A/N: ZareEraz here! I know it's been awhile but now it's time to play catch-up! In the next week-ish or so I'm going to be writing and uploading chapters from Water Seven to Amazon Lily so stay tuned for a lot of updates! I'm starting with Water Seven, of course! And since this is the fourth time I've personally had to open up this can of hurt and tears (watching it and writing it), I'm really sorry if I don't do the feels justice. But I'm going to do my best anyway! So…I'd like to say "enjoy" but this chapter isn't really one to enjoy per say and you know what I mean – I hope you like reading it all the same. I'm also calling bullcrap on Chimney for seeing Luffy in between two buildings from, like, twenty blocks and a huge bridge away. Bullcrap, Chimney.

Chapter 21: Blood, Sweat and Tears

Swift Retribution

Wow! A real caravel!

What a cool ship! Have you guys seen the front? Totally awesome!

Okay! It's all done! Now the Going Merry has everything she could possibly need!

Are you saying it's impossible for us to continue sailing on the Going Merry?

Yes.

No matter how much you pay, that ship cannot be restored to how she used to be.

I'm not getting a new ship. The Going Merry is the ship of the Straw Hat Pirates!

Humans become stronger hardship after hardship. But ships are different. Their wounds just pile up.

But I don't want to leave the Merry! I love her!

We all do. But her wounds are too deep. There's nothing we can do.

Ussop! Ussop! Hey! Say something! Are you alright! Open your eyes! Ussop! Hey! Ussop! Who did this to you?! Was it the Franky Family?!

It happened…'cuz I'm weak…they took…they took all the money! Nami…how can I…face…the others…now? We were finally able…to fix…the Merry! I'm so…ashamed…!

Unforgivable. That's what this was. Not only had the Franky Family stolen from them but they had also hurt their friend, before and after he'd tried to get the money back – for his ship, for his pride and for his friends. And that's where they found Ussop, crumpled on the ground and clinging to life just a stone's throw away from the Franky House. Luffy, Sanji and Zoro stared down at their broken friend, waiting as Chopper looked him over, carefully turning the wounded man onto his back and checking for vital signs and where he was most hurt. It was disgusting just how cruel the Franky Family was. Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable!

"Is he still breathing Chopper?" Luffy asked after a few moments, his voice low.

"He's unconscious…." The doctor's voice was thick, as if he was going to cry, his man-beast hands trembling as he hovered over his friend. "But yes, he's breathing. He'll live. I can save him!"

Luffy's hand came up to his head and rested on the crown of his straw hat, tipping the brim over his eyes, shadowing his face. The whole crew knew that look. That was the look of a man itching for a fight, and a fight that he wasn't going to lose no matter what. Sanji lit a cigarette, gearing up for a beat down. Zoro pulled his bandana off his arm and wrapped it around his head, his face set in the avenging scowl of a demon. Chopper stood up, his great height towering over his friends as he snorted, his teeth clenched in barely restrained fury. The Franky Family…no, Franky…was going to pay for what he'd done, every last bit of it from Ussop's defeat, to stealing the money and all the trouble in between.

"You wait out here for us…okay, Ussop?" The captain asked, staring down at the tear streaked and bloody face of his sniper. "We're going to level that stupid looking house to the ground."

The four remaining men of the Straw Hat Pirates advanced on the Franky House, walking side by side in a line of unmovable determination and swift retribution of those who had hurt their friend. The Franky Family was going to pay dearly for everything they'd ever done. Luffy could hear them now, laughing and shouting from inside their hideout, sounding like there wasn't a care in the world. He growled under his breathing, furious with them, drawing Zoro's attention from on his right. The swordsman glanced over to his captain, seeing his livid glare and mouth set in a frown so unlike his usual smile and Zoro found himself smiling a cruel grin himself for just a moment before wiping it off his face. He usually almost-pitied anyone on the receiving end of Luffy's fist when he was this furious, but he didn't feel any pity for the Franky Family. They deserved it. He was feeling everything that Luffy was right now, they all were: hate, disgust, unbridled fury and the desire for revenge. Luffy was pissed. Zoro was pissed. Sanji was pissed. Chopper was pissed. The Franky Family wasn't going to know what hit them.

They'd reached huge door to the Franky House. Luffy stopped, his last step almost a stomp, sending up a small cloud of dust. Silently, Luffy had decided the point past which they were not allowed to retreated, and it was right outside the door. Once they were inside that stupid looking house, they were not allowed to come out until everyone in there had suffered their wrath. Zoro's hands drifted to his blades, gripping the scabbard on the Wado Ichimonji. Sanji picked up his right leg, tapping his toe on the ground, ready to grind his heel into those bastards' faces. Chopper tensed his arms, his beastly strength barely held in check. Luffy brought up his fists and cracked his knuckles, his eyes narrowing on the door. He was going to punch it down but the door opened all by itself, a huge man with pink hair and a hat, wearing stupid looking glasses and an outfit that looked like an iron diaper with suspenders stepped out, looking down at the four men in front of him.

"Hm?" He said. That was all he got to say before he was punched in the face by Luffy's rocketing fist. He was sent flying backwards, blood spurting from his nose and broken face, ripping the door off its hinges because everything happened so fast that he hadn't been able to let go of the doorknob. The rubber man's arm slung back into place before the gigantic man had even hit the ground, the impact breaking the floor and sending up a cloud of dust into the air.

"What happened?!" One of the other men shouted, barely dodging the crash. He looked at the door, seeing four men standing there, one of them wearing a straw hat. More of Franky's men looked at the door, their anger kindled at the men who'd interrupted their party.

"Who the hell are those guys?!"

"You jerks! You got a death wish?" A moment of silence passed before the Franky Family knew what they were up against. They swallowed in unison, fear prickling up their spines.

"I recognize them! It's that pirate!" A man with spiky black hair and tan skin breathed, sweating running down his neck as he figured out who'd attacked. "Straw Hat Luffy!" Most of the Franky men started sweating too, the 100 million Beri bounty of Luffy's head a formidable testament to his strength.

"Hahaha!" A deep voice laughed. "So…you came to get your money back, did ya?" A man just a huge as the last one with bright orange hair walked up to the front, setting and iron breast plate and collar on his exposed skin. "Bad move. Just take a look around you. Do you really think that the four of you are enough to handle all of us? Hahaha! But, since you're here, we might as well take those big bounties you've got on your heads!"

"Hahaha!" The spiky, black-haired man laughed. "He's the captain of that long-nosed weakling we took care of earlier." More of the men laughed.

"With that pitiful excuse for a pirate on his crew, he can't possibly be that strong!" Another shouted. But they were still intimidated by the presence of that scrawny man, no matter how illogical it was.

It was true, the Franky Family had them outnumbered, but they were out classed, even if they didn't know it.

"Let's go." The huge man with the orange hair stood in front of Luffy now, looming over him. "Come on, shrimp." Luffy lifted his head up to glare at him, his eyes narrowing. If looks could kill, this man would've been dead.

"Now Gum-Gum…" Luffy growled, throwing his arms back and punching them at lightning speed, stretching them and moving them like his Gum-Gum Gatling. But his punches weren't hitting anything, stretching just far enough to almost smack the starred and armored belly of Franky's crony. The man looked down, confused as to what Luffy was doing.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked.

"Haha! Are you punching him?!" Another of Franky's men howled gleefully. "Not even a battleship cannon can put a dent in that armor!"

"Hahaha! What a joke!" Another laughed. Luffy's crew waited for the rest of the attack, knowing that Luffy hadn't finished anything yet.

"If you're just going to play around, then I'll go ahead and end this right now!" The huge man lifted up the battle axe in his hand and went to bring it down on Luffy's head, but he never got that far. The rubber man's punches sped up another notch and converged on the star on the man's armor, becoming an unstoppable attack with unbelievable force in an instant. He broke through the armor, shattering a hole in the metal and sending the second huge man flying just like the first.

