31 Chapter 31

"What? You left the treasure behind?!" Nami shrieked leaning over her boat. "I gave you half of it!! That's five million beli!"

"Yeah, but the village required it more than we needed it!" Luffy said backing off from Nami, who was radiating killing aura.

"That was my treasure," Nami cried, jumping into Luffy's and Zoro's boat. The small boat swayed dangerously due to Nami as well as the ocean, which demanded her child for inspection. Nami didn't have to threaten Luffy further as he fell into the ocean.

"Idiot!!!" Zoro yelled in response as he dived in right after him, Nami watching them with confusion.

For the first few seconds, Zoro didn't find Luffy. The thought of his captain being drowned unsettled him. The kid had a wound on his chest, which was bleeding and wasn't bandaged even. And hell, he straight off fell in the seawater! This was the worse Zoro could have ever thought.

A few moments earlier, as Luffy feel in his mother's gentle arms, he grinned. The wound on his chest didn't bother him much but he knew his mother would patch him up soon. He felt like a baby. His powers were not strong yet to heal himself, which made him pout and his mother chuckle at him. His mothers safe arms wrapped around him, caressing his wound and removing the blood trail.

Warmth exploded within him, making him smile softly and cherish the memory. Maybe he can sleep in the waters when they reach an island even though he had spent a week with his mother, while coming to Dawn Island alone, there was always a longing to be with her.

On the other side, Zoro dived in deeper and finally found Luffy who was falling deeper into the ocean, with a soft smile etched on his face and arms stretched wide as if he was relaxing. The boy was not even trying to swim! He caught him and started swimming upward feeling him being resisted by someone, until they popped out of the surface.

"Don't scare me, stupid!!" Zoro yelled, throwing the rubber boy on the deck gently despite his words. The boy in question just laughed it off, showing that he wasn't even facing any difficulty in breathing.

"Don't you know how to swim?" Nami asked controlling her anger and feeling sorry.

"Nope!" Luffy said holding his hat.

"You should clean the wound," Nami said retreating to her own boat to find a first aid kit box. She doubts that the reckless idiots would have one.

"Done," Luffy said with his D grin, halting Nami in her path and turn towards him. Even Zoro stopped to wrung his shirt to get the sea water out and look at him with narrowed eyes.

"Done?" They both asked together. Luffy grinned and threw his shirt over from his chest and showed his perfectly woundless and scarless chest, shocking both Zoro and Nami, whose eyes went as wide as plates.

"How is that possible?" Zoro asked in shock, finding nothing where once the wound was.

"I heal fast," Luffy said with a shrug. It was the only lie he could tell easily. Most probably 'cause it was true, but the fact that his mother helped him in healing was left unsaid.

"Okay," Zoro said with a sigh knowing he wouldn't be getting more than this from the rubber boy.

"Wh-What is that?" Nami asked her eyes growing wide and about to change to the signs of bellies.

"What?" Luffy asked following Nami's eyes to his necklace. He held that with his hands and pouted at Nami and told. "These are my treasures."

"Treasures?" Nami asked, nearly drooling on the jewels Luffy wore. In his neck was a necklace which contained a beautiful red shinny crystal and a brilliant sky blue feather. In his left wrist, were bracelets made of sea shells and pearls.

She wondered how Luffy got his hands on it and how he was not yet robbed blind. Most probably cause it was hidden from everyone.

"Yeah," Luffy said with a grin and pointed to the crystal. "It's from my Dad, he gave me when we were separated." Luffy then pointed to the feather. "It's from Birdie!"

"Oh," Nami said softly. All of a sudden she felt shame crash to her and a stone drop in her stomach as she was reminded of Belle-mere.

"And those?" She asked with a small voice, pointing to the bracelets.

"Those are from my brothers," Luffy supplied with a little chuckle. "They are bound on my wrist with a promise." Luffy said looking at the endless ocean.

The thought of stealing those stuffs left her mind. She wasn't that heartless enough to part a teen from something his family gave him with sentimental values.

"Ok," Nami replied looking at the straw-hat, which was torn. "If.. if you give me your hat, I can sew it back for you."

