Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Monkey D. Luffy had the blood of pirates running through her veins as much as she had the blood of the navy. But there had never been a question in her mind about what her destiny would be.

Luffy knew that, one day, she would become Queen of the Pirates. 

Queen, not King.

Kings can’t do anything, protected in their ivory towers and helpless to their enemies. When a king falls, the game is over, and the opponent, the enemy, wins. 

But a queen?

A queen defends.

A queen attacks.

A queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard.

The one that no one sees coming until they're being ground into dust beneath her heel.

Not that Luffy really knew how to play chess, truth be told. Her stepfather had tried to teach her more than once, but Luffy found the rules far too rigid. Too quiet. Too much thinking. Luffy just wasn’t the sort of girl who could sit quietly for any amount of time. She had to be moving. Had to be making noise. 

What Luffy did remember from her stepfather's patient explanations was that the Queen was better than the King. 

So why strive to be King of the Pirates when Queens are so much better?

Oh, her brothers had tried to explain to her, time and time again, that King of the Pirates was just a title and that it wasn’t necessarily gendered. Luffy had blown a raspberry at them, stubbornly telling them, “If Gold Roger had been a woman, he would have been named Queen of the Pirates. The only reason the title is King is that Gold Roger was a man. I will be Queen of the Pirates.” 

Neither Ace nor Sabo had been able to argue against that. Nor had that really wanted to. Their baby sister was remarkably hardheaded and immovable. Arguing with her was like arguing with a boulder.  

Lady Crocodile, Luffy’s mother, Shichibukai and the ‘Queen of Desert Sands’ according to her last bounty poster, approved of her daughter's rhetoric, “Never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. You want to be Queen of the Pirates? Carve your throne and place the crown on your head.”

Crocodile was a big supporter of ‘If you want it, take it,’ and Luffy loved that about her mother. 

Luffy would become the Queen of the Pirates, or she would die trying.      

What did it matter that half of her family was made up of Marines? 

That was the path they chose. 

Luffy was choosing her own path. 

Whether it was a good idea or not. 

“Well, that’s unfortunate," snorting, Luffy pursed her lips.

Not even a day into her journey, and she was about to be sucked into a whirlpool. 

Luffy sniffed, wiggling her nose and popping her hands onto her jean-clad hips, fingers drumming on the worn and frayed material, “I wonder if this is a sign of things to come.” The nose of her dinghy dipped forward, and Luffy glanced around at her supplies, eyeing a barrel. “Ah, well, I’m not dying here. I refuse.”

Grabbing the edge of the barrel, she quickly tipped it, spilling its contents onto the bottom of the dinghy before righting it. With one last cheeky smile toward the sky, Luffy hopped inside and pulled the lid of the barrel closed over her head just as the glorified rowboat was sucked into the center of the pool.

"Besides, what's an adventure without a few hiccups along the way? Booorinng.”   

–

Roronoa Zoro, an East Blue bounty hunter of some renown and the creator and master of Santoryu, was starving.

How long had he been on this island tracking Alvida the Mace? A week? Two weeks? He didn't know anymore.

With one hand resting on the hilts of his swords, he scanned the pale sands of the beach, green eyes narrowed in frustration. God, how big is this damn island?

There was no sign of Alvida or her crew on the beach. Only a barrel sitting near the high tide line that looked as though it had washed up on the shore fairly recently, seaweed clinging to the still-damp wood. Zoro shrugged, striding across the sands toward it. If he were lucky, maybe it would be filled with booze.

Crouching beside it and pushing down his hilts so his swords don’t get stuck in the sand, Zoro knocked on the side, his ear pressed to the wood.

Zoro squinted. It isn’t empty…but…what…?!

Jolting in surprise, Zoro fell back onto his ass when the contents knocked back, a quick, sharp rap on the oak that couldn’t be mistaken for anything else, “Uhhh, hello?”

The top of the barrel was nudged open by a tanned hand, a fluffy dark head following shortly after, rising cautiously over the rim. Pretty dark eyes stared at Zoro drowsily in confusion for a long moment before shifting away from him to examine her surroundings. In a voice scratchy with sleep, she told him, in a conspiratorial whisper, “I was having a dream that a sea king swallowed my barrel and pooped me out and that a mermaid was knocking on the side to see if I was still alive. Not sure why dream me thought opening the barrel was a good idea.” Her eyes narrowed, “You’re not a mermaid.”

Zoro stood up, crossing his arms, “Nope. And you’re not booze like I’d hoped.”

“Nope,” snickering softly, she shook her head, “And now we’re both disappointed.” She leveraged herself out of the barrel, her sandaled feet creating a crater in the sand where she landed. Zoro looked her up and down, wary of whatever sort of maniac would decide to travel by barrel. She was wearing cut-off, frayed jean shorts and a bright red tank top stretched taut over the swell of her chest, clinging to her torso like a second skin and leaving nothing to the imagination. Her skin was sun-bronzed, her long legs were shapely and muscular, and her hair was a warm, black, choppy mess, cut to the middle of her back. Around her neck was the stampede string of the straw hat bouncing on her back.

Stretching luxuriously like a cat, she fixed her hat atop her head before offering a hand to Zoro, her drowsiness disappearing. “Hi, I’m Luffy!” She chirped the words, her grin unwavering. “Where am I?” 

Zoro blinked, feeling distinctly like a hurricane had just swept over him, taking her hand after a moment, “Goat Island.”  

“Huh? That whirlpool didn’t really send me far.” Luffy said under her breath, lips pursing. She refocused on Zoro’s face, “Who’re you?”

“Roronoa Zoro.” How the hell did she have so much energy after taking a ride in a whirlpool?

“What’re you doing on Goat Island, Zoro?” She scanned the tree line, “Isn’t it uninhabited?”

“There’s a pirate named Alvida the Mace hiding out here. I’m after her bounty.”

She crosses her arms, her head tilting, “You’re a bounty hunter?”

Zoro frowned at Luffy. “Why else would I be after her bounty?”

She didn’t answer his question, but then, he didn’t really expect her to. “Roronoa Zoro. The Demon Pirate Hunter.” She grinned, looking ridiculously pleased, pointing at him. “I’ve heard of you. You're, like, stupid tough.”

Zoro grimaced, breathing out a sigh, brushing a hand over his close-cropped, green hair.

"That's me."

"You don't seem like the typical bounty hunter."

Met many, have you? Zoro wanted to tell her to mind her own business, but even he couldn't pretend like this was his dream, “I only started capturing bounties because I went out to sea to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman, and I, uh, couldn’t find my way back,” he said it as though he was confiding an embarrassing secret, shrugging under Luffy’s scrutiny.

“You’ve managed to make a pretty big name for someone who only started capturing bounties because he got lost.” She grinned suddenly, grabbing his arms. Zoro was unprepared for her burst of excitement. “You should join my crew! I’m going to become Queen of the Pirates and find the One Piece. I’m gonna need the strongest crew ever. What’s stronger than the World’s Greatest Swordsman?!” 

Zoro couldn't deny her enthusiasm, but they literally just met. He opened his mouth to give her a blunt ‘no, thanks, ’ but before he could, he was hit with the sensation of being watched. He tensed and jerked his attention to some rustling bushes in the tree line. From the corner of his eye, he noted the way Luffy reacted similarly, her bubbly smile taking on an almost predatory edge. 

Luffy and Zoro exchanged a quick look, two predators sensing prey. 

The prey yelped when they both darted forward in unison, failing to react quickly enough to get away. Zoro grabbed the kid by the back of his shirt and yanked him out of the foliage. He was younger than even Luffy seemed to be, with bubble-gum pink hair and thick bottle glasses, and frighteningly light in Zoro’s grasp. 

Luffy sounded disappointed, “He’s just a kid.”

“Only other people on this island are Alvida the Mace and her crew.”

Luffy looked unconvinced, taking another gander at the boy. “You sure? He doesn’t look much like a pirate.”

The boy found his voice, shaky and wane, “I’m…I’m not-well, I-I guess I, maybe, could be—”

He faltered under the two older teens’ scrutinizing gazes and hung his head in resignation, “Koby the Cabin Boy.” He tilted his head and squinted at Zoro. “Hey, hold on. Green hair,” His eyes fall to the black bandana tied around Zoro’s bicep and then to the haramaki sash around his middle. Koby’s eyes brighten, excited, “Are you Pirate Hunter Zoro?!”

Zoro looked at Luffy, bewildered, and she shrugged in return. He dropped Koby, and the kid stumbled trying to keep his feet, “Uh, yeah.”

“You’re here to capture Alvida, aren’t you?” Koby brushed off his threadbare clothes, firming his mouth. “Good.”

With her hands on her hips, Luffy asked, “Eh? You want her caught?” 

Koby nodded firmly. “Alvida’s forced me to be her Cabin Boy for the past two years, ever since I boarded her ship accidentally.” He frowned, offended when Luffy started laughing.

“That’s pretty dumb. If you don’t wanna be her Cabin Boy, just leave,” Luffy offered, and Koby hated how simple she made it sound.

But she wasn’t wrong, was she? All he had to do was leave.

Zoro crossed his arms, his back against the rough bark of the tree behind him, observing the kid's internal struggle with Luffy’s unintentionally callous words. But he notices the firm set to his jaw. Luffy glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, winking briefly. Zoro nodded, “I already planned on capturing Alvida. I’ll help you leave if you want.”

Luffy rocked back onto her heels, bouncing a little and grinning brightly, “I’ll help, too.”

Koby was overwhelmed with gratitude and couldn't help but feel hopeful when she gave him an encouraging smile. “What’s your name?”

“Monkey D. Luffy, nice to meet you!”

Monkey D? Why does that sound familiar? 

Zoro had the feeling that there would be a lot of exclamations in the near future. He caught Koby’s attention, where the boy was turning bright pink under the beam of Luffy’s smile. “Where’s Alvida’s ship anchored? I’ve been searching for days and haven’t seen it.” Zoro grumbled, hand against his chin. “It must be well hidden.”

Koby gave him an incredulous look, “On the other beach.” Koby stretched one hand behind himself. “Straight north.”

Gaping, Zoro's grip tightened on Wado Ichimonji's hilt. Other beach? He gritted his teeth and asked, “…there's more than two beaches, aren't there?”