"CANNON!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! He punched a hole right through it!" All of Franky's men were screaming now after having a taste of what was to come.

"Hey! Hold on! Wait a second you guys!" The spiky-haired man was speaking now, holding up his hands defensively to the Straw Hats. "Let's talk about this first!" No response. "Okay…guys?!" Still no response. "Okay, guys! Fire the cannons!" A bunch of Frankys' men ducked, revealing five cannons that were set to fire on the crew. They released their payload as ordered, and Zoro stepped up, running ahead and placing the Wado Ichimonji into his mouth.

"Now, Three-Sword Style…Karatsuma…" He jumped into the air and drew the Yubashiri first, sliding one cannon ball and then drew the Kitetsu, slicing another before making three more cuts while spinning. The cannon balls exploded behind him and his crew, never having reached their targets. "…Raven Hunt!"

"What?! Impossible! Those cannon balls are made of iron!" Zoro glanced up, his eyes hooded by his bandana, holding the same glare as his captain's. He moved in the next instant, slicing one of the cannons into two, shocking the Franky Family with his speed and skill.

"The cannon's too?!" They screamed as it collapsed.

"Holy crap! These guys are seriously bad news!"

"Let's get out of here! Everyone run for the back door!" They ran, trying to escape their punishment. Sanji wouldn't let them escape. He jumped, leaping onto one of the cannons and then sailing over all of Franky's men, landing in a one-handed handstand on some guy's face.

"You're the ones that started this fight, it's kind of pathetic to run from it like cowards." He snarled. "Party Table…Kick Course!" Using the face he was balancing on as his platform, the cook swung his legs around white spinning his hands, becoming a tornado of kicks that devastated anyone within leg's reach. He knocked everyone out of his way, landing on the ground in a cloud of smoke, blocking the back door and anyone who was trying to get out.

"We can't make it to the back door! Use the windows!" The men still standing ran for any exit, but they were blocked yet again by the doctor of the Straw Hat pirates.

'Rumble!" Chopper growled. "Horn Point!" He slapped his hands on the ground, leveling his growing horns that those trying to make a run for it, the sharp points as deadly as any sword. The men running towards him were now running away and he ran after them, tossing, and knocking away anyone in his path. "Roseo Colonnnade!" More men were thrown into the ground injured and now the Franky Family's forces were devastated.

"Waaaaaiiiittt! Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait!" The spiky haired man was waving his hands again. "It's about the money right? You just want the money back!? The 200 million Beris that the long-nose guy had?!" Luffy's eye twitched at the mention of it as his men walked back to his side. "Is that it?! I'm sorry to be the one to tell you but that pile of money isn't here anymore! Franky, the family boss, took it all and went on a shopping spree! And since he's buying something on the black market, we don't have any idea where he might be or even how to find him! So no matter how much of a rampage you go on, that 200 million won't be coming back!" Luffy pulled his arm back. "So why don't you-" And then he punched that guy right in his blabbering mouth.

"Zambai!" A man with beard shouted as his comrade flew into the back wall.

"Shut up. That's enough out of you." Sanji hissed. "This has nothing to do with the money."

"Damn straight." Zoro growled. "It's too late for that." This is for our friend!

"Not even your bones will be left when we're done." Luffy promised, clenching his fist. And they went to town, smashing and cutting everything and anyone in their path, no matter how many tricks the Franky Family tried to pull or how they fought back. The carnage and destruction lasted only as long as Chopper's Rumble Ball did – they hadn't needed any more time than that because the house collapsed on top of everyone still left inside

The smoke started to settle as Sanji smoke another cigarette, sitting on a bit of rubble talking to Zoro about whether or not they should go after Franky – but they didn't know where to look and the bastard's subordinates really hadn't known where he'd gone. They were stuck. Chopper had run back over to Ussop to treat his wounds after his ordeals and was still over there, winding and cutting bandages around his friend. Luffy was up on top of what used to be the crescent moon adorning the roof of the Franky House, staring out into the sea. Zoro looked up at his captain and wondered what he could be thinking about. Luffy was mad about Ussop, probably still was even after taking revenge – he knew that he felt the same way, and probably worried about what they were going to do about the Merry if he'd heard the assessment from Galley-La, all the while still hating Franky for the mess he'd landed them in. Their friend was hurt, they'd lost two thirds of their money, they ship was on her last legs and they didn't know where Robin was – this day couldn't get any worse.

"Okay!" Chopper called, waving his little arms up in the air to get the cook's and swordsman's attention. "The first aid treatment is all done! We need to take him back on a stretcher, so I could use some held over here!"

"Hanging around here won't do any good. Let's head back to the ship for now." Sanji suggested. "We left Nami there all by herself and Robin's still missing. The ship's a problem too." He finished, getting too his feet and looking up at where Luffy was standing. The rubber man hadn't said anything for a few minutes now and they'd left him alone to sort things out, but now it was time to go.

"Yeah." Zoro sighed, starting to walk over to help Chopper.

"Hey! Luffy!" The blond man called, trying to get the young man's attention.

"I've made a decision. About the ship." Was the reply he got. The beach suddenly seemed so quiet, only interrupted by the calls of seagulls in the distance. Even Zoro stopped walking to hear what his captain had to say. "It's time to part ways with the Merry. We'll say goodbye to her here." Zoro and Sanji sighed, understanding in their heads that Luffy was making a smart choice – a logical choice – for once. But no matter how logical it was, all of their hearts were a little heavier hearing his words, their chests a little tighter as they thought about leaving their friend behind.

This day could not get any worse.

But it would.

Drawing Battle Lines

Luffy stood on small island at the edge of Water Seven, the rest of his crew behind him on the Merry, waiting for Ussop to come back. It was nearly ten in the evening and the moon had risen high in the sky already, illuminating the night softly with enough light to see with. Or to fight with. It was chilly, the sea breezes picking up after a day of relatively calm weather, as if nature itself knew what was going to happen to the Straw Hat crew, as if it knew just how much turmoil was lingering in the hearts of six individuals. One of them was furious and lost, somewhere in the city. One of them was resigned to what was about to happen and they were all worried.

Luffy's head was swimming with the conversation and the ensuing argument that he had Ussop had had when the sniper found out that the Merry couldn't sail anymore, that they were going to part ways here on Water Seven.

This wouldn't have happened if I was strong like you guys. I'm sorry! It's all my fault! I'm so ashamed of myself! I know that money was important! All the trouble we went through! What about the Merry?!

Is Merry…going to be okay? Can we get her repaired with the money we have left? It's great that we have all these awesome ship wrights to work on her! I know it's going to be rough out there, so I want her so I want her to be strong than ever before! That's what Ussop had wanted, what they all had wanted…but it just wasn't possible, even with all the money in the world. So, Luffy had told him…told Ussop what decision he had made, for the safety of the crew and for Merry.

We aren't having them repair her. We decided to get a new ship instead. I know that we probably should've asked you first but we didn't have much choice. Either way, I've made up my mind. The Going Merry has taken good care of us, but it looks like our journey with her has to end here. He'd said it with a smile he didn't really feel, trying to be the strong one because Ussop was not going to like any of this. Luffy had come to peace with the Merry's impending end as much as he could in a short time, and it's not like he was ungrateful for her dedication to them, but she was old and tired – it was time to rest. The rest of the crew agreed with him, as much as they hated it as well and when Luffy had broken the news and they all saw the devastated look on the sniper's face, the whole crew's face dropped as well. They weren't happy about it, but they knew that it was time to let the Merry go. But Ussop was of the opposite opinion.

Wait…just stop. I get it, Luffy, but the joke's gone on long enough, okay? See? Chopper doesn't know you're kidding! Geez, captain! You know better than to treat your crew like that! Come on, Nami, back me up here! That's when Luffy's smile had faded and Ussop looked around at the faces of his friends, finally getting that Luffy wasn't joking at all. He started to panic, thinking that the repairs couldn't be afforded because he'd lost the money and he started blaming himself, but that just wasn't true at all. Merry couldn't be fixed and Luffy wasn't kidding around. They both started arguing, Ussop yelling about not sugar coating whatever Luffy had to say and Luffy shouted back that he wasn't. Even Zoro felt the need to step in a started to break them up when the two got in each other's faces.

