And it turns out things went quickly, so here's chapter 4! By the way, I meant to say this last time, but the chapters are going to be getting longer now. Out of chapters 3 – 12, only one is under 4k words (and some are considerably longer). Hope you're all okay with that. XD

Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed! They really help motivate me, especially when I'm writing one of the tricky bits. (I will be savoring them 100x more than usual when I reach the ending of this fic. It's going to be brutal—the writing process, not the ending. Probably. :P)


Chapter 4 - Life

It didn't take them long to find their prize. The Hito-Hito no Mi was in a room in the center of the building, along with other spoils of the gang's recent raids. Nami's eyes lit up at the sight of treasure, and she announced that as they had defeated the Stone Dogs, everything in the room now belonged to them, and they would be taking it back to the ship. With some difficulty, they loaded it all up and returned to the Sunny.

Chopper's face when they arrived on deck was a perfect blend of worry and joy. His eyes flicked between the crew's injuries and the fruit in Luffy's hand as he trembled with indecision.

Luffy held the fruit out to him. "Here, Chopper. Go on."

For a long moment, Chopper just stared at the fruit, tears welling in his eyes—then he shook himself and stepped toward the stairs. "It…it can wait," he said. "Treating your injuries is more important."

"But we did all that to get this for you." Luffy frowned at the reindeer. "C'mon, hurry up and eat it already."

"No!" Chopper grabbed Luffy's free hand and tried to drag him towards the infirmary. "That wound needs to be looked at now! And…and I don't want to be worrying about you guys when I eat it."

"Chopper has a point, Luffy," Robin said. "He may not be able to control the powers immediately. It would be best to have our injuries treated so he can focus on himself."

"Okay," Luffy said reluctantly. He was looking forward to seeing Chopper restored to his old self, but he knew their reasoning made sense. Better to just go and get it taken care of as quickly as possible. And the cut did hurt.

In the infirmary, Nami helped Chopper clean and bandage Luffy's wound. While they worked, Luffy watched Olin, who was asleep in the bed. The man was covered in bandages but didn't look quite as terrible as he had earlier. He stirred fitfully, and as Chopper finished his treatment, Olin's eyes opened.

"Oh, you're awake!" Luffy said cheerfully. "Chopper fixed you up good, didn't he, old man?"

Olin turned his head slowly to look at Luffy. "…Yes," he said weakly. "Thank you…" His gaze fell on the fruit now resting on Chopper's table. He drew in a breath. "You…you got it back?"

"Yep!" Luffy hopped off the chair. "It was easy."

"I see…" The man turned to look at the ceiling again. "Well, I suppose I'd rather you have it than that awful gang. Congratulations." His voice held a note of bitterness.

Luffy stared for a moment, then nodded to himself and turned to Nami. "Take us back to the town."

"Right," she said, turning to leave.

Luffy caught her arm. "And Nami…have three hundred million ready for the old man when he leaves."

"What?" She stared at him.

There was a flurry of movement from the bed as Olin tried to rise, followed by a cry of pain. "You stay put!" Chopper yelled, rushing over to force his patient back down again.

Olin subsided, staring at Luffy with a stunned expression. "…Why? You retrieved the fruit on your own. Most pirates would consider themselves well within their rights to simply keep it."

"Luffy isn't like most pirates," Chopper said with a smile.

"You can say that again," Nami muttered. "All right, fine. It'll be ready."

"We had a deal," Luffy said. "That fruit belonged to you. I don't want to get our powers back by stealing from good people, like Helmet-ears and those guys did." He looked at their guest. "You need it for something, right? The money."

"I….yes. For—for my daughter, Anjia. I…" Olin raised a trembling hand to his forehead. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You don't know what this means."

"Sure." Luffy headed for the door. "No problem." Just before he left the room, he turned to look at Chopper. "Let me know when you're gonna eat it, okay, Chopper?"

"Okay," the doctor said. "I…I'm going to wait until Olin's paid. I don't want to steal from him, either."

"Then hurry up and get him well enough to leave," Luffy said. "I want to see you get your powers back already."

Furrowing his brow, Olin opened his mouth to speak.

"Honestly, Luffy," Nami said. "It's Chopper's fruit, not yours. He can do what he likes."

"I know that," Luffy said. "But when he eats it, it'll finally be real, you know?" He grinned. "We'll be one step closer to getting back to our old selves!"

"Your old selves?" Olin asked.