Luffy snickered when Koby, astounded, told Zoro. “Uh, no. Just two. The South Beach,” he gestured at the white beach behind Zoro and Luffy, and then back over his shoulder to where he’d been pointing before, “and the North Beach.”

The cackle Luffy let go of was almost impressive, almost folded in half and gripping her stomach, when Zoro cursed. “Man, your sense of direction sucks ass!” Zoro glared dangerously at her, but she didn’t notice, cackle dropping off into a giggle.

“Let’s just go.”

The island was only a few kilometres wide, and it didn't take them very long at all to cross it, with Koby leading a still giggling Luffy and quietly cursing Zoro through the dense foliage. When they were close enough to hear the tide, Koby gulped and glanced back at the two. “We’re getting close. You guys have a plan?”

“Win.” Luffy shrugged, and Zoro nodded his agreement.

“Pretty much it.”

Koby squeaked when they stepped past him, half-heartedly reaching out to stop them as they left the tree line, dropping his hands in defeat when he heard shouts from the deck of the ship.

Luffy and Zoro didn't seem concerned; Luffy balled her hand into a fist, her other hand on her shoulder, rolling the joint to loosen it. Zoro drew his swords from their scabbards after tying on his bandana, one in his mouth and one in each hand.

Alvida’s crew didn't react for a moment, gobsmacked at the sight of the two teens fearlessly crossing the beach.

“What’s this? Zoro the Pirate Hunter? Come to collect my bounty?” The crew jumped apart when a spiked club smashed into the railing of the ship, and the hulking form of Iron-Mace Alvida appeared behind her men. “You think you can take me?! Who’s the fairest throughout all the seas?!”

Luffy raised an eyebrow at Zoro when the Alvida Pirates shouted, “You are, Lady Alvida!”

Zoro snorted, his teeth gripping the familiar grooves of Wado Ichimonji’s handle. They wait for Alvida to descend the gangplank of her ship. When she did, her mace held on her shoulder as though it weighed little more than the fallen branch of a tree, Luffy stared at her in amazement.

Alvida was tall, taller at least than Luffy. Broad and strong, with long dark hair and a spattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and on either cheek.

Glancing over her shoulder at Koby, she jerked a thumb at Alvida, “This tough-looking old biddy is your captain?!”

She hummed inquisitively when she realized that everyone was gawking at her with their jaws dropped open. She blinked and whispered to Zoro, “Was it something I said?”

Alvida shrieked, snarling, “Tough-looking?! Old?! BIDDY?!” before rushing at Luffy, swinging her club in a downward arc onto Luffy's head. Zoro jerked forward in shock, eyes on Luffy, even as he effortlessly met the rest of Alvida’s crew in a clash of blades.

“Hey, watch it. You’ll crumple my hat.” Koby fell back in surprise when Luffy shrugged off the blow like it was nothing.

Alvida pulled her mace away, brow furrowed as Luffy straightened up.

Taking her hat off and moving it around to assess if there was any damage done to it, Luffy sniffed, mouth twisted in a frown. She tugged it back on when she determined it was undamaged and pointed a finger in Alvida’s face, “Hey! You forced Koby to be your Cabin Boy for two years!”

Sneering, Alvida found it difficult to pull her eyes away from the girl's unharmed head. “Koby…you brought bounty hunters to our hideout.” She tsked, finally recovering her bravado enough to glare at where Koby was cowering, “All these years, and you forget your place. I’ll give you one chance…Who’s the fairest in all the seas?”

Koby shook in fear and opened his mouth to tell her what she wanted to hear. But he hesitated, looking at Luffy rubbing her head beneath her hat and Zoro holding off ten pirates at once, and Koby decided all at once that he wouldn’t cater to her anymore.

Steadying himself with a deep breath, Koby announced, “I hear that the Shichibukai, Boa Hancock, is the most beautiful person in the world.” He missed both Luffy and Zoro’s grins as he blacked out a little when he saw the storm descend on Alvida's face.

Luffy laughed in delight, “Good for you, Koby.” She stepped to the side and wound up a hit that Alvida didn’t see coming, so focused was she on glaring daggers at Koby. Luffy’s arm extended like a shot, and the earth shuddered when Alvida’s strong body hit the ground. The men, still tangled with Zoro, started to sweat. Zoro turned his head a fraction to confirm that it was Alvida who hit the ground.

“Your turn, Zoro.”

With his eyes shadowed beneath the edge of his bandana, Zoro bared his teeth in a vicious grin. He moved like a lightning strike, and Luffy could see why they call him a demon. A downward slash with his right hand, a crossing slice with his left. He weaved through the pirates like a whirlwind, and they dropped like flies in his wake.

As the last pirate fell, clutching his bleeding throat, Zoro flicked his blades to remove the blood clinging to the metal.

“I’ve never seen someone use three swords before,” Luffy told him nonchalantly from where she’d perched herself on Alvida’s stomach.

“Santoryu. I developed it.” Zoro grunted, pulling Wado Ichimonji from between his teeth and sliding all three blades back into their scabbards. He looked at Koby, nudging the bottom of Alvida’s shoe with his foot. “Where’s the nearest marine base to here?”

Koby jumped, scurrying forward once it became clear Alvida wouldn't be moving anytime soon, “Shells Town.”

“Does the old lady have a supply ship or a dinghy or something? I’d feel weird taking her ship.” Luffy slid to her feet, tapping her chin. She was a pirate, not a thief.

Koby nodded, gesturing towards a shed visible just down the beach.

–

Zoro fell asleep within seconds of the small boat hitting open water with his hands folded behind his head, snoring lightly. Luffy leaned against one side of the supply ship, the wood creaking with the waves of the ocean, blinking at Koby’s shock, “What?”

“I’m sorry; you want to go and sail the Grand Line, and you don’t even know the basics of navigation?” Koby frowned at her, keeping one hand on the rudder to keep them drifting in the correct direction. “That’s the bare minimum you should know, Luffy.”

Luffy laughed, shaking her head. “My parents tried to teach me a dozen times each, but it never stuck. Eventually, they gave up and told me to find a navigator before leaving the East Blue.”

Koby made an exasperated noise, “You two aren’t going to get very far, floating island to island.”

Waving her hand dismissively, she snorted, “It’s worked out fine so far.” She was willfully ignoring the fact that she was pulled into a whirlpool within a few hours of leaving Foosha.

Koby pinched the bridge of his nose, recognizing that arguing with her was going to result in nothing more than a headache.

Luffy dropped her head back, one hand holding her hat firm against her head, her hair trailing in the water, closing her eyes and looking much like a cat basking in a patch of sun. “What are you going to do when we get to Shells Town, Koby?”

Koby fidgeted for so long without answering that Luffy looked back at him, her head tilting curiously. He squirmed under her innocent scrutiny, telling her nervously, “I’ve always dreamed of becoming a marine," his eyes grow dark, “But now I doubt I’ll be able to join up with them after being forced to work for Alvida for so long.” He looked over to where the large woman was tied to the mast, still unconscious.

“Pfft. You shouldn’t let that stop you.” Luffy sits up, grimacing at the wet smack of her hair on her back. “It’s not like you had a choice. And besides, you aren’t the first one to switch sides." She sounded so sure, so confident, that Koby couldn't argue with her.

She crossed her legs and grabbed her ankles, “Probably shouldn’t lie about your past, but not sure why it would make a difference.”

Koby nodded, considering her advice.

“I have a question.” Koby jumped at Zoro’s voice, and Luffy turned to face the swordsman. He had one eye open, staring directly at Luffy. “Why didn’t you get squashed flat by Alvida’s mace?”

“Oh! Because I’m a rubber woman.” Luffy said proudly, grabbing one of her cheeks and stretching the skin out. “I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi when I was seven.” She grinned, letting her cheek snap back. “I can be hurt by knives. But things like bullets, cannonballs and blunt weapons don’t have much effect. They hit, and I just bounce 'em back.” Zoro nodded, digesting the information.

Koby gawked at her, astounded, “Where’d you find a devil fruit?”

Luffy snerked, lifting both of her hands in a shrug. “There was a pirate crew that used to use my home village as a base. They had the fruit in a chest. I thought it’d make a good dessert. My mom was maaaddd when she found out.” Ace and Sabo hadn’t known what to do when their baby sister had turned into an indestructible bouncy ball, and had been terrified of telling Crocodile about it.

There was a part of Luffy that still wondered why Shanks’ crew hadn’t had the fruit locked up, but then, they had always been a rowdy bunch. Crocodile had grumbled about ulterior motives, but Luffy wasn’t so sure. She leaned forward, a disgusted look crossing her features, “It did not taste good.”

“Your mom let you go off to sea alone?” The green-haired teen asked.

Luffy raised an eyebrow, “Why wouldn’t she? She was only a couple of years older than I am now when she went out on her own. She’d never stop me from following my dream.”

Koby smiled, “She sounds really nice.”

The well-meaning words startled Luffy into a laugh, “My mom is not nice. She’s vicious and powerful. She tears her enemies to shreds and always goes for the throat.” She made a serious, sneering expression as if she were doing an impersonation. Zoro and Koby stared at her, watching as the expression evaporated and her sunny smile returned.

“She’s a pirate?”

“Uh-huh. Born and raised in the New World.”

Koby blanched at that tidbit of information, stuttering, “The New World? Only the strongest, most vile pirates survive there.”

All Luffy said in response was, “Yup!”

Zoro snickered, closing his eyes once more, “She sounds like quite the lady.”

Luffy giggled.

–

Shells Town is a vibrant and bustling port town, towered over by the marine base at its heart. Children running, playing and laughing. Over it all was the sounds of a busy market, the din of a few hundred voices and the shrieking of the gulls flying across the bay.

They dragged Alvida, bound in chains and rudely awoken barely ten minutes earlier when they'd reached the docks, through the streets towards the base, the old lady grumbling and growling, wiggling in her ropes, stilling whenever Zoro or Luffy happened to shoot her a warning look.

“It’s so busy.”

Koby glanced around thoughtfully, “You have to give it to them. It wasn't even a decade ago that this place was under the iron rule of Captain 'Axe-Hand' Morgan, and the townspeople were struggling to survive on top of paying some truly exorbitant taxes. The man was a total tyrant and one of the most corrupt to get himself arrested when Admiral Akainu swept through on his notorious, impromptu inspection tour."

"Wasn't he the asshole who was using the taxed money to build a solid gold statue of himself?" Zoro asked, tightening his grip on Alvida's chains when she tried to use their conversation as a distraction to get away.

