Sorry I haven't updated this in a while, but, my muse for this story decided it was gonna go on a holiday for a while, but, it should be back now and so, Luffy's first day continues!

-dances-

Also, because I am not altogether sure how Japan's schooling system, or even America's schooling system works, I am basing this of Australian schooling okay? So that means Primary School is years 1-7 and High School is 8-12 Just to explain it so everyone doesn't get confused. Because over here, usually years 1-7 all go to the same school and learn together, but every grade gets taught what they need. So... yeah. Kinda confusing i guess. Anyway, I hope you can follow it, and if you can't just say so and I'll send you a reply explaining it all. lol.

I was also asked to put some innocent ZoLu in here, and so I shall. But people who don't like ZoLu, don't be turned off, because it's not like they're going to be full on doing anything. They're little kids for heaven's sakes. It'll just be something cute. Most people won't even know it's there unless they look for it. Ok?

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Chapter 7: Red Rover

Luffy looked over at Ace, twiddling his thumbs as he did so. His big brother had been asleep for the last half hour Luffy had been in here. It was getting very boring sitting there on his own, with no company, no talking, no shouting, playing, running… Luffy whined in the back of his throat. No, this was no fun at all.

"Hello there." a soft voice said from the doorway. Luffy twisted on the small leather bed and then blinked up at the girl who walked into the room. The one from before. Robin.

"Hiya!" Luffy replied, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Robin moved over to him and sat down beside the small boy.

"Are you okay little one?" she asked. She seemed rather… mature for her age. She also chose her words carefully before speaking them. And that made her just a little more mysterious.

"Yeah! Luffy's strong!" and he pumped a fist in the air.

"Na Luffy. You're so loud." Ace mumbled from the chair across from him.

"ACE!" Luffy cried, the sentence Ace had just spoken to him…going in one ear and out the other. Typical Luffy. Ace sighed and rolled over, glaring at his little brother before sighing and sitting up. He blinked blearily at Robin before smiling.

"Hi."

"Hello."

"Who are you?"

"Nico Robin."

"Ohhhh, you're the woman Miss Abigail said was going to be coming to teach us."

"Uh huh." Luffy watched the two have their conversation before yawning widely and lilting sideways.

"Tired." he murmured. He wasn't narcoleptic like his brother, but when Luffy got into a mood, such as 'angry', 'tired', 'silly', or 'funny'… he stayed that way until his needs in the respect of the emotion were fulfilled. Robin blinked as she suddenly found a small boy lying in her lap, snoring softly. She smiled and Ace grinned.

"What did he do?" Ace asked when he had spotted the bandages. Robin sighed.

"He was climbing a fence, and fell down." she explained, for some reason feeling the need to reach up and rub Luffy's scalp. The boy smiled in his sleep.

"Ah… he does that." Ace replied before standing and stretching. Robin gently lay Luffy on the couch beside her, before standing and moving out into the hall after the smaller boy.

---

Luffy slept for most of the day, at least until lunch time, when his stomach growled loudly and woke him. The first thing he saw though… wasn't what he expected. Two green eyes… staring at him. And then a finger slowly reaching towards his forehead. Luffy blinked as he realized Zoro was about to poke him in the forehead.

"Na Zoro!" he squeaked happily. The small, green haired boy jumped and screamed like a little girl, before realizing it was simply Luffy speaking. That, of course, made him scowl deeply. Luffy grinned widely.

"Hey Zoro! You know what I dreamed about?" Luffy asked as he trotted along beside his friend. Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"Stuff?" he replied. For a seven year old, Zoro was very sarcastic. But… his sarcasm was rather… well, there was no other term for it. Lame.

"Ha! Yeah! I dreamt that You, me, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Ace and Chopper were having a sleep over!" he chirped happily as they made their way for the trees. Zoro raised an eyebrow again.

"…why?"

"I don't know! I guess… you're all my friends and stuff!" and he grinned widely. Zoro sighed.

"Well, it's lunch time… so come on." and the taller boy walked out of the room. Luffy blinked after him and then jumped off the couch and ran out after his friend. He paused for a moment and looked around. He didn't know this part of the school, and Robin had guided him down here before. It was scary. Big walls. No windows. And worst of all, no Zoro.