How can you be so calm when he's talking about getting a new ship!?

I'm not joking! This was a hard decision for me too!

If we can't afford the repairs because I screwed up, just tell me! Don't show me some stupid catalogue and change the subject! I want to know the truth!

The Merry can't be repaired. He'd said it. He'd said it right to Ussop's face just like he wanted, and it blew up into a fight that neither of them backed down from, that neither of them could take back.

What did you just say? That's was Ussop had asked next, his eyes wide and shifty, like he couldn't believe it even if it was the truth. Luffy hadn't wanted to say it again, it hurt too much, but he did anyway, making sure that his friend knew he was serious. But that hadn't helped, it hadn't done any good. Ussop still refused to believe that the Merry was at the end of her journey, that she could be fixed and it was infuriating because he was stomping on everyone's feelings by acting like the battered ship could be fixed, that she could still carry them. If the Merry really didn't hold out until the next island like the shipwrights had said, then they were all dead. It wasn't a joke, it wasn't something to laugh at or brush off and yet Ussop did, basically calling the professional assessment a load of shit, insulting his captain's decision by saying that he didn't believe in the strength of his ship or his crew, by basically calling him a untrusting dumbass. But Luffy didn't just have himself or the ship to worry about, he had to worry about all six of his friends on top of that and he wouldn't let them pay for his foolishness if he had decided to sail on the Merry. He wouldn't let them die because one many refused to face the truth! They were getting a new ship whether Ussop liked it or not, that was the safest and most humane decision that he could make, for them and for the Merry. But Ussop still wouldn't listen. And that's when he almost said something unforgiveable, something that, in the heat of anger, he would've regretted saying for the rest of his life.

He'd almost told Ussop to get out of his crew.

But he was glad that Sanji had kicked him into a wall before he could finish.

But it still hadn't helped and it still didn't do any good.

Ussop left the crew, and then challenged Luffy to a duel for ownership of the Merry, adding insult on top of injury for all of his friends. It wasn't enough that they had lost their ship, lost Robin and lost Ussop as well, but now the former friends were locked in a fight that neither of them could back down from. Sanji, Nami and Chopper had run after Ussop as he left the Merry, calling his name, trying to get him to come back. Luffy had listened in silence as Zoro stood by his side. A few moments later, the captain of the Straw Hats had gotten up and walked outside, at least willing to watch his friend go. Zoro followed him out, still silent, and kept an eye on his lover, watching the way his face looked on the brink of anger again or on the brink of devastation. It hurt to see him like that. Everything about that day was hurting and it would continue to hurt and scar their hearts as the night fell and things got worse.

But Nami had said it best: Just this morning we had all been so happy…and now what? We lost Ussop…Robin's still missing…I feel like if we don't do something…the whole crew is going to fall apart.

And that's why Luffy was standing in the cool sea wind staring into the city, waiting for the inevitable. Everything was falling apart, but if he could keep it together long enough for them to get through this fight, through finding Robin and through getting a new ship…then he could break. That's all he could do.

A small part of him hoped that Ussop would just turn tail and be a coward like he was sometimes, but this was too big to back down from and too close to home to give up on it. He wanted the Merry and he'd fight a 100 million Beri pirate to get what he wanted. It was horrible, just how much they'd turned on each other. They were friends: they laughed together, cried together, fought together, ate together, make fun of each other together, played together, slept together and celebrated together. All the memories of East Blue, Little Garden, Alabasta and Skypiea were swirling around in Luffy's head, making each breath more painful, each moment a little more heartbreaking. Ussop's laugh, his jokes and games and lies and cowardly attempts that were so endearing were now pricks of agony digging away at his heart.

The rubber man bit his lip, trying to keep everything he was feeling at bay, trying to give Ussop the duel he wanted without being distracted by just how hard this was going to be. He was going to fight his best friend, and he was going to try and crush him into the dust…if he was even capable of that in the first place. Ussop was his friend! Friends shouldn't fight like this! But talking hadn't worked and they'd only hurt each other – there was nothing else to do but fight and then say goodbye.

"No matter how this battle ends, you can't regret it. This is exactly what you asked for." That was the last thing Luffy had said to Ussop, right before they fought, hoping that the sniper was at least resolute in his conviction to tear them apart.

And so they fought. When Ussop appeared, keeping his word, he'd fought Luffy with everything he had. Luffy had been on the ropes, unable to really fight because it was Ussop, because he used to be his friend, because Ussop knew him inside and out and had learned how to cause the most pain. Rotten eggs, fire, gas, caltrops, pepper, Flash Dials, Impact Dials, even his own Bazooka – no matter what was thrown at him; it still didn't hurt as much as when he punched the crap out of Ussop.

He fell, and Luffy fell to his knees as well, holding the trembling arm that had just hurt his friend.

"You idiot," He breathed, covered in cuts and bruises, his mouth burning, his eyes tearing up, his soul aching. "You knew it would end like this! You knew you could never beat me!" Luffy shouted, the sound ripping out of his throat. And then he walked away, retrieving his hat from the battlefield and placing it on his head.

"Do whatever you want with the Merry. I won't let anything hold us back." He said, refusing to look back at his former crewmate. "We're getting a new ship and sailing forward. So long, Ussop. It was fun…while it lasted."

Chopper tried to run to Ussop, to treat his wounds, but Sanji stopped him, trying to give Ussop dignity in defeat. Luffy kept walking towards his crew, but he had to stop before he got back on the Merry, pulling his straw hat down to cover most of his face. Zoro turned to look down at him and Nami did too, her eyes full of tears, lips trembling. Sanji did the same as Chopper stopped resisting him, everyone who was left watching their captain.

"It's too much." Luffy whispered, his voice barely heard over the wind. Zoro was feeling just has horrible as he was, seeing his captain trying to cover up his pain and his sadness behind the object that got him his epithet, like he was trying to hide behind the façade of the pirate Monkey D. Luffy, while he was just reduced to a man who was losing everything…reduced to just Luffy.

"This is what it means to be captain." Zoro replied, the truth in his words sounding harsh and understanding at the same time. "You can't doubt yourself. In times like these…" The sad and tearful faces of his crewmates sat in front of him as he spoke, "If you lost your confidence…then who can we have faith in? Let's pack our things and go. You know as well as me, after tonight…we can never return to the ship again." Zoro's heart ached as he finished speaking, taking charge as he respectfully ignored Luffy's tears. He couldn't bear to see his captain in that state and he couldn't bear to see the crew like this, so he stepped up and got them moving before they could dwell on their loss. They could mourn later, together and with dignity.

The crew got ready to leave after Chopper ran over to Ussop, leaving him all the medical supplies he'd need, even if the reindeer couldn't treat him personally, saving the man's pride. Luffy got onboard after his doctor, heading down the trap door to the men's room while the rest of the crew went up to the kitchen and storage rooms to start gathering everything. They left Luffy alone, knowing that he needed a moment to not be captain, so that he could keep his pride as well. The only one who did follow the young man down was Zoro, quietly climbing down the ladder and into the room that they'd all shared from the beginning of their journey. Luffy was standing in the middle of the room, shadowed by darkness since he'd neglected (or refused) to get a light. The swordsman waited for Luffy to acknowledge his presence, listening quietly as the rubber man sniffed and tried to muffle his soft sobs. The rubber man didn't turn around and didn't indicate that he knew Zoro was there so after a few minutes in the darkness, the swordsman spoke one word.

"Luffy." That one word had Luffy running into Zoro's arms, his straw hat falling to the ground and he buried his head in the swordsman's chest as he cried. The rubber man had thought he could hold it together until they got a new ship, until they left this miserable island behind, but he just couldn't. It was too much…too much to bear alone.

