If Roronoa Zolo had been asked who his favourite person in the world was, he would have replied without hesitation, Monkey D Luffy. The energetic, smiling, strong captain of the Straw Hat crew. If Zolo had been asked if he loved him, he would have confessed that his world revolved around the rubber man. Thing was, Zolo couldn't admit his love for Luffy or it would screw up their lives totally. The adventure starts with Zolo asleep next to the mast.

The day was clear and the clouds fluffy in the gorgeously blue sky. None of this really mattered to the green haired swordsman who was fast asleep by the mast. His eyes were closed to everything bar his perfect dream. He twitched and rolled over then yelled as something wet touched his face. His eyes snapping open, Zolo saw Luffy standing in front of him with his tongue out. "Luffy! What the hell are you doing?" Zolo asked trying to douse the fire burning in his cheeks. Luffy just stood there smiling, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. "Luffy? Is this some sort of a game?" Luffy then proceeded to bark and then put a foot up to scratch behind his ear.

What the hell was going on here? Zolo thought.
"Why are you acting like a dog?" Zolo asked. "He's not acting!" Chopper's voice echoed across to him from the other side of the ship. The little reindeer appeared holding an empty bottle. "He is a dog"
"What? He's still Luffy to me"
"He looks normal, but, when I was down in my lab, I was creating a new potion that would turn someone into a dog." "Why?"
"Because I was bored." Chopper responded as though that explained everything. Zolo raised an eyebrow. "Any way, Luffy saw the potion, thought it was root beer and of course, drank it"
"So now, he's acting like a dog. Fantastic!" Zolo muttered as Luffy ran around the deck on all fours barking his head off and drooling everywhere. "Ah, Chopper, you're cleaning that up." Chopper groaned. "So, how long is it going to take"

"What?" Chopper asked bemused.
"For the stuff to wear off!" Zolo exclaimed. Chopper shook his head.
"About a week." "And meanwhile, Luffy the lassie is now chewing on the mast. What, LUFFY!" Zolo screamed when Luffy did something that most dogs do when put up against a tall, straight object that is made of wood. Zolo hurried over, grabbed the now scratching boy and hauled him back to Chopper.

"What are we supposed to do with him in the meantime?" Zolo asked trying to keep a grip on the struggling boy/dog. Chopper shrugged.
"House train him?" "Oh very funny"

Once the news had been broken to everyone that their captain had become somewhat…dog like, Nami immediately volunteered Zolo to be Luffy's caretaker. "Personally, I think Luffy is actually improved as a dog." Sanji said as he patted Luffy gingerly on the head. Luffy barked and leapt up onto Zolo's lap.
"Case settled. It's obvious Luffy likes you"
"Like's me?" Zolo asked his heart skipping a beat. Nami raised an eyebrow.
"Well, look at him. He licks your face all the time, he jumps onto your lap. It's plainly obvious that as a dog he is still bonded to you." Nami said.
"Ah, yeah. Sure." Zolo replied as Luffy drooled on his arm. Zolo cringed and wiped it off with a throwaway napkin.

That night, Luffy curled up on the end of Zolo's bed, just like a dog would usually do. Zolo looked down at him and smiled. Luffy just looked so…cute. There was no other way to describe him. He lay down and went to sleep.

The next morning he woke and looked around. "Luffy?" he asked. Luffy was not on the end of his bed. Luffy was not in the room. Uh oh. Zolo jumped up, wrapped his sash around his waist and grabbed his swords. "Not good." he muttered as he walked out. He went up to the deck and looked around and then sighed with relief when he saw Usopp and Chopper capering around the mast, Luffy barking at their heels. He walked over and as Luffy ran past, leaned down and grabbed his hat. Luffy stopped and sat, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. "I'll give this back when you return to semi normal." Zolo said and walked away. Luffy followed obediently. Zolo stopped, Luffy stopped and looked up at him. "Luffy, bark once if you can understand what I am saying?" Zolo said. Luffy stayed silent. "Thank goodness." and they walked downstairs and into the boy's dorm. Zolo carefully laid the hat on Luffy's hammock so it wouldn't get lost. He then went back up to the deck, Luffy following all the way. Zolo shook his head and sat down next to the mast…again. Luffy sat down with a huff and looked at him. "I know those eyes and no way am I going to play a game with you." Zolo said. Luffy just stared. Zolo sighed. "Anyone have a tennis ball?" he asked.