Luffy chuckled, “Oh, him. We heard about that, all the way over on Dawn Island.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if just about everyone had heard about it. It was huge news at the time." Koby paused, "Actually, I suppose with as many officers as there were that ended up getting arrested, maybe Morgan's crimes slipped through the cracks."

Zoro squinted, half frowning. “I remember that; seven years ago, wasn’t it?” After a moment of consideration, he sniggered, “It’s all the Marines back home could talk about for months. Master figured a couple of them had to be dirty, given how worried they were. And wouldn’t you know it, the Admiral came by for his inspection, and just about half of them were taken away in chains.”

The gate of the marine base came into sight, a marine posted outside, rifle resting against her shoulder in parade rest, her uniform a clean white against the beige walls that surrounded the base. She was young, maybe only a year or two older than Zoro, with a long, golden blonde ponytail and about the same height as Luffy. On a patch over her left breast was her rank and name: Ensign Morgan Helmeppo. From beneath the brim of her hat, crystalline blue eyes watched as they dragged Alvida closer. “Bounty?”

Zoro nodded, pulling a folded paper out of his haramaki, handing it to the Ensign, “Iron-Mace Alvida.”

Helmeppo examined the poster and stepped through them to compare the picture to the real thing. “No mistaking that face, it's her alright. Let's get her to the stockade and into some irons,” she told them, folding the poster back up and placing it into her pocket as she led the way through the open gate.

Luffy chimed in, chirping, “I can knock her out again if she starts being a problem.” The Ensign gave her an amused smirk, almost laughing when Alvida started cursing, but managed to pull her expression back to neutral, and opened the door to the stockade, pulling a pair of iron shackles off the rack on the wall next to the door.

With Zoro and Luffy holding Alvida in place with steel grips, they managed to get the shackles on with minimal struggle. Once Alvida was secured in a cell, Helmeppo crossed the length of the stockade to pound on the door into the base. Another marine opened the door, and the Helmeppo said something to him, handing him the bounty poster and nodding at Luffy and Zoro. The Marine scrutinized the poster and nodded slowly, telling Helmeppo something that made her nod.

He closed the door, and Helmeppo returned to the group, "Lieutenant Zapa's going to retrieve your payout from the captain; it shouldn't take long. If Captain Chase is in his office, that is."

"That's fine. I've had it take a hell of a lot longer, so a same-day payment is a pretty good deal," Zoro said, and Helmeppo chuckled.

"We're not a busy base in the way of bounties. We're close enough to East Blue Marine Headquarters that most hunters take the extra day and bring their bounties there directly. We don't mind, less prisoner transfers for us to worry about." East Blue Marine Headquarters was the biggest base in the East Blue, and where the East Blue's prison was located. "Plus, Vice Admiral Neon offers a bonus to any hunters who take the time to do it."

"I've heard good things about Neon," Koby mumbled, and Helmeppo shot him a curious look.

The stockade was quiet except for Alvida's grumbling as she tried to get comfortable on a rickety stool in her cell. In a whisper so that Alvida couldn't overhear and berate him, Koby chose that moment to tell Helmeppo, “I want to join the Marines, but I was forced into being her Cabin Boy for two years.” He glanced furtively at Alvida, and the pretty ensign’s eyes narrowed.

She frowned at the pirate woman before looking back at the pink-haired boy. “Everyone’s heard the story, but seven years ago, this city was under the thumb of Axe-Hand Morgan. He was a narcissistic tyrant who would have been happy to watch the people of the city starve in order to satisfy his own ego.” She gave a self-deprecating half-smile. “He was my father. I thought he was amazing. I thought that he was what a powerful man should be. He encouraged me to be cruel, callous and spoiled. I was his daughter and was never to do anything to shame him.”

Helmeppo shook her head, blonde ponytail rippling like silk, “Seeing a man like my father brought low and slapped in irons for his own words and actions… It really made me think. Was I going to turn out just like him?” She smiled, gesturing over her shoulder at the base. “The Marines here; most of them had known me for years, since I was still in diapers. After my father was arrested, they took me under their wings and made damn sure I would grow up to be nothing like him.” Her expression softened further, and Luffy hid a smile when she saw Koby turn pink. “The Helmeppo he wanted me to be and the Helmeppo I became are two very different people because these Marines decided I deserved a second chance.”

She clapped a hand on Koby’s shoulder, “What I'm saying is be upfront about your past, and it won’t come back to bite you in the ass later.”

Luffy butt in then, wrapping an arm around Koby’s neck and pulling him into a hug, “Which is exactly what I told him!”

Zoro muffled a laugh, watching Koby’s face turn a hot, neon red where it was pressed against Luffy’s chest.

The base commander arrived then, and Koby escaped Luffy’s hold, hiding his burning face. Captain Chase was a tall, thin man with salt-and-pepper hair and a pair of steely grey eyes. He handed Zoro the full bounty amount without any preamble, patting Helmeppo on the back as he stepped past her.

Before he could lose his courage, and with encouraging looks from both Luffy and Helmeppo, Koby asked the man about enlisting with the Navy.

Chase gave him a measuring look as Zoro and Luffy decided it was a good time to leave, Luffy’s stomach starting to rumble as they passed back through the gate into town.

“I’m starving,” She looked up at Zoro, “You going to feed me?”

“I suppose if you’re going to be my captain, I may as well make sure you don’t starve.” He said it so casually that it took Luffy a second to register the words.

As soon as she did, she beamed at him, “You mean it?!”

Nodding, Zoro held up a hand to stop Luffy from getting too excited, “I am going to be the World’s Greatest Swordsman; I made a promise to a friend a long time ago, and I intend to keep that promise. It’s my dream.”

“And I will never interfere with that.” She bounced lightly on her toes and flung out her hand, and he gripped it firmly in his, grinning as they shook on it.

–

They found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant near the port. Luffy led the way into the dim interior with a bounce in her step, and she breathed deeply, and her mouth watered at the savoury aroma of roasting meat.

Koby tracked them down there, the table straining beneath the mountains of food Luffy had ordered, much to the horror of the waitress and Zoro’s astonishment. He would have thought it wasteful, except Luffy appeared to be determined to eat every morsel of food. Her cheeks were bulging like a squirrel's, soft, happy noises escaping with every bite she took.

Zoro couldn’t pull his eyes from the sight, having finished eating a while ago. He did manage to look up at Koby, though, when the pink-haired boy stopped next to their table, “Look at you,” Zoro smirked, raising his mug in a toast. Wearing the white and blue marine uniform, Koby squirmed nervously beneath their assessing gazes.

Luffy swallowed her mouthful, grinning at the younger boy, wiping her mouth on the back of her arm, “So I guess they didn’t have a problem with you being Alvida’s cabin boy.” She leaned her elbow on the table, her other arm snaking out and snagging Zoro’s tankard. Or she tried to grab it, but Zoro snarled, smacking her hand away.

Koby shook his head and pulled an empty chair out from the table, dropping down to sit in it. The waitress, having noticed Luffy and Zoro getting rowdy, brings over a fresh mug for Luffy. “Like Helmeppo said, the Marines here are pretty big on second chances. It’s not going to be easy, but I didn’t think it would.”

Luffy pounds her newly acquired mug on the table, “Atta boy, Koby!” Zoro tipped back the rest of his booze with a cheer.

Koby ducked his head, embarrassed. “You guys are leaving soon?”

Zoro snorted, “Whenever Luffy finishes stuffing her face.”

“Soon.” Luffy agreed, going back to her food and using a spoon to shovel the contents of a bowl into her mouth.

The new marine nods, crossing his arms on top of the rough surface of the table. Hesitantly, he asked, “Are we friends?”

 Luffy and Zoro glanced at each other. “Of course.”

 Zoro put down his empty mug, “Given Luffy’s aspirations, though, we should probably keep it quiet.”

“We’ll still be friends, but like, secret friends,” Luffy assured, reaching over and slapping Koby on the shoulder.

Koby breathed a quiet laugh, “Thanks. Good luck.”

“You, too, Koby.”

Chapter Text

Luffy and Zoro left Shells Town, aboard Alvida’s supply ship once more, and set back to drift across the ocean to their next destination. Sitting next to the rudder, Luffy stared out over the water, the salt air stinging her nose, squinting her eyes against the glare of the sun reflected off the shimmering blue. The ship creaked beneath her as it moved over the waves, rocking and swaying.

She held up her hands, fingers splayed, telling Zoro. “…at least ten. We need a navigator, that’s a requirement. A musician would be great, though!” She dropped one hand back to the rudder, adjusting their direction minutely.  

“A musician is not a priority,” Zoro pointed out, shifting to lean more comfortably against the wood at his back, resting his elbows on the edge, “Having a Navigator, a Doctor, and a Cook are more important. By a lot.” 

Luffy pouted, “I guess.” She swayed side to side, a restless energy radiating from her form, hands dropping to grip her ankles. “We'll also need a sharpshooter, a shipwright and a helmsman.” As if solidifying the roles in her head, she nodded her head once, firmly. 

Glancing down at his legs, a fond smile quirking his lips, Zoro asked, “And where are we looking for these crewmates?” 

Luffy shrugged at the question, unfolding her legs and stretching them out in front of her, pointing her bare toes as she glanced around at the confines of the small ship. Grimacing, her lip curled at what she saw, remembering the sleek lines of her mother’s original ship.

The Eclipse had been the flagship of the Sandstorm Pirates for more than a decade before being retired. Sleek dark wood, graceful lines and a bananawani figurehead. Crocodile had needed to replace the Eclipse in order to upgrade to a larger ship to accommodate her increased crew. The Desert Sunset had been built by the owner of the Galley-La Company in Water Seven, and Iceberg had taken loving inspiration from the Eclipse and married her to the Sunset’s much larger four-masted design, much to Crocodile’s delight and appreciation.

It wasn’t very often Crocodile was happy to fork over huge sums of cash, but after seeing the ship for the first time, she hadn’t even tried to haggle the shipbuilder down.

“Finding a crew is as easy as travelling between islands and meeting people.” Luffy grinned, adding, “There are always people who are called to the sea. What might be harder is finding a ship.” Slapping her free hand against the wood beneath her butt, a dull thud resonated, “This glorified rowboat isn’t going to get us far. We need a ship that can get us to the Grand Line and travel on it.”

