I realized the last chapter that Zoro has no idea what Luffy is looking for, but you probably noticed that. This chapter is kind of a result to that and something that struck me bluntly.

Ezaria: Thank you for your bluntness. I mean it, it is not sarcasm. What you said was the truth and this is the product of me trying to make it more interesting. Wasn't sure at all what to do so I just let the words take over. This is all that came to mind and I have no idea where it's heading next, but I like it like that cause its more fun to write. :D

Still don't own One Piece, still can't draw, and still can't understand the ratings.


"Zoro, why?" Luffy called out to the man that was now walking quickly away from him. Luffy didn't get it, one minute he was happy and depressed since he had found a strong ally but wouldn't have any of his questions answered. Now he had to run after said ally.

Zoro was just annoyed with the brat following him. He had already explained everything to the kid, well sort of…

"I can't go with you," Zoro had said with no hesitation in his voice, much like when he had first offered his assistance.

Luffy looked dumbfounded for a moment; shock, confusion, hurt, and loss present on his child-like face. "Why?" he breathed out.

Zoro flinched inwardly at the sound of the brat's voice. It wasn't even a whisper but it held the weight of his decision as if he had betrayed a promise made to his brother. "Luffy, what your after is far beyond my capabilities. It's far beyond any living human's capabilities. I just can't help you."

That was enough of an explanation, wasn't it? Zoro didn't have a death wish. He knew that the subject was one that could get you killed and he wasn't ready for that.

He walked a bit further before he realized that the brat was no longer crying behind him. What should have been a good thing only made Zoro feel more guilty than he already was. "Great, now I have to babysit a brat on a fool's errand just because my conscience won't let me leave well enough alone. Stupid, child, brat, fool…Where did he even go?"


Luffy had been following Zoro for a little ways after leaving the place that smelled of meat. He was about to complain again when out of nowhere, a hand shot out and placed itself firmly on his mouth and his body was pulled into another's.

He tried to scream out when the hand left his mouth but was met with a gag, followed by a sack being placed over his head. His hands and feet were then bound and he was dropped onto the floor to sit.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked a male voice that seemed really unsure of itself. Luffy wanted to tell him that whatever the idea was, if it involved him being in the mess he was currently in, then it was definitely not a good idea.

"What else are we supposed to do? If we don't reach our quota then it's our heads on the line," replied a female voice. Luffy found that this voice was soothing, rather odd given his situation.

"Right, but he's just a kid, probably no more than ten," Luffy felt a bit better since there was another person in his situation, but then he got mad at himself since this wasn't a good situation to be in.

"So? Look Usopp, we don't have time to find anyone else. Now stop complaining and help me," the female shot back. A second later and Luffy found himself being carried over another person's shoulder. With nothing better to do he realized that the person carrying him was the man and that he was buff. Or was it the woman? Is there even a difference between a man and a woman? Luffy just realized that he had never actually met a woman. So for him, all these different thoughts about gender and differences between the two started circulating in his head, making him dizzy.

"Nami?" the man named Usopp asked, telling Luffy who he was being carried by.

"What?" the one Luffy thought was a woman but was no longer sure snapped back.

"Well, you heard him too, right? You know, about Zoro?"

"It didn't look like they were close so don't worry about it. Besides, we'll be at the base shortly, and he won't be able to do anything once we get there-" Luffy started to drown the two out. It wasn't interesting enough for him to pay attention to anymore so he let sleep consume him.


Zoro backtracked all the way back to Baratie, hoping to see the bumbling, idiotic brat along the way. He had no such luck. Zoro was tempted to leave it at that and just say that fate didn't want him to find the kid when, once again, his conscience won him over.

Entering into the restaurant, he saw Sanji hitting on someone else's date. Then he watched as the man threatened Sanji. Then as the inevitable kick to the face put the man in his place. After dealing with the "mess," Sanji went back to flirting with the now dateless girl.

Zoro sighed and walked back over to the bar. It wasn't wise to get in-between Sanji and any female. At least it seemed like any female. Zoro waited patiently for the stupid cook to finish with his flirting. It took about an hour and half of Zoro's money spent on sake.

