Usopp wrote the report that morning, including the details that Zoro included. "Daggers through its hand? That sounds unusual. Someone must have gotten to it before you did." Smoker seemed satisfied, glad that they had gotten their target on time. "Cutting it close, boys." He warned. "There are no missions currently, because there seems to be a lack of monsters. I'll inform you as soon as there's one available."

Both hunters nodded in silence and were dismissed. On their way out, they passed by Captain Akainu, and Zoro had to suppress a shiver. The man was surrounded by an air of superiority, and Zoro didn't understand his fear of it.

He was glad when they emerged. Usopp glanced at him strangely, but Zoro was so relieved to be out of the man's presence that he didn't care.

"Can you get back by yourself?" Usopp asked.

"Sure, why?"

"I'm not in the mood to cook, considering last night's events in the kitchen. I'm going to pick up takeout for lunch."

"Sounds good." Zoro said, as Usopp turned a corner while Zoro kept going straight. He could see the top of his building from here, so as long as he kept the building in his sight he would be fine. It took him nearly half an hour to get back though, and Usopp was waiting impatiently outside the door. "Why aren't you inside?"

"I don't want to be alone with him," Usopp said. Zoro rolled his eyes and unlocked the front door.

Luffy woke up with a start, feeling the warm sun on his face. He squinted and rolled onto his side, away from the light. His fingers brushed unfamiliar cloth and his eyes shot open despite the sun. He was lying in an unfamiliar bed, but the scent was very familiar. He sat up all the way and swung his feet over the side of the bed. His bare feet touched beige carpet and he tried to stand. A sharp pain his gut stopped him from moving quickly, and he had to grab onto the nearby dresser to pull himself up completely.

He spotted his sandals on the floor beside him and his hat and bag his father gave him on the dresser.

Where the hell was he? There was no phone in the room, so he couldn't call any of his friends for help. He struggled to the door and tried it. Locked. He swore under his breath and pressed an ear to the door, letting his other senses fade. He could hear various voices in the apartments around him, but nothing right in front of him.

He tried the door again, debating just breaking it down. He pushed it lightly and heard it creak. So it wasn't very good quality. He slammed a foot into the wood close to the doorknob, and the door flew open, crashing into the far wall with a bang that echoed in the empty apartment. Luffy froze for a minute before relaxing and making his way into the hall. He braced himself on the wall, most movement jarring any of his three injuries. He smelled blood when he found the kitchen. His own. He examined his bandages and remembered the hunter, Zoro, had found him in the alley. How?

He heard the door open and tensed, backing away from the sound. Laughter could be heard, from both hunters, and a mouthwatering smell reached his nose.

Zoro stiffened the moment he stepped foot into the apartment. He could sense that the vampire was awake and had moved. "Hold it, Usopp."

"What's wrong?" Usopp asked. He followed Zoro's gaze to the entranceway to the kitchen.

Zoro didn't answer right away. He moved forward slowly and peered into the kitchen, meeting the angry gaze of the vampire he brought home the night before.

Usopp followed him and jumped when he saw him. "I thought you locked him in your room!"

"I did." Zoro said, narrowing his eyes. He could see that the vampire was using their table to hold himself up, and was visibly shaking. "You might want to sit down before you fall."

"Shut up," He glared, and attempted to stand up straighter. He winced in pain and grabbed at his stomach.

Zoro moved forward and went to grab him, but the vampire jerked away and stumbled. Zoro reached out and caught his arm, preventing him from falling to the ground. "I told you." He said, grabbing the vampire's other arm and restraining him. The hunter knew that if the vampire wasn't injured like this, he would have the upper hand. But since he was currently in this situation he felt no pity taking advantage.

The vampire tried to struggle, but gave up and almost doubled over, his face pained again. Usopp cowered in the corner while Zoro dragged the struggling vampire to the couch. He tossed him onto one of the cushions and crossed his arms. "Stop resisting."

"Shut it. I need to get back." He tried to move but sunk back into the couch in pain.

"It's sunny out right now." Zoro said, nodding at the curtained covered window. "There's no way you'd be able to get where you want to go."

The vampire matched his gaze, "You left the window open in your room." The phrase was random and Zoro adopted a confused expression. The vampire smirked. "Sunlight doesn't bother me as much as it does regular vampires."

They could hear Usopp's squeak from the kitchen. "Either way, you can't move." Zoro said, rolling his eyes at Usopp. "I want to know what happened."

