Gecko Islands and Usopp

It had been a few days since they left Orange town, Luffy trained them every day without mercy; according to him, they were still very far to fight against big enemies like a Yonko and others. It was better to be safe than sorry.

At this point, Nami wasn't complaining anymore; she didn't try to say that she was tired, not that trick even worked, to begin with.

Nami checked the weather and smiled at seeing it was a sunny day; she and Zoro had just finished their training for today, well, more like she finished, Zoro was still training with Luffy, mostly for his armament Haki, Nami hadn't said out loud, but she had seen the progress she was making, she knew she was still far away from Luffy's level but better this than nothing.

Looking behind her, she saw Luffy dodging Zoro's attacks with a blindfold around his eyes and just laughing every time he heard Zoro growling.

Nami giggled at the image and thought back at what Luffy told her the night after he defeated Buggy.

' Nami kept staring at the night sky, the full moon clear, illuminating the darkness around them; Nami knew she was close, Almost there, she told herself.

Soon her family could be free, and perhaps after that, she could, she could...

"What are you doing still awake, Nami?" She suddenly heard a voice, turning behind she saw Luffy with a plate full of meat in his right hand.

"Just thinking, Luffy," she spoke with a low tone; from the look her captain gave her, she knew he didn't really believe her.

"What about you? You can't sleep?" She asked, trying to change the conversation from her to him; she leaned against the balcony's railing.

"I was hungry, so my stomach woke me up," he said with a grin before taking a bite. Nami rolled her eyes. Sometimes Luffy could act like a child.

Silence took over them, Nami prepared to go back to her bed, but Luffy looked into her eyes.

"I know you're not telling me something; you know you're my Nakama, as one, I will walk through hell just to help you, in whatever you might need," Luffy spoke with determination, his voice sincere, speaking no lies.

Nami swallowed a breath, she felt guilt in her chest, she didn't know why, but she felt horrible, she bit her lips, wanting to tell Luffy, to tell him everything, but...

"I appreciate it, Luffy, perhaps I will tell you, very soon", she finally spoke; Luffy accepted the answer and grinned and nodded his head.

Now, Nami felt she was being unfair to her Nakama and captain; she knew Luffy was strong, Luffy defeated the likes of Buggy as if he was a kid, and looking at them now, seeing Luffy dodging the attacks of Zoro as if Zoro was someone who was using a sword for the first time in his life.

She silently swore to tell Luffy soon; he was not like the other pirates. He was a kind one, someone she could trust and call captain, and maybe something more...

Soon Zoro and Luffy stopped training; Zoro was sweating bullets while Luffy was just relaxing without his shirt on; Nami again found herself distracted by his muscles; they looked quite nice.

She felt her hands wanting to go there and touch his chest; it made her feel something she hadn't felt before, like a burning fire on her stomach.

"An island! I see an island! Maybe there's a meat store there! Set course for that island!" The interruption served to cease Nami's growing naughty thoughts.

The boats scraped against wet sand, and the budding Straw Hat crew stepped onto terra firma. Luffy grinned and examined the surroundings as Nami consulted her maps to find info on the island, and Zoro stretched.

"Someone's watching us," Luffy suddenly stated; this put both Nami and Zoro on guard. Zoro put his hand on the pommel of his sword.

They got their answer when pirate flags tied to sticks rose up all across the bushes at the top of the cliff face, and projectiles suddenly erupted against the sand at Luffy's feet.

Out of nowhere, a man appeared at an outcropping halfway down the cliff. A green bandana slightly tamed his bushy black hair. He wore brown overalls yellowish boots, and had a bag slung over one shoulder. His most prominent feature was his thin, three-inch nose.

"Halt!" he yelled out in a vaguely overdramatic fashion. "If you're planning on taking over this island, forget about it! I'm the captain of the pirate crew that rules the village. Men and children adore me as Captain Usopp! Leave right now, or my 80 million men will crush you all!" This was all said in a tone that practically screamed 'Liar'.

