"Johnny! Yusaku! Wake up why are you sleeping outside of the sleeping quarters and on watch duty no less?", Usopp said shaking them up.

"Oh God my head.", Johnny said, sitting up.

"Oh…Hey where's Luffy?", Yusaku asked looking around. "He was the last thing we saw. What knocked us out?"

"We were about to ask you two the same thing? Luffy is no where on this ship, it is like he just vanished.", Nami said, the vanishing part being emphasized with her hands.

"One of the boat was free when we went to trade places with him last night and he gave us a message right before we were knocked out.", Yusaku said, rubbing his sore head. "Geez my head hurts."

"What? You were given a message before you were knocked out.", Sanji asked surprised. "That can only mean he knocked you out, there is no other explanation."

"I guess that does make sense why his voice was out of place.", Johnny said.

Zoro got in their faces, "What was the message?"

"He said to say that he is sorry he won't be joining you on the Grand Line.", Yusaku answered.

Nami looked at Sanji and Usopp, "Did Luffy act weird at all yesterday? I don't remember if he did."

Usopp shook his head, "Nope, he was just himself. Although his hand was in his pocket every now and then yesterday now that I think about it. That wasn't very Luffy like."

Johnny and Yusaku looked at each other and pull out one of their wanted posters and started to mess with it. "Other than that he acted like his usual silly self.", Zoro said looking at the two bounty hunters folding one of their wanted posters. "What are you two doing?"

"We never fold our wanted posters yet this one if folded to the point that it would fit into big bro Luffy's pocket.", Johnny said, holding up the folded wanted poster.

"And when he handed it to us last night his voice was strangely flat and emotionless.", Yusaku added.

Nami stepped in, "Wait a minuet, so yesterday he did ask me where he could find Dawn Island." Johnny and Yusaku blanched in horror, "After I showed him I asked him why and he told me he headed about it and was curious if we would come across it. I told him it was the opposite direction of where we wanted to go, though he didn't seem too bummed about it."

"So he asks for directions, has a poster in his pocket all day yesterday only to return it the very next morning, and he is now gone.", Zoro summed up and looked at the bounty hunters. "Who was on that poster and why did you freak out when you heard the name Dawn Island?"

"Dawn Island is where one of the pirates known as fishmen have conquered, they are called the Arlong Pirates. Even worse that was the very poster that was in Luffy's pocket, the pirate Arlong's wanted poster.", Yusaku explained.

"What does this have to do with Luffy?", Nami asked. "And what are fishmen?"

"We have no idea why Luffy would ask about Dawn Island nor why it is important but what I can tell you is that is the one place you do not want to visit.", Johnny said. The two explained what fishmen looked like the best they could and as much about them as possible.

Zoro looked out to sea, "What direction was that small ship facing?"

Yusaku pointed, "That way, the opposite of where we are headed."

"Then that is where we go, Usopp change course we are going after Luffy.", Zoro commanded.

Usopp nodded and ran to the shifting room as Nami looked at Zoro, "Are you sure that is a good idea. There are fishmen in that direction and Luffy left us remember."

"I don't care; Luffy would go after anyone of us so we must do the same. What ever trouble Luffy is in I am going to get him out of it. I don't know what is going on and I intend to find out why Luffy just ran from us.", Zoro said.

"Your right, let's go get him back.", Nami agreed.

opopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopop

Luffy landed away from Arlong Park and walked to the gates as slowly as he could. The entire way there he took deep breaths. When he finally got there to the back gate he watched as a couple of young boys looked up and told him to get out of the way. He just blinked and stared at them board, "Didn't you hear us get out of our way these fishmen need to pay."

"No I heard you, and you are being stupid do you want to die?", Luffy said in an emotionless voice.

"You are one of them aren't you?", the first boy asked, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Yea, so what? You have a problem with that?", Luffy regrettably growled out defensively, a guilty pang in his chest. "Why don't you just get lost.", Luffy growled out and pushed the boys away. "If you can't stand up to me there is no way you can beat them." Luffy then stretched out his arm and grabbed onto the top of the building and flung himself to the top.

He was about to slide down to the back when he heard, "Hey Luffy is home, welcome back."

Without emotion the rubber teen looked over his shoulder and down at the fishmen that were looking at him. A shark one came into view, "You thought you could just sneak right in didn't you? You sly little devil."

The teen finally looked away and answered, "I just wanted time to write down everything down that's all. I figured it would be the best way not to be bothered." He then slid down the back of the building and out of their sight.

Arlong chuckled, "What a reliable kid, I did well when I took him in." Arlong and the fishmen all laughed.

Luffy sat on the roof on the other side and tried to get his breathing down slower. 'Damn, I wish he didn't see me. Then I could just leave the information and leave again, now I can't because he saw me.' He finally jumped down and went into his room, 'He is using me and I know it. This sucks; because he knows I know it too.' He pulled out paper and a pen to write down what he knew about keep as little information about his dream crew out as much as he could but just putting enough in so that he wasn't lying. He has had a lot of practice over eight years. When he finished he just sat there dreading going out of his 'room'. After several minuets he finally got up and headed outside right to Arlong, "Here."

"Ahhh, thank you Luffy. What do you think was the most important information?", Arlong asked, as he took the folded paper from the rubber teen.

