Humanity

Chapter 3

Surprises await! Fukuro makes an appearance

Kaku could say he was happy to be away from that island. A few days had passed and he was starting to get more comfortable around the crew. He would spend most of his day talking to Sanji while helping the cook out or chatting with Robin about whatever book she was reading. Though he was never really completely relaxed around her he did feel a little better talking to her. He realized it was stupid of him to act like just talking to the woman would be atonement for his sins against her. He occasionally chatted with the doctor and the captain. The others he noticed kept their distance from him. He tried repeatedly to befriend the navigator and the sniper. Although Nami would be polite and talk to him he soon noticed that she acted guarded around him. He couldn't blame her or any of them for the way they acted if he was in their position he would do the same thing.

Something he had noticed much to his horror since they left that island is an increase in nightmares. To be honest to say he slept soundly after all he done in his life would be a lie. Hell most of them in CP9 would usually go for long periods of time with sleepless nights. Thinking back on it he was probably the worst out of all them. Usually he wouldn't remember his dreams but now… they were so real.

He's last one was so vivid he wasn't sure he didn't live through it. It didn't make much sense to him though. He leaned back in a chair he was out on the deck getting some sun and trying to clear his mind. He closed his eyes letting the world around him fade.

The dream danced in front of his eyes.

Kalifa was standing beside him screaming at him not to die. There was a flash and he was back at Water 7. He felt his back hit something hard as Rob Lucci had pushed him into a pile of wood.

"Don't you dare talk like that again!"

Another flash and he felt his body being lifted up. "Take him! We can't keep him here! He's going to die!"

Another flash and he was being pulled away from someone. He reached out and screamed. "Dad no!"

He nearly jumped out his skin when someone shook him. He flung his arm and was getting ready to use finger pistol.

"Kaku?"

He blinked he realized he was panting and soon the world came into focus. He almost attacked Robin. One of her phantom arms was holding his wrist and she looked worried. He looked at her. "Sorry." He relaxed his body and she let go. He worried that if he wasn't careful the swordsman might finish the work he started back on Enies Lobby.

"You okay? You looked like you were having a nightmare."

He let out a sigh and nodded. "I'm good." He got up from the chair suddenly wanting a drink. "I'm fine." He said more to himself than her.

She looked worried. "If you want to talk I'm here."

He looked away. "I good thank you though." He pulled the cap over his eyes more ashamed to look at her than anything. "I shouldn't sleep outside like that. I'm going to get sunburned." He said with a forced laugh and took off before she could ask more questions.

He headed to the kitchen were Sanji was in the middle of making dinner. The cook looked up at him. "Dinner won't be ready for a while. Are you okay you look pale?"

He sat down and put his head in his hands. "Nightmare," he looked through his fingers and heard the cook sit down a cup of tea beside him. He heard him pull up a chair and sat down. "I almost attacked Robin." He felt ashamed just saying it out loud. His damn assassins training, looking back on it he was lucky he hadn't hurt one of them by now.

The cook lit a smoke and leaned back in his chair. "You want to talk about it?"

A few days before he had almost attack Usopp when he woke him up for night watch. Since then he's been on thin ice with some of the crew. Every time he walked past Zoro he was sure the man would kill him. Sanji had been a firsthand witness to the incident involving Usopp and thankfully Chopper gave them a lesson on not startling him. He rubbed his eyes.

"I guess so but I don't remember it. All I see is brief images… this time it was Kalifa screaming about me dying… Lucci attacking me at Water 7, someone saying that I was going to die I didn't see who that was and the last… I think I was screaming for my dad. She woke up about that time."

Sanji studied him for a minute as he drank his tea. Having him around was dangerous but he felt bad for the guy. He knew what one of those dreams was from. He swallowed wanting to tell him what it was from but what was the point. The captain and Franky told Paulie they wouldn't tell him about it unless his life depended on it. Something about cutting off all ties with them something he couldn't understand.

"I don't even remember Lucci attacking me before though but it seemed so real." He drank his tea. "If he did I wouldn't be alive to talk about it."

Sanji put out the smoke he was grateful that his smoking didn't seem to bother the agent. "Dreams are weird sometimes they don't mean a thing at all." He said as he got up. He picked up his tea cup.

"Chopper said they are memory consolidation." He frowned.