Cocking his head, Zoro nodded, “And where do we even go looking for one?” A gull shrieked overhead. 

“A shipyard?” Luffy shrugged again, a jerky, impatient motion, “I dunno, honestly. But we can ask around when we get to the next island.”

“Sure thing, Captain.” Luffy watched in fascination as Zoro fell asleep instantly after sinking down into a more comfortable position, his hands intertwined beneath his head, elbows angled up to shield his eyes from the bright light of the sun. 

–

Syrup Village was a small, peaceful little town on one of the smallest islands in the archipelago known as the Gecko Islands. It was an out-of-the-way place that was never attacked by pirates, and the citizens loved that about it. They’d always say, “We may have to go to the next island to get entertainment, but at least it’s quiet here.”

The village was home to the young heiress of the shipbuilding firm located on the largest of the islands, who had been orphaned the previous year and was cared for by the staff of her manor home. Miss Kaya was sickly but kind whenever she was well enough to leave the walled grounds of her sprawling estate. 

Unlike Kaya, another girl on the island led a much more challenging life. Usopp had been on her own for the better part of her sixteen years, from the moment her mother died when she was just six. Though not technically an orphan, as her father Yasopp was still alive, she may as well have been, since her father had abandoned her and her mother to join a crew of pirates a few months before her mother, Banchina, had died.

There was never a shortage of people willing to tell her time and time again how her father had been a no-good scoundrel. “What sort of man abandons his wife and daughter to go and be a pirate at the drop of a hat?” The owner of the bar and restaurant would growl, not bothering to lower his voice despite his wife’s pinch and angry whisper; a sympathetic glance shot in Usopp’s direction. “Don't hush me, woman, the girl knows her old man was a scamp. Banchina’s illness was no secret thing, and she was already bedridden when he disappeared.”

It didn’t bother Usopp to hear, not anymore. 

Like the owner had said, she knew very well that Yasopp was no good. Even before he’d left, he’d hardly been around. And even when he was, he spent most of his time drinking. If she met him today, she doubted she would recognize him. 

He would be nothing more than a stranger. 

So much so that Usopp couldn’t even find it in herself to be angry at him that she had had to fend for herself for the last ten years. She would have had to do that with him around anyway.

Technically an orphan or not, Usopp considered herself one.  

She ran down the path leading out of town, a group of boys her age chasing after her with anger painting their faces.

It wasn’t her fault that they had decided to bully Carrot, Onion and Pepper. Nor was it her fault that Usopp had felt so compelled to shoot a couple of black pepper stars at their backs two days ago to get them away from her friends. Or that the pepper cloud that had engulfed them had left them with irritated sinuses, eyes and throats. 

Nope, not her fault at all. 

They had done it to themselves. 

Usopp just happened to be the arbiter of their punishment. 

Be a bully, get bullied.

She chanced a glance over her shoulder and bit back a shriek when she realized how close they were to catching her. Facing forward once more, she ran headlong into a stranger with green hair, his dark-haired companion in a straw hat laughing heartily when they collided. Usopp braced herself against a firm chest, blushing at the feel of muscles under her hands. Glancing up at his face, she met bewildered sea-green eyes. 

He opened his mouth to say something, but Usopp heard the approaching footfalls of the boys and made a snap decision. Grabbing the beefcake’s wrist, Usopp shouted, “Come on!” 

Zoro blinked when she yanked him along behind her, surprised by the strength in her tiny frame.

Luffy was having a blast, holding her hat against her head as she ran beside them, “This island is already fun!” 

Looking back, Zoro watched the teen boys who’d been hot on the girl's tail break off with aggressive curses. Their feet pounded against the hard-packed dirt as they kept running, with the girl leading them down a side path that was clearly less used than the main one. 

When Usopp finally stopped, it was in a small, grassy clearing as overgrown foliage fought to retake the rarely tread path. Usopp let go of Zoro’s wrist and braced her hands on her knees, fighting to catch her breath, her thin chest heaving. 

Luffy stopped next to Zoro, panting faintly, cocking her head and examining the girl. She was several inches shorter than her, with big brown eyes, dark curly hair pulled into a thick bun, covered by a yellow and brown paisley scarf, and a long nose. She was thin and petite, but with wiry muscles that spoke of hard work. The smallness of her frame wasn't helped by the baggy overalls she wore. If it weren't for the bare curve of her waist and simple band of fabric covering her small breasts, she could have easily been mistaken for much younger. 

Usopp straightened up, “Sorry about that. I guess they were madder than I thought they'd be about the whole pepper incident.” Without any explanation about what the pepper incident had been, Usopp smiled and gave an exaggerated, graceful bow. “Usopp. Captain of the Usopp Pirates and future brave warrior of the sea.” Her words are playful and pleasantly raspy. 

Zoro saw his dark-haired captain grin brightly, offering her hand to the other girl to shake. “Monkey D. Luffy, future Queen of Pirates,” Luffy jabbed her thumb in Zoro’s direction before popping her hand on her hip, “My first mate Roronoa Zoro, future World’s Greatest Swordsman.”

Usopp took Luffy's offered hand, eyes wide, and Zoro blinked, voice bland when he asked, "Is this how we're going to start introducing ourselves to people from now on?"

Luffy laughed, “Maybe not every time.” She tapped her chin, asking Usopp, without any preamble, “You know where we’d be able to get a ship?” 

“Not here, but there is a shipbuilding firm on the next island over.” Usopp gestured vaguely to the east, “The girl who owns the firm lives here, but I don’t think she has much to do with the day-to-day operations.”

“Oh, cool! What about supplies?”

Opening her mouth to respond that the town does at least have a general store, the words failed to come as she noticed a strange figure moving up the path toward them. The way she tilted her head and the abject confusion on her face had both Zoro and Luffy turning to look as well. “What in the world…?” 

A man strode backwards, his feet sliding smoothly against the dirt path. One gloved hand holding his hat, and the other pressing against his chest. He passed them slightly before he noticed them standing there and stopped, doing a flamboyant spin and point, “Excuse me, is this the path to the southern inlet?”  

Thrown off by the move, Usopp stuttered when she responded, “Ah. No, sir, this is the path to the North Inlet.” 

The man sighed, “Thank you, young lady. I appear to have taken a wrong turn somewhere.” He spoke theatrically, as though mid-performance and was prepared for an interruption of applause. “Django. A wandering hypnotist.” He tipped his hat politely. 

It was Luffy’s turn to tilt her head, her brow furrowing in confusion, “What’s a hypnotist?” 

Django smiled, “I’ll demonstrate, shall I?” Pulling a metal ring on a braided cord from where it was hooked on his belt, he turned to face Luffy and held it in front of her eyes, “Focus on the ring, miss, watch it closely.” Luffy scanned his face for a second before allowing her dark eyes to fall to the ring.

Django swung the ring, and Luffy did as he asked, watching the circle sway side to side. 

Zoro raised his eyebrows, looking wholly unimpressed. 

“When I say Django, you will fall asleep."

"One." Whoosh.

"Two." Whoosh.

"Three." Whoosh.

"Django.” 

As soon as the word was uttered, Luffy’s eyes rolled up and she fell backwards. Zoro caught her just before she hit the ground, her head lolling as she snored softly. Usopp’s eyes widened, “There’s no way she’s actually asleep!”

“She is,” Django said calmly as Zoro laid Luffy down on the ground, tapping her cheek lightly. She groaned, batting his hand away, her eyes remaining stubbornly closed. “For the most suggestible minds, it is a very real thing.” Django coiled the cord back up and returned the ring to his belt, where Usopp noted a small metal clasp.

Django tipped his hat once more, “Good day.”  

Turning back to where Zoro was trying, fruitlessly, to wake Luffy up, Usopp tapped his shoulder and nudged him out of the way before reeling back her hand and bringing it down on the older girl’s cheek. The slap echoed across the clearing with a sharp crack.

Luffy yelped into awareness, cradling the abused skin in her palm, glaring up at Zoro, “That hurt! What the heck, Zoro? I don’t wake you up from your naps.” 

He gaped at her, holding up his hands defensively when he got the impression Luffy was about to slap him in retaliation, “Woah, hold on, I didn’t slap you!”

Usopp interrupted and raised her hand before Luffy could swing, “That was me. Sorry, but the way Zoro was tapping at your cheek, we were going to be here all day.” 

Still scowling at Zoro despite Usopp's confession, it took Luffy a second to register that she was on the ground. “Wait a sec? Why was I napping?” 

Zoro and Usopp exchanged a quick glance. “You don’t remember?” 

Luffy wracked her brain for a moment, “There was that weird backwards guy. Then he said he was a hypnotist.” 

“He waved that ring in front of your eyes, told you that you’d fall asleep when he said ‘Django.’” Usopp offered, “As soon as he said the word, you were out like a light," she snapped her fingers, “Like that. Bang. Asleep. Zoro caught you just before you hit the ground.” 

“Seriously?” Luffy rubbed her cheek, crossing her eyes. “Damn, Usopp, you can really swing a hit.” 

“You should see me shoot.” Usopp chuckled, “You were asking about our General Store. C’mon, I'll lead you there.”

–

Usopp left them at the door of the small shop, “Sorry, I’ve gotta go see someone. A long-standing arrangement that I can’t miss. Hopefully, I’ll see you guys before you head off.” She grinned and waved before spinning on her heel as gracefully as a dancer. 

Luffy hummed and returned the wave, still pouting at the way she’d been woken up, before heading into the dimly lit interior of the store. Zoro watched Usopp disappear down the road for a moment, shaking his head when he caught himself. With a growl, he followed his captain inside. 

They were greeted by a boisterous, middle-aged woman with lavender hair pulled away from her face in a thick braid down her back. Beside her was a young boy with shaggy hair the same shade of lavender as the woman's, covered by an orange beanie. “Hey! Who are you?!”

“Carrot! Don’t be rude.” The woman pinched the boy’s cheek and smiled apologetically at Luffy and Zoro. “Can I help you? We've got all your basic supply needs.” Luffy rattled off a list of what they needed.

Zoro rolled his eyes when he heard just how much of those essentials consisted of meat.

The shopkeeper nodded her head, “Not a problem as long as you can pay.”

Luffy swung her arm back and slapped Zoro in the center of his chest. He grumbled, rubbing the spot to soothe the sting, “Yeah, not a problem. How much?” 