"Please, he's obviously lying. If you're going to lie, make it believable." Usopp gave a jerk, as if honestly surprised that she'd seen through it, before resuming his extravagant tone, shouting, "Eighty million might be an exaggeration, but my men are more than a match for you!" Nami gave a little grin, asking, "You mean all three of them?" At her words, three kids with oddly-shaped heads popped out of the bushes and started running away, screaming all the while.

Usopp was now thoroughly deflated, but he seemed to muster some kind of desperate courage. He pulled out a slingshot and a pachinko before lining up with Luffy, who had his hat shading his eyes. "Alright, I lied about all that. But, you still can't come here. As you saw, my skills with the slingshot are greater than that of a pistol! I can't allow you to pass; my honour won't allow it! That's why people call me Usopp, the Proud!" As if to contradict his words, Usopp's entire body was trembling with fear. His aim remained steady, however.

Luffy grinned. He liked this guy. It was time to test his character. "Risk your life," Luffy said, drawing confusion from his crew and Usopp. "With that shot, you will risk your life," Luffy repeated, looking up to stare at Usopp. "This isn't a kid's game." With those words, Luffy brought his Haki to the surface, not actively using it, just shaping it into a kind of vibe that wouldn't be agreeable with the faint of heart.

Zoro was unaffected, being pretty tolerant of Luffy's Haki, though Nami seemed a tad sweaty. Usopp, at the other extreme, went into near-convulsions of fear. Luffy's eyes never wavered from his stare. Zoro added fuel to the fire with "The man before you is a true pirate; don't toy with us."

Slowly, Usopp sank to his knees, slingshot forgotten. "I should have known," he said. "The words of a true pirate are much more intimidating than my own." He hung his head.

He was still conscious, which told Luffy a whole lot right there, such as the fact that despite the man's obvious fear of conflict, he had an iron will that he might not even be aware of. Luffy grinned. He and Zoro exchanged glances before bursting out laughing, eliciting a small smile from Nami and a look of confusion from Usopp. When Luffy was in control again, he yelled up at Usopp, "Oi isn't your dad Yasopp? I used to know him! Let's talk over food!"

The words were such a surprise that Usopp fell from her perch to collide with the ground.

However, he picked himself up without difficulty looked the crew up and down as if trying to decide something before he started grinning and laughing as some switch had flipped on his personality.

In a much more jovial mood, he led the three of them up the trail to a small village, where he proceeded to treat them at a restaurant. Along the way, Luffy noted the glares of mixed annoyance and weary tolerance thrown Usopp's way.

It was obvious even to him that Usopp's lying was a big thorn in everyone's side, but they were so used to it that they'd grown comfortable in the habit. Still, one day they might snap. Luffy noted this out of the corner of his eye, more concerned with the heavenly smell of cooked meat under his nose as he enjoyed the meal Usopp had bought for them.

"So, you knew my dad?" Usopp asked, waiting until the odd pirate crew had started with their meal. Luffy nodded vigorously, simultaneously consuming meat and apples at a rate that would make a lesser man sick. "Yeah, he was on Shanks' crew when they were based at my village," Luffy said, taking a break in his feasting. "Your dad was a pretty cool guy. He was the best marksman ever! He once shot the wings off a fly while I watched! He was also always talking about his son, saying how he wished he could be with him." Luffy grinned wildly. "I heard so much about you growing up, Usopp; my ears practically fell off!"

Usopp grinned insanely as if Luffy had just given him the best news of his life. "My father talked about me, you say? Bragged, even?" Luffy nodded, returning to his food for a while. Usopp seemed to be on an endorphin high for a little.

Soon they talked about what they were doing and where they were going next, with Luffy stating that they would soon go to the Grand Line.

Usopp, who'd been totally lost up to this point, suddenly looked like he was having a stroke. Everyone at the table looked at him in concern before he managed to stutter out, "T-t-the G-grand L-l-line?" At that, Luffy, Nami, and Zoro all sighed, forgetting that the crew's destination was the object of much fear.