"Zoro…" Luffy's fists bunched into the other man's shirt, gripping the fabric harshly. "It hurts…it hurts so much…I can't breathe…!"

"I know it hurts." Zoro kissed the top of his lover's head and held him closely, enveloping the smaller man in his huge arms and tried to cover up this moment of weakness so that no one but him could see it. Luffy was strong, stronger than all of them, but this had him sobbing like a child, weak and stripped to the core as he lost one of his dear friends. Zoro didn't want to see it – he wanted to see Luffy smile and laugh – but this was a part of his love that he couldn't ignore. As much as they seemed like unstoppable, crazy monsters to everyone else, they were only human. Zoro hugged Luffy tighter, letting him soak his shirt in tears, giving him this one moment to be weak before they had to go. Luffy would be strong for them, he always was…so just this once…this one time while they were alone…he could be the strong one while Luffy was weak. That's what it meant to be first mate, that's what it meant to be a part of a crew, that's what it meant to be a partner, and that's what it meant to be a lover.

This is where anger and hurt had brought them, and what it had left in its wake was excruciating to bear.

Taking the Fall

And they'd landed themselves in another fine mess.

Luffy, Zoro, Chopper and Nami had broken into the Galley-La main office in an attempt to find Robin and get her back since Iceberg reasoned she'd be back to try and kill him again when Luffy had broken in to talk to him earlier that day, after dealing with Franky's wrath for beating up his men. The Straw Hats were being blamed for the first assassination attempt on Iceberg's life, even if it was a lie, and they couldn't accept that Robin had betrayed them. So, they decided to pull some true criminal acts and broke into the main office. Luffy, of course, had put a wrench in their plan by running off ahead and then had the audacity to now take out the guys at the front gate (because he got smushed in between two buildings), putting Nami, Chopper and Zoro in a tight spot with fighting off the Galley-La shipwrights outside the main office. After fighting their way through a lot of men (and keeping Zoro from getting lost), the trio reached Iceberg's roomand burst through what was left of the door. At the same time, Luffy and Paulie smashed through the left side wall, creating more rubble. What was inside Iceberg's room was something that no one was expecting.

Lucci and Kaku, shipwrights from Dock 1, a man with bull horn hair and the secretary lady along with Robin were trying to kill and steal from Iceberg, attempting to gain the ultimate weapon, Pluton, for the World Government. They were CP9, a secret agency within the government with a license to kill in the name of justice, which is what they'd been sent to do in order to gain the blueprints for Pluton. The shock was devastating: Iceberg and Paulie were betrayed by people they thought they were friends, and Robin was a part of that betrayal, leaving behind her friends in order to fulfill some wish she had and throwing them in the fire despite the fact that she was wanted by the government herself. It was ridiculous! None of this made any sense! But that didn't stop Robin from leaving and that didn't stop Luffy from fighting to get her back.

Lucci had already knocked him down once, brushing off his Gum-Gum Gatling like it was nothing and then Finger Pistoling his throat until he slammed into a wall. These weird powers were tough, it even had Zoro shocked when Luffy hit the ground. CP9 was strong, this wasn't going to be an easy fight. They were backed up against the wall and still in the dark about so many things. Everything that they'd tried to keep together since they found out the Merry couldn't be saved was fracturing again, falling apart even more as Robin betrayed them.

"How could you do this?!" Was the question they were asking.

"I did it to make my wish come true. A wish that can't be granted as long as we're together." Was Robin's only answer, her face set with hard determination. "You may not find it fair, but to accomplish my goal, I'll make any sacrifice."

"I see," Zoro shot back, his face just as hard. "And that includes framing your crewmates for attempted murder. So what is this wish of yours?"

"I don't have to answer that question." She hissed.

"I don't care what you're trying to accomplish, the consequences are far too great!" A wounded Iceberg shouted from the floor where he was collapsed.

"I've heard enough! This is no longer your choice to make!" Robin glared at the blue-haired mand, raising her arms up and activating her Devil Fruit powers. "This should shut you up!" Arms sprouted from the Iceberg's back and the floor, twisting him into submission.

"Iceberg!" Paulie yelled. The Straw Hats were shocked at Robin's behavior, unable to reconcile her cruelty with the woman they'd come to know.

"I won't let anyone get in my way!" Robin declared, her low and menacing.

"Nothing you're saying is making any sense!" Luffy shouted, trying to get Robin to explain herself. "You expect me to believe this!?"

"Robin! What happened to you?!" Chopper asked, clearly distressed. "You're our friend, right!? Please Robin…come back!"

She never got to answer because Lucci was talking again, breaking up the conversation and stating that they were done here…and they were done with the Straw Hats too. Kalifa, the secretary lady, had apparently rigged some explosives that were about to go off and set the whole building on fire, burning everything and everyone still inside. And CP9 had no intention of letting anyone get out of this alive. And they were standing in between Robin and her former crew, blocking the Straw Hats from getting their friend back.

"Looks like it's going to be us against them. And our 'friend' Robin has clearly picked her side." Zoro stated, his hands going to his sheathed swords. "Luffy, Robin is not one of us anymore. Do you accept that now?" Chopper and Nami waited for his answer.

"No! No way!" Luffy yelled, refusing to lose someone else, refusing to lose any more of his friends to this damn island. Nothing good had happened to them here, and he was not going to let Robin get away from him before she told him why!

"So noisy." Lucci tsked. "Anyway, the first floor is about to set fire – it won't be pretty. But to be fair, the culprits are just pirates…you can't expect them to be stuble." His damn face was pissing Luffy off! And the fact that he was pinning all of this on them when they hadn't done anything wrong!

"You bastards!" Paulie hissed.

"That's nice of you to pin your attempted arson on us, but I think I'll pass." Nami leveled her Clima-Tact at the agents.

"What's one more crime?" The bull-horned man asked, "When we're just going to execute you anyway?"

"Well," Robin said, pulling up the hood of her green cloak. "I suppose I'll take my leave now."

"You've done exactly as you were told, good work." Lucci answered.

"Robin!" Luffy yelled, trying to get her to stay. "Don't go! You're still one of us!"

"This is farewell." Was all she said.

"Robin!" Chopper and Nami called out to her. The dark-haired woman walked towards the window.

"Stop her…Straw Hat…" Iceberg breathed, desperate to stop the woman who could destroy the world. Luffy didn't even need to be told as he was already running towards his friend, determined to beat the crap out of the three CP9 agents standing in front of him and get Robin back.

"We finally found you! I won't let you run away again!" He cried, chasing after her. "Out of my waaaaaay!" Luffy leapt up, ready to kick the bull-horn guy in the face.

"Iron Body." He intoned as the rubber man's foot crashed into his mouth, but he didn't move and he didn't get hurt either.

"How come nothing I do to these guys fazes them!?" Luffy asked as he landed on the floor, unnerved by the secret agents.

"In addition to our offensive techniques, our training has also given our bodies the capability to become as solid as an iron wall." The bull man explained. "Of course, your punches are weak to being with."

"Whatever! I said….'out of my waaaaaay!'" Luffy whipped his arms back and let loose a Gatling, trying to move the mountain of a man in front of him.

"Paper Art." The bull man said, his body moving faster than Luffy's fists could, dodging every punch sent his way.

"Even though he's big, he sure is fast!" Chopper gaped, watching as his captain failed to land even a single punch. This was unbelievable!

"He's moving like his body's made of paper!" Nami figured out the technique, but that didn't help Luffy one bit. Robin was still getting away!

"Oh, no! Robin!" Luffy stopped punching as he saw Robin almost reach the window and tried to move around the bull man, but he just blocked the rubber man's view again. He glared up at the agent, his eyes burning. "Move it." If looks could kill, Blueno would be dead. "Gum-Gum….PISTOL!" Luffy's signature punch came barreling at the man, but he said "Shave" and disappeared before it could connect, letting Luffy's attack fly wild.