"What, did you forget something?" Sanji strolled over when he noticed that Zoro was about to destroy the place.

Through gritted teeth, Zoro barely got out, "Did Luffy come back here?" He wanted nothing more than to beat anyone who dared to look at him wrong to a bloody pulp.

Sanji quirked up his eyebrow, "The kid you were with?" Maybe he hadn't heard right, was Zoro looking for someone he didn't want to be with?

Sighing out Zoro scratched his head, "Yeah, he was yelling for me one minute and the next thing I knew, he was gone."

Sanji felt sorry for the poor boy as he said his next bit, "The underground has gotten a bit out of hand recently. A lot more people have been going missing. The kid was probably taken by either a trader or a scavenger. Give up on seeing him again."

Zoro tensed at the news. He knew next to nothing about the kid, but it didn't sit right with him to just leave it at never seeing him again. Zoro turned to Sanji, a different light in his eye that neither had known existed, "Help me."

"No, you stupid Marimo," Sanji shot back. "Weren't you listening he was-" Sanji cut himself off. Did the Marimo just ask for help? Didn't he have too much pride for that? The change in his long time rival made him even more curious about the boy. "I'm not joining on his stupid quest."

Zoro grunted in agreement, "Neither am I, but I feel like I should at least see him home."

Sighing Sanji started to head back towards the kitchen, "Wait there, I got to go tell that stupid old man that I'm going somewhere."


"What is this?" the tall and bulky and big and scary looking man with a golden hook for his left hand and a long scar above his nose that crossed his entire face.

Gulping down a scream of terror, and tan man with curly black hair and a long nose stuttered a response that sounded like, "We-well, w-w-w-we sa-saw this b-b-b-bo-b-b-boy an-and since we st-still nee-needed one mo-mor-more we gr-grabbed him for you." He rushed the last part just wanting to finish talking.

"It's not so bad is it?" a girl with long, wavy orange-hair spoke up. "He has a cute face and some people get off on scars now-a-days. He should fetch a good price."

The big man sighed, "That's not what I meant."

Confused the girl questioned her boss, "Then what did you mean?"

Standing up, the scary man slowly walked over to the boy who, after a long head-ache inducing debate, was sleeping as if there was nothing wrong. "We don't use drugs on our products to keep them fresh."

A tick appeared on the girl's face, "And we told you that we didn't use any form of drug on him. He was wide awake when we first set out with him."

The man's hand, not hook, shot out and cupped the girl's chin, forcing her to look up at him, "Nami, why is this boy here?"

"To be put up for auction?" the girl questioned, now confused. The answer was obvious, what else would he be used for.

The man turned his gaze to the other male in the room, "And you Usopp, why is this boy here?"

"L-like N-N-Na-Nami s-sa-said, a-au-auc-auction," the young male stuttered worse than the first time he had talked to the man.

"I don't like idea," the man smiled demonically. "You see, I've been thinking about changing out my pet, and you come along with this darling little kitten." The man let go of Nami's face and walked up to the sleeping boy. He bent down and lifted his face slightly, enjoying the feel of the soft skin on his rough hands. "Though I know cats are not normally chained, I really don't want this one to go. Take that dog out of the kennel, clean it, and place this darling little kitten inside."

"Yes Crocodile," the two said as one, with Usopp slightly stuttering.


"Vice Admiral Smoker, Tashigi reporting back in!" Tashigi called out, saluting a white-haired man with light gray eyes and a scar going diagonally over his left eye.

The man looked up from the table with a bunch of paper on it. "And how did your hunt for Roronoa go?"

"Sadly I was unable to find him," Tashigi deflated.

"Gwahahahaha, so this is the legendary White Chase Smoker? It's a pleasure to meet the man behind the rumors, though I must ask, what are you doing in Loguetown?" the old man who accompanied Tashigi questioned. He was relatively tall for an old man, well muscled too. His gray hair and beard gave Smoker the feeling of something that the man had been through more than he was willing to tell and his light blue eyes held a mystery alongside pure jolliness. If it wasn't for the scar on his left eye, Smoker would have dressed the old man in red and called him Santa, but Smoker knew all too well who the man before him was.

"I could ask you the same thing, Garp the Fist."