The three Straw Hats froze. "Oops." Luffy shot him a grin. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. Later, old man!" And he scurried from the room before Olin could ask anything else.


Olin left later that day, weak but walking with the aid of a staff. Sanji and Franky went with him to carry the money and make sure he got back okay. When they returned, the crew gathered on the deck. Chopper stood on the lawn, holding his fruit and trembling slightly.

"You're absolutely sure this is the right fruit, Chopper?" Usopp asked.

"Yes."

"You ready?" Zoro said.

Chopper drew a deep breath and nodded.

"Maybe we should give him some privacy," Nami said. "I don't think I'd want to eat a devil fruit with everyone watching me."

"But I want to see," Luffy protested.

"Luffy—"

"It's okay," Chopper said. "I don't mind if you guys stay." He gripped the fruit a little tighter with his hooves. "It's a little scary…I mean, I've wanted this for months, and I can't wait to have my powers back, but—but even so…" He gave them a watery smile. "I'm so glad you're all here with me!"

"Aww, Chopper." Usopp sniffled a bit. Beside him, Franky was in floods.

"Um…" Chopper glanced down at the fruit. "Maybe you should step back a little, though. Just in case."

The crew retreated a few paces. "Okay!" Luffy said, waving to Chopper. "We're ready!"

"Right." The reindeer raised the fruit, took a deep breath—and bit. Almost immediately, his face screwed up in disgust.

"That bad, huh?" Zoro asked.

"I—I think that was…even worse than the first time," Chopper spluttered after choking down his mouthful of fruit. "Why do they have to taste so awful?" He shivered.

"Do you feel any different?" Usopp asked.

"I…I don't kn—" He broke off suddenly, a slow smile spreading over his face. The little reindeer was very still for a moment, then suddenly his form changed, growing larger and larger until he stood before his friends in what was unmistakably Heavy Point.

"Yes!" Luffy cheered.

"Awesome, Chopper!" Usopp shouted.

Chopper let out an ecstatic laugh as he switched to Walk Point. "They're back! My powers are back!" The reindeer leaped and danced across the deck. "I feel like me again!"

"Oh man, we really did it!" Franky said, wiping at his eyes. "What a super day!"

"One down, three to go," Robin said, smiling.

"I think this calls for a celebration!" Brook said, pulling out his violin.

"Of course!" Luffy said. "Sanji!"

"Food, right, I know," the chef said. He headed for the galley with a grin. "Congrats, Chopper."

The party was long and loud. Chopper couldn't seem to sit still, and ate his food as he bounced and jumped and ran among his friends, switching forms every minute or two. Only one small cloud marred his sunny horizon, but Chopper did his best to put it from his mind as they celebrated.


Zoro looked toward the town from his seat in the crow's nest. The crew had finally quieted down and headed to bed about an hour before, leaving the swordsman on watch. It was a duty he had found himself performing with increasing regularity since their return—after all, why should one of the mortal crewmembers sacrifice a good night's rest to keep watch when there was a sleepless ghost available?

Zoro didn't really mind—he had gotten used to being alone during his long wait on the island, and while he was happy to have the others back, it was good to have a few hours of regular solitude. And on quiet nights, he could let himself drift a little, allowing his mind to detach slightly from the physical reality around him. Sometimes, if he relaxed enough, it almost felt like sleep.

Tonight, though, there was plenty to think about. Like what the thugs' leader had said, just before the fight. Robin had picked up on it, too…

"He said someone wanted to obtain this particular fruit." Robin looked up from her glass during a lull in the celebration. "Why? The power of the Hito-Hito no Mi is unlikely to be in great demand, normally."

"Who cares?" Franky said. He had drunk more alcohol-laced cola than was strictly wise, and his already-loud voice was steadily increasing in volume. "Maybe they're really attached to their pet cat and want it to talk to them."

Somehow, Zoro had a feeling Robin's question had a different answer. It could be nothing serious. Hell, with how well the Straw Hat name was known, even after all these years, the powers used by the pirate king's crew would probably be highly desired. Even so, though, there are better choices for a human. Robin's, even Brook's…or Luffy's, of course. The fruit of the pirate king himself would surely carry maximum bragging rights. Well, for now, it didn't matter. They'd gotten to Chopper's fruit first. And if it turned out that there was something more to this, then they'd deal with it. Just like they always had.