They settled the bill, and the woman, who told them her name was Daisy, began gathering their order. Her son, Carrot, eyed them from the other side of the counter as his mother moved around the shop. Luffy didn't seem to notice, rocking on her feet, heel to toe and back, saying to Zoro, “I wonder where Usopp went in such a rush.” 

Zoro shrugged.

“Captain Usopp probably went to see Miss Kaya.” Luffy blinked when Carrot spoke up, focusing her attention on him. Growing shy under Luffy's scrutiny, Carrot continued in a softer tone, “She always goes right after breakfast.”

Crossing her arms and resting them on the surface of the counter, Luffy cocked her head, “Who’s Miss Kaya?”

“She lives at the big house just outside of town. She got really sick a couple of years ago after her parents died. Captain heard the rumours that Miss Kaya was super sad and lonely, and went to tell her all sorts of stories to try and cheer her up. The butt-guy who looks after Miss Kaya doesn’t like Captain visiting her and makes it really hard for Captain to visit.” Carrot giggled a little, covering his mouth while whispering, “He doesn’t realize that Captain sneaks onto the grounds anyway. Miss Kaya really loves Captain's stories, and Captain likes cheering her up.” 

Luffy’s eyebrows rose as she processed the boy’s words, and she asked him, confused, “Butt-guy?”

Daisy interjected, scowling, “Carrot, I told you not to call him that.” She tapped her son on the head with a firm hand. Carrot whined as Daisy shook her head, placing an armful of goods on the counter, telling Luffy, “He’s talking about Miss Kaya’s butler, Klahadore. He’s been the one taking care of Kaya since her parents passed. I'm afraid he disapproves of Usopp’s visits to Miss Kaya.”

Luffy shook her head, brows furrowed, “But if Usopp cheers her up, why wouldn’t he want her to visit?”

“Because he’s a butt!” Carrot gripped the edge of the counter and barely avoided his mother’s grab for him. “What? It’s true! He always has the guards chase Captain Usopp away from Kaya. And Miss Kaya always gets upset when he does that!” 

His mother sighed, “I’m not saying Usopp isn’t doing the right thing, Carrot. But Klahadore is doing what he thinks is best for Kaya.”

“What he thinks is best!” Carrot huffed, emphatic. 

Luffy pushed off from the counter, the dark slashes of her eyebrows still furrowed and asked Daisy, “Do you mind if we come to pick up our supplies in a few hours? We were hoping to grab some food before we take off.” 

Daisy's eyes flickered, surprised by the suddenness of Luffy’s request. “I—Of course, it’s not a problem.”   

“Thanks,” Luffy left the shop with Zoro on her heels, baffled by her change in objective.

“We going somewhere?”

“I wanna meet Kaya.” Luffy declared, pushing up the brim of her hat, shooting a glance over her shoulder. Her first mate squinted at her, examining her face and trying to decide what she was up to. After a beat, he shrugged and figured it would be easier to just go along with it.

Luffy had a light in her eyes that he was beginning to recognize as pure stubbornness.  

–

“Usopp, you came!” 

Usopp smiled at her friend sweetly as Kaya pushed open both sides of her large window, the gauzy white curtains billowing outwards. “Of course! I’d never leave you hanging.” The blonde, thin and fragile like a bird, looked in good spirits, the morning light adding some colour to her cheeks and making her dark eyes glitter. 

“You would, too! You left me with that terrible cliffhanger yesterday!” 

Usopp laughed at Kaya’s near-petulant tone, “If that's how you feel, you must not want me to tell you how that adventure ended."

“Tell me!” 

 As usual, it wasn't long before Usopp was working her magic, spinning the yarns of another story that had Kaya enthralled. To see her friend so engaged made Usopp proud. 

Proud to give Kaya a reason to smile. 

Both of them understood that under other circumstances, they might never have met. That Kaya would have never known the heartbreak of losing her parents at such a young age, and that Usopp would have had no cause to sneak onto the estate's grounds to try and cheer Kaya up.

The stories she told Kaya were the things she imagined would happen when she finally left Syrup Village. When, instead of just surviving, she could finally start living. For now, she’d settle for making her friend flush with happiness and excitement. 

“Usopp!” Interrupted by a boisterous, chipper voice, Usopp broke off her sentence, and she and Kaya looked over to where Luffy and Zoro were approaching. Their footsteps were soundless on the spongy, luscious green grass of the gardens, Luffy carrying her sandals in one hand. Zoro's hands shoved into his pockets, his shoulders hunched. He yawned and squinted up at the sun.  

Blinking rapidly, Usopp wondered how they knew where to find her as Kaya rested her cheek on the palm of her hand, her elbow balanced on the window ledge. “Friends of yours?”

“I guess,” smiling hesitantly, Usopp gave a helpless little shrug, “We only met about an hour ago.” 

Luffy jogged the last few feet, bouncing to a stop next to Usopp. Usopp and Kaya glanced down at Luffy’s chest, both of them glancing down at their own enviously.

“That’s just not fair,” Kaya whispered, forcing a smile when Luffy huhed loudly. 

Usopp silently agreed, addressing the pirates, “What are you two doing here?” 

“A kid named Carrot told us about what you were up to, and Luffy wanted to meet Kaya.” Zoro offered, his lips quirking in a brief, apologetic smile. 

“I’m Luffy. I’m going to be Queen of the Pirates, and we need a ship." She glanced around at the extravagant, manicured garden they were standing in, her eyes widening in faux-innocence. “You’re rich…think you could help us out?” The blatant audacity of the question had them all gaping at her. 

Zoro sighed, pulling his hands from his pockets and stepping up behind his captain to grasp her head. He gave her a firm shake, Luffy trying to bat him off, “That’s how you want to get a ship?” 

“Well…I mean, it doesn’t hurt to ask, does it?” She yanked herself free from his grasp, stumbling forward, fingers catching the windowsill beside Kaya's arm. 

Kaya, for some strange reason, looked thoughtful, “A ship for the future Queen of the Pirates, eh?” The words were so soft that Usopp wasn't sure she had heard her dear friend correctly. 

Before she could ask Kaya what she meant, a stern voice rolled out across the garden furiously, like a threatening rumble of thunder, “Are you aware that you are all trespassing?” The voice was cool and smooth as polished glass and just as frigid. 

Zoro and Luffy shared a look, catching Usopp’s quiet mutter, “The butler.” 

“Klahadore, they’re visitors. Usopp was cheering me up with another of her stories.” Kaya tried to calm the clearly irate man, but he didn’t appear to care very much, holding up one hand to halt her next words. Luffy harrumphed at the gesture.  

“You should be resting.” Using the heel of his palm, Klahadore pushed his glasses up from where they were slipping down the sharp slope of his nose. He glared at Usopp, who swallowed nervously. She had a rabbity look in her eye, prepared to bolt at the first hint of violence directed at her. “And you… The daughter of some two-bit pirate, looking to gain the friendship of our kindhearted Mistress.” 

Luffy watched, fascinated, as Usopp’s fear evaporated in the face of that callous comment, “Don’t talk about that man.”

That man. Luffy latched onto those words. The way she said it reminded Luffy of how Crocodile spoke about her biological father. The sperm donor. 

No anger. No hurt. Just a detached disinterest with an underlying bitterness.   

“Ah, yes, that man who abandoned his sickly wife and young daughter to go chase skirts and treasure at sea. A man to look up to, I'm sure.” Klahadore's tone was scathingly mocking, a sneer turning his lips. “And you are well on your way to following in his footsteps. Corrupting the youth of the village with your nonsense and trying to do the same with Kaya.” He slashed his hand through the air dismissively. “I won’t allow it.”

Usopp clenched her fists at her sides, glaring fiercely up at him. “You think you know a lot about me, but you’re wrong. The only path I’ll tread is my own. That man is a stranger to me.”

The butler was unimpressed by Usopp’s confident words. “Even if that were true, you’re nothing but a street urchin, unfit to be in Kaya’s presence. Now go.”

Those words cut deep. 

She was well aware of how different her and Kaya’s lives were. She didn't need to be reminded. They were friends despite the differences in their upbringings. 

At least, she thought they were.

Glancing up at Kaya’s face, Usopp mistook her disgust at Klahadore’s callous words as directed at her, and it was like a punch in the gut. 

Usopp bit her lip and deflated.

Luffy wrapped an arm around her thin shoulders, leading the younger girl away. Zoro followed behind them, feeling irritated on her behalf, glancing back into the garden when they reached the gate. Klahadore had turned his back, but Kaya was still in the open window, looking downtrodden and offering Zoro a brief, tremulous smile before closing her window, curtains falling into place to cover them. 

–

“Your dad, his name is Yasopp, isn’t it?” Sitting on the cliff above the north inlet, Usopp was surprised to hear her father’s name on Luffy’s lips. 

“I—Yeah. You know my dad?”

“Mhm.” Luffy dropped down to sit beside her. Zoro hung back, leaning his back against a nearby tree, giving them space. “He’s Red-Haired Shanks’ sharpshooter. They used to be based out of my village on Dawn Island.”

Usopp gazed out over the water, eyes cloudy, and Luffy’s heart ached for her. “You might know him better than I do, then,” Usopp admitted softly.

Luffy sighed heavily, “He really left you and your mom behind?”

“Just before my mom passed away when I was six.” Usopp lifted her knees and wrapped her arms around them, hiding her face.

Luffy frowned, not happy that her gut feeling was so spot on. Tentatively, she said, “I never knew my biological dad either. Never met him. My mom just calls him my sperm donor.” She shot Zoro a grimace, annoyed with herself for broaching the subject so bluntly. Sakazuki, the man she called Dad, was always telling her to choose her words more carefully, but there she was, sticking her foot in her mouth once more. 

Usopp snorted, “That’s one thing to call him.”

What do I know? I was orphaned as a baby and raised in a dojo. I sure as shit never knew my parents. Zoro shrugged at her.

Luffy turned back around, ready to eat crow and apologize for even bringing it up, but something on the beach below caught her eye. Shifting onto her knees, she crawled the rest of the way toward the edge of the cliff. “It’s that butt-guy and that Hypno-guy.” 

Luffy heard the soft tread of Zoro’s steps as he got closer, the hard sheaths of his swords knocking together gently as he crouched down beside her, “…Why do I have the feeling that the butler really doesn’t have your friend’s best interests at heart?” He murmured to Usopp when she crawled up beside Luffy with her brows furrowed. 