The vampire crossed his arms. "I think you already know."

"You were attacked. I want details."

"Screw you." He shot back.

Zoro just shrugged, "You're not going anywhere until I get answers." He left the vampire in the living room and joined Usopp in the kitchen. "Stop hiding. I'm hungry, and the food's getting cold." He started digging in the bags on the table, pulling out a steaming container and making himself a plate. Usopp did too.

"Why are you making two?"

"I'm pretty sure the vampire can eat." Zoro said.

"He needs blood, not food." Usopp said.

"Remember the first night we saw him?"

Usopp nodded reluctantly and opted to stay in the kitchen while Zoro brought the plate out to the vampire. He hadn't moved from his place on the couch, but he looked irritated. He perked up slightly at the sight of the food.

Zoro placed the vampire's plate on the coffee table and handed him a fork, which he took without a word and began eating.

"Last night you said you had a clan." The vampire stopped eating for a second.

"So? It's illogical to be solo in a place like this."

"That means there are more vampires like you. Ones that claim they can walk in the light."

The vampire laughed and shook his head, resuming stuffing his face. "There's only one other person like me in the world. My clan is made up of a sidhe, a chimera, a witch, a necromancer, and a human."

Zoro blinked at the range of creatures. "I thought the sidhe were extinct," Was the only thing he could think of to say. "Wait, you have a human in your clan?"

The vampire nodded.

"Isn't that… I don't know, forbidden?"

"It's frowned upon," The vampire said, placing his empty plate on the table. "But not forbidden. You hunters are just ignorant of our social standings."

"Can you tell me?"

"No way." He shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Because you're a hunter."

"Didn't stop you before." Zoro said, "When you mentioned erasing memories."

"I thought that was common sense." The vampire said. "How else are we supposed to keep our kind a secret from the humans?"

"Killing them?" Zoro asked as if it were the most obvious answer.

"We try and avoid killing as much as we can." The vampire said. "I haven't. Some of the older vampires have, but most of the time it's not intentional." He fixed Zoro with an accusing gaze, "Why do you kill us?"

"Vampires are abominations."

"Not just vampires, but every creature in our world. Most of them are harmless."

"There's always potential for danger."

The vampire laughed humorlessly. "What about humans? Humans are the top reason for the death of humans, even compared to every supernatural creature combined."

Zoro tried to retort, but found he couldn't. He just glared when the vampire grinned smugly at him. He just got up and brought the dishes to the kitchen.

"He makes a very good point," Usopp said. "Think you can get him in here? I need to change his bandages."

Nami paced in the lair, unable to keep still. "He should be back by now." She said, knotting her hands together and turning another corner. "He left yesterday afternoon. He said he'd be back after night fall."

"Maybe he was trapped somewhere because of the hunters," Robin suggested.

"I don't like this…" Chopper whispered, clinging to Sanji.

"The shitty leader can take care of himself." Sanji said. "Stop worrying."

"What if something happened with his father?" Nami continued. "We have no idea who he is. We don't even know where he went!"

"Don't worry, Nami my sweet," Sanji said. "I'll keep an eye above ground. With the lack of anyone in the city, we can narrow the suspects down, if he was attacked."

His words did nothing to calm her down. "What if the hunters got him?"

"Do you really think he's that stupid?" Sanji asked, but then frowned. "He did say he was going to follow them…"

"I'll fly around tonight," Nami decided. "I'll find him."

"No," Robin said firmly. "Remember what he said? It's dangerous for our kind to leave our lair right now. If anything happens to you, we won't have the extra wards we do now."

Nami slumped into an overstuffed armchair and pressed her hands to her face. "I just hope he comes back soon."

A loud bang from above them had everyone looking up. Dust and dirt rained from the ceiling. "…What was that?" Brook asked.

"I don't wanna know…" Chopper replied.

Zoro left without any previous warning, leaving Usopp in charge of babysitting the vampire. Said vampire was currently sleeping on the couch, and the hunter was in the kitchen with a stake clutched tightly in his hand.

He wasn't scared. Nope. He was just taking precautions. He knew the vampire wouldn't be able to attack him. The vampire needed him. Just because Zoro was out getting more bandages didn't mean that he was defenseless. He didn't need to rely on the swordsman to protect him. Not at all.