Luffy patted Usopp on the back, slightly clearing the man's lungs after they'd contracted in proxy fear. "Cheer up! We're strong! Besides, I'm the one who's going to find One Piece and become the Pirate King! I need to go to the Grand Line to do that!" The logic was groundless and straightforward, but it seemed to hit home. Usopp's gaze turned inward before he started to talk as if to himself. "My dream is to be a brave warrior of the sea, like my father before me. He's in the Grand Line. If I could make it there..." His expression was oddly somber before he closed his eyes and smiled as if suddenly thinking of a joke.

"It's too bad I'm too big a coward to leave this village. I like you guys, but with all respect, you're sailing to your deaths! Still, is there anyway I can help you with? I want to be able to say I at least tried to help!" Luffy grinned before shaking his head.

It was up to Usopp to realise that his heart had already decided. Focusing on the present, Luffy addressed the immediate problem for the crew. "Now that you mention it, is there a place we can find a ship? We can't keep going around in two small boats, or at least that's what Nami says. I don't see why, but she's the smart one, so..." He failed to notice how Nami flushed slightly at the compliment.

Usopp looked as if his first instinct was to lie and say there was no such place, but then his mouth closed as he started to consider it. He'd promised, hadn't he? Besides, this man had the kind of aura that made Usopp want to earn his trust, not abuse it. Debating internally, he finally decided to take the right-hand path.

"Well, I'm friends with the ojousama that lives in the mansion up the hill. She's been depressed since her parents died, and I've been amusing her with my lies. Maybe if I put in a good word, she'd consider having a ship commissioned for you. Is that okay with you guys?" Luffy grinned, looking to see identical smiles on his Nakama's face.

"Let's give it a shot! But first, we finish eating!" With that, Luffy seemed to inhale all the food on the table in the blink of an eye, making Usopp's eyes widen and Nami and Zoro start muttering about 'finishing off our food for us again' or some such stuff. Luffy paid them no mind. The chief tenant that he lived his life by was 'when you're hungry, eat', regardless of the food was his or not. A King needed strength to rule his subjects, after all.

Still casting looks towards Luffy, Usopp led them out of the restaurant. He was just about to lead them up towards the manor when Onion, Pepper, and Carrot jumped out from behind some nearby barrels, carrying wooden daggers and yelling "FOR THE USOPP PIRATES!" They began their charge straight at the trio of pirates, not even noticing their astounded captain.

"Nothing permanent," Luffy nonchalantly commanded, before waiting until the last second to give Carrot, who'd aimed for him, a bash on the head that drove him into the dirt. In the same moment, Zoro had chopped Pepper with the back of his blade, and Nami had given Onion a kick in the kinmata. The three children dropped like rocks. Usopp looked appalled at the damage to his 'crew'.

"Oi, why'd you do that? They're just kids!" Luffy shrugged and merely said, "They got in the way." With that, he arranged the three more comfortables on the side of the road to avoid foot traffic and allow them to be unconscious peacefully.

Usopp glowered for a second before sighing in defeat and continuing with the journey up the hill. As they neared the estate, Usopp manoeuvred them away from the foreboding bodyguards, leading them towards an unassuming hedge that was actually as sturdy a wall as the steel grate at the main entrance. With a knowing smirk, Usopp grabbed a square section of the hedge, revealing it to be a secret door. Holding a finger to his lips, Usopp snuck in through the hole, leaving the crew to follow in behind him.

Luffy took one look and went, "Wow, this girl's living it up! This place is huuuuuuuuuge!" Quick as lightning, Luffy's mouth was covered by Usopp's hand. "Shhhhhh!" the marksman hissed before letting Luffy go. The pirate captain pouted but kept his silence. Usopp, with stealth worthy of Nami's operations, made his way to a tree near the south wall, where he proceeded to climb up and knock on the nearby window.

A fair woman with fair hair and pale skin answered the door, a joyful expression on her face. "Usopp-kun! You're here. What story are you going to tell me today?" Usopp grinned, blushing faintly, and said, "Well, there was the time I was five when I fought off a giant goldfish, but I have something to ask you first, Kaya."

