents. They looked like catfish but were big enough to swallow a grown man whole, as one demonstrated. Usopp grinned and cheered as many of the Baroques Works Agents fled towards the shores, completely abandoning the fight. He fired another Firestar at the nearly finished ship.

Chopper was flipping and kicking, knocking enemies overboard as they tried to gain control of the ship. He was breathing heavily and naming attacks less frequently as he struggled to keep up with the invasion. There was a mighty crack and he turned just in time to see the third ship break apart. He didn’t have time to cheer before pistol shots rang out from some brave soul.

“Lead shot!” Usopp put an end to that.

There was more cursing and anger but the agents seemed more interested in getting away from the monsters in the water than confronting them. After a few minutes of chaos, a retreat was called. Chopper panted watching carefully.

“I think we did it, Usopp!” he offered a tired smile to the sniper as he crawled down the rigging.

“Take that you fools! Feel the power of the Mighty Chopper and Super Sniper King Usopp!” Usopp postured boldly. “Remember this next time you challenge the Strawhats: Usopp, Traveler of the Seas, Sinker of Ships, Slayer of Many Foes, Champion of the Rivers, is ready for you!"

Chopper cheered but stopped quickly, grabbing his arm.

“You okay?” Usopp knelt to examine Chopper’s injury.

“Just a cut! Are you injured?” hooves fluttered around as he checked for damage.

“Nah, just need some water and a minute to breathe.”

Chopper nodded his understanding and scrambled to the galley/infirmary. Usopp hoped he’d bandage himself before getting Usopp a drink. He cast his eyes over the shore lines where the Baroques Works agents were already trying to acquire new ships. They looked furious. Usopp checked their position. They really needed to let a sail out and reposition. The current was pushing them slowly back downriver. He also needed to patch up the damage Merry received. Usopp sighed heavily. He also needed to reset the cannons before round two. It took a lot more effort to sink a ship when your crewmates weren’t there to throw/kick/deflect cannonballs back at the enemy.

XXXxxx

Zoro paused and looked left, then right. He hummed as he turned in a full circle.

“Those idiots are lost again, aren’t they?” he heaved a weary sigh. “Well, I guess I’ll have to handle things myself.”

The piles of sand around him didn’t answer.

XXXxxx

“Oy, oy, Why is this taking so long?” Luffy sagged, tongue hanging out as the heat bared down. “It’s so hoootttt!”

“Idiot! It’s a long walk to Rain Dinners and you charged off instead of getting a ride from anyone by the river!” Nami knocked him on the head.

Robin chuckled, “we only have a small amount of water too. Perhaps we’ll become lost and die of dehydration. Someone might find the husks of our corpses.”

“Robin! That’s too creepy!”

“I refuse! I’m not going to die in this stupid desert. That’s it! Let’s go!” he picked up his speed.

“Idiot! We’re already going! Don’t ignore me!” Nami shouted after him. “Take responsibility, damn you!”

“Look! Hey, I found a riiiide!”

“Oh my!” Robin grinned.

XXXxxx

A spray of gunfire made the first Sandora Lizard lurch and collapse with a howl. Robin and Nami cried out, jumping from the beast before it could crush them in its fall.

“Huh?” Luffy pulled on the neck of the giant purple lizard he was guiding.

The oversized lizard monster reared up, its eyes full of tears at the manhandling. Its eyes bugged out at the sight of its dead companion and the rows of bounty hunters now aiming weapons at their group. Luffy adjusted his hat, frowning at the group.

“Hey, hey! What was that for? You’re in our way and you killed our lizard bus!”

“You’re those wannabe pirate brats! I don’t know how you got those Lizards to cooperate, but you’re finished! Surrender peacefully and we won’t kill you. You’re worth thirty percent more alive.”

Guns were co*cked and several of the jerks started laughing. Luffy grit his teeth, irritated.

“Shut up! Who are you calling a wannabe? I’m a pirate for real. I’m gonna kick your asses!”

“Captain,” Robin interrupted, “I’ll take care of this. You and Nami can go on to your fight. I’ll meet you there.”

“You think a girlie like you can handle all of us?” More laughter broke out, “I don’t remember your bounty at all. It’s those kids we want. Now get out of the way or we’ll make you. No one is leaving.”

“They said I’m a wannabe!” Luffy had his eyes narrowed.

“Mm, yes, but they said they don’t remember my bounty at all. That’s worse, isn’t it?”

“Hm, okay, Robin can fight. Nami, come on!”

“Don’t ignore us! I’m gonna kick your heads in you little pricks!”

Sabers were lifted and guns tipped threateningly. One man fired a warning shot. They tried to look menacing, but Luffy was focused on getting Nami on the giant purple sand lizard.

“Oh my, you boys look like you came for a fight.” Robin smirked as she crossed her arms and co*cked a hip. “I’ve got this Captain. You two go on. I need to stretch my arms.”

“I’ll leave it to you, Robin.” Luffy tipped his hat forward and forced the protesting lizard to get moving. “Let’s go!”

“See you soon!” Nami winked and gave a jaunty wave over her shoulder as she matched his pace.

“You think we’re going to let you through?” one of the men started firing at the lizard.

“Clutch!” Robin didn’t change her expression as hands sprouted and twisted bodies out of Luffy’s path. “I said I would be your fight partner. Don’t you know it’s rude to keep a lady waiting?”

The men she hadn’t attacked immediately turned on her rushing forward. Robin met their attack with a flurry of grabbing arms. She moved gracefully through the eerie tangle and off to one side just as someone thought to open fire. Many arms disappeared into petals, but she remained unharmed.

“Now let’s see what I can still do, yes?” She crossed her arms again. “Gigantesco mano! Stomp!”

“What the hell?!” someone cursed as they ran from her creation.

Robin chuckled at the chaos. She dodged as a pair of bounty hunters launched an attack. It took her a few minutes to find the space and concentration to use her devil fruit again. She danced between attackers letting her arms sprout to hold legs, lock arms, and crack spines. She ducked smoothly beneath a blade, and a flutter of arms began choking out the men around her. Her hair swayed with the breeze, momentarily blocking her vision and a foot caught her in the stomach. Knocked backwards, there was a burst of petals as her creations vanished. With them a majority of the fighters also dropped, revealing those who were still conscious in the fight.

“Surrender!”

“Mmmm… no.” Robin sat where she’d fallen and crossed her arms once more. “Treinta Fleur!”

Arms sprouted from each of the men standing. Several tried to run or grab at the appendages.

“Slap!” The echoing noise was quite satisfying.