"Really?!" Luffy asked with his signature smile, making Nami nod and hold her hand out for the hat to be placed.

Luffy handed her the hat, which she started stitching all the while Luffy kept his eyes on it. She didn't mind it at all. Sewing was an easy work to her, so in minutes the hat was ready with its red ribbon for Luffy to wear.

"Thank you!" Luffy said getting back the hat from her.

"Not a big deal!" Nami waved off her hands. She watched Luffy take out some torn papers from his pocket and stuff into the ribbon and wear the hat with a sunniest grin. Then the boy went to his bag pack and dumped the contents in it to the boat, before rummaging the clothes section and picking out a red shirt which looked bigger for him to fit in.

She wonders if she can play dress up with the boy... Nami slapped her cheeks lightly. She was getting attached to the boy. He was radiating so much warmth that she wasn't able to help with it. But one day she would need to leave just like every crew which she had faked to join. Maybe after collecting the bellies she can meet him someday in the ocean..

That brought her thoughts to the Grand Line map. How will they go to Grand Line without a map?! When Buggy was sent flying, the map was too! Nami didn't realize that she had told her thoughts out too loud for Luffy to hear.

"Here," Luffy said handing out a paper from his bag. Nami opened it curiously to find that was the Grand Line map!

"H-How..? I-I mean.. Buggy-" Nami was interrupted when Luffy decided to speak again.

"My brothers told me to give it to my navigator," Luffy said picking his nose.

"You had them all the time?" Nami said clutching the map in her hand, and gritting her teeth.

"Yep!"

"And you didn't bother telling me?" Nami said looking at the teen. From her corner of her eyes, she saw Zoro sweat at her anger. Good. At least someone had enough brains to know what is going on unlike the rubber boy who was grinning ear to ear.

"I was about to-"

Bonk

Nami bonked Luffy's head unable to handle the teen. If Luffy already had the map then why the damn hell did they go through so much trouble of defeating Buggy. They could have just sneaked into the warehouse and stole the treasure and ran!

.

"We need to plan things," Nami said getting out of her cabin. It has already been a day since she was sailing with the duo. She looked at the boys. Zoro was napping and briefly opened his eyes to show he was awake while Luffy was sitting on the bow looking at the endless ocean with his ever present grin on his face.

"What do you mean?" The boy asked her curiously, looking away from his mother to Nami.

"Are we going to Grand Line like this?" Nami questioned as she looked at the only two ships, which barely had any food left due to the monstrous appetite of Luffy. It still amazed her. The kid could eat a lot! And by lot she really really meant a lot!

"Hmm, we need more meat," Luffy replied with a large smile.

"And booze," Zoro added his thoughts in the so called planning.

Nami face palmed. She was really contemplating whether Luffy was ready to start his journey. The boy was hardly 14, she believed. If he doesn't get a decent crew to follow him then he will die in the Grand Line. Moreover, she had never thought that the pirate hunter was a similar dumbass as his captain! How were these dumbasses even sailing?! It was beyond her comprehension.

"I'm not talking about food supplies!" Nami yelled in annoyance.

"Of course you weren't!" Luffy laughed as the woman glared at him. "We need to get a bigger ship before heading to Grand Line. I don't think these two boats can go through them. Or maybe they can?"

"Of course they can't!" Nami yelled with sharp teeth. She was losing her patience against the rubber boy.

"So, what do we do then?" Luffy asked. He had always left planning to his brothers or Koala or Hack or his Dad 'cause he hates planning. And the smartest right now among them was Nami.

"There's a village due north." Nami said holding her map out for them to see. "We should look for a ship there first."

"And have some meat!" Luffy cheered, arms in air and with an impossible grin on his face.

"Booze too!" Zoro added with a smile.

Nami sighed for the umpteenth time wondering if she was the only sane person left, which she probably was.

.

"I am Usopp, head of a pirate fleet and ruler of this village!" Usopp said crossing his arms over his chest. "My people and servants heap praises upon their captain's name, the Great Captain Usopp!"

"If you are thinking of attacking the town, think again!" Usopp said confidently, but his shaking legs were saying otherwise. "My eighty million followers cannot be stopped."

"You're lying," Nami replied with a straight face.

