Hello. I'm not sure how many chapters this will be yet but it will be quite a few. It's a Modern AU. There will be violence and smut. There will be assassinations and crime along with time spent in prison and panic attacks. You've been warned. But that being said please enjoy.

I wish I had One Piece genius but I don't own it only Oda Sensei.

Prologue

Sanji heard the sound of feet pounding the pavement behind him over the sound of his own thumping heart and the sounds of his beloved friends walking quickly. He heard the unmistakable sound of guns over the whimpering of the small children. "Shit! Run!"

And it had all started out so well.

The Strawhat crew, named so by Luffy as he somehow became the team leader of their clandestine adventures, sat crouched behind the cargo truck they "borrowed". They had every intention of returning it once they were done. Tonight's goal was to rescue children that were being shipped overseas as part of the sex slave market.

The news had been reporting a string of missing children in the northeast higher than average. Each taken the same with no leads whatsoever for the police to go on. Robin had done some research, she could be very persuasive to any man who valued his jewels, and found out some o f the missing children were being held in a warehouse by the docks in New York's Shipping Port.

They saw six guards outside the warehouse all with AK-47s. Zoro had made the comment they were over compensating for something to need such excessive weaponry that made the younger men laugh. Usopp had the best eyes out of any of them and was using binoculars to try to see inside the building. "The windows are really dirty but I can make out what looks like kids of the far left side. I don't see anyone in the room with them but they could be against a wall. How many kids were supposed to be there Robin?"

"Twenty five." Robin replied.

Usopp returned to looking inside. "Seems about right. It's hard to tell they're all squished together."

Nine pairs of eyes turned to Nami. She had been the one to organize them to their best roles for their outings. She was good at seeing a person's strengths and weaknesses. It was what made her a hell of a card shark and someone you never wanted to bet against. "Jinbei, you keep the truck ready to go. Usopp, I want you at the back of the truck. If they come out guns blazing I want you to clear a path for us. Chopper stay in the back of the truck and be ready. We don't know what kind of condition these kids could be in. Robin, Brook and Zoro take out the guys in front and bar the doors." She pointed a finger at Zoro. "Quietly yeah." He grumbled but nodded.

"Now for us last four. We are going in the left side of the building. Straight to the kids. We'll get them out and all of us will head for the truck." Nami could see the determination and seriousness in Luffy's face. She knew she didn't need to remind him to be quiet in a time like this but she still had to throw it in. Sometimes his anger would over ride reason when he saw innocents hurt. "I would like to avoid getting shot at this time so we all still need to be quiet and not trigger any alarms."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Nami is so smart and beautiful when planning dangerous missions." Sanji said.

"Idiot." Zoro scoffed.

Sanji walked over to him hands in the pockets of his black jeans. "But I'm your idiot."

Zoro pulled him into a hug. Sanji wrapped his arms around Zoro's neck. The larger man nuzzled into soft blond hair. "Yeah you are." He whispered into his ear. "You always get crazy with the girls when you're nervous. Be careful Curly."

Sanji knew Zoro would gladly and with a maniacal glee take out all the men and rescue the kids on his own to keep the others safe. When Sanji told him what was going on with his biological family Zoro was upset that so much had been kept from him but had volunteered to help him. When they had to tell the others to keep them safe Zoro balked and fought against the others wanting to join in. Sanji hated to put Zoro and the others through this. "You too Marimo." They shared a chaste kiss and pulled away.

"Ok everyone come in." Luffy had his arms raised beckoning with his hands. The group let out token groans but went in for the group hug. Luffy stretched his arms as far as they could go and they all squished together. Luffy had unfailing faith in them that nothing would happen but insisted on the group hugs. He let out a laugh. "Alright! Let's do this!"

Jinbei jumped in the truck and kept the keys in the ignition. The large man rolled the window down so he could hear everything and kept his phone handy. Chopper and Usopp jumped in the back of the truck. Their angelic looking doctor pulling out his medical bag and making sure it was ready with their fearful sniper lining up his guns with shaking knees. He was a mystery to them all his knees could shake like a tree in a storm but his hands were as steady as a rock.

The other seven slunk off in the shadows to the left. The group split Zoro, Robin and Brook made their way to the front while Franky, Nami, Sanji and Luffy went to the left side of the building. They found a side door that was locked. Franky took out tools and picked the lock while they heard bodies dropping in the front.