Luffy folded his hands in front of him and looked around with wide eyes before reaching up and pulling his hat down on his head. If he was going to have some lunch, then he would have to find it, and if he had to find his lunch, then the logical way of doing so was to look… to a normal person. Luffy, being a little odder than most, decided he was going to use his nose and sniff out his food. So, he commenced sticking his nose into the air, and sniffing like a stray dog.

---

Zoro paused as he walked into a classroom… that he didn't even know had been there. Looking around bemusedly, he thought back on the direction he had taken. He was sure that going left would lead him to his room, but… apparently not. Growling in the back of his throat, Zoro walked out and back into the corridor. He wandered a little further down and then opened another door and paused upon seeing a few teachers sitting around a table.

They looked down at him and Zoro frowned and slammed the door as he walked out again. Where was his classroom!? Boy this was annoying! And so Zoro ran up and down the corridors, opening and slamming doors when they turned out to be the wrong room. He opened a door and then a ball of flying something hit him in the stomach and they both went rolling along the corridor.

"Yay! I found Zoro!" a squeak came from beneath him and Zoro frowned.

"Luffy! What'd you do that for?" he asked as he got up and shook his head to clear the dizziness. Luffy had almost winded him. Luffy sat up and grinned, his hat lying over one eye.

"Cos I saw you and I knew that if I didn't hurry, I'd get lost again!"

"Well you wasted your time, we're lost anyway!" and Luffy looked around.

"Really?" he asked before standing and moving towards a door and opening it. Peeking in, Luffy's grin widened, "LUNCH!" he yodelled and dived into the room. Zoro blinked in shock before his mouth turned down in a scowl. How could Luffy find the room when he couldn't? That was just silly! And to find it so easy. Huh. Luffy must have had a secret. Yes, a secret.

That would be it. Zoro was stalking towards the room when there was a squeak and then a bang. Zoro rushed into the room and then blinked upon seeing Buggy's back to him, and Luffy pressed against the wall.

"It's your fault I got this big bruise!" he growled. Luffy twisted in Buggy's grip and Zoro was about to enter the room when a beautiful girl stepped in front of him and smiled in his direction.

"Get back, or I'll give you girly cooties." she said with a wink. Zoro wasn't afraid of girly cooties, he knew there was no such thing but… he wasn't going to touch her!

"Keep him back Alvi!" Buggy called. The girl smiled and put her hands on her hips.

"Keep calling me Alvi, and you will have to deal with both of them." she warned as she sidestepped in front of Zoro. The green haired boy growled and kicked out, catching this 'Alvi' in the shins. She screeched and grabbed at it before slapping Zoro around the face. That was it. Girl or not, Zoro was gonna kick this girl into the next room. He let loose a series of what should have been kiddie punches, but were as strong as that of a seventh grader's.

"Alvida!" Buggy called, seeing what was happening. Luffy took his opportunity, and lifting a leg, he swung it straight up between the older boy's legs. Buggy stopped, his hold relaxed upon Luffy and then he fell to the side with a high pitched whine. Smiling triumphantly, Luffy hurried over to Zoro who was standing over Alvida and glaring at her.

"Mweh!" Luffy cried, poking his tongue out and then running out of the room with Zoro. They latched hands so they wouldn't get separated and so that Zoro wouldn't get lost and Luffy led the way out of the school.

---

"Wonder where those stupid heads are." Sanji muttered as he idly dug a stick into some sand. Nami was sitting on the swing beside him, scratching in her little book while Vivi swung on the other one.

"Don't know." Nami replied idly. Sanji looked over his shoulder at her and then sighed.

"Oh, oh you guys!" Vivi cried, stopping suddenly. Nami and Sanji looked up, "Guess what Igoram is letting me get!?"

"Something expensive?" Nami asked, her eyes sparkling, "Like a pretty necklace or something?" Sanji nodded in agreement in the background. Vivi giggled.

"No! He's letting me get a pet!"

"Oh? What sort of pet?" Sanji asked. Nami stuck her tongue out.

"Pets make mess, and they have to be fed, and that costs money." she muttered, turning back to her book. Vivi pouted.

"But, it's just a baby duckling." she said. Nami's head snapped up.

"How cuuuuuuute!" she cried. Vivi nodded.

"Nami-san and Vivi-chan are so wonderfully pretty when they talk about baby ducklings!" Sanji suddenly cooed, jumping to his feet and wriggling around. Nami smirked and whacked him over the head. Vivi giggled behind her hand and then looked up as Luffy and Zoro ran towards them.