10 minutes later, Zolo was throwing the ball gently into the air for Luffy to catch and then Luffy would drop it in front of him again and Zolo would throw it again. Over and over they did this until Sanji yelled dinner. Luffy apparently still knew what that word meant and bolted towards Sanji.
"No you stupid mutt." Sanji yelled as Luffy jumped up and started trying to bite at the plate Sanji was holding. Zolo walked over, half amused and half disgusted by how Luffy was acting. He grabbed Luffy's collar and dragged him away from Sanji and Zolo had to admit, it wasn't easy.
"Where's Luffy's dinner?" Zolo asked. Sanji handed him a plate and Zolo put it down in front of Luffy, who, immediately jumped on itand inhaled the food.
"That's one horrible habit he hasn't lost." Sanji said before he walked back in. Zolo sighed and stood outside, eating his food thoughtfully as Luffy capered around the deck, barking at shadows and trying to bite the moonlight. "So, Zolo. How's he doing after his first day of being a dog?" Nami asked as she walked out of the kitchen.
"He's doing fine." Zolo replied and then winced as Luffy crashed headlong into the side rail after chasing a shadow of a bird.
"Sure looks it." Nami said and then walked off laughing. Zolo gritted his teeth, biting back the words he so longed to yell at her. But if he did, Sanji would grind his head into the ground before he could even finish. Luffy happily bounced over to him and sat down, his tongue lolling happily, as it did so much of late. "Bed time mutt." Zolo said and walked down the stairs to the boy's dorm.

The 2nd day Zolo decided to train Luffy to do some tricks, seeing as he was a dog, and Zolo was bored. Zolo kneeled in front of Luffy and held a treat (a piece of dried meat) in his hand, which Luffy sniffed interestedly. He put a hand on Luffy's back and pushed down gently.
"Sit." Zolo said. Luffy resisted and then sat. "Good boy." and Zolo gave him the treat. Then Zolo repeated this. And again. And again. And then came the test.
"Luffy, Sit." Zolo said without touching the dog/boy's back. Luffy sat and Zolo gave him another treat and patted his head. "Good boy." Now Zolo decided to teach him lay down.
"Lay down." Zolo said pushing Luffy's head towards the floor. Luffy resisted once again but then succumbed to Zolo's strength and put his head on the ground and then his body followed. "Good boy." Zolo said and gave him another treat. Zolo once again repeated this a couple of times until Luffy would lay down without Zolo touching him. Now for a cute trick. Zolo thought. He made Luffy sit and then put a piece of meat over his nose and raised it up until Luffy was sitting on his haunches. "Beg." Zolo said. Luffy rose up with the meat and Zolo gave it to him. "Good boy." Zolo then practised this and then did all three again until Luffy did them perfectly.

He then felt proud enough of his dog like captain to perform in front of the crew. He took Luffy out onto the deck and called everyone to him. "You all think Luffy acted silly before, wait till you see him now." Zolo said. "Sit Luffy." and Luffy sat. Everyone clapped.
"Lay down Luffy." Zolo said and Luffy laid down. Everyone clapped.
"Beg Luffy." and Luffy begged. Everyone clapped. Then Usopp declared that Luffy would do it for him as well and walked over.
"Sit Luffy." the long nosed liar said. Luffy just looked at him. "Uh, lay down Luffy." Luffy just looked at him. "Beg Luffy." Luffy just looked at him. Everyone laughed and Usopp walked off stage, his nose twitching. "Good boy Luffy." Zolo said and gave Luffy a pat. Luffy jumped up onto his chest and knocked him over and started licking Zolo's face. "Luffy, get off would ya! Stinkin' dog!" Zolo cursed. Luffy jumped off and barked. Zolo felt his face burning and turned away as if to rub his face and get rid of the slobber, which was half true, when really he was trying to calm down. His heart was going a million miles an hour.

Luffy bounded around the deck, licking people's ears and nipping at Chopper's heels playfully, so, it was a sad day when the last day of Luffy's dogdom came.

Luffy was laying across Zolo's lap when it happened. He yawned and woke up and looked around, only to find Zolo's hand on his head and his hat gone. Zolo mumbled in his sleep and turned over and Luffy jumped up, waking the swordsman.
"What happened!" he yelled when he realised he couldn't remember ever laying on Zolo's lap, in fact, the last thing he remembered was being in Chopper's lab.
"Luffy? Are you back to normal? Well, as normal as you can get?" Zolo asked incredulous. Luffy nodded.
"What was I?"
"A dog"
"Really? Cool. Was I a good dog?" Luffy asked. Zolo raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, I guess"
"Ok, as long as I was a good dog." he said and then slumped back down onto Zolo's lap. "I remember something. I remember licking you a lot." Zolo felt his face heat up as Luffy said this. "Oh well, must have just been a case of puppy love." "Yeah. Puppy love." Zolo muttered and then yelled in surprise as Luffy ran off yelling abut his hat. "In the dorm"
"Thank you Zolo!" Luffy called back. Zolo shook his head.
"Puppy love." he muttered and then fell back to sleep with a smile.