At her confused expression, Usopp indicated Luffy and the gang at the base of the tree. "These guys are pirates that came to bask in the glory of Captain Usopp's presence, but they're in need of a ship. Being the proud and merciful captain that I am, I decided to help them. I was wondering if you might not mind lending them a ship."

Kaya paused before regarding the crew. She noted Zoro's calm stance, Nami's confident air, and the sparkle in Luffy's eyes. A grin spread across her features; Kaya was a good judge of character. She opened her mouth to voice her approval but was interrupted by the harsh cry of "Halt!" Everyone turned to look at an approaching man. He wore a fine tuxedo, oddly striped shoes, and wore slightly loose glasses over his sharp eyes, his dark hair immaculately combed. He possessed an intimidating air and made Usopp visibly start to panic.

The man stopped a few yards away from the motley crew, looking up at them and saying, "You have no business here. Please leave before I am forced to call the bodyguards." He fixed his glasses with an odd motion of his wrist, not using his fingers at all. Luffy felt something... off about the man. Call it king's intuition, but Luffy suspected that this man was more than he appeared. Kaya spoke up with, "Please, Kurahadol, don't mind them. They're friends of Usopp-kun, and they wanted to ask me," before she was cut off.

"Please, Kaya-ojousama, don't defend them. They're obviously ruffians, and they don't belong." The crew's eyes narrowed at the insult, and Luffy started to ominously crack his knuckles. Kurahadol ignored them. "Is that Usopp-kun up there?" the caretaker asked, making Usopp jump. "I've heard quite a lot about you around the village. They say that you lie and make everyone's life difficult. I guess that's what one should expect since you're the son of the low-class pirate!" A contemptuous sneer materialised on Kurahadol's face.

Usopp's fear melted into anger in the space of a second. "What did you say?" Usopp asked with as much malice as he could muster as he used a hook in his bag to descend to the ground. Kurahadol glared at Usopp as if he were something dirty he'd gotten on his shoes. "Your father abandoned your mother and yourself so that he could spend his life pirating. He's a low-class thief and nothing more!" Usopp began to see red.

"Kurahadol, Stop This," Kaya yelled, seeing Usopp angry.

Kurahadol continued on with, "And it shows! You spend your days lying to the village and worming yourself into our ojousama's life! What is it a low-life like you wants from our ojousama? Is it money? How much do you want?"

The sound of flesh smacking flesh filled the air; Usopp was so angry he'd socked Kurahadol right across the face, an expression of undeniable rage on his face. The caretaker clutched his cheek from his position on the ground and cried, "You see that? I upset him, and he immediately turned violent! Such a dangerous person shouldn't be near the ojousama!" "SHUT UP!" Usopp yelled back at him with such force that even Luffy was stunned.

"You're calling my dad a low-life? He's anything but! My father sails the seas as a true warrior of the sea! I'm proud to be related to him, for I'm the son of a pirate!"

A baby flicker of Haki, too small to be felt, burst forth from Usopp as he said this, making Luffy pause in his advance to join Usopp in hitting the caretaker. 'Wow, he used Haki just by proclaiming his pride in something. This guy really isn't just a coward.' Unexpectedly, Zoro wasn't forced to hold Luffy back. Instead, Luffy gave a grin. Usopp had just become the object of Luffy's whims, and that was a place no sane person wanted to be.

Luffy yelled, "Usopp!" The man turned from his glare at Kurahadol to regard Luffy with curiosity. "Don't just say it; prove it!" Luffy chuckled encouragingly. "We need a marksman; join our crew and be a true warrior of the sea like your dad!"

Usopp's eyes widened in surprise, while Zoro and Nami just grinned a little at their captain's antics; he'd snagged a pirate hunter and a pirate thief so far, so a pirate heir was par for the course. Before the long-nosed man could even process the offer, Kurahadol stood up. He dusted himself off and said, "How you low-lives decide to gather together does not concern this household. All of you: leave now." Usopp glared at him one last time before turning to leave the way he'd come, Luffy and the crew following behind him.