They fell silent, ears straining to pick up what they could of Klahadore and Django’s conversation. 

Which wasn't very much, the men intent on keeping their voices low. It wasn't until Klahadore started shouting that they were able to make out any of the words. 

“…You fools don’t get it! If we kill her without her writing the will that will leave everything to her ‘beloved butler Klahadore,’ it’ll just end up with me on the run.”

Django lifted his hands in a placating gesture, “But having a high bounty is what being a successful pirate is all about, Captain Kuro!” 

“I don’t care about being a successful pirate, idiot. My goal is to be able to retire with a vast fortune and a big house. Having the Marines on my ass for the rest of my days doesn’t factor in.” The butler scowled at Django, pushing his glasses up. 

The way he does it is odd; the move is too practiced, too deliberate. Luffy stretched out on her belly, resting her chin on her crossed arms, listening intently. “And do not call me by that name. Captain Kuro is dead. You are the captain of the Black Cats, Django, and I have hired you to do a job.” Khaladore jabbed his finger at the hypnotist. “So do it, exactly as I have instructed you.”

“I know. At dawn tomorrow, the plan goes into action. I have to hypnotize the girl and get her to write her new will; the boys’ll take care of the attack in town. There's no way that the villagers will suspect you of anything.” 

“They had better not. Otherwise, everything I’ve worked towards for ten years will have been for nothing. Ten years of pretending to be nothing but the perfect servant and butler. Ten years of playing nice with these idiot villagers.” He scoffs, tossing his head. “One more night, and by noon tomorrow, I’ll be set for life.”

Luffy's fingers fisted on the thick grass atop the cliff, and Zoro noticed her tense up in preparation to jump to her feet. He reacted swiftly, wrapping his hand around her mouth and dropping his weight down on top of her. She licked his palm wetly and tried to get him to let go, but he hung on stubbornly. “Do not bite me.” He growled in her ear, “You do what I know you’re gonna, and we lose the element of surprise.” 

Usopp was trembling —whether from anger or fear, Zoro wasn't sure. “I can’t let him hurt Kaya.” She whispered resolutely. 

“We’ll help, I promise.” He assured, meeting and holding Usopp’s gaze while ignoring Luffy's attempt to slobber all over his palm to try and get him to let her go. He wasn't sure why he was so willing to lend his swords to this girl, but he is. 

Once the men had left the beach, Zoro was honestly surprised there hadn't been more evil laughter. He released his Captain, wiping his hand off on Luffy's shirt as he stood up, “That was disgusting, Luffy.”

She sprang to her feet, frustration flooding her face, “We coulda just taken them down right here, right now!”

“We’d still have pirates to worry about tomorrow morning,” Usopp reminded her, a hand on her chin, “Zoro has the right idea. Right now, they don’t know anyone is aware of their plans. Which means we can put together a counterattack."

Luffy rubbed her hands together, “So what you’re saying is that we have time to eat.”

Zoro sighed at her, “You can’t possibly be hungry.”

Grinning, Luffy told him, “That’s my secret, Zoro, I’m always hungry.” 

Chapter Text

With Luffy’s belly full and the sun only just beginning its descent into the West, Usopp stopped both of her new friends as they left the bar, gesturing them to step into a quiet alleyway between the bar and the building next to it. She looked around cautiously to see if they were alone before she told them, “I think we should try and tell Kaya what’s going on.” 

Luffy sat on a crate that had been placed next to the side door into the bar, stretching her legs out, her pretty dark eyes narrowing thoughtfully, “Are you sure? I don’t know if Kaya is going to believe that her Butler is going to try and kill her in the morning. Not if he pretends to be as loyal as the townfolk seem to consider him. 

Crossing her arms, Usopp hesitated, “I don't want her to be caught completely off guard if we can't stop them.” 

Zoro dropped a hand on Luffy’s shoulder when she opened her mouth to argue, halting her words, “You know her a lot better than we do. If you think telling her is the right thing, who are we to argue?” 

Luffy snapped her mouth shut, and Usopp smiled at the swordsman gratefully.  

They walked to the big house, only to find the front gate closed and locked, with two guards standing at attention outside. Luffy jerked her head to the right, and they circled around to the side of the house where Kaya’s bedroom was. They scrambled over the garden wall, Zoro offering Usopp a boost while Luffy pulled herself up. Luckily, there were no guards in the garden, and the path to Kaya’s window was unobstructed.

Swallowing down her anxiety, Usopp tapped timidly on the glass. 

They waited impatiently, and after nearly a minute, Kaya appeared, pushing aside the curtains. She looks exhausted and dishevelled, as if she’d been asleep. Apprehensively, she opened one side of her window. 

“Kaya! You have to listen. Klahadore wants to kill you!” Usopp blurted out before Kaya could say anything, grasping her wrist gently. Zoro grabbed her shoulder, urging her to calm down.

Kaya blinked, reeling back as though Usopp had slapped her, “What?”

“Your butler is plotting to have you die in an accident after having you write a will to give your fortune to him. We just saw him having a meeting on the beach with a pirate captain who can hypnotize people,” Zoro explained calmly when Usopp seemed to flounder, struggling to find the words. Kaya bit her lip, her eyes flickering between the three of them, and Luffy nodded, her generous mouth set in a firm line. 

A shimmer of sweat broke out on her forehead, and she pulled free of Usopp’s loose hold, “How could you? Klahadore would never do something like that! If this is your idea of a joke, Usopp, I’m not laughing!” Kaya’s distressed shouting summoned a few guards, including one from outside her bedroom door. A slender white-haired man with ram horns. 

Desperately, Usopp tried again, “Please, Kaya, you have to believe us. I don’t want you to get hurt!” 

Luffy poked her head up and yelped when she saw the pistol the sheep guy was aiming at Usopp, “Zoro, gun! Grab Usopp, we’re leaving!”

Zoro snarled and scooped the small teen up onto his shoulder, pulling her away from the window just as the guard fired a shot, the bullet barely missing her, “Got her!” Without any hesitation, he sprinted for the wall, Luffy half a step behind him. In an impressive show of strength and dexterity, he launched himself and Usopp over with one arm. Stretching her arms to grasp the top of the wall, Luffy propelled herself up and over like a rubber band, her hat falling off her head to hang from her neck, another shot whizzing past her airborne body. 

“We probably just lost our chance for surprise,” Zoro grumbled, bracing Usopp against his shoulder, hand cupping her thigh just below her butt as they sprint back toward town. 

“I suppose it depends on whether Klahadore is going to bother contacting the Black Cats or not,” Usopp murmured in response, her face growing warm at the sensation of Zoro’s big hand on her leg. “We need to stop them at the beach. Whatever happens, they can’t reach the village. The people here…we never get attacked by pirates. No way they’re prepared for one.”

Luffy, easily keeping pace with Zoro’s longer stride, smiled assuringly at Usopp, attempting to comfort the distraught girl. “So we stop them at the beach. Easy peasy.”

Zoro snorted, “You’re so weird, Luffy.”

“What, why?!”

“You really think stopping an undetermined amount of pirates is gonna be ‘easy peasy?’”

“Uh, duh! I’ve never heard of this crew! They’re probably a bunch of losers. Me and you, with Usopp to cover us, can take care of ‘em no problem.” Luffy lifted her hand in an okay gesture, smiling cheekily. “You said you were a good shot, Usopp. Hope you weren’t exaggerating.”

Usopp returned her smile, “I may be prone to biting off more than I can chew, but I’m a fantastic shot.”

–

The sky began to lighten, casting the dark blue waters into a mirror that reflected the orange, pink, and purple hues of the brightening sky. Luffy thought about how strange it was that such a beautiful sunrise would rise on such a grim morning, but she took it as a good sign. 

Zoro tipped the last barrel of oil onto its side, the viscous fluid coating the last spot on the hill that was still dry. Luffy watched it gush down the slope, her arms crossed, her lips twisted into a contemplative frown. Zoro wiped the back of his hand against his sweaty forehead and glanced up the hill to find his captain looking uncharacteristically sombre, her sunny grin nowhere to be found.

Seated in front of a small square of fabric spread out over the grass beneath a large oak tree, Usopp's nimble fingers sorted through and organized her surprising arsenal of ammunition and weapons. She’d shown them her modified slingshot the night before, demonstrating the shocking amount of power the nifty little weapon was able to pack. Coupled with Usopp’s precise aim, there was no denying her capabilities as a sharpshooter. Luffy hadn't said it out loud, but her first thought upon seeing her in action had been like father, like daughter.

Trudging up the hill, empty barrel on his shoulder, Zoro watched her for a moment, noting the faint tremor in her hands and fingers. Tossing the barrel onto the pile in the trees, Zoro crouched in front of her. He could feel Luffy’s intense stare drilling into the back of his head, but thankfully, she didn’t say anything.

Usopp peeked up at him from beneath the full fan of her eyelashes, keeping her head bowed nervously. She sighed soundlessly, shoulders slumping and pulled her hands into her lap, clenching them tightly to stop them from shaking. “You probably think I’m a coward,” she mummbled.

Zoro shook his head, feeling the inexplicable need to assure her, “You aren’t a coward. You found out your friend is in danger and are choosing to stick around to try and prevent anything from happening. Doesn’t seem like something a coward would do to me .” His lips quirked, amused when she blinked rapidly at him.

Usopp hadn’t thought about it like that. All she knew was the pounding of her heart and the tremors wracking her body that she was desperately trying to disguise. She appreciated his confidence, firming her jaw and nodding once, her hands steady when they reached back out to her arsenal.

Zoro didn't see Luffy’s smug grin. When he turned back around, his captain was facing the ocean. Breathing deeply, she let her eyes fall closed, arms dropping to her sides. “Dawn’s getting close.”

“Breaking now,” Usopp whispered, returning her ammo to the proper pouches on her belt and getting to her feet.

Zoro clicked his tongue, humming softly, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. “So where are the pirates?”

“Does anyone else hear yaring?” Luffy mumbled, tilting her head and lifting her hand up to her ear. 

They all listened for a moment, and Zoro gritted his teeth, “Isn’t there another inlet?” he asked, looking at Usopp pointedly when she stepped up beside him.

Usopp smacked her hand to her forehead. “Yeah,” with her hand over her eyes, she peeped through her fingers, “This is where they had their meeting, I thought…” She trailed off, feeling like an idiot.