"He disappeared!" The rubber man gasped, yanking his arm back into place.

"My legs are so strong that they can move faster than your eyes can see." The man's voice was coming from behind him! When did he get there!? Luffy didn't waste a moment in trying to punch him from behind, but Blueno leapt into the air and seemed to be jumping without hitting anything at all!

"Moon Walk." The bull man was near the tall ceiling now, hovering over Luffy. "In fact, I can even leap off of the air itself."

"Tempest Kick!" Kalifa and Kaku moved in, kicking Luffy right in the stomach. It looked like and ordinary kick, but something was off, Zoro could sense it. A slashing attack?!

"Get down!" He yelled at Nami and Chopper. "Hurry!"

"Why?" Nami asked and they all ducked. Luffy came flying past them and tumbled down the hallway, the kicks also slashing the walls in half and sending up gusts of air and dust.

"Luffy!" Chopper yelled as the man hit the ground behind them.

"They did all that with a single kick?!" Nami breathed, terrified of these people. "No way!"

"Technically, it was the sharp gust of wind that followed it." Kalifa explained, just for kicks. "We call it the 'Tempest Kick.'" Zoro didn't care what the hell it was called, but Luffy was down for the moment and he was the one who specialized in slashing attacks, so he shot into action, running full speed towards the long nosed guy who'd visited their ship yesterday. He drew the Yubashiri and attacked, his hand on the Kitetsu as Kaku countered with huge carpentry chisel.

"We met on your ship, didn't we? Roronoa." Kaku asked, already knowing the answer. Zoro growled and drew his second sword. That one was also countered by a huge chisel, and now the men were locked in a standoff, their strength pushing against their enemy with no give for the other.

"You said you people aren't real shipwrights," Zoro started, his voice strained from holding off the man. "So does that mean you lied about the Merry too?!" He had to know – he had to know if a lie had torn apart their crew, had hurt his captain and his friends…he had to know if these bastards had made Luffy cry for nothing! If they had, then he'd skewer them for messing with his boyfriend and for making his crew suffer.

"Unfortunately not." Kaku replied, one of his eyes hiding behind the brim of his cap. "I was quite honest about my assessment." With a huge push, Zoro threw the man off of him, sending Kaku leaping backwards as he attacked again. Kaku met him head on, trading blow for blow as their blades clashed and ran throughout the room for several long moments, everyone else watching in silence. Luffy finally yanked himself out of the rubble he'd been thrown into after the Tempest Kick and Robin had finally reached the window, opening it, letting the rising storm's wind rush into the room.

"Don't go, Robin!" He called, hoping that she'd stop. "We're not done talking yet!"

"No, it's over." Robin turned and looked her former captain in the eye, the night and the coming storm behind her. "This is the last time you'll see me."

"Robin!" Nami yelled, dismayed that her friend was actually going to leave them for good. Zoro's eyes narrowed, as he prepared to give Luffy a chance to get their crewmate back. He grunted, catching Kaku's chisels on his swords and cutting clean through them before slashing at the man again. The ducked, chucking his useless weapons away in the process.

"Luffy! Go after Robin!" Zoro called, knowing that he wasn't going to give up on the woman in spite of the swordsman's own opinions. "Don't let her get away!" Luffy roared as he ran, trying to reach Robin as she jumped onto the sill of the window.

"Confident, huh?" Kaku said upside down, having caught himself on one hand. "You really shouldn't take your eyes off of me!" Before the green-haired man had time to move, the agent flipped onto his feet and pointed his index finger, delivering three Finger Pistols to Zoro's chest and stomach, drawing blood just like a real gun would.

"ZORO!" Chopper screamed, horrified that a human hand could do that and that it hurt his friend. Zoro coughed up blood, falling to the floor in pain.

"Finger Pistol. It turns out that there are some things more deadly than bullets." Kaku mused. Zoro was down and Luffy never made it to Robin. Lucci stepped in and grabbed the man's face, holding him off the ground as the woman stepped out the window and disappeared, all their efforts to get her back in vain. They'd been beaten. Lucci threw Luffy to the left without any effort at all, getting ready for the next part of the beat down.

"I don't believe it…how can they be so strong?" Nami was trembling as Zoro peeled himself off the floor and as Luffy writhed on the floor.

"I knew you were tough but this is too much!" Palulie breathed, glaring down his former friends.

"We're not like you." Lucci elaborated. "As members of CP9, for as long as we can remember, we've trained to surpass the limits of the human body and vowed to hone those skills in to an instrument of absolute justice. The results of that training are the superhuman techniques known as the Six Powers. So now I'm sure that it's abundantly clear to you why the four of us are the government's most elite agents. And by the same token, you must also realize how miserably weak a band of pirates is in comparison."

There was almost nothing that the Straw Hats could do in this situation, they were out classed and bloodied while CP9 remained as fresh as ever. But that wasn't even the most horrible part of it all and Lucci was about to show them why. He transformed into a monster, his body growing to twice its size, bulking up and developing into the man-beast form of the Cat-Cat Fruit, Leopard Model. It was terrifying, staring into the face of a monster as the first floors of the Galley-La office blew up, the fire starting to spread through the building. His strength was monstrous, just like his body. He cut the entire main office in half with a Tempest Kick just to stop some workmen from getting up the stairs, burying Chopper under rubble as he pushed Nami out of the way and then the agent turned on Paulie as he was attempted to get Iceberg to safety. But he never got to attack because an angry fist decked him from ten feet away. Luffy screamed, readying another punch as he leapt up into the air. But Lucci was faster, brandishing his claws and digging one of them into the rubber man's gut as hard as he could.

"Finger Pistol."

"LUUUUUFFFFFYYY!" Zoro screamed, horrified at seeing the claw come out his captain's back covered in blood. Luffy could hardly breathe, pain and shock written in his wide eyes. Lucci dropped him and the man managed to land on his feet, wobbly, but still up, his hand on his bleeding wound. Lucci licked some of the blood off of his claw, smirking triumphantly. Zoro didn't know what to do, he was so terrified for his lover that he couldn't moved as the leopard man grabbed Luffy's face again and hurled him through the wall and out into the city to fall to his death or drown. The man's scream echoed, even in Aqua Lagoona's rising winds.

"LUFFY!" Nami wailed.

"Damn you!" Zoro hauled himself to his feet and ran at Lucci, anger and hate racing through his veins, as sharp as his swords.

"Iron Body." The agent hissed as Zoro's sword connected with his arm, stopping the blade from cutting him. He wheeled around and kneed the swordsman in the chest and sending him flying out of the building in the opposite direction of where Luffy had flown, leaving nothing but the Kitetsu behind where he'd dropped it.

"ZORO!" Nami screamed again, watching her friend disappear one by one. She was the only one left now, alone in a room full of murderous monsters.

"Now…it's your turn." Lucci threatened, turning on the woman, towering over her. The navigator scooted back, her body trembling as the monsters advanced on her, their eyes unforgiving and void of any mercy. She screamed again, but it was cut off all too soon.

CP9 left the main office in flames, their mission with the Galley-La company and the Straw Hat pirates at an end. They had much more important things to worry about now.

Rock and a Hard Place

They picked up the life I'd given up on…returned the heart that I lost…and continued the dreams that I no longer believed in…even after all I've done, I found friends who will still believe in me!

Then what is your wish?

That excluding me, all the other Straw Hat pirates will be able to leave this island safely!

"Luffy! Zoro! Where are you guys!?" Nami screamed, zooming through town on her yagara with the rest of the Galley-La shipwrights and Chopper. She'd missed the train at the station but they still had to go after Robin! She was their friend and she was sacrificing herself for them! They had to know, that way they'd get off their asses and help save their crewmate! "Zoro! Luffy!"

As they searched, the Galley-La men ended up at the edge of the Ship Building Island, looking out at the dried up sea that Aqua Lagoona had claimed. The sea was going to send massive waves up against the island and no one knew just how devastating it was going to be. Nami ran up to the edge, trying to catch her breath when she noticed Kokoro and Chimney and Gonbe standing on the rail, looking out to the sea. Chimney was shouting something, trying to get her granny's attention and it caught Nami's too.