They had reached the cluster of Islands, which is called the Gecko Islands just a moment ago and were right now in Syrup Village.

Usopp gasped and yelled with his hands on his head. "I'm busted!"

"See you said 'busted'!" Nami pointed out while sweat dropping.

"Oh no, I accidentally let that I was busted!" Usopp said panicking.

Luffy couldn't control anymore and burst out laughing at Usopp's antics. "Shishishishishishi! Man, you're funny!"

"Don't insult me, you idiot!" Usopp yelled at the boy. "I'm an extremely proud man that the people call me 'Usopp The Proud!'"

He would have yelled at the other man too, but he looked too scary for Usopp to do so. Specially when the man was carrying three swords on his hips. There was no way Usopp could yell at him without assuming that it would be his death. But he needed to protect his village. He can't let these pirates go around and pillage his home town.

"Don't worry, we're not going to attack the town," Luffy said with a polite grin, feeling the uneasy feelings coming from the long nosed boy. "I'm Luffy. This is Zoro and that is Nami."

"Like I can believe Buggy pirates," Usopp mumbled but Luffy caught on to it, and tilted his neck in confusion before remembering the sails of Nami's ship. They never took it down.

"What?" Nami asked not getting what Usopp was mumbling.

"Buggy is taken care of," Luffy said with a shrug, making Usopp look at him with narrowed eyes.

"Luffy beat him," Zoro supplied pointing his finger to Luffy, making Usopp rethink.

"Him?" Usopp asked in shock, and didn't believe when he got nods from both Zoro and Nami. Okay, for now Usopp the Great will not focus on that but on other thing. "So, you are not pirates, right?"

"Nope! We are pirates," Luffy said with a bright grin as if he wasn't stating the otherwise. "But we only want food from the town."

"And booze!" Zoro added.

Nami was getting a tick mark. How can the dumbasses forget that they were here for a ship. She punched both of them on their heads, making them groan while scaring Usopp. "We need a ship foremost."

"F-Food?" Luffy asked using his puppy eyes on Nami which made her falter completely. Zoro was grumbling that Nami was a witch for the bonk which he was been awarded, but got ignored by everyone.

"Yeah, food first," She told not able to resist the cute, adorable eyes which used its magic on her.

"YAY!!! FOOD!!" Luffy cheered getting up from the ground and running off with Usopp, while Nami and Zoro ran after them.

Usopp was literally dragged to the town, and he was now really contemplating his life. First, he finds put that Buggy pirates are coming and then he is being told that the kid who is dragging him beat him and now he is being dragged to a restaurant by the said kid.

.

"Crew members and a ship?" Usopp asked as the pirates ate.

"Yeah, that's right!" Luffy said happily eating the meat from the bone.

Usopp felt amazed at it. "Well, we don't have any big sailing ships or anything here, but if there's a ship, then that place will have it," Usopp said pointing out of the window to show the big mansion sitting on top of the hill.

"That place?" Nami asked. Usopp nodded and then went on to tell them about the young lady of the mansion.

"Hey lady! More meat!" Luffy called out in between of Usopp's story.

"And booze!" Zoro added to the order.

"Are you even listening?!" Usopp yelled at them, before sighing and accepting that they were lost cause and went on to tell Nami how the lady in the mansion lost her both parents to sickness and all she was left with was a massive fortune, a huge mansion and an army of servants.

"We should find a ship in the next stop," She said feeling bad about asking from a sick lady.

"By the way," Usopp said looking at Luffy, who is the captain, as he was told by the other two, which was still unbelievable to him. "You said you were looking for crew members..?"

"Yeah!" Luffy said with a sunny grin.

"You can make me your captain," Usopp said confidently pointing his thumb to his chest.

"No thanks," The trio said together.

"HEY! At least consider it!"Usopp yelled with his jaws dropping comically to the ground.

"Nope!" The trio said again, waving their hands to him. Usopp couldn't understand why they were following a kid, who was even younger than him. He sighed and remembered that he needed to be somewhere and left them on their own.

They have just finished their plates and were drinking tea or booze, when three kids arrived in the bar and shouted their arrival in the name of Usopp Pirates.