“Dammit!” Luffy shouted, “Let’s get a move on. Which way, Usopp?”

“North.” Luffy took off like a rocket, and Usopp shouted after her. “That’s not north!”

“C’mon. She’ll get there eventually.” Zoro offered her a piggyback ride, and Usopp accepted, dreading the sprint across the width of the island. “I’m shit at directions; you need to point me the right way.”

“Okay, got it.” She wrapped her arms securely around Zoro’s neck, his arms hooking under her knees. He took off at a speed that would’ve left Usopp’s much shorter legs struggling to keep up, weaving through the trees instead of sticking to the much windier path. He followed Usopp’s directions, ignoring the faint exasperation colouring her voice when he ended up taking no less than four wrong turns. “We’re going in a straight line, Zoro. Stop trying to turn!”

While Zoro and Usopp were mostly heading in the right direction, Luffy shrieked her frustration when she found herself stalled at a cliff face, “How is this not right? I ran in the direction that seemed the coldest!”

They reached the top of the hill, by some miracle, just as the first of the Black Cat pirates crested it. Zoro unhooked his arms from around Usopp’s legs, and she jumped down from his back, the swordsman swinging into an easy kick against the foremost pirate’s chest, sending him careening into his crewmates. Six pirates tumble backward down the slope. The others stalled in their rampage, eyeing the two teens who took up a defensive position at the peak of the path apprehensively.

Django the Hypnotist, Captain of the Black Cat Pirates, gaped. Kuro had assured him that Syrup Village would have no defences. No marine base since there was one on the next island over, partially as protection for the shipyards there, on top of the protection it provided to the Gecko Islands as a whole. A counterattack would take time to mount. By the time they arrived, the Black Cats would be long gone.

Narrowing his gaze, he recognized the swordsman with green hair and the small girl in overalls behind him. The day before, he’d demonstrated his hypnotism by putting their busty friend in the straw hat to sleep. He blinked when he saw that the swordsman was wielding three swords. “Roronoa Zoro, the Demon Pirate Hunter? What are you doing here?” He muttered the questions to himself, one of his crewmen giving him a curious look.

Elsewhere, Luffy bent over at the waist, gripping the ends of her hair and gritting her teeth.  “Why are there so many damn cliffs on this island?!” She yelled out her frustration, taking off again.

Usopp pulled her goggles down over her eyes and loosened the drawstring on her pouch of lead stars, taking her slingshot from its holster. She aimed at a charging Black Cat and released, the lead star making contact with his eye. He screamed, and Usopp grimaced when he clutched at the bleeding eye socket. She steeled herself and took a deep breath through her nose.

Zoro grinned devilishly, placing Wado Ichimonji in his mouth, teeth gripping the tsuka. He caught a blade swinging at him, the sharp clang of clashing metal reverberating through the air. He slid through the man’s defences. A slash of his sword, and blood sprayed against the white of his shirt.

There was a lull as the Black Cats watched two of their comrades fall. Zoro removed his bandana from where it was tied around his bicep. One Black Cat tried to take advantage, but Usopp was there to cover him. One shot, blood erupting from where the enemy grips his shoulder. Second shot, glancing. Bad angle, splitting open a line along this enemy’s jaw. Zoro secured his bandana, his eyes shadowed beneath the edge.

Taking his third blade into his free hand, he assessed the enemies that were still hesitating to come further up the hill. Four, five, six, seven…halfway up. Another dozen loitering on the beach, the hypnotist in their midst. 

They had to stop all of them, but preventing Django from ascending was their primary goal.

If he couldn’t get up the hill, there would be no opportunity for him to hypnotize Kaya and get her to write the will leaving everything to Kuro.

Luffy had been certain that if the Black Cats were stalled at the beach, the Butler would come looking for them, drawing him away from the estate and putting all of their enemies into one place. “We take them out at the beach, and the townspeople won’t even know there were any pirates in the first place.” A quick, lackadaisical shrug, a broad grin.

His captain may occasionally give off ditzy, bubbly energy, but she was far from stupid. Blunt and straightforward, Luffy would never be known for extravagant or convoluted plots, but she would be known for systematically destroying her enemies, doggedly wearing them down, and never giving up.

As if summoned, she emerged from the tree line, scowling, her voluptuous chest heaving with exertion. Wiping the sweat off her face, Luffy pointed an accusatory finger at Usopp. “You could have told me which way north was!”

Usopp gaped at her, screeching, “You ran off before I could!”

Zoro sighed, “Stop it. Fight happening now.” Another pirate seemed to find his courage and sprinted up the incline.

Luffy glanced around at the writhing, moaning and groaning injured and grinned. Her fist shot out, “Gum-Gum Pistol!” and the blow landed across the guy’s jaw, sending him tumbling back. “Damn, I’m so far behind.” She flashed Zoro a smirk when he glared over his shoulder. Yelling a war cry, she threw herself down the hill onto the group of enemies.

Usopp stared after her, admiring Luffy’s complete lack of fear. Her brow furrowed, she glanced up to the deck of the Black Cat’s ship, moored next to the small boat she knew belonged to Luffy and Zoro, movement aboard catching her eye. Two more pirates stood at the railing, calling down to Django. “Zoro!” He turned his head a fraction, and she knew he was listening. “Two more on the ship. Might be bad news.”

“Got ‘em,” he grunted, striding down the slope and passing Luffy, who dropped the last pirate on the ground, unconscious.

Luffy stepped over the fallen Black Cats without a care in the world, noting the way the pirates still on the beach were grinning and whispering excitedly. “Were they saving their heavy hitters for last?”

“Looks like it.”

The Meowban brothers, Sham and Bunchi, landed on the ground. Sham lightly and Bunchi heavily, an impact crater appearing beneath his feet. Sham moved fast, and Zoro almost failed to catch his claws with one of his blades. 

As focused as he was on the smaller one, he didn't see the big one move to attack him from behind. 

Luffy intercepted him, though, kicking Bunchi away with a mocking, “Uh, uh, uh. No teaming up two-on-one,” and throwing in a wagging finger for good measure. 

Bunchi grunted, his breath leaving his body in a rush. Her sandaled foot had landed like a cannon blast against his belly. With her lush curves, Bunchi hadn’t expected her to be as strong as she was.

Below them, Django fretted. 

Normally, Sham and Bunchi would be the Black Cats' trump card—a quick and guaranteed way to end a fight if things weren't quite going their way. It was taking too long to deal with these kids. The crew should have already been wreaking havoc in the Village, and Django should have been arriving at the gates of the estate.

Instead, they were still on the beach. Kuro. Klahadore…whatever the hell he was going by these days, was not going to be pleased that events were not going according to his plan. Kuro was very, very insistent on things going according to plan. He was the Man of a Hundred plans after all.

Usopp, shooting down a few opportunistic Cats, froze.

A chill crept down her spine, goosebumps rising in its path. She hesitated for a heartbeat but gamely peeked over her shoulder, and her eyes widened behind the tinted lenses of her goggles, tumbling sideways. Klahadore's eyes didn't even shift in her direction as he stepped past her, a duffel bag in one hand and pushing up his glasses with the other.

“Django. You have a job to do.” Icy, precise words. Klahadore stopped halfway down the slope, unbothered or uncaring about the bodies of his one-time crew scattered about his feet. “Get moving.” A collective shudder seemed to pass through the Black Cats.

Fear. 

A very real and very visceral fear. 

Luffy’s eyes narrowed. This butler, once a pirate, once a captain, did not care one iota about the men who had once been his crew. They were expendable to him. Just tools to achieve what he wanted.

It made her sick.

A captain should treat their crew better.

“I’m sorry, Cap’n. We didn’t expect this much resistance.”

Klahadore sneered, “Not an excuse.”

Django shuddered, the tremble hidden by his heavy coat. But before he could move to do as ordered, a voice rang out.

“Klahadore, stop this!”

Usopp yelped, popping back onto her feet and scrambling to her friend's side. “Kaya! You shouldn’t be here!” Then she noticed the three boys standing by the heiress. “Carrot! Pepper! Onion!” With each name, her heart dropped further into her stomach.

Django smirked, lifting both his hands, “OH! Well, this makes my job a little bit easier.”

Klahadore cast a cool, dispassionate look in Kaya’s direction. “What are you doing here?”

“You attacked Merry.” She was pale and shaky, clutching the collar of her long jacket closed, beneath which Usopp could see the edges of her nightgown. Kaya’s lip wobbled, and she peered at Usopp. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I should have believed you. ”

Usopp smiled, self-deprecating. “It’s okay. I understand why you didn’t.” She shook herself before pointing at the boys. “Usopp’s Pirates! Protect Kaya. That weird guy,” She jabbed a thumb in Django’s direction, “Wants to hurt her and force her to do something bad. Keep her safe.” 

The boys wavered, but looking around at the pirates, they quickly agreed. Grabbing both of Kaya’s hands, they led her away, disappearing into the woods. 

Luffy grinned, approving of how Usopp got the boys away from the worst of it. She shrieked when Bunchi leaped at her, dodging by a hair's breadth. Sham caught Zoro with a swipe of his claws diagonally across his chest. Scowling, Zoro forced Sham away from him, glancing down at the torn material of his shirt and frowning at the blood now staining it.  

Django took that moment to move around them, using their distraction to his advantage. Usopp fired at him. He dodged around the star, cussing lightly. Too close. Usopp fired again, hissing through her teeth when the star ripped through the material of his coat.

Django pulled his chakram off his belt and threw it at Usopp. The sharpshooter gasped, the razor-sharp ring hitting her bare arm. She rolled away, and Django reeled the ring back in. Usopp clutched the wound, blood seeping through her fingers.

As Usopp fell, the hypnotist sprinted into the woods, hunting Kaya and the boys.

Usopp grit her teeth, pulling the square of fabric she’d been using earlier out of her bag, wrapping it around her arm and using her teeth to secure a knot. “I’m going after him!”

“Be careful!” Zoro shouted back, grunting when Sham came flying back at him, the Black Cat’s claws slashing in a downward arc. Zoro swung his right sword in a wide arc and slashed across the slender man’s waist.

Sham didn't expect the hit and fell back again, touching the wound with a grimace.

“We finish these two fast. Then you go after Usopp and lend her a hand. I’ll deal with the butler.” Luffy muttered, her back bumping against Zoro's for a moment.

Zoro grunted. He had no problem with the plan and knew Luffy could handle Mr. Prim and Proper.