"Buggy attacked us!" Luffy panted when he reached them. Zoro huffed behind the boy before moving around and collapsing into the sand. Sanji glanced down at the green haired boy before crouching and poking him in the head.

"Is Marimo alive?" he asked. Zoro slapped Sanji's hand away and the blonde smirked, "Yay!" and then he gave Zoro a kick in the side. Jumping to his feet, Zoro put his fists up (his stick had been confiscated by the teacher) and Sanji grinned as he got ready to fight. While the blonde and green were fighting, Luffy told Nami all about what had happened. Nami's face darkened with each word.

"He's so mean! Picking on a little kid!" she hissed. Luffy blinked and then pouted forcefully, puffing out his cheeks and crossing his arms.

"I'm not little! I kicked him and he fell over crying." This caused Nami and Vivi to blink in shock.

"Go Luffy." the two girls muttered.

"I win!" Zoro suddenly cried triumphantly behind them and the three looked around to see Zoro standing over a flattened Sanji, one foot resting on the blonde's hip to keep him down.

"Yay Zoro!" Luffy cried before his stomach rumbled again and he let out a whine, "I forgot to get my lunch!"

"Here Luffy-san." a voice said behind him and he turned to see Robin standing there.

"Robin-chan!" Sanji cried, jumping to his feet so fast that Zoro was thrown backwards off of him and landed in the sand. Robin smiled as Luffy took the sandwich from her hand and then flopped down onto the ground to eat it. Zoro glared at Sanji and Robin before getting to his feet and dusting the sand out of his hair.

"RED ROVER!" came the call and Nami, Vivi, Sanji, and Zoro all looked up towards the line of trees near them. Luffy paused in his munching of his sandwich as the four ran off. Zoro ran back over, latched onto Luffy's arm and then dragged him after him. Robin rose an eyebrow.

"RED ROVER!" came the call again and the five little kids burst through the trees to find everyone from the rest of the school hanging around the area. Years One, Two, Three and Four were all standing in a group while the Year Fives were standing together and then the Years Six and Sevens were idling near the trees. One of the year sevens was the cause of the call, and she was standing out in the middle of the field, ready to explain the rules.

"Get over here quick Luffy!" Nami urged. Apparently, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Vivi, and now Luffy, had a group to themselves.

"Rules!" the seventh grader cried, raising her arms in the air to get everyone's attention. People continued talking until Sanji snapped that it was impolite to talk while a lady was talking.

"Thankyou Sanji." the seventh grader said before continuing, "Rules! No shoving, pushing, kicking or punching! That means you Zoro and Sanji!" and she smirked in their direction. Zoro crossed his arms and frowned, "No biting, no lying about catching someone! When someone is caught, you have to stay with the person who caught you and then try and catch others. So, in other words, you're up. Be careful with the new grade oners, cos they're really small this year. When the person who is up, calls out your name, like this 'Red red rover, I call Ace over,' then only he comes forward, and if he calls bull rush, everyone else runs forward as well! Everyone got it?" she called, looking around the field, "Who wants to be up first?" and the whole school took a large step backwards.

"You forgot to explain about the running over the field!" one of the random year seveners called. The girl paused.

"Oh, yeah, all you have to do is run across the field to the safe zone on the other side without getting caught, and then run back again. You'll get it year ones! It's easy! Remember everyone, be gentle!" and she hurried back to the group.

"I'll be up!" Ace called.

"Nooooo." the rest of the school groaned. Ace was a fast runner, and usually caught at least five people on the first go… but he also had a tendency to fall asleep in the middle of calling someone out. Ace's lips twisted and then he shrugged.

"I'll be up!" Sanji called, running forward. Tension ran through the school group as Sanji was an expert at this game. In fact, Zoro, Nami and even Vivi were all pretty good at this game too. But no one complained, because it was always a good laugh to see Sanji racing after Zoro and yelling that Zoro had been caught while Zoro continued yelling that he wasn't.

"Red rover, red rover, I call…" and he looked towards Zoro, "Ace over!" and he grinned at the taller year five. Ace smirked and walked out, getting ready to run.