"Who're they?" Nami asked to no one in particular as she turned to the three kids.

"Not sure," Luffy said, vaguely remembering that he had sensed their Haki signature once but can't remember where, since he had never met them.

"H-Hey pirates!"

"What have you done with our captain Usopp?!"

"Give the captain back!"

The three kids yelled raising their swords in air.

Luffy sipped off the tea, feeling good and said, "Wheww! That was delicious!!" He didn't even realize that he scared the children shitless!

"Wh-What...?"

"You mean..?"

"The captain.. ?!"

Nami giggled at what she was sure the kids were thinking.

"If it's your captain you want," Zoro gave the kids an evil smile. "We just ate him."

"Gyaaaaaaaa, Witch!!!!"

"Why are you looking at me?!" Nami screeched at the kids, then gave a glare at Zoro for laughing. She then looked at the kids who were on the verge of fainting and told them that Usopp went somewhere saying that 'it was time' and how they had no idea where he went.

"Oh, it must have been the time to go to the mansion," said the kid who was wearing a helmet.

"Is that mansion with the sick girl?" Nami asked.

"Yeah," said the boy with orange cap that was covering his eyes.

"What's he gonna do there?" Luffy asked out of curiosity.

"Lie!" said the three kids together.

"Isn't that bad?" Luffy asked. For as long as he remembers he never could lie. Not even to safe his own life. His mom had told him that it was related to his past life, whose memories he still hasn't got completely and would take two more years approximately. But sometimes he wondered would he really like his past life more than this.

As the kids were explaining why Usopp visited the mansion and lied to cheer the sick girl, Zoro was the only one to notice that Luffy was lost in his thoughts and didn't look too good about whatever he was thinking but he didn't say anything.

Once they reached the mansion, the kids showed them the secret entrance that Usopp uses on daily basis. They found the long nosed teen easily once they got through the bushes. A girl was on window laughing at something Usopp had said from the base of the tree.

"Captain!" The three kids chorused together.

"Yeah, captain," Usopp said nodding his head confidently as he was too engrossed in the story which he was telling. But then it clicked and he looked at the other side to find his three friends, and the pirates which were of no threat in Kaya's garden.

"Why are you all here?" He asked, with his eyes bulging out a little.

"This guy told us to bring him here," Payan said pointing to Luffy, who was standing with a cherry sweet grin.

"Who is that?" Kaya asked peeking outside of the window to look at the intruders.

"Oh! So, you are the miss!" Luffy said waving his hand to Kaya and giving his signature smile, which Kaya returned, feeling a warmth surging through her.

Before she could reply though, Usopp spoke, "These suckers here have heard the rumors and traveled the long and tiring road to reach me."

"No way!" Luffy quickly shot down Usopp's words. "We have a request to you!"

"A request?" The girl asked confused. "To me?"

"He means, we need to ask a favor," Nami said correcting the boy, who replied, "That's what I said!"

"We want a big huuggge boat-"

"What are you doing here?" A stern voice cut Luffy off from finishing his request. "You are trespassing and causing problems for us."

Usopp turned his head away from the butler in disgust. He never liked him, 'cause he would always chase him out even if Kaya never wished so.

"Klahador, these people are-" The girl tried to explain before being cut off by the man in black suit.

"I do not care," The butler, Klahador said interrupting the mistress of the house. "If there is a reason, I will hear it afterwards." He looked at the kids before him. "Please leave, all of you. Or do you have something to say?"

Luffy who didn't concentrate on the feeling of cruelty rolling from the man said, "Yeah, I want a boat."

"No," Klahador replied without missing a beat, making Luffy make circles on the ground and Zoro hovering over him to give assurance.

Klahador then looked at Usopp, who was trying to hide his face from him. "You there, Usopp! I have heard the rumors about you. You have quite a reputation in town."

"Oh, thank you!" Usopp said confidently with a grin even though beads of sweat rolled from his forehead. Luffy hearing the tone of Klahador stopped sulking and looked at the man, feeling the bad feelings radiate from him, and hence not liking the man at all now. "You may call me Captain Usopp, if you wish to show your respects."