Dashing forward, he attacked Sham with a flurry of strikes. The cat struggled to block them all, and Zoro watched closely for an opening. When it appeared, a quick thrust was all it took to drop Sham and end the fight.

Bunchi wasn't faring much better against Luffy. He was strong but slow, telegraphing every one of his hits, and Luffy dodged around them with nimble speed. Hard, fast strikes against whichever side she moves toward. She sidestepped him again, slipping behind him. Her arms coiled together like a rubber band, and she latched her hands against his head. Using brute strength, she lifted Bunchi off the ground. Once he was in the air, she allowed her arms to uncoil. Bunchi spun rapidly, and just as her arms were about to reach the end of the coil, she slammed him head-first into the ground.

In not even two minutes, Sham was left choking on his own blood, and Bunchi was unconscious and likely suffering from a cracked skull and bleeding on the brain.

Chuckling darkly, Zoro sheathed his swords. He gave Luffy a brief nod, not even glancing at Klahadore as he sprinted past him. The butler made a move to step in his direction, but a gum-gum pistol caught his attention, a fist whizzing past his face.

Luffy smiled when the butler turned his head slowly to look at her, her smile turning wicked when he dropped his bag, the material shredding open. Klahadore was standing in one place, and then she blinked, and he was behind her, standing before his old crew. On his hands were a pair of glaves that had long katana-like blades protruding from the tips of each of his fingers and both thumbs.

Luffy half turned to track him, dirt crunching beneath the soles of her sandals.

She sent another pistol at his back, but this time, Klahadore grabbed her arm. Snickering and unperturbed, Luffy launched herself forward into a “gum-gum sickle!” He sneered, sidestepping the attack, dropping her arm. She braced her hands on the ground and extended her sandaled feet into a “gum-gum spear!” The hit landed, the points of her toes impacting the center of his chest, the air forced out of his lungs. He was sent flying backwards, a painful grimace twisting his features, and Luffy bounced to her feet.

As Klahadore struggled back to his feet, gasping for air, the enjoyment in Luffy's face disappeared, replaced by frustration. “What sort of pirate are you?” she grumbled, glaring at the butler. “You don’t give a damn about your crew. You’re planning on killing a girl you’ve spent ten years looking after so you can inherit her fortune. You want to play pretend with a village full of people once your plan succeeds. Make it make sense.”

“I’ve earned my peace. If Kaya has to die for me to get the money to live out the rest of my days, so be it." He scoffed, “The navy will never know what happens, and the villagers will believe me innocent.”

“Usopp would know what happened.”

Klahadore sneered, lifting his hands with fingers splayed, his claws making the gesture even more mocking. “Why would they believe the words of a filthy little girl when good, trustworthy Klahadore is telling them otherwise?”

A  dark, thunderous look clouded Luffy’s face, a surge of anger flooding her chest. “You talk a lot of shit about a girl who’s never done anything to you.”

He smirked as if her visible rage amused him. “She’s the daughter of a pirate. She’ll never amount to anything. She’ll probably just end up whoring herself out, just like her mother.” He didn't give Luffy any chance to respond and stepped into his infamous Out-of-the-Bag attack.

Luffy cocked her head, ears pricking when one of the Black Cats shouted, “Captain Kuro, please!” Her eyes darted to where another Back Cat crumpled, shrieking, a spray of blood erupting from four slices across his torso. Then, to one of the cliffs on either side of the path, where scratch marks seemed to manifest out of nowhere. She didn't flinch when she felt a claw graze her cheek below the crescent moon-shaped scar beneath her eye. 

Calmly and deliberately, she reached out a hand and grabbed. Klahadore bellowed when she slammed one of his claws into the ground, flipping him over onto his back, his claws snapping under the force.

She smirked down at him and waited for him to stand back up. “What? You thought I couldn’t see you?” A sluggish trickle of blood trailed down her cheek.

“Once more,” Klahadore growled, and tried to step into a pussyfoot maneuver again. Luffy attached herself to him before he could, her legs coiling around his middle.

“Nope.” She scowled when she heard a few of the Black Cats cheering for her. She flung her head back, her neck snaking out so she could get in their faces, startling them. “Shut up! Who said you could cheer for me?!” They yelped, stumbling back, and she tilted her head up to shoot Klahadore a cheeky grin. “Gum-Gum Bell!”

His eyes widened, and he yanked at her limbs desperately to try to escape her grasp. 

But Luffy's hold is too tight, her limbs coiled around his body like a boa constrictor, squeezing tighter and tighter the more he squirmed.

Blood exploded from where her head made contact with his nose, the cartilage shattering beneath the force. Luffy unravelled herself and dropped to the ground as Klahadore fell, unconscious.

She humphs, glaring at the gawking Black Cats. “You’ve lost. Get out of here.” She grabbed the front of Klahadore’s jacket and, in an impressive feat of strength, heaved him in their direction. “And take your trash with you!”

–

Usopp stumbled, catching herself on a tree, bark scraping her palms. Her vision wavered, and she glanced down at the makeshift bandage covering the wound on her arm, grimacing when she saw that the cloth was entirely soaked in blood, rivulets running down her arm. 

She jumped in fright when a hand landed on her shoulder, and a deep voice asked, “You okay?” 

Looking up, she met Zoro’s green eyes. “A little woozy,” she winced as his fingers probed around her injury. He removed the bloodied cloth and replaced it with his own bandana, tying it tightly to staunch the flow of blood. Usopp thanked him quietly before stepping away from him on wobbly legs, “We’ve gotta catch up to Django.”

“You can barely keep your feet.” Usopp opened her generous mouth to protest being left behind, but Zoro continued before she could. “Can you shoot if I carry you?”

“I—Yeah. I should be able to.” Zoro helped her climb onto his back, hefting her higher, his arms cupping under her hips. “Sorry, you have to do this.”

He smiled lopsidedly over his shoulder, a shockingly boyish expression she hadn't thought him capable of producing. “It's fine. You’re pretty light, so it's barely a workout for me.”

He started out at an easy jog, and they both fell quiet, ears straining for any hint of where Kaya and the boys had run. Usopp’s head jerked toward what sounded like a mess of trees falling. Echoing creaking, cracking thuds. She slapped a hand against Zoro’s chest, the swordsman grunting when the hit landed against his own injuries.

“Sorry.” Usopp pointed in the direction the sound had come from and could just make out Django’s lanky figure through the trees. “There!” 

She growled, squeezing her thighs in frustration, and Zoro took a deep breath through his nose at the sensation, “I don’t have a clear shot.”

“So I’ll clear the line of fire.” He stopped and let her slide off his back, and she got into a low position. Pulling her slingshot out and readying her ammo. Zoro unsheathed one of his blades and sprinted forward. He saw the boys collectively hit Django, pulling his attention away from Kaya. 

Django lashed out at them, and Zoro shouted, “Hey, hypnotist!” Tearing his ire away from the kids. He skidded to a stop and swung his blade, several branches falling to the ground in the wake of the slash. He smirked when he heard Usopp’s quiet, “Got him.”

The lead star she fired isn’t one of the plain Jane ones she’d been using earlier. This one exploded into fire as soon as it made contact with Django’s chest. Zoro grabbed Kaya, jerking the blonde further away from the burning man. Django screamed, dropping to the ground, rolling around in the dirt to try to put the flame out. Zoro pushed Kaya behind the stump of a tree and stepped closer to the hypnotist. He punched down, a firm wallop to the older man’s face to knock him unconscious before kicking the toe of his boot against the dirt and sending it across his chest, putting out the flame. 

Usopp was shaky as a newborn foal on her feet, and Zoro grabbed her elbow to steady her when she stood next to him.

“Usopp!”

“Captain! Are you okay?”

Kaya ran to her, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl in a hard hug. Onion, Pepper and Carrot linger behind the heiress, sniffling and wiping snot and tears off their faces. “I’m glad you’re okay, Kaya,” Usopp murmured, pressing her face against the blonde’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” Kaya told her, and Usopp felt the sobs Kaya was trying to hold back.

–

Luffy leaned back from the table, rubbing her belly contentedly. “Good food! Hey, mister, can I have more?!” Zoro snorted into his mug when the owner gawked across the room at Luffy.

“More?! You’ve already eaten enough for eight people!”

“So? I’m still hungry.” She pouted, and the man sighed, nodding his head. Luffy grinned, sunny and bright once more.

“Excuse me?” They glanced over, smiling up at Kaya.

“Hey, Kaya!”

“Kaya. Feeling better?”

The blonde nodded, stopping next to their table and smiling determinedly. “I am. I realized that I couldn’t keep mourning my parents forever. It’s time to start living.” Luffy nodded her approval, her grin softening. “I was wondering if you two were still interested in a ship.”

–

Usopp stripped her house of everything important. All her tools and weapons, her clothes, art supplies, and the photo album her mother had put together just before her illness had gotten so bad she couldn't do anything. Despite there being plenty she had decided to leave behind, her bag was still bulging, and she struggled to free herself from the entryway where it got wedged when she left.

Usopp looked back into the small house once, nodding her head resolutely. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

“Off we go.” 

Walking down the path from her house for the last time, she caught sight of Zoro and Luffy at the bottom of the hill, at a low bit of cliff close to the water. Kaya’s guard, Merry, was standing with them, gesturing to a ship. 

The Going Merry, a handsome little caravel with a sheep for a figurehead.  

Luffy and Zoro were listening to Merry’s detailed explanation with mild confusion when Usopp walked up, whistling a soft tune. Luffy leaned around Zoro and grinned at Usopp, “Hey, Usopp! You’re coming with us, right? Kaya gave us a ship, and it wouldn’t feel right without you.” 

Usopp blinked, honestly not expecting the invitation.

Zoro grabbed her bag off her back and headed up the gangplank onto the ship, grinning at her. “C’mon, Usopp, Captain’s orders.”

Usopp looked between them, a grin building on her face. “Really?”

Luffy clutched Usopp’s hands, “As if I would want anyone else as my sharpshooter.” She shot a quick, sly look in Zoro’s direction, her voice dropping to a whisper, “Besides, I think Zoro would miss you if you decided not to come along.” 

Usopp blushed at Luffy’s suggestion. Her eyes darted to the green-haired swordsman. He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at her, but didn’t appear to have heard Luffy. Usopp squeezed Luffy's hands tightly, grinning widely. “Hell yeah!”