Rolling to her feet without uncrossing her arms, she clenched her fists, shifting the slaps to choke holds. Soon enough the last of them were dropping. Robin released her power, brushing the hair out of her face as she eyed the group. It was only thirty men, but she felt whipped.

“Thank you, gentlemen, for the practice.” She smiled at the unconscious or whimpering bodies. “One moment more. Delphinium!”

She crossed her arms, blooming a series of hands from the ground, beginning to roll the Billions into neat and orderly lines. She bound their hands, disarmed them, and sighed in relief as she finished the task. She let the last of her blooms fade into petals. Her arms ached and Robin was unhappy at the number of small injuries she’d suffered. She pulled out a roll of bandages, wrapping the mess as she walked. She still had to give Crocodile her resignation. It was a shame her ride was made into mincemeat. She had rather enjoyed riding the monster.

XXXxxx

Screams from startled citizens rang out as they approached the city. Luffy grabbed her and jumped from the Sandora Lizard. Her idiot captain waved at the monster as it fled from his craziness.

“Thanks for the ride!”

“There’s the casino.” Nami dragged him towards the giant pyramid structure in the middle of a lake. “There will be a bunch of security officers and some Baroques Works guys around here.” Nami pointed out as they walked into the casino lobby.

“I don’t care about them.” Luffy dismissed.

“Ay, Luffy, you’re going to go punching Crocodile right away, aren’t you?”

“Yup.” Luffy looked up the stairs meeting the man’s eyes. “I’m going to punch him so hard.”

There was a flash of gold as Crocodile pushed back his fur coat and made a show of adjusting his hook. Nami rolled her eyes at the posturing. At least he wasn’t hiding underground this time.

“Well try to take it outside. I have a casino to raid, and I can’t do that if you smash everything.”

“Shishishi! Of course, Nami!” Luffy touched his hat briefly before stalking forward.

A few guards came out aiming guns. Nami slipped away from the main action immediately. The casino floor was filled with the sounds of slot machines and music in a way that called to her soul. The gamblers had no idea what was about to go down between two powerhouses. She smiled to herself as she prepared for the action to start. There was immediate chaos as soon as shots were fired. She didn’t bother looking back, Luffy wouldn’t even notice the bullets. She ignored the man with tall hair giving directions towards the side rooms and instead started casing the floor. Alarms were going off and the valuables were being locked away. She spun her clima-tact in thought. It would probably be easiest to handle security all at once and then go for the safes. This wasn’t a subtle job now that Robin was gone and Zoro was lost. Oh well.

Her attention was caught by the men attempting to stop her captain. Without the meathead here she’d have to do something about all those guys looking to interfere in the main fight. While she’d been pondering her options, armed guards had gathered in the entryway, blocking the main exit. They were conveniently grouped closely together. She smiled.

“Hmm… it’s important to be aware of sudden weather changes on the grand line. Forecast calls for lightning storms and sudden gusts.” She admired the crack of electricity that took out a dozen guards between herself and the door.

She smiled as Luffy laughed and darted back out the front door, a sandy cloud following at his heels. Slipping past the downed fighters, she closed the heavy doors behind the pair and twisted the lock. She looked around the mostly empty casino with glowing eyes.

XXXxxx

Luffy grinned with all his teeth as Crocodile came out to meet him.

“Crocodile! I’m gonna kick your ass!”

“Is that so?” a gold hook flashed as the warlord gave him a disinterested look. “You made a mess of things, boy. You may have done well making it this far, but I will get rid of you here.”

He flicked a wrist and sand barreled at Luffy. This was going to be great! Luffy dodged tossing a punch behind him as he twisted. The stone fountain cracked, spraying water everywhere. He laughed brightly as Crocodile pulled back.

“Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I’m Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will be the Pirate King!” Luffy launched himself forward with a flurry of damp fists.

Crocodile scoffed as he dodged backwards, spinning himself into sand when Luffy didn’t stop coming. The streets were clear of citizens so it was just empty stone and the sound of flowing water in front of the casino. Luffy eyed the expanse for a moment and launched himself left just as Crocodile began reforming in that direction.

“You have moves, kid, but it won’t be enough.” Crocodile launched his own attack, hook slashing dangerously close.

Luffy knocked it away and managed to grapple him briefly with a flash of Haki. He grimaced at the energy drain when Crocodile immediately broke free.

“Shut up! I’m going to kick your ass for sure.”

“You’ve been lucky so far, but the Grand Line is bigger than a brat like you can handle.”

Sand blasted in his direction and Luffy crossed his arms to keep it out of his face. A flicker of warning and he dodged before a large hand could grab him.

“Don’t tell me what I can’t handle!” Luffy barred his teeth in a violent smile. “I’m gonna make it to the top, and you’re going down sand gator.”

“Arrogant.”

“Nah.” Luffy used his rocket to skip a chunk of stone across the water surrounding the casino. The resulting wave splashed the sandman. He didn’t hesitate to land a handful of punches before Crocodile could move.

The warlord snarled and whipped up a sandstorm that sent Luffy slamming backwards. The building he hit cracked and he crashed through a couple walls. He shook it off already in motion when Crocodile came after him again. They traded moves, neither landing another hit, before they broke apart.

“A puny rookie like you should be no match for me. You won’t be so lucky again.”

“Shishishi! Crocodile! You won’t win this!” Luffy shot forward, “Gear 2!”

This round of punches knocked Crocodile backwards. A spike of sand clipped Luffy as he dodged. The logia wiped blood from his nose as he stood up.

“Clever of you to have figured out my weakness to water. But you’re still just a weak little rookie. That’s not enough to put you anywhere near my level. I have years of experience fighting men stronger than you. You’ll need more than a couple of tricks to get by me.”

“Agh! Are you just going to talk? Who cares if I’m young? I’m strong enough to kick your ass, old man!”

Crocodile narrowed his eyes and tugged at his hook. Luffy grimaced as the hook with the holes appeared. He remembered that trick. Sand gator was using poison. They launched at each other again. And again. And again. Luffy was frustrated with his speed. He knew he could finish this if the bastard would just hold still. He managed a couple solid hits, but Crocodile got a couple scratches in too which was embarrassing. He should be stronger.

“Why are you so determined? With your strength you could join me. Baroque Works could offer you riches, power, ships.” Crocodile offered, stepping back to gain distance, eyeing the cuts.

“I would never join you! Didn’t you hear me? I’m going to be Pirate King! And anyways I don’t like you. This is my friend’s country! I won’t let you ruin it and hurt her people!”

Crocodile rolled his eyes. “Friend? You would really rather fight a warlord for a few peasants? To die for someone else’s goals. People like that are fools. Forget a few friends, save yourself a lot of trouble. It’s pathetic the fuss you’re making. I am going to wipe this country off the face of the world! Better, they will do it to themselves. Desert Spado!”