He looked back at him. "Well I'm pretty sure they still don't mean much. I can't tell you how many weird ones I had and I know they never happened. I have never been stripped in battle by a bunch of woman and me and Nami," He coughed. "Uhh never mind, just don't worry about it."

He got up and handed him the tea cup. "Thank you. Hopefully it is nothing. Do you want me to wash the cup?"

He shook his head and the two heard the captain yell that he saw another island. At least they found this one during the day.

Kaku headed back to the boys room to get his jacket. He hadn't been wearing it as much and just sticking with a black shirt. He picked up the jacket it was full of holes and torn. He frowned. He needed to get some new clothes that's for sure. He felt weight in the pockets something was in them. He reached in it. He hadn't bothered with it since he got here since it was clear and warm most days so he didn't notice there was anything in the pockets. He grasped something and pulled it out. It was a transponder snail. "Oh," he said and went to sit it on his cot. It might come in handy so he didn't want to lose it. Suddenly it sprung to life. He raised an eyebrow, who would have his frequency?

The snail crackled and started moving its mouth. "Hello? Anyone out there?"

That voice! It sounded like Fukuro. He clicked it on and said. "I read you Fukuro."

There was a pause. "Kaku, is it really you, chapapa?"

"Yeah it's me. It's good to hear from you too." He heard the older man cheer.

"I'm so glad you're not dead. I thought that… Where are you at, chapapa?"

He took a moment to tell him about his being with the pirates. "So what about you? What happened to everyone else?"

He sighed. "We all separated chapapa; I've been checking our transponders in case someone else came nearby…"

"Separated? Why? What is going on?" He could hear Fukuro moving stuff around.

"Can't say, chapapa… Are you docking at here?"

By here he assumed he meant the island. "Yes we are."

"Met me at Sea Ocean's bar at five." With a final chapapa the line clicked off.

He stared at the snail wondering if the large man was being watched or something. He heard a noise by the door. He turned fast to see what looked like Usopp running off. Crap! Last thing he needed was him blabbing to the others. He sat down the snail and headed out.

He didn't see Usopp. He walked across the deck and realized they had docked. He looked over at Zoro who was doing one of his workouts.

"Did everyone leave already?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

The swordsman barely said two words to anyone so anytime he spoke to him he was surprised. He frowned. If he didn't get to Usopp in time what would happen.

He headed off the ship. He still needed new clothes. He scanned the dock various travelers were walking around talking and laughing it was a busy dock. He didn't see any of the pirates.

He started towards the down town of the village. Scanning the shops he spotted the place that Fukuro wanted to meet at. He spotted a clothes shop and walked in with a sigh. He hated buying clothes sometimes. He heard a woman's voice and looked to see Nami talking to the woman behind the counter.

She was with Sanji who was already holding some bags. She could give Kalifa a run for her money on clothes shopping then. The navigator looked at him. "Oh hey there Kaku." She said. He could almost hear her fake sincerity this time. She wasn't bothering to hide her disdain with him.

He walked over to her. "Hello Nami-san." He looked over at Sanji. "I see she put you to work already."

He smiled. "Anything for my Nami-swan." He gushed.

"Where are the others?" he asked casually.

"Robin went to find a book store. I think Chopper and Franky went with her. Luffy and Usopp went to find something to eat."

So the sniper was with the captain. He was too late. He hopped that maybe he could reason with him to keep it a secret. Last thing he needed was more distrust. He spotted some men's shirts in the bags.

"What all did you buy?"

Nami laughed. "I picked up some things for the other guys. I swear Sanji-kun is the only one that knows how to change clothes sometimes."

"Kind of funny I came here looking for some new clothes." He said. As Sanji dug through the bag mumbling something about her only getting him three shirts.

She looked at his clothes. "Yeah I guess you do need a new jacket." She reached in her bag and handed him some money. "Here, you don't have any money do you?"

He couldn't believe he didn't realize he needed money. He could have slapped himself. He took the money. "Thank you."

She smiled evilly. "You owe me one."

He felt the coldness in her words. The young woman would have been a good agent if she wasn't a pirate. He counted the money at least he could buy something and afford at least one drink later… maybe.

Nami looked him over. "Please buy something other than black." She scanned the clothes and saw something. "Try this on." She dragged him over to the clothes.

He looked at Sanji. "Help." He mouthed. The cook just smiled and sat down with the bags.