To try and calm his nerves, he turned on the TV. The extra sound calming some of his nerves. The news was covering a mysterious explosion at a nearby restaurant, which was chalked up to some bad piping underground. Only one person declared missing, a cook. No names were released.

When it turned to cover a recent sports game he heard shuffling. He jumped and barely held back a squeal. He slowly turned to see the vampire standing in the entranceway, staring at the screen. "What was that?"

"Wh-what?"

"The restaurant that blew up." The vampire said. "What was it called? Who was hurt?"

"I…" Usopp tried to keep his voice steady. "I think the restaurant was called the Baratie. And it didn't say who was missing…" He inched away from the vampire, who was struggling to move forward.

Usopp shot out of his chair the second the vampire reached the table and hit the power, turning the TV off. "You shouldn't be moving," He warned from the other side of the room.

"Shut the fuck up," The vampire growled, eyes flashing red. "They… They… There were there! I can't… They… Can't…"

The front door opened, and Usopp shouted for Zoro, "He's moving! And he's freaking out! And a little too close for comfort."

Zoro appeared in the doorway empty handed. He grabbed the vampire and yanked him away from Usopp. "Let me go," The vampire demanded angrily. "I'll kill you if you don't let me go right now."

"Somehow, I don't think you'd be able to," Zoro said.

"I HAVE TO SEE IF THEY'RE ALIVE!" He bit into the arm around his neck, and Zoro cursed. This time, his bite did hurt. He grabbed a handful of the vampire's dark hair and pulled back.

"Usopp, I couldn't find the damn pharmacy. You're going to have to get the medical supplies."

"On it." Usopp was out the door within seconds, not even questioning why Zoro had left to get medical supplies, of all things.

Zoro slammed the vampire against the wall as soon as he let up on his arm, and was startled to see his eyes red. Not his irises, which were currently brown, but bloodshot eyes. He was holding back tears.

"Who?" Zoro asked. The vampire spit in his face. A mouthful of blood. Zoro didn't flinch. "Who?" He repeated.

The vampire refused to answer, so Zoro dragged him back into the hall and found a pair of steel cuffs. The vampire didn't struggle as his hands were restrained and he was brought back to the bedroom. Zoro took note of the door barely hanging by its hinges and shoved the vampire through the doorway.

"Check." The vampire said.

"What?"

"Check to see if they're alive," The vampire said. "Please…" His voice broke.

Zoro sighed, "Who are they?" Maybe he would answer when he wasn't being as stubborn.

"Sanji…" The vampire whispered. "He's… He's the human. He's missing. Find him. Ask Zeff."

"Who?"

"Zeff."

Zoro examined the pleading look on the vampire's face and sighed, "I'll see what I can do."

The vampire's face lit up, and Zoro felt slightly unnerved. It didn't look out of place, but seeing it on a vampire was unnerving. He closed the door, making a mental note to get Usopp to fix it, before heading back to the living room.

Usopp was back. Apparently the pharmacy was closer than he thought. Usopp placed the plastic bag on the coffee table. "Where is he?"

"Out of commission for now. He might be cooperative later. Do you know anyone named Zeff?"

"Zeff? That was the name of the restaurant owner."

"What?"

"Oh, you didn't see it, did you?" Usopp nodded at the TV in the kitchen. "There was an explosion at the Baratie a few hours ago. Zeff owned that restaurant. Why?"

"I think the vampire knows him. Next time we're by, we need to talk to him."

"We have the vampire, can't you just ask him?"

"He wants me to see if his friends are alive. You heard him shouting, right?"

"I think the whole floor heard him shouting." Usopp muttered. "Well, we can swing by tomorrow morning."

"We?"

"We do have a job." Usopp said. "Don't you ever look at the schedule?"

"Nope."

"Then it's a good thing you have me." Usopp said, looking unimpressed.

Zoro opened the door to his room the next morning, after having spent a night on the couch, to see the vampire sprawled out on top of the duvet, the morning sun shining from the window onto the bed. And the vampire.

"Wow. He was actually telling the truth." Zoro said to himself. "Oi, wake up."

"Go 'way, Nami." The vampire mumbled, pulling his hands over his face.

"I'm not Nami," Zoro said. "Me 'n Usopp are heading out soon, and you're coming with us."

The vampire blinked, and sat up. "Oh. You. I forgot about that."

"Just come out."