The four stepped inside and saw a hallway with a room to their right and several further down the hall. Distant voices were drifting from the end of the hallway but no one could be seen. They crept to the first door and opened it a crack. Sanji peered in and saw the children huddled in the corner. The older ones, no more than twelve years old, were trying to comfort the younger ones. Against the wall was a tall man sitting in a fold out chair idly cleaning his nails with a switch blade.

Sanji relayed the information in a whisper. He then pushed the door open and soundlessly ran up to the man and kicked him in the jaw dropping him to the floor unconscious. The children flinched and turned in on themselves making their bundle tighter.

"Franky and me will guard the hallway. You two get the kids out." Luffy said standing in the door way. Nami nodded and Franky and Luffy went out blocking the way.

Nami crept up to the kids and sunk to her knees to try and be the least frightening as possible. "It's ok kids. We are here to get you home." They turned their fearful gaze up to her. She smiled and motioned for them to stand. "Yeah come on we have to go."

A few started to stand hesitantly. Nami backed up still motioning with her hands for the kids to follow. Gradually all of them stood. "We have to be real quiet ok. Sshh."

Some of the children looked worse for wear but moved behind her. Sanji counted as they walked out the door. Shit just twenty four. We're missing one. He looked around the room lifting blankets and realized they were late for one. It broke his heart seeing the small body. He wanted to take the kid with him but had to focus on the others first.

Nami led the children outside with Franky, Luffy and Sanji at their backs. "When we get them safe I want to come back and kick all their asses." Luffy was seething with rage but kept his voice so low the others barely heard him.

Outside Robin, Brook and Zoro stood against the side of the building; they had secured the front door and took out the guards. The children stopped once outside upon seeing them. "It's ok." Nami said. "They're with us."

Zoro crouched down. "Come on. Who wants a piggy back ride out of here" One of the older kids shuffled two of the youngest forward. They looked to be no more than six. Franky crouched down too and they each had a kid climb on their back.

"Is there anyone who can't run?" Robin asked. A few raised their hands. "It's ok we'll carry you." Her, Nami and Sanji each put two kids on their hips wrapping the arms tight around the kids. Luffy knelt down and a kid climbed on his back.

Brook held out his hand to the rest. "Until we have to we are going to walk alright kids." The kids nodded. "Hold hands in a line just like in kindergarten." They made two lines with the first child of each taking his hands.

They walked as quietly as they could, keeping to the shadows. The children's whimpers sounding loud in the dark. Sanji was close to the front and was getting a creeping feeling that someone had spotted them but he didn't want to scare them further. Then he heard it the sound of feet on pavement and guns. "Shit! Run!" No one paused to question they took off as fast as they could.

Zoro could hear their "borrowed" truck careening toward them. At least he hoped it was theirs. Things were pretty bad as they were he didn't want it to get worse. Brook was staying in the back by him ushering the kids to move as fast as possible. Zoro scooped up two that were falling behind. Now he had one kid in each arm held around their waist while the kid on his back held on for dear life. He was starting to feel a bit choked by that one but the kid was not going anywhere at least.

The truck skidded to a halt in front of them with Chopper and Jinbei screaming at them to get in. Usopp was dropping the ones behind them. Zoro saw Sanji stumble for a bit but kept going he hoped he wasn't hurt. As he was within feet of the truck the shooting stopped but Usopp kept the guns trained behind them. From the corner of his eye Zoro saw a guy running out of the shadows with a machete. He had no idea where that guy came from.

Zoro tried to run faster. He had to get the kids safe. He had to get the others safe. The man was close just as Zoro was going to yell for Usopp the shooting resumed. He spun to kick machete man, saw the blade coming down and put the kids in his arms on his shoulder. He could feel the blade cut into the flesh on his chest. He could feel the blood running down. He saw a flash of gold and black as Sanji jumped and kicked the guy's skull in.

"Chopper!" Sanji yelled. He pressed on Zoro's chest trying to keep the blood in his hands shaking in fear of losing him.

Chopper jumped down, panicked for a few seconds and went straight to helping. Sanji then took the kids putting them in the truck and Chopper pushed Zoro in. Before they even had the door closed Jinbei took off.

Sanji looked down as Zoro lay on the ground with Chopper working on him. "It's ok. It's not that deep." Chopper reassured him.

"Are the kids safe?" Zoro asked. Sanji nodded. "What about everyone else?" Sanji nodded again. Zoro began to relax but saw the blood coming from Sanji leg. "You got shot?"

"I'm fine Marimo. It went all the way through. Just relax." Zoro reached out his hand and Sanji held it and wondered just how they got here.