The young woman pulled out a red jacket and looked at him. "Maybe you should go for another style too."

It hit him when she handed him the jacket. She almost reminded him of Kalifa. He blinked as she was still holding the jacket out to him.

"Umm, red isn't really my color."

She gave him a nasty look. "No black." She dug through the rack and Sanji called from his seat. "Nami-swan I think he knows how to dress himself."

She shot an insult at him as Kaku wondered over to another clothes rack. He wasn't in the mood to be her personal doll. He saw a simple black jacket and another high collared shirt that went with it.

Before he could make it to the register in one piece she shoved a blue jacket under his face. Oddly enough it looked like the one he wore at Water 7.

"Blue is a better color on you then black."

The irony wasn't lost on either one of them. He took the clothes and grabbed some blue jeans. Short of the white cap it was almost the same thing he wore back then. He still bought the black clothes. He took them to the register and tossed a red cap on top of all of it. Maybe he would try some red in his life. Of course that would be a decision he regretted later after he heard to total of the bill.

The assassin almost hit the floor from shock. "What?" He demanded as the casher repeated the total.

"Didn't you know? This is a high end retail shop." Said Nami with a shrug.

Sanji laughed. Kaku should have known. Neither one of them looked like they wore high end clothes. He sighed handing the casher all of his money. So much for that drink. He took his bags and turned to the other two.

"So what are you guys going to do?"

Sanji shrugged. "I'm dropping these off and going to get some groceries and smokes."

Nami looked up at the clock in the shop. "I'm going to meet up with Robin for a while. It'll be nice for us two ladies to get away from all the maleness for a while." She added with a laugh. She handed Sanji the rest of her bags and left.

Without thinking Kaku asked. "Why do you let her treat you like that?"

He shrugged. "I'm a gentleman."

He frowned. So was he put he wouldn't try as hard as he did to impress this woman as he did. He looked at the clock it was almost time to meet Fukuro.

Sanji held out a hand. "I'll take your stuff back to the ship."

"Oh uh thanks." He took out his new black jacket and put it on and placed the old one down in the bag.

Sanji left with barely a word after that. Kaku walked out of the clothes shop and looked back at it. Thinking back he remembered Kalifa doing something like that to him too. He wondered what was with women's obsession with dressing men they knew.

He walked into the bar and looked around. He spotted Fukuro sitting in the back drinking a soda. He walked over to him and sat down.

"I need answers."

He looked at him and unzipped his mouth. "Chapapa, impatient today aren't you Kaku?" He looked around. "Do they know?"

"The long nose guy heard me I think. I didn't get a chance to settle it…" no sooner than those words left his mouth he spotted the sniper and the captain walk in. Well he must have told him. He made eye contact with Luffy who acted like he didn't know him. "They know. They just saw us."

Fukuro looked around. "It'll be fine chapapa. World Government is what we need to worry about now chapapa. Spandam wants us dead for our failure."

He raised an eyebrow. He wasn't surprised about that. "Figured as much."

"That's why we separated. We are going to…" he looked around and leaned in closer to him and whispered. "We went our separate ways for protection chapapa."

"Where are the others?" he was worried that they might be dead.

As if he read his mind. "Everyone is alive but I don't know about Lucci, chapapa. Blueno took him to a doctor personally."

"And left me to die." His voice raised some. He knew better but he was still a little mad about it.

The zipper mouthed man shook his head. "No chapa. Blueno took you to Water 7 so you could get help chapapa."

He frowned. "Then how did I get on the ship?"

He shrugged and drank some of his drink.

This was starting to annoy him. He sighed and leaned back. "So can you tell me anything about a village called Kirin?"

"Kirin?" He nearly choked on his drink. "How did you hear about that?"

"We went there a couple of days ago. It seemed so strange. I was wondering if maybe… CP9 had something to do with it." Because he was a junior agent a lot longer than the others he knew little about some of the earlier events.

Fukuro looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his head. He jumped up suddenly. "I can't tell you! No chapapa!"

He went to speak again but the bigger man took off. He shouted something about keeping in touch with him as he left the bar. Kaku was defiantly suspicious. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. He heard a noise and looked to see Luffy sitting there with Usopp.

"So you found zipper mouth… aren't you going with him?"