Luffy dodged as the street was split by a giant sand blade. He growled ferally at the sand bastard.

“Gum Gum Gatling!”

“Sables Pesado”

Dense sand was gathered and thrown setting off a dramatic shockwave. Luffy dodged the mess, eyes on the warlord as he coughed up blood and staggered.

“You’re done Crocodile.”

“I’m just getting started.”

Luffy started to launch forward but had to throw himself backwards to avoid that water-sucking move. He didn’t want to be a mummy, even for a minute.

“You feel it now, don’t you? Even someone like you can’t survive a poison like this. You must be getting tired. Do you feel how your body doesn’t respond to you. You understand, as a pirate, there’s no such thing as ‘playing dirty’. A duel between us has been a fight for survival. Let’s settle this between us.”

“Thanks for the fight, Crocodile. I think I know now what level I’m at. I know I need to get stronger.” Luffy nodded his head and launched a punch.

Crocodile flew backwards and collapsed in a heap. He didn’t get back up. Luffy tipped his head to the side, waiting a moment. Crocodile lay still.

“Ah, I thought you had one more trick. Meh. I guess we’re done.”

Chapter 25: Arabasta Part 2

Chapter Text

.

Nami had done an excellent job of navigating the river, getting them as close as possible to Alubarna. Vivi wasn’t entirely sure how Karoo came to be at the shore but having a ride would make the journey faster and safer. She couldn’t believe she was really back. Months of tracking down the criminal organization, finding a way to get herself recruited, doing dirty jobs, and trying to gather information, and it all came to this. She was heading home. A few more hours, a few more miles, and she’d be able to do something about it.

The Supersonic Duck Squad raced towards the capital city, throwing dust in their wake. Vivi glanced sideways to see Nine grinning delightedly at the pace. He did always have a bit of adrenaline junkie in him. Ms. Monday looked far less thrilled, her teeth clenched and her knuckles white on the reigns. Vivi bit her tongue to keep from laughing. That would be rude. On her other side, Sanji seemed almost bored, easily keeping his seat and scanning the sand dunes for trouble. The blond chef acted like high-speed animal rides were completely normal. Maybe they were for pirates. Nothing about her experience with the Strawhats had seemed normal to her. Ingram looked just as alert as Sanji and his hand kept drifting to where she knew he had a gun.

The group raced onwards. She could only hope they reached their destination soon.

XXXxxx

“Hey, that kid’s one of them, ain’t he?”

Zoro looked over to the voice and found a large group staring back at him. he watched curiously as one of the men flipped through a stack of papers.

“Yeah! That’s Pirate Hunter Zoro, fifteen million belli bounty.”

“For that kid?” the man smiled greedy. “And here I thought we got the sh*tty assignment!”

“Oy,” he interrupted “where’s the casino?”

The bounty hunters stared at him for a moment. One of them started laughing. Zoro loosened his swords.

“Kid, this is Yuba.” The man snickered. “Plenty of hotels, not so many casinos. Perhaps I can show you the way? Just come with me.”

Zoro ignored the idiot, looking around. It didn’t look much like Yuba. The city he could see just beyond the bounty hunters was lively and only a little ragged. He supposed two years could do that, but it was just as likely the bounty hunters were lying. He clicked his tongue and decided to ask someone else.

“Hey, where are you going? That’s the desert! You’re not going to get to Yuba or Rainbase by going that way!” another chimed in.

Zoro shot him an irritated look but when he checked his path he realized that the city moved again. So irritating!

“Where is he going?” another snickered.

“Okay, as funny as this is, get him!” a woman called.

Zoro deflected the first charge easily and launched his own attack. Most of them went down quickly but one pair avoided his blows. He narrowed his eyes as he recognized the man. There was no forgetting hair like that, especially since this man made something he couldn’t cut. Or couldn’t cut then. A vicious grin spread across his face. It would be interesting to see how that wax held up now.

XXXxxx

Sanji threw himself sideways off the bird, tackling the young princess off her mount. The moment seemed to drag out with everyone frozen un wide-eyed horror as they looked back at them. The sharp sound of a gunshot seemed to echo, ringing in his ears. Sanji was already in motion as they hit the ground, getting his feet under himself, scooping Vivi, and tossing her back on Karoo who had only moved a few steps further before skidding to a halt.

“Keep moving!” he barked. “I’ll clear a path and take out the trash here!”

He turned his eyes to the group who popped up around the dunes. He was running forward, too slowly, towards the gunmen. Sanji scanned the dunes: twenty, thirty, more… Guns went off and he followed his senses, stepping where he knew no bullets would be. He grimaced, knowing most weren’t aimed at him. Then he was on them.

The nice thing about enemies lining up on a ridgeline like this was the way they fell down like dominoes. His first kick sent a gunman plowing down the line tangling at least a dozen others. He swept around quickly knocking the closest and sending them flying. The shifting sands were not ideal for his style of combat and the ringing gunfire hadn’t slowed.

“Damn!”

Now on top of the dune, he could see that it wasn’t just a lineup. Behind them were even more Billions (or millions, whoever). There had to be at least a hundred.

“Don’t let them get away!” someone ordered and a group of riders began racing after the ducks.

Sanji kicked up a wave of sand in his wake as he ran to intercept them. He’d promised after all. He had no trouble kicking some camels in the head if it meant they’d stop. The lovely Monday-San was counting on him!

He launched himself into action as his inner strategist analyzed the situation. The setup was good, if positioned a little too north. It put them to the side instead of blocking their path straight on. If they’d come from further upriver, the position they’d chosen would be perfect. Of course, with Nami navigating there was no chance they’d be anywhere but perfectly in line with the city. He wouldn’t be surprised if there were more of these assholes to the south for the same reason. He slammed a foot into a group, sending them rolling down the hillside (dune side?) so that they knocked over even more people.

More gunfire, or maybe it never stopped. His ears were ringing.

“Why do all you bastards have guns?!”

There was a rattling of automatic gunfire and he thew himself down before he registered it was that Ingram bastard. Curls seemed to have decided to join his fight. Sanji focused on the group closest to himself. He used his lower position to kick another sweeping circle. He grunted as pain bloomed along his ribs.

“Lucky shot, you sh*tty bastards!”

He launched himself into a cluster. Slamming the crowd with kicks, he turned their numbers against them. He tossed men into each other and used others as meat shields. They tangled and tripped over each other as he moved through the crowd fluidly, feet flying. He was sweating and his breath was harsh. It was damn hot out.

“Die!” a grunt bellowed unoriginally.

“Go to hell!” He kicked the gun away.

