"Usopp's Pirates are here!"

I nearly choked on the mouthful of rum I had taken, but swallowed it because I really, REALLY, didn't want to spit it out all over Zoro.

"What?" Nami looked over her shoulder at the three kids that had charged into the shop.
"Who are they?" Luffy asked no one in particular.

I coughed a few times, trying to clear my throat while Zoro raised an eyebrow and smirked at me.

The three kids looked at our table like we were mountain ogres.

"H-hey, the captain isn't here..."
"It can't be that they ate him.."

Zoro and I exchanged a glance as I smirked around my drink.

"Hey! Pirates! What did you do to our captain?"
"Give him back!"

Clink!

Luffy set his drink down and let out a satisfied yawn. "What good meat!" He exclaimed happily.

"H-huh? Meat?"
"He ate the captain?"

Zoro planted his elbow on the table, supporting his hand with his arm as he looked at them.

"Your captain?" He asked with a smirk.
"He was pretty tasty." I followed up as I leaned back, downing the rest of my rum with a grin.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH! CANNIBALS!" they shrieked while looking at Nami.
"WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME?" she yelled as Zoro and I dissolved into laughter.

"You! Why would you two tell them something weird like that!" she shouted at us, which only made me laugh harder.
I got up from the table as I shook with laughter. "Be right back..." I said, chuckling. I had to use the bathroom damnit!


By the time I got back, the three kids were standing by the table again and talking with Nami.
"It's that time again?" one of the kids said.

I slid into my seat and tried to sneak some bacon from Zoro's plate.

"Yea, he said that right before he left." the swordsman said as he smacked my hands away casually, and the kids' faces lit up.
"Oh! so it was time to go to the mansion!" they exclaimed as I grumbled into my rum while Zoro gave me a stern look.

Mansion? Where the sick girl lives?" Nami asked, putting two and two together.
"Why does he go there?" Luffy asked and I tried to look like I was interested in the conversation, even though my rum held a much deeper pull for me.

Ahhh rum how I've missed you...

"To tell lies!" said one of the kids matter-of-factly.

...What?

Apparently Luffy had the same thought as me.

"Isn't that a bad thing...?" he asked as the kids smiled.
"No, it's actually great!" they said brightly.

"He tells lies to a sick girl and that's great? I feel like I'm missing something..." I muttered under my breath.
"He tells Miss Kaya stories to make her happy!"
"None of them are true, but they make her smile!"

I blinked. "So that's how it is." I mumbled as Luffy grinned widely.
"Oh! So he's a great guy!" He said with a sudden look of admiration.

I finished my rum and set it aside as Nami put her chin in her hand. "So to make her feel better, he's been going to amuse her with made up stories?" She asked with a small smile.
"Yup!" the kids said.

"I like his noisiness!"
"I like his cowardice!"
"I like his lies!"

Zoro blinked in disbelief.

"What kind of strong points are those..." I laughed at his expression and let out a snort while I did so.

I clapped my hands over my mouth as Zoro stared at me, a blush rising on my cheeks. "Are you... drunk?" he asked, while a smirk spread slowly across his face.
"No." I lied quickly.

I don't think I did a very good job though, judging from his smug expression.

Luffy grinned. "So is she feeling better?" He asked the three kids who nodded vigorously.
"Yea! And it's all thanks to our captain!" they said proudly.

Luffy stood and stretched.

"ALL RIGHT! We're going to the mansion to ask for a ship." He said as Nami's eyebrow twitched.
"Didn't you just say that you'd give it up?" she asked helplessly as Zoro and I stood to follow the captain.

I turned to the three kids.

"Hey, could you take us to the mansion?" I asked and they grinned, running ahead of us as Nami paid the bill, grumbling.

"I don't think they'll just give us a ship.." I commented dubiously as I followed Luffy.
"No harm in asking now is there?" Zoro pointed out and I nodded with a sigh, almost loosing my balance as I did so.