"There's something in between those two buildings! Come on, Granny! Look! Look!" The little girl pointed far out into the Back

"Kokoro!" Nami called, surprised to see them there.

"Oh, if it isn't the pirate girl!" Kokoro laughed, taking a drink from her ever-present bottle.

"Heeeey! Miss Pirate Lady!" Chimney called out to Nami while hanging onto her granny's leg, her hair and body being pulled by the strong winds. "Look! Look over there! I see something!"

"Like what?" Nami walked up to the rail and jumped up, wrapping her arms around the rail as far as she could and hauled herself up.

"Just what are you going on about, Chimney?" Kokoro asked, but Nami was more concerned about the lack of water in the ocean, if that was even a thing!

"No way! What happened to the sea!?" The navigator gaped at the desolation of the ocean floor, horrified by what Aqua Lagoona had in store. But that wasn't the only thing she was gaping at, having looked where Chimney had been pointing. Deep in the exposed Back Streets, wedged tightly between two towers, was Luffy! He was barely visible, his rubber body stuck and pinched and jammed into an almost immovable spot, his straw hat in just as bad of a state.

"Lu…ffy…!" Nami slid of the rail, her hands clenching into fists and trembling. He's alive! And he's so dead!

"Straw Hat? Isn't that your King-of-the-Pirates captain?" Kokoro asked.

"Well, huh?" Chimney followed up. Nami's face contorted into one of rage and she started booking it across the island, headed for the huge stairs that lead down into the Back Streets.

"Hey! Hold on! Where do you think you're going?!" Kokoro shouted, worried for the girl. "Don't go down to the Back Streets! It's dangerous!" The rest of the shipwrights caught wind of Kokoro's shouts and all started calling for Nami, trying to get her to stay.

"Hey! Wait!"

"Somebody stop that woman!"

"Come back!" But Nami had too much of a head start as she dashed down the stairs, reaching the first landing and leaping onto the side rail. She caught her breath for a moment before back up as much as she could, her feet digging into the ground as she prepared to run.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF!? AQUA LAGOONA IS GOING TO HIT ANY MINUTE! COME BACK!" Kokoro gave one last desperate scream before Nami was running again, hitting the edge of the rail and jumping out over a twenty story fall to her death. She was reaching for the nearest roof of the Back Streets, reaching the peak of her jump and then started to fall. Her heels hit the roof and she managed to stay on her feet as wet and slippery as it was and ran again. She traveled like that, leaping from one roof to the next, desperately trying to reach Luffy, to tell him about Robin, to get his ass moving so that they could save their friend. It was dangerous, yes. It was reckless, yes. But she had to do it, and she did do it. If she slipped, she was dead, if she slipped, Luffy was dead, if she slipped, Robin was dead. She couldn't slip! She couldn't fall! Breath heaving, Nami jumped across another drop and landed precariously on another rooftop before barreling forward to do it again and again. She could see the wave approaching on the horizon, the devastating destruction of Aqua Lagoona was rearing its head. Her only chance to survive was to get Luffy out of that damn building so he could carry to her safety. She kept running. But soon she was at her limit – chest heaving, breath gone, tossed about by the wind and out of rooftops to jump on, she leapt onto the closest roof to Luffy's building and hit the shingles. Her legs collapsed, exhausted and wet and slippery and she skidded to a halt painfully, bruised and battered after her insane run.

"This is it…I can't go any further!" She panted, standing up at the looking for Luffy. His building was right in front of her, across from a plaza that was normally filled with water. There he was! The rubber man was still wedged in the same spot, and Nami prayed that he was breathing – that he was alive. The horrible memories of Lucci stabbing him and picking him up like a rag doll were still fresh in her mind, but he couldn't be dead! He just couldn't! There! He moved! He was wiggling around, his arm twitching in his uncomfortable entrapment. He was alive! But as glad as she was that he was alive, she was so pissed at him!

"LUFFY!" She screamed, panting as she still caught her breath. "YOU IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING UP THERE?!"

"Nami!?" Luffy shouted back, his voice sounding as smushed at his body was. "Where are you!? I can't see!" He grunted and growled, renewing his struggled to get unstuck. "Okay, listen! It's not my fault! That pigeon guy sent me flying and I got stuck between these buildings, so I can't move! I'm trying though!" He was apologizing and it wasn't his fault but it still hurt Nami to see him in such a ridiculous state when their friend was going to be tortured and executed…all because of them! Tears ran down the navigator's face, unable to hold back her sadness and frustration as she remembered Robin's bright smile along with all she'd done for them.

"Is this a joke to you!?" She yelled, her voice raw and full of anguish. "We don't have time for this! Those guys from the government took Robin away and you weren't even there to help! She did it all for us, you know! She's going to sacrifice herself!" Nami broke down sobbing, completely unable to stop her tears now. "The government was planning on attacking us but Robin turned herself over to CP9 so we would be safe! She knew they would kill her but she didn't care!"

"Then…Robin was lying…?! This whole time?!" Luffy asked, unsure of whether or not Nami heard him. He was so glad, Robin was still their friend! But she was also gone, gone for their sakes. "I'm glad!" And that's when he saw the wave, the wave that was going to drown him and kill Nami if he didn't do something. But…he had a promise to make. He'd keep his crew safe! "Don't worry! I'm not going to let Robin die!" And with that, Luffy pushed with all of his might, his scrawny arms filling with a strength that threw most of his enemies for a loop when he attacked them. Luffy didn't look very strong, but he was unstoppable when he got down to business, and this building…it was nothing compared to everything that they'd faced! This storm was nothing! Their past pains were nothing compared to what Robin was going to go through and he wasn't going to let that happen!

The wave was here, towering over the island like a vengeful god, powerful enough to destroy the Back Streets and wrack Water Seven with devastating quakes.

The storm had arrived, in more ways that one.

The building groaned, and split and finally broke apart, caving to the strength of one man on a mission. Luffy broke the towers and freed himself with a monstrous howl before grabbing Nami with his long arm and catapulting them towards the bridge off of another tall tower. If they could just get to the Ship Bulidng Island, then they'd be safe.

"Nami! Let's go!" Luffy recoiled both of his arms, bringing Nami close to him and getting them up onto the next building before reaching for the next one, the wave close behind them. It started wrecking buildings as it made land fall, crashing through the town with unbelievable force. Soon the pair was jumping off of shatter rooftops and rubble that the sea had made, barely scraping by with each jump. Nami was screaming as she held onto her captain and Luffy's arm wrapped around her tighter, keeping a strong hold on his crewmate. One more! Just one more! Luffy slung his arm out to catch the side of the huge bridge that led up to the Ship Bulding Island and threw himself and Nami towards it. They flew, landing on the bridge at the same time Zoro and Chopper appeared out of nowhere and landed on the bridge as well. Nami landed on top of Luffy, crushing the air out of him and Zoro hit the ground hard as well, Chopper being the only one who'd landed on their feet.

Luffy sat up to catch his breath and check on his crew. Zoro was down but he was breathing and Nami and Chopper were looking at each other with relieved looks on their faces. Everyone was back and they knew where Sanji, Robin and Ussop were! The huge wave had been stopped by the stair-bridge but it was building up behind them and would overflow onto the stairs any moment. They had to move! Luffy gasped as the wave broke on top of the bridge and came towards them, ready to swallow them up kill every last one of them. Nami and Chopper screamed as the wave collapsed over them, Luffy jumping and reaching for his friends. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see and he couldn't do anything as the wave washed past him and up the bridge.

He didn't make it in time to grab his crew, but he grabbed onto something else instead as the water flowed over him, trying to drag him out to sea. It was a rope! The rope pulled on his arm, yanking him out of the water after a few endless moments of near drowning and dropped him and Nami and Chopper and Zoro onto the breaking bridge. Luffy coughed, getting his strength back after being released from the sea and looked up to see Paulie standing in front of him. The shipwright had saved them!