A dark shape moving on Sunny's deck caught his eye, and he reached automatically for a sword before he realized who it was. What's Chopper doing back up here so soon? Slipping through the wall, Zoro watched as the reindeer took up a position on the deck and went still. He seemed to be concentrating on something. A moment later, the small shape grew as he switched to Heavy Point.

"No!" came a muffled shout. Chopper froze again, then shrunk back to Brain Point. "Why can't I do it?"

For the next several minutes, Zoro watched in silence as Chopper continued switching between his three forms, muttering and whining after each change. Finally, he decided to announce himself. Not wanting to scare Chopper too badly by appearing right in front of him, Zoro teleported behind the stairs, then stepped forward. "Hey." He had tried to be quiet, but Chopper instantly jumped and spun around in panic.

"Zoro!" Chopper was doing a terrific impression of a deer in headlights—a reindeer in headlights, Zoro supposed. "S-sorry, I…I didn't think you'd hear…"

"Don't worry about it." Zoro raised an eyebrow. "You're up late."

"I know." Chopper looked down guiltily, tugging at his hat. "I just…I needed to try…but I can't do it! Why can't I do it?"

"Do what?" Zoro was pretty sure he knew, but he wanted to hear Chopper say it for himself.

"I can't use my other forms!" Chopper wailed. "Just my first three. I mean, maybe I could do it with a Rumble Ball, but it's not the same as being able to use them whenever I want! I thought…I thought once I got my powers back, I'd be strong again, like I used to be. I thought I could help protect everyone. But…"

Zoro laid a hand on the reindeer's head. "Chopper. You are strong. And you'll be able to fight, now. You'll get stronger. But you can't expect to be back at your old level immediately just because you have your powers again."

"I…I know. It's just…"

"You were able to use those forms before. You remember what it was like, right?"

"Of course I do!" Chopper looked up, his overly-bright eyes meeting Zoro's serious one. "That's—that's why I—"

"Then it probably won't take too long to get them back if you keep practicing." Zoro gave what he hoped was an encouraging look. "Just don't give up. I didn't, and it was worth it."

"You mean… waiting for us to come back?"

"Well, yeah, that too, but…" Zoro turned to lean against Sunny's rail, looking up at the night sky. He let the silence stretch for a minute before continuing. "Did you know it took ten years for me to learn to touch things as a spirit?"

"It took you that long?" Chopper's eyes were wide.

"Yeah. And even then, I wasn't much good at it for a while." Zoro raised a translucent hand and stared at it. "Actually, when I first became like this, it took all my willpower just to keep existing. I couldn't do anything. Could barely move. I had to relearn everything." He grinned at Chopper. "And I did. I kept working at it, and every day things got just a little easier."

"That's amazing, Zoro," Chopper said softly.

"So don't you give up, either. Keep practicing, and you'll have those forms back before you know it."

"Okay, I won't! I mean, I will! I mean…um…I'll keep practicing." They stood in silence for a moment before Chopper spoke up hesitantly. "…Zoro?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you…"

"…What?"

"Do you…miss being alive?"

Zoro stared up at the night sky. "What makes you think I'm not alive?"

Chopper stared, confused. "Zoro…you're a ghost. You…" He sniffled a little. "You died."

"So?" Zoro met his eyes with a challenging look. "What does that matter? I died, sure. I don't have the same kind of life I had before, maybe. But just because it's different doesn't mean it doesn't exist." He raised an eyebrow. "We've been sailing together again for half a year now. Do I seem dead to you?"

"Well…" Chopper considered for a moment. "No…not really, I guess. I mean, you still laugh, and get angry, and protect us and everything, just like you used to…"

"Right." The corner of Zoro's mouth quirked upward. "I've never thought of myself as dead," he said. "So you're gonna need to rephrase that question if you want an answer."

"Okay. Sorry." Chopper was quiet as he tried to find words. "I meant…do you ever miss the way you were before? Having a…a physical body, and everything?"

Zoro took a deep breath. "…Sure, sometimes. Things are different now. My place in the world isn't the same as it used to be. It's a little like those bubbles back on Fishman Island—I can see everything, hear everything, but there's something separating me from all the stuff on the other side." He looked up at the sky again. "I've been like this for a long time, but I still remember what it was like before, when I try. And sure, I miss it. Even when I'm solid, I can't really feel the wind in my hair or smell the salty air. I can't feel the sweat and aching muscles of a good workout. I can't drink anymore—hell, I can't even eat the shitty cook's food."

