This is a sequel to "Something Better Than Meat" and takes place a few months later. I was surprised by how many of you liked the first one, and it was left quite open to continuity. This is mainly an introduction for now but let me know what you guys think.

Enjoy!

Luffy collapsed onto a bar stool, the movement causing the table surface to jitter. Startled eyes averted to him from across the bar as he heaved; "Mizuuuu~"

The bartender quickly began preparing a glass of water. Luffy rested his cheek on the table as he waited, his straw hat covering his exhausted state. A small gust of wind was provided by an open window, cooling the heat from the confined space.

He paid little attention to the lady beside him, sitting up in her stool abruptly, eyes widened in realisation as she pointed an accusational finger at him. "M-Mugiwara No Luffy!"

He continued to show little interested - that is - until he heard the sharp pierce of her sword being drawn. Only then did he peek up from beneath his hat.

"Ah-! I've seen you somewhere before." Luffy said, lifting his head, "What was your name...? Ta-...Toh-..."

Her wide eyes fluttered in confusion behind her thin red glasses, but then she shook her head violently, short black bangs swaying wildly. "Y-you're under arrest for -!"

A large figure blocked the sunlight from entering the bar, casting a long shadow between them. Luffy raised an eyebrow at the look of sheer relief that washed over the young woman's features. When he followed her gaze, he finally began to panic.

Misty gray eyes stared back at him with an equal amount of surprise. His husky chest exposed by his open jacket glistened with sweat from the hot weather and, when he had previously been panting, he had now held his breath.

He had barely formed the strawhatters name on his tongue before Luffy had leapt from his seat and was wobbling in the opposite direction.

"Tashigi!" Smoker yelled, gesturing her to pursue. Tashigi hesitated, confused momentarily.

"But this is the only exit, he can't -"

All of the bar folk watched in bafflement as Luffy's small figure leapt out of the open window, his red cardigan raising behind him like a cape.

Luffy caught himself when he stumbled after hitting the ground, quickly starting into a run. He clutched his hat to his head when it threatened to topple off from the bouncing. Running was hard when he was breathing so irregularly. Why was his heart beating so fast?

"Mugiwara!" he heard behind him and he glanced over his shoulder, startled. Although there was a retailer's stall separating the bar's entrance and its window, Smoker was suddenly a few paces behind him, Tashigi already falling behind massively since she was struggling to lower herself from the height of the window. Luffy looked ahead of himself again, footwork quickening.

"Yabe-!"

"Ooooooi, Luffy!"

Luffy's body instantly reacted to the soothing voice of his crewmate and he scanned the village corners desperately. Nami was smiling at him from afar, waving some plastic bags at him. "How convenient! Would you carry these for mee~"

His eyes lit up. Nami! That means -!

Safety!

Luffy altered direction, sprinting towards her and waving his arms wildly. "Naaaaami!"

Nami's eyes widened when she saw the parade Luffy had charging behind him, and she quickly hugged her shopping bags to her body, screeching as he approached. "Don't come to me, idiot! Go away!"

Luffy had been slowing to a stop but then awkwardly began jogging again as he passed her, confused. He hesitated, stopping and then starting, but then beamed. "Ah, okay, I'll see you at the ship!"

Nami dodged out of the way as Smoker passed behind Luffy, her lip curled in annoyance. "Idiot..." she muttered as he ran into the distance.

Luffy's heart skipped when his ears picked up the sound of whirling, the gust of smoke that Smoker was preparing to throw at him. On a whim, he quickly threw his hand forward, stretching somewhere, anywhere, and landing on the corner of a wall up ahead. He vaguely felt the gust of smoke passing his toes before he shot from its grasp. He launched towards his hand, air resistance pulling his cheeks as he sped ahead.

His feet skimmed the ground to slow himself when he arrived at his destination. He gasped, too exhausted to run further, and escaped behind the wall he had gripped to. He fled deeper into the narrow space, the shadow providing perfect cover as he skidded to a halt. Not that the cover mattered. No one would look down there anyway.

Luffy panted heavily, clutching his chest as though it would help calm his fast-beating heart. Why the hell was he so scared? Sure, he didn't want to get arrested but...