"The guards tell me they catch sight of you around here every once in a while," Klahador said lifting his glasses with his palm. "Is there a reason for that?"

"Ah yes! Well, you see.. I saw this legendary mole burrow under the mansion. So, I went searching-"

Usopp's lies were cut short by Klahador's mean laughter. "I see that you certainly do like to lie."

"What?" Usopp said getting nervous.

"I have heard about your father, as well." Klahador continued. "You're a son of a filthy pirate. I wouldn't put anything past you. Do not come near the mistress anymore!" Klahador said lifting his glasses again in his iconic style.

"Pirate?" Luffy mumbled and wondered why the name Usopp seemed so familiar to him.

"Did you say filthy..?!" Usopp asked angrily.

"You and the mistress live in different worlds." Klahador continued even if no one was liking it, including Kaya. "Is it money you want? How much?"

Not able to handle anymore insults to Usopp, Kaya shouted. "That's enough, Klahador-san! Apologize to Usopp-san NOW!"

But no, Klahador refused to apologize, getting on Usopp's nerves. Luffy didn't like the emotions which he was feeling from Klahador. One might think that the butler just was wishing the best for the mistress but Luffy didn't feel a bit of respect or care for the mistress within Klahador. All he felt was negative emotions.

When Klahador crossed the limit which Usopp couldn't handle, Usopp's demeanor changed. He no longer was a teen with shaking legs or beads of sweat rolling from his forehead. He no longer was a scaredy guy, he was a brave person defending his Dad. Usopp punched the man with all the strength and anger he could muster. The punch wasn't strong but it was enough to prove his point.

"See that? So quick to violence! Like father, like son!" Klahador spat from the ground.

"Be quiet!" Usopp shouted at the top of his lungs. "I'm proud that my Dad is a pirate! I'm proud that he is a valiant warrior of the sea! Just as you say, I am a troublemaker but I cannot pretend that I'm not proud of my pirate blood! I AM A SON OF A PIRATE!"

Luffy's eyes widened as finally recognition set into him, despite the anger which seemed to be crawl on his skin. The one who was in front of him, defending his Dad was none other than Usopp, the son of Yasopp, the best sharp shooter he had known till now!

"You said pirates are 'Brave warriors of the sea'?" Kuro spat lifting his eye glasses with his palm. Kuro stood up dusting his dirt laden pants and continued to speak ill about Usopp and his Dad and how Usopp only wanted money from Kaya.

"I dare you say that again!" Usopp yelled holding Kuro's collars and ready to punch him again. There was so much anger and so much panic in the air. Luffy tried to focus on the plane emotions coming from Zoro, feeling better bit by bit. Iva always told him to focus on positive emotions whenever he faces angry or sad ones.

"Usopp-san! Please stop!" Kaya yelled when Usopp raised his fist again to punch Klahador. "Klahador isn't a bad person!" Kaya started crying. She liked Usopp and liked Klahador too. They were both a part of her life. She would never want to choose one of them and right now they were fighting, which she hates. "He is just concerned about me. That's why he's little extreme."

"Get the hell out of here!" Klahador said slapping away Usopp's hands from his collar. "Savages like you are not welcome here! I'll let you off this time, but I warn you..! Don't come here again!"

"Fine!" Usopp said walking away. "I'll leave even without you telling me to. I'll never come back here again."

"You bastard! Captain is not that kind of person!"

"Yeah! Stupid!"

"Baka!!"

The three kids shouted to the butler, and Luffy joined their fray to insult the butler.

Zoro sweat dropped as Luffy yelled that he will kick his ass. He literally had to hold the boy to control him. He sighed thinking where he is stuck.

"All of you, get the hell out of here now!" Klahador shouted losing his patience on them.

Luffy blew raspberries at the man before stomping off to the direction Usopp went. Zoro followed his idiot captain, not wanting him to get lost or get in trouble. As much as he has seen him he always gets into trouble without him. Nami followed them not sure about where to go. And the little kids went off to their homes before entering the forest which led to the cliff.

After a few minutes of walk, they reached the shore.