A smile slipped onto his face as his gaze returned to Chopper. "But I'm here. What kind of body I have doesn't matter. I'm still here, I can still fight, and I've finally got you all back. I can live with the rest of it." He pushed off the rail, stretching. "I'm gonna head back up. You should get some sleep."

"Okay." Chopper turned to leave. "Goodnight, Zoro. And, um…thanks."

Zoro dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Night, Chopper."


There was something familiar about this, he decided as he swiveled his head, trying to catch a glimpse of something. He was entirely unsuccessful; there was nothing around him but darkness. Luffy wasn't sure how you were supposed to tell one place of total darkness apart from another, or why he was so sure he knew this particular patch of it, but he did. He had been here before.

"So, you finally got one, eh?" a voice said.

Luffy spun around, eyes searching frantically through the blackness. Nothing…nothing…noth—there! Light sprang up to one side, uncomfortably bright after so much darkness, and Luffy instinctively raised a hand, eyes blinking as they adjusted to the glare.

A man sat in front of him, perched comfortably on thin air—or maybe it was a seat formed from the darkness that surrounded them. The man's freckled face wore a grin, and Luffy choked back a gasp when he saw him. The last time they'd met, Luffy hadn't known him, and he'd been worried that he'd never get another chance.

"Ace…" he whispered. And then he flung himself at his brother. Warm arms caught him as his momentum knocked both of them over. For a minute, there were no more words as the darkness filled with laughter and tears.

"All right, all right," Ace said at last, pushing Luffy back enough for him to sit upright again. "It's good to see you too, Luffy."

"Ace…" Luffy swiped at his eyes, still half in his brother's lap. "What are you doing here?"

Ace reached out, ruffling Luffy's hair. "Just wanted to check in. You look good, Luffy."

Luffy gave him a lopsided smile. "I have a lot more to do before I'm as strong as I was."

"The last time we talked like this, you were all flushed and sweaty and shaking," Ace said. "Trust me, you're looking good." He raised his eyebrows. "And you did something important today, didn't you?"

"Yeah." Luffy's smile grew wider. "Chopper's back to himself now. Next we have to find Brook's fruit, and Robin's…oh, and mine."

"Of course, yours too." Ace lifted a hand, tugging at Luffy's cheek and chuckling a little when it failed to stretch any farther than an ordinary person's would. "It would be way too weird to leave you like this."

Luffy sent his brother an annoyed look. He pulled free and rubbed his red cheek with one hand. "Ow, Ace, that hurt!"

"Sorry." Ace laughed. "Guess I'm too used to having a little brother made of rubber."

Still rubbing his cheek, Luffy looked around. There was light where he and Ace were, but beyond their small circle everything was still dark, and he couldn't make out any details of their surroundings—if there were any details to make out. "Where are we?" he asked.

Ace shrugged. "Call it a dream, I guess. Though someone like you should really be able to come up with something more imaginative for a dream world."

Luffy looked down, the smile on his face wavering at Ace's words. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that," he said. "I don't want this to be a dream."

"How come?"

"Because that means it's not real. You're not real."

A moment later there was a cracking thud, and pain bloomed from the top of Luffy's head as Ace's fist slammed into it. "OW!" Luffy howled, clutching his head. "What did you do that for?"

"Oh, so that hurt?" Ace sounded politely interested. "Huh. I figured since this was a dream, it wouldn't. Sorry about that. Strange sort of dream, isn't it?"

Luffy glared at Ace, but slowly, a small smile began to grow. "Maybe…maybe it's not just a dream. Not a normal one, anyway."

"Hmm, could be." The light around them noticeably dimmed, and Ace looked up. "Ah, damn, I was hoping we'd have more time. Listen, Luffy, I don't know when you'll see me again, but I promise this won't be the last time, okay?"

Luffy looked stricken. "What? No, Ace, you can't go yet!"

"I'm not going anywhere, silly." Ace grinned at him. "But all dreams end eventually, one way or another. Sometimes it's because you lose them. Sometimes it's because you make them come true. And sometimes, it's because you're waking up." He poked a finger at Luffy in mock sternness. "The next time we meet, I'll be testing you to see if you really are getting stronger, so no slacking."

"I promise." Luffy wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh, cry, or glare. His face twisted as he tried to fit them all in, and his last image before waking was of Ace, howling with laughter as his shaking finger pointed at Luffy's expression.