The bastards just kept coming. More than one fell to friendly fire as Sanji moved in and out of their ranks. Sanji cursed as another hit landed, the bullet ripping through him. He was fast but not fast enough. Damn it! He hoped the others made it away. There were camel riders making their way around him, even as he did his best to tangle their forces here.

An explosion broke his focus. He cast a panicked look over his shoulder but it was just Curls. Pain in his shoulder refocused him and Sanji launched another kick course. It was going to be a hellish afternoon. He wanted a cigarette. If these bastards would just ease up a minute! There were far too many just standing around.

XXXxxx

Nami slipped her weapon away and looked around. Her specialty was pickpocketing, which wasn’t an option with all the guests hiding away in other rooms. Still, she’d spent years robbing pirates of their treasure and you didn’t do that pickpocketing.

There would be cash at the chip exchange center but that wasn’t her first choice. No, a casino hotel like this would have a vault. More than one. They probably secured valuables for high roller guests. Things like jewelry and special items. She paused to examine a vase but it was gold plated not solid. Another minute of pacing the floor and she was confident.

Turning to the stairs she made her way confidently towards the first target. She was anticipating another wave of security guards, but she could handle that. A slow smile spread across her face. Oh yes. Gold, here I come!

XXXxxx

“Thief!”

“Pirate~!” Nami chimed with a smile as she gave a cheeky wave before locking the security mercenaries in the now depleted safe.

She admired a gold and sapphire bracelet before lifting a hefty sack over her shoulder. She skipped off towards the next group.

“Oy kid!” a guard came around the corner.

She zapped him in the face.

“She’s here!” The guard’s partner was more careful coming around the corner as she sounded the alarm. “Stop! Thief!”

“Bleh!” Nami pulled down an eyelid and stuck out her tongue at them and ran.

Feet pounded after her as she cackled. She led them upstairs and around the floor picking up a larger group of chasers as she went. Breathless, she whirled on them.

“Thanks for playing boys, but this time the house doesn’t win!”

“Huh?”

She flicked out her climatact and shot a last ball at the clouds she’d built up earlier. Lightning burst down at her command. She bounced excitedly.

“Now, who’s going to tell me, where’s the gold?”

The guards groaned in pain but Nami paid no attention. She found her course quickly enough.

XXXxxx

Zoro charged at the duo, aiming for the woman first. He didn’t know what her abilities were but she wouldn’t be partnered with Mr. 3 if she didn’t have a devil fruit. Probably.

“Candle Wall!”

Zoro snarled and slashed, cutting an opening in the wall without pausing. He did have to skid to a stop to avoid crashing into another wax wall less than a foot from the first. Focusing his Haki, he slashed through that one. He wasn’t surprised this time to find a third wall.

“Face me you coward! Do you really think you can keep this up?”

“Candle Labyrinth!”

Wax walls seemed to box him in, growing high enough to shade out the sun. Zoro sneered. The wax might be tough, but it wouldn’t be enough.

“Hyakuhachi Pound Ho!”

This time he didn’t stop at one wall, his attack exploded through three, four, five layers. He stalked through the openings, picking up his pace when he noticed some of them starting to close. He sent another slash and another, but as he made it out of the layers he found the wax bastard had prepared even more layers to get through.

“That’s Haki, isn’t it?”

Zoro spun on his heel and launched the next attack in the direction of the voice, moving at a run this time to make it through before it could close.

“I don’t know much about Haki, but I do know it takes quite a bit of strength, and a lot of focus.” The voice had changed direction and was a little further away. “Let’s see how well you can manage, swordsman!”

A flicker of green in the corner of his eye was all the warning he needed to dodge, as the woman on top of the wall began shooting at him. He flicked his blade to redirect the next bullets, even as he used his other two swords to slash through the wax. It was surprisingly difficult to multitask.

“You won’t be able to keep up this momentum forever!” Mr. 3 taunted. “I on the other hand, have already called in reinforcements! How will you die, swordsman? A meathead like you? Will you run out of stamina, or time? Hmm?”

Zoro turned and slashed in the direction of the voice, pushing harder to get through the extra layers. He was going to take this guy down hard.

“Hahaha! I wonder how many of your companions are putting up a similar little show. While you’re running in circles here, they’re getting picked off by our coworkers!”

The sniper above him was annoying. He couldn’t focus on finding the candle guy with her buzzing around behind him. It was taking too much of his focus. Stupid weak senses, stupid weak body, he needed to get stronger! He listened to the rhythm of the wax and cut.

XXXxxx

Nami peeked into the room slowly. A man was at the desk, files piled all around him, staring at her with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. She took in the visual den den mushi and the pile of papers spread out to be pictured.

“Weren’t you the harpist?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Mmm no…”

He was too transparent to be Cypher Pol, too calm to be a navy spy… If Robin had seen him, Nami narrowed her eyes, “Revolutionary Army?”

“Uh…no?”

“Yeah, you must be.” She nodded. “Found any gold?”

“No?”

“What about that paperweight?”

The man lifted it and shook his head, “too light for pure gold, might be plated?”

“Boring.” She ducked back out, leaving him to his business.

She shifted the large sack so she could carry it more comfortably. As much as she’d love to search Crocodile’s office for a safe, she didn’t want someone watching her the whole time. Plus, there was a whole underground lair to search. If she had any good treasure, she’d definitely hide it in an underground lair.

XXXxxx

It was less of a vault and more of a safe, but it was there! She was buzzing with adrenaline as she ran her fingers over the safe door. Her smile grew. She hummed settling into work. It had been far too long since she’d done this.

The vault had three locks and a keyhole. She crouched by the door, ear pressed gently to the side and began. The slow spin and satisfying thunk of the tumblers were familiar. She would almost call it meditative.

Maybe she could get a vault for the ship. Just a little one. She hadn’t realized how much she missed this. Crocodile even counted as a pirate! The click click thump sounded louder with each lock as she found her rhythm searching for the combination. The third dial clicked into place, and she turned her attention to her lockpicking skills. Sitting back on her heels, Nami grinned as the safe opened. Her eyes lit up as she examined the contents.

“Crocodile, you magnificent bastard!” she pulled out a gold chain and kissed it, then turned her attention to the equally precious little cube boxes. “Jackpot!”

She admired the glint of the eternal pose beside the yellow gold of the necklace.

“A man who understands real value. And now it’s all mine!”

A banana-gator swimming past the glass wall on the opposite side of the room froze at the sound of her cackling laughter and turned to swim away quickly.

XXXxxx

The second ambush didn’t take them by surprise so much as take them down. The Supersonic Duck Squad were barreling forward with determined speed when the group popped out of the dunes ahead of them. Already alert, the former Baroques Works Agents reacted quickly to scatter and dodge. Unfortunately, this group had an unexpected surprise.