"Your Dad is Yasopp, right?" Luffy said sitting beside Usopp, dangling his legs from the cliff. Nami sat beside him keeping an eye on him, in case the teen falls. Zoro leaned next to a tree seeing the ocean and listening on the conversation.

"How do you know that?" Usopp asked in shock.

"I've known him since I was a kid," Luffy said as he closed his eyes and remembered the last time he met everyone.

"Really? You know my Dad?" Usopp asked curiously. Zoro smiled as he saw Luffy bringing smile on Usopp's frowny face.

"Yup!" Luffy chirped. "You look just like him. No wonder I felt you look familiar."

"Where is he now?" Usopp asked turning to Luffy fully.

"He is in the New World sailing with Shanks," Luffy answered truthfully, unaware of the confusion swelling within the listeners.

"New World?" Nami questioned.

"Shanks? As in?" Usopp added his question. Zoro opened one eye to look at Luffy, wondering if he would supply something. His captain was mysterious.

"The second part of Grand Line is New World," Luffy answered to Nami, making her question how he knows that but he ignored that and answered Usopp's question. "Akagami Shanks, the yonko!"

"He's with Akagami Shanks and you've met him?!" Usopp asked with wide eyes and Nami looked as shock as Usopp. Even Zoro was speechless. "How do you know him? When did you meet him?" Usopp asked, but instead of answering him this time, Luffy felt someone down below the cliff.

He shushed everyone, who wanted to shower him with questions and leaned forward and he was right. It was that butler down there with someone else.

Together the little group watched the butler interact with a weird man with weird sunglasses. They heard their plan of attacking the village and killing Kaya to take over her inheritance. Luffy was about to shout on the guy but Nami luckily stopped him from shouting out, having her hands on the idiot's mouth. Luffy wondered how easily he forgot the skills of being quiet in a mission which Sabo, Ace, Koala and Hack had drilled within him.

After the two pirates, Kuro and Jango, parted their ways the group sat there taking in the information.

"We have to do something! We can't let them kill Kaya and attack the village!" Usopp screamed as he walked in circles before sitting down with his hands on his face. "I love this village. I can't let them die!"

"We'll make sure nothing happens to them," Luffy said sitting up from his position.

"That's Kuro of a Hundred Plans, captain of the Black Cat Pirates!" Usopp told the others. They have all heard how Kuro had escaped his death and how he was here.

Luffy placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I will beat him for you."

"That's right, we have got this," Zoro said with a grin, hands on his sword.

"I'll leave the fighting to you guys. I'm going after treasures!" Nami said with a grin.

"But we don't know from where they will be coming from!" Usopp told getting up and pacing around. A part of his mind was telling him to rush back to the village and tell the villagers and Kaya and-

A hand on his shoulder stopped his thoughts from going hay way. He turned to look at Luffy, who had a serious expression on his face. "Don't worry. We will figure it out. But I feel they will be coming from that side." Luffy said pointing out to the other shore from where he was feeling lots of people. The winds confirmed him by telling him about the pirate ship which was docked near by that shore.

"That's where our treasures are!!!" Nami screeched and began running to the place where their boats were. The others followed her.

"How do you know that?" Zoro asked curiously. His captain knew things which were impossible to know. The more Zoro was getting to know Luffy, the more Luffy was getting mysterious and making him confused.

"Felt it." Luffy said with a shrug.

"Felt it?" Usopp and Zoro asked together at Luffy who simply nodded, ending the conversation as he ran gleefully to the other side. They sighed, hoping that Luffy wouldn't be wrong with his feelings.

They reached the top of the slope where Luffy said the pirates would come and found Nami hiding the sack of treasures. Luffy went on to their boat and carried his bag pack. He didn't want the mean pirates to get hold of his precious things.

"So, we will protect this slope," Usopp said as they sat in circles to discuss their plan.

"Mhm," Luffy replied looking out at the ocean and seeing the waves rising a little.

"We can sleep here tonight," Zoro supplied adding his thoughts. "And be ready when they come."

"That's easier said than done," Usopp mumbled and Nami agreed. Buggy Pirates were another case as the fodder crew members didn't dare to fight, but here they would be against a whole pirate crew.

"What are you guys good at?" Usopp asked, mentally making a plan.

"Cutting."