Morning found the Straw Hats enjoying a day off. High from their success the day before, and still needing to stock up on supplies, Luffy had declared that they weren't finished celebrating and would leave the next day. They had docked the Sunny away from the town this time, and Luffy took advantage of the nice weather by roping his crew into a swimming lesson.

Even though he no longer had a devil fruit user's weakness to water, he had never learned to swim in this life due to his poor health. Now that he was stronger, he fully intended to enjoy the benefits of not having a devil fruit while he could. Improvement was slow, but he had, at least, progressed to the point where he wasn't in danger of drowning if the others took their eyes off him for more than a second. The crew rotated teaching duty; today it was Franky and Sanji's turn to play lifeguard/swim instructor. The rest of the Straw Hats were watching from the beach, with the exception of Usopp, who had decided to join in, and Zoro, who was sitting in the air a few inches above the water where Luffy was swimming.

"Can't you go be spooky somewhere else, damn it?" Sanji asked, after accidentally swimming through Zoro's feet for the third time.

"Don't feel like it." Zoro leaned back in the air, a picture of contentment.

Sanji growled in frustration but offered no further retort, as Luffy chose that moment to give a particularly enthusiastic stroke that carried him right into the cook, knocking him back into the water. A spluttering Sanji surfaced moments later; he glared at his grinning captain—who had managed to stabilize himself—and at Zoro, whose loud laughter echoed across the water.

"Damn it, Luffy, watch where you're going!"

"Sorry, Sanji!" Luffy said. "But I'm doing better, aren't I?"

"Aside from nearly drowning people? Sure, you're doing great." Sanji rolled his eyes. "Come on, time for a break."

Luffy pouted. "But I don't want to stop yet."

"That's too bad, Bro." Franky grinned at him. "Because you promised to listen to us when we agreed to teach you, and right now we're saying you need a break. You might not feel it yet, but you're probably starting to get tired."

Luffy heaved a sigh but reluctantly began heading for shore. They had just reached standing depth when the sound of rustling leaves drew their attention toward the trees at the edge of the beach.

"Hey, someone's coming!" Franky said. Immediately, Zoro faded from sight. Luffy scrambled from the water along with Sanji and Franky, and the Straw Hats clustered together to face the intruder.

A moment later, the leaves parted, and Olin stepped onto the beach. He was still using the staff to walk, and the bruises that showed around his bandages looked even uglier than the day before. He seemed to be recovering well, however, and greeted them with a cry of relief as he limped towards them.

"Hey, old man!" Luffy called, waving to him. "You look awful."

"Don't be rude, Luffy!" Chopper said. "Are you doing okay, Olin?"

"What? Oh, yes, I'm doing much better," the man said. "You did a fine job with me, doctor."

"Shut up, you bastard!" Chopper blushed as he danced back and forth. "Hearing that doesn't make me happy at all!"

Olin stared for a moment, but then he turned to Luffy, a desperate light in his eyes. "Thank goodness you haven't left yet! May I ask where your ship is headed?"

"Dunno." Luffy glanced at Nami. "We're looking for something, and we're just gonna keep sailing until we find it."

"Then…then, please, will you take me to the island where my daughter is?"

"She doesn't live here?" Brook asked.

"No. She lives on Shirubaki Island." Olin's gaze dropped, one hand tightening on his staff. "It's perhaps a week away from this island, but the course you have to take to get there is dangerous, and none of the ships here will go out of their way to sail those waters." He looked back up at the Straw Hats. "I'll pay you. I'll return as much of the money to you as I can, though I'm afraid I need most of it to help her." He bowed as low as he was able without falling, clutching the staff like a lifeline. "Please, will you help me?"

The Straw Hats looked at each other. "Um, could you excuse us?" Nami said, shepherding the others toward the far end of the beach. "We need to discuss this for a minute."

"We shouldn't go!" Usopp said, the moment they had huddled together out of earshot. "Didn't you hear him? He said it was dangerous! We shouldn't be rushing into stuff like that yet!"

"He's trying to help his daughter, Usopp-san," Brook said. "And he was almost killed doing it. For him to go that far, she may be in serious trouble."

"And if a lady's in trouble, we have to help," Sanji said.

"I-It's not like I don't want to help her!" Usopp protested. "But if this route is so dangerous…"

"The old man thought that gang was dangerous, too," Franky reminded him, "and we took care of them pretty quickly."