The vampire complied. Zoro sat him at one of the chairs and undid the cuffs. The vampire flexed his hands, wincing slightly. Zoro grabbed one of his hands and began removing the bandages.

The skin beneath the bandage was a light pink, and there were still a few scabs present. Usopp grabbed his new medical supplies and ordered the vampire to hold still while he removed the stitches. His hands were rewrapped, Usopp examined the wound in his stomach and declared it in the same condition his hands were in. It was re-treated, the vampire was given a shirt, and they led him out of the apartment. Zoro kept a firm grip on the vampire's wrist until they reached their car.

"Put the child lock on," Zoro told Usopp. "I don't want him jumping out while we're driving."

Luffy tried the doors once the child lock was turned on and was disappointed to find that they wouldn't open. Of course, he could have just pulled off the door if he were in better condition. He settled for crossing his arms and leaning against the seat. He placed his feet on the back of the passenger seat and wondered where they were going.

He would have asked, but his mind was focused on other things. His friends. He had no idea if they got out or not. Sanji was missing. And no one knew about his other friends except Zeff. And his father, but he had no idea where the ancients were now.

He felt the car slow to a stop, and pushed himself up, looking out the window. "Why are we here?"

"It's the remains of the Baratie."

The vampire grabbed the handle the second the name of the restaurant left the hunter's mouth.

It wouldn't open. Zoro opened the door for him and the vampire was out the door and running towards an old, blond man with an impressive mustache.

"Zeff!"

The blond man, Zeff, turned around at his name. "Luffy! What are you doing here? What happened to you?"

The vampire, apparently named Luffy, stopped in front of the man. "Where are they? Were they…"

Zeff shook his head and lowered his voice. "There weren't any bodies."

The look of relief that crossed his face made Zoro feel happy too, relief coursing through his body, even though he had no reason to feel that way. He decided to approach, drawing the old man's attention.

"Who's this?" He asked the vampire, Luffy.

Luffy glanced back, "They… They helped me. Do you know where they are?"

"Do they… know?" He asked, nodding at Zoro. When Luffy nodded, Zeff shook his head. "I'd suggest looking around underground. Don't come around for a while. The explosion was caused by hunters. Now tell me, what happened to you?"

Luffy shoved his bandaged hands into his pockets, "I was attacked."

"Are they targeting you?"

Luffy shrugged. "No idea. Dad said to be careful, though." He turned to Zoro, "How many people from the council arrived yesterday?"

"Not many… I shouldn't be telling you this."

Zeff shot Zoro a suspicious glare, and Luffy slowly nodded again. "Kay. If you see any of them, warn them to stay underground unless they have to come up. It's hard to get down once they're on the surface."

"I will. You be careful too, Luffy. I don't think your father would be happy to know you've gotten hurt."

"Dad's not going to be here for another two months. He's not going to find out."

"Still." Zeff warned. "If you see them first, tell Sanji to be careful too. Humans aren't very welcome in the underground."

"He's part of my clan," Luffy said sharply, "And everyone knows it. They won't risk going after him when I'm still alive."

His tone left no room for argument, and Zeff just nodded. "I suppose I won't be seeing you for a while."

"We're going to be late," Usopp whispered to Zoro, who placed a firm hand on Luffy's shoulder. Luffy frowned, annoyed, but said his farewells to Zeff and allowed himself to be led back to the car.

Zoro noted that the vampire was quiet the entire ride, and he doubted that he would be leaving. Just for assurance though, He grabbed the cuffs he had brought along and chained one of his hands to the armrest. The vampire still didn't say a word, and Zoro was confused by the contemplative look on his face.

He himself was feeling anxious, and he assumed that the emotions were coming from the mark. So that's what the vampire was feeling.

He left when Usopp yelled at him to hurry up, and Zoro was glad that the windows of their car were tinted. Less questions, like why there was a person chained in the back seat.

The meeting was boring, as usual, but there was more emphasis on the recent decline in the supernatural population. Usopp listened intently, but Zoro focused on the emotions that weren't his.

"We're wondering if there was a leak," Smoker was saying, "Because the number of creatures in this city is almost nonexistent. If anyone notices anyone acting strange, inform me right away."

"You put too much trust in your subordinates, Smoker," Akainu said from his place next to the door. Zoro examined the man from the council, and stiffened when he noticed two daggers hanging from his belt. They looked very similar to the ones he saw last night. The hilt was covered in blood.