"Stretching."

"Stealing."

"Hiding."

"You have to fight too!" Zoro and Nami shouted, bonking Usopp on the head.

Luffy laughed at his crew's antics and looked at Usopp. He was lot braver than he gave himself the credit for.

"You can do it!" He said patting Usopp's back. Usopp looked away embarrassed. Someone younger than him was fighting and if he doesn't fight then he will be a joke. He can fight.

"Th-Thanks!" Usopp told him, before remembering that he needs to warn the villagers and Kaya.

.

It was late evening when Usopp arrived all bloodied and battered. He hid his tears to show himself as more manly but that failed when Luffy stated, "You are hurt!"

The other two looked at him, squinting their eyes to see the blood seeping through his arm, which was bandaged poorly. Nami provided him with first aid, as Usopp told how no one believed in him because all he did was tell lies till date. Unable to hide anything, he told how the villagers chased him down, how his little crew even felt betrayed at his words and how Kaya didn't believe him.

They sat in the tranquility of night, wondering how the fight tomorrow will end. All the while Luffy kept looking at the ocean waters like a child.

Slowly, one by one, Usopp, Nami and Zoro felt asleep. He got up from where he was laying and walked down to the shore, his legs gently being caressed by the cold waters, but it was enough to make warmth explode within him. Without thinking anymore, Luffy stepped in his mother's arms, welcoming the love, gentleness and care echoing in the waters.

Zoro was never the one who would sleep so deep like he had slept last night. The last memory of his was that he had sensed some movements from where Luffy was once sleeping. He sighed, wondering if he was relaxing a lot. He got up and stretched his limbs. His eyes went over to look at his friends and found one was missing. Which has to be obviously Luffy!

Zoro sighed deeply, wondering if that idiot has found himself in a problem once more. But he didn't need to worry anymore, when the boy entered his vision.

"Good morning!" Luffy greeted Zoro and the others who started to wake up too. Oddly, Luffy's hair and face had some sand on it, which no one questioned knowing the teen's childishness.

"The sun is up!" Usopp said in a low voice taking in the few moments of peace.

"The pirates are going to come soon," Nami added as she stood up to observe the morning sun and the shore for any signs of the pirate ship.

"They are finally here," Zoro announced after a while as the ship started to enter their vision. The pirate flag of the Black Cat Pirates in full display.

"So we are going to fight!" Luffy said with a grin stretching on his face.

"And loot them blind," Nami added cheerfully, even if some amount of fear crawled on to her in the thought of facing pirates.

Luffy turned to his crewmates.

"Here's the plan! Usopp, you stay behind and cover us. Zoro you get to fight. And I will help Nami get treasures!" These pirates were far too weaker for him to handle them and Luffy didn't like to fight fodders, so he would rather go roam in their ship or help Nami collect treasures.

"O-Okay!" Usopp stuttered, his legs shaking as the horde of pirates jumped off the ship with their weapons.

"Take down those kids and attack the village!" The weird man from yesterday yelled at the pirates after seeing the four teens. "We don't have time!"

"Let's go!" Luffy announced with a wide grin as everyone took their position.

Usopp took a step back and started firing at the pirates. At beginning his legs were shaking but his aim never faltered.

Luffy and Nami started running downwards aiming for the ship and knocking out the pirates in their way. Zoro used the blunt side of his blades to hit the pirates who tried to run past him easily and Usopp covered everyone's backs.

After a while, all the pirates were down for the count except for the weird goatee guy.

"Hey! You idiots!" Jango, the weird guy, said taking out his pendulum. "Don't tell me you guys are finished just from those pathetic blows from the fools!" At those words some of the pirates started getting up, feeling ashamed and angry. "We don't have time to waste here."

"Look at my pendulum," The strange man said to his crew. "After I say 'One, Two, Jango' you will become stronger, and your wounds will heal."

"What's that guy doing?" Luffy asked curiously, looking at the pendulum which Jango was showing around.

"I dunno," Zoro stated from his side, looking at the fallen pirates.

"It must be hypnotism. He is trying to make them think that they're stronger," Nami supplied as she looked away from the ring.

"One! Two! JANGO!"