Luffy sighed, "The over baring marine captain, he was kind of an ass to his men.", Luffy answered emotionlessly before walking out of Arlong Park.

opopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopop

"So this is Dawn Island hu?", Usopp asked looking around

"Look there is the missing boat.", Nami said, pointing out the boat. "Why is it tied so far away from Arlong park?"

"Maybe Luffy doesn't want it found by the others in the village.", Johnny tried.

"Yea, I don't think that is it.", Zoro said.

"You know maybe that wasn't the real Luffy we were seeing, what if he is actually part of Arlong's crew. I have heard that they have an information gatherer in their crew, what if Luffy is that info broker?", Yusaku suggested.

Nami looked at him accusingly, "How dare you, Luffy has been nothing but nice to you."

"Even if Luffy is their info broker I have no doubt in my mind that the Luffy we met is the real Luffy. I bet the Luffy we meet here is the fake Luffy if the situation is as bad as it seems.", Zoro said with confidence.

Nami and Usopp looked at Zoro confused, Nami asked, "You sound like you have an idea of what is going on, so what is it?"

"I am not saying yet, not until I know for a fact that is what it is.", Zoro replied. 'Luffy just what have you gotten into? What is so bad that you left us to protect us? What are you really running from?'

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Luffy walked into Foosha Village he looked up and smiled at the people, "Hey guys I am back." Everyone walked back into their homes and Luffy frowned and walked into the bar looking at Makino.

"It seems your reputation still precedes you.", Makino said handing him a glass of water.

Luffy gave her a small smile to which she smiled back, "Yea, but it is worth it. One day I am going to free this place and then I am going to kick Arlong's ass for his last payment."

The rubber boy sighed and rested his head on his folded arms causing Makino to look at him worried, "Luffy are you ok?"

"I just hope that they don't follow me.", Luffy groaned out pitifully lifting his head and grabbed his glass of water. Luffy was about to take a drink when Hatchan came running into the bar looking for him, "Ummm, yes."

"Arlong wishes to see you, we have a prisoner that claims he knows.", the octopus man said a little out of breath.

Luffy made a face, 'Oh no, please tell me they didn't.' He got up and drank the water before following the fishman out.

Makino cocked her head to the side, 'Who is he talking about?'

opopopopopopopopopopopopopopopopop

Earlier

"Oh crap run.", Usopp yelled as they ran into the forest away from the fishmen. When Nami, Sanji, Usopp got to a safe place they stopped and took a breath, "Ummm, where is Zoro?"

Now

Zoro sat in front of Arlong completely calm even though both his feet and hands were tied. "So you human scum think you can fight me how sad to think that, humans are such fools."

"I sure hope you don't mean me Arlong.", Luffy said in a flat voice.

Arlong looked at Luffy as he walked up to him, "Oh no, you are a special one. You are nothing like the rest of your weak kind."

Luffy barely held his face when Zoro looked at him, "You rubber idiot what the hell is going on?"

Luffy snorted and leveled a blank stare at the bound man, "I can't believe you followed me, you are an idiot."

"Ahhh, so you do know this man.", Arlong asked, with a smile on his face.

The rubber teen looked at Zoro when he stood next to Arlong, "He is some guy I tricked into joining a fake crew, the one from the report I wrote. I am actually surprised that he followed me. Let me guess the others followed you here as well?"

Zoro looked closely at Luffy's eyes while yes the younger was good at hiding his true emotions there was still a glimmer of the real Luffy inside including the hope that he had no idea was there when he first met him. "As far as I am aware of no, I took off to get you alone. I owed you that at least after the jam you got me out of."

Arlong laughed and patted Luffy on the shoulder, "You are a reliable as I remember you to be, all those months on the water did nothing to who you are. Your acting skills have gotten better even." The other fishmen laughed as well, while Luffy cracked a smile.

"So what should we…", Arlong started but the green haired man launched himself into the water.

"Did he really just do that?", one fishman asked.

"He can't even swim tied up like that, he just committed suicide.", another one commented.

Luffy watched with shock clearly written on his face while all the fishmen laughed, with a frustrated growl the rubber boy sent one of his arms into the water and pulled the swordsman out of the water and slammed him to the ground. The burnet glared at the green haired one smiling at him even though he was still trying to catch his breath from his landing, "Did Luffy just save him? Why would he do that? Is he friends with him?" was heard from around them.

"Yea Luffy why did you save me, I thought you didn't care.", the challenge was clearly seen in the swordsman eyes.

"I don't, Arlong was giving me the choice you don't get to make that for me.", Luffy growled out and punch the bound man in the stomach.

Zoro groaned in pain and smiled, 'Damn I didn't think he could hit so hard. No wonder his opponents go flying when he hits at full force. So he does care, otherwise he would have hit my wound and not just to the side of it.'

"So you didn't let him make the choice for you what do you want to happen to him?", Arlong asked with a smile, as Luffy's arm came back to him.

Without looking at anyone Luffy turned and walked off, "Put him in the one of the side rooms, I will take care of him when I calm down. I don't want it to end too quickly."

"Oh and Luffy?", Arlong said.

Luffy stopped and looked at him, "I left a request on your desk." The rubber boy nodded and continued to walk off.