The Unluckies dropped bombs.

The Squad dodged any direct hits, but they didn’t need to hit directly. The explosives sent the group tumbling. Vivi was thrown from Karou and from the angry quacking her friend wasn’t the only one who went flying. Then the fight was there. Millions and Billions swarmed her, cutting off her view of her friends. She dodged the attacks coming her way, keeping in motion as she tried to remember her training. She had to stay oriented, keep edging towards her partner. Don’t let them hold her. Peaco*ck slashers spinning she didn’t let herself get overwhelmed by the numbers. She didn’t let the pain stop her when a blow landed on her ribs, or her collar bone, or her nose. She ducked and dodged and kept them at distance with her spinning blades. She laughed Miss Wednesday’s laugh as blood spattered the sand.

She was grateful this group didn’t have guns, but that was offset by the Unlucky pair. She’d lost sight of them until explosives were dropped in her face. Vivi didn’t hesitate to kick it out of the air and away. The move saved her, but the explosion still knocked her flying and the heat scorched her back. She could hear the screams of startled Billions as they were caught in the blast. Clearly they hadn’t realized yet that all agents were expendable to the goals of the organization. She shook her head trying to clear the ringing in her ears and rolled to her feet.

“Quack!”

“Karou!!” relief filled her as she swung herself up into the saddle.

Karou ducked his head and barreled through the crowd. Vivi kicked and lashed out with her peaco*ck slashers at anyone who tried to stop them.

“Qua quaak!” another duck cried to them.

Vivi looked that way and found Mr. Nine had flung himself sideways on his mount like a sack and was awkwardly swinging his bat as the duck dodged through the crowd. On the other side, parallel to them, was Miss Monday and three of the Squad. Relief filled her seeing both her friends and their escorts.

Relief turned to despair as she heard a click and realized the Unluckies had set up a missile launcher.

“Go!” Monday shouted, flexing her muscles as she turned towards the threat.

“Wait!”

Karou didn’t wait though. Her friend shed tears as he ran from the fight, carrying her at a speed the agents couldn’t match as they burst from the crowd. Vivi clutched at feathers, watching over her shoulder as the other woman barreled into the assassin duo, knocking them out of the air. A sound nearby drew her attention and she spun, weapons ready. It was just Mr. Nine though, eyes fixed behind them as he let himself be carried like a lump. Both oversized ducks seemed distressed but they poured on speed as they carried the pair away.

Vivi cast one more desperate look over her shoulder. There were surprisingly few humans standing. It made it easy to identify Monday’s broad shoulders as she threw powerful punches at a vulture. Three Supersonic Ducks used some kind of formation to surround and attack someone she couldn’t see. The group became more distant and Vivi couldn’t do anything but cling to her ride.

The bright sun above Arabasta glared off the sand. Her hair whipped around her as the princess turned her determined gaze towards the dunes. She wouldn’t be stopped here. She couldn’t be.

XXXxxx

Taking shelter in the shade of a rocky outcrop, Vivi took a moment to close her eyes and take stock of the situation. Bruises bloomed on her face, back, hips, knees, stomach… pretty much everywhere. It was all blunt force trauma, and it didn’t feel like anything was seriously broken or ruptured. Sanji was gone and Ingram with him. Monday was gone. Nine was cradling an injured arm and as he watched their backs. She leaned against the crags, taking just a moment to relax in the shade before she forced her eyes open again.

“I don’t think they were able to follow us here. Those ducks are fast. We should be able to hide out for a little while.”

“We need to get these papers to my father as quickly as possible. If they catch us, they will destroy all this evidence.”

“If we rush out and get caught that’s exactly what will happen. Take a breath Wednesday, it’s not like a civil war is going to break out in the streets if it takes an extra day to get you back.”

She shuddered and nodded. Frustrated tears filled her eyes, and she dashed them away.

“All of you!”

“Wednesday, if you’re about to go off about us risking our lives again, just, don’t. It’s like that captain said, we put our lives on the line for what we believe in. You’re my partner, even if you’re also a princess. Utopia… Mr. Zero talked a good game, I really wouldn’t have minded a hostile takeover but this… the scope of it is way beyond what I thought I was getting into. I’ve got your back on this one, baby. We’ll kill it.”

Vivi laughed at the dramatic pose he struck. Yeah, we can kill it.

XXXxxx

“Damn it! Kill him already!” Mr. 3 shrieked as Zoro tore through another wall. “What’s the point of a sniper who can’t snipe one cornered swordsman!”

Zoro took that to mean he was getting closer to ending this. He turned towards the voice and launched another attack, cutting through layers of wax and storming down the path. He ended up in an open space. The sniper lady immediately opened fire, but all that did was give away her position.

“Hyaku Hachi Pound Ho!” He watched in satisfaction as the air slash caught the woman. Blood sprayed and she screamed as she fell off the wall. “One down.”

Mr. 3 went quiet, the insults and provocations drying up. Zoro rolled his shoulders and closed his eyes to listen. It took a moment to go from panting heavily to the quiet meditative breathing he needed. His muscles were twitching involuntarily from overwork and his head was aching. Those were physical problems he could easily overcome. He turned slowly until he was sure he was facing the invisible Mr. 3 and then he cut. Wax exploded outwards and he followed the path his swords created. The wax bastard himself was laying, dazed, under chunks of broken wax wall. Zoro didn’t hesitate to bring down the hilt of his swords and knock Mr. 3 unconscious.

Sliding his swords away, Zoro staggered. It was stupid to be so tired after such a pitiful battle, but he sank to the ground anyway. Damn it! I need to get stronger! His thoughts were ground to a halt as galloping camels approached. Zoro let them come.

“What’s going on here?!” the leader demanded. “What is all this?”

“This guy tried to kill me.” He kicked at Mr.3. “That’s his devil fruit stuff.”

The man looked between the wounded teenager and the giant wax mess several times before gesturing to one of his men. The man hopped down and pulled out a large first aid kit. Zoro expected him to start treating the downed agents, but instead the soldier began examining him. Sighing in exasperation he assured the men he was fine and that he needed to find his crew before they got into trouble. He ignored the questions and confusion as he asked for directions to Rain Dinners.

“I’m afraid I must insist on treatment. I can’t let you go anywhere until we’ve sorted out this mess, either way.”

“Eh? Sort it out yourself. I need to go help my friends.”

“Hey!”

Zoro took off at a fast run. It wasn’t quite his top speed, but it was faster than they could stop him.

“Where’s he going?!” the voice shouted faintly behind him.