"HURRY!" Paulie yelled, looking behind them. "We're not safe yet! Run to Ship Building Island!" Luffy didn't need to see to know that another wave was behind them, so he just started running, picking up Nami and dashing like hell towards higher ground. Zoro grabbed a now-small Chopper and ran with him, catching up to Paulie as they charged towards solid ground.

"Hurry! Run for it!"

"The bridge is done for!" The rest of the shipwrights were shouting at them, encouraging the group from a supposedly safe place and Luffy hauled Nami up on his shoulder and ran faster. They leapt up onto the main island, the wave that was nipping at their heels crashing into the wall behind them, finally stopped by the island. They collapsed onto the ground, soaked, tired and thoroughly frightened. "You morons. You're lucky to be alive." Paulie huffed, lighting a new cigar for himself, though Luffy didn't know how he did it in the rain. He must've had Sanji powers.

"Thanks, you saved us, Rope Guy." Luffy panted.

"I didn't know Aqua Lagoona would be like that." Nami rubbed her arms, trying to come to terms with the power of the storm. "I can't stop shaking!"

"If it was that bad every year, we'd be sunk." Paulie growled, spooked by the storm as well. "I'm just as surprised as you folks are. This ain't normal at all."

"You pirates are just one step shy of crazy!" Kokoro chuckled, relieved that her new friends were safe. "You're lucky to be alive right now."

"Oh hey, Monster Granny! I didn't know you were here too!" Luffy sat up and addressed Kokoro.

"I may be drunk but I'm not stupid enough to say at sea during this storm!"

"You were awesome, Mr. Pirate!" Chimney ran up behind her cackling grandmother and started jabbering. "Your arms were like boing boing!"

"Naa! Naa!" Gonbe added.

"Yeah! I now!"

Chopper was so scared that he was still clinging onto Zoro's face where he'd latched himself and wouldn't let the swordsman breathe after his sprint, but the man finally pulled him off and took great lungfuls of air.

"I was gonna die!" Zoro shouted at a passed out Chopper. "Little turd! Don't put my face in that death grip and pass out!" And his out burst got Luffy's attention.

"Hey, Zoro! What were you dong down there when the wave hit? Couldn't you get away?" He asked, puzzled as to why his boyfriend was down there as well.

"Oh, um, yeah, you know." It was too embarrassing to tell him was happened! And at the moment, Chopper conveniently woke up and spilled the beans.

"Zoro got stuck in a chimney!" The swordsman's face dropped into mortification as his secret got out and he turned on the fuzz ball in his hands, his face shadowing in the night as his hand came up to choke him.

"You got stuck in a chimney?" Luffy's eyes went wide in astonishment and then he burst into laugher. "Zoro, you dope! I couldn't be that lame if I tried!" And at that moment, Nami leapt up like an avenging goddess and decked her dope captain.

"Don't forget you did the same thing twice!" She growled, baring her fangs. And that's when Luffy realized that they were still missing two – one – person.

"Where's Sanji and Usso-I mean, Sanji?" Nami got Luffy back up to speed with the facts that Ussop, Franky and Sanji were all on the Sea Train with Robin and CP9, and that Robin was giving herself up so that her friends could leave Water Seven safely.

"So, let me get this straight: you're saying that Robin sacrificed herself to protect us?" Zoro asked, after hearing the whole story.

"That's right." Nami nodded.

"And Ussop and the cook are on the train with her…" Zoro scratched his head and looked over at Luffy, who'd got up and walked over to the rail to look out at the sea, as if he were searching for Robin already. "Well, what should we do, captain?"

"There's only one thing to do…set off and rescue them right away! Let's move our asses. We're saving Robin." Came the reply.

"Aye, aye, captain!"

Runaway Train

Rocket Man was cool, it was crazy and it was hella fast! The second the wheels hit the track, Luffy and Chimney and Gonbe were blown away, right into the Franky Family's boat where they were stopped by the Herculean Destroyer's stomachs. But the train was so damn fast that they were stuck there for a few minutes until the initial burst of speed slowed enough and steadied out in a reckless dash across the water. Luffy grabbed the little girl and her rabbit-cat and crawled up to Rocket Man, scuttling around the side until he could open a window and throw himself inside.

"You weren't kidding, Monster Granny! This thing is fast! Shi shi shi!" Luffy laughed like a crazy person as he dragged himself and Chimney inside after Rocket Man had hit the train track.

"I thought I was a goner!" Luffy and Chimney sighed, looking just as surprised and rattled at the rest of the Straw Hats, the three Galley-La shipwrights and the few members of the Franky Family that were inside the main car.

"You almost were!" Kokoro yelled, sitting the pair down on the couch with her. "I told you if you didn't get inside you were going to be blown away!" She snapped again.

"That speed was crazy!" Luffy exclaimed.

"I told you." Kokoro folded her arms.

"She's right! That was rough!" Tilestone shout-spoke.

"Ow, hurt my back." Lulu rubbed his aching back. The two of them and Paulie were sitting next to Zoro and that's when the sword's man noticed the extra baggage.

"Hold on a second." He stated. "There are a few more people in here than there should be.

"Yeah? Who do you mean?" Tilestone and Lulu asked.

"He means you!" Paulie yelled.

"I mean you too!" Zoro snapped.

In the end, all three groups ended up having a common enemy: the government. Luffy and his crew were going after Robn who'd been captured by CP9, the Franky Family was going after their bro who was also captured by CP9 and the Galley-La shipwrights were going to avenge Iceberg, who'd been attacked by CP9. They all had the same enemy and a common goal, so what was the harm in working together for a little bit? The three groups set aside their scuffles that had happen back on Water Seven and made an alliance with each other to oppose the government, and that wasn't even the most surprising part: it had all been Luffy's idea!

Trains weren't the only thing that seemed to be running away apparently.

Oh, there was one more runaway thing…and it was the waves! Aqua Lagoona was going to smash the train into bits if they didn't do something about it! Kokoro wasn't able to slow, stop or turn the train once it was on the track, so it was up to the Straw Hats, Galley-La and the Franky Family to get through the storm and make it to Enies Lobby as safely as they could, and if they couldn't do that, they'd die in the storm.

After having made their alliance, the Galley-La men along with the Franky Family ran up to the roof of the Sea Train and the Family's ship to try and break up with wave with a series of cannonballs. No matter how much they tried or what kind of force they used, they just couldn't break up the wave enough to save the sea train.

"Hey, Luffy." Zoro said, looking up at the roof, hearing the shakes and quakes of the cannonballs outside. It didn't sound like the guys were having much luck with the wave.

"Yeah, that big wave's asking for it, huh?" Luffy swung his arm around to warm it up for a fight. He and Zoro climbed up onto the roof of Rocket Man and got ready to do their thing.

Luffy stared stretching out his body to limber it up, the storm and the soakings he'd had that evening making him stiff with cold and Zoro stretched out into a low lunge, hand on the iron roof of the train, concentrating all his energy for his attack. But with their appearance, the rest of the guys had stopped firing. Even with Luffy and Zoro, they were going to need all the help they could get.

"Hey! Keep those cannons firing!" Zoro snapped, growling at the Franky Family and Galley-La.

"'Kay, but what are you guys planning on doing?" Paulie asked as the Franky Family opened fire again. Luffy slipped his hat off, letting it hand by its string on his back and cracked his neck. Zoro stood and drew the Wado Ichimonji out of its sheath, placing the hilt in his mouth.

"Same thing as you." The swordsman replied. "Watch." He dared. The wave was almost on them and Rocket Man's whistle sounded, the shrill noise rising into the sky like a challenge to the sea. Luffy and Zoro stood on opposite side of Rocket Man's chimney, resolute and ready for action.

"Hey! How much is a hundred and eight times two?" Luffy asked, really sucking at math.