Zoro's arm shot out as I righted myself, suddenly grinning. He groaned, placing a hand over his face as he followed after me.

"Hey, when we do get a bigger ship though, would you spar with me?" I asked as I spun around tilting my head to look up at him.
He lifted an eyebrow at that.

"You sure about that?" He asked, trying very hard not to laugh at my antics. I nodded (and his arm twitched) as I examined my handcuffs.

"I've never met anyone who could catch up to my speed without these on before." I explained happily as we got farther from the town. Zoro looked interested at that, deciding that sticking next to my elbow was better than me eating dirt apparently.

"Oh really?"


"Hey! Please lend us a ship!" Luffy said to a building and I stopped walking.

"Oh, we're here?" I commented as Luffy began to scale the fence.
"Well, lets just go in." he said.

I grinned at the direct approach as I gathered my legs under me and leaped, landing lightly on top of the wall surrounding the mansion.
"Sounds good!" I exclaimed, and wobbled a bit. Nami shrieked as I regained my balance and waved down at them before dropping to the ground on the other side of the fence.

"How did he do that?" the kids stammered as Nami put her face in her hand.
"We can't stop them..." she groaned.
"Well, if we can't stop them, we follow them." I heard Zoro say as we walked around the mansion, and I grinned as I spotted Usopp chatting with a slight girl.

Luffy and the three kids ran ahead of us I hung back with Zoro.

"Captain!" they called, and he spun around, not expecting us to be there.
"Why are you all here?" He asked, his eyes bugging slightly.
"We brought this guy here!" they said, pointing to Luffy, who stood with his fists on his hips.

"So you're the owner?" He asked, his eyes bright as Usopp walked over to put an arm around his shoulder.
"These guys heard of my reputation, and traveled a long way to get here. They are the new additions to the Usopp Pirates!" He said and I snorted behind my hand.
"Yea! No wait that's not..." Luffy began.

I stepped to the front.

"We have a favor to ask." I said, tugging on my headband as I grinned. The girl leaned out of the window a bit farther to look at us.
"A favor? Of me?" she asked curiously.

"Yea! We need a big ship..." Luffy began to say.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" interrupted a voice and I turned to see a tall man with glasses walking at us. "You can't just waltz into the mansion like this!" He sneered and Usopp looked away.
"Ugh, the butler."

"Well, we technically we didn't waltz. You see, this guy here climbed, I jumped and.."
"Kai, shut up."
"What did you say, idiot swordsman?"
"I said to shut up, shitty fighter!"

Zoro and I glared daggers at one another as the slight girl leaned out of the window.

"Kurahadol, wait, these people are..." she began to say.
"You don't have to explain, I'll just ask you about it later." He brushed her off and settled his glare onto us.
"Please leave! Or do you have something to say?"

I really didn't like this guy. Luffy gave him his best smile however.
"We want a ship!"
"No way."

Zoro patted the captain on the back as he sagged.

"Kurahadol? what a weird name." I muttered. The man turned to our long nosed friend and frowned.
"You're Usopp, aren't you? I've heard some rumors about you, seeing as how the townspeople talk about you all the time." He said almost casually.

Usopp adopted a pose of confidence.

"Why thank you! You may call me Captain Usopp." He said grandly. The butler pushed his glasses up with the palm of his hand as he sighed.

"Hey, Zoro." I whispered as I leaned over, and the swordsman glanced over at me.
"What?"
"Why does he push his glasses up like that?" I asked and Zoro's eyebrow twitched as he shoved my head away.
"You're too close."
"Hey! Don't dodge the question!"

"The guards said that you were lurking outside the gates. What do you want?" the butler asked, and Usopp started stammering.

"Well, you see, I uh, I heard that there was a huge rodent in the mansion so I wanted to come see it for myself..." He fibbed lamely as the butler sniggered.
"Well you lie pretty easily!" He said, and Usopp looked shocked.
"What?"

"I've heard about your father too...You son of a filthy pirate." He said with that strange eyeglass push again. "I'm not surprised you turned out this way, but stay away from Miss Kaya!"