XXXxxx

Robin sauntered down the cobbled streets. She wanted to rush towards her crew but she was already so tired. She’d have to work on her endurance. It was a relief that she could still manifest her more advanced forms, but the ease of the mental load was offset by the strain of the physical demands. Her devil fruit demanded strength in both. She absently smirked at a man catcalling her and tossed a wink at a woman eyeing her at the crossing.

The situation with Crocodile was frustrating, but she had enough contingencies in play to manage it. She’d expected him to dismiss the Strawhats altogether, given how he’d underestimated them Before. He hadn’t, but it wouldn’t make a difference in the end.

Then…

“You want to activate that many billions at once here in Arabasta? Wouldn’t that attract attention?”

“Two teams of agents disappeared and the base in Whiskey Peak was wiped out. We don’t know who these brats are and more importantly: we don’t know what they know. We don’t know if our agents went rogue, were killed, or were captured. I won’t stand for this kind of disruption. We end this quickly and decisively before they can infiltrate any of Arabasta’s cities.”

“Hmmm, sounds a bit paranoid. Are you getting cold feet?”

“You of all people should know it’s only paranoia if they aren’t aiming to kill you. This was unanticipated. I don’t appreciate surprises. Whiskey Peak was an important piece. The new Numbered Agents were still being tested. They shouldn’t have been able to leave the island without one of my poses. Not without ending up trapped or dead in Little Garden. The fact that they slipped my grasp, with unknown motives or affiliations… And these damn kids. Where did they come from? They must be pawns, but who is pulling the strings?” he chewed the end of his cigar glaring at the glass walls of his meeting room.

He pushed a button and watched one of the banana-gators rip into the meat dropped into its tank. His shoulders untensed and he traded the ruined cigar for a glass of wine. In the reflection of the glass he met Miss All Sunday’s eyes. She smirked and nodded.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“No need. Have the lizard messengers gather. I’ll write the orders up myself. I won’t let these turncoats get past, no matter who they’re reporting to.”

Now…

She wasn’t surprised to find cracked buildings and smashed statues as she approached the casino. Luffy wasn’t a delicate fighter. She sidestepped a puddle as she crossed her arms and bloomed eyes to get a handle on the state of the battlefield.

Crocodile was prone and bloody. Luffy was walking away crossing the bridge to the casino. Suddenly Crocodile was jabbing his hand into the ground and the stone was crumbling to sand. Robin didn’t hesitate to bloom a large arm off the side of the casino, reaching for her captain before he could tumble into the water. She didn’t need to worry, Luffy was already stretching his own arm out.

“Shishishi! Hey Robin!” His smile faded as he turned to Crocodile. “Oy Sand Gator! I knew you had another good attack in you! You faker! That’s so lame!”

“Brat!” Crocodile panted.

Robin watched his arms tremble slightly as he pushed himself to his feet.

“Miss All Sunday. This was your plot? I should have realized.” He chuckled lowly.

“Not at all actually.” She smirked at him. “My Captain is perfectly capable of handling you without my input. We weren’t in contact before they docked.”

“Captain?” his eyes narrowed.

“Mmm, yes. I’m afraid I have to resign without notice. I was invited to join a crew you see.”

“Bitch.”

“Hey!” Luffy snarled. “Don’t talk about my nakama like that! Hey Robin, you done? I wanna finish kicking his ass!”

“I’m done,” she agreed.

Luffy looped her manifested limb into a brief hug before he launched himself across the lake towards the warlord. Crocodile attempted to summon another sand knife but Luffy smashed him into the ground with a flurry of punches. This time he didn’t so much as twitch. Luffy nudged him once with a kick to the ribs but Crocodile didn’t react. Robin made her way across the cracked road towards them.

“Ugh. He coulda gone another round if he didn’t waste his energy trying to be sneaky.” Luffy pouted dramatically.

Robin laughed, “come on Luffy. Let’s check on Nami and make sure she’s not locked in a vault bleeding out.”

“Ah! Let’s go!” He swept her up and rocketed back across the water.

XXXxxx

The last time Robin was in this casino she walked briskly through the halls. The kind of pace that said, ‘I’m working, I’m busy, leave me alone’. Certain paces made one invisible. Robin had mastered these and often practiced being the kind of manager that was always on the go. Despite her looks and flashy wardrobe, most visitors and staff looked right past her. Or admired her curves when she stood next to a superstar like Crocodile. That was how she liked it.

Robin didn’t walk like that now. The locked doors were easily unlocked with her powers. She strutted in like she owned the place. There was no shame or need to hide away. Her hips rolled and she practically danced forward as she led her captain into Crocodile’s headquarters. She eyed the pile of downed security at the entrance, the scent of ozone satisfying her curiosity. She eyed the empty lounge wondering which way Nami might have gotten to. The click of her healed boots was muffled by the whistles and bells from empty machines trying to entice gamblers. Luffy bounced by her side eagerly recounting his encounter with Crocodile in a mostly incomprehensible combination of sound effects and gestures. She giggled at his antics and bloomed eyes around the building to search for her crewmate.

In a lower stairwell the redhead spotted her watching eyeball and almost immediately dropped the heavy sack she was struggling with, making wordless gestures.

“It seems Nami needs our help with some heavy lifting.” Robin interrupted.

“Let’s go!”

Luffy darted off immediately and in the wrong direction. Robin made it three steps before the captain was rocketing back, taking in her direction, and rushing ahead again.

“Manager!” a voice hissed as she rounded the corner.

Robin prepared an attack, but it seemed the security guard hadn’t seen her with Luffy because he looked relieved to see her. She offered a dark smile.

“What’s happening?”

“Nothing to worry about. The fight is over but there was a bit more damage than anticipated. It’s being cleaned up now. Are the guests all in the storm shelter lounges?”

“Yes ma’am!” he saluted her. “Tables are open but almost no one is actually gambling. It’s a bit tense.”

“Offer assurances to everyone and offer a treat for their continued patience. Whatever you have without leaving the rooms, co*cktails, coffees, hand out thousand-belli chips if that’s what you need to. On the house. Just keep everyone in place for another half hour or so.”

“I knew Crocodile-Sama could handle it! Thank you, Manager! I will take care of things in here!”

“I’ll leave you to it!” She smiled as the door closed.

Luffy rounded the corner less than a minute later, a giant sack thrown over one shoulder and Nami following with a bundle she was treating far more gently. Robin took in the redhead dressed in modest Alabastan robes now decked in jewels. Her simple belt had been exchanged for a heavy gold chain, encrusted with a literal rainbow of gemstones. She was wearing a headpiece of gold and sapphire which matched the elegant necklace and bracelet. A dozen other gold bangles of assorted styles adorned her wrists. Her ankles were just as laden with jingling anklets. Somehow Nami made it look tasteful instead of tacky. It was so good to see them. Luffy, in perfect tune to her lapses in sentimentality, laughed and wrapped his arms around crushing the group of them together.