"Two hundred and sixteen." Zoro replied, not sucking at math.

"Two hundred and sixteen, huh? That's too long." Luffy sighed. Their conversation wasn't making any sense to the rest of the men, but it seemed to be important to them at least. "Can't we round up or something?"

"Fine, make it three hundred then." Zoro pulled out his other two swords and set the dull side of the Yubashiri on his shoulder.

"I don't get it. What do they think they're doing?" A Franky man asked.

"If cannons don't work what good are swords going to do?" Another asked.

"Well, they did say we should keep fighting though." Another added.

"Stop yapping and back them up!" Zambai yelled, spurring his men back into action. The cannons resumed their fire once again and Luffy was swinging his arm around and around, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Okay! Ready?!" Luffy called to his boyfriend.

"Uh huh." Zoro answered.

"GUM-GUM…" Luffy started a Gatling while Zoro swung his swords up to the right and across his back.

"Three Hundred Caliber…" He continued.

"WE'RE GONNA CRASH!" The Franky Family wailed as the wave came on top of them.

"CANNON!" Luffy and Zoro shouted, finishing their attacks and combining them into something much more powerful. The ensuing force punched a giant hole through the wave, big enough for the Sea Train, the King Bulls and the Franky's ship to pass through with room to spare. Which it did, quite flashily, with the gaping mouths of the Galley-La shipwrights and the Franky family shouting in disbelief. They'd punched a hole through a wave! A freaking wave! It didn't make any sense but it was the best thing ever! Now they just had to get through the wave before the hole closed up! The train swayed left and then right, and then dipped and climbed and then did the left and right thing again, scaring everyone on board and sending them tumbling back. And then the left right thing happened again before the end could be see and then Rocket man was careening out of the wave and back onto the sea all in one piece.

"WE MADE IT!" Every one outside was yelling and smiling and astonished that they were still alive. But Zoro and Luffy just shrugged and smiled at each other as the swordsman sheathed his blades again and went to go back inside. Luffy went in first, sliding his feet and hips through the car window while still holding onto the outside. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled hugely.

"Wow! That was really fun!" Luffy chuckled.

"I knew you guys were strong but that was something else!" The pink clothed woman Kiwi exclaimed.

"Are you an alien or something? 'Cuz that was totally out of this world!" The yellow clothed woman Mozu added. And then Luffy was kicked from behind and thrown across the floor as Zoro slipped into the car, taking his captain's place halfway in the window.

"Whoops. Sorry about that." He apologized.

"Zoro!" Luffy growled, jumping to his feet and baring his fangs at the man.

"I said I was sorry." Zoro leapt down and landed safely on the floor, leaning down and kissing Luffy's cheek in a second apology.

"Huh?! Are they-?!" Mozu and Kiwi gasped, striking dramatically shocked poses as Luffy leapt onto the swordsman's chest and demanded another while wrapping his legs around the other's hips. Zoro replied with a soft kiss to the young man's lips before walking over to Nami who'd called them over to talk to Sanji through the Den-Den Mushi he'd left for them. "They ARE!" The sisters then started giggling to themselves and collapsed into laughter on the couch with Kokoro.

"You guys aren't one step shy of crazy, you are crazy!" Kokoro amended her earlier statement as she saw the crazy pirate captain hang off of his apparent boyfriend.

"That you Luffy?" The snail asked, his voice sounding like Sanji's. Luffy took the receiver from Nami and held it up to his mouth.

"Yep! It's me!" He replied to the snail. "You save Robin?"

"No, sorry. I'm afraid I'm still working on that one." The snail said again with Sanji's voice. "Nami just told me why Robin surrendered and all of that stuff…so yeah…I know what's going on."

"I see." Luffy jumped off of Zoro and crouched on the ground. "That's good. Well, you know what's next. Go ahead…give 'em hell, Sanji." Luffy let his cook off of the leash, knowing that Sanji wouldn't be content just to sit and wait for them now that he knew.

"What?!" Nami exclaimed. Chopper started screaming again.

"Now, hold on!" Zoro interrupted, drawing Luffy's attention. "He'll die if he fights them now! If he wants to stand a chance he's got to wait for us!" The swordsman shouted towards the receiver that his boyfriend was holding and addressed Sanji. "Hey, cook! Can you hear me? Some of those guys on that train are really tough! You shouldn't-"

"Zoro!" Luffy cut him off, knowing that the man was just being cautious after their last scuffle with CP9, but it wouldn't help. "It's fine. If it was you…would you wait?"

"Hm?"

"If you were on that train right now instead of him, and I told you that Robin sacrificed herself to protect us…would you sit there and do nothing?" They already knew the answer: none of them would wait, no matter the consequences. "It's no use trying to stop him."

"Read me like a book." Sanji said, his smile copied onto the face of the snail. "But thanks, Moss Head, I never knew that you cared about me so much!" He teased. "I thought Luffy was the only one that you cared for!~"

"I hope they kill you!" Zoro snapped, blushing just the slightest bit as the cook got under his skin. Mozu and Kiwi were laughing again, enjoying the banter between the Straw Hats and figuring out on their own that the swordsman was the butt of many jokes when it came to his relationship with their captain. It was funny!

"Anyway, that settles it." Sanji continued. "I was willing to fight for Robin even before I knew the truth, and now that I know how she really feels, I wouldn't stop even if you begged me!" And that's when the snail disconnected unexpectedly, something on Sanji's end messing up the call and the snail went to sleep.

"I hope he's okay on his own." Nami sighed, coming to terms with Sanji running wild on that train full of government officials and secret agents.

"Granny, hurry! Make the train go faster!" Luffy called.

"Faster?" Kokoro asked again.

"Yeah! More like zooooooom! You know?" Luffy punched his arm out quickly and then like it come back into place slowly.

"Oh don't you worry." She smiled wider than her normal smile. "This baby is already going faster than it was ever supposed too!"

And after that things just got silly. And it's because Nami had to change. The woman needed new clothes because her were soaked and ripped and she had to switch outfits in the one car they had with all the rest of the men in it. Tilestone, Lulu and Zambai ended up with nosebleeds and Paulie was so outraged that he called Nami "immoral girl" again. He also turned on Mozu and Kiwi for their bikini and tank out fits that bared their legs and stomachs. However, they just laughed it off and called the man shy, dubbing him "shy boy" and making him blush angrily.

"If you're going to get mad at us, then you're going to have to get mad at them too." Nami hooked a thumb over her shoulder to where Luffy and Zoro were shirtless and pantless in their own attempts to get changed, and it was an attempt because Luffy was glomming onto Zoro, both only in their underwear. And even if they weren't "fooling around" they were still fooling around, or Luffy was as he tried to yank down Zoro's underwear for a laugh.

"Stop it Luffy!" The swordsman tried to pry the younger man off of him, but Luffy just stretched and held onto his torso.

"I'm gonna get them! Shi shi shi!" Luffy's fingers crept closer to Zoro's waist band, threatening to yank away his only protection.

"This is seriously messed up." Paulie groaned, still blushing. "What is wrong with them!? We're supposed to be getting ready to fight the government and all you're doing is goofing off!"

"But we're not there yet!" Luffy argued with a smile. "Technically, we're still changing!"

"These guys are hilarious!" Mozu and Kiwi watched in amusement.

"Put some clothes on!" Nami shrieked, punching the pair of idiots and sending them crashing into the floor. Mozu and Kiwi dissolved into giggles again, tears leaking out of the corners of their eyes as they held their stomachs.

"Aye, aye, captain." The pair groaned.

"Wait! I'm the captain!" Luffy retorted, and then he chuckled because no matter their situation, he was glad that his crew never changed. And soon, they'd be back together!

Just you wait Robin! We're coming for you!

"Seriously, put some clothes on."

A/N: And there you go! The end was a lot more light hearted that the beginning so I hope that part was enjoyable at least. Stay tuned for more updates! See ya! ;3