On any other day, Luffy would have socked the man all the way to Fuusha Village, but today he had a man to convince that being on the Straw Hat crew was the coolest thing in the world.

"No," Usopp said, crossing his arms with finality. "Ah, come on, why not? Being a pirate's fun! We get to go adventuring, do whatever we want, and see the world! What more could you want? I'll even make it a point to go looking for your dad. Please come with us!" It was shortly after the group had left the mansion, and Luffy had kept up a non-stop barrage of wheedling, which had so far been unsuccessful. Usopp was obstinate when it came to leaving his home. As he'd repeatedly said, "What would the Usopp Pirate crew or Kaya or the villagers do without my lies to excite them?"

Of course, the people in question would have told Usopp in a heartbeat to follow his dream, but Usopp didn't take that into consideration. Luffy, on the other hand, didn't care. "I don't care about that! You are going to be part of my crew!" Usopp threw up his hands in exasperation before an interested expression came on his face. "Ooh, what's that?" Everyone turned to look at... nothing. When they turned back around, a small dust cloud in the distance was the only thing to mark that Usopp had ever been with them.

Zoro sighed. "I'll give that guy one thing: he can run like hell." Nami nodded in agreement, impressed that someone could run that fast. Luffy sighed. "Damn, and just when I was wearing him down! Now, we need to find him so I can keep working on him." As the three walked down the path, they came upon the slowly awakening Usopp Pirate crew. Luffy grinned at the lucky coincidence before making his way over.

In a matter of minutes, Luffy had reached the coast. Usopp was indeed there, staring off at the waves. "I know you're there," the man remarked as Luffy walked up. Luffy sat down next to Usopp, not saying anything yet. He could sense that Usopp was wrestling over something. The breeze was comforting as the two sat there at the border of the sky, earth, and sea, while one of them dealt with an internal crisis on an unprecedented scale.

"When I was a boy," Usopp eventually said, getting Luffy's attention. "I used to go running through the village like I still do today, screaming that pirates were coming. I did it because... I hoped if I said it enough times, it would come true. I wished that I would see my dad's ship on the horizon and know that I wasn't alone in this world. But he never came." Usopp sighed heavily, staring at his hands. "It never even occurred to me to go looking for him myself. I was too cowardly. So, I just stayed here and kept lying to everyone, including myself. It's all I know how to do."

"But you guys..." Usopp shook his head with an unrecognisable emotion. Wonder? Disapproval? Something else? "You guys are so vibrant; not an hour ago, I didn't know you existed, and yet you've done more exciting things in the time I've known you than I've had my whole life." Usopp chuckled to himself. "I want to go with you; I truly do. But, how can I? I've got Onion and Pepper and Carrot. There's also Kaya. I can't just pack up and leave."

Luffy touched his straw hat and brought it down to shade his eyes. He spoke up suddenly.

"You know what a pirate is? It's not some tough guy that goes around stealing from people, or pissing off the Marines, or even sailing through the Grand Line. A true pirate is a man who throws away his old life, all his friends and family and his home, for the sake of his dream." Luffy turned to face Usopp with a serious glint in his eyes. "To become the Pirate King, To become the greatest swordsman, a pirate hunter became a pirate. To get a hundred million Beli and draw a map of the world, a thief that hated pirates travelled with two of them. Is your dream strong enough for you to leave Kaya and your friends behind?"

Usopp shuddered as the weight of the question fell on his shoulders. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to answer right then and there because of the arrival of two very suspicious people at the bottom of the cliff. Usopp turned to look at them. One of them wore a cowboy hat, heart-shaped sunglasses, and had some odd goatee. His wardrobe looked like it'd come out of the closet of some demented disco dancer, and he was toying with an odd steel ring in his hand. The other man was none other than Kurahadol, the caretaker.

Luffy was curious as to why the high-and-mighty guy was meeting at such a strange place with such a strange guy and joined Usopp in quietly listening to their conversation from their lofty perch. Kurahadol turned to regard the odd man.