Robin laughed as Nami cursed.

“We have thirty minutes before anyone gives us any trouble.”

“Eh?”

“Robin… what did you do?”

“Me?” she smiled coyly. “As their concerned manager, I simply assured the security that the fight is over and they should stay put.”

“Robin!” Nami’s eyes lit up with stars and belli signs. “Any chance your Manager access applies to the cash-out windows? We should inspect those, you know.”

“We should?” Luffy’s clueless question earned him a blow to the head.

Robin was already nodding her head and looping her arm through Nami’s as the pair swanned towards one of the most secure lockdown positions in the casino. She explained to the navigator the two modes of transport she’d already secured for their departure. Nami cackled at the irony.

“Oy!” Luffy grumbled behind them, rubbing his new bump. “Hey, were we going to get that big gold banana?”

“It’s fake!” Nami growled, obviously still offended. “It’s gold plated, but even the plating is so thin they might as well have just painted it! Worthless! Worse than worthless because something that size would have taken a lot of gold to cover even with a thin plating. They just wasted all that for nothing.”

She pouted. Robin chuckled. “It’s probably for the best. A gold statue of that size would surely be heavy enough to capsize a ship of Merry’s size and sink her to the depths of the ocean.”

“What!? No!” Luffy held his hands up in a big x shape.

“We’re not taking it,” Nami flipped her hair at him.

“Good!” With a satisfied nod the captain went back to hauling Nami’s treasure.

Robin laughed at Nami’s frustrated expression and urged her forwards. The navigator was quickly distracted by the stacks of belli she was granted easy access to. There was something very sweet about being the manager of a casino, but Robin was so happy to be a Strawhat again.

XXXxxx

They stayed in the crags listening to the sounds of fighting diminish. Vivi kept an eye out for any of their friends, but no one came. She didn’t see any Baroques Works fighters either. The sky darkened just as she heard riders.

“Those are soldiers! My father’s men!” she whispered excitedly. “They can-”

“Wait!” Mr. Nine hissed, pulling her down. “You saw those pictures! They’ve infiltrated the royal guard! You know they must have people in the regular troops as well! This could be a trap!”

Vivi bit her lip and gave one hard nod. Frustrated tears filled her eyes but she forced them away. She would get her kingdom back. She would. Her eyes followed the riders as they headed towards the river. The soldiers didn’t give their hiding spot a passing glance. Nine let out a relieved breath.

“We can’t keep waiting. We don’t know who … we don’t know where our friends are and which way they headed from the fight. We should keep moving towards the palace.”

“You’re right,” she agreed easily. “We should just keep moving and get the information safely to my father.”

“One more mission, partner?” Mr. Nine smiled sadly.

“Thank you!” She took his hand and turned to Karou.

Her feathered friend saluted and moved from his shadowed spot to allow her to mount. Together they sped towards the capital.

XXXxxx

Only the Western entrance to the city was open after dark and Mr. Nine watched warily for any sign of aggression as they went up the tall staircase and through the large doors of the capital city. Vivi led the way through the streets and soon enough they were approaching the main square.

Vivi was shaking as they entered the open space. The slam of a door had her flinching and Mr. Nine spinning in his seat. Thankfully the two ducks kept their cool and continued their way across the open plaza. Getting through the gates at the palace after dark was both more complicated and far simpler. They were halted almost immediately, and the guards attempted to turn them away until morning. Instead Vivi simply lowered her hood.

“I need to see my father immediately.”

“Vivi-Sama!”

“It’s Vivi-Sama!”

“Vivi-Sama!!”

“We need to get past.” Mr. Nine interrupted, scanning the area with obvious tension.

“Is someone threatening you, Princess?” one of the guards asked looking around as well, seeming to just notice their bruised and bedraggled state.

Vivi didn’t know how to answer except to look over one shoulder and nudge Karou forward slowly as the men made way.

“I need to update my father first,” she decided on. “I have friends who may follow me here, they were intercepted on the road. If they ask for me, I will identify them personally, understand?”

“Yes, Vivi-Sama!” the guardsmen answered in unison.

Someone must have seen or heard the commotion because Pell was all but running down the hallway as they entered the palace. Vivi tossed herself into the familiar arms with a sob. Mr. Nine was slower to dismount and hovered awkwardly, fumbling through Karou’s pouches for the appropriate folder. She managed to pull herself together and offer her friend an apologetic smile.

“Pell, this is Mr. Nine, he helped me get here safely. We need to see father immediately.”

The two men nodded at each other.

“He’s been sent for.” Pell guided them to a private meeting room. “It’s good to have you back!”

Vivi managed a trembling smile. “It’s not good news, but I’m glad to be here.”

Chakra and her father were waiting, and she was once more swept into a hug. Pulling back quickly her father ran gentle fingers over her face. She could feel the lingering bruising, but the swelling had disappeared.

“You should see a doctor.”

“This is rather urgent. I can go after we talk.” Vivi turned to Mr. Nine and accepted the offered folder.

Three of the four most important men in her life flipped through the information, their faces changing through a number of emotions as each piece of the puzzle was revealed. She talked and talked, Mr. Nine jumping in to add details or share his perspective. At some point they moved to sit but that was all a blur. She couldn’t stop shaking as she explained how everyone else had put themselves in trouble to get her here. How Captain Luffy was going to fight Crocodile, how Ingram-San was with Sanji and Monday was alone…how she didn’t know if any of them were okay…

XXXxxx

After Luffy pulled them over the lake (laughing about how Crocodile destroyed the one bridge out of the Casino), Robin led them to an odd menagerie. Nami didn’t have much trouble finding what she needed. With Robin convincing the giant turtle to be her mount, she and all her treasure were easy to take around the city. She enjoyed the plush chair on top of the shell, the sun overhead was hot but not unbearable. She admired her new bangles and the long gold belt dripping with a rainbow of gems.

She grinned wickedly to herself as she ran fingers over her haul. As much as she wanted to stick with Robin and Luffy, this was how it had to be. She had to tend to the last of their shopping and watch over their gold. She wanted to spin. Today was such a beautiful day! The turtle marched onward as she arranged herself artistically in the chair to best show off her shining accessories. She could feel the envious eyes watching her progress and how they must wish they were her: a beautiful lady, decked in jewels and gold, riding such a unique mount…

She was a powerful, wealthy pirate, providing for her crew. Not that those idiots would appreciate it. She tossed her hair and focused. She had a few key stops and then she could ride back to Merry where she could secure their treasury and check on Chopper and Usopp.