Luffy's eyes averted to the gap at the edge of the alleyway. Maybe because it would just be intensely awkward. The last time he was with Smoker-...

Luffy blushed, pressing his eyelids closed. Ah, what the hell! That was so weird. Plus, it's not like Luffy wanted it or anything... Right?

Ace had been ignoring him for weeks after the 'encounter' and now, finally, after almost 3 months, he's practically as close with him as he had always been. All that weirdness could have been avoided if Smoker had just, what, not put him in that position in the first place. That was so embarrassing.

When following the wall with his hand, Luffy felt a ridge and was confused to see a narrow door. Pleasantly surprised, he twisted himself to peek into the room. The door wasn't locked when he opened it, or rather, it couldn't be as the hatch had fallen off and it was merely closed by the hinges. Lowering the handle was pointless - the door was completely broken.

Inside wasn't a shop, as he'd expected, but just an empty room with cardboard boxes scattered around and graffiti littering the walls and concrete floor. The shop was completely out of use.

Ah, whatever. It's not like it's the only shop in the village. Luffy let the door swing back into place, leaning back into the narrow alleyway. He sighed, itching to stretch, but unable to in the confined space. He muttered to himself as he squeezed back towards the gap.

The only light entering the alley was the sun which radiated from where he had entered. However, that very light source was suddenly scorched as the opening was, quite simply, closed - like a lid on a bottle. Luffy's eyes darted upwards and the space strangely felt a hundred times too narrower. He stared, fixated, unable to move as the undeniable silhouette of his foe closed in on him.

"It'll be interesting to see how you run now." the deep voice patronized and the jingle of handcuffs accompanied it. Luffy panicked, so much that when Smoker approached, with little else to do, he lashed out with quick, shaky hands. Not to his face, nor to his torso - but his arm. Of course, Smoker was just as alert to dodge, vaporizing the limb.

The seastone handcuffs clattered to the ground. Luffy hesitated, registering what he'd actually done whilst Smoker was just as confused, not expecting the accidental tactic. Luffy was unable to turn around in the small space, but walked backwards uneasily, with wobbly footwork. Smoker lashed forward, gripping Luffy's cardigan and pulling him in, using his hands as replacement for the handcuffs and attempting to lock Luffy against the wall.

The space was too small and they ended up pressing eachother on either side of the walls. Smoker grunted in annoyance, squirming and trying to stay on top of the situation by looking like he was the one pinning Luffy.

"Guh-! Damnit! Why do you always get me in these situations, Mugiwara?!" Smoker spat, trying to push their bodies apart. Luffy was doing the same, hitting and scratching at Smoker's moist chest.

"This," Luffy grunted frustratedly, "is clearly your fault!"

"My fault-?!" Smoker said, trying to twist his body to make room between them, "I couldn't arrest you last time since it seemed unfair because of certain-" he grunted, "-circumstances. You should be grateful I'm that understanding!"

"Understanding?!" Luffy yelled, irritated now from the claustrophobic feeling that was creeping up his spine.

"Yes," Smoker said, suddenly snatching Luffy's chin and pushing it into the wall, making sure Luffy looked him in the eye as he spoke; "but now there are none of these 'circumstances'. Now I have no reason not to arrest you like the criminal scum you are."

Luffy tried his hardest to squeeze his legs out from between Smoker's, succeeding somewhat but still unable to lift them enough to kick at him. His heart wouldn't slow down, making a small lump form in his throat. It was too weird being pressed so close to him after that time on Sunny.

Luffy's breathing halted all together when he realised the deja vu they were experiencing. Didn't Smoker press him against a wall in this exact position last time? Not to mention Smoker is between his legs, pressing against every part of his body in between.

Oh God, this is so weird, this is so weird.

Smoker gradually stopped struggling. But then he glanced down and Luffy felt himself become light headed from how much he must have been blushing. Although Smoker couldn't see anything with their chests pressed together, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Mugiwara, are you -...?"

Luffy felt the warmth spread to his ears. Embarrassment rendered speaking useless and only a whimper escaped instead.

Oh man, why? Why me?