"Jango, I thought I ordered you to remain inconspicuous. I find you lying in the middle of the road asleep with three kids. Don't tell me that you still have that problem." Kurahadol fixed his glasses again, acting in a completely different manner than he had at Kaya's home; he was darker, more commanding, and much scarier.

The man spread his arms out in a calming gesture. "Calm yourself, Captain. I was just showing off to some kids. Anyway, what is this about? Your plan to insinuate yourself in the ojousama's life and steal her fortune has played out beautifully for the past three years. My men are in place and raring to go. What possible reason do we have for this meeting, Captain Kuro?" Unbeknownst to the man, he had just provided a gold mine of information to the two young men above them.

"C-captain Kuro? As in, Kuro of the thousand plans? He was one of the most notorious pirates in East Blue in his time; his planning abilities were unmatched. But the Marines executed him years ago! To think, Kurahadol was secretly him all this time..." Usopp shivered next to Luffy, who was regarding Kurahadol/Kuro with confusion.

'This guy used to be a pirate? Why is he hanging around here on land?' If there was one thing Luffy knew, it was that no true pirate could resist the call of the sea. Either this Kuro guy was weak-willed, Luffy concluded, or he was really just that greedy for Kaya's money.

The newly revealed Captain Kuro sighed in annoyance. "Jango, how many times must I tell you? We cannot simply kill the girl. It would be best if you hypnotised her into writing a will leaving everything to her caretaker Kurahadol, namely me. I just wanted to make sure that that chaotic rabble that is your crew was capable with a little subtlety." Kuro fixed his glasses yet again and regarded Jango with a glare. Jango's grin was a smidge more false than it had been before. "It's all prepared, Captain Kuro. The men know that they just have to ravage the village and leave the 'accident' to me. We just need your signal tomorrow at dawn."

"It's up to us to deal with them." Luffy talked to Usopp, only to see Usopp's 'voice' becoming more distant. Looking back, Luffy observed Usopp disappearing over the cliffs at the bottom of the slope. Luffy could practically 'hear' the liar's thoughts with his Observation since the liar's ideas were so loud.

'I have to issue a warning to the villagers! I have to issue a warning to Kaya!' Usopp yelled in his head as he rushed towards the settlement as quickly as he could.

"Usopp Now is not the time to be concerned!" Luffy growled as he pursued the fleeing adolescent. Luffy only learned how quickly Usopp could go when he was motivated a fraction of a second later. As he hurried down the trail, he bumped across Nami and Zoro, who were both perplexed as to why Usopp had just sprinted by them seconds before. Luffy came to a halt and spent several minutes explaining the problem.

"Should we attempt to track down Usopp or go after this butler?" With a contemplative expression on his face, Zoro inquired.

"On this island, we're outsiders. No one here would believe us when we say there are no false butlers." With a shake of her head, Nami expressed her dissatisfaction with the situation.

"Usopp is on his way back." Luffy said as he turned his head to the source of the weakening voice.' Usopp was staggering along the trail, holding a gushing gash near his shoulder, when the three arrived.

"No one believed me," he said. As he sat on a chair inside his little abode, Usopp mourned. While Luffy and Zoro sat about listening to Usopp's efforts to warn the villagers and Kaya about Kuro, Nami was cleaning his wound with the first-aid kit Usopp had.

"Of course not; you say things like this all the time, and I've heard the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" tale before. Why did you expect them to trust you now, even if you're telling the truth?" With a sneer, Zoro queried the long-nosed adolescent.

"If that's the case, I'll have to halt the invasion on my own! With the proper preparedness, no pirate will be able to reach the settlement!" Usopp lit a fire in his eyes.

"No, we'll assist you." Usopp was taken aback by Luffy's smile, which made him look at him with surprise.

"Really? Are you serious about assisting me in defending the village?" Usopp enquired.

"Isn't it true that we're friends?" With his head twisted, Luffy inquired.

"So, what are your abilities?" Usopp interrogated the three.

"I electrocute, choke, and engulf!" Luffy said this while forming little black clouds on his hand.