XXXxxx

Usopp watched the shoreline throughout the afternoon. Local forces came and investigated but whatever excuse Baroque Works used sent them away. Usopp didn’t know if he was relieved or frustrated. It was fairly obvious they were regrouping but anchored where they were, there was little he could do to run from the upcoming battle. He instead focused on preparing ammo and trading off shifts with Chopper to catch up on rest. The little doctor hadn’t been impressed when he spotted Usopp’s limp.

It was still grey out when the second wave of attacks began. It started when a Baroque Works ship came sailing down the river. Those agents who’d made it to the shore had acquired several small boats and in an irritating show of strategy, launched far enough apart to make it difficult to keep an eye on all of them.

Chopper paced the deck nervously as they came closer. There was thick black smoke and bangs from the ship coming towards them. It was probably meant to be intimidating but Usopp just laughed.

“What a waste of ammo! Suckers!” he hammed it up to reassure his crewmate. “These agents are such rookies, firing off shots like that so early! Not like Weapons Master Usopp! My shots actually hit their target!”

Chopper laughed with him, fur smoothing out. The little reindeer still cringed at the sound and scents, but he wasn’t any more unsettled than he usually was in battle. Usopp honestly wanted to lift anchor and run but they needed the Merry here. So he’d stay and protect her. Baroques Works boats were closing in around them and would be in range soon.

He readied his slingshot eyes flicking from ship to ship. The commandeered fishing boats didn’t have cannons, so it was only… He released the lead ball before he even registered the sound of another cannon firing. It was lit brightly in his vision, like a shooting star, even though he knew the lead star didn’t actually give off any light. He watched it streak through the air, meeting a dark purple beam of light (except there was no light, just an ordinary cannon ball). The smaller ball barely clipped the bigger ball, but that was exactly how he planned it. The lead shot wasn’t enough to stop a cannon ball, but a nudge at the right angle… Usopp watched the dark purple beam begin to curve mid-air, swerving just enough to miss the Merry and splash harmlessly into the river. The world sped up again, everything moving at a normal speed with normal colors. Usopp would have to figure out how to do that color thing on purpose.

For now he had a half dozen enemy ships heading his way and none of the crew’s heavy hitters to protect him. Usopp hoped his shaky knees were hidden by the hull as he readied a special blend of scattershot.

“The Great Sniper Usopp will wipe you out if you keep coming! Walk away boys! Just turn those boats around and sail off. You don’t want to mess with the Strawhat Pirates!” Usopp called loudly from his position. “You’ve got no chance against us!”

“Who are you calling boys, you pipsqueak?!” someone hollered back.

He fired, already moving across the deck to where he’d set up the cannon. He missed the way it went off like a firework, setting a small boat on fire and hitting a handful of sailors with painful little pellets. He could tell from the screams and curses it had done its job. That was one ship floundering.

“Stupid brat! Why don’t you quit with the baby tricks and fight like a real man!?”

Usopp rolled his eyes and fired another lead shot to divert the cannon ball, sending it spinning off course. Did they really think he’d play fair?

“Pirate~” He chimed with Nami’s favorite taunt.

“- gonna sink that pretty little toy boat you kiddies are playing with!” someone else was shouting, voice carrying across the water.

Fury filled him at the threat to Merry and he didn’t need to look at Chopper to know the doctor was equally enraged. No one threatened Merry.

“Heavy point” Usopp didn’t need to clarify as he gestured at the cannon.

Chopper transformed with a bellow of rage. The doctor lifted the cannon, repositioning it with ease as Usopp pointed the direction. The cannon was barely on the ground before the sniper was tweaking the angle of fire and lighting the fuse. He should feel something about using their heavy arms against a supped-up rowboat. He had no regrets though. Something buzzed on the fringes of his brain and Usopp turned back to the Baroques Works ship just in time to see another ball of purple light coming at them. He was moving without thought and another shooting star flew from his fingers, diverting disaster. He needed the cannon turned back around but Chopper had run to the other side of the ship to handle that defense. He heaved and hauled, manhandling the heavy cannon into position. He fumbled to reload it and fire. With a satisfying crack the main mast of the ship collapsed, tangling, and smashing into the second mast, wreaking everything.

“Yah! Take that losers! Exactly as I planned it!”

The next attack was not as easily managed. They fired a barrage of small weapon attacks. Usopp cursed as the sky seemed to fill with hundreds of black-blue streaks of light. He did what he could. He was so focused on the streaks of light, taking out anything that would do the most damage to Merry, or hit Chopper, or himself, that he completely missed the first screams. When they finally did register, he had a panicked moment of concern about banana-gators or sea monsters coming for them.

“It’s the Kung Fu Dugongs!” Chopper cheered. “Thanks guys! You’re amazing!”

One of the odd seal-turtle-creatures saluted Chopper while others worked together to take down another little boat. Usopp turned his attention back to the largest ship limping towards them. He’d sink it for sure. He quivered a bit at the narrow escape and mustered his resolve to fake his way though this.

“You aren’t going to make your way out of this! We’re taking you down! You messed with the wrong crew! You better start running!”

Usopp hoped his laughter was more menacing than hysterical. He could barely see anything in the fading light but somehow the mystery lights were bright as ever guiding him to incoming projectiles. He aimed and fired alternating between the slingshot and cannon. He was completely overwhelmed. He could feel the impact shudders as what made it through his guard jostled the ship. Merry was strong and none of the hits were bad, but he couldn’t help hating every little scratch and crack. Chopper was still growling and smashing at whoever got close enough to attempt boarding but Usopp had nothing to spare for their doctor.

“I’m going to win this! You’re outmatched! Get a clue! You’re nothing to our might!” He didn’t even know what he was saying, just shouting insults and brags as he dripped sweat and blood.

Slowly the sounds of battle faded away to nothing. There was the creek of wood and the splash of rushing river against their hull. Chopper was panting heavily as he paced the deck. Usopp nearly laughed as he realized the reindeer had night vision. The idiots thought they’d have the advantage in the dark! He stared out into the darkness but no more gunshots or bazookas or canon fire happened. Nothing lit up with that light effect.

A dugong nearly got pelted in the face when it popped onto the deck. Usopp listened to Chopper’s translation as the Dugong reassured them the agents were taken care of. He cheered and called for a celebration, but the little doctor shrieked about medical care. Usopp grinned tiredly and happily submitted to the care while more dugongs appeared to stand guard.

He hoped Vivi would get everything straightened out with her dad soon. He could really use more backup.

.