"His dad was a pirate?" Luffy said aloud as I opened and closed my mouth rapidly, biting back my words.

This wasn't my battle, but that didn't mean I couldn't get angry, right?

"Did you say filthy...?" hissed Usopp angrily.

The butler continued as if he hadn't said anything offensive.

"You and Miss Kaya belong to completely different worlds. Is it money you're after? Just name your price and we'll send you off." He said dismissively.
"THATS ENOUGH, KURAHADOL! APOLOGIZE TO USOPP AT ONCE!" Kaya shouted at the butler and I grinned approvingly.
I got why Usopp obviously liked her.

She had a backbone.

"Why should I apologize to this uncivilized person? I'm just telling the truth!" he said with a backwards glance at her before turning his attention to Usopp once more. "I feel sorry for you..You hate your father, don't you?" he said with the strange push again. "He was a 'dumb treasure hunter' who deserted his town and family..."
"KURAHADOL!" Kaya yelled at him.

Usopp was getting angrier by the second, judging from the look on his face. "Don't say another word about my dad..."
"Why are you so angry? You aren't very smart...you should have just told your usual lies. That your father was a traveling merchant or that you and him were not blood related.."
"SHUT UP!"

Usopp punched him in the face.
I cheered.

"You're so violent! Like father, like son.."
"SHUT UP!" Usopp screamed. "I'M PROUD THAT MY DAD WAS A PIRATE! HE WAS A BRAVE WARRIOR OF THE SEA!"

I felt proud, but also a little embarrassed. But I was also slightly (read: very) drunk so the embarrassed part was probably due to the fact I was swaying back and forth like a see-saw.

"YOU'RE RIGHT! I LIKE TO LIE! BUT I'M PROUD OF HAVING A PIRATES BLOOD IN ME! I DON'T HAVE TO PRETEND TO BE SOMETHING I'M NOT!" Usopp stopped for breath. "I'M THE SON OF A PIRATE!"

Luffy looked as if he had suddenly remembered something.

"Pfff...that pirate, the brave warrior? Don't make me laugh." the butler said. "You're still his offspring though. You never think of anyone else. When you are upset you use your strength to hit others.." he said as he got up, brushing the dust off his clothes. "After all, you only want to get close to Miss Kaya for her money."
"What did you say? I..."
"Enough with the explanations! I've said all that needs to be said. You're just the son of a dirty pirate!"
"DON'T INSULT MY DAD!"

Usopp lifted his fist to punch the butler, but Kaya intervened.
"Stop, Usopp!" she cried out, and he froze, mid swing.

"Kurahadol isn't a bad person...He's just being harsh on you because he worries about me..." Kaya told Usopp as she sniffled. Usopp lowered his fist and his whole body shook. Kurahadol slapped his hand away.
"Get out. This is not a place for a low life like you. Don't you dare come near here again!" He ordered, and Usopp walked off slowly.

"Yea..I know." He said with a dark look. "I won't ever come near here again."

"Okay, that's it! I'm gonna pound him into the ground!" I hissed as I started to run at the butler.

I blinked as Zoro suddenly hooked his arms under my shoulders, stopping my movement.
"Hey!" I spat, glaring over my shoulder at him, and the swordsman frowned at me.
"Don't get involved. It's not your fight." he said disapprovingly.

I surged forward to break out of the hold but Zoro didn't even budge.

"I know that! It doesn't make me any less angry though!" I snapped, kicking out wildly.
"Idiot..." He huffed as he lifted me.
"H-hey!"

I was really glad that he couldn't see my face, since I was blushing.
"Put me down damnit! Zoro!" I struggled and whined as he tossed me over his shoulder.
"Not till you calm down. Or sober up." He grunted as I squirmed.
"I refuse to do either!" I crowed as we started to leave.
"Then I'm not going to put you down." He retorted and I huffed as we walked back toward the town, still blushing furiously and glad no one could see it.