"I slice," As he half unsheathed Wado Ichimonji, Zoro said.

"I steal." Nami smiled.

"I hide,"

"You, too, are battling!" All three pirates screamed at the liar.

Later

The crew saw a pirate crew on a ship sailing towards them; it meant they were the crew of Kuro.

"Who are they?" Someone asked, noticing the strange crew.

"Who cares, we are going to be rich, prepare to rob, and I heard that this village has a gorgeous woman," one cheered, followed by everyone else.

This caused Usopp to clench his teeth, ready to tear the bastards apart; Nami felt her anger rising, these were animals, but before they could do anything, a huge wave of pressure suddenly spread.

Luffy, Nami thought, turning around she saw Luffy had raised his hand, electricity engulfing his hand, black clouds spread around the sky, bolts of lightning hitting the surface of the water near the ship, scaring the pirates.

"You're No Pirates. You're Trash," Luffy stated before Nami's eyes widened at what happened next.

The following second, a dragon head made of white lightning slowly descended from the clouds, looking down right at the pirate ship.

"Raikiri,"

A massive bolt of lightning suddenly slammed right at the ship, causing a massive explosion of lightning, illuminating the whole area. Nami opened her eyes after the light went away.

Instead of the ship, now stood black smoke, with parts of a ship floating on the water.

More than eighty percent of the pirates were floating some distance away in the water; their bodies weren't moving; among the lucky ones, Jango and two odd men that had hopped out of the water and seemed pretty pissed.

Zoro yelled out from the top of the cliff, "Luffy! Were you planning to leave some for me, you selfish idiot?" Nami and Usopp were silent beside him, their jaws practically disconnected in their shock. Nami had gotten a brief taste of Luffy's true power when he faced Buggy, but this was something else.

He can do it! He can Really Do It, she thought, her heart filling with Hope for the first time since forever.

Usopp, on the other hand, had never seen anything like this. Maybe he'd hit his head yesterday morning, and this was all a crazy dream? Sure, that would be more believable than the god-like strength this one man seemingly possessed. A man casting enormous lightning, destroying ships, yup. I am Dreaming

Jango was now officially scared for his life, while the newly-arrived Siam and Butchie were in a rage to find that someone had harmed the ship.

As the two prepared to turn this kid into casserole, an angry voice abruptly broke the air. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Everyone turned in unison to stare at the new arrival: former captain of the Black Hat crew, Kuro of the thousand plans. The man carried a gym bag over one shoulder, and his face was livid.

Kuro was enraged. The idiots that he once called his crew had been late, and when he arrived to see what the hold-up was, he found the ship destroyed, over half his crew unconscious in the water, and the brats still alive.

Kuro saw this as his crew decided to have some fun in the sun instead of doing their job and was consequently ready to kill. He wasn't even going to bother asking for an explanation. He was going to kill the crew ahead of schedule and drag Jango bodily to hypnotise the ojousama afterwards.

With practised movements that hadn't deteriorated in the intervening three years, Kuro opened the gym bag and expertly withdrew and donned his infamous cat's claws, thickly padded gloves with a thin katana at each finger. As Kuro prepared himself, Luffy's crazy stamina made itself known, as the youth was suddenly ready for another round. He quickly issued orders to his crew: it wasn't fair for him to hog all the fun. "Zoro, you got the two weird guys behind me. Usopp and Nami handle the weirder guy. The caretaker's mine."

Usopp might not have officially joined the crew, but Luffy's tone brooked no argument. Still not entirely sure that this wasn't a vastly complicated hallucination, Usopp pulled out his slingshot: the beauty of fighting like a coward was you didn't have to move. Nami grimly assembled her staff, thinking of the treasures she'd acquire from the pirates after this mess to motivate her.

Zoro, meanwhile, looked like a kid at Yuletide. He assumed his classic stance, with a blade in each hand and between his teeth. Kuro narrowed his eyes but paid no heed; the kids could play around, but he was going to get his crew for this.