"Bull rush!" he cried and the rest of the school leapt forward, running for dear life while Sanji dived after Ace. The year five boy dodged out of the way, and spun around Sanji, poking his tongue out and then sprinting off to the safe area. Sanji snapped frowned and went after some other people. Zoro was amazed at the speed that little Luffy could run. Man that kid could go. He was keeping up easily with his big brother while Ace sprinted to the other side of the field. When they had reached 'Safe' they panted together.

"Beat… you… Ace." Luffy gasped. Zoro arrived beside them, also panting. Sanji had caught three other boys who were now watching the group with eagle eyes, singling out the ones who weren't so good at running and getting ready to catch them.

"Red rover, red rover, I call…" Sanji began, looking up and down the line, "Zoro over!" and he grinned as the green haired boy walked forward. Zoro stopped just outside the safe zone and crossed his arms, watching as the four ran towards him. And as simple as that,

"Bull rush." and the school leapt forward again, causing Zoro to disappear. By the time Sanji had found him again, Zoro was on the other side of the field, Luffy at his side and Vivi and Nami giggling with each other. It was also a well known fact that Sanji never caught the girls, he always went after the boys.

This was obviously because Sanji was becoming a gentlemen and letting the women get away with it... or at least that's how Sanji defended it. The boys he could tap pretty hard, but he wouldn't hurt the girls. Ace had been caught, due to the fact that the other three boys had locked onto him and ganged up to catch him. Sanji spotted that weird Buggy kid and he smirked. He wouldn't be hard to catch and then he could focus on catching Zoro and Luffy.

"Red rover, red rover, I call Buggy over!" he called. Buggy stomped forward and raised a fist.

"It's because of my nose, isn't it?" he squeaked. Sanji shrugged smugly and as expected, Buggy yelled Bull rush and everyone else (the group was mostly girls, Zoro, Luffy and a few other boys who had managed to escape the touch of their fellow friends. This time though, Vivi was caught by another boy and she pouted but turned around and watched as Nami made a break for the safe area. Vivi ran after her, accidentally tripped and knocked both her and Vivi to the ground.

The two girls paused and then burst into giggles. Nami's older sister, Nojiko went scooting past and Nami latched onto her leg, sending her to the ground as well. More giggling ensued. Sanji caught Buggy, who turned around immediately and caught Alvida while another one of their friends, Kabaji went skipping past. Alvida and Buggy then went running after him. After all, even bullies have some friends.

But, Kabaji was a bully as well. Slowly, all the girls were also caught and even Zoro was tackled by Sanji. The year even girl shook her head, but let it go because Zoro couldn't have been caught any other way really. Last left was little Luffy. He was standing in the safe area beside the trees, with a whole school staring him down while he clutched a little teddy named Chopper to his chest. He didn't look like he would be hard to catch… but the school didn't know what little Luffy was capable of. Actually, Luffy was watching Zoro and Ace, because the little boy had a feeling that they would be the only two who might be able to catch him.

"Red rover, red rover, we call Luffy over!" and it was the whole school echoing Sanji's sentence. Luffy blinked innocently at them all, and stepped forward. All the older girls began cooing at how kawai Luffy was and then the boy took his opportunity and raced for the other side, dodging around legs and amazing the others at how fast the he could move. He could hear thundering behind him and knew everyone was after him.

"Gonna getcha little bro!" and Luffy squeaked, trying to make his legs move faster. Ace was right behind him. He spared a short glance over his shoulder and blinked upon seeing Sanji, Zoro, Ace, Nami, Vivi, Buggy, Alvida and some of the year seveners after him. He dived for the safe area and crawled backwards into it, grinning like a madman. Sanji was just about to call Luffy back across again when the bell began ringing. A collective groan from the school drowned it out for a minute and Luffy blinked, looking around and then looking up as Ace stood over him and grinned proudly.

"You won little bro." he said. Luffy hopped to his feet, endless ball of energy till the end, and grinned.

"Really?" and he jumped into the air, "I won!" and he spotted Zoro and ran for him, "Zoro, Zoro, Zoro! I won!"

"Yeah." and Zoro smirked down at him, "You've got some speed there kid." and Luffy grinned proudly. Another great day at school! He wished Usopp had been there to have fun with them all.

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So, how was that chappie? I confess that I am not sure how to spell Kabaji's name. Sorry about that. If anyone knows the correct spelling, could you please tell me?