He thought about it. There was no point to it. They separated for their own safety, or at least that was what he was told. "No point to it. I like your guys company better than his anyways." Fukuro was a mixed bag for him. He sometimes annoyed him but he did feel a little better knowing the annoyance was alive. He wondered where the others where. His heart sank when he realized he was almost starting to miss them.

Luffy smiled. "Good glad to hear it, Kaku." The captain laughed as he got up and left with Usopp.

Kaku adjust his cap again then realized it was the first time the captain called him by his name. He got up from his chair. There was no point in staying after all he had no money to buy drinks.

He started heading back to the ship when another powerful headache hit him. He was getting tired of this. His vision blurred for a moment he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes waiting for it to pass.

This time his mind provided him with more torture.

"You killed him!" Jyabura screamed.

"Kaku, no!" yelled Kalifa

"You went too far this time." Said Blueno

"Yoyoi, you have given him too much."

"You keep this up and he'll forgot his training." Said Lucci.

Spandam yelled. "What do you guys know? I know I gave him the right dose. What do you care any ways? You aren't people just tools! He's just another tool in the shed as far as I'm concerned!"

He felt someone touch his shoulder. This time he made a point not to lash out again. He looked up to see Franky. The soda drinking cyborg hadn't had much to do with him since his arrival.

"You okay giraffe-bro?"

He nodded. "Yeah just thinking." He felt a slight drizzle begin. He was glad he got a new jacket.

Franky looked up at the sky. "Usopp-bro was right. Sis is really good at predicating the weather." He looked over at him. He felt bad for him. He didn't know what to say or do for him. He cursed under his breath. He couldn't believe he let Paulie talk him into taking him in. It wasn't like he could just leave him with the Family the people of Water 7 would probably want to kill him. He was sure the whole town knew the truth about what had happened. Thinking back on it he remembered the flustered Paulie standing over the bleeding Kaku shouting about needing help. Franky grimaced it wasn't easy he had no use for the guy before he found out he was CP9 but…

Kaku got away from the wall. "I'm heading back to the ship."

Franky looked at him and said. "Hey uh bro," he started. The agent looked back at him. Franky remembered he wasn't supposed to tell him what happened he looked away. "I'll go with you." The cyborg followed behind the young man thinking. He wanted to tell him he did but how? When Blueno handed him over to Paulie… He shivered recalling how badly hurt he was and being told to give him his freedom. Freedom from what CP9?

They were almost back to the ship. Franky went to speak again but lost his nerve. How was he supposed to tell him something he didn't understand himself? They boarded the ship and the agent headed to the kitchen to help Sanji most likely. Franky headed to his work area. He moved some notes around and saw a folded up note. He flinched. He and the others hadn't decided when to give that note to Kaku yet. He picked up. His name was written in pretty letters across the back. He looked around tempted to read it. What if it was instructions to kill them? They were putting a lot of faith in a guy they knew could hide his true face with ease.

He opened up the letter with a "Why the hell not?"

Dear Kaku,

I apologize for doing this to you but it is for your safety. Spandam wants us dead. You were too injured to make it to the next town we figured you would be better off in the place that gave you true happiness.

The letter wasn't signed but judging by the neat hand writing it was written by a woman. Then again one of the guys could have nice hand writing what did he know? He folded it up. Unless it was coded it defiantly wasn't orders. He sat the note down and remembered hearing the agent's words.

"Keep him safe."

Safe from what exactly? He found it hard to believe that Spandam would be able to take them out. He's back was broken as far as Franky knew. He sighed when there was a knock at his door.

"Yo?" he said as the door opened a crack.

"Dinner is ready." Said Robin

"Super." He walked over to her. "Hey did you ever figure out that book?"

She looked concerned. "Almost…"

He sighed. "I think we are in over our heads."

She looked at him as he walked past her. "Would you rather he died back at Water 7?"

She said it so coldly that Franky could barely believe it came from her. "No I…" he looked down and did a slow inhale and said. "No deserves to die like that."

She nodded as she followed him to the dining area. The others had long ago dug into their food. She noticed Franky glance over at Kaku then let out a small curse word before sitting down. She sat down herself. What she was beginning to wonder is why did those people think leaving him there would keep him safe? She picked at her food when suddenly.

"Are you okay Robin?"

She looked up at Kaku and smiled. "I'm fine thank you."

She looked back at her plate. She started feeling uneasy. She tried to shake it off surely it was in her head, right?