Kuro, moving too fast to be seen, suddenly rushed forward, intent on making his crew pay for their ineptitude. Luffy's eyebrows raised in surprise before he threw a punch. The impossible happened: Kuro was hit when using the stealth foot. As if it were a signal, Zoro and Nami rushed forward to deal with their assigned enemies as Usopp lined up his sights. The still-furious ship guards rushed forward to deal with the sword-guy charging them, not even bothering with the slip of a girl that passed by them. Jango, now so frightened that his hair had started to turn white at the roots, grimly took out his chakram: he'd deal with the girl before running away.

Zoro

Zoro charged forward, his swords practically a part of his body as he held them. His oath to Kaya, his normal motivation, was suddenly fighting for top-spot with his awe over Luffy's display of power. The young man had decimated almost an entire crew with one move!

Siam and Butchie took the offensive. "Neko-Yanagi Daikōshin", they cried before rapidly slashing with their clawed gloves. Zoro expertly stopped the assault cold with his swords. The two pulled away before Zoro could pull off a move. The two seemed to be discussing a new battle plan, but Zoro ignored them. Silently, he got into the stance of one of his strongest Santouryu techniques. 'Feel the power of the stance; channel the power of the blades to their fullest.' The world slowed as Zoro focused on the move harder than he ever had, almost feeling it as a comfortable presence beside his soul.

Suddenly, Zoro realised that he was feeling something within his soul. It felt alive, wild, the essence of the primal joy Zoro felt when he really let loose. 'Is this... Haki?' Zoro didn't question how he had discovered the force or how he knew what it was; he just added it to the stance. Zoro gently seized the feeling, as if it were an animal, and focused on nothing else except the stance, the move to come, the blades in his grip. He felt the feeling cover his entire body, making him feel jittery, but he remained still as a statue.

The partners had finished their plan and rushed forward to deliver a combo attack that would end this man's life like it was nothing.

"Tiger Hunting Prey", Zoro intoned, the words further refining his focus on the attack he would deliver. As the two came into range, their hands pulled back to deliver crippling slashes, Zoro moved, his blades coming down in a graceful, beautiful, yet deadly movement. In the space of a second, Zoro was behind his opponents, his swords all pointing forward. The veteran pirates seemed frozen for an instant before their chests erupted, blood gushing out in a morbid yet artistic spray.

Zoro looked at his hands after pulling his sword back to their scabbards.

"I'm Not Tired; I'm getting stronger," Zoro murmured.

Nami

Nami kept on fighting against the man; he swung at her, but she beautifully dodged as if it was nothing; she couldn't help but have a feeling whenever the man tried to attack, but she could see his attacks.

"Stay Still Girly," He growled, trying to attack again; Usopp prepared his slingshot, ready to fire when Nami dodged before swinging her staff right at the side of his head, the sound of bone cracking was heard.

The man was bleeding severely from his head, his face filled with rage and anger. "Once I'm Done With You. I will kill your precious Crew," he yelled, rushing at Nami, whose eyes didn't see him but instead the monster who destroyed her life and her village.

"Never," she yelled, hitting his jaw, breaking it; the man fell on the ground, but Nami struck again, again and again, finally stopping as the man had stopped moving, his face red with blood. Dead.

Luffy

Luffy saw Kuro moving towards him; someone else might have thought that he was fast, but to Luffy, who had practised against the likes of Garp, Shanks and Mihawk. This speed was nothing.

Kuro moved, ready to slice him up; Luffy just closed his eyes; Kuro showed right in front of him, his claws just mere inches away from Luffy's throat before he stopped...

Kuro couldn't feel anything, he wanted to move, yet he felt as if the time itself had stopped; his vision became blurry before he coughed blood; looking at his stomach, he saw a fist covered in dark air. Dark Air...

Luffy stopped his attack as Kuro fell on his knees, before coughing blood again, laying on the ground, the man started making choking noises, his eyes turned from brown to red, but not just his eye colour, his whole eye had turned red like blood.

"You should be careful to not choke in your plans," Luffy said, as Kuro kept trying to breathe as his body slowly stopped moving. It was Over.