Usopp wilted slightly. "Yeah, I know, but…"

"I want to help them." Luffy said. "We didn't know where to go next anyway, right? Maybe we'll find something if we take him."

"There is one more thing to consider," Robin said. "If we bring this man with us, it would be difficult to hide Zoro's presence from him."

"O-oh yeah…" Chopper said. "That might be a problem, huh?"

"Damn it, why does the shitty marimo always have to complicate things?" Sanji said. He had grabbed his cigarettes from his pile of clothes as he passed, and now he pulled one out and lit it, squashing the nearly-empty package in his free hand.

"If you wanted a simple life, cook, you're on the wrong ship," a voice said from behind him. Sanji whipped around, but empty air greeted him; with Olin nearby, Zoro remained invisible.

Muttering under his breath about shitty invisible voices, Sanji deliberately turned his back on the patch of air and faced the others again. "So? What do we do? Are we just going to leave the guy stuck here with no help?"

"Of course not," Nami said. "He seems to be trying to do a good thing, and he's going to pay us, too. We just have to figure out how to deal with Zoro."

"Assuming we don't wish to tell Olin the truth," Robin said, "we have two options. First, Zoro stays hidden during the trip. He remains invisible, and we do not speak to or about him while our guest is nearby."

Nami shuddered. "I don't want him floating around the ship for days with no idea where he is or whether he's watching us! I'd like to at least try to pretend I don't live on a haunted pirate ship."

"Who knows what that bastard might get up to," Sanji agreed. "He could violate the ladies' privacy whenever he wanted and none of us would have a clue! It's not fai—not right!"

"You're confusing me with our other swordsman, Love-cook," Zoro sounded irritated. "And I'm not you, either. Why would I want to look at something like that?"

Nami seemed unsure whether to be offended or relieved by the comment. "In any case, it doesn't work for him to stay hidden. We don't know why this route is so dangerous, but if there are monsters, pirates, or any kind of military along the way, we may need him in a fight."

Robin nodded. "The second option is for him to stay covered whenever he is near Olin. It would still be best for them to have as little interaction as possible—both to lessen the chance of accidents and because Zoro cannot remain tangible for days on end—but he could show himself enough that his presence would cause no alarm if he was needed in battle."

A loud groan came from the air. "You seriously expect me to put those damn things on every day?"

"It's clearly the best option," Nami said. "Why is it such a problem, anyway? Your entire body has to be solid for you to touch anything; what's the difference between holding a sword in your hand and wearing clothes on your body?"

"The difference is there's a lot more cloth than sword!" Zoro snapped. "The more stuff that's touching me, the harder it is to stay solid."

"Well then, all the more reason to wear them," Nami said. "Maybe if you had more practice, it wouldn't bother you so much! I thought you liked difficult stuff. Isn't it supposed to be good training or something?"

There followed several muttered curses, most of which were directed at a certain orange-haired navigator; all of which Nami pretended not to hear.

"What about his wound?" Chopper asked. "If it's still there—"

"It's fine," Zoro said. "Check it later if you want, but it's almost gone now. It will be by tomorrow."

"Then it seems the second option would be best," Brook said, and there were several nods of agreement.

"Easy for you to say," Zoro grumbled, but he knew they were right.

With no further objections, Luffy went running back to tell Olin to meet them at the beach the next morning. Once Olin had left, Sanji headed into town with Franky and Brook to pick up the rest of the needed supplies. Luffy, deprived of his swimming teachers, instead set off to explore the surrounding jungle, Usopp, Chopper, and Zoro in tow. Nami and Robin decided to go back to town as well. It hadn't looked like much, but you never knew when you might run across something interesting, even in the most humble of shops.

Before they went to sleep that night, Nami gave them all an additional warning. "It's not just Zoro. We need to be careful what we say to this man about the rest of us, too. It's too late to give him fake names—not that Luffy would be able to stick to them anyway—but we can't go letting things slip that could help him figure out who we are. If he asks about our names or the ship or anything, just say it's because we're all really big fans of the second pirate king and his crew, got it?"


Yes, so. Chapter 4. And for those of you who read my tumblr, you now know who I meant when I said a non-Straw Hat canon character was going to be showing up soon. ;)

Next chapter won't be for at least two weeks, and probably not until May, but I'm looking forward to writing chapter 13 just as much as I was chapter 12, so who knows? c:

Thanks for reading!